BurmaNet News, September 28, 2010

[Editor]

September 28, 2010 Issue #4051


INSIDE BURMA
AFP: Myanmar monk jailed for 15 years for anti-election activity
NLM: Senior General Than Shwe, wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing to pay a State visit
to LPDR

ON THE BORDER
Irrawaddy: Refugees recall 'Saffron Revolution'
Bangkok Post: Three die in Burma border clash

BUSINESS / TRADE
Myanmar Times: Private banks offer loans to exporters

HEALTH
Myanmar Times: Health experts call on private sector to increase HIV funding

REGIONAL
Mizzima: Thai PM urges ‘inclusive process’ after Burmese polls

INTERNATIONAL
AFP: UN says Myanmar vote not credible without Aung San Suu Kyi
AFP: Myanmar rejects criticism of elections
BBC: Japan welcomes Burmese refugees

OPINION / OTHER
Huffington Post (US): Has India abandoned Burma? – Anil Raj
Sydney Morning Herald: Burma must feel the weight of the world's anger –
Jenny Leong

PRESS RELEASE
BCUK: Lithuania supports UN Burma crimes inquiry




____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

September 28, Agence France Presse
Myanmar monk jailed for 15 years for anti-election activity

Yangon – A court in military-ruled Myanmar has sentenced a monk to 15
years in prison for "anti-election" activities, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Oakkan Tha was convicted on Monday in a special court at Yangon's Insein
prison for breaching the Electronic Act and the Publication Act, and for
disturbing the security and peace of the state, said lawyer Khin Htay
Kywe.

"The authorities accused him of sending information to the Mon News Agency
after they found anti-election documents from him. The authorities seized
his laptop and cameras," Khin Htay Kywe said.

The agency, formed by former students and democratic activists, is a vocal
critic of the Myanmar junta.

The monk, who is in his early 30s and has been forcibly disrobed by the
authorities, was arrested on January 7 in Thanbyuzayet Township in Mon
State. His lawyer said an appeal was planned.

Myanmar is gearing up for its first elections in two decades, set for
November 7, but the vote has been widely criticised by activists and the
West as a charade aimed at putting a civilian cloak on military rule.

The court sentencing came on the third anniversary of a crackdown on the
"Saffron Revolution" monk-led protests.

At least 31 people were killed by security forces while hundreds were
beaten and detained in a crackdown by the authorities on the rally.

Today more than 250 monks are imprisoned, thousands have been disrobed and
key monasteries remain under constant watch for their role in the
September rebellion, according to rights activists.

Monks have no right to vote in the November polls, the first in the
military-ruled country in 20 years.
____________________________________

September 28, New Light of Myanmar
Senior General Than Shwe, wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing to pay a State visit to LPDR

Nay Pyi Taw – At the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Choummaly Sayasone,
President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Senior General Than
Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of the Union of
Myanmar, and wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing will pay a State visit to the Lao
People's Democratic Republic in the near future. - MNA

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

September 28, Irrawaddy
Refugees recall 'Saffron Revolution' – Alex Ellgee

Mae Sot — It was a day like any other. Kyaw Kyaw Htun, a 19-year-old
university student, lived outside Rangoon, so when he started the day he
had heard nothing of the clashes taking place between monk-led
demonstrators and troops on the capital's streets.

“I knew that some monks were marching around town but I did not know how
many people were involved,” he said in an interview on the third
anniversary of the so-called “Saffron Revolution.”

He made his way to the Internet cafe where he worked part-time and then
discovered the full scale of the confrontation between demonstrators and
armed forces.

A colleague was preparing to join the demonstration. He told Kyaw Kyaw
Htun that the entire population of Rangoon was joining with the monks and
that now was the people’s opportunity “to put an end to their suffering.”

Kyaw Kyaw Htun, using a pseudonym, admits now that he was scared because
he had never been involved in politics before. But “many people were going
so it felt alright.”

He and a group of friends traveled by bus to downtown Rangoon. When they
arrived near Sule Pagoda he saw thousands of civilians and monks crowded
around and facing a barricade.

“I could not believe my eyes when I first saw all the people,” said Kyaw
Kyaw Htun, now a refugee in Thailand, living a camp in Tak Province, near
the Thai-Burmese border.

“ I was concerned but all the people’s faces and the monks praying gave me
energy to get involved,” he said.

He marched through pouring rain with the monks. He said he felt invincible
and was sure the people were going to win and see their demands met.
However, on the second day everything changed.

At the bus stop where he had taken the bus the day before there was a
group of men with walkie talkies. When two monks boarded the bus, Kyaw
Kyaw Htun heard one of the men speak into his radio, “two oranges
rolling.”
When they arrived downtown, news of monasteries being raided at night were
circulating.

After a couple of hours of tense standoff between troops and civilians,
the soldiers were ordered to charge. “Next to me a young girl was just
standing, I heard a gunshot and she was on the floor bleeding and dying
next to me,” he said.

Images of the brutality of the crackdown hang on the walls of Kaba Lone
Monastery, near Umpium refugee camp. Three years on, Kyaw Kyaw Htun and
hundreds of others have come together to remember those who fell and
reflect on the past.

For many of the participants, the camp has become their home. The ceremony
  at the monastery is a sober affair, with donations to monks, talks by
various ethnic and political leaders and a political song by some young
people.

Following the crackdown military intelligence combed the streets of
Rangoon hunting down dissidents. Thousands fled to the Thai-Burmese
border, where they joined more than 140,000 refugees in border camps 
“None of us wanted to flee, but we had no choice,” said Kyaw Htun Htun.

Another refugee, Htay Htay Win, described the difficulties of camp
existence.  “Life is not easy here,” she said.

After participating in three decades of protests she felt compelled to
join in the Saffron Revolution. She noticed one difference between the
1988 uprising and 2007 – “Before, they told us they were going to shoot,”
she said. “This time they just fired their guns.”

Asked whether she felt the revolution helped Burma, she replied: “We saw
how evil the government is. I just hope everyone remembers those people
who gave their blood for our country.”

The refugees are worried about the possibility of being repatriated to
Burma after the November election. Thailand's foreign minister has been
quoted in the domestic media as saying: "As the Burmese government is
holding elections later this year, we should help those who live outside
their country to return home and resume their lives in Burma.”

One of the speakers at the ceremony, Toe Aung, said: “If we were sent back
to Burma it is sure we will have to go to prison for long time.”

Toe Aung was a key organizer of the 2007 demonstrations and has a long
political history and several prison terms behind him.  Aung San Suu Kyi
asked him to coordinate NLD youth.

Together with other concerned refugees, Toe Aung has written to the Thai
government “requesting not to return us.”  No reply has yet been received.

Toe Aung has been hoping for another uprising in Burma, but “there has
been no chance to organize another revolution like 2007.” Informers were
everywhere in the border area, he said.

U Klarina, a monk and one of the organizers of the Saffron Revolution,
believes that another uprising could occur. “Yes it is possible, but we
have a lot to organize,” he said.

However, with the November election fast approaching and the regime coming
closer every day to legitimizing its rule, hope for another uprising is
fading. Yet a new generation has been inspired by the events of September
2007.
“If the Saffron revolution never happened then I would never have become
involved in politics,” said Kyaw Kyaw Htun, 22.

 “It changed my life and whether it is realistic or not I will go back and
continue where I left off.”

____________________________________

September 28, Bangkok Post
Three die in Burma border clash

A Thai defence volunteer and two Wa soldiers were killed in a clash on
Monday night between a border defence unit of the 3rd Army and an armed
unit of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) near the Thai-Burmese border in
Doi Lang area in Chiang Mai's Mae Ai district, Col Somsak Nin-ubon said on
Tuesday.

Col Somsak, deputy commander of the Pha Muang Force, said the clash took
place  about 9pm when the Thai border defence unit spotted about six armed
soldiers of the UWSA carrying backpacks believed to contain drugs entering
the Doi Lang area from Burma.

The Wa soldiers opened fire when  the Thai soldiers ordered them to stop
for a search .

The Thai soldiers returned fire.

Manit Boonthep, a defence volunteer serving with a ranger company, was
killed in the clash.  The Wa soldiers retreated across the border, leaving
behind two dead bodies.

The 63-square-kilometre area around Doi Lang is under dispute between
Thailand and Burma.  It has been declared a "no man's land" by both
governments.

Col Somsak said the Thai unit was sent to the area on information that
drug smugglers were about to cross the border with a large quantity of
methamphetamine pills.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

September 28, Myanmar Times
Private banks offer loans to exporters – Thike Zin

PRIVATE banks have been ordered to extend credit to rice and beans and
pulses exporters to help them sell their products abroad, banking sources
say.

The instruction from the Central Bank of Myanmar, effective September 1,
is for banks to provide loans equivalent to 60 percent of the market price
of the exports, at 17pc annual interest, the sources say.

Exporters applying for loans must pledge their commodity as security, the
source said.

Exporters welcomed the scheme. “This plan could help speed up the trading
process,” said U Min Ko Oo, general secretary of the Myanmar Beans, Pulses
and Sesame Seeds Merchants Association.

The aim of the scheme is to tide over exporters who face cash-flow
problems, he said, adding that his association was prepared to give
recommendations on creditworthiness.

U Min Ko Oo told the The Myanmar Times that the credit plan came at a good
time to help exporters, withgreen mung beans, toor and matpe to be
harvested in December.

____________________________________
HEALTH

September 28, Myanmar Times
Health experts call on private sector to increase HIV funding – Khin Myat

MYANMAR donors should take a more active role in fighting HIV/AIDS and
other related diseases, officials from non-government organisations said
last week.

Dr Myo Lwin, a freelance consultant for HIV/AIDS awareness-raising
programs, said Myanmar relies almost exclusively on international donors
to combat HIV/AIDS and it was time local donors, especially businessmen,
contribute to the cause.

“We only rely on international donors, who can withdraw from Myanmar at
any time. There are many rich businessmen who can contribute in Myanmar,
but they still think it is not their concern,” he said.

Dr Myo Lwin said it was in the private sector’s interest to reduce new
HIV/AIDS transmissions. High HIV prevalence could delay the development of
the country, as infection is most prevalent among those aged 15 and 49,
which is the most productive working age.

He made the comments at a workshop for journalists reporting on HIV, held
on September 13 and 17 at Chatrium Hotel in Yangon.

The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, better known as UNAIDS,
estimates 237,684 people were living with HIV/AIDS in 2009, with 17,566
estimated AIDS deaths and 17,101 new infections that year. Of the almost
238,000 people with HIV, about 74,000 required antiretroviral treatment
(ART).

Dr Sid Naing, country director of Marie Stopes International (Myanmar),
said that presently most private donations go towards the construction,
renovation and upkeep of pagodas, monasteries and other religious
buildings. He said it should be possible to mobilise private sector funds
for HIV and other social issues over the long-term without reducing
religious donations.

“Changing people’s donation behaviour has to be our collective aim – both
the aim of the media and social organisations,” he said in an email.

He said one possible way forward would be to establish a coordination
mechanism to manage a pool of private sector donations. This would
maximise transparency and equity and minimise inefficiency and wastage, he
said, adding that networks of people living with HIV should play a key
role in that mechanism.

U Nyi Nyi Aung, project manager at the Ratana Metta Organisation, agreed
few businessmen contributed financially to fighting HIV/AIDS.

“But they should get involved because this issue is a national concern,” U
Nyi Nyi Aung said.

The Ratana Metta Organisation provides ART to 310 people with HIV and the
majority of its donations come from abroad. In 2009, the organisation had
241 international and 25 local donors, and this has risen to 280 and 30
respectively so far in 2010.

____________________________________
REGIONAL

September 28, Mizzima News
Thai PM urges ‘inclusive process’ after Burmese polls – Thea Forbes

Chiang Mai – Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has called for the
Burmese junta to initiate a more “inclusive process” after the nation’s
first general elections in 20 years on November 7, according to a report
in The Washington Post.

Abhisit was talking to the Post a day before attending the United Nations
General Assembly in New York on Friday.

He characterised the Burmese elections as the first step in a continuing
process and flagged widely held scepticism over the extent of change
possible from the military regime after its controversial vote.

“Realistically, nobody expected that just having these elections would
shift things 
 I think it should be seen as a first step. Whether that
step is big enough depends on your expectations and perspective on
things,” Abhisit told the Post.

The Thai prime minister added: “For us, what is important is that once
they go ahead, they lead to a more inclusive process which would lay the
foundation for further steps and also for reconciliation with the minority
groups.”

Thailand has an interest in the regime’s reconciliation with minority
groups as the porous nature of the Thai-Burmese border has meant the
migration of hundreds of thousands of refugees and workers into Thailand
over the past two decades.

On whether detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National
League for Democracy (NLD) party could regain their stance in the public
arena, he said: “They [the junta leaders] should do all they can to open
up the process.”

Suu Kyi is a Nobel Peace laureate who has spent 15 of the last 21 years in
some form of detention including house arrest since her party’s landslide
victory in 1990 elections. The military leadership refused to recognise
the vote and cede power to the democratically elected government.

The NLD was effectively dissolved on September 14 after opting out of
registering for the polls because of laws it cited as “unjust and unfair”
and the regime’s refusal to release political prisoners.

Reuters reported on Friday that a staff member at the Union Election
Commission office in Suu Kyi’s Bahan Township, who requested anonymity,
confirmed her name on the electoral role for the polls. Last month, she
had advised members of her now-defunct party not to vote in the election.
Some ethnic groups under ceasefire had also welcomed NLD calls for a
boycott.

It had been assumed Suu Kyi would be barred from taking part in any
capacity since Burma’s controversial 2008 constitution states “persons
serving prison terms” were prevented from voting or running as candidates,
Reuters said.

She was found guilty last August of breaking an internal security law
after US citizen John Yettaw swam across Inya Lake to stay at her home and
is serving a sentence of 18 months under house arrest. She was due for
release one week after the election.

Nyan Win, Suu Kyi’s lawyer and spokesman for the NLD, told Reuters he was
baffled by her inclusion on the electoral roll. “It’s tantamount to saying
that she is not a prisoner.”

The Washington Post said Abhisit had noted Suu Kyi was barred from
participating in this year’s elections.

Along with her party, ethnic minorities, monks, students, human rights
groups and many Western governments have denounced the polls as a sham.
Criticism has been levelled at the elections also because of crippling
media censorship of opposition parties and the exclusion of Suu Kyi.

The polls have been called a cynical charade by which the military junta
was seeking to establish a “legitimate” civilian government, further
citing the 2008 constitution, which sets aside 25 per cent of seats in all
three parliaments for military personnel. Also, junta leaders have stepped
out of uniform to join the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development
Party. Prime Minister Thein Sein is the party’s leader.

Whether the result of the coming election was likely to lead to a more
“inclusive process” remains to be seen as Burmese state media had reported
that some areas of five ethnic-minority states (Kachin, Karenni, Karen,
Mon and Shan) were to be excluded from participating.

The state claimed the areas marked for exclusion lacked the appropriate
conditions for a “free and fair” vote, perhaps because of the power that
armed enthic groups, such as the Kachin Independence Organisation and
factions of the Shan State Army, wielded in those areas.

The Thai leader’s urging for the political process in Burma to open up
also came ahead of a meeting between leaders of other Southeast Asian
nations and US President Barack Obama on Friday, the second meeting of its
kind. The Post reported that Abhisit said the US-Asean meetings
demonstrated the Obama administration’s re-engagement with the region.

Summit yields calls for regional peace, release of political detainees in
Burma

Obama and Asean leaders on Friday called for a peaceful resolution to
disputes over territory in the South China Sea, an issue Beijing had
warned Washington over, Reuters reported, quoting a joint White
House-Asean statement.

The news agency reported their agreement on “the importance of peaceful
resolution of disputes, freedom of navigation, regional stability, and
respect for international law, including in the South China Sea”.

Obama and the Asian leaders also called on Burma to “embark on a process
of national reconciliation by releasing all political prisoners”,
including Suu Kyi, and by holding free and fair elections in November.

____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

September 28, Agence France Presse
UN says Myanmar vote not credible without Aung San Suu Kyi

United Nations – Myanmar's looming election will not be credible unless
the military rulers release Nobel prize-winning opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi, a UN ministerial group said Monday.

The group -- which included ministers from neighbors China and India,
Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia as well as Britain and the United States
-- "clearly reiterated the need for the election process to more
inclusive, participatory and transparent," UN chief Ban Ki-moon said after
the meeting.

"Members called for steps to be taken for the release of political
detainees including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

"This is essential for the election to be seen as credible and to
contribute to Myanmar's stability and development," Ban told reporters
after the meeting of the Friends On Myanmar group.

No Myanmar government representative was at the meeting, held on the
sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Ban met Myanmar's foreign minister,
U Nyan Win, at the UN headquarters on Sunday though.

"I conveyed my strong wish and expectation that this election should be
conducted in a fair, transparent and inclusive manner," Ban said of his
meeting with the minister. He also pressed for the release of Aung San Suu
Kyi, who has spent most of the past two decades under house arrest.

Myanmar has banned her National League for Democracy and nine other
opposition parties from taking part in the November 7 election, Myanmar's
first in two decades. The opposition has said the vote will be a sham.

The junta has said however that Aung San Suu Kyi will be allowed to vote.

Ban said the runup to the election will be "critical" and that the
ministerial group called on Myanmar to take "a more constructive and
forward-looking approach" with the international community.

He added that the ministers, from countries with widely varying attitudes
to Myanmar, "reiterated their commitment to work together to help Myanmar
address its political, humanitarian and development challenges, in
parallel and with equal attention.

"The group also reaffirmed unity of purpose and action to encourage
Myanmar to make further efforts towards national reconciliation and
democracy."

The United States and European Union have sanctions against Myanmar. But
China has shielded Myanmar from UN sanctions while India hosted Myanmar
junta leader Than Shwe on a state visit in July.

"At this critical stage in Myanmar’s transition, it is all the more
important that the group, and especially Myanmar’s neighbors, encourages
Myanmar to engage meaningfully with my good offices," Ban said.

The UN chief has expressed mounting frustration with the Myanmar junta in
recent months. The government has even refused a visit by his chief of
staff, Vijay Nambiar.

"We have been trying to visit, somehow this year. It has not been
possible. I expressed my regret about that fact," Ban told reporters.

The secretary general has also urged the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN), which includes Myanmar, to take a tougher line on the
junta over the elections.

He warned ASEAN leaders on Friday that if the election was not seen as
credible it "could reflect on ASEAN’s collective values and principles."

Ban said he would again press ASEAN and Myanmar at the regional group's
summit in Hanoi next month. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will
also be there.

A UN rights envoy has called for an investigation into whether the junta's
treatment of opponents represents torture that could lead to a crimes
against humanity case.

Ban said that any action would have to be decided by UN members.

Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a landslide victory in the last election in
1990 but the junta never allowed her to take office.

____________________________________

September 28, Agence France Presse
Myanmar rejects criticism of elections

United Nations – Myanmar's foreign minister on Tuesday rejected
international criticism of the country's election insisting that the junta
is committed to a "free and fair" vote.

The minister, U Nyan Win, said the election in Myanmar on November 7,
which the opposition has said would be a sham, was "a critical phase of
its political transformation process."

He told the UN General Assembly that more than 3,000 candidates from 37
parties would take part in the vote for 1,171 parliamentary seats.

"Such a large participation made it crystal clear that the elections
become virtually inclusive," the minister said.

U Nyan Win made no mention of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi,
nor UN and international demands that she be freed for the vote.

"The people will exercise their democratic right to elect the
representatives of their own choice who can serve their interest better,"
the minister said.

"With its ample experiences and lessons learned in holding multiparty
general elections in the past history, Myanmar is confident in its ability
to conduct the elections in an orderly manner.

"Whatever the challenges facing us, we are committed to do our best for
the successful holding of the free and fair general elections for the best
interest of the country and its people."

A UN ministerial group said Monday that the election will not be credible
unless the military rulers release Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition
detainees.

The group -- which included ministers from neighbors China and India,
Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia as well as Britain and the United States
-- "clearly reiterated the need for the election process to more
inclusive, participatory and transparent," UN chief Ban Ki-moon said.

"Members called for steps to be taken for the release of political
detainees including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," he added.

____________________________________

September 28, BBC News
Japan welcomes Burmese refugees

Eighteen Burmese refugees have arrived in Japan from Thailand, marking a
new turn in Japan's asylum policy.

It follows Japan's agreement to accept about 90 Burmese under a third
country resettlement plan promoted by the UN.

The three ethnic minority Karen families have been living for 10 years in
a camp in north-western Thailand after fleeing persecution in Burma.

Japan has been criticised in the past for allowing in far fewer refugees
than other wealthy nations.

The BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo says the refugees arrived at Tokyo's
Narita airport wearing jackets against the autumn chill.

Japan says it is the first Asian country to take part in the UN-backed
resettlement programme.

Japan is one of the world's most generous donors to refugees overseas, but
gives scant welcome to asylum seekers at home, our correspondent says.

Last year just 30 people were granted refugee status. Another 501 received
special residence permits on humanitarian grounds, but with fewer rights.

The Burmese refugees are expected to spend the next six months in Tokyo
learning Japanese.

The government says if they integrate well into society it may consider
allowing more refugees into the country.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

September 28, Huffington Post (US)
Has India abandoned Burma? – Anil Raj

Gandhi once said, "An ounce of practice is worth more than a ton of
preaching." But in the decades since Gandhi and in an environment premised
on India's towering pursuits of economic development and regional
security, I am beginning to wonder if India is doing more preaching than
practice when it comes to promoting democracy and freedom - the very
things that it fought so hard to win over from the British Raj.

India has traditionally been a key ally for Myanmar's (Burma) democratic
opposition, most prominent is sure to be none other than Nobel Laureate
Aung San Suu Kyi, who has remained under detention or house arrest for the
last 15 of 21 years. India has long provided safe haven for fleeing
pro-democracy Burmese activists and has bestowed Suu Kyi with India's
highest civilian honors.

However, in the last two decades Indian foreign policy vis-à-vis Myanmar
has made an about-face from its former 'principled' approach, and reached
an unprecedented threshold when Myanmar head of State, Senior General Than
Shwe, visited India for five days in July. The visit ushered in a new
strategic partnership between the two neighbors as part of India's "Look
East" policy aimed to enlarge India's presence in the region and to keep
China's growing presence at bay.

But it wasn't the panoply of high-level and expensive agreements that were
reached, nor was it the fact that none of these agreements were contingent
upon Myanmar's willingness to release Aung San Suu Kyi or the 2,200 other
political prisoners, or any push to ensure free and fair elections in
Myanmar later this year - the first in 20 years. What was shocking to me
was that India allowed Than Shwe to pay homage to the burial site of
Gandhi.

It was entirely unpalatable to me that India could allow one of the
world's most flagrant violators of human rights to stain the legacy of a
man who led masses to peacefully overthrow a repressive colonial overlord
not entirely different from that of the present-day Myanmar, or to
symbolically forsake its support for Aung San Suu Kyi, herself a sort of
"Burmese version" of Gandhi in her own right.

Of course matters of national interest will take front and center at
certain junctures in any country, but when governments are willing shed
their most quintessential creeds and replace them for short-term gains it
should stir the collective consciousness of an entire people. For
instance, when the Americans debated passionately over what constituted a
just interrogation policy in the "War on Terror", U.S. Senator John McCain
staunchly opposed the use of torture claiming that it disgraced the U.S.
Constitution and very essence of what America stands for, arguing, "this
is not about who they are [alleged terrorists], but who we are". In the
short period of time that America did forsake these values, America
learned that sacrificing the very creeds that became its genesis comes at
a high cost and something that has taken precious time and resources to
mitigate for. India is currently on a similar trajectory of repeating this
very mistake and leaves us to wonder just how much India will give up of
itself to court men like Than Shwe - a virtually unsustainable effort if
it seeks to gain full ascendance as a democratic, global power.

As India pioneers forward in its quest for expanding frontiers, this is an
opportune time for Indians to carefully ponder over who they are and what
they are about, lest they find themselves on the wrong side of history.
After all, the natural state of humankind decisively levitates towards
freedom. The only thing that stands between the people of Myanmar's quest
for freedom and its actualization is merely time, and Indians of all
people should know that.

Anil Raj in the Myanmar (Burma) Country Specialist for Amnesty
International USA. He's also a member of the Board of Directors for the
organization.

____________________________________

September 28, Sydney Morning Herald
Burma must feel the weight of the world's anger – Jenny Leong

Three years ago this week, the military authorities in Burma embarked upon
a violent crackdown on demonstrations calling for human rights, economic
changes, and peaceful democratic reform.

The ripple began with a string of relatively small marches against sudden
state-imposed rises in the price of fuel that left people unable to afford
bus fares to get to work or pay for essentials such as rice. This quickly
gave way to street protests led by Buddhist monks and involving tens of
thousands of people, with many calling for an end to the protracted
political deadlock in the country.

Images of streets filled with monks in deep red robes made their way
around the world and have become some of the most striking emblems of
strength and bravery in recent memory — Burma's "Saffron Revolution". That
was until authorities shut down the internet and made it clear the price
to be paid for public acts of dissent.

Security forces attacked demonstrators, firing live bullets and tear gas.
Monasteries were raided and closed down. Property was destroyed and
confiscated. Monks were beaten and detained. Other protesters' homes and
hiding places were raided, usually at night, and authorities took friends
or relatives as hostages to pressure those on the wanted lists and to
discourage further dissent.

At leat 31 (and possibly more than a hundred) people were killed, with
many more injured and at least 74 disappeared. Thousands were detained in
horrendous conditions.

Today, just weeks out from the Burma's first election in 20 years, 2200
political prisoners continue to languish in detention. This figure has
doubled since the start of the 2007 protests and, in reality, is likely to
be much higher.

The most well-known is Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for
Democracy party, whose electoral victory was ignored by the military
authorities last time round. But there are many others being punished
solely on the basis of their peaceful political activity, ethnicity or
religion. All of them should be immediately and unconditionally released.

Buddhist monk U Gambira is currently serving a 63-year prison sentence for
his role in the 2007 protests. Fearing for his safety, U Gambira went into
hiding when the authorities published a list of wanted activists. The
30-year old courageously gave media interviews calling for international
support and expressing his solidarity with other protestors while
underground. When they couldn't find him, the authorities targeted his
family, detaining his brother and father.

Ultimately arrested, U Gambira was forcibly disrobed and sentenced in an
unfair, closed trial in one of Burma's notorious prisons. Some of the
charges that U Gambira faces are under vaguely-worded security laws that
the authorities have routinely used to criminalise peaceful political
dissent.

Moved from prison to prison, his health has deteriorated. Reports of
bronchitis, asthma, malaria, nervous tension, and his being too weak to
speak have emerged. Food and water have been denied on occasion. He has at
times been handcuffed and shackled and placed in solitary confinement. U
Gambira has been subjected to beatings and his mouth stuffed with cloth to
silence him.

Defiant to the last, U Gambira has staged a hunger strike calling for the
release of political prisoners, organised a chanting protest with other
inmates, and refused to appear in court after claiming that the trial of a
disrobed monk damages the dignity of Buddhism.

While details are grim, U Gambira's experience is not unusual. Judicial
proceedings show no regard for due process, and many trials have been held
in special closed courts. The authorities deny or restrict access to legal
counsel and defendants are not given adequate time to prepare. Many
political activists have been given lengthy jail terms – some as long as
104 years.

Prison conditions are harsh and torture is common. Access to medical
treatment is severely limited and many prisoners are denied adequate food.
Political prisoners are frequently transferred to extremely remote
locations, far from their families and support networks.

Access to many parts of the country by independent observers and
international human rights organisations continues to be denied.

So it is under this heavy threat of harassment, arbitrary arrest, torture,
imprisonment and even extrajudicial executions — as well as new censorship
rules — that the November 7 elections in Burma will take place. There is
good reason to expect intensified repression of regime critics and
political opponents from now on.

But the same eyes that witnessed the monks flood the streets three years
ago are watching as Burma prepares for its elections. It is time for
governments, particularly those from countries that make up the
Association of South-East Asian Nations, go beyond calls for "free and
fair elections". As the moment draws nearer, foreign ministers in
neighbouring countries are under pressure to demand that the Burmese
military authorities respect the population's fundamental rights to
freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association.

The international community, including Australia, has to be ready to speak
out forcefully as individuals are harassed and detained for their peaceful
political activities in the run-up to the elections.

Anything less is a tacit endorsement of the human rights violations
currently taking place.

Jenny Leong is campaign co-ordinator at Amnesty International Australia.

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PRESS RELEASE

September 28, Burma Campaign UK
Lithuania supports UN Burma crimes inquiry

Burma Campaign UK today welcomed Lithuania’s backing for a UN Commission
of Inquiry into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed its support directly
to Burma Campaign UK.

Lithuania is the 7th member of the European Union to publicly support an
inquiry. The other EU members are Czech Republic, UK, Slovakia, Hungary,
Netherlands, and France. The non-EU countries supporting an inquiry are
Australia, USA, Canada and New Zealand, bringing the global total to
eleven.

In December 2009 Burma Campaign UK visited Lithuania and met with the
Foreign Minister, who expressed support for the people of Burma in their
struggle for democracy.

Zoya Phan, International Coordinator at Burma Campaign UK, and who was a
member of the delegation which visited Lithuania, today warmly welcomed
Lithuanian government support: “I am grateful to the government of
Lithuania for listening to the voice of the people of Burma, and standing
by us in our struggle for justice and democracy. I hope that all those
countries who have expressed support will now work for the official
support of the European Union, and for the establishment of a UN Inquiry
to be included in the UN General Assembly resolution on Burma.”

The Burma Campaign UK has published a detailed briefing on the UN General
Assembly and Burma, available at:
http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/index.php/news-and-reports/burma-briefing/title/the-united-nations-general-assembly-burma

For more information contact Zoya Phan on 44(0)7738630139.