Burma Related News - Dec 12-14, 2009.

[TIN KYI]

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BURMA RELATED NEWS - DECEMBER 12- 14, 2009
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AP - Crew of NKorean plane detained in Thai jail
Reuters - Myanmar rebels grow more opium to buy arms: report
EarthTimes - YEARENDER: Myanmar gears up for an election junta-style
EarthTImes - Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz to visit Myanmar this week
IRIN - LAOS-MYANMAR: "Worrying trend" of rising opium poppy
cultivation
eTaiwan News - US worried about American jailed in Myanmar
Inquirer.net - Myanmar junta chief's future still uncertain—activists
Financial Express (Bangladesh) - Foreign secy-level talks with Myanmar
begin Dec 29
Antana News - Myanmar artists to perform in Jakarta
Press of Atlantic City - Refugee families celebrate new lives,
Christmas traditions in Atlantic City
Kyodo News - 37 Myanmar exiles in Japan apply for long-term residency
DailyIndia - India raised insurgency issue with Myanmar: Krishna
BusinessGhana - 11 win state literary awards for 2008 in Myanmar
Scoop - “Burma’s Children, A Generation Sacrificed”
THE NATION - 4 more border checkpoints with Burma
Mizzima News - Unmasking Than Shwe
Mizzima News - Copenhagen urges protection of environmental
journalists
The Irrawaddy - Burmese Media Lead with Than Shwe's Favorites
DVB News - Junta chief ‘used child soldiers for bodyguards’
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Crew of NKorean plane detained in Thai jail
By JOCELYN GECKER, Associated Press Writer – Mon Dec 14, 7:15 am ET

BANGKOK (AP) – A Thai court ordered an extended 12-day detention
Monday for the crew of a cargo plane loaded with North Korean weapons,
as Thailand said it was trying to determine if the aircraft's
destination was in Asia or the Middle East.

The Bangkok Criminal Court accepted a police request to hold the five-
man crew in prison pending further investigations in a case that could
shed new light on the illicit weapons trade from North Korea, which is
widely accused of selling weapons to nations in Africa and the Middle
East, in violation of U.N. sanctions.

The United States, which is particularly concerned about North Korea
selling weapons and nuclear technology in the Middle East, reportedly
tipped off Thai authorities to the aircraft's illicit cargo, according
to Thai media reports that the government and U.S. Embassy declined to
comment on.

Thai officials impounded the Ilyushin IL-76 transport plane Saturday
and discovered 35 tons of explosives, rocket-propelled grenades and
components for surface-to-air missiles.

Members of the crew — four from Kazakhstan and one from Belarus — were
charged Sunday with illegal arms possession, which carries a penalty
of up to 10 years in prison.

The court on Monday approved an initial request for a 12-day
extension, which can be extended up to 84 days, said police spokesman
Pongsapat Pongjaren.

Thailand convened an emergency session of its National Security
Council, after which officials ruled out any threat to Thailand's
security and said the investigation would be carried out carefully,
slowly and in close cooperation with the United Nations.

The council's Secretary-General Thawil Pilansri said military experts
were analyzing the weapons at a base in the nearby province of Nakhon
Sawan, where they were moved by trucks Saturday night under high
security.

"After an initial inspection we did not find any nuclear-type
weapons," said Air Vice Marshal Metha Sungkawijit, in response to a
reporter's question.

Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said the aircraft was
headed for the Sri Lankan capital Colombo but authorities were
investigating if the flight plan was misleading and the final
destination was in the Middle East, noting the aircraft had recently
stopped in the United Arab Emirates.

"We believe after Colombo there may have been another destination," he
said.

On Wednesday the plane was flown from the United Arab Emirates to
Bangkok where it landed without any cargo for a refueling stop and
continued on to Pyongyang. It left the North Korean capital on Friday
and returned to Bangkok for a scheduled refueling before it was due to
fly to Sri Lanka, Panitan said.

"We had information that the plane was carrying weapons, and so we
sent officers to search," Panitan said, declining to confirm Thai
newspaper reports that the tip came from American authorities.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Michael Turner said the embassy could not
confirm or deny any U.S. role.

The latest U.N. sanctions — which ban North Korea from exporting all
arms or weapons — were imposed in June after the reclusive communist
regime conducted a nuclear test and test-fired missiles. The sanctions
were aimed at derailing North Korea's nuclear weapons program, but
also banned the North's sale of any conventional arms.

The seizure came just days after President Barack Obama's special
envoy made a rare three-day trip to North Korea on a mission to
persuade Pyongyang to rejoin six-nation nuclear disarmament talks.
Envoy Stephen Bosworth said the two sides had reached an understanding
on the need to restart the talks.

Arms sales are a key source of hard currency for the impoverished
North. Pyongyang is believed to earn hundreds of millions of dollars
every year by selling missiles, missile parts and other weapons to
countries like Iran, Syria and Myanmar.

The crew members insist they thought they were carrying oil-drilling
equipment and were not aware of any illicit cargo, said defense lawyer
Somsak Saithong.

"They didn't know what was in the boxes, they were just transporting
them," the lawyer told reporters. "Their job is to pick up the cargo
and go to the destination."
Later in the day, the court rejected their request for bail, he said.

The flight plan turned over to Thai police says the plane was
registered to Air West, a cargo transport company in the former Soviet
republic of Georgia and was carrying oil-drilling equipment, said
Somsak.

In August, the United Arab Emirates seized a Bahamas-flagged cargo
ship bound for Iran with a cache of banned rocket-propelled grenades
and other arms from North Korea, the first seizure since sanctions
against North Korea were ramped up.

In July, a North Korean ship believed to be bound for Myanmar and
carrying suspicious cargo, possibly illicit weapons, changed course
and headed home after it was monitored for more than a week by the
U.S. Navy.
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Myanmar rebels grow more opium to buy arms: report
Mon Dec 14, 1:09 am ET

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Ethnic groups in northeastern Myanmar have stepped
up opium cultivation to buy weapons to defend themselves against
possible attacks by the country's military, a United Nations report
said on Monday.

Opium production increased for the third successive year and rose by
11 percent this year, with Shan State providing 95 percent of the
poppy in Myanmar, the world's second-biggest opium producer after
Afghanistan, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC).

"Increased instability in northeastern Myanmar is affecting the opium
market. (Some ethnic groups) ... are selling drugs to buy weapons, and
moving stocks to avoid detection," said UNODC Executive Director
Antonio Maria Costa.

Myanmar's army has maintained a sizable presence over the past few
months in Shan State, where rebel militias are braced for an offensive
that analysts said could turn into a protracted conflict, creating a
refugee crisis for neighboring China.

The junta wants ethnic groups to take part in a general election next
year and has told local militias to disarm and join a government-run
border patrol force or be wiped out, according to activists in Shan
State.

The military overwhelmed and disarmed the Kokang group, the weakest of
the ethnic armies, in August after several days of fighting. That
triggered an exodus of more than 37,000 refugees across the border and
strained ties with China, its only real diplomatic ally.

The United Wa State Army, a 20,000-strong ethnic Chinese militia
labeled a narcotics cartel by the United States, has refused to disarm
and is preparing for an imminent attack, media reports and activists
say.

UNODC said the amount of land dedicated to growing opium -- a thick
paste from poppy used to make heroin -- had increased by 50 percent
since 2006 to 31,700 hectares in Myanmar.

Despite the rise in cultivation, the report said the potential value
of opium production in Myanmar had fallen by 15 percent to $104
million in 2009 from $123 million.

In neighboring Laos, opium cultivation had increased by 19 percent but
the total remained low at 1,900 hectares.

However, with opium fetching $1,326 per kg, the price was still
attractive for farmers at a time when the value of other crops was
falling, the report said.
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EarthTimes - YEARENDER: Myanmar gears up for an election junta-style
Posted : Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:04:14 GMT

Yangon - Myanmar's junta this year paved the way for their unique
vision of "discipline-flourishing democracy" by making sure that the
country's chief opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was safely under
detention, if not silenced. In one of the most shameful of sham
trials, Suu Kyi was found guilty on August 11 of breaking the terms of
her previous six years of house detention by allowing a mentally
unstable US Mormon to swim into her compound-cum-prison by Yangon's
Inya Lake.

The commuted sentence was another 18 months of house arrest, just
enough to guarantee the Nobel peace laureate was under the junta's
thumb as it prepares to hold a general election some time in 2010.

Predictably, the sentence sparked international outrage and renewed
calls for Suu Kyi's immediate release.

Aung San Suu Kyi, 64, whose name has become as synonymous with
opposition to Myanmar's military rule as Nelson Mandela's has with the
anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, has spent 14 of the past 20
years under detention in her decaying Yangon family compound.

She was first placed under house arrest in 1989 for publicly
criticizing former military strongman General Ne Win.

Suu Kyi was under house arrest during the 1990 polls but, if anything,
her detention helped her National League for Democracy (NLD) party win
that election by a landslide.
How much more of an impact might she have if she were free during the
2010 polls?

"The military's main objective is to keep her out of the picture
during the election time which is absolutely critical to them," said
Win Min, a lecturer on Myanmar affairs at Thailand's Chiang Mai
University.

"Even under house arrest she may say something about whom she supports
- I don't think they want that to happen," he said.

The junta has repeatedly said they will stage an election sometime in
2010 as a crucial step in their seven-point roadmap to democracy, but
they have yet to issue regulations covering party registration and the
election system.

Nor have they set a firm date for the polls.

Bets were previously on the election being held in May, the
traditional month for polls and referendums because farmers are free
and the monsoon rains have not yet started.
But with no election legislation yet in place, now Myanmar pundits are
predicting polls closer to the end of the year.

"I heard the election will be on 10-10-2010. Is that true?" asked one
Asian diplomat based in Yangon.

The number 10 is a symbol of completion according to Myanmar
numerology beliefs.

Few in Yangon think the junta will allow Suu Kyi and some 2,100 other
political prisoners to be freed before the polls, despite requests
from US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,
among others.

Obama, as part of his administration's new "engagement" policy with
Myanmar, has hinted at lifting economic sanctions if the junta agrees
to meet certain key conditions such as freeing Suu Kyi and opening a
dialogue with the opposition and other stakeholders before holding an
election.

The junta is unlikely to play ball.

"They have been ruling Myanmar under economic sanctions for a long
time and have proven they can survive," said one Yangon-based
political observer who requested anonymity.

"I think they will not negotiate with the lady [Suu Kyi] just to avoid
sanctions for one year," he said. "For the military, the ethnic issue
is more important than the lady and the NLD."

Under the 2008 constitution, some 37 ethnic minority armies, which the
junta calls "ceasefire groups," must be turned into border guards as
part of the preparations for the election.

The ethnic minority groups are also encouraged to set up political
parties to contest the polls.

So far only only three groups have complied, and there are fears that
some of the largest groups, such as the Wa, will refuse and perhaps
block polling in their areas.

"It seems to me that both sides, the regime and ethnic groups, do not
have a clear plan for the next step," said Aung Din, director of the
Washington-based US Campaign For Burma.

"I am sure that the refusal of these ethnic groups to the border guard
plan is the main reason for the regime's delay in announcing the
election schedule," he said.
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EarthTImes - Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz to visit Myanmar this
week
Posted : Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:52:00 GMT

Yangon - Nobel laureate and former chief economist at the World Bank
Joseph Stiglitz is due to visit Myanmar this week to advise the
government on its development policies, media reports said Monday. On
Tuesday the renowned economist is to attend a seminar in Nay Pyi Taw,
the military's new capital, which will also be attended by Myanmar
Minister for National Planning and Economic Development Soe Tha and
Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation U Htay Oo, the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP) said in a
statement.

In an email message to the Myanmar Times, an English-language weekly,
Stiglitz said he was hopeful the military-run government would heed
his advice on economic policy, particularly on access to rural
credit.

"Growth that does not benefit all of society is not ultimately
sustainable," Stiglitz said. "It's important that government take
policy measures that include all sectors of the population, especially
in rural areas."

Myanmar, which has been under military dictatorships since 1962, is
ranked as a least developed developing country by the UN.

Stiglitz's visit was at the invitation of Noeleen Heyzer, under
secretary general of the United Nations and executive secretary of
UNESCAP.

UNESCAP has contributed money to his airfare and some expenses, but
the renowned economist said he was providing his services free of
charge and he would cover most of the expenses on his trip, which is
also to take in irrigation projects and the temples of Bagan.

"Many people in our position fund their own travel to low-income
countries because it is not fair to ask the people in those countries
to pay," he said.

As chief economist of the World Bank from 1997 to 2000, Stiglitz
played a key role in the publication Rethinking the Asian Miracle,
which examined the reasons behind the dramatic growth of eight Asian
economies.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001.
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LAOS-MYANMAR: "Worrying trend" of rising opium poppy cultivation

BANGKOK, 14 December 2009 (IRIN) - Fuelled by political instability
and lacklustre crop prices, opium poppy cultivation is on the rise in
Myanmar in a worrying trend that may undo containment strategies, the
UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warns.

Poppy cultivation is also on the rise in Laos, where farmers are
struggling as commodity prices fall, according to the UNODC's latest
survey of opium poppy cultivation in the two countries in 2009,
launched on 14 December in Bangkok.

"We are worried about trends, especially in Myanmar, where we see the
potential unravelling of much of what containment has produced over
the past two decades," said Gary Lewis, the UNODC Representative for
East Asia and the Pacific at the launch.

"In the past three years we have seen incremental cultivation
increases, and this is of [concern] to us ... In conclusion,
containment is under threat," he said.

Southeast Asia is home to the infamous "Golden Triangle" of countries
comprising Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, once the world's major supplier
of opium, but overtaken by Afghanistan since 1991.

Eradication efforts in the past few decades have slashed opium
cultivation in Southeast Asia to about 5 percent of the world's
supply, although the region is now battling the production and
consumption of amphetamine-type drugs.

Most opium cultivation in the Southeast Asian region still takes place
in these three countries, mostly in Myanmar; from there the drug is
shipped primarily to China and Vietnam, although it is also
distributed worldwide.

The UNODC says a combination of political instability in Myanmar, and
falling commodity prices over the past year has tempted farmers to
turn back to poppy growing.

"We have prices of commodity items such as maize and rubber dropping
more than 50 percent, and at the same time we have seen an increase in
opium prices," said Leik Boonwaat, the UNODC's representative in Laos.

"Demand has been stable, the prices have increased and this has made
it more tempting for farmers to increase production," he said.

Instability threat

The Myanmar government has maintained ceasefires for years with a
number of ethnic groups, including those in the country's east, who
have been allowed a certain degree of autonomy.

However, pro-democracy activists say the government has now told these
groups they must join a government border-patrol force, sparking fears
of armed confrontations.

"Increased instability in northeastern Myanmar is affecting the opium
market," wrote UNODC's executive director Antonio Maria Costa in the
report's introduction.

"Ceasefire groups - autonomous ethnic militias like the Wa and Kachin
- are selling drugs to buy weapons and moving stocks to avoid
detection," he said.

Cultivation has increased for the third consecutive year in Myanmar,
with opium-producing land increasing by 11 percent compared with the
previous year and 50 percent since 2006 to a total of 31,700ha,
according to the survey.

More than one million people are involved in poppy cultivation in
Myanmar, where 95 percent of the poppy is grown in northeastern Shan
state, it said.

In Laos, cultivation was up 19 percent to a total of 1,900ha and opium
is fetching a high retail price of US$1,327/kg, compared with the farm-
gate price of $317/kg in Myanmar. Boonwaat attributed the difference
to a scarcity in demand and a population of some 12,000 drug addicts
in Laos.

To stem the cultivation, governments and donors needed to maintain
vigilance and continue their support to help poppy cultivators find
alternative livelihoods, the UNODC said.

"It's in areas where alternative development has had a chance to take
place that we've seen less opium, and in places that are more isolated
and remote that we are seeing more opium growing," Boonwaat told IRIN.
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eTaiwan News - US worried about American jailed in Myanmar
Associated Press
2009-12-12 03:27 AM

The State Department says the United States has raised with Myanmar's
government the case of a Myanmar-born American jailed in the military-
ruled country.

Spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters Friday that the United States
contacted the junta to express its worry and to make sure Kyaw Zaw
Lwin is being treated well.

Authorities arrested the U.S. citizen, also referred to as Nyi Nyi
Aung, on arrival at Yangon airport on Sept. 3. According to dissident
groups he is a resident of Maryland.

Myanmar authorities accused him of entering Myanmar to stir up
protests by Buddhist monks, who led pro-democracy demonstrations in
2007 that were brutally suppressed by the junta.
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Inquirer.net - Myanmar junta chief's future still uncertain—activists
By Didier Lauras
Agence France-Presse First Posted 11:27:00 12/13/2009

CHIANG MAI, Thailand—As Myanmar gears up for rare elections due next
year, eyes are turning to the fate of the country's ageing military
strongman, Than Shwe, and a possible succession, exiled activists say.

Described by critics as reclusive, paranoid, and deeply in thrall to
astrology, the 76-year-old "Senior General" has ruled the country with
an iron grip since 1992, but is now in the twilight of his career.

A new constitution approved in a widely criticized 2008 referendum
says that the State Peace and Development Council—the junta that Than
Shwe heads—must hand over power to a new national assembly after the
elections.

Than Shwe may take over the new presidential position provided for by
the constitution to maintain his hold on power, according to
opposition activists living in exile in Thailand.

But after constantly striving to increase his power, he now faces
underlying resentment from within the regime, the activists say.

When he eventually quits, "Than Shwe will make sure his future is
safe," said Naing Aung, secretary general of the Forum for Democracy
in Burma.

She added, however: "Than Shwe has only close circles with him. He is
an isolated man."

Aung Naing Oo, a Myanmar political analyst in the northern Thai city
of Chiang Mai, predicted it would be "interesting to see how he leaves
politics because he cannot leave right away."

"If he retains a formal position, it means he is not leaving. If he
doesn't, then he will be protected for quite some time" by keeping his
aides close to him, he said.

Than Shwe will be well aware of the fate of several previous leaders
since the military took control of Myanmar in 1962.

Ex-dictator Ne Win, who ruled the country between 1962 and 1988, died
under house arrest in 2002 and was not granted a state funeral, while
several members of his family were sent to jail. The official press
hardly mentioned his death.

Than Shwe himself presided over a purge of the military intelligence
service that ended with the sentencing of ex-prime minister Khin Nyunt
to 44 years' house arrest in 1994.

"He may not want to retire, but under the constitution he may have to.
He will put someone he really trusts like his son," said Win Min, an
academic at Chiang Mai university and pro-democracy activist.

Win Min said that until Than Shwe played his hand, it would be
impossible to predict successors in the largely opaque Myanmar
military hierarchy.

"Unpredictability is his strategy. You don't know what he is going to
do. He is a control freak," he said.

In 2005 Than Shwe moved the capital almost overnight from Rangoon to
the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw to satisfy his dreams of grandeur—
and also to protect himself against supposed threats to his rule.

The elections, meanwhile, have been tailored to favor the junta.

The constitution reserves a quarter of all seats for the military,
while opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained for most of
the past two decades since her National League for Democracy won the
last polls in 1990.

Yet critics say that Than Shwe will still have to deal with some new
faces, even if they are just in the military.

"With a new constitution, whether you like it or not, you'll have new
leadership," Aung Naing Oo said. "I don't think anyone can be as bad,
as manipulative as Than Shwe. The new system will open up a little
bit."

A complex power struggle is likely between Than Shwe's circle and the
new military officials who will be keen to use their electoral
legitimacy, analysts said.
But Than Shwe's fate will for the most part remain in his own hands.

"Than Shwe will be directing things from behind the curtain," said
Khuensai Jaigen, exiled leader of the Shan Herald Agency for News, a
news service for the Shan ethnic minority.

Changes "will not come right away. People will not be in a hurry to
change things like Obama after Bush," he said ironically.

"At first, the successor will be careful. He'll try to change things a
bit until he's sure he can be confident. Then there might be drastic
changes."
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Financial Express (Bangladesh) - Foreign secy-level talks with Myanmar
begin Dec 29
VOL 18 NO 360 REGD NO DA 1589 | Dhaka, Tuesday December 15 2009
Nazmul Ahsan

The two-day foreign secretary-level talks between Bangladesh and
Myanmar are scheduled to begin in Dhaka on December 29 next on issues
ranging from trade to energy cooperation, officials in the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MoF) said.

The MoF at an inter-min isterial meeting, held Wednesday last
finalized the issues that Bangladesh would pursue at the upcoming
bilateral meeting. Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes presided.

Around 30 issues have been identified for the talks.

The visit of five-member Myanmar delegation, led by its foreign
secretary, will be a follow-up one. Foreign Minister Dipu Moni paid a
three-day visit to Myanmar in May this year.

Establishing a direct air route between Dhaka and Yangon, eliminating
problems relating to business visa, introducing the direct letters of
credit(L/C), and reducing bilateral -trade gap are some of the major
issues to be discussed between the two foreign secretaries, sources
said.

Another most important area for discussion will be the possibility of
establishing a hydroelectric plant in Myanmar, sources said. In the
last Bangladesh-Myanmar joint trade council meeting, Bangladesh
requested Myanmar to consider establishment of a hydroelectric power
plant in the Rakhaine State under a joint venture. Myanmar side agreed
to discuss the matter in the upcoming foreign secretary level meeting.

Dhaka is expected to attach the highest importance to the issue of
hydropower plant as the country is in dire need of electricity,
sources said.

The issue of importing gas from Myanmar to Bangladesh has been
included in the agenda. However, details of gas-import issue could not
be known.

Establishing a direct road link between Myanmar and Bangladesh is the
priority not only for the two neighbours but also for many regional
countries, an official in the foreign ministry said. Both the
countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding in April, 2004 in this
respect. Later, the communication ministers of both countries signed
an agreement allowing establishment of a road link between Bangladesh
and China through Myanmar.

But due to fund constraints and other problems, much progress could
not be made particularly on the Myanmar side. There could be some
development at the coming foreign-secretary level talks about the road
link, sources said.

The proposed road link now could be a part of the Asian highway, said
a communication ministry official, adding the fund constraint no
longer exists as far as the construction of the Asian highway is
concerned since a number of donor agencies including the Asian
Development Bank has shown interest to finance the projects.

Bilateral trade between the two neighbouring countries has been taking
place under the general trade agreement and border trade agreement
signed in 1973 and 1994 respectively. Trade between the two countries
takes place mostly under the provisions of border trade arrangement.
The two-way trade volume is very low and the balance is tilted to
Myanmar.

Dhaka's prime agenda at the meeting will be to request Yangon to
increase import from Bangladesh. Currently, exporters and importers of
both the countries face problems due to the absence of direct L/C
opening opportunity between banks of the two countries. Since Myanmar
is not member of International Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the
country follows strict foreign exchange related regulations, trade
officials said.

The scheduled banks of Bangladesh usually open L/C with Myanmar banks
via third country banks. As a result transaction costs and time turn
out to be very high. To facilitate trade, a decision of examining and
devising of a mechanism for opening L/Cs directly between the two
countries was taken in 2007.

"We will raise the L/C issue seriously,' a top MoF official told the
FE on Wednesday.

Another agenda of the meeting will be the problems of business visa
issued from Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka. Bangladeshi businessmen get only
14 days' visa and that allows them to travel only the bordering
Rakhaine State of Myanmar. Moreover, with one single entry in the
border pass, they are not allowed to move beyond Maundough.

For example to go to Sittwee, the main centre of business in the
Rakhaine state, Bangladeshi business people need to go Maundough first
and then apply again for proceeding towards Sittwee, sources in the
business circle said.

Other major remaining issues for the meeting include fertiliser buy
back, border trade, repatriation of Myanmar refugees, demarcation of
land boundary, delimitation of maritime boundary, coastal shipping
link, cooperation in tourism, border fencing, issuance of border pass
and cooperation in agricultural sector.
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Myanmar artists to perform in Jakarta
Saturday, December 12, 2009 22:19 WIB | Entertainment | | Viewed 216
time(s)

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Myanmar`s artists will perform at the Gedung
Kesenian Jakarta, here on December 14, 2009.

"Myanmar is a country rich in culture and on Monday, 14 December 2009,
at the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, Indonesia, the artistes from the Fine
Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture of Myanmar will be
showcasing the best of the performing arts from their country,"
Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat.

From dances performed for the royal court in ancient days to excerpts
of the Myanmar Ramayana Grand Drama, the evening of entertainment is
co-organized by the Ministry of Culture of Myanmar and the ASEAN
Secretariat, and supported by the Myanmar Embassy in Indonesia.

The performance with the theme, "The Royal Beauty of Golden Myanmar"
is the fourth in the Best of ASEAN Performing Arts series that was
proposed by the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Surin Pitsuwan.

The previous series had showcased the colourful and vibrant
performances from Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore.

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Press of Atlantic City - Refugee families celebrate new lives,
Christmas traditions in Atlantic City
By MICHELLE LEE Staff Writer | Posted: Sunday, December 13, 2009 |

ATLANTIC CITY — Last year, Joseph Klaw and his relatives were living
in a refugee camp on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, formerly
known as Burma.

This year, the 22-year-old is living in Atlantic City and working at
Trump Plaza, thanks to a refugee resettlement program run by Catholic
Charities.

“I’m happy,” Klaw said while wearing a red traditional outfit and
surrounded by dozens of relatives and friends. “I like the people and
the opportunity.”

Catholic Charities brought Klaw to the resort six month ago, and his
parents, brother and sisters joined him several weeks later.

And on Sunday, the Klaws experienced their first Christmas celebration
with dozens of other families at party held at St. Michael’s Roman
Catholic Church on Mississippi Avenue.

Klaw listened to religious and secular songs in his native Kayah,
English and other languages. He brought a traditional beef and
vegetable dish to share with others. His father, Elder Klaw Reh, even
performed a tune on the harmonica.

The Klaws were among more than 70 refugees and eight volunteers who
showed up for an unique Christmas celebration hosted by Catholic
Charities.

The parish hall was a festive, decorated with Christmas trees,
nutcracker cutouts and posters of Iraq and states in Myanmar. Holiday
tunes such as “Joy to the World” and “Jesus came down to this Earth”
shared the same stage as traditional songs and dances from Myanmar.
Donated gifts of clothing, toys and school supplies were passed out.

Everyone ate a meal of traditional noodle and rice dishes.

Most of the families were from the Karen and Kayah states of Myanmar,
and many of them came to Atlantic County within the past year, said
Greg Kilpatrick, the Catholic Charities refugee-resettlement program
coordinator. Other families who attended the party were different
ethnicities from Myanmar: Arakanese, Mon, Chin. There was also one
family from Iraq. All of the Myanmar refugees fled to escape
persecution, killings and torture from the Burmese military regime,
according to Koko Thein, a case manager and translator for Catholic
Charities and a former refugee.

Kaitlyn Muller, program director of Catholic Charities refugee and
immigration services said the Christmas celebration is important
because many refugee families often get separated when they leave
their homeland.

“Now they can come together and celebrate in an opportunity they
wouldn’t have in their own country,” Muller said.

More importantly, the families can practice their own religion and
traditions without fear of retribution, said Rose Thein, a volunteer
with Catholic Charities who came to the United States 20 years ago.
Most of the families who attended the celebration are Christian, while
others are Buddhist or follow animism, the spiritual belief in the
power of natural things such as plants, rivers and mountains.

“All they’d seen is misery, sorrow and persecution and atrocities from
all sides,” Thein said. “So (here), they are free to see their friends
in their faith (and it) is a blessing to us. This all happen because
of the grace of God and Jesus Christ.”

The number of refugee families has been growing in the Garden State.

Catholic Charities helped 340 families resettle in New Jersey from
January to September of this year,and a quarter of them were placed in
Atlantic County, Muller said. The organization usually helps 200
people resettle each year. The 2007 Christmas party, the first one
held for the refugee program, drew 15 families, Koko Thein said.

The attendees said they liked the cultural aspect of the Christmas
celebration.

Pi Kee, a 41 year-old ceiling installer from Somers Point, said
through Thein’s translation that he enjoyed the bamboo dance because
it is very popular back in his homeland of Myanmar, and it is
performed every New Year. Kee, who came with his wife, Day Kyu and
four other relatives, said his other favorite part was singing
Christmas songs and coming together with families of other
nationalities.

Sa Lin, a father of five from Somers Point, called it the “most
enjoyable festival all year round,” Thein said.

Lin, who is Muslim, said he didn’t feel strange celebrating a
Christian holiday, and his family brought a traditional curry to
share. While their religion prohibits singing other religious songs,
Lin said his oldest son, Abdula, 15, joined in the bamboo dance.

The children, on the other hand, gravitated to food and other goodies.

Newon Lah, 10, said he loved eating chocolate and the Arakanese
noodles made by his mother, Ma Lah. His brother Swee, 9, said he
enjoyed the dancing and getting presents, especially two plastic balls
that stick together.

The celebration also had a special significance for Les and Irene Zan,
a married couple from Paoli, Pa., who drives to the resort once a
month to help out refugee families.

The Zans — with some help from their local church, the Great Valley
Presbyterian Church in Malvern, Pa. — collected and gift-wrapped more
than 400 gifts to distribute to the former refugees. The Zans had to
use a truck and a sport utility vehicle to haul the presents during
their two-hour trip.

“I just want to see the smiles on the kids faces,” Irene Zan said.

Les Zan, whose family fled Myanmar, came to the United States as a
child in 1969. Les, now an electrical business analyst, said he was
following the example of his father, Spencer, who helped other refugee
families in Atlantic City for years before he died in February 2008.

“My observation, when I look at the faces of the young people, (is)
where will they be five, ten years from now?” Les Zan said. “I hope
they learn English and assimilate to the culture and become productive
citizens.”
******************************************************************
37 Myanmar exiles in Japan apply for long-term residency
TOKYO, Dec. 14 KYODO

A group of 37 people from Myanmar who were exceptionally granted leave
to remain in Japan without refugee status applied Monday for more
stable long-term residency at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau,
their lawyers said.
******************************************************************
DailyIndia - India raised insurgency issue with Myanmar: Krishna
From ANI

Onboard, special aircraft, Dec. 12: External Affairs Minister S M
Krishna revealed on Friday that India raised the issue of insurgents
groups operating from Myanmarese soil with the Government of Myanmar
on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC meet.

"We discussed the issue of insurgent groups working against India from
the soil of Myanmar. He assured me of full cooperation in this
regard," Krishna told the media onboard his aircraft.

Asked specifically if the issue of ULFA chief Paresh Barua taking
shelter in the Kachin state of Myanmar was raised, Krishna said an
assurance was given to him by Myanmar Prime Minister Thien Sein that
he would look into the matter.

According to sources, India and Myanmar have agreed to share
intelligence to deal with insurgent groups.

Speaking to reporters, Krishna reacted sharply to a reported appeal
filed by the Jamat ud Dawa with the United Nations to remove
restrictions imposed on it.

"There is no reason for us to revise our position on Hafiz Sayeed as
we hold him responsible for the Mumbai attacks and, we have enough
evidence of his involvement. We expect friendly nations to consult
India before taking any decision in this regard," Krishna said.

Dwelling on the back channel talks with Pakistan, Krishna stated: "All
channels with Pakistan are open to ensure that the perpetrators of the
horrible crime are brought to justice".

Meanwhile, heads of delegations attending to the twelfth BIMSTEC
ministerial meeting, have adopted the BIMSTEC Convention for
Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, Transnational
Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking. By Ravi Shankar
******************************************************************
BusinessGhana - 11 win state literary awards for 2008 in Myanmar
News Date: 14th December 2009

A total of 11 literati have won Myanmar's national literary awards
(NLA) for 2008, according to an announcement of the National Literary
Award Scrutinizing Committee carried on Friday's official newspaper
New Light of Myanmar.

Besides writer Dr. Kyaw Sein, who was chosen as the winner of Life-
time Achievement Literary Award, 10 others respectively won the NLA
for the year in collection of short stories, belles- letters, Myanmar
culture and fine arts literature, child literature, youth literature,
translation (informative), translation (creative), general knowledge
(arts) and general

knowledge (applied science).

Of the 14 categories of NLAs, no writers won awards for novel,
collected poem, drama and political literature, the announcement of
the

committee under the Ministry of Information said.

The prize presentation ceremony is set for Dec. 31 in Nay Pyi Taw,
according to the announcement.

Last year, 12 literati won NLAs for 2007 including a life-time
achievement literary award, while 31 literati received manuscript
awards for

the year extended by the Sarpay Beikman (Literature House).

To encourage preservation and promotion of literary and cultural
heritage, the government presents the NLAs to successful writers
annually,

while the Sarpay Beikman also extends its manuscript award to literary
talents every year.

The Sarpay Beikman was founded as the "Burma (now Myanmar) Translation
Society" in 1947 and has published numerous magazines, lexicons,
illustrated journals and volumes of Myanmar encyclopedia.

Literati in Myanmar have been urged to serve the national interest and
educate people with literature as well as to lead people applying
modern arts, new thoughts, theories and ideas.
******************************************************************
Scoop - “Burma’s Children, A Generation Sacrificed”
Monday, 14 December 2009, 11:00 am
Press Release: ITUC
Burma : “Burma’s Children, A Generation Sacrificed”, The New ITUC
Report
From International Trade Union Confederation

Brussels, 11 December 2009 (ITUC OnLine): The Burmese military junta
is to organise “elections” in 2010, but the Constitution, whose
adoption it organised in 2008, leaves no doubt as to the army’s desire
to stay in power after the ballot. The ITUC’s new report shows that
the generals currently in power have no intention of showing any more
interest in the population than their predecessors have over the last
47 years of military dictatorship. Without a return to real democracy
and the respect of all human rights, including trade union rights, the
next generation of Burmese children will never get to sit in a
classroom and will be forced to perform all kinds of work, including
the very worst.

The new ITUC report highlights the link between the abuse of human
rights, including trade union rights, and the catastrophic situation
of Burmese children. Crushing all forms of opposition the Burmese
military junta spends at least 40% of the State budget on the army,
even though the country is not facing any external military threat,
and leaves only crumbs for such important sectors as education and
health care. As a result, less than 55% of Burmese children complete
primary school education, and every day hundreds of thousands work for
long hours, sometimes in forced labour imposed by the authorities. The
forced recruitment of child soldiers by different army groups is still
frequent in Burma, despite repeated promises by the junta to put an
end to it.

The report sheds light on the very difficult situation faced by
Burmese teachers, who have no trade union rights and no possibility
therefore of negotiating their salaries. What they earn today is only
a small percentage of what is needed to support a family. Many Burmese
teachers encourage children to take private lessons with them, but not
all parents can afford to pay for them, given all the other costs they
already have to face for their child’s education (materials, forced
donations to schools...). This system exists at every level of
education, forcing tens of thousands of children out of school every
year and into exploitation at work.

Interviews carried out in the country for this report illustrate the
distress of these children growing up under military dictatorship. “I
work 7 days a week,12 hours a day, for a salary of 8.60 dollars a
month,” says a child of 11 working in a tea room in Rangoon. “Other
children only earn 6 dollars a month. My boss gives me two meals a day
and I can sleep in a small room, but there are a lot of us all
squeezed into one very hot room. I am always tired during the day
because I don’t sleep enough. We are constantly busy serving
customers, cleaning the cups, the floor...”

As the military dictatorship will not tolerate any criticism, it is
extremely dangerous to discuss anything to do with social rights,
human rights or children’s rights inside Burma. The junta’s censorship
prevents the Burmese media from publishing any reports about the real
situation in the country. According to the Association to help
political prisoners in Burma (l’Association d’aide aux prisonniers
politiques birmans), over 2,100 political prisoners are being held in
the country. They include about 30 trade unionists, sentenced to
between five years and life. Despite this repression, the Federation
of Trade Unions – Burma, FTUB, affiliated to the ITUC but banned in
Burma, continues to help workers in Burma and support schools in
different regions of the country.

To see the full report: http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Burma_EN_Final.pdf
******************************************************************
THE NATION - 4 more border checkpoints with Burma
By PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
Published on December 15, 2009

In a bid to boost cross-border trade with Burma, the government will
support the opening of four more border checkpoints next year.

They will be at Huay Ton Nun, Mae Hong Son/Shan State: Ban Nam Khao,
Kanchanaburi/Tavoy; Three Pagodas Pass, Kanchanaburi/Taya Thon Zu; and
Dan Singkhon, Prachuap Khiri Khan/My Eik.

Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot yesterday said the
government would open these checkpoints as soon as possible, in order
to facilitate trade, investment and tourism between the two countries.

At present, there are only three checkpoints linking Thailand and
Burma.

After meeting with ministers in Burma, Alongkorn also said both
nations had agreed to support the construction of a friendship bridge
connecting Tak's Mae Sot district with Burma.

The two nations will soon set up a subcommittee to identify an exact
location and set up a construction schedule, he said.

Niyom Wairatpanij, chairman of the border-trade committee of the Thai
Chamber of Commerce (TCC), said traders were greatly anticipating the
opening of more checkpoints to facilitate trade and tourism.

"The Asean Free Trade Agreement will be fully implemented early next
year, with tariffs on most Asean goods eliminated. More checkpoints
will increase trade opportunities for Thai products," said Niyom.

In addition, after meeting with TCC representatives about its "micro
action plan" aimed strengthening seven sectors plan, Alongkorn said
the government would lend its full support.

The TCC and the Commerce Ministry have agreed to set up a Joint Public-
Private Committee on Commerce, for cooperation in facilitating the
plan.

The TCC last month came up with the micro action plan, aimed at
strengthening the country's best products and most efficient services
ahead of tougher competition that is expected once Asean becomes a
seamless market by 2015.

The seven sectors are food and agriculture, gems and jewellery,
textiles, healthcare and spas, construction, tourism and border trade.

TCC vice chairman Komson Opassathavorn said the chamber would discuss
the plan tomorrow with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and that he
expected full government support.
******************************************************************
Mizzima News - Unmasking Than Shwe
by Mungpi
Monday, 14 December 2009 23:39

In nearly two decades of undisputed and uninterrupted rule, Burma’s
military supremo Senior General Than Shwe is certainly going down in
the history of Burma as one man, who has vigorously contributed to the
collapse of the Burmese economy, failure of the society, catered to
the culture of impunity and drainage of mineral resources.

Despite the myriad consequences suffered by Burmese people, most
people do not know what Than Shwe is really like. But every Burmese
seems to have a basic understanding that Than Shwe likes to think of
himself as one of the Burmese Warrior Kings of the past as he has
placed his statue next to the famous Burmese kings in his new jungle
capital city of Naypyitaw, in central Burma.

Revealing bits and parts of Than Shwe’s character is Benedict Rogers,
East Asia Team leader of the Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a London-
based human rights group. Rogers, who has long associated with issues
in Burma and has written numerous articles, has been working on a
biographical book on Than Shwe, titled “Than Shwe: Unmasking Burma’s
Tyrant”.

During a short stop-over in New Delhi, India’s capital, Mizzima’s
Assistant Editor Mungpi, caught up with Rogers, to take a peep into
the book he has written and which will be launched in February 2010.

Q. Can you tell us what your new book is all about?

Ans: The book is basically a Biography of Senior General Than Shwe and
it is obviously not the authorized biography that it is a very much
unauthorized biography, because we were not able to get the
cooperation of General Than Shwe or his family or the regime. But it’s
basically a book about Than Shwe, about how he rose to the top, about
the nature of the regime and the military. And also what is happening
in Burma today under General Than Shwe’s rule, and I believe it would
be the first biography of Than Shwe.

Q: Why did you choose Than Shwe?

Ans: Well, I felt that there has been a question of biographies of
other dictators like Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong Ill, Robert Mugabe and
others. And Than Shwe must be one of the world’s worst dictators and
yet the world doesn’t really know very much about him. Even those of
us, who work on Burma, don’t know very much about him. And I felt that
it would be a good new angle on the Burma’s situation, a new way of
telling the story about ‘What is happening in Burma. What the regime
is like.’ The idea actually originally came from my friend Jeremy
Woodrum, from the US campaign for Burma and he suggested to me, I
thought it was a very interesting idea.

Q. It’s really interesting to know how Than Shwe rose to power, as we
know very little about him during General Ne Win’s, socialist era, as
well as during the earlier part following the military coup in 1988.
Can you tell us how he started getting up to the ranks?

Ans: Well, I think, one of the most interesting things about Than Shwe
is precisely the fact that he rose from the ranks quite silently and
without really being noticed, but actually that is something about
that nature of the military system in Burma. I think that Than Shwe
rose to the top because he was not seen by his superiors to be a
threat, he was seen as quite boring and quite lacking in original
ideas, he didn’t display his ambition very overtly and therefore, he
wasn’t seen as a threat by his superiors. Whereas officers, who show
some initiative, some original thoughts and creativity tend to
actually be seen as a threat by their superiors and who are then
purged. So I think it’s precisely the quietness and the lack of
initiative in Than Shwe that was the secret of his success. I don’t
think it’s the case that he was not ambitious, he was ambitious but he
kept his ambitions very quite. Everybody says that in all the meetings
that had throughout his carrier, he sat silently in all the meetings.
He just obeyed orders, and that’s the nature of the system. They want
people who would just obey orders.

Q: So that says that Than Shwe must have been systematically planning
his ambitions to materialize. Can you tell us how close was he with
the former dictator General Ne Win?

Ans: Well, I think he was quite close. And I think Ne Win certainly
identify him as a person who could take over. But he wasn’t as close
to Ne Win as for example Khin Nyunt [former military intelligence
chief] personally. I think that’s in terms of personal relationship,
he didn’t have a close relationship. But I think in terms of Ne Win
identifying Than Shwe as a man to take over, he was certainly close.

Q: How much does his wife, Daw Kyaing Kyaing, influence Than Shwe?

Ans: I think she has some influence but I don’t think it’s true that
she is really the all powerful. He himself does know that he is in the
top position. He does have his own agenda, his own ideas. But I think
that one influence she has on him is that she takes astrology very
seriously. And I think that she probably takes astrology more
seriously than he does. She influences him with that. And also I think
she has a particular dislike of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and again
probably she influences him in that way as well.

Q: And could that be one of the reasons for Than Shwe to dislike or
even loathe the name of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi?

Ans: Yes. I think it could be one of the reasons. Several people that
I interviewed for the book says that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi represents
everything that Kyaing Kyaing and the other wives of military leaders
do not. You know, she is very well educated, she has travelled
internationally, she’s very sophisticated, she’s very beautiful and
Kyaing Kyaing is neither beautiful nor educated.

Q. Talking about your sources, is it possible to reveal to us who are
your primary sources in collecting the information regarding Than
Shwe?

Ans: Yes, my two primary sources were: firstly, a number of defectors
from the Burma Army who, over the years, have left Burma and all of
whom knew Than Shwe at different stages of his life. So I interviewed
some people who are living in exile, who had been in military training
with him, way back in the 1950s. And then I interviewed a person who
served as one of his doctors when he was the Southwest regional
commander. And I interviewed people who’ve known him more recently
since he became the Senior General. And in addition to the defectors,
I have interviewed quite a number of international diplomats -
British, American, Australian, Japanese and Thai diplomats, former
ambassadors including the former British ambassador Mark Canning,
former Australian ambassadors and former Thai ambassadors. And that
was good because I wasn’t just hearing the western perspectives from
the British or American. I was hearing from the Japanese and Thai
perspectives as well. And also former UN officials, the former UN
special envoy Razali Ismail, the former Special Rapporteur Yozo Yokota
and Professor Pinheiro. These were all my primary sources. These are
all the people who met Than Shwe at different times. And had also a
lot of secondary documents as well.

Q: I have a very vague general understanding that Than Shwe is not a
good diplomat. But we know that he recently paid a visit to Sri Lanka,
which is one of his rare visits to foreign countries. Do you have any
idea how good he is in dealing with all these foreign diplomats?

Ans: It’s true that it’s a very rare visit and it’s quite a surprising
visit. Most of his foreign visits in the past have been limited to
China, India, Singapore and a few other Southeast Asian countries. But
it was interesting that he should go to Sri Lanka. And my suspicion is
he went to Sri Lanka primarily to learn about how the Sri Lankan
government had dealt with the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), to see if there are
any lessons to be learnt.

In terms of his general foreign relations, I think it’s important not
to underestimate Than Shwe. You know, many of us think Than Shwe is
stupid, uneducated and boring. And to certain degree he can be stupid
and not very interesting. But many of the diplomats that I have met
said that actually he can be much more charming than we realize and
when he meets foreign diplomats if he wants to be charming, he could
be, and also his level of English is much better than what we realize.
He can actually understand certainly quite a lot and he can speak in
English. I think he is more intelligent and more educated perhaps than
we think. Although his education has not been formal education, he
never went to university.

Q. Talking about his education, what is then Shwe’s highest level of
education?

Ans: We believe he completed high school but he didn’t go to
university. He finished the high school and he joined the postal
service, similar to Ne Win, who also joined the postal service. He
also worked for a short time as a postal clerk and then he joined the
military and he did military training.

Q. In the military, as we understand generally, he is a specialist in
psychological warfare. Do you think he uses the psychological warfare
tactics to run the regime?

Ans: I think he does. Probably the most obvious example of that is the
divide and rule strategy, which he actually uses successfully
throughout the country in many ways with the different ethnic groups,
for example, in 1995 the split of the DKBA (Democratic Karen Buddhist
Army) from the KNU (Karen National Union) and more recently the split
of another faction in the KNU and other parts of the country as well.
So I think, in terms of divide and rule and also propaganda, he is
really on psychological warfare.

Q. Why do you think Than Shwe purged the former Prime Minister and
Military Intelligence Chief Khin Nyunt? How powerful is Than Shwe
compared to Khin Nyunt?

Ans: I think we have in the past, tended to overestimate the role of
Khin Nyunt and underestimate the role of Than Shwe. I think in reality
Than Shwe was always the number 1, since he became the number 1, he
was number 1. And I think Khin Nyunt’s influence was limited. And in
some ways that was one of the frustrations I think Khin Nyunt wanted
to do more. And I think Khin Nyunt’s fall came because Than Shwe
tolerated him up to a point but then when he crossed the line he was
going too far and was becoming too much and Than Shwe said that’s
enough and got rid of him.

Q. How tight is Than Shwe’s security in his home?

Ans: I think his security is very very tight. And particularly now,
that he has moved to Naypyitaw. I think he is in his own bunker in
Naypyitaw and surrounded by people who provide physical security, but
by also people who owe allegiance to him, people he has promoted and
they are indebted to him. So he has that political security by
surrounding himself with loyalists.

Q. And who among the generals has access to Than Shwe?

Ans: Well, I think Maung Aye as the number 2 certainly has some
access. Even if they don’t meet each other often they have regular
contact. And clearly Thura Shwe Mann and Myint Swe, two of his chosen
prodigies have regular access to him.

Q. Lately, Myint Swe has been speculated of having a close
relationship with Than Shwe also rumoured to be the favourite heir to
replace Than Shwe, but earlier there were also speculation about Shwe
Mann succeeding Than Shwe. What do you say about that? And there is
also a missing person in all these speculations, Maung Aye. What about
him and where does he stand?

Ans: Well, I think in regard to Maung Aye, it is clear that, if Than
Shwe would have to die tomorrow then Maung will become no 1 because of
the hierarchy in SPDC. But if Than Shwe can plan his succession, I
think it is very clear that Than Shwe doesn’t want Maung Aye to
succeed him, so he and Maung Aye will retire together. And he would
want either Shwe Man or Myint Swe to succeed him. In terms of whether
it’s Shwe Man or Myint Swe, to me it’s still unclear. To me, until
recently everyone was saying Shwe Mann and when I read the book most
people were saying Shwe Mann. Although some people were saying that
Myint Swe is definitely a clear contender. But still people were
saying Shwe Mann. As for the recent speculations gave the idea that it
might be Myint Swe, think it’s too early to tell. And one of the
problems is with regime is that rumours spread, and actually sometimes
rumours spread because that is nature. But sometimes I think the
regime deliberately spreads rumours in order to cause confusion or
they allow rumours to spread. And this rumour about Myint Swe, I can’t
comment until it happens.

Q: So do you think that the rumours about the rift between Than Shwe
and Maung Aye could be a deliberate plan or do you think there is
certainly a big rift between the two?

Ans: It’s quite difficult to tell and I think there is good reason to
believe that there is difference in opinion between them. And many
people have said to me when I was researching the book. Maung Aye
didn’t like some of Than Shwe’s decisions including the severe
crackdown on the saffron revolution. One of the interesting things
people have said is that Than Shwe tends to take decisions very
slowly. But when he does take a decision he overreacts, he takes a
very severe decision. It’s also the case in saffron revolution. So I
think Maung Aye and Than Shwe do have differences. But I also think
Maung Aye is never going to challenge Than Shwe because he knows the
consequences. If he challenges and fails and he lives a very
comfortable life as the number two, so I think they will stick
together even though they may not agree.

Q. Do you think Than Shwe is choking out his seven-step roadmap
including the 2010 elections, as part of his “exit plan” to retire
from the military or maybe to allow him to get away with whatever he
has done?

Ans. Yes, I think it’s primarily about two things. Firstly, ensuring
protection for himself, his family and his prodigies and cronies and
people, who are close to him. He is also keen that even after he dies,
his family and close allies are protected. And secondly, I think, he
does model himself to a certain extent on the ancient Burmese warrior
kings and in Naypyitaw there is the statue of the three kings. Because
in Burmese history, the kings had a tradition of building new capitals
or leaving a legacy. So I think both the elections and also the move
to Naypyitaw are about leaving a legacy so that Than Shwe in Burmese
history is seen as the person who left this legacy.

Q. Talking about the statue and he seems to like to think that he is
also one of the great kings in Burmese history. So do you think that
he is really obsessed with all these ideas?

Ans: I think he is. When you go to Naypyitaw, I went to Naypyitaw for
a day and it’s really an extraordinary place particularly the new
pagoda, they built there for the replica of Shwedagon pagoda, which is
covered in gold on the outside and the inside. Lots of money has been
spent on it and it’s lit up at night. Looking around Naypyitaw, it’s
clear that Than Shwe’s part of his decision to move to Naypyitaw is
his idea of following the Burmese traditional kings.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about Than Shwe’s health?

Ans: There have been over the years sporadic reports about his health
and people think he is about to die and is very old. And then suddenly
he reappears and he seems quite strong and in good health. We know
that he is a diabetic and we also believe that he may have cancer
(prostate cancer) and went to Singapore for treatment. But he does
seem to be quite healthy when he appears in public. He doesn’t looked
ill or frail, he looks still in reasonable health although he is quite
overweight, clearly lives a good life. But it’s hard to really know
but it doesn’t seem that he is in bad health.

Q. How obsessed is Than Shwe with astrology?

Ans: I think astrology is certainly a big influence on him in terms of
deciding timing of decisions. So, when he announced the move to
Naypyitaw, the timing was carefully chosen. Similarly, with some of
the prison sentences that have been passed on activists in recent
years, those were carefully chosen for astrological reasons. I think
in terms of the actual decisions it may be a factor, but I think it’s
a factor alongside other factors. For example, with the move to
Naypyitaw, I think the advice of the astrologers may have been one
reason. But I think there are also other reasons: the historical
legacy, and also the desire to protect themselves from the possibility
of a nationwide uprising, having the bunker city in the centre of the
country. And also the paranoia, misplaced paranoia of foreign
invasion. So, I think those strategic factors whether they are
justified or not were also influential in addition to astrology.

Q. Based on the information that you have, would you conclude that
Than Shwe is paranoid with the possibilities of a foreign invasion?

Ans: I think he is. And particularly after the Iraq war and if you
read some of his speeches, which we quote in the book, he has ordered
the soldiers, the military and the USDA [Union Solidarity and
Development Association] to prepare for specifically an American
invasion. So I think he does have that fear. It’s misplaced, you know,
there is no likelihood of it happening, but he certainly has that
fear.

Q. We know that Than Shwe is a dictator, a sick man, a xenophobic and
obsessed with astrology. But why do you think the military generals
and soldiers in Burma fear him so much and accept his rule?

Ans: Well, these are the questions I’ve been asking throughout the
research for the book because I couldn’t understand why a person who
really has no charisma, he has no personal ability to inspire people
is obyed. Why he’s been so successful. And also couldn’t understand,
why so many people complain about him. They complain about him
personally, not just the regime. And yet, nobody does think about it
within the regime. And my conclusion is that, the problem is really
with the system, that the Burmese military has a tradition of – ‘you
don’t move against you superior even if you hate them you just don’t
do it.’ Combined with the fact that Than Shwe has been very successful
in creating a cultural patronage within the regime, where he has
rewarded a lot of people and promoted a lot of people. So a lot of
people feel indebted to him and therefore they are loyal to him out of
fear because they don’t want to lose their positions. There is this
culture of fear that prevents those within the regime from doing
anything to remove him.

Q. Would you say that Than Shwe is a part of the military institution
that’s been ruling Burma more than 40 years? Or would you say that he
is a determined individual dictator?

Ans: I think he’s actually both. He’s certainly the product of the
system. And I think the problem in Burma is much bigger than Than
Shwe. If you get to Than Shwe, if you just get with Than Shwe, that’s
not going to solve the Burmese situation. However, I think he is
particularly a hardline person in the regime. He is someone who really
does want to hold on to power at all costs. He doesn’t want to
compromise, he doesn’t want to negotiate. And he is an individual
who’s exerting particular control over the system as well as being the
product of the system.
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Copenhagen urges protection of environmental journalists
by Salai Pi Pi
Monday, 14 December 2009 22:23

New Delhi (Mizzima) – World leaders at the UN Conference on Climate
Change were urged by media freedom groups to pressurize countries,
including Burma to protect journalists covering environment.

Vincent Brossel, Head of the Asia desk at the Paris-based Reporters
Without Border (RSF) told Mizzima on Monday despite the world leaders’
efforts to come to an agreement on how to tackle climate change, many
countries of the world including Burma are not doing well at home on
the issue.

International Media Support, Reporters Without Borders, Internews and
International Institute for Environment and Development on behalf of
all the signatories on Friday made a call to protect journalists
covering environmental issues and climate change.

“We have received information in recent years about the difficulties
in reporting about deforestation and the issues related to logging in
the areas [in Burma] which borders China,” Brossel said.

Brossel said Chinese companies present in Burma are freely into
illegal logging, which causes serious impact on forests and other
environmental damages.

“In fact, logging companies can do business without any problem
because there is no accountability and the government is not treating
the case seriously,” he added.

While the Burmese military regime allows reports about the general
problem of global warming, Brossel said, Burmese journalists are
restricted from in depth reporting.

“The important thing is to get foreign and Burmese journalists to be
able to investigate the logging issue,” he added.

Brossel, in a statement released on Friday, said delegations of some
countries attending the Copenhagen conference need to provide an
explanation as to why journalists and activists investigating
environmental issues in their countries are being jailed, beaten,
threatened or censored.

“If Uzbekistan, Russia, China, Burma or Indonesia, for example, do not
respect the right of their media to inform on such crucial issues, how
can we expect them to really commit to fight the climate change?,” he
asked.

Last week, a Berlin-based Climate Watchdog in its new report titled
‘Global Climate Risk Index’ ranked Bangladesh, Burma and Honduras as
countries most affected by extreme weathers from 1990 to 2008.

The deadly Cyclone Nargis had devastated Burma’s Irrawaddy delta in
May 2008, killing, according to UN figures, over 134,000 people and
leaving over 2.4 million homeless.

Despite of the devastation, the Burmese junta had restricted
journalists from reporting the catastrophe and arrested and detained
some Burmese journalists.

“With an increasing number of violent attacks on journalists covering
environmental and climate change issues, there is an urgent need for
action,” the statement said.

James Fahn, Global Director of Internews Earth Journalism Network, in
the statement said, “When climate change reporters move to the field
and cover illegal logging and pollution, they face dangers similar to
their colleagues covering the crime beat.”
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The Irrawaddy - Burmese Media Lead with Than Shwe's Favorites
By WAI MOE - Monday, December 14, 2009

Burmese military strongman Snr-Gen Than Shwe traveled to Pyin Oo Lwin
on Friday to attend the graduation of the 52nd Intake of the Defense
Services Academy (DSA). As with previous graduations, he took along an
entourage of family members, including his favorite grandson, Nay Shwe
Thway Aung.

The following day, a photograph of Than Shwe’s extended family
appeared in The New Light of Myanmar, the country's only state-run
newspaper in English. In the photo, Nay Shwe Thway Aung sits on a sofa
alongside Than Shwe's wife wearing sunglasses and a white Western
suit.

Described quietly by ordinary people as “The Royal Family,” Than Shwe
and his kin regularly dominate the pictorial sections of state-run
newspapers with the following pages covering senior ranking generals
in order of favor or importance.

The New Light of Myanmar featured separate photos of Shwe Mann and Tin
Aung Myint Oo––who reportedly dislike each other––at the event.
Whether intentionally or not, Tin Aung Myint Oo, the No 4 general in
the military hierarchy and quartermaster-general of the armed forces,
appeared ahead of Shwe Mann’s photo in the newspaper. Such details are
frequently said to portray underlying messages, observers say.

The day before the military academy event, Than Shwe visited Yadanabon
Cyber City, the country's largest IT center, which is also in Pyin Oo
Lwin. Again, he was accompanied by his grandson who has developed a
reputation for gangster activities in recent years.

Pictures of Nay Shwe Thway Aung appeared again in the state-run
mouthpieces along with Than Shwe and other top generals. One photo
showed Than Shwe's grandson apparently telling a joke to military
representatives while touring the IT center.

The media reported that Than Shwe was met at Yadanabon Cyber City by
Ne Aung, a son of Industry-1 Minister ex- Lt Col Aung Thaung. One of
the richest businessmen in Burma and a close crony of the military
elite, Ne Aung is managing director of IGE Co Ltd, which has an outlet
at the IT center.

Ne Aung's brother, Pyi Aung, is the son-in-law of junta No 2 Deputy
Snr-Gen Maung Aye, and is also an executive of the IGE company, which
is registered in Singapore.

One of Burma's most successful new companies, IGE was permitted by
government authorities to expand into agriculture, steel, chemicals,
electronics, and the oil and gas
industries, including a stake in the offshore natural gas project in
Arakan State.

Another well-known business crony who met up with Than Shwe on his
visit to Yadanabon Cyber City was family friend Tay Za, whose vast
range of business interests include an airline, Air Bagan, logging,
jade mining, import/ export, and a retail outlet in the IT sector.
Burma watchers have speculated that Than Shwe's family has shares in
many of Tay Za's companies.

Both Tay Za and Ne Aung are on the blacklist of sanctioned Burmese
business cronies issued by the US, the EU and Australia.

“Burma is a patronized system,” said Aung Naing Oo, a Burmese
political analyst based in Thailand. “Therefore the way Information
Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan directs the setting of photographs within
the state media reflects the ranking of officials from Than Shwe
down.”

Apart from the political manipulations, he said, “as Burma is a
military dictatorship, family members of the ruling generals and their
cronies get business licenses before anyone else.”
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Junta chief ‘used child soldiers for bodyguards’

Dec 14, 2009 (DVB)–Burma’s junta strongman Than Shwe has surrounded
himself with a special bodyguard unit that took root 15 years ago and
reportedly included child soldiers, sources close to the army have
said.

The unit was designed independently by Than Shwe as means to create a
“private family army” that will aid his efforts to control the
parliament and the army after the 2010 elections.

“It was arranged by the old man [Than Shwe] and regular majors don’t
even have any say in it,” said a source close to senior army
officials, speaking to DVB on condition of anonymity.

The majority of the unit is made up of children of ethnic origin who
were orphaned during Burmese military operations in Karen and Shan
state around 15 years ago, he said.

He added that military training given to the unit was of a superior
quality than regular army training. The children were trained at No.
6. Central Divisional Training School near Oktwin, in Bago division,
and Yeh Mon training school in Rangoon division.

“The orphans were collected from various places and are quite old now,
but they could be exploited and handled,” he said. “No one else gives
them orders as it is a matter that can only be decided by [Than
Shwe].”

According to Aye Myint, who runs the Guiding Star legal advocacy
group, which represents child soldiers in Burma, suspicion among the
army’s top brass is high.

“Politically, the situation is that the generals can’t trust one
another and they are adopting the children to create private family
armies,” he said.

Human Rights Watch claimed in 2002 that some 20 percent of the Burmese
army could be under-18. Burma is thought to have more than 400,000
troops, one of Southeast Asia’s largest armies.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has received 102 official
complaints of under-age recruitment into the army since February 2007,
it reported last month.

“What is happening now is that when the ILO [officials) come, they
look for them [children] at the training school or at the army base,”
said Aye Myint.

He added that when investigating the disappearance of children thought
to have been recruited by the army, some of them do not remerge at
training schools but “go missing” and cannot be traced.

The claims of a private army would fit the profile of a notoriously
reclusive and paranoid leader, who rarely meets with foreign
dignitaries. Despite residing over the ruling State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC) since 1992, his political future remains
uncertain.

According to the Burmese constitution, the SPDC will be forced to cede
power after the elections next year, but whether or not Than Shwe
takes a backseat role in politics is unknown.

Reporting by Ahunt Phone Myat
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