KNU, DKBA in separate peace talks: no progress

Monday, 31 October 2011 22:06 Ko Wild Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Officials of both the Karen National Union (KNU) and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Association (DKBA) are in preliminary peace talks with Burmese government officials in Bangkok and in Mawlamyine in Mon State, respectively. However, little progress has been made. According to KNU and DKBA officials, no agreements have been reached, but...

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Save the Irrawaddy: set an oil lamp adrift

Monday, 31 October 2011 22:22 Ko Pauk New Delhi (Mizzima) – The Irrawaddy Freedom Network (IFN) will hold ceremonies to set afloat oil lamps across Burma on November 10 – Tazaungdine Full Moon Day – to raise public awareness to protect Burmese rivers and streams. Thaung Aye, an IFN official, said that simultaneous ceremonies would start at 7 p.m. “Some rivers and streams have became extinct,” he said. “So we need to protect them all from harm.  We want people to take care of rivers and creeks. We want people to keep watchful eyes on rivers...

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UN secretary-general's envoy to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi

Monday, 31 October 2011 20:20 Myo Thant (Mizzima) – Vijay Nambiar, the special envoy of UN Secretary -General Ban Ki-Moon, will visit Burma for five-days beginning on Monday to meet with both government and opposition political leaders. vijay-nambiar-visits-burma3sNambiar will meet with Aung San Suu Kyi and members of the Committee Representing People's Parliament (CRPP), who were elected in the...

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Photo News - October 2011

Suu Kyi, large crowd attend opening of Bayda Institute Library Aung San Suu Kyi attends the opening ceremony of the Bayda Institute Library in Thingangyun Township and is surrounded by supporters on Monday, October 31. The Bayda Institute, an education project of the National League for Democracy (NLD), provides various classes. It has been forced to move frequently because of pressure from the...

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Suu Kyi and Minister Aung Kyi meet for fourth time

Monday, 31 October 2011 14:13 Myo Thein (Press Conference) – Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Union Minister Aung Kyi met on Sunday at a government guesthouse to discuss a prisoners’ amnesty, establishing peace in ethnic areas and economic and financial issues. After the meeting, Minister Aung Kyi read a joint statement and they answered questions from reporters. The following is a...

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Activists protesting Land Nationalization Act released on bail

Monday, 31 October 2011 11:57 Phanida Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Seven people arrested last week during a demonstration in front of the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development in Rangoon were released on bail on Friday after being interrogated. The group, including lawyer Pho Phyu, staged a short protest on Thursday urging the authorities to revoke the Land Nationalization Act. Twelve...

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Ministers’ Office building will not be transformed into a hotel

Friday, 28 October 2011 21:59 Min Thet Rangoon (Mizzima) – Burmese Industry Minister Soe Thein says the government will transform the historic Ministers’ Office building where National Hero General Aung San and other Burmese martyrs were assassinated into a museum; the building will not be leased to be used as a hotel. “We will not rent it to anybody,” he said. “We will convert it into a museum,...

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Indonesian Foreign Minister arrives in Burma on fact-finding visit

Friday, 28 October 2011 20:33 Nyi Thit (Mizzima) – 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. Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa of Indonesia speaks at the...

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Burma’s vice president discusses hydropower and gas project issues in China

Friday, 28 October 2011 20:52 Myo Thant Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Tin Aung Myint Oo, Burma’s vice president, met with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao this week to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation including various projects relating to oil and natural gas, hydropower projects, mining, transportation and communication, the state-run New Light of Myanmar reported on Friday. The newspaper, in...

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Young activists visiting Canada say it will not change its Burma policy

Friday, 28 October 2011 19:37 Ko Pauk New Delhi (Mizzima) – Two Burmese activists who met with Cannadian government officials recently said they “promised” not to change its economic sanctions policy until three key conditions were met by the new government. Mi Aie Son of the Mon Youth Progressive Organization told Mizzima that Canada has no plans to review its current economic sanctions against...

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Large-scale gold mining on rivers to be shut down; panning ok

Friday, 28 October 2011 14:02 Min Thet Rangoon (Mizzima) – Small-scale panning for gold will be allowed on Burma’s rivers and streams, but permits for large-scale mining will not be renewed when they expire in one year, according to the Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River System (DWRIRS). “The lifetime of gold mining permits is just one year. In the past, they could renew a permit....

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Amended party registration law opens way for NLD to re-register

Thursday, 27 October 2011 22:32 Myo Thant Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Burma's Lower House of Parliament in Naypyitaw on Thursday approved a draft law that amends three clauses of the Political Parties Registration Law including cancellation of the clause that restricted serving prisoners from being a member of a political party. The existing party registration law says that a political party needs to...

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Harn Yawnghwe visiting Burma to help make peace

Thursday, 27 October 2011 22:22 Tun Tun New Delhi (Mizzima) - Harn Yawnghwe, the youngest son of Burma’s first president, Sao Shwe Thaik, met with five pro-democracy parties on Thursday, in a visit to promote peace. The meeting was held in the National Democratic Force (NDF) office in Rangoon. The NDF, Democratic Party (Myanmar), Democracy and Peace Party (DPP), Wunthanu NLD and Union Democratic...

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‘Fear renders us dumb and passive’: Sue Kyi in U.S. speech

Thursday, 27 October 2011 18:47 Mizzima News (Mizzima) – Denouncing violence and encouraging understanding and respect, Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi told a U.S. university audience, “There can be no peace without democracy, and no democracy without peace.” suu-kyi-interview-mizzimaSpeaking via a recording to an estimated crowd of 500 on the campus of the University of Michigan on Wednesday,...

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Farmers’ protest calls for revoking Land Nationalization Act

Thursday, 27 October 2011 12:30 Myo Thant Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – A farmers’ group staged a short protest in front of the Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development on Bogyoke Road in Botahtaung Township, Rangoon, on Thursday, urging authorities to revoke the Land Nationalization Act. Onlookers watch farmers’ demonstrate for the right of land ownership in front of the Department of...

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Fighting halted in northern Shan State

Wednesday, 26 October 2011 20:54 Ko Wild Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Fighting has been halted in the control area of Shan State Army (North) / Shan State Progressive Party (SSA/SSPP) for more than one month, Major Sai Hla, a Shan army spokesman, said. Government troops and SSA-N troops have fought for six months. He said fighting has been halted in areas around Mong Hsu, Mong Yai, Kyethi, Tang Yang,...

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