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BURMA RELATED NEWS - APRIL 22, 2008
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HEADLINES
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AP - Myanmar anti-junta protester dies after setting himself ablaze,
hospital officials say
AP - Myanmar junta identifies bombing suspect as member of anti-
government group
New Kerala - Thailand does not favour economic sanctions against
Myanmar
Irrawaddy - Poll Shows Rangoon Residents Cool on Referendum
Irrawaddy - Detained Monk Leader U Gambira Honored
Mizzima News - Burmese overstaying stage protest at Burmese embassy in
Tokyo
DVB News - Shan party urges =93No=94 vote for genuine democracy
DVB News - Rural Kachin offered incentives to vote =93Yes=94
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Myanmar anti-junta protester dies after setting himself ablaze,
hospital officials say
AP - Wednesday, April 23
YANGON, Myanmar - A man who set himself on fire at Myanmar's most
revered Buddhist temple to protest military rule has died of his
injuries, hospital officials said Tuesday.
Kyaw Zin Naing suffered burns to more than 60 percent of his body in
his March 21 protest at the Shwedagon pagoda in the city of Yangon,
the officials said on condition of anonymity because they could be
punished for revealing information about a politically sensitive
matter.
The 26-year-old man died April 17, they said.
Kyaw Zin Naing's protest was the first known case of self-immolation
in Myanmar since the military took power in 1962. According to
witnesses, the man shouted "Down with the military regime," before
dousing himself with gasoline and setting himself ablaze.
His action came at a time of heightened political tension in Myanmar,
which has been preparing for a referendum on a new military-backed
constitution.
The junta's critics charge that the charter _ a stage on the junta's
so-called "roadmap to democracy" _ was drafted in an undemocratic way,
and that it would perpetuate military rule.
The National League for Democracy party of detained opposition leader
Aung San Suu Kyi has urged voters to reject the draft constitution,
but long-standing restrictions on freedom of speech and harassment of
pro-democracy activists have made it difficult to mount a campaign
against the proposed charter.
Thousands of pilgrims were at the pagoda for a Buddhist holy day when
Kyaw Zin Naing set himself alight.
The Shwedagon temple has a history of being a center for mass
political gatherings, and was a focus for Buddhist monks and pro-
democracy protests last September. At least 31 people were killed and
thousands more were detained when the country's military rulers
cracked down on the peaceful demonstrations.
Myanmar has had no constitution since 1988 when the current junta took
power and scrapped the previous charter after violently qua****ng mass
pro-democracy demonstrations.
Suu Kyi's party won the last general election in 1990, but the
military refused to hand over power, instead stepping up its
repression of dissidents.
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Myanmar junta identifies bombing suspect as member of anti-government
group
AP - Tuesday, April 22
YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's military junta says it has identified a
suspect wanted in two weekend bombings as a member of an exiled anti-
government group, state media re****ted Tuesday.
Security cameras behind the Traders Hotel in Yangon, the biggest city
in Myanmar, filmed a man "carrying explosives" on Sunday evening
before blasts went off in the area, The New Light of Myanmar re****ted.
The newspaper reprinted a snapshot from the security camera, showing a
blurry image of a man in a T-****rt and knee-length shorts holding what
appears to be a small bag and another nondescript item.
Citing anonymous sources, the state-run newspaper said the man has
been identified as a member of the exiled group, Vigorous Burma
Student Warriors. The paper said the man went by the code name Storm,
and had entered Myanmar after attending explosive training courses in
an unnamed country.
Authorities appealed to the public for help in finding the suspect.
The second explosion on Sunday went off behind the luxurious Traders
Hotel, about an hour after a blast nearby in downtown Yangon.
The blasts were caused by explosives planted under cars and caused no
injuries, the newspaper said.
Five armed students from the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors were
responsible for storming the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok in October
1999. The group took 38 hostages to demand democracy in their country,
also known as Burma. Thailand allowed them to fly to the border and
disappear, angering Myanmar but ending the standoff without bloodshed.
Several exiled Myanmar dissident groups operate from neighboring
Thailand.
Terrorism is rare in Myanmar, which has been under military rule since
1962.
A few small-scale bombings have occurred in recent years, which the
government has blamed mostly on ethnic rebel groups seeking autonomy.
Earlier this month the country's state-run media warned that
terrorists might plant bombs during next month's referendum on a long-
awaited constitution.
Critics say the proposed constitution, which was drafted without any
input from the opposition, is designed to ensure the military's grip
on power.
The junta crushed peaceful pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist
monks last September, sparking global outrage. The United Nations
estimates that at least 31 people were killed and thousands more
detained in the crackdown.
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New Kerala
Thailand does not favour economic sanctions against Myanmar
Bangkok, Apr 21: Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama has told the
British Prime Minister=92s special envoy on Myanmar that economic
sanctions are not effective in promoting democratic transition in the
army-ruled Southeast Asian country.
During discussions with Britain=92s envoy on Myanmar Michael Williams
here, the Thai minister cited the recent tragic death of illegal
Myanmarese economic migrants in Thailand.
''The Thai Foreign Minister pointed out that the recent tragic death
of 54 Burmese illegal workers in Thailand was a good example showing
that ordinary people in Myanmar attempted to get out of poverty in the
country, following economic sanctions,'' noted a press statement.
Mr Williams, Special Representative of the British Prime Minister on
Myanmar called on the Thai Foreign Minister last Friday to discuss
views on the political situation in Myanmar in the context of next
month=92s constitutional referendum in that country.
Both agreed that the May 10 referendum ''should be legitimate,
credible and inclusive to create the political stability and economic
prosperity in Myanmar.'' London also expressed concern over free
international media coverage of the referendum and the involvement of
the International Committee of the Red Cross in providing humanitarian
assistance in Myanmar.
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The Irrawaddy - Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Poll Shows Rangoon Residents Cool on Referendum
By THE IRRAWADDY
With less than three weeks to go until Burmese get a chance to vote on
a constitution drawn up by the country=92s military rulers, a new poll
conducted by Irrawaddy correspondents in Rangoon shows that residents
of Burma=92s largest city are less than enthusiastic about their first
chance to cast a ballot in nearly two decades.
Sixty-seven, or 44.7 percent, of the 150 Rangoon residents who
responded to the survey said that they had not yet decided how they
would vote, or were uninterested in the referendum.
The number who said they would vote against the constitution,
meanwhile, was 62, or 41.4 percent, while fewer than seven percent of
those polled said they would vote in favor of the constitution.
Slightly more than seven percent declined to respond to the question:
=93Will you vote =93yes=94 or =93no=94 in the upcoming referendum on the
dra=
ft
constitution?=94
The poll was directed at a wide cross-section of Burmese society,
including laborers, street vendors, students, professionals, civil
servants, members of the armed forces and retirees.
None of the interviewees were politicians or activists.
Nearly half of those polled=9770 out of 150=97were described as working
class, of whom 41, or 58.5 percent, said they were undecided or not
interested in voting.
This group also had the largest number of =93yes=94 votes, with nearly 13
percent saying they would sup****t the draft constitution. Almost 29
percent said they would vote against it.
The only other =93yes=94 vote came from an elderly respondent. Around
three-quarters of interviewees aged over 65 said they did not intend
to vote in the referendum, while 25 percent said they would vote =93no.=94
More than two-thirds of educated professionals said they would vote
against the constitution, while the remaining third was undecided. Ten
out of 10 students who were interviewed said they would reject the
junta=92s charter.
Journalists were similarly unanimous in their rejection of the
constitution, with all 10 respondents saying they would vote =93no.=94
=93I will vote =91no=92 because the constitution was not written by
representatives of the entire nation, including leaders of the
national races and members of parliament elected in the 1990
election,=94 said one Rangoon-based editor.
Two civil servants and nine members of the armed forces who were
interviewed by The Irrawaddy would not say how they intended to vote.
One of the civil servants, a health ministry official, said that the
government had ordered all public employees to cast a =93yes=94 vote,
adding that senior officials had also been instructed to read the
constitution, copies of which have been distributed to government
ministry offices since March.
Military personnel from Light Infantry Battalion 106 and Infantry
Battalion 16 said that their commanders had ordered them to vote
=93yes.=94 Most of the rank-and-file soldiers said that they didn=92t
understand the text of the constitution.
* The Irrawaddy will continue to re****t its findings from a series of
surveys on the referendum.
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The Irrawaddy - Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Detained Monk Leader U Gambira Honored
By AYE LAE
The United Kingdom-based Index on Censor****p=97one of the world=92s
leading magazines on free expression issues=97honored imprisoned
Buddhist monk leader U Gambira for his leading role in last
September=92s peaceful demonstrations with an award on April 21.
The event was held at Christ Church Spitalfields, a 300-year old
church in central London, where Burmese monk U Ottaya and well-known
Burmese blogger Ko Htike received the prize=97a medal=97on behalf of U
Gambira.
U Gambira is one of the leaders of the All Burma Monks Alliance, which
spearheaded nationwide protests in September. While he became a
fugitive following the deadly September 26-27 crackdown on protesters,
he made im****tant announcements to the world about the alliance=92s aims
amid a climate of fear and arrests of pro-democracy activists.
U Gambira, 29, once a child soldier at the age of 12, was arrested on
November 4 last year in Sintgaing Town****p in Central Burma where he
was hiding. He has re****tedly been charged with treason by the
military junta and is currently being held at Insein Prison in
Rangoon.
Along with other winners for film, media, literature and journalism, U
Gambira won the Bindmans Law and Campaigning Award. The Buddhist monk
was selected unanimously by the board of commissioners.
The advocacy group, Index on Censor****p, noted on its website that the
award is given to lawyers or campaigners "who have fought repression,
or have struggled to change political climates and perceptions."
The award marks the first time that Index on Censor****p has taken a
stance on military-ruled Burma.
According to BBC Burmese, an Index official said that Burmese monks
leading the demonstrations in September represented a significant
event which had got the attention of several human rights groups.
Pyinnya Jota, who fled to Thailand in February and who was also a
leading member of the All Burma Monks Alliance, said, =93I am happy to
say that this award could bring international attention again to our
country's current situation.=94
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Mizzima News - April 22, 2008
Burmese overstaying stage protest at Burmese embassy in Tokyo
New Delhi - Over 100 Burmese citizens who have stayed over staged a
demonstration at the Burmese embassy in Tokyo on Tuesday demanding
their right to vote on the draft constitution. These citizens have
been overstaying in Japan.
An estimated 3,000 Burmese citizens overstay and 5,000 hold valid visa
in Japan.
Led by activists and politicians the protesters urged the Burmese
embassy to allow them to vote as absentee voters on the referendum to
be held from April 26 to 27. Dr. Min Nyo, one of the leaders of the
protest, told Mizzima, "We should have voting right as this
constitution concerns all of us. They allow Burmese citizens
overstaying to pay taxes at the Burmese embassy even though they
violate the Japanese law yet they don't allow us to vote for the
constitution because we are involved in a free political movement in
Japan. We want to prove this constitution cannot guarantee a
homogeneous society in Burma in future. That is why we are protesting
here today."
Several non governmental organizations including Amnesty International
in Japan and a large section of the m***** joined the protest. The
protesters gathered outside the Burmese embassy around 3 p.m. and
shouted slogans like, 'Down with the military dictator****p', 'Release
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners', 'National
Reconciliation' and 'SPDC's national referendum unlawful' for about an
hour.
The scene at the embassy was not normal. Embassy staff stayed in the
tent behind three closed gates. They didn't answer the doorbell or
look outside. Some eligible voters who have not yet received
invitation letters to participate in the referendum came to inquire
about the letters and had to turn back. The embassy staff scared by
the protesters would not answer them.
"I came here and inquired about it. But the embassy staff didn't
respond to my query and told me impolitely to seek an appointment
again tomorrow," said a student who is in Japan since 2007 and
studying for her Master's degree. "I don't understand the
constitution. It is unfair to vote for constitutional referendum
without studying it. The authorities have not officially published the
constitution here. So I have decided to vote against the referendum on
the 26th of this month," she added.
"We are requesting the ambassador U Myint Tun to carry out an enquiry.
But the embassy staff dare not answer our questions," a protestor
said.
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Shan party urges =93No=94 vote for genuine democracy
Apr 21, 2008 (DVB)-The Shan Nationalities League for Democracy has
called on the Shan people to vote against the draft constitution in
the 10 May referendum, saying it does not guarantee democratic or
ethnic rights.
SNLD spokesperson U Sai Lek told DVB that the party was opposed to the
constitution as its elected representatives had not been involved in
the drafting process.
=93Since the constitution was written by delegates handpicked by the
SPDC authorities, it has nothing to do with the SNLD,=94 Sai Lek said.
=93If the people want to see a situation where the SPDC regime continues
to benefit then they should vote =91Yes=92. But, if the people prefer
genuine democracy, then they should vote =91No=92,=94 he said.
=93We believe that the people are capable of making the right decision.=94
When asked what the party could do before the referendum, Sai Lek said
the party had made some preparations but could not discuss them
because of the current restrictive political climate.
The SNLD received the second highest number of votes in the 1990
elections, winning 23 seats.
The SNLD is a key political ally of the National League for Democracy
and is the only elected ethnic political party with an official
standing.
The party=92s operations have been hampered since SNLD chairperson U
Khun Tun Oo, secretary U Nyunt Lwin and other party leaders were
imprisoned in 2005.
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Rural Kachin offered incentives to vote =93Yes=94
Apr 22, 2008 (DVB)-Government officials are trying to persuade voters
in rural areas of Kachin state to vote =93Yes=94 in the national
referendum by offering them mobile phones and rice, a Kachin news
editor said.
Lahpai Naw Din, editor of the Thailand-based Kachin News Group, said
religious leaders in Kachin state, where most of the population is
Christian, were being offered incentives to persuade them to vote in
favour of the constitution in the 10 May referendum.
"Not only that =96 the authorities are manipulating people who live in
the upper area of the Maykha river, who are uneducated and don't have
much knowledge of politics," Lahpai Naw Din said.
=93They are already sure they are going to win a lot of 'Yes' votes
there,=94 he said.
"Locals there said they were told by the authorities that they have to
vote 'Yes' or they will be in trouble.=94
Lahpai Naw Din said authorities had also been selling cheap food to
the locals, who have not been able to produce much food for themselves
from their slash and burn farming.
Many rural Kachin people have no access to information about their
other options in the referendum.
"It is likely that they are going to vote 'Yes' since they have no
knowledge about politics or about the referendum and constitution.
They never listen to the radio either, since not many of them have
radios," Lahpai Naw Din said.
Lahpai Naw Din said the majority of Kachin people living in cities
were against the constitution, and had been unhappy about the Kachin
Independence Organisation=92s participation in the National Convention.
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