mizzima

Friday, 26 February 2010 22:35 Sai Zuan Sai Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Three illegal Burmese migrants in Ranong were shot dead when Thai security forces opened fire on a car carrying them after it failed to stop at the checkpoint, Ranong police station sources said. The police on duty said out of 15 illegal Burmese migrants, one male adult and two children were killed and five injured. The injured were sent to Ranong hospital for treatment. "The police opened fire on the car, when it failed to stop at the checkpoint set up by police and some soldiers. It killed two children and one male adult. Five were injured and seven are being detained at the police station," a policeman on duty told Mizzima. The Thai car driver will be charged for transporting illegal aliens and failing to stop at the checkpoint. The Burmese migrants will be charged with illegal entry into Thailand. The car was on its way from Hin Chan to Chong Phaw, about 30 miles north of Ranong. The combined c...

FEC prices show downward trend

Friday, 26 February 2010 21:22 Khai Suu New Delhi (Mizzima) - Foreign Exchange Certificate (FEC) prices have been falling over the past one month, traders said. In December 2009, the FEC price increased from Kyat 970 against the US dollar and touched the highest of Kyat 1,060 in January this year. It fell gradually and reached Kyat 1,020 on February 24 and closed at about Kyat 1,000 today - a Kyat 20 decline. "FEC price was Kyat 1,020 on February 24 and Kyat 900 yesterday. But it closed today at Kyat 1,000, a trader at the Money Exchange market in Rangoon told Mizzima. A woman trader also said that the FEC price fell by Kyat 20 during the last two days. When high FEC prices prevailed from December last year to mid-January this year, the military regime went into privatization of State owned enterprises and assets in FEC. But after fuel shops and import of fuel were privatized last year, the price of FEC fell gradually. When the oil and fuel import business was contro...

Little Hope for Burma's Political Prisoners

Friday, 26 February 2010 19:02 Larry Jagan BANGKOK (Mizzima) - The United Nations special rapporteur for human rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana believes there that the country’s political prisoners will not be freed any time soon. “There seems to be no movement on political prisoners since my last trip [a year ago],” the UN envoy told Mizzima in an interview in Bangkok a few days ago. “In fact the government continues to deny that there are any prisoners of conscience.” At the same time more critics of the government and activists have been imprisoned on spurious charges. And political prioners already in jail mounted protests to coincide with the UN envoys visit. Scores of prisoners in at least two jails have gone on hunger strike, according to an organistion that monitors the situation of Burma’s political prisoners, and more than seventy in the Buthidaung jail, which Mr Quintana visited during his trip to the west of the country. Tthe regime’s total disregard for the envoy...

Pervasive drug production linked to rebel groups: UNODC

Friday, 26 February 2010 13:23 Sai Zuan Sai Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - The eradication of drug production in Burma is contingent upon a reduction in the number of ethnic armed forces, stipulates a United Nations Office of Drug Control (UNODC) report. According to the report, drug cultivation and trafficking is critical to the survival of ethnic armed forces. Shan State is said to be the biggest region for drug production, an area which is also home to a score of ethnic armed forces. But Shan State Army (South) spokesman Major Sai Lao Sai defended his army, saying the group is implementing anti-narcotic and narcotic suppression programs. “We have nothing to do with this drug cultivation and drug trafficking and we don’t want them [the drugs]. So I’d like to say we are not involved in the drug trafficking business,” contends the Major. The UNODC report continues, “The major producers of heroin and ATS (amphetamine-type stimulants) tablets in Shan State are the largest armies in S...

Melted Euphoria

Friday, 26 February 2010 03:24 Kyi Sin Thawda (Commentary) As I was leaving the township chicken market, a young man in a blue municipal uniform approached me. I was surprised and scared. “Brother, I just saw you taking photos in the market. Please come with me for a while” he said. “No, I didn’t take any photos” I replied. “The gadget I’m holding in my hand is an MP3 player” I tried to explain. Pointing to my MP3 player he shot back “I’ve seen these small cameras in magazines. They come with a TV, you can explain it to us later. Please come with me to our office now”. I thought it was funny that he thought the menu on my MP3 player was a TV, but this was no laughing matter. I knew I couldn’t talk my way out of it and had to go with him, I had no other choice. I had in fact taken photos in the market, not with my MP3 player however, but with a camera now hidden under my shirt. I had come to the market to cover bird flu epidemic and Burma’s preparations or lack thereof....

NLD CEC approves 100 CC members

Friday, 26 February 2010 03:19 Phanida Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in Burma today approved 100 members of the new Central Committee (CC). The CEC began the selection and scrutiny of nominees for the CC sent by branches of States and Divisions of the party as of February 22. It approved the finalized list of new CC members today. The final list has to be sent to the party Chairman U Aung Shwe tomorrow for his approval following which it will be released in the first week of next month, Party Information Department in-charge Khin Maung Swe told Mizzima. “We finalized the list today and approved 100 nominees as new CC members but we need to seek the approval of our party chairman. The CEC has approved the list,” Khin Maung Swe, who is also a CEC member, said. The list of CC nominees was submitted to the CEC on February 16 and 17. The party fixed the number of its CEC and CC members at 20 and 100 to 120...

KWO’s report on horrifying abuse of women village chiefs

Thursday, 25 February 2010 19:23 Usa Pichai Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Horrifying abuses heaped on ethnic Karen women in Burma, who became village chiefs because male village heads were at greater risk of being killed, has been revealed by an ethnic women’s organization in its latest report released on Thursday. The Karen Women’s Organization’s (KWO) latest report “Walking Amongst Sharp Knives” is based on interviews of 95 Karen women from 2005 to 2009 on their experience of being village heads and being targeted for systematic abuse by Burmese Army troops across Eastern Burma. The report states that in lowland Karen areas in Eastern Burma women are increasingly taking up the role of village chief, as male village chiefs are more likely to be killed by the Burmese Army. It exposes for the first time the impact of this dramatic cultural shift. “This change, overturning deeply engrained tradition, has put women further into the front line of human rights abuses being committed by the...

Hyundai signs US $ 1.4 billion contract for gas facilities in Burma

Thursday, 25 February 2010 17:53 Mizzima News (News Brief) (Mizzima) - South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) on Tuesday signed a contract for a US $ 1.4 billion project to build gas facilities in military-ruled Burma. A HHI press release on Tuesday said, the company signed the contract for SHWE project in Burma’s western coast with Daewoo International Corporation, which had sent a letter of intent for the project in October 2009 to HHI. Under the contract, HHI would build offshore gas fields in the Bay of Bengal by March 2013, and will install a gas production and processing platform to produce gas, transport it to Ramree Island through subsea pipelines and export the gas to China through an onshore gas terminal. “Hyundai Heavy will handle the entire project on a turnkey basis including engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commission. The company will build a 40,000-ton class offshore gas platform, a subsea production system, subsea pipelines, an ons...

Burma-India boost relations with naval parley

Thursday, 25 February 2010 15:25 Kyaw Mya New Delhi (Mizzima) - Burmese Navy Chief, Vice Admiral Nyan Tun’s five-day visit to India, is yet another instance of giving a leg up to bilateral relationship between the two countries, particularly in areas of defence, a New Delhi based Burmese Member of Parliament in exile said. Dr. Tint Swe, Information Minister of the National Coalition Government of Union of Burma (NCGUB), said while Indo-Burma relationship had relied more on economic cooperation, in recent years it had made inroads in the fields of politics and defence, with India worrying over China’s defence presence on the Indian Ocean. “Over a few years the relationship between Burma and India has been increasing in the fields of politics as well as at the defence level. His [Nya Tun] visit indicates another example of cooperation between two countries,” the exiled MP said. He added that cooperation in the area of naval activities in Indian Ocean is of vital importance to bot...

Burma-Bangla border safe haven for robbers

Thursday, 25 February 2010 14:49 Nyein Chan Dhaka (Mizzima) - Plagued by an increasing number of robberies along the Burma-Bangladesh border, villagers in Maungdaw Township, northern Arakan State have been compelled to build guard posts and arrange for sentry duty, sources said. With authorities failing to act, villagers along the Naf River collectively began arranging for guard duty in groups of five from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The guards alert villages at the sight of suspicious strangers. “Since we cannot rely on the border security force [known as Nasaka], we are forced to guard our villages,” a local headman of Phyuu Ma village in Maungdaw township, told Mizzima. Nasaka often fires in the sky when they are told of robberies being committed and often doze off at the stations or make an excuse of not being permitted by higher-ups to intervene. Maungdaw Township is on the Burma-Bangladesh border of Burma’s western state of Arakan. The border is the Naf River, a busy river route u...

ASEAN Head: Burma election is 'new beginning'

Thursday, 25 February 2010 13:17 Thomas Maung Shwe (Mizzima) - ASEAN’s Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan claimed today in an interview with the BBC program Hardtalk that Burma’s upcoming 2010 election would be a “new beginning” for the country plagued by four decades of military misrule and mismanagement. The election is seen by many governments in ASEAN as a promising development. Many Burmese democracy activists however are wary of coming out in support of an election that will held at a yet to be determined date, using a yet to be announced election law and held under Burma’s new constitution which guarantees heavy military involvement in the day to day running of the country’s affairs. At times during the interview Pitsuwan appeared somewhat ill prepared to respond to presenter Stephen Sackur’s aggressive questioning style that is a trademark of the popular BBC program. In response to Sackur’s statement that “hailing elections for elections sake is an insult to the Burmese p...

Media persona urged to join pro-democracy movement

Thursday, 25 February 2010 13:03 Kyaw Kha Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Media persona both at home and abroad, have been exhorted to join the pro-democracy struggle in Burma, by veteran journalist Ludu Sein Win and film director Win Pe. In a video communiqué sent to the Burma Media Conference being held in northern Thailand from February 24, Ludu Sein Win said, "The media’s objective is interlaced with the cause of democracy and freedom of our country. So I would like to ask all of you to join hands and be of mutual assistance and cooperation until you reach your goal". Ludu Sein Win hailed media persons under attack by those opposing and resisting the right cause and truth, because they are on the side of the people and the country. Famous writer and film director Win Pe said in his message that the military regime had not only seized the executive, legislative and judicial pillars by military might but had also seized the fourth pillar - the media. "The most importa...

Aung San Suu Kyi happy with reorganization of NLD’s CC

Thursday, 25 February 2010 12:26 Phanida Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Aung San Suu Kyi, general secretary of the National League for Democracy has expressed her happiness with the reorganization of the party Central Committee (CC). The pro-democracy leader also conveyed her thanks to party Vice-Chairman Tin Oo for carrying out party duties soon after he was released from house arrest. She spoke to her lawyers Nyan Win and Kyi Win. They visited her home on University Avenue yesterday between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for monitoring the renovation of her residence. "Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she was pleased with our work relating to selecting CC nominees. She is aware that U Tin Oo began performing party duties immediately after his release from house arrest and asked us to convey her thanks to him, which has been done,” lawyer Nyan Win said. All her four lawyers - Kyi Win, Nyan Win, Hla Myo Myint and Khin Htay Kywe - sought permission from the regime to meet their client but only two were...

Security beefed up on Burma-Laos border

Thursday, 25 February 2010 11:57 Sai Zuan Sai (News Brief) Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - In the wake of the murderous ambush on the Burmese police force on the Mekong River, in the Golden Triangle on February 20, which left 14 policemen dead and missing, the junta has beefed up security in the area and sealed the international border with Laos. "There is a tactical command controlled by the Military Operation Command No. 18 in this area. A 200-strong people's militia force led by this tactical command is monitoring people at the checkpoints," an officer from Tachileik told Mizzima. Soon after the attack about two to three battalions were sent to Wan Pong as reinforcements, Shan Narcotic Drugs Watch group member U Sein Kyi said. The gunmen of drug lord Naw Kham ambushed three patrol boats transporting policemen and personnel of the anti-narcotics special police force on the Mekong River last Saturday, which left 11 dead and three missing. Two survived the attack with guns...

Army seizes farmlands in Arakan State

Thursday, 25 February 2010 09:10 Nyein Chan Dhaka (Mizzima) - Army units have seized nearly 300 acres of farmland owned by local farmers in Sittwe and Ponnakyun Townships in Arakan State since the beginning of last month. Sittwe-based Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 232 appropriated 80 acres of land located in the villages Kyay Taw, Taung Nar and Yoe Tayoke, while Ponnakyun-based LIB 550 is reported to have taken control of 200 acres. The incorporated lands are to be used for army agribusiness endeavors. "We have learned they will undertake rice cultivation and rubber plantations on these seized lands. Rubber plantations are part of their 100-acres plan to be implemented as per instruction given by Western Command Headquarters. Rice cultivation is not under this plan," a person close to Sittwe-based LIB 232 told Mizzima. "There was no prior notice and no compensation given to farmers who lost their lands. An army section led by an officer from LIB 232 and a survey...

Demonstration in Malaysian camp, 106 Burmese released

Thursday, 25 February 2010 09:05 Salai Han Thar San New Delhi (Mizzima) - Officers from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) rescued 106 Burmese refugees yesterday from Malaysia’s Lang Geng Camp, according to refugees. After administering interviews, the UNHCR recognized 300 detainees in the camp as refugees following a hunger strike begun on February 22nd. The hunger strike was in response to the lack of a UNHCR visit for the previous two months. A leader of the refugee hunger strike who had been detained for seven months told Mizzima 106 Burmese refugees who passed the interview may now be taken to Kuala Lumpur and freed. "All of the Burmese refugees had a hunger strike from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. the day before (February 22nd). But they stopped the originally planned four-day hunger strike after being informed by the camp officer that UN officials would pay a visit to the camp," he said. There are a total of 1,400 prisoners from various countries, ...

U Tin Oo and realpolitik

Wednesday, 24 February 2010 21:17 Yan Nyein Aung (Youth) (Commentary) The National League for Democracy (NLD) party Vice-Chairman U Tin Oo has been freed from house arrest and has resumed his duties. But the news of U Tin Oo’s release didn’t make waves and had a ripple effect as that of student leader Min Ko Naing and Baba (Uncle) U Win Tin’s did. Similarly this news did not get much media coverage. When Min Ko Naing was released, the National Convention was still in progress and basic principles for a new constitution had not yet been laid down. So there was still hope for changing of the political mainstream. Therefore the people had high hopes on the student leaders or 88 Generation students for bringing change in Burma. But when U Win Tin was released, the 2008 constitution had already forcibly been approved and the junta had announced the 2010 general elections. But the international community and international media were still making noises on this controversial constitutio...

‘Halt abuse of migrant workers in Thailand’: HRW

Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:14 Usa Pichai Chiang Mai (Mizzima) -A rights group has made a fervent appeal to the Thai government to halt abuses by the police and withdraw discriminatory laws and policies against migrant workers from neighbouring countries. The New York-based, Human Rights Watch released a report on Tuesday detailing the widespread and severe human rights abuses faced by migrant workers in Thailand. Abuses include killings, torture in detention, extortion, sexual abuse, and labour rights abuses such as trafficking, forced labour, and restrictions on organizations. The 124-page report, "From the Tiger to the Crocodile: Abuse of Migrant Workers in Thailand," is based on 82 interviews with migrants from neighbouring Burma, Cambodia, and Laos. Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch said that migrant workers make huge contributions to Thailand's economy, but receive little protection from abuse and exploitation. "Those from Burma, Cambod...

Headless body found near Rangoon suburb Park

Tuesday, 23 February 2010 18:20 Kyaw Kha Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – A man's body with no head was found near Hlawga Park, east of San Pya village, Htauk Kyant, Mingaladon Township, Rangoon Division, police said. The headless body was found in the morning of February 12 which was the national holiday of Union Day. The body was found beside the Rangoon-Hmawbi highway near the entrance gate of Hlawga Park. The Htauk Kyant Police Station said that the identity of victim is not yet known but he is not believed to be from the area. According to police the investigation of the case is still underway. "We have not yet received more information on this case. It is the body of male and we found only one dead body. We have not yet learned his identity and other facts", a police officer from this police station said to Mizzima. This Rangoon-Hmawbi highway is usually deserted at the night time except some trucks and usually there are no small passenger cars driving on this ro...

Thai authorities clear landmines after soldiers injured

Tuesday, 23 February 2010 15:01 Usa Pichai Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Last week after three Thai soldiers were injured by landmines near the Thai Burma border, Tak Province authorities launched an extensive search of the area and are presently removing lethal mines along the banks of the Moei River which divides Burma from Thailand. The soldiers were injured while on anti smuggling patrol in an area known for smuggling near Thasailuad village in Maesot district. Following the explosion Master Sergeant Wutthikorn Khamchum had his right foot amputated, while Sergeant Thawit Leumin and Sergeant Thanapat Amthim suffered minor injuries. Samart Loifa, Tak Province Governor said on Monday that he urged villagers in the area to watch for explosive devices and inform authorities if they see anything suspicious. “The incident occurred in an area where cars and motorcycles are smuggled regularly from Thailand to Burma. Officials believe that the suspects are smugglers angry by Thai authoriti...

NLD leader Tin Oo awarded

Tuesday, 23 February 2010 12:51 Myint Maung New Delhi (Mizzima) - Tin Oo the Vice-Chairman of the National League for Democracy was awarded for “bravery for national reconciliation” by the UNA, a coalition of ethnic parties, and his colleagues on February 20. Released from a six-year house arrest term on February 13, the award was handed to the NLD Vice-Chairman at a ceremony in the house of Thakhin Thein Phe in Mayangon, Rangoon Division. Pu Cing Tsian Thang the President of the Zomi National Congress (ZNC) said, “The bravery award for national reconciliation was given to him for his effort in achieving freedom and democracy for the people.” The award recipient said, “I don’t think of myself as a hero. The fact is since Daw Aung Suu Kyi began leading the movement, I also participated so that my experiences could be useful to her.” Since February 20 coincides with the 62nd anniversary of the Chin National Day, a Chin traditional shawl was also presented to the former army ge...

Two policemen injured in clash with drug cartel sent to Rangoon

Tuesday, 23 February 2010 12:21 Sai Zuan Sai Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Two policemen, injured in an ambush by drug traffickers on February 20, which claimed the lives of 14 police personnel, were sent to Rangoon General Hospital from Tachileik hospital by air yesterday. The drug cartel’s army led by king pin Naw Kham opened fire on policemen on routine patrol in the Golden Triangle area bordering Burma, Laos and Thailand on Saturday, leaving 14 dead or missing and two injured. The policemen were from Wan Pong Township police force in Tachileik District, Shan State. Police Sub-Inspector Sein Hlaing received gunshot injuries with bullets still embedded in his body. Police constable Kee Muu, who received gunshot wounds in his legs and arms, was sent to Rangoon by Myanmar Airways. Quoting Sub-Inspector Sein Hlaing, a person close to Tachileik police station said that a 16-member police unit led by Police Inspector Khin Maung Yin was on routine patrol duty in three boats. Two boats cam...

NLD commences Central Committee selection process

Tuesday, 23 February 2010 09:28 Kyaw Kha Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The National League for Democracy (NLD) yesterday initiated its Central Committee (CC) selection process at party headquarters in Rangoon. While the Central Executive Committee (CEC) began selection work on Monday, the process could not be completed and the new CC list will likely not be announced till the coming Monday, according to the NLD. "We received additional nominees and we have to recheck existing nominees as there are some objections and confirmation is needed at the grassroots level. So we will again do a selection process on Thursday," CEC member Win Tin told Mizzima. Thus far the CEC has deleted, added and modified information of persons nominated for CC positions in lists sent by State and Division party branches. Though the party has fixed the maximum number of CEC members at 20 and CC members at between 100 and 120, CC nominations are already said to exceed 100 in number. Last month th...

Muslims in Arakan state get Temporary national ID cards

Monday, 22 February 2010 21:00 Nyein Chan Dhaka (Mizzima) – As occurred prior to the may 2008 constitutional referendum, local authorities are reportedly going door to door issuing temporary national IDs to adult Muslims in some townships in Burma’s western Arakan State. Arakan is home to a large Muslim Rohingya minority many of whom are denied Burmese citizenship despite having lived in Burma for generations. Since mid February staff from the Burmese Immigration and Manpower Department have issued ID cards at a fast pace to people in Rethe Taung, Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships. "We visited all homes in our township in groups. We checked the Immigration Form 10 (family registration form) and updated the forms with current family members. And we issued national ID cards to all who have attained 18 years of age", an Immigration staff from Rethe Taung Township told to Mizzima. MD. Mahabue from Taung Pyo, Maungdaw Township said, "I got my new ID card only on the ...

H1N1 traps Chin youths in Naypyidaw

Monday, 22 February 2010 19:26 Phanida New Delhi (Mizzima) - A group of Chin youth who earlier this month made the long trip to Burma’s new capital Naypyidaw to participate in the 63rd anniversary celebration of Union day are now stranded because several members of the group showed symptoms of the H1N1 influenza virus. On the 4th February approximately 50 Chin Youth headed to Naypyidaw to represent their state in a Union Day cultural dance program . Mizzima has been informed that when some members of the group got sick and showed signs of the H1N1 influenza virus officials in Naypydiaw decided to prevent the entire group from returning home in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. A Chin mother whose daughter is stranded in Naypidaw told Mizzima that her daughter told her. "We all are not allowed to go back home because the H1N1 virus was found among some of us. And we are fed protection tablets and checked up in morning, afternoon and evening.” The mother hoped th...

Cars older than 1984 not to ply on Rangoon roads

Monday, 22 February 2010 18:26 Min Thet Rangoon (Mizzima) – Cars older than 1984 will be banned from Rangoon roads in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, a senior officer from the Rangoon Division Transport Department said. "Many people made queries in our office. Not all old model cars but we will certainly transfer models older than 1984. They will not be allowed to ply on Rangoon roads," he said. Current commercial vehicles, trucks, passenger cars and taxis have license plates with letters KaKa and Kha Kha, From Ka to Ah and 1/Ka, 2/Ga among others. All old model cars with single letter license plates from Ka to Ah are not to be transferred from the city area, it is learnt. "Some might think that old models mean those with license plates with lower letters. It's not so. We will only transfer cars of 1984 models and older," a senior officer from the Transport Department said.

Over 260 households being forcibly relocated