Burma Related News - Dec 24, 2009.
TIN KYI
BURMA RELATED NEWS - DECEMBER 24, 2009
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Reuters - U.N. assembly condemns Myanmar rights record
Washington Post - Little word from U.S. on Nyi Nyi Aung, jailed in
Burma
Strategy Page - Death Watch For MiG
Avon Messenger - Avon Middle High School Amnesty International
sponsors letter writing campaign to free prisoner
Xinhua - Construction of Myanmar new capital continues
MNN - Genocide plagues Burma, agency reports
Pravda - Russian MiG-29 Jets 'Attack' China in Myanmar
Mizzima News - Junta stocking up on weapons for rainy day: observer
Mizzima News - Junta lobbies hard on international fora
The Irrawaddy - Dissident Dies in Prison
The Irrawaddy - US Demands Immediate Access to Jailed Citizen
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U.N. assembly condemns Myanmar rights record
Thu Dec 24, 2009 12:28pm EST
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. General Assembly condemned wide-
ranging human rights violations in Myanmar in a resolution adopted
early on Thursday.
The resolution on the country formerly known as Burma, voted through
by 86-23 with 39 abstentions, "strongly condemns the ongoing
systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the
people of Myanmar."
It also called on Myanmar's military rulers to immediately release
opposition leader and Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from
house arrest, as well as freeing more than 2,000 other prisoners of
conscience.
In November, Myanmar's U.N. envoy, Than Swe, rejected the non-binding
resolution, then in draft form, calling it "glaringly deficient" and
little more than "another means to maintain pressure on Myanmar in
tandem with sanctions."
Swe could not be reached for comment on Thursday's vote.
Assembly condemnations of the human rights situation in North Korea,
Myanmar and Iran have become an annual ritual in recent years.
This year's vote came after U.N. special rights investigator on
Myanmar Tomas Ojea Quintana told the General Assembly in October that
"the situation of human rights in Myanmar remains alarming."
Envoys from nations that rights groups have also accused of having
poor human rights records -- including China, Russia, Libya, Sudan,
Syria, Egypt and Zimbabwe -- say they generally vote against such
resolutions because they oppose singling out specific countries.
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Washington Post - Little word from U.S. on Nyi Nyi Aung, jailed in
Burma
By Glenn Kessler, Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 24, 2009
After his arrest in September, the American was held for 17 days in a
dank Burmese jail and denied food, medical treatment, sleep and the
chance to speak with a U.S. government official. Even after he finally
met with a representative from the U.S. Embassy, the American was
transferred to solitary confinement in a cell for military dogs.
But the harsh treatment on what advocates say are trumped up charges
has barely merited a peep from the Obama administration.
Nyi Nyi Aung, a Montgomery Village resident and Burmese democracy
advocate who has traveled there often, appears to be politically
inconvenient for both the United States and the Burmese military
dictatorship at a moment when the two countries have taken tentative
steps toward engagement after years of stormy antagonism.
"It is shocking to me that an American citizen has been treated this
way and higher U.S. officials are silent on that," said Wa Wa Kyaw,
Nyi Nyi's fiancee and also a U.S. citizen and Maryland resident. "It
will let the generals think, 'We can do whatever we want, even torture
and inhumane treatment of a U.S. citizen,' because America wants to do
the engagement policy."
In one apparent concession to American sensitivities, the Burmese
government in October abruptly dropped charges of instigating unrest
in concert with pro-democracy groups. Instead, it accused Nyi Nyi of
purely criminal acts -- allegedly possessing a forged Burmese
identification document and failing to declare U.S. currency totaling
more than $2,000. His lawyers say he is innocent of both offenses;
they note that he appears to have been seized by authorities before he
even made it through customs, where he would have had to declare the
currency.
Officials at the Burmese Embassy in Washington did not respond to a
request for comment.
Burma, also known as Myanmar, is regarded as one of the world's most
oppressive nations, ruled by generals who have enriched themselves
while much of the country remains desperately poor. The National
League for Democracy, the party of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San
Suu Kyi, won a landslide electoral victory in 1990, but the military
leadership refused to accept it. Since then, she has been under house
arrest for most of the time, as have hundreds of her supporters.
The 40-year-old Nyi Nyi was one of the leading organizers of
demonstrations against the junta in 1988 and fled the country after a
violent crackdown, eventually settling in the United States as a
political refugee in 1993. He became a U.S. citizen in 2002 and earned
a college degree in computer science, but he also remained deeply
involved in Burmese democracy efforts.
Wa Wa said that her fiancee managed to often travel to Burma to visit
his family and work with the Burmese underground because his U.S.
passport is in his legal name, Kyaw Zaw Lwin. In his professional and
personal lives in the United States, he has used Nyi Nyi Aung -- an
amalgam of a childhood nickname and his father's first name -- and for
years the Burmese government never made the connection.
But last summer Nyi Nyi's profile was raised when he helped deliver a
petition to senior United Nations officials with 680,000 signatures
calling for the release of all political prisoners in Burma.
Wa Wa, who has lived with Nyi Nyi since 2005, also has secretly
traveled back to Burma even though she is a political refugee. "We
have taken the risk because we want to organize and train the new
generation for democracy and freedom," she said.
Nyi Nyi's mother and sister are serving prison sentences of five years
and 65 years, respectively, for their involvement in 2007 anti-
government demonstrations known as the "Saffron Revolution." Wa Wa
said that he tried to enter the country again in part to see his
ailing mother. But he appears to have been seized as soon as he landed
at the airport in September.
Nyi Nyi's treatment in prison has attracted worldwide attention, with
both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International issuing statements
on his case. Fifty-three members of the House of Representatives,
including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard L. Berman (D-
Calif.), sent a letter last week to Senior Gen. Than Shwe calling for
Nyi Nyi's immediate release and return to the United States.
On Nov. 6, Sen. Barbara Milkulski (D-Md.) sent Wa Wa a letter saying
she had asked Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to condemn the
detention in the "strongest terms possible." But Clinton -- who over
the summer called for the release of another American, John Yettaw --
has been silent. Yettaw, who was tried for entering Aung San Suu Kyi's
compound, eventually was freed through the intervention of Sen. James
Webb (D-Va.), when he traveled to Burma and met with senior leaders in
August.
Sources also said that Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell did
not raise the case when he met with senior Burmese officials in a rare
high-level visit to Burma last month, though it has been raised at
lower levels. Jared Gensler, a Washington lawyer who is assisting Wa
Wa, said Westerners put on trial in Burma are usually treated well and
then deported, but Nyi Nyi appears to be the first American of Burmese
descent on trial, which might account for the rough treatment.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the department is
handling the case as it would for any American citizen. "Embassy
representatives have monitored his court appearances and been able to
talk with him in that setting," he said. "We continue to press the
Burmese government for ongoing consular access as required by the
Vienna Convention so that we can ensure that he is treated
appropriately."
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Strategy Page - Death Watch For MiG
December 24, 2009: Myanmar is buying twenty MiG-29s from Russia.
Myanmar bought its first twelve MiG-29s in 2001. This new sale will
earn Russia some criticism, because Myanmar (formerly Burma) is a
military dictatorship with a very bad international reputation. But
Russia is desperate to keep the MiG-29 from fading away. To that end,
Russia also ordered 24 MiG-29Ks for its sole aircraft carrier, to
replace the Su-33s that currently serve on the ship. However, most of
the current news about the Mig-29 has been bad.
Malaysia, for example, admitted that it is getting rid of its MiG-29
fighters because the aircraft are too expensive to maintain. It costs
about $5 million a year, per aircraft, to keep them in flying
condition. Three years ago, Malaysia bought two more MiG-29s, in
addition to the 18 it got in the 1990s. Two of those were lost due to
accidents.
Malaysia has since ordered 18 Su-30 fighters, and will apparently
order more to replace the MiG-29s. Malaysia also bought eight F-18Ds
in the 1990s, and is getting rid of those as well. Russia has offered
better prices on maintenance contracts for new Su-30s, in addition to
bargain (compared to U.S. planes) prices.
Most of the MiG-29s provided satisfactory service. Malaysia was long a
users of U.S. aircraft, so they have been able to compare Russian and
American warplanes. The Russian aircraft cost less than half as much
as their American counterparts. The Malaysians find that an acceptable
situation, even though they face better trained pilots flying F-16s in
neighboring Singapore.
The MiG-29 entered Russian service in 1983. Some 1,600 MiG-29s have
been produced so far, with about 900 of them exported. The 22 ton
aircraft is roughly comparable to the F-16, but it depends a lot on
which version of either aircraft you are talking about. Russia is
making a lot of money upgrading MiG-29s. Not just adding new
electronics, but also making the airframe more robust. The MiG-29 was
originally rated at 2,500 total flight hours. At that time (early
80s), Russia expected MiG-29s to fly about a hundred or so hours a
year. India, for example, flew them at nearly twice that rate, as did
Malaysia. So now Russia is offering to spiff up the airframe so that
the aircraft can fly up to 4,000 hours, with more life extension
upgrades promised. This won't be easy, as the MiG-29 has a history of
unreliability and premature breakdowns (both mechanical and
electronic).
In the last year, Russia grounded has grounded its MiG-29s several
times, in order to check for structural flaws. Compared to Western
aircraft, like the F-16, the MiG-29 is available for action about two
thirds as much. While extending the life of the MiG-29 into the 2030s
is theoretically possible, actually doing so will be real breakthrough
in Russian aircraft capabilities. The Indians are going to take up the
Russians on their upgrade offer. But the Malaysians are going to go
with the more highly regarded Su-30.
Malaysia expects to have all its MiG-29s out of service in about a
year. If they can't be sold, they will simply be scrapped. Algeria,
and several other nations, have turned down the MiG-29, which has
acquired the reputation of being second rate and a loser. Russia,
however, wants to preserve MiG as a brand, so it is not solely
dependent on Sukhoi for its jet fighters. At this point, it looks like
an uphill fight. MiG and Sukhoi are now both divisions of a state
owned military aircraft company (United Aircraft). Technically, the
MiG division is bankrupt. Sukhoi is profitable.
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Avon Messenger - Avon Middle High School Amnesty International
sponsors letter writing campaign to free prisoner
Thu Dec 24, 2009, 08:00 AM EST
The Avon Middle-High School chapter of Amnesty International has just
sponsored a letter writing campaign to free a prisoner of conscience
in the Southeast Asian country of Myanmar (formerly Burma).
Over 300 letters were collected and sent to both the Myanmar
government and to the Myanmar embassy in Washington, D.C.
On Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, students in grades seven
through 12 wrote letters to the Myanmar government on behalf of Daw
Ayung San Suu Kyi. Kyi, co-founder of the National League for
Democracy, was imprisoned by the military junta after winning a
democratic election in 1990. She has spent 14 of the last 20 years
under some form of detention, including a recent sentence of eighteen
months of house arrest.
Amnesty International's mission is to promote human rights for
everyone worldwide. It primarily targets governments, but also reports
on non-governmental bodies and private individuals. To accomplish
their goals, Amnesty International has developed several techniques.
Letter-writing is one of the most effective ones used to free
prisoners of conscience.
The Avon Middle High School chapter of Amnesty International will be
planning more events in the future.
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Construction of Myanmar new capital continues
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-24 13:27:43
YANGON, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The construction of Myanmar's new capital
of Nay Pyi Taw continued after emergence of departmental buildings,
houses, main roads, markets, hotels, motels and resorts around the
region as the early phase over the past four years.
Some five new towns in the capital region are being developed in
addition to the existing three -- Pyinmana, Lewe and Tatkon in the
post-move period of the administrative capital there from Yangon.
The five new towns, named as Oathara Thiri, Dekkina Thiri, Poppha
Thiri, Zapu Thiri, Zeyar Thiri, will bring the total number of
townships constituting the district-level capital region to 8,
deleting it as a township from Mandalay division.
Meanwhile, Myanmar continued to move its remaining government ministry
offices from the former capital of Yangon to the new administrative
capital as the final phase after most of the offices were well
relocated there.
The offices of ministries' directorates will be left in Yangon as the
ministries' offices in southern Myanmar, according to local reports.
Myanmar shifted its former administrative capital of Yangon to Nay Pyi
Taw, about 390 km to the north, in November 2005. Nay Pyi Taw is
located between middle mountain range of Bago Yoma and eastern
mountain range of Shan Yoma.
The new capital covers an area of 7,054.37 square-km and has a
population of 924,608, according to official figures.
More than a year after the move, the government formed a committee,
chaired by U Soe Tha, Minister of National Planning and Economic
Development, for auctioning some state-owned buildings left behind in
Yangon.
The auction also covers some housing project buildings being
implemented under government supervision and related land plots.
The Myanmar government has made arrangement to allot lands in Nay Pyi
Taw to long-service government employees as part of its efforts to
develop the new capital, giving priority to such government employees,
who have at least 10-year civil services and two years' in Nay Pyi
Taw, to buy the allotted lands.
Since 2006, the Nay Pyi Taw City Development Committee has also
invited investment from local nationals to develop the capital city,
offering to allot them land plots for the purpose.
These allotted land areas are designated to build new living quarters,
shopping complexes, highway terminals and car workshops.
According to the committee, on completion of all the buildings,30
years of land lease will be granted which is not transferable within
the initial 10 years' period.
Meanwhile, Myanmar has also been striving for the improvement of
transport link with Nay Pyi Taw as part of its development of the new
capital.
A new 8-lane motor highway linking Yangon with Nay Pyi Taw directly
and built by 12 giant private construction companies, has been put
into service since March this year.
The Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw highway, which extends as 323.2 km, represents
the prior part of the 563 km-long overall Yangon- Nay Pyi Taw-Mandalay
highway.
Moreover, Myanmar is planning to build one more railway station in Nay
Pyi Taw next to the existing Pyinmana station to facilitate rail
transport to the new capital, saying that feasibility study and land
survey are underway for the move.
The new station will be the second one after the first new being built
since 2006 which is reportedly nearing completion.
In addition to zoological garden, water fountain garden, herbalgarden,
national landmark garden and Ngalikekantha resort which have been in
place, Myanmar local private companies have also constructed 42 new
shopping complexes there, aimed at attracting more visitors to the
city.
In Nay Pyi Taw, some modernized buildings such as governmental
departments, residential quarters, private hospital, private
bank,Union of Myanmar Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) and
Shwe Pazun bakery house have been constructed.
Meanwhile, other construction companies group are also implementing
some international-level shopping center projects. Among them, the
first private-run "Junction Center - Nay Pyi Taw" was built by the
giant Shwe Taung Development company and was opened in August this
year.
It is expected that Nay Pyi Taw will be further developed in the next
decade to possess the characteristics of a city.
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Genocide plagues Burma, agency reports
Mission Network News - 12/24/2009
Myanmar (MNN) -- Atrocities are mounting in Burma--the country now
known as Myanmar. Thousands of people have been killed by the military-
led government. And many human rights workers say there's no end in
sight.
President of Vision Beyond Borders Patrick Klein just returned from
the border of Myanmar and Thailand and says the situation is
desperate. "The government seems like it's intent on genocide. 500,000
people have died already. They say it surpasses Darfur because they
document more than 3,300 villages that have been completely burned to
the ground."
According to Klein, this is a strategic political move. "The
government is trying to get rid of everybody who is in opposition to
this current military regime. So, it's not just the Karen, but the
Karen seem to be receiving the brunt of it."
The issue has been addressed by the Harvard Law School's report,
"Crimes in Burma," but the rest of the world is ignoring it. Klein
says, "It's baffling to us because we can't figure it out. Nobody
seems to know what's going on. Nobody seems to be interested. When we
talk, people in the States say, 'Really? That's happening in Burma?
Well, we need to know that.'"
I asked Klein if he thinks it's genocide. "I heard one of the Burmese
generals say, 'By the year 2010' (which isn't that far away) 'there
will be no more Karen people left. We're going to wipe them off the
face of the earth. The only ones you'll see will be in the photographs
in the museums.'"
Klein says the international media seems to be ignoring the
situation.
He says the Myanmar military isn't the only offender. Burmese orphans,
refugees in bordering Thailand, are being threatened by Thai
officials. "The Thai border police want to send them back into Burma.
There are land mines everywhere. They're killing these people. And
they want to send these kids back because they're kind of working with
the government, underhandedly, to get money kickbacks from the
government to send these kids back in, to slaughter them."
Klein says the stories of evil abound. "We heard a story about an
eight-year-old boy who was told by the Burmese military, in front of
his family, to climb a tree and climb as high as he could. They held
him at gun point. He climbed as high as he could, and they told him to
jump down, or they would shoot [his family]. So, he jumped to his
death in front of his family."
Vision Beyond Borders was able to take in rice, medical supplies, toys
for Christmas, and Bibles. Klein says, "Even in the midst of all these
atrocities, many people are getting saved. So we want to keep
providing Bibles."
Klein says nobody expects the situation to improve. "The elections are
coming up in Burma in March. They believe 50,000 to 100,000 more
refugees will come into Thailand before the election, and probably
150,000 more after the election."
Christian actor Kirk Cameron has agreed to be the narrator for a
documentary on the situation in Burma. "We want to get that out around
the nation," says Klein, "to call the churches to pray and ask God to
intervene in the country to bring down this wicked government."
If you'd like to help Vision Beyond Borders with Bible and aid
distribution, click here.
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Pravda - Russian MiG-29 Jets 'Attack' China in Myanmar
24.12.2009 Source: Pravda.Ru
Russia will deliver 20 MiG-29 fighter jets to the Air Force of Myanmar
(Burma). The deal is evaluated at nearly $600 million. Burma preferred
Russia's renowned jets to China, although its J-10 and FC-1 fighters
are cheaper.
The deal became the largest contract to sell MiG-29 jets after Algeria
terminated a similar contract with Russia in 2007. Russia has sold
only six MiGs to Sri Lanka and gave away ten others to Lebanon since
then.
As for Burma, China has been this nation's major partner in commerce,
including the defense industry, during the recent 20 years. The
European Union and the United States have been practicing sanctions
against Burma for decades. Burma is governed by a military junta, and
nearly all opposition activists in the country are jailed.
It is China that eases the consequences of the political and economic
blockade of Burma. It is worthy of note that the EU and the US are
interested in Burma's natural resources - its oil, natural gas and non-
ferrous metals.
Why did Burma offend its long-term and close partner, China? How will
the West react to Burma's choice of Russian arms?
"In spite of the scandal, which occurred in 2007 during the shipment
of MiG jets to Algeria, the MiG-29 jet is much more reliable and
efficient than what China offered to Burma. It's not Russia's first
deal with Burma - we delivered 12 MiG-29 fighters to this country in
2001," Alexander Khramchikhin, deputy director of the Institute for
Political and Military Analysis told Pravda.Ru.
"It goes without saying that China is not going to be happy with such
a turn of events. China gradually ousts Russia from the countries with
which Russia traditionally has relations in the field of defense
cooperation. However, I do not think that Russia has a good reason to
celebrate. The situation in the Russian defense industry becomes
worse, which affects the export of arms.
"The deal with Burma will definitely trigger a harsh reaction from the
West, which does not recognize the Burmese regime," the expert added.
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Junta stocking up on weapons for rainy day: observer
Thursday, 24 December 2009 19:49 Mungpi
New Delhi (Mizzima) - The Burmese military junta's decision to
purchase armament from Russia may have been triggered by their fear of
budget constraints under the new government to be elected in 2010, an
analyst said.
Win Min, a Burmese analyst based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, said the
junta's decision to purchase MiG 29 Fulcrum D fighter jets from Russia
at a time when they should be busy preparing for next year's
elections, could be driven by its fear of budget constraints under the
new government that will largely restrict them in their wild pursuit
of weapons.
On Wednesday, Russia's business daily Vedomosti told Mizzima, that
Russia has signed a contract to deliver 20 MiG-29 K/KUB and about 8 to
10 Mi-35 attack helicopters, worth a total of US$ 640 million. The
delivery will commence in 2010.
The arms purchase news comes days after the Nobel Peace Winning
Economist Joseph Stiglitz's visit to the military-ruled country, where
he had advised the military government to reduce their spending on the
military but to invest on education as the Burmese economy needs
education to revive.
Stiglitz also advised the junta to use revenue, from the sale of
natural resources including oil and natural gas, for opening a new era
for the country, but warned that if they are not used wisely "valuable
opportunities would be squandered."
But Win Min said he believes the junta is acting on its worry that "it
may not be able to buy this way after the 2010 elections under the new
government's budget constraints."
The junta is also expanding the government-owned enterprises including
the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings and the Myanmar Economic
Corporation (MEC) to ensure that the military has its own budget,
which cannot be controlled by parliament, even after a new government
is formed after the 2010 elections, Win Min added.
The UMEH is run by the Defence Ministry's Directorate of Procurement
and is engaged in almost all joint ventures. The MEC funnels revenue
from private enterprise into defence spending while the UMEH provides
opportunities for secondary incomes for military personnel and their
families.
Win Min said, "generally all armed forces want new weapons like all
kids want toys," but it is sad to see that the Burmese military junta,
despite expert advice given by Prof Stiglitz to reduce defence
spending and to increase investments on education and health, is only
concerned about its insatiable needs of purchasing new toys.
Protesting against the weapons transfer contract, nearly a dozen
Burmese pro-democracy activists in New Delhi, India held a rally on
Thursday afternoon in front of the Russian embassy.
"Burma has no enemy and there is no need to purchase weapons. And
these weapons will only be used to intimidate and suppress the Burmese
people," Salong, a member of the Shwe Gas Movement, told Mizzima.
Shouting slogans - "We want peace, not MiG-29' "Hey Russia we want
peace" - the activists said, the Burmese junta, instead of spending on
development projects, is spending revenue earned from the sale of oil
and natural gas to purchase armaments.
According to the Vedomosti, the Burmese junta had also purchased 12
MiG-29 K/KUB fighter jets in 2001. Burma had also imported US$ 2
billion worth of weapons since 1989, mainly from China.
Burma's military rulers, which has ruled the country for the past two
decades, is known to spend less than 3 per cent of its GDP per annum
for health and education while the military spending is about 40 per
cent.
Another reason for the junta purchasing the fighter jets, Win Min said
could be the junta's wish to strengthen its air force on the borders
generally and on the Chinese and Bangladesh in particular.
"The military might want to improve its air force on the borders
generally, but especially on the China and Bangladesh borders, since
they want to threaten the ceasefire [armed] groups, especially Wa
[United Wa State Army] to agree to their proposal of transforming into
the border guard force," Win Min said.
He added that the purchase of MiG-29 Fulcrum D could also be "to have
better bargaining power with Bangladesh on their disputed maritime
areas, which has natural gas."
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Junta lobbies hard on international fora
Thursday, 24 December 2009 23:03 Mungpi
New Delhi (Mizzima) - Burma's state-owned newspaper New Light of
Myanmar on Wednesday reported the return of Foreign Minister Nyan Win
from Denmark after attending the UN Climate Change Conference.
The newspaper said Nyan Win, besides delivering a speech at the
conference, also met Foreign Ministers of the European Union led by
the Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and hosted by Danish Foreign
Minister Per-Stig Moller at the sidelines of the Copenhagen
Conference.
In a press statement, the EU said during the meeting, also attended by
the EU special envoy to Burma Mr. Piero Fassino, European Union
Foreign Ministers reiterated their willingness to continue a dialogue
aimed at substantial improvements towards a transition to democracy
and respect of human rights in Burma.
The ministers also told Nyan Win that "the elections in 2010 are an
important opportunity for allowing inclusiveness and showing serious
progress on national reconciliation, which is necessary to address the
political and socio-economic problems facing Burma/Myanmar."
The ministers also urged the Burmese military junta to take
substantive steps towards free and fair elections.
The report about Nyan Win's December 16 to 18 trip to Denmark, which
came after a week, is among the many stories that the Burmese junta's
mouthpiece newspaper is reporting relating to activities of junta
officials.
The English version of the newspaper, which usually carries stories of
the military general's development work, has for the past few weeks
been carrying reports of foreign officials including a few heads of
states, and deputies visiting the pariah state.
On Thursday, the newspaper reported the visit of a delegation led by
Mr Li Chao, Chairman of the Central China Power Grid International
Economic & Trade Co Ltd, and their meeting with Burmese Minister for
Electrical Power (2) Maj-Gen Khin Maung Myint.
On Wednesday, the newspaper reported the visit of Japanese Deputy
Minister for Economics, Trade and Industry Mr. Hiroyuki Ishige and his
meeting with Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein.
On Tuesday, the newspaper reported the visit by Chang Zhenming,
Chairman and President of CTTIC Group of China and his meeting with
Burmese Minister for Transport Maj-Gen Thein Swe.
Monday's newspaper was filled with the visit of Chinese Vice-President
Xi Jinping and his meetings with Burmese military supremo Snr. Gen
Than Shwe, and Vice Snr Gen Maung Aye.
While most of the visiting officials are not heads of states and do
not carry significant weight, the fact that many foreign officials are
visiting the country, which is under Western sanctions, is
significant, a Burmese analyst said.
Win Min, a Burmese analyst based in Thailand, said lately more
countries are interested in visiting and dealing with the Burmese
junta, and the new United States policy on the regime could be a
factor contributing to the change.
"The US's new policy on engagement with Burma (while maintaining the
sanctions) may also partly encourage other country representatives to
visit," Win Min added.
The US in September announced a new policy on Burma's military regime.
Under the new policy, the US is willing to directly engage with the
junta, while existing sanctions would remain.
As a first step in US-Junta relations, the Assistant Foreign Secretary
Kurt Campbell led delegation in November visited Naypyitaw and held
talks with junta supremo Snr. Gen Than Shwe.
"I think it shows that many countries want to see if there can be an
impact from their visits to open up the election process, while some
countries may also want to secure their business interests before the
elections," Win Min said.
He said, as the Nobel Prize Winning economist Joseph Stiglitz
concluded a visit to Burma, during which he was able to advise the
Burmese generals on economic reforms, Japan may also be interested in
checking out the possibilities a more open economy.
Win Min added that the visits by foreign officials could indicate that
the junta has been working hard to gain international support for
their roadmap, of which the fifth step is the general elections slated
for 2010.
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The Irrawaddy - Dissident Dies in Prison
By BA KAUNG - Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tin Tin Htwe, who was arrested during the 2007 Saffron Revolution,
died in Insein Prison hospital on Wednesday night, according to
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma (AAPP), a
Thailand-based organization working for the rights of political
prisoners in Burma. .
Tin Tin Htwe, 38, from Bahan Township in Rangoon, reportedly died of a
heart condition.
Her neighborhood, located within a kilometer east of Shwedagon Pagoda,
was the scene of the first deadly crackdown during the Saffron
Revolution when security forces fired on Buddhist monks.
She was arrested on Sept. 26, 2007, accused with 14 others of hurling
stones at riot police. She was charged under sections 332 (hindering
public servants from carrying out their duties) and 294 (obscene acts
and songs in public), and released on bail. In November 2008 she was
sentenced to three years and three months with hard labor, according
to AAPP.
She was incarcerated in Pegu Division's Tharrawaddy Prison in 2008
before her recent transfer to Rangoon's Insein Prison hospital due to
her deteriorating health.
The healthcare system in Burma's prisons is notoriously inefficient.
"There are not enough medications in prison hospitals. There is no
timely response to prisoners' health problems," said Bo Kyi, the joint-
secretary of AAPP.
Two other political prisoners also died in 2009--Salai Hla Moe, a
member of the National League for Democracy, and Saw Cha Leik, a
member of Karen National Union, who died in Myingyan and Thayet
prisons respectively.
Tin Tin Htwe's death increased the number of political prisoners who
have died in Burma's prisons to 143 since 1988.
According to AAPP, her body was moved on Wednesday night to her family
home in Bahan and was to be cremated the following day.
A total of 2,173 political prisoners are being held in prisons
throughout Burma. The military government stopped allowing visits of
International Committee for the Red Cross personnel to prisons in
2005.
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US Demands Immediate Access to Jailed Citizen
By LALIT K JHA / WASHINGTON - Thursday, December 24, 2009
The United States on Thursday urged the Burmese military junta to
provide immediate consular access to Kyaw Zaw Lwin, also known as Nyi
Nyi Aung, the US national who was arrested on arrival at the Rangoon
airport on Sept. 3 and is currently being subjected to a "military dog
confinement" in the infamous Insein Prison.
"We call on the Burmese government to grant the United States
immediate consular access as required by obligations under the Vienna
Convention," a State Department spokesman, Mark C. Toner, told The
Irrawaddy.
A well-known democracy activist, Lwin was arrested by the Burmese
authorities on Sept. 3, when he was attempting to visit his mother, an
imprisoned democracy activist who has cancer. Later he was accused of
using a forged Burmese identity card and illegally importing
currencies into the country.
It was on Dec. 3 that he was lasted granted consular access. On Dec.
4, he went on a hunger strike, which he has now ended.
"We confirm that he ended his hunger strike," Toner said, adding that
the State Department is maintaining close communication with his
family members and his representative.
"Because, we have not been granted consular access, it is difficult to
say exactly how his health is," he said. "We continue to seek ongoing
access to him and do all we can to ensure that."
On Wednesday, Washington-based international counsel of Lwin sought
immediate intervention of the US Special Rapporteur on Torture,
alleging that he was being tortured by authorities in Burma.
"Nyi Nyi Aung, who has been unjustly imprisoned in Burma since Sept.
3, 2009, is being subjected to torture by prison officials in Burma's
notorious Insein Prison. The torture is punishment for his hunger
strike earlier this month protesting the conditions of Burma's
political prisoners," said Lwin's international counsel, Jared Genser
and Beth Schwanke, of Freedom Now.
Last week as many as 53 US Congress members also wrote a letter to Snr-
Gen Than Shwe urging Lwin's release.
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