Burma Major Issue at APEC Summit, says White House

US President George Bush has denounced the on-going arrests of demonstrators in Burma and the White House said on Thursday the Burmese unrest would be a “major topic” of discussion at the APEC Leadership Summit in Sydney next week.

President Bush, who in a strongly worded statement, demanded immediate release of those arrested by the military regime in the past two weeks, the White House said it would raise the issue during bilateral meetings with leaders of Australia and China.

“The Burmese regime should heed the international calls to release these activists immediately and stop its intimidation of those Burmese citizens who are promoting democracy and human rights,” Bush said in a statement.

“I also call on the regime to release all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and to lift restrictions on humanitarian organizations that seek to help the people of Burma,” he said.

“Their concerns should be listened to by the regime rather than silenced through force,” Bush said.
Bush will arrive in Sydney on Tuesday evening for the summit, during which he is expected to have bilateral meetings with Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Wednesday and Chinese President Hu Jintao on Thursday. Burma would be a key topic of discussion at the bilateral meetings.

At a working lunch hosted by Bush on Friday with the leaders of the seven Association of Southeast Asian Nations that are members of APEC, the president will hear their views on the situation in Burma and on how Southeast Asia is coping with extremists.

US Senators Want Security Council Meeting on Burma By Lalit K Jha/Ottawa August 31, 2007—Two influential US lawmakers have urged the Bush Administration to convene an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the unrest in Burma. “The current situation in Burma merits a strong and meaningful response by our government,” Sens Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The letter urged Rice to call on the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on Burma. The two senators also urged Rice to send a letter to the UN Security Council to urge UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to brief the council on the situation in Burma. "Over the past several days, as was reported in the press around the world, Burma's military regime has carried out a widespread crackdown on human rights and democracy activists throughout the country. These repressive measures have come in response to the largest non-violent demonstrations in Burma in five years,” the senators said. They said that many of the activists who have been imprisoned as a result of the crackdown were reportedly beaten and carted off in trucks after protesting on the streets of Rangoon and other major cities. “These actions by the regime are appalling even in light of the junta's longstanding and well-documented record of repression,” the letter said. "The matter needs to be addressed by the UN Security Council.” McConnell and Feinstein said: “During the past year, the United States led a successful diplomatic effort to place Burma on the permanent agenda of the Security Council, where it remains. We must avail ourselves of this diplomatic forum; the brave people of Burma deserve no less."

US to Work with UN, Asean to Aid Burmese People

A day after the popular Hollywood actor Jim Carrey went on YouTube calling for people to support the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the US said Tuesday it will continue its effort for political change in Burma through the United Nations and Asean.

US officials expect the issue of Burma to come up for discussion at the Security Council during the upcoming UN General Assembly session next month.

Reiterating the US demand to release Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Burma, State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters in Washington that the military junta should engage in a dialogue with all the legitimate political forces in the country to develop a new constitution and allow democracy to develop in the country.

Responding to a question, Casey said the US will continue to put pressure on the Burmese military regime with economic sanctions and will continue to work with the UN and other nations in this regard.

Only recently, US President George Bush renewed economic sanctions on Burma after Congress approved legislation.

When asked about the YouTube video released by actor Carrey, Casey said other appeals for the release of Suu Kyi and other political prisoners are always welcome.

Meanwhile, the public service video by Carrey on YouTube attracted more than 120,000 viewers in the two days after it was uploaded.

Calling Aung San Suu Kyi a "hero,” Carrey urged people to join the campaign seeking her release.
“She is a champion of decency and human rights in Asia,” he said, adding that she is also the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Prize recipient.

Talking about human rights violations by the military junta, Carrey said: “Even though she is compared to a modern day Gandhi or Nelson Mandela, most people in America do not know who Aung San Suu Kyi is.”

US Comedian Does Public Service YouTube Video for Suu Kyi

Actor-comedian Jim Carrey has made a straight-to-YouTube video. And it is not funny at all.

Jim Carrey

The 45-year-old Carrey—in a rare serious mode—appears in a new public service announcement on behalf of the Human Rights Action Center and the U.S. Campaign for Burma. The goal: To free Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been confined by Burma's ruling military junta for 11 of the last 17 years.

"Even though she's compared to a modern-day Gandhi or Nelson Mandela, most people in America still don't know about Aung San," Carrey says in the filmed message, posted Tuesday on YouTube.

"And let's face it: the name's a little difficult to remember. Here's how I did it: Aung San sounds a lot like `unsung,' as in unsung hero. Aung San Suu Kyi is truly an unsung hero."
Suu Kyi, who is under long-term house arrest in the city of Rangoon, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her nonviolent efforts to bring down the military regime that rules over the Southeast Asian country.

The regime, led by Gen Than Shwe, has destroyed more than 3,000 villages in eastern Myanmar, also known as Burma—forcing more than a 1.5 million people to leave their homes—and recruited more child soldiers than any other country in the world, Carrey says in the video.

"People around the world need to come to her aid, just as they supported Mandela when he was locked up," said Jeremy Woodrum, a co-founder of the U.S. Campaign for Burma, in a statement Tuesday.

"This announcement contributes to an upsurge in activism around Aung San Suu Kyi in the United States and throughout the world," he said.

UN Official Warns Fuel Price Hikes Could Worsen Burma's Economy

A United Nations official warned that fuel price hikes in Burma could worsen the dire economic situation for many people in the military-ruled country, as dozens of pro-democracy activists resumed defiant protests against the increase.

Earlier this month, the military junta increased fuel prices by as much as 500 percent, by slashing subsidies that had kept domestic oil prices low for years. The new prices caused public transport fees to soar—although some have since been rolled back—and subsequently triggered increases for some basic commodities.

Charles Petrie, the UN humanitarian chief in Burma, said the price hike will hit most Burmese families hard, since almost 90 percent live below or near the poverty line, which he defined as US $1 a day.

"It's going to make things more expensive and make it more difficult for people to survive," Petrie told The Associated Press.

Petrie also said the fact the increase was imposed at once, rather than in phases, showed the regime was "out of touch" with the average citizen.

"It's a policy that has been applied in a draconian matter that doesn't take into account the fact that people lack the reserves necessary to absorb such shocks," he said.

The price hike triggered a number of small, peaceful protests last week, mainly in Rangoon. Police detained at least 65 activists, including several leaders of Burma's pro-democracy movement.
Burma's ambassador to the Philippines, Thang Tun, told The Associated Press on Sunday that Burma could no longer afford to pay out heavy fuel subsidies due to steep oil prices worldwide.
Some analysts said the measure could be a prelude to privatization, or that it may even reflect conflict within the junta—and could be a deliberate attempt to provoke unrest, further stalling the approval of a long-awaited constitution.

Economic dissatisfaction sparked the country's last major upheaval in 1988, when mass demonstrations broke out seeking an end to the military rule that began in 1962.

The army violently subdued those protests. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people were killed.
The current protests are nowhere near the scale of those in 1988.

The military rulers held a general election in 1990, but refused to honor the results when the National League for Democracy won in a landslide.

Burma's ruling junta has been widely criticized for human rights violations, including the extended detention of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and more than 1,200 other political prisoners.

Burmese Regime Builds up Military in Rangoon as Protests Continue

The Burma Campaign UK has received reports from Burma that the regime ruling the country is building up its military presence in Rangoon, as protests continue for a second day, despite attempts by the regime to suppress protest.

Burma Campaign UK sources indicate that military vehicles and personnel are being stationed out of sight in government compounds and houses around the city, enabling the regime to reach all parts of Rangoon within minutes. So far the military presence on the streets has been limited, with the regime relying on its political militia, the Union Solidarity Development Association, to harass, intimidate and even arrest protestors.

“These reports are very disturbing,” said Mark Farmaner, Acting Director of Burma Campaign UK. “We know from experience that the regime is quite prepared to open fire on peaceful protestors. The United Nations must make it absolutely clear that a military response to peaceful protest is unacceptable.”
In 1988 thousands of peaceful protestors were massacred when soldiers opened fire on demonstrators. At the time the military seemed unprepared for the scale of protests, and had trouble getting sufficient numbers of troops into Rangoon quickly enough to suppress the protests. The strategic placing of military units throughout Rangoon could be an attempt to ensure they can respond swiftly if protests grow in size significantly.

Protests continued today around Rangoon, which some protestors being snatched from marches and driven away by security forces. The regime still appears to attempting to prevent the protests by arresting those it believes to be key organisers.

Burma Campaign UK sources have also reported CCTV cameras being placed in strategic locations, such a bridges. The atmosphere is reported as “tense.”

In 1988 protests against the regime began with protests of a few hundred people, and grew over the following five months to protests of thousands before the regime launched a crackdown.

“The regime are clearly taking precautions to be ready to send in troops if protests become what it considers to be too large,” said Mark Farmaner. “The question is, will the international community step in now, or stand on the sidelines until it is too late? As the most influential country with Burma’s military rulers, China in particular will share the blame if there is bloodshed. While the prospect of troops opening fire on demonstrators seems unlikely at the moment, with a regime as unstable and ruthless as this one, we can’t afford to take any chances.

Burmese Junta Urges Monks Not to Protest

Burma’s military leaders have been trying to persuade monks in Mandalay not to take part in protests that began last week in response to a sharp rise in fuel and commodity prices, according to local monks.

Novice monks in Mandalay prepare to receive alms for the morning meal [Photo: victorianweb.org]

Maj-Gen Khin Zaw, commander of Mandalay Division, requested abbots of several monasteries in Mandalay not to join protesters, according to War So Sayadaw, the abbot of War So Monastery.

The abbot told The Irrawaddy that military authorities came to his monastery and requested that monks and novices don’t take part in any demonstrations. The abbots usually hold considerable influence with junior monks and novices.

So far, monks have not participated in the sporadic demonstrations that began in major cities across Burma on August 19. During the nationwide pro-democracy uprising in 1988, monks played a major role in the demonstrations.

U Kavarinda, the abbot of Ma Soe Yein Monastery in Mandalay, said authorities made the same request of him.

“If the public demonstrates, we will support them until they reach their goal,” U Kavarinda told The Irrawaddy by phone from Mandalay on Monday. “We are also supporting current demonstrations in Rangoon. They are demanding their own rights.”

Since last week, small groups of protesters led by the 88 Generation Students group and some members of the opposition National League for Democracy have staged demonstrations against the steep increase in fuel and commodity prices in Rangoon and other cities.

In 1988 when the military regime launched a heavy crackdown on the nationwide uprising, more than 3,000 protesters are believed to have been killed—among them, many monks and novices.

Following the government’s crackdown on monasteries, monks across Burma refused to accept alms from military leaders. Hundreds of monks and young novices who participated in the movement were later arrested and given lengthy prison terms.

Mandalay residents say that some of the city’s monasteries have been under surveillance by pro-government civilian groups such as the Union Solidarity and Development Association.

Security forces have also been tightened around monasteries in Rangoon, according to residents in the former capital.

Many monasteries in Rangoon and elsewhere served as rallying points during the 1988 pro-democracy uprising.

Ethnic Parties Call for Release of Activists in Burma

A statement issued on Saturday from representatives of 12 ethnic opposition parties in Burma called for the immediate release of human rights activists and protesters arrested after demonstrations against a sharp spike in fuel and commodity prices in the country.

Anti-Burmese military government protesters gather Sunday near the Burmese embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, to stage a demonstration against recent fuel price hikes. (Photo: AP)

The statement was released by the Shan National League for Democracy and 11 other ethnic parties representing Arakan, Chin, Kachin, Karen,  Karenni and Mon states, and the Zomi National Congress.

“We want the SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] to release the leading human rights activist Min Ko Naing and his fellow 88 Generation Students group leaders, as well as those who have been dragged from their homes for participating in a peaceful protest,” Fu Cin Sian Thang, the chairman of the ZNC, told The Irrawaddy on Sunday.

He added: “The ongoing arrests and crackdown on pro-democracy supporters will not solve the political conflict in Burma. We strongly urge the Burmese regime to start calling for a ‘tripartite dialogue’ with the National League for Democracy and different ethnic parties in the country.”

Since protests over the rise in fuel and commodity prices began on August 19, Burmese authorities have arrested and detained at least 63 people. Thirteen of those—arrested prior to the demonstrations—were leading members of the pro-democracy opposition 88 Generation Students group.

The former student leaders, which include Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi, were arrested and interrogated for allegedly undermining stability and security in the country and for disrupting the National Convention by “committing terrorist acts,” according to Burma’s state-run newspaper The New Light of Myanmar.

The report added that the former student leaders would be dealt with according to existing laws and that each could face up to 20 years in prison.

Meanwhile, the EU on Saturday expressed concern over the recent arrests and condemned Burma’s military government for detaining individuals for exercising their basic right to peaceful demonstrations.

Popular protests in the last week, many of which have been initiated by the 88 Generation Students Group, are widely supported by the people of Burma, according to prominent Burmese human rights activist Su Su Nway.

“Because of political and economic pressure, we understand that people are not able to be directly involved in the protests, but they have provided food and water, and they even applaud and cheer for those who hold the protests,” Su Su Nway told The Irrawaddy on Sunday.
“These kinds of actions highlight the expectation of Burmese people and clearly show that they also do not like the repressive military government,” she added.

Residents not active in the protests have turned in increasing numbers to radio programs broadcast by the BBC Burmese Service, Voice of America and Radio Free Asia to keep track of details about the protests.

Outside the country, members of exile political parties and social activists in South Korea and Thailand organized protests outside Burmese embassies in Seoul and Bangkok on Sunday.
“We believe the massive increase in commodity and fuel prices has sent the Burmese population further into poverty, so we are urging the regime to lower the prices,” said Zaw Moe Aung, a committee member of the National League for Democracy-Liberated Area (South Korea), which helped organize the South Korea protest.

Junta Monitors Activists, Supporters in Burma

urmese authorities are closely watching pro-democracy activists and their supporters following a week of sporadic demonstrations against a sharp rise in fuel and commodity prices, according to opposition sources in the country.

Khin Saw Htay, a member of the National League for Democracy in Yenanchaung Township, Magwe Division, told The Irrawaddy on Sunday that local authorities have warned that anyone attempting to launch a public protest could be confronted and attacked by the security forces.

The NLD member added that she and other party members have been warned not to gather in groups of more than five. Other members have said recently that their telephone lines have been cut.
 
Despite the warnings, Khin Saw Htay and nearly a dozen others staged a protest early Sunday morning, in which demonstrators split into groups of five members each and marched through Yenanchaung. Local authorities followed the groups as they moved through the city.

A resident of Yenanchaung Township said authorities are now on standby to crack down on any future protests. on Saturday, nearly 100 local police and members of the pseudo-social pro-government group the Union Solidarity and Development Association were deployed throughout the city waiting for protesters to gather.

In Pwinbyu, Magwe Division, pro-democracy supporters, including members of the NLD, are being closely watched by local authorities, residents in the area said.

“All NLD members and supporters are being watched in every area,” said the resident in Pwinbyu, who added that he had been banned from traveling outside the city on Saturday.

Burmese authorities have stepped up surveillance on NLD members in major cities across the country, while party members in Chauk in Magwe Division have been warned not to leave their headquarters after 10 p.m., according to local residents.

Burmese Authorities Hunt Down Key Activists

Burmese authorities are desperately hunting down key activists following what has been a series of small, guerilla-style protests that began last Sunday. One of the authorities' major weapons has been to conduct thorough searches of their homes and confiscate "illegal items." 

Authorities are searching for Htay Kywe, left, who is now in hiding following the detention of fellow activists Ko Ko Gyi, middle, and Min Ko Naing

On Friday night, authorities launched searches in the homes of several activists who played key roles in the recent protests against the government’s sudden, sharp increase in fuel prices on August 15.

  After midnight, authorities entered the home and arrested activist Sandar Min, in Bahan Township, a member of the 88 Generation Students group, and searched the entire home.
Similarly, about 40 people raided the home of activist Tin Htoo Aung Friday night, and he narrowly escaped through a back door, according to a friend.

Meanwhile, activist Aung Naing, who made a speech during a recent protest, is also being pursued by authorities who searched his home Friday night.

Activist Htin Kyaw was arrested on Saturday afternoon shortly after his small group staged a protest in front of Theingyi Market in downtown Rangoon at 1 p.m. Authorities had offered a reward of 500,000 kyat (US $400) for his arrest.

Htin Kyaw had been targeted for arrest by authorities following the Rangoon-based Myanmar Development Committee's announcement that it would stage a demonstration against the regime's increase in fuel prices.

Another prominent activist, Htay Kywe, a leader of the 88 Generation Students group, has been in hiding since 13 of his fellow leaders were arrested on Tuesday after they organized a peaceful march on Sunday against the rise in fuel prices. Among the 13 arrested was activist Min Ko Naing, one of the most prominent leaders of the nationwide 1988 pro-democracy uprising.

While in hiding, Htay Kywe told The Irrawaddy by phone, "Photos of Ko Htin Kyaw and me were given to checkpoints in Rangoon and other cities with orders to arrest us.” He said he was told there was a 500,000 kyat ($400) reward his arrest.

Htay Kywe, who has spent more than a decade in the junta’s prisons, said, “We hold these demonstrations on behalf of the people only to highlight the problems they are facing.”
The state-run newspapers on Saturday accused Htay Kywe and his fellow activists of the 88 Generation Students group of "agitating" to undermine Burma's stability and security and attempting to disrupt the National Convention by “committing terrorist acts.” The official newspapers said those arrested were being interrogated and would be dealt with according to existing laws. The articles suggested they could face up to 20 years imprisonment. 
Currently, there is no information on the whereabouts of those arrested, and family members are concerned about their treatment and health. 
 
Myint Thein, a spokesman at the headquarters of the opposition National League for Democracy in Rangoon, said it is reported the student group leaders are being held in Insein Prison, but that has not been independently confirmed. In addition to the arrests of the 13 leading activists, 50 other demonstrators were detained in recent days, according to The New Light of Myanmar, a government newspaper. 

“We all are more worried about my brother after authorities searched our house three times,” said the sister of Panneik Tun, who was arrested with the leading members of the 88 Generation Students group on Tuesday.

“Authorities were offensive when they searched our home the last time,” she told The Irrawaddy by phone. “We don’t like the way they treated us. I am also worried for my parents, who are not in good health.”
 
She said authorities confiscated a computer, a mobile phone, photo albums and a copy of a poem which was translated by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 

Similarly, mobile phones, computers, documents and photo albums were confiscated during the searches of other homes of the 88 Generation Students group. 

Win Maung, the father of prominent detained activist Pyone Cho, said authorities confiscated a book of poems, pictures of Suu Kyi and pamphlets about their late son Thet Win Aung, who died last year in prison where he was serving a 60-year sentence for political activities.

A veteran Rangoon activist said on Saturday that some activists, including him, went into hiding without returning home.

Read detailed story HERE

UN Secretary-General Urges Burma to Enter 'Constructive Dialogue'

Detailed story, please read HERE

As widespread condemnation of Burma's crackdown on popular protests in Rangoon intensifies, the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, on Thursday urged the Burmese junta to exercise restraint and called for a “constructive dialogue” with pro-democracy supporters.

The UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon

Meanwhile, a powerful US lawmaker singled out India and China for their role in the “deteriorating human rights conditions” in the country through their support of the authoritarian military regime of Burma.

In a statement, Ban Ki-moon said he is following events in Burma closely following the arrests of demonstration leaders.
“The secretary-general calls on the authorities to exercise maximum restraint in responding to any demonstrations and encourages all parties to avoid any provocative action,” a spokesperson said.

The US also reiterated its call to initiate talks with pro-democracy supporters and release all political prisoners.

“It is important for the government there to begin to speak to other groups, to draw on the ethnic minorities to deal with the other political parties, to proceed down a path of democracy and respect for individual human rights,” a State Department spokesperson said.

Influential US lawmaker Rep. Tom Lantos put the blame on two Burmese neighbors—India and China—for the continued suppression of human rights in Burma.

The chairman of the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee, which plays an influential role in shaping US foreign policy, said: "India and China could play leading roles in improving the dreadful human rights environment in Burma, but instead they callously ignore the abuses. They do nothing to stop the situation in Burma as it continues to deteriorate and become more unstable."
He called on China to support Ban Ki-moon's effort to secure the release of all political prisoners and to back plans for a tripartite national reconciliation dialogue between the regime, Nobel Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's ethnic nationalities.

Calling for the release of Burmese human rights activist Min Ko Naing and more than a dozen people who were arrested after the peaceful protest, Lantos said: “Justice demands taking a stand against Burma's rulers, who prove time and again they are little more than venal, vicious crooks.  The pioneering protesters took to the streets fully aware that they would likely face arrest, torture and potentially death. They must be released immediately."

Lantos said a massive increase in diesel and gasoline prices sent the general population of Burma farther into poverty and contrasts dramatically with the upsurge of wealth the regime receives from its natural gas exports.

"Burma's military thugs are fattening their own pockets by using gangster tactics to grind the Burmese people into deeper despair," he said.

Meanwhile, a large number of pro-democracy supporters gathered outside the Burmese Embassy in Washington. The US Campaign for Burma urged the US, Britain and France to call for a discussion of the situation in Burma at the UN Security Council.

"United Nations leaders and mechanisms must not be complacent or silent during this critical time," said Aung Din, the policy director of the US Campaign for Burma. "It is time for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to personally intervene and the Security Council to formulate a collective response."

 In a related statement, Václav Havel, the former Czech president, said the attention of the international community, in particular the UN Security Council and world media, should be focused on Burma.

“I urge the military government of Burma to listen to the demands of its fellow citizens, to release Aung San Suu Kyi, Min Ko Naing and other political prisoners and to not attempt to remain in power through force.

US, Canada, UN Protest Burma Crackdown

The US and Canada on Wednesday condemned the Burmese military junta's crackdown on popular demonstrations in Rangoon, protesting against the recent sharp rise in fuel prices. The UN too expressed its concern over the detention of Burmese activists who participated in the protests.

[Photo: AP]

Widespread international condemnation has greeted the junta's actions, with demands for the immediate release of detained activists.

“The United States calls for the immediate release of these activists and for an end to the regime's blatant attempt to intimidate and silence those who are engaged in peaceful promotion of democracy and human rights in Burma,” said US State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos in Washington.

Gallegos said: "The United States government condemns the Burmese regime's arrest of Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and several other pro-democracy activists on August 22 for organizing peaceful demonstrations to express public concern about recent increases in the price of fuel.”
Gallegos reiterated the US demand that the military regime should engage in a meaningful dialogue with the leaders of the Burmese democracy movement and ethnic minority groups and make tangible steps towards a transition to a democratic system.

Responding to a question, Gallegos said, “We are going to continue pushing the human rights issues. We are going to continue supporting those individuals and groups inside Burma who wish to live in a free society with the ability to express their rights.”

The office of UN secretary-general told The Irrawaddy, “The UN views the events on the ground with concern, but we are for now simply monitoring the situation and trying to get the facts.”

Condemning the detention of the leaders of the 88 Generation Students group, the Canadian Foreign Minister, Maxime Bernier, said: “Their arrest is yet another example of the Burmese authorities’ continued disregard for freedom and democracy. Canada calls for their immediate and unconditional release.”

Urging Burma to respect the human rights of the people of Burma, he said: “We further call upon the Burmese authorities to release Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners and to engage in a genuine dialogue with members of the democratic opposition”

The New York-based Human Rights Watch called for the Burmese government to immediately release protesters arrested for peacefully demonstrating against the deteriorating economic system.
“The government’s strategy of arbitrarily arresting its critics reinforces the severe hardships the people of Burma are going through,” said Arvind Ganesan, the director of the business and human rights program at Human Rights Watch.

“The recent price hikes in Burma make it harder for ordinary people to sustain themselves by driving up prices of essential goods and services. Peaceful protest should not land them in jail,” he said.

 “The way the SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] made this decision and responded to the ensuing public outcry demonstrates its gross disregard for the rights to freedom of information and assembly, and the right of its people to benefit from the country’s natural resource wealth.”

Meanwhile, the Washington-based advocacy group the US Campaign for Burma announced it would hold a demonstration at the Burmese Embassy to show solidarity against those who are protesting against military rule inside the country.

Expressing concern for the safety of the leaders arrested by the junta, Aung Din, the policy director at the US Campaign for Burma said:  "Min Ko Naing and the other leaders arrested have all been severely tortured during previous incarcerations, and we are gravely concerned for their immediate well-being."
He urged China and the United Nations to take immediate action to ensure their safety and release.

Burmese Protests Continue in Rangoon

Residents of Rangoon angry over a sharp rise in fuel and commodity prices took to the streets of the former capital on Wednesday in non-violent demonstrations of discontent, according to activists and participants in the protests.

Burmese activists shout slogans during a protest in the capital, Rangoon. [Photo: AFP]

In Sanchaung Township, 88 Generation Students Group member Ma Thet said the protest there at first attracted only about 100 people but grew larger as passersby joined the marchers.
Yazar, a youth member of Burma’s main opposition party, National League for Democracy, also took part in the Sanchaung Township protest and said that as many as 1,000 people joined the ranks of marchers—some of whom said they were assaulted by authorities and government-backed civilian groups.

The demonstrators in Sanchaung were led by prominent female activists Naw Ohn Hla from the NLD, Nilar Thein and Mi Mi from the 88 Generation Students Group, and NLD youth member Phyu Phyu Thin, who is also a well known HIV/AIDS activist.

Ma Thet said several young street vendors and students as young as 14 and 15 also joined the protest.

Naw Ohn Hla and six other women in the group were arrested by authorities at the end of the march, according to Ma Thet, who added that two of the protest leaders’ mobile phones were confiscated by authorities the day before the protest.

“We hold these demonstrations on behalf of the people only to highlight the problems they are facing,” said Htay Kywe, a prominent 88 Generation Students Group leader involved in the demonstrations.

During the marches, local police, immigration officials and intelligence officers monitored the events, taking video and still photographs of participants while onlookers cheered the demonstrators, said Htay Kywe.

“To support the needs of our people, we are prepared to give and lose everything,” Htay Kywe added.

The demonstrations came on the heels of a steep rise in gasoline, diesel and compressed natural gas prices across Rangoon on August 15—in some cases, prices soared three to five times their normal levels.

A protest that began at Hledan Market in Kamayut Township saw close to 200 marchers make their way to the Oakyin bus stop in Hlaing Township, where authorities removed some protesters in trucks. Witnesses said that four demonstrators were attacked by authorities with sticks. 

A handful of other demonstrators were arrested during a protest in Anawrahta Road in Kyauktada Township. The event was supposed to have been led by activist Htin Kyaw and scheduled to take place in front of Rangoon City Hall on Wednesday, but the activist never arrived at the protest.
Another demonstration, led by Amyotheryei Win Naing, head of the opposition National Politicians Group, was also scheduled in downtown Rangoon on Wednesday.

Prior the demonstrations, Burmese authorities arrested 13 prominent pro-democracy activists, including 88 Generation Students Group leader Min Ko Naing and others such as Ko Ko Gyi, Htay Win Aung, Min Zeya, Mya Aye and Kyaw Min Yu. Their current whereabouts are unknown.
The Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) on Wednesday condemned the military government for arresting demonstrators and student leaders.
According to a report on Wednesday in Burma’s state-run daily newspaper The New Light of Myanmar, authorities arrested the student leaders under the 1996 Act 5/56 and could face up to 20 years in prison.

While several Burmese pro-democracy activists in exile have said they will hold protests in front of Burmese embassies, sources in Rangoon said today’s demonstrations will continue in coming days.

Burmese Junta Targets Opposition Members amid Tension over Fuel Hike

Members of a pro-government organization and a paramilitary group in Rangoon on Tuesday made threats against six members of the opposition party National League for democracy, according to one of the six NLD members.

88 Generation Students group led peaceful protest over sudden unannounced hike of fuel prices

Myo Khin, the chairman of the Yankin Township branch of the NLD, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that he and five other members were accosted on their way to their township headquarters by a group of about 60 members of the pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development Association and the paramilitary group Pyithu Swan Arr Shin.

The group of USDA and PSAS members—carrying catapults and sharpened bamboo sticks—followed the NLD members as they walked to their office and later stopped to question them at a bus queue near Tamwe Plaza.

The NLD members were then called terrorists and told to leave the area or they would be beaten to death, according to Myo Khin, who said he and his fellow NLD members tried to explain that they were simply walking to work because they could not afford fuel for their cars.

The pro-junta mob then forced the men onto a bus, while instructing other passengers not to talk to them. The NLD members got off the bus at a later stop and continued walking to their headquarters, Myo Khin said.

Tuesday’s confrontation follows other violence on Sunday, when a suspected government supporter shot a catapult at the car of Amyotheryei Win Naing, the leader of a new democratic opposition organization called the National Politicians Group who was returning from distributing rice to the poor in Thaketa Township.

Tensions have been rising since Burma’s military government increased fuel and natural gas prices on August 15, leaving many residents in the former capital unable to afford fuel for their cars or fares for buses, which have risen in response to the fuel price hike.

Two Burmese workers groups and a student organization from Dagon University have been distributing pamphlets in several townships—including Tamwe, Shwegondine and the Hlaing Thar Yar Industrial Zone—condemning the high cost of fuel.

The pamphlets call for worker’s rights and for the public to demand a reduction in fuel costs, which have previously been heavily subsidized by the government.

According to local residents, government officials have stepped up security in several Rangoon townships.

Also on Sunday, more than 400 people—led by the 88 Generation Students—demonstrated against the government increase in fuel costs, which they say has also led to increases in the price of essential commodities such as rice.

The protesters marched from Shwegondine Township to the Kyauk Myaung Market in Tamwe Township.

Myint Thein, a spokesperson for the NLD said the party released a statement on Monday that said residents face unnecessary hardships because of the fuel hike, and that the government must take responsibility for the needs of the people.

“The government should solve the current problem in the right way instead of oppressing the people,” he added. “Solving problems by using violence is not the correct way.”

Meanwhile, the Rangoon-based Myanmar Development Committee released a statement saying a second demonstration against rising commodity prices is set to take place on Wednesday.

The demonstration will be led by Htin Kyaw, a member of the group, who was jailed in February for staging a solo protest about high commodity prices.

Burma's Activists March against Fuel Price Hike

More than 400 people led by prominent pro-democracy activists staged a rare protest in Rangoon Sunday, marching against a massive recent fuel price hike, activists told The Associated Press.

"We are staging this performance to reflect the hardship our people are facing due to the government's fuel price hike," said Min Ko Naing, a leader of the 88 Generation Students' Group.

Burma's ruling junta imposed a surprise 100 percent hike on fuel at state-owned gas stations on Wednesday. The move was followed by increases in bus fares and commodity prices.

The government did not give reasons for the increase.

The march began with about 100 people led by former student activists of the 88 Generation Students' Group moving along a major road in north Rangoon. The crowd swelled to more than 400 marchers as bystanders joined in and then all dispersed after covering about 9 kilometers (5 miles).

The protesters did not shout slogans or hold up placards.

"Some cars stopped and those inside clapped their hands when they knew that we were staging this performance in protest against the fuel price hike," said Min Ko Naing.

Authorities watched and videotaped the event, but did not interfere with the protest.

The 88 Generation Students' Group includes former student leaders who were active in the 1988 pro-democracy uprising against the military. Many of them have served long prison terms.

The government, which holds a monopoly on fuel sales and subsidizes them, raised prices of fuel from 1,500 kyats (US $1.16) to 3,000 kyats ($2.33) per imperial gallon for diesel and to 2,500 kyats ($1.94) for gasoline.

A canister of natural gas containing 65 liters (17 gallons) was raised from 500 kyats (39 US cents) to 2,500 kyats ($1.94).

The hike immediately affected commuters who use public transport as bus fares have increased along with those of basic consumer products.

On Wednesday, some workers at a garment factory in Rangoon demanded salary raises to meet the spiraling transportation and food prices.

Another group of activists have also said they would stage a protest against the fuel price hike if the government fails to scrap it within a week.

Ethnic Shan leader, Pro-Democracy Figher Khun Kya Nu dies, aged 72

Khun Kya Nu, prominent ethnic Shan leader and pro-democracy fighter, died in exile o­n Monday in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, at the age of 72.

Khun Kya Nu (1935 - 2007) Photo: S.H.A.N

Khun Kya Nu, who was also known as Sao Seng Suk, was born in Taunggyi, capital of Burma’s Shan State, in 1935.

He was the sixth of 10 children of Khun Kya Bu, o­ne of the signatories of the historic 1947 Panglong Agreement that was supposed to lay the foundations of a modern federal union of Burma. The agreement was also signed by Burma’s independence hero, Gen Aung San, father of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, along with several ethnic leaders.

While studying at Rangoon University, he joined the armed Shan resistance in 1959. He became commander-in-chief of the Shan State Army, which was transformed from the Shan State Independence Army in 1964.

Khun Kya Nu retired from the SSA in 1976, but still took part in leading Shan political groups and ethnic political alliances, including the Shan State Constitution Drafting Committee, which he chaired, and the Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Cooperation Committee, which later became the Ethnic Nationalities Council.

During his long commitment to the Shan cause and to the construction of a democratic, federal Burma he won the respect of many ethnic leaders and democratic organizations.

Khuensai Jaiyen, editor of the Shan Herald Agency for News, and a close associate, said Khun Kya Nu’s death was a loss for the Shan people and ethnic communities.

“He is o­ne of the few leaders after the late Eugene Chao Tzang Yaanghwe who had principle and initiated Shan politics. It will be hard to find anybody to replace him.”

Sai Lao Hseng, spokesman for the Shan State Army-South, said the SSA-S was saddened by Khun Kya Nu’s death. His passing would have its effect o­n Shan politics, Sai Lao Hseng said. The Shan people should follow the course he had taken, he added.

Khun Kya Nu’s funeral will be held o­n Saturday in Chiang Mai.

UN's New Approach to Burma Issue Gains Support in Asean

The United Nations special adviser o­n Burma has a new mandate and a new approach to tackle Burmese issues which appears to be gaining support within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The new approach allows “greater engagement with Myanmar [Burma],” Ibrahim Gambari, the UN special adviser o­n Burma, told Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram o­n Wednesday during a courtesy, according to a ministry news release.

Nitya said he welcomed a “reframing” of UN policy toward military-ruled Burma.
The broadened mandate now includes not o­nly political issues, but humanitarian issues, such as the plight of women and children, and public health and disease-prevention issues, said the ministry.
Gambari's first stop o­n his current Southeast Asian consultation tour was Singapore, which also supported the UN’s new efforts.

“Singapore is supportive of the UN’s constructive efforts o­n Myanmar,” said a statement issued o­n Wednesday after Gambari's meeting with Foreign Minister George Yeo.
Grambri also won Chinese and Russian support, according to news reports. The two powerful nations vetoed a United States-led draft resolution o­n Burma in the United Nations Security Council earlier this year.

Grambri's next stops are Malaysia and Indonesia, to be followed by a meeting with the Burmese junta. No date for the meeting has been announced.

US Renews Pledge to Support Democracy in Burma

Reiterating the call to release Aung San Suu Kyi, the US o­n Wednesday urged the Burmese military government to “engage in a genuine dialogue” with leaders of the democratic movement.

Sean McCormack

In a statement marking the 19th anniversary of the popular Burmese democracy uprising in 1988, the US said the improvement of relations with Burma depends solely o­n what steps the military junta takes to restore democracy and protect human rights in the country.“We call o­n the regime to engage in a  genuine dialogue with leaders of the democracy movement and ethnic minority groups, to cease violence and human rights abuses against civilians and to lift restrictions o­n humanitarian organizations in Burma,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a press statement.

He commended the efforts of leaders of the Burmese democracy movement to continue their struggle against the military junta for nearly two decades in the face of unrelenting suppression from the government.
 “Our commitment to support the efforts of the Burmese to achieve democracy is steadfast and unwavering,” he said.

The US commitment, he said, is demonstrated in the renewal of important restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act that was signed by US President George Bush o­n August 1.
The act was passed by Congress and received bipartisan support from lawmakers.

McCormack said: “Nineteen years ago today, the Burmese rose up calling for the restoration of democracy and an end to the misrule and the abuse of their human rights. Their calls for freedom were brutally suppressed and more than 3,000 Burmese died in the ensuing violence.”

Hundreds Gather in Rangoon to Honor ‘88 Uprising Anniversary

Crowds from across Rangoon o­n Wednesday, led by members of the 88 Generation Students, gathered in the former capital to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the 1988 pro-democracy uprising, according to o­ne of the group’s leaders.

Members of the 88 Student Generation and other pro-democracy activists present anniversary tributes to monks in Rangoon (Photo: Myat Moe Maung)

Rallies celebrating the anniversary included surviving participants of the 8-8-88 uprising, relatives of political prisoners, university students, artists and journalists.

Min Ko Naing, an 88 Generation Students leader, told The Irrawaddy o­n Wednesday that o­ne monastery in Rangoon was filled with attendees.

“It encourages us,” said Min Ko Naing. “We also heard the voices coming from their hearts. [Participants] dared to express their feelings about the 88 uprising as well.”

The commemorative rallies included offerings of food to monks, while leaders of the 88 Generation Students gave speeches to the crowds.

Min Ko Naing said in o­ne of the speeches that they (pro-democracy activists) don’t accept the draft constitution currently being drawn up by Burma’s military government, and that they will not accept the result of the constitution.

He added that he wants all political parties in Burma to be involved in the draft constitution process.

On August 8, 1988, millions of Burmese from all walks of life took to the streets of major cities throughout the country to protest the authoritarian regime of Gen Ne Win, called the Burmese Socialist Program Party, and demanded democratic reform and human rights in Burma.

Burmese democracy activists around the world, including Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, India, Japan and South Korea, gathered in front of the Burmese embassies in their respective countries to hold demonstrations and give speeches in support of democracy in Burma.

Meanwhile, democracy activists from across Europe gathered at the Burmese Embassy in Brussels, Belgium to protest Burma’s ruling junta. Other demonstrations were also planned in the US.

8888 Generation Students 19th Anniversary Statement

 The 88 Generation Students
Rangoon, Burma
The 88 Generation Students’ Announcement on the 19th Year Anniversary of the 8888 


Democracy Uprising


(1) Today is the 19th year anniversary of the 1988 popular democracy uprising in Burma, which is remembered to this day as a great event not only in the history of Burma, but also of the world.

(2) We should learn from the lessons of this history. We need to learn and review logically and without prejudice about the immediate and accumulated causes that forced the uprising to be born.

(3) Thousands of peaceful democracy activists, including students, monks and peoples from all walks of life, were killed or injured during the 8888 uprising. Thousands of families were brutally broken by the tragedies as family members were taken to prisons, fled to the borders to live in exile or were killed.

(4) A State Constitution is key to shaping the political, economic and social life of the country. The 1974 Constitution, which cemented the single-party dictatorship and its closed-door economic policy, was created by the previous dictator Ne Win, while politicians who held different opinions were put in prisons.

(5) This was the reason why Burma, a country with the most potential to be developed among the Southeast Asian nations and other newly-independent countries, became the poorest one.

(6) By making it extremely difficult to amend, the 1974 Constitution did not have enough flexibility to timely solve the political, economic and social problems that led to a general crisis.

(7) Both, those who govern and who are governed, had to suffer the consequences as a result of having a Constitution which was drawn by force and intentionally designed to be difficult to amend.

(8) Therefore, the military government had recognized the demands of the people of Burma, who led the 1988 popular democracy uprising. It had promised to implement a multi-party democratic system and market economy when it came to power.

(9) History does not want us to move backward, but to move forward step by step. Today citizens of Burma are the best witnesses of this history. They can compare the situations in 1962 when General Ne Win staged a military coup and in 1974 when a single-party dictatorship emerged from the Constitution.
(10) The 8888 popular democracy uprising in Burma was born because of the peoples’ unhappiness with the 1974 Constitution. It is true that another uprising in Burma today depends entirely on current constitution drafting process.

(11) Therefore, we, the 88 Generation Students, would like to attest that preventing the negative consequences of another disempowered and detrimental State Constitution will be the duty of all people of Burma.

The 88 Generation Students
Rangoon, Burma

UN Special Adviser on Burma to Consult with SE Asia

As part of a marathon global diplomatic trip to consult with key nations o­n the Burma issue, the United Nations secretary-general's special adviser o­n Burma started a four-nation trip to Singapore o­n Monday before a final trip to Burma, according to a UN statement.

Ibrahim Gambari will also visit Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, key players in the Asean regional bloc, where he is scheduled to meet with senior government officials in each country, the statement said.

The Philippines handed over the chairmanship of the Asean Standing Committee to Singapore at the closing ceremony of the 40th Asean Ministerial Meeting in Manila o­n August 2.

Myint Thein, a spokesperson for Burma's opposition National League for Democracy, said, “We [the NLD] do not want to give any comment o­n Gambari’s trips at the present. We want to wait for the results.”

In July, the Gambari toured China, India, Japan, Russia and several European countries to consult o­n how to bring about “national reconciliation, the restoration of democracy and the protection of human rights” in Burma.

The trips started after UN Sec-Gen Ban Ki-moon appointed Gambari as his special adviser o­n Burma in late May.

Gambari, as the UN under secretary-general for political affairs, has visited Burma twice—in May and November 2006—and met both the top leaders of the military regime and the opposition leaders of the National League for Democracy, including the NLD's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained under house arrest since May 2003.

Bush Renews Burma Sanctions One More Year

US President George W Bush has formally renewed economic sanctions against military-ruled Burma for o­ne more year.

A brief statement o­n Wednesday said Bush signed into law House Resolution (No. 44), renewing import restrictions contained in the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003.

The resolution extending the sanctions was passed by the House of Representatives o­n July 24 by a voice vote. A day later, the Senate passed the resolution by a 93 to 1 vote.

The Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003 imposes a number of restrictions o­n Burma, including an import ban o­n Burmese goods entering the US and visa restrictions o­n officials from the junta—the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

Welcoming the move, the Senate Minority Leader, Republican Mitch McConnell, said in a statement: “By signing the bill, he [President Bush] sends a strong message that the United States will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Burma in their struggle for freedom and democracy.”
McConnell said the legislation will maintain sanctions o­n the regime until concrete steps are taken toward democratization, such as full political participation of the National League for Democracy and ethnic minorities, the ending of attacks o­n ethnic minorities and the unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

Burmese Junta Forcibly Conscripting Kachin Youth

Battalions of the Burmese army stationed in Kachin State have been apprehending youths o­n the streets late at night and forcibly conscripting them for military service, according to local sources.
Col Khin Maung Cho, a tactical commander based in Hpakant in Kachin State has reportedly ordered battalions 40, 388 and 389—based near Hopin Township and its surrounding villages—to collect new recruits by force, say local residents.

The sources add that local authorities have been informed of the army’s actions, which target Kachin youths who are out o­n the streets after 10 p.m., and that the army will continue their conscription throughout August. The goal, sources say, is to collect at least 100 youths from Hopin Township.
“Last night, about 16 young people were arrested in the Myazeya quarter of Hopin, and more than 30 have been arrested in the last three days,” a resident of Myazeya told The Irrawaddy o­n Friday.
Last year, Lt-Gen Thein Sein of Burma’s ruling State Peace and Development Council dismissed accusations from the international community that the junta was using forced conscription to bolster their troop levels, and claimed that the government o­nly “allows for recruiting members in accord with their own wishes.”

However, local sources say the practice continues. “The soldiers target youths, orphans and drug users who are o­n the streets after 10 p.m.,” said an area resident. “They ask for identity cards and if the person does not have it with them, they are arrested and told they can join the military or go to jail.”
Other residents said the army has also forcibly conscripted new recruits o­n trains running through Mohnyin, Hopin and Mogaung in Kachin State, adding that the practice of forced conscription might be used by army officers seeking promotions to higher ranks.

Hope Runs Out for a Jobless Burmese Migrant

She ran out of the factory, scrambled up a wall and jumped to the other side, a fugitive from the police. She escaped, but hurt her back and hip when she hit the ground—little realizing how that would affect her life.

Khin Maw Lwin, a 37-year-old Burmese migrant, was among a group of illegal workers who fled when Thai police raided the garment factory were they were employed, Northstar Apparel Co Ltd in Mae Sot, the Thai border town opposite Burma’s Myawaddy.

Despite her ordeal, her story is typical for Mae Sot, where thousands of Burmese migrants work illegally in the town’s factories.

Khim Maw Lwin told her story lying o­n her side o­n a mat in a small room. 

After eluding the police she returned to work in the same factory, but two months later was arrested in another police raid. She was detained by Mae Sot police for two weeks and then deported to Burma.
Confinement in a bare, concrete-floored cell, with not even a bed to sleep o­n, took its painful toll o­n her injured back and hip.

Shortly after being deported she slipped back to Mae Sot, obtained a work permit and a job at her earlier employer, Northstar Apparel. Her back and hip still troubled her, and three years ago she found she could move o­nly with difficulty.

When she had difficulty sitting at her factory sewing machine from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m., she sought help at Mae Sot Hospital. Doctors told her they suspected she was suffering from bone tuberculosis.
Two weeks treatment brought no relief, but a consultation and second opinion at a private hospital were way beyond her budget. She couldn’t even afford the 70 baht (US $1.10) motorcycle taxi fare to consultations and treatment at Mae Sot Hospital.

She inevitably lost her job and now survives through the help of a close friend,
Myint Myint.

Myint Myint entered with a rice bowl as Khin Maw Lwin was telling her story. The two share Myint Myint’s rice allowance provided by her employer.

Myint Myint pays the 800 baht ($21) monthly rent for Khin Maw Lwin’s room. “I’m in debt,” she said.

Myint Myint shares her monthly wages of about 3,000 baht ($81) a month with Khin Maw Lwin but it’s hardly enough to keep them both alive. When they were both working, they could send at least 50,000 kyat ($40) monthly to their families in Burma.

Myint Myint said she and Khin Maw Lwin had worked together for six years in the garment factory Moon Crab Co Ltd, in Shwepyithar township in Rangoon, before migrating to Mae Sot. They came to Mae Sot together believing they could make enough money to invest in a small business of their own.

That aim now seems very distant indeed. “The dream I had before coming here has gone now,” said Khin Maw Lwin, sadly.