The Narinjara News
(14-15 October 2008)
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Monks Banned from Religious Festival
Arakanese Politician Released After 22 Years
Land Owners Languish without Compensation
ALD Honors 20th Anniversary in
Six Fishermen Hospitalized, Six Missing After Pirate Attack
NEWS IN BURMESE
http://www.narinjara.com/burmese.asp
Monks Banned from Religious Festival
Arakanese Politician Released After 22 Years
Land Owners Languish without Compensation
ALD Honors 20th Anniversary in
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Narinjara News
Sittwe,
Monks Banned from Religious Festival
Many monks in Sittwe were prohibited by the authorities from
attending the full-moon religious festival that was held in the city yesterday,
said one monk.
He said, "Every year in the past, over 1,000 monks
could participate in the festival, but this year only 100 monks participated in
the festival because the authority did not allow more monks to do so."
In Sittwe,
the capital of
At the
festival, monks from monasteries in Sittwe form a procession and ceremonially
accept offerings such as food and other items from the people.
"The
authority ordered that just two monks from each monastery attend the festival
this year, and did not allow the rest of the monks to attend the festival.
So just a few monks had the opportunity to participate in the
festival," the monk said.
In Sittwe,
there are over 300 monasteries with anywhere from 10 to 1,000 monks living in
residence and studying at each one.
The
authority also did not allow the typical performance by an artist¢s troupe
during the evening of the full-moon festival due to security reasons.
The monk
said, "The authority always worries about security in Sittwe because monks
in Sittwe could stage a demonstration at anytime against the military
government."
During the
day of the full-moon many army personnel were deployed throughout Sittwe, in
response to rumors that monks were going to stage a demonstration against the
government.
One witness
said, "Over 100 armed personnel were deployed at Mizan intersection in
Sittwe on Monday night. It was intended to block monks if the staged a
demonstration on the full-moon day of Wa Kyut."
Many
Buddhist families in Sittwe were disappointed by the authority's prohibition on
monks attending the traditional religious festival, he added.
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Narinjara News
Arakanese Politician Released After 22 Years
U Khain Tun, a member of the former Arakan Communist Party,
was released from Insein Prison on Monday after completing a 22-year sentence,
said a relative.
He said, "He was released but now he needs medical
treatment as his health is not very well."
U Khaing Tun was arrested by army authorities while he was
traveling to Sittwe from
During the
occupation, ACP seized over 100 guns from the Minbya police station and took
1.6 million Burmese kyat from the bank. The Burmese army responded with
an operation against the party, and many members of the ACP were arrested and
killed by the government.
According
to local sources, over 100 villagers were killed by the Burmese army and many
women were raped by army personnel during the operation.
U Khaing
Tun was able to avoid being executed by the army because he was arrested in
sight of people in Sittwe, but he did not escape severe torture at the hands of
the authorities during his interrogation.
After being
interrogated, he was sent to Insein and sentenced to life in prison.
Authorities later reduced his term to 22 years.
"Khaing
Tun met his relatives only one time during his long prison term, but it was
arranged by the ICRC," his relative added.
U Khaing
Tun was arrested when he was 48 years old, and is now in his 70s.
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Narinjara News
Sittwe,
Land Owners Languish without Compensation
Farmland owners in
She said, "Our lands were confiscated by the authority
for oil exploration but the authority in our township promised us compensation
for our land. However, we have not yet received the compensation despite that
it has been over a year already."
The
farmland is located in Nyung Yi Chaung Village in Sittwe and totals about 16
acres. Since being confiscated it has been fenced in with barbed wire.
"The
farmland was owned by ten farmers from the village and they have not been able
to earn an income after the authority confiscated their lands," she said.
According
to a villager source, the land owners are all farmers whose survival depended
on their land. The farmers have been identified as Maung Thein, San Thein
Aung, Daw U Sein Tha, U Maung Bu, Daw NGay Ma Chay, Thein Han, Daw Yin Sein
Pru, Pho Kyaw Oo, Shwe Maung, and Maung Tun Hlaing.
A teacher
from the area told Narinjara that the authority confiscated the lands for the
Indian company Essar last year, and landowners were promised compensation for
their land.
The Indian
company Essar is now exploring for oil in three Arakan townships - Sittwe,
Rathidaung, and Ponna Kyunt - and is expected to begin drilling for oil in
these areas in the coming dry season.
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Narinjara News
ALD Honors 20th Anniversary in
The 20th anniversary of the founding of the Arakan League
for Democracy was commemorated by party members in
A party member said, "We held the ceremony at ALD
general secretary U Aye Tha Aung's house, hosting a dinner party and
get-together with politicians."
U Win Tin,
who was recently released from prison after 19 years, and Dr. Aye Myint
attended the anniversary ceremony.
A source
from the ALD said the politicians discussed many political issues related to
matters both inside and outside
The party
member said U Aye Tha Aung delivered a speech at the ceremony about the ALD
traveling the long journey for democracy in
The ALD is
one of the winning parties from the 1990 election in
Despite
this, the party has been carrying out its activities and cooperating with the
National League for Democracy. The ALD is a member of the Committee
Representing the People's Parliament, and U Aye Tha Aung is the general
secretary of the CRPP.
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Narinjara News
Sittwe,
Six Fishermen Hospitalized, Six Missing After Pirate Attack
Six fishermen from Sittwe have been hospitalized while
another six are missing after pirates attacked their fishing boats in the
He said, "Six fishermen have been hospitalized in the
Sittwe general hospital, one of them is critically injured, and six fishermen
have been missing along with the fishing boat."
Fishing boat owner Soe Than Naing from Kyaw Daw fishing
village in Sittwe was seriously injured in the attack and remains in critical
condition.
According
to a local source, the incident took place on Saturday while the men were
fishing with five boats on the sea near Kyauk Pan Du Village near Maungdaw, on
the western border of
A group of
pirates from
When
fishermen near by saw what was occurring, they attempted to flee in their
boats, but the pirates opened fire on them with hand-made machine guns.
Many fishermen were injured in the attack, and six of them were
hospitalized when they reached Sittwe.
"A
fishing boat was still missing along with six other fishermen after the
incident took place. We are anxious about them and we filed a case at the
police station in Sittwe yesterday," he said.
Pirates in
The
fisherman said, "We hope the authority will take action on the case and
will carry out proper security for Burmese fishing boats at sea."
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Narinjara
News (NN) was founded by a group of Arakanese in exile in
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