The Narinjara News

(2^nd June 2009)

www.narinjara.com

 

 

NEWS IN ENGLISH

 

Youth trial 7 Months after Incident

Need for political change in Burma for regional stability: Thai FM

120 Burmese Families Arrive to Settle in Maungdaw

 

 

NEWS IN BURMESE

http://www.narinjara.com/burmese.asp

 

An Arakanese Migrant worker killed on Thai-Malaysia border

35 marks of founding ceremony of ALA held in Thai-Burma border

120 Burmese Families Arrive to Settle in Maungdaw

Burmese Army on High Alert after Unidentified Reconnaissance Plane Spotted

 

 

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Narinjara News

Dhaka, 2 June 2009

 

Youth trial 7 Months after Incident

 

24-year-old Tun Aye Kyaw from the central Arakan town of Min Bya is scheduled to appear before the Min Bya Township court on 4 June for an incident that took place in the town seven months ago.

 

A relative of the youth confirmed the court date for Narinjara, saying, “He will be put on trial before the court on 4 June. Army official Major Naing Win Aye filed charges at the police station that he disturbed the army official's duty."

 

In November 2008, an incident occurred in Min Bya in which local youths and army officials clashed after the officials attacked the youth. Several Arakanese youth, including Tun Aye Kyaw, were severely injured. Tun Aye Kyaw was moved to the Sittwe hospital from Min Bya due to the seriousness of his injuries.

 

According to a local source, the conflict broke out after some inebriated army officials assaulted a bicycling youth in the town on 11 November, 2008. Local elders intervened and stopped the fighting. 

 

However, a group of ten army officials and 20 soldiers, led by Major Naing Win Aye, Deputy Commander of Light Infantry Battalion 379 based on the outskirts of Min Bya, entered the town again at night in army vehicles to attack the local youths.

 

One witness said the army vehicles sped through the streets of the town with their lights turned off, attacking and beating whoever they happened to find. Many local youths who were out at night were injured in the attack.

 

The army officials also tried to bring about ten youths to army headquarters in their vehicles for interrogations. At the time, many residents from the town came out into the streets and surrounded the army vehicles to rescue the youths from the officials. The youths were kicked out into the streets in front of the police station.

 

Among the youths attacked, seven were hospitalized immediately with serious injuries. The hospitalized youth are: Tun Aye Kyaw, son of U Tha Tun Ha; Maung Hla San, son of U Aung Tha Kyaw; Pho Hla Pyi, son of U Nga Mae Daung; Nyi Nyi Aung, son of U Kyaw Wa; U Tun Lin, son of U Tun Aye Maung; Nyi Nyi So, son of U Wa Lon Chay and Aung Thein Win. Tun Aye Kyaw was transferred to the Sittwe hospital after a day.

 

The parents of Tun Aye Kyaw are government civil servants and his mother, Daw Aye Khin Nyo, is Chief Auditor of the Township.

 

Tun Aye Kyaw's mother Daw Aye Khin Nyo was displeased with the attack on her son and tried to bring charges at the police station against the eight army officials who led the attack.

 

The eight army officials she tried to charge are Major Naing Win Aye, Captain Zaya Tun from LIB 379, Lieutenant Aung Pyo Thu from LIB 370, Lieutenant Kyaw Naing Soe from LIB 379, Lieutenant Si Thu Aung from LIB 379, Lieutenant Aung Moe Htut from LIB 379, Lieutenant Kan Min Zaw from LIB 379, and Lieutenant Soe Pai Oo from LIB 541.

 

Police officers in Min Bya refused to accept the charges because army officials pressured the police chief, who transferred into his work in the police department after serving in the army and is close associate of Major Naing Win Aye. 

 

The day after the incident a team of senior army officials from Western Command based in Ann came to Min Bya to deal with the problem. They invited Tun Aye Kyaw's parents to army headquarters and pressured them not to act against officials on the case.

 

Tun Aye Kyaw's parents finally withdrew their file for charges against the army officials because they feared losing their government jobs.

 

When Tun Aye Kyaw arrived back home from his hospital stay in Sittwe, Major Naing Win Aye filed charges against the youth at the police station, claiming he had interfered with his service of duty.

 

The relative of Tun Aye Kyaw said, "It is Burma and the Burmese army is above the law in our country. The township court summoned Tun Aye Kyaw on 4 June to hear the charges. We do not know what will happen on that day. We can tell you details after Tun Aye Kyaw's case is heard in court on 4 June."

 

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Narinjara News

Dhaka, 2 June 2009

 

 

Need for political change in Burma for regional stability: Thai FM

 

Political change in military-ruled Myanmar was "very much needed" for regional stability, said Kasit Piromya Foreign Minister of Thailand yesterday. 

 

Piromya was holding a joint-press briefing with Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni at the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry office in Dhaka yesterday. The Thai FM was on a two-day official visit.

 

"Changes in Myanmar are very much needed. It is not only a necessity for the security of Myanmar but also for all the neighbouring countries including Bangladesh and Thailand," Piromya said.

 

The Thai minister said changes in Myanmar would resolve the issues of internally displaced Myanmarese along the Bangladesh-Myanmar and Myanmar-Thailand borders.

 

He, however, avoided comment to the Press on the affect the trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi by the Burmese junta would have on regional stability.

 

U Maung Aye Chan, a senior Arakanese politician in Cox’sbazar said the Thai FM is also likely to discuss the trial of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Insein prison because ASEAN and other neighbours of Burma are being criticized by western countries and international human rights organizations for its failure to pressurize the Burmese military regime for political reforms.

 

Thailand has also been severely criticized by the international community and human rights organizations for putting Rogingya boat people, who come by boat, adrift at sea in engineless boats.

  

On the Rohingya issue, Piromya said that Thailand is ready to work with Bangladesh on repatriation of Rohingya refugees.

 

“It is a common problem for the two countries next to Myanmar,” Piromya said.

 

Both the foreign ministers felt that the two countries should convince the Burmese military authorities that the Bangladesh-Myanmar Road is "a more viable" route for the proposed Asian Highways to connect Thailand to western countries.

 

The Thai Foreign Minister added that Bangladesh and Thailand could easily be connected by road via Burma. The road will help the two countries economically.  

 

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Narinjara News

Maungdaw, 2 June 2009

 

 

120 Burmese Families Arrive to Settle in Maungdaw

 

120 ethnic Burman families from Burma proper arrived at Maungdaw today to settle four model villages that are among 29 model villages Burmese military authorities have set up along the western border since the early 1990s. 

 

A government official said, "They arrived at our town this morning and many government officials from several departments in Maungdaw went to the district hall to welcome them there."

 

Among the 120 families are 179 men and 121 women. The model villagers will be placed at four model villages in Maungdaw Township - in Taungbro (left), Loang Don, Aung Tha Ya, and Kharay Myint.

 

"This is the second time Burman settlers have arrived in Maungdaw Township within this year, and most of the settlers during this time are likely to be released prisoners and retired police officials from the former capital Rangoon," he said.

 

In January, a group of about 500 settlers arrived in Maungdaw to settle in model villages located along the western Burmese border near Bangladesh.

 

A member of the ward council in Maungdaw said township authorities forcibly collected 50,000 kyats from each ward in the town of Maungdaw to support the model villagers, particularly for buying kitchen materials like pots, plates, and flatware. 

 

In the past, the Burmese army undertook the work of constructing and settling model villages, but the responsibility has now shifted to the home ministry. Because of this change, township authorities are now collecting money from local village and ward councils for the settlers.

 

In northern Arakan State, there are over 40 model villages so far that have been built by military authorities and settled with ethnic Burmans.

 

A villager in the region said that both local Buddhists and Muslims are displeased with the settlers from Burma proper because they sometimes engage in unsocial activities.

 

 

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Narinjara News (NN) was founded by a group of Arakanese in exile in Bangladesh from Burma in 2001 seeking to voice for the people depriving of human and democratic rights and to pave the way for them who are struggling for those rights. The Narinjara News is an independent organization, not affiliated with any political party or organization. Any opinion or advice relating to our News Agency is warmly welcomed and please email to: narinjara@...

                                                         

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