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BURMA DIGEST

A Journal for Democracy & Human-Rights in Burma,

Published Weekly Online       18.12.2005

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Contents     [ GLOBAL EFFORTS FOR HUMAN-RIGHTS ]

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English Language Section

I. "The World As ONE": Editorial

II. "Kaleidoscope"_ Least Democratic & Most Oppressive Burma, Dirty List, ......

III. "New Name For Regime Supporters"_ Satire: Baydin Sayar

IV. "Silent Killing Fields"_ Photo Story: Christ Sinclair

V. "ASEAN Summit Protestors Arrested" _ Photos courtesy of: Naing Linn & Zaw Myo Lwin

VI. "Myanmar Refugee Pilot Project Proposal"_ Shwe Ba

VII. "ASEAN Pressure: Rhetoric or Reality" _ Ko Sa La

VIII. "A Humorous Research" _ Comrade Day (& Nai Min Kyaw)

Burmese Language Section

VIII. "Time To Change" _ Lwin Aung Soe

IX. "Thank You ASEAN"_ Nyunt Baung

X. "Ready for Victory"_ Poem: Hein Naing

XI. "Dried Stream"_ Shwe Bo Thar

XII. "Opinion Garden"_ Ko Aung Hti, Zar Ga, Bogyoke, ASEAN leaders, NDD,....

Contact, Comment & Contribute
                                 Your comments are always welcome. And please accept Burma Digest's invitations for your English or Burmese articles for our next issues. To contact Burma Digest Team : _

Patron

Prof. Kanbawza Win

Board of Advisors

Ko Htun Aung Gyaw, Sai Wan Sai, Ko Sa La, Dr. David Law, Dr. Win Naing (NLD/LA/UK)

Editorial Team

Tayza Thuria, Zay Ya and May(Blog Editor)

Contact

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Editorial: The World As ONE

                   They say these days that "The world has become a village". If so, it must be that the WORLD has become rather a democratic village with a keen spirit to make united efforts for improvement of human-rights in every part of the village.

                  Now, for the first time ever in history, Burma's deteriorating human-rights and humanitarian conditions have been discussed in United Nations Security Council. It's just an informal discussion_ but even for a thousand miles journey, we have to make with a single first step.

                 On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, another wonderful development is happening at the East Asian Summit. Breaking their tradition of sinful silence or non-interference, Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) voiced their concerns about Burma's lack of progress in democratization process and continuing ruthless oppression on pro-democracy politicians.

                 Now, an envoy from ASEAN will go to Burma and, hopefully, push the military regime towards democratic reforms.

                 And, on the whole world stage, we can trust our American and British friends that they will persuade UNSC to make a formal discussion on Burma and to take necessary actions later on.

                 These international efforts are very crucial for our democracy movement because our movement is surviving mainly in exile only_ inside Burma, all credible and important pro-democracy activists are in jail; some of them had died under torture, and some broken down under torture and already given up their fighting spirits for democracy. The movement is thriving only in exile with the help and support from our international friends.

                Previously, Burmese people suffered silently 30 long years under the cruelties of former dictator Ne Win without much recognition and sympathy from outside world. Nowadays, the whole world is uniting behind us for a democratic change in Burma. The only difference is that we have a credible and very active pro-democracy movement in exile this time.

                So, who knows, with the well-concerted international efforts we may be able to drive military Generals to round table dialogue with pro-democracy and ethnic leaders to make honest negotiations for true democracy and sincere federalism in Burma.

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KALEIDOSCOPE

Least Democratic & Most Oppressive BURMA

US State Department reported Burma as most oppressive country along with China, Cuba and North Korea.

London-based World Audit Organization ranked Burma as 150th, the very rock bottom, in the ranking of democracy status of world's countries.

NEW DIRTY LIST PUBLISHED

The Burma Campaign UK has published a new edition of the 'Dirty List', which exposes companies directly or indirectly funding the regime in Burma. A total of 101 companies feature on the list. You can view the list at: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/dirty_list/dirty_list.php

UNSC Briefing

Council members heard a briefing from a senior UN official and held talks behind closed doors.

The UK ambassador to the UN said that despite disagreement over whether Burma was a threat to peace and security, all showed concern about the situation.

Burma is not on the Security Council agenda and cannot be discussed in regular meetings, or be the subject of resolutions.

Burma has managed to stay off the UN Security Council's agenda but it did not stop this rare discussion of the Burmese government's record.

The under-secretary general for political affairs, Ibrahim Gambari, told council members in a closed meeting that despite hopes of reform the past year had proven very disappointing.

More than 1,000 political prisoners are still detained, the council heard.

[Comment by Sai Wan Sai: Junta's apologist might find consolation in the fact that the recent discussion is non-binding and informal. But the fact is that the democratic opposition camp as a whole is gaining momentum and the informal briefing in the UNSC is a good start. Half a loaf is better than no bread, so goes the saying. Who knows that we won't be getting the whole loaf of bread sooner than later.

Below are few lines of recent, update report for your inputs. One of the conditions imposed by China and like-minded countries was that the Security Council discussion of Myanmar be a one-time event. Discussions regarding politically sensitive situations in Sudan and Zimbabwe faced similar resistance by China and Russia, which generally object to interference in a country's internal affairs, as well as African countries. But Britain and the U.S. slipped them onto the agenda, and now problems in both African countries are being addressed by the council. ]

ETHNIC NATIONALITIES COUNCIL (Union of Burma) Statement

   ENC Welcomes ASEAN��s Effort to Resolve the Political Crisis in Burma

    The Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC) welcomes ASEAN��s call for therelease of political prisoners and for democratic reform in Burma.

   ENC Chairman, Saw Ba Thin Sein, congratulates the political courage shown bythe ASEAN leaders. I am glad Burma has come to the attention of ASEAN. It islong overdue, he said. It is good for the entire region that ASEAN hasfinally abandoned its policy of non-interference in the internal affairs ofmember states and is pressing the military regime to release politicalprisoners and institute democratic reforms in our country.

Rohingya Youth Development Forum Statement on International Human Rights Day

Today, people in all across the world are celebrating the International Human Rights Day 2005 in the fifty-seven years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights prohibited all forms of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, torture remains unacceptably common. Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF), Arakan-Burma warmly welcomes and salutes.

The theme of this year is denoted as: "Torture and Global Efforts to Combat It " which has been going on in the world by various states.

This is an opportunity of the people of the world to express rights and to call upon the international community to ensure the basic and fundamental rights of those who have been denying meeting the framework.

Being a member state, the Burma has been involved in gross human rights violation and deliberately ignoring the calls of international community for the political reforms in the country, even criticize the report of world leaders the former Czech President Vaclav Havel and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu, titled "Threat to the Peace: A Call for the UN Security Council to Act in Burma".

The scheme of Burmese military regime is likely total ignorance to the world that has been grossly violating legitimate rights for equality, liberty and fraternity, including citizenship, of various ethnic groups that have been living in Burma.

As part of a highly orchestrated and criminal government strategy to deny legitimate rights to the minorities, the State Peace & Development Council (SPDC) regime uses rape, humiliation, torture, arbitrary arrest, extra judicial killing, forced relocation, taxation, ethnic, religious and racial discrimination against the ethnic minority people as weapons of war towards ethnic cleansing in Burma. The situation includes many ethnic groups like the Kuki, Naga, Pa-o, Palaung, Rohinger etc. in many parts of the country.

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Satire: New Name for Regime Supporters

Dear Comrades,
Here is an excerpt:

....."Southeast Asian Countries Slam Burma's Regime, Demand Change ...........
================================Monday, December 12th, 2005"

This issue is saying that the nations of ASEAN such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines are now condemning SPDC, Burma's military regime.

You recall my satirical acronym:
Sons -- Singapore
Of    -- Other ASEAN countries
A     -- Asian, e.g.. Japan
B     -- Bengladesh
I     -- India
T     -- Thai
CH    -- CHina

In my previous satire, I had said because of the SOABITCH neighbors of Burma, SPDC continues to flourish and thrive.
Well, it appears that now the SonsOf the BITCH are beginning to see the light. [the nations of ASEAN such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines are now condemning SPDC]
But the BITCH itself is still acting like the slut she is.
The BITCH nations are still eager and willing to prostitute their national prestige and honor in return for fat profits from SPDC.
Now that I cannot include the "SONS of A-" I'll have to think of a new acronym.

......Okay. here is the NEW one.

The "ARSE-ITCH" entities. (Phin-Yah)

A--certain AMERICAN companies (e.g., that public relations firm that changed the SLORC name to SPDC. That gas company and that damn computer company which sold them equipment to screen the internet. etc.

R--RUSSIA. -- the expensive nuclear reactor & jetfighters that starve our people. The continued Russian support that props up SPDC.

SE--SELECTIVE EUROPEAN companies in France, and East Europe that have sold weapons and given support to SPDC.

ITCH -- India, Thai, China

ITCH is probably the worse 3 out of all.
If we can get the ITCH to go away, then most of our problems with SPDC will be solved.
Which one is worse? ARSE or ITCH?
IF the ITCH can be stopped and only the ARSE remains, can we deal with it? I think we can. But preferably, both should be eliminated.

Remember what Bogyoke Aung San said about teamwork rowing. Just because we are close or closer to our goal_ the UN & ASEAN is puting immense pressure on SPDC for democratic changes_ means we should not raise our oars and relax. We should keep on using our oars.

In this case, because of the ARSE-ITCH, we should all keep on using our oars to poke that ARSE and stop that ITCH, and then all our troubles will come to an end.

Let us continue to demonstrate, activate, and pressure the nations and selective companies of the ARSE-ITCH.

So, Listen to our Beloved Bogyoke Aung San, and keep using our rowing oars!

Baydin Sayar

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"Silent Killing Fields"

The Shan people, Burma's largest minority, numbering nearly 6 million, reside at the heart of what human rights groups consider to be today's "silent killing fields". Their dreams of an independent Shan nation were shattered by a 1962 military coup that has resulted in the world's longest-standing ethnic insurgency. To cut off popular support for the Shan rebel groups, hundreds of thousands of Shan families are being driven at gunpoint from their ancestral lands in the Shan State, Burma's largest ethnic state. Seeking asylum in neighboring Thailand, they remain the only minority not granted legal status as refugees by Thai authorities. Scraping out their existence on construction sites, farms and orchards in the north, they have emerged exploited and marginalized, citizens of no land.

See Photos at http://www.tayzathuria.org.uk/bd/2005/12/18/4.htm

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ASEAN SUMMIT PROTESTORS ARRESTED

[Courtesy of Naing Linn & Zaw Myo Lwin]

Even before they could unfurl their banners, the police swooped in and arrested six people who attempted to stage a protest close to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre where the 11th Asean Summit is being held.

The would-be protest, initiated by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) members, had aimed to highlight the regional grouping�s failure to address certain crucial issues.
At about 11am, as the protestors were gearing up to send their message from the nearby KLCC park, some 30 police personnel moved in and arrested them.

Within 10 minutes, it was all over.

Those arrested were PKR information chief Tian Chua, party workers Jasmine Ng and Ginie Lim, activist Fiqtriey al-Hakim and Burmese nationals Kolatt Aung Lwin and Jadoi.

The two Burmese were arrested inside the KLCC shopping complex while the others were nabbed outside.

The organisers had earlier predicted a turnout of about 100 people.

The six were then taken to the Pudu police station and released at 5pm on police bail. They are required to report at the same police station on Dec 22.

See Photos at http://www.tayzathuria.org.uk/bd/2005/12/18/5.htm

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Proposal to set up

Myanmar Refugee/Migrant pilot Project

as A test case to settle

Contents

Summary

A.Diaspora

B.Traditional ineffective process

C.Analysis of problems arising from present system

D.Almost impossible to improve Burma/Myanmar�s political situation

E.Our proposal

F. Possible benefits to all parties

G. Appendixes:

      1.   From �Brain Drain� to �Brain Gain�

            2.   Another testimony of benefit to host country

.

A. Summary

To solve the Burmese/Myanmar refugee problem, and illegal or undocumented labour problem, as well as to solve similar refugee problems around the world, UNHCR, UN and Host Governments should look at this problem from an out-of-the-box, unorthodox angle.

1. Request UNHCR to issue Certificate of Identity in lieu of International Passports for all refugees all over the world, and in particular, to start this pilot project with Burmese Refugees and Burmese illegal immigrants without much differentiation or discrimination whether they are political or economic migrants.

2. UNHCR should open vocational training and language training centres according to the demand for manpower.

3. UNHCR should form a manpower training, management and supply company and negotiate with multinational companies and countries around the world to which to ultimately export this trained manpower.

B. Diaspora

This is the recently popularised word describing the phenomenon of dispersal of people, to describe the basic process, pattern, cause and effects of migrations of people.

The dispersed people may be categorised as follows:

1.      Professional and investor migration

2.      Documented labour migration

3.      Refugees and asylum seekers

4.      Undocumented or illegal immigrants

5.      Various economic migrants

According to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, �a refugee is a person, who owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country�.

However, none of Burma's immediate neighbours are parties to the (1951 Refugee) Convention, nor have they ever officially recognized the refugees.

In addition, this definition even fails to include the internally displaced persons.

It is very difficult to clearly differentiate the real refugees from the so-called economic migrants. There is a very thin and faint line between these two categories.

With the present situation in Burma, we have to think whether we really can or need to clearly differentiate them. We should consider and see this from a holistic viewpoint, not only in Burma but also in other countries where similar widespread socio-economic problems originated in political conditions which are difficult to resolve.

C. Traditional INEFFECTIVE process

1.      Asylum seekers are put into refugee camps that are managed by host governments and UNHCR.

2.   2.      After a long wait for the interviews and some investigations, the refugees are issued with Refugee certificates.

3.      The authorities search for third countries in which to send and settle the refugees. These countries are only willing to accept a limit ed number of refugees.

4.      In cases where the present refugees entered illegally, request the host country to convert them into a legal work force.

5.      Repatriate or re-settle refugees back int o their country of origin, after prolonged negotiations or after the conflict has been controlled. Continuously support and monitor their conditions there.

(a) These measures help part of the problems but are very slow and time-consuming, which result in frustration and anger from the refugees as well as from the host countries.

        We should not forget that the Palestinians are still in the UNHCR camps after 50 long years and although UNHCR had to spend a lot of money, the condition of the refugees in those camps is deplorable. Burmese refugee camps near the Thai-Burma and Bangladesh-Burma borders are in worse conditions and refugees are not happy with their status.

(b) UNHCR is slow to accept, register, interview and process applicants for settlement in third countries.

(c) Host countries are reluctant to allow the UNHCR protected persons to stay and work freely in their countries before resettlement in a third country, for the following reasons:

i.                     They fear that those UNHCR card-holders would permanently stay in the host country.

ii.                   Thei r citizens, especially the Labour Unions, are against allowing the illegals or refugees to work in their country. They would not be able to compete with the refugees who are willing to do 3D jobs with low salaries.

(d) In Malaysia, Thailand and Burma�s western neighbour countries, UNHCR has stopped new registrations at the present time.

(e) Without the UNHCR Card, Malaysian government enforcement agencies refuse to recognize the refugee status of the refugees and arrest them as illegal immigrants. Presently, the Malaysian government accepts the UNHCR Cards but they could change their acceptance criteria later, once UNHCR freely issues them without follow-up programmes to quickly resettle the refugees in third countries. The Dilemma now is that the Malaysian authorities are willing to accept UNHCR registration but UNHCR has stopped all new registrations. UNHCR seems to have problems getting third countries that are willing to accept refugees and grant them full rights.

(f)    There are about one million refugees, asylum seekers and illegal workers in

        Burma's neighbouring countries and elsewhere:

�        In Malaysia, 15,000 Rohingyas, 5,000 Chins and 20,000 Burmese Muslims

�        In Thailand, 400,000 Shans, Mons, and Karens

�        In Bangladesh, 120,000 - 220,000 Rohingyas and other races

�        In India, 50,000 Chins and other races

�        There are a lot of illegal immigrants from Burma around the world, e.g. Japan, Korea, Taiwan, USA, Australia, Europe and also in the abovementioned neighbours. Host governments do not seem very eager to settle the refugee problems so that they could continue putting pressure on the origin or source country. Arabs seem to keep the Palestinians as refugees to put pressure on Israel and to leverage world opinion. (This is only my personal view and even if it is right, there are many people who agree with that idea.)

        Ethnic and religious links seem to play little or no part in the negotiations when considering the re-settlement of Burmese refugees.   Refugees like the Burma�s Shans in Thailand (who are known as Thai Yai, meaning Big T hai) are likewise cold-shouldered by the hosts. Thais do not wish to keep their ethnically similar Buddhist brothers, Shans, Mons and Karens. (There are Buddhist and Christian Karens.) Some historians have commented that Thais seem to have a hidden agenda in keeping their cousins, some of whom are rebels, as a buffer against their strong Burmese enemy. This has been going on for few centuries.

        Chins in India are related to the Mizorams and Rohingyas (who are closely related to Chittagonians) in Bangladesh, and Burmese Muslims in Malaysia also are facing the same problems with their ethnic and religious �brothers�.

(g) Because of all these problems, it was no wonder that at the meeting organized among Altsean-Burma, Burma Border Consortium, Burma Issues, Forum Asia, Jesuit Refugee Service and Non-Violence International, which coincided with the visit to Pang Tractor refugee camp in Maehongson by Rev Jesse Jackson, the scathing remarks of Sunai Phasuk from The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (better known as Forum Asia) were made:

�UN High Commissioner on Refugees is doing little to protect its charges."

Dr Mark Tamthai of Thailand's National Security Council (NSC) supported Sunai Phasuk�s attack.

        Ms Kirsten Young from the UNHCR's Bangkok regional office lamely replied that "refugee protection is mainly state responsibility."

D.       analysis of Problems arising from the pr esent system

1.     UNHCR has to take time for the interviews and to undertake investigations to certify that the person is a real refugee or a person of concern. It is not easy to differentiate the real refugees from economic migrants. As almost the whole population of Burma is suffering under the cruel, autocratic Junta, we hope it is not necessary to differentiate between these two categories because the line between them is very thin. If we do away with this differentiation, the resettlement process will be faster. We all know that it would open the floodgates and tremendously increase the exodus of the people from Burma. I will give my views and answer later in this proposal.

2.     UNHCR has to search for a third party/country which is willing to accept asylum seekers as full-fledged refugees with all the rights including their welfare and citizenship etc.

3.     Host countries are not happy if UNHCR just issues a lot of certificates but fail to follow up with quick repatriation of all the refugees to a third country. They are worried that those UNHCR recognized refugees would stay on indefinitely in their country and they would ultimately have to accept their offspring and descendents as their citizens. Before that, there may also be a lot of social, political, economic problems arising from the refugees. To highlight a few: competing in the labour market with locals, intermarriage with locals, burden on locals� health, housing, and infrastructure, and some increase in criminal activities.

4.    4.   Refugees are not happy with the almost endless delays for each and every step of the above process. They are angry and frustrated with the constant �harassments� of raids, detention, deportation and terrible conditions in the various detention centres. Not only are the living conditions bad, there is no proper planning for language and vocational training there. There is not much hope for their children�s future education and development.

5.     Refugees accepting re-settlement in third countries have limited fund allocations and face an almost strict quota of accepted persons. In democracies, host countries have to consider the sensitivities of their voters.

We all know that the above facts prove that we have to change the present status quo. Then we have to think about ways to improve the socio-economic changes in Burma/Myanmar or consider a �Regime Change�. This is also not practical and an almost impossible task in the near future. We would like to explain this in the following section.

E.        Almost impossible to improve Burma/Myanmar�S POLITICAL SITUATION

First of all, we have to accept that we cannot do anything to improve the political conditions in Burma.

1. No country is willing to wage a war for a �REGIME CHANGE� in Burma/Myanmar. If not for the 9-11 tragedy and the bad experience of expensive, bitter, and protracted rebellions in Iraq, there would be hope for more aggressive action by the US in ~~Burma~~.

2. China India and ASEAN countries, especially Thailand are not only on the J unta�s side but are also protecting them from the West�s economic sanctions and political attacks.

�    We still remember the days after the 1967 anti-Chinese riots and the killing of thousands of Chinese in Yangon. Communist China gave full support to the Burmese Communist Party. There were rumours, surely over-exaggerated, that 100,000 Red Army soldiers �deserte d� the Chinese Army, wore the new Wa rebel uniforms, and joined the Burma Communist compatriots. They failed to dislodge the Junta.

�    India�s few decades of support to the pro-democracy forces also failed.

�    It was reported in the Burmese newspapers that Burma�s last democratically elected Prime Minister U Nu had decided to return to Burma after abandoning his Government in exile in Thailand. The Burmese newspapers alleged that the neighbour�s Deputy Defence Minister offered full financial and military support if U Nu agreed to allow Shan State to join their country after independence. This may be also have been a lie to drum up the nationalist spirit of Burmans to support the unpopular Military government.

Important Note: we are not revealing or repeating the above rumours and unfounded allegations to accuse any country, nor do we even wish to know the truth. (Some of us may even wish for this kind of external help nowadays.) We only wish to prove that even under these adverse conditions, there was no successful regime change. Further, with the present reversal of conditions of switching supports by all Burma�s neighbours, it is almost impossible to topple the Junta.

3. The Burmese people�s popular uprising on 8^th. August 1988, famously dubbed the 8888 movement, and subsequent election victory of NLD also could not do more than dent the international image of the Junta.

4. ASEAN�s constructive engagement, USA and EU led economic sanctions, and UN Secretary General Kofi Anan�s representative Tan Sri Razali Ismail�s attempts also failed badly.

5. Even if NLD got the chance to f orm a government and democracy prevails, the Ethnic Minority and minority Religions would continue to suffer the discriminations of their Big Brother, the Burman Buddhists.

6. Even if all transferring of power could be smooth and rapid, it would take at least a generation to change the habits and mindsets of the government and private sector employees, and to rebuild the economic infrastructure to be on par with that of the developing neighbours�.

    7,   Myanmar�s crippling economy and stifled demands for political and economic reforms will fuel more racial violence in the near future. The Military government may incite racial and religious hatred in order to take advantage and profit from the riots. Both sides will promote this with their own agendas. The Government will try to divert the attention of the people�s hatred and anger directed to them. They need a scapegoat for their economic and political failures. It will succeed as this divide-and-rule policy is a well-tested and effective policy. In addition, it will also show all the minorities that the government is their protector. At the same time, the government can prove that they were needed to unite the country and for the maintenance of internal peace. The bogeyman is needed to drum up support for them and all the people are coerced to unite behind the Military leaders. The anti-migrant policy, anti-foreigner policy, foreign threats, Communists and western countries� imperialist plots, and danger of racial and religious riots, are used effectively and successfully by numerous dictators all over the world.

8. Most of the governments around the world never try to understand the very reasons many Burmese Citizens of all races and religions wish to leave their country in the first instance. To state a few:

�        Racial and religious discriminatory policies that suck the life out of minority ethnic and religious groups, sometimes amounting to ethnic cleansings.

�        Cruel and lawless Military dictators� oppressive and ever changing unjust laws, created according to their whims and fancies.

�        The lopsided military-appointed eunuch judiciary who is always loyal and obedient to the Military rulers.

      Widespread corruption, abuse of power and absence of accountability at each and every level of the government machinery.

�        The police also ignore the rule of law but rule by the law, ordered by their army masters.

�        Dozens of local armed militia groups signed peace treaty with the army, and the still active Ethnic Minority rebels at the Burma borders are also crushing the people from other side.

�        There may be not an obvious war but there are internal conflicts or rebellions as well as a lot of internally displaced persons in Burma.

�        Numerous restrictions on the people�s daily life, travel, investments, trade, monetary policy, transport of goods, import/export, religion, education, etc. are pushing the people to their limits.

9.            As long as there is no respect for the RIGHTS OF ETHNIC MINORITIES AND DISCRIMINATIONS against the minority religions, there is no hope of stopping people leaving Myanmar. Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002) wrote: "... today's human rights violations are the causes of tomorrow�s conflicts.�

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples a nd all nations.

On the 50^th Anniversary of this Declaration, UN Security General Kofi Annan said:

   �Human Rights are foreign to no culture and native to all Nations. It is a mirror that at once flatters us and shames us, that bears witness to a record of progress for parts of humanity while revealing a history and reality of horrors for others.�

"It was never the people who complained of the universality of human rights, nor did the people consider human rights as a Western or Northern imposition. It was often their leaders who did so."

After looking at the above quotations, real conditions in Burma/Myanmar and the people�s plight, we do not need to give any further evidence to convince the reader that there are a lot of problems going on in Burma/Myanmar that are almost impossible to solve or change, and no one can prevent the people�s flight out of the country.

         SHWE BA (To be continued next week)

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ASEAN Pressures Burma: "Rhetoric" or "Reality"

Nevertheless it is a self evident of positive response to the pressure from West



  In the last week, whilst the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair engages in sorting out the European Union budget under UK presidency of EU, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Chairman of the 11th ASEAN Summit and the Prime Minister of Malaysia use the summit to call for the military junta of Burma to release it's political prisoners and expedite the democratisation processes.

"We noted the increased interest of the international community on developments in Myanmar. In this context, we took note of the briefing by Myanmar on the latest developments in the implementation of its Roadmap to Democracy. We encouraged Myanmar to expedite the process and welcomed the invitation by Myanmar to the Foreign Minister of Malaysia in his capacity as Chairman of the ASEAN Standing Committee to visit Myanmar to learn first-hand of the progress. We also called for the release of those placed under detention " states in the Chairman's statement.

No doubt, journalists covering the 11 ASEAN Summit say the direct wording unusually showed Asean's members were no longer hiding frustration at Burma. The statement seems to be carefully worded in order to avoid embarrassing the junta. Not obsessively over reading between the lines of the statement, the international "concerns" is substituted with "international community interest" as UN Security Council plans to discuss Burma's crisis and obviously "political prisoners" including Aung San Suu Kyi is replaces with "those placed under detention".

Hopefully, the Malaysian prime minister Abdullah, who is also know with his nickname in Malay's circle as "Pak Lah" (means uncle in Malay) is not teaching Than Shew the military junta of Burma some dirty tricks of stage craft politics. Uncle Abdullah's mentor Mahathir is well trained in playing in dirty politics of getting successfully elected for eternity by his party the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). Uncle Abdullah may have been a bureaucrat by career all his life but he did manage to release his imprisoned ex colleague Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar, the Aung San Suu Kyi of Malaysia imprisoned as his popularity rose within UMNO and the country and hence threatened Mahathir's power position.

Asean also requires to improve it's image in the international regionalism political arena as the most of it's members states are run by "roughs" or less transparent governments. Burma as a member country can be used as a most cost effective way of dressing up the institution's profile as organisation of responsible member states. Malaysia and Thailand are keen to push for a closer co-operation between Asean and China with worst human rights record. Over the weekend the Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thai-love-Thai party also jumped on the bandwagon of Burma by offering to host the failed Road Map to Democracy process meeting in Bangkok. Thaksin also need to improve his image in the West for his sins of turning his country into a "police state". The ex-police lieutenant Thaksin Shinawatra is criticised at home for curbing the media freedom and his heavy- handed approach in dealing with Islamic extremism. Thaksin is also accused by his critic for over-extending country's trade relations with China. Thaksin may be in the mission to change Thai-love-Thai party to Thai-love-China party.

Looking more closely to Burma, the fear mounts on Burmese democracy activists within a past few days as the junta desperately pushes to improve it's international image by a stage craft the democratisation process, reconvening the National Convention without Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD the party which won majority seats in the multiparty democracy election. The Asean's involvement in Burma is significant for Burmese military junta in terms of gaining legitimacy in the international political arena. It would be a grate seal of approval in fending off the UN Security Council's criticism and demand for UN monitoring process. The last thing the junta wants is the "blue" beret UN Peace Keeping force in Burma. The Blue Beret would seriously undermine the legitimacy of junta's green beret with rifle piston in the firing position.

In a desperate attempt to legitimise it's power in the international circle, the junta can use the rubber stamp National Convention to call for and election and use dirty tricks of UMNO party of Malaysia to get the United Solidarity Development Association elected with corrupt coalition from various groups. The Asean monitoring team lead by the Malaysian foreign minister is yet to be seen as transparent in their investigating of "democratic process" in Burma. The big question is Syed Hamid Albar allegedly corruptible as Razali Ismail, Malaysian UN envoy to Burma whose IT company gained contract for micro-chip Burmese passports.

The Asean's subtle pressure and demand on the Burmese junta came days after the Amnesty International's human rights report on Burma. The Burmese democracy campaigners around the world can cautiously have a cause to celebrate the fruits for their lobbying activities. No matter how subtle the demand is the Asean seem to have began their grip on Burma. The international pressure does appear to work in getting some positive response from the junta and their friends in the neighbouring countries. The pressure upon junta is looming as UN Security Council prepares to discuss the crisis in Burma. Uncle Abdullah the Malaysian Prime Minster and Chair of ASEAN should be a good uncle to the people

(Message over 64k, truncated.)

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