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BURMA RELATED NEWS - MARCH 18, 2008
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HEADLINES
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UN News Centre - Assembly President meets with Myanmar envoy, calls
for national reconciliation
The Star - Divergences work in favour of Myanmar junta
Reuters - U.N. council keeps silent on Tibet protests
Xinhua - Myanmar opposes Taiwan's move for U.N. joining referendum
AlertNet - Kindness of strangers eases refugees' arrival in United
States
NewYork Times - Editorial: China Terrorizes Tibet
Asian Tribune - Burmese Military Intelligence arrested Kyaw Ko Ko,
Leader of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions
Asian Tribune - U.S. Congress Introduces Resolution Rejecting Burmese
Junta Made Constitution
Bkk Post - PM's remarks favourable to junta panned
Irrawaddy - The UN Considers its Options on Burma
Mizzima News - Increased security presence leads to clashes in Shan
state
Mizzima News - Back to Child Recruitments
DVB News - U Gambira held in solitary confinement
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UN News Centre
Assembly President meets with Myanmar envoy, calls for national
reconciliation
17 March 2008 - Meeting with the top United Nations envoy for Myanmar,
General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim today called for "serious
engagement and strong commitment" from all parties to further national
reconciliation.
In a statement issued in New York, Mr. Kerim voiced confidence in the
role and work of Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who recently completed
a visit to Myanmar and who is mandated by the Assembly to "promote
national reconciliation, democracy and human rights."
Mr. Kerim said he was encouraged by the fact that the Special Envoy
was able to meet with key figures, including pro-democracy leader and
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as with the Referendum
Convening Commission and the Constitution Drafting Committee.
The President appealed for "serious engagement and strong commitment
from all parties to continue the process of national reconciliation
that needs to be credible and inclusive," the statement noted.
Last month, the Myanmar authorities announced the holding of a
constitutional referendum this May, to be followed by "multi-party
democratic elections" in 2010, and Mr. Kerim today voiced hope that
Myanmar's Government will be open to possibly allowing the UN a
monitoring role.
This most recent mission by the Special Envoy was his third since
authorities in Myanmar "cracked down severely on peaceful
demonstrators" last year, as Paulo S=E9rgio Pinheiro, the UN Special
Rap****teur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, noted in a
re****t to the Human Rights Council.
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The Star Online - Tuesday March 18, 2008
Divergences work in favour of Myanmar junta
By SALMAN HAIDAR
PERSISTENT efforts by UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari to encourage political
change in Myanmar seem to have had some impact, but the further
outcome is uncertain. In recent months, Gambari has visited Myanmar
three times to try to persuade the ruling junta to be flexible towards
Aung San Suu Kyi, thereby opening the way to democracy.
The generals, who have reigned for two decades with surly disregard
for internal protest and international criticism, were jolted by last
year's street protests led by Buddhist monks that spread across the
country.
The world was shocked and alarmed, the UN Security Council weighed in,
and demands for action against Myanmar's rulers made.
Though no concerted action proved possible, the UN dispatched an envoy
to try to improve human rights practices and encourage moves towards
democracy. This is no easy task: an earlier UN envoy with much the
same mission persevered for some years but failed to get very far, the
junta alternately encouraging and shutting him out.
But in the changed cir***stances and with stronger international
backing, Gambari seems to have been able to make greater headway. He
has had a few meetings with significant personalities, including the
military leaders and the incarcerated Suu Kyi.
At his urging, a minister of relations has been appointed to seek
reconciliation between the junta and its democratic opponents. Suu Kyi
herself has sufficiently been encouraged by these developments to make
hopeful statements in recent months, expressing willingness to
cooperate with the regime for the benefit of the country.
Gambari was again in Myanmar a few days ago where he met top
personalities once more. Something seems to be stirring.
Yet these hopeful signs are balanced by discouraging ones. On his
latest visit Gambari was unable to meet the chairman of the junta,
Senior General Than Shwe.
Nor did he succeed in persuading the regime to permit a three-sided
meeting between himself, Suu Kyi and a junta representative. This
proposal was dismissed as "interference," and rejected with the usual
rhetoric about upholding national prerogatives and refusing to bow to
external pressure.
Myanmar has experience in stonewalling attempts by the UN and other
international bodies hoping to persuade it to change. Thus, Than Shwe
recently announced that he was ready to meet Suu Kyi, but on the
condition that she stopped opposing his regime.
Some observers see the small signs of flexibility extracted by Gambari
as essentially intended to head off the tough sanctions the UN
Security Council could impose. In this view, there is no change of
intent on the part of the junta, only an adjustment of tactics to deal
with an immediate problem.
There is now little expectation that the referendum on the new
Constitution slated for May this year will make any real difference.
Gambari had asked for international observers to oversee the
referendum, but it was dismissed on grounds that observers would
infringe of Myanmar's sovereignty.
There are enough divergences within the international community to
prevent a smooth and solid front taking shape against Myanmar, so that
the junta has been able to find ways of surviving, even prospering.
The United States recently renewed its economic sanctions for another
year. But there are others to take up the slack, so Myanmar can obtain
all the goods it needs from abroad, including the lethal weaponry for
perpetuating the junta.
=46rom the start, the principal foreign supplier of goods has been
China, whose policy of engagement has never been deflected by
international pressures. The rapid growth of trade and communication
links has underpinned a well-established and expanding relation****p
between the two countries.
In South-East Asia, Asean has remained cautious in expressing and
acting upon its disapproval of Myanmar's policies. Thus for all the
international admiration showered on her, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's
incarceration has made no decisive difference to compel the junta to
adjust its ways. - The Korea Herald / Asia News Network
The writer is a former foreign minister of India.
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U.N. council keeps silent on Tibet protests
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS, March 17 (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council will
likely keep silent about China's crackdown on demonstrations in Tibet,
mostly due to worries that provoking Beijing would accomplish nothing,
diplomats said on Monday.
China, which has sent in troops to enforce control in the regional
capital Lhasa, said earlier that the violent protests by Tibetans were
organized by followers of the Dalai Lama seeking to derail the Beijing
Olympics in August. Tibet's exiled spiritual leader has denied this
charge.
"The issue did not come up in the council," China's Deputy permanent
U.N. representative Liu Zhenmin told Reuters after a meeting of the
council on unrelated issues.
"This has nothing to do with peace and security," he said. "It is
local violence, ... a domestic issue."
China, like the United States, Britain, France and Russia, is a
permanent veto-wielding member of the council and would be able to
block any attempts by the council to act on Tibet.
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, currently president of the
council, told re****ters that the 15-nation Security Council had no
business discussing Tibet.
"It's clearly not a matter for the Security Council, or not for the
United Nations," Churkin said.
One diplomat from a council member country, speaking on condition of
anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters that the
council would likely remain silent.
"I think the idea is that even calling for a discussion of this issue
would be rejected by the Chinese and people wonder whether this would
accomplish anything," he said.
Another diplomat confirmed this view.
NO SURPRISE
Jamie Metzl, vice president of the Asia Society, a New York-based
group that promotes U.S.-Asian ties and awareness about Asia, said the
council silence was no surprise.
"The Security Council is and always has been a politicized
organization," he said, adding that China had enormous influence as a
veto-wielding member of the council.
"But the Chinese authorities recognize that their ability to act
forcefully in Tibet is limited ... particularly in the run-up to the
Olympics," Metzl said.
The Dalai Lama has asked for an independent U.N. probe of the
situation in Tibet. The human rights advocacy group Amnesty
International called for a U.N.-led fact-finding mission.
T. Kumar, Wa****ngton-based Asia advocacy director for Amnesty
International, told Reuters that the Security Council should bring up
Tibet and let Beijing reject it.
"China's going to veto it. Let them veto it," he said.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told re****ters he was "increasingly
concerned" about re****ts of violence and loss of life and expressed
this in meetings with the Chinese ambassador this morning. However, he
gave no indication that the United Nations secretariat expected to
take any specific action.
The council has in the past taken up issues that some countries have
said were purely domestic.
After Myanmar authorities cracked down on anti-government protests in
the country last year, the U.N. Security Council issued a statement
saying it "deeply regrets" the junta's brutal suppression of
protesters.
Myanmar complained about the statement, which its neighbor and trading
partner China sup****ted, saying the crackdown was a domestic matter
unrelated to international peace and security.
The Security Council has also traditionally been loath to provoke
Wa****ngton by bringing up issues related to Pakistan, a key U.S. ally
in Wa****ngton's fight against terrorism.
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Myanmar opposes Taiwan's move for U.N. joining referendum
www.chinaview.cn 2008-03-18 22:52:22
Yangon, March 18 (Xinhua)-- The Myanmar government Tuesday expressed
explicit opposition to Taiwan authorities' move for a referendum on
joining the United Nations, the state-run Myanmar Radio and Television
quoted a statement of the Foreign Ministry as re****ting in a night
broadcast.
"Myanmar is concerned at the undesirable escalation in cross-Strait
tensions that could stem from Taiwan's continued push for the
referendum as it could affect the peace and stability of the region,"
the statement said, reiterating Myanmar's "categorical opposition to
the Taiwan authorities' any move for 'Taiwan Independence' including
the attempt to hold the referendum on joining the United Nations".
"As a close and friendly neighbor of the People's Republic of China,
Myanmar consistently adheres to the 'One China Policy' and always
regards Taiwan as an integral part of the People's Republic of China",
it added.
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AlertNet
Kindness of strangers eases refugees' arrival in United States
18 Mar 2008 15:02:05 GMT
By Tim Irwin in Princeton, United States
Source: UNHCR
PRINCETON, United States, March 18 (UNHCR) - The schedule for the week
ahead runs to five pages, with each day broken down into near hourly
tasks assigned to different volunteers. At the dining room table in a
house in Princeton, New Jersey, the creator of this plan of action
runs through each item with the couple at the centre of the activity.
Za Bik Thang, his wife Par Tha, and their three children arrived in
Princeton in mid-2007 from Malaysia, where they had lived as refugees
for several years after fleeing persecution in their native Myanmar.
Tom Charles and other members of the Nassau Presbyterian Church were
on hand to meet the family when they arrived in the United States and
have been providing sup****t ever since.
"We were a little scared of coming to the US," recalls Za Bik from the
family's rented home, which was arranged for them by the Nassau
congregation. A pending move to an apartment in an affordable housing
complex closer to downtown will reduce the couple's commute to their
jobs.
For now, Charles continues in his role as traffic controller, ensuring
the smooth movement of the five Thang family members to and from
school, work, English lessons, choir practice, dental appointments,
chess club meetings and church services.
"We have around one hundred volunteers from our church working in
refugee resettlement," says Charles. "A core group of between 15 and
20 are involved in the day-to-day assistance, so the errands are
spread around. Morning pick ups to get Za Bik to work are done by the
early risers, while getting the kids home from school is done by
people who have the afternoons free."
The Thangs are the eighth family the Nassau congregation has sponsored
as part of a programme that goes back nearly 25 years. Among those
assisting the family are individuals who a few years ago were on the
receiving end of the community's efforts. Dental care is provided by a
former refugee from Bosnia; the pool of drivers includes a Somalian
refugee who arrived in Princeton several years ago.
The church is one of many religious groups in the north-eastern state
of New Jersey involved in refugee resettlement. Referrals come from
agencies such as Lutheran Social Ministries, based in the New Jersey
capital, Trenton.
The director of its immigration and refugee programme, Rev. Stacy
Martin, says voluntary groups can provide a level of attention which
surp***** what agencies dealing with hundreds of cases a year can
offer. "The sponsors and the refugee families can create genuine
relation****ps that go well beyond the 12 to 18 months we would
typically be in contact with a family," she says.
Resettlement in the United States is largely handled by faith-based
organizations, which turn to their communities for volunteers when
additional assistance is needed. According to a US Department of
Labour survey published in 2007, more than one quarter of the
population - around 60 million people - had volunteered for an
organization in the previous 12 months.
"Volunteers offer a distinctly personal touch that builds on the
sup****t offered by local resettlement affiliates," says Ralston H.
Deffenbaugh Jr., president of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee
Service, a national resettlement agency.
Even with assistance, establi****ng new lives in a foreign country is
not without challenges. Unable to speak English, the Thang children
initially found the classroom a frightening and lonely place. Everyday
costs such as rent, groceries and visits to the doctor can seem
overwhelming. Here, too, the Nassau congregation has stepped in,
helping Za Bik to land a job at a supermarket chain while Par Tha does
alterations at an exclusive menswear store.
The couple have also been given financial planning advice. "When we
first arrived we couldn't do anything for ourselves. Today we can live
our lives, though we still rely on rides," says Za Bik, who has begun
the process of getting a driver's licence.
For the Nassau congregation a commitment that began nearly 12 months
ago is nearing its end, and it is apparent that not just the Thangs
have benefitted. For Charles, working with resettled refugees "has
been one of the great joys of my life." Former strangers are now
friends, foreign cultures are understood and accepted and the often
abstract concept of helping those less fortunate has taken the
tangible form of an embrace.
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The New York Times
Editorial: China Terrorizes Tibet
Published: March 18, 2008
It was impossible not to notice that the United States removed China
from its list of top 10 human rights violators just as the biggest
anti-China protests in 20 years erupted in Tibet. Even when handed
that undeserved dispensation, the Beijing government cannot control
its authoritarian nature.
A week of protests in Tibet turned violent last Friday as Chinese
security forces clashed with hundreds of Buddhist monks and other
ethnic Tibetans. Information was hard to verify -- nearly all
foreigners are barred from entering and Tibetans have no freedom -- but
news re****ts said a market in the capital was burned; at least 16, and
perhaps many more, people were killed; and paramilitary police and
troops were deployed. Over the weekend, rioting spread to neighboring
provinces, and demonstrations even reached Beijing.
The protests began March 10, the anniversary of a failed 1959 Tibetan
uprising against Chinese rule. The Chinese took Tibet by force in
1951, and the region has been a source of tension ever since. Tibet's
exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama -- who, much to Beijing's fury,
met President Bush at the White House last October -- has urged greater
religious and cultural freedom for Tibet. But talks with Beijing have
gone nowhere.
To earn the right to play host to this summer's Olympics, Beijing
promised to improve its human rights record. As its behavior in Tibet
-- and the recent arrest of the human rights advocate Hu Jia and others
-- demonstrates, China does not take that commitment seriously.
In its annual human rights re****t on 190 countries, the State
Department conceded that Beijing's overall performance remained poor.
But in what looked like a political payoff to a government whose help
America desperately needs on difficult problems, the department
dropped China from its list of 10 worst violators.
Whatever gain China may have gotten from being elevated above the
likes of North Korea, Myanmar, Iran and Sudan was lost by the
crackdown on Tibet.
China had a chance to ****ne for its Olympic coming-out party and is
blowing it. Its leaders will continue to have to battle protests and
unrest -- and endure international reproach -- until they ensure more
freedom for all their citizens, including greater religious tolerance
and freedom for Tibet.
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Burmese Military Intelligence arrested Kyaw Ko Ko, Leader of the All
Burma Federation of Student Unions
Tue, 2008-03-18 15:26
Bangkok, 18 March, (Asiantribune.com): Burmese Military Inteligence
Unit arrested on 17 March Kyaw Ko Ko, the leader of the All Burma
Federation of Student Unions, taken away from his hiding place.
Earlier, with the help of sup****ters, Kyaw Ko Ko twice had escaped
arrest. Nyan Linn Aung, another ABFSU leader, was also arrested
together with Kyaw Ko Ko. It is not known where they were taken.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has expressed
concern over the arrest of Kyaw Ko Ko and Nyan Lin Aung. Military
authorities are notorious for torturing political prisoners, and often
the most severe treatment occurs during the interrogation stage
following the arrest.
Background:
Kyaw Ko Ko is a student who is attending in Economic University from
Yangon for a master degree. He is 25 years old and a son of U Kyaw
Gyi. He is a leader of All Burma Federation of Student Unions which
was reestablished on 28 August 2007.
Burma's first student union, the Rangoon University Students' Union,
was founded in 1931 by national independence hero Gen Aung San and his
friends.
The group was renamed the All Burma Students' Union in 1936 before
switching to the ABFSU in 1951.Following Gen Ne Win's military coup in
1962, the office of the ABFSU in Rangoon was demolished and hundreds
of students were killed by the army.
During the nationwide pro-democracy 8888 uprising, the ABFSU
resurfaced under the leader****p of Min Ko Naing and other prominent
student leaders on 28 August 1988.
During th Suffaron Revolution.....
"Today we reestablish the ABFSU to take on the ****fting roles of
former students in a new generation to fight for freedom, justice and
the building of a democratic country," Kyaw Ko Ko said on 28 August
2007 when the fighting peacock flag was raised again.
"I hereby encourage all students across the country to accept the
****fting responsibilities on behalf of our former brothers and
sisters," he added.
The influential All Burma Federation of Student Unions has resumed its
struggle against the country's military government .
"Student unions must exist for the students in Burma," said Kyaw Ko
Ko.
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U.S. Congress Introduces Resolution Rejecting Burmese Junta Made
Constitution
Tue, 2008-03-18 13:32
Daya Gamage - US Bureau Asian Tribune
Wa****ngton, D.C. 18 March (Asiantribune.com): The U.S. Campaign for
Burma, a Wa****ngton DC-based organization mobilizing international
sup****t for freedom and democracy in Burma, March 17 welcomes and
sup****ts the introducing of Congressional resolution, House Res. 317,
calling for the President to call for the United Nations Security
Council to not accept or recognize the state constitution,
unilaterally written by the Burmese military junta, and the outcome of
the upcoming referendum, scheduled for May this year.
The resolution denounces the one-sided, undemocratic and illegitimate
constitution drafting process and referendum by the Burmese military
junta, known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC),
insists the SPDC engage in a tripartite dialogue with democracy forces
led by Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic representatives, and demands the
immediate and unconditional releases of Aung San Suu Kyi and all
political prisoners. It also urges the President Bush to call for the
UN Security Council to not accept and recognize the SPDC's
constitution,
House Concurrent Resolution 317 was introduced by Representatives Rush
Holt (D-NJ), Howard Berman (D-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) in
the U.S. House of Representatives on March 14, 2008 and it was
referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for consideration.
They introduced the resolution after the SPDC flatly rejected all
recommendations made by the United Nations, which are the
establishment of an all-party inclusive transparent process of
constitution writing, meaningful and time-bound dialogue with Aung San
Suu Kyi, releasing all political prisoners, establishment of a broad-
based poverty alleviation commission, opening of an office in Rangoon
for the UN Special Envoy, and an offer to provide UN assistance to
help ensure the referendum is free and fair. During the last visit of
UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari on March 6-10, the five top leaders
of the SPDC, Senior-General Than Shwe, Vice-Senior-General Maung Aye,
General Thura Shwe Mann, General Thein Sein and Lieutenant General
Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myin Oo, refused to meet with Mr. Gambari. The
highest level official whom Mr. Gambari was allowed to meet was Bri-
Gen Kyaw Hsan, the SPDC's Minister of Information. On behalf of the
SPDC, Kyaw Hsan rejected all of the UN's recommendations and even
complained that "The United Nations should stand fair and square
without bias."
Congressman Berman (D-CA) is Chairman of the House Committee on
Foreign Affairs, who has succeeded Congressman Tom Lantos (D-CA), who
was a champion for the Burmese democracy movement and passed away last
month. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen is Ranking Member of House Committee
on Foreign Affairs. Congressman Holt serves on House Committee on
Education and Labor, Committee on Natural Resources and Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence. All three Representatives are strong
sup****ters of the non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights
for the people of Burma, led by the world's only imprisoned Nobel
Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi.
Congressman Rush Holt, author of the resolution said, "The Burmese
people are determined to enjoy the same rights and freedoms that so
many of take for granted. The heroic efforts of opposition leader and
Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and others have given hope
to victims of terrible oppression, and they deserve our sup****t.
Passage of this resolution would send a strong signal to the people of
Burma that we stand with them in their struggle for democracy."
"We appreciate Representatives Holt, Berman and Ros-Lehtinen for this
im****tant initiative to not recognize the military junta's
illegitimate constitution, which is designed to perpetuate the
military dictator****p in Burma by vesting supreme power in the hands
of the Chief of the military, Commander-in-Chief," says Aung Din,
Executive Director of the U.S. Campaign for Burma. "People of Burma
are determined to reject this sham constitution at any cost, which
will make them slaves of the military for generations," continues Aung
Din.
On March 14, 2008, UN Special Rap****teur on the Human Rights Situation
in Burma ridiculed the junta's plan by saying that "if you believe in
gnomes, trolls and elves, you can believe in this democratic process
in Myanmar," at a news briefing at the U.N.'s European headquarters in
Geneva. However, Thai Prime Minister Samat Sundaravej, who recently
came back from Burma, praised military leaders as strong devotees of
Buddhism and killing and suppression in the country are normal.
"Tragically, like the Thai Prime Minister, there are some governments
in Asia and Europe who believe in myths. We need similar actions from
other Members of Parliament around the world to urge their respective
governments to reject the junta's sham constitution and to apply more
pressure on the Burmese military junta", added Aung Din.
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Bangkok Post - Tuesday March 18, 2008
TIES WITH BURMA
PM's remarks favourable to junta panned
ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was attacked by critics yesterday
after making favourable comments about the ruling Burmese junta and
indicating the government plans to focus on making economic gains from
Burma.
Surapong Jayanama, secretary for political affairs to former premier
Surayud Chulanont, said the Thai approach to Burma would benefit
certain groups at the expense of human rights there.
He viewed the policy towards Burma as a resumption of that undertaken
by the government under deposed prime minister Thaksin ****nawatra.
''They [the ruling generals] know that Thai bureaucrats in collusion
with politicians care about economic interests'' while ignoring
Burma's weak points, said Mr Surapong, a former career diplomat.
Mr Samak said he was impressed with the Burmese generals after his one-
day visit to Naypidaw, the new Burmese administrative capital, on
Friday.
The trip clearly showed the government's stance towards Burma and that
Thailand cared less about human rights and democracy there and more
about cooperation on infrastructure development, Mr Surapong said.
''The nearer the summer approaches, the more we'll see ethnic groups
along the Thai border battered. They will be sacrificed as the Thai
government turns a blind eye for the sake of certain Thai traders'
concessions in Burma,'' he said.
Mr Samak said he respected the Burmese generals because they meditate,
like good Buddhists.
****pimon Trichot, a senior researcher on Burma at Chulalongkorn
University's Institute of Asian Studies, said the junta tended to be
smart when entertaining guests and first-time visitors have therefore
been impressed by the image presented by the government.
But she said Thailand should realise that behind the peaceful,
beautiful scenes on the surface there are far more threatening and
heart-breaking situations.
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The Irrawaddy
NEWS ANALYSIS
The UN Considers its Options on Burma
By LALIT K JHA / UNITED NATIONS
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The UN special envoy for Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, met the UN General
Assembly president, Srgjan Kerim, on Monday and briefed him on his
recent trip to Burma and the progress of his efforts to ****ge the
country towards a restoration of democracy and protection of human
rights.
Gambari is also scheduled to brief the powerful 15-member UN Security
Council on Tuesday. He is expected to give a frank *****sment of the
current situation in Burma and to outline what the international
community can do, in his view, to ensure that the junta addresses the
demands of the international community, including calls for the
release of pro-democracy leader Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.
Gambari ended his third visit to Burma in a little over six months on
March 10. During his visit, the UN envoy met Aung San Suu Kyi and
several senior military officials. However, he made little visible
progress towards achieving the goals set by the UN Security Council
through its presidential statement in October.
Now that the approach of "dialogue and accommodation" has demonstrably
failed, the United Nations appears to be set to review its Burma
policy.
A UN diplomat privy to a meeting between Gambari and UN Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon in Dakar, Senegal last week told The Irrawaddy
that the UN is now reevaluating its approach to Burma. "That is what
the purpose (of the meeting) was," the diplomat said.
During his meeting with the UN secretary-general, Gambari is believed
to have conceded that he has been unable to get things moving in
Burma.
The junta's public snubbing of the UN envoy, which was widely re****ted
by the official media, made it clear to Gambari that his approach of
accommodating the generals in an effort to engage them in a dialogue
on ways to move forward has not worked.
Despite several rounds of discussions with junta leaders and military
officials in Burma and countless trips to capitals around the world
over the past six months, Gambari has been unable to accomplish any of
the goals set by himself, by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, or by the
Security Council.
Nonetheless, following his meeting with Gambari, the UN General
Assembly President Srgjan Kerim expressed confidence in the work of
the special envoy. He also issued a statement calling for "serious
engagement and strong commitment" from all parties to further national
reconciliation.
Kerim said he was encouraged by the fact that the UN envoy was able to
meet with key figures, including Suu Kyi, as well as with
representatives of the Referendum Convening Commission and the
Constitution Drafting Committee.
The General Assembly president also said that he hoped the Burmese
regime would be open to giving the UN a monitoring role in an upcoming
referendum on the new draft constitution, even though the military
junta has already rejected the proposal.
Now that Gambari's efforts have failed to yield any favorable results,
UN diplomats are brainstorming what the world body's next policy
towards Burma should be.
But neither the UN nor member states that have taken a strong pro-
democracy stance have a "plan B" on which they can move immediately.
Given the interest of key neighboring countries and the pro-junta
position of Russia and China inside the Security Council, it is
unlikely that a consensus on a new UN policy towards Burma will emerge
anytime soon.
Following his briefing with the Security Council, Gambari is also
expected to participate in a meeting of the secretary-general's
Friends of Burma group later this week. These meetings, officials
said, would set the ground for preparing a new policy on Burma.
Those closely watching these developments said that time is running
out, as the referendum on the junta-drafted constitution is scheduled
to take place in May, and the world body has still taken no effective
measures to ensure that pro-democracy forces and ethnic groups are
given a voice. They also point out that the junta must release Suu Kyi
and enter into a time-bound dialogue with her.
But whether the UN can pressure the generals to make any concessions,
with Russia and China possibly blocking any efforts to impose sterner
measures against the regime, is the million-dollar question. Russia,
which holds the presidency of Security Council for the month of March,
is unlikely to allow the 15-member body to take any strong stance
against the junta, as advocated by pro-democracy sup****ters.
Reflecting the views of millions of Burmese, however, three Security
Council members--the United States, Britain and France--are now expected
to push for a binding resolution against Burma. This means that the
generals may soon be forced to listen to the language of confrontation--
a language they understand much better than the more conciliatory
noises now coming out of the United Nations.
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Mizzima News - March 17, 2008
Increased security presence leads to clashes in Shan state
Solomon
New Delhi - The ruling Burmese military junta has significantly
increased the presence of troops in Shan State to intensify security
before it holds the referendum on the draft constitution in May,
ethnic Shan rebels said.
The spokesperson of the Shan State Army (South), Sai Loa Seng, said
they have exchanged fire with the Burmese Army at least thrice in
March alone, when they bumped into each other.
"This month alone, we have clashed thrice with the Burmese troops and
exchanged gun fire. But there were no casualties on either side except
for one Burmese Army Major," Sai Lao Seng told Mizzima over telephone.
The SSA spokesperson said it was rare for the SSA and the Burmese Army
to meet unintentionally, without launching an operation. This is a
sign that the Burmese Army is increasing its presence in Shan state.
"In each of our encounters, there were about 60 to 100 soldiers on
their side, and it does not seem like they are into any major
offensive targeting us," Sai Lao Seng said.
He added that the Burmese soldiers seemed more like providing security
to officials who have come to Shan state for registering villagers and
ceasefire armed groups as a preparation to enable them to vote in the
referendum.
Khun Sai, editor of the Thailand based Shan Herald Agency for News
(S.H.A.N), who is following up on information in Burma's eastern State
of Shan, confirmed the clashes between SSA cadres and Burmese troops.
He added that the Burmese Army troops are not on an operation but are
providing security to officials, who travel across villages in Shan
State to provide national identity cards, with which holders are
eligible to cast their votes in the ensuing referendum.
Sources among the armed rebels, who have a ceasefire pact with the
junta, said the Burmese authorities have began the process of
registering villagers and members of the armed groups, and are
providing them with tem****ary identity cards since the end of
February.
In February, the junta enacted a law for the constitution approval
process, in which one of the articles mentions that only Burmese
citizens, who posses national identity cards, will be eligible to
vote.
The junta has announced holding of a referendum in May and general
elections in 2010.
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Mizzima News - March 18, 2008
Back to Child Recruitments
By Marwaan Macan-Markar
BANGKOK, Mar 18 (IPS) - Till last September, the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) office in military-ruled Burma had received few
complaints about children being forced to join the army. But that is
no longer the case.
In a new re****t, the ILO makes a pointed reference to the ****ft
noticed since September 2007, the month when the Burmese junta
launched a brutal crackdown on peaceful street protests led by
thousands of Buddhist monks chanting a prayer for ''loving kindness.''
Prior to that month, the majority of complaints received about forced
labour ''concerned public works under local administration with only a
few military-related complaints and cases of underage recruitment,''
reveals a re****t submitted to the ILO's governing body, which is
currently meeting at the labour rights agency's headquarters, in
Geneva.
''Since September that pattern has been reversed with majority of
complaints now being military-related and underage recruitment
cases,'' adds the re****t prepared by the ILO's Rangoon office of the
15 ''child soldier/forced recruitment cases'' between Feb. 26, 2007
and Feb. 25, 2008.
What happened to an ILO account of a 14-year-old Burmese boy in late
October may be typical. He had gone to a market in Rangoon, the former
capital, to lend a hand at a stall run by his elder brother. But he
was stopped by soldiers and taken in a truck to an army recruiting
office.
In fact, the ILO admits that its record of young boys forced to swell
the ranks of the 'Tatmadaw', the Burmese name for the armed forces, is
not an accurate picture. ''We believe that the number of complaints we
have received does not reflect the size of the problem. It is the tip
of the iceberg,'' Steve Marshall, the ILO's liaison officer in
Rangoon, said in an IPS interview.
''We understand there are some people who operate as brokers. They use
force or trickery to take children to recruiting officers,'' he added.
''We have lodged complaints with the government and it has responded
quickly, discharging the recruit and disciplining the recruiting
officer.''
But human rights groups warn the international community not to be
fooled by the junta's claims that it is trying to end the scourge of
forced conscription. The London-based Burma Campaign UK has
''dismissed as total nonsense'' claims by a state-run newspaper that
''hundreds of children have been returned to their families in recent
years''.
In 2004, the military leaders in Burma, also called Myanmar, responded
to growing international criticism about the recruitment of child
soldiers by setting up a high-powered group to deal with the problem.
But the record of the Committee for Prevention of Military Recruitment
of Underage Children has proved wanting, with its regular statements
tending to denounce re****ts of child soldiers in the country than
helping to curb this on-going violation of labour and children's
rights.
A November 2007 re****t by Human Rights Watch (HRW) confirms the
failure of the junta's special committee to save children from the
Tatmadaw. ''Children as young as 10 are being targeted by Burmese
military recruiters and threatened with arrest or beaten if they
refuse to join,'' revealed the re****t by the New York-based global
rights lobby.
''Child soldiers are sometimes forced to participate in human rights
abuses, such as burning villages and using civilians for forced
labour,'' adds the re****t, 'Sold to be soldiers: The recruitment and
use of child soldiers in Burma'. ''Those who attempt to escape or
desert are beaten, forcibly re-recruited or imprisoned.''
The dismal tone of this re****t echoed a similar tone of a 2002 re****t
by HRW dealing with the growing number of child soldiers in Burma.
That re****t, 'My gun was as tall as me', estimated that ''70,000 or
more of the Burma army's estimated 350,000 soldiers may be children.''
And the hunting ground for the army's recruiters to grab children has
changed little over the last five years. Soldiers and civilians
assigned the job target markets, railway stations, bus stations, ferry
terminals, streets and festivals. The rewards for such forced
conscription missions have varied, though, with some being paid in
cash of up to 25 US dollars per child or given a bag of rice.
The gap between the junta's rhetoric and the reality in the South-east
Asian country is stark, says David Scott Mathieson, HRW's Burma
consultant. ''There is a massive disconnect between the laws and
regulations the Burmese regime has made and the reality on the
ground.''
''There is widespread forced recruitment of children into the army,''
he told IPS. ''It is part of a mercantile system. The battalions have
to meet their quotas of recruits, and if they do so they are
rewarded.''
The junta's hunger for young Burmese boys to fatten the ranks of the
Tatmadaw is rooted in a ****ft in military policy after 1988. That year
saw a pro-democracy uprising, drawing tens of thousands of civilians
to the streets, to challenge a military dictator****p that had been in
power since a 1962 coup. And the army responded with bullets, killing
some 3,000 unarmed demonstrators.
Soon after, the Tatmadaw, which was a much leaner and smaller and had
no record of child soldiers, was ordered to expand to strengthen the
junta's grip on power. It went from being a force of some 180,000 to
its current number of nearly 400,000 -- at least on paper.
Yet, as a Burmese military analyst notes, the Tatmadaw has been hit
with a high desertion rate, adding to the number of soldiers it keeps
losing in the on-going conflict in the border areas with ethnic rebel
groups. ''A northern commander re****ted that during a four-month
period in 2006 the army had lost an entire brigade of soldiers due to
desertion,'' Win Min, who lectures at Payap University in northern
Thailand, said in an interview. ''That is over 3,000 soldiers based on
the strength of a battalion in Burma.''
It was worse during the previous year, when internal military records
reveal that during a four-month period in 2005 the Tatmadaw was hit
with 4,701 deserters across the country, adds Win Min. ''My estimate
is that by the end of last year the situation may have got worse. The
army may have been hit with nearly 15,000 deserters in 2007.''
But how many soldiers fled the Tatmadaw after being ordered to fire on
the highly revered Buddhist monks who led last September's protest
still remains unknown, he revealed. ''This may come out when the
commanders have their next quarterly meeting, which has not been held
since May last year.''
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U Gambira held in solitary confinement
Mar 18, 2008 (DVB)-All-Burmese Monks Alliance leader U Gambira has
been put in solitary confinement in Insein prison, where he is
currently being held, according to family members.
U Gambira's sister Ma Khin Thu Htay, who visited him on Monday in
Insein prison, said the 27-year-old monk had been put into solitary
confinement in a cell inside the prison's main ward on 14 March for
unknown reasons.
"During my visit to him yesterday, he told me he was moved into cell
(4) of the main prison's ward (1) by himself on 14 March at around
5.30pm," she said.
"He said he had no idea why they had put him in solitary confinement."
U Gambira was arrested by government authorities in Magwe division's
Sintgaing town****p on 4 November 2007 for his role in leading public
protests in September.
He was later sent to Insein prison in the former capital Rangoon where
he was charged with violations under section 17/1 of the Unlawful
Associations Act, section 13/1 of the Burma Immigration (Emergency
Provisions) Act for illegal movement across borders, and article 5(j)
of the Emergency Provisions Act.
Khin Thu Htay said it is likely that the charges under sections 13/1
and 17/1 will be dropped as Alone town****p court, where these charges
are being heard, has not extended U Gambira's remand.
She added that Hlaing town****p court, which is handling the hearing
for his alleged violation of article 5(j), cancelled his court hearing
on Monday.
Khin Thu Htay said that her brother and other monks in Insein prison
were continuing to respect the boycott against government officials.
"U Gambira said all the monks detained in Insein prison are still
chanting metta, the main activity of the monk protesters during the
events of September, and still practicing their boycott of
communicating with government authorities," she said.
Monks at a number of monasteries in Burma have taken part in the
boycott against the government, with some refusing alms donations from
regime officials or passing them on to the poor, and others opting out
of government-run monk exams.
The ABMA released a statement on 18 March urging Burmese monks to
boycott the government-run Pahtamabyan Dhamma Sriya exams for monks,
and not to forget the junta's brutal treatment of monks during the
crackdown on public demonstrations last year.
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