USE YOUR LIBERTY TO SAVE THIS MONK, CONTACT HEADOFFICE…

Telephone: +41 22 917 9383 overflow the mailbox
Email: Press-Info@ohchr.org

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/Pages/ContactUs.aspx

U Thuriya, who is 25 years old, was wanted to arrest by the Burmese military authority for his involvement in the many protests during 2007’s Saffron Revolution in Sittwe. At the time, the monk was a student from Pathein monastery located in Kon Dan Ward in Sittwe.

U Thuriya’s register Number was 393-08C-00044, and he was given notice of rejection on 22 October, 2008.

They must urge DHAKKA-UNHCR to give the REFUGEE STATUS, Take this number in your mail and ask them friendly what about..

thank you and read all http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2039

A Burmese monk, U Thuriya, who was involved in the Saffron Revolution protests in 2007, has been suffering mentally after the UNHCR Dhaka office rejected his application for refugee status, said an abbot who accepted him to stay at his monastery.

Burmese Monk Suffering After UNHCR Rejection

Dhaka: A Burmese monk, U Thuriya, who was involved in the Saffron Revolution protests in 2007, has been suffering mentally after the UNHCR Dhaka office rejected his application for refugee status, said an abbot who accepted him to stay at his monastery.
“I am really worried about his health because sometimes he refuses to take his food and medicine. He has been staying along in the monastery without talking after returning from Dhaka,” the abbot said.

U Thuriya, who is 25 years old, was wanted to arrest by the Burmese military authority for his involvement in the many protests during 2007’s Saffron Revolution in Sittwe. At the time, the monk was a student from Pathein monastery located in Kon Dan Ward in Sittwe.

“I am all Burmese people here know about U Thuriya and why he came from Burma. He escaped from Burma to Bangladesh out of fear of arrest by the Burmese military authority. But we are unable to understand the decision of the UNHCR on his case,” the abbot said.

U Thuriya fled from Sittwe to Bangladesh through his native border town of Buthidaung in northern Arakan soon after the Burmese military authority began an armed crackdown on the monk movement in Burma in 2007.

U Thuriya once told Narinjara that he had crossed many dangerous places in the border area on his way to Bangladesh, but he luckily escaped Burma with the help of local tribes people in the border area.

After he arrived, he came to Dhaka to apply for refugee status with the UNHCR, but the UNHCR rejected his claim for asylum after only one interview. U Thuriya’s register Number was 393-08C-00044, and he was given notice of rejection on 22 October, 2008. continue http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2039

SAVE THE MONKS SHAME ON UNHCR

Democracy Activist Released After 5-Month Interrogation

Democracy Activist Released After 5-Month Interrogation
1/22/2009

Sittwe: A democracy activist from Sittwe was recently released after five months in detention for interrogation about his involvement in the 2007 Saffron Revolution in Sittwe, reported a relative of the activist.
“He was released from detention early this month, but he had to sign on paper agreeing not to be involved in the future in any anti-government protests,” he said.

The released activist is U Saw Hla Maung from Mizan Ward in Sittwe, the Arakan State capital. He was arrested by a military intelligence unit in August 2008 after he came out of hiding to return to his home.

“He was hiding in unknown locations for many months after the Saffron Revolution due to fear of arrest by the Burmese military authority. But at last he was arrested in his residence after he returned back home,” the relative added.

U Saw Hla Muang is a master of traditional unarmed self-defense arts and led people from Sittwe in protests during the Saffron Revolution in 2007.

There is no further information about why he was released from detention without further imprisonment or charges. http://www.narinjara.com/

Five soldiers commit suicide in Arakan in 2008

Five soldiers of the Burmese Army in northern Arakan committed suicide in 2008 but the reasons for killing themselves are not known, said an army clerk from Buthidaung on condition of anonymity.
“According to an army report, they committed suicide after the army authorities refused let them go from the army. They wanted resign from the army,” he said

The soldiers who committed suicide are : Zaw Ko from Battalion 550 based in Ponna Kyaunt on 12 March 2008; Zaw Zaw Min from Battalion 536 based in Rathidaung on 15 April 2008; Win Myint from Battalion 538 based in Rathidaung; Zaw zaw Thein from battalion 378 baed in Mrauk U on 13 November and unidentified soldier from battalion 551 based Buthidaung on 15 December.

According army sources, they committed suicide with their arms while at the army headquarters.

Though many soldiers have deserted the army with or without arms suicides are a rarity in the Burmese Army. However, incidents of suicide have increased over the last few years.

Most soldiers in the Burmese Army want to leave the army due to poor salary and other facilities but the higher authorities do not allow soldiers to retire, said the army clerk.
http://www.narinjara.com/

Change in USA, How about Our Exile Government?

– by Ko Htun Aung Gyaw
We witnessed the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States today on January 20th, 2009. George W Bush’s two terms of Presidency has ended on the same day. Americans have shown the world that their democracy has prevailed, transferring the political power from the Republican Party’s President to its rival Democratic Party’s President in a smooth and civilized transition. It is very pleasant to see the former and the incoming president shake hands and wave to the public together. Do we have this maturity is a question today.

While watching the TV screen, I wonder how it will turn out for the Dublin’s MPU conference. Both Dr.Sein Win’s gang and MPU’s gang led by Daw San San will either reach a solution to form a broader progressive exile government or split into two groups and form two governments. We will see in the near future.

Dr. Sein Win led NCGUB for 18 years without progress and made many activists frustrated and lose trust in NCGUB. On the other hand NCUB is not united within its own, two groups are competing each other. One group FDB is led by Ko Naing Aung and other group is led by NCUB’s General Secretary Ko Maung Maung and MPU Vice Chairperson Daw San San.

FDB is a group of seven organizations which have close relationship with Dr.Sein Win. When Ko Maung Maung initiated the Credential Challenge, Dr. Sein Win refused to sign. Also Ko Naing Aung’s group did not support the CC. On the other hand Daw San San and MPU members fully supported CC initiative. continue
http://burmadigest.info/2009/01/21/change-in-usa-how-about-our-exile-government/

Western Commander checks bunkers, trenches of Nasaka camps

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Western Command Commander Major General Thanug Aye accompanied by Col. Aung Gyi, the Director of Nasaka Headquarters, Deputy Commander of Nasaka HQs and the Commander of Military Operation Command (M0C-15) of Buthidaung have checked the bunkers and trenches of Nasaka camps of Maungdaw Township today, an aide of police from Maungdaw said.
Additional security forces of the Burmese Army were sent to Maungdaw north yesterday. Nine army trucks filled with military personnel with arms and ammunitions reached Maungdaw north at about 9:00 am, from Buthidaung Town, but the reasons behind the deployment remains unknown. continue http://www.kaladanpress.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1731&Itemid=2

The dark world of Chinese casinos on Sino-Burma border (special)

Buildings in Maijayang casino in Burmese territory on the China-Burma.

Kachinnews/
Days ahead the Chinese New Year on January 26, 2009, thousands of Chinese gamblers are gambling at the Chinese owned casinos in Burmese territory on the Sino-Burma border, said sources.The people in Maijayang (Mai Ja Yang) Casino told KNG today, thousands of Chinese still gamble in the casino even though the Chinese New Year is close. Very few Chinese gamblers have gone back to their homes.

Maijayang Casino is owned by Chinese businessmen in Maijayang border business village under the controlled area of a Kachin insurgent group the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), which signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese ruling junta. It is currently one of the biggest casinos in China’s southwestern border with military-ruled Burma.

Every day, over 10,000 people, mainly Chinese from different areas in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Hunan, Henan and Hong Kong play at Maijayang casino which is open 24 hours, according to residents of Maijayang.

The KIO has hired out the land to the Maijayang casino site to Chinese businessmen under a 30-year contract signed between the KIO and Chinese businessmen in 2000. But, people started to gamble in the casino in Maijayang since 2002. Last year, Chinese businessmen took an extra 80 acres of land for the casino from KIO at the same place.

At the moment, Maijayang casino is one of the most crowded on the border. However the number of rich-businessmen has dropped among the gamblers compared to 2008 because of a rise in murder and suicide, said Maijayang sources. continue http://www.kachinnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1

Seventy people have so far been arrested in connection with a fire at the Kaung Zaw Hein oil company in Magwe’s Myaing township which broke out after a protest by local oil workers.

Jan 22, 2009 (DVB) The fire broke out on 8 January, after security forces cracked down on about 200 workers and business owners protesting against the takeover of oilfields in Vaheen village by the Kaung Zaw Hein company, who prohibited them from working in the oilfields.
Four villagers were arrested the next day for arson, but locals claimed the fire had started when the oil drums burst into flames on being hit by the security forces’ bullets.
According to locals, most of the 70 who have now been arrested were business owners who had previously worked in the oilfields before the company took over.
Local said some were arrested while travelling around the area and were being detained in police station cells in Myaing and Pakokku.
“Other business owners who worked in the fields are now on the run as they fear they might get arrested too,” one local resident said http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=2128

The armed forces of Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, and the United States will conduct a joint military exercise in Chiang Mai from Feb. 4-17,

Four Asian nations, US to hold Cobra Gold drill
The armed forces of Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, and the United States will conduct a joint military exercise in Chiang Mai from Feb. 4-17, according to Thai and US officials.
The “Cobra Gold” exercise is a regularly scheduled joint and coalition multi-national exercise hosted annually by Thailand. Cobra Gold 2009 is the latest in a continuing series of exercises designed to promote regional peace and security.
About 11,600 personnel from the five countries will take part in the Southeast Asian region’s largest exercise which is budgeted at more than 14 million USD.
Eric G. John, US Ambassador to Thailand, said at the CG’09 press conference that the exercise will help participating militaries be “ready to respond to the real-world priorities of peacekeeping, stability, reconstruction, and humanitarian assistance.”
Training will consist of a computer-simulated command post exercise, water and ground exercises, and humanitarian and civic assistance projects. Almost 7,300 troops from the US, about 4,000 from Thailand, 113 from Indonesia, 106 from Singapore and 75 from Japan will participate, the Thai Armed Forces announced. Cobra Gold will cost Thailand some 40 million baht. http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.shtml#hd6

Better using COBRA GOLD for SAVE BURMA

Thai-LAW Migrant workers to be forced to return to Burma to re-apply for permits

In February 2010, all Burmese migrant workers will be forced to return to Burma to apply, through a new system, for legal work-permit papers from the Burmese authorities. In the meantime, migrant workers whose present work permits are due to expire before next year will be issued with a one-year extension by the Thai authorities on production of the correct documentation. Documents giving information on the scheme have been received by the Chiang Mai-based Migrant Assistance Programme (MAP).
Representatives of the Chiang Mai local authority have been in contact with the Workers’ Solidarity Association (WSA) in Chiang Mai, to discuss the issuance of the Burmese work permits, and have told the WSA that as, migrants’ permits will not be renewed again in 2010, the authority will collect personal registration details of all migrant workers at present in the city.
A WSA representative is concerned that migrant workers will be ‘in the crossfire’ if the new system is implemented, as they will not be able to stay in Thailand, and may well be under threat of persecution by Burmese officials, should they return to their homeland. A plan to set up a work permit registration office in Chiang Mai, rather than in Tachilek, across the border, met with doubt from the WSA representative, who stated that, “We would like to stress that we are afraid to believe this new information due to lessons learnt from the past.”
An agreement between Thailand and Burma as regards the setting up of nationality identification centres for migrant workers was concluded in 2006, but has not yet been implemented. Reports that migrant workers returning home had been terrorised into paying bribes to junta authorities after their personal details had been used to trace their relatives would appear to be the reason for the WSA’s reluctance to trust the new scheme.
http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.shtml#hd6

see pic of http://www.jacbaburma.blogspot.com/