BurmaNet News, January 21, 2010

[Editor]

January 21, 2010, Issue #3880

INSIDE BURMA
DVB: State-backed attacks on activists grow
DVB: Eight charged for Sept 2007 activities

ON THE BORDER
Kachin News Group: KDA transformed to militia groups by Burma junta
The Telegraph (India): Possibility of border seal remote

BUSINESS / TRADE
Irrawaddy: Kyat falls on talk of trade liberalization

ASEAN
Irrawaddy: Burma strengthens relations with Asean chair Vietnam
People's Daily Online: CLMV senior officials prepare for culture-related
roundtable in Myanmar

REGIONAL
New Light of Myanmar: GMS region, not Safe Haven for human traffickers

INTERNATIONAL
Irrawaddy: Human Rights 'deteriorating' in Burma: HRW
Mizzima News: Rally at ‘Nuclear Security’ seminar to protest Burma’s presence



____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

January 21, Democratic Voice of Burma
State-backed attacks on activists grow – Francis Wade

A leading rights watchdog has reported a global rise in the number of
state-sanctioned abuses against “rights defenders”, fueled in part by the
inability of the rights movement to protect victims.

The annual report, by New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), said that
attacks on human rights monitors “are not limited to authoritarian
governments like Burma and China”, but are now rampant in countries such
as Russia, Sri Lanka, Burundi and Afghanistan.

In the case of Burma, despite growing calls for the ruling junta to be
investigated for war crimes and crimes against humanity in 2009, “no
government has yet taken the lead in either initiative at the UN”, HRW
said.

The report also expressed concern about the regime’s refusal to allow
prison access to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), amid
reports that detained US citizen Kyaw Zaw Lwin, a prominent exiled Burmese
rights campaigner, was being tortured.

According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political
Prisoners-Burma (AAPP), the junta imprisoned 231 activists, lawyers,
journalists and politicians in 2009, many of whom were sentenced on or
around the two-year anniversary of the September 2007 monk-led uprising.

Kenneth Roth, executive director of HRW, said that the attacks “might be
seen as a perverse tribute to the human rights movement, but that doesn't
mitigate the danger. Under various pretexts, abusive governments are
attacking the very foundations of the human rights movement."

He went on to criticize US president Barrack Obama’s “incomplete
translation” of improved rhetoric “into policy and practice”.

The US last year attacked the deteriorating political situation in Burma
by announcing that it would begin dialogue with the junta after years of
isolation, although earlier this week it signaled its impatience over the
lack of progress toward democratic reform in the country.

Despite increasing attention from Washington, Burma has however been
labeled a “boutique issue” for the US, which is under heavy pressure to
transform its image in the Middle East, whilst Obama deflects growing
discontentment over his domestic performance.

____________________________________

January 21, Democratic Voice Burma
Eight charged for Sept 2007 activities – Khin Hnin Htet

Eight activists have been charged for their role in the September 2007
uprising, more than two years after police in Burma launched a brutal
crackdown on peaceful protests.

The eight men, who include four monk and a school teacher, were arrested
last year during a crackdown that coincided with the two-year anniversary
of the so-called Saffron Revolution.

Lawyer Kyaw Ho, who is representing two of the men, Thandar Htun and Ko
Nyo, said that all eight were charged under the Unlawful Associations Act
and the Immigration Act, which together carry a maximum seven-year
sentence.

The other defendants are Ye Myint, U Yaywata, U Kawthita, U Withudi, U
Waryama and Kyaw Khin.

“They were
[accused] of having contacts with the All Burma Monks
Association and the Generation Wave [activist groups], and also charged
under the Immigration Act for illegally crossing border to meet with those
groups,” said Kyaw Ho.

He added there was “no legitimacy” in making his clients, who were
arrested in their hometown of Mandalay, stand trial in Rangoon.

Five of the men reportedly do not have lawyer assistance, while Kyaw Ho
said that relatives of the eight had been barred from visiting them since
their arrest.

The Burmese government in September last year launched a crackdown on
people suspected of involvement in fomenting the 2007 uprising, in which
thousands of civilians, led by monks, took to the streets of Burma
initially to protest against a hike in fuel prices.

The demonstrations quickly became a show of force against the military
regime, which responded by firing into crowds and killings hundreds.

Burma’s revered monk community was targeted in the crackdown. According to
the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners-Burma
(AAPP), more than 250 monks are currently held in Burmese prisons.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

January 21, Kachin News Group
KDA transformed to militia groups by Burma junta

The Burmese military junta is keeping up its relentless pressure and has
forced yet another ethnic Kachin armed group in Northeastern Burma to
transform to smaller militias under the Burmese Army early this month,
said sources in the armed group.

The Kachin Defense Army (KDA), which split from the Kachin Independence
Organization (KIO) and is based in Kawnghka in Northeast Shan State was
forced to change to two smaller local militia groups after the group’s
leader Mahtu Naw recovered from serious illness in mid-December last year,
KDA sources told Kachin News Group today.

The KDA, formerly part of the KIO’s 4th brigade was instructed today to
surrender its big guns and mortars to Lashio-based Northeastern Regional
Command Headquarters (Ya-Ma-Kha) of the Burmese military by the regional
commander Maj-Gen Aung Than Htut, KDA sources said.

The KDA was also ordered to change to two militia groups today by changing
its KDA military uniform to that of the militia by Maj-Gen Aung Than Htut,
the sources added.

The junta has said that the militia can keep only small arms so the KDA is
surrendering all its big guns to the Burmese Army, KDA sources added.

The KDA has several mortars made in China such as the 50 mm, 60 mm, 75 mm,
82 mm and 120 mm and other big guns.

Earlier, the KDA had requested the junta that it would like to transform
to the Border Guard Force, meant for ethnic armed groups proposed by the
regime, which can accommodate a larger number of troops compared to the
militia, said sources close to KDA leaders.

The request was rejected by the junta because the current territories of
the KDA are not in the border areas close to China, added sources among
KDA leaders.

Currently, the KDA has two army brigades with about 1,500 troops in
Northeast Shan State.  It has been ordered to convert to two militia
groups with about 100 troops, said KDA sources.

Local military analysts said the KDA stripped of arms will mean more
pressure to KIO’s 4th brigade based in Loikang near the KDA’s headquarters
in Kawnghka to transform to militia groups or surrender.

The 4th brigade has been under increasing pressure to transform to two
smaller militia groups or withdraw all its troops to KIO’s main military
bases in Kachin State by the junta since last year.

Part of the former KIO’s 4th brigade led by Mahtu Naw split from the
mother unit in 1990 and signed a permanent ceasefire agreement with the
Burmese junta and formed the KDA in 1991.

The KDA backed the junta-led National Convention for drafting the
country’s constitution from 1993 to 2007.  It also approved the
junta-centric 2008 constitution.

Now the KDA’s junior officers and soldiers are reluctant to accept the
junta-proposed militia but have no choice and cannot flout the order of
their leader Mahtu Naw, said sources close to KDA soldiers.

In Kachin State late last year, the junta forced the transformation of two
KIO split groups under its control. They are the Lawa Yang-based Lasang
Awng Wa Peace Group to two local militia groups in October and
Pangwah-based New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K) to three battalions of
the Border Guard Force in November.

____________________________________

January 21, The Telegraph (India)
Possibility of border seal remote

Itanagar, India – The Centre is unlikely to seal the Indo-Myanmar border
though the government is aware that the Changlang district of Arunachal
Pradesh, bordering Myanmar, is often used as a haven by militants
operating in the region, minister of state for defence M.M. Pallam Raju
said today.

He said though the ministry had to deal with militant groups operating in
Changlang, the possibility of the Centre sealing the Indo-Myanmar border
was remote.

“Any physical boundary, which may act as a bar on frequent exchange of
commodities among the people of the two countries, cannot be made. I see a
distant possibility of the Indo-Myanmar border being sealed,” he told
reporters here this evening.

On the opening of the Stilwell Road, connecting Ledo in Assam to Khunming
in China, he said he was not aware of the move.

The efforts of the Border Roads Organisation in constructing roads in
Arunachal Pradesh has met with impediments like staff shortage,
non-allotment of land and delay in getting approval of the ministry of
forests and environment, he said.

“The BRO is grappling with constraints like lack of manpower and efforts
in lifting men, machine and materials to the far-flung border areas.
Another major constraint is getting clearances,” Raju said.

“There has been some headway in the meeting between the BRO and the
ministry of forests and environment and 40 cases have been disposed of,”
he added.

He said Rs 1,000 crore had been allocated for building infrastructure.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

January 21, Irrawaddy
Kyat falls on talk of trade liberalization

Reports that the Burmese junta is planning to relax restrictions on the
import of cars, buses and heavy equipment has created strong demand for US
dollars and dollar-denominated foreign exchange certificates (FECs),
putting pressure on the national currency, the kyat.

According to business sources in Rangoon, the black market exchange rate
for the dollar has risen to 1,040 kyat, up from 1,015 yesterday, on news
that the Ministry of Commerce has a plan to deregulate the import of cars
following an announcement last week that it would allow private sector
imports of buses and heavy equipment.

Normally, Burma's regime allows only a few thousand cars to be imported
each year through the junta- controlled Union of Myanmar Economic Holding
Limited (UMEHL) and businessmen close to the ruling generals.

Currently, import restrictions have skewed the prices of cars—whether new
or used—to levels that would be considered absurd in neighboring
countries. Only the two highest-ranking members of the junta—Snr-Gen Than
Shwe and Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye—can grant import licenses.

Meanwhile, business sources in Rangoon said that Htoo Trading Co Ltd,
owned by Tay Za, a crony of the ruling junta and target of US sanctions,
has been awarded a contract to operate state-owned gas stations in Upper
Burma.

The sources added that the regime has been licensing private enterprises
and individuals to import diesel since December.

Recent changes in economic policy have also boosted the value of the FEC.
On Thursday, the FEC traded for 1,062 kyat on the black market, up from
1,050 kyat the previous day.

The FEC is technically equal in value to the US dollar, although the two
units often differ substantially on the black market in kyat terms. The
FEC is currently worth more than the dollar because it is  widely used for
fuel purchases.

Since August 2008, the Ministry of Energy has allowed petrol stations to
sell large quantities of fuel to holders of FECs. Purchases made using the
kyat are still limited to two gallons per day.

____________________________________
ASEAN

January 21, Irrawaddy
Burma strengthens relations with Asean chair Vietnam – Wai Moe

The Burmese military junta has recently stepped up military, trading and
social relations with Vietnam, Asean's current chair.

State-run newspapers ran stories about the relationship over the weekend,
highlighting Burmese Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein's meeting on Jan. 15
with Vietnamese deputy ministers of foreign affairs and defense in
Naypyidaw.

Few details were given, but observers said it was likely that economic and
military ties were  discussed. During the Vietnamese delegation’s visit,
officials also held an investment seminar  in Napyidaw.

Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win visited Vietnam on Jan.13-14 to attend a
ministerial meeting of the Asean Political Security Community (APSC),
which was the first Asean meeting after Vietnam became Asean chair for
2010. Nyan Win told his Asean counterparts that this year's Burmese
election would be free and fair.

In recent years, the Burmese military junta has increase relations with
the Vietnamese government, signing bilateral agreements involving the
military and economic affairs.

The No. 3 ranking general in Burma, Gen Shwe Mann, the joint chief of
staff (army, navy, air force) visited Vietnam in October to boost military
ties between the two countries.

He met with Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet in Hanoi, and,
according to the Vietnamese News Agency, signed an agreement as a step
toward increasing military cooperation.

Apart from military and economic ties, the two countries have increased
cooperation in social areas. Maung Myint, Burma’s minster for religious
affairs, made an official visit to Vietnam in December and signed the
first bilateral agreement of two Southeast Asian Nations on religious
matters.

On Wednesday, reports from Hanoi said that a Vietnamese businessman was
behind an effort to carve the largest jade Buddha sculpture in the world,
using a 35-ton stone purchased in Burma. Vietnamese President Triet
attended the ceremony unveiling the stone.

Of special interest to Burma is Vietnam's role in international politics.
Vietnam is also a member of the “Group of Friends of the UN
Secretary-General on Burma.”

The Vietnamese foreign ministry said on its Web site that Vietnam supports
Burma’s regional and international integration. When Vietnam was a member
of the UN Security Council in 2008-09, the Vietnamese delegate supported a
non-interference policy on Burma's domestic affairs.

____________________________________

January 21, People's Daily Online
CLMV senior officials prepare for culture-related roundtable in Myanmar

Culture-related senior officials of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam
(CLMV) held preliminary coordination meeting in Myanmar's ancient city of
Bagan to prepare report for a ministerial-level roundtable scheduled for
Saturday in Nay Pyi Taw, an official daily reported Thursday.

The meeting on Wednesday discussed matters on enhancing cultural
cooperation among and boosting tourism in the CLMV member countries, the
daily New Light of Myanmar said, adding that a Nay Pyi Taw
declaration-2010 will be issued at the end of the ministerial roundtable
meeting.

Taking part in the roundtable will be visiting Cambodian Minister of
Culture and Arts Him Chhem, Laotian Minister of Culture and Information
Mounkeo Oraboun, Myanmar Minister of Culture Major-General Khin Aung Myint
and Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh
representing respective countries.

The meeting aims to strengthen friendship among CLMV countries, uplift
good neighboring spirit, ensure cooperation among member countries, hold
culture exchange, enhance cultural preservation and boost tourism sector
through cultural cooperation.

In January 2008, a meeting of culture- and arts-related ministers of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was held in Nay Pyi Taw, in
which the ministers agreed to enhance the regional cooperation in the
areas of culture and arts,

The areas of cooperation cover human resources development, protection,
preservation and promotion of ASEAN cultural heritage, and development of
small and medium cultural enterprises.

The ASEAN ministers of culture and arts (AMCA) also endorsed the work plan
of the working groups set up by related ASEAN senior officials, agreeing
that funding for cultural cooperation activities be streamed and
broadened.

The regional ministers resolved to enhance the cultural profile of ASEAN
among the member states and internationally.

The AMCA met to promote a deeper understanding of the region's
civilization, arts and culture, and was aimed at contributing towards the
emergence of an ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community by 2015. The roadmap for
the community called for preservation and promotion of the region's
cultural heritage and cultural identity.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

January 21, New Light of Myanmar
GMS region, not Safe Haven for human traffickers

Nay Pyi Taw – The opening ceremony of the 7th Senior Officials Meeting for
Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking (COMMIT) was
held at Golden Palace Hotel in Bagan this morning.

It was attended by delegates of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand
and Vietnam, observers from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, UN
agencies, the rapporteur from the UN Security Council on trafficking in
women and children, donor organizations, the ASEAN Secretariat and
representatives from INGOs totalling 135.

Before the opening ceremony, the leaders of the delegations from
respective countries called on Chairman of Central Committee for
Prevention Against Trafficking in Persons Minister for Home Affairs Maj-
Gen Maung Oo.

At the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the Central Committee explained
the emergence of the COMMIT and delivered an address, saying that six
countries of Greater Mekong Sub-region have been implementing the plan for
combating the human trafficking problem for five years. The laws on
antihuman trafficking have been enacted in almost all the member
countries. The gangs of human traffickers established the networks in
committing the human trafficking offences. As the GMS member countries
systematically combated the offences of the human trafficker gangs, the
GMS region is not Safe Haven any more for the human traffickers. It is
important that the present meeting will review the undertakings of the
COMMIT for one year and adopt the future plans. The chairman also
explained the anti-human trafficking programmes of Myanmar. In his
address, Resident Coordinator of UN agencies Mr Bishow B Parajuli said
that much progress can be seen in the anti-human trafficking policy,
preventive measures, punishment and looking after of human trafficking
victims in Myanmar. For example, Myanmar is the first of all GMS countries
in enacting the Anti-Trafficking Law in accord with the Palermo Protocol
by meeting international set standards. Moreover, Myanmar is the first in
formation of the special police squads for combating human trafficking.
Today's meeting is to review the undertakings in 2009 and find out the
challenges for prevention against human trafficking, he said.

He stressed the need for holding talks for future tasks, and expressed
pleasure to welcome UN special rapporteur on trafficking in women and
children Ms. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo. He continued to say that every year,
thousands of men and women fall into victims of trafficking while the
world has seen exploitation of girls for prostitution and exploitation of
children for begging. He called for stepping up the cooperation among
governments, UN agencies and INGOs.

Afterwards, Secretary of the Central Committee for Prevention Against
Trafficking in Persons Chief of Myanmar Police Force Brig-Gen Khin Yi
acted as MC of the meeting, and UNIAP reported on measures taken for 2009,
implementation of the resolutions of the 6th meeting, representatives from
Cambodia, China and Laos on control measures at their respective borders
and a representative from Laos on achievements of Laos in preventing
against trafficking in persons.

Countries in the greater Mekong sub-region Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Laos,
Thailand and Vietnam signed COMMIT MoU in Yangon on 29 Oct 2004. The 7th
meeting is the COMMIT Process of the MoU and will end on 22 January. - MNA

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

January 21, Irrawaddy
Human Rights 'deteriorating' in Burma: HRW – Arkar Moe

Burma's human rights record continued to deteriorate in 2009 ahead of a
scheduled elections in 2010, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

In its 612-page World Report 2010, the New York-based NGO said, "The
Burmese military junta systematically denies citizens basic freedoms,
including freedom of expression, association and assembly.”

Dozens of prominent political activists, Buddhist monks, labor activists,
journalists and artists were arrested in Burma in 2009 and sentenced to
draconian prison terms after unfair trials, the organization said, noting
that the military government's human rights record continued to
deteriorate last year ahead of an election announced for 2010.

In its 20th annual review of human rights practices around the globe, HRW
summarized major human rights trends in more than 90 nations and
territories worldwide.

It said attacks on rights monitors were not limited to authoritarian
countries such as Burma and China.

"Attacks on rights defenders might be seen as a perverse tribute to the
human rights movement, but that doesn't mitigate the danger," Executive
Director Kenneth Roth wrote in the introduction to the World Report 2010.
"Under various pretexts, abusive governments are attacking the very
foundations of the human rights movement."

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday, Aung Myo Min, the director of
Thailand-based Human Rights Education Institute of Burma, said, “The
Burmese military junta commits systematic human rights abuses and crimes
against humanity every year.”

Bo Kyi, the joint-secretary of the Assistance Association for Political
Prisoners in Burma, pointed the finger at Russia and China, saying the two
countries "supported Burma and other regimes that are committing human
rights abuses.”

He added: "The United Nations has many weaknesses because it cannot take
action against abusers of human rights. It should revise and amend its
policies and mechanisms on human rights.”

Of detained pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial last year, the
report said, "The trial dragged on for three months, with frequent delays
and with international fair trial standards lacking.”

It said that “an estimated 2,100 political prisoners remain incarcerated
for their peaceful activities in Burma. More than 230 Buddhist monks
involved in the 2007 protests remain in prison.”

In 2009, international calls increased for an investigation into war
crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma, and for a UN arms embargo to
be imposed,” the report said. "But China, Russia and North Korea still
sell arms to the Burmese military junta.”
The report also criticized the Burmese armed forces. “The Burmese military
continues to perpetrate violations against civilians in ethnic conflict
areas, including extrajudicial killings, forced labor and sexual
violence,” it said, expressing concern about internally displaced people,
refugees and child soldiers.

HRW said that despite the growth in the human rights movement, human
rights defenders remain vulnerable and greatly in need of support by
rights-respecting governments.

"Governments that consider themselves human rights supporters often keep
silent in the face of these abuses by allies, citing diplomatic or
economic priorities," Roth said. "But that silence makes them complicit in
the abuse. The only proper response to serious human rights violations is
to turn up the heat on the abusers."

“There is no country in the world which fully respects human rights," said
Aung Myo Min. "Most world powers, including the US, China and Russia, have
cooperated with human rights abusers in their national interests or as an
act of economic or foreign policy.”

The report said human rights monitors had been killed in Russia, Sri
Lanka, Kenya, Burundi and Afghanistan, while Sudan and China routinely
shut down human rights groups.
____________________________________

January 21, Mizzima News
Rally at ‘Nuclear Security’ seminar to protest Burma’s presence – Mungpi

New Delhi – With Burma nurturing nuclear ambitions, the country’s
pro-democracy activists in Japan are gearing up to hold a protest rally on
Friday, as representatives from Asian countries including Burma assemble
in Tokyo to attend a seminar on ‘Nuclear Security’ with officials of the
IAEA.

A Burmese woman activist in Tokyo told Mizzima on Thursday that the
protest is aimed at highlighting the Burmese peoples’ plight under the
military dispensation and to draw attention to the junta’s planned nuclear
project.

“It is our duty to protest and highlight what is happening in Burma to the
world. Besides, we want the international community to pay attention to
the junta’s nuclear ambitions,” she said.

According to a Japanese Foreign Ministry release, the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Japanese Foreign Ministry are jointly holding
the seminar titled ‘Seminar on Strengthening Nuclear Security in Asia’.

Representatives of 17 Asian countries – the 10 Association of Southeast
Asian Nations members, plus China, Japan, the ROK, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan – will attend the seminar to be chaired by Mr.
Kaoru Naito, President of the Nuclear Material Control Center (NMCC).

The event is a follow-up of the previous seminar held in 2006. During the
seminar participating countries will conduct a review of measures to
strengthen nuclear security, which were implemented after the 2006
seminar, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
Military-ruled Burma came under media spotlight, when a United States
naval vessel in June 2009 detected a North Korean vessel, suspected of
carrying illegal weapons, believed to be heading towards Burma.

While some speculate that Burma might be nurturing a nuclear weapons
ambition, evidence till date has failed to reveal any sign of the Burmese
junta going in for a nuclear programme.

Russia, one of the few countries having a good rapport with the Burmese
regime, announced in 2007 that it is helping Burma in developing a nuclear
research reactor. The centre will have a 10 megawatt light water nuclear
reactor with low enriched uranium consisting of less than 20 per cent
uranium-235.