Saturday, 29 October 2011
Indonesian Foreign Minister arrives in Burma on fact-finding visit
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa arrived in Burma on Friday to scout out Burma to decide whether it should be granted the Asean chair for 2014.
During his visit, which ends Saturday, he will go to Naypyitaw, the capital of Burma, and meet with Burmese government officials.
He will meet with his Burmese counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin and Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and Labour Minister Aung Kyi, according to diplomatic sources.
Observers said he might also meet with NGOs and social organizations and other groups.
The visit to Burma was arranged during the 18th Asean Summit in May. Originally, he was scheduled to start his visit on October 26, but it was delayed two days.
Presently, Indonesia holds the rotating Asean chair and his findings could heavily influence the decision on whether Burma should be granted the chair in 2014 or not, observers say.
Asean has been put under pressure not to grant the Asean chair to Burma because there are still political prisoners and human rights violations in the country.
Burma’s turn to chair Asean came up in 2006, but it passed over the opportunity after widespread criticism over its human rights record. Originally, its turn would have been up in 2016, but Laos agreed to swap places with Burma for the 2014 Asean chairmanship. Burma has been constructing new facilities in Naypyitaw, partly as a bid to attract the Asean delegates.
In August, Burmese Foreign Affairs Minister Wunna Maung Lwin said that the decision whether Burma would be granted the chair would be made at the 19th Asean Summit to be held from November 14 and 19 in Bali, Indonesia.
In May, the Thailand-based Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB) said Burma should not receive the Asean chair.
Aung Myo Min, the HREIB director, told Mizzima: “Far from it. There are still many political prisoners in Burma. The government is reluctant to hold a political dialogue. We want to urge Asean to put the Burmese government under pressure and to support a commission of inquiry into the allegations of crimes against humanity by the Burmese junta.”
In September, the Global Justice Center called on Asean heads of state not to recognize Burma and block the country from taking the chair in 2014.
In a letter, Janet Benshoof, president of the New York-based center, urged Asean states to uphold the law of nations and treat Burma’s new Constitution, which removes from the president and all branches of “civilian” government any sovereign power over the military, as “null and void.”
Benshoof said, “Asean states are under a legal imperative not to recognize Myanmar/Burma’s Constitution or elections as they violate the UN and Asean Charters and to take immediate action to stop the military’s ongoing war crimes including genocide and military rape of ethnic women used as a weapon of war.”
AP quoted Foreign Minister Natalegawa in September, saying, "I shall be keen to listen and to hear the voice of civil society, not least the voice of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi... whether this can have a multiplier effect, a pull effect in speeding up the pace of change.”
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa of Indonesia speaks at the United Nations in this file photo. Photo: UN
He will meet with his Burmese counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin and Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and Labour Minister Aung Kyi, according to diplomatic sources.
Observers said he might also meet with NGOs and social organizations and other groups.
The visit to Burma was arranged during the 18th Asean Summit in May. Originally, he was scheduled to start his visit on October 26, but it was delayed two days.
Presently, Indonesia holds the rotating Asean chair and his findings could heavily influence the decision on whether Burma should be granted the chair in 2014 or not, observers say.
Asean has been put under pressure not to grant the Asean chair to Burma because there are still political prisoners and human rights violations in the country.
Burma’s turn to chair Asean came up in 2006, but it passed over the opportunity after widespread criticism over its human rights record. Originally, its turn would have been up in 2016, but Laos agreed to swap places with Burma for the 2014 Asean chairmanship. Burma has been constructing new facilities in Naypyitaw, partly as a bid to attract the Asean delegates.
In August, Burmese Foreign Affairs Minister Wunna Maung Lwin said that the decision whether Burma would be granted the chair would be made at the 19th Asean Summit to be held from November 14 and 19 in Bali, Indonesia.
In May, the Thailand-based Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB) said Burma should not receive the Asean chair.
Aung Myo Min, the HREIB director, told Mizzima: “Far from it. There are still many political prisoners in Burma. The government is reluctant to hold a political dialogue. We want to urge Asean to put the Burmese government under pressure and to support a commission of inquiry into the allegations of crimes against humanity by the Burmese junta.”
In September, the Global Justice Center called on Asean heads of state not to recognize Burma and block the country from taking the chair in 2014.
In a letter, Janet Benshoof, president of the New York-based center, urged Asean states to uphold the law of nations and treat Burma’s new Constitution, which removes from the president and all branches of “civilian” government any sovereign power over the military, as “null and void.”
Benshoof said, “Asean states are under a legal imperative not to recognize Myanmar/Burma’s Constitution or elections as they violate the UN and Asean Charters and to take immediate action to stop the military’s ongoing war crimes including genocide and military rape of ethnic women used as a weapon of war.”
AP quoted Foreign Minister Natalegawa in September, saying, "I shall be keen to listen and to hear the voice of civil society, not least the voice of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi... whether this can have a multiplier effect, a pull effect in speeding up the pace of change.”
Malaysia: Burma’s ethnic people call for government to stop military attacks and abuses
In recent months the Burma Army has increased its attacks on ethnic people. The Burma Army has been accused of rape, forced labor and firing artillery shells indiscriminately into villages. The ethnic protests against the government’s military offensives have spread to neighboring countries.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, more than 300 people of ethnic nationalities from Burma staged a protest in front of the Burma embassy in early October demanding the government stop its military offensives in ethnic areas, to release all political prisoners and to stop human right violations. The ethnic nationalities represented at the protest included people from the Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Chin, Mon, Shan, Arakan who held a peaceful demonstration in front of the Burmese embassy.
According to Mahn Sein Than, chairman of the Malaysia Karen Organization and organizer of the protest the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party launched military offensives in Kachin, Shan, Karen and other ethnic areas, committing abuses on women and children and using civilian as human minesweeper, human shields and porters.
Mahn Sein Than spoke to Karen News and said.
“The ruling USDP government have been oppressing ethnic nationalities and using many forms of abuse, including handing out long jail sentences to political opponents and committing crimes against humanity on local ethnic people. If the abuses don’t cease, we will continue to call for the government to stop these human right violations.”
The protesters demanded the government four main concerns – 1) stop the military offensive in ethnic areas, 2) hold peace talks with representatives of the United Nationalities Federal Council, 3) release all political prisoners and 4) completely stop work on the Irrawady Myitsone Dam project and hydropower projects planned for the Salween River.
Protest organizers said that they have been given permission by the Malaysia authorities for their peaceful demonstration.
The organizers said that a letter including their four demands was sent to the chairman of the Association of South East Asian Nations, the United Nation Secretary General – Ban Ki Moon, to Burma’s President U Thein Sein and to many international Non-Governmental Organizations.
This is the third time Burmese people in Malaysia have held demonstrations, other times were during the Monks and civilian revolution in 2007 and after the Burma regime’s disastrous handling of Cyclone Nargis.
Burma ethnic demonstrate in front of Burmese embassy of Malaysia (Photo-KIC )
According to Mahn Sein Than, chairman of the Malaysia Karen Organization and organizer of the protest the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party launched military offensives in Kachin, Shan, Karen and other ethnic areas, committing abuses on women and children and using civilian as human minesweeper, human shields and porters.
Mahn Sein Than spoke to Karen News and said.
“The ruling USDP government have been oppressing ethnic nationalities and using many forms of abuse, including handing out long jail sentences to political opponents and committing crimes against humanity on local ethnic people. If the abuses don’t cease, we will continue to call for the government to stop these human right violations.”
The protesters demanded the government four main concerns – 1) stop the military offensive in ethnic areas, 2) hold peace talks with representatives of the United Nationalities Federal Council, 3) release all political prisoners and 4) completely stop work on the Irrawady Myitsone Dam project and hydropower projects planned for the Salween River.
Protest organizers said that they have been given permission by the Malaysia authorities for their peaceful demonstration.
The organizers said that a letter including their four demands was sent to the chairman of the Association of South East Asian Nations, the United Nation Secretary General – Ban Ki Moon, to Burma’s President U Thein Sein and to many international Non-Governmental Organizations.
This is the third time Burmese people in Malaysia have held demonstrations, other times were during the Monks and civilian revolution in 2007 and after the Burma regime’s disastrous handling of Cyclone Nargis.
Woman Arrested for Sending Another to Exiled Organization in Bangladesh
Maungdaw: A woman was recently arrested by the police in Maungdaw in western Burma’s Arakan State for sending a younger woman from the town to an organization based in Bangladesh.
The woman is identified as 50 year old Daw Ma Thein from Waetharli Village in Maungdaw Township and she was arrested by the police on the 22nd of October, reportedly on charges of trafficking the young woman.
Ma Thein is said to have sent the young woman with her mother’s consent to the Rakhine Women's Union based in Bangladesh, but the stepfather of the young woman was dissatisfied with the arrangement and asked Ma Thein to return his daughter to him. She was then arrested by the police in Maungdaw when she brought the young woman back from Bangladesh.
Daw Saw Mra Raza Lunn, the President of RWU also confirmed the arrest of Daw Ma Thein in Maungdaw.
“The girl has just matriculated and her mother contacted us to send her here so that she could learn and work in our organization before continuing her higher education."
Daw Ma Thein had just sent her to us on behalf of her mother, but her father was dissatisfied with her being here, so Daw Ma Thein was arrested by the police in Maungdaw when she brought back the girl from here”, said Daw Saw Mra Raza Lunn.
The girl who was brought back by Daw Ma Thein is known as Ma Khin Ma Hline, the daughter of Daw Ma Khin Win from Maungdaw.
“We had accepted Khin Ma Hline because she had her mother’s consent. We also knew that her mother did not like to keep her at home for certain reasons. Daw Ma Thein brought her back from Bangladesh as her mother later requested because she feared that Kin Ma Hline's stepfather threatened to tell the police that she has sold her own daughter”, said Daw Saw Mra Raza Lunn.
It has also been learnt that some documents delivered from RWU regarding the campaign for stopping the capture of white elephants and preserving natural environments were seized from Daw Ma Thein when she was arrested. Daw Saw Mra Raza Lunn however said she was unsure if Daw Ma Thein had taken those documents along with her from the RWU, as the RWU had never given those documents to her.
Daw Ma Khin Win, the girl’s mother, was unreachable though Narinjara had tried to contact her via telephone for her comments on the matter.
According to sources in Maungdaw, Daw Ma Thein is a very poor widow and not the trafficker of the girl. She sent the girl to the RWU in Bangladesh according to a request from the girl’s mother. She is now being detained in the police station in Maungdaw for further interrogation.
The woman is identified as 50 year old Daw Ma Thein from Waetharli Village in Maungdaw Township and she was arrested by the police on the 22nd of October, reportedly on charges of trafficking the young woman.
Ma Thein is said to have sent the young woman with her mother’s consent to the Rakhine Women's Union based in Bangladesh, but the stepfather of the young woman was dissatisfied with the arrangement and asked Ma Thein to return his daughter to him. She was then arrested by the police in Maungdaw when she brought the young woman back from Bangladesh.
Daw Saw Mra Raza Lunn, the President of RWU also confirmed the arrest of Daw Ma Thein in Maungdaw.
“The girl has just matriculated and her mother contacted us to send her here so that she could learn and work in our organization before continuing her higher education."
Daw Ma Thein had just sent her to us on behalf of her mother, but her father was dissatisfied with her being here, so Daw Ma Thein was arrested by the police in Maungdaw when she brought back the girl from here”, said Daw Saw Mra Raza Lunn.
The girl who was brought back by Daw Ma Thein is known as Ma Khin Ma Hline, the daughter of Daw Ma Khin Win from Maungdaw.
“We had accepted Khin Ma Hline because she had her mother’s consent. We also knew that her mother did not like to keep her at home for certain reasons. Daw Ma Thein brought her back from Bangladesh as her mother later requested because she feared that Kin Ma Hline's stepfather threatened to tell the police that she has sold her own daughter”, said Daw Saw Mra Raza Lunn.
It has also been learnt that some documents delivered from RWU regarding the campaign for stopping the capture of white elephants and preserving natural environments were seized from Daw Ma Thein when she was arrested. Daw Saw Mra Raza Lunn however said she was unsure if Daw Ma Thein had taken those documents along with her from the RWU, as the RWU had never given those documents to her.
Daw Ma Khin Win, the girl’s mother, was unreachable though Narinjara had tried to contact her via telephone for her comments on the matter.
According to sources in Maungdaw, Daw Ma Thein is a very poor widow and not the trafficker of the girl. She sent the girl to the RWU in Bangladesh according to a request from the girl’s mother. She is now being detained in the police station in Maungdaw for further interrogation.
Friday, 28 October 2011
EID MUBARAK
Flag meeting between Nasaka and BGB at Burma-Bangladesh border
Naikhongchari, Bangladesh: A flag meeting was held between Nasaka (Burma’s border security force) and BGB (Bangladesh Border Guard) on October 25, at Burma-Bangladesh border near the pillar No.51, which is set up nearby Dusari union under Naikhongchari upazila of Bandarban Hill Tracts, said an aide of BGB who denied to be named.
Lt. Col Mohabubur Rahaman, the Commanding Officer (CO) of Naikhonchari BGB Battalion led 7-members to participate in the meeting while Major Sei Mint Htet, the Commander of Nasaka area No.1 accompanied by four others, according to BGB official.
“In the meeting, Naikhonchari Battalion deputy Commander Major Mosiur, BOP commanders--- Subedar (Senior warrant officer) Sha Alam, Nayek Subedar (Junior warrant officer) Shakawoth, Nayek Subedar (Junior warrant officer) Mohon Lal and Habildar (sergeant) Taffazzal took part in the flag meeting from Bangladesh while the Immigration officer U Hin Htay of Nasaka area No.1, Nasaka company commanders--- U Yin Naing, U Aung Thaung and U Aye Thaung Naing--- participated from Burma side.”
In the meeting, the CO of Bangladesh proposed some of points to the Nasaka that “We want joint patrol in border area, to stop smuggling across the border, to hold monthly BOP meeting and to hold flag meeting between Nasaka and BGB after three months. The Commander also reviewed the stealing of wires from Bangladesh-Burma fence by Bangladeshi people, and proposed to play football and volleyball between BGB and Nasaka personnel as a friendship to increase relation between two countries.”
The commander more added, “the door is opened, is not closed and always welcome for working frankly with our neighbors and the relation between two countries can be rooted more deeply.”
Regarding these, the Nasaka Commander Major Thei Mint Htet told that “We accept all the proposals of Bangladesh side; we also want to work together with our neighbors,” said an aide from BGB official.
It is learnt that BGB will hand over 50 to 60 iron wire bundles to the Nasaka soon, which were seized by the BGB personnel from the Bangladeshi people. These were stolen by the Bangladeshi villagers then brought it to Bangladesh side.
After the flag meeting, the two commanders jointly told the reporters that “we hold this meeting to keep up and increase relation between two countries,” said another aide of BGB.
The meeting was started from 11:00 am and came to an end at around 2:00 pm.
Lt. Col Mohabubur Rahaman, the Commanding Officer (CO) of Naikhonchari BGB Battalion led 7-members to participate in the meeting while Major Sei Mint Htet, the Commander of Nasaka area No.1 accompanied by four others, according to BGB official.
“In the meeting, Naikhonchari Battalion deputy Commander Major Mosiur, BOP commanders--- Subedar (Senior warrant officer) Sha Alam, Nayek Subedar (Junior warrant officer) Shakawoth, Nayek Subedar (Junior warrant officer) Mohon Lal and Habildar (sergeant) Taffazzal took part in the flag meeting from Bangladesh while the Immigration officer U Hin Htay of Nasaka area No.1, Nasaka company commanders--- U Yin Naing, U Aung Thaung and U Aye Thaung Naing--- participated from Burma side.”
In the meeting, the CO of Bangladesh proposed some of points to the Nasaka that “We want joint patrol in border area, to stop smuggling across the border, to hold monthly BOP meeting and to hold flag meeting between Nasaka and BGB after three months. The Commander also reviewed the stealing of wires from Bangladesh-Burma fence by Bangladeshi people, and proposed to play football and volleyball between BGB and Nasaka personnel as a friendship to increase relation between two countries.”
The commander more added, “the door is opened, is not closed and always welcome for working frankly with our neighbors and the relation between two countries can be rooted more deeply.”
Regarding these, the Nasaka Commander Major Thei Mint Htet told that “We accept all the proposals of Bangladesh side; we also want to work together with our neighbors,” said an aide from BGB official.
It is learnt that BGB will hand over 50 to 60 iron wire bundles to the Nasaka soon, which were seized by the BGB personnel from the Bangladeshi people. These were stolen by the Bangladeshi villagers then brought it to Bangladesh side.
After the flag meeting, the two commanders jointly told the reporters that “we hold this meeting to keep up and increase relation between two countries,” said another aide of BGB.
The meeting was started from 11:00 am and came to an end at around 2:00 pm.
Najib: Australia still keen on asylum seekers deal
"Australia is still keen but it does not have sufficient majority (to support the proposal); in fact, it needs only one more vote to support the proposal," he said.
He was speaking to Malaysian journalists after meeting Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, yesterday (Thursday) over bilateral issues.
Najib and Gillard are in this capital city of Western Australia to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and related meetings.
The prime minister said Australia had postponed the implementation of the proposal until such time when there was sufficient support in parliament.
Malaysia and Australia signed the asylum seeker swap deal in Kuala Lumpur last July 25, under which Australia was to sent 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia in exchange of 4,000 from Malaysia.
Australia was reported to have postponed the implementation of the deal after an Australian court ruled that the agreement was unlawful. --Bernama
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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.