BurmaNet News, June 27, 2008

[Editor]

June 27, 2008 Issue #3501

INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Cyclone assessment reveals critical food, water shortages
Irrawaddy: One blood, one voice, one command
Mizzima News: Solo female protester arrested
Mizzima News: Junta denies medical treatment to detained student activist
IMNA: Pay money, get electricity post Nargis: Rangoon resident
SHAN: Sexual violence continues in Shan State

ON THE BORDER
VOA News: Rights activist says state-sanctioned rape widespread in Burma

BUSINESS / TRADE
Irrawaddy: Weekly business roundup

HEALTH / AIDS
Irrawaddy: Animal disease outbreak in Irrawaddy delta
Kaladan News: Diarrhea afflicts over 150 refugees, two children die

DRUGS
Irrawaddy: Burma and Afghanistan increase opium production: UNODC

ASEAN
Reuters: Southeast Asia body key to prising open Myanmar

REGIONAL
Irrawaddy: Suu Kyi manga released in English

INTERNATIONAL
Reuters: G8 pushes Myanmar to accept foreign cyclone aid
DVB: European MPs form Burma caucus

OPINION / OTHER
Irrawaddy: Shwe Mann: Soon to be Burma’s top gun? - Aung Zaw

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

June 27, Irrawaddy
Cyclone assessment reveals critical food, water shortages

An estimated 46 percent of families in Burma’s Irrawaddy delta have less
than two days’ worth of food, according to an initial post-disaster
assessment.

The news underscores the urgent need to bring more food into the region
almost eight weeks after Cyclone Nargis ravaged the area, leaving 138,000
people dead or missing.

The discovery of significant household food shortages is just one of the
crucial early findings of an ongoing assessment of the disaster relief
effort by the UN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and
Burma's government, released on 24 June.
While the data collected from 10 days of field research was still being
collated and analyzed, Richard Blewitt, project manager for the Village
Tract Assessment, said it showed survivors of Cyclone Nargis were “living
precariously”.

“The findings tell a story of a shaken rural economy,” he told IRIN from
Rangoon. “People are rebuilding, but slowly. They are on the edge, and
there is a need for continued relief,” he said.

The Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) is intended to give both
international aid agencies and donor governments a credible, independent
picture of the extent of the damage and the humanitarian relief effort so
far.

In addition to the Village Tract Assessment—which focuses on how survivors
have been getting by since the storm—the final report, due next month,
will include a tally of the economic and physical losses from the
disaster.

More than 300 people—including international and national staffers of the
UN, NGOs, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Asean, with Burmese civil
servants and local civil society volunteers—were involved in what is being
described as the first systematic look at the results of the disaster
since Nargis struck on 2 and 3 May. The Burmese military government
assigned 20 staff members from 18 different ministries to join the
assessment effort.

“It is a snapshot of the emergency and early recovery needs on the ground
across the 30 most affected townships,” Blewitt said.

In addition, the assessment is intended to serve as a common reference
point for discussions between the Burmese military government and
international aid agencies on how best to help an estimated 2.4 million
survivors rebuild their lives.

“What we are trying to do is identify priority needs, create a common
information base to share between the sectors, and provide baseline
information for future monitoring and evaluation,” Blewitt said.

Water shortages

Food shortages were just part of the preliminary findings, with 60 percent
of households reporting inadequate access to clean drinking water, while
22 percent reported being under psychological stress.

The study has also found that 59 percent of homes in the delta were
severely damaged in the storm and subsequent tidal surge.

And while the region’s resilient villagers have rebuilt some form of
shelter for themselves, those are mostly fragile bamboo structures, with
an estimated lifespan of just two years, far worse than the sturdier
wooden houses they had before.

“They are building back worse, not building back better,” Blewitt said.

Data gathering

To understand the conditions of delta residents, 32 five-member teams from
various organizations this month fanned across the 30 worst-affected
townships, which were divided into 128 identical quadrants.

The field teams visited the village closest to the centre of every
quadrant, and then surveyed at least two other villages nearby.

To reach these often remote locales, the surveyors traveled by car,
motorcycle, boat and helicopter. They also walked long distances to reach
some villages accessible only by foot.

In each village, the teams conducted 10 household questionnaires,
interviews with a few so-called “key informants”, including community
leaders, and focus group discussions to gather data.

Survivors were questioned on how much food they had in store, their
post-cyclone livelihoods situation, how they planned to meet their
families’ daily needs, and whether they had access to medical care.

The Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) is a news service that
forms part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA). But this report does not necessarily reflect the views of the
United Nations.

____________________________________

June 27, Irrawaddy
One blood, one voice, one command [News analysis] - Wai Moe

The June 20 shakeup in the Burmese armed forces has raised the question of
whether the top military leaders are at loggerheads.

Though not confirmed officially, as many as 150 military officers were
reportedly reassigned in last week’s reshuffle. In addition, four
lieutenant-generals who headed the bureaus of special operations (BSOs)
were given retirement, though initial reports suggest that some BSO
commanders are resisting the order to retire.

Speculation about a shake-up within the Tatmadaw (armed forces) has been
rife for months.

Larry Jagan, a British journalist who specializes in Burma, wrote in The
Asian Times on March 27 that the regular army commanders’ meeting could
not be held for nine months due to rising tension between Snr-Gen Than
Shwe and the number two general, vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye.

“Than Shwe wants to avoid the meeting because he knows—based on the
evidence of his investigations—Maung Aye will demand the resignations of
at least four BSO-affiliated officers, including Maung Bo and Ye Myint,”
he wrote.

Maung Bo and Ye Myint are believed to have been removed in the recent
reshuffle. They were under investigation on corruption charges.

Splits within the armed forces are nothing new.

Before the downfall of former military intelligence chief Gen Khin Nyunt
in 2004, observers frequently suggested that Khin Nyunt was a moderate who
had built a state within a state.

The trio of Than Shwe, Maung Aye and Khin Nyunt had been locked in a
bitter power struggle for years until, finally, the feared intelligence
chief was purged.

The army faction of Than Shwe and Maung Aye seemed to be united against
Khin Nyunt who was charged with insubordination and corruption. He is now
serving a 44-year suspended sentence and is under house arrest together
with his family.

Now that Khin Nyunt is out of the picture, observers say the love-hate
relationship between Than Shwe and Maung Aye is back on again.

At the recent reshuffle, observers noted that both Maung Aye’s and Than
Shwe’s men were purged—perhaps a sign that Than Shwe has given into Maung
Aye to some degree.

However, there is little doubt that Than Shwe still commands the armed
forces and has appointed all his trusted “young guns” in the defense
ministry, such as 60-year-old Thura Shwe Mann and Myint Swe.

Businessmen who know Maung Aye say the army chief has no further political
ambitions.

“Intra-junta rivalry is believed to be breaking down on institutional
lines as much as on personalities, pitting those who graduated from the
Officers Training School (OTS), like Than Shwe, against those who attended
the Defense Services Academy (DSA), where Maung Aye is an alumnus,” Larry
Jagan wrote.

Win Min, an exiled Burmese observer who studies military affairs, agreed
that the reshuffle may be the result of a power struggle between Than Shwe
and Maung Aye.
However, other observers say the recent reshuffle was a move to inject
fresh blood in the army hierarchy.

Aung Kyaw Zaw, a Burma political watcher at the Sino-Burmese border,
doesn’t believe there is any serious disunity among Burma’s top generals.

“The generals are united on a common ground to prolong the military rule,”
he told The Irrawaddy.

The Tatmadaw’s famous jingle is: “One blood, one voice, one command.”

Factionalism and a “dog-eat-dog” atmosphere are not feasible within the
armed forces, some say.

As Kyaw Yin Hlaing, a Burmese scholar in Hong Kong, wrote in the February
edition of the Journal of Southeast Asian Studies: “If the governments [of
Burma] were controlled by a powerful hegemonic figure, then these
struggles would end in an orderly manner.”

____________________________________

June 27, Mizzima News
Solo female protester arrested - Myint Maung

A Burmese woman was arrested on Wednesday evening after staging a solo
protest at a busy downtown district near the popular Sule Pagoda, in the
country's former capital Rangoon.

The solo protestor, who shouted slogans for the release of detained
Burmese opposition leader and democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and
other political prisoners, was taken in by about 30 riot police personnel.
She staged a protest for nearly 15 minutes near the Sule Pagoda on the
junction of 32nd Street and Mahabandula Street.

Nyan Win, spokesperson of Burma's main opposition party – the National
League for Democracy – said while they were aware of the arrest of the
solo protester, she is yet to be identified as to whether she is a member
of the NLD.

"We heard that she staged a solo protest
 But we still don't know whether
she is an NLD member or not," Nyan Win said.

A local resident, who witnessed the arrest of the solo protester said, the
police, armed with batons and shields, came in two Dyna light trucks and
took her away.

"She started protesting at about 4 p.m. First 10 riot police personnel
reached the spot and later 20 more joined in. The woman protester was
taken away even as traffic was coming to a halt and many bystanders were
watching the unfolding scene," the local added.

Similarly, Burmese authorities last year arrested another solo protester,
Ohn Than, for staging a protest in front of the US embassy in Rangoon's
downtown Merchant Street.

Ohn Than, who is now imprisoned, shouted slogans like 'Establish people's
representative government', 'Honour the people's true verdict', 'Down with
the military regimes', 'No to China and Russia's veto power'.

Ohn Than was arrested at least six times earlier, for staging similar
protests. But he was released every time after being kept a few months
behind bars. However, after his last arrest on August 23, he was tried by
the West District Court, which heard the case in the notorious Insein
prison premises on April 2. He was sentenced to life imprisonment under
charges of inciting disaffection towards the State.

____________________________________

June 27, Mizzima News
Junta denies medical treatment to detained student activist

Despite the deteriorating health of 88 Generation Student Myo Yan Naung
Thein, prison officials of Insein prison have not allowed him proper
treatment and produced him before the court on Thursday.

88 Generation Student Myo Yan Naung Thein (34), who hails from Kamayut
Township, has been in custody in Insein prison since December 14, 2007. He
is paralyzed from the waist downwards and has not been allowed any medical
treatment.

"He was produced before the court today, but not yet allowed treatment and
hasn't yet got a medical certificate allowing him to undergo treatment
outside. He was paralyzed from the waist downwards due to torture during
interrogation. He cannot walk and was taken to court in a stretcher
today," Pho Phyu, his defence counsel told Mizzima.

"His health situation has taken a turn for the worse and he couldn't walk
today. He was carried into the courtroom. He was remanded again as the
witness did not come today. He did not get bail," lawyer Myint Thaung, a
member of the NLD Legal Aid group told Mizzima.

He was first arrested by the regime in July 1997, for leading a students'
protest, which took place in December 1996 along with 8 other 88
Generation Students. Then he was sentenced to 7 years' imprisonment. Later
he led the Saffron Revolution, which took place in September 2007, and was
arrested again. His friend Kyaw Lynn Oo, who is living in Thailand, now
said that he was tortured both times.

He has been charged under section 505(b), of committing an offence against
public tranquility, facing at least two years' imprisonment if convicted,
his defence counsel Pho Phyu said.

Four other '88 Generation Students' were produced before the court today
along with Myo Yan Naung Thein.

Zaw Min from Syriam, Min Min a.k.a. Baung Baung, Khin Moe Moe from North
Okkalapa and Kyaw Soe are also charged under section 505(b) of the
Criminal Code.

Moreover, Khin Moe Moe and Kyaw Soe were found with foreign currency in
their possession, when they were arrested. They are also charged under
Section 24 of the Foreign Exchange Act, Myint Thaung said.

____________________________________

June 27, Independent Mon News Agency
Pay money, get electricity post Nargis: Rangoon resident

It is nothing short of holding people to ransom. Without shelling out
money to civil servants of the electric power department no electricity
supply will be ensured to home and markets. This was stated by electricity
department officials to Rangoon residents when they complained of lack of
supply.

This despite the Burmese junta controlled New Light of Myanmar stating
that the government is trying to repair power lines with government funds
and on time post Cyclone Nargis.

Although the cyclone lashed Burma in the first week of May, the government
did not care to repair some power lines in Okkalapa Township which were
damaged.

Shop owners in Nandawun market, South Okkalapa Township complained after
power supply to the market was disrupted following the cyclone but the
department did not repair transmission lines.

"If the shop owners do not pay we will not repair it," a shop owner told
IMNA quoting a civil servant from the electric power department.

"We collected a thousand Kyat from each small shop and 3,000-5,000 Kyat
from the bigger shops and paid the department on June 24. The next day the
power supply was back," the shop owner said.

The market has about 5,000 shops and the power and telephone lines snapped
after cyclone.

According to shop owners the telephone lines are yet to be restored.
Similarly residents in North Okkalapa said though they have paid, the
power to the tune of only 20 volts was supplied. A resident complained but
an officer said they are too busy to attend to the problem.

But when a Major's family complained, the officer switched to another
transformer of 220 voltage.

North Okkalapa township residents also paid 5000 Kyat for reinstalling
power connection after the cyclone.
____________________________________

June 27, Shan Herald Agency for News
Sexual violence continues in Shan State – Hseng Khio Fah

Sexual violence goes on in Shan State as the clashes between Burma Army
and Shan State Army (SSA) increase, since the Burmese military beefed up
its security forces, before the May 10 referendum and after the Cyclone
Nargis devastated its delta areas, according to a Shan Herald reporte from
the border.

A group of 6 soldiers led by Lt Tat Kyaw from Kunhing based Infantry
Battalion 246, Company # 3, on 21 June abducted a 24 year old girl named
Nang Nu on her way home at around 14:30 and raped her near Keng Lom where
the Burma Army and the SSA fought last week. The soldiers were on duty to
provide security for the military trucks coming from Taunggyi to
Mongpiang, said the source.

“She was raped while she was returning from selling her bamboo buds at the
market of Kali,” a villager told a Shan Herald reporter. “She arrived home
with an unhappy face and told her parents how she was perpetrated by the
Burmese soldiers. But the family dared not open the case because there was
no witness. The village headman was also afraid to charge the soldiers for
the crime.”

Nang Nu is looking after of her old father Long Pha Heing and her leper
mother with a daily income from selling vegetables. Due to her mother’s
disease, the family lives 1 mile far from Naloe village, Kali tract.

Similar incidents happened in Kunhing township.

On 24 May, a gang of Burmese soldiers who patrolling around Kunhing  area
took a 21 year old girl who wishes to be unnamed coming back from
harvesting hillside cultivation to Yala lake, north of Kunhing at 11:30
and raped her, according to the border sources.

“She returned back home with torn dirty clothes at around 16:00. She just
sat and cried every day since she was raped. We couldn’t ask her anything.
Now, she just acts like she’s gone out of her mind,” said her close
relative.

“They [soldiers] threatened her with their guns and dragged her to the
lake,” said a 10 year old boy eye witness.

The family went to tell the village headman to complain to the officials
in the town but nothing came out of it. The victim lives in Nammawn
village, north of Kunhing.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

June 27, VOA News
Rights activist says state-sanctioned rape widespread in Burma - Claudia
Blume

A Burmese human rights activist says Burma's military government continues
to use rape as a weapon to subdue ethnic minorities. She urges Burma's
neighbors to put pressure on the military to stop sexual violence against
women. Claudia Blume reports from Hong Kong.

Demonstrators in Philippines protest against Burmese military violence
against women
Cheery Zahau, a member of Burma's Chin minority, says members of the
Burmese army rape women in ethnic minority areas all over the country. She
says in Burma's western Chin State alone, at least 38 cases of sexual
violence were committed by soldiers in 2006. The youngest victim was only
12.

Zahau, a human rights activist who now lives in India, spoke Friday to
journalists in Hong Kong. She says women's groups in Burma have documented
more than 1800 rapes by the military since 1995.

She says the government uses rape as a weapon against its opponents.

"The soldiers are raping women to punish the populations who they suspect
of supporting insurgency groups," she said. "And also they rape the women
to disturb the faith and psychological welfare of these ethnic women. For
example in 2003, a woman was raped by four soldiers on her way back home
from the market. Until now she is mentally disturbed."

Zahau says most of the victims are too scared to speak out. even if they
do, she says, the perpetrators are not punished.

The Burmese government denies the reports that it uses rape as a tool.

Last year, the U.N. Security Council considered a resolution calling on
Burma to end human rights violations, including systematic rape. But
Security Council members China and Russia used their vetoes to block the
resolution.

Bruce Van Voorhis, a spokesman for the Asian Human Rights Commission, says
no other country has more influence on the Burmese government than China.

"The Chinese government by not taking action is condoning the rape of
Burmese women by the Burmese army, and we call on the Chinese government
to take action to stop that," he said.

Zahau says Burma's other neighbors, such as India and Thailand, also need
to put pressure on Burma's military leaders. She says it is in their own
interest to speak out, as sexual violence is one of the factors forcing
Burmese women to become refugees in neighboring countries.

Many governments, including the United States and the European Union, have
imposed economic sanctions on Burma because of its repression of
dissidents and rights abuses. The military says it will allow elections in
2010, but that it must retain a central role in the government to keep the
country intact.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

June 27, Irrawaddy
Weekly business roundup - William Boot

Indian financial services thwart junta sanctions

India’s financial support for Burma is growing even as Western sanctions
seek to curtail the junta’s business activities.

On the heels of New Delhi’s loan credit of over US $84 million comes news
that the state-owned United Bank of India (UBI) has done a deal with
Burma’s state financial institutions to get round banking sanctions
recently imposed by the US.

The UBI is working with the Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank, Myanmar Investment
& Commercial Bank and Myanmar Economic Bank to ensure cross-border trade
payments can circumvent the US sanctions

Those sanctions seek to prevent third parties providing banking and other
financial services to the junta.

India’s trade with Burma is still small compared with China and Thailand
but is growing. Now UBI will “be the designated bank in India for routing
border trade transactions with Myanmar through the Moreh-Tamu point in
Manipur [northeast Indian state],” said a company statement this week.

The move aims to normalize cross-border trade which has been stymied by
sanctions that threatened to block US dollar-designated payments.

The UBI involvement, clearly backed by the Indian federal government, will
avoid the “major obstacle” of the US banking sanctions, said India’s
leading business newspaper The Economic Times.

The deal follows loans totaling $84 million from the Indian
state-controlled Export-Import Bank, which will finance construction of
electricity transmission cable lines and a steel wire-making factory.

New Delhi also announced this week that Indian state-owned companies
engaged to work on a $120 million redevelopment of Burma’s only
significant west coast port, Sittwe, are confident of completing the work
by 2011, one year ahead of the original schedule.

Cyclone farmers evicted as equipment shortage looms

The Irrawaddy delta faces a farming equipment shortage as local suppliers
struggle to cope with demand and prices soar.

The demand is being fueled in part by international donors buying
equipment such as plows to help farmers get back to work after the cyclone
devastation. Some Rangoon equipment suppliers have reported that sales
have doubled over the same period last year and prices have gone up 35
percent, according to the Myanmar Times.

Much of the equipment is imported from China.

While some farmers face an equipment problem others are suffering far worse.

Large swathes of delta farmland that caught the full force of the cyclone
have been confiscated by the authorities, says the Democratic Voice of
Burma.

“Thousands of acres of privately-owned farmland in Bogalay have been
seized by authorities after the farmers had already received farming
equipment and seeds bought on credit from the government,” reported the
Norwegian-based exile TV and radio station.

“The township agricultural department recently supplied the farmers with
the equipment and seeds before the farmers were told their lands would be
seized,” it said.

The farmers had been told it would dangerous to remain on the land because
of the risk of another cyclone, the report said.

However, the hand of one of Burma’s biggest junta-linked private companies
is also said to be involved—the Htoo Trading Company, owned by tycoon Tay
Za.

Htoo Trading was given a contract by the regime to work on reconstruction
in the Irrawaddy delta and the displaced farmers suspect the company wants
the land for development, said the DVB report.

Bangladesh urges suspension of Bengal Bay gas, oil Search

Bangladesh has proposed that all oil and gas exploration in the Bay of
Bengal be suspended pending settlement of territorial waters disputes with
Burma and India.

The proposal by Dhaka’s state-owned Petrobangla operator comes after
protests from Bangladesh’s neighbors over the awarding of exploration
contracts in May to several international companies.

Some of the planned exploratory sites lie close to disputed waters next to
Burma’s major Shwe gas field, which has at least 6 trillion cubic feet of
confirmed reserves.

“Bangladesh suggests that all exploration and extraction in the Bay of
Bengal by the countries should be suspended until a decision [on
boundaries] is made,” said a statement from Petrobangla.

“If India and Myanmar [Burma] continue work and do not respond to our
letter, Bangladesh will resume its activities as well.”

Industry analysts doubt if Bangladesh’s neighbors will comply. “These
territorial boundary issues have been going on for years so it seems
unlikely there would be any sudden solution that would justify an overall
halt to work,” said Bangkok-based energy consultant-analyst Sar Watana.

____________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

June 27, Irrawaddy
Animal disease outbreak in Irrawaddy Delta - Saw Yan Naing

An outbreak of animal foot-and-mouth disease is spreading in townships
affected by Cyclone Nargis in the Irrawaddy delta and in Rangoon and Pegu
divisions, according to sources in Rangoon.

There was no estimate of the number of affected animals or when the
outbreak first occurred. The disease typically occurs among some animals
during this time of the year.

Because of the large numbers of farm animals killed during the cyclone,
more animal deaths in the area could mean additional woe for farmers who
are struggling to rebuild their lives.

A veterinarian in Rangoon said foot-and-mouth disease can strike cows,
buffalos, sheep, pigs and goats. The viral disease can spread among
animals and can be fatal if untreated. The disease seldom affects humans,
although humans who come in contact with the virus can pass it on to
animals.

Cases of the disease have been reported in Kawhmu and Kungyangon townships
in Rangoon Division; Kawa Township in Pegu Division; and the cities of
Laputta, Dedaye, Pyapon, Kyonmangay, Wakema and Kyaiklat in the Irrawaddy
delta, according to the Rangoon-based journal, Bi-Weekly Eleven and other
sources.

Aung Gyi, the director of the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary
Department’s Animal Health and Development Division, told the
Rangoon-based Popular Journal in mid-June that cows and buffalos often
suffer from the disease during the rainy season from June to October.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the cyclone
killed an estimated 200,000 farm animals, 120,000 of which were used by
farmers to plow fields.

____________________________________

June 27, Kaladan News
Diarrhea afflicts over 150 refugees, two children die

Teknaf, Bangladesh: Diarrhea has afflicted over 150 Burmese refugees in
the makeshift camp in Dum Dum Mea since June 21. It killed two children in
the makeshift camp till June 26, said a Majee (shed leader) from the camp.

There has been heavy rainfall recently and high tides inundated the
refugee camp. Diarrhea broke out in the camp soon after. Refugees are
unable to stay in their huts and are passing sleepless nights because the
floors have became muddy and wet.

Diarrheah has been increasing from June 24, and 88 refugees have been
admitted at the clinic of the Islamic Relief Organization (IRO). Besides,
skin diseases, pneumonia, and common cold have also spread among the
refugees.

A refugee leader Md. Ayub went to Upazilar Parishad Chairman of Tekanf and
apprised him of he diseases and asked for help for the patients. The
refugees of the makeshift camp were being given medical treatment by
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF-Holland) over the last two years. But,
recently, the IRO substituted the MSF. Now, refugees are getting treatment
from IRO. But, MSF is still present as the refugees have not been
transferred to a new place, Md. Ayub said.

According to Mahafuz a worker of the IRO, fortunately there is no death yet.

The makeshift camp was scheduled to be transferred to a new place called
Leda on June 11, but this has been delayed due to unknown reasons.

_____________________________________
DRUGS

June 27, Irrawaddy
Burma and Afghanistan increase opium production: UNODC

The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Antonio
Maria Costa, said on Thursday that the alarming increase in opium
production in Afghanistan and Burma in 2007 is posing a serious threat to
the progress made in drug control over the past several years.

Opium cultivation increased in both Afghanistan and Burma last year.
Coupled with a high yield, especially in southern Afghanistan, this
resulted in greater world output, Costa said after releasing the 2008
World Drug Report.

Like other drugs hotspots of the world, the areas in Burma which cultivate
opium poppy are under very limited government control, Costa said. However
it could be said that there is government involvement in allowing the
opium trade through its borders, he said at a news briefing.

The 2008 World Drug Report noted that after six years of decline, opium
poppy cultivation in Southeast Asia increased by 22 percent last year,
mainly driven by a 29 percent increase in opium cultivation in Burma.

While some areas in Burma, such as the Wa region, remained opium poppy
free, cultivation of opium in the troublesome eastern and southern areas
of Shan State increased significantly, it said.

Of a total of 27,700 hectares (68,419 acres) of opium poppy cultivation in
the entire country, Shan State alone accounted for as much as 25,400
hectares (62,738 acres). It is estimated that as many as 150,000
households in Shan State are involved in opium poppy cultivation—an
increase of 24 percent from previous years.

Reports of poppy cultivation also came from Karenni and Kachin states.
Referring to official Burmese data, the report said 3,598 hectares (8,887
acres) of poppy were eradicated last year and that the level of
eradication varied from state to state.

____________________________________
ASEAN

June 27, Reuters
Southeast Asia body key to prising open Myanmar - Olivia Rondonuwu and Ed
Davies

The impact of cyclone Nargis on Myanmar may not be as dire as initial
assessments, but its ruling junta will still need to be coaxed into
keeping vital aid flowing in, the ASEAN secretary general said on Friday.

The 10-nation Southeast Asian grouping played a key mediating role in
getting Myanmar's military leaders to open up to foreign aid, ASEAN
Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan said.

"I think a humanitarian space has been opened and I think the challenge is
to maintain it and the challenge is to widen it a little bit if possible,"
Surin said in an interview.

Nargis slammed into the densely populated Irrawaddy delta on May 2,
leaving more than 138,000 people dead or missing and 2.4 million
destitute.

Despite the magnitude of the disaster, the reclusive junta has been
reluctant to admit outside aid operations, particularly from Western
donors.

The former Thai foreign minister, who had just returned from a visit to
Myanmar, said despite "heartbreaking" scenes of devastation people were
getting back on their feet.

"The situation is not as bleak as it was feared, partly because these
people were resilient," he said, adding that feared disease pandemics had
also not occurred so far.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, headquartered in Jakarta, has
often been criticised for being a toothless organisation, but Surin said
the Myanmar disaster was a "historic moment for ASEAN" to show it could
lead an international humanitarian effort.

He said many in the former Burma's "rice bowl" had lost water buffaloes
and since the sea surge had salinated a lot of land many people did not
have enough or the right type of rice seeds.

A joint assessment team ASEAN is heading had been given good access by
Myanmar across the delta area, Surin said.

They found villages where no aid had been delivered and "they called in
WFP (the U.N.'s World Food Programme). Help was ferried in in the next 36
hours," he said.

Asked if ASEAN should have put more pressure on Myanmar, Surin said
despite the length of time it had taken, the junta had followed up what
the Southeast Asian body had recommended.

"Right now I guess we are working on the transitional phase between relief
and rescue into early recovery," he added.

He said that, as was the case of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, the aid
effort after Cyclone Nargis would be needed for years.

"I think the challenge is for us to work together if the world is ready
and if it's what the leadership in Myanmar wants we can rehabilitate that
region into the traditional rice bowl." (Editing by Jerry Norton)

____________________________________
REGIONAL

June 27, Irrawaddy
Suu Kyi Manga released in English

In the 20 years since Aung San Suu Kyi first emerged as the leader of
Burma’s pro-democracy movement, she has inspired admiration in people
around the world. She has also captured the imagination of artists,
filmmakers and songwriters, making her not only a political but also a
cultural icon.

In 1994, she even made it into the world of manga, the book-length comics
that are a ubiquitous feature of Japanese pop culture.

Aung San Suu Kyi: Tatakau Kujaku (“Aung San Suu Kyi: The Fighting
Peacock”), by cartoonist Akazu Mizuha, was first released by publisher
Oakla Shuppan as part of a series of manga on Nobel Prize winners. It
depicts Suu Kyi’s early life, examining the impact of the political legacy
of her father, assassinated independence leader Aung San, and ends with
her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

Although it has been mentioned in scholarly works as a reflection of Suu
Kyi’s international appeal, it has rarely been seen, even in Japan, where
it has long been out of print.

Then, earlier this year, a publisher who specializes in Thai translations
of Japanese comic books discovered the manga, and decided to make it
available to readers outside Japan.

“I wanted to do something for the Burmese people,” said Hidekazu Kondo,
president of the Bangkok-based Negibose Thailand Co., Ltd., which
occasionally produces translations of comics on political topics that have
cross-cultural significance, such as North Korea’s abduction of foreign
nationals in the late 1970s.

To reach a wider audience, Kondo decided to publish the comic on Aung San
Suu Kyi in English, and The Irrawaddy agreed to host an electronic version
on its Web site.

“It seemed like an interesting project, and it may be helpful for people
who want to use it for educational purposes,” said Irrawaddy staffer Neil
Lawrence, who translated the manga.

In a book on Japan-Burma relations published last year, Burma specialist
Donald M. Seekins refers to the comic’s “detailed depiction of the events
of Democracy Summer, including [Suu Kyi’s] speech at the Shwe Dagon
Pagoda, and her 1989 house arrest.”

Although it was originally scheduled for release on June 19, Aung San Suu
Kyi’s birthday, production delays forced a one-week postponement of the
planned launch. The book is now available on The Irrawaddy Web site for a
fee of US $3/download for individuals or $30 for institutional customers.

The fee will cover production, licensing and hosting costs. Profits from
the sale of the comic will be used to support Burmese relief activities.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

June 27, Reuters
G8 pushes Myanmar to accept foreign cyclone aid

The Group of Eight wealthy nations put pressure on Myanmar to let in more
foreign relief workers after a devastating cyclone last month, after
accusations it had obstructed aid, a Japanese official said on Thursday.

The G8 foreign ministers, meeting in Kyoto, agreed to maintain support for
reconstruction in Myanmar after the cyclone left more than 138,000 dead or
missing, the official said.

Foreign leaders have accused Myanmar's military rulers of worsening the
storm death toll by stalling on foreign aid, and Italy said it had pushed
at the talks for more involvement by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"We proposed a formal appeal by the G8 to the U.N. asking that Ban Ki-moon
insist on transparency regarding the sums donated by the international
community," Frattini told reporters after talks with his fellow ministers.

"We also hope that China can play a stronger role," he said, referring to
a country that has been a steady friend of Myanmar's junta.

Japanese foreign ministry spokesman Kazuo Kodama said there was agreement
that the G8 would press Myanmar to accept more relief workers from the
outside world.

Many of the G8 ministers also expressed concern about how to achieve a
transition to civilian rule in Myanmar, he added.

Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's confinement to her home in Yangon was
extended in May despite international pleas to Myanmar's military rulers
to free her. Pro-junta thugs last week broke up a rally marking Suu Kyui's
birthday.

The G8 ministers agreed that any signs of progress towards civilian
government should be encouraged, Kodama said.

"In order to improve the current situation, it is also important for us
the G8 to apply not only pressure but if Myanmar side shows any forward
looking movement it is also important to provide an incentive," he said.

(Reporting by Isabel Reynolds and Sophie Hardach; Editing by Rodney Joyce)

____________________________________

June 27, Democratic Voice of Burma
European MPs form Burma caucus

A European Parliamentary Caucus on Burma has been formed to raise
awareness about Burma in Europe and pressure European governments to do
more to bring about democratic transition.

The initiative was launched on 19 June to coincide with the 63rd birthday
of Burma’s democracy icon Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The caucus was formed by MPs from eight of the 27 countries in the
European Union. The EPCB MPs have hoped to recruit more than 200 MPs to
the caucus before the end of the year.

Harn Yawnghwe, director of the Brussels-based Euro-Burma Office told DVB
that the establishment of the EPDB was encouraging, and indicated that the
European governments could take stronger action against Burma’s military
junta.

“There was no organisation within the EU before to keep a constant eye on
the situation in Burma,” said Harn Yawnghwe.

“The new caucus brings hope that [European countries] will enhance their
efforts until we have democratic change in our country,” he said.

“The formation of the EPCB also warns the military regime that the
international community hasn’t forgotten Burma’s political impasse and
will continue their pressure even though the country has faced enormous
hardships from the devastating Cyclone Nargis.”

The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus welcomed the creation of the
EPCP in a statement and said it believed effective cooperation between the
two regional caucuses could have much more impact on the crisis in Burma
and achieve positive change.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

June 27, Irrawaddy
Shwe Mann: Soon to be Burma’s top gun? - Aung Zaw

There have been persistent but unconfirmed reports that Gen Thura Shwe
Mann, 60, will take over the powerful position of commander in chief in
the near future.

Expectations were renewed after a major reshuffle in the armed forces last
week. Several heads rolled within the bureaus of special operations and
new regional commanders were appointed.

Speculation is rife that the junta leaders and their closest allies are
already preparing for the 2010 election and beyond.

As for Than Shwe, he will not be stepping down just yet. However, he will
be considering which of his two most trusted generals will ultimately
succeed him as head of the armed forces—either Thura Shwe Mann or Lt-Gen
Myint Swe.

Shwe Mann has been with Burma’s defense ministry since 2001 and many of
his peers believe he is being groomed to fill the top spot as commander in
chief, a position currently held by Than Shwe.

At present, Shwe Mann is the No 3 man in the military hierarchy and holds
the title of joint chief of staff. But reports suggest that senior army
leaders who were former heads of the Bureau of Special Operations have
resisted his command.

However, those around him tread carefully; Shwe Mann is considered to be
one of Than Shwe’s protégés.

Graduating from the Defense Services Academy’s Intake 11 in 1969, Shwe
Mann rose steadily through the ranks of the officers’ corps, becoming a
major in 1988. What involvement he had in the bloody crackdown on
pro-democracy protestors that year remains unknown.

Shwe Mann earned the title “Thura,” meaning “bravery,” during offensive
operations against the Karen National Liberation Army in 1989.

In 1991, he served as a tactical operations commander for Light Infantry
Division (LID) 66, based in Prome, northern Bago Division.

By 1996, he had been promoted to brigadier-general and was appointed to
oversee security in Rangoon as commander of the elite LID 11 based in
Htauk Kyant, about 20 miles (32 km) west of the former capital.

One year later Shwe Mann got his big break. He was posted to Irrawaddy
Division as commander of the Southwest Military Region as well as joining
the fraternity as a de facto member of the ruling State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC). Traditionally, most senior leaders, including
Than Shwe, are posted in the delta before becoming head of the armed
forces.

After serving three years in the delta, Shwe Mann was promoted to
major-general and became a permanent member of the SPDC. He was
transferred to the defense ministry where he assumed the prestigious
position of joint chief of staff, permitting him an oversight of all
commanders from the army, navy and air force.

The following year, he was awarded the newly minted position of Tatmadaw
Nyi Hnying Kutkae Yay Hmu or Coordiantor of Special Operations, Army, Navy
and Airforce, a lofty title, from where he could also keep an eye on  the
country’s bureaus of special operations.

In 2003, Shwe Mann was awarded his fourth star, reaching the rank of general.

Interestingly, very little has been heard from or about him in Burma’s
official press since his attachment to the defense ministry.

Shwe Mann appears to shun the spotlight and rarely speaks in public. The
one notable time he did make a public speech was when former premier Gen
Khin Nyunt and his intelligence apparatus were purged from power in 2004.

“In the military everybody is liable for their failure to abide by the
law. Nobody is above the law,” he told a gathering of businesspeople.

Burma’s aging military leadership is constantly searching for a young and
trustworthy young gun to lead the country once they relinquish power. And
the choice will not be Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, the current No 2, who is
reportedly out of favor with Than Shwe.

Maung Aye, currently army chief and simultaneously deputy commander in
chief of the armed forces is senior to Shwe Mann and a power struggle
seems inevitable.

Observers speculate about how much real authority Shwe Mann really has. He
runs day-to-day military affairs in the Ministry of Defense, but is
allegedly bypassing Maung Aye and reporting directly to Than Shwe. In any
case, if Maung Aye opposes promotion, it is unlikely Shwe Mann will reach
the top post anytime soon.

Shwe Mann has a reputation of being down to earth and seems to have earned
considerable respect among Burma’s foot soldiers, particularly those who
served directly under his command.

He and his wife are also close to Than Shwe’s family on a personal basis,
flying together on occasion to Singapore for shopping trips.

Like most of Burma’s top military leaders, Shwe Mann generally avoids
talking about pro-democracy icon and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San
Suu Kyi. Some observers believe that he has specific reasons for avoiding
the topic. He is certainly cautious not to attack her publicly.

In fact, Shwe Mann has not yet shown his hand with regard to a broad range
of social, economic and political issues. His vision for Burma’s future is
quietly unclear.

He has been quoted as saying, however, that the country’s future leaders
must have in-depth knowledge in two specific areas—gems and rice.

This belief would appear to bear the hallmarks of self-interest though, as
his family is involved in rice exporting, or at least they were before the
cyclone struck.

Rumored to be taking steps to modernize Burma’s antiquated rice mills to
improve export production, Shwe Mann and his son, Aung Thet Mann, enjoy a
close working relationship with junta business crony Tay Za.

Aung Thet Mann is a director at Ayer Shwe Wah, which in 2005 became the
first private company to be allowed to export rice to Bangladesh and
Singapore. The company is part of Tay Za’s Htoo Trading Company and both
companies and their directors are on the US sanctions list.

In 2000, the government presented Ayer Shwe Wah with more than 30,000
acres of wetlands and rice paddy in the Irrawaddy delta region. The
company also received lucrative government contracts to supply fertilizers
to farmers throughout the delta and is involved in construction projects
in the new administrative capital, Naypyidaw.

During the early days of the cyclone crisis, the Shwe Mann camp leaked
news that he supported more international cooperation, more aid and more
UN assistance. However, he was apparently stonewalled by hardliners Than
Shwe and Maung Aye.

As a leader, Shwe Mann would listen and look toward economic reform, some
businessmen in Rangoon have said.

There’s no doubt that if Shwe Mann rises to become commander in chief of
the armed forces, many of his associates and Burmese businessmen would
welcome the move. In fact, they are banking on him.