Exclusive - Suu Kyi to run in upcoming Myanmar by-election

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will run in an upcoming by-election, a senior official in her party said on Monday, three days after her National League for Democracy ended its boycott of the country's political system.
It will be the first time the Nobel Peace Prize laureate has competed in an election since 1990, when her landslide electoral victory was voided by generals intent on maintaining power.

Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks at a ceremony to mark the country's National Day at the National League for Democracy (NLD) party's head office in Yangon November 20, 2011.

"Aung San Suu Kyi intends to stand for the by-election but it's a bit early to say from which constituency she will run," Nyan Win, a senior official in her party, told Reuters.
Suu Kyi, the daughter of late independence hero Aung San and a staunch opponent of the military dictators, spent 15 of the previous 21 years in detention before her release from house arrest a year ago.

Suu Kyi to run for Myanmar parliament seat

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will run in a parliamentary by-election expected by the end of the year, a top party official said on Monday, three days after her popular movement ended its boycott of the country's political system.

Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks at a ceremony to mark the country's National Day at the National League for Democracy (NLD) party's head office in Yangon

It will be the first time the Nobel Peace Prize laureate contests a seat herself having not stood as a candidate in her National League for Democracy's (NLD) 1990 election landslide, which was ignored by the then military regime and led to her lengthy incarceration.
"Aung San Suu Kyi intends to stand for the by-election but it's a bit early to say from which constituency she will run," Nyan Win, a member of the NLD's executive committee, told Reuters.
There are 48 seats available in Myanmar's new senate and lower house, which will be contested in polls expected by the end of the year.
The NLD was officially dissolved by the military junta for refusing to take part in last year's parliamentary polls because of "unfair and unjust" laws that would have prevented hundreds of its members from becoming lawmakers.
The legislature convened in February and is Myanmar's first since the late 1980s, when a unicameral "People's Assembly" controlled by the military's Burma Socialist Programme Party was scrapped.
Suu Kyi is the daughter of late independence hero Aung San and was a staunch opponent of the military during its 49 years of totalitarian rule. However, she has shown willingness to work with the new civilian government approved by parliament in March, even though it is run by former junta generals.
On Friday, the NLD voted unanimously to register the party and re-enter the political fray following an amendment to the constitution allowing those who have served sentences for crimes to take part in elections. Many NLD members, including Suu Kyi, are current or former political prisoners.
Since the annulled 1990 polls, Suu Kyi, 66, has spent most of the time in detention. She was released a year ago and still chooses to live in the lakeside house that on and off was her prison for 15 years.
U.S. ENDORSEMENT
She had earlier given no indication she herself was interested in becoming a lawmaker.
Her decision comes after Myanmar won a powerful endorsement on Friday, with U.S. President Barack Obama announcing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would visit the resource-rich country neighbouring China, citing "flickers of progress."
Clinton will be the highest-ranking American to visit Myanmar since a 1962 military coup. She will go to Myanmar for two days early next month and plans to meet Suu Kyi.
Clinton has said credible elections are one condition for ending U.S. sanctions, along with the release of more political prisoners and peace with ethnic minorities. Myanmar released 230 political prisoners last month and another amnesty is expected in the coming weeks and months.
The NLD, Myanmar's biggest opposition force, would have dominated parliament had the 1990 result been accepted by the junta. The regime annulled the 1990 result only last year, arguing that the NLD's win could not be recognised because it was in breach of a constitution drafted 18 years later.
Suu Kyi commands considerable influence over the party and Ko Ko Hlaing, a senior advisor to President Thein Sein, said on the sidelines of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Bali last week that the NLD's decision to re-register was a "significant step."
The presence of Suu Kyi in parliament would be another dramatic sign of openness that could give more legitimacy to the retired generals in control of the country, who are seeking acceptance, engagement, support and investment from the international community.
Part of its plan was to expedite that process by lobbying to chair ASEAN in 2014, two years ahead of schedule.
The new government has started dialogue with Suu Kyi, moves welcomed by the West, which has imposed sanctions on the country because of its poor human rights record.

Bangladesh urges UNHCR to take effective steps to repatriate refugees

Chittagong, Bangladesh: Dr Abdur Razzaque, the Food and Disaster Management Minister of Bangladesh urged the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to take effective steps to repatriate the Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh on November 20, according to official statement.

“He made the call when UNHCR assistant high commissioner Janet Lim met him at the Secretariat.”

Razzaque also said that the Rohingyas are an extra burden for densely populated Bangladesh. “Although Bangladesh is a poor country, it has been continuing its assistance to the Rohingyas, considering the humanitarian ground.”

Janet Lim requested the Bangladesh government to take steps to ensure nutrition of Rohingyas who are living in shelter centres in Bangladesh.

Besides, Bangladesh - as a principled position, had never pursued ‘forced repatriation’ of refugees- Dipu Moni the foreign ministry said in a press released.

Bangladesh is cooperating with the UNHCR to support the voluntary repatriation of the Rohingya refugees through diplomatic negotiations with Burma, Dipo Moni said.

The foreign Minister also said that at around 9,000 of the refugees were earlier cleared by the Burma government in 2005.

The repatriation of Rohingya to Burma should remain strictly voluntary, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner Janet Lim stated.

According to a group of refugees, “We will go back to our motherland if the Burmese authorities give us citizenship with Rohingya ethnicity and equal rights as other ethnics groups.”

A politician on condition of anonymity said that if the Burmese authorities do not grant full citizenship with ethnicity and equal rights to the Rohingya refugees, the refugees will never go back to Burma.

The politician also said, “We fled to Bangladesh from Burma because of persecution and human rights abuses by the military regime. We will not jump again into the same persecution and human rights abuses by the military regime. We would rather die in Bangladesh or elsewhere.”

Three religious students jailed in southern Arakan

Mrauk-U, Arakan State: Three religious students were jailed on November 4, 2011 for traveling to their home town from Kyauktaw where they studying at a religious school (Madrasa), according to Muslim Liberation Organization of Burma (MLOB) statement.

“Md. Haleb (32), son of Ibrahim and Alam Gir (18), son of Md. Nasir, both hailed from the Kongbaung village of Mrauk Oo while Noor Shofi (18), son of Abdu Salam, hailed from Setkya village of Minbya Township.”

“The three students went to Kyauktaw town in 2010 for religious study. However, being closed their Madrasa, they were returning to their homes by steamer during June 2011. But, they were arrested by the immigration officer of Mrauk-U with allegation of so-called illegal traveling. Later, they have been sent to the police station of Mrauk-U.”

“The three students were produced on court, and had been sentenced to two and half years’ imprisonment per each by the court on November 4”, a relative of one of the victims said from Sittwe (Akyab), who denied to be named.  

“One of them was sent to Sittwe (Akyab) jail and the two other were sent to Rangoon jail after imprisonment,” according to the MLBO statement.

It is very much concerned for the Muslim community in Arakan for the continuous persecution in Arakan State against the Muslims, even under the President Thein Sein’s civilian new government, according to U Kyaw hla,  the MLOB chairman. 

U Kyaw Hla, chairman, the MLOB, earnestly appeals to the international community - Asean, UN, Democratic countries and OIC - to help prevent continuous persecution of the minority Muslims in Arakan State, Burma.

47 Rohingyas pushed back to Burma

Teknaf, Bangladesh: Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested 47 Rohingyas on November 21 from various points of borderline who were pushed back all to Burma on that day at about 2:00 pm, the BGB official said. 

“The BGB arrested the Rohingyas from Shapuri Dip to Taungbro along the borderline while entering Bangladesh for various purposes. The BGB personnel arrested 17 Rohingyas from Nayapa area, 8 members from Dum Dum Meah area, 21 members from Zeman Khali area and one member from Shapuri Dip, in total 47 members.” 

The BGB increased patrol in border areas and arrested Rohingya people frequently and pushed back to Burma, said a local elder from border area who did not mention his name.

The BGB personnel of Whaikong seized various kinds of medicines worth about Taka 361,500 from Burma-Bangladesh border while being smuggled to Bangladesh from Burma, the BGB official said. 

The BGB also seized about 1,000 Yaba tablets from Teknaf- Cox’s Bazar road that came from Arakan State, Burma which confirmed by the 42 BGB Battalion Commander Lt. Col Zahid Hassan of Teknaf.

Nasaka robs Rohingya villager in Maungdaw

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Burma’s border security force (Nasaka) robbed Monsur Alam’s house from Litra (Kurkhali) village of Maungdaw north on November 16, at midnight with allegation of checking mobile set inside the house, said a schoolteacher preferring not to be named. 

“Three Nasaka personnel with four collaborators from Nasaka area No. 4, forcibly entered the house of Fatema Khatun (25) in the guise of checking mobile set at midnight of November 16 while her husband Monsur Alam was absent from the home to watch his shrimps project as local people pilfered shrimps from the project.” 

“The Nasaka personnel checked the house everywhere, but they did not find any mobile set, so, they had broken the iron box of Fatema Khatun and took away Kyat 125,000.”

“Fatema with her mother in law, Roshida Begum (50) were severely beaten for their resistance while the Nasaka personnel were taking money from their home.”

Fetema  is  none months old pregnant while Nasaka attacked her, said a relative of Monsur Alam.

The next day, the victim with her husband went to the Nasaka Headquaters of Kawar Bill and appraised the incident to the Nasaka duty officer where the officer didn’t take any action.  So, they returned home with disappointment, said a local trader quoting Alam.

“The case was again transferred to the Nasaka area number 4 office for interrogation where the area commander Major Kyaw Aung  summoned Alam to the office, but he did not appear to the camp for fear of arrest or harassment.”

A businessman from the locality said, “Why does the Nasaka take away the money while they fail to find illegal mobile set?”

A local elder said, “At mid night, why does the Nasaka enter the house while the male is absent from the house under the guise of checking mobile set without village administration officer?”

The four Nasaka collaborators are: - Faizal (22), son of Abul Kalam, Dulaya (23), son of Ali Zuhar, Alam Gir (30), son of Ali Ahmed and Ayub (30), son of Kasim. They all belong to Litra (Kurkhali) village, said a local youth who denied to e named.