Spring 2011 National Organizing Meeting

The US Campaign for Burma is excited to announce that Dr. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the former UN Special Rapporeur on Human Rights in Burma and Myo Myint, a former Burmese-soldier-turned-democracy-activist are confirmed to speak at our National Organizing Meeting in April.

Join us for an in-depth report on the current political situation in Burma, take part in lively policy discussions, and learn key organizing and advocacy skills.

Click here for the updated schedule, which includes workshops and training on grassroots outreach, awareness raising, and advocacy strategy with knowledgeable Burma policy experts.

After her release, Aung San Suu Kyi called on Burma supporters from around the globe to form a "network of democracy" activists to ignite Burma's march towards freedom. This meeting is an opportunity for you to heed her call to action.

Take this time to sign up for the National Organizing Meeting and register online early to save $10.

We look forward to seeing you at the National Organizing Meeting in April.

Hope for the New Year for Burma

There are moments when working towards democracy in Burma is difficult--when there is little light at the end of the tunnel. For over twenty years, I have been engaged in one of the great struggles of our time.  For many of those years we have ended the year without significant progress. It has been difficult coming to the office to hear about another friend thrown into prison. Or to learn about another village burned, more families forced to flee for their lives. Please consider making a contribution to our movement today as we enter a new, critical year for Burma.  But this year is different--we have two great gifts to celebrate. For the first time since the U.S. Campaign for Burma was founded, Aung San Suu Kyi is free. For the first time, we are working in concert with our leader mobilizing people to action.  Our second gift is the progress we have made towards finally holding the military regime accountable for its crimes. For years, the international community paid no attention while the regime denied abusing ethnic groups. But this lie is closer to being confronted by the international community after decades of neglect.  So there is much to celebrate as we end 2010. We want to thank you so much for your support and making these efforts possible. Our staff is small--only five people working full time. But we manage to magnify your voice and the voices of other Burma activists on the global stage.  This is due to your support: our grassroots supporters are the biggest funders for our campaign. Without you, we could not join together to make sure that the people of Burma know they have American support. Without you, we would not be able to push policymakers in Washington to make Burma a priority. Without you, we would not be able to secure millions of dollars of aid for survivors of the regime's atrocities. Without you, we would be missing a critical link in Burma's global solidarity movement.  Please consider making a contribution to our movement today as we enter a new, critical year for Burma.  We want you to know that your contribution to USCB leads directly to lives being saved on the ground in Burma. Your contribution has a huge multiplier affect--USCB helps secure U.S. funding of millions of dollars of "cross border" aid to groups working on Burma's borders. Last year, $4 million was sent to border groups who risk their lives by providing healthcare and education to Burma's conflict areas. Since 2006, we have secured tens of millions of US dollars for cross-border aid. Your support also has a huge multiplier affect on global Burma policy. When the US leads on Burma policy, many countries follow. For example in August of this year Obama came out in support of an investigation into crimes against humanity in Burma. In the following month, 8 other countries announced their support. Our work really spans the globe and changes the international conversation on Burma. Finally, we want to let you know that the people inside Burma working for change are well aware of American support for their cause. My friends inside Burma understand that they have an ally in the United States--and they are immensely grateful for your support. Help us give Burma's democracy activists more support by making a year-end gift today. You are part of one of the world's most significant global solidarity movements. For twenty years we have worked to restore hope to a country that is run by brutal dictators. Our movement showed its strength when Aung San Suu Kyi was released in November due to global pressure. But we cannot stop here. We have much to do. We need your support to make sure that Aung San Suu Kyi's latest release translates into meaningful change in Burma, not more of the same. This support comes through your calls, emails, community events, film screenings, and your financial support. As we end the year, we are grateful for your time and consideration of supporting USCB. Thank you for all of your support for the U.S. Campaign for Burma and the people of Burma. We are truly grateful to work with you in one of the great struggles of our time. Have a Great New Year, Aung Din Executive Director Former Burmese Political Prisoner

'Queen of Burma' Title Bestowed on Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

NEW DELHI — Aung San Suu Kyi is to be awarded the honory title of “Queen of Burma's Democracy and Human Rights” by an Indian human rights organization, Manav Ekta Parishad, on Thursday.

The organization said it was bestowing the title on Suu Kyi to create awareness among Indians of the democracy movement and the violation of human rights in Burma, and to send a message of respect to Suu Kyi and her supporters.

“By honoring her as a hero for her perseverance, bravery and sacrifice, we want Indians to know more about the democracy and human rights struggle in Burma. We want Aung San Suu Kyi to know we stand with her,” said T D Singh, the national secretary of Manav Ekta Parishad, adding that the group believes Suu Kyi will bring democracy to Burma.

The title comes with the presentation of a bronze royal dagger which will be awarded to her in absentia at the head office of the organization located in Faridabad in Haryana State.

“As we honor her as the Queen of Burma's Democracy and Human Rights, the royal dagger of the ancient Burmese kings is a symbol of her honor, of her utmost honesty and her sacrifice for democracy,” said Singh. “She is an inspiration to democracy and human rights activists everywhere.”
Manav Ekta Parishad was founded in 2007, and says it works on projects dealing with human rights education, and fighting against discrimination over religion, caste and clan.

“We believe this [award] will awaken the Indian government's silence over the democracy movement in Burma,” said Dr. Tint Swe, an NLD member and minister of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma who lives in Delhi, and who will receive the honorable title on Suu Kyi's behalf.
In 2007, Suu Kyi was awarded the first Subhas Chandra Bose award by the Netaji Subhas Foundation. And as far back as 1993, the Indian government awarded her the Jawaharlal Nehru Award in recognition of her struggle for democratic change in Burma.

Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishna added his voice to the chorus of support for Suu Kyi, calling her release “the beginning of a process of reconciliation,” while he also praised Burma's general election on Nov. 7 as an important step toward change in the country.

Aung San Suu Kyi Reunited with Her Son

 
Kim Aris, right, son of Aung San Suu Kyi, left, shows his arm tattooed with a symbol of his mother's NLD party's flag on his arrival at Yangon (Rangoon) International Airport on Nov. 23. (Photo: AP)

RANGOON — Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was reunited Tuesday with a son she last saw a decade ago, in an emotional moment at the Rangoon airport 10 days after she was released from detention.

Kim Aris, 33, was finally granted a visa by the military regime after waiting for several weeks in neighboring Thailand. Just before walking into the airport terminal, the 65-year old Suu Kyi, who was released Nov. 13 after more than seven years under house arrest, told reporters, "I am very happy."

A smiling Suu Kyi slipped her arm around her son's waist as the two posed briefly for photographers.

Through her lawyer Nyan Win, Suu Kyi thanked the authorities for issuing the visa to her son, who resides in Britain and last saw his mother in December 2000. He has repeatedly been denied visas ever since by the ruling junta.

Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel Peace prize for her nonviolent struggle for democracy, was first arrested in 1989 when Kim was 11 and elder son Alexander 16. She has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years.

In an interview last week with The Associated Press, Suu Kyi acknowledged that her years of political work had been difficult for her family.

"I knew there would be problems," she said of her mid-life decision to go into politics. "If you make the choice you have to be prepared to accept the consequences."

Suu Kyi, who was largely raised overseas, married the British academic Michael Aris and raised their two sons in England.

But in 1988, at age 43, she returned home to take care of her ailing mother as mass demonstrations were breaking out against military rule. She was quickly thrust into a leadership role, mainly because she was the daughter of Aung San, the country's martyred founding father.

Elder son Alexander accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on his mother's behalf in 1991—while she was serving an earlier term of house arrest—and reportedly lives in the United States.

Michael Aris died of prostate cancer in 1999 at age 53, after having been denied visas to see his wife for the three years leading up to his death. Suu Kyi has never met her two grandchildren.

While her family supported her, she said her sons had suffered particularly badly.

"They haven't done very well after the breakup of the family, especially after their father died, because Michael was a very good father," she said. "Once he was no longer there, things were not as easy as they might have been."

But she added that she always had their support: "My sons are very good to me," she said. "They've been very kind and understanding all along."

Long Cut Off, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Embraces a Brave New World

When Aung San Suu Kyi was freed after more than seven years of house arrest last Saturday, she immediately got an introduction to an aspect of life that has changed dramatically in the time she has spent in detention.

As she looked out at the sea of her supporters who had gathered to witness the moment of her release, hundreds of digital cameras and cell phones began snapping images of her. She was so struck by this display of the proliferation of modern technology that she couldn't help but comment on it when she made her first full speech at the National League for Democracy (NLD) headquarters the next day.

“I see camera-phones all over the place. This shows the development of communication,” she said, quickly adding: “This development must be used for the good of the majority. Communication brings understanding. Please use communication to foster mutual understanding and unity.”
Even speaking into one of these “camera-phones” was a learning experience for Suu Kyi, who used one to have an “emotional” conversation with her 33-year-old son, Kim Aris, soon after her release.
“I used a phone like this for the first time yesterday,” she said to her audience, after asking everyone to hold up their phones. “Six years ago these did not exist here. I did not even know where to talk into.”

The front page of the First Eleven, with a hidden message announcing Aung San Suu Kyi's release.

Now Suu Kyi, whose power to attract huge crowds shows no signs of waning—a testament to both her enduring appeal and the profound unpopularity of the ruling regime—has discovered a new way to reach an audience eager to catch her every word.
And it's not just the people who want to hear what she has to say. According to NLD officials, at least 300 media organizations from around the world are queuing for interviews with “the Lady.”
So far, Suu Kyi has not been prevented from speaking to her supporters or reporters; but the junta is notoriously wary of allowing information to flow too freely. Especially since the Buddhist monk-led Saffron Revolution of September 2007, the regime has kept the Internet under tight control.

More recently, Internet users in Burma reported a sudden drop in connection speeds as the country prepared to go to the polls on Nov. 7. This, along with a complete ban on foreign reporters covering the election, was seen by international media watchdogs as further evidence of the regime's determination to control the message coming out of the country.

Now that the election is over and the regime-backed party is assured of winning, the junta appears to have relaxed its stranglehold over the flow of information. Internet speeds are back to normal and a handful of international journalists have managed to get into the country. Local media have also been able to report Suu Kyi's release.

But what passes for normal in Burma would still be regarded as extremely restrictive in almost any other country. According to the Rangoon-based journalists, the Burmese censorship board, the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD), has ordered domestic media to carry limited news about Suu Kyi.

Media groups inside Burma were keen on reporting Suu Kyi's public speech on Sunday, but were largely unable to do so due to restrictions by the PSRD. Other restriction were also strictly enforced.
“We couldn't run any large photos of Suu Kyi or put her photo on the front page,” said an editor in Rangoon, adding that only “positive” comments from Suu Kyi's speech were permitted for publication.

But freedom-long Burmese journalists were not about to be deterred from giving the biggest story of the year its due. One publication, the leading sports journal First Eleven, used a clever combination of headlines about English Premier League match results to splash news of  Suu Kyi's release on its front page.
By playing with the placement and lettering colors of some innocent-looking headlines—“Sunderland Freeze Chelsea,” “United Stunned by Villa” and “Arsenal Advance to Grab Their Hope”—the journal was able to spell out a very different message: “Su Free Unite & Advance to Grab The Hope.”
Despite the regime's efforts to restrict news about Suu Kyi, most news journals couldn't resist the chance to boost their sales by pushing the envelope in their coverage of her release.

“True and Flower journals, which came out on Sunday, and Monday's Weekly Eleven sold very well because they carried Suu Kyi's photo and news.

Obama, World Leaders Hail Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's Release

Detailed story, please read HERE

WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Women Nobel Peace laureates have all welcomed the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.

In separate statements, the world leaders urged the military junta to release all political leaders and pave the way for restoration of true democracy in Burma.

“The United States welcomes her long overdue release,” Obama in a statement, while on the last leg of a 10-day tour of four Asian democratic countries – India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan.

Obama, who has been calling for release of Aung San Suu Kyi ever since he took office in January 2009, said that the popular Burmese leader is “a hero” of his and “a source of inspiration” for all who work to advance basic human rights in Burma and around the world.

“Whether Aung San Suu Kyi is living in the prison of her house, or the prison of her country, does not change the fact that she, and the political opposition she represents, has been systematically silenced, incarcerated, and deprived of any opportunity to engage in political processes that could change Burma. It is time for the Burmese regime to release all political prisoners, not just one,” Obama said.
The United States looks forward to the day when all of Burma’s people are free from fear and persecution, he said. “Following Aung San Suu Kyi’s powerful example, we recommit ourselves to remaining steadfast advocates of freedom and human rights for the Burmese people and accountability for those who continue to oppress them,” said the US president.

Welcoming her release, British Prime Minister David Cameron said, “Aung San Suu Kyi is an inspiration for all of us who believe in freedom of speech, democracy and human rights. Her detention was a travesty, designed only to silence the voice of the Burmese people.”

“Freedom is Aung San Suu Kyi’s right. The Burmese regime must now uphold it,” Cameron said.

Make Suu Kyi release unconditional: Clinton

Aware of the history, Clinton called on the Burmese leaders to ensure that Aung San Suu Kyi’s release is unconditional so that she may travel, associate with her fellow citizens, express her views, and participate in political activities without restriction. They should also immediately and unconditionally release all of Burma’s 2,100 political prisoners, she said.

 “We urge Burma’s leaders to break from their repressive policies and begin an inclusive dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratic and ethnic leaders towards national reconciliation and a more peaceful, prosperous, and democratic future,” Clinton said.

Clinton, who has strongly taken up the cause of Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma ever since she was the first lady and later on as the New York senator and now as the Secretary of State, said Aung San Suu Kyi has endured enormous personal sacrifice in her peaceful struggle to bring democracy and human rights to Burma, including unjustified detention for most of the past 20 years.
“The Burmese regime has repeatedly rejected her offers to engage in dialogue and work together, trying instead to silence and isolate her. Through it all, Aung San Suu Kyi’s commitment to the Burmese people has not wavered,” she said.

Her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, said that he is thrilled by the news of her release. “People who love freedom everywhere admire her and the long sacrifice she has made for her people. I was honored to present Aung San Suu Kyi with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000 and I hope this signals a new direction for life within the country and for the country's relations with others beyond their borders,” Clinton said.

“In light of recent elections, I also hope that Aung San Suu Kyi's release will lead to the rapid inclusion of her and the Burmese citizens in governance," Clinton said in a statement.

Women Nobel Peace laureates hopeful of meeting her soon
Welcoming the release, Women Nobel Peace Laureates expressed the hope that they will soon have the opportunity to meet with SuuSuu Kyi in person.son.

Obama urges Burma to free democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

Detailed Story, please read HERE

Aung San Suu Kyi, the iconic face of democracy in Burma (Myanmar), was placed under house arrest in 1989.

(CNN) President Obama on Sunday called for the release of Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.

"There are clear steps that must be taken: the unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi; an end to conflicts with minority groups; and a genuine dialogue between the government, the democratic opposition and minority groups," according to Obama, who said the regime should work to ensure its people's needs are met.

He spoke during a meeting with ASEAN-10 leaders that included the prime minister of Myanmar. Obama is the first U.S. president to take part in a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations economic alliance. The formal meeting was held Sunday.

That 10-nation alliance includes Myanmar, which the United States and other nations have accused of human rights abuses.

U.S. officials were careful to avoid any perception that Obama's presence at the ASEAN meeting would amount to a bilateral discussion with the prime minister of Myanmar.

After years of refusing direct talks with Myanmar, also known as Burma, the United States has indicated a possible re-engagement with the military regime it considers repressive for cracking down on political opposition, including the National League for Democracy.

The league is led by Suu Kyi, a detained Nobel Peace Prize winner.

President Obama, Please Stand Against Burma's Sham Election

This weekend, Burma will hold its sham election. The elections have already been marred by fraud, voter disenfranchisement, and outright vote stealing by Burma's military regime.

In Magwe division, government officials threatened villagers with forced relocation unless they vote for the regime-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDA). Over 3,400 ethnic minority villages will not be allowed to vote, disenfranchising approximately 1.5 million ethnic minorities. Most importantly, this sham election will usher in a constitution where the most powerful person remains the Commander in Chief of the military.

The Burmese regime is hoping this election gives them legitimacy in the international community. The U.S. must stand against these elections and pressure its global allies to stand with us. Email President Obama today calling on him to come out strongly against these elections.

In the lead up to the election, USCB supporters held more than 50 events at universities and communities around the country educating Americans about how the election will exacerbate problems in Burma. In Kachin state, northern region of the country, ethnic leaders fear attacks by the Burmese Army after the coming elections.

Burma's leading democratic groups including the National League for Democracy, the 88 Student Generation, the All Burma Monks Alliance, and ethnic representatives, have come out against this election. Political prisoners are barred from running for office, excluding Aung San Suu Kyi from the ballot. In addition, campaigning is highly restricted and dominated by the military-backed party. Many high-ranking military members recently covered their military uniforms with civilian clothing in order to run in the election.

Critically, this election will bring into power a constitution drafted behind closed doors by the regime cronies. The constitution allows the Commander in Chief to dissolve the parliament at any given time. In other words, the military will still call the shots, post election. To make sure they remain in power, 25% of the parliamentary seats are reserved for the current military members, making it impossible to amend the constitution (which requires over 75% of votes). A former UN Special Rapporteur to Burma recently emphasized that this election is not a step towards democracy but rather a step towards "military consolidation."

Be the voice for the people of Burma. Ask President Obama to denounce the results of Burma's 2010 sham election and to demand a tripartite dialogue between the democratic forces, the ethnic representatives, and the military regime - critical for national reconciliation.

Cyclone Death Toll Increases to 84 in Burma

The death toll in Burma from Cyclone Giri, which hit the country's west coast last Friday, has climbed to at least 84, according to local residents.
Forty-eight bodies were found on Monday in Arakan State's Myebon Township, which was badly hit by the cyclone, local residents said. A further 10 bodies were found in Pauktaw Township in the same state.
Burma's state-run TV made its first mention of casualties on Monday, saying at least 27 people had died and 15 were missing.

The cyclone ripped the roofs off these buildings in Kyakphyu, Arakan State. (Demowaiyan Blog)

The category four cyclone triggered a seven meter tidal surge and heavy rains, damaging roads, bridges, power and telephone lines. 

The state-media said the number of deaths would have been higher if the government had not issued early warnings and evacuated people to safer areas.

However, non-governmental organization (NGO) relief workers in Rangoon say it remains difficult to assess the scale of the casualties and destruction on small islands off the Arakan coast.

“I think the death toll could easily increase to 100,” said a leading member of a local NGO which has sent rescue teams to the affected areas.

According to Rangoon sources, the government has only allowed local staff of international NGOs in Rangoon to visit the affected areas, while foreigners working for those NGOs are restricted to Sittwe, Arakan's state capital.

Oil pipeline fire kills 14 in Myanmar, state TV says

Source: CNN

An oil pipeline fire in Myanmar has killed 14 people and injured more than 121 others, state-run television reported.

Villagers had rushed to collect fuel that was leaking from the pipeline when it ignited, apparently when someone lit a cigarette, the national broadcaster said.

The incident happened near Pakokku, in central Myanmar.

14 Die, Hundreds Injured in Pipeline Fire in Burma

More than a dozen people die and nearly 100 are injured in a explosion and fire near an oil pipeline near a village in Pakoku Township in central Burma on Sunday, according to local residents.
The blaze took place when local villagers were collecting oil leaking from the pipeline.

“While the villagers were skimming the oil, the fire broke out. Eight people were killed and about 70 were injured,” said a local resident. Accounts of the number of dead and injured varied.

Flames reach into the sky on Sunday night after a fire in which more than a dozen people died and scores were injured. (Photo: AFP)

A doctor at a local hospital told The Irrawaddy that he knew of two people dead and 21 people injured in the accident who were are being treated at the hospital.

 
Many of the injured were from Kyaunchaung and Myit Chaykyar villages in Pakoku, said local sources, who added that many of the injured refused to go to a hospital because of fear the authorities would take action against them.

The Agency France Presse news agency reported that 14 people died and more than 100 were injured in the fire. About 200 villagers were collecting oil from the leaking state-owned pipeline when someone lit a flame to see in the dark, said a local resident.
Authorities shut down the 20-mile long pipeline after the fire ignited.  

Burma to Raise New Flag for First Time

Burma's new national flag will be raised for the first time on Thursday afternoon, according to government sources.

After the flag-raising ceremony, which will take place across the country, the country's former flags will be burnt and buried.

The new flag

The new flag, designated in the 2008 Constitution, has a central star set against a yellow, green and red background.

The mysticism that dominates the life of junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe will also surround the flag-raising ceremony, sources say. The old flags will be lowered by government department officials who were born on a Tuesday, while the new flags will be raised by officials born on a Wednesday.

One million flags have been made by textile factories, according to sources within the Ministry of Defence.

Other sources said that the regime aimed to fly the new flag during the period of the Burmese general election on Nov. 7.

Cyclone Giri Strikes Burma

With winds peaking at 152 kilometers per hour, cyclone Giri struck Burma's west Arakan State and is forecast to continue into central Burma until late Saturday.

The cyclone struck land near Kyaukphyu, a large island off Arakan's coast, severing phone links in several parts of the region.

After forming over the Bay of Bengal, Giri developed into a “Category II” cyclone on Friday morning, according to Myanmar Climate Change Watch.

The projected path of Cyclone Giri (Map: US Navy)

“The periphery of the cyclone hit the Arakan coast this morning, with the eye of the cyclone striking land around 3 p.m today [Friday],” said Tun Lwin of the local weather board.The cyclone was stronger than forecast on Friday morning, he said, and would likely cross Sagaing, Magwe and Mandalay Divisions.
The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center announced earlier that the cyclone is headed in the direction of Mandalay Division and may make landfall with winds of 148 kph.
State-controlled radio and TV broadcast constant warnings advising people to keep away from electricity poles and tall trees and to believe only official reports about the cyclone rather than rumors, said local residents in Rangoon.

In 2008 May, when Nargis, a category IV cyclone,  hit the Irrawaddy Delta and Rangoon, more than 130,000 people were killed and millions of people were left homeless.

The 65-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, Daw Suu, wants to Tweet

Indonesian protesters display banners and placards with pictures of Burmese democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration in front of the Burmese embassy in Jakarta in May 2007. (Photo: Getty Images) 

RANGOON — Burma's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi wants to sign up for a Twitter account once she is released so that she can "tweet" and keep in touch with the younger generation, her lawyer said Monday.

The 65-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years, entered her latest period of detention in May 2003 before the Twitter era started.

Her detention expires on Nov. 13, prompting speculation she will be freed though there has been no such official announcement from the ruling military junta. The country's first election in 20 years will take place days earlier on Nov. 7, timing that analysts say was designed to keep the opposition leader locked away for the polls.

"Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's current wish is to sign up on Twitter when she is released," said her lawyer Nyan Win, who has visited her twice in the past week. "She told me she wants to use Twitter to get in touch with the younger generation inside and outside the country."

"She wishes to be able to tweet every day and keep in touch," he said.

Suu Kyi has no phone line or any access to the Internet, though she has a laptop, Nyan Win said. He described her as computer- and tech-savvy and adept with electronic gadgets.

Under the rules of her detention, Suu Kyi is allowed to read state-controlled newspapers and private local news journals and magazines, to listen to the radio and to watch state-run television but she has no satellite dish to receive foreign broadcasts.

Her lawyers are among the few people allowed to see Suu Kyi, aside from her doctors and occasional visits with UN and foreign dignitaries.

According to July statistics from the state-run Post and Telecommunication Ministry, there are 400,000 internet users in Burma, with the vast majority in the former capital Rangoon and the second-largest city of Mandalay.

Former Archbishop of South Afirca, Tutu will not Stop Support for 'Free Burma'

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CAPE TOWN — The former Archbishop of South Africa, Desmond Tutu, met with a representative from the Free Burma Campaign  in South Africa last week to discuss the  state of affairs of Burma.

She was accompanied by  Burmese citizens who live in Cape Town, who came to show their appreciation for the support Tutu has  given in speaking out against the ruling military junta in Burma. 

Tutu said that although he has stepped down from public office, he will still be a vocal supporter for a free and democratic Burma.

He said that it was only a matter of time until the Burmese military regime is brought down and  democracy will prevail. 

The former archbishop celebrated his 79th birthday last week and officially retired from the public arena. 

Tutu is a strong proponent for human rights and has spoken out against the injustices and human rights violations of various peoples around the world. 

In 2007, Tutu said he was “deeply disappointed” at South Africa’s decision to veto the UN Security Council resolution to demand an end to human rights abuses in Burma. 

Much like South Africa during its apartheid years, the people of Burma today still face human rights violations, discrimination and live under a rule of law where freedom of speech and freedom of press is non-existent.

Tutu has vigorously supported the release of  Aung San Suu Kyi who is currently under house arrest.  A fellow Nobel Laureate, her   National League for Democracy party (the main opposition) was forcibly disbanded by the regime.

With the upcoming national elections about to be held in Burma, it is more important now than ever to make the international public aware of the plight of this often overlooked nation.

Former United Nations Rights Officials Call for Burma Inquiry

Two top former human rights officials of the United Nations on Tuesday urged the European Union to support the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity in Burma, as recommended by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma.

The request was made by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro of Brazil and Yozo Yokota of Japan, who served as the special rapporteurs on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma in (2000-2008) and (1992-1996), respectively, in a letter to Catherine Ashton, the high representative of the EU.

“As former UN special rapporteurs on human rights in Myanmar [Burma], it is our firm conclusion that the pattern of human rights violations perpetrated by the military regime in Burma/Myanmar is severe, widespread and systematic, and directed at civilians, and may therefore violate international human rights and humanitarian laws,” Pinheiro and Yokota said.

“As the current special rapporteur has concluded, the abuses are a matter of state policy and there is more than sufficient evidence to justify the creation of such a Commission of Inquiry," the letter said.

Pinheiro and Yokota also urged that the EU should propose the commission in a forthcoming UN General Assembly resolution. “It is essential to send a strong message to the regime ahead of the elections that the international community will not continue to tolerate its violations of international humanitarian law and that impunity must end," they wrote.

The letter noted that evidence of the widespread and systematic use of forced labor, rape as a weapon of war, the forcible conscription of child soldiers, religious persecution, torture and killings is well documented and has been presented by many respected human rights organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) and Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), among others.

Copies of the letter were sent to the government of Belgium, the current president of the Council of the European Union, foreign ministers of EU member states and permanent representatives of EU member states to the United Nations in New York and Geneva.

“Since 1996, over 3,500 villages in eastern Burma alone have been destroyed, and at least half a million people internally displaced. Hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee to the borders of neighboring countries, and beyond. These violations of international humanitarian law have been documented by the UN in numerous resolutions by the General Assembly and Human Rights Council, and in our own and other reports of Special Rapporteurs,” the letter said.

The two former UN officials said the new Constitution, which will come into force after the regime’s elections in November, contains a clause providing blanket immunity for all crimes, past, present and future, committed by the military, and guarantees the military a quarter of the parliamentary seats.

“The election laws issued earlier this year, the recent de-registration of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, and the regime’s decision to exclude many ethnic populations and parties from participating, mean that the forthcoming elections offer little hope of meaningful change in Burma. The elections, in our opinion, will perpetuate military rule and result in continuing human rights violations,” they said.

So far, 13 nations have expressed their support for the establishment of the UN Commission of Inquiry in Burma, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Estonia, which became the 13th supporter on Saturday.

Aung Din of the US Campaign for Burma said the European Union is the major author of the Burma draft resolution at the UN General Assembly and it has been working on a draft in Brussels since September.

Pro-democracy activists including the US Campaign for Burma are pushing the EU to include the language, "calling for the secretary-general to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate human rights violations in Burma" in the draft resolution, which will be submitted to the UN General Assembly soon.

So far, the EU hasn't agreed to the proposal.

Source: Irrawaddy

EU-Asia Summit Urges Release of Burma Prisoners

A policeman stands in front of pro-Tibetan activists demonstrating on October 5, in Brussels on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). (Photo: Getty Images) 

Leaders of 48 Asian and European countries urged the military junta of Burma to release political prisoners before general elections next month.

The leaders attending the biannual Asian-European Union summit, or ASEM, said they "touched upon the issue" of Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader who has been under house arrest for 15 of the last 21 years, but did not specifically call for her freedom.

But a statement concluding the two-day conference said the release of detainees would help the elections be "more inclusive, participatory and transparent."

The position was included in a "Chair's Statement," which meant it did not require consensus or Burma’s agreement.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy was declared illegal after it failed to register by last May to take part in the election, scheduled for Nov. 7. The NLD is boycotting the vote, which it considers undemocratic. Suu Kyi filed a suit earlier Tuesday with Burma’s High Court to declare that the NLD remains a legal party.

Suu Kyi's latest term of 18 months' house arrest is due to expire on Nov. 13, but it was unclear if her detention would be extended by the junta chief, Snr-Gen Than Shwe.

The ASEM statement urged the government to talk with all parties in a process of national reconciliation, saying a free and fair election would be a step toward "a legitimate, constitutional, civilian system of government."

Source: Irrawaddy News

ASEM (Asian Europe Meeting) Will Call on Junta to Hold Free and Fair Elections

One month ahead of Burma's November elections, Asian and European leaders attending the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Brussels are scheduled to issue a statement on Tuesday that will reportedly press the Burmese junta to hold free, fair and inclusive elections.

The 46 nations attending ASEM will also call on Burma to release its more than 2,100 political prisoners, including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. “The timely release of those under detention would contribute to these elections being more inclusive, participatory and transparent,” said a draft of the ASEM chairman's summary obtained by several news organizations. 

Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win, second from right, along with other participants in the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting. (Photo: eutrio.be)

In connection with ASEM, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) released a statement that urged ASEM attendees to take action against the Burmese junta and called for the release of political detainees and the end of suppression of ethnic minorities and democracy supporters.

The ITUC added that it was concerned that “some in the international community are viewing the national elections in Burma next month as a reason to relax pressure on the regime.”

“The elections are deeply flawed: pro-democracy voices have been excluded, other parties have been prevented from campaigning effectively, and regardless of the outcome of the vote, the military is guaranteed effective control of government under a flawed constitution,” the ITUC statement said.

Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein, who has not attended any ASEM, sent Foreign Minister Nyan Win to represent Burma's military regime.

Previously, the 7th ASEM, held in Beijing in 2008, called on the Burmese junta to engage all stakeholders in an inclusive political process for national reconciliation and economic and social development.

“In this regard, they [the ASEM leaders] called for the lifting of restrictions placed on political parties and early further release of those under detention,” said the statement of the ASEM chairman. 
In the run-up to the Nov. 7 election, Burma's first in 20 years, Burma continues to keep political dissidents in prison and exclude them from the political process. The National League for Democracy, Burma's main opposition group led by Suu Kyi, has boycotted the polls.

The junta is likely to face another international call for free, fair and inclusive polls during the 17th Summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be held in Hanoi on Oct 28-30, which US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to attend.

The 46 ASEM countries include the 27 members of the European Union and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, plus Australia, China, India, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Russia and South Korea.

The Case for a Burmese Vote

Source: NYTimes.com

The elections set for Nov. 7 in Myanmar are a travesty of democracy — but they are welcome nonetheless.

Their main purpose is to dress the military regime in new civilian-looking clothes; a secondary purpose is to appease international criticism by putting on an electoral show. The possibility of real change in the power structure is the last thing the generals have in mind.

Yet the generals are sowing some seeds of change which might in time flower into something more plural and democratic, and provide regional as well as national forums for future debate. Meanwhile money from gas, minerals and privatization of state assets is seeping into a once austere military-socialist system, corrupting it and slowly undermining it.

In short, it is hard to argue that Myanmar will be any worse after the elections than it is now. It might start getting better.

The main opposition group, the National League for Democracy headed by Aung San Suu Kyi, whose victory in the 1990 election was overturned by the military, has good reason to boycott the polls. Its leader is under house arrest and unable to run. The apparatus of an oppressive regime and its captive media makes campaigning — and boycott calls — hazardous. Hundreds of political prisoners remain in jail, including monks held in the wake of the 2007 demonstrations in which many were killed. Government-backed parties, principally the Union Solidarity Development Party and its allies in ethnic minority regions, are destined to win. The military also has 25 percent of the seats allotted to it.
In the longer run the N.L.D. itself may be best served by its boycott. But Myanmar could also be served by the prospect that a few members from other opposition parties will be elected and create a thin democratic wedge.

A comparison can be made between Myanmar and the last decade of Suharto’s rule in Indonesia, when some parliamentary opposition became possible and, as the offspring of generals, sought wealth and business through access to government contracts and privatizations. Pluralism and competition began to sprout.

Of course there are many differences, not least that Suharto had a relatively open economy. But in Myanmar the generals are taking off their uniforms to become civilian ministers. Their families and associates are enjoying the fruits of privatization, and opening bank accounts in Singapore.

However badly managed Myanmar’s economy and its major domestic enterprises may be, plenty of money will come from new gas, pipeline and power projects to keep many a well-connected ex-officer in the style to which Southeast Asian businessmen have long been accustomed, and there will be many opportunities to acquire state and joint-venture assets. The power of money will be diversified.
Competition is growing for foreign deals after years in which China had a near-monopoly. In response to India’s bid for Myanmar gas and American attempts, so far unsuccessful, to engage with the military, China has been further bolstering its ties, most recently by inviting the Myanmar leader Than Shwe to Beijing. China is well aware that the United States is now more interested in limiting China’s influence than punishing the generals for repression.

While China officially welcomes the approaching elections, it may well be worried about the weakening of its own influence in the long run, or of a nationalist backlash against Chinese influence. Indians once ran much of Myanmar’s trade, only to be expelled, and have their assets seized, following the 1962 military coup.

The ultimate impact of elections on Myanmar’s rebellious ethnic minorities is also an issue for China — as it is for the integrity of a Myanmar in which only 70 percent of the population is ethnic Burmese. A semblance of democracy and devolution could start to bring an end to decades of intermittent conflict — or it could be the precursor of more warfare, particularly in the Shan and Kachin states, which abut China’s Yunnan Province.

China wants peace in these regions, but preferably through the government’s accommodation with rebel groups and not central government control. It wants to avoid crises such as the one in 2009, when 30,000 refugees fled to China to escape an army offensive. Meanwhile the Yunnan provincial government and Chinese businessmen mostly just want uninterrupted trade — which includes drugs and illegal mining and logging.

For Myanmar as a whole, the generals are trying to modernize their control system. But whether in the longer term they can keep control of change is questionable. Therein lies hope.

US Congressman called to Release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Now

WASHINGTON—A key US lawmaker on Thursday called on the Burmese military regime to set Aung San Suu Kyi free and says rumors that she will be released in November are a ploy to gain legitimacy in the upcoming election..

“We've seen this 'catch and release' game by the Burmese junta before—they release Aung San Suu Kyi to create a facade of change and then turn around and unfairly arrest her again," Congressman Joseph Crowley said.

“If the military junta was really serious about making changes and carrying forward fair and democratic elections, they would release her now, along with the other members of her party,” said the congressman from New York who has sponsored several laws and resolutions against the military junta in the past.

"Unfortunately, the claim that they may release her is a ploy to legitimize these unfair elections, and further proof that the junta will do or say just about anything to maintain power," he said.
Meanwhile, several lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives condemning the Burmese military regime’s undemocratic upcoming elections on Nov. 7.

The resolution denounces the regime’s election as “the one-sided, undemocratic and illegitimate actions of the State Peace and Development Council [official name of the regime] that seeks to legitimize military rule through a flawed election process”.

Welcoming the resolution, Aung Din of the United States Campaign for Burma, said: “This is a timely and necessary action on the part of the US Congress to warn the US administration not to wait and see, but to take effective action without further delay to stop the regime’s plan to build a permanent military dictatorship in Burma, with the help of China, India, and North Korea.”
The resolution denounces the regime’s dissolution of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, led by Suu Kyi.

The resolution says that “no government in Burma can be considered democratic or legitimate without the participation of Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD, and ethnic nationalities and the full restoration of democracy, freedom of assembly, freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and internationally recognized human rights for all Burmese citizens.”

An influential American lawmaker on Thursday also introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives calling on the Burmese regime to immediately recognize the Rohingya people “as full and equal citizens of Burma.”

The resolution, introduced by Congressman Christopher Smith, also urges the Burmese military regime to lift all restrictions on movement, marriage and access to education. It calls for an end to the regime’s campaign of religious and ethnic persecution “amounting to crimes against humanity throughout Burma.”

Co-sponsored by Congressman James McGovern and Joseph Pitts, the resolution urges the government of Bangladesh to address “the dire humanitarian conditions and food insecurity in the makeshift camps” along its border with Burma, in co-operation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and to “desist from forcing unregistered Rohingya to return to Burma.”

It also highlights the situation of Rohingyas in Saudi Arabia and urges the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to allow Rohingyas “access to education and livelihoods.”

Addressing Burma’s crimes against humanity, the resolution urges the US to “proactively support” the recommendation by the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma for the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry.

“This legislation underscores the plight and human rights abuses endured by the Rohingyas with the hope and expectation that the light of scrutiny will result in new actions by the many governments that can and should provide assistance and refuge to the Rohingyas,” said Congressman Smith.