By WAI MOE
Three years after Burma's military regime crushed monk-led protests, at least 262 Buddhist monks and nuns remain behind bars.
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
September 27, 2010
NLD Marks 22 Years
By BA KAUNG
At an event marking the NLD's 22nd anniversary, Vice-chairman Tin Oo says the party is reconsolidating and will be revitalized when Suu Kyi is released from detention.
At an event marking the NLD's 22nd anniversary, Vice-chairman Tin Oo says the party is reconsolidating and will be revitalized when Suu Kyi is released from detention.Ethnic Leaders Discuss Military Cooperation
By SAW YAN NAING and LAWI WENG
Representatives of major ethnic cease-fire groups meet in Chiang Mai to consolidate their alliance and discuss military tactics.
Representatives of major ethnic cease-fire groups meet in Chiang Mai to consolidate their alliance and discuss military tactics.
Harn Lay Creates Free Animated Work
By KO HTWE
Harn Lay, The Irrawaddy's illustrator and cartoonist, has created an animated work in video that pokes fun at Burmese junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe, which is now available to all without charge to mark the third anniversary of the monk-led mass demonstration called the “Saffron Revolution.”
Harn Lay, The Irrawaddy's illustrator and cartoonist, has created an animated work in video that pokes fun at Burmese junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe, which is now available to all without charge to mark the third anniversary of the monk-led mass demonstration called the “Saffron Revolution.”
Ban Convenes 'Friends of Burma' Meeting
By LALIT K JHA
Monday, September 27, 2010
WASHINGTON—UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has convened a meeting of his 14-nation “Group of Friends” on Burma to discuss the current situation in the country and the Nov. 7 general election, which most of the Western world said lacks legitimacy.
Monday, September 27, 2010
WASHINGTON—UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has convened a meeting of his 14-nation “Group of Friends” on Burma to discuss the current situation in the country and the Nov. 7 general election, which most of the Western world said lacks legitimacy.
Burmese Election Campaigns Officially Begin
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RANGOON—Campaigning has begun officially in Burma for the November elections, with state television and radio broadcasting the first sanctioned party announcements.
RANGOON—Campaigning has begun officially in Burma for the November elections, with state television and radio broadcasting the first sanctioned party announcements.
Ban Seeks Asean Support on Burma
By LALIT K JHA
The UN secretary general urges Southeast Asian leaders to work together with the world body to ensure that Burma makes a transition to genuine democracy.
The UN secretary general urges Southeast Asian leaders to work together with the world body to ensure that Burma makes a transition to genuine democracy.
Obama Urges Burma to Embark on Process of Reconciliation
By LALIT K JHA
The US president repeats his call for a free and fair election in Burma and the release of all political prisoners following a meeting with Asean leaders in New York.
WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama on Friday urged the Burmese leadership to embark on a process of national reconciliation by releasing all political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
The US president repeats his call for a free and fair election in Burma and the release of all political prisoners following a meeting with Asean leaders in New York.
WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama on Friday urged the Burmese leadership to embark on a process of national reconciliation by releasing all political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
May 20, 2009
Is it Time to Take Than Shwe to International Criminal Court?
By ARKAR MOE
East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta and the Burma Lawyers’ Council have announced they are ready to appeal to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to charge Snr-Gen Than Shwe with criminal acts.
The ICC was established in 2002 as a permanent international tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber can authorize its Prosecutor’s Office to open an investigation on the basis of information received from outside sources.
Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said he would appeal to the ICC to investigate Burma’s ruling junta if it fails to free Aung San Suu Kyi, who was arrested last week and is standing trial on what many say are trumped up charges.
The Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC) said on Saturday it will seek to restore the rule of law to Burma by asking the ICC to launch an investigation into human rights abuses and violations of international law in Burma.
Nan Shan Hpound, a team leader of the BLC Working Team for the International Criminal Court, told The Irrawaddy, "Now we are gathering evidence and collating information on how to prosecute the military generals in the International Criminal Court.”
Ramos-Horta said he will urge the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC to investigate and prosecute Sen-Gen Than Shwe and other responsible leaders of the State Peace and Development Council for crimes committed under their leadership.
The ICC has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes which have been committed or are being committed if a given state’s judicial system is unable or unwilling to investigate and take legal action to ensure justice.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who is now being tried for violation of her house arrest, is being detained under the State Protection Law of 1975. The government is permitted to detain her for five years under that law. Contrary to law, they have already held her in detention for almost six years.
The Women’s League of Burma (WLB) said it also supports a move to appeal to the ICC and called for the international community to join in referring Snr-Gen Than Shwe and others to the ICC.
Lway Aye Nang, the general-secretary of the WLB, told The Irrawaddy, "The time has come to say enough is enough. The United Nations should invoke its responsibility-to-protect mechanism and establish a commission of inquiry to investigate crimes against humanity in Burma. The Burmese military ignores all international laws and uses rape as a weapon of war. Snr-Gen Than Shwe is a real criminal.”
International condemnation against the Burmese military government has increased as a result of its recent arrest and prosecution of Suu Kyi, who faces a five-year prison sentence if she is found guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest. She has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years.
East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta and the Burma Lawyers’ Council have announced they are ready to appeal to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to charge Snr-Gen Than Shwe with criminal acts.
The ICC was established in 2002 as a permanent international tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber can authorize its Prosecutor’s Office to open an investigation on the basis of information received from outside sources.
Ramos-Horta, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said he would appeal to the ICC to investigate Burma’s ruling junta if it fails to free Aung San Suu Kyi, who was arrested last week and is standing trial on what many say are trumped up charges.
The Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC) said on Saturday it will seek to restore the rule of law to Burma by asking the ICC to launch an investigation into human rights abuses and violations of international law in Burma.
Nan Shan Hpound, a team leader of the BLC Working Team for the International Criminal Court, told The Irrawaddy, "Now we are gathering evidence and collating information on how to prosecute the military generals in the International Criminal Court.”
Ramos-Horta said he will urge the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC to investigate and prosecute Sen-Gen Than Shwe and other responsible leaders of the State Peace and Development Council for crimes committed under their leadership.
The ICC has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute crimes which have been committed or are being committed if a given state’s judicial system is unable or unwilling to investigate and take legal action to ensure justice.
Aung San Suu Kyi, who is now being tried for violation of her house arrest, is being detained under the State Protection Law of 1975. The government is permitted to detain her for five years under that law. Contrary to law, they have already held her in detention for almost six years.
The Women’s League of Burma (WLB) said it also supports a move to appeal to the ICC and called for the international community to join in referring Snr-Gen Than Shwe and others to the ICC.
Lway Aye Nang, the general-secretary of the WLB, told The Irrawaddy, "The time has come to say enough is enough. The United Nations should invoke its responsibility-to-protect mechanism and establish a commission of inquiry to investigate crimes against humanity in Burma. The Burmese military ignores all international laws and uses rape as a weapon of war. Snr-Gen Than Shwe is a real criminal.”
International condemnation against the Burmese military government has increased as a result of its recent arrest and prosecution of Suu Kyi, who faces a five-year prison sentence if she is found guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest. She has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years.
Asean’s Human Rights Dilemma
By WAI MOE
KUALA LUMPUR —Thailand announced a statement as chair of Asean on Tuesday that expressed grave concern over the arrest and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi. As Asean chair, it said that it was ready to play a mediation role in Burma’s “national reconciliation process” and a “peaceful transition to democracy” in the country.
But, the arrest and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, coupled with the international outrage in the West, has clearly put Asean’s human rights charter in the spotlight, which is now undergoing its first major test. Its response appears to be a carbon copy of its reactions and statements prior to its creation of a human rights charter.
So far only Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand have expressed their concern over Burma’s worsening political situation in recent weeks. Another founding member country, Malaysia, and other four countries including the next Asean chair, Vietnam, have remained silent.
Analysts agree that Burma continues to be an embarrassment for Asean. As a member country, shouldn’t Burma abide by the intent of Asean’s human rights charter, and, if it doesn’t, what should be the consequences?
A Thai member of parliament, Kraisak Choonhavan, told reporters at the Foreign Correspondent Club of Thailand on May 15 that the junta’s current action is totally against the Asean Charter.
Many think the Burmese military regime is in violation of article 14 of the Asean Human Rights Body (AHRB). A draft of the forthcoming AHRB states that one of purposes of the human rights body is to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Asean.
Thitinan Pongsuhirak, the director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, said that Burma’s 2010 election is a violation of the Asean Charter because it is not a free and fair democratic election, but a rigged process to establish the regime as “legitimate.”
Since military-ruled Burma became a member of Asean in 1997, it has been a contentious issue for Asean, which is often forced to equivocate and haul out its oft-mentioned “non-interference policy” in internal matters of member states. The European Union and the United States are strong critics of Burma’s absolute lack of human rights and rule of law.
The Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) had been postponed several times because of Burmese issues and the EU’s common position on the country, which bans EU visas for officials of the Burmese junta and official visits of EU officials to Burma.
On Monday, Suu Kyi’s first day of trial, EU foreign ministers discussed the Burma issue in Brussels. After the meeting, ministers denounced the Suu Kyi trial and called for Burma’s neighbors to push the junta for positive change in the country. It also warned of further sanctions against Burma.
Czech President Václav Klaus will chair the EU-China Summit in Prague on May 20. At the meeting, the EU is expected to bring up Burma with its Chinese counterpart. Recently, China modified its Burma policy to include the principle of stability, development and national reconciliation.
ASEM foreign ministers and Asean foreign ministers will meet in Hanoi on May 22-25 to discuss bilateral issues between the two groupings. EU ministers have said they will raise the Burma issue when they are in Hanoi.
However, Asean, now celebrating its 40th anniversary, will avoid taking a critical stand, citing its core principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member countries.
The principle is enshrined in article 2 of the Asean Charter, which critics say effectively makes the Asian grouping toothless in terms of human rights issues.
By 2015, the Asean goal is full integration of all 10-member nations under an EU- style single market region.
Commenting on Asean integration, Latheefa Koya, a leading human rights advocate, said many Asean countries still lack a democratic civil society and an independent press.
Asean’s integration motto is: “One Vision, one Identity, one Community.” How that will accommodate human rights abuses is anyone’s guess.
Some observers note the motto’s similarity to the Burmese military regime’s motto of “One Blood, one Voice, one Command.”
This story was written under a 2009 Southeast Asian Press Alliance Fellowship.
KUALA LUMPUR —Thailand announced a statement as chair of Asean on Tuesday that expressed grave concern over the arrest and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi. As Asean chair, it said that it was ready to play a mediation role in Burma’s “national reconciliation process” and a “peaceful transition to democracy” in the country.
But, the arrest and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, coupled with the international outrage in the West, has clearly put Asean’s human rights charter in the spotlight, which is now undergoing its first major test. Its response appears to be a carbon copy of its reactions and statements prior to its creation of a human rights charter.
So far only Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand have expressed their concern over Burma’s worsening political situation in recent weeks. Another founding member country, Malaysia, and other four countries including the next Asean chair, Vietnam, have remained silent.
Analysts agree that Burma continues to be an embarrassment for Asean. As a member country, shouldn’t Burma abide by the intent of Asean’s human rights charter, and, if it doesn’t, what should be the consequences?
A Thai member of parliament, Kraisak Choonhavan, told reporters at the Foreign Correspondent Club of Thailand on May 15 that the junta’s current action is totally against the Asean Charter.
Many think the Burmese military regime is in violation of article 14 of the Asean Human Rights Body (AHRB). A draft of the forthcoming AHRB states that one of purposes of the human rights body is to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Asean.
Thitinan Pongsuhirak, the director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, said that Burma’s 2010 election is a violation of the Asean Charter because it is not a free and fair democratic election, but a rigged process to establish the regime as “legitimate.”
Since military-ruled Burma became a member of Asean in 1997, it has been a contentious issue for Asean, which is often forced to equivocate and haul out its oft-mentioned “non-interference policy” in internal matters of member states. The European Union and the United States are strong critics of Burma’s absolute lack of human rights and rule of law.
The Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) had been postponed several times because of Burmese issues and the EU’s common position on the country, which bans EU visas for officials of the Burmese junta and official visits of EU officials to Burma.
On Monday, Suu Kyi’s first day of trial, EU foreign ministers discussed the Burma issue in Brussels. After the meeting, ministers denounced the Suu Kyi trial and called for Burma’s neighbors to push the junta for positive change in the country. It also warned of further sanctions against Burma.
Czech President Václav Klaus will chair the EU-China Summit in Prague on May 20. At the meeting, the EU is expected to bring up Burma with its Chinese counterpart. Recently, China modified its Burma policy to include the principle of stability, development and national reconciliation.
ASEM foreign ministers and Asean foreign ministers will meet in Hanoi on May 22-25 to discuss bilateral issues between the two groupings. EU ministers have said they will raise the Burma issue when they are in Hanoi.
However, Asean, now celebrating its 40th anniversary, will avoid taking a critical stand, citing its core principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member countries.
The principle is enshrined in article 2 of the Asean Charter, which critics say effectively makes the Asian grouping toothless in terms of human rights issues.
By 2015, the Asean goal is full integration of all 10-member nations under an EU- style single market region.
Commenting on Asean integration, Latheefa Koya, a leading human rights advocate, said many Asean countries still lack a democratic civil society and an independent press.
Asean’s integration motto is: “One Vision, one Identity, one Community.” How that will accommodate human rights abuses is anyone’s guess.
Some observers note the motto’s similarity to the Burmese military regime’s motto of “One Blood, one Voice, one Command.”
This story was written under a 2009 Southeast Asian Press Alliance Fellowship.
Lawyer: Burma Possibly Rushing Suu Kyi's Trial
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RANGOON — Burma's military regime appeared to be rushing through the trial of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi, who has been in detention without trial for more than 13 of the past 19 years, is accused of violating the terms of her house arrest by allowing a visitor to stay at her home without official permission. The offense is punishable by up to five years' imprisonment.
She is standing trial with two female members of her party who live with her, and John W. Yettaw, the American man who triggered the charges by swimming to Suu Kyi's property under the cover of darkness earlier this month and sneaking uninvited into her home.
Suu Kyi had been scheduled to be freed May 27 after six consecutive years under house arrest. The charges against her are widely seen as a pretext for her to stay in detention during polls scheduled for next year—the culmination of the junta's "roadmap to democracy," which has been criticized as a fig leaf for continued military rule.
Burma has been under military rule since 1962. It last held an election in 1990, but the junta refused to honor the results after a landslide victory by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.
Nyan Win, a party spokesman and one of her four lawyers, said five of the prosecution's 22 scheduled witnesses testified Tuesday.
"Now it is very clear that they are trying to speed up the trial," he told reporters at party headquarters. "If it goes on at this rate, it could even be over by next week."
Asked what the motive might be for speeding up the trial, he said "They must have their plans, though I don't know." Nyan Win had speculated Monday that the trial could last up to three months.
Suu Kyi's arrest last week reignited criticism of Burma's military rulers and led to renewed calls by world leaders for her immediate release.
US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the charges against Suu Kyi were "unjustified" and called for her unconditional release and that of more than 2,100 other political prisoners.
Suu Kyi's arrest could well derail a "softer" approach that the Obama administration had been searching for to replace sanctions and other get-tough policies that have done nothing to divert the junta's iron-fisted rule.
China, which as Burma's closest ally probably has the most influence with its ruling generals, has shown no signs it will exert pressure on Burmese military government.
"Myanmar's [Burma's] issue should be decided by the Myanmar people," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said at a regular news briefing. "We hope that the relevant parties in Myanmar could realize reconciliation, stability and development through dialogue."
RANGOON — Burma's military regime appeared to be rushing through the trial of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi, who has been in detention without trial for more than 13 of the past 19 years, is accused of violating the terms of her house arrest by allowing a visitor to stay at her home without official permission. The offense is punishable by up to five years' imprisonment.
She is standing trial with two female members of her party who live with her, and John W. Yettaw, the American man who triggered the charges by swimming to Suu Kyi's property under the cover of darkness earlier this month and sneaking uninvited into her home.
Suu Kyi had been scheduled to be freed May 27 after six consecutive years under house arrest. The charges against her are widely seen as a pretext for her to stay in detention during polls scheduled for next year—the culmination of the junta's "roadmap to democracy," which has been criticized as a fig leaf for continued military rule.
Burma has been under military rule since 1962. It last held an election in 1990, but the junta refused to honor the results after a landslide victory by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.
Nyan Win, a party spokesman and one of her four lawyers, said five of the prosecution's 22 scheduled witnesses testified Tuesday.
"Now it is very clear that they are trying to speed up the trial," he told reporters at party headquarters. "If it goes on at this rate, it could even be over by next week."
Asked what the motive might be for speeding up the trial, he said "They must have their plans, though I don't know." Nyan Win had speculated Monday that the trial could last up to three months.
Suu Kyi's arrest last week reignited criticism of Burma's military rulers and led to renewed calls by world leaders for her immediate release.
US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the charges against Suu Kyi were "unjustified" and called for her unconditional release and that of more than 2,100 other political prisoners.
Suu Kyi's arrest could well derail a "softer" approach that the Obama administration had been searching for to replace sanctions and other get-tough policies that have done nothing to divert the junta's iron-fisted rule.
China, which as Burma's closest ally probably has the most influence with its ruling generals, has shown no signs it will exert pressure on Burmese military government.
"Myanmar's [Burma's] issue should be decided by the Myanmar people," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said at a regular news briefing. "We hope that the relevant parties in Myanmar could realize reconciliation, stability and development through dialogue."
Journalists Attend Suu Kyi Trial
By SAW YAN NAING
Ten journalists were allowed inside the courtroom on Wednesday to cover the trial of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, said journalists in Rangoon.
Five journalists working for foreign news media were chosen by lot. Three were Japanese journalists and two work for Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
The remaining five were chosen by Burmese authorities. Sources believe they represent state-backed newspapers and publications associated with the regime.
A journalist who was chosen to report on the trial said it was not clear whether the authorities will allow the journalists to bring recorders and cameras into the courtroom. In the past, he said, journalists have not been able to use recorders or cameras when covering sensitive events.
A Burmese journalist in Rangoon confirmed that one journalist from the Myanmar Times was chosen to cover the trial.
Associated Press writers, who participated in the draw, lost out to the luck of the draw, sources said.
Wednesday is day three of the trial of Suu Kyi, who has been charged with violating the terms of her house arrest by allowing a US citizen, John William Yettaw, to stay overnight at her compound on Inya Lake. If convicted, she could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison.
Yettaw, 53, who allegedly swam across the lake to the compound, which is under 24-hour guard, is also on trial for violating Burmese security laws and immigration laws, along with two housekeepers who live with Suu Kyi.
Ten journalists were allowed inside the courtroom on Wednesday to cover the trial of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, said journalists in Rangoon.
Five journalists working for foreign news media were chosen by lot. Three were Japanese journalists and two work for Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
The remaining five were chosen by Burmese authorities. Sources believe they represent state-backed newspapers and publications associated with the regime.
A journalist who was chosen to report on the trial said it was not clear whether the authorities will allow the journalists to bring recorders and cameras into the courtroom. In the past, he said, journalists have not been able to use recorders or cameras when covering sensitive events.
A Burmese journalist in Rangoon confirmed that one journalist from the Myanmar Times was chosen to cover the trial.
Associated Press writers, who participated in the draw, lost out to the luck of the draw, sources said.
Wednesday is day three of the trial of Suu Kyi, who has been charged with violating the terms of her house arrest by allowing a US citizen, John William Yettaw, to stay overnight at her compound on Inya Lake. If convicted, she could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison.
Yettaw, 53, who allegedly swam across the lake to the compound, which is under 24-hour guard, is also on trial for violating Burmese security laws and immigration laws, along with two housekeepers who live with Suu Kyi.
Security Council Members Hold Informal Discussions on Burma
By LALIT K JHA
WASHINGTON — Members of the UN Security Council have informally begun discussions on the possibility of issuing a statement on the current situation in Burma, especially the ongoing trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, following an initiative by the United States, France and Britain.
Members of the Security Council and UN secretary-general have been under pressure during the past one week following a global outcry against the detention and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi by the Burmese military government.
The Burmese community and its pro-democracy leaders have sought intervention from the Security Council, along with 72 former prime ministers and presidents, more than 40 global celebrities and 11 Nobel laureates in statements and letters urging the Security Council to take up the matter on an urgent basis.
However, because of resistance by China and Russia—two veto-wielding members—the 15-member UN body is not expected to be able to make much headway. Informed sources at UN headquarters in New York said the other three permanent members of the Council —the US, Britain and France—have made a fresh move on the need to issue either a press statement or a presidential statement by the Security Council.
The Security Council could have a formal meeting on Burma, if an agreement is reached among its 15 members. China is opposed to such a move, saying it would be considered as interference in the internal affairs of a country. Russia and Japan too are believed to have adopted a cautious approach in this regard.
On the other hand, the US, Britain and France argue that the current situation in Burma and the ongoing trial of Aung San Suu Kyi deserves the immediate attention of the Security Council. In a Presidential Statement issued in October 2007, the Security Council called for the release of all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi.
Meanwhile, two Noble laureates—the Dalai Lama and Jose Ramos Horta—joined nine other recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in writing to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the issue. “We urge you to discuss this matter with the members of the United Nations Security Council and to do so as expeditiously as possible,” the Noble laureates said in a letter dated May 18.
In a related development, the US State Department said that a consular officer from the US Embassy in Rangoon has been permitted to observe the joint legal proceedings against Aung San Suu Kyi and an American national, John W. Yettaw, who was arrested for allegedly staying overnight at the house of the Burmese leader.
The State Department said that its Burma policy continues to be under review. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated during her trip to Asia in February, neither sanctions nor engagement alone have succeeded in bringing about change in Burma, the State Department said in a written response to a question from reporters.
“The goal of our policy is to encourage progress toward democracy and the protection of human rights. We are reviewing all elements of our policy to assure that we are pursuing the most effective means of achieving that goal,” the State Department said.
In another statement, Rep Joe Crowley urged the Burmese military regime to release Aung San Suu Kyi and abandon their campaign of intimidation against her.
“I am also concerned about her current state of health, and the military junta should allow her doctor to examine and provide her with the necessary medical treatment. This is another example of the Burmese dictatorship's attempt to stay in power at all cost— including at the expense of the people of Burma," Crowley said.
WASHINGTON — Members of the UN Security Council have informally begun discussions on the possibility of issuing a statement on the current situation in Burma, especially the ongoing trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, following an initiative by the United States, France and Britain.
Members of the Security Council and UN secretary-general have been under pressure during the past one week following a global outcry against the detention and trial of Aung San Suu Kyi by the Burmese military government.
The Burmese community and its pro-democracy leaders have sought intervention from the Security Council, along with 72 former prime ministers and presidents, more than 40 global celebrities and 11 Nobel laureates in statements and letters urging the Security Council to take up the matter on an urgent basis.
However, because of resistance by China and Russia—two veto-wielding members—the 15-member UN body is not expected to be able to make much headway. Informed sources at UN headquarters in New York said the other three permanent members of the Council —the US, Britain and France—have made a fresh move on the need to issue either a press statement or a presidential statement by the Security Council.
The Security Council could have a formal meeting on Burma, if an agreement is reached among its 15 members. China is opposed to such a move, saying it would be considered as interference in the internal affairs of a country. Russia and Japan too are believed to have adopted a cautious approach in this regard.
On the other hand, the US, Britain and France argue that the current situation in Burma and the ongoing trial of Aung San Suu Kyi deserves the immediate attention of the Security Council. In a Presidential Statement issued in October 2007, the Security Council called for the release of all political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi.
Meanwhile, two Noble laureates—the Dalai Lama and Jose Ramos Horta—joined nine other recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in writing to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the issue. “We urge you to discuss this matter with the members of the United Nations Security Council and to do so as expeditiously as possible,” the Noble laureates said in a letter dated May 18.
In a related development, the US State Department said that a consular officer from the US Embassy in Rangoon has been permitted to observe the joint legal proceedings against Aung San Suu Kyi and an American national, John W. Yettaw, who was arrested for allegedly staying overnight at the house of the Burmese leader.
The State Department said that its Burma policy continues to be under review. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated during her trip to Asia in February, neither sanctions nor engagement alone have succeeded in bringing about change in Burma, the State Department said in a written response to a question from reporters.
“The goal of our policy is to encourage progress toward democracy and the protection of human rights. We are reviewing all elements of our policy to assure that we are pursuing the most effective means of achieving that goal,” the State Department said.
In another statement, Rep Joe Crowley urged the Burmese military regime to release Aung San Suu Kyi and abandon their campaign of intimidation against her.
“I am also concerned about her current state of health, and the military junta should allow her doctor to examine and provide her with the necessary medical treatment. This is another example of the Burmese dictatorship's attempt to stay in power at all cost— including at the expense of the people of Burma," Crowley said.
Indonesian Plane Crashes, At Least 93 Dead
By NINIEK KARMINI / AP WRITER
JAKARTA — An Indonesian military plane carrying more than 100 people crashed into several homes and burst into flames Wednesday, killing at least 93 people, officials said.
Dozens were injured and more were feared dead, with local television flashing footage of fire engulfing the mangled wreckage. Black smoke billowed in the air, as soldiers carried badly burnt bodies on stretchers to waiting ambulances.
Air force spokesman Bambang Sulistyo said at least 93 people were killed when the C-130 Hercules crashed near a base in East Java province early Wednesday. There were 112 passengers and crew on board.
Military spokesman Sagom Tamboen said the aircraft was transporting troops and their families, including at least 10 children, when it tumbled from the sky near an air force base in East Java province.
It smashed into a row of houses in Geplak village, killing three on the ground, before skidding into a rice field.
The tail of the plane and several large parts of its charred body were scattered in the paddy and nearby bushes.
It was not clear what caused the crash, the latest in a string to hit the air force.
But several witnesses described hearing a large explosion while it was still in the air and then seeing it split apart.
"One of the wings fell off," Agus Yulianto, a villager, was quoted as saying on the Web site of Kompas newspaper. "Then the plane nose-dived into the houses."
The accident occurred 325 miles (520 kilometers) east of the capital, Jakarta.
The country's air force has long complained of being underfunded and handicapped by a recently lifted U.S. ban on weapons sales. It has suffered a series of accidents, including a Fokker 27 plane that crashed into an airport hangar last month, killing all 24 onboard.
A series of commercial airline crashes in recent years has killed more than 120 people in Indonesia.
JAKARTA — An Indonesian military plane carrying more than 100 people crashed into several homes and burst into flames Wednesday, killing at least 93 people, officials said.
Dozens were injured and more were feared dead, with local television flashing footage of fire engulfing the mangled wreckage. Black smoke billowed in the air, as soldiers carried badly burnt bodies on stretchers to waiting ambulances.
Air force spokesman Bambang Sulistyo said at least 93 people were killed when the C-130 Hercules crashed near a base in East Java province early Wednesday. There were 112 passengers and crew on board.
Military spokesman Sagom Tamboen said the aircraft was transporting troops and their families, including at least 10 children, when it tumbled from the sky near an air force base in East Java province.
It smashed into a row of houses in Geplak village, killing three on the ground, before skidding into a rice field.
The tail of the plane and several large parts of its charred body were scattered in the paddy and nearby bushes.
It was not clear what caused the crash, the latest in a string to hit the air force.
But several witnesses described hearing a large explosion while it was still in the air and then seeing it split apart.
"One of the wings fell off," Agus Yulianto, a villager, was quoted as saying on the Web site of Kompas newspaper. "Then the plane nose-dived into the houses."
The accident occurred 325 miles (520 kilometers) east of the capital, Jakarta.
The country's air force has long complained of being underfunded and handicapped by a recently lifted U.S. ban on weapons sales. It has suffered a series of accidents, including a Fokker 27 plane that crashed into an airport hangar last month, killing all 24 onboard.
A series of commercial airline crashes in recent years has killed more than 120 people in Indonesia.
May 19, 2009
Suu Kyi Court Continues Hearing Prosecution Witnesses
By MIN LWIN
Prosecution witnesses continued to give evidence on the second day of Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial before a special court in Rangoon’s Insein Prison on Tuesday.
Sources within her National League for Democracy (NLD) said Suu Kyi and other defendants were not allowed to testify.
Evidence was heard on Tuesday from five government officials, including police Lt-Col Maung Muang Khin of the Criminal Investigation Department, and immigration officer Myat Twin, according to the NLD sources.
The sources said Suu Kyi was brought into the courtroom by women security officers.
Speaking on Tuesday to The Irrawaddy, one of Suu Kyi’s former lawyers, Aung Thein, who has been barred from defending her, challenged the official account of the circumstances leading to the NLD leader’s arrest and arraignment.
State-run newspapers reported on Tuesday that an American citizen, John William Yettaw, swam twice across Inya Lake to Suu Kyi’s home, in November 2008 and again this month.
On his second visit, Suu Kyi had allowed him to stay for two nights, giving him food and drink, the official reports said.
Aung Thein described the official version of events as “a story.” Suu Kyi’s house was well guarded by security men, who were also posted on the banks of the lake, he said.
Another lawyer, Kyi Win, said Suu Kyi had told Yettaw to leave her house, but he had refused. She did not report him to the authorities because she did not want anybody to get into trouble, Kyi Win said.
Suu Kyi’s doctor, Tin Myo Win, was also arrested last week and accused of knowing about Yettaw’s visit, but he was later released.
“Why didn’t they [the authorities] take action when Dr Tin Myo Win informed them that a US citizen had entered the house?” he asked.
Prosecution witnesses continued to give evidence on the second day of Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial before a special court in Rangoon’s Insein Prison on Tuesday.
Sources within her National League for Democracy (NLD) said Suu Kyi and other defendants were not allowed to testify.
Evidence was heard on Tuesday from five government officials, including police Lt-Col Maung Muang Khin of the Criminal Investigation Department, and immigration officer Myat Twin, according to the NLD sources.
The sources said Suu Kyi was brought into the courtroom by women security officers.
Speaking on Tuesday to The Irrawaddy, one of Suu Kyi’s former lawyers, Aung Thein, who has been barred from defending her, challenged the official account of the circumstances leading to the NLD leader’s arrest and arraignment.
State-run newspapers reported on Tuesday that an American citizen, John William Yettaw, swam twice across Inya Lake to Suu Kyi’s home, in November 2008 and again this month.
On his second visit, Suu Kyi had allowed him to stay for two nights, giving him food and drink, the official reports said.
Aung Thein described the official version of events as “a story.” Suu Kyi’s house was well guarded by security men, who were also posted on the banks of the lake, he said.
Another lawyer, Kyi Win, said Suu Kyi had told Yettaw to leave her house, but he had refused. She did not report him to the authorities because she did not want anybody to get into trouble, Kyi Win said.
Suu Kyi’s doctor, Tin Myo Win, was also arrested last week and accused of knowing about Yettaw’s visit, but he was later released.
“Why didn’t they [the authorities] take action when Dr Tin Myo Win informed them that a US citizen had entered the house?” he asked.
Who is John W. Yettaw?
By SAW YAN NAING
John William Yettaw, 53, spent more than a month at a hotel in Mae Sot in November 2008, after he had traveled to Rangoon and visited Aung San Suu Kyi’s compound for the first time.
While in Mae Sot, people recall him saying that he planned to return to visit Suu Kyi again, which led to his second, fateful encounter with Suu Kyi in May, according to Burmese and Thai sources.
Suu Kyi, Yettaw and two others are now standing trial in Insein Prison in Rangoon on charges that they violated her terms of house arrest. Suu Kyi has entered a plea of innocent, saying she had no control over Yettaw’s visit to her compound, where she has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years.
Burmese security forces provide a 24-hour guard around her compound on Inya Lake.
Press reports suggested that when Yettaw went to Rangoon in November of last year he was forced to lay over in Burma due to the closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, which was seized by Thai protesters led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy.
While in Mae Sot, Yettaw stayed at the Highland Hotel, where he spoke to several people about Burma and made brief comments about Suu Kyi. He openly told people about his first visit to her compound.
He said he was coming back to Mae Sot in April, said a Burmese source.
Sources said that while in Mae Sot, he was frequently accompanied by a Thai woman, and he visited refugee schools where he met children and took notes.
One Burmese source said that few people paid much attention to Yettaw, seeing him as a typical tourist.
Thai security officials are now gathering information on Yettaw, said a Burmese activist who requested anonymity.
According to his family members, Yettaw is still in debt for the expenses he incurred from his first trip to Burma in 2008. Before leaving his home in Falcon, Missouri, Yettaw told his wife, Betty Yettaw, that he planned to visit Asia for a book he is writing, according to an Associated Press story.
Betty Yettaw said she was surprise after hearing that her husband had swam nearly two kilometers across Inya Lake in Rangoon, because he suffers from asthma and diabetes.
Publications and blogs which are closely associated with Burmese authorities of information ministry, such as tharkinwe.com and myanmarnargis.org, posted photos of Yettaw, but there have been no photographs showing the spot where he was arrested by Burmese police.
One conspiracy theory on a Burmese opposition blog, www.niknayman-niknayman.co.cc, contends that Yettaw in fact walked into Suu Kyi’s compound after a taxi driver dropped him in front of Suu Kyi’s home.
The blog alleges that Yettaw walked into the compound after he showed a red card to the guards in front of the democracy leader’s house.
Yettaw, a Mormon, reportedly does not hold strong political views. He receives disability payments from the US Veteran’s Affairs office for Vietnam-related injuries and has pursued studies in psychology.
John William Yettaw, 53, spent more than a month at a hotel in Mae Sot in November 2008, after he had traveled to Rangoon and visited Aung San Suu Kyi’s compound for the first time.
While in Mae Sot, people recall him saying that he planned to return to visit Suu Kyi again, which led to his second, fateful encounter with Suu Kyi in May, according to Burmese and Thai sources.
Suu Kyi, Yettaw and two others are now standing trial in Insein Prison in Rangoon on charges that they violated her terms of house arrest. Suu Kyi has entered a plea of innocent, saying she had no control over Yettaw’s visit to her compound, where she has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years.
Burmese security forces provide a 24-hour guard around her compound on Inya Lake.
Press reports suggested that when Yettaw went to Rangoon in November of last year he was forced to lay over in Burma due to the closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, which was seized by Thai protesters led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy.
While in Mae Sot, Yettaw stayed at the Highland Hotel, where he spoke to several people about Burma and made brief comments about Suu Kyi. He openly told people about his first visit to her compound.
He said he was coming back to Mae Sot in April, said a Burmese source.
Sources said that while in Mae Sot, he was frequently accompanied by a Thai woman, and he visited refugee schools where he met children and took notes.
One Burmese source said that few people paid much attention to Yettaw, seeing him as a typical tourist.
Thai security officials are now gathering information on Yettaw, said a Burmese activist who requested anonymity.
According to his family members, Yettaw is still in debt for the expenses he incurred from his first trip to Burma in 2008. Before leaving his home in Falcon, Missouri, Yettaw told his wife, Betty Yettaw, that he planned to visit Asia for a book he is writing, according to an Associated Press story.
Betty Yettaw said she was surprise after hearing that her husband had swam nearly two kilometers across Inya Lake in Rangoon, because he suffers from asthma and diabetes.
Publications and blogs which are closely associated with Burmese authorities of information ministry, such as tharkinwe.com and myanmarnargis.org, posted photos of Yettaw, but there have been no photographs showing the spot where he was arrested by Burmese police.
One conspiracy theory on a Burmese opposition blog, www.niknayman-niknayman.co.cc, contends that Yettaw in fact walked into Suu Kyi’s compound after a taxi driver dropped him in front of Suu Kyi’s home.
The blog alleges that Yettaw walked into the compound after he showed a red card to the guards in front of the democracy leader’s house.
Yettaw, a Mormon, reportedly does not hold strong political views. He receives disability payments from the US Veteran’s Affairs office for Vietnam-related injuries and has pursued studies in psychology.
It’s All Going According to Plan
By AUNG ZAW
Inside sources in Naypyidaw have revealed that Snr-Gen Than Shwe held a meeting with his top brass in the remote capital in March. The meeting was convened for one reason only—to discuss the thorny issue of Burma’s most famous prisoner, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Than Shwe reportedly asked five of his advisers, including Deputy Snr-Gen Maung Aye and Gen Shwe Mann, how they thought the regime should tackle the “kaung ma lay” (little girl).
The answers he received were vague and sycophantic with some generals reportedly advocating that Than Shwe continue ignoring the international pressure to release Suu Kyi and keep her under house arrest indefinitely.
Apparently, Than Shwe was not satisfied with the suggestions from his subordinates. He wanted to create a legal case against her. He saw Suu Kyi as the biggest threat to the junta and took the decision to order the Ministry of Home Affairs to design a case that would nail her.
Of the possible scenarios to frame the democracy leader for breaking the terms of her house arrest, the use of John William Yettaw was perhaps a long shot.
It was known that he had sneaked into Suu Kyi’s compound when he was in Rangoon in November. Suu Kyi’s personal physician Dr Tin Myo Win had informed the police of Yettaw’s intrusion, but authorities decided not to take action against him at that time.
According to former intelligence officers, it is easy to trace foreigners who apply for Burmese visas. If the authorities did not want Yettaw to return to the country, they would simply inform Burmese embassies to put him on the black list. They didn’t.
Yettaw is known to have been in Thailand speaking to Burmese exiles. He had let it slip that he had secretly entered Suu Kyi’s compound and that he wanted to interview Suu Kyi for a book he was writing on heroism and how people react under pressure.
His mother is reported to have said he has mental problems, and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. His wife described him as a “peace-loving” man.
This misguided individual fitted the profile that Than Shwe needed. If he could be coerced (or permitted) into repeating his act of intrepidness, he would unwittingly be giving the regime the legal loophole they needed to charge Suu Kyi with breaking the law, in this case Section 22 of the “Law to Safeguard the State Against the Dangers of Those Desiring to Cause Subversive Acts.”
Of course it was not a foolproof plan; perhaps one of several pawns that Than Shwe was maneuvering. But since the morning the police fished Yettaw out of Inya Lake, the authorities have moved with a conviction that strongly suggests they were confident that this pawn sacrifice had swung their game plan into a checkmate position.
Sources in Naypyidaw said that when Than Shwe heard the news of the arrest of an intruder at Inya Lake, he was “elated.”
Although Yettaw’s intrusion can in no rational way be attributed to Suu Kyi—on the contrary, it points to a gaping hole in the junta’s security—it is now being used as the foundation of a legal case against her.
This is not the first time that the regime has tried to find a petty incident to tie up the NLD leader in legal red tape.
In 2001, Burma’s military authorities exploited a family feud between Suu Kyi and her brother, Aung San Oo, who lives in the United States and holds American citizenship. They fast-tracked an opportunity for the disgruntled brother to sue his sister for control of half of the residential compound that has been her home since 1988.
Aung San Oo said that if he won the case, he would donate half of the land to the government, as his late mother Daw Khin Kyi had expressed a desire to open her house as a museum.
In the end, the court dismissed his case on the grounds that, according to Burmese law, foreigners don't have the right to own land in Burma. But Than Shwe’s intentions were clear—to cast doubts over Suu Kyi, to humiliate her and to cause her pain.
In February 2003, Suu Kyi faced a light jail term after refusing to pay a fine handed down by a Rangoon divisional court. Suu Kyi’s cousin, Soe Aung, had reportedly punched her at the lakeside compound where he was also living. Suu Kyi and Soe Aung both filed charges over the incident. Soe Aung filed charges against Suu Kyi for illegally ejecting him from the compound.
The court offered Suu Kyi the choice between a week in jail or a 500 kyat (US $0.50) fine. Suu Kyi refused to pay the fine and said that she would rather go to jail for seven days. The case was subsequently dropped.
But in trapping John William Yettaw at Inya Lake, this time Than Shwe thinks he has caught a bigger fish.
The regime is moving quickly now to move the trial along. Suu Kyi faces a sentence of up to five years imprisonment if found guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest by supposedly “harboring” the American.
In conducting a kangaroo court in Insein Prison, Than Shwe may have underestimated the swiftness of international reaction and the extension of sanctions from the US and EU. However, he can shrug that off as long as his old benefactors—China, Russia, India and Asean—stand by him.
He will also be measuring the amount of time and energy world leaders allot to Suu Kyi’s case, assuming the hullabaloo will die down as soon as a new crisis unfolds somewhere else in the world.
In any case, he knows he can ride the storm of disapproval from abroad.
In the meantime, sources say, back in Naypyidaw Than Shwe is happily following the proceedings from the trial in Insein, no doubt licking his lips in anticipation of the kill.
Additional reporting by correspondents in Burma.
Inside sources in Naypyidaw have revealed that Snr-Gen Than Shwe held a meeting with his top brass in the remote capital in March. The meeting was convened for one reason only—to discuss the thorny issue of Burma’s most famous prisoner, Aung San Suu Kyi.
Than Shwe reportedly asked five of his advisers, including Deputy Snr-Gen Maung Aye and Gen Shwe Mann, how they thought the regime should tackle the “kaung ma lay” (little girl).
The answers he received were vague and sycophantic with some generals reportedly advocating that Than Shwe continue ignoring the international pressure to release Suu Kyi and keep her under house arrest indefinitely.
Apparently, Than Shwe was not satisfied with the suggestions from his subordinates. He wanted to create a legal case against her. He saw Suu Kyi as the biggest threat to the junta and took the decision to order the Ministry of Home Affairs to design a case that would nail her.
Of the possible scenarios to frame the democracy leader for breaking the terms of her house arrest, the use of John William Yettaw was perhaps a long shot.
It was known that he had sneaked into Suu Kyi’s compound when he was in Rangoon in November. Suu Kyi’s personal physician Dr Tin Myo Win had informed the police of Yettaw’s intrusion, but authorities decided not to take action against him at that time.
According to former intelligence officers, it is easy to trace foreigners who apply for Burmese visas. If the authorities did not want Yettaw to return to the country, they would simply inform Burmese embassies to put him on the black list. They didn’t.
Yettaw is known to have been in Thailand speaking to Burmese exiles. He had let it slip that he had secretly entered Suu Kyi’s compound and that he wanted to interview Suu Kyi for a book he was writing on heroism and how people react under pressure.
His mother is reported to have said he has mental problems, and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. His wife described him as a “peace-loving” man.
This misguided individual fitted the profile that Than Shwe needed. If he could be coerced (or permitted) into repeating his act of intrepidness, he would unwittingly be giving the regime the legal loophole they needed to charge Suu Kyi with breaking the law, in this case Section 22 of the “Law to Safeguard the State Against the Dangers of Those Desiring to Cause Subversive Acts.”
Of course it was not a foolproof plan; perhaps one of several pawns that Than Shwe was maneuvering. But since the morning the police fished Yettaw out of Inya Lake, the authorities have moved with a conviction that strongly suggests they were confident that this pawn sacrifice had swung their game plan into a checkmate position.
Sources in Naypyidaw said that when Than Shwe heard the news of the arrest of an intruder at Inya Lake, he was “elated.”
Although Yettaw’s intrusion can in no rational way be attributed to Suu Kyi—on the contrary, it points to a gaping hole in the junta’s security—it is now being used as the foundation of a legal case against her.
This is not the first time that the regime has tried to find a petty incident to tie up the NLD leader in legal red tape.
In 2001, Burma’s military authorities exploited a family feud between Suu Kyi and her brother, Aung San Oo, who lives in the United States and holds American citizenship. They fast-tracked an opportunity for the disgruntled brother to sue his sister for control of half of the residential compound that has been her home since 1988.
Aung San Oo said that if he won the case, he would donate half of the land to the government, as his late mother Daw Khin Kyi had expressed a desire to open her house as a museum.
In the end, the court dismissed his case on the grounds that, according to Burmese law, foreigners don't have the right to own land in Burma. But Than Shwe’s intentions were clear—to cast doubts over Suu Kyi, to humiliate her and to cause her pain.
In February 2003, Suu Kyi faced a light jail term after refusing to pay a fine handed down by a Rangoon divisional court. Suu Kyi’s cousin, Soe Aung, had reportedly punched her at the lakeside compound where he was also living. Suu Kyi and Soe Aung both filed charges over the incident. Soe Aung filed charges against Suu Kyi for illegally ejecting him from the compound.
The court offered Suu Kyi the choice between a week in jail or a 500 kyat (US $0.50) fine. Suu Kyi refused to pay the fine and said that she would rather go to jail for seven days. The case was subsequently dropped.
But in trapping John William Yettaw at Inya Lake, this time Than Shwe thinks he has caught a bigger fish.
The regime is moving quickly now to move the trial along. Suu Kyi faces a sentence of up to five years imprisonment if found guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest by supposedly “harboring” the American.
In conducting a kangaroo court in Insein Prison, Than Shwe may have underestimated the swiftness of international reaction and the extension of sanctions from the US and EU. However, he can shrug that off as long as his old benefactors—China, Russia, India and Asean—stand by him.
He will also be measuring the amount of time and energy world leaders allot to Suu Kyi’s case, assuming the hullabaloo will die down as soon as a new crisis unfolds somewhere else in the world.
In any case, he knows he can ride the storm of disapproval from abroad.
In the meantime, sources say, back in Naypyidaw Than Shwe is happily following the proceedings from the trial in Insein, no doubt licking his lips in anticipation of the kill.
Additional reporting by correspondents in Burma.
British PM Sends Open Letter to Suu Kyi
By THE IRRAWADDY
In an open letter of support to detained Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that people around the world “are heartened by your tremendous courage, your inspirational leadership, and by the knowledge that no oppression is so great that the forces of liberty cannot prevail.”
Addressing the democracy icon as “Daw Suu,” the British premier consoled Suu Kyi for her predicament, saying, “... from the deepest wells of despair can come the greatest triumphs of human endeavor.”
He reiterated British support for “tough and targeted” sanctions and called for the release of her and all other political prisoners in Burma. In a reference to the generals who are imprisoning Suu Kyi, he stated: “The time for a transition to democracy is now.”
To read the full letter on the official Web site of the British prime minister’s office: http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page19355
In an open letter of support to detained Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that people around the world “are heartened by your tremendous courage, your inspirational leadership, and by the knowledge that no oppression is so great that the forces of liberty cannot prevail.”
Addressing the democracy icon as “Daw Suu,” the British premier consoled Suu Kyi for her predicament, saying, “... from the deepest wells of despair can come the greatest triumphs of human endeavor.”
He reiterated British support for “tough and targeted” sanctions and called for the release of her and all other political prisoners in Burma. In a reference to the generals who are imprisoning Suu Kyi, he stated: “The time for a transition to democracy is now.”
To read the full letter on the official Web site of the British prime minister’s office: http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page19355
Two Burmese Die in Malaysian Detention Center
By WAI MOE
KUALA LUMPUR — Two Burmese migrant workers who were detained at an immigration detention center in Malaysia have died of leptospirosi, an ailment caused by unhealthy drinking water, sources said.
According to the Burma Worker Rights Protection Committee, two migrant workers died in Bukit Mertajam at Bukit Mertajam Hospital following their detention in Juru Immigration Detention Center in Pulau Pinang Province.
“We heard that a second Burmese from the immigration camp died on Monday. On May 12, another Burmese died of the same cause,” said Ye Min Tun, the secretary of the group. The names of the dead were not available.
“There is no proper drinking water system for detained foreigners,” said Ye Min Tun.
“There is no health care for detainees.”
Malaysian health officials told local newspapers that about 25 people from the immigration camp have contracted leptospirosi and are being treated now. One man is in critical condition.
Leptospirosis is commonly transmitted by allowing water that has been contaminated by animal urine to come into contact with unhealed cuts or abrasions on the skin, eyes or mucous membranes. It is a relatively rare bacterial infection in humans, health experts said.
“Out of the 23 cases under treatment as of yesterday, one has died. Three were discharged, leaving 19 cases still under treatment now,” said Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican, in a statement.
Former inmates said that water storage facilities in the detention camp are near toilet areas. There are three buildings in the camp. An estimated 700 foreigners, held by immigration authorities for various offenses, are detained there.
Earlier this year, two Burmese migrant workers died at a detention center. Two men, indentified as Ko Paul and Kyaw Swa, died in January 2008, sources said. No cause of death was given.
“After they tighten the rules in the centers, immigration officials and RELA [a government-backed group that focuses on illegal immigration] harassed detainees at the center,” said a former detainee who spoke on condition of anonymity.
He said that during searches detainees are sometimes beaten. RELA is a mass group that is used to suppress illegal migrant workers in Malaysia. Human rights groups say RELA members are not trained properly as professionals. In 2005, authorities granted RELA the right to help oversee immigration detention centers and arrest illegal migrants.
In an effort to escape economic hardship at home, millions of Burmese migrant workers are in neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia and Thailand.
Malaysia is home to an estimated 500,000 Burmese migrant workers, illegally or legally, while Thailand hosts at least 2.5 million migrant workers from Burma.
“Malaysia is not a good place for foreigner migrants, particularly migrant workers,” said Latheefa Koya, a well-know Malaysian human rights lawyer. Human rights standards for migrant workers are low, she said, and there is also a high level of xenophobia, which compounds the problem.
Malaysia needs to reform its migrant worker laws, which now allow systematic abuse of migrant workers, she said.
This story was written under a 2009 Southeast Asian Press Alliance Fellowship
KUALA LUMPUR — Two Burmese migrant workers who were detained at an immigration detention center in Malaysia have died of leptospirosi, an ailment caused by unhealthy drinking water, sources said.
According to the Burma Worker Rights Protection Committee, two migrant workers died in Bukit Mertajam at Bukit Mertajam Hospital following their detention in Juru Immigration Detention Center in Pulau Pinang Province.
“We heard that a second Burmese from the immigration camp died on Monday. On May 12, another Burmese died of the same cause,” said Ye Min Tun, the secretary of the group. The names of the dead were not available.
“There is no proper drinking water system for detained foreigners,” said Ye Min Tun.
“There is no health care for detainees.”
Malaysian health officials told local newspapers that about 25 people from the immigration camp have contracted leptospirosi and are being treated now. One man is in critical condition.
Leptospirosis is commonly transmitted by allowing water that has been contaminated by animal urine to come into contact with unhealed cuts or abrasions on the skin, eyes or mucous membranes. It is a relatively rare bacterial infection in humans, health experts said.
“Out of the 23 cases under treatment as of yesterday, one has died. Three were discharged, leaving 19 cases still under treatment now,” said Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican, in a statement.
Former inmates said that water storage facilities in the detention camp are near toilet areas. There are three buildings in the camp. An estimated 700 foreigners, held by immigration authorities for various offenses, are detained there.
Earlier this year, two Burmese migrant workers died at a detention center. Two men, indentified as Ko Paul and Kyaw Swa, died in January 2008, sources said. No cause of death was given.
“After they tighten the rules in the centers, immigration officials and RELA [a government-backed group that focuses on illegal immigration] harassed detainees at the center,” said a former detainee who spoke on condition of anonymity.
He said that during searches detainees are sometimes beaten. RELA is a mass group that is used to suppress illegal migrant workers in Malaysia. Human rights groups say RELA members are not trained properly as professionals. In 2005, authorities granted RELA the right to help oversee immigration detention centers and arrest illegal migrants.
In an effort to escape economic hardship at home, millions of Burmese migrant workers are in neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia and Thailand.
Malaysia is home to an estimated 500,000 Burmese migrant workers, illegally or legally, while Thailand hosts at least 2.5 million migrant workers from Burma.
“Malaysia is not a good place for foreigner migrants, particularly migrant workers,” said Latheefa Koya, a well-know Malaysian human rights lawyer. Human rights standards for migrant workers are low, she said, and there is also a high level of xenophobia, which compounds the problem.
Malaysia needs to reform its migrant worker laws, which now allow systematic abuse of migrant workers, she said.
This story was written under a 2009 Southeast Asian Press Alliance Fellowship
State-run Media Break Silence on Suu Kyi Case
By MIN LWIN
Burma’s state-run press has broken nearly two weeks of silence on the case against democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who faces charges of violating the conditions of her house arrest after an American intruder allegedly stayed overnight at her home.
According to reports in The New Light of Myanmar and other official newspapers, Suu Kyi and her two personal assistants are accused of breaking Section 22 of the “Law to Safeguard the State Against the Dangers of Those Desiring to Cause Subversive Acts” for their role in the incident.
The newspapers, which have not reported on this bizarre episode since May 7, also claimed that John William Yettaw, the man accused of swimming to Suu Kyi’s lakeside home earlier this month, made a similar attempt to meet the pro-democracy leader late last year.
According to the newspapers, Yettaw swam across Inya Lake on November 30, 2008, and gave a copy of The Book of Mormon to Daw Khin Khin Win and Ma Win Ma Ma, Suu Kyi’s live-in assistants, for Suu Kyi to read.
He later repeated the stunt on May 3, this time remaining in Suu Kyi’s home until the evening of May 5, according to the reports.
Yettaw faces charges of violating the same law as Suu Kyi and her two assistants, as well as Section 13 (1) of the Immigration Act (Emergency Provisions) and a municipal ordinance against swimming in Inya Lake.
The reports in the state-run press made no mention of the domestic or international reaction to Suu Kyi’s detention in Rangoon’s notorious Insein Prison, where she is currently being tried in a special closed-door court.
Many world leaders have expressed outrage at the proceedings, which are seen as an attempt by the Burmese junta to extend Suu Kyi’s six-year detention, which was set to expire later this month.
According to Assocaited Press, a crowd of about 100 people gathered near Insein Prison amid a heavy security presence. Sources also said that prison authorities have suspended family visits to prisoners since Monday, the day Suu Kyi’s trial began.
Win Tin, a central executive committee member of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, said that local residents were providing food and other refreshments to supporters of the pro-democracy leader and others awaiting news about her trial.
Burma’s state-run press has broken nearly two weeks of silence on the case against democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who faces charges of violating the conditions of her house arrest after an American intruder allegedly stayed overnight at her home.
According to reports in The New Light of Myanmar and other official newspapers, Suu Kyi and her two personal assistants are accused of breaking Section 22 of the “Law to Safeguard the State Against the Dangers of Those Desiring to Cause Subversive Acts” for their role in the incident.
The newspapers, which have not reported on this bizarre episode since May 7, also claimed that John William Yettaw, the man accused of swimming to Suu Kyi’s lakeside home earlier this month, made a similar attempt to meet the pro-democracy leader late last year.
According to the newspapers, Yettaw swam across Inya Lake on November 30, 2008, and gave a copy of The Book of Mormon to Daw Khin Khin Win and Ma Win Ma Ma, Suu Kyi’s live-in assistants, for Suu Kyi to read.
He later repeated the stunt on May 3, this time remaining in Suu Kyi’s home until the evening of May 5, according to the reports.
Yettaw faces charges of violating the same law as Suu Kyi and her two assistants, as well as Section 13 (1) of the Immigration Act (Emergency Provisions) and a municipal ordinance against swimming in Inya Lake.
The reports in the state-run press made no mention of the domestic or international reaction to Suu Kyi’s detention in Rangoon’s notorious Insein Prison, where she is currently being tried in a special closed-door court.
Many world leaders have expressed outrage at the proceedings, which are seen as an attempt by the Burmese junta to extend Suu Kyi’s six-year detention, which was set to expire later this month.
According to Assocaited Press, a crowd of about 100 people gathered near Insein Prison amid a heavy security presence. Sources also said that prison authorities have suspended family visits to prisoners since Monday, the day Suu Kyi’s trial began.
Win Tin, a central executive committee member of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, said that local residents were providing food and other refreshments to supporters of the pro-democracy leader and others awaiting news about her trial.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)