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BURMA RELATED NEWS - MARCH 27, 2008
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HEADLINES
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AP - Myanmar junta celebrates military might
AP - Myanmar opposes move to link Tibetan unrest with Beijing Olympics
AP - Junta chief calls on army to crush destabilizing forces in
Myanmar
AFP - Suu Kyi Sup****ters Protest Against Burma Charter Backed by Junta
AFP - Myanmar junta chief promises democracy
AFP - US asked to join Europe beefing up humanitarian aid to Myanmar
Bernama - Myanmar Military To Hand Over Power After Election In 2010
The Star - Myanmar promises "free and fair" referendum
Calcutta News - India moves to build access to Myanmar ****t
Nasdaq - Govt. Approves Rs.535 Cr. Myanmar Project
Irrawaddy - GMS Summit to Hear Burmese PM's Views on Environment
Management
Irrawaddy - Are Burma's Generals Really Looking at Indonesia Model?
Mizzima News - Human rights abuses at heart of Burma's ills
DVB News - 88 Students leaders in poor health
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Myanmar junta celebrates military might
Thu Mar 27, 6:33 AM ET
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar's junta chief insisted Thursday that he
is not power-hungry and intends to hand control of the government to
the winners of elections in 2010.
Senior Gen. Than Shwe made the comments in a nationally televised
speech marking Armed Forces Day, an annual holiday that celebrates the
military's might.
Foreign media were denied visas to cover this year's event, which
falls on the six-month anniversary of the junta's deadly crackdown on
Buddhist monks and pro-democracy protesters.
The September crackdown sparked a global outcry and revived demands
for the junta, which has been in power since 1988, to make democratic
reforms.
During his 15-minute speech, Than Shwe made several references to the
junta's announcement last month that it will hold a referendum on a
new constitution later this year, followed by long-awaited general
elections in 2010. The junta calls the process its "roadmap to
democracy."
"The draft constitution has been completed and the constitutional
referendum will be held in May," Than Shwe said, speaking in a weak
voice under a glaring tropical sun. "Handing over of state power can
be done after multiparty elections ... in 2010."
Than Shwe, 75, did not address rumors of his declining health,
although he appeared steady as he stood inside a moving convertible to
review 13,000 troops assembled at a massive parade ground in
Naypyitaw, the remote administrative capital the junta moved
government offices to in 2005.
He said the junta has "a sincere aim for developing the country
without any cravings for power," and he called on his troops to ensure
a smooth transition when it comes time for a transfer of power.
The gathering included the military's top brass, diplomats and local
journalists.
Critics have denounced the junta's draft constitution as designed to
cement military rule. The drafting process did not include detained
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is often accused by the junta
of trying to destabilize the country, an accusation also directed at
Western nations.
Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 12 of the past 18 years.
Her pro-democracy party, the National League for Democracy, held a
ceremony Thursday at its headquarters in Yangon, the country's biggest
city.
Party leaders called for unity ahead of the referendum and reiterated
Suu Kyi's message "to hope for the best and be prepared for the
worst."
The military seized power in 1962, ending an experiment in democracy
and leading the resource-rich nation toward isolation and economic
ruin.
The current junta took power in 1988 after brutally cru****ng a pro-
democracy uprising. Two years later it refused to hand over power when
Suu Kyi's party won a landslide election victory.
Armed Forces Day is held every March 27 to commemorate the day in 1945
when the Myanmar army rose up against Japanese occupation forces.
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Myanmar opposes move to link Tibetan unrest with Beijing Olympics
AP - Friday, March 28
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar's military government said Thursday it
opposed any move to link recent unrest in Tibet with the Beijing
Olympics, a state-owned newspaper re****ted.
A statement from Myanmar's foreign ministry and carried in the New
Light of Myanmar newspaper said the Tibet unrest was "purely the
internal affairs" of China.
"The Chinese Government with all its wisdom and far-sightedness will
overcome the challenges successfully and will be able to maintain the
domestic peace and stability," the paper said, adding that it opposed
any move to link the incidents in Tibet with the Beijing Olympics in
August.
China's crackdown in response to the most sustained uprising against
Chinese rule in almost two decades has put Beijing's human rights
record in the international spotlight, embarrassing and frustrating
the communist leader****p, who had hoped for a smooth run-up to the
Olympics.
The United States, Britain and Germany have condemned China for its
response to the protests in Tibet, but have stopped short of
threatening to boycott the games or the Aug. 8 opening ceremony.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, however, has pointedly left the
option open.
China has defended its use of force against protesters, describing
demonstrations that broke out in the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa on
March 14 as riots and violent crimes.
China is Myanmar's most im****tant ally, providing economic, military
and other assistance while Western nations shun the military-ruled
country because of its poor human rights record and failure to restore
democracy.
It objects to Western criticisms of Myanmar's military regime, saying
conditions in the southeast Asian country have improved dramatically
since a violent crackdown on peaceful protests in September last year.
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Junta chief calls on army to crush destabilizing forces in Myanmar
AP - Thursday, March 27
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar's junta chief marked Armed Forces Day
on Thursday by urging soldiers to "crush" anyone attempting to
destabilize the tightly controlled country.
Senior Gen. Than Shwe made the comments in a nationally televised
speech after an annual military parade to mark the holiday, which
celebrates the army's strength.
Foreign media were denied visas to cover this year's event, which
falls on the six-month anniversary of the junta's deadly crackdown on
Buddhist monks and pro-democracy protesters.
The September crackdown sparked global outcry and revived demands for
the junta, which has been in power since 1988, to make democratic
reforms.
Than Shwe did not address the crackdown in his 15-minute speech, which
focuses every year on the military's role in maintaining order in
Myanmar.
Instead, the junta chief called on his troops "to join hands with the
people to crush internal and external destructive elements sabotaging
stability and progress of the state."
He made reference to the junta's announcement last month that it will
hold the country's long-awaited constitutional referendum later this
year, followed by a general election in 2010 _ the first specific
dates for its so-called "roadmap to democracy."
"The draft constitution has been completed and the constitutional
referendum will be held in May," Than Shwe said. "Handing over of
state power can be done after multiparty elections ... in 2010."
Critics have denounced the junta's draft constitution as designed to
cement military rule. The drafting process did not include detained
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is often accused by the junta
of trying to destabilize the country, an accusation also directed at
Western nations
The 75-year-old Shwe stood for an hour under the glaring tropical sun
Thursday as he reviewed 13,000 troops and delivered his speech,
putting to rest rampant rumors about his declining health.
Military top brass, diplomats and local journalists also attended the
event, which was held at a massive parade ground in Naypyitaw, the
remote administrative capital the junta relocated government offices
to in 2005.
The military seized power in 1962, ending an experiment in democracy
and leading the resource-rich nation toward isolation and economic
ruin.
The current junta took power in 1988 after brutally cru****ng a pro-
democracy uprising. Two years later it refused to hand over power when
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a landslide election
victory.
Armed Forces Day is held every March 27 to commemorate the day in 1945
when the Myanmar army rose up against Japanese occupation forces.
Initially called Resistance Day, the name was dropped in 1974 to avoid
offending Japan _ Myanmar's top aid donor in the 1970s. In recent
years, the commemoration speeches have refrained from mentioning the
fight against the Japanese.
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Suu Kyi Sup****ters Protest Against Burma Charter Backed by Junta
Thu Mar 27, 6:27 AM ET
YANGON (AFP) - About 50 sup****ters of detained democracy leader Aung
San Suu Kyi protested Thursday against a constitution backed by the
ruling junta, as the military staged a major parade in the capital.
Wearing white T-****rts emblazoned with the word "No," the protesters
urged voters to reject the constitution in a referendum in May, and
called for the military to open a dialogue with the democracy
movement.
Plain clothes police videotaped the protest and took photos, but no
one was arrested during the demonstration outside the ramshackle
headquarters of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD)
party in Yangon.
The protesters shouted "Our cause" as they recited their demands,
including national reconciliation, dialogue with the military, and
freedom for Aung San Suu Kyi.
The slogan was commonly heard during pro-democracy protests led by
Buddhist monks, which were crushed by the regime six months ago, when
the United Nations estimates at least 31 people were killed.
Although the protesters called for a "No" vote in the referendum, the
party leader****p has not endorsed that stand. The party has only said
that the constitution is unacceptable to the public, but has not
called for a boycott or a "No" vote.
The protest came as the NLD held a ceremony to mark Armed Forces Day,
the most im****tant holiday on the military's calendar, which was
observed with a major parade attended by junta leader Than Shwe in the
capital Naypyidaw.
About 150 sup****ters as well as western diplomats attended the NLD's
ceremony, where the party issued a statement calling for the release
of Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent 12 of the last 18 years under house
arrest.
The military says the new constitution will pave the way for multi-
party elections in 2010, but UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari -- the only
outsider who has seen the charter -- says the military will retain a
dominant role in politics.
The charter bans Aung San Suu Kyi from running in elections, even
though her party won the nation's last polls in 1990 with a landslide.
The military, which has ruled Myanmar since 1962, has never recognised
the result.
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Myanmar junta chief promises democracy
AFP - Friday, March 28
NAYPYIDAW (AFP) - - Myanmar's junta chief Than Shwe said Thursday that
civilians would take the reins of government after elections in 2010,
once a constitution is approved giving broad powers to the military.
But he did not say when the public would be allowed to see the final
version of the proposed constitution, nor did he announce an exact
date for a planned referendum to approve it.
"As the new constitution has already been drafted, it will be put to a
national referendum in forthcoming May, and subsequently the
multiparty general elections will follow in 2010 in line with the
provisions of the constitution," he said to 13,000 soldiers at a
military parade in the new capital Naypyidaw.
The 74-year-old general said his military government did not "crave
for power," insisting on the junta's "ultimate aim to hand over the
state power to the people."
Foreign journalists were denied visas to re****t on the event, which
came six months after a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests led
by Buddhist monks.
Than Shwe made the remarks in a 15-minute speech during a ceremony to
mark Armed Forces Day, the most im****tant holiday on the military's
calendar.
The event took place in a remote military compound under a scorching
sun at a parade ground lined with towering statues of ancient Burmese
kings.
Despite concerns about his health, Than Shwe appeared strong as he
inspected the troops while riding in an open-topped limousine.
He stood on a open stage at a podium to deliver his speech, smiling
and waving to foreign military attaches as he left.
The military chief made no mention of the deadly crackdown on pro-
democracy protests, which the United Nations estimates left 31 dead as
security forces violently disrupted mass marches led by Buddhist
monks.
But he repeated his oft-issued warning against the "cunning tactics of
separatism," saying "unscrupulous persons are consistently striving to
disintegrate" the country.
Myanmar has suffered six decades of civil war, with ethnic minorities
battling for autonomy in their regions.
A senior military official told AFP on condition of anonymity that
foreign journalists had been denied visas because of concerns that
ethnic rebels would try to disrupt the Armed Forces Day ceremony.
Last month the regime surprised the world by announcing a timetable
for elections, which western countries have criticised for failing to
include detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari, the only person outside the regime who has
seen the proposed constitution, told Singa****e's Straits Times
newspaper on Wednesday that the charter would retain the military's
dominant role in politics.
About 25 percent of the parliamentary seats would go to serving
soldiers, while the junta would have the power to appoint personnel to
key ministries such as defence, home affairs and border affairs,
Gambari said in the interview.
While the proposed constitution calls for a multiparty democracy with
regular elections, it gives extensive powers to the president, who can
appoint or dismiss legislative and judicial officials, the re****t
added.
During Gambari's last visit to Myanmar from March 6-9, he was denied a
meeting with Than Shwe but granted two visits with Aung San Suu Kyi,
who is under house arrest.
The junta refused to consider amending the do***ent to allow Aung San
Suu Kyi to run in elections.
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US asked to join Europe beefing up humanitarian aid to Myanmar
Thu Mar 27, 12:07 PM ET
by P. Parameswaran
WA****NGTON (AFP) - The United States should join Europe in increasing
sup****t for independent humanitarian work in military-ruled Myanmar
while maintaining targeted sanctions, Refugees International said
Thursday.
The US-based humanitarian advocacy group said in a re****t after a
dispatching a mission into Myanmar that while the military junta had
"shown indifference" to the West, sanctions were "hurting" the m*****.
Quoting OECD figures, it said that Myanmar, formerly known as Burma,
received less overseas development assistance -- a mere 2.88 dollars
per person -- than any of the poorest 50 countries.
The average assistance in this tier of countries is more than 58
dollars per person.
Other strong armed countries routinely receive much larger aid
packages, Refugees International said, citing Sudan's 55 dollars per
person, Zimbabwe (21 dollars) and Laos (63 dollars).
Economic difficulties fueled the dramatic September 2007 protests led
by Buddhist monks in Myanmar that resulted in a bloody crackdown by
the military junta, which the United Nations says left 31 dead.
"Greater international commitment, including US funding, will be
needed to adequately address the basic needs of the Burmese people,"
said Refugees International Vice-President Joel Charny, who *****sed
the humanitarian situation inside Myanmar in February.
He said Wa****ngton should "re-evaluate its policies for Myanmar, and
join the UK and Europe in increasing sup****t for independent
humanitarian work inside the country with targeted sanctions" on the
military junta.
Increased European humanitarian aid has been matched by a tightening
of sanctions targeted specifically at the economic activities of
officials and friends of the military junta reluctant to impose
democratic reforms.
"A lack of political progress cannot justify the prolonged suffering
of ordinary Burmese, who are in large part innocent victims of the
prolonged political stalemate," Charny said.
US policy makers in Wa****ngton maintain restrictions on humanitarian
assistance to Burma, with minor exceptions for HIV/AIDS and avian flu
programs, in the belief that any aid provided to Myanmar-based
agencies will inevitably prop up the military regime, he said.
US officials in Myanmar's biggest city of Yangon and those in regional
offices in neighboring Thailand who are most familiar with the
military-ruled country however sup****t greater humanitarian assistance
inside Myanmar, Charny said.
Despite this view, the Bush administration and Congressional staff who
drive the US sanctions policy on Myanmar "have been reluctant to visit
Burma, making it difficult for legitimate humanitarian actors to
demonstrate the effectiveness of their work."
US Congressional staff and administration officials were urged to
travel to Myanmar to directly *****s the situation, including the
ability of the UN and NGOs to provide humanitarian assistance inside
the country.
The US State Department reserved comment until it had studied the
Refugees International re****t.
"We have not seen the re****t. We look forward to having an op****tunity
to study it," a department official, speaking on condition of
anonymity, said.
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Myanmar Military To Hand Over Power After Election In 2010
NAY PYI TAW (Myanmar), March 27 (Bernama) -- Commender-in-Chief of the
Myanmar Defence Services Senior-General Than Shwe said Thursday that
the military would be able to hand over power to a civilian government
after general election in 2010 in accordance with a new state
constitution if emerged in a national referendum slated for May this
year.
China's Xinhua news agency re****ted that Than Shwe, who is also
Chairman of the ruling State Peace and Development Council, made the
remarks while addressing an over-13,000-strong military parade in the
new capital of Nay Pyi Taw in the morning to mark the country's 63rd
anniversary Armed Forces Day.
Than Shwe said the country is marching on a seven-step roadmap to
democracy correctly and timely, and good infrastructure of the state
has been built as much as possible.
He urged the people to cooperate hand-in-hand with the government and
the armed forces to undertake the historic task successfully, while
also calling for cru****ng internal and external destructive elements
attempting to disintegrate the union.
He pointed out that today's state stability is the best and people are
generally leading a peaceful life.
He elaborated some major achievements gained throughout the tenure of
the military government since the take-over of power in 1988.
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The Star Online
Thursday March 27, 2008 MYT 12:01:35 AM
Myanmar promises "free and fair" referendum
By Aung Hla Tun
NAYPYIDAW (Reuters) - Myanmar's military junta has promised that May's
referendum on a new constitution will be free and fair and that the
charter, heavily criticised by the West, will be open to incremental
improvement.
"The government will try to make the forthcoming referendum free and
fair and I'd like to call on journalists to help make it a success,"
Information Minister Kyaw Hsan told local re****ters summoned to the
new capital for Thursday's "Army Day".
Foreign journalists have normally been invited to the former Burma for
the March 27 ceremonials but were barred from this year's event, the
first since last year's anti-regime protests led by maroon-robed
Buddhist monks.
Noting the gradual evolution of the U.S. constitution, Kyaw Hsan, a
brigadier general, said there would be scope to improve the charter,
which gives the army a quarter of the seats in parliament and the
right to stage a coup whenever it wants.
"Something is better than nothing. Having a constitution is better
than having no constitution. Once we have something, we can improve it
gradually step by step," he said late on Wednesday.
On Thursday, more than 13,000 members of the police, fire brigade and
Tatmadaw, as the army is known, took part in a parade at a specially
designed ground in Naypyidaw, a dusty, nondescript town that became
the capital in 2005.
Making a rare public appearance, junta supremo Than Shwe, who is
frequently rumoured to be at death's door, inspected the ranks of
soldiers from the back of an open-top Mercedes limousine before
delivering a 15-minute speech.
The 75-year-old Senior General, as he is officially titled, stressed
that the army would be ready to hand over power after multi-party
elections slated for 2010 under the junta's seven-step "roadmap to
democracy".
"Our Tatmadaw is making relentless and dedicated efforts during its
tenure of shouldering state responsibility with the sincere aim of
developing the country without any craving for power," he said.
The date of May's referendum has not yet been announced, although the
generals have rebuffed a United Nations offer of international
monitors and technical assistance in running the plebiscite.
The rejection intensified fears of a repeat of 1990, when the generals
chose to ignore the results of an election in which the opposition
National League for Democracy, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi,
won more than 80 percent of the seats.
Western governments and many of Myanmar's 53 million people dismiss
the roadmap as a blueprint for the army legitimising the grip on the
power it has held since a 1962 coup.
Some underground democracy groups are campaigning for a "no" vote in
the referendum, although some staunch junta opponents admit they are
torn by the argument that it is better to have a bad constitution than
no constitution at all.
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India moves to build access to Myanmar ****t
Calcutta News.Net
Thursday 27th March, 2008 (IANS)
In a bid to allow landlocked northeastern states access to a sea****t
in Myanmar, the Indian cabinet Thursday approved a road and waterway
project in that country.
The multi-modal trans****t project includes upgrading the Sittwe ****t
and Kaladan waterway and construction of a road from Setpyitpyin
(Kaletwa) to the India-Myanmar border at a cost of Rs.5.3 billion,
according to a government statement.
India will also build a 117-km-long road from the Indo-Myanmar border
to National Highway 54.
The project to be executed by Inland Waterways Authority of India is
to be completed within five years of its start.
The cabinet also approved the signing of an agreement with Myanmar for
the purpose. Now a formal agreement can be signed during the visit of
top ruling military junta leader General Maung Aye here next week. Aye
arrives April 4 on a three-day visit to India.
In January, Myanmar Foreign Minister U. Nyan Win had visited India, a
couple of months after a crackdown on pro-democracy street protests
that led to an international uproar.
India was then criticised for not taking a stronger stand against the
military junta. But Indian officials had insisted that dialogue and
not sanctions was the only way to arrive at a solution.
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Nasdaq - Mar 27, 2008 - 4:37 AM
Govt. Approves Rs.535 Cr. Myanmar Project
(RTTNews) - Thursday, the media re****ted that the Indian government
approved Rs.535.91 crores multi-modal transit trans****t project in
Myanmar that would improve access to the Northeastern states.
The government sanctioned the funds under the Aid to Myanmar project
for the up gradation of Sittwe ****t and Kaladan Waterway. The funds
would be utilized to construct road from Setpyitpyin to India-Myanmar
border. The project would also provide access to Mizoram and to other
Northeastern states as well as an outlet to the sea.
Inland Waterways Authority of India would execute the project that
also involves construction and improvement of 117 km road on the
Indian side from India-Myanmar border.
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The Irrawaddy - Thursday, March 27, 2008
GMS Summit to Hear Burmese PM's Views on Environment Management
By WILLIAM BOOT / BANGKOK
Leaders of the six nations of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)
gather for an Asian Development Bank-backed summit in Vientiane on
March 30.
The two-day meeting of senior government representatives from China,
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Burma is aimed at achieving an
"integrated, harmonious and prosperous subregion" of countries through
which the Mekong River flows, says the ADB.
However, critics argue that the 60 million people whose lives are
linked in some way by the Mekong have little or no say in what is
happening to their river and the surrounding areas.
Corruption, unchecked criminality and incomprehensible government in
the GMS are damaging the environment, often in the name of economic
progress, say non-government organizations (NGOs) campaigning for
greater transparency and public involvement in economic development
issues.
Tropical timber is being illegally stripped from forests in Burma and
Laos and dams are being built or planned, either on the upper reaches
of the Mekong in China or on tributaries in Laos and Cambodia. The
developments are usually driven by Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and
sometimes Singa****ean investment.
More than a dozen hydroelectric dams are planned by China along its
stretch of the 4,880 kilometer (3,030-mile) Mekong. Another four
hydroelectric systems are under construction or earmarked in Laos.
Most involve dislocation of local communities and sometimes
destruction of wildlife habitats, including several elephant herds in
Laos.
"Unmet energy demand in the region is questionable, with power
development plans often overestimating the actual domestic energy
demand," said environment campaigners Zao Noam and Pia**** Deetes in a
re****t for the Thailand-based NGO, Southeast Asia Rivers Network.
"This is often a reflection of unsound economic non-transparent
decision-making."
London-based NGO Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) re****ted
just last week that "Vietnam's booming economy and the West's demand
for cheap furniture is driving rapid deforestation throughout the
Mekong River region."
The EIA, assisted by Indonesian NGO Telapak, said the focus of this
timber trade is now Laos where criminal gangs operate in defiance of
local laws banning timber ex****ts with "high-level corruption and
bribery" involving Thai and Singa****ean buyers as well as Vietnamese.
The EIA re****t said it estimates that at least 500,000 cubic meters of
logs a year are being carted across the Laos-Vietnam border by
trucks.
It is against this background that government ministers and senior
officials of the ADB will assemble in Vientiane for two days of
meetings, lunches and dinners.
A major feature of the two-day meetings will be a so-called youth
forum, led by the Lao Youth Union, which is a direct offshoot of the
secretive Communist Party of Laos.
The Mekong and the dams and the plundered forests are not on the
agenda.
Among issues before the summit will be a "Road Map for Implementing
the GMS Cross-Border Power Trading."
Burma will be represented by Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein.
The agenda lists him as addressing the "Role of Sustainable
Environmental Management in Promoting Competitiveness." The
environment is not one of the general's strong points, say Burma
watchers.
Another environmentalist NGO--the Bangkok-based group Toward Ecological
Recovery--warned recently that planned hydroelectric dams in the GMS
would displace up to 75,000 people and threaten hundreds of fish
species--notably the giant catfish--with extinction.
Even the official Mekong River Commission, made up of the governments
of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, has expressed anxiety about
the consequences of China's upper Mekong activities.
"Rapid economic development coupled with increasing population
pressure is degrading the environment and the [Mekong] basin's
resources at an increasing rate," the commission says. "It is
imperative to do something now."
Environmentalists and human rights groups have been making similar
warnings about hydroelectric dam plans by China and Thailand on
Burma's major Salween and Irrawaddy rivers.
The ADB, comprising 67 member countries including the US and
Europeans, endeavors to promote development in what it re****ts to be
one of the world's fastest-growing subregions.
The ADB notes the GMS have an average annual economic expansion rate
of over 6 percent "in spite of a number of adverse internal and
external shocks."
"The ADB no doubt means well, but half the members of the GMS club are
gangster economies in which ordinary people--those the ADB wants to help
--have absolutely no say in what goes on," said an official with a
Western embassy in Bangkok monitoring regional developments who spoke
on condition of anonymity.
"You could describe the GMS group as four dictator****ps, one UN
dependency [referring to Cambodia] and one sort of democracy
[Thailand]."
********************************************************
The Irrawaddy - Thursday, March 27, 2008
Are Burma's Generals Really Looking at Indonesia Model?
By WAI MOE
The UN special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, recently told
Singa****e's Straits Times that the military rulers in Burma were
looking to the 'Indonesia model' for the transition to democratic
rule.
He said in an interview with the newspaper, "I can reveal to you that
the [Burmese] junta has been looking for a model closer to Indonesia
where there was a transition from military to civilian rule and
ultimately to democracy."
However, according to an analyst, although the Burmese regime
certainly wants to learn former President Suharto's tactic of
prolonging his grip on power, the top generals in Naypyidaw don't want
to put well-educated military officers who have studied abroad in
im****tant positions within the Tatmadaw (Burma's armed forces).
"You know, during Suharto's rule, well-educated military officers were
in significant positions," said a Burmese researcher in Bangkok.
"Western-educated military officers became actors for reform in
Indonesia. But in the Tatmadaw, well-educated officers cannot attain
top positions.
"Most of the generals in the ruling military council originated in the
DSA (the Defense Service Academy)," he added. "People like Col Thaung
Htike, a Western-educated military officer, never became top generals
in the Tatmadaw. They retired with ranks no higher than colonel or
lieutenant colonel."
The military regime in Burma has previously imitated policies of the
Suharto regime--forming a military-backed organization, the Union
Solidarity and Development Organization (USDA) to legitimize military
rule. The USDA is modeled on Suharto's Golongkan Karya (Golkar
Party).
However, Burma observers say the junta draws the line at copying the
Indonesian commitment toward democratic reform in the late 1990s.
"The Burmese junta had planned to follow the Indonesian model under
Suharto for years to come," said Htay Aung, a Burmese military analyst
with the Network for Democracy and Development. "But I don't see the
top generals in Naypyidaw contributing toward democratization in Burma
the same way the Indonesian generals did 10 years ago.
"The Burmese generals might copy Indonesia, but they only think about
prolonging military rule," he added.
The Indonesian military junta's founder, Gen Suharto, came to power in
the wake of an abortive coup in 1965. He imposed authoritarian rule
while allowing technocrats to run the economy with considerable
success.
"Gambari should be clear what kind of 'Indonesia model' he is talking
about. The model in the Burmese generals' mind is Suharto's one. But
even Suharto, he liberalized his country," said Aung Moe Zaw, a
secretarial member of the National Council of Union of Burma. "As the
UN special envoy, Gambari should be principled. Advocating the Burmese
junta is unprincipled."
Thakin Chan Tun, a veteran politician in Rangoon told The Irrawaddy on
Thursday, "I don't understand what Gambari's talking about. I don't
see the Burmese junta working toward a democratic transition as the
Indonesian generals did."
Some also suggest Gambari should understand the "big picture" in
Burma, without looking to Indonesia for a model that leads "ultimately
to democracy."
Burma analyst Aung Naing Oo said that, under Suharto's rule,
Indonesia's newspapers had more room than the current Burmese press.
"If the junta really imitated Suharto's model in Indonesia, it would
be better than the current situation in Burma," he added. "But I see
no evidence that the Burmese generals are following what Gambari's
saying."
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Mizzima News - March 27, 2008
Human rights abuses at heart of Burma's ills
The British government has concluded that the rabid abuse of human
rights by Burma's military government is the principle reason for the
country's myriad of problems.
In its annual re****t on the global human rights situation, the United
Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) states, "The Burmese
regime's persistent violations of human rights - not least the denial
to its citizens of the right to take part in the government of their
own country - is at the heart of Burma's political, economic and
social problems."
Calling for the Burmese government to respect the freedom of media,
trade unions and the judiciary, the FCO cautions that despite modest
progress in some areas, including a working arrangement with the
International Labor Organization, Burma remains a country in the grips
of corruption, patronage, impunity and a failing economy.
With more than 30 percent of the Burmese population believed to live
on less than one dollar a day, the FCO warns that "without serious
progress on political and economic reform, leading to a transparent,
accountable and inclusive government that respects human rights, the
situation in Burma will continue to deteriorate."
Speaking at the tome's official launching Tuesday in London, British
Foreign Secretary David Miliband remarked that the regime's heavy-
handed response to last years peaceful protests "frustrated the
demands of millions of decent people in Burma."
Though admitting that the military has an im****tant role to play
within Burmese society, the FCO emphatically states that its role
cannot be one of military dictator****p.
The FCO asserts that the British Embassy in Rangoon played a crucial
part during last year's Saffron Revolution, "immediately" responding
to the crisis and playing "a leading role in bringing details of the
human rights abuses to the attention of the world."
From its outpost in Rangoon, the British Embassy is said to actively
monitor the human rights situation in Burma and serve as a conduit for
European Union initiatives aimed at protecting human rights defenders.
Looking forward, the United Kingdom will continue to sup****t the
mission of the UN Special Envoy to Burma and insist that Burma's
generals work with the United Nations and opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi.
The re****t also alleges that, "It is widely recognized, including by
countries in the region, that the regime's ongoing denial of the real
situation in Burma is both unacceptable and unsustainable." However
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, following a visit this month to
Naypyitaw, Burma's capital, severely downplayed the dire condition of
human rights and democracy in Burma.
Having already approved through the Department for International
Development a doubling in aid assistance to Burma by 2010, to
approximately $36 million, the FCO maintains that the British
government stands ready to assist with even greater financial aid if
there should occur "genuine political change."
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88 Students leaders in poor health
Mar 27, 2008 (DVB)-Ko Htun Myint Aung, a leader of the 88 Generation
Students group, has said the other group leaders detained in Insein
prison are in poor health.
Htun Myint Aung said that Ko Mya Aye and Ko Marki in particular were
suffering health problems.
"Ko Marki, who has been in solitary confinement in Insein prison, is
not in very good health," he said.
"Ko Mya Aye is now suffering from lung-related problems and is
coughing a lot as he and other 88 generation leaders have been
suspended from taking a walk inside the prison."
Htun Myint Aung said the leaders had not been allowed to take exercise
as a punishment for making contact with people outside the prison.
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