BurmaNet News, December 18, 2007

[Editor]

December 18, 2007 Issue # 3365

INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Economic crisis fueling child labor, trafficking
DVB: Ko Htin Kyaw’s trial postponed
Mizzima News: Fighter planes crashing common in Burma

ON THE BORDER
Irrawaddy: Burmese migrant workers call for their rights
Irrawaddy: Trade clampdown reported at Mae Sot border bridge
Mizzima News: Outrage in Karenni refugee camp over youth's death

HEALTH / AIDS
Democratic Voice of Burma: USDA-run clinic demands money from patients

REGIONAL
Deutsche Presse-Agentur via The Nation: Burmese PM begins bilateral
discussions in Cambodia

INTERNATIONAL
The Nation: US House pass bill to honour Suu Kyi with highest honour
Deutsche Presse-Agentur via Bangkok Post: UN to hear report from Burma envoy
AFP: Bush likely to cancel US ASEAN summit over Myanmar: diplomats

OPINION / OTHER
Irrawaddy: Than Shwe’s dream is really a nightmare
The Nation: Than Shwe's days in top spot are numbered
Press Release: UK Government: British PM Outlines European Union Priorities

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

December 18, Irrawaddy
Economic crisis fueling child labor, trafficking – Saw Yan Naing

The economic crisis and instability in Burma is driving waves of Burmese
children into hard labor, begging and the sex trade, claims exiled Burmese
rights groups.

To mark the fourth anniversary of the international Day Against Child
Trafficking on December 12, Mae Sot-based organization Burma Anti-Child
Trafficking and the Burmese Migrant Workers' Education Committee organized
a campaign in the Thai border town of Mae Sot against the trafficking of
children and warning against the hardships of child labor.

The two groups called for the protection of children’s rights in an event
that was attended by some 2,000 children, parents and teachers.

Nang Muu, coordinator of the Burma ACT told The Irrawaddy: “The amount of
Burmese children trafficked increases year after year. It is because of
the economic crisis and the social problems that parents believe the word
of traffickers.”

Often, parents of children and teenagers in Burma are persuaded by
businessmen, relatives and friends to send their children abroad—usually
to Thailand, China, India, Malaysia or Indonesia—to seek jobs with better
salaries than exist in Burma, according to a member of Yaung Chi Oo
Workers Association, a Mae Sot-based migrant rights group.

Migrant “street children” in Thailand feature in no official statistics
and NGOs can only hazard a guess at their true number—20,000 is a
generally accepted figure.

A 2005 report released by Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University highlighted
the vulnerability of migrant street kids. Children were found at shopping
malls, weekend markets, train and bus stations, slum districts and bar
areas, said the report.

Burma ACT has documented about 70 cases of child trafficking in 2007 and
helped to send four trafficked children from Mae Sot back to their homes
in cooperation with other rights groups, said Nang Muu.

Meanwhile, the results of child trafficking has had a huge impact on the
education of many Burmese migrant children, forcing the children into hard
labor in factories, sweat shops and even into the sex trade, according to
Burmese migrant education groups.

Many victims under the age of 18 have become street beggars and sex
workers instead of studying at school, said Paw Ray, the chairperson of
the BMWEC, which operates nearly 50 schools for children of Burmese
migrant workers in Mae Sot.

Paw Ray, who is also a director of Hsar Thu Lay School in Mae Sot— a
learning centre for orphans, refugees and Burmese migrant children—said,
“Children are our future. We should take care of them and protect them. We
should let them express their feelings freely.”

Due to the difficulties of daily survival, some parents are forcing their
children to work and some children are even sold by their parents, said
Paw Ray.

Meanwhile, Penpisut Jaisanit, a Rajabhat University researcher who
conducted a study around northern Thailand’s border with Burma’s Shan
State, said most child laborers were ethnic children from Burma.

“We found that the ethnic children were forced to beg by their parents,
especially in Mae Sai. If they cannot collect enough money they are
punished. Some girls under the age of 15 work in ‘entertainment centers’
and are sexually harassed at an age when they should be in school,” said
Penpisut.

“We should not sit back and watch. Rights groups should cooperate and try
to stamp out the trafficking of children and highlight the issue,” urged
Paw Ray, adding: “The Burmese regime is responsible for this.”

However, Thailand’s Minister of Labor, Somsak Thepsutin, has indicated
that it would be another ten years before the worst forms of child labor
are eradicated in Thailand.

Burmese child laborers were unearthed in six of Thailand’s provinces, from
Chiang Rai in the north to Songkhla in the south, said researcher Penpisut
Jaisanit.

Ne Oo, the secretary of the BMWEC, tells the parents that if their
children don’t receive an education they will have hard lives: “It’s
difficult for us to help those [migrant families] with their daily
survival. We explain to them the comparison between the lives of educated
people and uneducated people,” he said.

Ne Oo added that many children lack the interest in education and said he
had noted some 40 Burmese street kids coming every day to collect plastic
and rubbish under the bridge linking Burma’s Myawaddy town and Thailand’s
Mae Sot. “They [migrant children] don't get pocket money if they attend
school. If they collect plastic and sell it, they earn at least 20 baht
per day. So, they prefer to keep working as street children,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Rangoon resident told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the amount
of street children in the former capital is now increasing. “Many children
aged between 4 and 13 are begging on the streets. Some young children are
carrying babies and begging. Some street children look for plastic in the
rubbish bins and dumps and some go fishing every day for their daily
survival,” she said.

The Rangoon resident added: “If we are sitting and eating in a shop, they
[child beggars] come to us and wait for money. They will wait until we
have finished eating.”

Ne Oo concluded: “We try to explain to the parents of these children. We
told them that the life of an uneducated person is hard. How can they
expect their children to survive in the future?”

____________________________________

December 18, Democratic Voice of Burma
Ko Htin Kyaw’s trial postponed

Activist Ko Htin Kyaw’s trial has been postponed and moved to a special
court after today’s scheduled hearing attracted a high level of public
interest.

Htin Kyaw was due to appear at Pabadan court today in connection with his
leading role in protests against high commodity prices.

Htin Kyaw’s hearing has now been postponed until 26 December, and will be
held in a special court inside Insein prison, according to lawyer U Aung
Thein’s office.

Judge Daw Khin Khin Thaw requested that Htin Kyaw continue to be held on
remand until 26 December.

Zaw Nyunt, who was arrested with Htin Kyaw on 25 August but has since been
released, went to the court today and said that around 200 spectators came
to watch the trial, including officials from the US embassy.

“A lot of people came to the court hearing, and that was the main reason
for postponing it,” Zaw Nyunt said.

“The upper floor of the courtroom was full of people, and there were
police officers everywhere,” he said.

Htin Kyaw has been in detention since 25 August and began a hunger strike
on 20 November, calling for the release of all political prisoners.

____________________________________

December 18, Mizzima News
Fighter planes crashing common in Burma – Mungpi

December 18, 2007 - The Burmese military junta spends a fortune in the
defence sector buying military hardware but the crash of a fighter plane
on Monday demonstrates the poor quality of the regime's armament, a
Burmese military analyst said.

A Burmese pilot died on Monday when his fighter plane crashed during a
test sortie in central Burma , sources and the state-run media said.

The fighter plane crashed shortly after take off from an international
airport in Burma's second largest city of Mandalay due to engine failure,
the New Light of Myanmar said.

While the Burmese government's mouth-piece newspaper did not mention the
death of the pilot, a source in Mandalay, who is close to the military
establishment, told Mizzima that the pilot was killed in the crash.

Though the source did not mention of the death of a co-pilot, other
reports, citing a government official, suggests that there could be a
co-pilot, who died in the crash.However, Mizzima was unable to
independently verify the death of a co-pilot.

The source, who requested anonymity, identified the pilot as Sai Seng Linn
who was living with his mother working as a school teacher in Tada Oo
village near Mandalay.

"The plane which nose dived made a crater three feet deep and 20 feet wide
on the ground. The aircraft was broken into bits. We could not find the
pilot," the source added.

The plane was a Chinese-made A-5 fighter jet, which was bought in 1994
with a five-year guarantee, the source said.

Htay Aung, a Burmese military analyst based in Thailand said the plane
crash is another phenomenon that the Burmese Air Force is experiencing as
most of its Chinese made equipment are out-dated or out of warranty.

"As far as I have observed, since 1999, at least nine fighter planes of
the Burmese Air Force have crashed," Htay Aung said.

While the Burmese military junta has been buying military hardware
including fighter planes, the quality of the armaments supplied is poor.
So far its best fighter planes are Russian-made MIG 29s, Htay Aung said.

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the
Burmese junta's military expenditure accounts for over 40 percent of the
national budget while health and education allocation accounts for 0.4 and
0.5 percent respectively.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

December 18, Irrawaddy
Burmese migrant workers call for their rights – Shah Paung

Burmese migrant workers in Thailand are marking International Migrant Day
2008 by holding a protest and calling for their rights.

The protest was organized by the Action Network for Migrants (Thailand) in
Bangkok, and up to 200 migrant workers, mainly Burmese, called on the Thai
authorities to cancel the restrictions that were imposed in December 2006
which they claim have led to the abuse of Burmese migrant workers.

The 2006 restrictions included measures such as denying migrant workers
the use of mobile phones and motorcycles and the right to assembly in
gatherings of more than five persons. The Thai authorities claimed the
restrictions were imposed for security reasons.

Aung Soe Linn, a migrant workers’ community leader in Phang Nga in the
southwest of Thailand, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that almost every
migrant worker faced abuse at the hands of their employer—refusal to pay
wages, discrimination and threats were the most common complaints.

He called on the Thai authorities to talk to employers to solve these
problems, as there was frequently an informal deal between employers and
authorities. He also urged the Thai authorities to give migrant workers
equal rights with Thais in terms of health and social issues.

Aung Soe Linn explained that, from a practical point of view, migrant
workers demanded the right to travel with their family members—for work or
for health reasons—to other districts in Thailand.

Migrant workers also needed mobile phones to communication with each other
and motorcycles for traveling. At present, migrants are prohibited from
moving outside one designated area.

“We are suffering in our home country and that’s why we come here—to
support our families. But we face discrimination and rights abuses in
Thailand,” Aung Soe Linn added. “If the authorities can solve these
problems for us there will be no conflict between our employers and
ourselves.”

Several non-governmental organizations, led by the Action Network for
Migrants (Thailand), marked the day at Chiang Mai University calling for
restrictions on migrant workers organizing cultural performances to be
lifted.

In early November, the governor of Samut Sakhorn District in Thailand said
that cultural performances at events and festivals that were organized by
migrant workers were “not suitable.”

However, Nang Shang Oo, a representative of the Migrant Assistance Program
foundation, or MAP, said that cultural performances were not affecting
Thai security and that by celebrating cultural performances, Thai people
and migrant workers could develop a better understanding of each other.

“Separating a community like this creates conflicts between the two groups
due to a lack of understanding,” she said.

Meanwhile, the exiled Burmese Women’s Union today launched a report
detailing the lives of Burmese women migrant workers in Thailand and
China. The report, titled “Caught Between Two Hells,” describes how women
migrant workers from Burma have very limited work opportunities in their
host countries due to their status.

The report also noted that the women were often relegated to working in
“the so-called ‘3Ds’ jobs—dirty, dangerous and demeaning—with little or no
labor rights.”

Mi Sue Pwint, chairman of the BWU, said that Burmese migrant workers’
problems were not the same as internal Burmese problems because they were
working in a neighboring country. The BWU called on Burma’s neighboring
countries to consider how Burmese political issues are having an impact on
their own nations.

According to Aung Soe Linn, no one wants to live a life of discrimination;
however, as the Burmese military government cannot create jobs for its
people, they have to leave home in order to survive.

“If we had job opportunities (in Burma) we would not come here,” he said.

About 500,000 Burmese workers are currently registered in Thailand, while
an unknown number are employed illegally.

____________________________________

December 18, Irrawaddy
Trade clampdown reported at Mae Sot border bridge – Saw Yan Naing

Burmese authorities at the Thai-Burmese border Friendship Bridge in
Thailand’s Tak Province are reportedly restricting the volume of goods
crossing into Thailand.

Goods traffic across the bridge, leading from Myawaddy to the Thai border
town of Mae Sot, has dropped from about 300 trucks daily to around 100.

Among commodities affected by the drop in trade are rice, fresh produce
and canned goods, according to one resident with contacts with local
merchants.

No official reason for the restriction has been given, but it has been
suggested that the Burmese authorities want to maintain supplies of
essential goods available in Burma. It has also been suggested that the
restriction is connected with changes in Burmese officials manning the
border post.

The Thai-Burma Friendship Bridge is open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Some goods bypass the bridge and enter Thailand illegally across the river
separating Myawaddy and Mae Sot.

Trade at Northern Thailand’s other border crossing, the bridge connecting
Tachilek and Mae Sai, is normal, according to local residents. Burmese
authorities are enforcing existing weight restrictions, however.

Trade at the Chinese-Burmese border is also operating as usual, a local
merchant reported.

____________________________________

December 18, Mizzima News
Outrage in Karenni refugee camp over youth's death – Than Htaik Oo

Over 3,000 agitated Burmese refugees on the Thai-Burmese border on Monday
continued to stage protest rallies over the killing of a student in a camp
by Thai security forces and set on fire two buildings and two vehicles.

The demonstration by students from No.1 refugee camp in Maehongson in
Northern Thailand occurred following the killing of a refugee student by
Thai security forces on Saturday.

"The students said that they would continue their agitation until their
demands are met", Pho Re, Chairman of the Refugee Committee in No. 1 Camp
told Mizzima.

The protest began at 9 a.m. and concluded at noon on Monday. The
demonstrators demanded that the authorities ensure proper burial for the
dead youth and withdrawal of all security forces from the camp. They also
wanted restoration of the rights of refugees and the removal of the Thai
Refugee Camp Security and Supervision Force, which was responsible for the
death of the student. The demonstrators wanted justice to prevail.

"They shot dead a student living in the camp. The whole refugee community
is outraged over the incident and they demand restoration of peace and
tranquility, restoration of human rights, and the right to education in
the camp. That's all", Ko Daylo, a demonstrator told Mizzima.

Angry mobs from the refugee camp set ablaze two buildings, two vehicles
and motorcycles of the Thai Security Forces and demanded that the Thai
army intervene for further security.

The refugees said, there is palpable tension between the refugees and the
Thai Camp Security forces that boils down to hatred and refugees despising
the security personnel.

"I feel extremely sorry for my fellow refugees, students and youths in the
camp. No one wants to confront the Thai administrators and security forces
because we still need their protection for the security of the camp for
fear of being raided and fired upon by the Burmese Army as had happened
last year," Ko Lawrence, who is resettled in Australia said.

"The security forces are ever so slowly meddling and interfering in
day-to-day affairs, even in the case of distribution of rice", he added.

There are two Karenni refugee camps in Maehongsong with over 20,000
refugees living in No. 1 Camp alone.

____________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

December 18, Democratic Voice of Burma
USDA-run clinic demands money from patients

Patients visiting a free clinic run by the Union Solidarity and
Development Association in Thanlyin township, Rangoon, are being forced to
pay 300 kyat for an appointment.

The USDA clinic is supposed to be free of charge, but patients must get a
token from the clinic clerk before they can be seen.

One of the clinic’s patients said that the clerk has been demanding 300
kyat for a token.

“They said the clinic was for free but now they’re charging 300 kyat and
we’re not very happy with that,” the patient said.

Local residents believe that the clerk has a drink problem and is using
the money to buy alcohol.

The clerk at the clinic denied the accusations.

“We don’t ask for money, it’s free and we treat everyone warmly,” he said.

The clinic has also been criticised for trying to compete with the Free
Funeral Service Society clinics.

Since the USDA clinic has been set up, it has been able to get a share of
the donations intended for the FFSS clinics.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

December 18, Deutsche Presse-Agentur via The Nation
Burmese PM begins bilateral discussions in Cambodia

Burmese Prime Minister General Thein Sein arrived in Cambodia Friday to a
fanfare reception and a personal greeting by Prime Minister Hun Sen before
a series of talks with top Cambodian leaders.

Children waving the Myanmar flag lined the road and Prime Minister Hun Sen
personally greeted Sien in a sign that Cambodia was determined to retain
cordial relations with its fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(Asean) member.

He arrived one day after Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong
declared his government would not support economic sanctions against
Myanmar but was in favour of diplomatic negotiations.

Besides Hun Sen, Sien is scheduled to meet with several top leaders.
Although Cambodian officials played down the visit as routine, analysts
speculate it is an attempt by the beleaguered ruling military junta to
gauge and garner support.

Cambodia has maintained warm relations with Myanmar, unlike many others in
the 10-member Asean bloc, with members like Malaysia and the Philippines
taking a tough stance on the group's recalcitrant black sheep and its
dismal human rights record.

For that reason, and because many top Cambodian leaders share a military
background, Cambodia is seen as a possible mediator as international
pressure grows for the junta to ease its grip and accept the pro-democracy
movement, after it violently quashed peaceful protests in September.

Sein's three-day visit to Cambodia overlaps with a two-day trip by the UN
special envoy to Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari, but although Gambari's aides
say they have not ruled out a meeting, Cambodian Foreign Ministry
officials called it unlikely and said the timing was a coincidence.//DPA

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

December 18, The Nation
US House pass bill to honour Suu Kyi with highest honour

The US House of Representatives voted 400- 0 to grant the body's highest
honor - The Congressional Gold Medal -- to the world's only imprisoned
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi.

The effort was led by Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY) and Don Manzullo (R-IL).

"For three decades, Aung San Suu Kyi has valiantly led the nonviolent
movement in Burma for democracy and human rights," said Crowley, a member
of both the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Human Rights
Caucus.

"Her work and dedication to the cause of freedom and individual liberty
has earned her recognition throughout the world, including the Nobel Peace
Prize. Aung San Suu Kyi's passionate and nonviolent commitment to a free
democratic Burma, has won the hearts and minds of the Burmese people.

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives showed her and the world that she
has also won the hearts and minds of the U.S. Congress."

"The American people are outraged by the continued detention of Nobel
Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Burma's revolutionary
hero and one of the most honorable advocates for democracy and human
rights the world will ever know," said Manzullo, lead Republican on the
House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global
Environment."It is time for the junta to recognize the will of the Burmese
people and open the door for true reconciliation.

By awarding Ms. Suu Kyi with the Congressional Gold Medal, we send a
strong message that enough is enough."

The legislation, which required co-sponsorship by 2/3 of the entire House,
overwhelmingly passed the US House on Monday, December 17th, Tuesday
Bangkok time.

The bill will now be referred to the US Senate, which must also pass the
measure.

"This award will generate major international attention for Aung San Suu
Kyi, and further increase global resolve for her necessary, immediate and
unconditional release,"  says Aung Din, the executive director of the U.S.
Campaign for Burma who worked closely with her during Burma's 1988 popular
uprising that nearly toppled years of military rule.

"It is time for the world to press for a meaningful and time-bound process
of achieving democracy and national reconciliation in Burma."

Some of the world's most prominent leaders in governments, human rights,
and the arts have won the Congressional Gold Medal, including Mother
Theresa, Winston Churchhill, Nelson Mandela, his Holiness the Dalai Lama,
Martin Luther King Jr, Robert Frost, and Elie Wiesel.

Suu Kyi has spent more than 12 of the past 17 years under house arrest

____________________________________

December 18, Deutsche Presse-Agentur via Bangkok Post
UN to hear report from Burma envoy

The United Nations envoy for Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, is scheduled to
discuss his diplomatic troubleshooting in the Asian nation with the UN
General Assembly Tuesday evening (Thailand time).

It will be the first such session since the military junta in that country
crushed pro- democracy demonstrations in September.

Gambari will present an "overall" report on his three trips to Southeast
Asia, including two visits to Burma, to carry out his mission of
encouraging democratic reform in the country ruled by a military
government for decades.

Spokesman Janos Tisovszky said Monday that representatives are to question
Gambari on his mission in the closed-door meeting at UN headquarters.
"It will be an informal and closed meeting in which governments will also
address the situation," Tisovszky said.

Gambari was in Washington Monday to discuss his efforts with US government
officials, Tisovszky said. He met with First Lady Laura Bush, who has
campaigned for democracy in Burma, and Stephen Hadley, the White House
national security chief.

The UN has tried to bring democracy to Myanmar, calling for national
reconciliation, a democratic reform of the country's institutions and the
release of political prisoners, including opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi.

____________________________________

December 18, Agence France Presse
Bush likely to cancel US ASEAN summit over Myanmar: diplomats

US President George W. Bush likely will cancel a summit he was planning
with Southeast Asian leaders, following Myanmar's bloody crackdown on
pro-democracy protests, ASEAN diplomats said here Sunday.

American officials indicated at a US-Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) senior officials dialogue in San Francisco about a week
ago that "it would be difficult for President Bush to host the summit"
which would have been held at his Texas ranch, an ASEAN diplomat told AFP.

"Considering what happened in Myanmar, we understand that it might also be
politically sensitive to hold such a summit on US soil, especially during
an electoral year," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Bush made the summit proposal on September 7 when he met several ASEAN
leaders at the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
forum summit in Sydney.

About three weeks later, Myanmar's military rulers launched a brutal
crackdown on peaceful protests led by Buddhist monks which, according to a
UN report, leaving at least 31 people dead and 74 missing, and drawing
global outrage.

Bush has already ordered two round of sanctions and threatened further
US-led global measures against the ruling junta if it continued to ignore
calls for a democratic transition.

The US leader usually reserves invitations to his sprawling Texas ranch
for important allies but made the surprise invitation to the ASEAN
leaders, including an official from Myanmar, in a bid to underline US
commitment, which has been persistently questioned in the region.

White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe had said at the
time that all ASEAN heads of state had been invited, except Myanmar, whose
"level of participation is to be determined."

If the Texas summit – which would have been held in early 2008 – is
canceled, it would be the second time Bush will scrap talks with leaders
from the 10 ASEAN member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

In May, he had agreed to attend a summit highlighting 30 years of official
ties between Washington and Southeast Asia in Singapore on his way to the
Sydney APEC talks but cancelled at the last minute due to the Iraqi
crisis.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had also canceled participation at
two ASEAN annual meetings, in 2005 and 2007, drawing criticism from the
region which felt its stature had diminished in Washington's eyes.

Some ASEAN diplomats said if the Texas summit was off, Southeast Asian
leaders might still try to host a meeting with Bush, adding that
Washington was open to such a possibility.

"The fact that US still wants to consider having it in the ASEAN region
shows they still understand the importance of engaging with ASEAN," one
diplomat said.

Since Singapore holds the current ASEAN chair, it is a logical host for
such talks, the official said, eyeing a "window of opportunity" when Bush
attends the Beijing Olympics, to be held from August 8 to 24.

"But the crux of the issue – Myanmar – remains and it will continue to be
messy, especially if Washington insists Myanmar should stay out of the
talks and ASEAN surely feeling uncomfortable with that," the official
said.

Bush has over the last couple of years met annually with leaders of seven
ASEAN states – Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam – which are also members of the APEC forum -- at the
sidelines of the forum's annual talks.

Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are not APEC members.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

December 18, Irrawaddy
Than Shwe’s dream is really a nightmare – Wai Moe


“During the time of the Tatmadaw government [the Burmese junta], special
efforts were made towards achieving rice sufficiency for a projected
population of 100 million, anticipating the next generations in addition
to the current population of 56 million.”

This absurd statement was uttered not by some comedian or other but by the
head of Burma’s junta, Snr-Gen Than Shwe.

Than Shwe made the claim in a speech to the military power’s new bloods,
final-year students of the elite military college, the Defense Service
Academy, during a graduation ceremony in Pyin Oo Lwin [also known as May
Myo] on December 14. His full speech was published in the junta media on
December 15.

Tyrannies historically produce similar public speeches. When Than Shwe
indulges in them they’re called “dream speeches.” His dream, however, is
not set in the 21st Century, but in the 17th or 18th. A close look at his
speech shows that he is out of touch with the reality of Burma’s
development.

He is fed information by his closest aides, Aung Thaung, Minister of
Industry-1, and Soe Tha, Minister of National Planning, according to
sources close to the Tatmadaw. Both ministers obviously claimed that
Burma’s GDP is skyrocketing into double figures.

However, one influential think-tank, the Economist Intelligence Unit says
the Burmese junta’s management of the economy remains poor, and major
policy changes will continue to contribute to economic instability.

Agriculture suffers from poor productivity, and manufacturing is
constrained by shortages of capital, lack of access to imported products
and a lack of competitiveness in imports from Thailand and China, says the
EIU in its 2007 report on Burma.

The EIU warns the junta to wake up from its dream and to face reality. It
says that far from growing at double figures, Burma’s GDP will increase at
around 3 to 4 percent in the next two years, slower than any other country
in the region.

A UN country report in October 2007, meanwhile, recorded that 90 percent
of Burmese people survive on less than US $300 annually, the lowest per
capita income of all Asean countries. The report also deplored the
"deteriorating humanitarian situation" in Burma and suggested that UN
agencies could help the country address "poverty and suffering and their
underlying causes."

The regime’s reply to the report was to expel the most senior UN official
in Burma, Charles Petrie. He left Burma on December 4.

One of Than Shwe’s most recent public appearances was at the opening
ceremony of Burma’s first cyber city, Yadanabon, located in Pyi Oo Lwin
Township. The cyber city on their doorstep hasn’t brought much progress,
though, to the residents of Pyi Oo Lwin, who say they still have to put up
with power cuts and shortages.

But let’s return to Than Shwe’s dream. In his speech to the DSA graduates,
he declared: “Efforts for domestic sufficiency in foodstuffs are also
accompanied by endeavors toward the building of an industrial nation for
national prosperity. To this end, education and heath sectors are being
upgraded to produce highly qualified human resources. The upgrading of
human resources will bring ever greater momentum to national development
year after year.”

In the late 1990s, Than Shwe gave a similarly gung ho speech to government
officials when laying out a 30-year plan. In a statement of staggering
hubris, he declared that Burma’s rate of development over the next 30
years would overtake that of the US, the European countries and Japan.

Ten years have passed since then, and Burma lags behind even Laos and
Cambodia.

It’s unclear when Than Shwe will finally wake up from his dream. But it is
certain that when he does surface, he is bound to realize that his dream
is in effect a nightmare for Burma and himself. It’s a nightmare that
condemns Burma to unrelenting poverty.

____________________________________

December 18, The Nation
Than Shwe's days in top spot are numbered – Myint Thein

Killing Buddhist monks is not the same thing as killing students in Burma.
When Than Shwe mass-murdered Buddhist monks, he activated a religious
"poison pill" that will destroy him. We do not expect Than Shwe to survive
for more than another six months.

But the problem in Burma goes beyond dictator Than Shwe.

A retired Burmese ambassador told me that the Burmese army never learned
how to govern the country. He cited the example of Zaw Tun, the former
deputy economics minister. Zaw Tun graduated from the prestigious St
Paul's High School and was Than Shwe's aide-de-camp.

Zaw Tun publicly complained that regional commanders were providing
inflated economic statistics to impress Than Shwe. For this honesty, Zaw
Tun, despite his former close ties to Than Shwe, was asked to resign.

This is why last year I sent a feature article in The Wall Street Journal
to a senior general about the Communist Party of China sending their
future leaders to the US to learn how to govern. Some were trained at the
Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and others at graduate
schools of public administration at America's leading universities.

The next military leader of Burma has a clear choice. He can negotiate in
good faith at a neutral site in Singapore, or face an armed national
uprising.

Myint Thein is Senior Adviser to the Burmese Resistance

_________________________

December 18, Press Release: UK Government
British PM Outlines European Union Priorities

Gordon Brown has identified economic reform, climate change and security
in Kosovo, Iran and Burma as the key challenges for the European Union.

Speaking to MPs in Parliament, the Prime Minister said that the EU was now
moving to a "new agenda" in order to "meet the challenges of the global
era". Institutional reform as addressed in the EU Treaty, signed last
week, would not be revisited "in the forseeable future", he added.

On Kosovo, Mr Brown said that EU leaders were agreed that the status quo
was "unsustainable" and settlement around a "stable, democratic,
multi-ethnic" Kosovo was necessary. At the same time the EU remains
committed to the full integration of Serbia into the EU, he said.

With insufficient progress made in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear
programme, the Prime Minister confirmed that the EU will seek a new UN
resolution with tougher sanctions against Tehran. "Restrictive measures"
may also be amended and reinforced against Burma if basic political
freedoms are not implemented, he said.

On climate change, the PM said that the EU would seek an "ambitious"
post-2012 agreement following the successful conclusion of the Bali summit
on Saturday. The European Union will "step up" funding to help developing
nations establish low carbon economies.

The Prime Minister used the statement to introduce the EU Amendment Bill,
the legislative paper for the EU Amending Treaty signed in Lisbon last
week. Mr Brown said that the proposals include arrangements to prevent any
government accepting an increase in the EU's role without the express
permission of Parliament.

The PM said:

"With the publication of the Bill that legislates for the amendments to
the European Communities Act, Parliament will now have the opportunity to
debate this amending treaty in detail and decide whether to implement it.
We will ensure sufficient time for debate on the floor of the House so
that the Bill is examined in the fullest of detail and all points of view
can be heard. This will give the House the full opportunity to consider
this treaty, and the deal secured for the UK, before ratification.

"In addition, I can tell the House that we have built into the legislation
further safeguards to ensure proper Parliamentary oversight and
accountability."