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US echoes Burma opposition failuresKHIN HNIN HTETlished: 7 April 2010

diplomats have reportedly admitted tormas main opposition party that Washingtonsft towards engagement with the ruling juntaachieved nothing.

o officials from the US embassy in Rangoonted the National League for Democracy (NLD)tys headquarters yesterday where theyerted the US governments disappointmenth recently announced election laws.

he officials] also made a littlenowledgement that their attempt to improvesituation by making contact with the [junta]not yet achieved anything, said NLD vice-irman Tin Oo.

oincided with a statement released yesterdaythe NLD in which it made a frank apology forfailure to overturn military rule in Burma. TheD decided last month not to contest electionss year, a move that will see the party legally abolished.

e statement said that all efforts over the past 20 years to create dialogue with the junta and to convene aliament and draft a democratic constitution had totally failed.

e two acknowledgments together provide a stark reminder of the intransigence of the Burmese junta, whipears set to hold onto power following the elections under the guise of a civilian government.

n Turnell, an Australian-based Burma economics expert who has made several trips to the US to meet wi

vernment officials in the past six months, said there had been a sea change in attitude in the US since theitement that surrounded the policy shift in September last year.

ow] there is a great deal of anger, on Capitol Hill especially, and a real feeling of having been rebuffed; thnd had been extended and they were getting nothing, he said. If anything, [the US felt that] the regime hne out of its way to make the situation that little bit more uncomfortable.

shington announced in September that it would seek engagement with Burma following years of an isolaicy that bore few results. A number of subsequent acts by the junta, such as the imprisonment of US citizAung, have however thrown sand in the faces of the US policymakers who first pushed the idea of dialog

e NLDs boycott of the elections has received mixed reactions. While some observers and the majority of ternational community have supported the move, others have argued that the party should have taken

vantage of the looming transition, however superficial it is, to gain greater leeway in Burmese politics.

ditional reporting by Francis Wade

urce :http://www.dvb.no/news/us-echoes-burma-opposition-%E2%80%98failures%E2%80%99/8546

uu Kyi 'Happy' with NLD Decision: Lawyerstained Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi told her lawyers that she is happy with her partision not to register, according to one of her lawyers.

u Kyi made the comment in a meeting with two of her lawyers on Tuesday, said Kyi Win. On March 29, S's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), decided not to register for this year's general electio

Tin Oo (centre) announing boycott decision last week (Reut

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ening the way for the regime to ban the party as of May 7.

u Kyi urged her lawyers to pursue legal procedures against the regime's unjust election laws, Kyi Win said

aw Suu told us to continue legal efforts against the unjust laws, said Kyi Win, who is also an official of thD, adding that the party leaders, chairman Aung Shwe and Vice Chairman Tin Oo, will probably send a leBurma's attorney-general to take up further legal complaints about the election laws.

t month, the party leaders filed a lawsuit against military junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe at the country'reme court stating the regime's election laws are unjust and one-sided. But the court refused to handle the, saying it had no power over the issue.

arty source said that through her lawyers, Suu Kyi has asked not only the NLD party, but also other ethnitical parties and even families of political prisoners, to take up legal proceedings against the election law

Tuesday, the party publicly apologized to its supporters across the country for the unsuccessful strugglemocracy that it had waged for more than 20 years, attributing the failure to the regime's persecution.

ties have until May 7 to register for the upcoming election or will cease to exist, according to the electionme observers view the party decision not to register as nave, pointing out that the party has driven itself d-end by doing exactly what the regime wants it to do.

urce :http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=18236

our More Groups Apply for Party Registrationur more political parties submitted applications on Monday and Tuesday to the Union Election Commisse part in the national election later this year.

otal of 11 parties have applied to register to contest in the election so far.

o parties, the Difference and Peace Party (DPP) and the New Era Peoples Party (NEPP), submittedplications on Tuesday, and the Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) and the Myanmar New Societymocratic Party, submitted applications on Monday, according to theNew Light of Myanmar, a state-runwspaper.

n Aung Kyaw, the chairman of NEPP, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday the party supports industrialitalism, a market economy and democracy.

nder industry and capitalism, workers and farmers can develop, he said.

said the NEPP will contest mainly in Irrawaddy, Rangoon, Thanintharyi, Mandalay and Sagaing divisionArakan State, where he said the party has up to 200,000 members.

nds for the party will be raised by monthly member dues, donations from businesses and individuals andablishing a party-run business.

n Aung Kyaw was as personal assistant to Thakhin Soe for nearly nine years. One of the founders of themmunist Party of Burma in 1939, Thakhin Soe spent most of his life underground and for a time led thetskyite Red Flag branch of the party.

the 1990 election, Tun Aung Kyaw was general secretary of the Unity and Development Party. He has wricles on the economy and articles opposing economic sanctions by the United States that were published

te-run newspapers under the pseudonym Aung Moe San and Tun Aung Kyaw (Munaung).

e deputy chairman of the DPP, Tin Maung Aye, told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday: Our party's politicalology is humanist-democratic-nationalism, which means we won't turn a blind eye to the interest of peopund the world. We will work with international groups, and we will serve tax-paying citizens."

e DPP will contest across the country and seek public donations. The party flag includes a blue backgrounh a white star.

e KSPP chairman, Tu Jar, said the party will contest in all constituencies across Kachin State. Party membmber nearly 3,000, he said.

e support a multi-party process for the emergence of democracy, he said. We want to develop our regio

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Ja, the former vice chairman of the ethnic Kachin cease-fire group, the Kachin Independence Organizatimed the KSPP in March last year and officially introduced the party in July 2009.

ree ethnic political parties, the Pa-O National Organization (PNO), the Kachin State Progressive Party(KSd the Kayin People's Party (KPP), have applied to register so far.

e KPP is led by well-known Rangoon physician Dr. Simon Tha; the PNO is led by Aung Kham Hti; and thPP is led by Dr. Tu Jar.

lier, the National Unity Party (NUP), the Democratic Party (DP), the Union of Myanmar National Politicce (UMNPF), the 88 Generation Students Union of Myanmar (GSUM), the National Political Alliance (N

o applied to register.

e NUP is led by Tun Yi, the former deputy commander in chief of Burma's armed force; the DP is led by vrmese politician Thu Wai; and the NPA is led by Ohn Lwin, a Rangoon-based politician who was a candid0 election.

e UMNPF is led by Aye Lwin, a former university student leader who took part in the 1988 uprising, and UM is led by Ye Htun, the brother of Aye Lwin; the Difference and Peace Party is led by Nyo Min Lwin anw Era People party is led by Tun Aung Kyaw.

urce :http://irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=18235

POLITICAL PARTIESTHE IRRAWADDY Wednesday, April 07, 2010

e following is a list of the political parties that have registered for this year's election. The Irrawaddy will s section as more parties register.

ty Flag

rty Name: 88 Generation Student Youths (Union of Myanmar)

rty Leader:Ye Tun (Formerly a student involved in the democratic uprising of 1988an ex-political prisoner, Ye Tun is the younger brother of Aye Lwin, theleader of the Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics.)

rty's Constituencies: Nationwide

litical Ideology/ Partyatform:

A successful transition to democracy

dress:Building (F), Room 301,Pearl Condominium, Kabaraye Road,Bahan Township, Rangoon

one: 951-556-554

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ty Flag Aye Lwin

rty Name: Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politicsrty Leader :

Aye Lwin (Formerly a student involved in the 1988 democratic uprisingan ex-political prisoner.)

rty's Constituencies: Nationwidelitical Ideology/ Party

atform:A successful transition to democracy

dress:Building (F), Room 301,Pearl Condominium, Kabaraye Road,Bahan Township, Rangoon

one: 951-556-554

Thu Wai

rty Name: Democratic Party

rty Leader :Thu Wai (Ex-political prisoner and former leader of Democracy Party inelection, which was later abolished.)

rty's Constituencies: Nationwidelitical Ideology/ Party

atform:Toward democracy without any discrimination based on religion, race, por creed.

dress: -one: -

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Party Logo

rty Name: National Unity Party (NUP)

story:Previously called the Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP), led by latedictator Gen Ne Win. NUP came fourth with 10 seats in the 1990 electio

rty Leader : Tun Yi (Former deputy commander-in-chief of armed forces)rty Secretary: Than Tin (Secretary General) and Khin Maung Gyi (Joint Secretary Genrty's Constituencies: Nationwidelitical Ideology/ Party

atform:Serving the people and working for the interests of people.

dress: -

one:-

rty Name: Kayin People's Party (KPP)

rty Leader :

Dr. Saw Simon Tha, (a former physician who acted as a negotiator durinpeace talks between the Karen National Union rebel group and the militgovernment. He is also the current chairman of the Rangoon-based KarDevelopment Committee.)

rty's Constituencies: Irrawaddy Division, Rangoon Division, Pegu Division and Mon State

litical Ideology/ Partyatform:dress: -one: -

rty Name: National Political Alliance

rty Leader :Ohn Lwin (Secretary of New Generation Students for Studying PoliticalEconomy)

rty's Constituencies: Taungdwingyi Township (Magwe Division), Kyaik Latt Township (IrrawDivision), Mingaladon and Minglataungnyunt Townships (Rangoon Div

litical Ideology/ Partyatform:

Based on national interests, the party will support those working for thenational interests and will oppose those against the national interests.

dress: -one: -

Aung Kham Hti

rty Name: Pa-O National Organization (PNO)

story: The PNO signed a cease-fire agreement with the government on April 11It controls Special Region-6 in southern Shan State and has been grante

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number of business concessions by the military regime.

rty Leader :Aung Kham Hti, (He is well-known as a regular participant in the NationConvention which resulted in 2008 Constitution and also for his closerelationship with the ousted Prime Minister Gen Khin Nyunt.)

rty's Constituencies: Taunggyi and Loilen districts in Shan State.litical Ideology/ Party

atform:Views the 2010 election as a political exit from the current deadlock.

dress: -one: -

urce :http://www.irrawaddy.org/election/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=250:politicalties&catid=45&Itemid=123

urma Should Top Asean Agenda: Rights Groupsernational and regional rights groups and activists want the representatives of the Association of Southeaan Nations (Asean) to prioritize Burma's political crisis during the regional summit in Hanoi on April 8-9

ndon-based international rights group Amnesty International released a statement on Wednesday sayingBurma issue should be at the top of the agenda for Asean leaders in Hanoi as Burma's human rights reco

erious breach of the Asean Charter.

A regional rights group, the Asean InParliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPreleased a press advisory on WednesdAsean leaders to take urgent and tougaction on Burma to obtain a clear andtangible commitment for a free and felection. The petition was signed by 1legislators from Indonesia, Malaysia,Philippines, Cambodia and Singapor

The press advisory also called on the

summit to urgently raise and discuss dire need for action and meaningfulsolutions to the political and human rproblems currently plaguing Burma.

Donna Guest, the deputy Asia PrograDirector for Amnesty International, sthe statement: It is clear that Myanm[Burma] has been seriously andsystematically breaching the AseanCharter's human rights provisions. Itnow up to the summit, under its new

tnam, to address this breach as a matter of urgency.

ean's reputation as a meaningful regional forum will suffer if it does not call for Myanmar to respect freexpression, assembly and association in the lead-up to the election, she added.

rma's election laws, issued by the Burmese military regime in March, effectively bar at least 2,200 politicsoners, including Nobel Peace Prize winner and main opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, from participahis year's election.

e Asean legislators who signed the petition have also voiced their grave concern over the expected generaction and urged Vietnam, as the current Asean Chair, to raise and solve the issue of Burma's failure to asse, fair and inclusive elections in the country.

e Burma election laws had earlier drawn criticism from the governments of Indonesia and the Philippine

weeper cleans the red carpet ahead of the 16th Asean summit in Hanoi onl 8. (Photo: Reuters)

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ulted in Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy, opting out of the process.

his summit is an opportunity for Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia to continue thmands for Myanmar to improve its human rights record, said Guest.

mnesty International also called on all 10 of Asean's member states to keep pressing Burma to stop represssidents and desist from committing widespread human rights abuses, especially in ethnic minority

mmunities.

lippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo has said he will urge Asean members at the summit to a reversal of Burma's electoral laws, which he said contravene the junta's promises to embark on a "road

democracy, according to a report byAgence France-Presse.

cording to a Jakarta Post report quoting Indonesia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah on Modonesia will address the issue of Myanmar at the summit and voice concerns over the urgency to ensure upcoming elections in Myanmar will be inclusive.

fendi Djamin, the Indonesian commissioner for the Asean Intergovernmental Commission for Human Rinted out in The Jakarta Postthat Asean's new dispute settlement mechanism (DSM) will increase thessure for Burma to uphold its human rights commitment ahead of the election.

e DSM, which will be signed by the 10 Asean member states at the 16th Asean Summit in the Vietnameseital, allows members disputing the implementation of the Asean Charter to take in a third party to help thve differences, according to the report.

e DSM allows for four optionsmediation, conciliation, good offices and arbitrary measuresin order tondle disputes arising from different interpretations of the Asean Charter implementation.

man rights abuses are said to be the provision in the Charter that is most susceptible to disputes.

here are many ways to intervene in Asean affairs, Jusuf Wanandi, a member of the board of directors at tnter for Strategic and International Studies, reportedly told The Jakarta Post.

ut the question is: how willing are we to undergo the intervention? Because mostly it is civil groups, and nch the government, that is pushing for reform in Myanmar, said Wanandi.

me observers believe that communist-ruled Vietnam will not strongly push Burma, as the host country caicized for its own flawed policies on rights and democracy.

ring Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's visit to Burma recently, the two countries promotedationship and trade deals. Dung singed seven contracts and joint agreements on investment promotion aeral economic sectors, including finance, communication, agriculture and mines.

tnam has said it will not allow Burmese civil society groups, including Burmese dissidents in exile, to attAsean sideline meetings as Thailand did last year.

urce :http://irrawaddy.org/highlight.php?art_id=18237&page=1

ASEAN lawmakers urgeBurma expulsion

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSblished: 7 April 2010

re than 100 ASEAN lawmakers on Wednesday urged leaderseting in Vietnam this week to impose sanctions on Burma andsider its expulsion for ignoring calls for free and fair elections.

e legislators said leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian

tions (ASEAN) at their annual summit Thursday and Friday shouldgently discuss the election due to be held in Burma later this year.

Worker sweeps the floor before theASEAN summit in Hanoi (Reuters)

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a petition to the leaders, the parliamentarians condemned election laws unveiled by Burmas junta whichn criticised as undermining the credibility of the vote, the first to be held in the country for two decades.

rma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyis party, the National League for Demoracy, has boycotted the por the laws, which would have forced it to exclude her from the party if it wanted to take part.

ith the promulgation of these apparently biased laws the regime has forfeited its best opportunity to shlingness to engage in an inclusive process of national reconciliation, the petition said.

e petition, endorsed by 105 members of parliament from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippinesgapore, was sent to leaders by the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC), which lobbie

mocratic reforms in Burma.

Myanmar [Burma] has thus far ignored ASEANs calls to reform a new and more decisive course of actst be undertaken, the MPs said.

SEAN should immediately enact strict and targeted economic sanctions against Myanmars militaryvernment.

rma should also be immediately suspended from the grouping and its permanent expulsion earnestlynsidered because it has failed to adhere to principles enshrined in the new ASEAN Charter, they said.

rma has in the past escaped collective censure by ASEAN because of the groups policy of non-interferencmbers internal affairs.

wever, some ASEAN members have separately criticised Burmas military regime and called for Aung Sas release.

urce :http://www.dvb.no/elections/asean-lawmakers-urge-burma-expulsion/8556

Australia-Burma trade up 160 percentFRANCIS WADEblished: 7 April 2010

de between Australia and Burma hasred more than three-fold in the pastr as Canberra continues to resist callstargeted trade sanctions against theng junta.

t this rise does not even factor instralian investment in Burmesergy projects which would likely see itmatically increase, said Zetty Blake,kesperson for Burma Campaign

stralia (BCA),

he trade figures do not include thelions of dollars Australian companiesinvesting into industries in Burma,

e oil and gas, that are directly fundingmilitary regime, she said.

nford Equities Corporation, asidiary of the Australian-ownedinza Oil, signed a contract with thermese state-run Myanmar Oil ands Enterprise (MOGE) in November 2006 to explore for oil in Burma. According to BCA, the deal will net ng junta around $US2.5 billion.

stralia has previously been in the firing line for its ties to the maligned Burmese government. In October

Protestors hold Free Burma placards in Sydney (Reuters)

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r, the flagship Australian airlineQantas rejected calls from campaigners to stop subsidiary airline Jetstarng to Burma, claiming that it provided an important service for aid workers.

en proposals last year by the Rudd government to boost aid to Burma weremet with scepticism, given thetas track record of siphoning overseas aid into so-called aid agencies known to be run by the militaryerals.

t campaigners scored a victory earlier in October after Australian clothing chain, Speciality Fashion GrouG), announced it would stop sourcing products from Burma.

cording to BCA, however, clothing still remains one of more than 10 commodities traded by the two counstralia reportedly also supplies the ruling junta with aircraft and telecommunications hardware, and imptiles and photographic equipment.

rma economics expert Sean Turnell said that targeted trade and investment sanctions on Burma were ment than ever given that it depends to an unusual degree on the economic and financial resources it conough its monopolisation of much of Burmas trade.

stralian foreign minister Stephen Smith said last month that looming elections in Burma could not bensidered free or fair with the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) effectively forced to boycom.

urce :http://www.dvb.no/news/australia-burma-trade-%E2%80%98up-160-percent%E2%80%99/8540

Three ethnic parties register withElection Commission

dnesday, 07 April 2010 20:41 Phanida

ang Mai (Mizzima) Election tempo in Burma seems to be picking up, albeit slowly, with three ethnic pties having registered with the Election Commission till yesterday.

e parties are Karen Peoples Party led by Dr. Sai Montha, Kachin State Progressive Party (KSPP) led by Dand ceasefire group Pa-O National Organization (PNO) led by Aung Kham Hti.

urologist Dr. Sai Montha was an intermediary between the Karen National Union (KNU) and junta in theorted peace talks and Dr. Tu Ja is a former Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) leader. PNO, populown as White Pa-O, reached a ceasefire agreement with the junta in 1991 and procured gem miningcessions from the junta.

e Karen Peoples Party plans to contest from some constituencies in Irrawaddy Division, Pegu Division, Kte and Mon State while PNO plans to contest from Taungyi and Loi Lem, party sources said. But KSPP m

ar that it would contest in Kachin State alone.

her political parties which have registered with the Election Commission are:

1. Modern Peoples Party2. Peace and Diversity Party3. 88 Myanmar Democratic Party for a New Society4. 88-Generation Students and Youths (Union of Myanmar)5. National Politics League (Union of Myanmar)6. Democratic Party (Myanmar)7. Union National Politics Alliance Organization8. National Unity Party

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e Modern Peoples Party was founded by former Red Flag Communist members but their slogan is to estaapitalist State.

ur policy is to develop industrial capitalism to the utmost level. We believe that the development of the clpoor persons, workers and farmers can be achieved only under the industrial capitalist system, the partyneral Secretary Tun Aung Kyaw told Mizzima.

egarding the 2008 constitution, we must start from the point of the possible. Even the US constitution haamendments in 195 years. We shall work for such amendments in Parliament within the legal frameworkd.

urce :http://mizzima.com/news/election-2010/3795-three-ethnic-parties-register-with-election-mmission.html

trident demand from 100 ASEAN MPs xpel Burmadnesday, 07 April 2010 22:42 Mizzima News

ang Mai (Mizzima) - On the eve of the ASEAN summit in Vietnam, there is a strident demand from overEAN Members of Parliament to expel Burma from ASEAN and impose sanctions because the junta has clored the plea to conduct free and fair elections, with the announcement of its harsh electoral laws.

SEAN leaders due to attend the summit in Hanoi, Vietnam on Thursday and Friday should make a forcefmand to the junta to make the forthcoming elections in Burma free and fair, the MPs said.

out 105 MPs from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia and Singapore sent the statement to the Aer-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC). The statement lambasted the juntas harsh and convolutedctoral laws, which bar Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners from participating in the elections.

e National League for Democracy, Burmas main opposition party has decided not to re-register the partyElection Commission. If the party wanted to contest the election, it had to expel members, who are in pr

luding party leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Clearly party members, who took the decision not to re-register,animously, were not in favour of taking the drastic step of expelling the democracy icon.

ith the one-sided electoral laws, clearly aimed at preventing opposition parties and candidates from contelections, the regime has forfeited its best opportunity to show its willingness to engage in an inclusive p

national reconciliation and the establishment of a lawful and democratic government for the Union ofanmar, the statement said.

he junta has ignored ASEANs demands, so, ASEAN should consider a more effective strategy, the MPs sSEAN should impose tight targeted sanctions on Burma, they added.

e statement also said that Burma has always ignored the policies in the new ASEAN Charter, so ASEANmbers should consider expelling Burma from ASEAN.

EAN cannot take action on Burma because of its policy of non-interference.

wever, some ASEAN members have separately criticised the juntas electoral laws and called for the releang San Suu Kyi.

urce :http://mizzima.com/news/election-2010/3798-strident-demand-from-100-asean-mps-to-expel-ma.html

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urma Army setting up more barriers against Warma ruling military junta has reportedly been erecting barriers more densely than ever against ethnic ceaups, especially in the United Wa State Army (UWSA) as the latest deadline 22 April draws near, accordinal sources from the Thai-Burma border.

e activities reportedly started on 27 March, Armed Forces Day. Between Tachilek and Monghsat, a distanmiles, there are no less than 20 Burma Army checkpoints, a local source in Monghsat said. It is to monits movements.

he same time, Tachilek authorities are alsoorously conducting inspection of the people intown for a week. They have been checking from

use to house including hotels and apartmentsm 22:00 until dawn, said a Tachilek resident.

hey asked many questions. They checked our IDds and questioned whether our cards are real or. Some people staying in apartments gotrough inspection including their bedrooms.said. We dont know why they are so serious.

addition, rumor is around that Naypyitaw isploying three more Light Infantry DivisionsDs): Kalaw based LID #55, Pegu based LID #77

d Pa-an based LID#22 to the areas very soon.hilek area commander Colonel Khin Maunghimself was reported to have left the town to

rsee the preparations.

e situation seems if the Wa is still standing defiant to the Naypyitaws Border Guard Force program, a brehostilities after 28 April is possible, a border watcher said.

e UWSA and other ceasefire groups have been given a 22 April deadline to accept the Burma Armys demd to face the consequences of their continued defiance by 28 April, when they would be declared as illegalanizations.

cording to a source close to the UWSA southern military region, the ruling military junta should accept ths latest counter proposal submitted on 1 April.

the past, we said there should be no junta officers at the battalion level, he said. But now we are allowihave one officer to serve either as a commander or deputy commander at the battalion level.

urce :http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2994:burma-army-setting-u

re-barriers-against-wa&catid=86:war&Itemid=284

Renewed civil war to follow 2010 elections?dnesday, 07 April 2010 20:09 Mizzima News

e junta has once again extended a deadline on their contentious Border Guard Force proposal to three arups under ceasefire that have thus far declined acceptance of the scheme, leading to questions of what thure holds for the organisations if they remain outside the plan.

ginally given until the end of last year to respond, the Shan State Army-North, the United Wa State Arm

Burma Army checkpoint near Tachilek

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tern Shan State Special Region 4 (Mongla group) have now been issued a deadline of April 28th. If they ede to the Border Guard Force proposal, the groups risk being labelled unlawful associations.

e junta has long advocated the seminal importance of ensuring the territorial integrity of the state as a cear of its ideology. Theoretically, the ethnic dilemma was to have been solved prior to the constitutionalerendum conducted in May 2008. That patently did not happen, and the regime now appears to be bringpolitical weight against the defiant groups with the juntas No. 2, Vice-Senior General Maung Aye assigy a leading role.

hen the National League for Democracy (NLD) opted not to register with the Election Commission but re

itical entity as presently constituted, they apparently opened the door for future arrests of group memberce the party is officially deemed unlawful. The fate of armed ceasefire groups that choose to remain outsidta-directed nation-building plan may prove an even harsher reality.

spite the lengthy ceasefires enjoyed by many of the groups nearly two decades in the case of the estimat000 strong United Wa State Army being branded an unlawful association risks renewed violent hostiliinst a Tatmadaw (military) that has been undertaking a vigorous modernisation programme since therhaul of General Ne Win and his Burma Socialist Programme Party.

eaking of the three armed ceasefire groups, presumably both China and Thailand, two important neighboBurma, would both be consulted before the launch of all-out war. But if the military feels its proposed

ctions this year have strengthened its hand with the wider international community over dealing with poponents, 2011 could indeed see the return of hot-war zones to regions presently experiencing a tenuous vepeace.

tainly the experience of the Sri Lankan government in violently putting an end to the Tamil Tigers withnimal apparent backlash from the international community despite the well-documented brutality of theeration was not lost on Burmas generals. And the constitutional demand that the future head-of-state hablished military knowledge among other military-friendly provisions will also not hurt in establishinensibly civilian approval needed to renew hostilities.

rmas ethnic problems have often played second fiddle to the continuing drama pitting the ruling junta ag

ng San Suu Kyis NLD. While there is some distance to cover before elections, much could yet take place.ups continue to remain outside the Border Guard Force plan, the ethnic melee as it did in the wake ofependence may again assume center stage.

urce :http://mizzima.com/edop/editorial/3794-renewed-civil-war-to-follow-2010-elections-.html

urmese Refugees Unable to Attend UNHCR'sengali Language School/2010

Takaloo, Cox's Bazar: The UNHCR on Monday opened a Bengali language class for Burmeseurban refugees in Cox's Bazar, a sea resort town in southern Banglade

But none of the refugees are able to attend the class because they are struggling for their daily survival, said Khaing Pray Thein, a Burmeserefugee sheltering in Cox's Bazar.

"As we are refugees sheltering in Bangladesh, the Bengali language isnecessary for all of us, and everyone is interested in learning the locallanguage. But no one is able to attend the class because they have tostruggle for their daily subsistence as the UNHCR is not providing anysupport for their daily food and travel during the training period," he

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e language class is being held in U Korsalla Vidya Bihar primary school in Cox's Bazar, and is beingplemented by the local NGO Resource Integration Center for the UNHCR. The training will be given to thugees for two hours a day from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, every day except Friday, for three months.

ngita Barua, the teacher who was appointed by RIC, said, "I can not start my training yet as no one is comend the class. It seems that my trainees may have some difficulties for their studies. I will consult with manization about the situation as soon as possible."

cording to Khaing Pray Thein, there are nearly 300 Burmese urban refugees that have been recognized by

HCR in Bangladesh.

said that most of the refugees are currently sheltering in remote villages in Cox's Bazar and Bandarban Douthern Bangladesh and are extremely vulnerable because they have been neglected by the UNHCR andanizations in regards to their legal protection and aid for food and shelter.

urce :http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2549

Wildlife Disappearing in ArakanTun Tun, Sittwe:

Wild animals in Arakan State have become scarce due toindiscriminate killing by hunters and locals, reports anenvironmental worker and other sources.

The environmental worker said, "We are unable to see deer, badeer, sambur, tiger, or wild boars in the jungle currently becauanimals have become rare in our state after so many have beenkilled by local people to sell and to eat for food."

In several mountain restaurants located at the top of the ArakRoma along the Rangoon - Taungup highway, the meat of wild

animals is available on the menu at any time and restaurants aing the meat freely without any prohibition.

e all can see the signboards and disk menus with the names of several kinds of meat of wild animals out nt of the restaurant entrances. The meat of deer, barking deer, and sambur are available at all times in thtaurants," the source said.

ndreds of wild animals have been killed by hunters and locals for the restaurants over the last 50 years, bhority has not yet prohibited the killing of wild animals for food in the area.

armer from Taungup said, "We were able to see the wild animals anywhere in Arakan Roma in the past, bw we can not see the animals even if we go deep into the jungles in Arakan Roma. I am a mountain cultivnow the animals will be extinct in our state in the future."

akan Roma is a famous mountain range in Burma because so many kinds of animals inhabit the area, butd animals are becoming increasingly scarce from the hunting. In addition to restaurants, the dried meat d animals are available everywhere in Arakan State, such as at jetties, bus stations, and markets.

any poor people in rural areas in Arakan are involved in the business of selling the meat of wild animals jvive. If this rate of killing of wild animals continues, the deer, barking deer, sambur, and wild boar willappear from our state in the near future," the environmental worker concluded.

urce :http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2548

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hai unrest, Myanmar overshadow ASEAN summit

AFP A military policeman stands guard at one of the main entrance gatesMy Dinh National Convention

Ian Timberlake Ian Timberlake 1 hr 47 mins ago

NOI (AFP) Southeast Asian leaders open talks Thursday with their vision of building a regionalmmunity" of nations overshadowed by major unrest in Thailand and Myanmar's widely criticised elections.

the eve of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in the Vietnam capital, Thailand's premierlared a state of emergency as protesters stormed parliament in a dramatic escalation of an anti-governm

mpaign.

ailand's long-running political drama is among the domestic issues within the 10-member ASEAN bloc wdistracting it from moving forward collectively, observers say.

cused on economic issues for most of its existence, ASEAN in 2008 adopted a charter committing it to tigks. The group aims to form by 2015 a free-market entity of 600 million people, committed to democratic

he building of the economic community will be one of the focal points during the summit," said Vietnam'sistant foreign minister Pham Quang Vinh.

hough the two-day meeting's slogan is "from vision to action", analysts say ASEAN is weighed down by wvelopment gaps within the region, entrenched domestic interests and the perennial distraction of Myanm

ure to embrace democracy.don't see any potential for their vision of an ASEAN community coming through by 2015," said Christophberts, from the University of Canberra.

EAN's diverse membership ranges from Laos, one of Asia's poorest nations, to the Westernised city-stategapore, the absolute monarchy of Brunei and the vibrant democracy of Indonesia.

her members are Cambodia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

t it is military-ruled Myanmar, accused of widespread rights abuses and preparing to hold its first electioo decades later this year, which has been the bloc's most troublesome issue.

EAN members are divided on how to respond to Myanmar -- which is under European Union and United

tes sanctions -- but has always escaped formal censure from ASEAN, which adheres to a principle of nonerference in internal affairs of its members.

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alysts expect this time to be no different, despite a call by 105 Southeast Asian lawmakers to impose sancMyanmar and consider its expulsion over its election laws, which effectively barred opposition leader Au

n Suu Kyi from participating.

bal rights watchdog Amnesty International said Myanmar is in "serious breach" of its rights obligations ASEAN charter and called on the bloc to act urgently.

spite such issues within its membership, ASEAN must remain focused on establishing greater unity, saidmon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

he group as a whole must deepen cooperation in order to meaningfully engage the regional powers and thA," he said in a statement.

ead of the summit, ASEAN on Wednesday took another step towards addressing long-neglected human rcerns with the inauguration of a commission to address the rights of women and children.

t economic issues will remain a focus of the leaders' summit.

a draft statement seen by AFP, they call on regional governments to prepare to wind down economic stimasures brought in during the global financial crisis.

e leaders also say they want vital road, sea and air links completed more quickly to complement efforts toegrate regional economies, according to the draft of the statement, to be issued on Friday.

a separate draft document, the leaders also call for a legally binding global pact on climate change.

urce :http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100407/wl_asia_afp/aseansummiteconomypolitics_20100407231

SEAN body to address rights of women and children

ence France-Pressest Posted 19:43:00 04/07/2010

ed Under: Children, Women, Human Rights

NOI--SoutheastAsia on Wednesday took another step towards addressing long-neglected human rights is

h the inauguration of a commission to address the rights of women and children.gional campaigners welcomed the creation of the body but said it could face the same limitations as theociation of Southeast Asian Nations' human rights commission founded late last year.

ey expressed concern about the independence of commissioners, and whether either body can actually prregion's most vulnerable.

l Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, called the commission a step forwad: "We're really going to have to watch very closely."a ceremony in Hanoi, ASEAN proclaimed that the commission on women's and children's rights marks arning point" for the region.

hese are the vulnerable half of the ASEAN community, the women and the children," the bloc's secretaryeral, Surin Pitsuwan, told reporters ahead of a summit which opens Thursday.

if we wish to become a compassionate community, a sharing and caring community... we have to take cawomen and the children."

EAN aims by 2015 to form a free-market "community" of almost 600 million people committed to democals.

ivists say they expect the new commission to examine issues including human trafficking, child labor, chdiers, and gender discrimination.

mong its stated functions, the 20-member commission is to "promote and protect rights"; build judicial anministrative capacity; and encourage data collection, studies and research.

p Swee Seng, executive director of Forum-Asia, an umbrella for regional rights groups, said the commissi

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ms of reference lean more towards promotion of rights.hink it will be difficult for the commission to embark on a protection mandate," he said, a criticism alsoelled at ASEAN's human rights commission.

e 10-nation ASEAN has a principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of member states, which acthas restricted its ability to criticize rights abuses, particularly in military-run Myanmar.

ivists said rules and procedures for both the new commission and the existing rights body need to be furtined for them to work effectively, including with non-governmental organizations.

bertson said both commissions are dominated by current and former civil servants, rather than independerts, raising questions about their potential effectiveness.hink, before this, ASEAN was criticized for not having these kind of mechanisms. Now that we have thembeing criticized that they will not be effective enough. I think, give us a chance," Surin told AFP.

said that, given time, the institutions can develop "into something that I think the region can be proud o

the past, ASEAN was focused on economic issues, but since the bloc's 2008 charter committed it to tighteks as a "community", there must be a strong social component as well, said one Asian diplomat.

spite what critics say, the new rights mechanisms will at least "put things on the table to talk about," said noi-based diplomat.

a-Pacific was the only region in the world without a formal human rights body, Britain's Foreign andmmonwealth Office said in its latest report on global rights.

aid it welcomed ASEAN's commitment to establish a rights mechanism.

urce :http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20100407-262920/ASEAN-body-to-addrehts-of-women-and-children

outheast Asian leaders to meet in Hanoiaders from 10 Southeast Asian nations are expected to focus on economic integration and climate changeing a regional summit that opens in Hanoi on Thursday, but will likely discuss Myanmar's contentious e

ns as well.e Association of Southeast Asian Nations hopes to advance its goals of forming a European-style economimmunity by 2015 and promoting development across the region.

me members are likely to press privately for a statement urging Myanmar's military junta to modify new lverning the elections, which the largest opposition group plans to boycott. But the ASEAN leaders are unlmake any strong public statement condemning Myanmar, observers said.

hey will probably express their displeasure in a mild way officially and strongly behind the scenes," said Jn, a political science professor at Monash University in Malaysia.

anmar's junta plans to call elections sometime this year, but under the election laws, detained pro-democ

der Aung San Suu Kyi is forbidden from participating.t week, members of her party, the National League for Democracy, announced they would not participatpolls, the first in 20 years.

n said democratic ASEAN members, such as Indonesia and the Philippines, feel frustrated by the politicuation in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

hey feel the problems in Burma are giving ASEAN a bad name in the international arena," he said.

t ASEAN has a tradition of noninterference in its members' political affairs, so a strong public rebuke isikely at this 16th regional summit. Political consensus is also difficult to reach among the 10 nations, whilude a military junta, communist states and democracies.

n said ASEAN is generally more of a forum for talk than action.hey are very good at making statements but not very good at following up," he said. "That is the traditiona

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EAN way."

e leaders are likely to issue a statement about climate change, said Carl Thayer, a Vietnam specialist at thstralian National Defence Force Academy.

ey plan to discuss their national climate change plans and seek ways to mesh them into a regional action ayer said.

e focus, however, is likely to be on economics, he said.

the last ASEAN summit, held in Thailand, the group agreed on ways to deal with the global economic cristh the regional outlook beginning to improve, they may decide to remove steps taken previously to stimu

regional economy.t year's summit was disrupted by political protesters known as the "Red Shirts," who demanded theignation of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Some visiting leaders had to be airlifted out by helicopt

ailand's political turmoil is still continuing, but Thayer said ASEAN is unlikely to deal with that situation ek.

e human rights group Amnesty International urged the ASEAN leaders to condemn Myanmar's "appallinman rights record.

is clear that Myanmar has been seriously and systematically breaching the ASEAN charter's human rightvisions," Donna Guest, the group's regional deputy director, said in a statement.

EAN inaugurated a new human rights commission last month, but regional rights groups complained thanel's members refused to meet with them.

s week's summit is being chaired by Vietnam, which has also come under frequent criticism for its humahts record.

urce :http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EUA1400.htm

urma's Suu Kyi 'welcomes party boycott of polls' Published: 7/04/2010 at 09:50 PM Online news:Asia

rma's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi welcomes her party's decision to boycott upcomictions in the military-ruled nation, her lawyer said Wednesday.

rma's detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (seen here in a file photo) welcomes her party's

ision to boycott upcoming elections in the military-ruled nation, her lawyer has said.nior members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) agreed last week not to register for the first p

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held in two decades, after the ruling generals introduced a controversial new election law.

e party would have been forced to oust its iconic leader and recognise the junta's constitution if it had sigbut now faces dissolution in less than six weeks for failing to do so under new legislation for the polls.

aw Aung San Suu Kyi said she was very glad about the NLD's decision," said her lawyer and NLD spokesman Win after he met with the 64-year-old at her lakeside house. Daw is a term of respect in Burma.

der election laws dismissed as a sham by international critics, if the party had registered for the polls, duore the end of November, it would have been forced to part with Suu Kyi because she is serving a prison

e Nobel peace laureate, who has been locked up for 14 of the last 20 years, had already told the party she

posed to such a move.u Kyi also supported the party's apology Tuesday for failing in its struggle for democracy and nationalonciliation, Nyan Win said.

hat statement, the NLD blamed the authorities' crackdown and promised to continue peacefully in its figmocracy.

e will firmly stand by our decision. We have our future tasks. But we cannot reveal them at this momentause of our country's situation," Nyan Win told reporters, adding that the party would work within the la

rma's election law nullifies the result of the last polls held in 1990 that were won by the NLD by a landslidver recognised by the junta, which has ruled the country since 1962.

e United States, which has led international criticism of the new election law, blamed the junta for theposition's decision to boycott, saying the regime had missed an opportunity.

mnesty International said Wednesday that Burma's flawed election plans and "appalling" human rights reuld dominate a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) this week in Hanoi.

e London-based group said Burma was violating Asean's own charter enacted in December 2008 whichmmits members to ideals of democracy and human rights.

urce :http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/173968/burma-suu-kyi-welcomes-party-boycott-of-polls

order road closed for Chins in Manipur stateApril 2010: Chin people coming from Cikha Township in Burma to Manipur have been stopped from ente state by the Assam Rifles in northeast India.

cording to a source the Assam Rifles believes that Chin people are providing food to the insurgents of Mekha Township, western Burma. Thus the ban on Chin people coming to Manipur state.

ssam Rifles in Manipur state has accused us of providing food to Indian underground groups. So, we caner Lamka town as all vehicles are being checked on the border for Chin people. If the Assam Rifles persod Chins, they push them back to Chin state, said Mr. Tuang, a human rights activist of Zomi.

ost Chin people in Cikha Township depend on Manipur state for daily commodities. With the gate closed in people, they are in a spot and have to go to Tonzang Township to get food and other essential commodd the goods are costlier than in Manipur, he added.

e Cikha to Manipur road has been closed from the third week of March by Assam Rifles in Manipur and tno information when it will be reopened.

wever, the closure of the border road is common because Indian border forces and ethnic insurgency groen clash in the Indo-Myanmar border area.- Khonumthung Newsurce :http://www.khonumthung.org/news.php?readmore=177

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ourteen die in forest fire in Chin stateApril 2010: Fourteen people died in a forest fire on March 26 in Cikha, Sub-township of Tonzang Townsh

in state in western Burma.

enty villagers from Suangdem in Cikha Township had gone hunting in the forest. They were caught in a fe and most could not escape. Fourteen died in the fire.

e irony is that the fire was started by the villagers to drive out animals from the forest while some waitedoot the fleeing animals. Fourteen persons were trapped in the fire and could not escape.

is very sad to hear that 14 people were killed in the fire and we could not help them as the forest fire wasd there was thick smoke around us, a local told Khonumthung News.

aditionally Chin people are used to hunting animals in summer after setting fire to the forests since the tiir ancestors.

milarly, one person was killed in Selbung village in Cikha Township on March 25 and many houses in Hakam, Tidim, Cikha and Matupi townships were also destroyed because of forest fires.- Khonumthung new

urce :http://www.khonumthung.org/news.php?readmore=178

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