BurmaNet News, October 30, 2007

[Editor]

October 30, 2007 Issue # 3331

INSIDE BURMA
IMNA: Crackdown on dissidents in Mon state
Irrawaddy: Zarganar questioned and freed with warning
DVB: Teacher jailed for wearing uniform
Mizzima News: Karen photojournalist still missing
Xinhua: New radio station on air in Myanmar
DVB: Police deliver military training to civilians
Mizzima News: Riot control training for security personnel
Kaladan News: Youth sodomized and strangled in Maungdaw

ON THE BORDER
Kachin News Group: Three Burmese workers in Thailand poisoned by employer

BUSINESS / TRADE
Irrawaddy: Burma’s other business tycoons
AFP: Oil giant Total should not withdraw from Myanmar: French FM

ASEAN
The Straits Times (Singapore): Myanmar PM likely to attend summit
AP: Malaysia: Keep Burma politics out of Asean-EU free trade talks

REGIONAL
Reuters: RPT-Singapore distancing itself from Myanmar –analysts - Ed Cropley

INTERNATIONAL
The Straits Times (Singapore): Back to the past for Myanmar? No way: France;
Paris will help Asean push for change: French foreign minister
AP: Germany, India urge Myanmar to release political prisoners, hold talks
with UN
The Hindu: S Africa welcomes Myanmar regime's talks with Suu Kyi
Christian Today: Christians join MPs in Day of Action for Burma in London

OPINION / OTHER
Mizzima: What shapes the mind of a soldier? - Klose Htoo
Press Trust of India: Churnings in Myanmar: Old Dilemma for India - Pallab
Bhattacharya
The Lancet: Burma and the challenge of humanitarian assistance - Chris Beyrer

PRESS RELEASE
CSW welcomes historic Burma debate in House of Commons

OBITUARY
AP: Former drug warlord Khun Sa dies in Rangoon - Denis D Gray

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

October 30, Independent Mon News Agency
Crackdown on dissidents in Mon state

Military junta authorities in the capital of Mon state, Moulmein, Burma
are still cracking down on dissidents and trying to figure out how
information is flowing out.

Special police and military intelligence officials are searching for
people who were involved in last months protests on the basis of
photographs they had taken.

"A shop in the new bus station called 'New Zay Gyo' has already been
investigated. The shop was closed after the questioning," the customers
said.

Government backed organizations such as the Union Solidarity and
Development Association (USDA) and Sorn Arr Shin are helping the
authorities to find the leaders of protesters.

The search is being done secretly by the authorities and many monks have
left their monasteries. But I don't how many monks were arrested, an abbot
said.

"The target of the authorities is Burmese monks who led the protests, not
Mon monks," the abbot added.

Currently authorities are searching for the photographer who took pictures
and video clips of the protests in Moulmein and distributed them.

According to residents, four monks from a monastery in Mudon town were
interrogated and severely beaten up. Local residents in Moulmein claim
about 200 monks from Moulmein have disappeared after they returned home to
upper Burma.

____________________________________

October 30, Irrawaddy
Zarganar questioned and freed with warning - Saw Yan Naing

Burma’s best-known comedian, Zarganar, was rearrested by Burmese
authorities at his home on Monday evening but released on Tuesday after
receiving a warning to tone down his satire, according to sources in
Rangoon.

Zarganar was arrested along with other prominent Burmese personalities on
September 25 after giving food and water to demonstrating monks. He was
released again on October 17.

Friends said he probably ran foul of the authorities again after talking
and writing publicly about his time in prison and mocking the authorities.

He joked in blog postings that life was so boring in prison that he feared
he would forget his mother language.

"Every country has a success story to tell,” he wrote in one blog. Some
liked to boast about a citizen with no hands who could still write, or
another with no legs who could still run—"But there's no other country
like Burma. Here we have generals able to rule a country for 40 years with
no brains."

After his release on October 17, Zarganar told The Irrawaddy by phone from
his home in Rangoon that he felt even more responsibility now to work for
the people of Burma.

He said he plans to work in the pro-democracy movement and called on
others to be more active and united.  He is currently banned from all
artistic activities.

Zarganar was jailed twice for his social and political activism, first as
a political dissident in 1988, then again in 1990 while helping his mother
in her campaign for the general elections that year. He was freed in 1994.

The popular comedian—whose stage name means tweezers—received the Lillian
Hellman and Dashiel Hammett Award in 1991 after being nominated by the
Fund for Free Expression, a committee of Human Rights Watch.

Meanwhile, the family of another well-loved comedian, Par Par Lay, a
member of the popular Mandalay troupe The Moustache Brothers, say they are
worried about hearing no news of him since his arrest on September 25, the
same day Zarganar was detained.

____________________________________

October 30, Democratic Voice of Burma
Teacher jailed for wearing uniform

A schoolteacher in Tenasserim division has been sentenced to one year in
prison for wearing his work uniform to a pro-government mass rally,
according to local residents.

Win Aung, a 48-year-old school teacher who lives and works in Kawthaung
township, attended a pro-government rally organised by the local Union
Solidarity and Development Association last Wednesday in his teaching
uniform.

Township residents said he was arrested by authorities after the rally and
shortly afterwards given a one-year prison sentence.

A Kawthaung USDA member told DVB on condition of anonymity that a secret
order had been issued from the capital Naypyidaw to local authorities to
make sure school teachers and students do not wear their uniforms to the
rallies.

The USDA member claimed this was because the regime wanted to hide the
fact that many of those at the rallies were government employees and
schoolchildren who had been forced to attend.

He said that the junta has also directed the local authorities to punish
those who do not obey the order.

Mass rallies have been held across Burma to show support for the National
Convention and to condemn the recent anti-government protests led by monks
and civilians.

The Burmese regime has pointed to the rallies as evidence that the
majority of Burmese people do not support the protestors, but attendees
have reported being forced to join or offered incentives to do so.

____________________________________

October 30, Mizzima News
Karen photojournalist still missing

An ethnic Karen photojournalist, who covered last month's monk-led
protests in Rangoon, has gone missing, colleagues said.

Saw Thura Soe (35) a photojournalist working for Germany based European
Pressphoto Agency (EPA), was covering the peoples' protests in Rangoon,
before he disappeared on September 29, said a fellow Karen journalist
based in Thailand.

"He [Saw Thura Soe] has been missing and is not among those who fled. He
was residing in Rangoon. It is mysterious as to how he disappeared,"
Khaing Mar Kyaw Zaw, a fellow journalist said.

Colleagues said the foreign correspondent was seen covering the peoples'
protests and monks' peaceful march before the junta began cracking down on
September 26.

"We don't know whether he is dead or not and it is also unconfirmed
whether he is being detained in interrogation camps," added Khaing Mar
Kyaw Zaw.

Following the junta's brutal crack down on protesters in Rangoon, sources
said several activists, monks and ordinary people have disappeared.

While the German news agency has not released any statement regarding the
disappearance of its correspondent, Khaing Mar Kyaw Zaw said the agency
had expressed concern over the mysterious disappearance.

EPA could not be immediately contacted for comment.

"He could have been easily identified as a journalist as his equipment was
relatively high quality and easily distinguishable," said Khaing Mar Kyaw
Zaw adding that she would continue in her capacity to reveal the truth
about the correspondent.

During the height of protests in Rangoon last month, Saw Thura Soe had
reportedly taken several photos of the events and had contacts with the
EPA's Bangkok Bureau.

____________________________________

October 30, Xinhua General News Service
New radio station on air in Myanmar

A new radio station has been on the air very recently in Myanmar mainly
broadcasting music with brief domestic and international news intercepting
its program, according to Yangon audiences who came to notice Tuesday.

The two-and-a-half-hour morning program of the "Padauk Myay" Radio
Station, broadcast in local language from an unidentified location since
last week and is believed to be from inside the country, is received from
5:30 a.m. (local time) to 8 p.m. on such frequency waves as FM (frequency
modulation), MW (medium wave) and SW (short wave), the audiences said.

Myanmar has one state radio station, which is Radio Myanmar, and two TV
stations -- TV Myanmar and Myawaddy TV operated by the state and the
military respectively.

The MRTV, established 61 years ago, is carrying out heavy functions and is
striving to air quality radio and TV programs across the country,
extending functions to link countrywide network by converting analogue
system into digital one, and expanding coverage to other countries.

The MRTV has launched four channels including Myanmar and English
languages to telecast news, education and entertainment programs since
color television was introduced in the country in 1980.

The military-run Myawaddy TV started telecasting in March 1995 and has
morning and evening services at present. It plans to introduce a 24-hour
service in the country to cater to the demand of domestic watchers.

Myanmar has established 26 TV relay stations since 2005, bringing the
total in the country to 204 scattered far up to remote border areas and
relaying programs of the MRTV and Myawaddy TV, statistics revealed.

Besides the two radio and TV stations, Myanmar has also launched two City
FM radio stations, one in Yangon since 2002 and the other in the second
largest city of Mandalay since 2005.

The two city FM radio stations specially feature music and local
commercial advertisements.

____________________________________

October 30, Democratic Voice of Burma
Police deliver military training to civilians

Residents of Mingalar Taung Nyunt township, Rangoon, have claimed that
local police have been conducting military training for township residents
and offering rewards to those who attend.

Police sergeants from the township police have reportedly delivered basic
military training to around 120 local people.

The training took place from 7am to 9am every morning and ran for two
weeks, residents said.

They also claimed that police promised to give a reward of 3000 kyat a day
to the participants, and that most of those who took part were poor or
unemployed young people motivated by the reward.

Mingalar Taung Nyunt residents assumed that the authorities were providing
the training so that any future protests could be cracked down on by
civilians rather than government forces.

“We don’t like them conducting this training for our people, because they
are going to use these people against us” said one resident.

However, the motive for providing any training has not been confirmed.

Mingalar Taung Nyunt police station said they were not aware of any
training being held.

“We don’t know anything about that. We’re already busy with our law and
order duties, we haven’t heard anything about any training,” police told
DVB.

____________________________________

October 30, Mizzima News
Riot control training for security personnel - Myo Gyi

To pre-empt any kind of unrest military junta authorities in Sagaing
division is imparting riot control training to the police, security
personnel and soldiers, sources close to the military said.

Authorities at the Northwestern military command began imparting the
training to about 100 police, soldiers and members of the junta backed
civil organization – Swan Arr Shin, since mid-October, the source added.

The groups of trainees have assembled in a bamboo factory in Sagaing
Division's Monywa town, where they are being jointly trained in riot
control.

Similar trainings have reportedly been given at various towns including
Rangoon, Pegu, Mandalay, Sittwe and Mawlmein on the orders of respective
division peace and development council officials, the source said.

____________________________________

October 30, Kaladan News
Youth sodomized and strangled in Maungdaw

Arakan state, Burma: A Rohingya youth was sodomized and strangled by Burma
’s border security force personnel in Maungdaw township on October 26,
said a relative of the victim.

The victim was identified as Ziabul Haque (15), son of Nazir Ahamed,
hailing from Padaga Ywathit (Garatawbil) of Maundaw Township.

On October 26, at about 1 p,m. Ziabul Haque was crossing a Nasaka outpost
accompanied by a eight year old boy of Garatawbil under Nasaka Sector No.
4 of Bawli Bazar when were stopped, the relative added.

They were taken to a nearby hill side from where the younger boy ran away
out of fear.  Ziabul Haque could not.

At the Nasaka outpost there were six Nasaka personnel on duty. Of them,
two Nasaka personnel forcibly sodomized the Ziabul Haque and strangled him
to stop him from talking, according to his family sources.

In the evening, his parents and relatives went looking for him when he
failed to return home. It was then that the boy who had escaped informed
them that Ziabul Haque was taken to the hill side by Nasaka personnel at
about 1 p.m. The parents rushed to the Nasaka out-post and asked their son
whereabouts.  But, the Nasaka personnel said they had no knowledge of
their son. Then, they (parents) went to hill side, but they did not find
Ziabul Haque, the family source added.

Again, on October 27 early morning, the parents along with other family
members went to the hill side and found Ziabul's body in a narrow stream
between two mountains. They informed the police station in Bawli Bazaar in
Maungdaw Township . A police officer at the station accompanied by some
policemen went to the spot and took pictures of the body. The police
officer ordered the relatives of the victim to send the body to the morgue
of the general hospital in Maungdaw town for autopsy. The police have been
inquiring about the death, a relative said.

According to the doctor's report, the victim was sodomized and killed by
strangling. He was buried after permission from authorities in the local
cemetery, the same day.

"It is clear that the boy was killed by Nasaka after being sodomized,
according to the statement of the escaped boy. The security personnel had
sodomized the Rohingya boy earlier," a schoolteacher said.

"We are waiting to see what kind of action will be taken against the
criminals," said another relative of the victim.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

October 30, Kachin News Group
Three Burmese workers in Thailand poisoned by employer

At least three Burmese migrant workers in Thailand have died after
consuming food which was allegedly mixed with poison by their employer in
Mae Khlong, an hour's drive from Mahachai, said U Thaung Kyaw who is
investigating the deaths.

The Thai employer who owns a shipping boat in Mae Khlong has been
exploiting his workers. He allegedly fed them food mixed with poison
because he didn't want to give them their wages, said U Thaung Kyaw.

The workers were in the boat which sailed to Indonesia with around 30
Burmese workers. The workers have to be on the boat for three or four
years. When they return to Thailand, they could get between 100,000 and
300,000 Baht. But the employer did not want to give them their wages.

Afraid of their employers, over 20 Burmese workers have already fled to
Mahachai. Now they are worried about their relatives who are still in Mae
Khlong.

There are an estimated two million migrant workers living in Thailand,
according to the Chiang Mai based Migrant Assistance Programme (MAP) and
about 90 percent of them are from Burma.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

October 30, Irrawaddy
Burma’s other business tycoons - Wai Moe

Although the US has stepped up its sanctions on the Burmese regime by
targeting business people known to have close links with the junta,
several of the generals’ cronies are missing from the list.

Several, like Tay Za, head of the Htoo Trading Company, and Htay Myint,
CEO of Yuzana, were highlighted in a list published by The Irrawaddy in
September 2005.

Two others now join The Irrawaddy’s list of those who benefit from their
friendship with the generals by receiving valuable business permits,
export-import licences and other favors. Both are as powerful on Burma’s
business scene as Tay Za, who is reputedly his country’s wealthiest
tycoon.

Win Myint is President of The Union of Myanmar [Burma] Federation of
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) and of the Merchants
Association—and the man who effectively controls the price of rice in
Burma.

His career as a successful rice merchant took off after the 1988 uprising,
when he set up Joint Venture 3, which controls Burmese rice exports. He
later founded the rice-exporting concern Shwe Nagar Min Company, which
also imports palm oil. His business empire includes several rice mills in
Rangoon Division.

Several generals are believed to have invested in the business projects of
Win Myint, who is said to be particularly close to junta leader Snr-Gen
Than Shwe. Win Myint is reported to have sealed his friendship with the
aging leader and his family with presents of luxury automobiles.

Win Myint’s other close regime contacts included Lt-Gen Tin Oo, Secretary
2 of the military council, who died in a helicopter crash in February
2002.

His home is in Than Lwin Street in an upmarket area of Rangoon known as
Windermere.

Burma’s cement industry is now firmly in the hands of a young Chinese
businessman with the name of Aung Myat, who heads the Mother Trading
Company Ltd.

Aung Myat embarked on building his cement empire in the early 1990s, and
now is assured of lucrative construction projects from such government
departments as the Ministry of Industry-1. His company recently donated
1,000 bags of cement to Rangoon municipality.

Industry Minister Aung Thaung, the man reportedly behind the recent
attacks by armed thugs on demonstrators, is among Aung Myat’s close
government contacts.

He is said to be a welcome visitor at the homes of Aung Thaung and junta
leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe. Rumor has it that he is so respectful to the
older men that he sits on the floor in their company and addressed them
with royal titles.

Aung Thaung shares Than Shwe’s interest in astrology and is a member of
the Tain Kyar astrological circle led by Bodaw Than Hla, chief astrologer
to deposed Prime Minister Khin Nyunt.

Despite his close relationship to Khin Nyunt, Aung Thaung survived the
premier’s fall from grace and is reported to have attracted investment in
his business ventures from members of the junta.

The Irrawaddy will be profiling other important members of Burma’s
business community in future contributions from correspondent Wai Moe.

____________________________________

October 30, Agence France Presse
Oil giant Total should not withdraw from Myanmar: French FM

France's foreign minister said Tuesday that the people of Myanmar would
suffer if French oil group Total, under fire for its investments in
military-ruled Myanmar, withdrew from the country.

Speaking in the Thai capital Bangkok on a mission to rally Asian support
to push Myanmar towards democracy after deadly protests last month,
Bernard Kouchner said blanket sanctions were not the solution to Myanmar's
plight.

"Imagine that we turn the tap off Total, who will suffer? The people of
Burma and the people in Thailand. Who will replace the French? Some other
people," Bernard Kouchner said, referring to Myanmar by its former name.

Total has been accused of condoning abusive labour practices in
junta-ruled Myanmar, where it operates a vast gas field in the south of
the country to supply power plants in neighbouring Thailand, employing
some 270 people.

In late September French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged French businesses
including Total to freeze their investments in Myanmar, where the military
killed at least 13 people when it suppressed street protests in September.

The crackdown prompted the European Union to approve new sanctions against
Myanmar, including an embargo on the export of wood, gems and metals.

But Kouchner questioned the power of Western sanctions to halt the junta's
repression of pro-democracy protests, saying pressure from Myanmar's
neighbours was likely to be more effective.

"I'm not so sure about the efficiency of sanctions ... I strongly believe
that we need also incentives. Sanctions and something else," he said.

Kouchner on Monday proposed giving the junta an international fund --
similar to the one used to help rebuild war-torn Kosovo -- to provide
economic aid to the impoverished nation.

In 2003, Kouchner wrote a private consultant's report for Total defending
its presence in Myanmar, insisting the group did not use forced labour and
stressing its contribution to local health programmes.

____________________________________
ASEAN

October 30, The Straits Times (Singapore)
Myanmar PM likely to attend summit

Myanmar's newly appointed prime minister, Lieutenant-General Thein Sein,
is likely to attend the Asean Summit here next month, said Singapore
Foreign Minister George Yeo.

Mr Yeo, who is also currently chairman of the Asean Standing Committee,
spoke to reporters yesterday after meeting his French counterpart Bernard
Kouchner here.

Of the general's likely presence at the summit, Mr Yeo said: 'That was the
position Myanmar took when he was acting prime minister so I don't expect
any change there.'

In his congratulatory message to the general last Friday, Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong had invited the Myanmar leader to the regional group's
summit, when all 10 Asean members are expected to sign its inaugural
charter, which contains provisions for the protection of human rights.

Singapore currently chairs Asean. Myanmar is expected to be a major topic
at the summit following the global uproar over the recent unrest in the
country which left at least 13 people dead and many others incarcerated
indefinitely.

Mr Yeo said yesterday the world might see some improvement in the ruling
junta's attitude before the summit, although the main thing is that such
improvement is lasting and not just to 'stave off pressure while the TV
cameras are whirring away, with nothing happening after that'.

He added that Singapore and France are 'quite well aligned' on working
together 'to strengthen (Professor Ibrahim) Gambari's hand in Myanmar' so
the latter could bring about genuine dialogue between the junta and its
opponents more quickly. 'I asked for European support, for French support.
I was very happy to receive a very positive response from Minister
Kouchner,' Mr Yeo told reporters, as Dr Kouchner nodded in agreement next
to him.

The United Nations had sent Prof Gambari to Myanmar earlier this month to
broker a reconciliation between the junta and its political opponents.

Both foreign ministers met the UN envoy here yesterday to learn more about
the latest developments in Myanmar.

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said both Mr Yeo
and Prof Gambari agree on the importance of concerted international
support for the special envoy's mission in Myanmar. France and Singapore
differ, however, on the effectiveness of economic sanctions against
Myanmar. As Mr Yeo put it: 'Of course, Europe has its own values and
Europe must take a strong position consonant with its own value system.'

Asked if there are plans for Singapore banks to cut banking ties with
Myanmar's generals - if any - which some American banks are doing, Mr Yeo
reiterated: 'Singapore is an international financial centre. Whatever
policy we apply to Singapore banks must apply to all banks... and whatever
international agreements there are on restrictions or prohibitions, we
will abide by them.'

____________________________________

October 30, Associated Press
Malaysia: Keep Burma politics out of Asean-EU free trade talks

Burma's political crisis should not be used an excuse to hold up a
proposed free trade pact between Europe and Southeast Asian nations,
Malaysia's trade minister has said.

Negotiations must be free of political meddling and a constructive
engagement is a better way to persuade military-ruled Burma to open up,
Rafidah Aziz was quoted by national news agency Bernama as saying Monday
while on a trade mission in Frankfurt.

The European Union tightened sanctions on Burma last month after its
military junta crushed a pro-democracy movement that some diplomats say
left hundreds dead. European countries and the United States have also
complained that the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations is
not putting enough pressure on Burma, a member of the bloc, to force it to
change.

Rafidah said China was also censured by the international community when
its army cracked down on pro-democracy demonstrators at Tiananmen Square
in 1989. But foreign investors now flock to its shores.

"Today, the same people who condemned China are now crawling into China to
kiss their hands and feet to get business opportunities and to be friends
with China because there are billions of dollars to be made," Rafidah
said, according to the report.

"The same guys are now learning Chinese," she said. "The Chinese must be
laughing."

Rafidah, the most senior trade minister in Asean and its most outspoken,
said such "political hypocrisies" must be kept out and called for a
friendlier approach toward Burma, rather than isolating it.

"If the FTA is good for the business community, let's have it," she was
quoted as saying.

"Talk to them (Burma). Eventually they will open up like China and then
everybody will crawl to Myanmar (Burma) because there are a lot of
resources there (and then) kiss the Myanmar's hands," she said.

Rafidah and other trade officials couldn't be reached for comment.

Asean and the EU, together comprising a total 37 countries and home to
nearly a billion people, agreed in May to launch free trade talks after
years of wrangling over Burma's poor human rights record.

Some EU parliamentarians have called for Burma to be excluded from a
proposed Asean-EU free trade pact.

For years, Burma has faced international condemnation for jailing
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and hundreds of other political
dissidents. But the military, which has ruled Burma since 1962, has
refused to budge.

The EU was Asean's third-largest trading partner in 2005, with total trade
of US $140.5 billion, according to the Asean website.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

October 30, Reuters
RPT-Singapore distancing itself from Myanmar –analysts - Ed Cropley

While opposing sanctions against Myanmar in public, Singapore's government
and its banks in particular appear to be quietly distancing themselves
from the ruling junta, analysts and bankers said on Tuesday.

Officially, Singapore has not deviated from the line given by Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong a month ago, at the height of the junta's bloody
crackdown on democracy protests, that sanctions would be unlikely to shunt
Myanmar towards political reform.

But gradually, signs are emerging of institutions in the city-state
pulling back from involvement with the generals, for whom Singapore is a
top medical and leisure destination -- and widely believed to be home to
their off-shore bank accounts.

"What's going on behind the scenes, particularly on the financial side, is
de facto sanctions," said Sean Turnell, author of the Burma Economic Watch
journal at Sydney's Macquarie University.

The latest indication of that is Air Bagan, a small Myanmar airline on a
U.S. government blacklist that will suspend flights to Singapore from Nov.
5, travel agents say.

Singapore's Today newspaper said the final blow came when Singapore banks
said they would "stop dealing with" the airline, owned by Htoo Trading,
with close ties to the junta's top brass.

"That would seem to be an indication that Singapore either is lining up
behind the sanctions, or that they have other financial concerns or issues
with Air Bagan," said Victor Comras, architect of U.S. economic sanctions
against Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

EASY TARGET

It is financial links to the likes of Air Bagan that have made Singapore a
target for Myanmar activists and members of the U.S. Senate desperate to
find a lever to use on the junta, a regime that seems to thrive on
isolation.

Banking sources told Reuters that the Monetary Authority of Singapore
(MAS) was unlikely to ask banks to cut ties with Myanmar firms unless
there were U.N. sanctions on the country.

"Without legal authority such as U.N. sanctions, it won't be possible," a
Singapore-based banking source said.

The MAS and Singapore's three banks, DBS Group Holdings (DBSM.SI: Quote,
Profile, Research), Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC.SI: Quote, Profile,
Research) and United Overseas Bank (UOBH.SI: Quote, Profile, Research),
declined comment.

But a second banking source said banks were taking measures on their own
to restrict links with Myanmar companies on a case by case basis. "It is
not a blanket ban. If a customer comes to us, we can't turn him away," the
banker said.

Activist group Burma Campaign UK lists 10 Singapore firms on its "Dirty
List" of those with involvement in Myanmar, including the three banks and
conglomerate Keppel Corp (KPLM.SI: Quote, Profile, Research).

Foreign Minister George Yeo said on Monday Singapore would act according
to international agreements.

"We are an international financial centre. Whatever policy we apply to
Singapore banks, we must apply to all banks operating in Singapore," he
told reporters.

The police announced last week Singapore would step up efforts to detect
money laundering from Nov. 1 by requiring anyone carrying or transferring
more than $20,650 in or out to submit a report to immigration authorities.

While Washington and Brussels have tightened the screw gradually,
Singapore has become one of the biggest investors in the former Burma. Its
three banks all have offices there and firms have poured money into hotels
and tourism.

Singapore senior statesman Lee Kuan Yew told an American columnist he rued
advising hotel companies to go in. "They have sunk in millions of dollars
there and now their hotels are empty," he said. He also called the
generals "rather dumb".

(Additional reporting by Saeed Azhar in Singapore and Darren Schuettler in
Bangkok)

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

October 30, The Straits Times (Singapore)
Back to the past for Myanmar? No way: France;
Paris will help Asean push for change: French foreign minister - Cheong
Suk-Wai

FRANCE will do all it can to help Myanmar's neighbours push the rogue
state towards free and fair elections, said French Foreign and European
Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner.

'It will not be possible for the generals to come back to the former
situation. No, no and no,' he stressed, thumping the rostrum during his
lunch talk to the Foreign Correspondents' Association here yesterday.

He said that was because the junta's shoot-to-kill response to peaceful
protesters, including monks, late last month had shocked the world into
working towards an end to the 'unacceptable' misery of Myanmar's people.

But, he was careful to add, that did not mean ending the junta's 45-year
rule, because to do so would be 'very, very difficult and certainly badly
understood'.

He thought it acceptable for the generals to continue in politics, as long
as they freed long-detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and let her
help run Myanmar too.

Still, much as France supported economic sanctions against the junta,
including freezing the overseas assets of its generals, he did not think
such sanctions alone would be enough to coax the regime out of 'the Middle
Ages' and make it focus on its people's welfare.

Better, he said, for the world to help these people directly, for example
by setting up a trust fund, administered by non-governmental organisations
(NGOs) on the ground, to help develop local economies and create jobs.

He said that one way this could work would be through making small loans
to help ordinary people set up businesses.

The French minister, who co-founded the Nobel Prize-winning emergency aid
group Doctors Without Borders, arrived here on Sunday, beginning his first
working trip to Asia since assuming his post on May 17.

Dr Kouchner's stop in Singapore was essentially a fact-finding mission on
Myanmar, whose junta's disregard of human rights has riled the self-styled
'human rights fighter' into action.

Besides calling on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his whirlwind
visit, Dr Kouchner also met United Nations Special Envoy to Myanmar
Ibrahim Gambari at the Shangri-La Hotel yesterday morning.

Calling Professor Gambari 'excellent' and a 'very honest' peace broker, he
told The Straits Times: 'Prof Gambari is the right man in the right place
at the right time. Our purpose, first and foremost, is to support his
mission, to strengthen it and to make it permanent.'

His Singapore counterpart George Yeo seconded that strongly when the two
ministers met for dinner yesterday.

Dr Kouchner also said it was thanks to Prof Gambari's strong and firm
diplomacy that the junta had agreed to release some political prisoners in
recent weeks.

That said, he stressed that Asean was 'absolutely key' to solving the
problem, as the regional grouping is in the best position to be the
faraway European Union's eyes and ears on Myanmar.

For France's part, he said it was ready to get the EU to issue a
declaration jointly with Asean and support it in any other way on Myanmar.

'It's up to Asean, really, to tell us what it wants,' he said.

Speaking of such support, he said he was heartened by junta ally China's
'real concern', noting that Beijing had pressured the junta to meet Prof
Gambari and cooperate with him. But he was 'very disappointed' at India's
continuing silence and inaction.

And with the Myanmar crisis slipping from the front pages, he said the
world must continue to focus on pulling Myanmar's millions out of abject
poverty, as one-fifth of the country's population of 54 million exist on
less than US$1 (S$1.46) a day.

Dr Kouchner leaves for Bangkok today and moves on to China tomorrow for
more meetings on the Myanmar crisis.

____________________________________

October 30, Associated Press
Germany, India urge Myanmar to release political prisoners, hold talks
with UN

India and Germany urged Myanmar's military rulers Tuesday to free all
political prisoners and hold talks with the United Nations, following a
brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in the impoverished Southeast
Asian nation.

India has come under intense international pressure to take action over
the junta's repression of recent monk-led protests across Myanmar, largely
because of the strong economic and military ties established between the
two countries in the past decade.

"We jointly share the view that political prisoners have to be released.
There has to be negotiations with the United Nations," German Chancellor
Angela Merkel, in India for a four-day visit, said after meeting External
Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi.

The protests, which began Aug. 19 over the rising price of fuel and
consumer goods, grew into a broad-based movement for democratic reform
that attracted tens of thousands of people in Yangon, the country's
biggest city.

Troops crushed the protests by shooting at demonstrators on Sept. 26-27
and arresting almost 3,000 participants and onlookers, including Buddhist
monks. The government said 10 people were killed, but dissident groups put
the toll at up to 200 and say thousands more people were arrested.

Last week, Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N.'s special envoy to Myanmar, urged
India to break its silence over the Myanmar military's violent response to
the peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations. Gambari, who also visited
Beijing, has suggested that Myanmar's two giant neighbors should take a
lead in resolving the crisis.

India has said it is talking quietly to Myanmar an approach that has upset
critics at home and abroad who argue India's inaction makes it complicit
in the brutal repression.

India shifted its policy from support for opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi who has been detained for 12 of the past 18 years to one of engaging
Myanmar's generals in the early 1990s, in part because of a desire to
access Myanmar's large natural gas reserves.

New Delhi has never specified the extent of the business ties between
India and Myanmar. But even as the protests gathered momentum last month,
India's petroleum minister, Murali Deora, was in Myanmar signing a US$150
million (euro106 million) gas exploration deal.

India has also shown interest in securing the cooperation of Myanmar's
military in containing several separatist groups fighting New Delhi's rule
in the remote northeast, a region that borders Myanmar. India's military
has said several insurgent groups launch attacks in India from bases
across the border in Myanmar.

____________________________________

October 27, The Hindu
S Africa welcomes Myanmar regime's talks with Suu Kyi

South Africa has welcomed the recent talks between Myanmar's military
regime and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, hoping that it would bring
about a solution to the "challenges" faced by the country.

"The South African government believes that only negotiations between all
parties without pre-conditions would lead to the resolution of the
country's challenges," Foreign Minister Dlamini-Zuma said in a statement
on Friday.

He said his government "supports the efforts by the international
community, including those of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy
Ibrahim Gambari, to facilitate dialogue in Myanmar that would bring about
a resolution to the country's challenges."

"We further welcome the fact that Paolo Sergio Pinheiro, Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said he will be
allowed by the Myanmar authorities to visit the country on 17 November,"
the minister said.

"The South African government urges all parties to remain committed to
finding a long term and lasting solution to the challenges in Myanmar," he
said.

____________________________________

October 30, Christian Today
Christians join MPs in Day of Action for Burma in London - Jennifer Gold

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) joined a day of action for Burma in
Parliament Square yesterday, as the first-ever full-length
Government-sponsored debate on Burma took place on the floor of the House
of Commons.

At 12 noon a demonstration was held in Parliament Square opposite the
House of Commons. The protest was addressed by Shadow Secretary of State
for International Development, Andrew Mitchell MP, who visited Rangoon and
the Thai-Burmese border earlier this year.

The demonstration was followed by an evening prayer vigil.

Nigel Evans MP then joined CSW’s Advocacy Officer Benedict Rogers and
other supporters in a sleep-over in Parliament Square, in solidarity with
the Burmese people.

Several Burmese have been sleeping out in Parliament Square since the
beginning of October, in a permanent 24-hour vigil.

These events coincided with the House of Commons debate on Burma, which
took place in the main Chamber yesterday afternoon.

CSW’s National Director Stuart Windsor said: “These initiatives are
intended to demonstrate our continuing solidarity with the people of Burma
at this time.

“We are delighted that several Parliamentarians will join us and the
Burmese exiled community in the protest and vigil. We appeal to Christians
around the country to join us.”

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

October 30, Mizzima
What shapes the mind of a soldier? - Klose Htoo

We must consider improving the current situation from all angles. One of
our approaches must be 'Persuading the army to be on our side.' It is
believed that if the army stands with the people, the dictators can
survive no more.

Some might think of persuading the army as a fantasy, but I believe it is
possible through delicate efforts and means.

In the persuasion of others, we need to first know what is in their minds,
how do they feel and what are their experiences.

What are the motives that push the army to brutally and inhumanely beat
the people, even in public? What are the fundamental causes which make
them so barbaric, aggressive and arrogant? Why must they kick the people
in extreme hatred and prejudice instead of simply arresting them and
putting them in custody?

I present here what I understand, based on what I see, what I study and
what I am told by soldier friends.

According to the current set-up, the regular troop strength of an Infantry
Battalion (IB) or a Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) must be 816, of which
there are to be 786 infantrymen and 30 supporting arms. But no IB or LIB
has this full strength. The most probable strength of even a well
disciplined IB or LIB is not more than 400.

There are two reasons behind this problem of under-strength. The first
reason is the overexpansion of the army throughout Burma, which brings
about dwindling numbers in existing IBs and LIBs due to the forced
extraction and sending of their soldiers to newly established units.

The second reason is depredation. This is caused by several factors,
including deserters, death and those killed and missing in action. Of
these, desertion accounts for the highest percentage.

New soldiers are recruited by many means, though primarily by persuading
and seducing youths, conscripting youth in remote rural areas where
ignorance prevails, recruiting and seducing under-aged children, and by
targeting runaway boys in crowded urban areas such as railway stations,
bus terminals and jetties.

Very few persons join the army voluntarily, while most of the people
despise the army. Thus, most new soldiers are recruited in the above
mentioned ways and bring with them different characters and social
backgrounds. Among them, some fugitives are included.

No matter how they joined army, either voluntarily or through
conscription, the first unit waiting to teach them their first lesson is a
'recruiting unit.' As soon as they get there, the first thing they undergo
is a haircut, leaving almost no hair on the head. Though the army claims
it is intended to shape them into the form of soldiers, the real reason is
to be able to easily recapture them if they run away during training.

The first thing that these former students and civilians experience is the
harsh treatment they receive in these training units. They are scolded,
shouted at and slapped, even for the minor and unimportant mistakes which
were negligible in their previous lives. This harsh treatment awes them
and immediately gives them a sense of being humiliated, while also
developing an inferiority complex.

Among these newly recruited soldiers, trainers select some who have a
little educational qualification as 'leaders' to bully their fellow
recruits. As soon as they receive this status, the new 'leaders' enjoy
their position of being able to bully their fellow recruits. A sadistic
pleasure and barbaric behavior is developed in their minds by seeing their
fellow new soldiers trembling before them.

The CO of a Training Unit gives a speech at the opening ceremony, "You
must know there is only ground under you, never forget it. You must
complete this training, irregardless of how you joined the army, by
thinking of this as the best life you can get."

My brother told me his bitter experience at Pinlaung No. 4 Training Unit,
having joined the army after being persuaded by a soldier. He was recalled
from his training unit only after many difficulties, by spending a lot of
money and with the assistance of many influential contacts.

Previously new soldier training lasted 24 weeks. It is now reduced to 16
weeks. In this training period, real army training is not much, work and
odd jobs are more common. The worst thing is being looked down upon and
humiliated as 'trainees' and on every Saturday evening being sent for
menial and odd jobs as modern slaves to their higher ranking masters. Some
military figures use such labors for commercial purposes such as the
cutting of bamboo and making of bamboo walls, which are resold in the
markets.

After spending much of their time in this way of being humiliated and
oppressed, with an inferiority complex developed in their minds, the
trainees are ready to emotionally explode at any time. My brother said the
so-called 'leaders' who were selected among the group are even harsher
than their trainers. It is like the situation in a jail, where the
prisoner wardens are harsher and more barbaric than the paid wardens and
jailors.

However I argue that the most serious mistake being committed in these
training units is the knowing acceptance of deserters as new soldiers,
instead of taking serious action against them. They are thinking only in
terms of increasing numerical strength. They even assign these deserters
to the positions of barrack wardens and platoon commanders. This makes the
mind of new soldiers even harsher and more aggressive as it teaches them
they will get more rewards if they commit crimes.

The new soldiers are bullied and humiliated even after being posted to
their mother units upon the completion of their harsh and terrible 16 week
training period. All commissioned and non-commissioned officers bully
them, often referring to them, derogatorily, by their five digit
registration number which identifies them as a new recruit.

When they rise to higher ranks, they in turn behave in a similar fashion
toward new soldiers. Though it can be argued that such behavior falls
under the name of discipline, the current practice is being misused and
goes beyond subordination, which is one of the ten strengths of the army.
The anger and hatred developed in their minds finds no proper emotional
outlet.

(Editor: The author originally wrote in Burmese and Mizzima translated
into English)

____________________________________

October 30, Press Trust of India
Churnings in Myanmar: Old Dilemma for India - Pallab Bhattacharya

The fresh round of crackdown by Myanmars military junta on pro-democracy
protests and the sharp international reaction to it has resurrected an old
dilemma for India whether and how far to engage the authorities in that
country or to snap ties with them.

India, along with China, Myanmarese juntas closest ally, and ASEAN of
which Myanmar is a member, has come under mounting pressure from the
United States and European Union scale up its low-key response to the
developments in Myanmar beyond calling for broad-basing the process of
political reforms and reconciliation in that country. A joint US-EU
statement urged India, China and the Association of South East Asian
Nations to use their influence in support of the people of Myanmar.

What should India do? Should it call off its engagement with the military
regime? Clearly, the problem is not as simple as it appears.

The crisis in Myanmar figured in External Affairs Minister Pranab
Mukherjees meetings with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Myanmar
Foreign Minister U Nyan Win in New York in the last week of September.
Earlier, Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon had met UN Special
Envoy Ibrahim Gambari ahead of the latters visit to Myanmar.

Prior to these meetings, India has been understandably low-key in its
response to the juntas drive against pro-democracy agitation, given the
fact that it has to strike a balance between its energy and security
interests in Myanmar and its image as the worlds largest democracy
espousing to the emergence of democracies in its immediate neighbourhood.

After the meetings with the UN Secretary General and the US-EU statement,
Mukherjee, during his meeting with his Myanmar counterpart, urged Yangon
to launch a probe into its violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
The reaction was viewed by analysts as New Delhi's response to growing
international promptings to rachet up its guarded reaction to the
suppression of the prodemocracy stir.

However, Mukherjee opposed sanctions against Myanmar saying such punitive
measure turns out to be counter-productive in the long run as its impact
ultimately affects the people of a country. Besides, western sanctions
against Myanmar in the past could do little to weaken the military Junta
in that country.

There are already reports that the military Junta has already managed to
crush the protests by Budhist monks, much like Musharraf managed to
prolong his rule despite opposition from a range of political parties.

China has favoured a political resolution to the problems in Myanmar and
ASEAN warned that pushing through a regime change in Myanmar could "create
another Iraq". India's stand on Myanmar has clearly been shaped by this.
During President George W Bushs visit to Delhi in March 2005, India and
the US became part of a Global Democratic Initiative and agreed to assist
other societies in transition seeking to become more open and democratic.

But the question is: can India export democracy? Obviously not. While
India believes that democracy will provide a more enduring and broad-based
foundation for an edifice of peace and cooperation among countries in the
region, the importance of neighbourhood diplomacy has prompted it to
remain engaged with which ever government is exercising authority in any
country. Who can forget that the US itself had for long supported several
authoritarian regimes across the world during the Cold War years to
fulfill its own interests? The US backing to ruthless regimes in Chile
under Augusto Pinochet and El Salvador in the 1970s and 1980s are just
some of the examples.

Until mid-1990s, India had avoided engaging Myanmars military junta which
seized power in 1962. Myanmars imprisoned icon of democracy Aung San Suu
Kyi who was chosen for the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Award for
International Peace and Understanding by the Congress government in 1993.

However, the juntas stranglehold on the country remained as tight as ever.
When Pakistan's military ruler Pervez Musharraf seized power in a coup in
October 1999, India had for almost a year refused to deal with him leading
to postponement of a SAARC summit in Kathmandu. Later, however, the then
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee shared the dais with Musharraf at
SAARC summit and engaged his regime at the bilateral level which led to a
flurry of unprecedented set of confidence-building measures.

Evidently, purely ideological response to authoritarian regimes has not
paid off for Indias own interests nor did it change the course of events
in the countries in its neighbourhood. It is not for the first time that
India did business with a military regime in its neighbourhood.

After all, India has dealt with military rulers like Gen Zia ul Huq of
Pakistan and Hussain Muhammed Ershad of Bangladesh. There had been
suggestions from some quarters that India should have been as active in
restoring democracy as it had done in Nepal. But these quarters overlook
the fact that no two cases are similar. While Nepal is overwhelmingly
dependent on India as far as its economic interests are concerned, Myanmar
is not because it has direct access to the huge economies of ASEAN, of
which it is a member, and China.

The first and foremost aspect of diplomacy is securing national interests.
Going by that, the decision to abandon its policy of shunning the Myanmars
military junta taken by the Congress government under P V Narasimha Rao
was a landmark event. Given the fact that it was also part of India's Look
East policy and that Myanmar is the gateway to South East Asia, India
could not possibly have stuck to its policy of turning its face away from
the powers that be in Yangon.

Security forces of India and Myanmar have cooperated in flushing out
northeastern Indian insurgents who take shelter in that country and India
is also vying with China and other Asian countries for a share of Myanmars
vast energy resources. India had for long losing out on its interests by
not engaging with Myanmar at a time when China and ASEAN countries and
Japan and South Korea remained economically linked with that country.

What impact India's shun-military regime-policy could have had on Myanmar
when its South East Asian neighbours and economic powers in East Asia
continued to be engaged with it? China, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and
Malaysia have made investments in Myanmar to secure their energy needs. It
is precisely keeping national interests uppermost that Petroleum Minister
Murli Deora went ahead with his visit to Myanmar in the midst of stepped
up pro-democracy protests there for the signing of a production-sharing
contract for gas exploration and assuring the authorities of that country
of India's assistance to revamp two oil refineries by providing
consultancy or building them.

The visit once again underlined the geo-political importance of Myanmar to
India. Indias earlier policy of avoiding the Myanmarese junta has allowed
China and its all-weather friend Pakistan to gain access in that country.
China the largest supplier of arms to Myanmar, got hold of a number of gas
reserves and was permitted to set up a listening post in Myanmar's
strategicallylocated Coco Island in the Bay of Bengal close to India.

Myanmar has also given China easy and short access to South East Asia and
Bay of Bengal. Pakistan too supplied weapons to Myanmar. Not to be lagged
behind, India too gave light field guns, rifles and four naval
surveillance aircraft to Myanmar. India's engagement with Myanmar
stretches from a range of sectors from economic to security. India built a
road connecting Moreh in Manipur to Myanmar and the two countries are
preparing to sign a final agreement under which India will build a
multi-modal transport project on the Kalad an river in its neighbour
country.

The project will connect Indian ports on the eastern seaboard and Sittwe
port in Myanmar. It will also help Indias northeastern states gain
connectivity through riverine transport and road to Mizoram with mainland
India as an alternative after Bangladesh has refused to allow transit
facility.

The message from New Delhi is clear: India will not let ideological
disposition and commitment to democracy affect its vital economic and
security concerns in Myanmar.

____________________________________

October 27, The Lancet
Burma and the challenge of humanitarian assistance - Chris Beyrer

Burma's "Saffron Revolution", and the brutal military crackdown which
followed it, brought the world's attention to this closed and troubled
country. The Buddhist monks and nuns who led the movement have called for
dialogue, democracy, and human rights. But they also called on the junta
to address the initial spark of the uprising: the five-fold increase in
the cost of gas, the doubling of diesel prices, and the two-thirds
increases in petrol costs imposed by the junta on Aug 19, 2007. Burma's
people were already in desperate straights before these price hikes. In
2000, Burma's health-care system was ranked 190th out of 191 nations by
WHO.1 UNICEF estimates that close to a third of children nationwide were
malnourished in 2006, real wages were being devoured by inflation, and
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and a range of other health threats were
taking terrible tolls on ordinary Burmese.2 UNICEF reported that
Government spending on health care in Burma amounted to US0•40 per citizen
per year in 2005, compared with 61 in neighbouring Thailand.2 Childhood
(aged under 5 years) mortality was 106 per 1000 livebirths in 2006,
compared with 21 per 1000 in Thailand.2 The price increases were
especially inflammatory for two reasons.

First, they affected an already impoverished majority. One estimate is
that for an average worker in Rangoon, 50-75 of daily wages would now be
spent on travel alone-and fuel-price increases immediately raised the cost
of basic commodities, including food.3,4 Second, the junta under General
Than Shwe made the energy sector one of its principal supports and one of
its show pieces, selling oil and gas reserves to Thailand, India, China,
and others. And the junta was spending these revenues lavishly: an
estimated 3•4 billion on arms in 2006 (mainly from China, Russia, and
Ukraine), and running costs for the so-called City of Kings, the new
capital Naypyidaw, costed by the International Monetary Fund at 120-240
million a year. All that in a country where the total national budget for
HIV/AIDS in 2005 was 137000.2

The junta's spending seems to have been beyond their means-and the country
was thought bankrupt by mid-summer.4 The General's solution? Squeeze more
resources out of the people. They clearly miscalculated how much more
deprivation the people could bear.

The attacks on non-violent protestors have moved the conscience of the
world. The crackdown is not over and it has already affected health.
Burma's monasteries have long been places of refuge and pastoral care.
Several of the monasteries active in the uprising and targeted in the
crackdown were important centers for HIV/AIDS care, support, and hospice
services. These centres were not spared: "Several monasteries in Rangoon
were left empty following raids by government security forces...Maggin
monastery in Thingangyun township, which provides care for people with HIV
and AIDS, was emptied and locked up by the authorities".5 In the first
raid on the Maggin care centre, the Abbot and four senior monks, two aged
over 80 years, were arrested.5

Humanitarian assistance programmes, already limited by regulations imposed
by the junta in 2005 and 2006, were further hampered. 2 The World Food
Program has been running food-distribution programmes for poor people,
orphans, patients with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, and others for some
years. This programme ran into difficulty as the junta closed off
distribution during the crackdown.6 Although these limits on humanitarian
aid are likely to be short term, the needs are not. And the restrictions
imposed by the junta, which led to the withdrawal of the Global Fund and
Médecins Sans Frontières, and caused the International Committee of the
Red Cross to suspend many field operations, remain barriers to providing
relief for the suffering.2 The root cause of that suffering, military
misrule, is ultimately to blame for Burma's hunger. This country was once
a rice exporting nation blessed with natural resources. Burma's
humanitarian crisis, like Zimbabwe's, is entirely manmade. Thus it is
crucial, as calls are made for increased humanitarian assistance,
including food and essential drugs, that the medical and humanitarian
communities stay mindful of the cause of Burma's impoverishment-the
Generals.

There will doubtless be calls for increasing health and humanitarian
assistance efforts in Burma in the aftermath of the Saffron Revolution.
Some people might call for a depoliticising of aid efforts and for
increased direct collaboration with the junta, its Ministries, and its
affiliates. It would be heartless to deny the people of Burma any
assistance the international community can provide. But it would be
equally heartless to allow aid to be manipulated so as to prolong the
junta's rule or provide preferential relief for the junta's supporters.
Burma's people have shown again that they want freedom and they have been
willing, again, to die for their beliefs. All due diligence must be paid,
as health and humanitarian efforts are ramped up, that such efforts do not
prolong the cause of the very suffering they seek to alleviate: the
military regime, which has proven such a threat to health, wellbeing, and
prosperity.

I declare that I have no conflict of interest.

____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE

October 30, Christian Solidarity Worldwide
CSW welcomes historic Burma debate in House OF Commons

British Members of Parliament called for an investigation into crimes
against humanity in Burma and increased aid to the Burmese people during a
four-hour debate on the current crisis held in the House of Commons last
night. MPs, human rights campaigners and members of the Burmese exiled
community held a vigil in Parliament Square during the debate.

In the historic debate, MPs called for the UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon to visit Burma and urged the British Government to investigate
crimes against humanity and bring a case against Burma’s military regime
to the International Criminal Court.

The Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander
MP, announced plans to double British aid to Burma from £8.8 million this
year to £18 million by 2010. His announcement follows criticism that the
Department for International Development (DfID) failed to act on key
recommendations from the House of Commons International Development
Committee in July. The Committee had called for British aid to be
quadrupled by 2013, and for funding for cross-border aid to internally
displaced people and support for pro-democracy and human rights projects.

The Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew
Mitchell MP, who travelled with Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) to
the Thai-Burmese border and visited Rangoon earlier this year, told the
House of Commons: “I am surprised and rather disappointed that the
Government have not accepted in full the recommendations of the
[Committee’s] excellent report. Indeed, they have rejected the most
important ones
We agree entirely with the Committee’s recommendation. If
we are in government after the next election, we will implement that
proposal in full and immediately.”

Mr Mitchell also joined other MPs in urging the Government to investigate
crimes against humanity in Burma and bring a case to the International
Criminal Court.

During the debate, David Burrowes MP and Lord Alton attended a vigil
opposite Parliament organised by Burmese exiles. Following the debate,
Nigel Evans MP joined CSW’s Advocacy Officer Benedict Rogers and CSW
supporters in an overnight vigil in Parliament Square. Mr Evans told the
House of Commons during the debate: “The one thing that cannot be
extinguished is the spirit of the people, who are fighting for liberty –
their lives may be extinguished, but the campaign goes on. The campaign
will go on in Burma until the hideous regime is removed.”

Commenting on the debate, Benedict Rogers said: “We warmly welcome this
historic and timely debate in the House of Commons. We are delighted to
see such passionate support in all political parties in the UK for the
people of Burma in their struggle. While we are encouraged by the
Secretary of State’s announcement that DFID will double aid to Burma by
2010, we hope they will expand on this pledge in light of the emerging
level of cross-party support for quadrupling aid by 2013. We urge all
government ministers to now act upon the clear recommendations from the
debate, highlighting the messages through international relations and
pushing for a full investigation into crimes against humanity in Burma.”

For more information, please contact Penny Hollings, Campaigns and Media
Manager at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on 020 8329 0045, email
pennyhollings at csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

CSW is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom,
works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and
promotes religious liberty for all.

Notes to Editors:
The debate drew cross-party support. The Shadow Foreign Secretary, William
Hague MP, called for a binding UN Security Council resolution and an arms
embargo. The Liberal Democrats spokesman, Mark Hunter MP, called on the UK
Government to disclose the names of British companies trading with Burma.
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Labour MP Mike Gapes, and
the Chairman of the Human Rights Committee, Labour MP Ann Clwyd, called
for pressure on the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN),
particularly Thailand, while other MPs highlighted the importance of China
and India.

For a full transcript of the debate, see
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm071029/debtext/71029-0008.htm#0710299000002

For a copy of the House of Commons International Development Committee
report, DFID Assistance to Burmese Internally Displaced People and
Refugees on the Thai-Burma Border, published on 25 July 2007, see
www.parliament.uk/indcom
For a copy of DFID’s Response, published on 23 October 2007, see
www.parliament.uk/indcom

____________________________________
OBITUARY

October 30, Associated Press
Former drug warlord Khun Sa dies in Rangoon - Denis D Gray

One-time drug warlord Khun Sa, variously described as among the world's
most wanted men and a great liberation fighter, has died in Burma at the
age of 74, an associate said Tuesday.

Khuensai Jaiyen, a former secretary of Khun Sa who works with ethnic Shan
minority guerrilla groups, said his former boss died in Burma's largest
city Rangoon on October 26, according to his relatives.

The cause of death was not immediately known, but Khun Sa had long
suffered from diabetes, partial paralysis and high blood pressure.

A Burmese official in Rangoon confirmed the death. He was cremated Tuesday
morning, the official said on condition of anonymity because he is not
authorized to speak to the media.

His body had been kept since October 26 at a cemetery on the outskirts of
Rangoon called Yay Way where the cremation took place, said a cemetery
worker, who asked not to be named for the same reason.

Khun Sa had lived in seclusion in Rangoon since 1996, when he surrendered
to the country's ruling military junta who allowed him to run a string of
businesses behind a veil of secrecy.

At the height of his notoriety, Khun Sa presided over a veritable
narcotics kingdom, carved out of jungle valleys and complete with
satellite television, schools and surface-to-air missiles in the
drug-producing Golden Triangle region where Burma, Thailand and Laos meet.

For nearly four decades the charismatic warlord claimed to be fighting for
autonomy for the Shan, one of many ethnic minorities who have battled
Burma's central government for decades.

He painted himself as a liberation fighter for the Shan, heading up the
Shan United Army—later the Mong Tai Army—in Burma's northeastern Shan
State.

But narcotics agents around the world used terms like the "Prince of
Death" to describe him and the United States offered a US $2 million
reward for his arrest.

"They say I have horns and fangs. Actually, I am a king without a crown,"
he told this reporter who visited his remote headquarters of Ho Mong in
1990 after an 11-hour mule ride.

Born of a Chinese father and Shan mother on February 17, 1933, Khun Sa
received little education but learned the ways of battle and opium from
the Kuomintang, remnants of forces defeated by China's communists and
forced to flee into Burma.

By the early 1960s Khun Sa, also known as Chang Chi-fu, had become a major
player in the Golden Triangle—then the world's major source for opium and
its derivative, heroin.

He suffered a near knockout blow in the so-called 1967 Opium War, fighting
a pitched battle with the Kuomintang in Laos. Laotian troops intervened by
bombing both sides and making off with the opium.

For a time he served in a Burmese government militia, but was jailed in
1969 after allying himself with the Shan cause. He was freed five years
later in exchange for two Russian doctors whom his followers had
kidnapped.

The wily operator sought a less hostile environment in Thailand, setting
up a hilltop base protected by his sizable Shan United Army. But when the
Thais got too embarrassed by having a drug kingpin on their soil, he was
driven out in 1982 and lodged himself in Ho Mong, an idyllic valley near
the Thai frontier inside Burma.

There, the chain-smoking warlord entertained visitors with Taiwanese pop
songs, grew orchids and strawberries, and directed a flow of heroin to
addicts around the world. At one point, Washington estimated that up to 60
percent of the heroin in the United States was refined from opium in his
area.

Khun Sa claimed he only used the drug trade to finance his Shan struggle.
Peter Bourne, an adviser to former US President Jimmy Carter, called him
"one of the most impressive national leaders I have met."

Khun Sa argued that only economic development in the impoverished Shan
State, still one of the major sources of the world's heroin, could stop
opium growing and its smuggling to the "drug-crazed West." "My people grow
opium. And they are not doing it for fun. They do it because they need to
buy rice to eat and clothes to wear," he once said.

He carried out a one-way correspondence with US presidents, offering to
sell Washington the entire crop of opium in exchange for funds to
implement his development plans for the Shan.

But in 1989, he was indicted for heroin trafficking by the US District
Court in New York and his extradition to the United States was requested.

Khun Sa continued to war with the central government and rival ethnic
guerrilla groups like the Wa until 1996 when the junta, which had once
threatened to hang him, offered him amnesty. He disbanded his Mong Tai
Army of about 10,000 fighters and moved to Rangoon.

Although difficult to confirm, reports said he lived a life of luxury in a
secluded compound, having been awarded concessions to operate a transport
company and a ruby mine along with other businesses.

There was speculation that he was still involved in the narcotics trade,
which was largely taken over by his former enemies, the Wa.