Libyan TV is reporting that Muammar Gaddafi has been captured by NTC fighters in Sirte.
Jamal abu-Shaalah, a field commander of NTC, told Al Jazeera that the toppled leader had been seized, but it was not clear whether he was dead or alive.
Gaddafi is captured and is wounded, Abdel Majid, another NTC official, told the Reuters news agency.
"He's captured. He's wounded in both legs ... He's been taken away by ambulance," the senior NTC military official said.
Majid also said that Abu Bakr Younus Jabr, the head of Gaddafi's armed forces, was killed during the capture of Gaddafi.
The news came shortly after NTC claimed capturing Sirte, Gaddafi's hometown, after weeks of fighting.
NATO and the US state department said it cannot confirm the reports of Gaddafi's capture. He has not been seen since NTC fighters seized Tripoli, the Libyan capital.
Meanwhile in Benghazi, crowds gathered in the streets to start celebrating the reports of Gaddafi's capture.
Thursday, 20 October 2011
India vows $500m for Myanmar infrastructure
New Delhi praises Myanmar's recent steps towards democracy during President Thein Sein's official visit.India has promised Myanmar a $500m credit line to improve infrastructure after praising the country's steps towards democracy as it tentatively opens up after half a century of harsh military rule.
The money and warm words on Friday came as Myanmar President Thein Sein met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi during a four-day state trip.
Myanmar has been on a campaign to shed its international pariah status.
The country recently launched economic reforms and eased limits on freedom of speech by relaxing censorship and unblocking banned websites.
It also freed several hundred political prisoners earlier this week, the latest sign of reforms in the poor and tightly controlled Southeast Asian country of 50 million people.
Thein Sein has surprised critics by signalling a series of political reforms since taking power in a controversial election last November, and has also held direct talks with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Expanding co-operation
On Friday, the leaders of both countries agreed to expand co-operation in oil and gas exploration, open up border trade and speed up the construction of natural gas pipelines.
They emphasised in a joint statement the need for energy security, and Myanmar agreed to encourage more Indian investments in its energy sector.
Private and state-owned Indian energy companies have already made substantial investments in Myanmar.
Myanmar has large undeveloped gas reserves and straddles busy Bay of Bengal shipping lanes, making it strategically important for energy-hungry emerging power neighbours India and China.
"The prime minister of India congratulated the president of Myanmar on the transition towards democratic government and offered all necessary assistance in further strengthening this democratic transition," they said in a joint statement.
International pressure
India has long weathered criticism from international partners for its accommodating stance to Myanmar.
New Delhi feels the signs of reform vindicate its policy of engagement.
India put aside concerns about human rights in the early 1990s for fear of losing access to oil and gas as China stepped in with military assistance and loans to help the country withstand sanctions.
The United States, Europe and Australia are unlikely to soften sanctions on Myanmar unless nearly 2,000 more political prisoners are released.
Other Asian countries, however, are keen to access resources in the mainly Buddhist nation.
The $500m credit line follows a similar $300m scheme last year. India buys most of Myanmar's agricultural exports and wants its neighbour to raise output further by planting on idle land.
Trade between India and Myanmar totalled $1.28bn last year. The two countries have set a modest target of $3bn by 2015.
7 Arakanese Political Prisoners Included Amongst those Released
Sittwe: Only seven political prisoners from western Burma’s Arakan State were reportedly included among the nearly 300 prisoners released in the general amnesty on the 12th of October 2011 from prisons across Burma.Ko Min Aung, from Taungok in southeastern Arakan State, who was sentenced to 17 jail terms, was released from the Kalay Prison in Sagaing Division.
“We have information that Ko Min Aung was released from the Kalay Prison and he will reach Taungok by tomorrow”, said one of his colleagues.
Ko San Lwin who is also from Taungok and was arrested on an informer’s tip that he was connected to Narinjara, and so sentenced to 5 years in jail, was also released from the Thandwe Prison in Arakan State.
Ashin Ithariya (a) Ko Aung Soe, one of the many famous political prisoners of Burma, was released from the Buthidaung Prison. He was arrested at Myoma Monastery in Maungdaw as he tried to escape to Bangladesh just after a crackdown on the Saffron Revolution. He was forcibly disrobed from the Buddhist monkhood and sentenced to 7 and a half years in jail.
“Four political prisoners including U Ithariya also known as Ko Aung Soe were released from the Buthidaung Prison. But the numbers of the released are very few and there are many political prisoners still kept behind bars. Political prisoners like Ko Htay Kywe and 75-year-old U Tun Nyo are still being detained in Buthidaung prison," said Sangyaunn Ko Ko Gyi, who was freed from Buthidaung Prison.
Two political prisoners known as U Kawvida and U Mrat Tun, who are natives of Pauktaw in Arakan State, were released from their respective jails as well.
U Kawvida was freed from the Tharat Prison after he was arrested on 4th October 2007 from the Ngwekyayan Monastery in Rangoon for his leading role in the Saffron Revolution and was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in the prison. U Mrat Tun was released from the Myaungmya Prison in Irrawaddy Division after he was arrested in 2008 at the army’s check-gate on Maungdaw-Buthidaung road on charges of reporting to exiled media.
Ko Naing Soe, son of U Maung Hla Phru from Nyaungchaung Village in Buthidaung Township, was also released from Bamaw Prison. He was arrested on the 18th of September 2009 after being accused of being connected to the All Arakan Student and Youth Congress based in exile. He was sentenced to 3 years in jail.
Ko Kyaw Won Chay, a representative of Arakanese youths in the Ethnic Youth Network Group (EYNG), was released from Tharat Prison. He was arrested on 20th January 2008 and sentenced to 9 years in jail, later his jail term was reduced to 6 years.
Youth Campaign for 24-Hour Electricity in Arakan State
Kyauk Pru: A youth group in western Burma's Arakan State has started a campaign to demand electricity be supplied throughout Arakan with power generated by the gas being found in their state.
"We have started the campaign by sticking up posters that read, 'We must have rights to use our own gas. Give us 24 hours of electricity immediately", in all townships in our state," said a youth who participated in the campaign. The campaign reportedly started on 12 October and is particularly focused on Kyaukpru Township, the main site of the Shwe Gas Project in Arakan State.
"We have focused our campaign especially in Kyaukpru Township. We have stuck many posters stimulating the local people on the islands of Madae and Malar in Kyuakpru Township, and at many places in the nearby townships of Ramere and Taungok as well," said the youth.
It was also learned that the posters are spreading in rural villages across Arakan State.
The Arakanese youth have started to campaign for 24-hour electrical supply in their state after the energy minister, U Than Htay, recently stated in parliament that his regime has no plan to use Arakan's offshore gas for Arakan State.
Dissatisfaction and anger are growing amongst the Arakanese people as news is also emerging that the regime has not only sold off Arakan's offshore gas to China, but has also planned for other gas from the region to fuel only factories owned by the government and its army officers.
The youth said they have started the campaign with the participation of many youth from all the towns in their region as a first step in order to fight for their own right to get electricity generated by the gas that has been extracted from their state at low prices.
"We have started our campaign with the posters as our first step in order to organize our people for their participation in our movement to get 24-hour electricity at affordable prices in all towns and rural areas in our state, and we will also carry on our movement drawing cooperation from our people living in exile. We hope the whole people of our state will join us in our movement to get electricity generated from our own gas," said the youth.
Arakan State has the lowest level of electricity supplied in all of Burma. The electricity currently supplied in the state is generated from expensive diesel and petrol engines and residents also have to pay higher rates - 400 to 600 Kyat per unit of electricity - than anywhere else in Burma.
In central Burma, electricity is charged at a rate of 28 Kyat per unit for household use and 50 Kyat per unit for industrial use. The electricity being produced from the generators in Arakan is too low in voltage to run factories, but households are charged significantly more per unit than in central Burma. Because of this, most of the people living in the region are unable to access electricity at all.
The dissatisfaction with the Burmese regime is now growing amongst the Arakanese people as successive regimes have not only neglected to provide the electricity that is necessary for development of the region, but are now selling off natural gas in Arakan to China without the slightest consideration for the need for gas power in the state.
Campaign poster for 24 hours electricity supply in Arakan
"We have focused our campaign especially in Kyaukpru Township. We have stuck many posters stimulating the local people on the islands of Madae and Malar in Kyuakpru Township, and at many places in the nearby townships of Ramere and Taungok as well," said the youth.
It was also learned that the posters are spreading in rural villages across Arakan State.
The Arakanese youth have started to campaign for 24-hour electrical supply in their state after the energy minister, U Than Htay, recently stated in parliament that his regime has no plan to use Arakan's offshore gas for Arakan State.
Dissatisfaction and anger are growing amongst the Arakanese people as news is also emerging that the regime has not only sold off Arakan's offshore gas to China, but has also planned for other gas from the region to fuel only factories owned by the government and its army officers.
The youth said they have started the campaign with the participation of many youth from all the towns in their region as a first step in order to fight for their own right to get electricity generated by the gas that has been extracted from their state at low prices.
"We have started our campaign with the posters as our first step in order to organize our people for their participation in our movement to get 24-hour electricity at affordable prices in all towns and rural areas in our state, and we will also carry on our movement drawing cooperation from our people living in exile. We hope the whole people of our state will join us in our movement to get electricity generated from our own gas," said the youth.
Arakan State has the lowest level of electricity supplied in all of Burma. The electricity currently supplied in the state is generated from expensive diesel and petrol engines and residents also have to pay higher rates - 400 to 600 Kyat per unit of electricity - than anywhere else in Burma.
In central Burma, electricity is charged at a rate of 28 Kyat per unit for household use and 50 Kyat per unit for industrial use. The electricity being produced from the generators in Arakan is too low in voltage to run factories, but households are charged significantly more per unit than in central Burma. Because of this, most of the people living in the region are unable to access electricity at all.
The dissatisfaction with the Burmese regime is now growing amongst the Arakanese people as successive regimes have not only neglected to provide the electricity that is necessary for development of the region, but are now selling off natural gas in Arakan to China without the slightest consideration for the need for gas power in the state.
Burmese Regime Deceives the Country by Releasing Few Political Prisoners: Arakanese Monk Leader
Maungdaw: The present U Thein Sein-led Burmese regime has tried to deceive the country, as well as the world’s communities, by freeing very few numbers of political prisoners locked in jails across the country, said the Arakanese monk leader, U Ithariya.
U Ithariya was jailed for his leading role in the Saffron Revolution in 2007 and was recently released from Buthidaung Prison in western Burma’s Arakan State as part of the presidential general amnesty.
“Most of the important political leaders are still imprisoned as very few of them were recently freed. [The regime] has released the aging General Hso Ten, but they are still holding U Khun Tun Oo and student leaders including Min Ko Naing in the prisons. After hearing this, I realized the regime is trying to deceive the country”, U Ithariya said in an interview by Narinjara.
He said most of the recently released political prisoners are those who were about to complete their jail terms. The regime has released nearly 200 of those political prisoners with the intention of tricking the country and the world.
“I was sentenced to a 6 years and 8 months long prison term. I had already completed 4 years of my term in the jail and there will be no difference for me if I have to live in the jail for the remaining 2 years. Now the regime has announced that it has freed political prisoners, but most of those released are near to completing their respective jail terms. The regime has done this with the intention of tricking their own country as well as the international community”, he said.
He said that no one should be confident with the present regime as the political prisoners were released not due to genuine good will. Added to this is the fact that most of the political prisoners are still being held behind bars by the regime, and that it is necessary to continue to work for the freedom of those remaining imprisoned before thinking the regime's despotic reign was over.
When asked about the student leader Ko Htay Kywe who is still being held in the Buthidaung Prison, U Ithariya said he is not in a healthy condition.
“The health conditions of Ko Htay Kywe and 75 year old U Tun Nyo, who was jailed as part of the same case as U Khun Tun Oo, are not so good in the prison because the living conditions in the prison are very poor, but the prison authorities are providing all necessary medical care to them”, said U Ithariya.
However he did say that the overall situation in the Buthidaung Prison is not so bad and has improved after the appointment of a new in-charge in the prison, though it was very bad during the tenure of the in-charge U Sein Tun.
U Ithariya was forcibly disrobed from the Buddhist monkhood and sent to the prison by the regime due to his leading role in the Saffron Revolution. He has been ordained as a monk again just after he was released from the prison and is now temporarily staying in Maungdaw where his parents live.
He told Narinjara that he will continue his non-violent activism until genuine democracy prevails in his homeland.
U Ithariya was jailed for his leading role in the Saffron Revolution in 2007 and was recently released from Buthidaung Prison in western Burma’s Arakan State as part of the presidential general amnesty.
“Most of the important political leaders are still imprisoned as very few of them were recently freed. [The regime] has released the aging General Hso Ten, but they are still holding U Khun Tun Oo and student leaders including Min Ko Naing in the prisons. After hearing this, I realized the regime is trying to deceive the country”, U Ithariya said in an interview by Narinjara.
He said most of the recently released political prisoners are those who were about to complete their jail terms. The regime has released nearly 200 of those political prisoners with the intention of tricking the country and the world.
“I was sentenced to a 6 years and 8 months long prison term. I had already completed 4 years of my term in the jail and there will be no difference for me if I have to live in the jail for the remaining 2 years. Now the regime has announced that it has freed political prisoners, but most of those released are near to completing their respective jail terms. The regime has done this with the intention of tricking their own country as well as the international community”, he said.
He said that no one should be confident with the present regime as the political prisoners were released not due to genuine good will. Added to this is the fact that most of the political prisoners are still being held behind bars by the regime, and that it is necessary to continue to work for the freedom of those remaining imprisoned before thinking the regime's despotic reign was over.
When asked about the student leader Ko Htay Kywe who is still being held in the Buthidaung Prison, U Ithariya said he is not in a healthy condition.
“The health conditions of Ko Htay Kywe and 75 year old U Tun Nyo, who was jailed as part of the same case as U Khun Tun Oo, are not so good in the prison because the living conditions in the prison are very poor, but the prison authorities are providing all necessary medical care to them”, said U Ithariya.
However he did say that the overall situation in the Buthidaung Prison is not so bad and has improved after the appointment of a new in-charge in the prison, though it was very bad during the tenure of the in-charge U Sein Tun.
U Ithariya was forcibly disrobed from the Buddhist monkhood and sent to the prison by the regime due to his leading role in the Saffron Revolution. He has been ordained as a monk again just after he was released from the prison and is now temporarily staying in Maungdaw where his parents live.
He told Narinjara that he will continue his non-violent activism until genuine democracy prevails in his homeland.
Burma-Bangladesh joint working group meeting held in Maungdaw
Maungdaw, Burma: A Burma-Bangladesh joint working group of border trade meeting was held in Maungdaw on October 18. It was started at about 10:00 am and came to an end at around 12:00noon, said a trader on condition of anonymity.
“ADC General Nurul Alam Nizami of Cox’s Bazar, led 16-member delegation from Bangladesh side including Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Naim Uddin, Bangladesh Land Port officer (traffic) Mohamed Mahafuzul Islam Bonya, Teknaf Border Trade officer Anwar Masum, Teknaf 42-BGB Battalion Operational Commander Major SM Arifi-ul- Islam, Sonali Bank officer (Teknaf Branch) Mohamed Abdul Karim, Abdul Kader Sidique of Immigration officer of Teknaf Land Port, Abdul Mohaisan, General Manager, United land port Teknaf Ltd. and other Businessmen.”
“From Burma side, U Win Lwin, Deputy Director of Burma border trade department, Sittwe (Akyab) led 14-member delegation participated in the meeting.”
On September 22 to 23, meeting was held in Maungdaw, regarding the border trade with the participation of Bangladesh joint trade commission (JTC) members and Border Trade members of Burma, where all the members had decided to hold monthly meeting regarding the border trade, according to sources.
It is the 4th border trade meeting and the first meeting was held in May 12 in Teknaf.
“We appraised in the last meeting that with international passport, we want to go to Rangoon from Maungdaw – Sittwe - Rangoon - Sittwe - Cox’s Bazar – Chittagong,” according to ADC general Nurul Alam Nizami
“We also discussed about the export and import between two countries. Bangladesh wants to import gems and other precious stones from Burma and wants to export plastic goods. Besides, we discussed to hold trade fair at border areas and to set up a whole sale market in border areas especially for sea foods.”
“ADC General Nurul Alam Nizami of Cox’s Bazar, led 16-member delegation from Bangladesh side including Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Naim Uddin, Bangladesh Land Port officer (traffic) Mohamed Mahafuzul Islam Bonya, Teknaf Border Trade officer Anwar Masum, Teknaf 42-BGB Battalion Operational Commander Major SM Arifi-ul- Islam, Sonali Bank officer (Teknaf Branch) Mohamed Abdul Karim, Abdul Kader Sidique of Immigration officer of Teknaf Land Port, Abdul Mohaisan, General Manager, United land port Teknaf Ltd. and other Businessmen.”
“From Burma side, U Win Lwin, Deputy Director of Burma border trade department, Sittwe (Akyab) led 14-member delegation participated in the meeting.”
On September 22 to 23, meeting was held in Maungdaw, regarding the border trade with the participation of Bangladesh joint trade commission (JTC) members and Border Trade members of Burma, where all the members had decided to hold monthly meeting regarding the border trade, according to sources.
It is the 4th border trade meeting and the first meeting was held in May 12 in Teknaf.
“We appraised in the last meeting that with international passport, we want to go to Rangoon from Maungdaw – Sittwe - Rangoon - Sittwe - Cox’s Bazar – Chittagong,” according to ADC general Nurul Alam Nizami
“We also discussed about the export and import between two countries. Bangladesh wants to import gems and other precious stones from Burma and wants to export plastic goods. Besides, we discussed to hold trade fair at border areas and to set up a whole sale market in border areas especially for sea foods.”
Cyclone storm warning announce in Arakan
Maungdaw, Arakan State: All the township administration offices from Arakan State are announcing cyclone storm warning to the public today according to an officer from Maungdaw.
The storm is likely to intensify further into a cyclone storm which will be possible to enter northern Arakan cost within 48 hour where the administration offices of Akyab, Ponnakyun, Buthidaung and Maungdaw are announcing the cyclone storm warning to the public, not to travel and going to fishing in the sea, said an elder from Maungdaw.
“Heavy winds are destroying the roofs of houses and heavy rain fall are destroying the paddy where the paddy field are become flood.”
“Heavy rain and winds are going to our town since yesterday, but the authority only announcing the cyclone storm warning and didn’t given any protection for storm. People are trying to protect themselves if the storm hit the area, said an elder from Buthidaung.
Early morning at 7:00 am, the administration office of Akyab announced the storm warning and the storm was stationed 300 km west-northwest of Akyab (Burma) and the winds will attack 70 miles per hour to 90 miles hour within 24 hours, said an elder from Akyab.
The depression over the north Bay of Bengal moved northeastwards, intensified into a deep depression and lay centred at 0830 hrs IST of today which is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm and move northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast close to Cox’s Bazar and Arakan coast close to Akyab by tonight, according to India MET office’s announcement this morning.
The storm is likely to intensify further into a cyclone storm which will be danger on its speed. The storm will move northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast, close to Cox’s Bazar and Arakan coast close to Akyab by tonight, according to Myanmar climate change watch website.
“The storm is not to intensify further into a cyclone and move between Cox’s Bazar and Maungdaw since today noon.”
The storm is likely to intensify further into a cyclone storm which will be possible to enter northern Arakan cost within 48 hour where the administration offices of Akyab, Ponnakyun, Buthidaung and Maungdaw are announcing the cyclone storm warning to the public, not to travel and going to fishing in the sea, said an elder from Maungdaw.
“Heavy winds are destroying the roofs of houses and heavy rain fall are destroying the paddy where the paddy field are become flood.”
“Heavy rain and winds are going to our town since yesterday, but the authority only announcing the cyclone storm warning and didn’t given any protection for storm. People are trying to protect themselves if the storm hit the area, said an elder from Buthidaung.
Early morning at 7:00 am, the administration office of Akyab announced the storm warning and the storm was stationed 300 km west-northwest of Akyab (Burma) and the winds will attack 70 miles per hour to 90 miles hour within 24 hours, said an elder from Akyab.
The depression over the north Bay of Bengal moved northeastwards, intensified into a deep depression and lay centred at 0830 hrs IST of today which is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm and move northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast close to Cox’s Bazar and Arakan coast close to Akyab by tonight, according to India MET office’s announcement this morning.
The storm is likely to intensify further into a cyclone storm which will be danger on its speed. The storm will move northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast, close to Cox’s Bazar and Arakan coast close to Akyab by tonight, according to Myanmar climate change watch website.
“The storm is not to intensify further into a cyclone and move between Cox’s Bazar and Maungdaw since today noon.”
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About Me
- The Voice Of Rohingya
- Maung daw, Arakan state, Myanmar (Burma)
- I am an independent man who voted to humanitarian aid.