From editor at burmanet.org Fri Oct 23 12:56:13 2009 From: editor at burmanet.org (Editor) Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:56:13 -0400 (EDT) Subject: BurmaNet News, October 23, 2009 Message-ID: <30795.63.173.78.131.1256316973.squirrel@webmail7.pair.com> October 23, 2009 Issue #3825 INSIDE BURMA Mizzima News: KIO demands recognition of Panlong Agreement SHAN: Junta conducts combat training in ceasefire area ASEAN New York Times: Asean inaugurates human rights commission AP: Activists call new SE Asia rights body toothless INTERNATIONAL Reuters: U.N. slams Myanmar, North Korea, Palestinian rights ills Irrawaddy: US-Burma talks to be tested in coming months OPINION / OTHER The Nation (Thailand): Asean needs electoral standards before it can become a community ? Somri Hananuntasuk Asia Times: How Australia can help Myanmar ? David Scott Mathieson Asia Times: US zeroes in on China's clout in Myanmar ? Brian McCartan STATEMENT Asean Peoples Forum: Asean Civil Society Conference PRESS RELEASE Burma Campaign UK: Aung San Suu Kyi reaches 14 years in detention ? 24th October ____________________________________ INSIDE BURMA October 23, Mizzima News KIO demands recognition of Panlong Agreement ? Nem Davies New Delhi ? The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), one of Burma?s longest running rebel group, said they are willing to abandon arms struggle if, the ruling junta guarantees equal rights to both ethnics and Burmans agreed in the historic Panlong agreement. KIO Secretary Dr. La Ja said the KIO had informed their stand to the junta?s Supremo Snr Gen Than Shwe in a letter sent to him in September. The letter states that if the junta accepts the Panlong Agreement and is willing to uphold, the KIO is ready to abandon arms struggle, in which case it will not be necessary to transform its armed wing into the ?Border Guard Force? proposed by the regime. ?We are bringing up the Panlong Agreement again because we have to reconsider about the ?Union? of Burma. If there is a ?Union?, we must recognize the ?Union? because the ?Union? emerged from the ?Panlong? Agreement,? Dr. La Ja told Mizzima from the KIO headquarters in Laiza in Kachin State. ?The letter was sent for understanding and consideration, not for talks. We cannot say yet if they will respond and how so. It?s up to them,? he added. The architect of Burma?s independence General Aung San and leaders of ethnic Kachin, Chin and Shan gathered in Panlong town of Shan State and signed the historic ?Panlong Agreement?, which guaranteed equal rights for all ethnic nationalities on 12 February 1947. While the KIO is emphasizing on equal rights, the Thailand-based Kachin News Group (KNG) said, the Kachin Independence Army?s 4th brigade based in Lao Kai region of Northern Shan State is being pressurized by the regime to divide its troops into three small groups or leave their area. However, Dr. La Ja denied of the information. ?We have not been informed. We have not received any letter regarding withdrawal of the 4th Brigade from the area. There is no problem for the 4th Brigade,? he said, adding that there are no tensions amounting between the KIO and the regime in recent days. While the regime has set October as the deadline for all ceasefire groups to transform their armies into the Border Guard Force (BGF), KIO along with several other groups have rejected the proposed but offered another proposal of transforming into a ?Kachin Regional Guard Force? (KRGF). ?We will wait and see how they respond to our counter proposal. We expect a positive response from the regime. We told them that we accepted transformation and transition but we have to seek a solution peacefully and amicably,? Dr. La Ja said, adding that the KIO do not like to solve the problem militarily. Though the KIO and other ceasefire groups are under pressure for transformation, several KIO leaders have withdrawn their membership from the group to prepare for candidacy in the 2010 election. In early September, six KIO high-ranking officials including Dr. Mana Tu Ja, vice-president (2) of the KIO, announced their resignation from the armed group in order to prepare and form the Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP), to be contesting in the 2010 elections. Meanwhile, the New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K), another Kachin ceasefire armed group, has accepted the junta?s offer of transforming their army into the BGF. ____________________________________ October 23, Shan Herald Agency for News Junta conducts combat training in ceasefire area ? Hseng Khio Fah The junta military is conducting weapons and combat trainings for its civilian and paramilitary members in Kunhing township, where the ceasefire group the Shan State Army (SSA) North?s 7th brigade is based, said one of the trainees? relative. The training which is to last one month began on 15 October. All members of fire brigades and local militia units in the town have to attend it, said a resident whose nephew was in the fire brigade. The trainees were aged between 18 and 40. They were being given basic trainings for guerrilla and night combat tactics. ?The trainees were equipped with the Army?s old weapons like G3, G4,? he said. In addition, village headmen were ordered to recruit new members in order to form new local militia units. The recruitment must be started in the first week of November and it must combine with at least 400 members from the whole township, said another resident. All trainees will be provided uniforms in green color. Moreover, they are being told they will also receive daily supplies and some stipends. However, the expenses were being forcibly collected from villagers. ?No one dared to oppose the order,? he added, ?We were being told not to say that the training was organized by the Army, but by the villagers themselves for their own security. Similar activities are also taking place in Tangyan township, 83 miles south of Shan State North capital Lashio, where the group SSA North is active. On 19 October, 120 Lahu militias men from villages in the township were being trained in combat and guerrilla tactics, conducted at the command post of the Infantry Battalion (IB) #33. The training is being conducted by Captain Saw Nay Aung. At the same time, another militia unit led by Than Tin has been conducting trainings for 30 new members in Nawngmong village tract, east of the township. Political analysts say that the training program is likely intended to use the trainees in front line to fight against ceasefire groups if they refuse to comply with the junta? demand to become Border Guard Forces (BGFs). Another is to use them [trainees] as campaigners for the upcoming 2010 general elections. Since early this year, the Burma Army has been intensively and constantly giving military trainings to members of Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), fire service, police forces and militia units as well as civilians in several townships in Shan State and other ethnic States like Mon and Arakan. On the other hand, villagers are being forced to set up militia units and provide service to the army. ____________________________________ ASEAN October 23, New York Times Asean inaugurates human rights commission ? Thomas Fuller CHA-AM, Thailand ? Southeast Asian governments inaugurated their first human rights commission on Friday in what they hailed as a milestone for a region ruled by governments as diverse as the thriving democracy in Indonesia, the hermetic communist regime in Laos and the repressive military dictatorship in Myanmar. But human rights activists called the body toothless and walked out of a meeting here Friday when ?civil society? representatives from five countries were rejected by their governments. ?The commission has not been designed to be effective and impartial,? said Debbie Stothard, a human rights activist from Malaysia. Establishing credibility for the Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, as the body is formally named, was one of several challenges for leaders gathering at this seaside resort south of Bangkok for a three-day summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean. Poor attendance marred the start of the meeting, when leaders from some of the largest Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, did not show up for the opening ceremony Friday, citing reasons ranging from weather disturbances to domestic obligations. They were scheduled to arrive later during the weekend. The meeting, which follows one in April that was canceled when Thai anti-government protesters stormed the summit venue, will address preparedness for natural disasters, the response to future economic crises and free-trade agreements, among other issues. The leaders of several non-Asean members ? Australia, China, India, New Zealand and South Korea ? were scheduled to join the meeting later during the weekend. In his opening address on Friday, Thailand?s prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, emphasized the achievements of Asean, which was initially set up more than four decades ago partly as a bulwark against communism. In recent years, Asean has adopted a charter for the grouping, signed free trade agreements with other countries in the region and reduced tariff levels to negligible levels ? although numerous other barriers to trade still exist between member countries. ?What remains is the onus that lies on Asean to prove that it can implement whatever has been agreed, declared, or envisioned,? Mr. Abhisit said, in an apparent response to criticism that the grouping is more talk than substance. The human rights body inaugurated Friday appeared to reinforce that criticism. The job of the commission will be to promote human rights, but it will have no power to investigate governments or impose sanctions. A statement distributed by the Thai government here said the commission would ?promote and protect human rights by promoting public awareness and education.? Mr. Abhisit acknowledged concerns that the commission?s scope was too limited but said it was part of an ?evolutionary? process. ?The issue of human rights is not about condemnation, but about awareness, empowerment and improvement,? Mr. Abhisit said. ?We shall not only demonstrate to the world that human rights is a priority but also show them realistic and constructive ways to deal with it.? Yuyun Wahyuningrum, an Indonesian human rights delegate who walked out of the meeting with government representatives Friday, said human rights groups supported the creation of the commission, but were concerned that it was not independent enough. Commissioners were chosen by governments without outside consultation, she said. ?The process was very secretive,? she said. Southeast Asia?s human rights record is blemished at best. Myanmar?s military government, which is a member of Asean, is currently detaining more than 2,000 political prisoners including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy leader whose party won a landslide election victory in 1990 that the ruling generals ignored. Cambodia?s parliament passed a law on Wednesday that bars demonstrations of more than 200 people. Malaysia?s government detains people it deems threats to domestic security without trial and maintains tight controls on television stations and newspapers. Asean has ambitions to create a single market by 2015 among its 10 member nations, which have a combined population of nearly 600 million people, twice the population of the United States. But its main challenge in recent months has been to tamp down long-running conflicts and disagreements. Relations between Thailand and Cambodia have worsened over a border dispute near an ancient hilltop temple, Preah Vihear. Over the past year, troops in the border area have skirmished several times, leaving seven people dead. Cambodia?s nationalistic and authoritarian prime minister, Hun Sen, regularly delivers diatribes against Thailand and has pointedly offered asylum to Thaksin Shinawatra, the ousted Thai prime minister who is sought by the Thai authorities on outstanding arrest warrants. Soon after arriving at the meeting Friday afternoon Mr. Hun Sen said Mr. Thaksin would be allowed to stay in Cambodia and serve as his economic adviser. ?People talk about Aung San Suu Kyi from Myanmar. Why can?t we talk about Thaksin?? he asked. The Cambodian government said Friday it would reject any extradition request from Thailand if Mr. Thaksin moved to Cambodia. The host of the meeting, Thailand, deployed more than 30,000 security personnel for the summit to deter supporters of Mr. Thaksin from disrupting the event. Mr. Thaksin was removed from power in a 2006 military coup. Elsewhere in the region, Indonesia and Malaysia have failed to resolve disputes over territory on Borneo island. Emotionally charged disagreements over the origins of songs, traditional dances and batik cloth-printing techniques have flared in recent months. Territorial disputes also strain relations between the Philippines and Malaysia and Singapore and Malaysia. In the South China Sea, Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam all have claims to areas rich in natural gas deposits. ____________________________________ October 23, Associated Press Activists call new SE Asia rights body toothless ? Grant Peck CHA-AM Thailand ? Southeast Asian nations inaugurated their first regional human rights commission Friday, a watchdog immediately derided as toothless by activists who walked out of a meeting to protest being cold-shouldered by five of the governments involved. The annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations earlier began inauspiciously when half the bloc's 10 leaders failed to show up at the opening of the three-day conference due to a tropical storm, domestic politics, a VIP visit and a possible illness. One of the first orders of business was the inauguration of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. Critics say the commission will do little to deter human rights violators because it focuses on promotion rather than protection of human rights and has no authority to impose punishments. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva defended the commission a "a significant milestone" it is the first human rights watchdog in ASEAN's 42-year history. "The issue of human rights is not about condemnation, but about awareness," Abhisit said, adding that improving human rights is an "evolutionary process." Activists, however, condemned both the commission's powerlessness and the exclusion of members of civil society from Thursday's summit. "It is a big shame to our dreams for genuine democracy in the region. It's like all of the human rights of the people in this region have been violated," said Sister Crescenia L. Lucero, a leading rights advocate and Roman Catholic nun. Lucero was to have represented the Philippines at the dialogue. But she and other civil society representatives were excluded from Thursday's meeting, according to Debbie Stothard of The ASEAN People's Forum, an umbrella group of non-governmental organizations. Stothard said the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and the Philippines rejected meeting with the activists as previously scheduled. Instead, she said, Singapore and Myanmar flew in substitutes from government-sponsored agencies, with Myanmar including a former high-ranking police officer. In response, activists from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia walked out of the meeting in protest. The exclusion of activists from the summit held under the motto of "Empowering the Peoples" also drew fire from a leading international human rights group. "This confirms our worst fears, because an intergovernmental body has always been second best, but an intergovernmental body that won't even talk to its own citizens is a joke, is worthless," said Brad Adams, Asia director of the New York-based Human Rights Watch. ASEAN's 10 member countries include military-run Myanmar, communist-run Laos and Vietnam plus several countries whose governments routinely persecute opposition parties or political activists. Members of ASEAN have recently escalated their criticism of Myanmar, particularly over the detention of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. But the summit will again likely act by consensus, avoid confrontations and maintain that the group's approach to engaging Myanmar works better than the West's sanctions and threats. The summit will also sign a declaration on climate change and discuss food security, bio-energy, disaster management and how trade barriers can be brought down to bring about a European Union-style grouping by 2015. The bloc will also meet with leaders of China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand. The opening of the summit came with only half of the region's leaders in attendance. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen was busy hosting an official visit by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Indonesia is swearing in a new government and Malaysia's government was presenting its budget to Parliament, said Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was running late due to Typhoon Lupit, the third storm in a month due to hit the Philippines, her spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo said. Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah was in Cha-am but didn't show up at the opening ceremony amid reports that he was not feeling well. Thailand has deployed more than 36,000 military and police to keep security both in Bangkok and at the beach resort of Cha-am, 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of the capital. The government is still smarting from the storming of the East Asian Summit in April in the coastal city of Pattaya, where anti-government protesters charged through thin police ranks and forced the evacuation of several leaders by helicopter and boat. A main protest organizer said no new demonstrations are planned this week in Bangkok or at the summit venue. ____________________________________ INTERNATIONAL October 23, Reuters U.N. slams Myanmar, North Korea, Palestinian rights ills United Nations ? Human rights violations in Myanmar are alarming, North Koreans are starving and living in continual fear and Palestinians are suffering amid Middle East tensions, U.N. rights envoys said on Thursday. Special rapporteurs appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva described the human rights conditions in each country to a meeting of the 192 U.N. member states. While Myanmar rights envoy Tomas Ojea Quintana was able to visit the military-ruled Asian country twice, communist North Korea denied entry to envoy Vitit Muntarbhorn and envoy Richard Falk was stopped by Israel from entering Palestinian areas. "The situation of human rights in Myanmar remains alarming. There is a pattern of widespread and systematic violations which in many conflict areas results result in serious abuses of civilian rights and integrity," Quintana said. "The prevailing impunity allows for the continuation of violations," he added. He also criticized the military junta for keeping opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi detained. Western officials fear the government wants to keep her under house arrest during next year's election so that she is unable to run. Myanmar's representative, who U.N. officials identified as Thaung Tun, described Quintana's report as less than objective, saying insurgents and anti-government groups had been given a "sympathetic ear" and that all the allegations made "should be taken with a grain of salt." He said steps were being taken to organize 2010 elections in the country, which he said would be "free and fair." Myanmar also reprimanded the United States and Britain during the meeting for referring to the country by its former name, Burma, while North Korea admonished the United States for not calling it DPRK -- Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "PERVASIVE REPRESSION" In North Korea, envoy Muntarbhorn said the food aid situation was desperate with the World Food Program only able to feed about one third of the people in need. He said torture is extensively practiced and described prisons as purgatory. "Freedoms associated with human rights and democracy, such as the freedom to choose one's government, freedom of association, freedom of expression ... privacy and freedom of religion are flouted on a daily basis by the nature and practices of the regime in power," he said. "The pervasive repression imposed by the authorities ensures the people live in continual fear and are impressed to inform on each other," he said. "The state practices extensive surveillance over its inhabitants." North Korea's deputy U.N. ambassador Pak Tok Hun rejected the report and said the country, which has also drawn international condemnation for nuclear and missile tests, was being "singled out for sinister political purposes." Falk's report on the Palestinian territories focused on human rights concerns related to issues including the war in December and January between Islamist militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, as well as Israel's construction of a land barrier and disputed housing settlements. He said an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip means "insufficient basic necessities are reaching the population." Falk also spoke of the "unlawful, noncooperation" of Israel which prevented him from visiting the Palestinian territories. Israel did not respond to Falk's reports at the meeting. (Editing by Eric Walsh) ____________________________________ October 23, Irrawaddy US-Burma talks to be tested in coming months ? Lalit K Jha Washington, D.C. ? The next few months will be a testing period for the US-Burma relationship, trying to determine if the generals are ready to make meaningful changes in the tightly ruled country, said the advocacy director of Human Rights Watch (HRW). ?It is now up to them [the junta] to respond to the gestures that the administration has made,? Tom Malinowski, the advocacy director of HRW, told US lawmakers during a Congressional hearing here on Burma convened by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Malinowski, who was a special assistant to former US President Bill Clinton and a senior director for foreign policy speech writing at the National Security Council, said the new US Burma policy is realistic. It doesn't place false hopes in the 2010 elections that the Burmese government is staging or in the new Constitution that it has forced on the people of the country, he said. ?I think it's realistic because the administration considered but rejected the notion that's out there in some circles that a lifting of sanctions against Burma will somehow spark the kind of economic growth and development that we've seen in places like China and Vietnam which then and might in turn over time lead to political change,? he said. ?If sanctions were lifted, essentially the only new investment I think Burma would see would be in the extractive sectors??in oil, gas, gems, timber. It would not transfer intellectual capital or create employment or lead to positive change inside the country. ?It would probably accelerate Burma's transformation into a country like the Democratic Republic of the Congo where foreign companies compete to pull stuff out of the ground in a way that just corrupts and entrenches the local authority,? he said. He said that the next few months will be a testing period in which the administration is going to talk to the regime and see what it is willing to do. ?Are they going to be willing to allow the National League for Democracy to function more normally as a political party? Are they going to be willing to have a process in which they discuss substantive issues relating to the country's future with the political opposition? Are they going to release political prisoners? Are they going to change the manner in which they're going to organize these elections next year so that there's some chance for a vote that reflects the will of the Burmese people?? he asked. ?Are they going to pull back from the attacks on ethnic minority groups that have created such a humanitarian disaster? Will they even be willing to take small steps in those directions to build our confidence and the confidence of the opposition?? Malinowski asked. He said there is a possibility that some of those things will happen, but he is skeptical because over the years the regime has shown that it is expert at time management. ?They're good at playing for time,? he said. ?I think the more likely explanation is that they'd like to use the dialogue to give themselves the time to focus on their internal political consolidation,? he said. He cautioned that the administration needs to be very disciplined, and it needs to have a time-bound approach. ?I believe they do need to be willing to enhance, strengthen, and adjust the implementation of the sanctions if over a reasonable period of time progress isn't made,? he said. In his testimony, Dr Chris Beyrer, a professor of epidemiology at the International Health and Health Behavior and Society School at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said Congress needs to continue to press the administration on implementing an arms embargo. ?An international arms embargo against this regime, particularly while they continue these attacks on ethnic civilians and villages, seems to me critically important. And also the US can support the investigation of crimes against humanity and the referral to the UN Security Council,? he said. ?Whatever happens in the dialogue to come, the crimes that have been committed and the continued impunity of this junta remain a real obstacle to national reconciliation, and I think that investigation of those crimes remains an important part of reconciliation for the future,? Beyer said. Aung Din of the US Campaign for Burma said US engagement should be carried out within a reasonable time frame. ?If the regime continues arresting democracy activists and attacking ethnic minorities, the United States must respond with tightening sanctions, organizing actions at the UN Security Council, such as the global arms embargo, and the establishment of an inquiry to investigate crimes against humanity in Burma,? he said. ____________________________________ OPINION / OTHER October 23, The Nation (Thailand) Asean needs electoral standards before it can become a community ? Somri Hananuntasuk AS A MEMBER of Asean, Burma is a sham. Since its admission into the grouping in 1997, the pariah state has violated international norms unabated. Even though the Asean Charter came into force last December, the Rangoon regime continues to defy several fundamental principles contained in the charter, such as the respect for the rule of law, good governance, democracy, human rights and social justice. In the absence of an environment conducive to the freedom of assembly, association and expression of all the people (including all ethnic groups and political parties) inside Burma, any move towards holding elections - given the standards outlined in the Inter Parliamentary Union's "Free and Fair Elections" - would be a farce. Is there any hope of putting into place the required minimum international standards before holding the Burmese election next year? To ensure the successful outcome of the Asean Summit in Cha-am it is imperative to review all existing electoral standards within Asean. The Burmese situation underscores the need for minimum standards to be met before holding an election. The Asean leaders (elected, nominated or appointed) must realise that a peaceful and unified Asean Community as envisaged in the charter requires systems that uphold international norms and standards on free and fair elections. There is an urgent need for collaboration among the Asean Secretariat, Asean governments and regional civil society groups in developing, strengthening and maintaining electoral processes that are free and fair within member countries. Most Asean governments are averse to civil society groups raising the issue of electoral standards because it reflects the ongoing poor practice of undemocratic governance lacking transparency and accountability in selecting parliaments. Apparently Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia have developed better electoral mechanisms by setting up independent bodies such as election commissions (the EC, Comelec and KPU), to oversee and monitor elections. The other Asean countries do not have independent institutions dealing with electoral processes. These countries use political parties (Cambodia), the military (Burma) and government bodies (Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Laos) to influence electoral compositions, administration and functions. Thus they lack neutrality and transparency. At this juncture, the Asean grouping has been perceived as a backward one because the member countries cannot step further beyond their traditional rules, regulations and beliefs. With a huge uneducated population within Asean, lots of poor and economically underprivileged voters cast their ballots according to monetary benefits (vote-buying) offered to them or under duress of personal threat and harm. Doubtless, unqualified politicians are elected who have subsequently ignored their constituencies. Indeed, they have made a mockery of the motto "Democracy of the people, by the people and for the people." It is well known that Asean governments generally have little tolerance for these democratic ideals and hardly permit people and media to directly participate in the political discourse at the grass-roots and national levels. In some form or other, there is curtailment of the freedom of expression, assembly and association. The system of checks and balances is only practised marginally in a few Asean countries that have a minimum of respect for a free media. Over the past decade, voters throughout the world have become aware of the role played by election monitoring organisations (EMOs) and international observers. But Asean members such as Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Brunei and Burma are still hostile to EMOs, refusing to allow them to observe and monitor local polls. The EMOs have inspired citizens, including minority and vulnerable groups, to want to increase participation in public affairs and transform electoral processes into transparent and accountable ones. Local and international monitoring organisations have emerged in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia, and their activities have included review of election laws and voter education. They even engage in post-election observation and monitoring activities that promote good governance, and monitor government projects to minimise if not eliminate corruption. But only half of the Asean members have ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which enshrines the principle of elections. Article 25 of the ICCPR clearly identifies the right and opportunity of people to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives. It also stipulates the right to vote and to be elected in genuine periodic elections that shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electorate. Do all of the Asean governments and their election commissions uphold this principle? ____________________________________ October 23, Asia Times How Australia can help Myanmar ? David Scott Mathieson Bangkok ? The long-anticipated review of United States policy towards Myanmar was rolled out recently, and it was anti-climactic. Announced in February by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who argued that neither engagement nor sanctions had worked, the review dragged on for months before concluding that the US would begin tentative "pragmatic engagement" with the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). It would also keep in place sanctions and other punitive measures. Senior members of the US State Department have already begun initial talks with various members of the regime. Australia has an often overlooked key role to play in drawing military ruled Myanmar out of its isolation, and is well placed to play a prominent supporting position in international efforts to engage the SPDC. Australia's Myanmar policy [1] is probably one of the "best rounded" in the international community, with its emphasis on rigorous, principled diplomacy, generous humanitarian assistance, a ban on defense exports, and targeted sanctions against hundreds of key Myanmar military leaders and their close family and business associates. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith are tough talking and principled on human rights in Myanmar, especially after the September 2007 Buddhist monk-led uprising was brutally crushed, the initial official blocking of foreign relief aid after the May 2008 cyclone, and the political show trial this year of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Kevin Rudd called Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi's conviction and sentencing to a further 18 months under house arrest in August a "new low for the Burmese [Myanmar] regime". Stephen Smith raised the "need to put even more pressure on the [Myanmar] regime to move down the path of democracy" and promised to update Australia's extant sanctions on the regime "and keep them focused for maximum impact". This is precisely what the SPDC needs to hear. The message roughly is: "We don't like what you're doing, but we are dead-set on continuing to help your people." This is also what the dithering optimism and business-focused engagement of Myanmar's neighbors China, India, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries need to recognize, and modify their approaches. Engagement is urgently needed with many facets of Myanmar state and society, including, and in many respects especially, the military itself. There is a long list of issues that Australia and the rest of the international community must not concede. The immediate and unconditional release of more than 2,100 political prisoners in Myanmar [2], including Suu Kyi, and serious steps taken to make the scheduled elections in 2010 genuinely fair and inclusive are core concerns that must remain atop of the agenda. The cessation of military operations against ethnic nationalities along Myanmar's borderlands is crucial, as is opening up the space for foreign and domestic humanitarian assistance programs, especially the resumption of all International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) activities [3] in the country, most of which have been suspended since early 2006. For more, visit: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KJ24Ae01.html ____________________________________ October 23, Asia Times US zeroes in on China's clout in Myanmar ? Brian McCartan Bangkok ? A high-level American delegation will travel to Myanmar in coming weeks on a fact-finding mission as part of the United States' new engagement policy with the military ruled country. The talks will center on improving Myanmar's human-rights situation and its claimed intention to move towards democracy, but the subtext will be improving diplomatic relations and fostering influence in a country widely viewed as a key regional ally of China . US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs, Kurt Campbell, said on October 21 during hearings before the House Foreign Affairs Committee that he will lead a fact-finding trip to Myanmar in coming weeks to hold discussions with the regime and meet with democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as ethnic group representatives. Campbell said the trip is designed to build momentum behind the policy shift, however, no other details or dates were publicly disclosed. During the hearings, Campbell reiterated that the new policy does not mean the end of US economic and financial sanctions against the regime and its members. "Our dialogue with [Myanmar] will supplement rather than replace the sanction regimes that have been at the center of our Burma [Myanmar] policy for many years," he told the committee. The US says sanctions will only be removed when the regime makes tangible steps towards starting a dialogue with the democratic opposition and ethnic groups, as well as release over 2,000 political prisoners, including Suu Kyi. There is, however, more to the new policy than mere democracy and human-rights promotion. A desire to build stronger ties with Southeast Asia became clear during US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's inaugural tour through Asia in February when she attended the opening of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretariat in Jakarta. This was followed by her attendance at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phuket, Thailand, in July. Policy analysts say a major reason for this new gambit is a realization that Chinese influence in the region has blossomed in the past decade while US attention was largely diverted elsewhere, especially on the "war on terror". Washington has become increasingly concerned about China's growing power and influence in the region. While much of the focus has been on China's rapidly modernizing military and its growing capacity to project power beyond its immediate borders, including towards nearby US ally Taiwan, a quieter competition is emerging between Washington and Beijing for influence in Southeast Asia. In the late 1990s, China switched to a strategy of improving diplomatic relations and investing heavily in economic and infrastructure development projects in Southeast Asia, a gambit many analysts have referred to as China's "soft power". The strategy is a departure from its previous approach to the region which emphasized confrontation and even armed struggle as a way of pushing its interests. Under the new approach, China has made efforts to work with the various authoritarian and quasi-democratic regimes in the region. This has included invitations to meetings and trade fairs, training for government officials and special scholarships to study in Chinese universities. Chinese development aid is often highly publicized and includes high-profile infrastructure projects such as roads and hydro-electric dams and prestige projects such as the main stadium for the 2009 Southeast Asia Games to be held in Vientiane, Laos, in December and the recently completed Council of Ministers building in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. China has also emerged as an increasingly important source of low-interest loans, grants, development projects, technical assistance and foreign investment. These projects combined with China's "no strings attached" approach to aid have made Beijing an attractive partner to regimes with questionable human-rights and democracy records. In contrast, much of the West's aid comes with demands for improvements in political freedoms and human rights and initiatives to counter corruption. For more, visit: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KJ24Ae03.html ____________________________________ STATEMENT October 23, Asean Peoples Forum Asean Civil Society Conference At 1130pm, Thurs, Thai foreign Ministry officials informed organizers of APF that 5 out of 10 civil society representatives were rejected from the interface meeting with ASEAN heads of government. The remaining representatives were told to be ready for pick up at 7.A.M., nearly 5 hours before the scheduled meeting. (see below for list of delegates). These representatives arrived at the Dusit Hotel and were instructed that they would not be permitted to speak at the event. The only person from civil society allowed to make a statement would be Dr Surichai Wangaeo of Chulalongkorn University, who was originally appointed as moderator of the Interface. The representatives were further shocked to learn that Singapore and Myanmar had selected substitutes from government-sponsored agencies. Singapore selected a substitute from a charity and the Myanmar regime selected Sitt Aye and Win Myaing, of the Anti-Narcotics Association (Win Myaing is a former high-ranking police officer). These developments rendered the interface, an important space for civil society to engage with government officials, utterly meaningless. Therefore, the representatives of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia decided to walk out of the meeting. We feel strongly that the rejection of our democratically-selected representatives is a rejection of both civil society and the democratic process. Our delegates were selected during the 3-day APF/ACSC, Oct 18-20. Through this action, the governments concerned are fundamentally undermining the spirit and content of the ASEAN Charter that they ratified a year ago. The behaviour of the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Philippines and Burma in rejecting their civil society representatives sabotages the credibility of the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) which is being inaugurated today. Civil society has been committed to the objectives of a people-centred ASEAN as enshrined in the Charter. We have remained determined in our commitment to the essential dialogue process despite the insults and obstacles generated by some officials. We were flexible when 2 out of 10 representatives were rejected in February. Civil society engaged with governments for the past few months in order to improve the relationship, however it is clear that the commitment to engagement has been one-sided, now that 5 out of 10 have been rejected, and the rest were essentially gagged. We are deeply disappointed at the irresponsibility and apparent irrationality of the governments? position. At this time of crisis, we were absolutely committed to an opportunity to present civil society?s solutions. The tactics of the governments concerned prove they are not open to discussing solutions to the urgent problems confronting ASEAN ? both governments and peoples. Finally we plead with these leaders to stop trying to kill the spirit of an ASEAN community. Such moves not only hurt the development of the region but also the credibility of individual member states and ASEAN as a whole. ---- REJECTED Ms. Khin Ohmar, Burma/Myanmar Mr. Nay Vanda, Cambodia Mrs. Manichanh Philaphanh, Lao PDR Sister Crescencia L. Lucero, Phillipines Mr. Sinapan Samydorai, Singapore. INCLUDED BUT GAGGED * Ms. Yuyun Wahyuningrum, Indonesia * Mr. Moon Hui Tah, Malaysia * Ms. Sawart Pramoonsilp, Thailand Ms. Tran Thi Thu Thuy, Vietnam Dato Paduka Zainal Momin, Brunei * walked out ____________________________________ PRESS RELEASE October 23, Burma Campaign UK Aung San Suu Kyi reaches 14 years in detention ? 24th October The Burma Campaign UK today called on the United Nations and international community to renew efforts to secure the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Burma. On 24th October Aung San Suu Kyi reaches a total of 14 years in detention, most of it under house arrest. On 11th August 2009, after a sham trial, Aung San Suu Kyi was given a further 18 months under house arrest. Her current period of detention is not due to expire until February 2011. Despite an international outcry, no concrete action was taken to secure her release. ?UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon needs to mobilise the international community to secure the release of all political prisoners,? said Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK. ?Aung San Suu Kyi has managed to use sanctions as leverage to persuade the Generals to resume dialogue, but so far all we have is low level officials talking about talks. Aung San Suu Kyi needs our support in pressuring the generals to start real dialogue.? Burma?s generals are pressing ahead with fake elections in 2010, which will bring in a rubber stamp parliament and a new constitution designed to legalise dictatorship. Ahead of the elections the dictatorship has increased arrests and harassment of democracy activists, and ensured that Aung San Suu Kyi remains detained during the period of the elections. It is also escalating attacks on ethnic people, creating a human rights and humanitarian crisis which has already spread to its neighbours. Despite the slaughter and increasing instability taking place in ethnic areas, and the continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and more than 2,100 political prisoners, much of the international community seems prepared to sit back and wait and see if any small change comes from ?elections? next year. ?There needs to be a sense of urgency about what is happening in Burma,? said Mark Farmaner. ?Aung San Suu Kyi has spent yet another year in detention. The generals are defying the international community and pressing ahead with an election and constitution that could keep them in power for decades to come. It is a myth that they are not vulnerable to pressure, they are vulnerable, but the right pressure has never been applied. Fine words are not enough, we need action.? The Burma Campaign UK is calling for all possible tools to be used to persuade Burma?s generals to enter into genuine dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic representatives. These should include diplomatic pressure, targeted economic sanctions, legal pressure such as a UN Commission of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed by the dictatorship, and a global arms embargo. For more information about Aung San Suu Kyi visit: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/burma/about-burma/about-burma/a-biography-of-aung-san-suu-kyi For more information contact Mark Farmaner on 07941239640.