8.8.8.8 Pro-Democracy Uprising

The Invitation: > 22nd Anniversary of "8.8.8.8 Pro-Democracy Uprising"

Please Join the Protest for Freedom, Human Rights and Democracy in Burma.

Date: Saturday, August 7, 2010

Time: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm (EST)

Location: Burma SPDC's Mission

(10 East 77th St. New York, NY 10021)

Burmese Rank No. 1 in Malaysia Detention Center Deaths

Thirty-two Burmese detainees died while in custody in Immigration Detention Center in Malaysia, the highest number of foreign detainee deaths, according to Malaysia's minister of home affairs.
Minister of Home Affairs Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said a total of 78 foreign detainees died during 2005 to 2009 in Immigration Detention Centers.

The foreign detainees included citizens from Burma, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Nigeria, Togo, Pakistan, Liberia and the Philippines. The minister did not attribute the cause of death among the detainees.  

In this photo taken Thursday, July 23, 2009, an immigration officer unlocks handcuffs from detainees at the Lenggeng Immigration center on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo:AP)

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday, Tenne Lee, a refugee coordinator from Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) who works on human rights issues in Malaysia, said, “What we know about the cause of the deaths is that most of them died because of medical reasons.”

Tenne Lee said that there is not adequate medical treatment while detainees are in custody. Even if the detainees have medicine from a hospital when they enter a detention center, the medicine is confiscated, she said.

“We do monitor things if we get information about deaths. We do pressure the government, but we don't have power to do investigations,” she said. “It is hard to know the exact number of  deaths. The government is not accountable.”

According to a press release from the Malaysian Bar Council in 2009, 1,300 foreigners died in detention centers during the past six years.

Some Burmese human rights activists in Malaysia say that the number of detainee deaths is much higher than acknowledged by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Nai Roi Mon, who works with Mon detainees in Kuala Lumpur and is a member of the Mon Refugee office in Malaysia, said: “I doubt their numbers. As I remember, at least 100 Burmese died  in detention centers during the past five years.”

He said that many of detainees died because they were denied medical treatment when needed.
There are about 500,000 Burmese migrants in Malaysia, legally and illegally. Burmese detainees are the largest group in detention centers.

There are 28 Immigration Detention Centers in Malaysia. Human rights advocates say there are constant complaints of inadequate food, water and unsanitary conditions. Detainees are not given clothing.

Advocates say that family members who try to bring cases to court are discouraged by governmental delay. There has never been a successful case of prosecution for negligence, said Tenne Lee. She said children are not separated from adults in detention centers.

According to a 2009 SUARAM report titled “Malaysia Civil and Political Rights Overview,” nine Burmese detainees died in detention centers from May to August last year due to an outbreak of Leptospirosis (an infectious disease caused by contaminated water or food which has been infected with rodent urine).

Human rights groups and civil society groups highlighted the outbreak of the disease in detention centers, but they say the government has been slow to respond.

Malaysia is ranked as one of the worst countries for refugees by the international watchdog, the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Malaysia also ranks poorly among countries in meeting the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking, according to the US State Department.

Than Shwe May Free Suu Kyi Before Election: Former Spy

A former CIA-trained Burmese intelligence officer suggests that Burmese junta supremo Snr-Gen Than Shwe will only release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and some political prisoners as a last tactic before the election if he faces strong international pressure.

“If the US and other countries exert strong pressure, he [Than Shwe] may change in mind and release some political prisoners,” wrote Maj Aung Lynn Htut, a former Charge d’Affairs at the Burmese embassy in Washington D.C,  in his recent analysis, the “1990 Election to 2010 Election in Burma.”

“He often told us [military officials] that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the last card he can play in Burmese politics,” he said, adding that if the international community fails to exert more pressure, Than Shwe will hold the election without Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy (NLD).
He said Than Shwe is worried about calls by democracy activists for him to be tried by the International Criminal Court and reportedly consulted his attorney general on the matter.

Before Aung Lynn Htut came to Washington in 2000 as the second highest-ranking Burmese diplomat in the US, he was a senior officer at the counter-intelligence department of the Directorate of Defense Service Intelligence then headed by Gen Khin Nyunt, who was ousted and arrested in October 2004.

He completed a three-month training program with the CIA in Washington after he graduated from the elite Defense Service Academy in Pyin U Lwin in 1987.

As a counter-intelligence officer, Aung Lynn Htut accompanied his boss, Khin Nyunt, to top meetings of Burmese generals, and he has maintained contacts with both active and retired officers in Burma's military.

Since Suu Kyi began her involvement in Burma’s democracy movement in 1988, she has been arrested three times by Than Shwe's regime. 

After being detained since her first arrest in July 1989, the junta freed Suu Kyi on July 10, 1995, announcing that, “The order to restrict Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to her compound has been revoked as of today.”

Her release came as a surprise since a few days previously Khin Nyunt had said she would not be released because “the rights of 45 million are more important than the rights of an individual.”
Observers said the order for Suu Kyi’s release in 1995 directly came from Than Shwe, three years after he took the office over from his predecessor Gen Saw Maung.

Suu Kyi was arrested a second time in September 2000 and detained for 19 months until her release in May 2002. On that occasion, Suu Kyi said: “"It's a new dawn for the country. We only hope the dawn will move very quickly.”

At the time, the junta said it firmly believed in letting all citizens take part in the political process. Statements by the junta and Suu Kyi suggested her release was a result of secret talks between the two sides during her detention.

Arrested a third time in May 2003 and kept in detention ever since, Suu Kyi is scheduled to be released when the most recent 18-month extension of her house arrest ends in November.
However, politicians inside Burma are pessimistic about her chances as long as the junta has not held its planned election.

“People are talking about a December election, and if Suu Kyi is not released, then she may be facing an extension of her sentence to three years,” said Khin Maung Swe, a leader of the National Democratic Force, a splinter group of Suu Kyi’s NLD.

“The reduction in her sentence to 18 months was on condition that 'she behaves well',” said Khin Maung Swe.

Meanwhile, Aung Lynn Htut added in his analysis that Than Shwe ordered Burmese diplomats and intelligence agencies to conduct psychological warfare against Suu Kyi and the opposition.
This included spreading disinformation about Suu Kyi in the international community through Burmese diplomats and “popular and educated persons” at home and abroad.

According to Aung Lynn Htut, it was Than Shwe who spread the idea that Suu Kyi was not willing to negotiate with the military.

“This is quite believable,” said Aye Thar Aung, an Arakanese leader and the secretary of the Committee Representing People’s Parliament, an umbrella group of the opposition and ethnic parties.

“For example, we have recently witnessed people like the so-called 'Third Force' in Burmese politics telling diplomats and foreign NGO's that opponents of Than Shwe's election plans are hardliners,” he said.

“Those people say they are neither with the junta nor the opposition. But in fact their backgrounds show they come from the military elite,” he said.

US Wants India to Urge Burma to Change

WASHINGTON — As Snr-Gen Than Shwe prepares for a five-day visit to India beginning on Sunday, the Obama administration is calling on New Delhi to tell the Burmese junta leader that it is time for Burma to change.

Speaking to reporters at his daily news briefing on Friday, US State Department spokesperson Philip Crowley said, however, that the administration is not worried about the relationship between Burma and India.
 
“Are we afraid that there's proliferation between India and Burma? Not at all. That is not something that concerns us,” Crowley said in response to a question.

“[India] has a relationship with Burma, and we would ... encourage India and other countries to send a clear message to Burma that it needs to change its course,” Crowley said, adding that other countries in the region and around the world share the same interest in regional stability.

“Others who have relationships with Burma share a responsibility to communicate directly and forcefully to Burma about its responsibilities, whether they are protecting the region against the risk of proliferation or telling Burma directly that it should more constructively engage its opposition and other ethnic groups within Burma,” Crowley said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell also told reporters that the US is seeking New Delhi’s help to achieve its goal of democracy and protection of human rights in Burma.

“We have raised Burma in our conversations with Indian interlocutors. We've made very clear to Indian friends that we think India's very important role in the international community gives it a voice,” he said in response to a question.

“We've asked them to encourage interlocutors inside the country to embrace reform, to free political prisoners and to engage more responsibly with the international community,” said Campbell, who met with Indian officials in New Delhi earlier this year to discuss India's “Look East” policy, which includes Burma.

“Our conversations suggest that Indian friends have taken steps over a period of years and are beginning to play perhaps a more active role in this regard,” he said.

“They've also been very clear that they have strategic interests. We respect those, but we also want to work closely with not just India, but other countries in Southeast Asia, on encouraging this group of military leaders in Naypyidaw to take more responsible choices,” he said.

Campbell said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would meet Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in Vietnam next week on the sidelines of the annual Asean Regional Forum meeting, which includes the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) plus other key nations from around the region, including Japan, South Korea, China, Australia and New Zealand.
“During those sessions, we anticipate a very broad and diverse discussion about North Korea; about regional security issues in Southeast Asia; [and] about the importance of architecture, in terms of the American role in the evolving architecture of Asia,” he said.

“While in Vietnam, Secretary Clinton will hold a number of bilateral meetings. Those are being scheduled as we speak. There will be a bilateral meeting with Japan, with China, with India, and several others, including some key states in Southeast Asia as well,” Campbell said.

United States concerned about Burma-North Korea military ties

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attends the signing of a memorandum of understanding in Hanoi, Vietnam on July 22, 2010

Hanoi, Vietnam (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed U.S. concerns about Myanmar's reported military ties to North Korea and its potential impact on the region during a visit to Vietnam Thursday.

"We know that a ship from North Korea recently delivered military equipment to Burma and we continue to be concerned by the reports that Burma may be seeking assistance from North Korea with regard to a nuclear program," Clinton said.

Myanmar was formerly known as Burma.

Clinton's comments came after meetings with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem.

In June, Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, a key member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, postponed a trip to Myanmar out of concern that Myanmar's government was working with North Korea on the development of a nuclear program.At the time, Webb noted that "a defecting officer from [Myanmar's] military claims direct knowledge of such plans, and reportedly has furnished documents to corroborate his claims."

Webb said it was unclear "whether these allegations have substantive merit."

However, in light of the U.S. State Department's recent accusation that Myanmar has violated a U.N. Security Council resolution "with respect to a suspected shipment of arms from North Korea, there are now two unresolved matters related to activities of serious concern between these two countries."
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, Regional Forum begins in Friday in Hanoi. Developments in Myanmar are likely to be a popular topic of discussion at the summit.

A military junta has ruled Myanmar since 1962 and preparing to hold its first elections in 20 years, but no date has been announced.

63rd Anniversary of Burma's Martyr Day

Like Father, Like Daughter

“Does Suu Kyi look like her father?” asked Dagon Tayar, one of Burma's most famous poets and writers, who has lost his eyesight.

“The father and the daughter share the same mentality and intelligence, but Suu Kyi has better looks than her father's,” replied the late Ludu Daw Amar, one of Burma's most famous writers and activists.

The conversation took place some years ago in a gathering where Suu Kyi paid her respects to aging friends of her father.

Father and the daughter

On Monday, as Burma marks its 63rd Martyrs' Day in honor of fallen independence heroes including Aung San, Dagon Tayar and other political leaders compared the qualities of Aung San with those of his daughter, pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

“Gen. Aung San is a statesman, and he knew that it was important to achieve power to bring changes to the country, while his daughter Suu Kyi has shown more compassion towards her adversaries,” said 92-year-old Dagon Tayar, a colleague of independence hero Aung San, speaking to The Irrawaddy on Saturday.

Aung San led the successful battle against British colonial rule in 1947. He was assassinated that same year at age 32, when Suu Kyi was two. Sixty-three years later, Burma is under the brutal rule of its own people, and, in the fight for what she calls Burma's second struggle for national independence, Suu Kyi, now 65, is locked up by the leaders of the Burmese army which was founded by Aung San.

Thakhin Chan Tun, 90, an independence fighter who met Aung San at least twice in 1946, said, “In terms of leadership, Aung San was regarded as a national savior successfully working towards Burma's independence. Whereas we view Suu Kyi as a democracy leader who made all sorts of sacrifices for so many years.

“Both of them are equally intelligent and courageous,” he said.

Though Aung San remains widely known in Burma as its independence hero, a speech he made in 1945 showed that he shared similar democratic aspirations which his daughter is fighting for.

“If this kind of ideology [facism], totalitarianism, racism and militarism grows like in Japan, our people will not be able to achieve freedom,” Aung San said in a meeting of the country's national leaders. “Therefore, we must try to make sure that democracy alone thrives in our country. And based on democracy, we must try to build a free Burma.”

Frustrated with the country's political and economic woes, the Burmese people often lament that if Aung San did not face an untimely death, Burma would have been different.

Considering Aung San's successful leadership of an armed struggle against the country's colonizers and Suu Kyi's as-yet-unsuccessful nonviolent struggle for democracy, some Burmese paint Aung San as a more realististic leader than his daugther.

“Aung San cooperated with facist Japan while Daw Suu gets stuck in pushing out the regime leaders,” said a Burmese writer who asked to speak anonymously.

However, Thakhin Chan Tun said that there were no alternatives for Aung San except the use of arms against the British. Later, Aung San persistently chose dialogue with the British government to work out the country's independence.

Although Aung San's dialogues with the British government eventually resulted in the fruition of Burma's independence, Suu Kyi calls for dialogue with the regime has been ignored.

Win Tin, one of the outspoken leaders of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party (NLD), who met her father at age 13, when he unsuccessfully requested to let him join the independence struggle, said, “Gen. Aung San and Daw Suu share the same leadership qualities, I think.”

“Both have their own convictions and determinations. Both made astounding sacrifices,” Win Tin said. “Even though I may have disagreements with Daw Suu on some points, I feel compelled to follow her advice. That's her leadership skill which she shares with her father.”

A young political dissident and a supporter of Suu Kyi in Rangoon said that her persistent focus on nonviolence is designed not to repeat the vicious cycle in which Burma has been caught up and to prove that to resort to violence is not the way to justice.

“The dominant fact of Aung San's history is Burma's national independence which was the reality under the circumstances of those days.

Elections But No Democracy In Burma

Preparations continue for national elections in Burma this year, the first to be held there in 20 years. Some 38 political parties have been approved to run candidates for parliament, under provisions set by the government's flawed 2008 constitution and electoral laws promulgated earlier this year that impose even harsher restrictions on the country's oppressive political environment.

On first glance, such a choice of candidates would suggest democracy has finally returned to Burma, long ruled by an iron-fisted military regime. That would be wrong, however. The electoral laws and the actions by the regime make clear that the election won't be free, fair or democratic, but rather carefully stage-managed every step of the way. As a result of Burma's restrictive electoral laws, the nation's leading opposition party, the National League for Democracy, or NLD, has chosen not to seek re-registration and won't participate in the elections. Meanwhile, parties seeking registration must pledge to protect the 2008 constitution, which guarantees the military one quarter of the seats in parliament, regardless of the outcome of the vote.

The United States has long urged Burma's leaders to open up its political process to meaningful participation, as well as engage in dialogue with all stakeholders, including the ethnic minorities and the democratic opposition. We respect the difficult decisions Burma’s democratic activists and parties have had to make on how to approach these elections. Given the political restrictions, including limitations on campaigning, assembling, and the press, this is still a flawed electoral process. We believe what will proceed in Burma will not remotely resemble a free, fair or legitimate result.

The U.S. has made this point in direct discussions with Burmese officials, and will continue to do so. So far, their response has been disappointing.

Meanwhile, Burma holds an estimated 2,100 political prisoners, including pro-democracy advocate and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The U.S. continues to call for their immediate and unconditional release and for the Burmese government to allow them to participate in the process of building a more stable, prosperous Burma that respects the rights of all citizens and lives at peace with its neighbors.

In our discussions, Burmese officials have suggested they seek improved dealings with the U.S. If they envision a fundamentally different kind of relationship with our country, fundamental processes must change in theirs.

Run for Burma List -Calling for Volunteer at BADA booth

Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 5:39 PM

Dear Friends,

Later this month BADA member will join more than 20,000 runners for the San Francisco Marathon.  They will run 5 kilometers, half marathon and 3.1 km culminating by crossing the SF Marathon finish line on July 25th 2010.

This is an opportunity translate this event into an opportunity to help the people of Burma. BADA members  have joined a team called “Run for Burma.”  This team is dedicated to raise awareness and funds for the non-profits -- Burma Humanitarian Mission (www.burmamission. org) and for the Burmese American Democratic Alliance (http://www.badasf. org/). 

Collectively we will raise money to fund medical training and supplies for backpack medics who travel through the jungles of eastern Burma, treating ethnic groups oppressed by the Burmese junta.  As one example of the appalling conditions in this part of Burma, one in five children dies before his or her fifth birthday while 1 in 12 mothers dies as a result of childbirth.  Malaria, an illness that is curable, is the leading cause of death. 

Burma Humanitarian Mission makes a difference.  Each $1 donated will buy 40 doses of medicine.  $5 will cure a pregnant woman of malaria – saving 2 lives.  This year Burma Humanitarian Mission will train two-thirds of all new medics and providing over 400,000 doses of medicine. 

Will you considering supporting runners by sponsoring me $1, $2, $3, $4 or $5 for each kilometer they run on July 25th 2010, would you like to make straight dollar commitment?  Your support is tax deductible and Burma Humanitarian Mission will provide you the necessary paperwork.

If you can support Burma and runners at

1.  On-line at www.burmamission. org/donate. 
2.  Mail a check to:
BHM
2134  37th St NW
Washington DC, 20007

3. www.badasf.org

Thank you for your kindness and support.  You will help me transform this exceptional event into a life-saving opportunity for Burmese children and their families who are far from the media spotlight.  No matter what you choose to do, I appreciate your time.  Keep me in your thoughts on July 25th when I join thousands of others on the roads through the city by the bay!

Aung San Sui Kyi asks we use our freedom to promote theirs. And thanks for helping those who can't help themselves.

Mailer Demon sent a bunch of emails back to me,: it said I exceeded the number of emails I'm allowed to send. So if I'm contacting your twice, please excuse me and just press delete!! I am sending this for the second time and maybe I'm sending it to you twice, but I'm not good at figuring out cyberspace!!  Thanks for you good thoughts.

US House renews Burma sanctions

WASHINGTON — The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to renew for one year a ban on imports from Myanmar over alleged human rights abuses by its military rulers.

Lawmakers approved the bill, which has sailed through the US Congress annually since the restrictions first passed in 2003, by a voice vote.

The Senate was expected to act soon to send the measure to President Barack Obama to sign into law.

The "Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003" imposes a ban on Myanmar imports unless the US president certifies that the country has taken steps toward democratic reforms and to help fight international drug smuggling.

"It is long overdue that the world acknowledges the regime is guilty of many heinous crimes, and we must lead the effort to hold it accountable," said Representative Joseph Crowley, a longtime critic of Myanmar's ruling junta.

The military regime in Myanmar, also known as Burma, plans to hold elections later this year despite disbanding the main opposition party led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest.

President Barack Obama's administration has voiced concern about the elections but last year opened dialogue with the regime as part of its global policy of engagement with US adversaries.

"The administration has worked hard to reach out to Burma's military regime and has urged them to change their ways. I believe this was a worthwhile and valuable effort," said Crowley, a member of Obama's Democratic Party.

"However, those efforts have been met with complete rejection -- in fact, the situation in Burma has grown worse. That's why now is the time to crank up the pressure," he said.

The Obama administration has told Myanmar that it is willing to lift sanctions in the future in return for progress on US concerns -- in particular, democratization.

The administration was unimpressed by the junta last week allowing former members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy to run as a new party, a move some activists fear is meant to splinter the opposition.

Junta's Election Flawed, 'Inadequate': US

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Monday said the Burmese general election as scheduled is “flawed” and that the military government has not taken any step towards establishing democracy in the country.

“We think that this is a flawed electoral process,” said State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley.
He said the US respects the decision of some of the members of the National League of Democracy to join the electoral process by forming a new political party, while others have boycotted the election process.     

“We certainly do not have any expectation that what proceeds in Burma will be anything that remotely resembles a free, fair or legitimate result,” Crowley said in response to a question.

At the same time, he said there is no change in the US policy of engagement with the military junta.
“We will continue to engage the Burmese government because it’s in our interest to do so, and we will continue those discussions, if and when they occur in the future, to make clear that Burma has much more that it needs to do to engage in dialogue with its key groups within its population and to open up its political process to meaningful participation,” Crowley said.

The Obama administration also will continue to press for the release by the popular Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi during every interaction with the military rulers, he said.

Asked if the talks have yielded any positive results on the democracy front, he said: “On the democracy front, no. Their steps have been inadequate.”

“We have years, if not decades, of experience that tells us that isolation has not worked either. We are involved in direct discussions with Burmese officials. I can’t predict when the next round will occur,” he said in response to a question. “Engagement is what we think is the most effective means to an end.”

“But so far, their response particularly on the democracy front has been disappointing. It’s been a missed opportunity. But we will continue to engage them—not to reward them, but just simply to make sure that they have clarity that if they envision any different kind of relationship with the United States, that fundamental processes within their own country have to change,” Crowley said.
He said no decision has been made on the appointment of a special US envoy for Burma.
Meanwhile, the US continues to remain concerned about Burma’s relationship with North Korea, he said.

“It’s something that we watch very, very carefully and consistently,” Crowley said.

Burma’s Nuclear Ambitions Could Divert International Focus

Rumors about a secret nuclear program in Burma have been circulating for years. They were so persistent it seemed likely there was something behind them, but there was no evidence to back the claims. Some individuals published exaggerated and unsubstantiated claims, which had the opposite effect they had intended, making observers more sceptical, believing the claims were politically motivated.

However, in recent months there have been a series of reports from defectors claiming Burma does have nuclear ambitions. The latest, in a documentary made by the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), and broadcast on Al Jazeera, have gained international attention. The reports even led American Senator Jim Webb to cancel a visit which he had planned to use as a launchpad for persuading the US to adopt a policy of appeasement towards the war criminals ruling Burma. 

The documentary has detailed photographic evidence which has been verified by experts. Burma’s generals may still be a long way from developing weapons, but it appears that at the very least, the intention is there.

Burmese exiles and others around the world who support Burma’s democracy movement have jumped on this news, hoping that this is what it will finally take to get the international community to take action. Here is yet more evidence, they say, that the dictatorship is a threat to international peace and security, and of how they misuse the country’s resources while the population slips deeper into poverty. Surely now the international community will finally wake up and pay attention? Can they really allow these people to remain in power?

Junta Targeting Civilian Ethnic Minorities: UK

WASHINGTON — Expressing concern on the lack of progress towards national reconciliation, Britain on Wednesday charged that the Burmese military regime continues to target ethnic minority civilians in human rights abuses.

The plight of internally displaced persons is an acute problem in a country like Burma, British Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Philip Parham told the UN Security Council during the course of a special debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

Burmese residents in Japan stage a rally in Tokyo on June 19 to demand the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. (Photo: Getty Images)

In Burma, he said, Britain remains deeply concerned about the lack of progress towards national reconciliation.
 
“The Burmese military regime continues to target civilians, particularly people from ethnic minorities,” he said.

“The use of rape and other forms of sexual violence remain a serious concern, as do the use of child soldiers and forced labor for military use. Protecting civilians, wherever and whoever they are, is the best way to prevent displacement and consequent deprivation,” Parham said.

In May, UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma Tomas Ojea Quintana said the United Nations should investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Burmese junta.
Earlier, a panel of international judges and Nobel laureates has met with UN Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon and UN Security Council member-states, to make a case for an international inquiry into the ruling junta's crimes such as forced displacement of people, violence to life and person, sexual violence including rape and sex trafficking, torture and persecution of people based on religious or ethnic identity, among others.

“The courageous protests led by Buddhist monks in September 2007, and the regime’s shocking crackdown, including the killing of Japanese photojournalist Kenji Nagai, exposed more clearly than ever before the regime’s cruelty,” wrote Yozo Yokota, a former UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma and a member of the UN Sub–Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, on July 6 in The Jakarta Post.

“Eight months later, Cyclone Nargis ripped through the country, leaving death and devastation in its wake, and the regime’s initial refusal to accept international aid workers evidenced its inhumanity,” she said.

Memory of 22nd 8888 Revolution

From: LA Organizers 4 Burma
Subject: 88 generation students' of Burma: in the memory of 22nd 8888 Revolution

Dear Friends,

 

L.A. Organizers for Burma, along with city of Los Angeles, will honor 20 of 88 generation students who are in the prisons in Burma for their faiths on freedom and democracy. Los Angeles will provide financial support to 20 of them who are most needed by showing our standing and sympathy. We totally support them and will continue to support until they accomplish their goal. Period.

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/mawthuya#p/u/0/jVx8HZR2CME

 

Together we succeed,

L.A. Organizers

In China, Junta Secretary 1 Vows 'Democracy, Stability and Development'

The Burmese junta's Secretary 1, Gen Tin Aung Myint Oo, told Chinese officials he met with in Beijing on Monday that Napyidaw is “striving to push forward democracy, national stability and development,” adding that he appreciated China’s support for Burma, the Chinese media reported.

Li Changchun, the 5th ranked member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (right), meets with Tin Aung Myint Oo, the Burmese junta's secretary 1, in Beijing on July 5, 2010. (Photo: Xinhua)

According to the Xinhua news agency, Tin Aung Myint Oo’s comment came during his meeting with Li Changchun, the 5th ranked member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

During the meeting, which highlighted the fact that the Burmese general’s visit to China was focused on political issues between the two countries, Li Changchun noted that Burma and China treated each other with “respect and equality” in bilateral ties.

Tin Aung Myint Oo’s words are almost identical to those used by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in October 2009, when he told Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein at the 15th annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Hua Hin, Thailand, that Beijing hoped Burma “will achieve stability, national reconciliation and development.”

Tin Aung Myint Oo, who is also Quartermaster General of the Tatmadaw (Burmese armed forces), kicked off his China trip on Saturday, and Burma's state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on Sunday that junta-chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe, along with other top officials such as Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, Gen Shwe Mann and Prime Minister Thein Sein, were present to send him off.

According to the newspaper, Tin Aung Myint Oo and his delegation were invited by Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, who is also a member of the ruling CPC Politburo Standing Committee. Li Keqiang is ranked 7th in the Chinese ruling hierarchy, and observers have tipped him as a possible successor of Wen Jiabao.

Tin Aung Myint Oo's visit to China sparked a rumor among Burmese intellectuals in Rangoon that the junta decided to postpone the scheduled elections. Observers say the rumor was fueled by reports that if the junta shifts its election scheduled for this year, as secretary 1 of the junta, Tin Aung Myint is supposed to inform China, the junta's closest ally.

The past two months have been a significantly busy period of diplomacy between China and Burma, with officials from both nations making frequent trips between Naypyidaw and Beijing. Burmese and Chinese official media have reported that these trips are an attempt to boost bilateral ties to mark the 60th anniversary of the Sino-Burmese relationship.

Tin Aung Myint Oo's visit marked the fifth occasion of bilateral talks between Chinese and Burmese senior officials since the beginning of June, and came only one week after a visit to Burma by Chinese Vice Premier Zhou Tienong, who is also vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and president of the Chinese Association for International Understanding.

Zhou Tienong is not, however, a member of the ruling CPC. He is a member of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK), one of eight non-communist parties in China.

During his visit to Burma, Zhou Tienong was believed to have discussed two significant issues with Burmese officials, including Prime Minister Thein Sein, who he met with on June 28 in Naypyidaw: Burma's 2010 elections and ethnic issues along the Sino-Burmese border.

Wen Jiabao visited Burma on June 2-3, just a few days ahead of the 60th anniversary. He also raised the issue of border stability with Than Shwe, as well as other bilateral concerns and areas of mutual economic and strategic interest.

Shortly after Wen Jiabao’s trip ended, Gen Fan Changlong, commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Jinan military region in eastern China, arrived in Burma for a five-day visit.

Gen Shwe Mann, the junta’s No. 3 and the joint chief of staff of the Burmese Army, Navy and Air Force, met the PLA delegation in Naypyidaw on June 8. Xinhua reported that the two generals exchanged views on matters of common concern between the two countries.