"Burma" Myanmar news

Change coming?

2011-12-04T11:02:00.002+01:00

Is change actually coming to Burma?

Only time will tell as the regime has a checkered past when it comes to "caring"...

What is the actuall motivation for these recent grants of freedom?

Only time will tell and hopefully it tells us something good and permanent.

regine change

2008-05-14T06:10:00.004+02:00

It has become obvious, and should be obvious to all who have the slightest knowledge, after the most recent tragedy to hit Burma, that the current regine must be overthrown... by the people, by China or the UN or the world... the regine's lack of concern for their citizens and the actions take on behalf of the "leadership" after the recent Cyclone.... well, I don't need to go into details as you know the rest...

:(

Barring Suu from elections

2008-02-20T07:32:00.000+01:00

The Burma Junta has decided to ban Aung San Suu from the upcoming elections in 2010. No surprise there! This time, in the junta’s newly drawn up guidelines for a new charter to run the country, they have added language explicitly aimed at prohibiting Suu from running in the 2010 fixed elections. The language in the guidelines barres Suu from any National Offices because she was married to a foreigner. Suu’s late husband was British and she enjoyed the privileges associated with being married to a foreign national...before she was arrested in the 90’s, of course. Obviously, the junta considers this a major no-no!

Furthermore, the Association of SE Asian Nations has stated that it cannot (translated: will not!) do anything to stop the junta.
:(

Still the same

2008-02-17T09:06:00.003+01:00

The junta is still at it. Recently they assasinated an opposition leader (not Suu Kyi). Now, they are also monitoring and harrassing blogs that are exposing their ways of intimidation and suppression of the Burma people.
:(

UNenvoy visits prison

2007-11-13T06:13:00.000+01:00

U.N. human rights envoy who returned to Myanmar after a four-year ban Monday visited a notorious prison for political prisoners as he began an investigation into how many people were killed or detained in a crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.

Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the U.N.'s independent rights investigator for Myanmar, has said he is determined to gain access to the prisons and other sites to assess allegations of abuse by the ruling military junta.

Stall tactics

2007-11-07T06:32:00.000+01:00

Apparently Burma's junta leadership has decided to stall and frustrate efforts by UN Ibrahim Gambari to negotiate peace. They are now calling their diplomats to the capital to meet with the UN envoy. Since the diplomats have no actual power, this is just another stall tactic by the ruling military.
The diplomats were asked to meet on Wednesday with envoy Ibrahim Gambari in Naypyitaw, where he has been holding talks with Cabinet ministers but has yet to meet with the junta's leader, Senior Gen. Than Shwe.

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UN envoy in Burma

2007-11-05T06:02:00.000+01:00

UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari arrived in Burma yesterday for a second round of crisis talks with the country's rulers as the junta defended its move to expel a top UN diplomat.

Mr Gambari met a senior junta official in the isolated capital, Naypyidaw, and was expected to meet detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her National League for Democracy party during his six-day trip.

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UN official kicked out

2007-11-03T18:34:00.000+01:00

Why does this not surprise me?

The United Nations is disappointed by the message from the government of Myanmar that it would not want the resident coordinator, Mr. Charles Petrie, to continue to serve. Petrie was advised that he was no longer welcome in the country and needs to leave.

Mr Petrie, who began his posting in Burma in 2003, issued a statement a week ago critical of the country's deepening economic crisis. Burma's rulers were not impressed.

U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe called the expulsion of Petrie, the U.N.'s human rights representative, "outrageous" and noted it came the day before Ibrahim Gambari, the special U.N. envoy to Myanmar, is scheduled to return to the country.It is "an insult to the United Nations and the international community," Johndroe said. "They say that they are interested in cooperating with the U.N., so this seems very unusual to say the least."

Some believe Burma's authorities have made their move at this time so that Mr Gambari will have to spend all of his visit talking about the UN instead of talking about reform.

The United Nations does not know who Gambari will be meeting with, but it is hoped that the envoy will facilitate talks between ruling generals and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, an opposition leader and human rights activist who has been under house arrest on and off for nearly 20 years.

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Monks protest again

2007-10-31T13:35:00.000+01:00

Monks rise up again!

Oct 31, 2007 (DVB)–Around 200 monks from several monasteries in Pakokku staged a walking protest at 8.30 this morning for the first time since the junta's deadly crackdown on anti-government protests last month, according to a monk who participated in the march.

The monks marched for about 30 minutes. Wednesday's march in Pakokku was not openly political, with witnesses saying the monks refrained from shouting any slogans. Still, it showed "the sense of frustration and resentment has not disappeared" following last month's crackdown

The monk said that the protest was a continuation of last month’s demonstrations as he said the monks’ demands have still not been met. "Our demands are for lower commodity prices, national reconciliation and the immediate release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners," the monk explained.

The monk said the group was not afraid of the response of the authorities. "We are not afraid of getting arrested or being tortured. We are doing this for Sasana," he said.

The monks reportedly notified the authorities in advance, telling them that if a pro-government demonstration was taking place then the monks should also be allowed to hold their protest. The monk said there would be more and larger demonstrations in the future.

"We did not have much time to organise the protest as we did not actually plan for it, so there weren't a lot of monks. But there will be bigger and more organized protests soon," he said, adding "We would like to urge people not to be afraid since we are doing this for good future of our country," he said.

Meanwhile, no word about last weeks 75 minute meeting between Aung Kyi and Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi has left home

2007-10-25T12:58:00.000+02:00

According to unconfirmed reports, local citizens have said that Suu Kyi has left her house to meet with government officials. If correct, this will be the first time in 12 years of house arrest that she has been allowed outside. Suu Kyi is the leader of the pro-democracy movement against Burma's ruling junta and has spent 12 of the last 18 years under house arrest.

The release follows yesterdays world wide protests outside of various Chinese Embassy's against the detainment of the former Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Burma's tech test

2007-10-16T07:43:00.000+02:00

Just found this article.
I've attached link to it.

Burma's tech test
Posted: Saturday, September 29, 2007 3:16 AM by Will Femia

The reporting of the protests in Burma represents a fascinating application of lessons learned in the past few years about organizing and reporting online - and probably even about censoring Web sites. The tools of citizen journalism have been steadily improving since the DIY digital rally for tsunami stricken Southeast Asian regions raised the eyebrows of media watchers everywhere. And the professional media have done more than just watch citizen journalism grow. Nearly every mainstream media outlet has developed a means of actively soliciting content from their audience (ahem). While it can sometimes be the case that when the media can't report on a story it reports on the reporting of the story, as copiously as mainstream media is cranking out boilerplate citizen journalism articles, they're also ingesting and processing photos, videos and news tips straight from the street from people who are not being paid or assigned to cover the story.
The stand-out line for me in this Wall Street Journal article was, "One blogger dubbed 'Moezack,' whose photos and descriptions of the protests -- sometimes posted minutes after events occurred -- were picked up by the international press, had stopped blogging." (FWIW, This is Moezack's blog, Today Burma.)
Communication tools for the Web have been improving, becoming more efficient, mobile based, and with more useful features. Ironically, one of the more useful tools in disseminating information on this story is the "Cbox" a comment box that works almost like an old school chat room.
Sophisticated efforts by repressive governments to block, ban, cordon and censor the Web have also increased, but then corresponding efforts to circumvent those blocks and keep the flow of information free have also made gains - both in technology like proxy servers and wireless devices and organization with small news sites run by expats with friends still in-country and concerned activist groups like Reporters Without Borders.
And so we find it all come to a head in Burma. Citizens with cameras and camera phones and video cameras and blogs and YouTube accounts and Facebook pages. A global media poised to accept the help of amateurs to report a story that's difficult to access in an official capacity. And a network of expats and cyber activists working to find loopholes and hacks as fast as the government can cut cords and pull plugs.
What I clicked, including some examples of what I've mentioned above:
"Burma is blacked out now!" It is amazing the lengths the government is going to in order to keep its shameful secrets.
What a censored page looks like to someone in Burma (via Myo Chit).
And in case you were wondering, much of the media in Burma called it quits when they were being forced to print state propaganda.
Speaking of propaganda, Voice of America news reports on Burmese junta propaganda(Link found among the many helpful posts at Bangkok Pundit.)
That Facebook page that's been making news: Support the Monks' protest in Burma
The Burma News Cbox - A scrolling newswire of tips, reports, rumors, links, photos. Clean and simple and one of the most useful things out there. A Cbox is a comment box that would usually appear in the margin of a blog for visitors to leave comments. The untranslated, original version is Niknayman.
Here's a collection of Cboxes on a single page.
Speaking of compiling and translating, Burma-Myanmar Genocide 2007 - "Here, we present you most updated news about current ongoing genocide in Burma/Myanmar. A translated English version of many Burmese/Myanmar blogs from within the country, for international viewers."
From that blog I saw this idea:
29 Sep 07, 11:30 - MyoThant: A group of 88-generation activists are urging UN and US & UK embassies in Rangoon to open a 1-page web service via WIFI access to general public just to submit news photos (with user name: 2007, pw: 2007). Please write to them to request this.
I wonder what kind of trouble it would cause if there was Wifi at the US Embassy in defiance of the national Internet shut-down. I imagine they'd simply deny access to the embassy.
The Burma Digest YouTube channel - Protest videos from inside the country.
Another YouTube channel of protest videos: Juvenilebirds
Those organizing expats:
Democratic Voice of Burma - News from inside the country based in Norway.
Mizzima News - Exiled Burmese journalists based in Delhi, India.
Ko Htike - An expat blogging from London, relaying reports and photos from contacts inside Burma.
Global Voices - Myanmar (Burma) - For international news of this nature Global Voices should be your first click, not just for news but for further links and translations. It's certainly better than randomly clicking through blog directories for worthwhile blog content.
Of course, if you did want to randomly flip through a blog director, you can. If nothing else, it gives a sense of what normal life is like there.
Speaking of worthwhile blog content, Dr. Lun Swe's blog is not in English but you don't need language to look at the photos. This is where I first saw the now infamous series of photos of the Japanese photographer shot and dying in the street. (I've seen the photos with a Reuters credit but Reuters only names "stringer" as the source, so it's not clear to me who took the originals.)
Speaking of the shooting of the Japanese photographer, I'd heard there was video of the shooting as well. All I found of that was this news report. ADDING: There's also this. It's a split second at 3:40, replayed again in the last few seconds of the clip. The point here is not to be ghoulish about the death but to document the abuse and remove any deniability.
As I write this, rumors of a mutiny or coup are popping up on several sites. Andrew Sullivan rounds up links.
That Jim Carrey video - He's got a new one now about sending e-mail to the UN, but this is the earlier one in which he explains the situation in Burma. I mention it only because at some point you're going to be watching some serious news about this story and Jim Carrey is going to show up on the TV screen and you're going to say, "WTF is Jim Carrey doing on this serious news story??"
This McConnell/Feinstein video and two bucks will get you on the NYC subway

From msnbc.msn.com
http://clicked.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/29/386909.aspx?

new junta postal stamp

2007-10-16T05:28:00.000+02:00

The junta in burma has created a new first-class postal stamp featuring it's leaders.

The stamp was not sticking to envelopes, which enraged the junta, who demanded a full investigation. After a month of testing, a special junta commission presented the following findings about why the stamps were not sticking:

1) The stamp is in perfect order.
2) There is nothing wrong with the adhesive.
3) People are spitting on the wrong side.

Junta's "Butcher of Depayin" dies

2007-10-13T06:30:00.000+02:00

Gen. Soe Win, the fourth-ranking member of the military junta, and largely considered a figurehead, has apparently died Friday after a long illness, relatives and state media said.

Nicknamed "the Butcher of Depayin" for his role in the 2003 attack on Suu Kyi (1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner) and her followers in the northern town of Depayin, his death is not expected to have any effect on the regimes power.

Soe Win first achieved notoriety for brutally suppressing a 1988 pro-democracy uprising, commanding troops around Rangoon University and giving orders to open fire on a crowd of peaceful protesters. Rangoon is the old name for Yangon, Myanmar's largest city.

Apparently, no tears have been shed by the people upon learning of his death.

Students call for genuine dialogue

2007-10-13T06:25:00.000+02:00

88 generation students have called for unconditional dialogue between the Burmese military regime and opposition leaders, according to a statement released yesterday.

The statement urges the Burmese government to release detained National League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, stop their harassment of students and monks, and create a constructive environment for dialogue without preconditions.

"We have paid for this opportunity with the blood and sweat of so many of our people, monks and students. We need truthful dialogue without the tricks being played to fool the people of Burma and the world," a student said.

Junta leader senior general Than Shwe has said that he will meet personally with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi if certain conditions are met, including the cessation of demands for sanctions. An NLD statement released on 9 October welcomed the possibility of talks, but also said that they would not accept any preconditions.

by Moe Aye, from the DVB

Monks face tribunal in prison

2007-10-13T06:15:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, Sixteen monks were brought to Thayet prison to face a specially-convened tribunal set up by the ruling junta. No word on what the charges might be nor if any any of the monks have yet to be sentenced.

Some NLD party members were also seen being brought to the Thayet prison.

Sounds like the same type of slanted tribunal that the USA used against their suspected terrorists.

Some of the arrested monks were under 10yrs old ...

2007-10-11T06:33:00.000+02:00

Just now, first hand reports of the junta's brutal crackdown are emerging out of Burma. These first-hand accounts describe a campaign hidden from view, but even more sinister and terrifying than the open crackdown in which the regime's soldiers turned their bullets and batons on unarmed demonstrators in the streets of Rangoon.

The hidden crackdown is as methodical as it is brutal. First the monks were targeted, then the thousands of ordinary Burmese who joined the demonstrations, those who even applauded or watched, or those merely suspected of anti-government sympathies.

"There were about 400 of us in one room. No toilets, no buckets, no water for washing. No beds, no blankets, no soap. Nothing," said a 24-year-old monk. "The room was too small for everyone to lie down at once. We took it in turns to sleep. Every night at 8 o'clock we were given a small bowl of rice and a cup of water. But after a few days many of us just couldn't eat. The smell was so bad."Some of the novice monks were under 10 years old, the youngest was just seven. They were stripped of their robes and given prison sarongs. Some were beaten, leaving open, untreated wounds, but no doctors came."

A young woman described how one woman bystander who applauded the monks was rounded up. "My friend was taken away for clapping during the demonstrations. She had not marched. She came out of her house as the marchers went by and, for perhaps 30 seconds, smiled and clapped as the monks chanted. Her face was recorded on a military intelligence camera. She was taken and beaten. Now she is so scared she won't even leave her room to come and talk to me, to anyone."

Another added, "We all hear screams at night as they [the police] arrive to drag off a neighbour. We are torn between going to help them and hiding behind our doors. We hide behind our doors. We are ashamed. We are frightened."

In Rangoon, people say they are more frightened now than when soldiers were shooting on the streets. "When there were demonstrations and soldiers on the streets, the world was watching, But now the soldiers only come at night. They take anyone they can identify from their videos. People who clapped, who offered water to the monks, who knelt and prayed as they passed. People who happened to turn and watch as they passed by and their faces were caught on film. It is now we are most fearful. It is now we need the world to help us."

The scale of the crackdown remains undocumented. The regime has banned journalists from entering Burma and has blocked internet access and phone lines. They have also arrested the owners of computers which they suspect were used to transmit images and testimonies out of the country. For each story smuggled out, someone has risked arrest and imprisonment.

Edited from the Independent, UK

Dissident dies in interrogation

2007-10-11T06:07:00.000+02:00

According to sources, Win Shwe, 42, a member of the NLD opposition party died recently during interrogation. He was arrested on September 26th along with 5 of his colleagues. No word of his colleagues is available.

Also, two more activists were arrested Wendsday: Hla Myo Naung and a companion, both members of the '88 Generation. Naung is on the regimes "most wanted" list. The junta has increased harrassing and threatening relatives and neighbors in order to find more dissidents who participated in the protests.

junta wants talks with Suu Kyi

2007-10-09T14:40:00.000+02:00

Smooth Relations Wanted With Suu Kyi

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar's ruling junta said Tuesday it hoped to achieve "smooth relations" with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a day after suggesting that her release from house arrest was unlikely to happen anytime soon.
China, meanwhile, reiterated its stance that international sanctions and pressure would not resolve the crisis in Myanmar, where the government has violently cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.
The New Light of Myanmar newspaper, a mouthpiece of the junta, printed a brief official announcement on its front page saying that Deputy Labor Minister Aung Kyi had been appointed "minister for relations" to coordinate contacts with Suu Kyi, the country's democracy icon.
The appointment was suggested by U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari during his visit to Myanmar earlier this month, the statement said. It added that the junta had accepted the idea "in respect of Gambari's recommendation and in view of smooth relations with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi." "Daw" is a polite term for addressing older women.
The printed statement followed a similar announcement the night before on state radio and television, a move that came amid intense international pressure for the junta to enter talks with Myanmar's democracy movement.
Suu Kyi's party issued a statement Tuesday calling for no preconditions for dialogue with the military junta.
The junta's leaders have offered to meet with Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest, but only on condition she renounce calls for international sanctions against the military regime for its bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
The new official's duties were not detailed, and the announcement did not say when he might meet with the 62-year-old Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate who has been under house arrest for 12 of the past 18 years without trial.
It appeared, however, that Aung Kyi would coordinate Suu Kyi's contacts with both the regime and the U.N., which is seeking to end the political deadlock between democracy advocates and a military that has ruled since 1962.
Aung Kyi has a reputation among foreign diplomats, U.N. officials and aid groups as being relatively accessible and reasonable compared to top junta leaders.
But the state-run newspaper suggested in a Monday commentary that Suu Kyi would remain under house arrest until a new constitution was in place — a milestone that diplomats say could take years to achieve.
So far, only the first stage of drawing up guidelines for a new constitution has been completed — a process that took over a decade. The road map process is supposed to culminate in a general election at an unspecified date in the future.

While the United States has warned that it would push for U.N. sanctions against Myanmar if it fails to move toward democracy, China has said it is against such action.
"Sanctions or pressure will not help to solve the issue in Myanmar," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular news conference in Beijing on Tuesday.
He said China was encouraged that the situation in Myanmar was calmer now. "We hope this momentum can be maintained," he said

New Light of Myanmar newspaper

Weapons found in Buddhist Monasteries

2007-10-08T06:10:00.000+02:00

Burma's junta military said that in recent raids on Buddhist monasteries they have found guns, ammunition and knives. No mention was made as to who the weapons belonged to.

They also arrested dozens more people on Sunday.

The junta also threatened, again, to punish monks who "violate the law". "Buddhist Monks must adhere to the laws of God and to the government," they said, adding, "if they violate our laws, action will be taken against those monks."

They junta probably planted the weapons.
If only they, too, followed the law of God......

Pictures from worldwide protests

2007-10-08T06:03:00.000+02:00

To see a gallery of pictures from Saturday's protests go to link,
http://picasaweb.google.com/niknayman/GlobalDayOfBurmaOctober62007

by Picasaweb

Saturday Global Protests

2007-10-07T06:53:00.000+02:00

On Saturday, global protests, organized by Amnesty International, against Myanmar's junta began around the world in Asia, Europe, Australia and the USA. Other rallies were also being held in New Zealand, Switzerland, and Canada after the junta recently admited it's role in "controlling" the protesters.

The military regime admitted detaining hundreds of Buddhist monks when troops turned their guns on pro-democracy demonstrators last week. The junta's admited treatment of the Buddhist monks could further inflame the people of Myanmar and anger soldiers loyal to the military rulers. The junta further stated that it was still looking for 4 more monks who they considered to be the "ringleaders" of the protests.

Last week, television images showed soldiers shooting into the crowds of unarmed and peacefull protesters. The government says "only" 10 people were killed and that 2,100 were detained. But dissident groups put the death toll at more than 200 and the number of detainees at nearly 6,000.

China, India support regime

2007-10-07T06:41:00.000+02:00

Stating that "this is an internal affair", China has opposed United Nations efforts to issue sanctions against Myanmar's government. No mention was made about the financial affairs between the two counties. India has also been "non-commintment" in it's actions. China and India have been supportive of the regime's rights to dispell law and order in its county and that outsiders should not interfiere.

Open Letter to Gov. of Burma, China, Japan, India and Thailand

2007-10-07T06:26:00.000+02:00

Open Letter to the Governments of Burma, China, Japan, India and Thailand
06 October 2007

We are university lecturers, researchers, policy practitioners, students and activists from 17 countries. We are gathered in Bangkok, Thailand for the International Development Studies Conference on "Mainstreaming Human Security: The Asian Contribution" held on 4-5 October 2007 at Chulalongkorn University.

While human security has been emphasized and used as a reference point in this conference, we realize that our fellows in Burma, which is only next door to Thailand, are crying out for their security. Those monks and civilians who are peacefully demonstrating have a right to have their voice heard. The brutal and violent response by the Burmese government is unacceptable and uncivilized.

Although the demonstrations were triggered by the government's decision to abruptly increase oil prices by 500%, the current discontent in Burma is firmly rooted in the continuing daily hardships ignored by the military dictatorship. We have yet to discover how many civilians and monks have lost their lives during the recent suppression. The hundreds of reported deaths and thousands of forced arrests are alarming and cried out for action above the strong words expressed at the conference this week. These people are fathers, mothers, sons and daughters and they deserve our urgent support. The decision to use violence against peaceful protestors will yield nothing but bloodshed, insecurity and instability inside Burma.

The continuation of brutal violence and repression, military searches, and roundups is happening in front of the eyes of Burma's neighbouring countries, especially China, Japan, India and Thailand. These countries have vast economic interests in Burma's natural resources. Competition among these countries should not overshadow morality and the responsibility each one has towards defending basic human security.

We, the undersigned, urgently call on the Burmese government and its high-ranked officers to:
stop all forms of violence and repression against their own people,
free arrested monks, protestors and political activists, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and
restore a peaceful dialogue with the people in support of Burma's path to democracy.
Moreover, we call on the governments of China, Japan, India and Thailand, whose responses significantly influence the direction of this dire situation, to stand up to their responsibilities and overcome short term economic interests. We urge each of these governments to ensure the safety of our fellow citizens in Burma and to bring pressure on the government of Burma to pursue meaningful dialogue on the path to democracy.

Signed by
Name
Organisation
Country

1. Abdut Shaban,Tata Institute of Social Science, India
2. Abubakar Kbyttara,International Center for Islam and Democracy, Jakarta Indonesia
3. Alisa Hasamoh,Prince Songkla University,Thailand
4. Andi Amri, Hasanuddin University,Indonesia
5. Bennett Richardson,Waseda University,New Zealand
6. Brennen Jenkins,Chulalongkorn University,Canada
7. Chaiwat Satha-anand,Thammasat University,Thailand
8. Chanchai Chaisukkosol,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
9. Chandanic Watawak,Mahidol University,Sri Lanka
10. Chantana Banpasirichote,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
11. Dhani Ram Sapkota,OHRSD, Mahihol University,Nepal
12. Edgardo P Legaspi,Mahidol University,Philippines
13. Eersa Sami Ahoja,HBF,Pakistan
14. Gabrielle GrovesAsian, Institute of Technology,Canada
15. Gaurang R Sahay,Tata Institute of Social Sciences,India
16. Jacques-chai Chomthongdi,Focus on the Global, SouthThailand
17. Jasmin Nario Galace ,Miriam College,Philippines
18. Jessada Salathong,Waseda University,Thailand
19. Kal Elle,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
20. Ketut Gunawan,Mulawarman University,Indonesia
21. Kinhide Mushakoji,University of Economics and Law, Osaka,Japan
22. Makendra Chalise,Helpless Rehabilitation Society,Nepal
23. Marita Castro Guevara,Ateneo de Manila University,Philippines
24. Mary Racelis,Ateneo de Manila University,Philippines
25. Masaya Sekiguchi,Japan
26. Md. Shanawez Hobbain,Waseda University,Bangladesh
27. Melizel Asuncion,Mahidol University,Philippines
28. Michiko Yoshida,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand/ Japan
29. Mike Hayes,Mahidol University,Thailand
30. Mohiuddin Ahmad,Sungkonghoe University,Bangladesh
31. Motohiko Sato,Aichi University,Japan
32. Muktasam,Research Center for Rural Development,Indonesia
33. Naruemon Arunotai,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
34. Naruemon Thabchumpon,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
35. Omar Farouk ,Hiroshima City University,Japan
36. Oscar Gomez,Tokyo University,Japan
37. P Gopinalt,Tata Institute of Social Sciences,India
38. Pakorn Lertsatienchai,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
39. Passanan Assavarak,KMUTT,Thailand
40. Philippe Dooneys,Canada
41. Pratubjit Neelapaijit,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
42. Puangthong Pawakapan,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
43. Ranee Hatsarangsee,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
44. Ritambhara Hebbar,Tata Institute of Social Science,India
45. Rosalie Arcala Hall,University of the Philippines,Philippines
46. Sajin Prachason,Focus on the Global South,Thailand
47. Saw Aye Min,Chulalongkorn University,Myanmar
48. Suangsurang Lomratanachai,Asian Institute of Technology ,Thailand
49. Surangrut Jumnianpol,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
50. Surichai Wangaeo,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
51. Takachi Mita,Japan
52. Tassanee Surawanna,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
53. Teresa S Encarnacion Tadem,University of the Philippines,Philippines
54. Theera Wanasanpraikhiw,Chulalongkorn University,Thailand
55. Tomoko Nakao,Japan
56. Wayne Nells,Canada
57. Yodha Maharddhika,Gadjah Mada University,Indonesia
58. Yoichi Mine,Osaka University,Japan
59. Yuyyn Wahyuningrun,Mahidol University,Indonesia
60. Zarina Othman,National University of Malaysia,Malaysia

From Prachatai.com

Asian Artists: "An Open Letter For Burma"

2007-10-04T14:11:00.000+02:00

AN OPEN LETTER FOR BURMA
October 3, 2007

From people of Asian background in the arts:

We write to express our extreme dismay at the brutality of the military regime of Burma (Myanmar) against protesters who have been peacefully asking for change in that Asian nation. Led by Buddhist monks and nuns, tens of thousands of people have marched in Burma’s cities and towns in recent week. This has been an inspiring example of nonviolent resistance which has caught the attention of the entire world.

Unfortunately, the military dictatorship has chosen to meet this challenge not with negotiation, but with gunfire from automatic weapons. Monks and nuns have been viciously beaten and arrested, students and journalists shot in the street, and whole cities are now under a military reign of terror.

As citizens of the world, as artists valuing free expression, as people of Asian heritage, we write in support of the courageous Buddhist monks and nuns, and other people from all religions and walks of life in Burma, as they continue to seek peaceful change and national reconciliation.
We demand an immediate end to the violence against the protesters, and a release of all political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, dissident comedian Zarganar, and poet BamawNyo New.

We support the ongoing struggle of the people of Burma for basic human rights, and we admire their expressions of compassion for all humanity. As fellow humans, we stand with them.

Sincerely,

1. Maxine Hong Kingston2. Linda Kim3. Htein Lin4. Amitav Ghosh5. Khin Aye Than6. Ruby Walters7. Doryun Chong8. Charmaine Craig9. Huma Dar10. Maya Lin11. Tamara Chin12. Bharat Venkat13. Jerry Zee14. Taro Shinoda15. Mira Kamdar16. Eungie Joo17. Byron Kim18. Pascal Khoo Thwe19. Maryam Kashani20. Kim Beom21. Audrey Chan22. Wei Hua Peng23. Hou Hanru24. Clara Kim25. Kris Kuramitsu26. Michael Ondaatje27. Haegue Yang28. Paisley Rekdal29. Yiyun Li30. Le Ly Hayslip31. Gitanjali J. Hursh32. Vasanthi Victor

guernicamag.com

Burma's Brutal Crackdown Continues

2007-10-04T07:57:00.000+02:00

BURMA'S BRUTAL CRACKDOWN CONTINUES
'They Come at Night and Murder the Monks'
By our correspondents in Yangon

In Yangon the killing goes on. Opponents of the regime and monks are falling victim to the junta's special forces by night. Diplomats assume that several hundred people have already been killed. Now even China is putting the military under pressure.

REUTERS
Riot police and military personnel crack down on the protests in Yangon last week. There are reports of a brutal crackdown at night, with hundreds of people killed.It is 9.15 p.m. on Tuesday evening in Yangon, the time of day when the stranglehold of fear settles across the city. The first heavily armed soldiers take position outside the few restaurants that still serve foreigners. Curfew starts at 10 p.m. After that, anyone who is still out on the streets is risking their lives.
"Take a bicycle to the street to grab a taxi," the manager of L'Opera, an Italian restaurant, yells into the kitchen. The foreigners, waiting in the courtyard, can't find any more rental cars. Someone dashes out to look for some kind of transport.
It is completely quiet for a moment in the car park. Then a young man emerges from the darkness. He was obviously waiting for a chance to be alone with foreigners. He is poorly clothed, but speaks English that is somewhat understandable. "Please don't believe what the junta says," he whispers. "The repression is continuing every night. When there are no more witnesses, they drive through the suburbs at night and kill the people."

The young man wanted to tell his story quickly. He knew that he couldn't let himself be caught doing so -- otherwise he could soon find himself in jail or dead. He comes from South Okalapa, a huge township east of Yangon, where there is hunger and misery. Most of the monks who demonstrated against the regime last week came from there. After the junta's troops finally crushed the unrest in the city center on Saturday, they took their brutal revenge in Okalapa on Sunday.
It was around midnight when the long convoy of military vehicles drove into the district. They contained police officers from the anti-insurgency unit and the so-called "Lome-Ten," a unit of gangsters and ex-convicts, who do the regime's dirty work.
They surrounded a monastery on Weiza Yandar Street. All the roughly 200 monks living there were forced to stand in a row and the security forces beat their heads against a brick wall. When they were all covered in blood and lay moaning on the ground, they were thrown into a truck and taken away. "We are crying for our monks," said the man, and then he was gone.
Four days have passed since the last shots were fired in central Yangon but normality has yet to return to Burma's largest city. Most shops remain closed today and the human rights violations continue. Horrifying rumors and news of further repressive measures continue to leak out.
These rumors are difficult to confirm as journalists are not allowed to work in the country. The few correspondents who are left in the country on tourist visas are being observed day and night. Secret service spies waylay them at their hotels. And even if the regime doesn't dare to execute another foreign journalist following the death of the Japanese photographer last week, it's still impossible to conduct normal reporting and research.
Every Burmese whose name appears in the international media has to fear for his life. Even foreigners living in the country are opting for silence, for fear of persecution. But the rumors and stories circulating in the city paint a horrible picture. It's clear that Yangon has done away with almost all of its monks.

In the huge monastery complex under the Shwedagon pagoda, only the red and saffron coloured robes of the holy men are left to blow in the wind. There are no traces of the several thousand monks and novices that once leant this place its unique and peaceful air.
A deadly silence has also settled into Yangon suburbs like Okalapa or Takada, where young monks from other provinces can normally come to learn to read and write at small religious institutions. But these have been shuttered, their entrances barricaded with iron doors and rubbish is piling up on the premises. The monasteries, temples, schools and orphanages in the surrounding area are empty.
"We are assuming that the number of victims among the monks and protesters last week goes well into the hundreds," says one diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. Clearly security forces in both suburbs have engaged in major crackdowns. As the junta's henchmen tried to remove the monks on Sunday and early this week, residents of both districts resisted, and many of the demonstrators are believed to have been shot.
"Our students have gone back to their home villages for the time being," the abbot of one Okalapa monastery says. But that's only half true. Diplomats here have fairly reliable information that the junta has built at least three internment camps in recent days in Yangon, where it has placed opponents of the regime.
One is located near the old British horse race track, between Yangon's 50th and 51st streets. Another camp is located near the Mingala international airport. The worst conditions, though, are to be found on the grounds of the Yangon Institute of Technology.
In the north-western part of the former Burmese capital, very close to the notorious and overflowing Insein Prison, about 300 cells have been erected in recent days -- each measuring 3 meters by 3 meters (9.8 by 9.8 feet). Close to 800 monks have been imprisoned there. Sanitary conditions are atrocious and the monks are engaging in a hunger strike. Just as they did during their protests, the monks are refusing to accept any food handouts from the military. Meanwhile, the armed soldiers have stopped locals from trying to bring any food to the monks. And if the authorities don't provide international organizations with access to the camps soon, it will be a matter of time before there are further deaths.
But although the situation appears hopeless, the British ambassador -- of all people -- sees a first glimmer of hope in the chaotic situation. Mark Canning sits in his high security office with a view of Yangon port. He is a large man with a youthful face, and wears a white shirt but no jacket or tie. He is surely not a typical representative of the Foreign Office. Canning appears to regard finding a solution to the conflict in the country, which was once Great Britain's wealthiest colony in Southeast Asia but finds itself today in abject poverty, as his own personal mission.

Canning exploits his room for maneuver right up to the limits of what is possible for him as a diplomat. During the uprising, the ambassador constantly gave live interviews to the BBC about the situation in the country. "If the events achieved one thing, then it is the fact that the international community is now united in its condemnation of the regime," he says.
He repeats the word "revulsion" several times. It was the word used by the otherwise very reserved ASEAN, the community of the Southeast Asian states, to condemn its member country Burma over its crackdown on the uprising.
For that reason, Canning believes that the process of dialogue which the United Nations has initiated with the Burmese military regime could soon show its first results. After his arrival in Burma on the weekend, the UN special envoy for Burma Ibrahim Gambari met with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest. Then he met Tuesday morning with junta leader Than Shwe in the new capital Naypyidaw.
Canning pins particular hope on the Chinese. The generals could not survive for long without the economic assistance of Burma's northern neighbor. "The Chinese have made it clear to Burma that they want stability and peace on their southern border," says Canning. Admittedly the Chinese aren't talking about democracy, Canning says, but perhaps they can help to establish dialogue between the military and Aung San Suu Kyi. That way, the hunger and misery in Southeast Asia's poorest country could be alleviated -- which is exactly what the demonstrating monks had been demanding from the junta.

Editor's Note: For security reasons we are not naming our correspondents in Burma

Der Spiegel