BurmaNet News, November 2-3, 2007

[Editor]

November 2-3, 2007 Issue # 3334

INSIDE BURMA
AP: Gambari Returns to Burma
Irrawaddy: Burma threatens to expel top UN representative
AFP: Myanmar axes Internet, UN official ahead of Gambari visit
Irrawaddy: Central executive committee of NLD to meet Gambari
Narinjara News: Training for demonstration crackdowns in Arakan

ON THE BORDER
DVB: ABSDF pledges to fight on for democracy

BUSINESS / TRADE
Irrawaddy: Weekly business roundup
Mizzima News: India extends $60 million for hydro project in Burma

REGIONAL
AFP: Singapore 'deeply disappointed' by Myanmar action
Khonumthung News: Memorandum to India 's vice-president by Burmese activists

INTERNATIONAL
UN News Centre: Ban Ki-moon ‘disappointed’ by Myanmar’s attempt to end UN
official’s service
Times of India: Myanmar must end human rights abuses: HRW
Mizzima News: ICRC looks to resume activities

OPINION / OTHER
Project Syndicate via Cyprus Mail: Cry, beloved Burma - U Gambira and
Ashin Nayaka
Irrawaddy: Gambari needs to bring back good news from Burma [Editorial]
Irrawaddy: Keeping up the Momentum on Burma - Aung Zaw
Scoop Independent News: Burma's uprising: People power, not political
puppetry

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

November 3, Associated Press
Gambari Returns to Burma

U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari arrived in Myanmar on Saturday for his second
effort to reconcile the ruling military and its pro-democracy opponents.
But he will also have to deal with the junta's plan to expel the top U.N.
diplomat in the country.

Gambari flew directly to the new capital, Naypyitaw, to meet with senior
junta leaders, Myanmar government officials said, requesting anonymity
since they were not authorized to speak to the media.

It was not known which of the junta leaders would meet with him in
Naypyitaw, 250 miles north of Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, or whether
he would later be allowed to visit detained democracy icon Aung San Suu
Kyi.

On the eve of his arrival, the junta accused Myanmar's U.N. Resident
Coordinator Charles Petrie of going beyond his duties by criticizing the
regime's failure to meet the economic and humanitarian needs of its
people, and by saying this was the cause of September's mass pro-democracy
protests, which were violently put down by the government.

Gambari was earlier dispatched to Myanmar after the government crackdown,
meeting with junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe and twice with Suu Kyi, a
Nobel peace laureate.

Eyewitnesses in Yangon said security forces had been reinforced in some
parts of the city prior to the visit, while residents said access to the
Internet was virtually impossible for the third-straight day.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who met Gambari on Friday morning in
Istanbul, Turkey, to discuss his Myanmar trip, was "disappointed" at the
government's message, and expressed "full confidence in the United Nations
country team and its leadership," U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said at
U.N. headquarters in New York.

She said Petrie was scheduled to meet Gambari in Yangon on Saturday, and
that the U.N. envoy would convey to Myanmar's military rulers the
secretary-general's "very strong" support for the U.N. leadership in
Myanmar, also known as Burma.

On Friday, a draft resolution was circulated at the U.N. strongly
condemning the Myanmar government's crackdown on peaceful protesters. It
called on the junta to immediately release those arrested recently, as
well as all political prisoners.

The military has said 10 people were killed in the September crackdown,
but diplomats and dissidents say the death toll was much higher. Thousands
of people were detained.

____________________________________

November 3, Irrawaddy
Burma threatens to expel top UN representative - Yeni and Lalit K Jha

Burma's ruling junta threatened to expel Charles Petrie, the UN Resident
Coordinator in Burma, on the eve of the visit of the Special UN Envoy to
Burma, Ibrahim Gambari.

Petrie, the UN humanitarian coordinator, traveled to Naypyidaw on Friday,
Burma's new capital, to see government officials and was handed a letter
as he was leaving the meeting.

"The government of the Union of Myanmar [Burma] does not want Petrie to
continue to serve in Myanmar, especially at this time when the cooperation
between Myanmar and the United Nations is crucial," the letter said. The
letter also accused Petrie of "acting beyond his capacity in issuing the
statement."

The "statement" referred to a press release by the UN Country Team—headed
by Petrie—on the 62nd UN Day (October 24) which referred to socio-economic
issues in the Burma.

The statement urged the Naypyidaw government to listen to dissenting
voices in Burma and warned of a "deteriorating humanitarian situation."
The statement read, in part: "The average household is forced to spend
almost three quarters of its budget on food, one in three children under
five suffer from malnutrition and less than 50 percent of children are
able to complete their primary education. It is estimated that close to
700,000 people each year suffer from malaria and 130,000 from
tuberculosis. The UN agencies working in Myanmar [Burma] repeat their
strong determination to help the country address poverty and suffering and
their underlying causes."

The statement said the recent demonstrations highlighted the fact that
many of the Burmese people’s aspirations—for “development, prosperity,
peace, security and dignity for all” —were not yet “a reality for all.”

On October 25, the Burmese Foreign Ministry issued an angry reaction,
saying the statement was "unprecedented" and "very negative," and it
harmed Burma's image "despite its all-out cooperation with [the] UN."

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who met Gambari on Friday
morning in Istanbul, Turkey, to discuss his Burma trip, was quick to
express his "disappointment" at the government's message and expressed
"full confidence in the United Nations country team and its leadership,"
UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said at UN headquarters in New York.

Montas said the UN has taken a very strong position on the issue and the
matter would be raised by Gambari in his first meeting with Burmese
officials.

The United States also condemned the expulsion on Friday. "This outrageous
action ... is an insult to the United Nations and the international
community," Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the US National Security
Council, said in Washington.

France's UN Ambassador, Jean-Maurice Ripert, called Burma's action
regarding Petrie, who is French, "unacceptable."

Singapore—currently the chair of the 10-member Association of South East
Asian Nations—said on Saturday that it was deeply disappointed by Burma's
move to expel the UN's top resident diplomat, ahead of a visit by UN
special envoy Ibrahim Gambari.

"This announcement has come at a most inopportune time, just before the
arrival of UNSG Special Adviser Ibrahim Gambari," the Singapore Ministry
of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. "It also sends an inconsistent
message about Myanmar's willingness to continue engaging the UN in
improving its domestic political and socio-economic situation."

Some analyst said that Burma’s threat to expel Petrie is most likely a
diversionary tactic, by the regime, attempting to sidetrack Gambari's
discussions with the junta.

“Burma’s generals will do anything to avoid being pressured into talks
about genuine reform,” said Brad Adams, the Asia director for the New
York-based pressure group Human Rights Watch. “But now the danger is that
Gambari will spend his time talking about the UN’s role in Burma instead
of the need to end the crackdown and bring real reform. Gambari should
stick to his agenda instead of falling for such cheap ploys.”

The junta's move on Petrie comes on the eve of a visit by Gambari, whose
six-day trip is intended to support reconciliation between the junta and
political opposition groups. Aye Win, the United Nations Information
Center spokesman in Burma, said Gambari's visit—from November 3 to 8—would
proceed as scheduled.

____________________________________

November 2, Agence France Presse
Myanmar axes Internet, UN official ahead of Gambari visit

Myanmar’s junta cut Internet connections and axed the senior United
Nations official here on Friday, clouding the atmosphere before a visit by
the world body’s envoy over last month’s violent crackdown.

A day before Ibrahim Gambari’s arrival, Myanmar’s ruling generals
announced Friday that they would not renew the mandate of the UN’s top man
in Yangon, a UN spokesman said.

Charles Petrie, the world body’s country chief, was summoned to the new
capital Naypyidaw for a meeting with junta officials, said Aye Win, a UN
information officer in Yangon.

“I can confirm that the government has expressed its intention not to
continue his assignment,” Aye Win told AFP.

The government’s decision will likely force Petrie, who arrived in Myanmar
in 2003, to leave the country.

The junta is reportedly angry over a statement the UN made last month
denouncing a “deteriorating humanitarian situation” in Myanmar.

The comments, made in a statement released October 24 by the UN’s country
team, “did not reflect the real situation in Myanmar,” state media
reported late Friday,

In the aftermath of the junta’s bloody suppression of demonstrations in
late September, Petrie also made several public remarks that were critical
of Myanmar’s leaders.

The abrupt move will likely complicate Gambari’s already difficult mission
and adds to the mixed signals put out by the junta over recent days.

The United States reacted angrily. “The United States is outraged that the
Burmese junta would expel the UN human rights representative,” US national
security council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said, using Myanmar’s former
name of Burma.

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, said
it would not divert world attention from the “real issues” in the ongoing
crisis.

Optimism over the release of more people arrested during September’s wave
of protests has been somewhat muted by a cut in Internet access Friday in
an apparent bid to limit the flow of information ahead of Gambari’s visit.

Another 46 people, mostly from democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s
National League for Democracy (NLD) party, were released late Thursday,
party spokesman Nyan Win said, bringing the total number of people freed
during the past week to 165.

But the continuing detention of hundreds of others is likely to be high on
Gambari’s agenda as he meets with the junta again on his second visit
since the unrest broke out.

Gambari, who is expected to travel to Naypyidaw Sunday, has been tasked
with implementing a genuine dialogue between the military regime and the
opposition, led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Gambari last visited Myanmar from September 29 to October 2, just days
after security forces confronted protesters with batons, tear gas and
bullets in the streets of the commercial capital Yangon.

His new mission “will have to bring substantive results,” UN chief Ban
Ki-moon said earlier this week, adding that Gambari would press for “more
democratic measures by the government.”

But some observers are less sure that Gambari’s six-day visit will produce
real progress, and see his invitation merely as a way for the junta, which
has been in power since 1962, to ease international pressure on itself.

Others say Gambari alone cannot bring change to Myanmar, and that he must
have stronger backing from the country’s neighbours if he is going to
force the ruling generals to embrace real reform.

The junta’s grip on power was again evident Friday when Myanmar’s Internet
links were largely cut.

Access to international websites has been restricted since Thursday
morning, said an official from the state-owned Myanmar Teleport, who added
that it was not known when full service would be restored.

Myanmar dissident websites and blogs have been particularly active in the
lead-up to Gambari’s visit, condemning the junta for its suppression of
demonstrators and urging the international community to ramp up pressure
on the regime.

Dissident websites are also frequently the quickest means of relaying
information from within the isolated country.

They were a key source of information on a march on Wednesday by Buddhist
monks in Pakokku in central Myanmar, the first such demonstration since
the September crackdown.

____________________________________

November 2, Irrawaddy
Central executive committee of NLD to meet Gambari - Saw Yan Naing

The Central Executive Committee of the main opposition party, the National
League for Democracy, is due to meet the UN envoy, Ibrahim Gambari.
According to a party spokesperson, the NLD plans to take the opportunity
to urge the envoy to take action toward political reform in Burma.

LD spokesperson Nyan Win said, “We will discuss the current political
situation and the necessary changes for Burma. We will urge Gambari not
only to listen, but also to take action in creating talks between the NLD
and the military government.”

Although the party has not received an official invitation from the UN
envoy, Nyan Win said that he calls on Gambari to persuade the government
to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under
house arrest.

Meanwhile, the junta freed 46 detainees on Thursday, mostly members of the
NLD.

However, the NLD spokesperson doubted that the release is a sign that the
Burmese regime is bowing to international pressure. The authorities have
freed about 100 NLD members so far and an estimated 116 members are still
detained in jail, he said. About 300 members of the NLD have been arrested
since August.

Nyan Win added, “To ease international pressure, we believe that the
government will release the rest of the detainees while Gambari is
visiting Burma.”

UN envoy Gambari is due to arrive in Burma on Saturday. The UN envoy plans
to spend five days in the country.

Also, 32 members of the NLD were released from Mandalay prison, along with
much-loved comedian Par Par Lay, a member of the popular Mandalay troupe
The Moustache Brothers, said Nyan Win.

Among the released NLD members in Mandalay are Tin Aung Aung, Maung Maung
Than, Hla Aung and Myint Myint Aye. Eight party members still remain in
Mandalay prison, including Win Mya Mya, a leading organizer for the
Mandalay Division of the NLD, the spokesperson added.

On October 30, another spokesperson for Burma’s opposition National League
for Democracy, Myint Thein, and six other leading activists were freed
from Rangoon’s Insein prison, where they had been detained for one month
after their arrest at the height of the September demonstrations.

Meanwhile, rumors are spreading in Rangoon that the junta is going to free
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who recently met with the liaison
minister, Aung Kyi, said Nyan Win.

During the demonstrations in September, at least 130 deaths were recorded
nationwide, according to the 88 Generation Students group. The group said
that about 3,000 demonstrators were arrested, over 1,200 of who were
monks.

____________________________________

November 2, Narinjara News
Training for demonstration crackdowns in Arakan

The Burmese military authority in Arakan State is currently conducting
multiple riot crackdown trainings for police and civil servants in all
townships in Arakan State, with the aim of quickly putting down any
demonstrations if they break out again in Arakan.

An official from Buthidaung said, "Most from the government were not
willing to attend the training, but the authority forced us to attend.
Demolition of riots and demonstrations is not a concern of ordinary
government servicemen, but now we are learning the tactics of cracking
down on peoples' demonstrations."

The trainings have been conducted by the authorities after information
began spreading among the people that monks and students are preparing to
hold another demonstration against the military government in the very
near future.

"I think the authority is willing to create hostility between civilians
and government servicemen for demolition of peoples' demonstration by the
government employees," the official said.

The authority opened trainings in many townships in Arakan State last
week, including the border townships of Rathidaung, Buthidaung, and
Maungdaw, to quell possible demonstrations in the near future.

At the training in Buthidaung, 96 people are in attendance, among those,
half are government civil servants and the rest are police. The training
is being held under the supervision of Light Infantry Battalion 234 based
in Buthidaung.

At the Maungdaw training, 60 people are attending, of whom 23 are civil
servants and 37 are police.

It has also been learned that since the trainings started, many government
offices in Arakan State, besides schools and hospitals, have been forced
to close due to the absence of employees who are attending the riot
demolition trainings.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

November 2, Democratic Voice of Burma
ABSDF pledges to fight on for democracy

The All Burma Students’ Democratic Front vowed yesterday to continue with
its armed struggle to bring democracy to Burma, during celebrations for
the group’s 19th anniversary.

The ABSDF’s celebrations were held yesterday in a location along the
Thai-Burma border and were attended by about 200 Burmese democracy
activists.

The group’s leader Than Khe said during his speech at the event that the
group is planning to increase its activities in support of the democracy
movement in Burma, and urged people inside the country not to give up.

"The ABSDF will increase its activities from all sides to help people of
Burma in their fight for democracy," said Than Khe.

"I strongly believe we should fight against the government both
politically and with armed force. We promise play our role by continuing
our [armed] fight against the junta."

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

November 3, Irrawaddy
Weekly business roundup - William Boot

Burmese Gems, Timber Find Other Markets as US Increases Sanctions

While the US enforces additional economic sanctions against Burma on gems
and timber trade, highly prized forest lumber continues to move across the
border into China, say reports from Kachin State.

Chinese traders in Ruili and Nong Dao are paying high prices of between US
$1,200 and $1,400 per ton for teak and another tropical hardwood called
Tarmalan, as illegal logging continues unabated under military eyes, said
the Thailand based NGO Kachin News Group.

“Illegal loggers have to give at least 6,000,000 kyat [about $4,615] per
truck carrying five to seven tons of Tarmalan to bribe the junta
authorities in transporting the timber from the areas it is originating to
the border trade centers,” the KNG said.

This news will dismay promoters of proposed new legislation being
considered by the US Congress to target the junta’s lucrative income from
timber and gems.

Democrat senator and presidential candidate Joseph Biden’s  Burma
Democracy Promotion Act aims to widen new banking and travel sanctions
already announced by Washington against regime leaders and their business
associates.

The bill has cross-party support with co-sponsorship from Republican
Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell.

But just as much of Burma’s timber business runs through China, so the
gems trade finds a home way beyond US shores’ most notably in the gem
cutting and middlemen shops of Bangkok’s jewelry quarter.

“It is a good selling point to be able to say that some stones, especially
rubies, originate in Burma because of their quality, but it is so easy to
also disguise origins if business demands it,” said an Indian trader
operating in a side street off Charoen Krung Road on the edge of the
city’s bustling Chinatown district.

“I do not think this Congress law will do much, not unless the Thai
government closes us all down,” said the trader, who asked not to be
identified.

Dhaka Rethinks Hydropower Projects in Burma

Bangladesh is likely to reject an invitation from the Burma military
regime to invest in hydroelectric power projects, according to reports in
Dhaka.

The Bangladeshi ministry of energy has been engaged in talks with Burma to
possibly build several hydroelectric dams on rivers in Arakan state near
the border between the two countries.

But early feasibility studies have concluded that cost and security
concerns with electricity cables rule against the plan, said several Dhaka
press reports this week, quoting unnamed officials.

“It would be difficult to set up a power grid through the hills and forest
areas," said one official. "More difficult would be the job of monitoring
and maintenance of the grid in difficult terrain.”

Several Arakan rivers, including the Mi-Chung and Sang-Don, have the
potential to generate up to 700 megawatts power combined—equivalent to
Rangoon’s current electricity capacity.

Relations between Burma and Bangladesh have warmed since a change of
government in Dhaka earlier this year.

The current caretaker government in Dhaka, pending fresh elections, has
called for the revival of the so-called Bangladesh-Myanmar Friendship
Road. The Dhaka government says it is prepared to shoulder most of the
estimated US$140 million cost of the 150 kilometer route, only about 25
kms of which are in Bangladesh.

The friendship road is earmarked to run from Ramu in Bangladesh to
Kyauktaw in Burma in a bid to open up trade between the two countries.

Dhaka has said little about the recent Burma protests for democracy and
the subsequent military crackdown.

India’s Northeast Looks for ‘Connectivity’ via Burma

Indian officials say they wants to press ahead with its ‘connectivity’
plans to Southeast Asia via Burma.

This involves developing road and rail links up to and through Burma to
provide connectivity with Thailand, said Assam state’s Chief Minister
Tarun Gogoi this week.

Assam is the biggest and most developed of seven landlocked northeast
Indian states which New Delhi is trying to open up economically to tackle
poverty and counter rebels groups pressing for greater autonomy or
independence. Some of these armed rebel groups move freely across the
border with Burma.

Gogoi was quoted by the Assam Tribune newspaper saying the size and timing
of the communication links eastwards would be made via a “planned market
survey in the neighboring countries.”

____________________________________

November 2, Mizzima News
India extends $60 million for hydro project in Burma - Syed Ali Mujtaba

The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has extended a $60 million
line of credit to Burma's Foreign Trade Bank to finance the Thahtay Chaung
hydropower project in western Burma.

The line of credit agreement was signed in Rangoon, on Oct 29th, on behalf
of the Exim Bank by Executive Director S. R. Rao and on behalf of the
Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank by Managing Director Than Ye, a bank press
release said.

Thahtay Chaung (Thahtay Creek) is located 12 miles north-east of Thandwe,
Rakhine State.

Under the line of credit, Exim Bank will reimburse 100 percent of the
contract value to the Indian exporter upon shipment of goods, the release
said.

This is the fourth line of credit extended by Exim Bank to Burma. Earlier
lines of credit have been utilized to finance projects such as railway
rehabilitation, telecommunications and a refinery.

With the signing of the line of credit, Exim Bank now has 82 lines of
credit, covering 84 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and
the CIS, with credit commitments amounting to $2.7 billion available for
financing exports from India, the release added.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

November 3, Agence France Presse
Singapore 'deeply disappointed' by Myanmar action

Singapore, current chair of the ASEAN bloc, said Saturday it was "deeply
disappointed" by Myanmar's decision to expel the most senior UN official
working in the military-ruled country.

Myanmar's announcement sent an inconsistent message about it's willingness
to engage the United Nations after brutal suppression of anti-government
protests in September, a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement.

"Singapore is deeply disappointed to learn of the Myanmar government's
decision to discontinue the assignment of the UNDP Resident Coordinator
Charles James Petrie in Myanmar," he said.

"This announcement has come at a most inopportune time, just before the
arrival of (UN special envoy) Ibrahim Gambari," the spokesman added.

"It also sends an inconsistent message about Myanmar's willingness to
continue engaging the UN in improving its domestic political and
socio-economic situation."

Singapore urged the Myanmar junta to continue dialogue with the UN as it
offers "hope for Myanmar to resolve key socio-economic problems, and to
work towards peaceful national reconciliation with all groups in the
country."

The UN said Friday that Myanmar's ruling junta had decided not to renew
Petrie's mandate in the country.

The junta's move, reportedly prompted in part by a UN warning last month
denouncing a "deteriorating humanitarian situation" in Myanmar, was
expected to force Petrie, a French national, to leave the country.

In the aftermath of the junta's bloody crackdown on demonstrations, Petrie
also made several public remarks that were critical of Myanmar's leaders.

The announcement of the junta's decision came on the eve of a second visit
to Myanmar on Saturday by Gambari in an attempt to help the country's
reconciliation process.

Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo said in remarks carried by the
Straits Times on Saturday that ASEAN states "fully expect that progress
will be made" during Gambari's trip.

"It will be good if he (Gambari) meets both sides, passes some messages
and begins the process of engagement," Yeo said, referring to the ruling
junta, democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the opposition party National
League for Democracy.

Singapore and Myanmar are members of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations, whose leaders will hold a summit in the city-state later this
month.

Other ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

____________________________________

November 3, Khonumthung News
Memorandum to India 's vice-president by Burmese activists

Burmese pro- democracy activists under the banner of 'Campaign for
Democracy Movement in Burma' handed over a memorandum to the
Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari who arrived in Aizawl,
capital of Mizoram state, northeast India yesterday.

The memorandum urges India to stop selling military hardware and to halt
training Burmese military officers.

Burmese activists in Mizoram warned India that the supply of armaments to
the junta threatens the lives of innocent people. The Burma regime killed
over 30 demonstrators including Buddhist monks in September when they were
protesting across Burma against the fuel price hike, the memorandum
reminded.

CDMB in its memorandum also suggested to India that it is time to review
its policy towards the Burmese junta at a time when the US and the
international community has announced economic sanctions against the
Burmese regime for it's ruthless crack down on peaceful protesters.

India had finally joined the international communities call for a dialogue
to address the political crisis in Burma but had opposed sanctions against
the regime.

India and Burma have secretly finalized the agreement for the construction
of the $100-million Kaladan multi-modal project that will connect the
north-eastern states of India and Sittwe seaport in Arakan state via
Paletwa in Chin state.

Mohammad Hamid Ansari during his tour to Mizoram inspected Aizawl
University and inaugurated a new administrative building sin Aizawl today.

CDMB comprises Burmese student groups, Chin political organizations and
civil society groups from Mizoram state, India aims to step up campaigns
in northeast India for democracy and freedom in Burma.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

November 2, UN News Centre
Ban Ki-moon ‘disappointed’ by Myanmar’s attempt to end UN official’s service

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed disappointment over
Myanmar’s decision to call for an end to the service of the
highest-ranking United Nations official in the South-East Asian nation.

Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a letter to the world body
that it does not want UN Resident Coordinator Charles Petrie to continue
his work in the country.

The letter, which was signed by the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs,
cited a statement released by the UN Country Team – headed by Mr. Petrie –
on 24 October which referred to socio-economic issues in Myanmar.

Authorities “said that [Mr. Petrie] had acted beyond his capacity by
issuing the Country Team statement on UN Day about the socio-economic
situation in the country and the Government considered that
inappropriate,” the Secretary-General’s spokesperson Michele Montas told
reporters in New York.

No time frame was given by Myanmar for Mr. Petrie to leave the country,
and Ms. Montas stressed that “he has not been declared persona non grata.”

According to a statement, Mr. Ban “has full confidence in the United
Nations Country Team and its leadership and appreciates their contribution
to the improvement of the socio-economic and humanitarian conditions for
the people of Myanmar.”

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) also voiced its strong support for Mr.
Petrie, “who has always abided by the principles and charter of the United
Nations,” and that it supports last month’s statement made by the Country
Team.

Ms. Montas noted that the Secretary-General also endorses the 24 October
statement.

At a meeting this morning at the Istanbul airport, Mr. Ban gave
instructions to Ibrahim Gambari, his Special Adviser, to convey his views
directly to Myanmar’s authorities when Mr. Gambari begins his visit to the
country tomorrow.

Upon his arrival in Myanmar, the Special Adviser is scheduled to meet with
Mr. Petrie.

____________________________________

November 2, Times of India
Myanmar must end human rights abuses: HRW

The UN special envoy to Myanmar should demand that the military government
commit itself to a quick transition towards a civilian rule through
negotiations with opposition parties and civil society, a US-based human
rights watchdog said on Friday.

It is important that this visit gets to the heart of the matter, the need
to end continued "draconian military rule and systematic human rights
abuses," Human Rights Watch's (HRW) Asia Director Brad Adams said.

On the eve of arrival of the envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, for his second visit
to Myanmar since the military government's crackdown on pro-democracy
Buddhist monks, Adams warned that "superficial dialogue" without a clear
purpose or structure will simply lead to more "empty photo opportunities
of opposition leaders like Aung San Suu Kyi with powerless government
officials."

Human Rights Watch also urged Gambari to obtain public guarantees from the
government of complete cooperation with the UN Special Rapporteur to
Myanmar, who is scheduled to visit the country in the next few days.

"Full cooperation with the United Nations on investigations into the
recent crackdown should be a litmus test for the usefulness of continued
engagement with the Burmese government," said Adams.

"This should include full and unfettered access to political prisoners and
detainees, and to all official and unofficial places of detention, as well
as protection for individuals who meet the Special Rapporteur," Adams
said.

Despite Gambari's brief to the Myanmar government to pursue "the promotion
of an all-inclusive national reconciliation process" in his last visit to
Myanmar four weeks ago, the ruling State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC) has continued to arrest individuals accused of being involved in
the protests.

____________________________________

November 2, Mizzima News
ICRC looks to resume activities

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has asked permission
of the Burmese government to be allowed to resume activities inside Burma,
specifically seeking permission for the reestablishment of visitation
rights to detained persons.

In a statement, released yesterday, the ICRC said it "is ready to resume
all its activities at very short notice, provided it is given the
necessary guarantees that it will be able to act as a neutral and
independent humanitarian organization."

Permission to visit those being held in detention as a result of their
roles in the protests of August and September is given as a driving force
behind ICRC's request.

ICRC is concerned with ensuring the psychological and physical health of
each person being held, as well as looking to facilitate communication
between those detained and their families.

However, ICRC has warned that strict guidelines must be adhered to if it
is going to resume its regular work inside Burma.

ICRC says its delegates must be granted private access and consultation
rights with prisoners, along with the military junta agreeing to engage in
meaningful dialogue with an aim to bring the situation in line with
existing international and national laws.

The request to again conduct work in Burma comes four months after the
organization issued an atypical public censure of a national government:
"The ICRC has repeatedly drawn attention to abuses but the authorities
have failed to put a stop to them. The continuing deadlock with the
authorities has led the ICRC to take the exceptional step of making its
concerns public," stated ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger.

According to the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (Burma) has
verified at least 17 deaths and 69 cases of disappearances. None of the
lists are said to be complete.

The Burmese government, in The New Light of Myanmar, has repeatedly given
figures for those detained nearly 3,000. However, state run media has also
been consistent in stating that a vast majority of those detained have
already been released.

The recent detentions add to a political prisoner population of 1,158, as
existing prior to August 19th and according to AAPP.

In yesterday's statement, ICRC states that when it had been allowed to
operate inside Burma as per its mandate, from 1999 to 2005, their work
resulted in a "noticeable improvement."

AAPP is also calling on the regime to permit United Nations Special
Rapporteur on Human Rights, Paolo Sergio Pinheiro, to visit prisons and
those detained. He is expected to visit Burma sometime around
mid-November.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

November 2, Project Syndicate via Cyprus Mail
Cry, beloved Burma - U Gambira and Ashin Nayaka

Religious orders of monks have been the face of Burma ever since Buddhism
was introduced here more than 1,000 years ago. For a monk to involve
himself in politics or to hold a political post is contrary to the ethical
code of Theravada Buddhism. But in Burma today, this spiritual philosophy,
rooted in compassion and non-violence, has assumed unexpected dimensions
of defiance and recalcitrance, as monks challenge the hegemony of the
military junta that rules our country.

We are both Burmese Buddhist monks – a leader of the All Burma Sangha
Coalition that led the recent protests, and a scholar teaching in the
United States. One of us is in hiding today, because Burma’s military
government met the peaceful protests of our Buddhist brothers and sisters
with violence and brutality.

Many monks and nuns have been abused and beaten, and thousands who have
been arrested endure continued brutality. More than 1,000 are missing, and
many are presumed dead.

A few weeks ago, Burma’s monks began to march and pray and spread loving
kindness in an effort to solve our nation’s problems peacefully. Burma is
a country rich in natural resources, but its people are poor. When the
government suddenly and capriciously increased the price of fuel by as
much as 500 per cent overnight, everyone was affected – and made even more
desperate.
As monks, we believe in alleviating suffering wherever we see it, as part
of the vows we have taken. We could not ignore our people’s suffering. We
formed the Sangha Coalition when we saw that the country’s monks were
united.

Those of us who are studying and teaching abroad share this unity, and
have rallied to the support of those of us in Burma. And it is not only
the monks who are united. When we started our peaceful marches for change,
students, youth, intellectuals, and ordinary people joined us in the
streets, in the rain.

We thought that we could appeal to some, if not all, of the generals –
Buddhists themselves – who control our country to join us in trying to
right the many ills befalling Burma. At first, we tried to show our
displeasure with military rule by refusing to receive alms from them. We
turned our begging bowls upside down as a gesture of our feelings. We have
not lost our loving kindness towards ordinary soldiers, nor even towards
the leaders who ordered them to brutalise their own people, but we wanted
to urge them to change while there was still time.

We know that some people in the army and organisations close to the regime
have been reluctant to use violence against the monks. We want to tell the
people who are violent towards their own countrymen to stop and think
whether their actions are in accordance with the dharma, whether they are
acting for the good of Burma’s people. Some of the soldiers who were
ordered to beat us and to stop us from marching actually refused to do so,
because they understood the truth of what we were doing.

We hoped to create a way out for the military leaders, a way to start a
real dialogue with the people’s leaders and the leaders of ethnic groups,
for the unity of the nation. But that hope was short-lived. The regime is
now hunting down those who participated in the demonstrations and
committing unspeakable acts of violence.

They have attacked monasteries and arrested monks and nuns by force.
Guards are everywhere, on all the streets, around the pagodas and
residential areas. Wounded demonstrators are reported to have been buried
alive in mass graves, and there are confirmed reports of bodies washing
ashore in the waterways near Yangon (Rangoon). The regime is brutalising
the Burmese people, and lying to the world about its actions.

Brigadier General Kyaw Hsan, a representative of the military, recently
told UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari that the marchers in the streets
were “bogus monks”. But we are genuine, and thousands of us – from
Rangoon, Mandalay, Pegu, Arakan, Magwe, and Sagaing – demonstrated for
peace.

Some have said that the uprising in Burma is over. That is what the junta
wants the world to think. But we believe that the protests represent the
beginning of the end of military rule in our country. The generals who
ordered the crackdown are assaulting not only Burma’s people, but also
their own hearts, souls, and spiritual beliefs. The monks are the
preservers of dharma; by attacking them, the generals attack Buddhism
itself.

We know that the international community is trying to help us, but we need
that help to be more effective. We thank the many people and organisations
abroad who are helping us regain the rights denied to us for more than 40
years. But we also appeal to the international community to make its
actions practical and effective.

The military government will do anything to remain in power, and their
violent acts must be exposed to the world. They may control the streets
and monasteries, but they will never be able to control our hearts and our
determination.

U Gambira is the pseudonym of one of the leaders of the All Burma Sangha
Coalition; Ashin Nayaka is founder of the Buddhist Missionary Society and
a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University

____________________________________

November 2, Irrawaddy
Gambari needs to bring back good news from Burma [Editorial]

UN Special Envoy on Burma Ibrahim Gambari will return to Burma on Saturday
to meet with top junta generals and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The people of Burma are hopeful that a meaningful breakthrough might
occur. There is a lot riding on what Gambari can achieve on his second
visit to Burma since the crackdown in September.

It is not known where the Nigerian diplomat is scheduled to stay, but it
is understood that the UN and the government will negotiate his schedule.

A UN spokesman has suggested that on this trip Gambari will consult with a
broad range of representatives of Burmese society, including the major
political opposition groups that he failed to meet with last time.

Hearing the views of a broad cross section of opposition and ethnic
leaders is essential for Gambari to understand the issues that have
brought the country to the brink of collapse.

For Gambari's trip to be considered successful, he should:

—Be able to move freely around Rangoon to places of his own choosing and
to conduct meetings without the presence of government officials.

—Give a comprehensive outline of his discussions with Suu Kyi, including
her thoughts on recent events.

—Meet with a cross section of representatives from Burmese opposition
groups, including Min Ko Naing and other detained political activists who
were arrested during the protests.

—Meet with a cross section of monks who led the pro-democracy demonstrations.

So far, Gambari's real negotiating skills have not been put to the test,
and critics say that on his last visit, the junta generals controlled his
every move.

Gambari even traveled all the way to Lashio, where he attended a mass
rally staged by the regime that denounced the on-going protests.

On this trip, he must refuse to be manipulated for propaganda purposes.

The people of Burma—and the world—support Gambari's efforts. This time, he
must press hard on the military government to make real concessions.

The people of Burma have captured the world's attention. Now, we wait to
see if the chief UN negotiator can rise to the occasion.

____________________________________

November 3, Irrawaddy
Keeping up the Momentum on Burma - Aung Zaw

The September uprising and on-going crisis in Burma will perhaps prove to
be a turning point in modern Burmese political history, if we nurture and
cultivate the events in the direction that we all desire—the birth of a
democratic and prosperous Burma.

As a witness to the carnage in 1988, I was impressed to see the peaceful
gathering of Buddhist monks in September and then appalled to report on
the brutal and systematic crackdown on Buddhist monks and the people.

As a student activist, I was on the streets in Rangoon in 1988 and spent
time in one of Burma’s gulags. Nineteen years later I found myself as a
journalist reporting on another uprising. But there were some striking
differences between the two events.

In 1988, the uprising started with bloodshed and ended in more blood. This
time, it started with a peaceful gathering and ended with bloody
suppression.

In 1988, the political landscape was also different. The international
community and human rights watch dogs were still figuring out where Burma
was located. Burma’s neighbors readily exploited its natural resources and
protected the generals with a “constructive engagement” policy. China
stepped in and the status quo of the regime was preserved.

This time, the peaceful demonstrations and the killings caught world
attention. International and exiled media played a key role in
highlighting news from Burma.

This time, Burma’s neighbors joined the condemnation and expressed
“revulsion” at what was going on in Rangoon and elsewhere. Singapore’s
statesman Lee Kuan Yew called Burmese leaders “rather dumb” in handling
the economy and said the regime wouldn’t survive indefinitely.

The UN and Western nations acted promptly, and on this occasion China, the
regime’s major ally, could not veto a presidential statement on Burma
released by the UN Security Council.

Although world reaction and condemnation were swift they are still not
enough. We need more than official rhetoric if change is to occur in
Burma. Unlike 1988, the regime was going strong both financially and
diplomatically. There were few threats to the lifeline of the generals and
the regime.

The US has imposed new sanctions on Burma, it is true, and the cronies who
are close to the ruling generals are feeling the heat. But Burma’s
neighbors remain unmoved, apart from issuing one statement of “revulsion.”

The regime is cleverly exploiting the differences among the nations in the
region. Snr-Gen Than Shwe and his hard-line generals still think they can
hide behind China and Asean nations while manipulating the roles of the UN
and its special envoy. As Burma’s main economic partners, China, India,
Thailand and its Asean partners hold the key to a Burma solution.

The UN envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, went to Burma and was taken on a tour of
the northern part of the country before being admitted to a meeting with
the generals, who still feel they can afford to ignore international
criticism.

The regime continues its crackdown while claiming to have restored
“normalcy.” It has also stepped up its diplomatic offensive by appointing
a “liaison minister” for contacts between detained opposition leader Aung
San Suu Kyi and the regime.

That’s an advance on past practice, when “liaison officers” merely fixed
the air-conditioning and the television reception at Suu Kyi’s lakeside
house, not daring to report back to their boss how impressed they were to
meet “The Lady.” Who was going to be fooled now by the appointment of a
“liaison officer?”

It is understandable, therefore, that the regime’s actions after the
crackdown were met with skepticism and questions about the regime’s
honesty.

Fundamental changes have undeniably occurred since the September
crackdown. It is impossible to put everything back in the box. Burma’s
oldest Buddhist institution has been the victim of violent oppression, and
it will be difficult to restore confidence and trust.

But, worryingly, news on Burma is slipping from the front page of the
world’s press, and time is again on the regime’s side. Monks and others
arrested in the demonstrations remain in detention centers and prisons,
while a manhunt is underway for key activists.

A terror campaign has the whole country in its grip. Depression, despair,
fear and uncertainty govern the lives of those Burmese who want to see
change in their country.

It is of the utmost importance now to keep the Burma issue alive and
maintain the momentum, creating space for the Burmese people.

As long as Snr-Gen Than Shwe and his cronies feel they have no need to
worry about tomorrow, they are unlikely to make political concessions. As
soon as they realize the regime is not sustainable, we will start to see
change in Burma.

The big question is: who will make sure the regime can no longer live in a
state of denial? Who will pull the plug and make clear to the regime that
it can’t survive?

In an emergency, the right diagnosis and prescription are imperative. If a
patient needs open heart surgery, antibiotics aren’t going to help.

So, this is the best chance and best time for change in Burma, provided a
strong political will exists. A democratic Burma is not in doubt—it’s only
a question of how and when.

____________________________________

November 3, Scoop Independent News
Burma's uprising: People power, not political puppetry - Cynthia Boaz

In the past month, amid the flurry of reports and commentary in
international media about the events in Burma, a disturbing theme has
emerged among some media commentators. Ranging from the Asia Times and the
South China Morning Post to a collection of skeptical Western bloggers,
they make the claim that various Washington DC-based agencies and a few
key political actors are actually pulling the strings in the Burmese
uprising. The rationale behind this "foreign interference," as it has been
termed by both the Burmese and Chinese governments, has been given as
(take your pick): interests in oil and/or gas reserves, heroin,
methamphetamines, geopolitical advantage, and power projection by the
United States. While I am among the first to question the motives of the
American administration when it comes to foreign policy, I find these
claims absurdly cynical to the point of being delusional.

To wit: in an article that appeared in the Asia Times on October 18, 2007
titled "The Geopolitical Stakes of the Saffron Revolution," the author
states that "Myanmar's 'Saffron Revolution', like the various color
revolutions instigated in recent years against strategic states
surrounding Russia, is a well-orchestrated exercise in Washington-run
regime change." The author then goes on to cite the role of the NED,
George Soros's OSI, Freedom House, The Albert Einstein Institute's Gene
Sharp, retired Colonel Bob Helvey, the Serbs involved in the nonviolent
overthrow of Milosevic, or some combination of the above, as the
"puppet-masters" in the series of events in Burma over the past two
months.

These statements, which amount to nothing more than conspiracy theories
supported by a cherry-picking of mostly unrelated factoids about links
between the NLD and US actors, are both irresponsible and potentially
dangerous. In fact, when it comes to the mostly well-meaning leftist
bloggers, these claims signal that those who should be most encouraged by
mass displays of civilian resistance to tyranny may have bought into the
propaganda of the Burmese junta and its backers in China. Thus, those who
should know better (many of the progressive web sites who have reported on
these 'theories') are actually doing the movement in Burma a great
disservice by strengthening the hand of the junta there, and potentially
undermining the momentum of the resistance. As Stephen Zunes notes in an
essay published on the Asia Times web site in early August (in response to
similar claims made about Iran), many self-identified progressives who
promote these conspiracy theories ironically "strengthen the argument of
US neo-conservatives that only military force from the outside - and not
non-violent struggle by the people themselves - is capable of freeing
[Burma] from repressive rule."

If we have learned any lessons from the past century about how real
democratization comes about, it is that the most effective and enduring
means of long-term change is through broad-based nonviolent indigenous
coalitions. The list of examples is long, but includes countries from
every region of the world, including such divergent places as the
Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Chile, Mali and Lebanon.

The first misconception in the conspiracy theories stems from the
coincidence that in the Burma case, US foreign policy and the interests of
the Burmese movement are the same on at least one point: Both entities
would like to see an end to military rule in that country. This does not,
however, constitute proof the Bush administration is behind the uprising.
One of the key criteria for the success of broad-based nonviolent
resistance is that it be indigenous. And if the thesis that nonviolent
struggle was simply another method for the projection of US power, how do
these conspiracy theorists explain the successes of broad-based civilian
movements in places like Chile (where the US had supported Pinochet) and
the Philippines (whose ousted dictator Marcos had been a close friend of
Ronald Reagan)? Are these cases simply anomalies?

By the same token, NED and OSI's support for the resistance in Burma has
been common knowledge for decades. However, according to leadership inside
the country, this support has primarily taken the form of the sharing of
generalized knowledge in the field of nonviolent action (a body of cases
and scholarship available to anyone who takes the initiative to
investigate it). The actual struggle in Burma - the strategizing, the
implementation of tactics, and perhaps most importantly, the will actively
to resist injustice - are at the volition of the Burmese people, just as
they should be.

Another misconception comes from a degree of ignorance about how
nonviolent struggle works. To claim nonviolent protests of the scale we
witnessed in late September in Burma can be manufactured abroad is to
grossly overestimate the influence of US agents and agencies. How could US
agencies organize broad-based protests and manage to get hundreds of
thousands to maintain nonviolent discipline half a world away, while these
same agencies have, for 50 years, been unable to remove the now
81-year-old, and reportedly invalid, Fidel Castro from his perch only 90
miles from the US border and with a population one-fifth the size of
Burma's? These kinds of claims show contempt for what the people of Burma
are doing, which is to assert control of their own destiny. They have had
enough of repression, fear and poverty. This is their struggle, and they
deserve, like all people who are struggling for justice, respect for
having sovereignty over their own lives and credit for their courage and
sacrifice in the face of oppression.

One of the key concerns on the part of many of those perpetuating this
propaganda is US agencies are responsible for the bloodshed of the past
month because they are the instigators of the uprising. Setting aside the
fact no one has produced any actual evidence for this, it is critical to
remember the responsibility for repressive bloodletting always lies in the
hands of the oppressors, not those who are fighting the injustice. In
"Letter from a Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King Jr. (who was accused
of provoking violence against the civil rights movement by encouraging
non-cooperation with the unjust system of racism) wrote to his accusers
"... You assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned
because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't
this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money
precipitated the evil act of robbery? ... Society must protect the robbed
and punish the robber." A few years later, in reflecting on the success of
the Nashville sit-ins, one of the members of the civil rights movement
there noted, "You cannot wait for someone else to do it, you cannot wait
for government to do it, you must make it happen, through your own efforts
and action and vision." Regardless of our ideological lenses or propensity
for (sometimes justified) suspicion, we have both an individual and
collective responsibility - as humans and citizens of a global world - to
acknowledge that now in Burma thousands are living up this sentiment. To
question the Burmese peoples' authorship of their own struggle serves the
interests of a brutal dictatorship, and risks undermining global support
for what is, at its heart and its force, an indigenous people's movement.

Cynthia Boaz is assistant professor of political science and international
studies at the State University of New York at Brockport, and is on the
academic advisory committee of the International Center on Nonviolent
Conflict.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110107J.shtml