BurmaNet News, June 13 - 15, 2009

[Editor]

June 13, 2009, Issue #3734


INSIDE BURMA
DVB: Burmese junta cracks down on Suu Kyi’s party
DVB: Political prisoners put in solitary confinement
Mizzima News: Junta seeks regional support: Win Tin
Irrawaddy: Junta bars monks from traveling abroad

BUSINESS / TRADE
IMNA: Heavy rains destroy rice crop and famer livelihoods’

REGIONAL
AFP: South Korea firms 'linked to Myanmar gas abuse'
Irrawaddy: Burma-Sri Lanka connection: Religion and terrorism

INTERNATIONAL
AP: Celebrities tweet for Suu Kyi's release in Myanmar

OPINION / OTHER
Irrawaddy: China must get tough on Burma too – Yeni
Nation (Thailand): UN should treat Burma as it has North Korea – Editorial
Guardian (UK): Aung San Suu Kyi trial delayed but there is no doubt about
the outcome – Mark Canning

PRESS RELEASE
Amnesty International: Former political prisoners call for Aung San Suu
Kyi’s release
EarthRights International: Korean government fails to investigate Korean
corporations’ involvement in abuses connected to gas project in Burma

ANNOUNCEMENT
FBPPN: Press Conference: Free Burma's Political Prisoners Now! petition to
be delivered to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon




____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

June 15, Democratic Voice of Burma
Burmese junta cracks down on Suu Kyi’s party – Yee May Aung

Three members of the National League for Democracy were arrested last week
on unspecified charges while another elderly member had his property
vandalised by men armed with slingshots.

Members of the NLD, whose leader Aung San Suu Kyi is currently on trial
for alleged breach of house arrest conditions, suffer frequent harassment
and intimidation from Burmese authorities.

The two cases, both of which occurred last Friday, coincided with a police
raid on the house of Thi Han, an NLD youth member involved in a photo
campaign to raise public awareness of the Suu Kyi trial.

“Some government officials showed up, claiming they need to check for
[unregistered] guests at his house on evening of June 12,” said fellow NLD
member Win Naing.

“They said they had some information about his house and searched
thoroughly before leaving without finding anything.”

Meanwhile, a teashop owned by the financial director of the NLD in
Mandalay division was damaged when unknown men fired slingshot pellets.

“They came in the deep of night on June 12
and broke some florescence
light sticks in the teashop,” said 60-year-old Ko Ko Gyi, who was also
involved in the photo campaign.

“We found out that the pellets they used were made hard by baking them in
the fire – this shows that the attack was well-prepared.”

He added that he had filed a complaint with local authorities but would
not be notifying police.

“I’m not going to bother opening a case with the police as we all know who
is backing the attackers,” he said.

Two prominent NLD members called to testify in Suu Kyi’s defence were
disqualified by the court last month for reasons unknown.

According to the Association for Political Prisoners-Burma (AAPP), around
450 NLD members are currently serving jail sentences in Burma.

Reports emerged last week that five political prisoners, including an NLD
member, were transferred to solitary confinement after prison authorities
got wind that they were planning a protest against Suu Kyi’s trial.


____________________________________

June 15, Democratic Voice of Burma
Political prisoners put in solitary confinement – Nan Kham Kaew

Five political prisoners in Burma’s Insein prison have been put in
solitary confinement after prison authorities suspected them of planning
to demonstrate against the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Three of the detainees are reportedly in bad health. Nine Nine, a 1990
elected people’s parliamentary representative who is serving 21 years, has
been suffering from stomach problems for nearly 15 years, according to his
wife.

“I was informed my husband and four other inmates were kept in solitary
confinement after someone tipped the prison officials about them planning
a protest in the prison,” said Tin Tin Hla.

“Apparently that information was wrong.” She added that prison authorities
had banned her from visiting Nine Nine, thereby denying him the medicine
she brought for his illness.

The four other detainees were identified as National League for Democracy
(NLD) lawyer Soe Han, NLD member Aung Naing, All-Burmese Federation of
Student Unions member Lwin Ko Latt and monk U Santimar.

Meanwhile, the leader of the All-Burma Monks Alliance (ABMA), U Gambira,
has been transferred from Hkamti prison to Kale prison in Sagaing
division, reportedly to receive medical care following an illness.

“In Hkamti Prison, he was having severe headaches at night so, he was
moaning and screaming,” said a relative of U Gambira, Ma Khin Mu Htay.

“Because of that, they stuffed clothes into his mouth. I also heard that
his legs were shackled and kept apart by a wooden bar and his hands were
handcuffed behind his back.”

She added that when his mother visited him in Hkamti, he was so weak he
struggled to speak.

The ABMA leader was active during the September 2007 protests, following
which he was jailed for 69 years. He had been previously been transferred
from Rangoon’s Insein Prison to Mandalay, then to Hkamti.

U Gambira's kin have also been jailed and transferred to Sittwe, Kyaukpyu,
Mergui, Moulmein, Taunggyi, and Loikaw Prisons, far from their families.

____________________________________

June 15, Mizzima News
Junta seeks regional support: Win Tin – Mungpi

Veteran journalist Win Tin said on Monday Burma’s military rulers are
going the whole hog to garner diplomatic support from regional countries
in the face of growing international condemnation over the trial of
Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Win Tin, who is also a central executive committee member of the Aung San
Suu Kyi led National League for Democracy said, the visit of Sri Lankan
President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa and Singapore’s Senior Minister Goh Chok
Tong are all part of the junta’s effort to cosy up to regional countries.

“Clearly, the junta is in a tight spot as the international community has
reacted more sharply than it had anticipated. And since it might be
difficult for the regime to try and influence the West, they at least want
the support of regional countries,” Win Tin added.

On Sunday, the junta’s mouthpiece newspaper reported the visit of Sri
Lankan President Rajapaksa to Burma. Rajapaksa was received in Naypyitaw
by the Burmese Army Chief Snr. Gen Than Shwe -- a rare gesture by the
junta supremo.

Similarly, Singapore’s former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on a four-day
visit to Burma last week had meetings with Than Shwe and other junta
brass.

Win Tin said, such visits are indications that the junta is seeking
support from regional countries. He said the junta had not anticipated
that there would be such a loud outcry from the international community by
putting on trial Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

“It [junta] seems to have miscalculated on the strong support for Aung San
Suu Kyi by the international community,” Win Tin said.

The junta wants to gauge China’s reaction over the mounting pressure and
is likely to go ahead and sentence the Burmese Nobel Peace Laureate, if
China gives the green signal, he said.

According to Win Tin, the junta is determined to sentence Aung San Suu Kyi
to a prison term and put her away before their proposed 2010 general
elections. But it had not anticipated such an outburst from the
international community.

Sources said Thura Shwe Mann, the third leader in the Burmese military
hierarchy, last week visited China without making any official
announcement. On Monday, the Chinese News Agency Xinhua reported that
Vice-Senior General Maung Aye, number two in the military hierarchy, is
visiting China.

Observers believe these visits are aimed at explaining and trying to
convince China about the junta’s stand regarding the trial of Aung San Suu
Kyi and the regime’s plans ahead.

Win Tin said, “Whatever the circumstances, the junta is likely go ahead
with its plan if China approves.”

____________________________________

June 15, Irrawaddy
Junta bars monks from traveling abroad – Min Lwin

Burma’s Ministry of Religious Affairs is effectively prohibiting Buddhist
monks from traveling abroad by refusing to issue letters of
recommendation, according to senior monks in Rangoon.

Without a letter of recommendation from the ministry a monk cannot apply
for a visa to travel to a foreign country.

A monk from a monastery near Rangoon’s revered Shwedagon Pagoda said that
Rangoon’s religious department stopped issuing the letters last week.

 “There are currently several monks in Rangoon who are waiting for visas
but who have been refused letters,” he said, adding that young Burmese
monks often travel abroad for Buddhist study, especially to India and Sri
Lanka.

Another source said that two Buddhist monks were recently barred from
flying by authorities at Rangoon’s Mingaladon International Airport
because, although they had foreign visas, they did not have letters of
recommendation from the government.

A monk who asked to remain anonymous told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the
officials at the religious affairs department had denied his application
for a letter, even though he was seeking to go abroad for health purposes.

“The officials said the restrictions were orders passed down by a senior
military general,” the monk said.

When The Irrawaddy asked an official from the Ministry of Religious
Affairs about the matter, he refused to comment.

The military government tightened restriction on Buddhist monks traveling
within Burma during the monk-led uprising of August-September 2007.

On September 27, 2007, the military government crackdown turned bloody and
dozens of monks were forced to flee their monasteries to escape arrest. It
is thought many fled the country at that time.

According to official data, there are more than 400,000 monks in Burma,
and its community, the Sangha, is considered one of the strongest and most
revered institutions in the country.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

June 15, Independent Mon News Agency
Heavy rains destroy rice crop and famer livelihoods – Rai Maraoh

Many rice farmers in Mon state are now facing problems from heavy rain
that has destroyed their rice seedlings by flooding the paddies, according
to farmers from Mudon Township.

Last week during particularly heavy rains in Mon State, the rice paddy
seedlings, which had already begun to grow, drowned in a deluge of water.

“All of my paddy seedlings were destroyed because of the heavy rain, which
did not stop for five days. Now Paddy fields have been flooded. So we also
can’t start to replant seedlings,” said a farmer from Mudon Township.

Because of these losses, some farmers who do not have enough money to buy
a new crop of rice must to borrow money from other residents to replant
their paddies.

“We started our work at the begging of the rainy season when we grew our
plant seedlings with small sprouts, but then the heavy rain started; now
we can’t do anything for our fields,” said another farmer in Mudon
township. “The rainy season started, and for a week it rained and now the
water hasn’t gone down and we have to start again.”

Last week heavy rain also destroyed seedling plants that were taking root
in the paddy fields of farmers near the Win Pa Non dam in Mudon Township.

“Paddy fields that are nearby the Win Pa Non dam [Kalort-tort, Taungpa,
Doe-mar, and Kwan-ka-bue villages] were more destroyed by flooding than
other villages because water from dam flows into the nearby paddy fields,”
said a resident of a village near the dam.

According to a Kaowao news article published on June 8, the heavy rain
also destroyed 10 homes in Mudon Township, and four people went missing
after a boat sank.

This season is normally the time when farmers have to transplant paddies
after the seedlings begin to grow. However, rather then transplanting
their seedlings, farmers have to again scatter the rice sprouts for a new
crop.

The loss of rice crops to flooding comes at a bad time as the decrease in
price for Mon State’s two main crops has devastated the region’s economy.
The price of rice has been down in Mon state since last year, and the
price rubber has been down by a half. And now this year heavy rain has
destroyed seedling plants. So Farmers in Mon state are facing many
economic problems.

“Last year the price for day laborers for growing paddy plants was 2,500
kyat per day, and this year we are only able to pay that same price,” said
that a farmer from Mudon. “We also must use workers from Pegu Division
because they are good workers and will work for less money than workers
from Mon State.”

This time last year, 100 sacks of rice could be sold for 580,000 kyat, but
this year 100 sacks will only sell for 480,000 kyat. Farmers who already
face losses in profit, must now start the growing process facing this
problem as well.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

June 15, Agence France Presse
South Korea firms 'linked to Myanmar gas abuse'

South Korea is failing to hold its corporations to account for abuses
linked to natural gas development in military-ruled Myanmar, a report
released by rights groups said.

The report, by EarthRights International and the Shwe Gas Movement,
documents "conflicts of interest" within the government in Seoul and says
South Korea is not upholding international guidelines.

The report urged the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), which meets in Paris on Tuesday, to investigate a
complaint on the issue that it said the South Korean government had
dismissed.

"The Korean government is failing to hold Korean corporations accountable
for abuses connected to natural gas development in military ruled Burma,"
the groups said in a statement.

The statement said that the gas project "has already been linked to forced
relocations and other human rights violations. Local people who criticized
the project faced arbitrary arrest and detention."

Myanmar's ruling junta signed a deal in December with Daewoo, the Korean
Gas Corporation and Indian companies to pipe gas to China from the Shwe
gas project, which is developing a natural gas field in the country.

Myanmar's huge gas reserves and other natural resources are a major target
for neighbouring and Asian countries which eschew the sanctions imposed by
the United States and other Western nations on the country formerly known
as Burma.

The two rights groups helped file a complaint in October to South Korea
about alleged abuses linked to the project, saying that it violated OECD
guidelines including by failing to respect international human rights law.

But Seoul rejected the complaint, the report said, adding that the Korean
ministry dealing with OECD complaints also has the job of promoting
overseas energy development projects.

The ministry also gave Daewoo a sizable loan to proceed with the Shwe
project, while the South Korean government is also the largest stakeholder
in Korean Gas Corporation, it added.

"The Shwe project should stop until the people of... Burma can genuinely
participate in development decisions and realise their human rights," said
Wong Aung, co-ordinator of the Shwe Gas Movement.

He said the Korean government had "conveniently dismissed" the complaint
"and now the OECD must fill the gap".

Myanmar's junta is currently under renewed pressure over its trial of
democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

____________________________________

June 15, Irrawaddy
Burma-Sri Lanka connection: Religion and terrorism – Arkar Moe

Sri Lankan President Mahindra Rajapakse paid an official visit to Burma on
Sunday to cement ties between the two countries.

Burma was the first country to be visited by President Mahindra Rajapakse
after his government defeated the Tamil Tigers guerrilla forces in May.

Inside sources in Burma said that Burmese military leaders who recently
launched a military offensive against Karen rebels in eastern Burma were
impressed by Mahindra Rajapakse’s military strategy used against the Tamil
tigers.

Deputy Minister for Defense Maj-Gen Aye Myint said at the 8th Shangri-La
Dialogue Meeting in Singapore in May: “The world has recently witnessed
the successful end of a long-standing insurgency in Sri Lanka. But, people
have forgotten about insurgency in Myanmar [Burma]. Why? Because there is
no more major fighting erupted in Myanmar in recent days. But it does not
mean Myanmar has completely brought to an end of its internal insurgency.
We have realized that hard power alone is not fully effective in winning
the counter-insurgency campaigns. Therefore, we are painstakingly,
patiently and time-consumingly [sic] solving the problems of insurgency.”

The Burmese regime donated US $50,000 to the Sri Lanka government to
assist internally displaced persons in the Northern area of Sri Lanka.

Snr-Gen Than Shwe warmly welcomed President Mahinda Rajapaksa and
expressed appreciation for his visit to Burma as Prime Minister of Sri
Lanka in 2004 to participate at the World Buddhist Conference in Rangoon.

The visit also commemorated the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations
established between the two countries.

The state-run newspapers in Burma stressed the Theravada Buddhism that the
two countries share.

But aside from religion, the two governments agreed to enhance their
military cooperation.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama who accompanied the
president said that the decision of President Rajapaksa to choose Burma as
the country for his first overseas tour after successfully defeating
terrorism is of significant event for both nations.

Minister Bogollagama noted that Snr-Gen Than Shwe had commended that the
“bold steps” taken by the government to fight terrorists organizations.
The regime in Burma often labels ethnic rebel groups in Burma as
terrorists.

According to the official government news portal of Sri Lanka, President
Rajapaksa also agreed to offer placements for two officials of the Burmese
armed forces to be trained at the Kothalawala Defense Academy as a
follow-up to a MoU signed on Intelligence Exchange Cooperation in 2007 to
strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism and intelligence sharing.

Dr Tint Swe, a self-appointed minister for information of the exiled
Burmese government, the National Coalition Government of the Union of
Burma, told The Irrawaddy that the regime in Burma is deceitful to use the
religion card in light of its brutal crackdown on monks in September 2007.

Ashin Issariya, a leader of the All Burma Monks Alliance (ABMA) in exile,
said: “Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country and exercised Theravada principles.
The government (in Sri Lanka) allowed Burmese monks to demonstrate in the
country in 2007 (to protest against brutal crackdown in Burma). But they
did not condemn the Burmese military junta.”

Minister Bogollagama said that Burma and Sri Lanka maintained a close and
cordial relationship as both nations are influenced by Theravada Buddhism.

“Both countries are linked through political, religious and cultural
heritages that have an extended history of over 20 centuries,” he said.

Minister Bogollagama said that President Rajapaksa expressed a willingness
to offer scholarships to Buddhist monks from Burma to pursue higher
studies in Sri Lankan Universities.

But to political analysts in Burma, see  the visit by the Sri Lanka
president as not about religion, but rather that the generals are
increasingly finding it difficult to contain insurgent groups in the
country’s northern frontier and are willing to learn some fresh lesson
from President Mahindra Rajapakse on how to defeat the enemy.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

June 15, Associated Press
Celebrities tweet for Suu Kyi's release in Myanmar – Denis D. Gray

Hollywood star Julia Roberts and detained Chinese activists are among
celebrities and political prisoners tweeting and signing petitions for the
release of Myanmar's democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi as she approaches
her 64th birthday — her 14th spent in detention — organizers said Sunday.

Suu Kyi will spend her 64th birthday Friday in Yangon's notorious Insein
prison, facing charges of violating terms of her house arrest by harboring
an American who swam uninvited to her lakeside home.

The ruling junta is widely expected to deliver a guilty verdict, which
could put the Nobel Peace Prize laureate in prison for up to five years.
She has already spent more than 13 of the last 19 years under house
arrest.

"We must not stand by as she is silenced again. Now is the time for the
international community to speak with one voice," Roberts wrote as part of
a campaign — "64 words for Aung San Suu Kyi" — organized by a coalition of
human rights and activist groups.
The campaign, launched May 27, asks Suu Kyi's supporters to tweet, write
text messages or send video and photos to its Web site,
http://64forsuu.org.

Similar campaigns on Suu Kyi's past birthdays and other milestones
generated some global publicity for her cause but have failed to change
the military junta's harsh attacks on all signs of dissent. Myanmar, also
known as Burma, has been dominated by the military since 1962.

"Burma's generals think they can act with impunity. We'll have to wait
until after the trial verdict to see if this time will be any different,"
said Mark Farmaner of Burma Campaign UK, one of the organizers.

Actress Demi Moore, actor Kevin Spacey, artist Yoko Ono and British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown were among the contributors to the Web site. James
Cameron, director of "Titanic" and "The Terminator," wrote, "While my
heroes are fictional, Aung San Suu Kyi is a real-life hero and she needs
help from you."

In a parallel campaign, the organizers have to date gathered the
signatures of 107 former or current political prisoners from over 20
countries calling for the release of political prisoners in Myanmar and
calling on the U.N. Security Council to impose a global arms embargo on
the Southeast Asian nation.

"The continued denial of your freedom unacceptably attacks the human
rights of all 2,156 political prisoners in Myanmar. As those also
incarcerated for our political beliefs, we share the world's outrage," the
64-word message said.

The signatories include Kim Dae-jung, a former South Korean president and
Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian human rights
campaigner who also won the prize; former Czech President Vaclav Havel;
and two female Chinese activists currently under house arrest, Yuan
Weijing and Zeng Jinyan.

"Aung San Suu Kyi's continued detention shames Asia," wrote Kim.

Anwar Ibrahim, former deputy prime minister of Malaysia, urged the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations to lift its policy of
nonintervention in Myanmar, which is a member of the 10-nation bloc.

Organizers of the campaign include Human Rights Watch, the U.S. Campaign
for Burma, Burma Info Japan, Open Society Institute, France's Info
Birmanie and Amnesty International.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

June 15, Irrawaddy
China must get tough on Burma too – Yeni

The Burmese junta's No 2, Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, recently began an
official six-day visit to China. This comes as international and regional
pressure mounts on Burma to reconsider its ongoing trial against
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

It also comes just after several ethnic ceasefire groups based near the
Chinese border reportedly rejected a regime proposal to be reassigned as
border guards.

For Maung Aye, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Burmese defense
services and commander-in-chief of the Burmese army, this is his third
visit to China in six years. The official Chinese news agency, Xinhua,
noted that Maung Aye’s meeting with Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping is
one of an "exchange of visits."

Whenever it is facing a crisis, the Burmese junta likes schedule one of
these official visits to approach its big brother for advice.

The Burmese army is in turmoil—despite last year entrenching itself in
Burmese politics after pushing through a constitution that gives it a
guaranteed 25 percent of seats in parliament.

Suddenly, the Burmese army’s authority is being challenged by the ethnic
ceasefire groups it has long taken pains to subdue, especially the
powerful United Wa State Army, the Kokang group known as the Myanmar
National Democratic Alliance Army and the Kachin Independence
Organization, all of which have reportedly rejected the junta’s bid to
transform them into border guard forces under Burmese army command.

Behind the pleasantries of his meeting in China, what Maung Aye will be
trying to weed out is whether China will take a back seat if the junta
launches a military operation against the ceasefire groups.

There is no doubt that China would like to see the Burmese regime and the
ceasefire groups negotiate the sensitive issue peacefully and maintain
regional "stability," so that China can continue to capitalize on Burma’s
natural resources and a border trade which reached US $2.6 billion in
2008.

Apart from the pressing border issue, knowing that Naypyidaw is losing its
diplomatic joust with the international community over Suu Kyi’s
ridiculous conviction, the Burmese generals are anxious that their
traditional ally stands by their side.

Maung Aye is expected to plead for the continued use of the Chinese veto
to block any future resolution unfavorable to the Naypyidaw regime.

Concerning the issue of Suu Kyi, China has so far only said that the trial
is an internal affair.

At the European Union and China summit in Prague in May, China's Prime
Minister Wen Jiabao initially asked the EU to "ensure that our bilateral
relationship will not be adversely affected by individual incidents."

However, soon after, Chinese foreign ministry officials voiced rare
criticism of the Burmese junta’s treatment of the Nobel Peace Prize
laureate at an Asia-Europe Meeting in Hanoi with Burmese Foreign Minister
Nyan Win.

There is no doubt the Chinese government has been quietly expanding its
international influence in the 21st century. It already commands a
superpower’s status throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America in the
energy and extractive industries.

China has added to its leadership role in the region by initiating a $10
billion investment cooperation fund and an offer of $15 billion in credit
to its Southeast Asian neighbors.

China knows that in the political world, international recognition comes
at a price. It must exercise its power carefully and, in countries such as
North Korea and Burma where Western countries have little leverage, it
must show responsibility.

Of course, Burma is China's closest ally in Southeast Asia and has been a
major recipient of Chinese military hardware and a potential springboard
for projecting Chinese military power in the region since 1988.

Like the recent public pressure on North Korea for its foolhardy
demonstration of nuclear missiles, China must also show a firm hand when
dealing with the Burmese regime.

China must send a strong message to Naypyidaw to release political
prisoners immediately, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and to start a
meaningful dialogue with the opposition, including ethnic groups.

Above all, the junta must be told that the time has come for it to allow
its people an opportunity to participate in the development of genuine
"national reconciliation."

To this end, China holds the key.

____________________________________

June 14, Nation (Thailand)
UN should treat Burma as it has North Korea – Editorial

After long and excruciating negotiations over the new sanctions by the
United Nations Security Council to punish North Korea for its
nuclear-weapons test, once again the council has shown its ability to act
in response to a crisis that genuinely threatens global peace and
stability. What Pyongyang has done has so rubbed the raw nerves of key
players that they are acting with common positions and standards. It is
rare indeed for them to agree on common retaliation against North Korea's
stubbornness.

This time the harsher sanctions are more targeted, including weapons
exports and financial transactions. Furthermore, the resolution allows
inspections in port and on the high seas of ships suspected of carrying
nuclear technology. It urges North Korea to return to the six-party talks
immediately without conditions and abandon its nuclear ambitions. This
shows the determination of the 15-member council to adhere to its
international obligations.

Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said of the council's attitude
towards Burma and its continued oppression of its citizens. Although the
council adopted a non-binding resolution last month in response to the
continued detention and farcical trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, it still lacks
the teeth to punish one of the world's worst regimes. Like North Korea,
Burma's military leaders know how to test the water and push the envelope.
They have succeeded before, knowing full well that the council, with its
different players and national interests, will never agree on a common
plan of action. Worse, the council's attention span is usually brief given
the myriad global issues confronting it.

For the time being, the Burmese junta is obviously correct in its
assessment. Despite some bridging of the gap between members preferring
tougher sanctions and those advocating a softer approach, the council does
not see eye to eye on reprimanding Burma. Of course, the five permanent
members have something to do with this. Previously, both China and Russia
opposed any attempt by the council to punish Burma for nearly two decades
of continued intransigence. They have since ameliorated their positions
but are no nearer uniting with the other members to deliver a stronger
message.

Obviously the junta leaders are now playing hide and seek, testing the
international community's determination and the sustainability of Asean
positions against them, as witness their attempt to create havoc along the
Thai border following Thailand's growing assertiveness by attacking
minority groups so as to scarce the Thai security forces. This pattern of
diplomatic brinksmanship has worked for the junta all along. If the
international community, particularly the council, remains divided, pariah
states can continue to exploit it. The new sanctions against North Korea
are a case in point.

Burma has delayed the trial of Suu Kyi for an additional two weeks. Of
course, the junta is watching closely how the international community
reacts to the ongoing court case and to her plight. International pressure
has increased by the day. Major world leaders have spoken in support of
her and called for her release. Asean has been firm. Burma's continued
attack on Thailand as the Asean chair is aimed at undermining its position
as such. It is to be hoped that Asean positions will be bolstered by
increasing support from the international community.

The North Koreans and the Burmese have suffered tremendously because of
their leaders. Both countries have spent heavily on arms and left their
citizens starving in the expectation of foreign assistance. The Burmese
have risen several times since 1988 demanding democratic change and been
violently put down. This could happen again due to economic hardship and
rising fuel prices. The North Koreans have yet to do this.

It is pivotal that when the council puts its mind to fighting pariah
states such as North Korea and Burma it is intelligent and united,
otherwise it will be manipulated and exploited, especially when there are
cracks in its ranks. It backed Friday's tough sanctions against North
Korea; it is to be hoped that in the near future it will do the same in
the case of Burma.

____________________________________

June 15, Guardian (UK)
Aung San Suu Kyi trial delayed but there is no doubt about the outcome –
Mark Canning

Latest post in a series by the British ambassador in Burma, Mark Canning,
one of the few outsiders who has been allowed into the courtroom during
the trial of the opposition leader

The resumption of Aung San Suu Kyi's trial has been postponed until 26
June. Her defence team continues its effort to admit witnesses who were
earlier excluded. Her lawyers scored a minor success last week when a
higher court allowed one to testify, but are now taking the issue to the
supreme court.

This delay suits the government fine. It conveys an impression that the
wheels of justice are turning and that there is some doubt about the final
outcome. Of course there isn't. Daw Suu* will be found guilty – the only
question is the length of the sentence and where she will serve it.

The number of political prisoners has increased by more than 1,000 over
the past 16 months. There is no precedent for the acquittal of those
accused of serious "political crimes" and certainly not someone of her
stature. Comedians, doctors, bloggers, journalists, housewives and aid
workers have been packed off to Burma's jails and work camps. They are
generally sentenced at short, closed hearings. The unusual thing about
this trial is that the status of the defendant obliges a spurious
impression of openness.

Daw Suu told her lawyers this week that she wouldn't have gone into
politics in the first place if she was afraid of the consequences. And
consequences there have been – just a few fleeting moments of freedom in
the more than 19 years she has fought for a better future for this sad
country. Her 64th birthday on Friday marks another sad milestone.

The military government has found time to launch another military
offensive in eastern Karen state, which is forcing thousands of civilians
to flee across the border to Thailand. This is an effort to finish off the
Karen fighters, who for 60 years have struggled to gain a measure of
independence for their people. But there are suspicions that Burma's
unhappiness at Thai criticism of the trial might also have played a role
in the timing. The government berated Thailand last week for its
"unneighbourly" behaviour and contrasted their attitude with that of
China, which had never sought to involve itself in Burma's affairs.

·	Daw Suu is a short form used in Burma for Aung San Suu Kyi

____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE

June 15, Amnesty International
Former political prisoners call for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release

Just a few days before Aung San Suu Kyi’s birthday (on 19 June), over 100
former political prisoners from around the world have added their names to
a statement calling for her release and for the United Nations Security
Council to establish a global arms embargo on Burma/Myanmar.

Aung San Suu Kyi is currently being prosecuted by the authorities in
Burma/Myanmar for violating the terms of her house arrest, after an
American man swam across a lake to visit her house in early May. For this,
she faces up to five years in prison.

The former political prisoners calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi
and all political prisoners in Burma come from over 20 countries across
Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. They have all signed a special 64
word message to Aung San Suu Kyi to mark her 64th birthday (her 14th in
detention).  The former prisoners also call on the UNSC to step up the
pressure on the government of Burma/Myanmar:

“The continued denial of your freedom unacceptably attacks the human
rights of all 2,156 political prisoners in Myanmar. As those also
incarcerated for our political beliefs, we share the world’s outrage. We
call on the United Nations Security Council to press the Myanmar
Government to immediately release all political prisoners, and to restrict
the weapons that strengthen its hand through a global arms embargo.”

Several of the signatories are themselves under house arrest in China,
including Yuan Weijing and Zeng Jinyan. Others who have added their names
include Anwar Ibrahim, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia; Ingrid
Betancourt, former senator and Nobel Peace Prize nominee kidnapped by the
Colombian FARDC; Dr Kim Dae-jung, former president of the Republic of
Korea and Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Lech Walesa, former president of
Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate; the Nelson Mandela Foundation;
Shirin Ebadi, lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Shao Jiang, a
Tiananmen survivor; Terry Waite, the British humanitarian and author;
Vaclav Havel, writer and former President of the Czech Republic; and Yuri
Feodorovich Orlov, nuclear physicist and former Soviet dissident.

Former Korean president Kim Dae-jung said: “Aung San Suu Kyi’s continued
detention shames Asia. Burma’s authoritarian rulers have suppressed the
people for too long. Political reform and the peaceful transition to
democracy in Burma must be seen as a priority by the international
community and the region.”

Former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim said: “ASEAN’s policy
of non intervention is not helping to serve regional interests.  We need
to work together in ASEAN for regional stability and prosperity. Political
progress in Burma is an integral part of this, including the release of
Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners.”

Iranian human rights campaigner and Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi said:
“Aung San Suu Kyi is an inspiration to us all. As former political
prisoners, we want to let her know that she is not alone during her trial
and continuing detention. She has a network of friends and supporters
around the world.”

Tiananmen Square survivor, Shao Jiang: “As a survivor of Tiananmen Square,
I know the true value of democracy and freedom. The international
community, including the United Nations Security Council, needs to take
strong action to ensure the immediate release of all political prisoners
in Burma. Citizens around the world, let's unite and bring down the
dictators!”

Political prisoners have signed the statement as part of the
www.64forSuu.org campaign, which is supported by

Altsean-Burma
Amnesty International
Article 19
Austrian Burma Center
Avaaz
Burma Action Ireland
Burma Campaign Australia
Burma Campaign UK
Burma Info Japan
Christian Solidarity Worldwide
English Pen
Free Burma Campaign (South Africa)
Human Rights Watch
Info Birmanie (France)
International Peace Bureau
Not On Our Watch
Norwegian Burma Committee
Open Society Institute
Trade Union Congress
People in Need (Czech Republic)
People in Peril (Slovakia)
US Campaign for Burma

Kim Dae-jung: “Aung San Suu Kyi’s continued detention shames Asia.”

Anwar Ibrahim: “ASEAN cannot continue its policy of non-intervention. It’s
time to work together for regional stability and prosperity.”

Shirin Ebadi: “Aung San Suu Kyi is an inspiration to us all. We want to
let her know that she is not alone during her trial and continuing
detention.”

Shao Jiang: “As a survivor of Tiananmen Square, I know the true value of
democracy and freedom, and the need to release all political prisoners in
Burma.”

____________________________________

June 15, EarthRights International
Korean government fails to investigate Korean corporations’ involvement in
abuses connected to gas project in Burma

Government’s Rejection of Complaint for Violation of OECD Guidelines Shows
Unwillingness to Prevent Human Rights & Environment Abuses

June 15, 2009, Bangkok, Thailand – The Korean government is failing to
hold Korean corporations accountable for abuses connected to natural gas
development in military-ruled Burma, according to a report released today
by EarthRights International (ERI) and the Shwe Gas Movement (SGM).

The report, entitled A Governance Gap: The Failure of the Korean
Government to Hold Korean Corporations Accountable to the OECD Guidelines
for Multinational Enterprises Regarding Violations in Burma, details how
the Korean government summarily rejected a 43-page complaint filed in
October 2008 by ERI, SGM and nine co-complainants, including Korea’s two
largest labor organizations regarding abuses connected to the Shwe Gas
Project, a large-scale natural gas development project in Burma led by
Korea’s Daewoo International. The complaint detailed violations of six
OECD Guidelines, including a failure to respect international human rights
law.

The report released today explains substantive problems with Korea’s
decision, which was issued in late 2008. It highlights how the Korean
decision is inconsistent with decisions from NCPs in other countries, and
documents inherent conflicts of interest within the Korean government: The
ministry tasked with receiving OECD complaints is the same ministry tasked
with promoting overseas energy development projects and the same ministry
that provided Daewoo a sizable loan to proceed with the controversial Shwe
Project.

Coming on the eve of an annual meeting of OECD National Contact Points
(NCPs) at the OECD Headquarters in Paris, June 16-17, the report calls on
the OECD Investment Committee to use its authority and mandate to address
conflicts and inconsistencies within the Korean NCP and among National
NCPs. The report was sent to members of the Investment Committee last
week.

“This is an opportunity for the OECD Investment Committee to build
confidence around the OECD Guidelines as a viable standard for corporate
accountability,” said ERI Burma Project Coordinator Matthew Smith. “The
Committee must provide guidance to NPCs that the on-going abuses, and risk
of future abuses, associated with this project are of the type that should
lead to a serious investigation by a NCP.”

The Shwe Project has already been linked to forced relocations and other
human rights violations. Local people who criticized the project faced
arbitrary arrest and detention, and some were forced to flee the Burma
Army.

“The Shwe Project should stop until the people of Arakan State and Burma
can genuinely participate in development decisions and realize their human
rights,” said Wong Aung, a native of Arakan State, Burma and Coordinator
of the Shwe Gas Movement. “The Korean government conveniently dismissed
our complaint and now the OECD must fill the gap,” he added.

____________________________________
ANNOUNCEMENT

June 15, Free Burma’s Political Prisoners Now Campaign
Press Conference: Free Burma's Political Prisoners Now! petition to be
delivered to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Former political prisoners and human rights activists have travelled to
New York to deliver a global petition calling for the release of all
political prisoners in Burma to UN Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon.

The Free Burma's Political Prisoners Now! petition was launched on 13
March this year, Burma's Human Rights Day.  A broad-based consortium of
Burma exile and solidarity groups - including Avaaz, a massive online
community of activists - has collaborated to collect almost 680,000
signatures, in the largest coordinated global action for Burma ever.  One
person has signed the petition every ten seconds since it was launched. 
It calls on Mr. Ban Ki-moon to make it his personal priority to secure the
release of all Burma's political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi, as the essential first step towards democracy in the country.

Since October last year, more than 350 of 2,100 political prisoners have
been sentenced to harsh sentences of up to 104 years.  Nobel Peace Prize
winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is currently on trial on trumped-up charges
relating to the junta's own failure to protect her security, and could
face up to five years in jail if convicted.

The press conference will be hosted by the Czech Republic Permanent
Mission to the UN.

Speakers:
H.E. Mr. Martin Palouš, Permanent Representative of the Czaech Rep. to the
UN - opening remarks.

Ms. Khin Ohmar, Free Burma's Political Prisoners Now! campaign
spokesperson and Foreign Affairs Secretary of the Forum for Democracy in
Burma - an umbrella organisation of Burmese political groups in exile.

Mr. Tate Naing, former political prisoner and Secretary and Co-founder of
the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).

Mr. Aung Din, former political prisoner and US Campaign for Burma
Executive Director and Co-founder.


When:
Tuesday, June 16 2009, 3pm

Where:
777, United Nations Plaza, 2nd Floor, 44th St. & 1st Ave., New York, NY 10017

Organizer:
Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the United Nations in New York


For media interviews, please contact:

Khin Ohmar, Forum for Democracy in Burma +1-240 4812482
Tate Naing, Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) +1
646-9205744
Aung Din, US Campaign for Burma +1 301-6020077