Monks stage quiet protest as world powers call for Burma reform

ABOUT 100 Buddhist monks in western Burma staged a peaceful protest march to mark the anniversary of last year's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators as world powers called on the junta to make "tangible" progress on political reforms.
Ahead of a possible visit by UN chief Ban Ki-moon to the country by the end of the year, the first ministerial meeting on Burma by the five permanent Security Council and mostly Asian nations urged the country's military rulers to co-operate with Mr Ban's special envoy to resolve the nation's political crisis.
Envoy Ibrahim Gambari has made four visits to Burma since the protests a year ago but failed to restart a dialogue between detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta or achieve significant gains.
In the country's biggest city, Rangoon, recently released political prisoners helped celebrate Saturday's 20th anniversary of the founding of the party led by Ms Suu Kyi, while police and other security personnel kept a close watch.
No protests directly related to the crackdown anniversary were noted in Rangoon, where last year's demonstrations attracted up to 100,000 people. The junta put down the protests with force, killing at least 31 people and detaining thousands.
But in the western port city of Sittwe, about 100 Buddhist monks marched peacefully in heavy rain for about 30 minutes, according to witnesses who asked not to be named.
The monks' march took the form of their morning round of begging for alms, but it is widely understood that such a large number of monks marching in an organised fashion represents a veiled protest.
In Rangoon, six truckloads of riot police were deployed near the opposition party offices. People attending the ceremony there were videotaped and watched by at least 50 plainclothes security personnel.
The ceremony, attended by about 350 people including party members, diplomats and reporters, was also a homecoming for a senior party member, Win Tin, released from jail a few days earlier In an anniversary statement, the party reiterated its call for the immediate release of all political prisoners, including Ms Suu Kyi — who has spent 13 of the past 19 years in detention — and her deputy Tin Oo. It also called for the freedom of Buddhist monks and ethnic leaders arrested by the junta.
The party was founded in 1988 after an abortive pro-democracy uprising, and since then has faced nearly constant harassment from the ruling military. When the party's candidates won the most seats in 1990 general elections, the military refused to let it take power.
The anniversary coincided with UN talks, which Mr Ban's spokeswoman, Michele Montas, said underlined "the responsibility of the Myanmar (Burma) Government to demonstrate its stated commitment to co-operation with the good offices (of the UN Secretary General) through further tangible results".
The meeting of Mr Ban's so-called "group of friends on Myanmar" also wanted the generals to "respond more positively" to international demands for the release of political prisoners, including Ms Suu Kyi, and a dialogue with the opposition, Ms Montas said.
Mr Ban chaired the informal talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly amid little signs the military junta will embrace political reforms, one year after its bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
The group comprises permanent Security Council members — the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China — as well as Australia, the European Union, India, Norway, Japan and South Korea plus ASEAN states Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

New International Pressure on Burmese Regime to Reform

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, 23 Sep 2008


Renewed international pressure is being put on Burma's military regime to release political prisoners, end oppression of minorities and institute democratic reforms. From United Nation's headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer reports on Saturday's high-level meeting on Burma called by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, 23 Sep 2008The U.N. secretary-general convened the first ministerial level meeting of the so-called "Friends of Myanmar" - the other name by which Burma is known.Representatives of the five permanent Security Council members, as well as several Asian nations, the European Union, India and Norway attended the meeting, held in the margins of the General Assembly's annual debate.British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told reporters that the Security Council has spoken clearly in demanding the Burmese regime release political prisoners and initiate an all-inclusive dialogue between the government and the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD). "That degree of cooperation has not been forthcoming from the Burmese regime and it remains the fundamental tenet of the Friends of the Secretary-General that the regime must work with the secretary-general and his representative Ambassador Gambari to achieve political and economic progress," he said.The secretary-general's special envoy on Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, has made four visits to that country in the last year. His most recent has been widely criticized for not achieving any gains. During that trip, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi who is under house arrest, did not turn up for a meeting with him, in an apparent show of frustration with U.N. efforts to move the political process forward in Burma.Burma experienced a devastating cyclone in May of this year. Just days later the regime held a constitutional referendum that was widely derided as neither free nor fair. But the regime has countered that the new constitution has paved the way for multi-party elections in 2010. Singapore's foreign minister, George Yeo, expressed concern about the form those elections might take. "The dice will be loaded in favor of the military, but I believe from a certain viewpoint that some progress is better than no progress. The problem is that the NLD [opposition] has not been part of the process, they may not participate in it, and if they do not the country will remain divided and the problem will remain unsolved," he said.Secretary-General Ban visited Burma after Cyclone Nargis and met with top leaders. He is widely expected to return to the country at the end of this year. But some observers questioned under what circumstances he should go back. Minister Yeo said such a visit is a "move not to be lightly taken." "When he goes back, it has to be very carefully timed, because expectations must be calibrated. He should not go back unless there are clear signs of progress, but his intervention at an appropriate time can be critical," he said.Mr. Ban did not stop to speak with reporters following the closed-door meeting. But in a statement, his spokesperson said the high-level participation at the meeting is a clear signal of the importance that the international community attaches to the situation in Burma, and encouraged the Burmese government to work more closely with the United Nations to address issues of key concern

Brad Pitt’s Burma donation

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s non-profit organisation the Jolie-Pitt Foundation has donated $1 million to charity work in Burma and Zimbabwe.
24 September 2008 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have donated $1 million to charity.The couple’s non-profit organisation the Jolie-Pitt Foundation has given the generous sum to the Human Rights Watch’s work in Burma and Zimbabwe.Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch’s executive director, welcomed the donation, saying: "Burma and Zimbabwe are two of the most repressive countries in the world and we need to increase international pressure on them to change."Brad and Angelina's investment in our work at this critical moment will allow intensified efforts by our researchers to expose the repression that these governments try to keep hidden and by our advocates to generate the global pressure needed to improve people's lives."Brad, 44, and 33-year-old Angelina’s contribution will go towards funding research and advocacy in the two countries.The Human Rights Watch is an independent organisation dedicated to exposing human rights violations and protecting people at risk of discrimination throughout the world.Earlier this month, the generous duo - who have six children together - handed over $2 million to fund a children’s home in Ethiopia. Their adopted three-year-old daughter Zahara was born in the African country.The couple also run a health centre in Cambodia, where their seven-year-old son Maddox was born.In June, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation donated $1 million to children affected by the Iraq war.

Leaked Document Reveals Burma’s US Policy

Burma’s military leaders know they cannot stand alone in the world, but will react according to each situation with a view to balancing their relations with the world’s superpowers, said Home Affairs Minister Maj-Gen Maung Oo at a meeting of his ministers in July.
According to a confidential document acquired recently by The Irrawaddy detailing the minutes of a July 6 meeting, Home Ministry officials were briefed on relations with the United States, China and Indonesia, as well as the junta’s policy toward the 2010 elections, the National League for Democracy (NLD) and how the junta would react to future demonstrations.
According to the leaked minutes of the meeting, Maj-Gen Maung Oo told Home Ministry officials that in reaction to the global influence of the US and the West, Burma would continue to pursue “strong relations” with China, but that didn't mean that the junta was pro-Beijing. “In the modern world, we cannot stand alone,” Maung Oo reportedly said.
The leaked document also revealed that the regime plans to deploy riot police in the event of future protests or civil unrest.
“The international community criticized us for using the armed forces to crack down on [last September’s] demonstrators,” the home minister is quoted as saying. “Therefore we need to reorganize our riot police.”
He also warned officials to be prepared for the coming elections in 2010.
On foreign policy, Maung Oo criticized the US for “using humanitarian issues and democracy as a policy to overthrow governments that it disliked.”
Maung Oo slammed the US for using the UN and the “Responsibility to Protect” paradigm as part of an agenda to accuse the Burmese government of “Crimes against Humanity.” He also said the UN and associate international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) were “puppets” of the US and the CIA.
According to the minutes of the meeting, Maung Oo forewarned his subordinates of the possibility of a third UN Security Council resolution on Burma and subsequent economic sanctions and an embargo.
“In the event of a third presidential statement,” Maung Oo said. “There could be a resolution that the 192 members of the UN will have to follow—led by the US.”
According to the 14-page document, Maung Oo went on to accuse the US, the UN and INGOs of pushing Burma to the top of their agendas. On the Cyclone Nargis disaster, the home minister accused US relief items of providing aid to the victims “just for show” and said the US only delivered drinking water, instant noodles and medicine.
The minister is reported to have accused international aid agencies of spending humanitarian aid money on themselves and not on the cyclone victims.
“We told them to send construction materials instead of instant food,” Maung Oo continued. “But nobody did.”
He also expressed the regime's skepticism and resentment that aid was not delivered through government channels, so the authorities could not see what was being delivered.
Regarding the US naval ships’ inability to deliver aid to cyclone survivors in the Irrawaddy delta, Maung Oo is reported as saying that the Burmese junta denied the request because the regime believed the US military would find an excuse not to leave until after the 2010 elections.
He also pointed out that although the Burmese government calculated that about US $11.7 billion was needed in relief after Cyclone Nargis, the Tripartite Core Group—comprising the UN, Asean and the Burmese regime—only approved about $0.9 billion in aid, which was 12 times the difference of the junta’s calculations.
The ministry’s minutes of the July 6 meeting also make reference to the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD). Maung Oo reportedly said the regime was “not scared” of the opposition winning the election, but said that they would have to be careful because the party was backed by the US, British and French embassies.
According to the leaked document, the home minister also referred to the diplomatic standoff between Burma and Indonesia. He reportedly confirmed that there were currently no relations between the two countries at an ambassadorial level and that the first step was for the Indonesian parliament to endorse Burma's ambassador to Jakarta.

Burma Still at Bottom of List of World’s Dirtiest Countries

Military-ruled Burma is still one of the most corrupt countries in the world, ranking just ahead of Somalia and tied with Iraq for the second-lowest spot, according to the Global Corruption Report 2008, released by Transparency International (TI) today.
A map showing levels of corruption around the world (Source: Transparency International)Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden shared the highest ranking as the world’s cleanest countries, getting the top score of 9.3 on TI’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranks countries on a scale from 1 to 10. They were followed by Singapore, which scored 9.2.
At the opposite end of the scale was Somalia, which has dropped from a CPI score of 1.4 last year to 1.0 this year. Somalia’s slide meant that it was now regarded as more corrupt that Burma, which it tied for last place in 2007.
Although Burma now shares second-worst status with Iraq, it has also become more corrupt since last year, according to the report. Burma’s score has fallen from 1.4 to 1.3, placing it just behind Haiti at 1.4 and Afghanistan at 1.5.
In a press release, TI highlights the fatal link between poverty, failed institutions and graft.
“In the poorest countries, corruption levels can mean the difference between life and death, when money for hospitals or clean water is in play,” Huguette Labelle, the chair of TI’s board of directors, was quoted as saying in the press release.
“The continuing high levels of corruption and poverty plaguing many of the world’s societies amount to an ongoing humanitarian disaster and cannot be tolerated,” Labelle added.
In a press release dated November 1, 2007, TI singled out Burma for its severe violations of human rights, as well as its widespread corruption.
“The United Nations Security Council as well as Burma’s neighbors must increase pressure on the Burmese government to end massive human rights abuses and crack down on endemic corruption,” the release said.

Burma Releases Longest-Serving Political Prisoner

Burma's military leaders have released journalist Win Tin, the country's longest-serving political prisoner, after he spent 19 years in prison.Shortly after his release Tuesday from Insein Prison in the main city of Rangoon, the ailing 78-year-old told a group of reporters and others that he would continue his fight until the emergence of democracy in Burma.Win Tin was arrested in 1989 and sentenced to 20 years in jail for allegedly writing anti-government propaganda. His release comes as Burma also announced today the release of nine thousand and two prisoners for good behavior.Official media say the prisoners are being released so they can be turned into citizens able to participate in building a new nation. The reports added that they were freed so they could take part in what it described as the "fair election" to be held in 2010.It was not clear how many of Burma's estimated two thousand political prisoners are included in the amnesty.The elections are part of Burma's long announced road map to democracy, which will give voters the first chance to cast ballots since 1990.Western nations have dismissed the road map as a sham designed to keep the military in power.Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in 1990 elections, but the military refused to acknowledge the victory.The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been under house arrest for 13 of the last 19 years.

On eve of Saffron Revolution anniversary, Burma's exiled news sites attacked

On the eve of the first anniversary of the week-long Saffron Revolution, the websites of three leading Burmese news agencies in exile have come under attack, rendering them inaccessible since the afternoon of September 17.
Distributed Denial of Services (DdoS) attacks overwhelmed the websites of the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), "The Irrawaddy" and the "New Era Journal". Under DDOS attacks, websites are flooded with so much automated requests for data that their respective systems effectively get jammed.
The websites of the three Burmese news agencies have not been responding to their requests since Wednesday afternoon.
"It is pretty certain that we are under attack. We were attacked at about 11 a.m. today," Toe Zaw Latt, chief of DVB Thailand bureau told Mizzima.com, an Alerts partner of the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA). Mizzima, which is also an independent news service run by exiled Burmese in New Delhi, India, itself experienced a similar DDOS attack last July.
"The Irrawaddy" magazine, an independent news provider run by Burmese journalists exiled in Chiang Mai, Thailand, said its website has been facing problems since Tuesday evening. "We can confirm today (18 September 2008) that we are being attacked," Aung Zaw, editor-in-chief of "The Irrawaddy" told Mizzima.
The Bangkok-based "New Era Journal" also confirmed that its website is also under attack.
This is the second attack against the Oslo-based DVB in the past three months.
The webmaster of the DVB said it is difficult to determine the level of the attack, adding that they could not predict when the sites will be accessible again.
"We do not know who is behind all this, but it is certain that these are deliberate attacks," Toe Zaw Latt said.
Mizzima noted, meanwhile, that Internet speed has also been down in Rangoon since Wednesday morning between 10 am to 3 pm. As a result, several Internet cafes in downtown Yangon reportedly had to close. Sources said Internet connection only resumed at its regular speed at 6 pm.
September 18 marks the anniversary of the start of street protests in Yangon which built up to a violent military crackdown in Burma last year. Burmese journalists—both inside and outside the country—have been worried about how Burma's junta might deal with the anniversary of what has come to be known as the "Saffron Revolution".