New Footage on Burma's Protests

Source: Ch 4 News

New pictures reveal the scale of Burma's brutal crackdown against anti-government protestors as the UN delivers its damning report.

To view the video, please click here.

Laura Bush Calls fro Democracy in Burma

Source: agence France-Presse

US First Lady Laura Bush on Monday called on Myanmar's military rulers to free democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and urged the country's neighbors to pile pressure on the regime for political freedoms.

Surrounded by some of US President George W. Bush's top foreign policy advisers for Asia, Laura Bush said junta leader Than Shwe had offered "only token gestures" of reform in the face of a tightening international squeeze.

"If he and the generals are serious, they should give Aung San Suu Kyi unlimited access to the diplomatic community and other members of the Burmese opposition," she said. Washington refers to the country as Burma.

For the full report, please click here.

U.N.'s Ban Says Patience Running Out with Myanmar

Source: Reuters

The international community's "patience is running out" with military-ruled Myanmar and foot-dragging over its moves towards democracy, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said on MondFay.

"I hope the Myanmar authorities will take it very seriously," Ban said during a visit to Thailand, where he urged the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which the former Burma is a member, to play a "special political role".

For the full report, please click here.

Monks Boycott Exams

Source: Narinjara News

Many monks in Arakan State are boycotting the government exam by refusing to register their name for enrollment, in support of the monk alliance that has called for the boycott.

"Today is the last date of enrolling for the exam but many monks in Arakan State neglected to enroll their name. I heard many monks will not come to enroll for the exam," a monk from Sittwe said.

Ninety percent of monks in Arakan State are not enrolling in the exam, which will be held in March 2008, following the monk alliance's request to boycott the exam in protest of the government's recent crackdown on the recent monk-led 'saffron revolution'.

For the full report, please click here.

IMF Sees Limited Sanctions Impact on Myanmar

Source: Reuters

Tighter Western sanctions imposed on army-ruled Myanmar after its bloody crackdown on democracy protests will have little direct impact on the economy, the International Monetary Fund said in a report.

"The overall impact is limited because of restrictions already in place and because the new sanctions cover only a small proportion of trade," the IMF said in its annual review of the former Burma's economy.

For the full report, please click here.

ASEAN’s Next Chief Appeals for Greater US Involvement

Source: The Irrawaddy

The next chief of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations says that the United States remains the only guarantor of Southeast Asian security and should become more active in regional affairs.

Surin Pitsuwan, a former foreign minister of Thailand, said one reason that Washington has neglected its Southeast Asian friends is that the Bush administration has been distracted by problems elsewhere, implicitly referring to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

The US also has distanced itself from Asean since military-ruled Burma joined the group in 1997.

"Anybody can argue, `Well, we are there even if not physically present. The tsunami; we provided help then.' That's true, but a tsunami doesn't come every day," Surin said on Thursday.

For the full report, please click here.

Burma: Crackdown Bloodier Than Government Admits

Source: Reuters

Arrests Continue Amidst International Inaction
Many more people were killed and detained in the violent government crackdown on monks and other peaceful protestors in September 2007 than the Burmese government has admitted, Human Rights Watch said today in a new report. Since the crackdown, the military regime has brought to bear the full force of its authoritarian apparatus to intimidate all opposition, hunting down protest leaders in night raids and defrocking monks. (To watch the video, please click here).

Many more people were killed and detained in the violent government crackdown on monks and other peaceful protestors in September 2007 than the Burmese government has admitted, Human Rights Watch said today in a new report. Since the crackdown, the military regime has brought to bear the full force of its authoritarian apparatus to intimidate all opposition, hunting down protest leaders in night raids and defrocking monks. The 140-page report, “Crackdown: Repression of the 2007 Popular Protests in Burma,” is based on more than 100 interviews with eyewitnesses in Burma and Thailand. It is the most complete account of the August and September events to date.

For the full report, please click here.

Burma Junta Warned of Growing Anger

Source: Financial Times

A senior United Nations official expelled from Burma this week warned on Wednesday that a “more volatile situation” lay ahead if the country’s military regime refused to recognise that recent mass protests stemmed from common people’s anger over economic woes.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Charles Petrie, who until his expulsion on Tuesday was the most senior UN official in Rangoon, warned that without substantive reforms the Burmese junta could be forced to resort to greater repression to keep control over a restive population.

“It’s very dangerous for the regime not to understand the grievances that people expressed on the streets,” Mr Petrie said. “People came out [to demonstrate] because the pain they are feeling is too much – they are suffering.”

For the full report, please follow this link: http://www.burmanet.org/news/2007/12/06/financial-times-burma%E2%80%99s-junta-warned-of-growing-anger-amy-kazmin/

Manila Links Suu Kyi's Release to ASEAN Ratification

Source: ABS CBN

The release of Myanmar’s opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be a key factor in the Philippines’ decision to ratify a new charter for a regional grouping, President Arroyo has said.

Mrs. Arroyo, striking a tough posture, told the Financial Times that Myanmar’s military rulers must comply with the human rights elements in the charter of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) by speeding towards democracy.

For the full report, please follow this link: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=101679

Myanmar Crackdown Death Toll Seen At Least 20

Source: Reuters

Twenty people are known to have been killed in a crackdown by Myanmar's military junta on September's pro-democracy protests, but the real toll is likely to be far higher, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Friday.

In addition to monks, many students and other civilians were killed, although without full and independent access to the country it is impossible to determine the exact casualty figures," the report said.

For the full report, please click here.

Sunflowers-Than Shwe's Latest Yadaya?

Source: The Irrawaddy

Farmers in Pegu Division, about 80km north of Rangoon, are being instructed by local authorities to grow them, in the apparent superstitious belief that the flowers symbolize long life for the regime.

For the full report, please follow this link: http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=9522

Regime Asks Asean Journalists to Help Counter 'Negative' Reporting

Source: The Irrawaddy

Burma’s Information Minister, Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan, has appealed to journalists in neighboring countries to help counter negative news about events in his country.

The state-run daily, The New Light of Myanmar, reported on Wednesday that Kyaw Hsan had claimed at an Asean sub-committee meeting that “some powerful nations are misusing media as a weapon to interfere in the internal affairs of small nations.”

For the full report, please follow this link: http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=9521

Chinese Military Weapons Seen En Route to Burmese Army Units

Source: The Irrawaddy

China is still providing military arms to the Burmese government, including a recent shipment of artillery cannons that were seen crossing the China-Burmese border on November 6, according to sources who observed the shipment.

A witness on the China-Burmese border told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that 21 artillery canons were seen on seven large trucks crossing through Ruili, China, and Muse, Burma, on the China-Burmese border.

For the full report, please follow this link: http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=9523

UN: Impose Burma Arms Embargo to End Child Soldier Use

Source: Reuters

The United Nations Security Council should impose an arms embargo on Burma in response to the Burmese military government's continuing recruitment of children for its national army, Human Rights Watch said today. Tomorrow, the Security Council's working group on children and armed conflict will meet to consider a report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that has found "grave violations" against children in Burma, including patterns of underage military recruitment.

"Burma's army has recruited thousands of children to fill its ranks," said Jo Becker, children's rights advocate for Human Rights Watch. "The Security Council needs to show Burma's generals that they cannot get away with such horrendous practices."

For the full report, please follow this link: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/e9ad740d1fef062f6232519097623bce.htm

China Supplies Military Trucks to Burma

Source: Mizzima News

Several military trucks are believed to have been supplied to the Burmese junta by China. They were seen arriving on the Sino-Burmese border town of Ruili this morning, a local eyewitness said.

The light weight medium FAW trucks, manufactured by Chinese owned Tongfeng Company, were seen lining up at Ruili town, a Burmese who works at the car servicing centre told Mizzima.

"The trucks arrived this morning. They are light weight and all of them are of the same design. Since the trucks were dirty, they sent it to us for car wash," the local said.

For the full report, please follow this link: http://mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/News/2007/Dec/18,%20Dec,%202007.html

US Says Myanmar Junta Obstructing Negotiations on New Constitution

Source: International Herald Tribune

The United States accused Myanmar's rulers on Tuesday of standing in the way of moving toward democracy in that Southeast Asian country by denying Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders the right to help draft a national constitution.

In a prepared statement, State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said Suu Kyi made clear in a Nov. 8 statement from house arrest that she was "committed to meaningful and time-bound talks" with Senior Gen. Than Shwe and his junta under sponsorship of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. "It is Than Shwe and his senior generals who are obstructing progress toward democratization in Burma," Casey said, using another name for the Asian nation.

For the full report, please follow this link: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/04/america/NA-GEN-US-Myamar.php

Chased From Streets, Myanmar Monks Get Out Message on Video

Source: Agence France-Presse via Yahoo News

Unable to speak directly to their followers in public, two senior monks – Ashin Nyanissara and Ashin Kawvida -- have recorded their sermons on a video disc titled "The end of sinful people".

In the sermon, they discuss the legend of a ruthless emperor who violated the teachings of the Lord Buddha, which resulted in him, and his followers, being sent to hell.

Ashin Nyanissara is a founder of the respected Sagaing Thitagu World Buddha University in northern Myanmar, which is popular among foreigners who come to Myanmar, the former Burma, to study the religion.

For the full report, please follow this link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071205/lf_afp/myanmarpoliticsmediareligion_071205031130

Note from FP:

1.       There are 3 sermons in total including the one mentioned in the article, all using religious legends analogous to the current state of affairs. In one of the sermons, Ashin Nyanissara speaks about a group of monkeys who, lacking intelligence, end up destroying a beautiful garden they are taking care of.

2.       Nik Nayman reported on his blog that the punishment for possessing these ‘illgal’ recordings is 6 years imprisonment.

3.       In Singapore, the sermons can be purchased at Peninsula Plaza. Each VCD costs SGD 3.00.

Junta Bans Wedding Announcement of Actor Kyaw Thu's Daughter

Source: Mizzima News

In a blatant act of vindictiveness, a wedding advertisement for prominent movie actor Kyaw Thu's daughter has been banned by the Burmese military junta's censorship board, allegedly for the actor's involvement in the monk-led protests in September.

"As for me I have been banned from all my work like acting or directing. And my name cannot be published in any of the journals or newspapers. Even to advertise my daughter's wedding I cannot include my name," actor Kyaw Thu told Mizzima.

The junta, in its effort to punish the artists, has banned all works of artists who took part in the protests. More than 20 of Kyaw Thu's films are currently banned from being released in theatres. Similarly, comedian and actor Zargarnar is also banned from performing on stage while writer Than Myint Aung is barred from using her pseudonym and writing for newspapers.

For the full report, please follow this link: http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/News/2007/Dec/12,%20Dec,%202007.html

Pro-democracy Leader's Party Says Myanmar's National Prestige at its Lowest

Source: Associated Press via International Herald Tribune

The opposition party of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi marked Myanmar's National Day on Tuesday by criticizing the military government for lowering the nation's prestige.

The statement by the National League for Democracy marking the 87th anniversary of a student strike against British colonialism also called for the release of Suu Kyi — who has been detained for 12 of the past 18 years — and other political prisoners, including those arrested during anti-government demonstrations in August and September.

The statement was released at a ceremony attended by 200 supporters at party headquarters in Yangon, the first such gathering since the military junta violently cracked down on the protests, killing at least 15 people and detaining thousands, including hundreds of NLD members.

For the full report, please follow this link: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/04/asia/AS-GEN-Myanmar-National-Day.php

Activists to Launch 'Non-cooperation' Campaign in January 2008

Source: Mizzima News

In a well conceived plan which has to do with governmental and social boycott, a campaign of 'non-cooperation' will be begun by an unidentified Burmese activist group. It has urged all government employees to stop working and stay at home from the January 1, 2008 for a break down of the junta's governance.

With the slogan "Freedom to all on August 8, 2008", the activist group, in an email message to Mizzima said they have planned to launch the new campaign of 'non-cooperation', where they will request all government servants to defy the regime by staying at home from New Year's Day.

For the full report, please follow this link: http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/News/2007/Dec/09,%20Dec,%202007.html