Chinese authorities in Nagchu (Ch: Nagqu) County, Nagchu Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) have secretly detained three Tibetan Buddhist monks, according to Dharamsala-based Tibetan centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

The three detained monks, all belonging to Shapten Monastery, have been identified as Khensur Thupten Thapkhey,47, Geshe Tsultrim Gyaltsen, 34, and Tsundue, 30.

The centre said, to secretly detain the three monks, the Chinese official gave misleading information to other monks of the monastery.

Scripture master Geshe Tsultrim Gyaltsen/TCHRD photo
Khensur Thapkhey, a former abbot of the Shapten Monastery, and Geshe Tsultrim Gyaltsen, a scripture master, were detained by Nagchu Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials on April 11, 2009, for unknown reasons, TCHRD said.

ERI Speaks to Oil Industry: New Investment in Military-Ruled Burma Poses Huge Risks to Companies

Written by EarthRights International
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
New investment in military-ruled Burma’s oil and gas sector could actually cost a company more than to stay away from the country, and effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs in the sector are impossible under the current Burmese military regime: That was the evidence-based message ERI delivered to the oil industry at an industry conference in Jakarta, Indonesia on April 14-15, where ERI Project Coordinator Matthew Smith spoke by invitation.
Convened by the Singapore-based International Quality & Productivity Centre (IQPC), the conference, entitled “Local Content and Capability Development in the Extractive Industries 2009,” was attended by executive-level representatives of several major multinational oil and mining companies and consulting firms on the topic of building “local content” and CSR programs in connection to oil, gas, and mining projects. ERI was one of two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) represented at the meeting.
On behalf of ERI and the interests of directly-affected villagers in Burma, ERI’s Smith delivered a presentation about the human rights impacts of the Yadana Gas Project in Burma, which is operated by the French company Total and the US-based Chevron. Documented abuses connected to the Yadana project include land confiscation, forced labor, rape, torture, and killings. The presentation also included evidence and analysis of the fundamental problems with Total and Chevron’s attempts to implement and audit CSR projects in the country.
According to ERI, “Apart from the ongoing human rights impacts and flawed CSR programs connected to these projects, it will actually cost a company more to develop natural resources in Burma than to stay away from the country, due to unreasonably high reputation and material risks. It’s simply not good business to pursue these projects under the current military regime and in the current global economic climate, whether a company is western or Asia-based.”

Burma: Can All Monks Be Trusted?- but some suspect the monks have been infiltrated by informers

Burma: Can All Monks Be Trusted?
by Tyler Chapman, RFA, April 21, 2009
The Burmese people respect their monks more than their government, but some suspect the monks have been infiltrated by informers

RANGOON, Burma — Every morning, just after sunrise, they stream out of the monasteries across Burma, alms bowls in hand.
The monks of Burma are the bedrock of the nation’s Buddhist heritage and traditions, symbolizing the charity, one person to another, that underpins Burmese society.

Awaiting them on the streets of every city and town are people young and old, rich and poor, with food for their bowls. The monks are barefoot, indicative of their avowed poverty, and so are those who donate, as a gesture of their humility and reverence.

It is a scene that has played out through the centuries, timeless in its rhythm and grace.I have witnessed this act of sharing many times, and it always impresses me how much more respect the Burmese have for their monks than for their government.
Monks lead protests, relief efforts

There are an estimated 400,000 monks in Burma, about equal to the number of troops serving the military regime that has ruled for 47 years, and most are far from reclusive pacifists.

“If you want to know what’s going on in Burma,” a friend once told me, “ask the monks.”

Shan Human Right Report monthly April

COMMENTARY
For virtually five decades, since around the end of the 1950s up to the present, the people of Shan State have been subjected to brutal treatment by the troops of the Burmese military, continually sent to Shan State on various premises in increasing numbers over the decades but never withdrawn.
There were only a few Burmese army battalions in Shan State during the 1950s and early 1960s, but there are now around 200 battalions all over it. The Burmese army have been behaving like an occupying force and treating the people like their enemies and have never been reluctant to use brutal means to subjugate them.
Extrajudicial killing, rape, severe beating, torture and many other types of gross human rights violations committed by the Burmese troops against the people, especially the rural communities, have become common occurrences all over Shan State.
The Burmese troops have also systematically mandated the people to serve the military with their free labour and have never hesitated to brutally punish those who failed to do so.
Since over a decade ago, after the Burmese troops have been required to generate their own income, various types of extortion, stealing and outright banditry have become widespread practices as the troops squeezed the people to get what they wanted.
All these are currently seen being illegally and forcibly done by an illegitimate Burmese military regime. However, before long, the regime may be able to legitimize all these – its rule and all its deeds – by winning the election, based on its own constitution, which it intends to hold in 2010.
The most alarming thing is that the regime seems to be ready to do almost anything to win the election.
Continue http://www.shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2554:shrf-monthly-report-april-2009&catid=109:human-rights-monthly-report&Itemid=300

Thai army in Tak province protested against Burma on Wednesday after Burmese soldiers fired the 81-mm mortars into the Thai soil during their clashes with Karen National Union army.

As chairman of Thai-Burma Border Committee, Col Padung Yingpaiboonsuk, chief of infantry unit in Tak’s Mae Sot distric, submitted the protest note to his JBC counterpart; Maj Tunli Ong.
The note said Thailand wanted to protest against Burma after Burmese soldiers fired the 81-mm mortars into Baan Padee village in Tak’s Pobpra district on April 27.

Shells of the mortars injured Private Mag Lanang and Private Kampanart Ruafongfu. The incident happened as the Burmese army clashed with the KNU soldiers opposite Baan Padee village.

After the incident, the Thai side evacuated local villagers from the area to take shelters at a temple. Until April 29 (Wednesday), the villagers could not return to their houses as the clashes still continued, the note said.
By Nation

Colonal Nerdah He said between 400 and 500 SPDC/DKBA soldiers took part in the final push to take the base camp.
About 80 came from the Thai side, said Nerdah.
He said the Thai Army was nearby, but stayed in Phadee, home to about 500 people who were evacuated yesterday as shells fell near their homes.
“They were there, but they didn’t go into the forest,” he said.

https://democracyforburma.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/“we-will-build-another-camp-we-will-build-more-camps-and-we-will-invite-them-to-come-and-step-on-landmines-again”/

Hiding and late protest

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, the vice-chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Gauri Zau Seng, confirmed that 10 KIO representatives, including Chairman Lanyaw Zawng Hra, had met with Brig-Gen Soe Win of Northern Regional Military Command.

Regional commanders from the Burmese military government met the leaders of several ceasefire groups on Tuesday for talks that likely centered on the groups’ participation in the 2010 election, according to sources at the Sino-Burmese border.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, the vice-chairman of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Gauri Zau Seng, confirmed that 10 KIO representatives, including Chairman Lanyaw Zawng Hra, had met with Brig-Gen Soe Win of Northern Regional Military Command.

“They met about 10 o’clock this morning in Myitkyina and spoke about the 2010 election,” Gauri Zau Seng said, but declined to provide further details about the meeting.

Two armed Kachin groups—the KIO and the New Democratic Army (Kachin)—recently announced they had formed a proxy party named the Kachin State Progressive Party to participate in next year’s election.

The two ceasefire groups have voiced their support for the military-sponsored “Seven-step Road Map to Democracy” and have approved the junta’s constitution.

Foreign investment in Burma ‘costly for companies’- EarthRights International said that foreign businesses partnering with Burmese companies carried significant risks.

Apr 29, 2009 (DVB)–Foreign investments in Burma’s oil and gas sector pose a risk to companies and lead directly to human rights abuses against civilians, including rape and torture, says a human rights watchdog.

Speaking at a conference in Jakarta, Inodnesia, attended by leading figures from the region’s oil industry, EarthRights International said that foreign businesses partnering with Burmese companies carried significant risks.
“Due to the reputation and material risks posed by doing business in Burma’s extractive sectors, it may actually cost a company more to go into Burma than to stay away from it,” said Matthew Smith, Project Coordinator at ERI’s Burma Project.
Furthermore, incidences such as French oil company Total’s investment in the Yadana pipeline in the 1990’s implicates them in severe human rights abuses.
“Documented abuses connected to the Yadana project include land confiscation, forced labour, rape, torture, and killings,” say ERI.
http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=2471

Oil & Gas Development

Burma’s oil and gas sector is associated with massive scale human rights abuses and environmental degradation. The Burma Project monitors Burma’s oil and gas sector, collecting difficult to obtain information from inside Burma on internationally financed oil and gas projects. We also conduct fact-finding and research, which informs campaigning at the local and international levels, and explore the possibilities of litigation against multinational corporations who partner with the junta. ERI is currently campaigning against the Shwe Gas Project.

http://www.earthrights.org/burma/oilandgas/

Burma’s inhumanity toward its citizens

Zin Linn
United Press International, Asia
April 29, 2009

Burma’s military rulers have repeatedly described U.S. and EU sanctions as an “unjust and inhumane act” that will cause chaos and anarchy in the country. The junta has also said that economic sanctions are unilateral actions taken by big powerful countries against developing countries, ignoring the equality among nations, which the international community accepts.

According to their logic, sanctions imposed by a big country on a developing country, with the ill intention of hindering the economic, trade and manufacturing sectors of that country, are inhumane acts intended to incite unrest and cause the nation to fall into anarchy.

However, Burma’s rogue military regime does not practice self-criticism with regard to sanctions it imposes on its own population.

For instance, one member of Parliament from the National League for Democracy, a physician by profession, was informed by state authorities that he would have to choose between his profession and politics. If he wanted to remain a physician he must resign his political position and party. His family situation compelled him to choose his medical profession.

Numerous NLD members have faced similar threats and intimidation, being forced to choose between their professions and politics. This is one method the regime uses to sanction its own citizens.

The junta also commits atrocious acts against its citizens. One example is the experience of Htay Htay, an executive member of the Ma-gwe Division of the NLD. She was hospitalized for an emergency appendectomy; right after the operation a secret police officer appeared at the hospital and told the chief surgeon to discharge the patient immediately. When the doctor asked how he could interfere with a physician’s care of his patient, the policeman showed his identity card and said the patient did not deserve hospitalization because she was a member of the NLD. The policeman also threatened the doctor; eventually Htay Htay was discharged.

Khitpyaing News 29.04.Watershortage

လာမည့္ ေမလ (၂) ရက္တြင္ နာဂစ္မုန္တိုင္းတိုက္ခတ္ခဲ့သည္မွာ (၁) ႏွစ္ ျပည့္ေတာ့မည္ျဖစ္ေသာ္လည္း ဧရာ၀တီတိုင္းအတြင္း ေသာက္သုံးေရအခက္အခဲႏွင့္ ရင္ဆိုင္ေနရဆဲျဖစ္သည္ဟု ေဒသခံမ်ားက ေျပာသည္။
http://www.khitpyaing.org/news/April_09/29-4-09b.php

Aung Pe was arrested on National Armed Forces day (also known as Resistance Day) on 27 March this year after protesting near the opposition party National League for Democracy’s office in Twante township, Rangoon.-Solo demonstrator sentenced to one year

Apr 29, 2009 (DVB)–A tutor who was arrested in March for staging a solo demonstration calling for the release of political prisoners has been sentenced to a year in prison.

Aung Pe was arrested on National Armed Forces day (also known as Resistance Day) on 27 March this year after protesting near the opposition party National League for Democracy’s office in Twante township, Rangoon.
“He was given a year’s imprisonment by judge Win Ko for violations against his movement restriction order,” said a colleague.
“The place where he did the protest is still in the range of his movement limits and he clearly didn’t violate the restriction order.”
As well as calling for the release of political prisoners, Aung Pe demanded the right to reopen NLD branches across the country.
His restriction order was implemented following his arrest on Burmese independence day on 4 January for staging a similar solo protest.
According to NLD spokesperson Nyan Win, he had tied his hands together and saluted the Independence monument.