* BORDER UNREST CONTINUES!
* MORE DISCUSSIONS ON PANGLONG 21!
* WA GETTING ANOTHER SQUEEZE, YANGON AIR!
* MONGLA AND KACHIN FACE LOSS OF REVENUE!
Cartoon
Tips for the new president: That’s how we see it too!
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein, quoted by Dictatorship Watch, 23 November 2010
I don’t believe in looking at it as a sacrifice. It’s a choice. It’s a choice I made.
Aung San Suu Kyi, on her decision not to leave Burma, NY Times, 23 November 2010
The World
22 November 2010
Stampede in Cambodian festival kills at least 378 and injures hundreds. (Bangkok Post)
23 November 2010
50 shells fired by North Korean troops on South Korea’s Yeonpyeong near the Yellow Sea kills 2 marines, damage dozens of houses and rattles global stock markets. (Agencies)
23 November 2010
In the 219 page book, Light of the World, published today, Pope Benedict says using condoms may be justified to stop the spread of AIDs. (Reuters)
International Relations
18 November 2010
European Parliament president Jerzy Buzek invites Aung San Suu Kyi “to address one of (its) forthcoming sessions in Strasbourg.” (Copy of letter)
22 November 2010
India’s West Bengal State revokes its order to deport to Burma 34 Arakansese and Karen rebels being held at a Kolkata prison. (Mizzima)
23 November 2010
Aung San Suu Kyi will be assassinated with a chemical to induce a heart attack “by anti-junta forces” as a pawn to topple the junta, says the Inya swimmer John Yettaw whose visit in 2008 to her home had resulted in the extension of her house arrest. (Asia Correspondent)
23 November 2010
Aung San Suu Kyi has spoken with a number of foreign leaders since her release:
* Ban Ki-moon UN
* Benigno Aquino The Philippines
* Geonge Papandreou Greece
* Gordon Brown UK
* Kevin Rudd Australia
Aquino will help arrange contacts with other Asean leaders, says exiled NLD Nyo Ohn Myint. (Irrawaddy)
23 November 2010
Aung San Suu Kyi welcomes son Kim Aris, 33, at Rangoon airport. (New York Times)
26 November 2010
The number of people from Burma entering Turkey to seek refuge has dramatically increased. Data from the first 10 months of the year:
16,789 captured 6,853 Burmese (40.8%)
9,810 asylum seekers 2,000 Burmese (20.4%)
(Today’s Zaman, Turkey)
26 November 2010
Freedom to Create Youth Prize awarded to United ACT (Anti Child Trafficking), a Thai-Burma border based group in Cairo. (HREIB press release)
27 November 2010
Ms Suu Kyi meets Vijay Nambiar, UN chief of staff and special envoy to Burma, for an hour. She says the meeting is “very valuable” but “not enough”. Nambiar will also meet foreign minister and SPDC secretary general. (Irrawaddy)
Thai-Burma Relations
23 November 2010
Thai labor and Social Development/ Human Security ministries are planning to impose contraception on migrant workers. Saengmuang Mangkorn, MAP Foundation, condemning the policy, says it is in violation of human rights. (The Nation)
23 November 2010
Burma has lifted 7 out or 15 banned Thai products, says deputy commerce minister Alongkorn Polabutr. They are apples, Chinese pears, grapes, cherries, monkey apples, oranges and durian. Bangkok has asked Naypyitaw to consider lifting other items: rambutan, mangosteen, guava and longgong. Burma will continue to ban beverage, instant noodles and seasoning products. (Bangkok Post)
Politics/ Inside Burma
19 November 2010
Two days after the EC told candidates who planned to challenge the election results with K 300,000 ($300) fine plus 3 year imprisonment, only 10 out of 40 candidates attend a press conference in Pegu to highlight cheating on the vote. (Irrawaddy)
20 November 2010
Pu Cin Sian Thang, spokesman for United Nationalities Alliance (UNA), who meets Aung San Suu Kyi, says the Panglong II Conference will be a big challenge that carries real risks for her.
Organizing such a conference may also take time, says Tha Ban, Chairman of the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD). (Irrawaddy) It was also attended by Tin Oo, Win Tin, Than Tun and Hla Pe from the NLD and Htawng Ko Htang, Nai Ngwe Thein, Nai Tun Thein, Sai Shwe Kyu and Sai Tin Hlaing from the UNA. (RFA)
22 November 2010
According to compiled media reports:
USDP 842 seats
NUP 5.7%
SNDP 5.2%
RNDP 3.2%
NDF 1.5% (Indo-Asian News Service)
22 November 2010
Military Affairs Security officer Lt-Col Thet Pone, based in Myitkyina, last week called the KIO liaison officer in the city and told him to close all of its liaison offices. The KIO’s meeting on 20 November resolved to close 9 offices in Kachin and Shan states, according to KIO spokesman. (Mizzima)
22 November 2010
9 news journals including Voice and Myanmar Newsweek temporarily suspended after allocating key space in their publications for coverage of Aung San Suu Kyi’s release. (DVB) This is the second snub, after the order to close the AIDs clinic she had visited, delivered by the junta – Editor
22 November 2010
Supreme Court rejects lawsuit by NLD to reinstate the party, says a senior official. (DPA/ Irrawaddy)
24 November 2010
Junta bans carriage of goods from areas under Kachin Independence Organization control “to cut its revenue stream” according to KIO sources. (Mizzima)
25 November 2010
Suu Kyi will continue the legal process until it finishes, meaning she will appeal the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear her lawsuit against the junta for dissolving her party, says lawyer Nyan Loin. (AFP)
26 November 2010
A 16 minute video with no audio appears showing Khin Nyunt in discussion with police chief Khin Yi and his officers. Rumors say he was released on 7 November. He might be used to negotiate with ethnic leaders as well as Ms Suu Kyi. His wife Khin Win Shwe is younger sister of Dr Than Nyein, chairman of National Democratic Force. (Irrawaddy)
26 November 2010
After Ms Suu Kyi held meeting with Committee Representing People’s Parliament (CRPP), secretary Aye Tha Aung says “the first step towards national reconciliation is to build unity in line with spirit and policies of Panglong.” CRPP was formed on 16 September 1998. (Irrawaddy)
26 November 2010
Law signed by Than Shwe and announced today stipulates:
* Parliamentarians will be allowed freedom of expression unless their speeches endanger national security, national unity or violate the Constitution
* Those who stage protests in the parliament compound or assault a lawmaker physically on its premises face two-year prison terms
* Anyone other than lawmakers who enters parliament hall when the body is in session faces one year prison term and a fine
(Irrawaddy)
Shans/ Shan State
20 November 2010
The Shan Nationalities Democratic Party “don’t see any point in disputing the results of the election,” says Sai Ai Pao. “If we sue them, we will have to pay 1 million kyat ($1,150) for every constituency that they stole.” (Irrawaddy)
25 November 2010
Yangon Airlines, owned by Wa leader Bao Youxiang’s son in law Aik Hauk (aka He Zengtien), will suspend all flights from 3 December following rejection of its license renewal. (Mizzima/ Message from Yangon Airways)
22 November 2010
Taping checkpoint on the Lwe that divides Mongla, under control of National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) and Burma Army controlled Kengtung, ordered closed for trade. People however are still allowed passage. (SHAN)
Economy/ Business
22 November 2010
Petrol prices, fixed at 2,500 Kyat ($2.5) per gallon, has risen up to 3,500 ($3.5) kyat, after junta rationing that started 3weeks ago. So far no problem with diesel supply. (Mizzima)
23 November 2010
Unlike China and Vietnam, whose economies have developed because of economic ties to the US and Europe, Burma’s economy continues to be stagnant. Investment has only helped the regime, not the country’s overall economy, says a garment businessman. The best way to spur the economy is to have a dialogue between the junta and Suu Kyi, according to one company owner. (Irrawaddy)
23 November 2010
A total of 260 state owned fuel stations out of 272 throughout the country have been privatized as of June, reports weekly Eleven. (Xin)
23 November 2010
Vietnam and Myanmar sign agreement of cooperation in many fields, including trade, oil and gas, mining and tourism. (VOV News)
Human Rights
20 November 2010
A 16 year old girl raped and her parents shot dead by a soldier from the Langkherh-based LIB 578. The culprit, “a mentally deficient person” as the military authorities named him, was “executed” on the next day. (SHAN)
23 November 2010
The release of Aung San Suu Kyi is not enough, the military regime must release the remaining 2,203 political prisoners, says Bo Kyi, Joint Secretary. (AAPP/ Press release)
23 November 2010
A military investigation into a soldier’s rape of a 19-year old woman while tending cattle in Magwe begins. The accused Pvt Maung Maung Che has been charged with “Violations of military discipline and causing a public disturbance while drunk.” (Mizzima)
24 November 2010
Junta media says the health ministry has ordered eviction of 82 HIV/ AIDS patients from an NLD-run shelter as the center is not hygienic. Authorities offer to relocate them to junta-run centers. (Agencies)
25 November 2010
Authorities agree this evening to let the HIV patients stay at the NLD run shelter. (AP)
Environment
20 November 2010
Sinopec has discovered a gas reservoir of over 900 billion cubic feet, or 25 billion cubic meters, in Monywa, Sagaing division, reports The New Light. (Irrawaddy)
22 November 2010
Dr John Robinson, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), pledges today to spend $50 million over the next ten years to save tigers. The meeting in Petersburg, Russia, aims to increase the tiger population from 3,200 to 7,000 by 2022. (Environment News Service) Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) says Burma’s plan to double tiger population in 12 years is a lip service, because it is destroying the forest and water resources in the Hugawng Valley. (KNG)
Drugs
25 November 2010
Gary Lewis, UNODC regional representative, says the production of methamphetamines remains “at high and worrying levels”. The chemicals used to produce number of pills seized in 2009 in Burma, China, Laos and Thailand had also tripled to 93.3 million from the year before. (AP)
War
20 November 2010
Bomb blast in the compound of a monastery in Mandalay. It may have been intended as a warning against Aung San Suu Kyi’s planned visit, says a correspondent for a private journal. (Irrawaddy)
22 November 2010
DKBA’s 5th Brigade that has been on a warpath since 7 November told by Maj Gen Thet Naing Win, Chief of BSO 4, to either join the BGF or disarm. (Irrawaddy)
24 November 2010
Annual Landmine Monitor report say Burma has laid new mines every year for the past decade. 156 countries are part of the Mine Ban Treaty, but key governments have refrained from joining, including China, India, Iran, Israel, both Koreas, Pakistan, Russia and the US. (DPA)
27 November 2010
More than 200 villagers from Phalu in Kawkareik township flee to Mae Kokane, Maesot district, after fighting between the Burma Army and DKBA Brigade 5 broke out. (Prachathai)
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