Wednesday, 31 March 2010 20:55 Mizzima News
(Mizzima) - In continuance of harsh judgments against dissidents, a youth leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Tarmway Township, in Rangoon Division, was sentenced to two more years in prison by the Tarmway Township court yesterday for allegedly being in touch with an illegal team.
Kyaw Myo Naing the youth in-charge 2 (Tarmway Township), was sentenced to two years by the Bahan Township court last year. Now he has been sentenced to two more years by Tarmway court.
A relative of Kyaw...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Dissidents in Australia protest Burma’s electoral laws
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 20:36 Kyaw Kha
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Demanding the repeal of the Burmese military junta’s harsh and vindictive electoral laws, pro-democracy demonstrators in Australia staged a protest today outside the Burmese embassy in Canberra.
Sixty people joined the demonstration organized by the ‘Joint Action Committee for Democratic Burma’ (JACDB). The demonstration was staged in Canberra, the seat of power of the Australian Government, from 1 to 3:30 p.m., a committee official said.
“Our main demand is to repeal the unilateral...
Mixed response from India over NLD’s decision
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 11:09 Kyaw Mya
New Delhi (Mizzima) - Indian parliamentarians have applauded the National League for Democracy’s (NLD) decision not to participate in the Burmese junta’s planned elections, which would be the first in two decades.
The Indian Parliamentarians Forum for Democracy in Burma (IPFDB) said the NLD’s decision on Monday was a bold step in opposition to the military junta, countering the junta’s continuing plans to sustain power through stage-managed elections.
Sharad Joshi, convenor of the IPFDB, told Mizzima,...
Fresh crackdown likely, Win Tin warns
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 11:06 Sai Zuan Sai
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - National League for Democracy (NLD) Central Executive Committee (CEC) member U Win Tin has warned that the military regime is likely to launch a new crackdown against the party.
“Our movements will be very much limited when we don’t have a party. If we make more movements and stand against them [the junta], they will declare our party an unlawful association,” Win Tin said.
CEC and Central Committee members yesterday decided not to register their party with the Election Commission...
Security heightened for Mekong Summit
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 11:01 Usa Pichai
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - The Thai government is set to impose the Internal Security Act (ISA) during the convening of the Mekong River Commission Summit from April 2nd to 5th.
Suthep Teuksuban, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister for security, said implementation of the Internal Security Act, originally set to end expire on March 30th, will also be extended until April 7th for the provinces of Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.
“The cabinet has imposed the ISA at the site of the Mekong River Commission...
200 left homeless after storm ravishes refugee camp
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 10:59 Mizzima News
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Fifty-seven houses were destroyed and 200 people made homeless in a refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border as a result of a strong wind storm.
The storm raced through the Ban Don Yang refugee camp near Three Pagoda Pass, Mon State, Burma, around 2 p.m. on Monday.
Though lasting only some ten minutes, the winds were strong enough to destroy thatch and bamboo structures.
One refugee said, “It’s very lucky that we are safe. When we were out of our house a tree fell on the house....
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Shwe Mann visits Kachin State
Tuesday, 30 March 2010 20:53 Phanida
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Gen. Thura Shwe Mann, Joint Chief of Staff of Operations of the Burmese junta visited Kachin State last week for two days even as tension continues to mount between the regime and the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) over transforming its armed wing into the Border Guard Force
The General, who ranks number 3 in the junta’s hierarchy, visited Northern Command in Myitkyina, Kachin State on March 24. He also visited Hopin, Tanai and Puta-O and returned to Nay Pyi Taw the next day.
“The...
Bus plunges into ravine, six killed
Tuesday, 30 March 2010 18:12 Khaing Suu
(Mizzima) - Six people were killed, when a bus plunged into a ravine near the “Bawathanthayar" bridge between Aung Pann and Heho in Burma at 4 a.m. on March 27.
The Tawwin Express Naypyidaw-Taunggyi bus, owned by "Union of Myanmar Economic Holding Limited” was transporting 29 passengers when it plunged into a ravine.
An official in the traffic policemen’s office in Taunggyi told Mizzima, “The bus was a Tawwin Express bus. It plunged into a ravine in the morning of March 27 killing six passengers.”
A Tawwin...
Win Tin not arrested
Tuesday, 30 March 2010 13:11 Mizzima News (Brief)
(Mizzima) - A close friend of veteran politician and opposition leader Win Tin has rejected rumors of his arrest by Rangoon police on Tuesday.
“I don’t know who has started this rumor, but I have been explaining to the media since this morning at 4 a.m. (local time) that it is not true. Win Tin was not arrested and he just left for the NLD office,” Maung Maung Khin, a close friend of Win Tin explained.
The rumor of National League for Democracy (NLD) Central Executive Committee (CEC) member Win...
Burma begins issuing machine-readable passports
Tuesday, 30 March 2010 12:07 Min Thet
Rangoon (Mizzima) - Military-ruled Burma on March 29th began introducing a new system of machine-readable passports in an attempt to combat the proclivity of fake passports in circulation.
The new passports, according to officials, have hidden barcodes that are only readable with computers via laser scan.
Applicants said the new system carries a cost of 19,000 kyats (approximately 19 USD) for the passport, with an additional 1,000 kyats for online applications.
Under the old system, applicants were required...
Thailand-Burma increase cooperation in fighting air pollution
Tuesday, 30 March 2010 11:05 Usa Pichai
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - The Thai government is providing a mobile air quality monitoring unit to Burmese authorities to assist in the fight against air pollution.
On Monday, Atthasit Kanchanasinit, Secretary of Thailand’s Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, presided over the opening ceremony of the Air Quality Monitoring Project between Thailand and Burma held in Mae Sai District opposite Tachileik in Burma.
Atthasit said the project is aimed at enhancing collaboration between countries affected...
International consensus needed regarding Burma
Tuesday, 30 March 2010 10:56 Mizzima News
(Mizzima) - The lack of a coherent international strategy in addressing Burma’s ongoing economic and political crises is serving to exacerbate problems and demands a reevaluation of the international agenda, according to a report soon to be launched by the Washington D.C.-based Asia Society.
Acknowledging that the impetus for reform must come from elements within Burmese society, findings of an Asia Society Task Force still argue for an external role.
“In some ways, the situation has been exacerbated...
Monday, March 29, 2010
USDA transformed to political party
Monday, 29 March 2010 22:06 Kyaw Kha
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - The much anticipated transformation of the junta backed Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) into a political party, has come through. It will contest the 2010 general elections under the same nomenclature.
The information was disclosed by a high ranking party official.
The USDA has been converted into USDA party and all government staff and students and youths under 25 years of age have been expelled from the organization. The rest are being issued party membership...
Hawk’s eye on literary and academic talk show
Monday, 29 March 2010 18:59 Sai Zuan Sai
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - The literary and academic talk show to be held in Rangoon is under the hawk’s eye of the junta and will be monitored and tightly controlled by the Rangoon Division Peace and Development Council.
“We are now scrutinizing the subject of the talk show, the number of participants, among others,” an officer told Mizzima on condition of anonymity.
The directive for tighter control was issued before the ‘Armed Forces Day’ on March 27.
The new directive states the organizer of the talk...
Dr. Nay Win Maung and civil society
Monday, 29 March 2010 12:15 Thomas Maung Shwe (Commentary)
(Mizzima) - Following a hotly debated panel discussion on Burma’s future held Monday morning at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, journalists from Mizzima and the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) requested follow-up interviews with featured speaker Dr. Nay Win Maung, Burmese media mogul and co-founder of Myanmar Egress, a NGO that receives foreign funding to conduct civil society and entrepreneurial training workshops. Dr. Nay Win Maung is also associated with a loose alliance of organizations...
NLD not to re-register with Election Commission
Monday, 29 March 2010 18:02 Mizzima News
(Mizzzima) - In a significant decision, which may have far reaching consequences in Burmese politics, the main opposition party the National League for Democracy has decided not to re-register with the Election Commission for the 2010 general elections, following hectic parleys by the party brass at a meeting today.
"After a vote of the committee of members, the NLD party has decided not to register as a political party because the election laws are unjust," National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesman...
Rules restrict construction of Thingyan pavilions
Monday, 29 March 2010 12:07 Khaing Suu
New Delhi (Mizzima) - Strict rules are being enforced by Burmese authorities in the construction of Thingyan (Water Festival) pavilions, according to builders.
Rules state every pavilion must be decorated with traditional designs to make it obvious that the celebration is a traditional undertaking. Moreover, a traditional dancing group and a decorated car from every pavilion must participate in city competitions.
“When we applied for the permit to build a Thingyan pavilion at the office of the District...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Increased budget for Thai border hospitals
Sunday, 28 March 2010 14:30 Usa Pichai
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - The Thai government has approved an increased budget for 172 public border hospitals to provide medical services for nearly 500,000 stateless people in the country.
Junrin Laksanavisit, Thailand’s Public Health Minister said on Friday that a recent cabinet decision granted about 472 million baht [14.3 million USD] for border hospitals to provide medical services to stateless people. The budget will come into force from April 1, 2010.
“We set up a new committee to follow up operative...
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Anti-Fascist Revolution Day - March 27
Saturday, 27 March 2010 15:03 Myint Maung
Po Than Jaung, spokesperson of Communist Party of Burma (Interview)
Q: The Burmese military regime will hold the Anti-Fascist Revolution Day as Armed Forces Day (March 27). How will CPB respond?
A: Everybody knows 27 March is Anti-Fascist Revolution Day but successive military regimes have robbed this day from the people and celebrated it as their Armed Forces Day since the time of Bo Ne Win. In fact, today’s Tatmadaw (Armed Forces) is quite different from the Tatmadaw founded by Bogyoke (General) Aung...
Burma to hold polls in October
Saturday, 27 March 2010 14:08 Mizzima News
(Mizzima) - The much hyped and controversial general elections in Burma are likely to be held by the junta in the last week of October or early November, an AFP report said on Saturday.
“The candidates will get about six months to campaign after they have registered as political parties. The elections will be in the last week of October or early in November,” the report said quoting an anonymous official.
The military junta that has ruled the country for the past 20 years, however, has made no official...
NLD youth against re-registering party
Saturday, 27 March 2010 12:41 Kyaw Kha
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Fissures are fast developing in the National League for Democracy (NLD) fold over the contentious issue of re-registering the party in accordance with the harsh electoral laws of the ruling junta.
The NLD’s youth members have taken a stand and decided to reject the junta’s electoral laws and are against re-registration of the party, following a unanimous agreement at a meeting of the youth members on March 26. This is likely to influence the stand of NLD in the forthcoming elections.
It...
Friday, March 26, 2010
Time for bold strategies by NLD
Friday, 26 March 2010 14:33 Mungpi (Commentary)
(Mizzima) - With Burma’s military rulers having made their intention clear to conduct the 2010 elections without major opposition by setting several restrictions, it is high time for the opposition, particularly the National League for Democracy, to take a bold step, if the party’s objectives are to bring some form of democratic changes in the country.
The electoral law, announced by the junta in early March, effectively bans detained Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the over 2,100 political...
Self-degradation in the 2010 elections
Friday, 26 March 2010 13:14 Min Ko Moe (Commentary)
(Mizzima) - Free and fair conduct in the coming general election in Burma is not the issue, rather the issue is the rule of military dictatorship as the constitution compels civilians to subordinate their will to that of a military clique. The constitution is designed to control the minds and actions of all civilians, thereby denying them the right to dignified self-preservation. As the result, voting in and contesting the upcoming election is a process of democratic choices for self-degradation.
The...
Party literature cannot criticize military: Junta
Friday, 26 March 2010 01:14 Mizzima News
(Mizzima ) - The Burmese military junta, which has rolled out harsh electoral laws for political parties, making it difficult for many to contest, has now come up with rules for political parties while printing their pamphlets, books or election-related printed matter.
Elections have been declared for this year but no date has been announced yet.
The announcement on party literature on March 17, says parties have to register for printing election-related matter with the government under the 1962 Printers...
Foreign journalists to cover Armed Forces Day
Friday, 26 March 2010 01:10 Phanida
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Along with local journalists, some foreign journalists have been allowed to attend Burma's Armed Forces Day celebration that will be held in Nay Pyi Taw on March 27, according to journalists and editors in Rangoon.
An editor of a local journal said, “On March 23, Maj Tint Swe, Director of the Press Scrutiny and Registration Board invited authorized domestic journalists to his office and told them to attend the celebration.”
“The meeting was held at 1 pm. They took our ID card numbers...
Burma faces critical challenges: Ban
Friday, 26 March 2010 00:48 Mizzima News
(Mizzima) - The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today told reporters in New York that Burma faces critical short and long challenges and the United Nations will continue help realise the aspirations of Burmese people. He was speaking at the UN building after the closed door meeting of the "Group of Friends on Myanmar" that discussed the country's recently announced electoral laws by the junta.
He said the member countries in the group stressed the need for this year's election "to be inclusive, participatory...
How about the benefits?
Friday, 26 March 2010 00:15 Adam Selene
(Mizzima) -Much has been said and written about the downside of the roadmap of the regime. And indeed the undemocratic nature of the constitution and the recently published party registration and election laws would in most countries result in public outcry and resistance.
But let us not forget where Burma is coming from. With condemnations by the opposition and western governments dominating the news there is a tendency to forget the benefits of the ‘transition’. The opposition would be wise not to base...
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Former student leader floats political party
Thursday, 25 March 2010 22:34 Sai Zom Hseng
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Phyo Min Thein, a former student leader has floated a political party called ‘Ludu (People’s) Democracy Party’ to contest the forthcoming election.
“I think we should go through the electoral process like other political parties because we have to provide people some alternative,” former Secretary of ‘All Burma Federation of Students Union’ (ABFSU) Phyo Min Thein told Mizzima.
ABFSU, which has played a major role in the country's struggle for freedom and democracy, is now an...
UN's ICT training in Burma
Thursday, 25 March 2010 22:24 Mizzima News (News Brief)
New Delhi (Mizzima) - A United Nations agency is organizing an ICT (Information and Communication Technology) training in Burma, in collaboration with a Burmese government department.
The ICT academic training workshop will commence on March 29 and will carry on for a week. It will be held in Pyin Oo Lwin, Manadalay Division.
Hyeun-Suk Rhee Director of UN-APCICT/ESCAP told Mizzima “This is the first time that we are launching an ICT programme in Burma. Our brief is to sensitize through...
AFPFL-like split unnecessary
Thursday, 25 March 2010 16:32 Yan Nyein Aung (Commentary)
(Mizzima) - The Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League (AFPFL) split into two factions, those who believed the league should be cleaned, led by U Nu and Thakhin Tin, and another group prioritizing the stability of the party led by Ba Swe and Kyaw Nyein. The division, unfortunately, is something Burmese are well familiar with, originating at least as far back as the anti-colonial campaign.
Today we are witnessing two opinions within the National League for Democracy (NLD), which is struggling...
Malaysian government urged to end abuse of migrant workers
Thursday, 25 March 2010 20:50 Usa Pichai
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - The Malaysian government has been urged by Amnesty International to end widespread abuse of migrant workers, including Burmese migrants.
The Amnesty International in a report released on Wednesday said that Malaysia should initiate action to end widespread abuses in the workplace and by police of migrant workers who make up more than 20 per cent of the country's workforce.
The report ; “Trapped: The Exploitation of Migrant Workers in Malaysia”, documents widespread abuses against...
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