HELPING HAND: Australia gives Burma aid, lifts sanctions
AUSTRALIA will lift its travel and financial sanctions on Burma to encourage the country's ongoing democracy movement, Foreign Minister Bob Carr has announced.
http://ping.fm/jeMb9
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Myanmar fossil find turns human history on its head - our earliest ancestors came from Asia, not Africa
Read more: http://ping.fm/Q6gCk
Read more: http://ping.fm/Q6gCk
We would like to call for world leaders, international media and all truth loving people to give careful consideration
Bangladesh migrated to Myanmar (Burma) illegally by just crossing the porous border by all methods because of population explosion in Former East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
They have never been an original ethnic group of Myanmar (Burma) according to our history as well as international history. They are from Bangladesh and should be named as Bangladeshi Bengali but definitely not the Rohingya. They have created the term "Rohingya' which has a meaning "the natives Arakan" in Bengali language Chittagaung dialect (Rohan = Arakan and "Gya" or "Ja" means "Native").
That's why the real Arakanese (Rakhaings) and Burmese cannot accept that term. As we mentioned earlier, there has never been such an ethnic group in Burmese and also in Indo-Pakistani history.
The other fact is that those Bengali people (So called Rohingya) have the connection with the Terrorists such as Taliban, Religious Extremists and Islamist Militants which was revealed by Wikileaks. Besides, those so called Rohingyas are also involving in human trafficking.
(See details in http://ping.fm/2Nz4e Rangoon1310.html ).
Some people may argue that these Chittagonian Bengalis can have a similar destiny to the Muslims in UK. After living for generations these Pakistani, Arabs and Indians had become British Citizens. Yes, however, these immigrants in Britain are not demanding their National Territory. Nor they are demanding a separate Ethnic Identity, like Scottish, Irish and Wales. They are not calling for a national area for themselves even in the North Sea. They call themselves British. Similar to that case, those Bengali can have the identity of Chittagonian Burmese or Bengali-Burmese or Burmese Citizens of Bengali origin or more specifically, Burmese Citizens of Chittagonian-Bengali origin.
For the citizenship issue, Burma would give careful consideration on those people if one can produce all essentials documents to prove that they are entitled to have the Burmese citizenship in accord with Burma immigration laws. We would like to highlight here that so-called Rohingya issue is not the human rights issue of Burma but all about illegal immigration issue. Burmese people won't be happy if thousands of illegal Bengali immigrants stealing Burmese identity by claiming themselves Burmese by creating fake ethnic group with their lies history.
We are not against Burmese Muslim people and their religion in Burma. We just can't accept those Bengali people from Bangladesh trying to occupy the Arakan State ( Rakhaing State ) as well as creating the name "Rohingya" (Please see above explanation of meaning) and demanding worldwide to accept them as one of the genuine ethnic group from Burma who faced severe suppressions by the Burmese military regime. Not only they, but also almost all people in Burma, including Buddhist monks have been facing severe suppressions.
Also we would like to point out here that those Bengali people claiming Asylum in third countries are most likely from the Bangladeshi side of the border not from the Arakan State of Burma since some 'Rohingya gangs' in Bangladesh are involving in human trafficking. This is the most dangerous threat to the World security.
We would like to call for international community to stop labelling Rohingya part of Burma's ethnics group. We would like to highlight here that Rohingya issue is not about human rights issue of Burma but about illegal immigration issue. We would like to call for world leaders, international media and all truth loving people to give careful consideration on our raising issues.
Bangladesh migrated to Myanmar (Burma) illegally by just crossing the porous border by all methods because of population explosion in Former East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
They have never been an original ethnic group of Myanmar (Burma) according to our history as well as international history. They are from Bangladesh and should be named as Bangladeshi Bengali but definitely not the Rohingya. They have created the term "Rohingya' which has a meaning "the natives Arakan" in Bengali language Chittagaung dialect (Rohan = Arakan and "Gya" or "Ja" means "Native").
That's why the real Arakanese (Rakhaings) and Burmese cannot accept that term. As we mentioned earlier, there has never been such an ethnic group in Burmese and also in Indo-Pakistani history.
The other fact is that those Bengali people (So called Rohingya) have the connection with the Terrorists such as Taliban, Religious Extremists and Islamist Militants which was revealed by Wikileaks. Besides, those so called Rohingyas are also involving in human trafficking.
(See details in http://ping.fm/2Nz4e Rangoon1310.html ).
Some people may argue that these Chittagonian Bengalis can have a similar destiny to the Muslims in UK. After living for generations these Pakistani, Arabs and Indians had become British Citizens. Yes, however, these immigrants in Britain are not demanding their National Territory. Nor they are demanding a separate Ethnic Identity, like Scottish, Irish and Wales. They are not calling for a national area for themselves even in the North Sea. They call themselves British. Similar to that case, those Bengali can have the identity of Chittagonian Burmese or Bengali-Burmese or Burmese Citizens of Bengali origin or more specifically, Burmese Citizens of Chittagonian-Bengali origin.
For the citizenship issue, Burma would give careful consideration on those people if one can produce all essentials documents to prove that they are entitled to have the Burmese citizenship in accord with Burma immigration laws. We would like to highlight here that so-called Rohingya issue is not the human rights issue of Burma but all about illegal immigration issue. Burmese people won't be happy if thousands of illegal Bengali immigrants stealing Burmese identity by claiming themselves Burmese by creating fake ethnic group with their lies history.
We are not against Burmese Muslim people and their religion in Burma. We just can't accept those Bengali people from Bangladesh trying to occupy the Arakan State ( Rakhaing State ) as well as creating the name "Rohingya" (Please see above explanation of meaning) and demanding worldwide to accept them as one of the genuine ethnic group from Burma who faced severe suppressions by the Burmese military regime. Not only they, but also almost all people in Burma, including Buddhist monks have been facing severe suppressions.
Also we would like to point out here that those Bengali people claiming Asylum in third countries are most likely from the Bangladeshi side of the border not from the Arakan State of Burma since some 'Rohingya gangs' in Bangladesh are involving in human trafficking. This is the most dangerous threat to the World security.
We would like to call for international community to stop labelling Rohingya part of Burma's ethnics group. We would like to highlight here that Rohingya issue is not about human rights issue of Burma but about illegal immigration issue. We would like to call for world leaders, international media and all truth loving people to give careful consideration on our raising issues.
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) calls for Lord Strathclyde and Lieutenant-General David Leakey to value “human-rights” more than the “building” http://www.bdcburma.org
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Aung San Suu Kyi calls for urgent reforms in first international speech
Aung San Suu Kyi urged Burma's government to carry out urgent judicial reform to cement recent political progress and foster clean investment in the country.
Addressing world business leaders in Bangkok in her first international engagement after more than two decades of isolation, Suu Kyi said Burma needed the "rule of law" more than legal safeguards for foreign investors.
"Investors in Burma, please be warned – even the best investment law would be of no use whatsoever if there is no court clean enough and independent enough to be able to administer these laws justly," she said.
"Good laws already exist in Burma but we do not have a clean and independent judicial system. Unless we have such a system it is no use having the best laws in the world."
Companies are hungrily eyeing resource-rich Burma since political reforms prompted some international sanctions to be eased.
But in her 15 minute address to the World Economic Forum on East Asia, Suu Kyi seized the chance to call for an ethical approach from the assembled foreign business chiefs and Asian political leaders.
Calling for a "healthy scepticism" towards Burma's creeping reform under the quasi-civilian government, she decried a lack of change to the country's broken legal system and asked delegates to think "deeply" about what is good for Burma.
"For a moment please don't think too much of the benefit investment will bring to investors.
"We don't want investment to mean further corruption. and greater inequality."
Instead she said it was integral to empower civic society and create jobs to defuse a "time bomb" of high youth unemployment.
Suu Kyi has stolen the show at the Bangkok forum, drawing crowds of well-wishers and photographers, during her first trip abroad in 24 years.
Having spent 15 of the past 22 years under house arrest, she has taken an increasingly global role as Burma sheds its pariah status, meeting top world dignitaries in Rangoon and encouraging easing of Western economic sanctions.
Analysts say that foreign travel will give Suu Kyi greater access to a global community eager to see her in person and allow her to meet ordinary people as well as world leaders.
Reflecting on her trip after decades inside Burma, the pro-democracy leader said as she flew into Bangkok she was struck by the city's illuminated nightscape.
"I had just left a Burma that was suffering electricity cuts ... I thought thirty years ago the scene that met my eyes landing in Bangkok, would not have been very different from landing in Rangoon."
After Friday's speech she will attend a forum session on Asian women.
Since arriving in neighbouring Thailand on Tuesday, the pro-democracy icon has followed a hectic schedule, shuttling between forum meetings and trips to visit Burma migrants.
Europe is next on the horizon, where Suu Kyi will address an International Labour Organisation conference in Geneva and give a speech in Oslo to finally accept the Nobel Prize she was awarded in 1991.
She also intends to travel to Britain, where she lived for years with her family, and will address parliament in London.
Source: agencies
Aung San Suu Kyi urged Burma's government to carry out urgent judicial reform to cement recent political progress and foster clean investment in the country.
Addressing world business leaders in Bangkok in her first international engagement after more than two decades of isolation, Suu Kyi said Burma needed the "rule of law" more than legal safeguards for foreign investors.
"Investors in Burma, please be warned – even the best investment law would be of no use whatsoever if there is no court clean enough and independent enough to be able to administer these laws justly," she said.
"Good laws already exist in Burma but we do not have a clean and independent judicial system. Unless we have such a system it is no use having the best laws in the world."
Companies are hungrily eyeing resource-rich Burma since political reforms prompted some international sanctions to be eased.
But in her 15 minute address to the World Economic Forum on East Asia, Suu Kyi seized the chance to call for an ethical approach from the assembled foreign business chiefs and Asian political leaders.
Calling for a "healthy scepticism" towards Burma's creeping reform under the quasi-civilian government, she decried a lack of change to the country's broken legal system and asked delegates to think "deeply" about what is good for Burma.
"For a moment please don't think too much of the benefit investment will bring to investors.
"We don't want investment to mean further corruption. and greater inequality."
Instead she said it was integral to empower civic society and create jobs to defuse a "time bomb" of high youth unemployment.
Suu Kyi has stolen the show at the Bangkok forum, drawing crowds of well-wishers and photographers, during her first trip abroad in 24 years.
Having spent 15 of the past 22 years under house arrest, she has taken an increasingly global role as Burma sheds its pariah status, meeting top world dignitaries in Rangoon and encouraging easing of Western economic sanctions.
Analysts say that foreign travel will give Suu Kyi greater access to a global community eager to see her in person and allow her to meet ordinary people as well as world leaders.
Reflecting on her trip after decades inside Burma, the pro-democracy leader said as she flew into Bangkok she was struck by the city's illuminated nightscape.
"I had just left a Burma that was suffering electricity cuts ... I thought thirty years ago the scene that met my eyes landing in Bangkok, would not have been very different from landing in Rangoon."
After Friday's speech she will attend a forum session on Asian women.
Since arriving in neighbouring Thailand on Tuesday, the pro-democracy icon has followed a hectic schedule, shuttling between forum meetings and trips to visit Burma migrants.
Europe is next on the horizon, where Suu Kyi will address an International Labour Organisation conference in Geneva and give a speech in Oslo to finally accept the Nobel Prize she was awarded in 1991.
She also intends to travel to Britain, where she lived for years with her family, and will address parliament in London.
Source: agencies
Burma Govt Wants Investment Focus Away from Natural Resources
BANGKOK—Burma’s Energy Minister Than Htay on Friday told a Bangkok audience of international business leaders and government officials that the government wants to change the country’s foreign investment focus away from oil and gas toward more job-intensive sectors.
“Huge amounts of foreign investment are likely to come,” said the minister, but nonetheless “the government wants to replace resource-based foreign investment with production-based investment.”
With Western sanctions relaxed or suspended, the Burmese government is hopeful of coaxing a variety of investors into Burma with a proposed new foreign investment law and special economic zones tied to seaports at Dawei, Thiliha and Kyaukpyu.
Reading from a prepared statement to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Bangkok, the minister expounded on “The Promise and Future of Myanmar,” talking-up the country’s recent political reforms and urging investors and tourists to put Burma on their to-do lists for the near future.
Minister Than Htay said that investment needs to create jobs for ordinary Burmese, adding that “the government wants to improve living standards for all Burmese and is not just trying to improve GDP.”
For that to happen, however, will take time and work, say analysts. In a press conference at the WEF earlier Friday, Nobel economics laureate Prof Joseph Stiglitz cautioned that Burma “needs the creation of a whole set of legal frameworks to get plugged into the global economy,” mentioning land law and intellectual property rights.
Burma is rich in gas, oil, gemstones and hydropower, and investment to date has largely focused on these extractive sectors, prompting fears that Burma could succumb to a “resource curse” that has seen resource-dependent economies elsewhere fall prey to corruption, civil conflict and poverty.
Prof. Stiglitz, who visited Burma in February, warned that “Myanmar needs to make sure that natural resources are used in ways to avoid the resource curse and make it a blessing.”
Burma’s landscape and physical beauty is a largely untapped resource that the government hopes to capitalize on. With a minuscule few hundred thousands tourists visiting each year, the Burma government hopes to eat into a market that not only sees neighbouring Thailand attract between 15-20 million visitors per annum, with other countries such as Vietnam and Philippines pulling in 4-5 million each.
“Myanmar is an exceedingly-attractive tourist destination,” said the minister. “We have historical monuments, rivers, beaches, flora and fauna, and unique to southeast Asia, have high mountains for adventure-seeking tourists.”
Aung San Suu Kyi sat quietly in the front row during the minister’s speech, which was not followed with a question and answer session aside from a couple of issues raised by WEF head Klaus Schwab.
Earlier, at a press conference on Friday morning, Suu Kyi said she was looking forward to the minister’s speech, in the wake of mass candlelit protests in Burma in recent weeks over ongoing electricity shortages.
Despite billions of dollars in gas, oil and hydropower revenue, an estimated 75 percent of Burma’s people do not have electricity. With that in mind, Suu Kyi recounted how she was invited to the cockpit by the pilot during her flight to Bangkok on Tuesday evening, telling that she was captivated by the canopy of lights beneath as the flight approached the vast Thai capital. Noting the contrast with dimly lit Rangoon, she said that “the difference is considerable,” alluding to the disparity in development between the two cities.
Than Htay listed Burma’s political reforms to the WEF, citing four separate amnesties for political prisoners, the creation of laws that “protect the right of citizens to peaceful assembly, and the beginning of peace processes with Burma’s armed ethnic groups that the government hopes “will bring eternal peace.”
In the wake of these reforms, Western economic sanctions on Burma have been relaxed or suspended. Speaking on Friday morning, Suu Kyi said, “I support suspension of sanctions as it shows that reforms will be rewarded,” but warned that the government and investors must be transparent about investment in Burma in future. “The reason we had problems with Dawei and other projects is that the people of Burma were kept completely in the dark,” she said.
Minister Than Htay spoke at the WEF in place of President Thein Sein who postponed his visit to Thailand until next week in the wake of the announcement that Suu Kyi would travel to Thailand for the WEF. The minister relayed an invitation from President Thein Sein for the WEF to stage its 2013 Asia event in Burma, which was accepted by WEF head Klaus Schwab.
http://ping.fm/zYR7L
BANGKOK—Burma’s Energy Minister Than Htay on Friday told a Bangkok audience of international business leaders and government officials that the government wants to change the country’s foreign investment focus away from oil and gas toward more job-intensive sectors.
“Huge amounts of foreign investment are likely to come,” said the minister, but nonetheless “the government wants to replace resource-based foreign investment with production-based investment.”
With Western sanctions relaxed or suspended, the Burmese government is hopeful of coaxing a variety of investors into Burma with a proposed new foreign investment law and special economic zones tied to seaports at Dawei, Thiliha and Kyaukpyu.
Reading from a prepared statement to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Bangkok, the minister expounded on “The Promise and Future of Myanmar,” talking-up the country’s recent political reforms and urging investors and tourists to put Burma on their to-do lists for the near future.
Minister Than Htay said that investment needs to create jobs for ordinary Burmese, adding that “the government wants to improve living standards for all Burmese and is not just trying to improve GDP.”
For that to happen, however, will take time and work, say analysts. In a press conference at the WEF earlier Friday, Nobel economics laureate Prof Joseph Stiglitz cautioned that Burma “needs the creation of a whole set of legal frameworks to get plugged into the global economy,” mentioning land law and intellectual property rights.
Burma is rich in gas, oil, gemstones and hydropower, and investment to date has largely focused on these extractive sectors, prompting fears that Burma could succumb to a “resource curse” that has seen resource-dependent economies elsewhere fall prey to corruption, civil conflict and poverty.
Prof. Stiglitz, who visited Burma in February, warned that “Myanmar needs to make sure that natural resources are used in ways to avoid the resource curse and make it a blessing.”
Burma’s landscape and physical beauty is a largely untapped resource that the government hopes to capitalize on. With a minuscule few hundred thousands tourists visiting each year, the Burma government hopes to eat into a market that not only sees neighbouring Thailand attract between 15-20 million visitors per annum, with other countries such as Vietnam and Philippines pulling in 4-5 million each.
“Myanmar is an exceedingly-attractive tourist destination,” said the minister. “We have historical monuments, rivers, beaches, flora and fauna, and unique to southeast Asia, have high mountains for adventure-seeking tourists.”
Aung San Suu Kyi sat quietly in the front row during the minister’s speech, which was not followed with a question and answer session aside from a couple of issues raised by WEF head Klaus Schwab.
Earlier, at a press conference on Friday morning, Suu Kyi said she was looking forward to the minister’s speech, in the wake of mass candlelit protests in Burma in recent weeks over ongoing electricity shortages.
Despite billions of dollars in gas, oil and hydropower revenue, an estimated 75 percent of Burma’s people do not have electricity. With that in mind, Suu Kyi recounted how she was invited to the cockpit by the pilot during her flight to Bangkok on Tuesday evening, telling that she was captivated by the canopy of lights beneath as the flight approached the vast Thai capital. Noting the contrast with dimly lit Rangoon, she said that “the difference is considerable,” alluding to the disparity in development between the two cities.
Than Htay listed Burma’s political reforms to the WEF, citing four separate amnesties for political prisoners, the creation of laws that “protect the right of citizens to peaceful assembly, and the beginning of peace processes with Burma’s armed ethnic groups that the government hopes “will bring eternal peace.”
In the wake of these reforms, Western economic sanctions on Burma have been relaxed or suspended. Speaking on Friday morning, Suu Kyi said, “I support suspension of sanctions as it shows that reforms will be rewarded,” but warned that the government and investors must be transparent about investment in Burma in future. “The reason we had problems with Dawei and other projects is that the people of Burma were kept completely in the dark,” she said.
Minister Than Htay spoke at the WEF in place of President Thein Sein who postponed his visit to Thailand until next week in the wake of the announcement that Suu Kyi would travel to Thailand for the WEF. The minister relayed an invitation from President Thein Sein for the WEF to stage its 2013 Asia event in Burma, which was accepted by WEF head Klaus Schwab.
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