Burma Named Worst Online Oppressor

Burma is the worst violator of Internet freedom of speech rights in the world, says a leading media watchdog group.

World Press Freedom Day this year is Monday, the day the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) officially names the world's worst Internet oppressor, which is recognized as an emerging threat to freedom of speech and the press worldwide.

An Internet cafe in Rangoon. (Photo: AFP)

"Burma leads the dishonor roll," said the CPJ in its report. "Booming online cultures in many Asian and Middle East nations have led to aggressive government repression."

  With a military government that severely restricts Internet access and imprisons people for years for posting critical material on the Internet, Burma is the worst place in the world to be a blogger, the CPJ said in the report "10 Worst Countries to be a Blogger."

The CPJ said that bloggers and online journalists were the single largest professional group unjustly imprisoned in 2008, overtaking print and broadcast journalists for the first time.

China and Vietnam, where burgeoning blogging cultures have encountered extensive monitoring and restrictions, are among Asia’s worst blogging nations, said the report.

Relying on a mix of detentions, regulations and intimidation, authorities in Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Egypt have emerged as the leading online oppressors in the Middle East and North Africa.

Cuba and Turkmenistan, nations where Internet access is heavily restricted, round out the dishonor roll on the CPJ list.

Along with censorship and restrictions on print and broadcast media, Burma has applied extensive restrictions on blogging and other Internet activity, the CPJ said.

According to the Internet research group OpenNet Initiative, private Internet penetration in Burma is only about 1 percent and most citizens access the Internet in cybercafés where military authorities heavily regulate activities.

The government, which shut down the Internet altogether during a popular uprising led by Buddhist monks in 2007, has the capability to monitor e-mail and other communication methods and to block users from viewing Web sites of political opposition groups.

At least two Burmese bloggers are now serving long prison sentences.

Blogger Maung Thura, popularly known as Zarganar, is serving a 35-year prison term for disseminating video footage after Cyclone Nargis in 2008.

Nay Phone Latt, 28, is serving eight years and six months in Hpa-an Prison in Karen State for infringement of several acts governing computer use.

NLD Holds First General Meeting in a Decade

Detail Story: please read HERE

Sixty-three senior officials of Burma’s opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and 95 elected members of parliament from the party gathered on Tuesday for their first general meeting in more than a decade.

“At least 150 NLD members attended the meeting,” said Soe Win, one of the attendees, adding that foreign diplomats and reporters were also present at an opening ceremony held this morning.

Win Tin, a prominent member of the party’s central executive committee (CEC) who was released last year after 19 years in prison, delivered the opening address, he added.
During the two-day gathering, the NLD will discuss the three key issues of party organization, constitutional review and the party’s stance on recent political developments, according to Ohn Kyaing, an NLD spokesperson.
Asked to elaborate, Ohn Kyaing declined to provide further details.
“We will release an official statement soon,” he said, adding simply that the party would “discuss all the issues that people are talking about.”

The most pressing issue facing the party is whether it will take part in a junta-sponsored election planned for next year. Under existing election rules, any party that fails to field at least three candidates in the election must be disbanded.
“It is a challenge for the NLD, because if the party is deregistered, what will it do?” said Nyo Ohn Myint of the exiled National league for Democracy—Liberated Area (NLD-LA).

NLD in Dilemma

Key members of Burma’s main political opposition party, the National League for Democracy, have gathered in Rangoon—with little harassment from the regime—to discuss the 2010 election issue.
The two-day gathering produced a statement read by party chairman Aung Shwe, outlining the party’s call for an “inclusive” political process in the country’s first nationwide election since 1990.
They core points in the statement were the unconditional release of political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi, Shan leader Hkun Htun Oo, Min Ko Naing and Ko Ko Gyi; a review of the new constitution, a genuine dialogue between the junta head Snr-Gen Than Shwe and Suu Kyi and continued dialogue with Burma’s ethnic minorities in “the next phase.”

Interestingly, Aung Shwe recognized the significance of ethnic issues for the future of the nation by saying the country’s problems “can be solved only if ethnic nationalities participate in the political process.”

Speaking to The Irrawaddy, Aye Thar Aung, an Arakanese leader who is allied with the NLD, said, “This time, the meeting is different from the past ones. The NLD headquarters held the meeting because NLD leaders wanted to hear from the party’s grassroots on the forthcoming election and future plans.”

He said the military government was also keen to know the outcome of the meeting. In the past, the regime usually barred delegates from attending party meetings in Rangoon.

On the first day of the two-day meeting, Aung Shwe told party members that the NLD will wait for the regime’s party registration and election laws to be issued before deciding whether to take part in the election.

In his speech on April 28, Aung Shwe did not mention anything about the outcome of the 1990 election, which it has repeatedly called for the junta to honor in past years. However, he indirectly said the parliament committee, under section 3 of the parliament election law of 1990, should review the 2008 constitution.
The NLD’s survival as a viable opposition party was also a main topic of discussion at Rangoon headquarters.
 
There are ideological differences within the NLD. One debate among members surrounds the older generation of leadership and a younger wing of activists.

Some rebellious younger party members in the youth section argue that the main objective of forming the NLD in 1988 was to bring democracy and positive change to the country, and argue that instead the party has drifted into a “survival” mode.

However, according to some NLD members, the party reversed its survival policy, even before the recent release of Win Tin, a prominent NLD leader. As one example, they note that in 2008, the NLD rejected the junta’s call to withdraw its statements that criticized the 2008 constitution and the constitutional referendum last May.

Party insiders and some senior party members readily acknowledge that the NLD faces a serious challenge as the 2010 election nears, and its effectiveness in rallying the country could determine its survival as a relevant force.

“Yes, the NLD is facing a big dilemma. The junta can ban it for two reasons—one is its position on the coming election and the other is its rejection of the constitution,” Aye Thar Aung said.

Ohn Maung, a veteran politician in Rangoon, said that in the regime’s election laws for the 2010 election, opposition parties would probably have less maneuvering room to campaign than in the 1990 elections. 

In the 1990 election law, any party that failed to register in at least three constituencies was automatically abolished by Burma’s election commission.

If there are stricter regulations on political parties in the coming election law, a party will be required to offer candidates in more constituencies than in 1990 and it would need more money to registered as a legal party.

Observers believe that under the new law, a party that fails to register and offer candidates by the regime’s deadline could be abolished as a political organization, which poses a real threat to the NLD’s future.

Myanmar opposition sets conditions for joining 2010 polls

Yangon - Myanmar's chief opposition party on Wednesday presented the ruling junta with a list of demands it must meet, including the freeing of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, before the party will contest the general election planned next year. The preconditions were announced by National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesman Nyan Win at the end of a two-day plenary meeting of the opposition party at its Yangon headquarters, attended by more than 300 party representatives. The party's three pre-conditions for entering the 2010 general election inlcude: all political prisoners including NLD leader Suu Kyi and Tin Oo must be unconditionally released from detention; undemocratic provisions in the 2008 constitution must be amended; and an "all inclusive free and fair general election be held under international supervision, " Nyan Win said. He added that a dialogue must be held between the junta and Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest since May, 2003, to discuss the conditions set. The NLD will also closely study the government's pending Party Registration Act and Election Law, Nyan Win said. It is deemed unlikely that the military will meet any of the NLD's pre-conditions for joining the election, which is a crucial part of their so-called seven-step road map to democracy. The junta leaders have made clear they intend to pave the way for a "disciplined, flourishing democracy," under which they will provide the discipline. The NLD, which won the 1990 polls by a landslide but has been blocked from assuming power by the military for the past 19 years, has never accepted the draft constitution pushed though by the junta last year in a controversial referendum. The constitution essentially cements the military's dominant role in any future government by requiring a proportion of appointed senators, who would effectively be able to block any laws or amendments deemed unfavorable to the army. "I have to point out here that NLD has not accepted the draft constitution and the way and method of approving it through a referendum," NLD chairman Aung Shwe told the plenary session on Tuesday. The draft constitution, which took 14 years to write, was pushed through in a referendum that was deemed neither free, fair not humanitarian. The military forced villagers to vote for the charter in May 2008, when much of the country was still traumatized by Cyclone Nargis that claimed 140,000 lives on May 2-3. NLD head Suu Kyi did not attend the plenary session because she has been kept under house arrest since 2003, and has spent a total of 13 of the past 19 years under detention. There are vague hopes that the regime will release her next month, as her detention beyond five years violates current Myanmar law. Analysts believe it is unlikely the NLD will join the polls planned for possibly in May or June 2010. Without NLD participation, the outcome of next year's election is not expected to be accepted by Western democracies.

Shan Ethnic Composer Sai Kham Lait Celebrates 60th Birthday

The influential Shan composer Sai Kham Lait celebrated his 60th birthday in Mandalay on Sunday.

Mandalay figured in the song that made him famous— “A Shan Living in Mandalay.” The song featured on the album “Losing Heaven,” which Sai Kham Lait recorded with the late singer Sai Htee Saing.

Influential Shan composer Sai Kham Lait (Photo: SHAN)

The two founded “The Wild ones” group in 1974, and led a new trend in Burmese music.

Sai Kham Lait said in 2003 that his experience as an ethnic minority student had led him to compose “A Shan Living in Mandalay.” The song became one of the biggest hits in Burmese music history.

While Sai Kham Lait retained his popularity, Sai Htee Saing lost his following after succumbing to the temptations of promoting government ideology, notably after 1988.

A Shan friend, Sein Kyi said: “We, especially Shan young people, should thank him because we got to know our own literature, culture and history by listening to his songs more than 20 years ago. He encouraged and motivated young people with his songs and artistic power.”

Sai Kham Lait composed more than 600 songs in the Shan language, 500 in Burmese and some 35 in English. He has also written several novels and poems.

The lyrics of his songs deal with Shan issues, eluding official censorship by conveying political messages through hidden meanings. In this way, he helped pave the way for other ethnic singers who have become established figures in Burma’s music industry, and his songs served as a “bridge” between Shan and other ethnic groups.

One fan, Tun Tun, said: “By listening to the songs of Sai Kham Lait, I know the feelings of ethnic minorities and indigenous people and understand their culture. I greatly admire his art and creativity.”

Among well-wishers was the popular singer Bo Phyu, who said: “I wish him good health and a long life.”

Himalayan Fair

Is Burma considered a Himalayan Region country?  On May 16 & 17, 2009, the Himalayan Fair is being held at Live Oak Park in North Berkeley(see www.himalayanfair. net ). Organizations representing the Himalayan nations and cultures (India, Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, etc.) sell food, provide information and advocacy tables, and participate in the cultural stage performances. Private businesses sell clothing, artifacts, books, jewelry, and other Himalayan culture items. If Burma is considered part of the Himalayan Area, is there interest among Burmese peoples and organization to participate in this Fair?

Burma arrests Buddhists — for praying

 YANGON, Myanmar — Two members of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's political party were arrested and charged with insulting religion after they prayed for the release of political prisoners, a party spokesman said Friday.

National League for Democracy spokesman Nyan Win said authorities arrested Chit Pe, the party's deputy chairman, and party member Aung Saw Wei in Twante on Tuesday. Both took part in a prayer service for the release of political prisoners which was held at a pagoda in the township, about 20 miles south of Yangon.

Nyan Win said the two were charged with insulting religion, which carries a possible two-year jail sentence.

"The government is suppressing anyone who opposes or challenges them," Nyan Win said. "If a Buddhist is arrested and charged for praying at a pagoda, what can they do?"

Myanmar's military, which has held power since 1962, tolerates no dissent. The current junta came to power in 1988 after crushing a nationwide pro-democracy uprising and has stepped up its campaign against opposition politicians and activists ahead of elections planned for next year.

In recent months, military courts have sentenced hundreds of pro-democracy activists to prison terms of up to 104 years.

Myanmar now has more than 2,100 political prisoners, according to rights groups. The most prominent among them is Suu Kyi, who has spent more than 13 of the last 19 years under detention. She is currently under house arrest.

Imprisoned Zarganar in Failing Health

One of Burma’s most prominent political prisoners, the satirist Zarganar, is in failing health, according to his family.

Zarganar’s sister-in-law, Ma Nyein, told The Irrawaddy on Friday that the popular activist was being denied adequate medical treatment in Myintkyinar Prison, where he is serving a 35-year term of imprisonment. Ma Nyein said he was suffering from jaundice and hypertension.

Imprisoned activist and comedian Zarganar, seen here taking part in relief efforts for survivors of Cyclone Nargis.

Zarganar, 48, was sentenced to the long prison term in remote Myintkyinar for his involvement in humanitarian assistance to survivors of Cyclone Nargis in 2008. Zarganar is one of several political prisoners in ill health, according to Bo Kyi, co-secretary of the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Bo Kyi said others included Hkun Htun OO, chairman of the Shan National League for Democracy, Su Su Nway, Hla Myo Naung and Aung Thu.
Bo Kyi said the UN and other international organizations needed to back up their calls for the release of political prisoners with action. “International organizations, including the UN, need to take effective measures,” he said.

“We are very concerned about the health of political prisoners because they do not have medical doctors and hospital care. They should be transferred to prisons located near their families and relatives. If a prisoner is denied medical treatment, that’s murder.”

Convicted political activists are commonly incarcerated in prisons far from their homes, a form of also punishing their families, who have heavy financial and personal hardships in visiting and keeping in touch with their loved ones.

According to human rights groups, the Burmese junta allows political prisoners to meet family members once every four weeks.

Asian Heritage Street Celebration

Asian Heritage Festival is Saturday, May 16, 2009, on Larkin Street from SF Civic Center Plaza to Little Saigon. Are any Burmese organizations like BADA, BAWA, Burmese Youth Assn, Karen Baptist Church, etc. interested in participating? Check the Community Booth Program for Non-Profit Asian organizations at the bottom of the Newsletter. http://asianfairsf.com/

The AsianWeek Foundation sponsors the Asian Heritage Festival each year in a different Asian-American Community in San Francisco, to honor and promote that Asian Community.

Over 250,000 signatures secured for Burma’s political prisoners

Over 250,000 signatures secured for Burma’s political prisoners “We must show them they have not been forgotten,” says Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

A global petition campaign for Burma’s political prisoners has secured over a quarter of a million signatures.  Campaign activities are taking place across five continents in 32 countries around the world, from the Czech Republic to South Africa.  The campaign - which launched on 13 March Burma’s Human Rights Day - aims to collect 888,888 petition signatures before 24 May 2009, the legal date that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should be released from house arrest.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jody Williams today called for increased support for the global campaign to free all of Burma’s political prisoners, including fellow Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.  She is the only Nobel Peace Laureate currently imprisoned, and has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years.

Williams won the Peace Prize in 1997 for her work to secure an international treaty to ban antipersonnel landmines.  Speaking on behalf of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, founded in 2006 by six of the seven living women Nobel Peace Laureates, she said, “Many of us struggling for peace around the world can use our freedom to express our views. But the people of Burma risk prison to do this. We need to stand shoulder to shoulder with those democracy activists who have been locked up in the dark.  We must show them they have not been forgotten.  Please embrace our fellow Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues as heroes for freedom, peace, and democracy, and sign the petition.”

The petition calls on the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to make it his personal priority to secure the release of all political prisoners in Burma, as the essential first step towards national reconciliation and democratization in the country. The target symbolizes 8.8.88, the day the junta massacred some 3,000 people who courageously protested in Burma’s largest democracy uprising.

Sign the petition here.
Click here for more information on Political Prisoners In Burma

VIP tickets for Songs of Survival: Voices from Burma

Hi All;

One of our board members at Ethical Traveler has generously donated a
pair of VIP tickets for FPB's "Songs of Survival: Voices from Burma" event.

These tickets are worth $500. We are auctioning off the pair for a
starting bid of $250.

Details are on our web site at:
http://www.ethicalt raveler.org/ voices_from_ burma

"Songs of Survival: Voices from Burma"
Friday, May 1, 2009 7:30pm (Mingala Reception at 5:30pm)
Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center
San Francisco, CA

Please help spread the word.

THE 3rd ANNUAL MIGHTY MIC HUMAN RIGHTS AWARENESS CONCERT: Benefit for Burma

April 21, 2009
6:00 - 10:00 PM
(Doors open at 5:45)
Ackerman Grand Ballroom, UCLA campus

Los Angeles, CA (April 7, 2009) - On Tuesday, April 21, thousands of students and community members will come together to make history at the 3rd Annual Mighty Mic Human Rights Awareness Concert at UCLA, Benefit for Burma. This student-run non-profit concert attracts about 2,000 attendees annually and is fast becoming a beloved UCLA tradition. Last year, Mighty Mic raised over $20,000 for the refugees of the genocide in Darfur. This year, Mighty Mic will highlight the struggle for human rights in Burma, a country that has been under the rule of an all-oppressive military junta for 43 years, making it the 4th least free country in the world. Learn more about the human rights violations, including the abuse of ethnic minorities, mass rape of women, recruitment of child soldiers, aforced labor, mandatory relocations, and child soldiers. Benefit For Burma's multi-media showcase will feature an eclectic mix of artists from many genres such as rock, indie, and hip-hop while incorporating informative educational content through speakers and videos that will entertain, inform, and inspire attendees.


ARTISTS
Blackalicious
Daphne Loves Derby
Audible Mainframe
Jarell Perry
Brandon Contreras

SPEAKERS
Edith Mirante
Min Zin
The All-Burma Monks Alliance
(U Pyinya Zawta, U Gawasita, U Agga Nya)

The concert will also include an on-site art gallery featuring Burmese artist Maung Maung Tinn as well as UCLA students artists, interactive educational activities, and booth space for non-profits, sponsors, and student-organizatio ns. Although the concert is free, donations are highly encouraged as all proceeds will go towards Doctors Without Borders, USA and US Campaign for Burma. For more information, ticketing, press passes, vendor and sponsorship opportunities visit www.mightymic. org

Not a UCLA student? That's ok. Email Connie at connie@mightymic. org with "USCB Concert Attendee" in the subject line. If you do not have a chance to contact Connie, just specify at the concert that you heard about the event from USCB.

UWSA Leader Calls for ‘Solid, United’ Wa State

The leader of Burma’s largest armed ethnic group, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), vowed to strengthen Wa State as thousands of Wa people celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the coup against the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) on Friday at Panghsang in northeastern Burma.

Bao You-Xiang, a UWSA commander and the chairman of its political wing, the United Wa State Party (UWSP), said in his speech before thousands of Wa supporters that he would build a more solid and united Wa State, according to sources on the Sino-Burmese border. 

However, Bao said that while the UWSA would create a more solid and united Wa State, they would negotiate peacefully on any matters of disagreement with the Burmese junta.

The anniversary event was held at the UWSA headquarters in Panghsang, a Sino-Burmese border town in northeastern Burma. Aung Kyaw Zaw, a Burmese analyst who was present for the celebrations, estimated that nearly 20,000 people attended the ceremony. 

April 17, 1989, is celebrated by the UWSA as the date when Wa soldiers revolted against the CPB who had been masters of the Wa troops within the Communist party since the late 1960s.
On Friday, the UWSA marked the anniversary of the revolt as 20 years of “peace building.” 
Aung Kyaw Zaw said that Bao You-Xiang also talked about community development in the Wa region (also known as Special Region 2).

The Wa leader also spoke of his appreciation of the Wa’s allies that had helped in the development of Wa State during the past 20 years, including Chinese officials. He also thanked the United Nations for development projects in the Wa area.

About 2,400 Wa State soldiers participated in a military parade as part of the ceremony, the Burmese analyst said. 

Col Khine Zaw, along with Lt-Col Min Hein and Lt-Col Thein Tun Than, attended the Wa ceremony as representatives of the Burmese junta.

However, observers said that the attendance of relatively low-ranking Burmese officers at the event reflected the strained relations between the UWSA and the junta. At previous Wa ceremonies, high-ranking Burmese generals represented the regime, particularly before Gen Khin Nyunt was ousted from power in 2004.  

In recent months, tension between the Burmese army and the UWSA has increased as the junta pushes the Wa to disarm its troops and to withdrew from strategic positions in southern Shan State, along the Thai-Burmese border.

In late 2008, there were reports of clashes between Burmese and Wa troops near a Wa town, Mong Hsat, in southern Shan State.

The UWSA has begun using the term “government” to refer to itself since 2008. In the invitations sent out for its 20th anniversary celebrations, the Wa leaders referred to themselves as the “Wa State Government of Burma’s Special Region 2.”

Hundreds of delegates from other ceasefire groups— such as the Kokang group of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), the National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), the Kachin Independent Organization and the Shan State Army (North)— attended the ceremony in Panghsang on Friday.

Sources said that former CPB members who were comrades of the Wa leaders during the 1970s- 80s also attended the celebrations, as well as authorities from China’s Yunnan Province.

The UWSA signed a ceasefire agreement with the ruling military junta after the collapse of the CPB in 1989. Observers say the UWSA has an estimated 20,000-strong army.

The US State Department has named the UWSA as “the dominant heroin trafficking group in Southeast Asia, and possibly worldwide” and has offered a US $2 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Wei Hsueh-Kang, a UWSA leader who reportedly attended the celebration in Panghsang on Friday.

Mahn Sha’s Daughter Writes Her Autobiography

An autobiography of Zoya Phan, a daughter of Mahn Sha, the respected Karen leader who was assassinated by unknown gunmen in a Thai border town last year, is to be launched next week in London.

"My father marked the day of my birth with a traditional animist ceremony,” wrote Zoya, who is now 28 and lives in London, working for the human rights organization Burma Campaign UK.

“He buried my umbilical cord under an ancient giant of a tree, and then he prayed for his Little Daughter. He prayed to the tree spirit on the mountaintop, because it is high and has vision and can see into the future. He prayed that when I grew up I would be strong, and that I would help my country and my people."

  Zoya was born in the remote jungle territory of the ethnic Karen, who have been resisting Burmese government oppression for more than 60 years. Her mother was a guerrilla soldier, her father a freedom activist.
Zoya lived in a bamboo hut on stilts by the Moei River, on the Burmese-Thai border. In her autobiography, she recalls hunting for edible mushrooms with her much-loved adopted brother, Say Say.

Many Karen are Christian or Buddhist, but Zoya's parents were animist, venerating the spirits of the forest, river and moon.

Her early years were blissfully removed from the war, but when she was 14 her world was shattered by a Burmese army attack on her village. With their house in flames, Zoya and her family fled.
So began two terrible years of running from guns, as Zoya joined thousands of refugees hiding in the jungle. Her family scattered and Zoya sought sanctuary across the border in a Thai refugee camp.

She lived as a refugee on the Thai-Burmese border for many years and spent her teens in the camps. She was a gifted pupil and was eventually able to escape camp life, first to Bangkok and then, in 2004, fleeing to Britain, where she claimed asylum.

The following year, at a “free Burma” march, she was plucked from the crowd to appear on the BBC, the first of countless interviews with the world's media. She became the face of a nation enslaved, rubbing shoulders with presidents and film stars.

Her autobiography, titled “Little Daughter,” is described as an uplifting, tragic and entirely gripping true story of a girl from the jungle who became an icon of a suffering land.

"Little Daughter" will be published on April 20 by London-based Simon & Schuster, Inc., one of the four largest English language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins.

Philippines Urges Burma to Free Suu Kyi

MANILA — The Philippine president has urged Burma's military junta to free pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest next month as a gesture of national reconciliation.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo made the appeal in a meeting last week with Burmese Prime Minister Gen Thein Sein on the sidelines of an aborted Asian summit in Thailand, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.

Arroyo urged Burma to release Suu Kyi in May, when the extension of her house arrest expires, saying it would create "tremendous goodwill for Myanmar [Burma] from the international community," the department said in a statement.

Arroyo, who has survived four coup attempts and three impeachment bids, suggested that the junta consider following her approach of reaching out to the opposition "in the spirit of reconciliation and national unity," it said.

"As a neighbor of Myanmar, the Philippines has a deep sense of friendship with the people of Myanmar. We only have your country and your people's welfare at heart. This is the single, most concrete piece of advice and experience I can share with you," the statement quoted Arroyo as saying.

It said Thein Sein expressed appreciation for Arroyo's suggestions and said his government would take them into account.

He said his government is committed to its program of democratization and reconciliation, citing the adoption of a new constitution last year as a "critical first step." The government also is preparing for general elections next year, he added.

The constitution, drafted under the junta's influence without input from the pro-democracy movement, was passed by a national referendum last May, but the opposition charges that the vote was unfair.

Burma has been under military rule since 1962. The current junta came to power in 1988 after crushing pro-democracy demonstrations and killing as many as 3,000 people.

It called elections in 1990 but refused to honor the results when Suu Kyi's party won overwhelmingly. Suu Kyi has spent 13 of the last 19 years under house arrest.

Last week's Asian summit in Thailand was canceled when anti-government demonstrators stormed the seaside venue.

US Senators Call for Abandonment of Burma Election Plans

WASHINGTON — Eleven influential US women senators have written a joint letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urging him to press the Burmese regime to abandon plans for a general election in 2010, saying they were based on a “unilaterally drafted constitution that violates international law.”

The letter was written by members of the US Senate Women Caucus on Burma—Dianne Feinstein and Kay Bailey Hutchison, the two co-chairwomen, Patty Murray, Olympia Snowe, Blanche Lincoln, Maria Cantwell, Susan Collins, Barbara Boxer, Amy Klobuchar, Barbara Mikulski, and Lisa Murkowski.

The senators also charged that the constitution also “entrenches gender discrimination in Burma” by precluding women from holding high-level government positions and by  attempting to give amnesty to the military junta, thus denying access to justice for the victims of the military regime’s systematic sexual violence against ethnic minority women.

In their letter, the senators also asked Ban to use his good offices to urge the military junta to facilitate a genuine and time-bound tripartite dialogue towards national reconciliation between Aung San Suu Kyi, the military regime and ethnic nationality representatives, as called for in the UN Security Council Presidential Statement of October 11, 2007.

The senators also appealed to Ban to continue to press for the unconditional release of Burma’s political prisoners, including Suu Kyi.

Acknowledging receipt of the letter, a spokesman for the UN secretary general’s office said: “The Secretary-General continues to follow closely the situation in Myanmar [Burma] to promote national reconciliation, democratic transition, and respect for human rights in accordance with the mandate given to him by the General Assembly.”

The statement said Ban has reaffirmed his concern over the current situation in Burma and reiterated his call to the military junta to release all the political prisoners, including Suu Kyi and to protect human rights of its own people.

“The Secretary-General and his Special Adviser [Ibrahim Gambari] have repeatedly called for her release and that of other political prisoners, and will continue to do so,” the spokesman said, adding that Ban called for the resumption of dialogue between the Burmese government and the opposition “without delay and without preconditions.”

“As you are aware, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention recently announced its finding that Aung San Suu Kyi’s continued house arrest is not only a violation of international law but a violation of the Burmese law the regime purports to detain her under as well,” the letter said. 
“While this finding is not surprising, it does provide us with insight into the Burmese military regime’s increasing disregard for the rule of law,” the Senators said. 

In their letter, the senators accused the Burmese military regime of destroying more than 3,300 ethnic minority villages, displacing more than 1 million people, including more than half a million struggling to survive as internally displaced persons, using forced labor, forcibly recruiting tens of thousands of child soldiers and employing systematic rape as a weapon of war.

“We must not allow this regime to continue to commit such dire crimes unabated while the people of Burma continue to suffer,” the Senators wrote.

Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country

Hi All;

Please be aware of  upcoming screenings in San Francisco and Berkeley of this important film. Many films at the film festival sell out in advance so I'd recommend getting tickets now.

52nd San Francisco International Film Festival
From April 23 to May 7, the 52nd San Francisco International Film Festival brings the best of world cinema to the Bay Area, with many films focusing on human rights including Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country, which revisits the 2007 protests against Burma’s military dictatorship.



Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country
Dir. Anders Østergaard
This harrowing, breathless documentary revisits the 2007 protests by hundreds of silent monks and thousands of chanting citizens against Burma’s military dictatorship, using the stunning concealed-camcorder footage smuggled abroad by a cadre of courageous young reporters. Danish filmmaker Anders Ostergaard artfully merges breathless sequences from the smuggled tapes with recreations of Joshua’s cell phone conversations, crafting a harrowing narrative that thrusts us into the protestors’ giddy celebrations and the terrifying aftermath. Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country demonstrates the potential of consumer technology to divert power to the people, but above all salutes the heroes who pressed "record" within eyeshot of the secret police. - Michael Fox

The film screens on:
May 1 at 6:30PM at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, San Francisco
May 2 at 9:15PM at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, San Francisco
May 6 at 8:45PM at the Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley

For tickets and information visit www.sffs.org or call 925-866-9559.

For more information about Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country
visit http://fest09. sffs.org/ films/film_ details.php? id=13

Hope you can make it to one of these screenings. I'll be attending May 2 .

Economic Crisis Puts Dampener on Burma’s Water Festival

The global economic crisis threatens to put a dampener on Buddhist New Year festivities, known as the water festival, which begin this weekend in Burma and other countries of Southeast Asia.

Residents in Rangoon and Mandalay said they expect fewer revelers to take to the streets during the four-day festival. In Mandalay, about 40 stages are being built for the festivities, compared to 60 last year and 80 in 2007.

Burmese let their hair down during their annual water festival. (Photo: Yuzo/The Irrawaddy)

The festival, known in Burma as Thingyan, starts on the day of the full moon of the eleventh month of the Buddhist calendar. As well as Burma, it’s celebrated in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and China’s Yunnan Province.

Although the event traditionally celebrates the New Year, it has come to be known as the water festival because water is scattered in symbolic rituals. In tourist centers, particularly in Thailand, revelers drench each other in veritable water “wars.”

The festival has its quieter side, too. It’s a time for family reunions and for young people to pay respects to their parents and elders.

Prominent Burmese film director Maung Tin Oo says Thingyan has changed a lot since his childhood—“It’s now more exciting and lively.”

One traditional element of Thingyan fell victim to government suppression. A special brand of satirical show, thangyat, was banned in 1989 when the regime that came to power the year before took exception to the political satire that until then was an essential and hugely popular part of the festival.

Burmese let their hair down (and up) during their annual water festival. (Photo: Yuzo/The Irrawaddy)

The thangyat tradition, which combines poetry, dance and music, is still kept alive, however, by Burmese communities in exile.

Thingyan is also a time for publishing traditional thingyansar predictions for the coming year—and bad omens are being read into the latest forecasts.

Burmese Buddhists believe that Thargyarmin, king of the celestials, pays a visit yearly to the earth to take note of good deeds and punish those who commit sin.

According to the prediction, Thargyarmin won’t be paying his customary visit to the earth this year—a bad omen for Burma and its people. Also, the thingyansar also predicts the end of feudalism in the world—and that is being interpreted as bad news for the Burmese regime, whose end is foreseen.

Critical Report on Cyclone Nargis Relief Criticized by NGOs

Twenty-one international nongovernmental organizations involved in relief and recovery work in Cyclone Nargis in Burma slammed a joint report by the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Thailand-based Emergency Assistance Team (EAT) as “inaccurate” and a “disservice” on Thursday.

In a joint letter, the NGO group said that the report, titled “After the Storm: Voices from the Delta,” published on February 27, was “both inaccurate and does a disservice to the courageous and resilient survivors of Cyclone Nargis.”

The report focused on human rights violations in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. The authors said that assessments done with the collaboration of the military government have reported little on the human rights situation for survivors and relief workers.

The response letter said, “We found a number of shortcomings in the report, including its premise, methodology and most of its findings.” 

Defending the relief effort, the letter said: “Dozens of international and local relief agencies along with foreign embassies are continually examining humanitarian and delivery from inside Burma. They are able to do so independently and first-hand.

“The international humanitarian assistance delivered to date has been life-saving and life sustaining for millions of cyclone survivors. It has reached them without significant interference.”
The authors of the Johns Hopkins-EAT report did not get information from the more than 50 international and independent organizations which have operated “on-the-ground” humanitarian work over the past nine months in the country, according to the response letter.

The letter claimed that misleading reports could undermine further aid to cyclone survivors.
Johns Hopkins and EAT said that their report is “the only community-based, independent assessment” of the cyclone relief effort.

“The voice, experiences and eyewitness accounts of the response to Cyclone Nargis have been missing from the international debate around the relief effort,” said the report, describing part of its methodology.

Researchers said in the report that independent assessment of the Nargis relief response proved to be challenging and the assessments were done without the collaboration of the military government.
Based on interviews with Nargis victims from the Irrawaddy delta, the report included accounts of the arrests of local relief workers and forced labor, including some cases of child labor, in the disaster area. Cyclone survivors were forced to work on military-run construction projects such as the repair of military bases, schools, roads and other infrastructure projects, the report said.    
The NGO response letter said that international law is clear that public work enacted during an immediate emergency period is not forced labor.

The 21 NGOs included 11 US-based NGOs—Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), CARE, Hope International, International Development Enterprises (IDE), International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps,  Pact, Population Services International (PSI), Relief International, Save the Children and World Vision.

Others NGOs were South African NGO Action Aid, the Burnet Institute, which is a medical research and public health group in Australia, an Italian NGO called CESVI, the Danish Church Aid, the Geneva-based Lutheran World Federation, Malteser International, based in Germany, a London-based charity group, Merlin, the Norwegian Peoples Aid, Norwegian Refugee Council and Welthungerhilfe (German Agro-Action).

Human Rights Watch Letter to Japan PM Taro Aso Urging Japan to Speak Out for Human Rights

Letter to PM Taro Aso Urging Japan to Speak Out for Human Rights

April 10, 2009

Prime Minister Taro Aso
1-6-1 Nagata-cho
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo
Japan 100-8968

Re: Making Human Rights a Priority in Japanese Foreign Policy

Dear Prime Minister Aso,

As Human Rights Watch opens its new Tokyo office today, we write to encourage your government to make the promotion of human rights a higher priority in Japanese foreign policy.

In 2006, as Foreign Minister, you made an important and welcome announcement that human rights, along with other values such as democracy and the rule of law, would be one of the four pillars of Japanese foreign policy. However, since that time all three administrations have yet to take steps to meaningfully translate this important vision into practice.

To date, the Japanese government has rarely demonstrated the international leadership of which it is capable by speaking strongly on behalf of victims of human rights abuses, instead favoring quiet diplomacy. One exception is North Korea, where Japan has led international efforts to condemn its appalling human rights record.

Human Rights Watch welcomes your efforts to take the lead in criticizing North Korea's dismal human rights record and press for improvements. Unfortunately, the focus has largely been on the rights of abducted Japanese citizens, rather than a more broad-based human rights agenda for all people in North Korea.

Elsewhere, Japan's approach to human rights has largely been to engage in quiet diplomacy and avoid public criticism of abusive governments. We believe this is an ineffective approach. It is important for Japan to have both strong diplomacy and, when necessary, to speak forthrightly in public.

As a major Asian power and the biggest aid donor to many Asian countries and elsewhere, Japan is in a unique position to influence its aid recipients to comply with international human rights and humanitarian law. However, this significant potential has rarely been used meaningfully to make a difference for victims, such as in the current conflict in Sri Lanka.

Now is the time for a new approach. Japan should announce that advancing human rights is a principal goal of Japanese foreign policy. Your government should start discussing reforms to lead to stronger and more effective policies and practices to promote and protect human rights globally, including linking aid with human rights benchmarks and imposing sanctions when the human rights situation merits such a response. By combining private and public diplomacy in a more strategic way, the Japanese government can strengthen its position internationally and end the practice of abusive regimes taking large sums of generous Japanese development aid while ignoring promises on human rights, good governance and the rule of law.

An important starting point for a reinvigorated Japanese human rights policy would be towards Burma. Since the military took power in Burma in 1962, Burma has relied heavily on Japanese foreign aid. Japan's aid constituted more than 90 percent of OECD-DAC members' aid to Burma in the mid-1990s. At the same time, trade between the two countries expanded. Though the economic situation and the horrible reputation of the Burmese military government have led to a decrease in Japanese foreign aid and investment, Japan has remained a major donor to Burma to the present.

After the sham 2008 referendum completed the fourth step of the military government's Seven Step Road Map to Democracy, and with multiparty elections announced for 2010, Japan's strong leadership in support of the voiceless in Burma is needed now more than ever. We urge your government to join other countries to press the Burmese government to:

• Immediately and unconditionally release an estimated 2,100 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, and permit them free and unfettered participation in political activities.
• Cease restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association.
• Begin a genuine inclusive and participatory dialogue on political reforms with the Burmese opposition and representatives of ethnic groups.
• Cease military attacks against ethnic minority populations, and hold accountable all members of the security forces responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

We urge your government to join other nations in imposing sanctions on the Burmese government until these and other conditions are met. Such sanctions should include:

• A mandatory and fully enforced arms embargo on all weapons and ammunition sales and transfers to Burma.
• Targeted financial sanctions on select Burmese individuals and companies, including financial sanctions targeted at leading officials, both military and civilian, who bear responsibility for abuses, as well as others who may assist in, or be complicit in, military rule in Burma and benefit directly from continued military rule.
• Targeted sanctions on imports, exports, and new investment in sectors of Burma's economy that substantially benefit the military and/or are associated with serious human rights abuses. These include the petroleum (oil and gas), mining (gems, metals, minerals), and logging (logs and timber) sectors, as well as hydropower and other major infrastructure projects.

Human Rights Watch also urges your government to play a more proactive role as one of Asia's leading democracies by reaching out to its Asian neighbors, particularly China, India, and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to put more coordinated multilateral pressure on the Burmese government.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to a long and constructive relationship with the Japanese government as we address current and future human rights challenges.
Yours sincerely,
Kenneth Roth
Executive Director

Shan State ‘Extremely Unstable’: Researchers

The political situation in Burma’s eastern Shan State has worsened since mid-2008, as ceasefire groups come under growing pressure to disarm and China exerts greater economic influence over the region, according to a new report released today.

The report, by the Lahu National Development Organization (LNDO), says that ethnic ceasefire groups remain mistrustful of the Burmese junta, which has been pushing them to disarm and join an election slated for some time next year.

The LNDO, which conducts extensive on-the-ground research on issues related to this sensitive region of Burma, described the situation as “currently extremely unstable.”

It said that the Burmese military has sent reinforcements to its bases in Shan State in response to growing resistance from ceasefire groups—particularly the United Wa State Army (UWSA)—to the regime’s demands.

An armed clash between the UWSA and Burmese troops has already taken place this year, the group noted.

“In mid-2008, junta officials told the UWSA to withdraw the Wa troops from southern Shan State, and that increased tension” in the area, said LNDO director Japhet Jakui, speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday.

The UWSA, the largest ethnic armed group in Burma, was formed after breaking away from the Communist Party of Burma, which collapsed in April 1989. It signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese junta soon after, but refused to give up its arms.

Another factor complicating the situation in eastern Shan State is Beijing’s interest in the area, which borders China’s Yunnan Province.

According sources on the Sino-Burma border, China has reportedly held separate meetings with Burmese officials and ethnic armed groups in recent months to try to avert a return to open hostilities between the former adversaries.

At one meeting, Burmese officials reportedly told their Chinese counterparts that the armed groups could be a potential threat to a Sino-Burma gas and oil pipelines project deal that Beijing and Naypyidaw signed last year.

For their part, representatives of the armed ethnic groups told Chinese officials that they were unhappy with the junta-sponsored 2008 constitution, which calls for the disarmament of ceasefire groups in the post-election period, according to the sources.

“As we know, a month ago, Chinese officials closed some border gates that connect with the Wa areas. It seems China is concerned about the tension in eastern Shan State,” said Japhet Jakui.

Although it was unclear how far China would go to protect its interests in Shan State, the LNDO report reveals the extent to which Chinese influence has grown in the remote and restive area in recent years.

Chinese investment in the state has funded everything from hydropower and mining projects to rubber plantations and illegal wildlife trafficking, according to the LNDO report, titled Undercurrents, which is the third in a series of occasional bulletins released by the group.

According to the report, vast rubber plantations run by the Yunnan Hongyu Group, a Chinese company that operates under the banner of opium eradication, have resulted in forced labor, forced relocation and massive deforestation.

Despite the company’s claims that it is working to provide an alternative to the illegal narcotics industry, UN reports reveal that opium production in Shan State increased last year.

88 Student Group Sends ‘Open Letter’ to Junta

Burma’s influential dissident group, the 88 Generation Students group, said on Monday that respect for human rights in Burma by the ruling junta could lead to an end to international economic sanctions.

The group said in an open letter to the ruling State Peace and Development Council that if the junta respected human rights and moved toward democratic changes in the interest of the country, the international economic sanctions against Burma would be lifted.

“The Western democracies have placed economic and social sanctions on Burma to protest against human rights violations by the Burmese junta, so the junta should show its respect for human rights and for the Burmese people,” said Tun Myint Aung, a spokesperson for the group. 

The student group also endorsed the four goals of the political opposition group, the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, as a way to resolve the ongoing political stand-off in the country.

The four goals are the unconditional release of all political prisoners including Suu Kyi; the convening of parliament; genuine political dialogue; and a review of the 2008 constitution.
The letter said that the junta had failed to recognize the opposition’s proposals and has continued repressive measures such as restricting political movement and arresting pro-democracy and human rights activists.

The 88 Generation Students group played a key role in the protests against a hike in fuel prices by the military regime in mid-August 2007, which led to massive demonstrations in the country in September 2007.

Most of the group’s leaders, including Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and Phyoe Cho, were arrested, convicted of crimes against the state and are serving long prison sentences.

A day after the 88 group’s open letter, a pro-junta group, the “Anti Sanctions Campaign at Home and Abroad 2009,” held a press conference at the City Star Hotel in Rangoon, in which it blamed Suu Kyi for the economic sanctions on Burma, according to a source at the press conference. 

The group said in a statement that economic sanctions are a non-humanitarian policy and they only delay a democratic transition in Burma.

Seattle Burma Meeting Tuesday 4/7, NEW LOCATION AND TIME

The next meeting of the Seattle Burma Roundtable is Tuesday April 7 from
7-8:45pm at the offices of the Seattle Red Cross, 1900 25th Ave S, in rm
206 (just to the right inside the entrance). NOTE: THIS IS A DIFFERENT
LOCATION AND TIME.

We are looking at the possibility, after 15 years of meeting in the North
End, of alternating meetings in the North and South Ends, especially since
the hundreds of new Burmese arrivals live down South. We thank the Red
Cross for providing this space to us for free. See
http://www.mapquest .com/maps? city=Seattle& state=WA& address=1900+ 25th+Ave+ S
for directions.

We'll be considering the needs of the new refugees, making plans for the
2nd annual Burmese Refugee Picnic (details below), discussing Seattle
University's Burma Week in May (also see below), mulling over news of the
Obama administration' s review of its Burma policy, and discussing
Chevron's partnership with the Burmese military junta, which will be
highlighted at that company's upcoming shareholder meeting.

We are particularly interested in finding a volunteer or volunteers who
can help with a project to connect some of the older refugee men with work
opportunities on family farms in Western Washington. If you would like to
help, please email burma@u.washington. edu or call 206-784-6873.

US ‘Not Averse’ to Direct Talks with Burmese Regime

WASHINGTON — The new US administration is not averse to the idea of entering into direct negotiations with the Burmese military junta, according to insiders at the State Department in Washington.

Proponents of such a policy move argue that if the Obama administration can support reconciliation with the Taliban in Afghanistan and offer an olive branch to Iran, with which it does not even have diplomatic ties, it would not be a bad idea to try the route of talking to the Burmese military junta, either on a bilateral level or at a multi-party platform.

The recent meeting of Stephen Blake, director of the US State Department’s Office of Mainland Southeast Asia, with Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win in Naypyidaw was part of a process of touching base with the junta and exploring the possibilities of engaging with it directly, officials say.

“The US wants to see progress for a democratic Burma that respects the rights of its citizens, is at peace with its neighbors and is integrated into the global economy,” one State Department official told The Irrawaddy.

“We are prepared to work with other countries in the region and elsewhere to achieve these goals and we are flexible on the mechanisms and the modalities that underpin that effort,” the official said, on condition of anonymity.

“We are still in the process of reviewing our policies on Burma and are considering ideas from a variety of stake holders,” he said.

Observers take issue with State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid’s description of Blake’s Naypidaw visit as a routine one. They point out that a meeting between a Burmese foreign minister and a US official of Blake’s level is a rare event.

The substance of the Naypyidaw talks has not been disclosed by the State Department. A tone of flexibility has, however, since been noted by observers.

Dissatisfaction with the sanctions policy adopted by the Bush administration has been voiced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the Obama administration is also not very keen on a continuation of the UN-led international effort under special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, believing it has failed so far to yield any results.

The two approaches, the administration believes, have only helped pushed Burma into the lap of China, consolidating the position of the Burmese military junta.

None of the key objectives of the international community—restoration of democracy and protection of human rights of Burma’s citizens—have been achieved. Despite all the rhetoric at the UN and within the Security Council, and in spite of a series of visits to Burma by Gambari, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is still under house arrest and more than 2,000 political prisoners are still being held.

Policy framers in the Obama administration believe that a new approach on Burma should be based on lessons learned from the past and the ground realities. It should not be driven by idealism alone, they feel.

They insist that any new policy would keep as its goal the restoration of democracy in Burma, protection of human rights and the establishment of peace with its neighbors.

Burma’s integration in the global economy is a recently added objective, indicating that the US would be willing to lift economic sanctions if the Burmese military junta takes steps in the right direction.

If the Obama administration’s latest move on Afghanistan is any indication of its foreign policy, the US could insist in any talks with Burma on the restoration of democracy and free and fair elections, without being seen to support any particular candidate or a party.
This is the Obama administration’s approach in Afghanistan, where presidential and provincial elections are to be held later this year.

Unlike in the past, where the US threw its support behind specific candidates, the White House has said it would work to ensure a level playing field for all the candidates.

Internet Slowdown to Continue at Least One More Day in Burma

Myanmar Teleport, Burma’s state-owned Internet service provider, will resume normal service on April 3, after weeks of exceptionally slow connection speeds that it blamed on repair work to its fiber-optic cables, according to a spokesperson for the company.

The spokesperson, who asked not to be identified, told The Irrawaddy today that Myanmar Teleport was still fixing the cables. “This is why Internet connections often fail and why it has been difficult to send e-mail. But it will get better soon.”

Myanmar Teleport initially said that repair work would be finished on March 25, but now says it will not be completed until at least April 3 due to unforeseen difficulties.

Internet users in Rangoon have reported frequent interruptions in Internet service since March 21. One regular user said that he often had to wake up at 2 a.m. to use his broadband connection, because speeds at other times were too slow even to send email.

The two-week disruption of service is taking a toll on businesses, with travel agencies, import-export companies and weekly journals, which rely on the Internet for the latest sports scores and other information, all reporting a negative impact from the slowdown.

Many users also suspect that the sudden deterioration of service stems from government interference, rather than technical problems. They say that monitoring of the Internet by the country’s ruling junta could be the reason the Internet is much slower than usual.

The media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, has described the Burmese regime as “among the very worst enemies of Internet freedom” for its relentless efforts to block access to critical Web sites and log the online activities of users, most of whom use Internet cafes that operate under strict government controls.

The Burmese junta’s Internet firewall attempts to ban all exiled Burmese media, selected international media, all blogs, some scholarship Web sites and all proxy servers, say Internet users.

Internet service in Burma officially became available in 2000, but it was only several years later that it was popularized to some extent by the appearance of Internet cafes in major cities.

In September 2007, the Internet played a vital role in transmitting images of a violent crackdown on monk-led protests to the outside world, prompting the regime to shut down all Internet access for several days.

Since then, the junta has increased its vigilance of online activities. Last year, two popular Burmese bloggers received long prison sentences for violating a law targeting any form of communication that “threatens state security.”

Nay Phone Latt, a well-known blogger, received a 20-year sentence in late 2008, while Zaganar, a popular comedian who used his personal blog to criticize the regime’s response to Cyclone Nargis last May, was sentenced to 59 years in prison.

The junta continues to take extreme precautions against online subversion, despite the fact that Burma is among the world’s least connected nations.

According to the CIA World Fact Book, there were 70,000 Burmese Internet users in 2007 and 108 internet hosts in 2008, while neighboring Thailand had 13.4 million Internet users in 2007 and 1.1 million Internet hosts in 2008.

Pro-junta Election Candidates Told to Nurture Good Public Relations

The Burmese military government is reportedly urging potential pro-junta candidates, particularly members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), to nurture good public relations ahead of the 2010 general election.

According to sources close to the USDA, high ranking officials are issuing guidelines telling junta supporters considering standing in the election to develop good relations with the electorate. They should “act in a friendly way with the people, even with opponents,” one source said.

Since the end of 2008, the USDA has been selecting possible election candidates from among its members and leading members of the community.

The USDA has also been working on its own public image by undertaking construction projects in many communities across the country.

This week, the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) changed its regulation barring members from involvement in politics.

The decision, taken at the union’s annual general meeting in Naypyidaw, gives the green light to leading businessmen who want to participate in the election, according to observers.

Although the law governing the 2010 election is not expected to be announced before May or June, pro-junta groups have been making their preparations. Twenty five pro-junta politicians recently formed a network of individual candidates.

The junta head, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, offered his perspective on the election in an Armed Forces Day speech on March 27.

“Political parties need to have their campaigns grounded in a commitment to non-disintegration of the union and non-disintegration of national solidarity,” he said.

Political parties should avoid “inciting unrest…personal attacks and smear campaigns” and practice tolerance, forgiveness and understanding in their campaigns.

Than Shwe said factionalism among political parties posed a serious threat to the country and a “danger of disintegration of the union,” Than Shwe said.

The main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has not yet announced whether it will participate in the 2010 election. The NLD has called for a review of the constitution, which provides for the holding of the election.

Aye Thar Aung, an Arakan leader, said the democracy process in Burma would be impossible without a review of the constitution. “How can we build a democratic nation under this constitution?” he asked.

The constitution reserves 25 percent of the parliamentary seats for the military.