Burma Related News - Jan 01-04, 2009.
TIN KYI
BURMA RELATED NEWS - JANUARY 01- 04, 2010
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AP - Myanmar chief confirms elections to be held 2010
AP - Myanmar court charges US citizen
AP - Myanmar to give big boost to gov't worker salaries
Reuters - Myanmar pushes poll 20 years after ignoring NLD win
SMH - Burmese Army tunes in to Australian technology
EarthTimes - Myanmar junta hikes salaries ahead of election
Xinhua - Myanmar to hold major Yangon trade exhibition next week
Tricityherald - Ex-political prisoner starting new life in Tri-Cities
IPS - Backlash against Rogue Chinese Investors Alarms Beijing
The Irrawaddy - Constitutional Impunity for Generals in Burma
Mizzima News - Economist urges reforms and transparency
DVB News - Locals tortured following Karen defection
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Myanmar chief confirms elections to be held 2010
Mon Jan 4, 5:56 am ET
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Myanmar's ruling junta chief confirmed Monday
that the country's first general elections in two decades will be held
this year but gave no date for the balloting, which is expected to
exclude pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
In a message marking the anniversary of Myanmar's 1948 independence
from Britain, Senior Gen. Than Shwe said that the regime's "seven-
step" roadmap is the only way for the country to move toward
democracy.
The roadmap is the junta's program for shifting from nearly 50 years
of military rule. A key step in that process was a constitution
adopted in a 2008 referendum widely criticized as authoritarian. The
constitution guarantees a quarter of parliamentary seats for the
military. The final step in the roadmap is the elections.
"Plans are under way to hold the elections in a systematic way this
year and the entire people have to make correct choices," Than Shwe
said in a message printed in state-run newspapers. The message did not
clarify what was meant by "correct choices" but was widely assumed to
urge voters to support military-backed political parties.
Critics say the process will merely perpetuate military rule under a
civilian guise. Suu Kyi, who recently had her house arrest extended by
18 months, will be unable to participate in the balloting.
The junta has yet to pass necessary elections laws for the 2010 vote
or set a date.
Myanmar gained independence from Britain on Jan. 4, 1948, after more
than 120 years of colonial rule. It has been under harsh military rule
since 1962. The current junta emerged in 1988 after violently
suppressing mass pro-democracy protests. It held a general election in
1990, but refused to recognize the results after a landslide victory
by Suu Kyi's party.
Her National League for Democracy marked Independence Day at party
headquarters in Yangon Monday with a gathering of some 400 party
members, diplomats and supporters. More than 50 plainclothes policemen
observed and videotaped the meeting from across the street.
The party reiterated its call for the release from detention of its
party leaders and all other political prisoners and for the reopening
of branch offices which were shut down in 2003.
The United States congratulated the people of Myanmar, also known as
Burma, on the 62nd anniversary of its independence, and said it looked
forward to the day when they could "exercise freely their universal
human rights."
State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said the United States "stands
ready to take steps to improve bilateral relations based on reciprocal
and meaningful efforts by the Burmese government to fulfill the
Burmese people's democratic aspirations."
Than Shwe on Monday warned people to "remain vigilant at all times
against dangers posed by neocolonialists." "Neocolonialists" normally
refers to Western nations that have been sharply critical of the
regime's human rights record and brutal crackdowns on any protests.
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Myanmar court charges US citizen
Fri Jan 1, 9:29 am ET
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – A special court Friday formally charged a
Myanmar-born American, initially accused of attempting to foment
rebellion against the country's military rulers, for forgery and
violation of the foreign currency act, his lawyer said.
In another court case, the Supreme Court announced that it will hear
final arguments to decide whether to review the most recent extension
of the house arrest of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Kyaw Zaw Lwin, a U.S. citizen, was charged with forgery for allegedly
making up a national identity card, which carries maximum 7-year
prison term. He was also charged with violating the currency act, that
could put him in prison for another three years, said his lawyer Nyan
Win.
Kyaw Zaw Lwin, who is also known as Nyi Nyi Aung, was arrested Sept. 3
when he arrived at Yangon airport and accused of trying to stir up
anti-government protests.
The lawyer said his client ended a 12-day hunger strike on Dec. 15 and
"looked well and was in good spirits."
Kyaw Zaw Lwin's mother is serving a five-year prison term for
political activities and his sister was sentenced to 65 years in
prison for her role in pro-democracy protests in 2007.
The lawyer for Suu Kyi, also Nyan Win, said the Supreme Court posted
an announcement on its notice board setting Jan. 18 as the date to
hear final argumentd in her latest case.
Suu Kyi's lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court in November after a
lower court upheld a decision to sentence her to 18 months of house
arrest. She had been convicted in August last year of violating her
previous term by briefly sheltering an American intruder who swam
uninvited to her lakeside home.
The legal team argued that her house arrest extension was unlawful as
it was based on provisions from the 1974 Constitution that was no
longer in existence, said Nyan Win.
"We are optimistic that the Supreme Court will review the Divisional
Court decision as we have presented strong legal points," he said.
The 64-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate was initially sentenced to three
years in prison with hard labor, but that sentence was commuted to 18
months of house arrest by junta chief Senior Gen. Than Shwe.
Suu Kyi has been detained for 14 of the past 20 years.
Suu Kyi's sentence ensures she cannot participate in Myanmar's first
elections in two decades that are scheduled for next year. Her party
swept the last elections in 1990, but the results were never honored
by the military, which has ruled the country since 1962.
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Myanmar to give big boost to gov't worker salaries
AP - Sunday, January 3
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Myanmar's military regime, apparently hoping to
placate civil servants facing spiraling prices, will raise the
salaries of low-paid government employees starting Jan. 31, a regime
official said Saturday.
Under the new scale, civil servants with the lowest pay of 15,000 kyat
($15) per month to mid-level pay of 80,000 kyat ($80) will receive a
fixed increase of 20,000 kyat ($20) per month, said the official who
spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak
to the press.
The government has not officially announced the salary hike, but
employees have seen official circulars about the increase.
Employees receiving salaries above 100,000 kyat ($100) per month are
excluded from the hike.
The raises appear to be an effort to douse discontent among civil
servants, and come as the government tries to garner support among the
population for this year's general elections.
Myanmar, one of the world's poorest nations, has been hit hard by the
spiraling price of commodities and consumer items, including rice and
cooking oil.
Massive fuel price hikes in August 2007 sparked violent protests in
the country.
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Myanmar pushes poll 20 years after ignoring NLD win
By Aung Hla Tun – Mon Jan 4, 5:15 am ET
YANGON (Reuters) – Reclusive Myanmar ruling General Than Shwe urged
the country on Monday to make "correct choices" in this year's general
election, but gave no hint about exactly when the long-awaited polls
will take place.
Myanmar's last election, in 1990, ended with a landslide win for Aung
San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy but the junta
ignored the result and has since jailed more than 2,000 activists and
political opponents, many for minor offences.
Suu Kyi herself has been under house arrest or other sort of detention
for 14 of the last 20 years.
In a message to mark the 62nd anniversary of Myanmar's independence,
Than Shwe championed the junta's much-criticized "road map" as the
only route to democratic change, but gave no timeframe for the vote.
"Plans are under way to hold elections in a systematic way this year,"
he said in the address, read out on television by a senior junta
official and carried in state-run newspapers.
The 76-year-old gave no new details about the election in the former
British colony, and described the junta's seven-stage reform plan as
"the sole process of transition to democracy."
The election has already been widely dismissed as a means to entrench
nearly five decades of unbroken military rule, with the junta hoping a
public vote would legitimize its monopoly of national politics.
Critics of the army-drafted constitution say Myanmar's legislature
will be dominated by the military and their civilian stooges, with
limited powers and representation for dozens of ethnic groups or
established opposition parties.
The notoriously secretive regime has yet to say who can take part in
the polls.
Several major ethnic groups are resisting calls to join the political
process, saying they have nothing to gain.
Many analysts believe the delay in naming an election date is to give
the government more time to bring the ethnic groups on board, either
voluntarily or through military force.
The National League for Democracy has not said whether it will run in
the polls and has rejected the constitution promulgated in 2008
because of the power it grants to the military.
On Monday it urged the regime to release all political prisoners and
engage with all the parties involved.
"All the stakeholders need to hold a dialogue with a sincere intention
toward national reconciliation and for the benefit of the country and
the people," said Khin Muang Swe, the head of the NLD's central
executive committee.
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The Sydney Morning Herald
Burmese Army tunes in to Australian technology
HAMISH MCDONALD ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR
January 5, 2010
ADVANCED radio sets supplied to Burma by an Australian company have
been diverted to military use, linking the Burmese Army's headquarters
with key regional commands running its brutal wars against ethnic
minorities, according to monitors of the sanction-shrouded country.
The radio sets, made and supplied by Barrett Communications of Perth,
have been deployed in recent months at the Burmese Army's headquarters
in the capital, Naypyidaw, and at the army's central, eastern and
north-eastern commands involved in long-running campaigns against Shan
and other insurgent forces.
The Burmese Government is tendering for 50 more of the Barrett 2050
high-frequency radio sets and associated data modems, which can carry
voice, data, email and fax traffic with a high degree of reliability
and security.
The radios use frequency-hopping software that switches messages
rapidly between about 500 frequencies, making them hard to intercept
and unscramble except by the most sophisticated intelligence agencies
such as the US National Security Agency or Australia's Defence Signals
Directorate.
Desmond Ball of the Australian National University said he was told of
the military's induction of the Barrett 2050 during recent research as
part of a long-running project into Burma's military communication for
the ANU's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.
''Radio stations that monitor Burmese HF communications began
detecting extensive use of these through the course of 2009 by the
military at the highest command level, from the capital, Naypyidaw, to
at least three of the regional commands,'' Professor Ball said.
''They are still using other systems for the divisions down to the
brigades and battalions, but for the high-level military
communications there is no doubt.''
The managing director of Barrett, Phil Bradshaw, said yesterday that
his company had been supplying the civilian-model 2050 radios to Burma
for some time through a local agent, with the approval of the Customs
authorities vetting exports for conformity with sanctions against the
military regime.
''They're not actually used by the military as such,'' he said.
''They're used for just internal communications within Burma.''
''I can't say the army haven't used them, but I don't think they have.
The export people know that we are sending these out. Our radios
aren't for military use anyway. The ones that are going to Burma,
they're straight Barrett 2050s with data systems which are used to
send data from point A to point B. They're not tactical radios by any
means.''
Mr Bradshaw confirmed that a Burmese Government ministry was presently
tendering for 50 more of the 2050 radios and modems, and numerous
small trading firms were trying to get involved in the deal.
Professor Ball said it was common for the Burmese military to get
advanced dual-use technology through civilian fronts.
''That's how it gets a lot of their fibre-optic gear and all the rest.
They pretend they are civilian. There's no other way they can get it
for the military. These are high-quality things that the military
badly wants: that frequency-hopping system basically defies
monitoring.''
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EarthTimes - Myanmar junta hikes salaries ahead of election
Posted : Sun, 03 Jan 2010 03:43:04 GMT
Yangon - Myanmar's junta raised the salaries of civil servants and
military staff on January 1, ahead of a general election planned this
year, official sources confirmed Sunday.
"We have obtained information for the raise of our salaries from Nay
Pyi Taw (the military's capital) and I think we can draw the new
salary at the end of January," a senior official who requested
anonymity told the German Press Agency dpa.
For most civil servants, special increments of 20,000 kyats (about 20
dollars) will be added to their monthly salaries.
"The increment is not included for the ranks of deputy director
general or above who get salary about 160,000 kyats (about 160
dollars) per month," the source said.
The average monthly salary for low-ranking civil servants was
previously 35,000 kyats (35 dollars), but under the new salary scale
will be increased to 55,000 kyats, a 57 per cent jump.
Salaries of military staff have been increased at an increment
slightly higher than that of civil servants, but details were not
available.
The salary rises are expected to lead to inflation, observers said.
For instance, Myanmar Post and Telecommunication Enterprise has
already doubled the call charge of mobile phones from 25 kyats to 50
kyats per minute, effective January 1.
Myanmar has been under military dictatorship since 1962. The ruling
junta, widely condemned for its poor human rights record and refusal
to release more than 2,000 political prisoners including opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has announced plans to hold a general
election some time in 2010.
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Myanmar to hold major Yangon trade exhibition next week
www.chinaview.cn 2010-01-02 19:51:43
YANGON, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar will hold the Yangon Expo' 2010, a
major trade exhibition here next week to boost external and domestic
trade, exhibition sources said on Saturday.
The four-day exhibition will take place at the Tatmadaw Hall form
January 8 to 11, the sources said, adding that local and foreign
producers and distributors will join in the exhibition.
Comprising 170 booths, computer and its accessories, electrical goods,
medicine, cosmetic, agricultural and fishery, machinery, industrial
products and consumer goods as well as services relating to education
and health, will be introduced at the exhibition.
According to official statistics, Myanmar's foreign trade volume hit
11.2 billion dollars in the fiscal year of 2008-09.
Of the total, the export amounted to over 6.7 billion dollars, while
its import was valued at over 4.5 billion dollars, enjoying a trade
surplus of 2.2 billion dollars.
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Monday, Jan. 04, 2010
Tricityherald.com - Ex-political prisoner starting new life in Tri-
Cities
By Pratik Joshi, Herald staff writer
KENNEWICK -- Her will and positive attitude helped her survive five
torturous years in a small prison cell as a political prisoner in
Burma.
Even years of forced separation from her husband, who's been
imprisoned in Burma since 1997 for demanding justice and human and
labor rights for the people of Burma, and her inability to speak
English didn't dim Khin Mar's resolve to fight on and start a new life
in the Tri-Cities.
"I never give up," said the 47-year-old Mar, who this week starts a
full-time job with benefits to do maintenance work at an apartment
complex in Kennewick.
"I have an open mind, keep my eyes open and observe," said Mar, who
arrived in the United States in 2006.
She soon moved to the Tri-Cities, attracted by its small size and low
cost of living.
She credits the staff at Goodwill Industries of the Columbia for
guiding and helping get her valuable work experience while she dealt
with personal and family issues.
They always had a smile and a patient ear for her, Mar explained.
"I didn't know where to start," she said.
She said she's had to overcome barriers in her adopted country besides
having to learn English. Her degree also wasn't recognized in the
United States.
She took over the responsibility of caring for her grandchildren after
her daughter became sick. That made her job search difficult, she
said. Her case workers at Goodwill help her feel relaxed and
encouraged her to learn.
Amy Payson, case manager at Goodwill, said she was amazed knowing what
Mar had to endure. Mar always managed to do what she was asked to do
as part of the program at Goodwill. She always worked hard and stayed
positive, Payson said.
Mar said one day she wants to own a business, like she once did in
Burma, also called Myanmar. She was involved in construction, real
estate and a tailoring business at various times.
She wants to improve her English language and computer skills, and
remain active in her struggle to promote democracy in her native
country.
While her husband Myo Aung Thant, 53, remains incarcerated in solitary
confinement, she spends her spare time e-mailing and teleconferencing
with other supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi, who's leading a movement
for democratic change in Burma.
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Inter Press Service News Agency
POLITICS: Backlash against Rogue Chinese Investors Alarms Beijing
By Antoaneta Bezlova
BEIJING, Jan 4 (IPS) - As China moves up in the world and the need for
investment in its own infrastructure declines, Chinese investors and
financiers are eyeing lucrative contracts in less developed countries,
winning bids to build dams, power plants and highways from Burma to
Uzbekistan and Angola.
However welcome by local governments this influx of fresh Chinese
financing may be, the wave of cheap Chinese labour and investors’ lack
of concern for local communities are creating ripples of resentment in
recipient countries, and gradually becoming a PR problem for image-
conscious Beijing.
When economic historian Qin Hui recently gave a talk on China’s
involvement in infrastructure projects in South-east Asia, he
described Chinese investors as the new "Westerners" in Laos and
Cambodia.
Speaking in Kunming – the centre of much Chinese investment flowing
into the Mekong region – Qin said Chinese companies have a tendency to
apply the lowest standards they possibly can. "Some companies look to
see whether local standards are lower than Chinese standards – if so,
they apply local standards," Qin said.
This has created a lot of complaints about Chinese companies’
wrongdoings, agrees Zhang Xizhen of the School for International
Studies at Beijing University. "There are multiple reasons for this:
some Chinese companies only focus on profits and have little concern
about local peoples’ benefits. On the other hand, the Chinese
government has not taken strict measures to check companies’ behaviour
but has only encouraged them to ‘go out.’"
While some of the companies that operate in Asia are small and obscure
private enterprises, the most important players come from the state-
owned sector – they are big, powerful and enjoy strong support from
the government and the state banks.
In the first ten months of 2009, Chinese companies completed overseas
projects worth 58 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 33 percent over
the same period in 2008, according to data from the commerce
ministry.
Flush with cash and backed by an economic "going-out" government
strategy, Chinese companies are more daring than ever when
contemplating projects in risk places like Burma or Sudan. But the
backlash against Chinese investors in some countries like Zambia and
even ideological allies such as Vietnam are now sounding alarm bells
in Beijing and making policymakers question the behaviour of its state
champions abroad.
In Zambia, where China is mining cobalt, the deaths of several local
workers in an accident in a Chinese factory in 2006 led to riots and
more fatalities. After Chinese investment became an issue in Zambia’s
presidential elections, Chinese president Hu Jintao was advised
against visiting the country’s copper mines during his state visit to
the country in 2007.
In Vietnam, where the communist party rules unrivalled in much the
same way as in China, the state leaders have come under fire for
undermining the country’s sovereignty by giving Chinese companies too
many contracts to mine valuable natural resources.
In a stunning outcome for Hanoi, the environmental lobby and
dissidents were joined by the venerated statesman and general Vo
Nguyen Giap. The general, who once took his lessons in Marxism and
guerilla warfare from Chinese communist leaders, has written several
open letters calling on party leaders to scale down Chinese companies’
infiltration of Vietnam.
All these developments have been a matter of concern for Beijing for
some time, and observers say Chinese leaders have responded to mend
the country’s image and prevent another rise of "China threat"
propaganda – particularly in South-east Asia, which Beijing regards as
its backyard.
The development of the Mekong water resources in the region has
emerged as one of the most sensitive issues between China and its
downstream neighbours. China has built three hydroelectric dams on the
Mekong (known as the Lancang in China) and is halfway through a fourth
at Xiaowan, in the southern Yunnan province. What is more, Chinese
investors are involved in scores of hydropower projects in Laos,
Cambodia and Burma.
According to Qin Hui, of the 34 planned hydropower projects in Laos,
roughly 40 percent are being developed with Chinese investment, while
all of the 20 plants planned to be constructed in Burma are being
built by Chinese companies.
Both the environmental protection and commerce ministry are reported
to be working on guidelines requiring Chinese investors to apply
Chinese domestic standards to overseas projects if the host country’s
environmental and labour standards are too weak. During their
diplomatic tours of Africa and Asia Chinese leaders from party chief
Hu Jintao to vice-president Xi Jinping have been calling on Chinese
business abroad to comply with local laws and respect local
communities.
But, "although owned by the state, Chinese enterprises often operate
at arm’s length from the government and do not necessarily follow
official policies when they contradict corporate interests," notes
Peter Bosshard, policy director of International Rivers in the winter
issue of the ‘World Policy Institute’ journal.
Bosshard, who has been observing the expansion of China’s dam industry
overseas, believes that without Chinese funding and technology, many
controversial projects in countries such as Burma, Laos and Sudan
would not go forward.
But Chinese experts defend Beijing’s record, arguing that China cannot
be expected to enforce its own other standards and that only those of
the host country apply to infrastructure projects. Shi Guoqing, a
resettlement expert who had been studying the Ilisu Dam project in
Turkey – one of the most controversial large dam projects nowadays –
says resettlement programmes are the responsibility of the host
country and not of the developer or the funding agencies.
The Ilisu project, which had been rejected by European export credit
agencies and private banks twice, is now reportedly lobbying for
support from Sinosure – China’s official export credit insurance
agency. Shi, who had been studying the proposed dam for three years,
confirms that the project would displace up to 60,000 Turkish and
Kurdish people from their land but argues that social resettlement
programmes need to be guaranteed by the Turkish government.
"It is hard to expect foreign sponsors to go in and impose their own
standards on the host country," Shi says. As for Chinese funding, he
believes that now even commercial Chinese banks like Huaxia bank are
developing their own code principles and this would lead to a more
unified approach in deciding where Chinese money goes.
Other experts say it is too simplistic to lay the whole blame for
Chinese companies’ behavior abroad with the companies themselves. Ding
Xueliang, a social scientist with the Hong Kong University of Science
and Technology, says big Chinese state-owned companies go abroad only
with the blessing of both Beijing and the governments of the host
countries.
"If Chinese state companies do something bad abroad, they are indeed
regarded as ‘big bullies’, but one needs to remember that the
initiative had come first and foremost from the government of the host
country. It is more of a government-to-government affair whenever big
state companies are concerned," Ding, who has researched Chinese
company’s behavior in Southeast Asia, says.
He adds that Western nations’ reluctance to do business with some
rogue countries in Asia has left a huge investment vacuum that Chinese
companies are only too eager to fill. "Without competition from
Western companies in the region, there is no pressure for Chinese
companies whatsoever to improve their corporate behavior," Ding says.
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The Irrawaddy - Constitutional Impunity for Generals in Burma
By KAY LATT - Monday, January 4, 2010
"In the military everybody is liable for their failure to abide by the
law. No one is above the law," said Gen Thura Shwe Mann shortly after
Gen Khin Nyunt had been taken into custody on corruption charges.
But, Burma's 2008 Constitution states things somewhat differently: it
is not about equality under the law and justice. It's about special
exemptions granted to the generals and those working for the state
institutions that control Burma.
In paragraph 445 in the chapter “Transitory Provisions” of the
Constitution, it states: “No proceeding shall be instituted against
the said Councils (the State Law and Order Restoration Council and the
State Peace and Development Council) or any member thereof or any
member of the Government, in respect of any act done in the execution
of their respective duties.”
According to the above provision, no legal action can be taken for any
act done by the members of SLORC or the SPDC in contrast to Gen Shwe
Mann's statement. The generals are constitutionally above the law.
The need for constitutional impunity, is illustrated in some haunting
stories that have followed generals for years.
In early July 1990, about a month after the election, U Kyi Maung,
then de facto leader of the National League for Democracy, said in an
interview with the now defunct Hong Kong-based Asiaweek magazine that
Burma did not need a Nuremberg type tribunal.
However, he said some individuals such as Major-Gen Khin Nyunt might
reasonably feel themselves insecure. In a SLORC press conference,
Major-Gen Khin Nyunt made a personal challenge to U Kyi Maung, saying
he could be tested in comparison with U Kyi Maung in terms of
intellect, patriotism or moral character.
The general's remark psychologically reflected his personal
sensitivity and insecurity about legal proceedings against him.
Fourteen years after his challenge against U Kyi Maung, he was
arrested and sentenced to 44 years in prison on corruption charges.
But the real reason for his arrest was his tacit challenge against Sen-
Gen Than Shwe.
Gen Khin Nyunt is not the only general who has been victim of their
own hypocrisy. In 1997, several generals who were members of SLORC,
the first military clique who led the coup d'état in 1988, were
expelled and arrested mostly due to their excessive corruption.
In fact, Sen-Gen Saw Maung, Than Shwe's predecessor and the coup
leader in 1988, was also dethroned and died in oblivion not long
after.
Gen Ne Win who was the pioneer of Burma's military coups and who ruled
Burma for almost three decades died without a proper funeral ceremony
under undeclared house arrest. His family, once the most powerful and
influential in Burma, vanished and some were arrested and imprisoned.
In Gen Ne Win's era of 1962-88, a long list of military leaders from
Major-Gen Aung Gyi, Major-Gen Maung Maung, Brig-Gen Kyaw Zaw, Brig-Gen
Aung Shwe (now chairman of NLD) to Gen Tin Oo (now vice chairman of
the NLD), Major-Gen Tin Oo (chief military intelligent), Col Kyi
Maung, Col Maung Lwin, Col Chit Khaing and many others, were expelled
or arrested for their potential threat to his power.
The current generals are aware of the history of generals in
neighboring countries who try to rule by force.
In South Korea, former generals and presidents such as Chun Doo Hwan
and Roh Tae Woo were jailed on charges of corruption in 1996 after
they stepped down. Chun's family was accused of embezzling US $4
billion during his rule. He received a death sentence, which was later
reduced to life.
In Indonesia, Suharto, the former president and coup leader, was put
under house arrest and investigated for corruption, accused of
embezzling US $571 millions. Suharto was not properly prosecuted due
to deteriorating health, but many of his relatives, including his son,
were sentenced to prison on corruption charges.
In the Philippines, after the “People Power Movement” in 1986, Marcos,
then president, fled the country into exile. In the United States, he
and his family were indicted for embezzlement. He died in the United
States in 1989.
According to Transparency International, Marcos was the second most
corrupt head of government ever, after Suharto.
There are many more stories of generals or self-proclaimed leaders who
meet ignoble ends: Gen Noriega of Panama, Gen Pinoche of Chile, Gen
Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Slobodan Milošević of Serbia and countless
others in Africa continent.
Another reason the Burmese generals are trying to protect themselves
is the fear of being indicted for “crimes against humanity” or “war
crimes” committed during their rule.
In a report by the International Human Rights Clinic of the Harvard
Law School titled “Crimes in Burma,” five of the world's leading
international jurists analyzed scores of UN documents and reports from
several different UN special rapporteurs, and suggested that abuses in
Burma are potential crimes against humanity and war crimes and called
for the UN Security Council to establish a Commission of Inquiry.
In August, 2009, a Paris-based INGO called the International
Federation for Human Rights together with ALTSEAN Burma and the Burma
Lawyer Council issued a report titled “Burma/Myanmar International
Crimes Committed in Burma: The urgent need for a Commission of
Inquiry,” which presented an overview of existing documentation on
human rights violations perpetrated by the military regime.
In the report, the organizations called for the establishment of an
international Commission of Inquiry mandated by the United Nations
Security Council to investigate allegations of crimes against
humanity, war crimes and other widespread systematic human rights
violations.
In another report released in September by the International Center
for Transitional Justice titled “Impunity Prolonged: Burma and its
2008 Constitution” called for the international community to work
with the Burmese government to establish an independent Commission of
Inquiry into serious human rights violations, including sexual
violence, the recruitment and use of child soldiers and forced
labor.
The reason for calling for a Commission of Inquiry is because the
only way to get the case to the ICC is through a UN Security Council
referral, since Burma is not a signatory to the ICC statute.
To date, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central
African Republic which are member State Parties have referred cases
occurring on their territories to the court. In addition, the Security
Council has referred cases in Sudan, which is a non-State Party.
However, the Burmese generals may have an alternative to such trials
should they attempt national reconciliation in the manner of South
Africa, which established a truth and reconciliation commission.
After the abolition of apartheid, a Truth and Reconciliation
Commission was set up and witnesses, victims and perpetrators of human
rights violations were invited to give statements about their
experiences. Most of the people who committed abuses during the
apartheid era were granted amnesty.
However, the Burmese generals are hedging their bets through the
Constitution, which also grants them the right, during a State of
Emergency, to abolish and take over the elected government.
In paragraph 432 of the Provisions on State of Emergency, it states
that no legal action can be taken against the generals or any
administrative body or any of its members when sovereign power are
exercised by the National Defense and Security Council.
The generals are doing everything possible through the Constitution to
prolong their hold on power and to protect them from the consequences
of human rights violations and war crimes.
But clearly, if history is the judge, such efforts offer no real
protection for those who abuse the rights of their fellow countrymen.
The generals would be wise to pursue a course of national
reconciliation as quickly as possible, including the establishment of
a truth and reconciliation commission.
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Economist urges reforms and transparency
Monday, 04 January 2010 13:57 Moe Thu
Rangoon (Mizzima) — A leading Burmese scholar has urged institutional
reforms after the advent of a new government following the elections
this year, to improve people’s living standards across the country.
Dr. Aung Tun Thet, an economist and former senior UN official said
health care, education and welfare sectors should be accorded priority
in terms of reforms after the general elections. He urged more
transparency in the country’s development process.
At a seminar on ‘Ethical leadership and ethical business’ held at the
UMFCCI headquarters in Rangoon on January 2, the economist said
leadership and business circles need to be ethical and held
accountable to the public.
“If the ethics are poor at the top, it percolates to the grassroots in
society,” he said.
The professor also urged establishing of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) to make the business community more ethical in
the country. “CSR is essential in Myanmar,” he said.
Many Burmese businesses have a nexus with the corrupt government.
The Burmese business sector does not usually have CSR, nor do they
realize its need. There are some CSRs in foreign energy companies like
TOTAL and Daewoo operating in the country.
Dr. Aung Tun Thet said the role of the media is very important in
society as it can make business and leaders accountable. He said media
today operates faster and can reach a wider audience in a short time.
He gave the instance of ShweGoneDine Special Clinic (SSC), which
sparked a wide debate on medical ethics for the doctors in the
country.
A patient, suffering from dengue fever was wrongly operated upon
resulting in his death in SSC two months ago. The government had to
intervene as the local media questioned medical ethics and the role of
the private clinic in the country.
“Being ethical should not be confined to the medical profession but
also be present in business and leadership,” he said.
Dr. Aung Tun Thet also expressed concern with the method of surveys
that is based on answers from village heads and officials in villages
or townships in the country.
It is better for the country to represent the voices of ordinary
citizens to get the correct information, he said.
He also encouraged the young generation to be ethical in their work
place and learning as it will give the best results and raise the
value and moral standards which are critical for the people and
society.
The January 2 seminar was attend about 500 people including academics,
officials of the UMFCCI, young professionals and students.
***************************************************************
Locals tortured following Karen defection
Jan 4, 2010 (DVB)–A pro-junta Karen army in eastern Burma have
kidnapped a village chief and tortured locals after several of its
members defected to an opposition group, locals say.
The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) have accused villagers in
Kyar Inn Seik Gyi township in Karen state of assisting the six
defectors, who last week joined the Karen National Union (KNU).
Several of the locals who fled Asoon village reported that around 40
DKBA troops and 60 Burmese army troops arrived at the village on 2
January and started torturing residents.
The village chief, Daw Kalal, has also been taken captive and the DKBA
are demanding compensation from villagers for the weapons taken by the
defectors.
One villager said the DKBA and the government troops also opened fire
on villagers in their farms outside of the village on the morning of 1
January, injuring one man.
“[The troops] found him plucking some beetle nuts outside the village
and interrogated him,” he said. “He was shot…in his arm.”
He added that the troops also opened fire on the house of a local
government school headmistress, Ohn Cin, forcing her to flee.
The DKBA split from the KNU in 1995 and allied itself with the Burmese
government, whose conflict with the KNU has stretched over 60 years.
Reporting by Min Lwin
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![Deneuve [XYZ]'s profile photo](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a/default-user=s40-c)
Deneuve [XYZ]
Barrett is allways like that Not care to whom they are supply to UN or
Junta
Lets hope Australian goverment will stop them finally