BurmaNet News, April 21, 2010

[Editor]

April 21, 2010, Issue #3945


INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Festival bombing death toll rises
Irrawaddy: Final days at NLD Party headquarters

BUSINESS / TRADE
Wall Street Journal: NHPC May Build Power Projects in Myanmar

HEALTH
Mizzima News: Dangerous levels of arsenic found in drinking water

INTERNATIONAL
The Dominion Post (New Zealand): Junta's officials study in NZ; Myanmar
trio funded by taxpayer
DVB: Canadian uni ‘spied’ on Burmese students

OPINION / OTHER
Irrawaddy: US response to Sudan election omen for Burma? – Htet Aung

PRESS RELEASE
CISL International Policy Department: BONANNI: first signatory of the CISL
Appeal for Burma




____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

April 21, Irrawaddy
Festival bombing death toll rises – Saw Yan Naing

The New Year festival bombing death toll in Rangoon has risen to 10 dead,
according to Rangoon media this week.

The latest victim, Soe Moe Htun, 19, died on Monday according to a report
in the Rangoon-based journal, First Eleven. The deaths include seven men
and three women.

A Burmese military region commander, Col Ohn Cho of Rangoon Division No. 4
was  critically wounded in the blast.

The New Light of Myanmar reported that eight people died and 170 were
injured after three explosions occurred in a holiday pavilion in Mingalar
Taung Nyunt Township in Rangoon on April 15.

A Rangoon-based editor said the two recent deaths occurred after the
victims had been held in intensive care for six days.

Contacted by The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, staff at the Yangon General
Hospital said they were not authorized to provide any information on the
injured.

The New Light of Myanmar ran an article this week that blamed exiled
Burmese opposition groups for the bombings. The story said terrorist
groups were responsible for the blasts and authorities have offered a US
$1,000 reward for information about the identity of the people
responsible.

Nyan Win, a spokesperson for the National League for Democracy, said acts
that injure the public are unacceptable.

Aye Tha Aung, a Rangoon-based Arakanese politician, also condemned the
blasts, saying, “No politician wants to see such brutal incidents that
kill innocent people.”

A pro-junta political party, the National Unity Party, released a
statement on Friday that said harming innocent people was indefensible.

According to a report of the Rangoon-based journal Myanmar Times in
January, Pol Col Sit Aye, the head of the Department of Transitional
Crime, said the regime plans to introduce an anti-terrorism law this year.
He said the law will authorize actions against those who offer financial
or material support to terrorists.

Observers and lawyers contacted by The Irrawaddy expressed concern that
the regime's anti-terrorism law will be used by the military government as
a tool to control opposition groups' activities.

Burma currently has no anti-terrorism law. However, individuals or
organizations that work with or receive support from illegal groups such
as dissident or armed groups can be charged under Section 17/1 of the
Illegal Organization Act. Penalties range from 3 to 5 years in prison,
according to lawyers.
____________________________________

April 21, Irrawaddy
Final days at NLD Party headquarters – Kyi Wai

RANGOON—The red and white sign in front of Burma's main opposition party,
the National League for Democracy (NLD), headquarters in Rangoon will
disappear in the next 15 days.

As a political party, the NLD gained the support of many people from
different walks of life for more than 20 years. However, the party will be
dissolved in May because of its decision on March 29 not to register as a
political party and compete in the election this year.

For now, the ground floor of the headquarters is as lively and busy as
before. Tables are occupied by  members. Some have come to the office
regularly for 20 years, working without a salary. Some of the workers have
been imprisoned by the regime only to return upon their release.

A skinny young man and woman said they were waiting for Phyu Phyu Thin, an
NLD member who works with HIV/AIDs and TB patients, providing medicine and
shelter.

An man from Arakan State who has provided money to help support political
prisoners is working at one of the tables. He said the wife of a political
prisoner recently asked him if the NLD would continue to provide
assistance to political prisoners.

“I had to tell her that I still didn't know, since we  haven't said
anything about it yet,” said the man.

The party has contributed 5,000 to 8,000 kyat (about US $5-8) to each
political prisoner every month for 10 years. Currently, there are more
than 2,100 political prisoners in prisons throughout the country.

Other current party activities include cleaning water wells damaged by
Cyclone Nargis in areas where people still have difficulty finding access
to drinkable water. Such projects will be harder to undertake in the
future, he said.

“But despite the dissolution of our party, we will continue in our
struggle for democracy and there will be political activities,” he said.

In the office, members also work on such issues as how to keep office
equipment, records and other assets belonging to the party. In the future,
said one member, it will be difficult for a group of former members to
meet together.

“Even if the NLD existed as a legal political party, we could be arrested.
So, if there's no NLD and we meet somewhere even for social purposes, do
you think we can avoid being harassed? How are we going to meet?” said a
member from Mandalay Division.

A MP-elect from Pegu Division in the 1990 election said military
intelligence officers constantly pressured him and others to resign from
the NLD, saying that they would be paid as much as 10 million kyat (about
$10,000).

He said that MP-elects in Pegu Division refused the offer, saying “We
won't leave the NLD, you can jail us,” and many ended up in prison or what
the regime called “government guesthouses.”

He said many MP-elects were able to focus on politics only because of the
support from their family.

“My wife has taken care of my family throughout my time in politics,” he
said. “She is not in favor of the NLD's dissolution.”

MP-elect Sein Hla Oo said during the NLD meeting on March 29 that if the
party was dissolved, he would feel as if half of his heart was taken away.

“I am not happy with the fact that our decision will lead to the end of
our organization,” said Tin Oo, the NLD vice chairman.  “On the other
hand, I am proud of others and myself for making such a dignified
decision.”

Quoting Aung San Suu Kyi, who said the NLD would not be destroyed even if
it was dissolved, he said it would continue its activities and struggle
for democracy.

Veteran NLD leader Win Tin also said that the party has a future.

“Some say the NLD may become an underground organization if it doesn't
re-register,” he said. “We will continue our activities in peaceful and
non-violent ways.”

In a letter to the public, the party affirmed that under the leadership of
Suu Kyi it would continue its aims and objectives.

It's clear the party's social work will go on.

“We have decided to offer food to monks in front of our office until May
4,” said Dr. May Win Myint, a leader of the NLD women's wing. “We will
continue to do so after that, but it may not be here.”

“We also think about the continuation of our prayer every Tuesday for the
release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners,” she said.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

April 21, Wall Street Journal
NHPC May Build Power Projects in Myanmar – Eric Yep

Mumbai -- India's state-run NHPC Ltd. is considering building two
hydroelectric power projects in Myanmar at an investment of 250 billion
rupees ($5.6 billion) as it seeks to expand, its chairman said Wednesday.

"We are inching towards Myanmar. We have already sent our team to Myanmar
for further survey and investigation for two projects," S.K. Garg told
reporters on the sidelines of an industry conference.

NHPC has been looking at neighboring countries for expansion partly
because of slow progress in projects in India. The company, which raised
40 billion rupees ($899 million) through its initial public offering last
year, is also planning to set up power projects in Bhutan.

The hydroelectric power producer has an installed generation capacity of
5,175 megawatts, accounting for a little more than 3% of India's total
generation capacity from all fuel sources. India has an estimated
hydroelectric potential of 148,701 MW, junior Power Minister Bharatsinh
Solanki told Parliament in December.

However, progress on hydroelectric power capacity addition has been slow
due to environmental concerns and issues related to resettlement of people
displaced because of the construction of dams. Mr. Solanki said in
December that 15 hydroelectric projects that could add more than 12,000
megawatt capacity were awaiting environment and forest-related approvals.

Mr. Garg said also that NHPC is looking to build a 510 MW plant and
another project with a capacity of 520 MW in Myanmar. NHPC is yet to
decide on whether it will tie up with any other company for the projects,
he said.

The company aims to produce 18 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in
the financial year that started April 1. It produced 17 billion KWh in the
previous year, lower than the targeted 17.2 billion KWh, Mr. Garg said.

Write to Eric Yep at eric.yep at dowjones.com

____________________________________
HEALTH

April 21, Mizzima News
Dangerous levels of arsenic found in drinking water – Myo Thein

Rangoon – Arsenic contamination in drinking water, which poses a serious
public health risk, has been found in all 12 regions of Burma, a Ministry
of Health official says, quoting a joint survey with the UN child
protection body, Unicef.

The survey by the ministry’s Occupational Health section, Unicef water
resources department and the “Border and Municipal” department, found
water contaminated with arsenic at levels above 10 ppb (parts per billion)
– the level set as permissible by the World Health Organisation (WHO) –
was found in the states and divisions of all 12 regions, Deputy Director
of Occupational Health Dr. Than Htut said.

It found the highest content of arsenic in Irrawaddy and Pegu divisions
and a similarly high content in Rakhine State, he said. Contaminated water
with more than 50 ppb of arsenic was found elsewhere in all states and
divisions.

“The contamination of arsenic will be higher in Rakhine State because we
took smaller test samples there 
 but contamination levels were higher
than the worst states so we expect Rakhine State to actually be the worst
state,” Dr. Than Htut said.

According to the survey of more than 80,000 water samples taken from 28
townships in Pegu Division, 42 per cent contained more than 10 ppb and 9.6
per cent showed greater than 50 ppb. Of tests in 26 Irrawaddy Division
townships, 29.2 per cent registered greater than 10 ppb and 4.23 per cent,
more than 50 ppb.

Out of 5,200 water samples taken in Rakhine State, 42 per cent showed more
than 10 ppb, and more than 8 per cent, greater than 50 ppb.

The highest arsenic contamination is found in river valleys and delta
regions and along the rivers, creeks, lakes and reservoirs based on water
bearing mud and sand layers. The high contamination of arsenic is
reportedly found in groundwater too.

“As there is shortage of water, we must take care of our potable water
resources. The people think the water from rivers and creeks is dangerous
for health as it is contaminated with human waste and other impurities
that can cause infectious diseases,” the deputy director said. “So the
people switch to groundwater by thinking it is a safe and clean water
resource. But the groundwater is also contaminated with chemical residues
and a high content of acids. It is becoming a huge problem.”

The surveys were conducted after water was found to be highly contaminated
with arsenic in neighbouring India and Bangladesh. Called arsenic
poisoning in the Bangladeshi wells the “largest mass poisoning of a
population in history”.

Arsenic interferes with cell metabolism causing many effects such as
cancers, vascular diseases and brain damage. It can also cause changes of
skin colour, warts and deformities of the fingernails and toenails.

“We cannot drink arsenic-contaminated water by any means, even after
boiling it. We cannot treat it by storing in a container overnight,” Dr.
Than Htut said.

Water contaminated with arsenic at concentrations of more than 10 ppb was
found in: Irrawaddy, Pegu, Magwe, Sagaing, Mandalay, Rakhine, Kachin, Shan
(South), Shan (North), Mon, Rangoon and Tanintharyi, but only a few cases
of arsenic-related illnesses were found or reported, he said.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

April 22, The Dominion Post (New Zealand)
Junta's officials study in NZ; Myanmar trio funded by taxpayer – Tom Hunt

Wellington – THREE government officials from Myanmar's repressive military
regime are studying English in New Zealand, funded by the taxpayer.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully, who once called Myanmar's rulers
the "Butchers of Burma", confirmed he had agreed that the three officials
could study here. More are likely to arrive.

The decision was condemned by an Otago academic, who said the officials
were likely to be complicit in the internationally condemned junta.

"They [the regime] are not going to be sending dissidents," Otago
University professor Kevin Clements, from the National Centre for Peace
and Conflict Studies, said.

Myanmar, formerly Burma, is governed by a military regime under which
opponents are persecuted. Aung Sung Su Kyi - the country's democratically
elected leader - has been under house arrest for most of the past 20 years
since she won a general election.

Burma Cross-Party Parliamentary Group chairwoman Maryan Street, a Labour
MP, said: "We should not be doing anything to prop up that
administration."

She said the officials - studying in Wellington, Napier, and Nelson -
could spy on refugees in this country, leading to possible persecution of
families in Burma.

"This is not the same as providing humanitarian support and assistance and
training for people who are going back to help develop their country."

Mr McCully said he had allowed the officials to study here after a review
of Myanmar's involvement in the English Language Training for Officials
scheme. That was in line with an international move - led by United States
President Barack Obama - to increase engagement with Myanmar in
preparation for what were hoped to be democratic elections this year.

In 2008, Mr McCully - then in opposition - criticised Labour for allowing
government-owned company Kordia, formerly BCL, to work in a joint venture
doing engineering work on cellphone tower installations in Myanmar. He
called the Myanmar government the "Butchers of Burma".

Asked to justify his apparent change of heart, Mr McCully would only say
it was "consistent with the international community".

He said the three studying in New Zealand worked in the civil service in
Myanmar. "We don't do it for people who hold controversial roles."

Labour foreign affairs spokesman Chris Carter said it was important to
show the Myanmar officials how democracy should work. "It's about
political education in a way."

The Greens' foreign affairs spokesman, Keith Locke, said including Myanmar
in the scheme was a "betrayal" of the people of Myanmar.

Mr McCully said each participant in the English Language Training for
Officials scheme cost about $35,000 to educate over six months - paid for
by the New Zealand Government. About 35 officials had visited from Myanmar
since 1998.

____________________________________

April 21, Democratic Voice of Burma
Canadian uni ‘spied’ on Burmese students – Joseph Allchin

Ka Hsaw Wa is a Karen refugee in Canada, a nation with some of the most
stringent sanctions on Burma’s ruling generals. It has now been revealed
that he and others were spied on by a university for having a meeting
about his homeland.

Ka Hsaw Wa, one of the founding members of the US-based EarthRights
International (ERI), was due to speak at the University of Ottawa, along
with members of the Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB), about the French oil
giant Total and its business activities in Burma, which include the Yadana
pipeline project.

Rights groups have said that human rights violations have surrounded the
project, accusations which landed Total in court, although the case was
eventually settled out-of-court. The 5 December 2007 meeting was called
‘Burma Blood Profits: was Ottawa U’s Desmarais building paid for with cash
tainted by the blood of innocent Burmese citizens?’

However the university had other ideas. In a leaked email dated 30
November 2007 circulated to colleagues by Victor Simon, University of
Ottawa vice president for resources, he cautioned that “we should prohibit
the use of our facilities for this event, on the grounds that the program
material includes allegations and accusations that may be libellous . . .I
know that this kind of action thinking flies in the face of many
principles we hold dear in the University world, but I think we have
others interests at stake here.”

The university was concerned because the building Ka Hsaw Wa was going to
talk in, the new $15 million Desmarais building named after the family of
the same name, was bankrolled by Paul G. Desmarais, who sat on the board
of Total.

The information, disclosed to CFOB through the freedom of information
request, “implicates a corporate interest at the university”, according to
former Ottawa University student and now-prominent human rights lawyer,
Yava Hameed.

However the release of this information was delayed for more than ten
months as the university sought to prevent disclosure of their
relationship and bias towards a benefactor.

“They tried everything they could to delay and prevent us from getting the
documents. They said we couldn’t see the documents because of an attorney
client privilege, but we eventually got that disclosed,” says Kevin
McCleod, on the board of directors of CFOB.

Despite Simon’s feeling that the action “flies in the face of many
principles”, the university president, Giles Patry, as a result of the
‘other interests’ that Simon speaks of, suggests in the emails that  “We
should monitor to see if they [Ka Hsaw Wa et al] are exposing themselves
with libellous comments.”

Indeed after the event, CFOB were suspicious of a number of members of the
audience who, according to Mcleod, “were acting rather strange
like
writing down everything that was said – they really weirded people out”.

This prompted CFOB to request the access to information and, through
multiple appeals and a previous case in which a professor was sacked based
on evidence from a student spy from the university’s newspaper, they
realised that the activities of discussing the impacts of large
corporations on Burma was, as Yavar Hamid puts it, a “sore spot for the
university administration”.

On receiving, drip by drip, the transcripts of the emails that senior
university staff sent between each other, some with redacted areas, CFOB
also came to learn that as requested, the social networking site Facebook
had been used to find out which students were attending the meeting. One
message, sent on 30 November 2007 by Steve Bernique, assistant director of
operations at the university, said “I love this programme [Facebook]! Now
we know who is going to attend.”

A screen shot of the list was distributed amongst the higher echelons of
the university as they discussed possible ways of blocking the event,
including making use of university facilities out of the financial reach
of groups such as ERI and CFOB.

“I think it’s quite incomprehensible; I don’t understand the actions of
any academic institution spying on students and the community expressing
their academic right and freedom; it’s preposterous,” says Hameed. “It
wasn’t clear to me who the spies were but all the same it was quite
distressing that students could be induced or paid to spy on fellow
students and human rights activities.”

One member of the audience had deeper reasons for feeling distressed:
octogenarian Harvey Su is the oldest Karen refugee in Canada. He was
“appalled” by the surveillance, a phenomenon he thought he had fled.

“Who are these University of Ottawa presidents, vice presidents and
security staff working for exactly? The people of Ontario? Or are they
working for the Desmarais family, the oil companies and the Burmese
military regime? This I really want to know.”

He has since forbidden his grandchildren from attending the University of
Ottawa and called for the resignation of the chancellor of ‘Canada’s
university’, as their slogan goes.

The University of Ottawa was unavailable for comment.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

April 21, Irrawaddy
US response to Sudan election omen for Burma? – Htet Aung

The United States recognized the winners in the Sudan parliamentary
election last week and  said the Obama administration will engage with the
new government even though the electoral process was not judged to be free
or fair.

“This was not a free and fair election,” said P.J. Crowley, the State
Department spokesperson on Monday. “It did not, broadly speaking, meet
international standards. [But] I think we recognize that the election is a
very important step.”
Sudanese members of the National Elections Commission count ballots at a
polling station in Omdurman, west Sudan's capital of Khartoum, on April
16. (Photo: Reuters)

That leads to a question: Could the US stand on the Sudan election be a
preliminary sign for its possible response to Burma's parliamentary
election which will be held late this year?

President Barack Obama is engaged in a new policy on Burma. However, it
has so far gained no tangible result after several meetings between the
two countries' senior officials in New York and Rangoon.

Recently, US Senator Judd Gregg and six other senators called for US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to assess whether the policy of
engagement with the Burmese military junta has been effective in
furthering US interests.

“I think Burma is worse than Sudan though the governments share similar
things such as repression and human rights violations,” said Win Tin, an
executive committee member of the National League for Democracy and a
close associate of Aung San Suu Kyi. “I understand the American's
recognition on the result of the Sudan election because they see a
political progress between the ruling party and the opposition.

“But Burma is not like Sudan and the junta has never shown their
willingness to talk with the opposition. Therefore, the American stand on
Burma could be different.”

Asked his view on the US senators call for the need to reassess US policy,
Win Tin said: “I agreed with them. They may want to see their government
be tougher than now on its Burma policy. Since our meeting with Assistant
Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, I knew that the US has a plan to appoint
a US special envoy on Burma to be stationed in Rangoon to bring about a
dialogue among us. But nothing has happened.”

Campbell visited Burma last November as part of the US engagement policy
and met both ruling generals and the opposition, including Suu Kyi.

Similar to the Sudan election, the first in 24 years, Burma's election
will be the first in 20 years. However, Burma's recently promulgated
election laws have ignored the international community's concerns,
including the US, which called for a free, fair and inclusive process so
that all the political parties could participate.

The election laws excluded more than 2,000 political prisoners, including
the key opposition leaders such as democratic icon Suu Kyi, Shan leader
Hkun Htun Oo and student leader Min Ko Naing from participating in the
election. Due to the unjust laws, late last month the National League for
Democracy led by Suu Kyi decided not to contest the election.

However, except for expressing respect for the NLD decision, the US has
taken no concrete step to response to the junta. Analysts said it is
likely that the US will recognize the result of the election, as they did
in Sudan, and will engage with the new government.

Sudan and Burma have both been under sanctions imposed by the
international community because their leaders, President Omar Hassan
al-Bashir and Snr-Gen Than Shwe, have both committed serious human rights
violations against their own people.

Bashir is on the wanted list of the International Criminal Court based in
The Hague which has charged him with war crimes committed in Darfur. The
Burmese military junta led by Than Shwe has so far managed to escape from
ICC charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Last month, Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights
in Burma, called for an international inquiry into possible crimes against
humanity and war crimes.

“According to consistent reports, the possibility exists that some of
these human rights violations may entail categories of crimes against
humanity or war crimes under the terms of the statute of the International
Criminal Court,” said Quintana, in a 30-page report to the U.N. Human
Rights Council in Geneva.

Referring to the US, Win Tin said the NLD understands the US must deal
with the junta while also giving moral support to the NLD and democratic
movements in Burma. “I don't expect much from them,” he said.

____________________________________
PRESS RELEASE

April 21, CISL International Policy Department
BONANNI: first signatory of the CISL Appeal for Burma

Appeal for a commitment against the upcoming sham elections in Burma,
which are set to perpetuate the military dictatorship in civilian
clothing, the violation of human rights, forced labour and the prohibition
against political and trade union freedom, ensuring the impunity of the
military junta for its crimes against humanity.

The CISL launches an urgent appeal to the Italian Government and to the
European Union to respond to the call made by the Burmese trade unions and
democratic organisations to the international community for subjecting the
recognition of the upcoming elections to the following conditions:

1.	the immediate and unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi and of all
the other political prisoners, and the protection of their right to take
part and stand in the elections;

2.	the ceasing of all attacks against the ethnic communities and
democratic activists;

3.	the immediate launching of a genuine and inclusive dialogue between the
junta, the democratic organisations and the ethnic nationalities,
including the reform of the Constitution.

Through this appeal, CISL strongly condemns the Burmese military junta and
the unacceptable election laws recently introduced, which prevent the
country’s heroine, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the other over 2,100 political
prisoners to stand in and cast their ballot at the upcoming elections.
These laws are the tragic confirmation of the total non-credibility of the
elections and reveal the absolute lack of will by the junta to undertake a
fast and effective transition to democracy.

CISL invites you to sign this appeal calling on:

•	the Italian Government, Parliament and the EU Special Envoy for Burma to
support the three conditions detailed above and subject the recognition of
the elections to their implementation, launching urgent consultations with
the Burmese trade unions and democratic organisations;
•	the Italian Government to commit itself to ensuring that the EU decides
to further strengthen the targeted economic sanctions by including the
financial and insurance sectors as well, with the prohibition to make new
investments and implementing certain and effective monitoring procedures.
The sanctions should be applied flexibly, according to the positive or
negative developments in the political process;
•	the EU to promote these legitimate requests in its negotiations 
particularly with the Asian countries;
•	the EU to actively call on the UN Security Council to approve a total
arms embargo on Burma;
•	the EU to support the recommendation by the UN Special Rapporteur on the
Situation of Human Rights in Burma to set up a UN Commission of Inquiry on
the war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the junta.
Italy must no longer remain silent.
Sign our appeal online at the CISL website www.cisl.it  or at
www.birmaniademocratica.org.