BurmaNet News, August 18-20, 2007

[Editor]

August 18-20, 2007 Issue # 3270

INSIDE BURMA
AP: Burma's activists march against fuel price hike
AFP: Tens of thousands homeless in Myanmar floods
Mizzima News: U Win Naing and group attacked by junta-backed thugs
Kaladan News: Soldiers in Arakan gang rape two women, one dies
AFP: Suu Kyi's party warns of new protests in Myanmar over fuel hike

ON THE BORDER
DPA: 15 suspected al-Qaeda operatives arrested in India

BUSINESS / TRADE
KNG: Illegal teak traders procure people for Burma Army with money
Xinhua: Myanmar private airline to launch second international flight

DRUGS
AFP: Myanmar arrests 320 suspected drug dealers in July

ASEAN
AFP: ASEAN must nudge China, India on Myanmar: lawmakers
Mizzima News: ASEAN integration should be dominated by political goodwill,
economic interests

REGIONAL
Mizzima News: Former Indian PM calls for release of Burmese scribe U Win Tin
AP: North Korea to open embassy in Burma
Khonumthung News: Burmese in India protest China's gas pact with Burma

ANALYSIS
Bangkok Post: Soaring petrol costs deepen woes
Mizzima News: Fuel price hike in Burma: Junta's well-planned strategy?

PRESS RELEASE
The 88 Generation Students' Announcement on the sudden increase of fuel
prices

STATEMENT
UNLD (Liberated Areas): Statement on the letter from the 92 members of
Parliament-Elected, Burma to United Nations Secretary-General

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

August 20, Associated Press
Burma's activists march against fuel price hike

More than 400 people led by prominent pro-democracy activists staged a
rare protest in Rangoon Sunday, marching against a massive recent fuel
price hike, activists told The Associated Press.

"We are staging this performance to reflect the hardship our people are
facing due to the government's fuel price hike," said Min Ko Naing, a
leader of the 88 Generation Students' Group.

Burma's ruling junta imposed a surprise 100 percent hike on fuel at
state-owned gas stations on Wednesday. The move was followed by increases
in bus fares and commodity prices.

The government did not give reasons for the increase.

The march began with about 100 people led by former student activists of
the 88 Generation Students' Group moving along a major road in north
Rangoon. The crowd swelled to more than 400 marchers as bystanders joined
in and then all dispersed after covering about 9 kilometers (5 miles).

The protesters did not shout slogans or hold up placards.

"Some cars stopped and those inside clapped their hands when they knew
that we were staging this performance in protest against the fuel price
hike," said Min Ko Naing.

Authorities watched and videotaped the event, but did not interfere with
the protest.

The 88 Generation Students' Group includes former student leaders who were
active in the 1988 pro-democracy uprising against the military. Many of
them have served long prison terms.

The government, which holds a monopoly on fuel sales and subsidizes them,
raised prices of fuel from 1,500 kyats (US $1.16) to 3,000 kyats ($2.33)
per imperial gallon for diesel and to 2,500 kyats ($1.94) for gasoline.

A canister of natural gas containing 65 liters (17 gallons) was raised
from 500 kyats (39 US cents) to 2,500 kyats ($1.94).

The hike immediately affected commuters who use public transport as bus
fares have increased along with those of basic consumer products.

On Wednesday, some workers at a garment factory in Rangoon demanded salary
raises to meet the spiraling transportation and food prices.

Another group of activists have also said they would stage a protest
against the fuel price hike if the government fails to scrap it within a
week.

____________________________________

August 20, Agence France Presse
Tens of thousands homeless in Myanmar floods

Tens of thousands of people have been made homeless in Myanmar's
Ayeyawaddy River delta after unusually heavy rains triggered floods in
this low-lying region, local officials said Monday.

State media in military-ruled Myanmar have made little mention of the
floods, but local officials and residents said that at least 18 villages
are under water.

About 10,000 homes have been hit by the floods, according to local
officials and residents.

Eight schools have been closed and about 40,000 acres of rice paddies were
destroyed, according to an agriculture department official.

In the village of Athok, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) west of the
nation's economic hub Yangon, residents are living on bamboo scaffolding
built near their homes to try to stay above the water.

"The whole village has been flooded for about a week. Other nearby
villages have also flooded," an Athok village official told AFP, speaking
on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the
media.

"The village authorities are delivering rice donated by local businessmen
to the victims," he said.

Neither national authorities nor the Red Cross were seen in the area,
leaving villagers largely to fend for themselves.

Some made tents along the roads, while dozens of families took shelter
inside the village railway station, on a football field, and inside
Buddhist temples.

"We can't afford to build a bamboo shelter at our house. That's why we
moved to this train station," said Aye Myint, a 48-year-old farm worker
seeking shelter at the train station.

"I cannot earn any income because of the flood, and I spent a day without
eating while I waded through the water to get here," he said.

"We just worry about finding rice. We can get salt and chili, and we've
been able to catch fish in the water."

____________________________________

August 19, Mizzima News
U Win Naing and group attacked by junta-backed thugs

To stop being exposed and in a bid to muzzle the distress that people in
Burma are facing, junta-backed groups attacked veteran Burmese politician
U Win Naing, who has been donating rice to the poor living in the
outskirts of Rangoon. Goons set upon him and his group when they were
returning after a rice distribution trip on Sunday.

The donation team, including U win Naing and Ko Soe Myint Htein, were
attacked by a group of thugs, believed to be backed by the regime, with
catapults on their return trip after visiting a friend in North Okklapah
Township. One of the back lights of the car broke after it took a catapult
hit, said Ko Soe Myint Htein.

"We donated rice this morning, after which we visited a friend who is ill
in North Okkla . When we were returning three people attacked us with
catapults and broke one of our car back lights," Soe Myint Htein Told
Mizzima over telephone.

Throughout their trip to their friend, at least two men, believed to be
intelligence agents, followed them, he added.

After the attack, U Win Naing and his team spotted yet another group of
about 12 people waiting for them in a vehicle. "We turned the car and
drove back to my residence," Soe Myint Htein said.

"As soon as we turned the car and headed to my home, the vehicle followed
us. They continued following us until we reached my house," Soe Myint
Htein added.

In a bid to avoid further attacks and other unseemly incidents, the
self-styled nationalist is taking shelter in his colleague, Soe Myint
Htein's home till the filing of this report.

"The problem now is for uncle because he has to go but alone, so we are
worried that these people might still follow him and trouble him," said
Soe Myint Htein.

U Win Naing and his team recently started a rare campaign of donating rice
and other essential commodities to the poor living in and around Burma's
former capital and commercial city of Rangoon .

According to U Win Naing there are at least 100,000 people in and around
Rangoon who desperately need humanitarian aid. U Win Naing and his group
have donated rice for the tenth time this morning to people residing in
the outskirts of Rangoon .

The veteran politician said he and his group members have often been
harassed while distributing rice to the people.

Earlier, reports suggested that the authorities threatened local flood
victims in Rangoon 's Hlaing Tharyar Township for receiving clothes as
relief from Burmese labour rights champion Suu Suu Nway and group.

____________________________________

August 20. Kaladan News
Soldiers in Arakan gang rape two women, one dies

Kyauktaw, Arakan State: Two women from separate villages in Kyauktaw
Township were gang raped by troops from Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 374 on
July 4. One of the women later died when she was forced into an abortion
by the Army commander on August 17, said a relative of the victim.

The army personnel from IB 374 led by Captain Ko Ko Oo are stationed in
Nyochanug village where the army owns rubber plantations and cultivated
land.

On the orders of the army, villagers nearby work in the army-owned rubber
plantation and perform voluntary service. From among the workers the two
women were picked up by soldiers and gang raped on July 4.

The two women, Ma Kra San (21), a Khumi hails from Takyaachaung village
and Ma Pyu Pyu Khaine (18) belongs to Pachey village in Kyauktaw Township
.

The families of the victims lodged a complaint about the gang rape with
the Military Operation Command (MOC)-9 Head office in Kyauktaw Township .
The Commander and Operation Command officers of MOC-9, investigated the
incident and gave Kyat 10,000 to each victim as compensation on August 12,
said sources.

Ma Pyu Pyu Khaine went to the Talunchaung village clinic for a health
check up where the health worker told her that she was pregnant. The
information reached the MOC and the command officer ordered her to have an
abortion. She went in for an abortion but started bleeding and died on
August 17, said the village headman.

____________________________________

August 20, Agence France Presse
Suu Kyi's party warns of new protests in Myanmar over fuel hike

Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party on Monday warned Myanmar's military
rulers that they could face more protests over a massive increase in fuel
prices last week.

The National League for Democracy (NLD), which is headed by the detained
Nobel peace prize winner, sent the statement to the military government a
day after 500 people marched through Yangon in protest at skyrocketing
costs.

"We warned the authorities that they would have to take responsibility for
the consequences of any future demonstrations over the increased fuel
prices last week. Many people were affected," NLD spokesman Nyan Win said.

"We pointed out in our statement today that this is not the right time to
increase fuel prices because our economic situation is not stable," he
told AFP.

"We will stand up for the people," he added.

Myanmar's ruling junta doubled key fuel prices on Wednesday without
warning, leaving many employees unable to afford the cost of getting to
their work.

About 500 people led by pro-democracy activists on Sunday staged a rare
march through the main city of Yangon in protest at the fuel price hike.

The military regime rarely allows any display of public dissent, but so
far no one has been arrested over the demonstration.

Official media have yet to mention the nationwide fuel hike, the first in
two years. Station operators have been at a loss to explain the sudden
increase to angry customers.

Aung San Suu Kyi rose to prominence after a 1988 pro-democracy uprising
that was sparked in part because of the nation's crushing economic
problems.

Hundreds or even thousands of people are believed to have been killed when
troops opened fire on the mass student protests demanding an end to
military dictatorship.

A month later, Aung San Suu Kyi helped found the opposition NLD, which won
1990 elections in a landslide. The military has never recognised the
results.

Aung San Suu Kyi has spent most of the years since then under house
arrest, despite international appeals for her release.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

August 20, Deutsche Presse-Agentur
15 suspected al-Qaeda operatives arrested in India

Indian paramilitary troopers have arrested 15 suspected al-Qaeda
operatives from a border town in the country's north-east after the group
entered the region from Myanmar, reports said Monday.

A defence ministry spokesman said Assam Rifles troopers arrested the group
from a house on Friday at Moreh town, 110 kilometres from Manipur state
capital Imphal, the IANS news agency reported.

Moreh is located on the border with Myanmar, with which India shares an
1,600-kilometre boundary.

"The group of 15 Muslim migrants had entered Moreh from Myanmar without
valid documents. We shall be handing them over to the police Monday for
further interrogation," defence spokesman Lalit Pant was quoted as saying
by the IANS.

No arms or ammunition were recovered from the group, which comprised 10
Myanmar and five Bangladeshis who were planning to enter Bangladesh from
Manipur's neighbouring state of Assam.

"There is a strong suspicion that they have links with al-Qaeda or some
other Muslim fundamentalist or terrorist groups. We shall soon be
interrogating them," an unnamed police official told IANS.

Manipur is a hotbed of insurgency and 19 militant groups are believed to
be active in the state. Most rebel groups in Manipur have bases in Myanmar
from where they carry out hit-and-run guerrilla strikes in the region.

Although some little-known militant outfits have claimed that al-Qaeda has
started its operations in India from India-administered Kashmir, domestic
security agencies said there was no evidence to show that the global
terror network had a presence in the state or elsewhere in India.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

August 20, Kachin News Group
Illegal teak traders procure people for Burma Army with money

Businessmen into illegal teak trade are being forced to procure young
people with money for the Burma Army so that they can run their business
smoothly in Kachin State, northern Burma, said local sources.

Several young people "bought" by teak businessmen have been sent to No.
320 Light Infantry Battalion of the Burma Army based between Myothit
Village and N'mawk Town (Momauk) in Bhamo District, a resident told KNG
today.

A local teak businessman said he recently "bought" two young people for
the Burma Army and paid Kyat 300,000 (about US $ 250) for each.

All illegal teak traders in Bhamo District have been threatened that their
business ventures would be closed down if they did not fulfill their quota
of supplying young people in keeping with the allotment by the local Burma
military base, since last month, he added.

Fresh recruitment of people under age 35 into the military is on by
village heads in Daw Hpum Yang town on the Myitkyina-Bhamo highway car
road near N'mawk in accordance with the army's orders, said residents.

In Daw Hpum Yang, some local youth have been directly recruited by Burmese
soldiers by holding them up on the roads at night, including those between
ages of 14 and 18 years, a resident told KNG.

Sources close to local Burma military in Bhamo District said young men who
can pay Kyat 20,000 (about US $ 16) to the army are released but those who
cannot are sent to military training camps.

The army has resumed recruitment through out Kachin State after the Kachin
Independence Organization (KIO) reiterated their demand for self
determination of Kachin State at the junta's National Convention which is
meeting for its final session since July.

____________________________________

August 20, Xinhua General News Service
Myanmar private airline to launch second international flight

A Myanmar national private airline, the Air Bagan, will launch its second
international flight between Yangon and Singapore on Sept. 7 following its
first to Bangkok, Thailand in mid-May, sources with the airline said on
Monday.

The addition of Air Bagan's international flight to Singapore will bring
the total number of air routes between Yangon and the Southeast Asian
member nation to three. The other two airlines that have flown between the
two cities are Silk Air of Singapore and the Myanmar Airways
International.

Using a 228-seat airbus A 310-200 aircraft, the Air Bagan has been flying
Bangkok daily since May 15 and the airline plans to stretch wing also to
China's Kunming, South Korea's Incheon, Cambodia's Siam Reap, India's
Chennai and Bangladesh's Dhaka.

Air Bagan has been flying between Yangon and 17 domestic destinations,
using two Fokker F-100, two France-made ATR-72, three ATR-42 aircraft and
two airbus A 310 totaling nine, according to the airline.

Inaugurated in November 2004, Air Bagan, the first full private- invested
airline in Myanmar, stands the third largest domestic private airline in
the country after Air Mandalay and Yangon Airways.

According to official statistics, the number of foreign airlines flying
Myanmar have reportedly reached 16 including Thai Airways International,
Indian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Silk Air, Air China, China Southern
Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Mandarin Airlines of Chinese Taipei,
Malaysian Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Jetstar Asia, Phuket Airline and Thai
Air Asia.

Prospective foreign airlines that link Yangon in the future will be
Emirates Airline of the United Arab Emirates, Biman Airlines of Bangladesh
and Vietnam Airlines.

____________________________________
DRUGS

August 18, Agence France Presse
Myanmar arrests 320 suspected drug dealers in July

Myanmar, the world's second-largest opium producer after Afghanistan,
arrested 320 suspected drug dealers and seized some 30 kilograms (66
pounds) of opium in July, state media said Saturday.

Among those arrested in the military-ruled nation, some 18 percent were
women, the official New Light of Myanmar daily said, citing police
figures.

The junta seized some 16 kilograms (35 pounds) of marijuana and 26,200
stimulant tablets in July, the paper said. It gave no comparative data.

Myanmar regularly burns hauls of narcotics in a bid to convince the world
that it is cracking down on rampant drug production.

But the United States, a vocal critic of the junta, has said several
hundred million amphetamine tablets are produced in Myanmar every year and
shipped by gangs to neighboring China and Thailand.

China, one of the few countries believed to hold any influence with
Myanmar's ruling generals, has publicly pressured the junta to do more to
crack down on the drugs problem.

China blames drugs from Myanmar for high rates of addiction and of HIV
infection in its southwestern Yunnan province.

____________________________________
ASEAN

August 20, Agence France Presse
ASEAN must nudge China, India on Myanmar: lawmakers

Southeast Asian lawmakers on Monday said ASEAN must pursue diplomatic
efforts to push economic giants China and India to help realise political
reforms in Myanmar.

"ASEAN needs to do more to ensure a speedy and sustainable solution for
Myanmar. A key step would be to more actively engage China and other
regional partners on reforms in Myanmar," Zaid Ibrahim, president of the
three-year-old ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Myanmar (AIPMC) said.

"China has a great deal of influence on the Myanmar authorities. If
Myanmar continues to deteriorate, all of us are going to suffer, not just
ASEAN but also China and the rest of East Asia, India and the rest of
South Asia," the Malaysian lawmaker said.

Zaid, a member of Malaysia's ruling party, said ASEAN's credibility hinges
on its ability to be able to solve the issue of Myanmar.

"A domestic problem (in Myanmar) has grown as a result of our inaction, to
hurt us all -- in terms of security, economic and international
reputation," he said.

Lawmakers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and
Thailand -- all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) -- have joined the caucus which was formed in 2004 to push for
democratic reforms in Myanmar.

The group held it gathering on the sidelines of the five-day conference of
the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly attended by some 300 lawmakers.

Charles Chong, Singapore's AIPMC chapter chairman said ASEAN along with
China and India could form a triangle to pressure and persuade Myanmar to
bring about reforms.

"ASEAN is in a unique position to form a bridge between India and China.
ASEAN can create a triangle of influence that will proactively and
pressure Myanmar to deliver genuine reforms," he said.

Chong, a member of Singapore's ruling government, said AIPMC intends to
send a petition to the governments of China and India to encourage them to
actively engage Myanmar or reforms.

"The people of Myanmar cannot afford to wait for another 40 years for
reforms, and frankly neither can we," he said.

Other members of the ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC)
meeting here said ASEAN must do more to secure the release of jailed Aung
San Suu Kyi and called diplomatic sanctions and for ASEAN companies not to
invest in the pariah state.

Djoko Susilo, chairman of Indonesia's AIPMC chairman said ASEAN countries
could stop investing in Myanmar and downgrade diplomatic relations to
press the Myanmar government to bring about reforms.

"I think we should not send any envoys to Myanmar. This is something we
can do to downgrade our relations," he said.

____________________________________

August 20, Mizzima News
ASEAN integration should be dominated by political goodwill, economic
interests

A senior Asian Development Bank (ADB) representative has said that future
ASEAN integration could benefit from the example of political goodwill and
economic focus exhibited by the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) bloc, of
which Burma is a member.

In an interview on Saturday with China's Xinhua News Agency, David Green,
an ADB Director of the Southeast Asia Department, said that "positive
political relations" and a spirit of "economic cooperation" have been
pivotal in fostering an environment conducive to expanding regional and
global influence among GMS countries, along with abetting the fight
against poverty.

Green specifically identified the East-West Corridor Program as an
initiative which has led to the increased integration of member countries
and the type of initiative that ASEAN will need to adopt as it strives for
enhanced regional integration. The East-West Corridor Program is aimed at
linking the interior regions of GMS countries with access to global
markets.

ASEAN has requested that the ADB assist in developing a model integration
scheme for the larger Southeast Asian bloc.

The views of the ADB official regarding the future of ASEAN come only
weeks after an ASEAN summit which saw groundbreaking work toward the
establishment of an ASEAN Charter, inclusive of a much heralded human
rights component, reach fruition.

Green reserved special acclaim for both Chinese and Vietnamese economies
and approaches at regional integration, which he states have had the
effect of greatly benefiting the less advantaged members of the
consortium.

Chinese bilateral trade with Burma, according to Burmese government
statistics, is said to account for over 15 percent of all Burmese foreign
trade and tops U.S. $1.1 billion.

In March of this year GMS countries inked the Cross Border Transport
Agreement, heralded by Arjun Thapan, Director General of ADB's Southeast
Asia Department, as a "crucial instrument for advancing trade, investment,
tourism, and access to vital services in the subregion."

To date, the ADB calculates that it has contributed nearly 40 billion
dollars toward Burmese co-financing and technical assistance projects;
however the Bank says the last such measures of direct assistance to the
country were approved in 1986 and 1987, respectively.

The United States estimates that 25 percent of Burmese citizens continue
to live below the poverty line.

In addition to Burma, GMS is composed of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam
and the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

August 18, Mizzima News
Former Indian PM calls for release of Burmese scribe U Win Tin - Mungpi

Former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral today urged India to support the
movement for democracy in Burma and build a 'people to people
relationship' instead of strengthening the hands of the military rulers,
keeping in mind India's long term interest.

Speaking at a special conference organised for the release of the 78-year
old Burmese veteran journalist, U Win Tin, Gujral said military rule in
Burma in itself poses a threat to India's national interest.

Calling on India to act for the immediate release of U Win Tin, detained
for over 18 years, the former Prime Minister said, "People to people
relationship is essential between Burma and India. And India 's policy
should focus on the people and not the junta."

Organised by former Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes, under the
aegis of the 'Committee for the Restoration of Democracy in Burma', the
meeting urged for freedom of the press and expression in Burma, starting
with the release of U Win Tin, who has been detained in Rangoon's
notorious Insein prison since 1989.

Speaking at the conference, Chandan Mitra, Indian MP said, India should be
ashamed of its silence regarding the sufferings of the people of Burma and
continuing to support the military rulers which is bent on suppressing its
citizens.

"If we cannot raise our voices for the release of U Win Tin, we should not
call ourselves the largest democracy in the world," said Mitra,
criticizing India for wooing the generals and turning a blind eye to the
plight of the people of Burma.

The former editor of Hantharwaddy newspaper in Burma's second largest city
of Mandalay, has been detained for his critical views and writings aimed
at the military junta and for his political stance. Despite completing his
prison term, U Win Tin has been sentenced thrice, each time even as he
served his previous sentence. He was last sentenced in 1996.

U Win Tin, the co-founder of Noble Peace Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi led
Burma's largest opposition party, the National League for Democracy,
suffers from deteriorating health. Since his imprisonment, he has had two
heart attacks and is suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and an
inflammatory disease that has affected his spine.
Jaya Jaitly, former president of India's Samta Party to which George
Fernandes belongs and co-organizer of the special conference told Mizzima
that the conference is the beginning of the campaign for U Win Tin's
release and George has planned to follow up the campaign by organizing a
signature campaign of Indian Parliamentarians and dignitaries which will
be placed in Parliament.

"He [George] has called upon everybody who attended today and wish to
continue and be part of this struggle to come to his house and sign-up for
the struggle. And those who sign will hold a meeting and discuss how we
can take forward this campaign," Jaya Jaitly said.

She added that the issue of U Win Tin and Burma's struggle for democracy
will be raised in the Parliament as well as at other conferences and
seminars to mobilize the people and support democracy in Burma.

"India must be a part of the struggle for democracy in Burma," she added.

____________________________________

August 20, Associated Press
North Korea to open embassy in Burma - Aye Aye Win

North Korean diplomats arrived in Burma recently to open an embassy for
the first time since being ousted from the country in the aftermath of a
bloody attack more than 20 years ago, officials said Saturday.

The two countries, among Asia's most repressive regimes, agreed to resume
diplomatic ties in April during a visit to Burma by North Korean Vice
Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il.

Three North Korean diplomats—a minister, counselor and first secretary—are
currently staying at a serviced apartment in the commercial capital of
Rangoon and have been looking for a new embassy site, said an Asian
diplomat who did not want to be named because of diplomatic protocol.

A Burmese Foreign Ministry official confirmed the arrival of the diplomats
and said the North Korean ambassador will arrive after a new embassy
location is chosen.

Asked if North Korea will open an embassy at the new administrative
capital of Naypyitaw, 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Rangoon, the
official said since other embassies have not yet moved to Naypyitaw, North
Korea will open its embassy in Burma's old capital.

The official requested anonymity since he was not authorized to speak to
the press.

Earlier this month, Burma appointed its ambassador to China, Thein Lwin,
to also serve as ambassador to North Korea.

North Korea's Rangoon embassy was closed down after Burma severed
diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1983 after North Korean commandos
were blamed for a fatal bombing during a visit by former South Korean
President Chun Doo-hwan.

The South Korean president was unhurt, but 21 other people were killed,
including four South Korean Cabinet ministers.

Three North Korean commandos involved in the bombing were captured—one was
hung, a second blew himself up during his arrest and a third, Kang Ming
Chul, remains in Rangoon's Insein prison.

Both Burma and North Korea have been widely criticized for their
authoritarian governments, with Burma drawing special censure for its
detention of political opponents, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung
San Suu Kyi.

____________________________________

August 18, Khonumthung News
Burmese in India protest China's gas pact with Burma

Burmese activists urged China to put a halt to its proposal of extracting
natural gas from Burma during a rally today in New Delhi, India .

The activists also urged China to stop drilling of a gas pipeline to pass
through the dry zone of central Burma. They highlighted the fallout of the
projects on the people and said it would impact the livelihood of people
residing along the proposed gas pipeline.

"We strongly believe that the execution of the Shwe Gas Project will lead
to militarization, human rights abuses and environmental destruction as
well as prolong tyrannical military rule in Burma ", said the statement of
Shwe Gas movement in India.

India 's Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dinsha Patel
said on Tuesday that Burma decided to sell natural gas from Block A1 and
A3 off shore blocks to China dashing the hopes of India acquiring gas.

The Energy Ministry of Burma also confirmed the selling of natural gas
reserves of 6.5 TCF from A-1 block to China for the next 30 years on
August 16, 2007 after Petro China held a meeting with the Burmese military
government in February, 2007.

The Shwe gas movement in India asked China to halt its gas drilling plan
until the people to be affected in western Burma can participate in
decision making without fear on the use of local resources for
infrastructure development.

The Shwe gas project is potentially the single largest source of revenue
for the Burmese military government, and is expected to fetch between US$
800 million and $3 billion annually, Shwe Gas Movement India said.

South Korea 's Daewoo International Corporation has a 60 percent stake and
Korea Gas Corporation has 10 percent stake in A-1 and A-3 blocks, while
India 's Oil and National Gas Corporation owns 20 percent and GAIL has 10
percent in two off shore blocks in Burma .

A-1 and A-3 off shore blocks have estimated gas reserves of 5.7-10.00
trillion cubic feet with up to 8.6 TCF.

____________________________________
ANALYSIS

August 20, Bangkok Post
Soaring petrol costs deepen woes - Larry Jagan

Fuel price increases by as much as 500% announced by the military junta
are expected to hit poor the hardest

The Burmese government's enormous increase in fuel charges last week has
left Rangoon's residents quietly fuming, according to Western diplomats.
Transport costs have already more than doubled and prices of essential
goods are beginning to skyrocket.

''The poor people have been hit hardest,'' a European diplomat said.

''They were already finding it hard to survive, and the increase in fuel
charges and the knock-on effect on food prices will make it even harder,''
he said. ''It is likely to fuel increased social unrest.''

At midnight on Tuesday Burma's ruling military junta unexpectedly raised
the price of rationed fuel by as much as 500%.

Compressed natural gas, which the government has been promoting,
especially for commercial vehicles, was increased five fold, while diesel
and petrol prices were more than doubled.

Bus fares and taxi charges doubled immediately in Rangoon and Mandalay.

Already there is a substantially reduced service in many parts of Rangoon.
The increase in bus fares will severely affect the poor, said a financial
analyst in Rangoon.

Labourers in the country's main cities, who earn less than 2,000 kyats (80
baht) a day, will now have to pay more than half their wages in travel
costs, he said.

In some cases it may be up to three-quarters of their income.

Businessmen are complaining bitterly and some have closed their businesses
_ at least temporarily.

Besides the operation of motor vehicles, diesel is also used by many
families and shopkeepers to run small power generators which they use
during power blackouts that frequently hit Rangoon.

An owner of a small printing works in Rangoon said the increase in diesel
costs now made his business unprofitable.

''In the coming weeks more and more businesses, which use natural gas and
diesel, are likely to be forced to close,'' a Burmese economist in Rangoon
said.

''The increase in fuel costs will mean a rise in transport charges
generally, which will then cause food prices to rise,'' said an
independent Burmese analyst at Chiang Mai University.

''Inflation is already running at more than 40% a year and this could now
more than double,'' he said.

''There will be an increase in lay-offs as businesses are forced to close
and we are likely to see a significant rise in the prices of food,
clothing and basic commodities,'' he said.

''There is also likely to be a dramatic rise in the number of migrant
labourers crossing into Thailand in search of work.''

This rise in fuel charges will only increase the level of poverty in
Burma. ''More than 90% of the country's population already live in dire
poverty,'' a Burmese economist said. ''It is not so much a case of food
shortages as families' incomes being insufficient to purchase their daily
needs.''

Country-wide UN surveys in recent years have revealed a trend to increased
poverty and a growing income gap.

''More than 90% of the population live on less than 300,000 kyat (about
10,000 baht) a year,'' said a senior UN official.

''Food security has become a significant issue in many parts of the
country, especially in remote and border areas,'' he said.

The worst areas of Burma are in Chin, Kachin, Rakhine (Arakan) and Shan
states, according to a recent UN report seen by the Bangkok Post.

By far the worst area is Chin state, according to the UN surveys, where
40% of the population do not have enough food to live on. In Chin state,
nearly three of four people live below the poverty line, according to the
UN's resident humanitarian coordinator in Burma, Charles Petrie.

This situation is expected to worsen as there have been recent reports
from Chin state of potential crop failures.

In eastern and northern Shan state more than half the population live
below the poverty line.

''They just do not have sufficient income to ensure food security, let
alone provide a balanced or varied diet,'' said one of the UN researchers.

UN research has documented a deteriorating situation, with poverty in the
country growing with no attempt by the Burmese government to counter it.

A crucial sign of food insecurity and poverty is the level of household
income devoted to purchasing food. In Burma the average household
expenditure on food is nearly 70%.

''This is a reflection of the very low income level of the population,''
said a UN report. This compares unfavourably with its neighbours, where it
is 59% in Indonesia, 57% in Bangladesh and 32% in Thailand.

In the last 10 years, these neighbours have reduced poverty levels
significantly and improved food security, whereas in Burma poverty levels
have increased and food insecurity has become critical, especially in the
border areas.

Government action in these countries has led to the improvement, but in
Burma the military government's apparent lack of interest in these issues
has allowed poverty levels to escalate alarmingly.

In fact, some government policies have exacerbated the situation.

Poor farmers have been less able to afford the high costs of agricultural
input _ fertiliser, seeds, pesticides, irrigation pumps and diesel _ as a
result of price and market liberalisation.

''Farmers are using less and less fertiliser, and as yields drop families
are abandoning agriculture and becoming landless,'' said a former senior
Rangoon-based Western diplomat.

''This has led, over the past few years, to an alarming increase in
voluntary migration throughout the country, as these families go in search
of paid work.''

This lack of sustainable agriculture and the decline in some manufacturing
sectors, especially the textile and garment industries which were crippled
by the imposition of US sanctions several years ago, has fuelled a growing
movement of people within and outside the country in search of employment.

There has been a massive increase in the number of women and children
entering the sex trade or working in slave-like conditions in the textile
factories in Thailand's border regions.

At least 10,000 girls every year are trafficked across the border to work
in Thailand's brothels, according to a recent report prepared by Mr
Petrie.

But the grim economic situation for most Burmese does not end there.

Infant mortality rates are increasing and are much higher than in
neighbouring countries.

This reflects the growing problem of malnutrition across the country.

The UN estimates that more than 30% of the country's children under the
age of five are severely malnourished.

In the ethnic minority areas and conflict zone it is even higher, and in
some areas three out of four children are malnourished, according to a UN
report.

The UN is also now reporting an alarming increase in beri-beri (caused by
a vitamin deficiency). Burma is the only country in the world where this
disease is a major factor in infant mortality.

The list goes on and on _ like the increase in drug-resistant
tuberculosis. In 2004, multi-drug resistant TB accounted for 4% of newly
diagnosed TB patients, and over 15% in previously treated sufferers.

This is more than double the incidences in most countries in the region.

For example, Thailand's reported rate is 1.5% among new cases.

____________________________________

August 20, Mizzima News
Fuel price hike in Burma: Junta's well-planned strategy? - Mungpi

The Burmese military junta's surprise fuel price hike on August 14 is not
an impulsive decision but a strategic and well-planned move which will
allow it to maintain its stranglehold on power, said an unknown Burmese
group called 'Counter Strike Group' today.

The group in a statement, titled 'Do not follow the old way', cautioned
activists, politicians and civilians not to repeat the mistake of the 1988
nationwide uprising, where hundreds of civilians, students and monks were
brutally killed by the military junta, which grabbed power in yet another
coup.

The group, which could not be identified nor contacted, said the fuel
price hike, which has caused consternation among the people of Burma, is a
crucial step by the junta in its planned political strategy. It warned
activists and the people of Burma to avoid public demonstrations and not
to fall into the junta's trap.

"There is an inevitable need for change in the military junta
 and for the
change of guard from the old to the new generation of the military clique,
commotion, unrest and upheavals among the people are needed," said the
group.

However, the 88 generation students' group, which led over 500 people in a
procession on Sunday in Rangoon protesting against the fuel price hike,
said while the increase could be a strategy of the junta, its is has been
forced due to necessities in their budget.

"This [fuel price hike] was bound to happen, as it is the result of
decades of economic mismanagement," Ko Ko Gyi, one of the key leaders of
the 88 generation students' group, told Mizzima.

The junta, in a surprise move, on Tuesday, increased the prices of petrol
and diesel to over 100 percent and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to 500
percent. The increase was followed by an increase in bus fares and prices
of other essential commodities.

Dr. Sean Turnell, senior lecturer of the Economics Department of
Australia's Macquarie University said, despite Burma's possession of vast
natural gas reserves, "Most of the new big gas discoveries are yet to be
brought online, so at the moment Burma has less gas than it might seem.
And it is highly likely the junta's motivation is to target the 'black
market' and its traders."

On Sunday, over 500 people in Rangoon led by prominent student leaders of
the 88 generation students' group took to the streets in protest against
the hike in fuel prices that has severely affected the daily life of the
people.

Surprisingly, the march was not disrupted or restricted by the
authorities, which is known to crush dissidence or any such public
demonstration with a heavy hand.

The group further said the reason for the junta's planned move could be to
deny entry to the UN special advisor on Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, who has
recently concluded an international tour for consultations on Burma, with
an excuse of internal turmoil.

Besides, the junta would have a further excuse of extending the more than
14-year old National Convention, which is currently in its last round in
the Nyaunghnapin camp outside Rangoon, the group added.

"The junta has successfully implemented the first step of its strategy
where a new generation of military clique can hold onto power. Therefore,
political activists both inside, those in exile and the people of Burma
should not walk the same path as it did in 1988," the group said.

But Ko Ko Gyi said the march on Sunday was not a protest rally against the
junta but a demonstration to draw attention to the difficulties faced by
the public and expose the contradiction in the junta's stand that there is
stability in the country.

"We are applying limited pressure," said Ko Ko Gyi, "We want the UN and
the international community to intervene in the problems faced by the
people of Burma."

Though Ko Ko Gyi did not rule out the possibility that the junta might
want to use public unrest to serve its purpose, he pointed out that it
does not want things to get out of hand.

"The junta is not scared of public statements or press releases by
opposition groups, but they really do not want the public to come out to
the streets, for this type of movement can get out of hand," said Ko Ko
Gyi.

However, he added that so far they have not planned a mass protest in the
country.

Meanwhile, analysts said the junta's move to hike fuel prices was the
result of compulsion as it is facing a severe shortage of funds.

"The junta is really facing a shortage of funds because of the costs in
Naypyidaw - the expense of which far exceeds the current increase in
international reserves from rising gas prices," Turnell told Mizzima.

Turnell said, public protests are not the best choice for the junta as
"these things have a way of getting out of the regime's control."

____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE

August 18, The 88 Generation Students
The 88 Generation Students' Announcement on the sudden increase of fuel
prices

Most of the citizens of Myanmar/Burma are poor ordinaries. Seventy percent
of total populations are farmers living in rural areas and depend on
various machineries for irrigation, processing, transportation of corps,
which require fuel, to meet their daily ends.

Most of urban populations live in satellite townships and need to commute
to their places of work, factories, markets, and private industries, in
cities every day. University students also need to travel to their
schools, located in remote area, with much difficulties.

While the people of Myanmar/Burma have already faced general crisis to
settle their daily needs, such as food, education and health care, with
insufficient earnings, the sudden increase of fuel prices without
precaution and warning drive them to the deeper and harder struggle.

There are plenty of natural resources in Myanmar/Burma, including natural
gas. Hence, the SPDC’s recent decision to increase the price of fuel
sharply is absurd and illogical.

We, the 88 Generation Students, thus seriously urge the SPDC to
immediately solve the problems, such as higher rate of inflation, increase
of commodity prices, and general crisis, which are the consequences of its
sudden increase of fuel prices.

The 88 Generation Students
Rangoon, Burma
88generation at gmail.com
Ref: 16/2007 (88)

____________________________________
STATEMENT

August 18, United Nationalities League for Democracy (Liberated Areas)
Statement on the letter from the 92 members of Parliament-Elected, Burma
to United Nations Secretary-General

We, United Nationalities League for Democracy (Liberated Areas)’s attitude
on the letter from the 92 members of Parliament-Elect, dated 1st August,
2007, which reveals the seven steps roadmap to United Nations
Secretary-General are as follows:

• On the whole, we assume that it is related to the Tripartite Dialogue
and the results of the 1990 election.

• We welcome and strongly support this proposal and will help to implement
it as much as we can.

• We think that the United Nations and all other countries should strongly
urge and recommend the use of this seven-step roadmap.

• We proclaim that the State Peace and Development Council should accept
or take actions on the proposal of the 92 members of Parliament-Elect if
they are truly patriotic and if they neglect it, they should take
responsibility when problems arise.

Contact Persons:
1. Khun Manko Ban 08 5252 5496
2. Mahkaw Hkun Sa 08 4366 4238
3. Lian H. Sakhong 08 1029 6100