Weekly Diary, No. 286 (25 – 31 January 2008)

• RAMBO ON RAMPAGE IN BURMA!
• THE LADY FOR TRIPARTITE DIALOGUE!
• WA LEADER RETURNS!
• 100 KILLED IN SEPTEMBER!

Think Piece
In the old days, the water seller was the poorest and the most downtrodden man around. Now in Rangoon, bottled water salesmen are the elite.
_{A Rangoon resident, reportedly by Irrawaddy, 28 Jan 08}

The World
24 January 2008

Rambo starts screening in Singapore. Tickets for Sunday (27 January) sold out despite the cost of S$9.5. (Mizzima)
 
27 January 2008

Suharto, 86, former Indonesian strongman (1965-1998) passes away after years of ill health. (Agencies)
 
29 January 2008

Rambo finished a close second at the weekend box office on Sunday, $18.2 million to Meet the Spartans, $18.7 million. Spartans is popular among the young adults, while Rambo with older men. (AP)

International Relations
25 January 2008
Amnesty International (AI) says there have been 96 arrests since November, when PM Thein Sein assured Ibrahim Gambari that there would be no more arrests. (Guardian Unlimited)
 
28 January 2008
_{Ibrahim Gambari}
Ibrahim Gambari arrives in New Delhi for the second time. He is scheduled to meet Indian officials on 30 January. (Mizzima)
 
29 January 2008
_{Piero Fassino}
Piero Fassino, EU envoy for Burma, kicks off Asian tour. Following meeting with Thai PM in Bangkok, he again calls for release of Aung San Suu Kyi. (AFP)
 
30 January 2008
There are a quarter of a million children being recruited to fight in armed conflicts in violation of international law, reports Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Secretary Genera’s Special Representative on the issue.
Countries charged by the report:
Afghanistan                            Nepal
Burma                                     Philippines
Burundi                                   Somalia
Chad                                       Sudan
Central   African Republic        Sri Lanka
Colombia                                 Uganda
Congo
(UN News Center)
 
31 January 2008
International Crisis Group (ICG) calls for more “effective sanctions targeting regime leaders coupled with positive incentives for reform.” (Statement)
 
31 January 2008
About 100 were killed during the September protests, says Human Rights Watch. (AFP)

Thai-Burma Relations
23 January 2008
Soe Aung, 27, an illegal Burmese immigrant caught after he successfully sneaked through security into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport compound and managed to board the Turkish Airlines plane. (Bangkok Post)
 
26 January 2008
Thee Lay Thee and Say Yaung Zone, Burma’s well-known anyeint comedy troupe, lightens the hearts of Chiangmai’s Burmese community. (Irrawaddy)
 
29 January 2008
_{Samak Sundaravej}
Thailand’s king officially endorses “proxy” of ousted Thaksin Shinawatra, Samak Sundaravej, as the country’s new prime minister. (AP)
 
28 January 2008
300 illegal Burmese migrant workers arrested at Lai Ling garment factory in Bangkok’s Mahachai district. (DVB)
 
30 January 2008

British tourists to Thailand are being urged to boycott visits to a tribe of long-necked women in Maehongson amid allegations they are being held against their will in a “human zoo”. UN is alleging that Thai authorities are preventing 20 of them who were offered new homes in New Zealand in 2005 from leaving the country. (Telegraph UK)

Politics/ Inside Burma
23 January 2008

About 10 leading members of the 88 Generation Students group who were arrested in August charged under Section 17/20 of Burma’s Printing and Publishing Act. They include its well-known leaders Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and Min Zeya. (Irrawaddy) They could face up to 7 years in prison, according to legal sources. (Reuters)
 
27 January 2008
The NLD declared 2008 The Year for National Reconciliation on Independence Day. In contrast, the military government is frantically preparing to deal with expected public uprisings in the next future:

• Imposing measures preventing news from leaking out of jails
• Arming anti-riot units
• Training pro-junta civil organizations as main anti-riot units (“In September, the Tatmadaw was at the forefront of the crackdown. Its reputation was therefore tainted. This time USDA and SAS must be at the forefront,” instructs officials in Rangoon on 3 January)
• To target police recruiting campaigns in middle and high schools
• Order: All saffron wearers out on the streets protesting are sham monks, so they all must be subdued decisively
• Rhetoric: Special privileges will be given to non-Buddhists who agree to join the USDA and SAS

(NDD)
 
28 January 2008
Sein Win, an NLD member, teaching at a private boarding school in Pwint Phyu, Magwe division, sacked after he attended Independence day celebrations in Chauk. (DVB)
 
28 January 2008
3 monks died last September and 9 are still missing, according to the All Burma Monks Alliance (ABMA). One of them Ven Thilawuntha (Silavamsa) of Yuzana Monastery, Myitkyina, who was beaten and tortured before he died at the Myitkyina hospital. (Irrawaddy)
 
28 January 2008
Anti-SPDC posters appeared in crowded places in Taunggup early today, calling for release of political prisoners and dialogue. (Irrawaddy)
 
29 January 2008
Myanmar Times, according to last week’s issue, has thrown its support unequivocally behind the regime’s 7-point roadmap. The commentary was written by Ross Dunkley, who founded MT in 2000. (Irrawaddy)
 
30 January 2008

Aung San Suu Kyi holds 90-minute meeting, the second one since November, with 7 top members of NLD, at a heavily guarded government guesthouse. She later meets junta liaison minister Aung Kyi. “Let’s hope for the best and prepare for the worst,” she is quoted as saying afterwards. She told Aung Kyi on her 4th encounter with him on 11 January, says NLD spokesman Nyan Win, talks must include ethnic representatives. She is also not satisfied with her meetings with Aung Kyi and with the lack of time frame. (Reuters)
Aung San Suu Kyi’s concerns regarding the ongoing meetings with Aung Kyi:

• Lack of any time frame
• Most of the time is taken up on explanations and questions, such as “What is cooperation? And “What is collaboration?”
• Aung Kyi has told her to endorse the regime’s 7 point roadmap, while she has suggested an inclusive reconciliation process that includes participation by ethnic leaders
• Time is unnecessarily being drawn out; Aung Kyi says he will report her remarks to top officials and then a month goes by with no discussions

(IPS/Irrawaddy)
 
30 January 2008
U Gambira, leader of the All Burma Monks Alliance, who was arrested on 4 November, has been charged with violating Section 17/1 of the Unlawful Associations Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 3 years’ imprisonment. (DVB)
 
31 January 2008
There are at least 1,864 political prisoners in Burma in 2007, 706 more than there were in 2006. (AAPP)

Shans/ Shan State
27 January 2008
Military Affairs Security (MAS) chief Ye Myint has been meeting ceasefire group leaders at their bases:
22 January                   Shan State Army (North) at Hseng Keow
23 January                   Kokang leaders at Laokai
24 January                   Kachin Defense Army (KDA) at Kawngkha
(PDC/NCUB)
 
28 January 2008
_{Bao Youxiang}
Bao Youxiang, Wa leader who had been in poor health the past few years, has resumed his responsibilities. (SHAN)
 
29 January 2008
UN report accuses the Tatmadaw plus ethnic armed groups of recruiting children to serve as soldiers. They include:

• Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)
• Kachin Independence Army (KIA)
• Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)
• Karenni Nationalities People’s Liberation Front (KNPLF)
• Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (Kokang)
• Shan State Army (SSA) South
• United Wa State Army (UWSA)

Economy/ Business
29 January 2008
The Thai labor department has announced migrant workers who did not register last year will be able to renew their registration between 21 January and 19 February without facing a fine. Over 1.2 million migrants had registered in 2004 but only 500,000 renewed their registration last year. (DVB)
 
29 January 2008
Burma’s electric power has attracted $6.311 billion of investment as of the end 2007, Weekly Eleven News reports:
Total foreign investment $14.736 billion
Number of projects     417
Oil and gas                                          $3.243 billion
Manufacturing                                     $1.629 billion
Real Estate development                      $1.056 billion
Hotels and Tourism                              $1.034 billion
Mining                                                 $539.89 million
Livestock breeding/ Fisheries                $324.35 million
Transport and Communications             $313.27 million
In 2005-06 fiscal year, Burma absorbed $6.065 billion investment mainly coming from Thailand ($6.03 billion) for the 7,110 megawatt Tasang dam project. (Xinhua)

Human Rights
28 January 2008
In Namkham, residents are forced to contribute K2,000 per household to use for USDA uniforms at the bridge opening ceremony in February. (Mizzima/SHAN)
 
28 January 2008
Saw Khu Sae, Karen artist, who is holding a solo exhibition of his paintings in Wellington, 15-30 January, says he is donating NZD 16,000 from the sales to Burmese refugee children along the border. (Mizzima)
 
29 January 2008
Burmese blogger Nay Phone Latt arrested, prompting other bloggers in Rangoon to go into hiding. (Mizzima)
 
29 January 2008
Three members of Burmese Housewives Association (BHA), arrested 18 October 2007, charged under the Unlawful Associations Act, which carries a penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment. (DVB)

Environment
28 January 2008
_{Brig-Gen Thein Aung}
Brig-Gen Thein Aung, Minister of Forestry, who was recently visiting Kayah State, has ordered troops to crack down on illegal Thai loggers. (Bangkok Post)

Drugs

War
29 January 2008
The latest offensive against the Karens since late 2006 has resulted in 370 villagers killed and 30,000 displaced. (VOA)
 
31 January 2008
_{Htain Maung}
Col Ler Mu, son in law of Htain Maung, KNLA’s former 7th Brigade commander, who had made peace with the Burma Army, killed while sleeping at a communications office near the breakaway group’s HQ. No date provided. (Irrawaddy)