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Asean ministers put pressure on Burma
MANILA South-East Asian foreign ministers have pressed Burma to release Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, and show “tangible progress” in democratic reforms.
The members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) agreed at their annual meeting to set up a regional human rights commission, overcoming fierce resistance from Burma’s junta. Asean has said repeatedly that it hopes to encourage reform in Burma and promote human rights through engagement. (AP)
___________| ASEAN Head Says New Charter Will Put Pressure on Burma | |
| 24 July 2007 |
 |
| Ong Keng Yong |
Speaking with reporters in Singapore on Monday, Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong said the charter will stress "responsibility and obligation" of membership in the Association for South East Asian Nations.
Burma has long been a problem for the 10-nation group because of its poor human rights record and its detention of activists, including Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
A draft of the new charter will be presented to ASEAN members next week when they meet in the Philippines.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
Burmese regime
in brutal drive to
shore up power
Rangoon, Jul. 19,
2007
(CWNews.com) - Myanmar's army went on a violent spree of intimidation before the July 18 opening of a national convention, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
The military regime
of Myanmar--
formerly know
n as Burma-- has
orchestrated the
national convention
to shore up its
power. The
delegates have been
chosen by the
incumbent military
government, with
opposition leaders
and all religious or
ethnic minorities
excluded from the
process.
Questioning or
criticizing the
convention, and
communicating with
international media
about the process,
are crimes that
could carry a 20-
year jail sentence.
_______________________________
Atomic watchdog unaware of Burma nuclear plans
Last Updated 18/07/2007, 23:44:24
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, says he is unaware of any firm plans by Burma to build its own nuclear research reactor.Russia announced in May that it had agreed to help build a research centre in Burma, which would include a small light-water nuclear reactor.But Mr ElBaradei says so far no "concrete plans" have been submitted by the Burmese authorities to build a reactor or develop a nuclear programme. The head of the UN nuclear regulatory agency was speaking to journalists during a visit to Malaysia.
________________________________
Journalists to attend NC sans tape recorders, cell phones
Nem Davies Mizzima News
July 17, 2007 - In keeping with the paranoia of the Burmese military junta, foreign correspondents based in Rangoon invited by the convening committee to attend the National Convention, have been told not to carry tape recorders and mobile phones.
The invitation letter from the National Convention Convening Committee yesterday to all foreign correspondents and local journalists made it clear that only one representative journalist should attend the opening ceremony of the much-criticized constitution drafting process.
Foreign journalists who had applied for visas to go to Burma to cover the convention are yet to get it.
"The invitation letter told us not to take cell phones, cassette recorders, purses and bags. However, some had taken the items despite the same instructions being given last time," said a Rangoon based foreign correspondent to Mizzima.
"Usually we are allowed to stay there for only 10 to 15 minutes just after the opening ceremony. That's it," she added.
With a majority of hand picked delegates, the military junta has been drafting the constitution since 1993.
The opposition National League for Democracy which posted a landslide victory in the 1990 general elections has branded the convention as a sham.
_____________________________________
Human Rights Group Calls For Renewed Effort To Stop Torture
By VOA News 25 June 2007
The Asian Human Rights Commission is urging officials at the United Nations and elsewhere to take stronger action to stop the use of torture by police in a number of Asian nations, including Burma.
The rights group made a special appeal to the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights to step up efforts for police reform.
A note to journalists from the Asian Human Rights Commission says torture remains the "primary mode of criminal investigation" in some nations.
_______________________________________
Gandhi Letter Pulled From UK Auction
LONDON, Jul. 2, 2007
(AP) One of the last letters written by Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi has been pulled from a London auction so it can be acquired by the government of India, Christie's auction house said Monday.
Christie's had earlier insisted that the six-page document, which was to go on auction as part of a larger collection Tuesday, would be sold despite India's protests.
But the collection's executors reconsidered, agreeing to withdraw the letter and hand it to the Indian government, Christie's said in a statement. The auction house did not give further details on the arrangement.
Gandhi wrote the letter, which had been expected to sell for up to $24,000, 19 days before his assassination in New Delhi by a Hindu extremist in January 1948. Addressed to an Indian magazine, it pleaded for tolerance toward India's Muslim population.
Amin Jaffer, the International Director of Asian Art at Christie's, said Christie's was happy with the arrangement. "We are pleased to have facilitated the negotiations which have resulted in an important historical record returning to India," Jaffer said in a statement.
The letter was part of a collection amassed over three decades by the late Albin Schram, who kept the documents in a filing cabinet in his home in Lausanne, Switzerland, according to Christie's.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Myanmar Still On Asean's Mind, Says Syed Hamid
By D.Arul Rajoo
BANGKOK,
June 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said Asean had not forgotten the issue of Myanmar and hoped the coming final session of its 15-year-old National Convention would lead to an election.
He said although there was not much discussions and comments by Asean leaders on Myanmar in the newspapers recently, it did not mean the regional grouping had forgotten the issue or are not encouraging their friends in Myanmar to change.
"They are still a member of Asean. Doesn't mean that if we don't read in newspapers (matters about Myanmar), we have forgotten them. We don't talk everyday (about Myanmar), that is the nature of government," he said in an interview after the 10th Malaysia-Thai Joint Commission Meeting here today.
Syed Hamid said no matter what Asean or others wanted Myanmar to do, the country cannot be forced into it as Myanmar also wanted to make sure its sovereignity was not jeorpardised or affected.
"There is a lot of pride in protecting sovereignity. And we also have the principle of non-interference in Asean," he said.
On the same note, Syed Hamid said it was good that Myanmar still engaged with the international community, especially with Ibrahim Gambari, a special adviser to the United Nations secretary-general, who visited Myanmar twice last year.
"Myanmar prefers to deal with the United Nations, that is good...but Myanmar is not a security issue. We tried to do something, but I don't think so Asean has it, they are more comfortable with the UN," he added.
During his visits, Gambari was allowed by Myanmar's military junta rare meetings with National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest.
On the National Convention scheduled to start on July 18, Syed Hamid said Malaysia hoped that Myanmar would be able to complete the constitution drafting process, get it approved and hold an election.
"Then they will be seen as fullfilling their move towards democracy. National reconciliation must be seen to be happening," Syed Hamid said.
The National Convention process was initiated by the military in 1992 after the 1990 general election won by the NLD but the party was not allowed to take power.
The constitution drafting process stalled in 1995 and restarted in 2004, with the last session held at the end of last year.-- BERNAMA
__________________________________A Letter From Han Yawnghew
Dear Friends,
Unfortunately those in power such as the SPDC "generals" use religion & ethnicity to divide and rule - to manipulate a fearful population to distrust each other - and to bolster their hold on power that comes out of the barrel of a gun like gangsters do.
I understand that during the time of the Constituent Assembly in 1947 after the signing of the Panglong Agreement that February & before the Union of Burma came into being in January 1948 - my father Sao Shwe Thaike was asked if the Rohingyas of Arakan are indigenous Peoples? My father, who is a Shan as am I, replied - "if the Rohingyas are not indigenous, nor am I".
There is no logical and rational reason why we should allow ourselves to be manipulated by a group of power hungry & greedy army men to perpetuate their hold on political power - that is a sourse of their disparite wealth - which they seized illegally. Such unscrupulous men will use religious worship, creed, colour, ethnicity or any differences such as education, social class, dress, speech, accents & so on between us Peoples to divide and rule.
If we allow ourselves to be so manipulated we have only ourselves to blame.
Sincerely,
Tiger Yawnghwe.
________________________________
Burma fails corruption index
Last Updated 11/07/2007, 14:25:50
A World Bank report has cited some progress in the global fight against corruption, but warns that overall problems with stability and poor governance remain entrenched in many regions. The 1996-2006 Worldwide Governance Indicators report showed a number of African countries had demonstrated progress. The United Stateswas notable for its decline in five of six areas over the 10-year span, including control of corruption and government effectiveness, and showing its sharpest decline in political stability. Finland led the pack when it came to the fight against corruption over Iceland and Denmark, while Burma, North Korea and Somalia came in last.
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Source: United Nations Secretary-General
Date: 18 Jul 2007
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As Myanmar's National Convention resumes, Secretary-General urges inclusive participatory, transparent political process
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:
The Secretary-General takes note of the resumption today of Myanmar's National Convention for its final session, as announced by the Government of Myanmar, and is closely following developments. The Secretary-General wishes to encourage the Government of Myanmar to seize this opportunity to ensure that this and subsequent steps in Myanmar's political road map are as inclusive, participatory and transparent as possible, with a view to allowing all the relevant parties to Myanmar's national reconciliation process to fully contribute to defining their country's future.
For information media • not an official record
"I have visited many refugee camps across the world, most recently in Darfur, Sudan. But the situation here (Damdamia) is worst than that," said Jaap Broersma, the MSF Head of Mission.
Sharif, a Rohingya refugee said, quote;
"Life here in the camp is no better. Hunger and disease stalk us day in and day out. Our children are growing up like dogs on the street," Sharif said last week."
"They will kill us or put us into jail for life, if we go back," said Sharif at the Kutupalong camp, 450 km from Dhaka.
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