Weekly Diary, No. 201 (3 – 9 June 2006)

Weekly Diary, No. 201 (3 – 9 June 2006)

• SU SU NWAY FREED, BUT IS SHE FREE?
• KNOW THE NEW NAME OF BAGAN CYBERTECH?

Think Piece

If Shans are united, they will be able to resolve the issue of the non-Shans (in Shan State), and their joint-resolution will also be fair for all.

Gen Gawnzoeng (1926-1991) Shan leader

If a person is sick and refuses medicine, how can he fight the disease? And this applies to our movement. If we are not well, how can we fight the enemy?

Maximilian Wechsler, Czech Press, counseling the opposition to accept criticism, 3 May 2006 (PHOTO from Lessons From Another Revolution)

The World

6 June

UN Secretary General, introducing the report: International Migration and Development says cross-border migration brings benefits for all countries concerned. The number of people who migrated to other countries last year is placed at 191 million, of whom 115 million went to developed countries

One migrant destination is Thailand with an estimated 2 million Burmese, Cambodian and Laotian workers. (Irrawaddy)

7 June

Abu Mauswab al-Zargawi, al-Queda terrorist leader killed in US air strike in Iraq. (AFP)

International Relations

2 June

The United States has "broad and general support" in the Security Council to introduce a resolution compelling Burma to change its repressive policies, US State department spokesman Tom Casey tells reporters, He does not specify the members that support the move. (AFP)

1 June

The UN Security Councils options are:

·       Do nothing and wait for the next opportunity for a briefing

·       Negotiate agreed terms for the draft resolution

·       A presidential statement if the resolution is not accepted

·       Decide on action short of opening a formal Council agenda (Security Council Report.)

5 June

Burma's representative Nyunt Maung Shein had told ILO annual conference it is prepared to institute a six-month moratorium on prosecuting forced labor complainant for "spreading false rumors". "He behaved very rudely, very offensively", says Janek Kuczkiewicz of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). (Irrawaddy)

5 June

US State Department's Trafficking in Persons report says Burma is among countries involved in human trafficking. Its anti trafficking law in September 2005, carrying penalties of imprisonment of 10 years to life notwithstanding, no military or civilian officials have been prosecuted. The judiciary is corrupt, lacks resources and independence. (Irrawaddy)

Thai-Burma Relations

1 June

Burma Lawyers Council opens legal clinic for migrant workers in Maesot. (NMG)

4 June

Dr Anond Snidvongse, the scientist who correctly predicted natural disasters of last year, foresees more flash floods in the north by the end of the year. "It will be bigger," he says. (The Nation)

31 June

Private publishers in Burma informed recently that they are not permitted to publish any "Thai related advertisements or any articles on Thailand." Reporters Without Borders calls the act "grotesque" (The Nation/AFP)

6 June

The number of schools for children of Burmese workers is on the increase, 6 schools with 300 students to 9 schools with 450 students/ 27 teachers in Phangnga. They are organized by Grassroots Human Right Education Group (GRHRE) led by its director Htoo Chit and Save the Children UK. (IMNA)

7 June

Thailand's economic dependence on migrants is likely persist for the next decade, Philip Martin of the American University of California-Davis noted recently. (Irrawaddy)

7 June

The border closed to Burmese taxi drivers in Three Pagoda Pass area by Thai authorities following a fracas between two Thai traders who tried to smuggle Burmese furniture without paying tax and two Burmese policemen. (IMNA)

Politics/Inside Burma

1 June

Lt-Col Than Han, known as the Butcher of Depayin, has been appointed as Rangoon-riot police chief, according to a police source. (DVB)

6 June

Su Su Nway, 35 who was jailed in October after launching a successful lawsuit against local officials for practicing forced labor, released. ILO is seeking release of Aye Myint, a lawyer imprisoned after lod going computers of forced labor. (Irrawaddy)

 7 June

NLD statement issued today says its members had been "forced, pressured, enticed or threatened to resign by authorities." In some parts of the country, party member were given printed resignation statements to sign. (AP)

Shan State

3-4 June

Migrant Shans in Chiangmai hold concert to make donation to the King. (S.H.A.N.)

Economics/Business

2 June

The value of Burma's exports jumped to $ 3.55 billion in fiscal 2005 from $ 2.9 billion the year before, according to commerce minister Brig-Gen Tin Naing Thein, says Myanmar Times (AFP)

5 June

Burma is stepping up levying of income taxes from private sector employees beginning this month, reports Myanmar Times.

The rate ranges from 5-30 % for local currency earners and 10% for foreign currency earners. (Xinhua)

29 May

Bagan Cybertech is now called Myanmar Teleport. (Myanmar Times)

Human Rights 

2 June

Mr and Mrs Zaw Tang, parents of anti Rangoon Chin National Army's former cadre Van Ram Thang, ordered by Col Sein Aung, commander of Matupi township, to persuade their son to return. They were threatened with dire consequences for failure. Parents of another CNA cadre, Ms L.Par Sing, have also been detained.  (KNT)

1 June

Satellite technology that has provided irrefutable evidence of the destruction of civilian settlements in Zimbabwe will soon be used to document similar abuses in Burma, says the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) based in Washington.(Irrawaddy)

6 June

Following pay rise in April, civil servants have been told to have 10% of theirs monthly salary saved at the bank beginning May. They are not allowed to keep the savings book. It is an attempt to control the civil servants, says a source form Danyin gone brick factory. (DVB)

6 June

Children are still being stopped and detained at the Rangoon main railway station and forced to join the army. New York based Human Rights Watch says 20% of the 500,000 Burmese soldiers are children. (DVB)

5 June

According to a document released on 31 March by the Ministry of Education, Burmese students studying overseas must obtain permission for any Burma-related research before commencing their work. International Association of University Presidents say the order restricts education of Burmese students. (Mizzima)

8 June

To depopulate and harass the Rohingya community, Rangoon had for years brought long term jailbirds, criminals and others. They are notorious as robbers. (Kaladan)

8 June

Ludu Sein Win who urged the junta to hold talks with the NLD, was banned from domestic publications by junta authorities. (AFP) Photo

Sein Win later denies he was banned. He was only suspended, he says. (DVB)

Environment

5 June

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is not expected to resume full-scale surveying of the Hutgyi dam project until 2007, says on Egat official. It needs to talk to its co-partners about the security measures. Egat and SPDC signed an agreement in December to build the dam. Feasibility study was scheduled to be completed by April 2006 with construction set to begin in November 2007. (Thai Day)

6 June

A one and a half year old child in Maymyo-Pyin Oo Lwin has been found to be polio positive, says the Ministry of Health. Burma had been officially declared as polio free in 2003. (Mizzima)

Drugs

27 May

Palaung women blasts Burma's drug policy in a 68- page report, Poisoned Flowers. (Press Release)

War

2 June

Satellite townships around Rangoon have been told to post 4x6 inch photos of all family members where they can easily be seen during security checks. In the past, they only demanded to check the household list. (AFP)

27 May

According KNU documents, the SPDC resumed massive military operations in early February:

February          Toungoo district

March              Nyaunglaybin district

April                Papun district (close to Hutgyi dam project)

It is deploying more than 60 battalions of approximately 20,000 troops. The campaign has driven more than 18,000 civilians away from their homes. 2,000 of them had managed to cross the border into Thailand as refugees. (S.H.A.N.)

1 June

Two years ago Rangoon established in air defense department then headed by Gen Soe Win (now by Lt-General Myint Hlaing). Since then it has bought laser-guided missiles and SAM-7 from China, and set up radar stations along the coast.

There are also plans to buy more frigates and small submarines from India. Artillery pieces and heavy arms, as well as Chinese-made HN-2 and HN-5 SAM launchers have been delivered to bases along the Thai-Burma border. (Irrawaddy)