BurmaNet News, December 14, 2007

[Editor]

December 14, 2007 Issue # 3363

INSIDE BURMA
Reuters: Myanmar deaths higher than U.N. estimate: activists
Irrawaddy: The role of Buddhism in the wake of the crackdown
Irrawaddy: State Militias given riot control training
Mizzima News: Detained opposition members barred from meeting families
Mizzima News: The season of forced labor
DVB: Women’s group chair ill-treated in detention

ON THE BORDER
AP: Human trafficking a growing problem

BUSINESS / TRADE
Reuters: EU to tighten Burma Sanctions
Mizzima News: Burmese in Japan in a spot over remitting money home
Irrawaddy: How the Generals motor their way to millions
Irrawaddy: Weekly business roundup

DRUGS
AFP: Myanmar seizes 40 kilos of opium in November: report

REGIONAL
Taipei Times: Burmese receives rights award

INTERNATIONAL
Irrawaddy: Gambari's job: Keep the spotlight on Burma

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

December 14, Reuters
Myanmar deaths higher than U.N. estimate: activists - Rob Taylor

The death toll from a democracy crackdown ordered by Myanmar's ruling
junta was much greater than U.N. estimates and scores of people were still
missing, activists just back from the reclusive country said on Friday.

A delegation of Buddhist witnesses who entered Myanmar posing as tourists
to document the aftermath of September's monk-led uprising said secret
talks with activists pointed to a death toll of at least 70, far above
United Nations estimates of 31.

"The regime is at pains to paint the situation as being back to normal,
and it is anything but, because there is so much pressure and security,"
Australian delegate Jill Jameson from the Buddhist Peace Fellowship told
Reuters.

The crackdown on peaceful protests -- the biggest since 1988 -- drew
international condemnation and provoked calls for more sanctions on the
isolated country once known as Burma.

U.N. special rapporteur Paulo Sergio Pinheiro this week said at least 31
people were killed when Myanmar's military rulers tried to suppress the
demonstrations. Official media have said only 10 people died.

Jameson entered Myanmar with two Thais and an American priest, talking to
rights activists, monks, aid groups and social workers in Yangon and on
the Thailand-Myanmar border.

"We were told by a reliable source that there were 70 people who were
killed after the demonstrations, while they were being detained," she
said. "We were told crematoriums were operating in the early hours of the
morning between 1am and 4am."

SUSPICIOUS CREMATIONS

The stories, she said, tallied with Pinheiro's description of corpses,
some seemingly the bodies of monks, being burned in suspicious
circumstances at a Yangon crematorium, in an apparent attempt to hide the
number of those killed.

"An English teacher monk at a monastic school and orphanage for 500 said
there were now 15 monks, 35 novices, 12 teachers and 80 resident
children," Jameson said.

"Prior to September, there were 200 monks and novices who have not been
heard of since their participation in the "revolution,"" she said.

Before the crackdown, there were an estimated 500,000 monks and novices in
Myanmar. Many are now missing, rights groups say.

Human Rights Watch this month said security forces fired into crowds using
live ammunition and detained thousands of people in official and
unofficial jails, citing witness reports.

Jameson's group heard bystanders who applauded protesting monks, offered
water or simply stood by and watched demonstrators were arrested and held
in jails for up to a month.

"Neither army, police or beggars were evident, but we heard from 'Aung
Myint' that beggars and the homeless had been taken to detention centers,
and that some of the army were dressed as monks and others were in plain
clothes," she said.

Myanmar has been under military control since 1962. The army held
elections in 1990, but refused to hand over power after being outvoted by
the opposition National League for Democracy.

____________________________________

December 14, Irrawaddy
The role of Buddhism in the wake of the crackdown - Shah Paung

Dhamma sermons are usually attended almost exclusively by elderly people;
however, since the crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in September, more
and more laypersons, especially youths, are turning up at monasteries to
listen to Buddhist sermons. Attending dhamma sermons is now a way for
Burmese people to vent their defiance against the military government.

An ancient Sanskrit word meaning “justice” or “the law of nature,” dhamma
is taught by monks to Buddhist devotees at monasteries. Recently, these
sermons have become popular events in Burma and a series of dhamma talks
is currently being held from December 11 to 15 in South Okkalapa Township
in Rangoon.

An eyewitness said that about 1,000 people have been attending the
sermons, including many young people. The roads around the monastery have
been blocked between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. each night because many people are
finishing their work early to attend the sermons. Even former soldiers
have been attending.

Sermons on dhamma are being given by well-known monks and abbots such as U
Kawthala, Ashin Sundadhika, U Jotika, U Kovida, U Nyanithara and Ashin Say
Keinda, who is currently a lecturer at the International Theravada
Buddhist Missionary University in Rangoon.

In their talks, the monks often recount the words of Lord Buddha, telling
their subjects that life is suffering and that, to atone for their sins,
those who have committed evil acts would be committed to “ape-nga-ye” (the
Buddhist version of “hell”).

“We feel sad about the recent crisis,” a former solider who requested
anonymity told The Irrawaddy. “Until now we have felt nothing but pain
when we think about [the crackdown on monks].”

He said that since he was a child, he had been taught that soldiers were
here to protect the nation, the religion and the language. However, under
current circumstances, the government’s actions have completely
contradicted that moral.

The ex-soldier served the military for 10 years until 2001 and is now
nearly 40. He said that he now works in social welfare and follows
religious issues. He estimated that more and more people were listening to
dhamma talks since the crackdown because the sermons remind people about
the forces of good and evil.


>From students at a grade 4 level upward, laypersons are flocking to

monasteries and to dhamma talk events, he claimed. Close to 90% of the
population of Burma is Buddhist.

He went on to say that dhamma sermon VCDs and tapes were selling well all
over the country. The organizers of dhamma events were making the VCDs and
tapes by themselves and distributing them quietly. The Burmese military
government has banned the distribution of dhamma VCDs and tapes through
the country’s censorship board. However, devotees have been making copies
and sharing them with others.

Khin Oo, a woman resident in Rangoon, says the dhamma sermons are
encouraging and she feels consoled when she listens to them. Often, she
says, the sermons involve subtle jokes, indirectly criticizing the
military government for oppressing and killing its own people.

She said that the most popular dhamma VCDs were the talks by U Kovida and
U Nyanithara, which were recently banned by the authorities.

The title of the U Nyanithara VCD is “The Way of Dumb People,” a pointed
criticism of people who believe in astrology and commit evil acts. It is
supposedly dedicated to the junta’s leader, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, who is
known to be a strong believer in astrology. A second VCD featuring U
Nyanithara is titled “The Ending of the King.”

At his recent dhamma talk in Rangoon U Kovida referred to the Burmese
junta as the second “Azartathet.” (Azartathet is an infamous villain who
killed his father for power in Buddhist folklore). His sermon also
included commentary on the September demonstrations. U Kovida, a Buddhist
PhD scholar, is an abbot at Mizzima Gon Yee Monastery in Rangoon’s
Thakayta Township.

____________________________________

December 14, Irrawaddy
State Militias given riot control training

The Burmese military junta has been giving riot control training to
state-backed organizations, according to sources in Rangoon.

Members of the Ward Peace and Development Council, the Union Solitary and
Development Association (USDA) and Swan Arr Shin were instructed to attend
the training. Firemen, municipal employees and members of the newly formed
state-backed youth organization were also told to take part.

“We were instructed in how to systematically crack down on crowds,” a
member of Swan Arr Shin told The Irrawaddy. “We were shown how to beat
crowds in the event of mass protests. We were trained by military
instructors.”

Trainees were not paid to attend instruction sessions, which were held
daily from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. Over a period of two months. Training will
resume in 2008, an instructor said.

“If we did not attend, we were registered as absent, and that could
threaten our job security,” said a municipal employee.

The junta used state-backed mass organizations like the USDA to assist in
suppressing demonstrations in August and September. They were also
involved in the attack on Aung San Suu Kyi and her convoy in Depayin,
Sagaing Davision, northern Burma, in May 2003.

____________________________________

December 14, Mizzima News
Detained opposition members barred from meeting families - Htein Linn

Family members of detained leaders of Burma's opposition party the
National League for Democracy in central Burma's Mandalay town and Taungup
town of Arakan state said they have been barred from meeting their
relatives.

Authorities have stopped family members from meeting Min Aung, organizer
of the Taungup Township NLD and Daw Win Mya Mya, organizer of the Mandalay
NLD. They were arrested in September.

Mother of Min Aung said though she has sought permission to meet her son,
authorities have kept on refusing her. She is now worried about her son's
health.

"It is more than two months now, and I have not been able to meet him. He
is said to be kept at Thandwe jail. And with winter approaching it is
becoming cold, so I want to give him some clothes and edibles. He is in
poor health and it is really worrying me," Min Aung's mother told Mizzima.

Authorities picked up Min Aung on October 13 from his residence, after he
returned from Rangoon. There was no explanation for his arrest and he was
charged under article 296 and is reportedly kept at Thandwe prison in
Arakan state.

On December 4, when Aung Min's wife approached the prison authorities to
allow her to meet her husband, authorities refused. However, she was able
to send some clothes and food to her husband through the security guards,
said Aung Min's mother adding that they will continue to seek a meeting
with her son.

Similarly, the organizer of the NLD Mandalay, Daw Win Mya Mya, who is
currently detained at the Ohnbo prison in Mandalay has been barred from
meeting family members.

"We are worried about her health because come winter, her old wounds that
she sustained during the Depayin attack, gives her problems. All we want
to know is whether she will be released or would be tried in court and be
sentenced," Daw Win Mya Mya's elder sister told Mizzima.

Daw Win Mya Mya, who accompanied detained Burmese pro-democracy leader Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi during her political tour in May, 2003, received severe
injuries as junta-backed mobs attacked the convoy.

Authorities, without providing any reason, arrested Daw Win Mya Mya in end
September, as the monk-led protests peaked.

Similar to Daw Win Mya Mya, at least eight NLD members, who are detained
in Ohnbo prison of Mandalay, have not been allowed to meet family members.

____________________________________

December 14, Mizzima News
The season of forced labor

With Christmas and New Year's approaching, many parts of the world have
their attention firmly focused on the imminent holiday season. But for
rural Karen State, which maintains a significant Christian community, the
season heralds a much grimmer prospect, the increased demands of forced
labor in the service of the Burmese military.

In a report released yesterday, the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) states
that a return to the cyclical dry season requisition of forced labor on
the part of the junta is proof positive of the military's definition of
the status-quo; a condition the junta reports the country to have
successfully and positively returned to after the spike of unrest in
September.

"The unwavering continuation of forced labour in rural areas serves as a
clear statement to the international community of what the junta considers
as a situation of normalcy all over the country," concludes the report.

Typical instances of forced labor in Karen state include the clearing of
roads, repairs to military buildings, sentry duty and the transport of
goods.

"When roads dry out sufficiently, local SPDC army officers press villagers
into forced labour to recommence work supporting the regional programme of
militarisation. Thatch and bamboo is ordered, washed out roads and
military camps repaired, rainy season forest growth is cut back and new
stores of rations are sent out. For all such work the Army relies on the
forced labour of local villagers," says KHRG.

"When they send their rations we serve as security for them such as by
helping them check the road. Both night and day the villagers must serve
as sentries," Saw P, of Bu Tho township, told KHRG.

According to villagers, the military does not discriminate between age or
gender, placing demands on young and old, men and women, alike.

November typically marks the end of the rainy season, after which the
military imposes increased demands for forced labor on villagers.

KHRG's work also serves to remind the international community that, while
most media attention is drawn to Rangoon, rural Burma continues to suffer
under the junta's vice-like grip.

Karen are estimated to comprise 7 percent of Burma's population, with
one-third of Karen believed to reside in Karen State. Approximately
three-quarters of all Burmese live in rural communities.

____________________________________

December 14, Democratic Voice of Burma
Women’s group chair ill-treated in detention

The chairperson of the Burmese Housewives’ Association, Daw San San Myint,
has described how she was beaten and arrested during fuel price protests
on 24 August in Rangoon.

Around 20 members of the association were arrested after they staged a
protests in front of Rangoon city hall.

Daw San San Myint said that she was beaten up and arrested before taken to
Kyaikkasan interrogation centre.

“On the third day of my detention, my body and limbs started to get
swollen but I was given no treatment,” she said.

She was transferred to police brigade (3) at Hmawbi township on 2
September, along with other detainees, but faced poor conditions there.

“When I got there I realized they had not even finished building toilets
for the detainees,” Daw San San Myint said.

“They only provided us with muddy water to drink there. My body and
stomach became bloated after a few days of detention in the police brigade
(3),” she said.

“I got very sick and I could not have any food for about eight days. I
became malnourished.”

Daw San San Myint was released from brigade (3) on 3 October and sought
treatment for her illness from a traditional physician, but this was
stopped by the authorities.

“The local special police officer who has been watching me closely
pressured the physician to stop giving me treatment. He got scared and is
not coming to see me now,” she said.

“This is a serious violation of human rights and it is happening
everywhere – both inside and outside of prison. I would like to urge the
international community to protect us from such abuses.”

Of the 20 Burmese Housewives’ Association members who were arrested on 24
August, all but three have now been released.

One of those who remains in detention is Khin Mar Cho, who is due to be
brought before Pazundaung court today.

However, Khin Mar Cho is not being charged for her involvement in the
protests, but on separate issues.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER
____________________________________

December 14, Associated Press
Human trafficking a growing problem - Henry Sanderson

Cross-border human trafficking for forced labor and prostitution is a
growing problem along China's southern border, officials said Friday at a
conference on the issue.

Greater cooperation among the various countries will be needed to fight
the problem and track criminal gangs dealing in humans, officials from
China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam said on the final day
of the conference.

China uncovered 2,500 cases of human trafficking last year, and most
involved criminal gangs, Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security Zhang
Xinfeng said.

Zhang said the number of cross-border cases was still small at about 100.
But he added the trend was for that "to grow and we need to further
strengthen our cooperation and carry out further joint actions to combat
this tendency."

A lack of reliable data makes it a difficult problem to tackle, and most
of the information mainly comes from those who have been arrested and
caught.

Representatives from the six countries that first reached agreement on
human trafficking in 2004 met in Beijing this week to sign a declaration
aimed at ending the problem.

Cambodian Minister for Women's Affairs, Ing Kantha Phavi, said the problem
was not only a matter of criminal prosecution but of prevention. She was
the only representative not from a law enforcement body and the only woman
at the meeting.

"We need an ... approach where all ministries can work together," she said.

Myanmar's Minister for Home Affairs, Gen. Maung Oo, said his country had
stiff penalties of 10 years in prison to death for human trafficking, but
faced problems because of its porous borders.

The Bush administration has said Myanmar is ineligible for U.S. aid for
failing to meet minimum standards of fighting human trafficking.

The meeting ended a day after five people were jailed for abducting and
trafficking eight boys in southern China's manufacturing center of
Guangdong province.

The official Xinhua News Agency the five enticed boys with snacks. It said
they then wanted to sell the boys in Fujian province for a total of
$1,800.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

December 14, Reuters
EU to tighten Burma Sanctions - Ingrid Melander

European Union leaders were set to say on Friday they were ready to
tighten sanctions on Burma if the country's military rulers did not ease
repression, a draft statement obtained by Reuters showed.

The statement, drafted by the EU's Portuguese presidency and subject to
change by leaders, said: "The European Council reaffirms that the EU
stands ready to review, amend or further reinforce restrictive measures
against the government of Myanmar/Burma in the light of developments on
the ground."

It said the EU remained seriously concerned by the situation after the
authorities staged a bloody crackdown in September on peaceful
pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks.

The 27-nation bloc adopted sanctions on November 19 against 1,207 firms in
Burma and expanded visa bans and asset freezes on the country's military
rulers.

The sanctions target the country's key timber, metals and gemstone
sectors. They include an investment ban on companies controlled by the
regime or by people linked to the regime.

The EU also prohibited exports on equipment to sectors involving timber,
metals, minerals, semi-precious and precious stones, as well as imports
from these sectors.

The official death toll in the suppression of the most serious protests in
20 years is 31, but Western diplomats say the figure was much higher.

The EU has stressed that its trade—and therefore economic leverage—with
Burma is limited, though it has so far steered clear of Burma's energy
sector, in which French oil giant Total is a big investor.

____________________________________

December 14, Irrawaddy
How the Generals motor their way to millions - Wai Moe

Targeted sanctions intended to hit Burma’s generals where it hurts have so
far neglected one of their major sources of income and personal
prestige—the importation and resale of luxury automobiles.

Automobile prices in Burma are among the highest in the world. A new
Toyota Land Cruiser, for example, costs around 400 million kyat (about US
$312,000), five times the Web site list price of $63,000.

So why the discrepancy? The answer lies deep in the tangle of Burmese
corruption and bureaucracy. For a start, an import license is required,
and procuring one costs a lot of money—more than the average Burmese
citizen can afford. Contacts at the top are also useful.

Automobiles prices have been rising steeply since the late 1990s, when
ex-Gen Tun Kyi was Minister of Trade. Tun Kyi was forced to retire in
1997, but until his departure from office he and his family controlled the
business of importing automobiles to Burma. He issued import license only
to his cronies.

Before Tun Kyi was in charge, Burmese citizens employed in the shipping
industry found it relatively easy to import automobiles. They earned hard
currency and were in the position of shipping the vehicles into the
country.

“But all changed after Gen Tun Kyi became Minister of Trade,” a Burmese
seaman from Rangoon told The Irrawaddy. “As result, automobile prices
jumped more than ten times.”

Tun Kyi was sacked amid accusations of corruption and rumors that he had
huge sums of money stashed away in Singapore banks.

His departure from office brought no end to the corruption and
manipulation of the automobile sales market, however.

“The generals learned the business from Tun Kyi,” said a Rangoon
businessman. “They realized that the automobile business is an easy way to
make money. It involves no investment in property. They can invest in one
automobile and earn millions of kyat from the deal.”

After Tun Kyi’s retirement, Myanmar Holding Ltd and Myan Gon Myint Co Ltd
took control of the automobile business in Burma, according to business
sources there.

“Both Myanmar Holding Ltd [See Pwar Yay Oo Paing]  and Myan Gon Myint Co
Ltd are now controlled by one of the junta’s hardliners, Aung Thaung,
Minister of Industry 1 and his family,” said the businessman. “Aung Thaung
has had control of Myanmar Holding Ltd since 1994. Myan Gon Myint Co Ltd
is managed by Aung Thaung’s sons.”

There are currently two kinds of automobile import licenses in Burma— one
for individuals and another for companies.

An import license for a Toyota Land Cruiser now costs at least 150 million
kyat (about $ 117,000). High ranking officials who issue the licenses
pocket about half that. By the time the Land Cruiser is put on sale its
price has risen to at least 400 million kyat.

For those unable to find that kind of money, there’s always the
possibility of buying a “rebuilt” model from one of Burma’s industry
zones. The cut-price vehicles are imported and then reconstructed and
branded “made in Burma.”  Cost: about 30 million kyat ($23,000).

____________________________________

December 14, Mizzima News
Burmese in Japan in a spot over remitting money home - Nem Davies

Burmese workers in Japan are in a spot over remitting money back home
after a few Burmese agents, who illegally transfer money were arrested
last month.

Japanese authorities in the last week of November arrested five Burmese
agents, also known as 'Hundi' in Burmese, for illegally serving as money
transfer agents for Burmese workers who remit money back home.

Following the arrest, Burmese workers in Japan said, as a precautionary
measure other agents also scaled down their operation.

"Our agent was not arrested but he is stopped work for sometime as a
precautionary measure. He has told us to wait for at least two weeks and
assured us that business would be normal again," a state-sponsored student
in Tokyo, who refused to be named, told Mizzima.

"Though this is not a legal system, there is no other way for us to send
money back home. We cannot afford to use the government's money transfer,
because in the official money exchange one US dollar is equal to only 6
Kyat, which is very low," added the student.

Kyaw Kyaw Soe, a Burmese living in Tokyo said, Japanese officials arrested
the owner of a departmental store and its workers for indulging in illegal
money transfer and shut-down the store. While several workers have been
released, the owner is still under detention.

"We heard that the manager is still detained while the employees have been
released. But so far we have not been able to meet the employees," said
Kyaw Kyaw Soe.

Reportedly, there are over 7,000 Burmese workers in Japan, who depended on
the 'Hundi' system for transferring money to support family and relatives.
However, with the Hundi system coming to a stand still, most Burmese are
facing difficulties.

With no proper banking system that could help in money transferring needs
of Burmese workers abroad, 'Hundi' is common practice in several countries
across the globe, where there are Burmese workers.

The Hundi agents, mostly businessmen or companies, have agents in several
cities or towns in Burma. Through these agents the money is transferred to
a particular city or town. The Hundi, while it is an illegal operation,
for most Burmese it has been used as an alternative to banks for
transferring money.

In Singapore, with an estimated 40,000 Burmese, working in various fields,
the Hundi system is widely used.

A Burmese living in Singapore said, there are more than 40 agents through
whom money can be transferred to Burma, adding that each agent tries his
best to provide good services to their clients.

"If we send money, the agents will take the money to the house where we
want them to make delivery. For the exchange rate, we have to agree to
their rates. And there is not much difference between one agent and
another. The difference is exchange is just about one or two kyats," a
Burmese worker in Singapore told Mizzima.

However, a store owner in Singapore's famous Peninsular Plaza said there
is risk involved in the Hundi money transfer system as it is illegal.

"There is no guarantee in their transaction. The Singapore government
could arrest them anytime as it is illegal. But the problem is that if we
don't use this method, there are no better channels to transfer money,"
added the store owner.

____________________________________

December 14, Irrawaddy
Weekly business roundup - William Boot

India Increases Burma Ties despite Crackdown

India continues to increase its commercial ties with Burma in the face of
international calls for more economic pressure on the ruling junta after
the recent pro-democracy crackdown.

The two countries this week signed a MoU in which Indian know-how will be
used to establish a technology development center in Rangoon.

The deal follows a visit to New Delhi by Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister
Kyaw Thu on Wednesday in which he confirmed a go ahead for India to invest
more than US$100 million renovating the port of Sittwe on the west coast.

Under that plan, the Indians will also spend several million dollars
dredging the Kaladan River to improve navigation between the Indian state
of Mizoram and Sittwe.

“India is committed to extend assistance to Myanmar [Burma] on various
developmental projects of mutual benefit including the Kaladan Multi-modal
Transport Project,” the India’s Ministry of External Affairs was quoted by
the Indian Express newspaper as saying.

Analysts see this agreement as a kind of consolation prize for India being
spurned in favor of China as purchaser of the huge gas reserve in two
blocks of the Shwe gas field offshore from Sittwe.

The Kaladan project is one element of a three-pronged plan to use Burma as
a conduit to increase commercial links with Southeast Asia and China.

New Delhi is now pushing for junta approval to get the Burmese section of
the World War II Stillwell Road re-opened by 2010. The 1,700 km route
linked Assam in northeast India with Kunming, the capital of China’s
Yunnan Province, but fell into disuse after the war.

India also wants to push a railroad link through Burma to Thailand.

Burma Tourism Industry at Standstill, says Economist Report

Western boycotts have resulted in foreign investment in Burma’s tourism
industry coming to a standstill, according to the latest Economist
Intelligence Unit report.

The authorities reported a sharp rise in tourist arrivals earlier this
year—boosted by more flights by foreign airlines—but this has been
followed by a large drop since September’s street clashes which caused
cutbacks in both foreign and domestic air service.

“The tourism sector continues to struggle, as it is hampered by
international boycott campaigns urging visitors not to travel to the
country,” says the EIU. “Given such difficulties, it is unsurprising that
foreign investment in the sector is at a standstill. No new foreign
investment projects were approved in the tourism sector in the first
quarter of 2007, or for the whole of 2005 and 2006.”

The latest slump may cause many job losses because tourism directly
accounts for about 670,000 jobs in Burma, according to the World Travel
and Tourism Council.

Chevron Says Burma Assets Threatened by US Act

American oil giant Chevron has admitted that legislation going through the
US Congress could jeopardize its gas interests in Burma’s Yadana field in
the Gulf of Martaban.

The Block Burmese Junta’s Anti-Democratic Efforts Bill would outlaw the
paying of tax credits to the Naypyidaw military junta.

The bill, passed by the House of Representatives this week but still
requiring approval by the Senate and US President George W Bush, could
lead to Naypyidaw freezing Chevron’s assets if made law, the company
warned.

Chevron is one of several leading Western oil companies still doing
business in Burma despite sanctions. Another is Total of France.

Both say their presence helps ordinary Burmese.

“Chevron shares congressional concerns for a peaceful resolution, however
punitive tax measures against one company will not serve the purpose of
helping the people of Myanmar and may have unintended consequences,”
Chevron has said.

The production and export of gas is financially propping up the regime,
said a recent report by the International Monetary Fund on Burma’s
economy.

Chinese Loggers Eye Hardwood Reserve in Kachin

Despite an official ban by China on the import of illegally logged timber
from Burma’s “protected” forests, Chinese loggers are reportedly now
moving in on Kachin State’s last large tropical hardwood area.

Chinese companies and their proxies have been on a labor hiring spree in
and around the Kachin capital of Myitkyina, and they are being sent to the
so-called Jubilee jungle area, said the Kachin News Group this week.

The Burmese army is reported to have dismantled two bridges linking the
area with the Chinese border in anticipation of timber movements north,
but the KNG quotes loggers saying this is merely a ploy by the army to
extract higher transit bribes.

The Chinese logging companies are also conniving with the New Democratic
Army-Kachin and the Kachin Independence Organization who control some
forest areas, according to the news group.

“The Chinese government has officially halted importing timber from
northern Burma since 2005. However, the log trucks are not stopped from
crossing the Sino-Burma border along Kachin State,” said the news agency,
which quoted loggers who estimated that tens of thousands of tons of
timber moved across the border into Tengchong in 2006.

____________________________________
DRUGS

December 14, Agence France Presse
Myanmar seizes 40 kilos of opium in November: report

Myanmar, the world's second-largest opium producer after Afghanistan,
seized nearly 40 kilogrammes (88 pounds) of the drug in November, state
media said Friday.

There were 239 drug-related cases last month in the Southeast Asian
country, the official New Light of Myanmar daily said, though it did not
provide the number of people arrested in those incidents.

The military government also seized 1.4 kilogrammes (three pounds) of
marijuana and 107,000 stimulant tablets in November, the paper said.

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

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

____________________________________
REGIONAL

December 14, Taipei Times
Burmese receives rights award - Shih Hsiu-chuan

Struggle: Cynthia Maung said that without help from the international
community, Burmese will continue to live in misery and democratization
would remain stalled

President Chen Shui-bian, left, presents an award to Cynthia Maung, a
doctor from Myanmar, in recognition of her work on human rights, in Taipei
yesterday. Maung has set up a clinic along the Thai-Myanmar border to take
in refugees fleeing the unrest in Myanmar.

"I ask the international community and Taiwanese friends to support the
long-term struggle for peace in Burma. At the same time, we should
continue together to rebuild democracy," Cynthia said as she thanked the
Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, which granted the award.

She said Myanmar has been unable to improve its human rights record and
that Burmese would continue to live in misery without international aid.

Over the past ten years, the junta government has destroyed more than
3,000 villages in eastern Myanmar and about 1.5 million to 2 million
Burmese have been forced to leave their homes, she said.

In 1989, Maung started a makeshift clinic along the Thai-Burmese border,
which has since grown to include several departments, such as blood and
eye clinics and trauma and prosthetic departments for land mine victims.

Today, some 200 patients a day receive free health care from five
physicians, 140 health workers and 100 support staff. The Clinic trains
100 new health workers every year and offers internships to heath workers
from local communities.

"On behalf of the government and the 23 million people of Taiwan, I
recognize Dr Maung for her long-term dedication to hundreds of thousands
of Burmese refugees. Her will and actions defending her compatriots and
safeguarding basic rights are admirable," President Chen Shui-bian said.

With Myanmar confronting difficulties on the road to democracy, Maung
receiving the award becomes more meaningful, Chen said.

"[Maung's] selflessness and great love are in sharp contrast with the
atrocities and mercilessness of the junta," Chen said.

In September and October, pro-democracy activists in Myanmar staged
protests against the military junta, which reacted by launching a violent
crackdown -- a repeat of the military government's reactionto a
pro-democracy uprising in 1989.

The foundation, a government-affiliated institution, created the award
last year to support democratic development and promote human rights
throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The inaugural Award was given to the
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng, who doubles as the foundation's
chairman, lauded Maung for her success in providing not only medical care
for her patients, but also job training, social services, health
education, child protection services and community-building activities.

"Dr Maung has become more than a physician. She has implemented her idea
of building a community based on respect for life and human rights," Wang
said.

Wang also praised Reporters Without Borders for its contributions in
exposing the human rights situation in China over the past year and said
it has used the prize money to create a Chinese Web site in Chinese,
enabling Chinese readers outside of China, which blocks such Web sites, to
access information related to human rights and freedom of speech.

The award includes a sculpture and a grant of US$100,000 to support the
work of the winner.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/12/14/2003392464

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

December 14, Irrawaddy
Gambari's job: Keep the spotlight on Burma - Aung Zaw

After crushing the pro-democracy uprising in September, the Burmese junta
has continued to use arrest, threats and fear in order to restore
“normalcy” to the country.

Yet, hundreds of monks and activists who staged protests in August and
September still languish in prisons and a palpable climate of fear hangs
over the people.

Outside the country, the spotlight on Burma grows dimmer with each passing
day. To keep the focus on Burma, UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari will
return to Burma in the near future, although no date has been set.

A UN budget of $865,000 for 2008 for Gambari to continue his
reconciliation work with the military junta and the pro-democracy movement
and to monitor the situation in the country was recently approved.

The budget will cover the salaries for Gambari and his support staff,
travel to Burma and countries in Asia, Europe and North America, the
services of a consultant and miscellaneous services in support of the
mission.

Not a bad deal

A mere $865,000 to keep attention focused on Burma is pocket change when
compared to funds spent by the UN worldwide.

However, Gambari's critics, some of whom have probably been biting their
tongue for a long time, have begun to express skepticism over his
abilities.

“He has been a convenient figure to hide behind and to do nothing,” said
Bertil Lintner, a veteran journalist and author of several books on Burma.
Inside Burma, many observers believe the ruling generals are quite
comfortable in dealing with Gambari because they believe he knows little
about Burma.

Since the crackdown, Gambari has visited Burma twice. In November, during
his second visit, he was not able to meet Snr-Gen Than Shwe, the junta's
leader. Instead, he was briefed by several key ministers loyal to Than
Shwe.

Many observers were ready to pronounce his latest trip a total failure,
but at the last minute, the UN envoy met detained democracy leader Aung
San Suu Kyi at a government guest house. Suu Kyi sent a message to the
world through Gambari and that saved the mission.

But criticism continues. Philippine Sen Aquilino Pimentel has publicly
called for Gambari's replacement. “He has not been effective,” the senator
said.

Pimentel said the former Nigerian diplomat has no background in Asia.

”We need some one who is familiar with Asia and knows the background and
culture. We need some one who can deliver,” the senator said.

Razali and Gambari

Gambari’s predecessor, Malaysian diplomat Razali Ismail, who was from the
region, had the background, but he also failed.

Still, the flamboyant Malaysian diplomat was a tough negotiator, say many
observers.

Leon de Rietmatten, who now works with Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in
Geneva, said Razali’s trips were drawn up by the regime, but the UN envoy
was able to negotiate and meet with people who were not on the regime's
list.

Almost every time he went in, Razali held talks with Suu Kyi in her house
rather than in a government guest house. The Malaysian diplomat also met
ethnic leaders who since than have decided to shun the regime’s National
Convention.

Leon de Rietmatten said Razali worked hard in dealing with the regime and
opposition.

Whenever he flew in, the Malaysian diplomat stayed at the Traders Hotel in
downtown Rangoon, scheduling various independent meetings with
politicians, diplomats and UN officials.

In the early 2000s, then intelligence chief and Secretary-1 Gen Khin Nyunt
was furious to learn that Razali met with ethnic leaders from the United
Nationalities Alliance in Rangoon.

Khin Nyunt fumed and fussed, but Razali went ahead and met with all leaders.

Finally, the Malaysian diplomat was denied a visa and quit his post in
frustration in 2006. He told The Irrawaddy, “It is best to conclude that I
have failed.”

During Gambari's tenure, it's clear the regime has tightened its control
over opposition groups and the country.

Though Razali and Gambari differ, some of their diplomatic jargon has a
common ground.

In the early 2000s, Razali kept spinning the world with false hopes such
as: “secret talks” (between Suu Kyi and regime leaders), “optimism,”
“political process in Myanmar is moving forward" and "significant
political breakthroughs."

What about Gambari? He talks about "substantive dialogue,” “progress” and
“forward movement” even though the political situation is going nowhere.

Keep the Spotlight on

But one Western diplomat with keen interest in Burma sees merit in
Gambari’s upcoming visits.

“Burma is neither Iraq nor North Korea. We (in the West) have little
political capital to invest in Burma—our role is very limited.”

“So we keep Gambari going back to Burma so that the focus on Burma will be
returned (whenever he is in Burma). In this sense, we find him useful.”

At the least, Gambari's trips to the country in 2008 will focus attention
on the junta.

We can be sure of more headlines, more diplomatic rhetoric, but—most
likely—not real progress.



Ed, BurmaNet News