Myanmar to free all political prisoners. Indonesian President to Discuss Violence against Rohingya on Burma Visit | The Irrawaddy Magazine - Pale Moon.
Myanmar Sees West Easing Sanctions Soon as Clinton to Visit. (Adds China’s vice president meeting with Myanmar armed forces chief in 15th paragraph.) Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Myanmar President Thein Sein is seeking to reconcile with political opponents to expand the economy and prompt Western nations to reconsider sanctions that have hurt the country’s poor, one of his advisers said. Relations with the U.S. and Europe have “improved in a short span of time and they will consider lifting sanctions soon,” Nay Zin Latt, a political adviser to Thein Sein, said in an e-mail interview. “It’s just a matter of time. Sanctions don’t have enough strength for regime change but seriously hit the middle class and grassroots rather than the elite.” Thein Sein has released hundreds of political prisoners, eased censorship and sought peace talks with ethnic groups seeking independence since taking power nine months ago after an election that ended five decades of military rule.
‘Top-Down’ IMF Advice U.S. Dam Construction Halted ‘Very Genuine’ Thein Sein to visit Britain and France.
Burma & the ASEAN. Pac1153.pdf (Objet application/pdf) Myanmar & the US. Burma and WMD: Lost in translation. Andrew Selth is a Research Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and author of Burma and North Korea: Conventional Allies or Nuclear Partners? Over the past ten years, the public debate about Burma's nuclear ambitions and possible missile purchases has generated more heat than light. This is perhaps to be expected, given the dearth of reliable information on these issues, the emotive nature of the subject matter and the fact that, since the abortive 1988 pro-democracy uprising, Burma-watching has become highly politicised.
Yet there may be another reason why the debate has at times been unproductive — even misleading — and that is the nature of the language employed. Academics and other professional analysts are under considerable pressure to write deliberately, and to choose their words with great care. They are encouraged to pay almost forensic attention to questions of terminology. This emphasis on precision, however, is not usually characteristic of journalists and activists. Burma and WMD: In the news again - Pale Moon. Andrew Selth is a Research Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and author of Burma and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Not If, but How, Why and What. Despite Burma's promise last year to cut its defence ties with North Korea and not to pursue any weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, these two problems simply will not go away. Naypyidaw's relations with the international community have greatly improved over the past year or so, but the potential remains for these issues to bring Burma's diplomatic rapprochement and domestic reform to a grinding halt.
Given North Korea's past sales of conventional arms to Burma and likely involvement in a ballistic missile production program, if not a nuclear weapons development program, it was a relief to all concerned when President Thein Sein told the US Secretary of State in December 2011 that Burma would sever its military links with North Korea. Both the WMD and North Korea issues, however, remain of concern. Photo by Flickr user racoles. Burma and N Korea slam UN reports. Burma and North Korea have rejected UN condemnation of human rights abuses at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Recommendations by the UN special envoy to Burma "violated the right of a sovereign state", Burma's UN envoy told the UN Human Rights Council. He said that the report from Tomas Quintana contained allegations based on "unverifiable sources".
North Korea's UN envoy "categorically" rejected the UN report describing the country as "one big prison". Political prisoners UN special envoy Tomas Quintana, who visited Burma last month has recommended a UN inquiry into whether war crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed there. Mr Quintana told the UN Human Rights Council that elections due this year could not be credible, because the military rulers had failed to remedy human rights abuses. These included the recruitment of child soldiers and the jailing of more than 2,000 prisoners of conscience.
UN calls for war crimes investigation in Burma | World news | Th. Karen villagers take shelter in Thailand after fleeing Burma following attacks by the junta. Photograph: Free Burma Rangers/EPA A senior UN official has called for Burma's military rulers to be investigated over allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes perpetrated against Burmese civilians, in a move that will sharply increase pressure on the isolated regime ahead of controversial national elections due later this year. In a draft report to the UN Human Rights Council [pdf] in Geneva, Tomás Ojea Quintana, special rapporteur on human rights in Burma, described "a pattern of gross and systematic violation of human rights" which he said has been in place for many years and still continued.
"There is an indication that those human rights violations are the result of a state policy that involves authorities in the executive, military and judiciary at all levels," he said. The US and EU have imposed limited sanctions on the regime. Japan welcomes Burmese refugees. 28 September 2010Last updated at 12:03 Many Karen have fled Burma because of armed conflict between the military and Karen rebels Eighteen Burmese refugees have arrived in Japan from Thailand, marking a new turn in Japan's asylum policy. It follows Japan's agreement to accept about 90 Burmese under a third country resettlement plan promoted by the UN.
The three ethnic minority Karen families have been living for 10 years in a camp in north-western Thailand after fleeing persecution in Burma. Japan has been criticised in the past for allowing in far fewer refugees than other wealthy nations. Integration The BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo says the refugees arrived at Tokyo's Narita airport wearing jackets against the autumn chill. Japan says it is the first Asian country to take part in the UN-backed resettlement programme. Japan is one of the world's most generous donors to refugees overseas, but gives scant welcome to asylum seekers at home, our correspondent says.
Philippines dubs Myanmar election a farce | World. By Ambika Ahuja HANOI (Reuters) - Myanmar's election is a democratic farce, the Philippines said in a document outlining President Benigno Aquino's position at an Asian summit this week where differences over the military-ruled nation could bring discord.
The 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) faces divisions over reclusive and recalcitrant Myanmar, days before its first election in two decades, at the gathering in Vietnam of leaders aiming to forge an economic and political union in the next five years. Myanmar's grim record on human rights damages ASEAN's reputation and credibility and is an obstacle to cooperation with some of its international partners. It is also a source of friction within ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Some ASEAN members, such as the Philippines and Indonesia, have been pressing for reform. Philippines, 3 other Asean countries agree to adopt common visa scheme. InterAksyon.comThe online news portal of TV5 MANILA - The Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia have agreed to develop a common smart visa system to boost tourism across Southeast Asia. During the 22nd World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia, ministers and tourism authorities of the four Asean member-states said they will facilitate travel in the region by developing a common smart visa system.
Tourism ministers of the four Asean member-states have signed the “Statement of Intent on SMART Visa” during the ongoing WEF meeting taking place in Nay Pyi Taw from June 5-7. “By signing this letter of intent, ministers and tourism authorities agree to work hand-in-hand for the implementation of this system, whose objective will be that of eliminating those barriers to the movement of tourists which are currently creating disincentives to travel.
It also builds on the single visa scheme for tourism travel between Cambodia and Thailand that began this year.
Myanmar - India relations. Than Shwe Visits Laos to Discuss Border Security. As the Burmese junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe kicked off a three-day state visit to the neighboring communist nation of Laos on Friday, Naypyidaw is reported to be in talks with Vientiane over border security, the Burmese elections and bilateral ties. The New Light of Myanmar reported on Saturday that Than Shwe and his delegation were seen off at Naypyidaw Airport by Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye and other senior officials on Friday morning.
Border security is expected to be high on Burma’s agenda during the Laos visit, and it was notable that Than Shwe and top officials Shwe Mann and Tin Aung Myint Oo were accompanied by newly appointed joint Chief of Staff (Army, Navy, Air Force) Lt-Gen Min Aung Hliang, as well as the commander of Triangle Regional Military Command Brig-Gen Than Tun Oo. Reports from the Lao capital also noted that Than Shwe will brief his counterparts about Burma’s election scheduled for next month. S Korea ups stake in Burma gas. South Korea announced yesterday that investments in Burma are set to rise following an agreement to jointly exploit with the Burmese government two more gas blocks.
The agreement follows a visit to Burma on 9 June by a five-member Korean delegation composed of legislators of the ruling Grand National Party. Lee Jong-heuk, who led the delegation, told Yonhap news agency that the joint development of eight more offshore blocks was mooted. Seoul has keenly targeted Burma’s gas sector, with the Korean Gas Corp (KOGAS) and Daewoo International holding sizeable stakes in the Shwe gas pipeline project, which will transport oil and gas across Burma to southern China and is set to net the ruling junta nearly $US30 billion over the next 30 years. The B-2 gas block that is earmarked for exploitation by Seoul is in northwestern Burma’s Sagaing division, and is the first onshore block targeted by Korea.
Asia | Blog | It' s Raining Goodies in Myanmar. Last week, a very unusual foreign dignitary paid a visit to India. Normally very reclusive, leader of the Myanmar military junta, Senior General Than Shwe was in India for a visit that was officially described as a personal and religious visit. True to the description, General did begin his visit from Gaya in Bihar, where he and his wife took a day’s halt to offer prayers at Bodhi Gaya’s Mahabodhi temple. With religious formalities over, the General touched down in Delhi, where he was offered a red carpet welcome by the Indian government. General Than Shwe’s visit was designated as a state visit with a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan and a gala state banquet thrown in for the visiting leader. Next day, the General got into the serious business of bilateral talks with the Indian Government. The agreements reached during negotiations make a fascinating reading.
India to supply Myanmar fast inshore and offshore boats and interceptors to patrol its rivers and deltas.
The Current Political Situation in Myanmar: Perspectives from the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw.