Burma Democratic Concern has the firm determination to carry on doing until the democracy restore in Burma.

Wednesday 16 June 2010

Burma: Do You Know How's Lives Under JUNTA

WHO HAVE TO PLACE 2010-MAT TO WHOM?

WHO HAVE TO PLACE 2010-MAT TO WHOM?
Now,we have to hear again the voices of Boycott (or) Unboycott on 2010-election and so, we researched & presented the voices of oversea Burmese,U.S.A which will be boycott 2010-election with the hole Burma's national people's disires because 2010-election will military-salave officially our all national peoples with 2008-military-salaved constitution and Myanmar Junta Regimes would like to do their 2010-election with socalled people's desires to lie Internal-external democratic forces & countries for recognizing of global democratic countries &Untied Nations.
So,they have to try to get Artificial people's desires with Artificial politicians & politics,donars & donations,Kyaintphwint's social welfares & activities and thier strategy had always salaved all national peoples with guns & Neuclear weapons on tactics of persuading & frighteen to peoples(For examples!Useless carrot & stick policy) and they have used the holding sticks,back bones & salaved delegaters with salaved awards-cell phones,cells,garbaged meals for their 2010-election's democratic face-covers.Some have to serve 2010-election for garbaged meals with their poverty broken diganity anti-real political activities and so,very sad to hear those worest news and got also political lessons on Inter become form friends to enemies & form enemies to friends, based on political stands of all national peoples.
After our political prisoners' released from Myaungmya's prisons for fourteen yrs on March,1st,2002,we saw back our commarades & friends on many kinds of fields as old friends (or) new enemies with SPDC and once upon a time,our dearest cmmarades & friends had to serve faithfully Junta Regimes doing of night class on tears of our national people's laddy,girls & boys and some Junta Regime's armies & polices have to waits for paradies night class with night-allowences and all national peoples have to tear for garbaged meals among dirty lanes behind Artificial faced buildings but the greatest banks,compannies & hotels on black money of heroin existed on the city-roads and so,let to get knowledges that the greatest rebellions liked society's elites as Junta Regimes and they could co-operate on selfish-profits oppositing of all national people's profits and they used to serve for their war lords anti-people's profits(For examples!" Enoughed foods for salaves if Salave-lord's sastification".
On 8-8-88,Some strikers talked that U Nu placed mat while demostrative alerted but U Nu told back them that I placed mat but not for me and for peoples.Now,they have to place 2010-mat but not for them & peoples and for war lords.
Every boddy have roghts to place democratic mats for all Burma's national peoples but not for Junta Regimes and so, the persons who did for Junta Regimes will be burried together with war lords by us.
thanking you in anticipation;

best regards;

(U ThiHaTintSwe)
Patron for B.D.C,Wa-99336,U.S.A.
Ph;(509)5823261.

Burma's disappearing teak forests

I live with my family in Hsipaw, home of the heart of the Shan State, the largest in Burma; it borders Thailand, Laos and China. We have an uncomplicated existence: we grow our own food, have sporadic electricity, and our water comes from the river.

The river runs by the back of my house. In days gone by it was a source of wealth: the clean water flowed past, supplying the local population, sometimes carrying flecks of gold. Many people would spend their days panning, collecting small particles of gold until enough was gathered to trade for other goods. It was a tough life at times, but we were always sustained by the land.

The river has long since given up its mineral wealth, but it's still an important meeting place. Alongside the waters, in a quiet spot behind an ancient bodhi tree, sits an old prayer house. It's made entirely from teak – it's a beautiful structure.

Teak is our traditional building material; it's a locally sourced timber, strong and long-lasting. Of all the world's teak, 70% comes from Burma. But today, for the average man wanting to repair his house, teak is surprisingly difficult to find and harder still to afford.

Prepared teak lasts for three generations, but in the case of this prayer house that interval has passed; the beams have reached the end of their natural life. You can tell by listening. Teak has a distinctive acoustic nature, but once the life has drained from it the sound becomes flat and dull.

Hsipaw, along with areas of Burma like Mawkmai and Namlan, was once known for its teak forests. Sadly this is no longer the case. It takes 100 years for teak to mature into timber, and many of the mature forests are no more.

Burma still has teak, but in all but the most inaccessible regions much has been sold. Logging has provided valuable funds for the military forces, serving to support their regime while at the same time exploiting the foundations of the land.

Harvested sensibly there would be ample to share, but this is not happening. Deforestation and all its associated ills are beginning to have their effect on the land; nutrient depletion and subsidence are phenomena that we are not used to encountering on such a scale.

There are international embargos against the sale of Burmese teak, but once it crosses the borders it is reclassified as non-Burmese. The sanctions do little, and although smuggling a tree sounds no easy feat, our neighbouring countries do little to enforce the embargos. There are rivers across the border to Thailand and China, and one boat can carry 34 tonnes.

Despite this, Burma is not an impoverished nation. It's possible for its people to be easily sustained by the natural resources of the land. As well as teak in the north, there is oil in the south; jade, sapphires and 90% of the world's rubies also come from Burma.

So we are blessed with the same curse that befalls many developing nations – mineral wealth that creates an ulterior motive for power. Resources in the soil of Burma have provided a financial backbone to the SPDC [State Peace and Development Council, the body of 12 military generals that rules the country]. Surrounding nations turn a blind eye for the sake of regional stability and financial gain. Until the political will exists to address these issues, the land that has provided us for centuries may not be able to support us for much longer.

• U Tin Naing, whose name has been changed, was talking to Pete Browne