FBR REPORT: TWO VILLAGERS SHOT DEAD AND MORE THAN 400 FLEE BURMA ARMY ATTACKS IN WESTERN KAREN STATE

Karen State, Burma
15 March, 2009

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

Two villagers in western Karen State have recently been shot dead by the Burma Army as it continues its drive to dominate and control the people of Karen State.
PLEASE NOTE: This report contains graphic images

MONE TOWNSHIP
On January 17, 2009, Saw Cho Phyo from Aung Soe Moe village, western Karen State, was shot dead while he was on his way to farm his crops. A week later on January 24, Saw Mu Ra Hai, 25, from Saw Ki village was shot dead.

On February 6, the Burma Army fired mortars on the villages of Yu Lo and Play Hsa Lo, wounding four villagers from Yu Lo. On the same day, Saw Maung Kya, 23, from Hsaw Mi Lu village, stepped on a Burma Army landmine at Blah Lay Ko and died immediately from his injuries. The Burma Army often plants landmines around villages it has attacked in a bid to stop villagers from returning to live there or collect their possessions. http://www.freeburmarangers.org/Reports/2009/20090315.html

Nigh time travel banned in Mudon and Thanbyuzayat

Fri 20 Mar 2009, Kyae Goe, HURFOM/IMNA
Residents of Mudon and Thanbyuzayat Townships in Mon State are not being allowed outside of their houses after 9 pm. The order comes after rumors of insurgent activity in the area.
Earlier this week, army officials notified the New Mon State Party (NMSP) liaison offices in Moulmein and Thanbyuzayat Townships of the restrictions. According to NMSP sources, the party was asked to ensure that its members and, particularly, soldiers in the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA), were careful not to travel at night.
If MNLA soldiers go out at night, the NMSP paraphrased the army official, they should travel in groups and inform local Burmese army battalions. If they do not, said the official, the army would not take responsibility if NMSP members were shot by mistake.
The MNLA is the armed wing of the NMSP, which is the largest political party representing Mon people. The party was able to retain its arms and control of a small amount of territory after agreeing to a ceasefire with the Burmese military in 1995.

Updated news:Comedian Zargarnar’s mother dies

by Mizzima News
Friday, 20 March 2009 22:55

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Detained prominent comedian Zargarnar’s mother expired on Friday evening.

Gyi Oo (83) died of gall-bladder cancer on Friday evening at about 8:15 pm (local time), at her Rangoon residence.Although she had been severely ill for nearly a month, she had kept her ailment hidden from her youngest son Zargarnar (a.k.a) Thura, who is serving a 35 years prison term, for involvement in aid distribution to victims of Cyclone Nargis, fearing that the information would upset him.

“Ko Thura [Zargarnar] will feel very sad about it, but I have called the prison authorities to inform him,” Ma Nyien, sister-in-law of Zargarnar told Mizzima.

Ma Nyien said, Zargarnar’s mother had been ill for the past one month, and though family members realized the severity of the illness, they did not divulge it to Zargarnar, fearing it would upset him.

She added that Gyi Oo would be cremated on Saturday afternoon.

Gyi Oo had entered the literary world at a very early age and had contributed articles to several magazines on travel, religion and children.

Although the authorities had arrested her son, Zargarnar, several times for his stance against the government, Daw Kyi Oo, had maintained a high spirit and was never reluctant to talk about her son to the media.

Kyi Oo is survived by her husband, writer Nan Nyunt Swe, and her two sons Tayza and Zargarnar. http://www.mizzima.com/

statement-of-knu-on-hatgyi-dam

Update Statement of KNU on Hatgyi Dam Construction Project
KAWTHOOLEI

March 14, 2009

1. We, the KNU, issued a statement on the construction of Hatgyi dam, dated February 13, 2006. In the statement, we called upon the external countries investing in construction of the dam to withdraw their investment, as the construction of the dam would cause massive damage to the environment, to a large area of agricultural land down stream due to salinity and bring on widespread human rights violations on local population in the forms of burning down villages, destruction of harvests, looting of property, killing of livestock, extortion of money, torture and killing of suspects, rape of women, forced relocation and forced labor by troops of the SPDC military dictatorship.

2. The dam site is in a conflict zone and near a geological fault line. Since the security and political situations have not improved, there has been no proper survey for determining the extent of the damage until now. As a result, no effective plan for limiting the damage to the environment and eliminating human rights violations can be made.

3. For the reasons given above, we again earnestly call upon the investors and the authorities concerned not to continue implementation of the project until there is a viable peace in the Karen State and in Burma.

4. The SPDC military dictatorship which has no concern for the interest of the people is attempting to hold election in 2010 and form a government according to its fraudulent State Constitution. Accordingly, the election is nothing but a scheme by the military dictatorship to hoodwink the world community and perpetuate its hold on power behind the façade of a civilian government.

5. So long as the military dictatorship remains in power in one form or another, we would like to urge justice and peace loving countries of the world to impose trade, economic, investment and financial sanctions and arms embargo on Burma.

The Executive Committee

Karen National Union

http://arzarni.blogspot.com/2009/03/statement-of-knu-on-hatgyi-dam.html

BREAKING NEWS MIZZIMA :Jailed comedian Zarganar’s mother dies

Vdo-Free funeral service for Burmese migrants

VDO-Activists release new Thangyat

A Chinese company, called Chinnery Assents Ltd., will begin off-shore exploration along Burma’s western coast, on March 23 where oil and gas prospects are a plenty for the requirement of energy-guzzling neighbouring economies.

Chinese firm to explore western offshore
by Moe Thu
Friday, 20 March 2009 21:05

Rangoon (Mizzima) – A Chinese company, called Chinnery Assents Ltd., will begin off-shore exploration along Burma’s western coast, on March 23 where oil and gas prospects are a plenty for the requirement of energy-guzzling neighbouring economies.

Exploration in the area sparked a maritime controversy a couple of months ago between military-ruled Burma and its neighbour Bangladesh mainly because of the storehouse of energy.

“The company, a division of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), is conducting 2D maritime seismic survey in deep-water offshore block AD-6, to tap natural gas,” said a company press release issued today.

The company’s exploration – from March 23 to April 30 – borders block A-1, which is already being explored by South Korea’s Daewoo International Corporation.

The Chinese company entered Burma’s offshore energy sector in January 2007, by signing a production sharing contract with military-run Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise to explore gas reserves in blocks AD-1, AD-6 and AD-8, which cover an area of 10,000 square kilometers off the Rakhine coast line in western Burma.

Chinnery Assets, which also acquired onshore block IOR 4 in central Burma, had found gas reserves that hold 300 billion cubic feet of gas. Mizzima News

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is joining a coalition of campaigners urging the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, to make the release of political prisoners in Burma his personal priority.

The call for urgent action follows the significant impact of the Global Day of Prayer for Burma held in London earlier in the month.

Speaking at the day of prayer was Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, the 20-year-old daughter of Mya Aye, a Burmese political prisoner currently serving a 65 year prison sentence for peacefully protesting against the Burmese military regime.

She told delegates: “Unless the situation in Burma changes, I will never see my father again.”

As part of its Change for Burma! campaign, CSW will also be inviting supporters to sign a new online petition calling for the release of over 2,100 political prisoners.

The target number of signatures set by the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (Burma) (AAPP) and Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB) is 888,888. The number symbolises the 8th of August 1988, when the Burma’s military junta massacred thousands of civilians during the country’s largest-ever pro-democracy uprising.

The signatures will be collated and submitted before 24 May, when Burmese democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is due to be released from house arrest.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has spent over thirteen of the last eighteen years under house arrest. Although her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won 82 per cent of the seats in the 1990 parliamentary elections, she was prevented from taking her position in government.

At the end of 2008, several hundred democracy campaigners were imprisoned, with many being sentenced to jail terms of 65 years or more.

Benedict Rogers, CSW’s East Asia Team Leader said: “We strongly urge the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, to make it an immediate personal priority to secure the release of all political prisoners in Burma, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

“This new global petition is particularly timely as we approach the regime’s elections planned for 2010.

“Increased international pressure on Burma’s military regime is urgently needed. Action should be taken to an end to the crimes against humanity committed against Burma’s people every single day.” http://www.christiantoday.com/

Outmaneuvered Again Cartoon HarnLay