Arakan NLD urges action against referedum
National League for Democracy members in Arakan state and Magwe division have said they are ready to oppose the constitutional referendum the government plans to hold in May.
Arakan state NLD members vowed to sabotage the upcoming referendum and said they hoped other NLD branches would do the same.
U Than Hlaing, secretary of the Arakan NLD organising committee, said a meeting of committee members and 1990 elected people’s parliament representatives had agreed it would call on people within the state and in other regional NLD branches to join them in their activities to oppose the national referendum.
“We are going get in touch and cooperate with NLD organising committees from other regions of Burma,” said Than Hlaing.
“At this time, they already know what should be done and we are all going to do it together.”
Monday, 17 March 2008
Friday, 14 March 2008
DISCUSSION ABOUT BURMA WITH UK POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ILO
Today, in London, Discussion about forced Labour and child soldiers resolution with Burma Campaign UK, Political organizations and International Labour Organization’s Representative Liaison Officer Mr. Steve Marshall
Regards to the above matters in Burma, will be contactable to Mr. Steve Marshall.
951-1-242 393,242 811
marshall@ilo.org
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Burmese Military Government Rejects UN Election Observer Plan
Burma's military government has rejected a U.N. proposal to allow independent observers at its constitutional referendum planned for May.
U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari had proposed the idea of election observers during his meetings with government and opposition leaders this week.
U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari had proposed the idea of election observers during his meetings with government and opposition leaders this week.
Political prisoner dies in Bago prision
Political prisoner and National League for Democracy member Ko Win Tin died on 6 March aged 35 while serving a 27-year prison term in Tharawaddy prison, Bago division.
Ko Win Tin, also known as Anue, was sentenced to 27 years’ imprisonment in 1999 under article 5(j) of the emergency law, among other charges, for planning to incite nationwide mass protests on 9 September 1999.
U Myat Hla, a member of Bago NLD and elected representative of the people's parliament, said he was informed about Win Tin's death by his wife on Thursday.
"We had been hearing news about him being in bad health for quite a while before we heard about his death today," said Myat Hla.
"We were told the sad news by his wife who went to the prison."
Myat Hla said Win Tin had been an enthusiastic member of the NLD in Bago township since it was formed when he was about 14 years old.
"He and his sister were with us since the beginning and they participated enthusiastically in our party's activities," he said.
"We loved him so much and we regard his death as the loss of a family member."
Political prisoner and National League for Democracy member Ko Win Tin died on 6 March aged 35 while serving a 27-year prison term in Tharawaddy prison, Bago division.
Ko Win Tin, also known as Anue, was sentenced to 27 years’ imprisonment in 1999 under article 5(j) of the emergency law, among other charges, for planning to incite nationwide mass protests on 9 September 1999.
U Myat Hla, a member of Bago NLD and elected representative of the people's parliament, said he was informed about Win Tin's death by his wife on Thursday.
"We had been hearing news about him being in bad health for quite a while before we heard about his death today," said Myat Hla.
"We were told the sad news by his wife who went to the prison."
Myat Hla said Win Tin had been an enthusiastic member of the NLD in Bago township since it was formed when he was about 14 years old.
"He and his sister were with us since the beginning and they participated enthusiastically in our party's activities," he said.
"We loved him so much and we regard his death as the loss of a family member."
UN envoy’s visit falls short of expectations
United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said yesterday that the recent visit of his special envoy to Burma did not make as much progress as he had hoped.
UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari was in Burma from 6 to 10 March, his third visit since the regime’s crackdown on demonstrations in September last year, and is due to meet Ban Ki-moon in Senegal on Thursday to brief him on his mission.
He will then report back to the UN Security Council on his return to New York.
Ban Ki-moon said that Gambari had had the opportunity to meet a number of senior officials during his visit.
“Of course, he was not able to meet with senior general Than Shwe, but he has met many senior people, even including the Constitution drafting or review committee members,” he said.
However, senior government officials rejected the UN’s calls for more inclusiveness in the constitution process, the release of political prisoners and monitoring of the upcoming national referendum.
The secretary-general said he would continue to press the Burmese government to take steps towards democratisation.
“There was some progress [during Gambari’s visit], but we have not been able to achieve as much as we had hoped, but this is an ongoing effort,” he said.
“I will continue to press this issue, so that Myanmar will meet the expectations of the international community towards democratisation.”
A spokesperson for the secretary-general said that he currently had no plans to visit Burma himself.
UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari was in Burma from 6 to 10 March, his third visit since the regime’s crackdown on demonstrations in September last year, and is due to meet Ban Ki-moon in Senegal on Thursday to brief him on his mission.
He will then report back to the UN Security Council on his return to New York.
Ban Ki-moon said that Gambari had had the opportunity to meet a number of senior officials during his visit.
“Of course, he was not able to meet with senior general Than Shwe, but he has met many senior people, even including the Constitution drafting or review committee members,” he said.
However, senior government officials rejected the UN’s calls for more inclusiveness in the constitution process, the release of political prisoners and monitoring of the upcoming national referendum.
The secretary-general said he would continue to press the Burmese government to take steps towards democratisation.
“There was some progress [during Gambari’s visit], but we have not been able to achieve as much as we had hoped, but this is an ongoing effort,” he said.
“I will continue to press this issue, so that Myanmar will meet the expectations of the international community towards democratisation.”
A spokesperson for the secretary-general said that he currently had no plans to visit Burma himself.
Saturday, 23 February 2008
Mr.Gambari to press Burma over elections
Mr.Gambari to press Burma over elections
The United Nations special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, has said he will press the Burmese military government to make the process leading to elections in 2010 as inclusive as possible.
Speaking on a visit to Indonesia Mr Gambari said he would discuss the exclusion of the pro-democracy leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, with the authorities when he next visited Burma.
Under a new constitution to be put to a referendum in May, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would be banned from taking part in the elections because her late husband was a foreigner.
Bomb explodes at Mae Sot rubbish dump
Thirteen Burmese migrants were injured today when a bomb exploded at a rubbish dump on the outskirts of the Thai border town of Mae Sot.
The explosion occurred at around 8.30am when a municipal dumpster with the licence plate 7724 brought the rubbish from Ban Nua market to the dump.
Fourteen Burmese nationals, including three children, were injured in the blast.
Military abducts 15 children in Tharawaddy
Fifteen children from Tharawaddy township in Bago division were abducted by government troops about 10 days ago and forced to join the army, local residents said.
The children were in the forest collecting wood when they were taken by soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion-35.
A Tharawaddy resident said the children were threatened with imprisonment if they would not join the army.
“The children were abducted by LIB-35 about 10 days ago when they went into the forest to collect bamboo,” the resident said.
“They were then taken to the barracks where the military officers apparently told them they had to choose between joining the army and being sent to prison, but the children all said they would prefer to go to prison.”
The children were taken to Tharawaddy police station about three days ago, as the LIB-35 battalion commander was due to come to the barracks and officers were reportedly worried they would be reprimanded for having the children there.
But the police refused to press charges against the children or to keep them in detention, and so the military took them back to the barracks.
The Tharawaddy resident said the police were also worried about action against them if they kept the children at the station.
“Maybe they’re afraid that they’re going to get into trouble for having these children,” he said.
“The police also used to make some money from people who went to the forest to cut wood, but since the military has been discouraging people to go there they are not getting money any more.”
Other local residents said that soldiers from the military recruitment division led by lieutenant Saw Win have taken people from the forest on several recent occasions.
Thursday, 21 February 2008
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Authorities ban Dhamma talk in Magwe
Local authorities in Pwint Phyu township, Magwe division, cancelled a Dhamma talk by a Mandalay abbot on Saturday and told him to leave the town, local residents said.
Abbot U Thu Mingala of Moegok Wipathana monastery in Mandalay was conducting a three-day Dhamma talk in the township.
Residents of Kone Zaung village, Pwint Phyu, said the talk had already run for two days before police came and stopped the event on the third day.
"Local police chief U Sein Win arrived at the location where the talk was being held at around 2pm on Saturday afternoon and said that U Thu Mingala has been banned from conducting Dhamma talks," a Kone Zaung villager said.
"He also demanded that the pavilion be demolished and the monk leave town at once."
Police did not give a reason for the order or show any legal documentation.
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