BurmaNet News, December 12, 2006

[Editor]

December 12, 2006 Issue # 3104

“We’d rather like to die here instead of being sent back,”
-	Zaw Phone, a detained Rohingya immigrant in Thailand after having
arrived by boat from Burma, quoted in Irrawaddy, December 12, 2006


INSIDE BURMA
DVB: ICRC 'determined' to stay in Burma
Network Media Group: Military dictatorship worse than feudalism: PPLO
Mizzima: Burmese military exercises in KIA controlled area

ON THE BORDER
Bangkok Post: Worries after fighting erupts close to border

REGIONAL
AFP: Soros calls for Indonesia to support UN Myanmar resolution
Irrawaddy: More Rohingya boat people arrive in Southern Thailand

INTERNATIONAL
BBC: Tories demand human rights focus
DPA: Media watchdog group honours jailed Myanmar reporter, others

PRESS RELEASE
Conservative Party Human Rights Commission: Burma ranked worst human
rights violator in UK Conservative Party Human Rights Commission Report

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

December 12, Democratic Voice of Burma
ICRC 'determined' to stay in Burma

The International Committee of the Red Cross has firmly restated its
intention to stay in Burma after a meeting between the group's resident
representative, Pierre-André Conod, and government officials on December
8.

Conod told DVB today, his meeting with minister for home affairs
major-general Maung Oo and other officials heralded an opening up in
dialogue and that the ICRC was "determined" to stay in the country.

Talks between the ICRC and the military over the restarting of regular
prison visits by the group halted last month as the military increased
restrictions on the group's activities. Prison visits stopped in December
2005.

"During that meeting, it seems that the government has signaled its
readiness to discuss with the ICRC some selected humanitarian issues and
ICRC's working procedures", Conod told DVB.

He said it was still unclear if the military would lift November
restrictions preventing ICRC field offices in Mandalay, Moulmein,
Taunggyi, Hpa-an and Keng Tung from operating. Conod said the ICRC was
looking forward to further discussions with the government.

"We just have to wait. It's not the right time . . . according to them."

Also on December 8, the government gave a group of Chinese, Japanese and
Burmese journalists a guided tour of Mandalay prison as part of a recent
state public relations campaign on prison conditions.

Thike Htun Thet, chief editor of the Nan Myint and Shwe Mandalay journals,
both owned by top Union Solidarity and Development Association members,
went on the tour and told DVB the conditions in the prison were good.

"We did talk to [prisoners] freely. We were allowed to meet with those
inmates, who, at outside are being said, imprisoned with political
charges. They were taken outside of their cells, and we talked for long
time," Thike Htun Thet said.

But Ko Tate, secretary of the Assistance Association for Political
Prisoners, said it was unlikely that the journalists would have seen the
true conditions faced by inmates.

"Compared to what the ICRC has done, this work of the government's
stooges, the USDA, and (the Myanmar) Women Affairs (Federation) is nothing
to talk about," Ko Tate said.

____________________________________

December 11, Network Media Group
Military dictatorship worse than feudalism: PPLO

Military dictatorship in Burma today is by far worse than feudalism which
existed in Shan State , said a statement released by the Pa-O People's
Liberation Organization (PPLO) on the 57th feudalism resistance day of
Pa-O today.

In a feudal Shan State, ethnic people such as Shan, Palaung, Lahu, Pa -O
had to pay one-tenth of their income to the feudal lords. During
festivals, gambling centres and opium houses were authorized to be kept
open and people were exploited, said Khun Okker, the president of the
PPLO.

"Farmers who had no understanding of the problem resorted to gambling,
partook opium, got addicted, destroying their livelihood, said Khun Okker.
"Their business ventures were destroyed and on the other hand, they were
taxed. They had no opportunity for education because there were no schools
in villages. Because of lack of education and plagued by economic problems
as they were, their health deteriorated. Therefore, people were
underdeveloped. That was the situation under a feudal authority."

The situation, however, is worse under military dictatorship. There was
little problem with feudalism as long as people paid taxes.

"Forced labour has gone up during the tenure of military dictatorship.
There was little forced labour before the military grabbed power. There
were rarely rapes committed, destruction of villages, and overt social
oppression. But, during the tenure of the SLORC and SPDC, every sector,
social, economic and academic has deteriorated because of repression,"
said Khun Okker.

The statement also points out that not only ethnic nationalities are being
suppressed under the military regime but also all other people of Burma.

The 57th anniversary of Pa-O National Feudalism Resistance Day was
organized by the PPLO on the Thai-Burma border and was attended by over 50
participants including delegates of PPLO and those of its allies.

The resistance day is meant to mark December 11, 1949 on which Pa-O
leaders, U Khun Hla Pe and Sayadaw U Nay Mee resolved to resist feudalism
in Shan State , despite Burma gaining independence from the British in
1948.

____________________________________

December 11, Mizzima News
Burmese military exercises in KIA controlled area - Myo Gyi

Military exercises spread over nine days in Wai Maw, Kachin State,
northern Burma is on the anvil by the Burmese military machine.

The exercises will begin on December 14 and the firepower will include
artillery. The announcement has caused concern in the Kachin Independent
Organization.

Ten battalions from No.3 military operation and command and two battalions
from No. 904 gun station will begin exercises in Samar region under the
control of cease-fire group, the Kachin Independent Army from December 14
to 22.

"It is close to the China-Burma border and the area is called Samar. There
is a fort built during the British colonial era in the area and this where
the KIA is building a water generated electric turbine. Artillery like 120
mm, 105 mm and 76 mm guns will be in use," said a source close to the
Northern Military Headquarters.

Concerned over the Burmese Army's military exercise the KIO held a
commander level emergency meeting on Sunday night, said a source close to
KIA.

"The emergency meeting was called by General Nban La. They know the
exercise by the Burma Army should not be treated lightly. They all agreed
that KIA should send a letter to the SPDC (military junta)," he said.

Mya Maung, a military analyst based on the China-Burma border said "the
KIA refused to cooperate on a clutch of guidelines given by the military
junta and I think SPDC wants to send a message to them. Moreover, the
exercise is also meant to send a message to India that Burma dares to hold
a military exercise in a region close to China.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

December 12, Bangkok Post
Worries after fighting erupts close to border - Subin Kheunkaew

Chiang Mai: Authorities and traders are worried about a spillover from the
latest clash between Burmese troops and Shan State Army fighters near
Tachilek, opposite Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district.

The fighting started on Sunday [10 December].

Maj-Gen Wannatip Wongwai, commander of the Pha Muang Task Force, said Thai
soldiers have sealed off the border to prevent the fighting from spilling
over into Thai territory.

They have also intensified anti-drug smuggling efforts which usually gain
momentum when skirmishes break out on Burmese soil, he said.

Boontham Tipprasong, chairman of the Thai-Burmese Chamber of Commerce,
said the Mae Sai tourism sector was cashing in on huge arrivals of Thais
thanks to the Royal Flora 2006 exposition in Chiang Mai. He hoped the
clashes would not expand and scare away the tourists.

The thunder of mortar shells from the fighting between the two sides can
be heard in nearby Mae Sai district.
According to border sources, four battalions of Burmese soldiers were
deployed from Payak town north of Tachilek and clashed with Shan State
Army (SSA) forces near Mong Hai and Mong Loong on Sunday.

The battle has expanded and clashes were also reported near Tachilek
yesterday. Dozens of injured Burmese soldiers were reportedly admitted to
Tachilek Hospital on Sunday night.

Lt-Col Jai Pao, an SSA commander whose force is based on Doi Kor Wan
mountain opposite Mae Fa Luang district in Chiang Rai, said four
battalions of Burmese soldiers were added to the three battalions earlier
deployed in border areas. They were tracking SSA forces in border areas
and finally both sides clashed.

The SSA commander claimed that 12 Burmese soldiers had been killed and
dozens of others injured in the fighting so far.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE



____________________________________
ASEAN


____________________________________
REGIONAL

December 12, Agence France-Presse
Soros calls for Indonesia to support UN Myanmar resolution

Billionaire US philanthropist George Soros has appealed for Indonesia to
support a UN resolution against the military junta in Myanmar.

Speaking in front of the Indonesian parliamentary caucus on Myanmar, Soros
said they should pressure the government to step up diplomatic efforts for
freedom in Myanmar.

"It is very frustrating, you have a junta that is clearly difficult to
influence because they do not care what other parts of the world would
think," he said.

"In this case I am in line with (President George W.) Bush's policy," he
said, referring to Washington's trade and investment bans on Myanmar in
protest at the regime's dismal human rights record and refusal to adopt
democratic reforms.

Soros said Myanmar would benefit economically from a more democratic
government as the country was "sitting on (rich) natural resources,
particularly gas, which can be a good flow of money."

The Indonesian parliamentary caucus on Myanmar is part of an Association
of Southeast Asian Nations initiative to advocate human rights and
democratic reform in Myanmar.

Myanmar said in November that a UN resolution against the junta would
"destroy the peace" and accused the Security Council of trying to
interfere in its domestic affairs.

Indonesia will take up its two-year seat on the UN Security Council in
January 2007.

The outgoing US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, said in November that
he would introduce a draft Security Council resolution lambasting
Myanmar's military junta as a "threat" to regional peace and security.

Hungarian-born Soros is the chairman of the Open Society Institute, which
aims to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights
and economic, legal and social reform.

____________________________________

December 12, Irrawaddy
More Rohingya boat people arrive in Southern Thailand - Khun Sam

Another boat carrying Rohingyas from Burma landed in southern Thailand on
Tuesday amid reports that further vessels were on their way. The boat,
with 66 men and boys on board, was the second to arrive at Thailand’s
coastal Phang Nga province this month, and a third is reported to have
made landfall in the same region in late November.

The Rohingyas, who included two 17-year-old boys, were arrested by local
police and face charges of illegally entering Thailand. They join 114
Rohingya who arrived in the area in a small boat last Tuesday and were
also arrested. They also faced charges of entering Thailand illegally and
subsequent deportation, Police Senior Sergeant Major Banjerd Saengmanee,
of Takuapa District, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

The new arrivals came from Maungdaw Township in Burma’s Arakan State.

One detained Rohingya, Zaw Phone, said: “We’d rather like to die here
instead of being sent  back.” He said the Rohingyas faced persecution by
the Burmese authorities in Arakan State.

The Grassroots Human Rights Education organization, which is trying to
assist the group, said the Rohingyas had left Burma because of the
difficulties of earning a livelihood. Min Oo of the GHRE said they
suffered human rights violations such as land confiscation and
discrimination at the hands of Burmese authorities. Most of them had no
identification papers, he said.

Zaw Phone said: “In Arakan State, we had many troubles due to restrictions
(imposed by the Burmese authorities), like you can’t go here and there. We
no longer wanted to stay there, so we bought a boat and left the country.”

It is reported that at least one other boat, with about 100 people on
board, is on its way to Thailand.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

December 11, BBC
Tories demand human rights focus

International human rights have been relegated by the Foreign Office, the
Conservatives' commission on human rights has said.

Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague called for a government minister to
be appointed to concentrate on the issue.

Publishing the first annual report of the commission, Mr Hague said human
rights would be central to Conservative foreign policy.

He also called for ambassadors to be more "proactive" in championing them.

Mr Hague said: "Currently it depends to a large extent on the individual
ambassador or diplomat. It should be a requirement of the job, and
outstanding service should be rewarded and recognised.

"Embassies should become freedom houses. Ambassadors should provide
dissidents with a platform, and - where appropriate - should be willing to
join pro-democracy demonstrations."

The report highlighted the case of Craig Murray, the British ambassador to
Uzbekistan who was removed from his posting after speaking out about
torture in the country.

National interests

Mr Hague said: "We have the privilege of living in freedom. But with that
privilege comes the responsibility to use our liberty to speak up for
those who are denied it.

"It is not only morally right that we should speak for the oppressed; it
is also in our national interests to do so.

"Dictators do not make the best allies. Freedom and prosperity go together."

The commission, chaired by MP Gary Streeter, said ministers' dual
responsibility for both trade and human rights created a conflict of
interest.

The commission plans a "substantive consultation" with human rights groups
such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as a review
of the arms trade.

The report details 18 countries monitored during the past year, and ranks
them on freedom, rule of law and human rights violations.

Burma had the most violations, while North Korea was the worst violator of
freedom and rule of law.

'Killing and torture'

Others near the top of the list for violations were Tibet, Iran, Saudi
Arabia, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Cuba and Belarus.

The commission called for further reform of the United Nations, describing
it as "the only club in the world in which a country can frequently
violate the rules with little or no penalty."

Among instances of human rights abuses, the report mentioned "the killing
and torture of civilians and the displacement of up to 25,000 villagers in
Burma's Karen district in the course of 2006 alone".

It also highlighted "the 200,000 political prisoners incarcerated in North
Korea's jails, who are the victims of a regime which is known to
arbitrarily imprison up to three generations for the transgression of a
single individual."

____________________________________

December 12, Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Media watchdog group honours jailed Myanmar reporter, others

Reporters without Borders (RSF) on Tuesday named jailed Myanmar journalist
Win Tin Journalist of the Year, the group announced.

In addition, the 35-member RSF jury also bestowed prizes on the Russian
newspaper Nowaja Gaseta, the Congolese organization Journalist in Danger
and the Cuban cyper-dissident Guillermo Farinas Hernandez.

The 76-year-old Win Tin was sentenced in 1989 to 20 years in prison on
charges of subversion and anti-regime propaganda. Despite horrific prison
conditions and chronic health problems, he has resisted demands to
renounce the pro-democracy organization National League for Democracy.

Win Tin's award was accepted by his niece, Thinn Thiri.

Nowaja Gaseta, which is published twice weekly, was honoured for reporting
on issues considered tabu in Russia, such as government corruption and
human rights violations. The assassinated journalist Anna Politkowskaja
was a member of its staff when she was killed.

Farinas Hernandez, the director of the independent agency Cubanacan Press,
was distinguished for his struggle to make access to the internet
accessible to everyone. His prize was accepted by the Cuban writer Eduardo
Manet.

RSF honoured Journalist in Danger, which is based in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, for its work for liberty of the press in Africa.

____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE

December 11, UK Conservative Party Human Rights Commission
Burma ranked worst human rights violator in UK Conservative Party Human
Rights Commission Report

Burma has been ranked the worst human rights violator in the world, out of
18 countries assessed by the UK Conservative Party’s Human Rights
Commission this year.

In the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission’s first Annual Report,
to be launched today by the Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague in the
House of Commons in London, Burma outranks North Korea, Sudan, Uzbekistan,
Eritrea and Tibet in a league table of dictatorships.

The report includes profiles of 18 countries, and a ranking of them in
three categories: freedom, the rule of law and human rights violations.
North Korea is rated the most oppressive, closed society where freedom and
the rule of law are non-existent, but Burma is rated the worst for human
rights violations, and the worst overall.

Burma has been a consistent focus for the Conservative Party this year. In
October, Karen activist Zoya Phan was invited to address the Party’s
conference in Bournemouth, immediately before William Hague’s platform
speech, and received a standing ovation. In April, Shan activist Charm
Tong met Conservative Party Leader David Cameron, shared a platform with
William Hague and addressed a hearing on Burma in Parliament organised by
the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission. Conservative MPs have
tabled numerous Parliamentary Questions and several Early Day Motions on
Burma in the House of Commons this year, and in October Stephen Crabb MP,
a Conservative, introduced a debate on Burma in Parliament. The Party
issued an open invitation to democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to address
the Party Conference, and party activists have participated in several
demonstrations at the Burmese Embassy in London.

The Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, which was launched in
October 2005, calls in its report for “consistency” in foreign policy,
saying: “Human rights concerns should be at the heart of foreign policy,
and should be applied consistently to all nations. That means raising
concerns and putting pressure on regimes and governments, whether they are
regarded as allies or not.”

The report criticises the Government for “relegating” human rights to a
sub-set of “sustainable development” in its strategic priorities list. It
recommends a future Conservative Government to make the promotion of human
rights “a priority category in its own right”, and to review the role of
embassies. “Ambassadors and other diplomats should be required to be
proactive in supporting dissidents and documenting human rights
violations. Currently it depends to a large extent on the individual
Ambassador or diplomat. It should be a requirement of the job, and
outstanding service should be rewarded and recognised. Embassies should
become freedom houses. Ambassadors should provide dissidents with a
platform, and – where appropriate – should be willing to join
pro-democracy demonstrations.”

It calls for further reform of the United Nations. “The UN is the only
club in the world in which a country can frequently violate the rules with
little or no penalty,” the report concludes. “Action should be taken to
ensure that countries which systematically violate human rights should not
belong to the Human Rights Council. Countries which systematically violate
human rights should face suspension from the UN itself.”

The Commission’s report also recommends that a future Conservative
Government appoint a Minister of State and an Ambassador-at-Large at the
Foreign Office solely devoted to International Human Rights. The current
Minister of State has responsibility for both trade and human rights,
which the report claims means he “faces potential conflicts of interest
and cannot give undivided attention to human rights”. The Commission plans
to conduct a “substantive consultation” with human rights groups such as
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to develop these ideas, and
to conduct a review of the arms trade.

The Chairman of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, Gary
Streeter MP, said: “This first annual report is an indication of how
seriously we view the abuse of human rights around the world. It reviews
countries where human rights violations are serious and widespread, and
offers some policy proposals for action. We will continue to monitor human
rights abuses around the world, gather information and develop ideas for a
future Conservative Government.”

In his Foreword to the report, Mr Hague said: “Freedom and human dignity
are at the very heart of Conservative values 
 It is absolutely essential,
therefore, that we apply those values to all areas of policy, domestic and
foreign 
 We have the privilege of living in freedom. But with that
privilege comes the responsibility to use our liberty to speak up for
those who are denied it 
 It is not only morally right that we should
speak for the oppressed, it is also in our national interests to do so.
Dictators do not make the best allies. Freedom and prosperity go
together.”

Human Rights activist Ben Rogers, who serves as Deputy Chairman of the
Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, said: “The fact that Burma
outranks even North Korea and Sudan in terms of scale of human rights
violations is a damning indictment of the brutal military regime, and a
wake-up call to the international community. I have visited Burma many
times and interviewed internally displaced people, former political
prisoners, former child soldiers, people who have been used for forced
labour, women who have been raped, orphans, widows and internally
displaced people. I have heard countless stories of horrific torture and
abuse. The junta is committing every possible category of human rights
violation in Burma today – and the world needs to act now to bring an end
to the misery.”

For further information and a copy of the report please contact:

Ben Rogers, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party Human Rights
Commission, on

Work: (+44) (0)208 329 0041
Mobile (+44) (0)7919 030575
Email: ben.rogers at conservativehumanrights.com