Burma Related News - Nov 14, 2007.
- From: TIN KYI <mtinkyi@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:13:29 -0800
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BURMA RELATED NEWS - NOVEMBER 14, 2007
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HEADLINES
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Reuters - Three arrested as U.N. rights envoy visits Myanmar
Reuters - U.N. envoy "disturbed" by Myanmar arrest in visit
Reuters - Canada says to impose tougher sanctions on Myanmar
Reuters - Pressure on Myanmar junta can work, U.N. envoy says
Reuters - China says Myanmar should not be "another Iraq"
Reuters - Myanmar rejects "interferences" in domestic affairs
Reuters - ILO asks Myanmar to declare forced labour banned
AP - Myanmar authorities continue arrests of activists, defying UN
calls to end crackdown
AP - Myanmar continues arrests of activists
AFP - UN envoy pushes for non-junta meetings
AFP - Security Council urges more 'positive steps' by Myanmar
AFP - UN envoy to meet junta as Security Council vows to keep pressure
AFP - Singapore doctor -- and alleged banker -- to Myanmar's generals
IHT - Boycott clouds gem show in Myanmar
CNA - Singapore briefs Myanmar premier on ASEAN Summit preparations
IANS - Human rights abuses remain in Myanmar: UN
The Nation - Burma still tops Asean Summit agenda
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Three arrested as U.N. rights envoy visits Myanmar
By Aung Hla Tun
Wed Nov 14, 8:36 AM ET
YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's military junta arrested three young men
for pinning up anti-government leaflets in the main city, Yangon, on
Wednesday as a crackdown on dissent continued during a visit by a U.N.
human rights envoy. An opposition source said the three were detained
in a fruit market a day after the arrest of labor activist Su Su Nway,
who had been on the run since the army crushed democracy protests in
September.
U.N. envoy Sergio Paulo Pinheiro, visiting the former Burma to get to
the bottom of the regime's bloody crackdown on democracy protests in
September, was expected to raise her arrest in meetings with
government officials on Thursday.
"He was disturbed by the fact that the arrest had been done," Charles
Petrie, the top U.N. diplomat in Myanmar, told Reuters.
"He still has some meetings with authorities and Professor Pinheiro is
pretty straightforward and frank, so I would expect him to raise that
and other issues," he said.
Pinheiro has visited Yangon's notorious Insein prison and other places
where September marchers were interrogated, but was still waiting for
permission to interview detainees before he leaves on Thursday night.
Official media say all but 91 of the nearly 3,000 arrested were
released after questioning.
The official death toll has been put at 10, but an Asian diplomat who
attended Pinheiro's briefing in the jungle capital, Naypyidaw, said
the junta now acknowledged 14 people had died from "direct shooting
and later deaths in hospital."
Western governments say the real number is probably far higher.
MONKS ARRESTED
Opposition sources said on Tuesday two fugitive Buddhist monks who led
some of the biggest anti-junta marches in late September had been
arrested on November 4, the day after U.N. special envoy Ibrahim
Gambari's second visit to Myanmar began.
Gambari told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday the Myanmar
government had assured him it would make no more arrests.
He also said the situation in Myanmar was "qualitatively different"
from a few weeks ago and he believed the government could respond to
international pressure for change.
Despite doubts raised by Western ambassadors about the regime's
willingness to negotiate, Gambari said he would return "again and
again and again" to promote what he hoped would be "substantive
dialogue" with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
In a statement released through Gambari last week, Suu Kyi said she
was "optimistic" after two meetings with the junta's new liaison
minister and she was ready to work with the military "in the interest
of the nation."
A group of 12 ethnic political parties backed Suu Kyi's statement on
Wednesday, saying they hoped she and ethnic leaders could sit down
with the generals to get Myanmar "over the crises and for the
interests of the entire nation to emerge."
However, two small ethnic groups were quoted in official media as
rejecting Suu Kyi's leadership, leading some opposition members to
question the junta's sincerity. "I believe these ethnic groups would
not have said so without being urged by the regime," a retired
government official told Reuters.
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U.N. envoy "disturbed" by Myanmar arrest in visit
Wed Nov 14, 6:02 AM ET
BANGKOK (Reuters) - U.N. human rights envoy Sergio Paulo Pinheiro was
disturbed by Myanmar's arrest of prominent labor activist Su Su Nway
as he met junta officials, a U.N. official said on Wednesday.
Pinheiro, visiting the former Burma to get to the bottom of the
regime's bloody crackdown on democracy protests in September, was
expected to raise her arrest in meetings with government officials on
Thursday.
"He was disturbed by the fact that the arrest had been done," Charles
Petrie, the top U.N. diplomat in Myanmar, told Reuters.
"He still has some meetings with authorities and Professor Pinheiro is
pretty straightforward and frank, so I would expect him to raise that
and other issues," he said.
Su Su Nway, 34, was detained on Tuesday as she put up anti-junta
leaflets near the Yangon hotel where Pinheiro was staying before he
flew to the jungle capital, Naypyidaw.
She had joined street protests against shock fuel price rises in
August and September, but went into hiding when soldiers crushed the
biggest anti-junta demonstrations in nearly 20 years.
It is not known where Su Su Nway is being held.
Pinheiro, a Brazilian law professor allowed into Myanmar for the first
time in four years, has visited Yangon's notorious Insein prison and
other places where September marchers were interrogated.
Pinheiro was told he would be allowed to interview detainees before he
flies out on Thursday night.
"He still hasn't finished his trip and he has asked for meetings with
others," Petrie said.
Official media say all but 91 of the nearly 3,000 arrested were
released after questioning. The official death toll has been put at
10, but Western governments say the real number is probably far
higher.
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Canada says to impose tougher sanctions on Myanmar
Wed Nov 14, 11:50 AM ET
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will tighten existing sanctions against
Myanmar after the military junta's recent clampdown on demonstrators,
Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier said on Wednesday.
In September, the junta crushed the biggest pro-democracy protests in
nearly 20 years, killing at least 10 people.
Myanmar was formerly known as Burma.
"Canada has long had measures against Burma. Now, we are going to
impose the toughest sanctions in the world ... they are right on moral
grounds. The regime in Burma is abhorrent to Canadian values," Bernier
said in a speech in Toronto.
He said Canada would:
* ban all exports to Myanmar, except for humanitarian goods, and bar
all imports
* freeze Canadian assets of Myanmar citizens connected with the junta
* prohibit the provision of Canadian financial services and the export
of technical data to Myanmar
* ban new investment by Canadian individuals and firms
* ban ships and aircraft registered in either country from visiting
the other
"There is no more room for compromise with this odious regime," said
Bernier. No figures for annual trade between the two nations were
immediately available.
Last month, the House of Commons granted honorary citizenship to
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent nearly 12 of
the last 18 years in prison or under house arrest.
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Pressure on Myanmar junta can work, U.N. envoy says
Tue Nov 13, 4:22 PM ET
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari said on
Tuesday the situation in Myanmar was "qualitatively different" from a
few weeks ago and he believed its military-led government could be
responsive to international pressure.
Reporting to the U.N. Security Council on his recent visit to Myanmar
to investigate the crisis there, Gambari said his trip did not produce
all the results he had hoped for, but there had been some positive
steps.
He noted that opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi had been allowed to
issue a statement for the first time in over four years and had been
allowed to meet members of her party.
"I have stressed to the government that the best way to make real
their commitment to dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is to release
her without delay so that she can become a full partner in dialogue,"
he said.
Gambari also said the government had assured him it would release more
detainees and make no more arrests.
However, earlier on Tuesday, activist Su Su Nway was arrested in the
main city Yangon after being on the run since the army crushed pro-
democracy protests in late September, an opposition source said.
"On balance, the positive outcomes of this latest mission show that
the government of Myanmar ... can be responsive to the concerns of the
international community," Gambari said, adding that a process had been
started that he hoped would lead to "substantive dialogue."
Gambari is a former Nigerian foreign minister and used to head the
U.N. Department of Political Affairs.
Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate and leader of Myanmar's National
League for Democracy, has been under house arrest for more than 10 of
the last 17 years.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been under military rule since
1962, and the government has ignored a 1990 landslide election victory
by Suu Kyi's party.
Gambari visited Myanmar in early October to convey international
concern to junta leaders over the violent suppression in late
September of monk-led protests against decades of military rule and
deepening poverty.
After marches that attracted as many as 100,000 protesters, Western
governments say the death toll in the crackdown was probably far
higher than the 10 people reported officially.
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China says Myanmar should not be "another Iraq"
Wed Nov 14, 2007 4:17pm IST
BEIJING (Reuters) - China does not want Myanmar to become "another
Iraq", a senior Chinese diplomat said on Wednesday, stressing his
country's opposition to sanctions as a way of seeking reform in the
troubled Southeast Asian nation.
Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei said Myanmar was now headed in the
right direction in the aftermath of mass protests demanding democracy
and then a harsh wave of arrests.
Noting recent visits to Myanmar by U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari
and contacts between the imprisoned opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
and the ruling generals, He said now was the time for "encouragement",
not sanctions.
"We should be patient," the Chinese diplomat told a news conference
about a summit of Asian leaders in Singapore next week. "We especially
disapprove of sanctions. Sanctions cannot solve the problem, and will
only make matters worse."
China believed stability was paramount for Myanmar to achieve
"democracy and economic development", the senior official said.
"We cannot permit Myanmar to fall into chaos, we cannot permit Myanmar
to become another Iraq. No matter what ideas other countries have,
China's stance on this is staunch."
The diplomat's strong rhetoric -- apparently suggesting that Myanmar
should not be the target of excessive foreign pressure -- came a day
after Gambari said
Myanmar's junta appeared to be making some concessions following their
September crackdown on the protests led by Buddhist monks.
China's He said leaders from ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea were
likely to discuss Myanmar at their Singapore summit, but it would not
be a focus of discussions, with the agenda taken up by regional
cooperation, energy and the environment.
Western powers have been much more guarded about the hints of
relaxation in Myanmar, and have previously imposed economic
restrictions in a bid to force the government to release Suu Kyi from
house arrest and open the way to democratic reform.
Traditionally hostile to the use of economic sanctions, China shares a
long border with Myanmar, and also has big stakes in developing its
neighbour's raw materials and energy reserves.
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Myanmar rejects "interferences" in domestic affairs
Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:35am EST
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Military-ruled Myanmar rejects "interferences"
in its domestic affairs, citing the need to protect its sovereignty, a
senior junta official said on Wednesday.
Deputy Defense Minister Aye Myint told a news conference at the ASEAN
Defense Ministers Meeting in Singapore that the former Burma was
"stable", and that its "home-grown principle is viable for the long-
term operation of our political process".
In September the junta crushed the biggest pro-democracy protests in
nearly 20 years, killing at least 10 people, prompting international
condemnation and tougher sanctions from the United States.
"We will not accept the interferences that will harm our sovereignty,"
he said.
"But we are also looking forward to the positive and constructive
assistance and understanding from ASEAN countries, and all other
countries from the world, and also the United Nations."
Aye Myint said Myanmar should follow the junta's seven-step "democracy
roadmap", which Western powers have dismissed as a sham to cement the
generals' grip on power.
The 10-nation Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one
of the few international groups to accept Myanmar as a member. It has
been criticized for failing to bring the country into the fold despite
its 10-year-old policy of engaging the nation through dialogue.
Since the junta's bloody suppression of the protests, ASEAN has voiced
"revulsion" at the military crackdown, but rejected calls to expel
Myanmar from the group or to enforce sanctions, preferring to stick to
its policy of engagement.
Singapore's senior minister of state for foreign affairs, Zainul
Abidin Rasheed, visited Myanmar this week, and conveyed Singapore's
hopes that the junta would cooperate with UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari in
"genuine and serious discussions to bring about national
reconciliation", a Foreign Ministry statement said.
Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein is expected to travel to Singapore
next week to join other ASEAN leaders in the signing of a landmark
charter that will make ASEAN more of a rules-based organization.
"Myanmar is a member of ASEAN. Myanmar's attendance at ASEAN meetings
provides a channel of communication for the exchange of views and for
views to be conveyed," Teo Chee Hean, Singapore's Defense minister,
said on Wednesday.
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ILO asks Myanmar to declare forced labour banned
14 Nov 2007 17:39:28 GMT
GENEVA, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The International Labour Organisation (ILO)
called on Wednesday on the government of Myanmar to declare clearly
that all forms of forced labour were banned in the country.
The United Nations agency's Governing Body, which includes
representatives of governments, employers' groups and labour unions,
also urged Myanmar's military rulers to prevent recruitment of child
soldiers.
The Myanmar authorities should "make at the highest level an
unambiguous public statement that all forms of forced labour are
prohibited throughout the country and will be duly punished," it said
in a statement.
The statement reflected concern over the fate in Myanmar, the former
Burma, of an accord in February this year allowing the ILO office in
Yangon to investigate suspected forced labour.
The ILO and international workers' organisations have long insisted
the practice is rife in Myanmar.
The statement said it was still too early to assess the impact on the
implementation of the February agreement of the government and army
crackdown on recent civil unrest, in which thousands of people are
reported to have been detained.
Among these, the statement indicated, were people who had been helping
the ILO office with its investigations into forced labour -- which
some reports say include the army's compulsory recruitment of young
teenagers.
"Full attention should be given to preventing the recruitment of child
soldiers," it declared.
The Myanmar government, it said, should ensure that there was "no
further detention or harassment of complainants or facilitators"
working with investigators and make clear that this applied fully to
the military authorities.
Under the February accord, people cooperating in the investigations or
acting as "whistleblowers" on forced labour -- in which the ILO says
the state is complicit -- were guaranteed they would not face
punishment.
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Myanmar authorities continue arrests of activists, defying UN calls to
end crackdown
AP - Thursday, November 15
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar's ruling junta arrested three more anti-
government activists Wednesday, witnesses said, as the country's
deputy defense minister insisted the military is in total control
after September's crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
The latest arrests came as a U.N. human rights investigator probing
deaths and detentions connected to the crackdown prepared to wind up
his five-day mission.
The investigator, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, said he expects to be allowed
to meet some detainees on Thursday, the last day of his visit.
Although he has toured several detention centers, he has apparently
not yet been allowed to interview any prisoners or meet with members
of Myanmar's beleaguered pro-democracy movement.
The military government said 10 people were killed when troops opened
fire on crowds of peaceful protesters Sept. 26 and 27. Diplomats and
dissidents, however, say the death toll was much higher.
The government acknowledged detaining almost 3,000 people but says it
has released most of them. Many prominent political activists,
however, remain in custody.
The latest detainees are at least three people who handed out anti-
government pamphlets at the busy Thiri Mingalar fruit and vegetable
market in Yangon,
Myanmar's biggest city, shoppers and other witnesses said on condition
of anonymity because they feared reprisals from the government.
"I saw at least three young men in white shirts being arrested by
market security officials," said one of the witnesses, a market
worker. The leaflets included a statement from the United Nations and
one saying that forcing people to take part in pro-junta rallies
violated the Geneva Convention.
A prominent labor activist, Su Su Nway, was arrested Tuesday for
carrying out a similar action, shortly after dissidents reported that
U Gambira, a Buddhist monk who helped lead September's protests, had
been taken into custody.
In Singapore, Myanmar Deputy Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Aye Myint said
Wednesday that the situation in Myanmar is now one of "normalcy."
"We totally control all the situation," he told reporters at a news
conference. He was attending a meeting of defense ministers from the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Acknowledging that some people remain detained, he said "we took in
some persons involved in the violation of law _ only for questioning.
After questioning, most of them are released."
He said 49 people in Yangon and 42 in other areas remain in custody
for investigation of whether they were guilty of terrorism or other
offenses.
The U.N.'s Pinheiro told diplomats Wednesday in Myanmar's remote
capital, Naypyitaw, that he appreciated the level of cooperation he
had received from the government.
He said he had received permission to interview some detainees at
Yangon's Insein Prison on Thursday, according to one of the diplomats,
who asked not to be named so as not to breach protocol.
At a U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday, the United States and
other Western countries deplored the arrests of Su Su Nway and U
Gambira, saying they raised doubts about the ruling junta's sincerity
in moving toward democracy and cooperating with the United Nations.
Su Su Nway, who has been on the run for more than two months, was
arrested Tuesday morning in Yangon as she tried to place a leaflet
near a hotel where Pinheiro was staying, exiled Myanmar dissidents in
Thailand said.
U Gambira, a monk who helped spearhead the pro-democracy
demonstrations in Yangon, was arrested several days ago, said Stanley
Aung of the Thailand-based dissident group National League for
Democracy-Liberated Area.
U Gambira, also known as U Gambiya, was a leader of the All-Burma
Monks Alliance, a group established to support pro-democracy protests
after small demonstrations began in August.
The junta had placed him on a wanted list, announcing on state
television in early October that he was one of four monks it was
hunting down for leading the protests.
The Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
urged Pinheiro to try to meet with U Gambira.
"I am very worried about U Gambira," Bo Kyi, the head of the
association, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "I fear he
will be tortured."
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Myanmar continues arrests of activists
Wed Nov 14, 3:05 AM ET
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar's military junta arrested three more
activists Wednesday, witnesses said, surging ahead with a crackdown
even as it hosted a U.N. human rights investigator and insisted that
all arrests had stopped.
The latest to be nabbed were at least three people handing out anti-
regime pamphlets at the busy Thiri Mingalar fruit and vegetable market
in Yangon, shoppers and other witnesses said, speaking on condition of
anonymity because they feared reprisals from the government.
"I saw at least three young men in white shirts being arrested by
market security officials," said one of the witnesses, a market
worker. The leaflets included a statement from the United Nations and
one saying that forcing people to take part in pro-junta rallies
violated the Geneva Conventions.
The incident followed earlier arrests of two prominent dissidents. One
came Tuesday as U.N. human rights envoy Paulo Sergio Pinheiro met with
Cabinet ministers in the junta's remote, jungle capital Naypyitaw.
Pinheiro's five-day visit is part of an investigation into widespread
allegations of human rights abuses since the regime's violent
crackdown on pro-democracy protests in September. He was "given
assurances" by the junta that he would be able to interview detainees
before leaving, the U.N. said in a statement.
Pinheiro was to confer with the government's foreign and labor
ministers before returning to Yangon on Thursday.
At a U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday, the United States and
other Western countries deplored the arrests of the two dissidents,
saying they raised doubts about the ruling junta's sincerity in moving
toward democracy and cooperating with the United Nations.
Su Su Nway, a prominent female activist who has been on the run for
more than two months, was arrested Tuesday morning in Yangon as she
tried to place a leaflet near a hotel where Pinheiro was staying,
exiled Myanmar dissidents in Thailand said.
U Gambira, a Buddhist monk who helped spearhead the pro-democracy
demonstrations in Yangon was arrested several days ago, said Stanley
Aung of the Thailand-based dissident group National League for
Democracy-Liberated Area.
U Gambira, also known as U Gambiya, was a leader of the All-Burma
Monks alliance, a group established to support pro-democracy protests
after small demonstrations began in August.
The junta had placed him on a wanted list, announcing on state
television in early October that he was one of four monks it was
hunting down for leading the protests.
Monks inspired and led the movement until it was crushed Sept. 26-27.
The authorities began their crackdown by raiding several monasteries
in Yangon in the middle of the night and hauling monks away.
The Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners
urged Pinheiro to try to meet with U Gambira in prison.
"I am very worried about U Gambira," Bo Kyi, the head of the
association said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "I fear he will
be tortured."
Other dissident groups also reported the monk's arrest, though details
differed. Some said he was arrested Nov. 4, while others said Nov. 10.
Addressing the U.N. Security Council, Myanmar's Ambassador U Kyaw Tint
Swe insisted Tuesday there "had been no further arrests in connection
with the demonstrations." He made no mention of Su Su Nway or U
Gambira.
But Britain's ambassador to the U.N., John Sawers, said Su Su Nway's
detention "raises a question mark over the regime's" assurances to
U.N. envoy Ibrahim Gambari days earlier that political arrests would
stop.
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad denounced both arrests and demanded
the junta "release all political prisoners" if it wants to show its
commitment "to cooperating with the United Nations."
Gambari said that if the arrests were confirmed, "it would be
extremely worrisome because what we want to do is move forward, not
back."
Nevertheless, Gambari, who visited Myanmar last week for the second
time since the September turmoil, told the Security Council he was
making progress in nudging the junta toward meaningful dialogue with
the pro-democracy opposition. He urged the Security Council to give
his diplomatic effort time to succeed.
"The situation is qualitatively different from what it was a few weeks
ago," he said.
Pinheiro has said his mission is to determine how many people were
killed and detained in the crackdown. Myanmar authorities said 10
people were killed when troops opened fire on crowds of peaceful
protesters Sept. 26 and 27. Diplomats and dissidents, however, say the
death toll was much higher.
The government acknowledged detaining almost 3,000 people but says it
has released most of them. Most of the prominent political activists,
however, remain in custody.
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UN envoy pushes for non-junta meetings
Wed Nov 14, 9:06 AM ET
YANGON (AFP) - A UN human rights envoy Wednesday pressed Myanmar's
junta to allow him to meet people other than officials and expressed
concern over the arrest of a labour activist.
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro was "concerned" by the arrest of Su Su Nway
during his mission to investigate the recent crackdown on pro-
democracy protestors and other rights abuses, a UN official told AFP.
Su Su Nway, 35, was arrested Tuesday while putting up anti-government
posters in Yangon. She had been in hiding since leading a brief
demonstration in Yangon in late August over soaring fuel prices.
"He is aware of the arrest made during his visit and has expressed his
concern," Charles Petrie, the UN's top representative in Myanmar, told
AFP.
"He will continue these discussions in his meetings tomorrow," said
Petrie, whom the ruling generals are expelling, saying he has
misrepresented the humanitarian situation in Myanmar.
Pinheiro Wednesday met with Labour Minister Aung Kyi, who was
appointed to liaise with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
following international outrage at the junta's crackdown.
The envoy also met with the foreign and information ministers and
reiterated his request to meet with non-government people, the UN
said. He has also asked to meet prisoners.
"While thanking the authorities for the wide range of meetings with
government officials, the special rapporteur renewed to the
authorities his request to be given access to other non-government
interlocutors," the UN said in a statement.
It said earlier Pinheiro was given assurances he would be able to meet
prisoners before the end of his mission, but there was no indication
of when this could take place as he leaves Thursday evening for
Bangkok.
Human rights groups have called on Pinheiro to pressure the junta to
release all political prisoners during his mission to investigate the
deadly crackdown on the protests.
Amnesty International has estimated that 700 people arrested over the
protests were still in detention, although the government said only 91
of the 3,000 originally rounded up were being held.
Pinheiro's meetings with top junta officials came as the UN Security
Council said the generals must do more to ensure a dialogue with the
opposition.
UN Security Council president Marty Natalegawa, Indonesia's UN envoy,
said they welcomed recent positive steps by the generals but members
had expressed concern "that many prisoners are still in jail and new
arrests have occurred."
Authorities had earlier this month also seized a Buddhist monk,
Gambira, who was a key leader of the massive anti-junta protests in
September, exiled media groups and an activist said Wednesday.
Monks were at the forefront of the protests, which began as
demonstrations against a surprise hike in fuel prices in August and
snowballed into the biggest anti-government demonstrations the junta
has faced since 1988.
The ruling generals are under pressure to make steps towards democracy
after their violent crackdown on the protestors.
UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari Tuesday briefed the Security Council
on his mission to Myanmar last week, which he said led to some
"positive outcomes."
These included the regime's decision to release more than 2,700
detainees and political prisoners and allow talks between Labour
Minister Aung Kyi and Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent 12 of the past
18 years under house arrest.
"On balance, the positive outcomes of this latest mission show that
the government of Myanmar... can be responsive to the concerns of the
international community," Gambari said.
But he conceded that the regime "has yet to provide any assurance that
it will lift restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi," and cited "serious
concerns about ongoing reports of human rights abuses and the
willingness of the government to move forward in a new direction."
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UN envoy to meet junta as Security Council vows to keep pressure
Wed Nov 14, 4:48 AM ET
YANGON (AFP) - A UN human rights envoy was Wednesday due to meet with
top Myanmar junta officials as the Security Council said the generals
must do more to ensure a dialogue with the opposition.
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro will also meet with Labour Minister Aung Kyi,
who was appointed to liaise with detained opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi, an official said.
In New York, UN Security Council president Marty Natalegawa,
Indonesia's UN envoy, said they welcomed recent positive steps by the
generals but members had expressed concern "that many prisoners are
still in jail and new arrests have occurred."
Pinheiro's mission to investigate the death toll and detentions from
recent anti-government protests came as police continued to arrest
leading activists.
Authorities seized a Buddhist monk who was a key leader of the massive
anti-junta protests in September, exiled media groups and an activist
said Wednesday.
"U Gambira was arrested on 4th November, his family said. He was a
leader of monks," said Aung Kyaw Oo, who works for Thailand-based
monitoring group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Monks were at the forefront of the protests, which began as
demonstrations against a surprise hike in fuel prices in August and
snowballed into the biggest anti-government demonstrations the junta
has faced since 1988.
On Tuesday, police arrested labour rights campaigner Su Su Nway in
Yangon as she posted anti-government leaflets, a source with knowledge
of the matter told AFP.
A pro-government blog said she was arrested along with a 25-year-old
colleague named Bo Bo while two others managed to escape.
Su Su Nway, 35, had been in hiding since leading a protest in Yangon
in late August over the soaring fuel prices.
Human rights groups have called on Pinheiro to pressure the junta to
release all political prisoners during his mission to investigate the
deadly crackdown on the protests and other rights abuses.
The United Nations said he would be allowed to meet prisoners,
following his meeting Tuesday with Home Affairs Minister Major-General
Maung Oo.
"The special rapporteur was given assurances that he will be able to
interview detainees, before the end of his mission, as requested," the
UN said in a statement.
Amnesty International has estimated that 700 people arrested over the
recent protests were still in detention, although the government said
only 91 of the 3,000 originally rounded up were being held.
Pinheiro was due to talk with other senior junta members Wednesday
after meeting with diplomats and the local UN organisation, a Myanmar
official told AFP.
"He will meet with the foreign affairs minister and labour minister
and the information minister this afternoon," the official said. "So
far, he's not likely to meet with the prime minister."
Pinheiro arrived on Sunday, allowed back in for the first time since
2003 by the junta, which is under pressure to make steps towards
democracy after its handling of the recent demonstrations.
UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari Tuesday briefed the Security Council
on his mission to Myanmar last week, which he said led to some
"positive outcomes".
These included the regime's decision to release more than 2,700
detainees and political prisoners and allow talks between Labour
Minister Aung Kyi and Aung San Suu Kyi, who has spent 12 of the past
18 years under house arrest.
"On balance, the positive outcomes of this latest mission show that
the government of Myanmar ... can be responsive to the concerns of the
international community," Gambari said.
But he conceded that the regime "has yet to provide any assurance that
it will lift restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi," and cited "serious
concerns about ongoing reports of human rights abuses and the
willingness of the government to move forward in a new direction."
*************************************************************
Security Council urges more 'positive steps' by Myanmar
by Gerard Aziakou
Tue Nov 13, 7:04 PM ET
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari on Tuesday touted
"positive steps" taken by Myanmar rulers since he visited the country
last week but said they must do more to ensure genuine dialogue with
the opposition.
Briefing the Security Council on his six-day mission, he noted that
the military regime had lifted curfews in place during anti-government
protests, released over 2,700 detainees and political prisoners and
allowed talks between opposition chief Aung San Suu Kyi and Labor
Minister Aung Kyi.
But the regime "has yet to provide any assurance that it will lift
restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi," he said, citing "serious concerns
about ongoing reports of human rights abuses and the willingness of
the government to move forward in a new direction.
"On balance, the positive outcomes of this latest mission show that
the government of Myanmar, while stressing its sovereignty and
independence, can be responsive to the concerns of the international
community," Gambari told 15-member council.
"In today's world, no country can afford to stay outside the
irreversible trend toward stability trend toward stability, prosperity
and democracy," he added.
"It is the responsibility of every government to listen to its people,
respond to the legitimate popular demands and respect in full the
human rights of its citizens."
Several council members praised Gambari for his efforts but said the
United States and its Western allies said Myanmar rulers must do more,
including allowing the UN envoy to return soon and have full access to
all those he needs to see.
"He's doing a good job. His latest mission had some success," US
Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad said of the UN troubleshooter.
"But we believe there's a need for further substantive progress and
the ball is in the court of the government."
He said that what was needed was, as suggested by Aung San Suu Kyi,
"time-bound and substantive dialogue," adding "that needs to start as
soon as possible."
"A mix of engagement and pressure needs to be applied, calibrated as
circumstances warrant," Khalilzad said, making clear he was not ruling
out further unilateral or multilateral sanctions if necessary.
Britain's UN envoy Jon Sawers for his part said:" "Now it is the turn
of the regime in Burma to reciprocate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's readiness
to co-operate."
He said the regime "must remove the restraints on her access to her
party, and allow other opposition leaders, ethnic minority leaders and
other stakeholders to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi and with one another
freely and without impediment in order to ensure a genuine, inclusive
and meaningful dialogue."
His French counterpart Jean-Maurice Ripert said it was crucial that
Gambari "return to Myanmar soon and that authorities cooperate with
him so he can achieve tangible progress."
Ripert also restated French support for the setting up of a contact
group to complement Gambari's efforts.
The group, which would bring together countries seeking to foster the
national reconciliation process -- such as the United States, the
European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China,
Japan and India would be modeled on the six-party approach to the
North Korean nuclear negotiations or the quartet for the Middle East.
In Myanmar, police Tuesday arrested labor activist Su Su Nway as she
distributed anti-government leaflets while a UN rights envoy held
talks with members of the junta, which drew international criticism
for its deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
Making his first visit to the country in four years, Paulo Sergio
Pinheiro is probing the death toll from the bloody suppression -- put
at 10 by the regime but thought by diplomats and rights groups to be
far higher -- and other rights abuses.
The United Nations said Pinheiro was expected to meet with some of the
regime's political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been
held under house arrest for most of the last 18 years.
Gambari's visit to Myanmar last week was his second since September
when the junta crushed the biggest pro-democracy protests in nearly 20
years.
*************************************************************
Singapore doctor -- and alleged banker -- to Myanmar's generals
AFP - Wednesday, November 14
SINGAPORE (AFP) - - Myanmar is facing a fresh scolding from ASEAN
summit host Singapore but ties between the two nations run deep, with
the city-state acting as doctor and alleged banker to the junta's
ageing generals.
Singapore earned international praise for leading the 10-member
regional bloc's condemnation of Myanmar's bloody crackdown on pro-
democracy protesters in September, expressing "revulsion" at the use
of deadly force there.
Two months on, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and
especially Singapore, which will welcome leaders for their annual
gathering from Sunday, is under pressure to match the tough words with
action.
The city-state, whose hospitals are among the best in the region, has
for years provided medical care to Myanmar's top brass, among them
junta leader Senior General Than Shwe and the late prime minister Soe
Win.
Soe Win spent months at a Singapore hospital this year before flying
home, where state media said he died in October.
But the harsh glare of the international spotlight has recently turned
to Singapore's business and alleged banking ties with the secretive
junta.
"Singapore has been the favourite place for them to stash their
money," said Debbie Stothard of the Alternative ASEAN Network on
Burma, a human rights group.
"If Singapore actually decided to freeze their assets... that would
paralyse the regime overnight."
Verification of individual accounts here is difficult because of
Singapore's strict bank secrecy laws, analysts say.
In an interview with The Straits Times newspaper last month, Foreign
Minister George Yeo said Myanmar's neighbours "can't do what the big
powers can do in terms of trade embargo or freezing bank accounts."
Officials led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have strongly denied
allegations that the city-state allows its banks to keep illicit funds
on behalf of Myanmar's military rulers.
Yeo told parliament last month that the de facto central bank, the
Monetary Authority of Singapore, does not track the amount of money
remitted into or out of Singapore by any country.
But the bank "operates a strict and rigorous regime against money
laundering," Yeo said, stressing that if there were any links with
illicit activity, the central bank would "not hesitate to take
action."
In terms of business links, International Monetary Fund figures show
Singapore was the third-largest supplier of imports to Myanmar last
year, behind China and Thailand.
Yeo says Singapore has limited economic influence over Myanmar.
"Generally speaking, our businessmen are not doing well in Myanmar and
many regret having invested there," Yeo said.
The foreign minister also said Singapore has not made any defence
sales to Myanmar in recent years, qualifying previous sales as
insignificant and involving items "not suitable for countering
civilian unrest."
Singapore property developer Keppel Land manages two hotels in
Myanmar, and Myanmar state media say a Singapore company is among the
energy firms jointly exploring for oil and gas in the impoverished
country's northeast.
The city-state's three homegrown banks have representative offices in
Myanmar.
Dave Mathieson, a consultant to Human Rights Watch in Bangkok, said
Singapore got a "wake-up call" when the United States last month
announced new sanctions on Myanmar, with three Singapore-linked firms
in their sights.
All three are linked to Myanmar national Tay Za, who observers say is
a close associate of the junta.
"It's about time the US did something like that," Mathieson said,
calling on Singapore to take action as well.
Zaid Ibrahim, president of the ASEAN Caucus on Burma, a parliamentary
group, urged Singapore and other ASEAN states to take individual
action.
"I'm looking for one country in ASEAN that stands up for democracy,"
Zaid told Singapore lawmakers during a recent forum.
"Why can't Singapore do something to show your displeasure?"
*************************************************************
The International Herald Tribune
Boycott clouds gem show in Myanmar
By Thomas Fuller Published: November 14, 2007
BANGKOK: In recent years, gem dealers from across the globe have
flocked to auctions in Myanmar, where huge piles of jade and chunks of
unpolished rubies are put on display by a government eager for hard
currency.
But this time the Gems Emporium, which opened Wednesday and continues
through Nov. 26, is clouded by worries that the global market for the
colored stones, which dealers call some of the world's most beautiful,
may slump in the face of corporate boycotts and government sanctions
in the United States and European Union.
Some of the world's largest and best-recognized jewelers, including
Cartier and Tiffany, have told their suppliers they will no longer buy
gems of Burmese origin.
A bill in the U.S. Congress backed by Jewelers of America, an industry
association, seeks to bar the import of Burmese gems that are polished
or cut in a third country before being shipped to the United States.
Gem dealers long accustomed to dealing with the authoritarian
government in Myanmar say business uncertainties, more than moral
imperatives, make them reluctant to buy Burmese gems.
Adisak Thawornviriyanan, director of the Gems and Jewelry Traders
Association of Chataburi, a province east of Bangkok that is a major
center for cutting and polishing Burmese gems, has taken part in
auctions for the past four years. But he decided to not to attend this
Gems Emporium, the first since the government's crackdown on
demonstrators in September.
"We will wait and see if we can sell our old stock, but I wouldn't
dare buy more," Adisak said. "We don't know how strong the U.S. ban
will be."
The 27 countries of the European Union agreed in October to ban the
import of Burmese gems and timber. But Japan, China and other major
gem-buying countries have no restrictions.
Brian Leber, a jeweler based outside Chicago who has been active in
seeking to close down imports of Burmese gems, compares them to the
"blood diamonds" that were blamed for financing or fueling civil wars
in Africa.
"If the U.S. and the EU were to cease buying all Burmese gemstones, I
think it would take a huge chunk out of the regime's pocket," Leber
said.
Rubies are the most popular Burmese gem in the United States, with
official imports calculated as $87.4 million in 2006, mostly via
Thailand, which is the main trading and polishing center for Burmese
gems. Unofficial imports of the gems, which are easy to carry into the
country, are probably much higher.
Leber says if the ban passed through Congress, U.S. jewelers would be
reluctant to stock rubies. Unlike diamonds, rubies often have a
chemical signature that allows gemologists to trace their origin,
sometimes with enough precision to determine the mine where they were
excavated, experts say.
Cartier, which announced its in-house ban on Burmese gems last month,
says it will conduct random checks on stones like rubies.
"While this is not an exact science, especially for smaller stones,
laboratories are able to provide feedback on the credibility of the
supplier's claim," Katharina Feller Baignères, a spokeswoman for
Cartier, said by e-mail in response to questions.
Some suppliers have told the company they cannot guarantee the
provenance of their stones and have stopped submitting any type of
gemstones that can be found in Myanmar, Baignères said.
More often than not, rubies come from Myanmar, which supplies about 90
percent of the pink and red stones on the world market, especially the
larger and most prized varieties.
"If it comes from Burma it has magic to it," said Peggy Jo Donahue, a
spokeswoman for Jewelers of America. "It's very difficult and painful
for a lot of gem dealers to think about not having Burma as a source."
Donahue says partly because of the blood diamond issue, jewelers are
being "held to a higher standard," in understanding the consequences
of buying gems from certain countries or regions.
"There's an expectation in today's world that retailers will know more
about their supply chains than they did in the past," she said.
Jewelers of America, which represents 11,000 jewelry shops in the
United States, about a third of the total, announced its backing for a
strengthened ban on Burmese gems on Oct. 9, two weeks after the
Burmese government's crackdown on protests by monks and students.
The bill was introduced Oct. 18 and passed by the House Foreign
Affairs Committee on Oct. 31. It awaits approval by the Ways and Means
Committee before being submitted to the full House.
The bill bans the "importation of any gemstone or rough unfinished
geological material mined or extracted from Burma, whether imported as
a loose item or as any part or component of a finished piece of
jewelry."
sanctions are likely to mean lost revenue, though that is not certain.From the standpoint of the Burmese government, the boycotts and
The state-run Myanmar Gems Enterprise, which runs the semi-annual
emporium, says gems brought in $296.9 million last year, the third
largest revenue earner for the government after fossil fuels and
timber.
Sean Turnell, an expert on the Burmese economy with Macquarie
University in Sydney, said countries like Japan and China might make
up for some of the lost sales - and smuggling will also mitigate the
effect of the boycott and trade restrictions - although the drop in
demand from the United States and European Union is likely to affect
prices.
"There is going to have to be a discount," he said. Smuggled rubies in
the United States, he said, will "sell at a discount because of the
dodgy legal status."
Turnell also said the boycotts could crimp the ability of generals and
Burmese business executives to move their assets out of the country.
In the absence of a stable currency and with restrictions on holding
dollars inside Myanmar, "gems perform a very important function in
moving personal assets around the deck," Turnell said.
Myanmar may have several months before strengthened U.S. sanctions
hit, if they ever do. With a busy legislative agenda and Myanmar's
crackdown on monks fading from the public consciousness in the United
States, there is a good chance the bill may not pass through Congress
this session.
That would please some gem dealers who have based their businesses
around Burmese gems.
Leber says he has received about six threatening phone calls from
angry dealers he knows.
"They called to warn me that I'm messing with something dangerous and
to back off or something bad could happen," he said.
"They're most likely blowhards," Leber added, "but I've told several
friends in the industry who they are, just in case I suddenly
disappear."
*************************************************************
Singapore briefs Myanmar premier on ASEAN Summit preparations
By Gamar Abdul Aziz, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 15 November 2007 0232
hrs
YANGON : Singapore has briefed Myanmar on preparations made for the
13th ASEAN Summit which will be held in Singapore later this week.
This was discussed when Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Zainul Abidin Rasheed met Myanmar Prime Minister General Thein Sein on
Wednesday.
Mr Zainul is on a two-day visit to Myanmar.
He has also informed General Thein Sein that Prime Minister Lee Hsien
Loong looks forward to welcoming his Myanmar counterpart in Singapore
at the upcoming ASEAN Summit.
A Foreign Affairs Ministry statement said General Thein Sein briefed
Mr Zainul on the current situation in Myanmar, including the progress
in the implementation of the seven-step roadmap.
General Thein Sein also discussed the current visit by the UN Special
Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, Professor
Paulo Sergio Pinheiro.
Mr Zainul noted recent encouraging developments, such as the visit of
UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who was granted access to many
personalities.
Mr Zainul also referred to the appointment of the Labour and Relations
Minister Aung Kyi as the liaison person between opposition leader Aung
San Suu Kyi and the Myanmar Government.
Mr Zainul conveyed Singapore's hope that the Myanmar government would
continue to cooperate with Mr Gambari, in his efforts to get all the
relevant parties engaged in genuine and serious discussions to bring
about national reconciliation in Myanmar.
*************************************************************
Human rights abuses remain in Myanmar: UN
By IANS
Wednesday November 14, 11:06 AM
New York, Nov 14 (DPA) The UN special adviser for Myanmar, Ibrahim
Gambari, told the Security Council that the military government in
that country has met some of the United Nations' demands, but not on
human rights issues.
Gambari gave a mixed report Tuesday to the 15-nation council from his
six-day visit last week to Myanmar, where he was snubbed by the
country's top military leader Than Shwe, but was allowed to meet
subordinates, including Prime Minister General Thein Sein.
Gambari met opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who for the first time
in years was allowed to speak out and meet government officials.
'On balance, the positive outcomes of this latest mission show that
the government of Myanmar, while stressing its sovereignty and
independence, can be responsive to the concerns of the international
community,' Gambari said.
Despite high expectations for his mission, Gambari said the situation
today is 'qualitatively different' from several weeks ago.
He cited the start of a process that he hopes would lead to
'substantive dialogue with concrete outcomes within an agreed
timeframe between the (government) leadership and Aung San Suu Kyi.'
He said the offices of the UN secretary general must yield tangible
results through patience and persistence and that encouragement should
be given to all those, inside or outside of Myanmar, who can help
improve conditions.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday after receiving a
briefing from Gambari that he hopes talks between the government and
the opposition will lead to 'meaningful and substantive' results to
resolve the political crisis triggered by pro-democracy demonstrations
in September.
Both Ban and the Council have urged the military regime to move beyond
the crisis in September when the military cracked down on
demonstrations led by Buddhist monks, saying that a return to the pre-
September state is not sustainable and acceptable.
They have called for democratic reform, national reconciliation, full
respect of human rights in one of the world's poorest nations and the
release of political prisoners, including Suu Kyi, leader of the
opposition National League for Democracy.
Gambari told the council that the government had arranged all his
appointments to take place in the newly designated capital Naypyitaw,
with one visit to Yangon, the former capital.
The government has already lifted the curfews imposed during the
street demonstrations, withdrawn all visible military presence from
the streets and released 2,700 people detained following the
demonstrations, including 700 monks and political prisoners, 50 of
whom were from Suu Kyi's party National League for Democracy.
'At the same time, however, serious concerns remained about ongoing
reports of human rights abuses by the authorities and the willingness
of the government to move forward in a new direction,' Gambari said.
The military government has not agreed to lift restrictions on Suu Kyi
and the best way for it to show real commitment to dialogue would be
to release her 'without delay so she can become a full partner in
dialogue', Gambari said.
The government has agreed to hold talks with Suu Kyi, but has not
announced a date, he said.
The government has also not provided a clear timeframe for drafting
the constitution, the holding of a referendum and elections.
*************************************************************
The Nation
Burma still tops Asean Summit agenda
Published on Nov 14, 2007
by Supalak G Khundee
Though Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont will be signing at least 13
documents at nine summits, including the Asean forum in Singapore next
week, he knows the Burma issue will be on the top of the agenda.
Upon his arrival in Singapore on Monday, Surayud will first be sitting
in on the third Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand Growth Triangle meeting
to review cooperation projects and see if the schemes are benefiting
people in the restive South.
The remaining eight summits will be related to Asean directly and
Burma will be the main subject of discussion, notably the developments
after the bloody unrest in September, said Vitavas Srivihok, the
Foreign Ministry's director of Asean affairs.
Burma is also expected to be discussed in separate meetings scheduled
with China, Japan, South Korea, India and European Union, he said.
However, few hot topics are expected to emerge from the discussions,
especially since things are looking relatively positive in the
juntaruled country after United Nations' special envoy Ibrahim
Gambari's latest visit.
Gambari has told UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Kimoon that direct dialogue
between the junta and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was very
likely.
Though there may be no additional proposals on Burma, the grouping is
bound to look for ways to support Gambari's and the UN's efforts in
pushing Burma toward democracy and national reconciliation, Vitavas
said.
He also expects Asean to achieve a balance even though its partners
have widely different stances toward Burma, ranging between extreme
pressure from EU sanctions and full engagement from countries such as
China.
However, even though Burma is everyone's favourite topic at the
moment, Singapore is likely to try and steer the discussion to its
main themes: climate change, energy and the environment.
Vitavas said the grouping should be able to sign the Singapore
Declaration on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment by the end
of the summit.
The declaration is among the dozen or so documents Asean leaders need
to sign this year, he said.
The other important document waiting to be signed is the Asean
Charter, which will make the 40yearold regional grouping into a
rulebased organisation. The charter should also give birth to a human
rights body to protect people's basic rights in the 10 member
countries.
*************************************************************
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