BurmaNet News, August 21, 2008

[Editor]

August 21, 2008 Issue # 3539

INSIDE BURMA
Khonumthung: 44 children die of starvation; 2,000 flee to India
Irrawaddy: Gambari may leave without seeing Suu Kyi, Than Shwe
Irrawaddy: Junta disrobes, charges leading monk
DVB: 88 Generation leaders mark 1 year in detention
DVB: Official urges action against ‘bogus monks’
Myanmar Times: Local named top travel expert by US magazine

BUSINESS / TRADE
Irrawaddy: Migrants flow out of Burma as economic woes deepen

HEALTH / AIDS
Relief Web: Myanmar: Health cluster situation report no. 41

ASEAN
AFP: Singapore PM calls for speedy ratification of ASEAN charter

INTERNATIONAL
AFP: Indonesian Foreign Min says UN under pressure over Myanmar

OPINION / OTHER
Mizzima News: Dead-end in Burma for UN envoy - Larry Jagan
Irrawaddy: More US regional engagement needed (Editorial)

PRESS RELEASE
USCB: In a five-day trip to Burma, UN Envoy spent only 20 minutes with
representatives of Burma’s democracy movement
Burma Campaign UK responds to Chubb’s misleading Press Release

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

August 21, Khonumthung News
44 children die of starvation; 2,000 flee to India

Famine plaguing Chin state in western Burma killed 44 children after they
were afflicted by malnutrition and diarrhea, according to Chin National
Councils secretary Pu Ralhnin. Faced with starvation around 2,000 people
have fled to India.

"All the victims are children. They died from malnutrition and diarrhea,
Pu Ralhnin said.

The children who died from malnutrition and diarrhea - as a result of food
shortage in Chin state are from Surngen, Tisen (A, B), Sentun, Ngalang,
Lawngzuite, Lawngtlang villages in Thangtlang Township.

"Since they had nothing to eat, they looked for Yams in the jungle and had
it as their daily meal. It led to malnutrition and diarrhea," he added.

Meanwhile faced with starvation, around 2,000 villagers from Paletwa
Township, one of the worst affected areas in Chin state have fled to
Mizoram state in northeast India.

"I heard that around 2000 Khumi people from Paletwa region had arrived in
some areas in Mizoram close to the Indo-Burma border because they are
facing food shortage and there is nobody to help them,"  Terah,
coordinator of Chin Famine Emergency and Relief Committee based in Mizoram
said.

The villagers belong to the Khumi tribe from famine hit areas in Paletwa
township. They entered illegally to take refuge in Saiha district and
Lawngtlai district in Mizoram.

Terah also said that most of the villagers from Paletwa Township are in
search of whatever jobs are available in Mizoram for survival.

Bamboo flowering began on the Indo-Burma border in late 2006 leading to
multiplication of rats in the region. The rats gradually invaded the
farmlands and destroyed crops such as paddy and maize the main staple food
of Chin state.

As a result along the Indo-Burma border areas, over 100,000 people,
heavily dependant on cultivation are facing food shortage.

Initially, the most affected areas were Paletwa, Matupi, Thangtlang
township but later the phenomenon spread to northern Chin state.

Since early July, rodents started devouring crops in several farms of some
areas in Tamu and Kalay Township in Sagaing division. The farmers were
helpless, unable to contain the situation.

"Since early July, rats have been destroying several crops such as paddy
and maize planted in farms in our villagers," a villager from Khanpat
said.

Despite the local authorities distributing rat poison to farmers in Kalay
to prevent further spread of rats in the region, the farmers said that
using the poison is no longer effective.

The Burmese regime said that it had provided rat poison and around 1000
bags of rice to the affected areas in Chin state.

The locals from the affected areas in Chin state denied that they had
received any aid from local authorities.

www.khonumthung.com

____________________________________

August 21, Irrawaddy
Gambari may leave without seeing Suu Kyi, Than Shwe - Saw Yan Naing

With one day of his current visit to Burma left, UN Special Envoy Ibrahim
Gambari has still not met either opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi or
junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe, creating doubts that his mission will bring
any tangible results.

Sources within Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) said on
Wednesday that Gambari was expected to meet her that day, but no encounter
took place. It was rumored that Suu Kyi herself had cancelled the meeting
because she believed it would produce no result.

Some suggested that Suu Kyi wanted to make it clear to Gambari that she
thought he should also meet Than Shwe and urge the junta leader to begin
substantive talks.

Gambari met on Thursday with Aung Kyi, the “relations minister” appointed
by the military government to liaise between the NLD leader and the
regime.

The UN envoy met on Wednesday with members of the NLD central executive
committee of Burma’s main opposition group, the National League for
Democracy. The NLD complained they had not had sufficient time to discuss
all issues with Gambari, and NLD Spokesman Win Naing said the talks had
not been encouraging.

NLD member Ohn Kyaing said issues covered had included demands for the
release of political prisoners and reconciliation talks between Suu Kyi
and the regime.

Win Min, a Burmese political observer in Thailand, said positive results
could not be expected from Gambari’s visit unless he met Suu Kyi and the
two top generals and “policy makers,” Than Shwe and Vice Snr-Gen Maung
Aye.

The UN said Gambari had so far had 10 separate meetings with political
parties, civil society groups, student representatives and successful
candidates from the 1990 elections. He had also had talks on
socio-economic issues with officials from the Ministry of Health and the
Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development.

In other developments, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said
the UN Security Council was under “growing pressure” to take action
against the Burmese government unless it takes more credible steps toward
democracy.

Indonesia and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(Asean) will meet in Singapore this week and will consider the admission
of members of Burma's civilian government-in-exile as Asean observers.

Last weekend, a delegation of exiled Burmese politicians was invited to
attend a plenary session of the Indonesian House of Representatives
marking the 63rd anniversary of the archipelago's independence.

It was the first time exiled Burmese MP's had attended a parliamentary
session of an Asean member state.

They were the official guests of House Speaker Agung Laksono, who said the
invitation reflected Indonesia's support for Burma’s democracy movement
and a desire to see change in Burma.

____________________________________

August 21, Irrawaddy
Junta disrobes, charges leading monk - Wai Moe

The leader of the All Burma Monks’ Alliance (ABMA), Ashin Gambira, has
been disrobed by the authorities and charged with multiple criminal
offenses in the aftermath of the 2007 uprising.

His lawyer, Aung Thein, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that Gambira told
him the authorities disrobed him after his arrest in November 2007 without
following traditional procedures or consulting relevant monks’
organizations.

“Ashin Gambira said the authorities, under Buddhist rules, had no right to
disrobe him or to charge him with criminal offenses,” said Aung Thein.

The ABMA was a key organization behind the 2007 nationwide uprising.

Gambira appeared in court on Wednesday in Insein Prison with three other
monks and five citizens, all of who face multiple charges under State
Offence Act 505  A or B, Immigration Act 13/1, Illegal Organization Act
17/1, Electronic Act 303 A and Organization Act 6.

His lawyer said the charges have to do with immigration laws, contacting
banned organizations, illegal contacts with foreign organizations through
the Internet and other offenses.

The next court date for Gambari and his colleagues was set for August 27,
said Aung Thein.

Since 1962, many monks have been arrested and charged with criminal
offenses, say people familiar with the military government.

Burmese monks, often joined by students and laborers, have been leaders in
many demonstrations protesting military rule. Monks were in the vanguard
of the 2007 uprising in which hundreds of thousands of people across the
country staged demonstrations in the largest mass uprising since 1988.

The regime is also believed to have killed monks, hundreds of whom remain
in prison or are still missing.

The Burmese junta officially supports Theravada Buddhism and has banned
other forms of Buddhism.

“During British colonial rule, some monks were arrested for their
political activities and imprisoned, but they were never disrobed by the
colonizers,” said Bo Kyi, joint-secretary of the Assistance Association
for Political Prisoners-Burma, which has offices in Thailand.

“Under the junta, many monks have been arrested and disrobed for their
conscientious objection.  on this basis alone, the junta’s Buddhist faith
is called into question,” he said.

____________________________________

August 21, Democratic Voice of Burma
88 Generation leaders mark 1 year in detention

It is approaching a year since 88 Generation Student group leaders
including Min Ko Naing were arrested after staging a peaceful march
against hikes in fuel and commodity prices.

On 19 August 2007, after the military government doubled the price of fuel
without prior warning, 88 Generation Student group leaders walked from
Kokine junction to Tamwe market in Rangoon in protest.

They had attended a memorial service for the late National League for
Democracy leader U Kyi Maung, who died in 2004, and decided to walk to
Tamwe rather than pay for bus fares which had shot up due to the increased
fuel prices.

More than 400 people joined the march.

Three days later, authorities arrested more than 20 student leaders,
including Min Ko Naing, Ko Pyone Cho, Ko Mya Aye, Ko Min Zeya, Ko Jimmy,
Ko Arnt Bwe Kyaw, Ko Marki and Panni Tun Ko Yin Tun.

The families of the activists said they were told their relatives were
being taken in for questioning, but they remain in detention almost a year
later.

They face charges of opposing the national convention, illegal possession
of foreign currency and violations of press and electronics laws, among
many others, but have not yet been tried.

Arnt Bwe Kyaw’s mother Daw Tin Tin Win said she had expected her son to be
released soon after his detention.

“They never committed any serious crime,” Daw Tin Tin Win said.

“When they came to get him, they told me that it was just for temporary
questioning and assured me that he wasn’t being arrested and that he would
be released the following day,” she said.

“So I am still living with the hope that he might come home soon.”

U Win Maung, father of Pyone Cho, said he regretted that he could not do
anything to help his son.

“I am in a position where I can do nothing for him. From business to
social life, everything is empty. It is like a deliberate waste of life,”
he said.

The price of commodities has doubled since the demonstrators’ arrests and
the price of consumer goods continued to increase since Cyclone Nargis hit
Burma in May, according to housewives and merchants.

Before his arrest, Hla Myo Naung said there would continue to be unrest
for as long as people continued to experience difficulties in their daily
lives.

“Consider the root cause of this disease. Consider the ways to prevent
this disease from recurring,” he said.

“I believe that we need to send a message to the ruling government openly
and clearly.”

NLD members and supporters again marked the passing of NLD chairman U Kyi
Maung today with religious ceremonies in Rangoon.

Poet Pyapon Nilon Oo said supporters of U Kyi Maung had visited
monasteries and made donations.

“We invited three monks to the house of a pupil of U Kyi Maung and offered
nourishment to them. There were 30 people,” the poet said.

“As Sasana Theikpan Monastery was sealed off, we went to the monasteries
where the monks from Sasana Theikpan are living and offered them
nourishment. We also donated money and materials,” he said.

“Then we offered prayers and drip the holy water in memory of Saya
[Teacher] U Kyi Maung.”

____________________________________

August 21, Democratic Voice of Burma
Official urges action against ‘bogus monks’

A government official in Arakan state has urged abbots to take action
against “bogus monks”, though a local monk said poverty had driven people
to dress as monks in the hope of receiving food.

The state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper said yesterday that the
matter of bogus monks was raised with religious committees in Sittwe on 18
August.

“Religious matters concerning taking action against bogus monks and
novices were supplicated to 28 members of the Sangha of All Ganas State
and Township Sangha Nayaka Committees at Maha Waiyan Sasana Beikman of
Lawkananda Pagoda,” the New Light article said.

The acting religious affairs officer of the Arakan state Religious Affairs
Department, U Tin Win, said he recognised the committees’ work in
“carrying out three major tasks of purification, perpetuation and
propagation of the Sasana”, but claimed that there were still a small
number of bogus monks and novices.

The article reported that six people had been exposed for posing as monks
and asking for donations without having been ordained, while some young
monks were reported to have drunk alcohol.

U Tin Win urged abbots to take action against the culprits, who the
article said tarnished the dignity of the Sangha and the image of the
Sasana.

“[U Win Tin] urged the Sayadaws to take action against them under the
directives and Vinichaya procedures and tell them to reside in monasteries
in accord with rules and regulations prescribed,” the article said.

But an Arakan monk insisted that people are only resorting to this kind of
behaviour because the government fails to provide them with the means to
meet their basic needs.

“People are very poor and they are wearing monks’ robes to beg for food to
feed their families,” the monk said.

“People are very poor. They dare not steal. They dare not rob. They have
to survive somehow by living as fake monks,” he said.

“The government has the responsibility to provide people with food and
healthcare.”

Another monk told DVB that around 50 monks had planned to protest on 18
August in Sittwe but the authorities got wind of the plan and hastily
called a meeting of abbots to pressure the monks.

But the monks warned that there would be more unrest for as long as people
are struggling to survive.

The streets of Sittwe are currently being patrolled by armed security
personnel due to the upcoming anniversary of the day more than 200 Sittwe
monks started widespread demonstrations against the government’s fuel
price hike on 28 August last year.

____________________________________

August 18-24, Myanmar Times
Local named top travel expert by US magazine - Zaw Win Than

U William Myatwunna poses with a copy of the August 2008 issue of Condé
Nast Traveler magazine, in which he is named one of the world’s 128 Top
Travel Specialists.

U WILLIAM Myatwunna, the managing director of Yangon-based Good News
Travels, has been selected as one of the world’s top travel specialists by
the Condé Nast Traveler magazine. The US-based publication revealed its
list of the world’s 128 Top Travel Specialists in its August issue.

“I’m honoured to be recognised by Condé Nast Traveler magazine for being
one of the world’s top travel specialists,” said U William Myatwunna. “For
me, it’s a lot more than an individual achievement. I think it is a 

great advertisement for our tourism industry.”

“I’m really proud of my team, my company and my country for receiving this
prestigious award,” he said, adding that he has been invited to attend a
gala ceremony to receive his award on October 14 at Mandarin Oriental
Hotel in New York City.

The consumer news editor at Condé Nast Traveler, Ms Wendy Perrin, said
that to be included on the list, travel specialists “need to remain ahead
of online travel sites and need to offer a combination of insider advice,
local connections, added value and special access”.

According to a press statement from Good News Travels, listed travel
specialists have undergone a rigorous screening process that includes a
47-question application with sample itineraries and client references,
then continues with phone interviews and, in most cases, road-testing by
Condé Nest Traveler staff.

“Good News Travels stands as the only recommended company among a dozen
reliable travel companies listed in the Lonely Planet guidebook for
Myanmar published in 2005,” the statement said.

U William Myatwunna founded Good News Travels in 2001. The head office is
located on the fourth floor of FMI Centre on Bogyoke Aung San Road in
Yangon, with branch offices at all the major tourist sites in Myanmar.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

August 21, Irrawaddy
Migrants flow out of Burma as economic woes deepen - Lawi Weng

Burma’s economic troubles have been a boon to human traffickers in recent
months, keeping them busy at a time of year when wet conditions
traditionally slow the flow of migrants across the border into Thailand.

A source who is involved in smuggling migrant workers from Burma to
Thailand estimated that about 300 Burmese migrants are illegally
transported to Bangkok each day from border areas such as Mae Sot, Three
Pagodas Pass, Mae Sai and Ranong.

The most popular crossing point is Mae Sot, which is separated from the
neighboring Burmese town of Myawaddy by the Moei River. Burmese routinely
cross the river, either over the Thai-Burma Friendship Bridge, which links
the two towns, or on inflated inner tubes.

According to the source, who is based in Mae Sot, about 150 people are
smuggled from Mae Sot to Bangkok every day.

Three Pagodas Pass, near the Thai town of Sangkhlaburi, is another major
point of entry, with around 60 Burmese migrants leaving the area for
Bangkok daily, according to local businessman Nai Lawi Mon.

Some local observers suggested that the steady influx was due to the
impact of Cyclone Nargis, which slammed into Burma’s largely agricultural
Irrawaddy delta on May 2-3, destroying cropland and leaving many farmers
without any means of making a living.

“Normally, very few people come to Thailand during the rainy season,” said
Nai Lawi Mon. “But this year we are seeing more and more people coming.”

Cyclone Nargis hit Burma at a time when inflation and unemployment were
already at their highest levels in years, forcing a growing number of
Burmese to flee to neighboring countries in search of work.

It is estimated that there are more than a million Burmese migrants living
and working in Thailand, of whom around 500,000 are registered with the
Thai Ministry of Labor.

The perils of their journey were highlighted in April, when 54 Burmese
migrants suffocated to death while being transported in a container truck
from Ranong, near the Burmese border town of Kawthaung, to the Thai resort
island of Phuket.

Although the tragedy prompted officials to step up efforts to stem the
tide of illegal migrants into Thailand, Burmese continue to make the trip
in a desperate bid to find jobs to support themselves and their families.

Many end up in Mahachai, home to the highest concentration of Burmese
migrant workers in Thailand. Located a short distance from Bangkok,
Mahachai attracts thousands of Burmese with low-paying jobs in the fish
processing industry that are shunned by most Thais.

Mi Wot arrived in Mahachai a week ago and is still looking for work. She
said she paid 460,000 kyat (US $383) for the trip. She made the journey,
her first into Thailand, with ten other people, hiding in the back of a
truck under a tarpaulin for three nights. The trip took so long, she
explained, because of the numerous checkpoints along the way.

While Thai efforts seem to be doing little to prevent illegal migration
into the country, the Burmese authorities have been carrying out a
crackdown on their side of the border that appears to be having some
effect, at least for now.

According to Maung Tu, a local businessman in Kawthaung, the human traffic
into the neighboring Thai province of Ranong has slowed perceptibly in
recent weeks.

Normally, several hundred people cross into Thailand each day; at the
moment, the flow has been reduced to a trickle of around 30-50 people a
day, according to sources in the area. Similar numbers have been reported
in Mae Sai, near the Burmese town of Tachilek.

Meanwhile, the cost of smuggling migrants from Mae Sot to Bangkok has
increased by about 2,000 Baht ($58) recently. It now costs 14,000 Baht
($412) make the trip to the Thai capital, sources said.

____________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

August 20, Relief Web
Myanmar: Health cluster situation report no. 41

WHO has facilitated the donation of a portable Water Purification System
that can cater to the needs of up to 5000 people, from the Norwegian
Government to the Government of Myanmar.

Approximately K31,000 million Kyat is estimated to be required for health
sector recovery, according to the Health Cluster Early Recovery Strategy
Paper.

There has been no major change in the status of measles, meningitis and
dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) compared to previous weeks.

HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND SITUATION UPDATE

The Government of Myanmar is now focusing on recovery and rehabilitation
work. In the health sector, the overall objective of the health recovery
strategy is to ensure, strengthen and revitalize systems and build
capacities to improve the health outcomes of the population in the
affected areas. K31,000 million Kyat is estimated to be required for
health sector recovery, according to the Health Cluster Early Recovery
Strategy Paper.

HEALTH CLUSTER RESPONSE

1. Disease Surveillance

The Early Warning, Alert and Response system (EWARS) disease surveillance
bulletin for week 33 (10-16 August 2008) has not reported any major change
in the status of measles, meningitis and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF)
compared to previous weeks.

Three new cases of measles have been reported for this week, from Labutta.
The number of new cases is lower than in previous weeks.

Nine acute Jaundice cases have been reported from the two affected divisions.

DHF cases increased from 17 cases in last week to 33 cases in this week.
Sporadic DHF cases were reported from Labutta (4 ), Mawlamyinegyun (2),
Pyapon (1) and Wakema (1). However most of the cases (24) are from Pathein
divisional Hospital.

Two cases of meningitis (1 case from Ngaputaw Township and 1 case from
Pathein divisional hospital) have been reported.

MoH at Yangon communicates daily with all Township Medical Officers (TMOs)
of affected areas to provide technical guidance, and a rapid response to
any pertinent issue by the Regional Officer of Disease Control Programmes.
MoH has emphasized the importance of improving reporting on onset of
diseases to avoid duplication, and of confirmation of the cases. A line
listing in this regard is helpful. MoH has developed a referral form for
patients.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/AMMF-7HQG63?OpenDocument

____________________________________
ASEAN

August 21, Agence France Presse
Singapore PM calls for speedy ratification of ASEAN charter

Singapore on Wednesday called for speedy ratification of an ASEAN charter,
which requires the bloc to uphold ideals of democracy and human rights and
to make legally binding commitments.

In a speech to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
parliamentarians, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the
charter was an important part of the process for ASEAN to establish a
single market and manufacturing base by 2015.

"The charter has already been ratified by seven member countries and we
look forward to its eventual and expeditious ratification by all members,"
Lee said in a speech to the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).

Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam have
already ratified the document, which commits members to "strengthen
democracy, enhance good governance and the rule of law, and to promote and
protect human rights and fundamental freedoms."

The three other ASEAN states -- Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand --
have yet to ratify the document.

Chai Chidchob, president of Thailand's National Assembly and speaker of
the House of Representatives, said he expected the Thai parliament to
ratify the charter by September.

"There's no problem," he told AFP.

Indonesia's parliamentary speaker Agung Laksono said he was hopeful his
country's legislature would ratify by December but said the charter needed
thorough scrutiny.
ASEAN's target is for all 10 members to ratify by the end of the year,
when leaders hold their annual summit in Bangkok.

"The parliament just received from the government the draft of the ASEAN
charter. The parliament is right now in the process of studying the
charter carefully," Laksono told reporters.

He said he wanted to ensure "that the charter is indeed implementable, not
just only a concept on paper", and each paragraph would be "considered
carefully."

Rizal Sukma, deputy executive director of the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies in Jakarta, has urged Indonesia not to ratify the
charter in its current form.

In an article posted on the think-tank's website, Sukma described the
charter as "fraught with promises, without any reference as to how those
promises are going to be delivered in reality."

He cited the absence of a mechanism to ensure that members comply with
their commitments.

But Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told AFP in Jakarta on
Wednesday that his country's parliament could ratify the charter as early
as next month.

"We're a very open society discussing the pros and cons -- it's normal,"
he said, acknowledging there were "cynics" in Indonesia who questioned the
bloc's relevance.

The Philippines was represented at the Singapore meeting by members of the
House of Representatives, which does not have the power to ratify
international pacts. That role is vested in the upper house of parliament,
the Senate.

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has warned her country would be
hard-pressed to ratify the ASEAN charter if Myanmar refused to embrace
democracy and free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The charter aims to give ASEAN a legal framework and sets out principles
and rules for members while transforming the 41-year-old bloc into a legal
entity, a move that would give it greater clout in international
negotiations.

The charter resulted from a long and controversial drafting process that
saw some of the strong recommendations from ASEAN elder statesmen watered
down or dropped, including provisions on sanctions and expulsion.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

August 21, Agence France Presse
Indonesian Foreign Min says UN under pressure over Myanmar

The U.N. Security Council is under "growing pressure" to act against
Myanmar's military regime unless it takes more credible steps toward
democracy, Indonesia's foreign minister said Wednesday.

Hassan Wirajuda said Myanmar's partners in the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (Asean) were consulting with Security Council member China
and other countries to try to nudge the junta toward genuine democratic
reform.

"There's growing pressure to bring the Myanmar case back to the UN
Security Council. So we are not sitting quietly, we are doing what we can
do to help...ensure a more credible process," he told reporters.

"This is a difficult issue...and I don't expect much that there will be a
big change in Myanmar." Indonesia is a non-permanent member of the
Security Council and a founding member of Asean. China has good relations
with Myanmar's junta and has blocked previous U.S.-led calls for UN
sanctions.

The U.S., the European Union and Australia slapped tougher sanctions on
Myanmar's military regime in the wake of the bloody suppression of
pro-democracy protests in September last year.

Washington warned Myanmar's military rulers last month that they must
cooperate with U.N. mediator Ibrahim Gambari or face increased pressure
from the council.

Gambari was expected to meet Myanmar's detained democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi in Yangon on Wednesday, sources in her National League for
Democracy party said.

Gambari is on a mission to relaunch talks between the detained Nobel peace
prize winner and the military, which has ruled Myanmar since 1962 and
refuses to recognise her landslide victory in 1990 elections.

The generals plan to hold elections in 2010 under a new constitution which
bars Aung San Suu Kyi from running for office and gives the military broad
powers to intervene in government.

"Myanmar claims to have a new constitution and these elections will be
multi- party elections, but what is important for us at Asean is to ensure
that a more credible process is taking place," Wirajuda said.

He said the elections and the "follow-up transfer of power" in 2010 had to
be "acceptable to the international community." Aung San Suu Kyi has been
under house arrest for most of the past 18 years.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

August 21, Mizzima News (Analysis)
Dead-end in Burma for UN envoy - Larry Jagan

The UN's special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari's current mission to help
break the political deadlock between the military junta and the detained
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi seems to be heading towards complete
failure.

His efforts to establish a dialogue between the sides has collapsed and he
is expected to leave on Friday empty-handed. Even Aung San Suu Kyi -- the
charismatic, leader of National League for Democracy or NLD-- has refused
to see him so far during this trip, although he met her on all his
previous visits.

Nevertheless, he also failed to meet any senior members of the country's
ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). His failure to
accomplish anything at all during this visit now raises serious doubts
about his future role, and the UN's mediation efforts in Burma as a whole.

Mr. Gambari has had a busy schedule – meeting many people nominated by the
regime to brief him -- but so far has been unable to meet any senior
representatives of the regime. Instead he has been left kicking his heels
in Rangoon.

The senior leaders, including the top general Than Shwe – who are all
ensconced in their new capital Naypyidaw some 400 kilometres north of the
old capital-- have been keen to keep him at arms length, and insisted he
could meet everyone he needed to in Rangoon. The key meeting he wanted
though, with the opposition icon, Aung San Suu Kyi, has also not taken
place yet and is unlikely too according to sources inside Burma.

The UN envoy originally planned to meet her at the State Guesthouse on
Wednesday, but she did not show up, according to NLD sources in Rangoon --
although UN officials in Burma contacted by Mizzima declined to confirm a
meeting had been scheduled. "Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is refusing to see the
UN envoy before he sees a senior representative of the SPDC," an
opposition source close to the detained leader told Mizzima on condition
of anonymity.

She feels there is no point in meeting Mr Gambari at the moment, as he has
nothing from the Generals to report or offer, he said. "She definitely
won't see him if he does not meet a top member of the regime," he said.

Many members of the pro-democracy movement in Burma no longer trust the UN
envoy and feel it is no longer in their interests to co-operate with the
process.

For many Asian diplomats though her actions are an affront. "It's un-Asian
to let the envoy wait in vain for her to show up," said a Japanese
diplomat, who closely follows Burma.

"It seems unusually rude, to the extent that it gives the impression of
being insensitive." It will only serve to further undermine Mr. Gambari's
credibility and strengthen the regime's belief that she is ill-tempered
and uncompromising, the diplomat added.

On the other hand, some diplomats believe it may actually boost Mr.
Gambari's hopes of seeing Than Shwe, or another senior member of the SPDC.
She may also be concerned at the protocol implications of meeting the UN
envoy – as leader of the opposition, while he is only allowed to see
junior members of the government.

"My hunch is that having stood him up once, she has made her point, and
will agree to see him before the end of his visit," said a Rangoon-based
western diplomat.

This is former Nigerian foreign minister's fourth trip to Burma since the
brutal crack-down on the massive Buddhist monk-led protests a year ago and
six visits to Burma since he replaced the previous envoy Ismail Razali
more than three years ago.

In November last year, he smuggled out and made public a letter from the
opposition leader that appealed to the country's military leaders to put
aside their differences with her and to work together on national
reconciliation for the sake of the whole country. This infuriated the
regime, who denounced her claims in the state media for weeks afterwards.

So far on this trip Mr. Gambari has met only lower-ranking officials from
the junta, including the foreign affairs minister Nyan Win and the
information minister Brig. Gen. Kyaw Hsan. On Thursday, he also met the
minister in charge of liaising with Aung San Suu Kyi -- the labour
minister Aung Kyi -- who held several round of talks with the NLD leader
after last October 2007, but has not seen her since January.

On Wednesday, Mr. Gambari was wheeled around meeting many small political
parties that are all likely to contest the elections planned for 2010.
Most of them were pro-government groups, including the dreaded Union
Solidarity and Development Association which is expect to form at least
three different political parties by the end of this year to contest the
forthcoming elections.

He was only allowed a 20-minute meeting with five NLD leaders from the
central executive committee – including Chairman Aung Shwe and Secretary U
Lwin. Vice President U Tin Oo and Secretary-General Aung San Suu Kyi of
course were absent – as they are both being detained under house arrest.
It was a very inconclusive meeting, according to a NLD member who was
present.

"He did say he had recommended that the government release all political
prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi – and urged them to make sure the
2010 elections are open and fair  -- but refused to talk about the 1990
election result," he said. The NLD overwhelmingly won those elections by a
land-slide but were never allowed to form a government.

The international community, especially China has exerted substantial
pressure behind the scenes on the junta to allow the UN envoy to visit the
country. He originally wanted to return to Burma before the referendum
that was held in May, despite the devastation caused by the Cyclone Nargis
to Rangoon and the fertile and densely populated Irrawaddy Delta to the
west of the former capital.

"The regime's only interest in allowing Gambari back is to try to get him
to endorse their roadmap," said Win Min, an independent Burmese academic
based in Chiang Mai.

"They have forced the new constitution through a sham referendum, and now
they are planning elections that are likely to be less than fair or free.
They're not interested in anything else. They have no intentions of
changing their minds or making oncessions to the international community –
let alone starting a genuine political dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and
other democratic or ethnic forces."

Mr. Gambari's priorities on this mission were to try to kick-start talks
between the two sides, press for the release of all political prisoners,
including Aung San Suu Kyi, and discuss the junta's roadmap and the
planned elections in 2010. The UN envoy did in fact raise all these issues
with the government during his meeting with the information minister Kyaw
Hsan earlier this week – but no response has yet been forthcoming. At
least he did not get a ticking off this time – as he did when he met the
government's spokesman last time. General Kyaw Hsan accused him of being
ignorant, insensitive and irrelevant to Burma's future. The envoy's offer
to provide international observers for the referendum on a new
constitution was also roundly rebuffed.

Although Mr. Gambari may have avoided a dressing down this time, the
regime obviously has no less contempt for him than previously – but this
time the strategy seems to be to try to educate him so that he will accept
the regime's Road Map to 'disciplined democracy'.  On Thursday the regime
pressed with its efforts to convince him with a long meeting with the
Chairman of the referendum commission. But the junta are unlikely to get
any joy from Mr. Gambari on this score.

"Individual governments are free to endorse or reject the roadmap," Mr.
Gambari told Mizzima in an exclusive interview prior to his last trip to
Burma in March.

"The UN's responsibility is to uphold international norms and standards,
which countries apply in very different ways from one situation to
another. It is not for the UN to take a position on the issue, beyond
reporting objectively the views and concerns of all parties, which I have
done and will continue to do," he added.

This time though Mr. Gambari is also reportedly trying to prepare the
ground for the forthcoming visit of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
later this year. He has passed a letter onto Than Shwe from the UN chief,
according to diplomats in Rangoon.

The planned visit, pencilled in for December, according to senior UN
officials in New York, remains tentative. "The SG has also indicated his
intention to return to Myanmar (Burma), when conditions are right, to
continue his dialogue with the Myanmar leadership," a senior UN
spokesperson, Marie Okabe told journalists earlier this week. That means
Mr. Gambari being able to continue his role in providing a channel of
communication between the junta leaders and the pro-democracy opposition.

____________________________________

August 21, Irrawaddy
More US regional engagement needed (Editorial)

The US has always strongly supported the efforts of the Burmese people to
achieve freedom from military rule, and the current administration has
been no exception. Although often criticized at home and abroad for his
foreign policy, President George W Bush has won the respect of most
Burmese for his firm stand on the repressive regime in Naypyidaw.

In 2003, the US introduced the Freedom and Democracy Act in response to
the ruthless attack on Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters in the central
Burmese town of Depayin. In 2005, Bush identified Burma as one of the
world’s “outposts of tyranny,” together with Cuba, Iran, North Korea,
Zimbabwe and Belarus.

Last year, following the crackdown on the September uprising, he roundly
condemned the regime and tightened sanctions against the generals and
their cronies. As a further sign of support, the US Congress awarded its
highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, to Suu Kyi last
December. And in July, Bush signed into law the Burma Jade Act, which
restricts the import of precious stones from Burma and extends existing
import sanctions.

Bush has often been accused of interpreting complex issues in black and
white. But while many condemn him for trying to impose his political
vision on Iraq, few can argue that, in the case of Burma, he has failed to
take a genuinely principled stand that is perfectly consistent with
reality.

Bush and his wife Laura take a strong personal interest in Burma. In early
August, the president and his wife set a precedent by meeting with Burmese
exiles in Thailand and visiting a Burmese refugee camp there. This is the
first time in Burma’s political history that a US president and his wife
have paid special attention to the country’s democratic struggle and
humanitarian situation.

The Burmese people are indeed fortunate to have the support of both Bush
and his wife, who has also been a real driving force in keeping Burma at
the top of the international political agenda.

However, it must be noted that there is no shortage of criticism of the
Bush policy on Burma.

Some critics point out Burma is a less controversial foreign policy issue
for the embattled president, and that when it comes to dealing with the
Naypyidaw regime he’s on the side of the angels.

Other critics say sanctions alone will not work if the US is serious about
working for genuine political change in Burma, and that Washington has to
engage even more with key players in the region, such as China and Asean
nations. The US has downgraded its diplomatic mission in Burma since the
1988 massacre although it has recently built a new embassy in Rangoon.

It’s also noted that the US has no strategic interests in Burma, in
contrast to China, which has become a major trading partner and arms
supplier, particularly since 1989.

The regime has consequently been able to count on China’s support in
international arenas such as the UN, where Beijing continues to block
discussion of the Burma issue in the Security Council by using its veto.

Some say the US should have a more far-sighted Burma policy in preparation
for the political transition period following the planned 2010 election
and the eventual departure of junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe from the
scene.

One area the US should consider closely is how to conduct relations with
the armed forces, or Tatmadaw. Over the past decade, the US, more than the
EU and other western nations, has made many friends in the democracy
movement and in the opposition groups, within and outside the country.
However, the US still cannot identify its friends and agents of change
within the Burmese armed forces.

There are undoubtedly many Burmese army officers who want Than Shwe to
make peace with the world’s most powerful country and who want to see the
US take a more aggressive and pro-active policy. Some military officials
would like to witness the US help create more maneuvering space inside the
armed forces so that moderate forces could move against Than Shwe and his
clique.

Critics and the Burmese opposition alike want the US to invest more
political capital, by watching closely developments within the Tatmadaw
and conducting shuttle diplomacy between Asean and Washington.

The plain fact is that the regime is not sustainable. Washington must
develop short and long-term strategies, maintaining its sanctions while
engaging itself more aggressively within the region, working closely with
its allies and partners there.

Such engagement could also settle the question of whether there is real
political will in the US to effect substantive change in Burma—and put
paid to the idea that Washington is simply offering moral support to the
victims of a heinous regime in order to burnish its image as a defender of
freedom.

____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE

August 21, U.S. Campaign for Burma
In a five-day trip to Burma, UN Envoy spent only 20 minutes with
representatives of Burma’s democracy movement

Envoy Ignores Most Democracy Groups, Makes Meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi
Virtually Impossible

(Washington, DC and New York) According to informed sources inside Burma
(also known as Myanmar); on Wednesday, August 20th the United Nations
“seriously misrepresented” its mission to Burma led by the
Secretary-General’s Special Envoy Mr. Ibrahim Gambari.

The misrepresentation offers a rare window into the reasons that the UN
Secretary-General’s special envoy to Burma has failed to make any progress
despite a sizeable budget, the backing of the Secretary-General, and
numerous trips to the country.

According to a release issued by the UN press office in New York on August
20th, the special envoy Mr. Gambari, whose mission is to facilitate a
meaningful and time-bound political dialogue between the Burmese military
regime, the National League for Democracy, and the representatives of
ethnic political parties, held “10 separate meetings with political
parties and civil society groups, including members of the Central
Executive Committee of the National League for Democracy, student
representatives and elected individuals from the 1990 elections.”

This statement is not only misleading but patently false -- Gambari did
not meet with "political parties and civil society groups," With the
exception of the NLD.  Instead, the UN Envoy met with nine Burmese groups,
all of which are supporters and proxies of Burma's military regime.

For example, Gambari met with the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers
of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), the major funder of the regime's brutal
militia "Swan-Arr-Shin".  This group led the regime's efforts in attacking
and killing peaceful monks and democracy activists during and after last
September's Saffron Revolution.  Gambari also met with the notorious Union
Solidarity and Development Association, a group comparable to Hitler's
"Brown Shirts," that carried out an assassination attempt on Nobel Peace
Prize recipient Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in May 2003.  During that attack
dozens of her party members were killed. Gambari also met with the
National Unity Party, the military-backed political party that lost
severely to the NLD in 1990 elections -- gaining only 10 out of 485 seats
in parliament. He also met with the 88 Generation Students and Youth,
another pro-junta group, which had campaigned to support the regime’s
constitution. This group is not related to the major dissident group, the
“88 Generation Students”; instead, it is a front group formed by the
regime to counter the activities of real student activists.

During the first four days of his five-day trip, Gambari appears to have
spent most of his time meeting and dining with low level officials of the
regime and pro-regime groups, with the exception of three hours of
meetings with the UN Country Team, foreign diplomats and ICRC officials,
while spending only 20 minutes with Central Executive Committee Members of
the NLD on August 20, 2008, from 3:00 to 3:20 PM.

“How can Gambari achieve anything when he allows the Burmese regime to
dictate his schedule and spends only 20 minutes with pro-democracy
groups?" said Jeremy Woodrum, co-founder of the U.S. Campaign for Burma.
“Even in this rare 20-minute meeting, Gambari urged NLD leaders to
participate in a sham 2010 election that guarantees all key government
ministries to the military. The Burmese democracy movement is losing its
trust in him and the United Nations,” continued Woodrum.  “Because Gambari
has kowtowed to the regime on his schedule, he was even unable to meet
Aung San Suu Kyi, because she had made a simple request that she meet with
Gambari and her political party members at the same time.”

In contrast, Gambari did not meet with Burma's most influential opposition
groups, including:

1) All Burma Monks’ Alliance (ABMA), a powerful organization of young
Buddhist monks which led peaceful protests in September of last year. Many
leaders of ABMA, including Ashin Gambira, are now in prison, sentenced to
death.

2) 88 Generation Student Group, prominent dissident group comprised of
former student leaders who have spent 10 to 16 years in prison for their
belief in democracy and human rights. Many leaders of the group, such as
prominent figure Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Pyone Cho, Mya Aye and Htay
Kywe, are in prison.

3) The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), a major ethnic
political party that won the second largest seats in the Parliament in the
1990 election. Its leaders Hkun Htun Oo and Sai Nyunt Lwin are in prison.

4)  The Committee Representing the People’s Parliament, a group of
parliamentarians that represent Burma’s last democratically elected
parliament.

5) A key group of 92 members of parliament-elect, who have sent letters to
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN Security Council, among them, two,
U Nyi Pu and Dr. Tin Min Htut, were recently arrested. Others important
figures -- U Pu Chin Sian Thang, U Thein Pe and Dr. Myint Naing -- are
available in Rangoon but have not been contacted by Gambari.##

For more information, contact: Aung Din (202) 234-8022

____________________________________

August 21, Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK responds to Chubb’s misleading Press Release

We were very surprised to see Chubb’s press release of 19 August 2008
claiming that Burma Campaign had put out an inaccurate press release,
especially as all the information we had about Chubb’s involvement in
Burma came from Chubb itself.

We first contacted Chubb by post and fax on June 27th 2008 alerting them
to the documents we had acquired which stated that Chubb had an office in
Burma. As Chubb admit in their statement these documents were available on
their website. We considered the documents to be up to date as they had
last been updated on February 5th 2008.

When we failed to receive a response from Chubb we contacted them by phone
and email on July 23rd. At no on July 23rd did Chubb provide information
that the office had been closed.

We received a response from Chubb on August 9th 2008. The company stated
that they do not have an office in Burma, admitted that the document on
their website was out of date and that the office had been closed.
However, the company failed to provide us with a date for when the office
was closed. There was no suggestion that the office had been closed for
many years, indeed the company admitted that our correspondence had
initiated an internal review in the company.

Chubb contacted us by telephone after we issued the August 19th press
release. The company stated that they had closed the office many years
ago. This is the first indication we received that the office had not been
closed recently. When we asked them to tell us when the office was closed,
they were unable to. The first confirmation we received that the company
had closed the office for 11 years was in an email received at 17:37 UK
time on August 19th.

We are disappointed by Chubb’s behaviour in this matter, as they have
accused us of issuing an inaccurate press release. However, the press
release was based on the information they provided us. Even on the day we
issued our press release Chubb were initially unable to clarify exactly
when the office was closed.