Weekly Diary, No. 335 (17 – 23 January 2009)

• NO BIGGER NEWS THAN OBAMA!
• MALAYSIA AND THAILAND ON ROHINGYAS!
• SECURITY TIGHTENS IN RANGOON!
• ANOTHER RIVAL GOVERNMENT?

 
Cartoon
Tips on world economy

_{Wit of the world 18/1/09}
 
Think Piece
A shellfish has neither hands nor feet, but it can still find food to eat. Man has both hands and feet, and if we don’t know how to work to eat, we should be ashamed of the shellfish.
_{Puyen Kaewmanee, who died on 12 October 2008, at the age of 108}

The World
15 January 2009
_{Chesley Sullenberger}
US finds a new hero, pilot Chesley Sullenberger, 57, who does a masterful job of landing the plane whose engines were knocked off after a collision with a flock of birds in the Hudson river in full view of New York skyscrapers. (AP)
 
19 January 2009
Israeli troops begin withdrawing from Gaza. (AFP)
 
20 January 2009

Barack Obama becomes first black US president. (Agencies)

International Relations
19 January 2009
More than 50 Chinese from Shanxi have been kidnapped in Burma since August. (Shanghai Daily) Their parents were sent ransom demands, reports state media. (AFP)
 
21 January 2009
Obama’s path to the White House followed keenly by the Burmese media and intellectuals. “We want to freely elect our leader like that,” says a young Rangoon journalist. (Irrawaddy)
 
21 January 2009
At least 50 Burmese refugees demonstrate outside UNHCR office in Malaysia to protest alleged discriminations by the agency. There are about 45,400 refugees in Malaysia, of whom 40,400 are from Burma. The majority are Rohingya, while the rest are Chins, Karens and Shans. (AFP)
 
21 January 2009
EU will be giving $ 52.4 million in humanitarian aid to Burma this year. (Irrawaddy)
 
22 January 2009
The UN says 2008 was one of the deadliest years for natural disasters: numbering 321 and killing 235,816 mostly in Burma and China. (Canadian Press)
 
23 January 2009
_{Gen Than Shwe}
Three days after Obama’s inauguration Burma’s top leader Than Shwe sends a message of congratulations to him. It says it hopes Obama will change Washington’s tough policy and end “misunderstandings” of the past. (AFP)
 
23 January 2009
_{Ibrahim Gambari}
UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari’s next visit is set for 31 January, according to a diplomat. (AP)

Thai-Burma Relations
18 January 2009

PM Abhisit Vejjasiva vows to address Rohingya cruelty claims. (AFP)
 
21 January 2009
_{Abhisit Vejjasiva}
PM Abhisit welcomes request by UNHCR for talks with Rohingya immigrants but stresses the need to solve the problem at the root cause instead of targeting only Thailand. (Bangkok Post)
 
20 January 2009
Following a crackdown by Thai authorities in Phop Phra, Tak province, on 14 January, migrants are hiding in jungles and nearby villages. (NMG)
 
23 January 2009
Jackie Pollock of Migrant Assistance Program (MAP) says crackdown won’t solve migrant problems. “The best solution is to offer new registration and let them come out and stay legally.” Adisorn Kerdmongkol of Migrant Working Group (MWG) also says the root cause is the political crisis in Burma. (Irrawaddy)
 
23 January 2009
_{Tharit Charungvat}
Tharit Charungvat, spokesperson for Thailand’s Foreign Ministry says Thailand offers to host a conference on Rohingya with its neighbors as soon as possible. (Xinhua)

Politics/ Inside Burma
16 January 2009
Lawyer Poe Phyu, 30, arrested by police in Aunglan township after defending a group of farmers whose lands had been confiscated by junta authorities, according to AAPP Bo Kyi. (Irrawaddy)
 
15-17 January 2009
Women’s League of Burma (WLB) holds 5th Congress. Confirms resolve to oppose 2010 elections. (statement)
 
17 January 2009
_Gambira
Child soldier turned activist monk Gambira, 29, who was sentenced to 68 years in prison, moved to Hkamti prison. (Mizzima)
 
19 January 2009
Security in Rangoon beefed up since last week:

• Checkpoints at busy intersections
• Commuters checked for arms and ammunition
• Household registration cards also checked
• Remind people to report arrival of guests at their homes

(Mizzima)
 
New government in exile?
7-8 January 2009
National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) holds meeting. (DVB)
 
10 January 2009
3 MPs and a group of exiles in Sydney holds meeting:

• Demands expansion of the National Coalition Government (NCGUB) based on 1990 results
• Inclusion of ethnic national leaders, democracy representatives and experts in decision making

(DVB)
 
22 January 2009
_{Josef Silverstein}
Josef Silverstein favors the idea the opposition coming together and forming a genuine movement that speaks for the people. (DVB)

Shans/ Shan State
22 January 2009
_{Tun Nyo}
Tun Nyo, Danu activist who was sentenced to 75 years in prison, getting better medical treatment, following SHAN report on 5 November. (SHAN)

Economy/ Business

Human Rights
20 January 2009
Authorities force 35 people living with HIV/AIDS to leave a monastery in Rangoon where they have been receiving free treatment to a hospital. (Irrawaddy)
 
23 January 2009
An NGO member says children aged 10-15 are valued sources of labor in the delta because they work for much lower wages than adults: K 300-1,000 ($0.25-0.85) per day, compared to K 1,500-3,000 ($1.25-2.50) for adults. (Irrawaddy)

Environment
20 January 2009
Wantanee Kalpravidh, representative of UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says Thailand needs to address bird flu surveillance especially among migrant border camps where 2.5 million migrants are living. (Bangkok Post)

Drugs

War
19 January 2009
For three months, the Burmese military has been building tunnels between Naypyitaw and the Shan town of Panglawng (Pinlaung) with assistance from North Korea, according to a worker on the site. Rumor is that it is for a secret weapons facility, he says. (DVB)

Obituary
21 January 2009
_{Chusri Chaowathin}
Well-known Shan language radio program director Chusri Chaowathin, 55, passes away from heart failure in Chiangmai. Her funeral will be on 26 January. (SHAN)
 
22 January 2009
_{Tha Tun}
Former colleagues and friends attend funeral of former Shan resistance officer Tha Tun, 71, in Wiang Haeng district, Chiangmai province. A Danu by birth, he passed away on 17 January. (SHAN)