Abbot arrested for selling government land-Many people fear the abbot as he is associated with the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)

Abbot arrested for selling government land
Thu 30 Apr 2009, Hong Hakao, IMNA
The authorities in Myawaddy have arrested a monk for selling government land to residents, according to locals.

The Abbot sold land behind his monastery, Phar Chaut Kaung outside Myawaddy and was arrested last week along with two partners after the local authority investigated the sale.

According to a local source, “The land is not owned by the Abbot. It belongs to the government yet he sold it to residents. He arranged the sale with two partners, a retired police officer and a layperson that works at the monastery. Now they’re all in prison.”

Despite the arrests those who bought the land have not received any of their money back, according to the source.

One prospective buyer said, “Some of the land was cheaper because it’s outside the town. It was only 600,000 Kyat for 2400 square feet. Part of it is in a better location near the road so it was more expensive. I though about buying some but I didn’t. I’m lucky because if I had bought it I would have lost money.”

Many people fear the abbot as he is associated with the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) according to the local source. Phar Chaut Kaung is a vegetarian monastery and DKBA soldiers have been seen inspecting food donated by local people to check it for meat content. Also, the monastery was guarded by DKBA soldiers before the abbot’s arrest. Now they are gone and security has been left to the monks.

Fishery Department introduces media censorship

by Myo Thein
Thursday, 30 April 2009 18:21

Rangoon (Mizzima) – The ‘Myanmar Fishery Federation’ has imposed certain restrictions on the domestic media, on media coverage of fishery products and export figures issued by the government Fisheries Department, without getting prior approval from them.

A weekly journal reported the actual export figures of fishery products in its news report, and claimed that it was far below the targeted figure for 2008-09 fiscal in comparison with the previous financial year, in terms of percentage. Following the publication of that news report, the Fisheries Department put forth such restrictions on the local media.

The Myanmar Fishery Federation holds a Meeting for Development of Meat and Fishery every Tuesday, at its head office in West Gyogon, which is attended by responsible people from the Fishery Department, the concerned people from organizations under the Myanmar Fishery Federation, concerned people from the Livestock Federation and sometimes even the Minister of Livestock and Fishery attends these meetings.

During these meetings, the local media are usually allowed to attend and report the news emanating from the meeting freely, but currently an officer of FIQC, a section of the Fishery Department has said that news regarding these meetings must get prior approval from their office. He also informed the local media that this restriction had already been communicated to the notorious Censor Board.

A human rights lawyer released earlier this week after a serving a sixth-month sentence for contempt of court has said that he was prevented from exercising and receiving medical care.

Released lawyer speaks of imprisonment
Apr 30, 2009 (DVB)–A human rights lawyer released earlier this week after a serving a sixth-month sentence for contempt of court has said that he was prevented from exercising and receiving medical care.

Nyi Nyi Htway was sentenced to six months in Rangoon’s Insein prison last October after representing activitists detained for holding prayer meetings for the release of political prisoners.
“I was not very healthy before I went to prison, and during my time there I didn’t get proper medical care and was suffering from weak heart,” he said.
“All they gave me was an ECG check up but they never let me know the result.”
He said that authorities also issued an order to suspend his lawyer permit while he was in prison.

10 Worst Countries to be a Blogger-Burma leads the dishonor roll.

CPJ names the worst online oppressors. Booming online cultures in many Asian and Middle Eastern nations have led to aggressive government repression. Burma leads the dishonor roll.

New York, April 30, 2009—With a military government that severely restricts Internet access and imprisons people for years for posting critical material, Burma is the worst place in the world to be a blogger, the Committee to Protect Journalists says in a new report. CPJ’s “10 Worst Countries to be a Blogger” also identifies a number of countries in the Middle East and Asia where Internet penetration has blossomed and government repression has grown in response.

“Bloggers are at the vanguard of the information revolution and their numbers are expanding rapidly,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “But governments are quickly learning how to turn technology against bloggers by censoring and filtering the Internet, restricting online access and mining personal data. When all else fails, the authorities simply jail a few bloggers to intimidate the rest of the online community into silence or self-censorship.”

WORST COUNTRIES TO BLOG
1. BURMA

Burma, which heavily censors print and broadcast media, has also applied extensive restrictions on blogging and other Internet activity. Private Internet penetration is very small—only about 1 percent, according to the Internet research group OpenNet Initiative—so most citizens access the Internet in cybercafés. Authorities heavily regulate those cafés, requiring them, for example, to enforce censorship rules. The government, which shut down the Internet altogether during a popular uprising in 2007, has the capability to monitor e-mail and other communication methods and to block users from viewing Web sites of political opposition groups, according to OpenNet Initiative. At least two bloggers are now in prison.

Lowlight: Blogger Maung Thura, popularly known as Zarganar, is serving a 59-year prison term for disseminating video footage after Cyclone Nargis in 2008.

http://cpj.org/reports/2009/04/10-worst-countries-to-be-a-blogger.php

Since the beginning of April Battalion No. 282 have refused to permit farmers from Alaesakhen, Kyaukadin and Kyauktalin villages to leave their homes and work in the plantation area two hours walk away. The military say this is because the Mon armed rebel group, Chan Dein is active in the vicinity.

Villagers face an impossible situation
April 30, 2009
HURFOM, Kalaing Aung Sub-township:
Residents of three villages in Kalaing Aung Sub-township are being prevented from working on their plantations by the military due to insurgent activity in the area.
Since the beginning of April Battalion No. 282 have refused to permit farmers from Alaesakhen, Kyaukadin and Kyauktalin villages to leave their homes and work in the plantation area two hours walk away. The military say this is because the Mon armed rebel group, Chan Dein is active in the vicinity.
According to villagers from Alaesakhen, this situation has caused them many difficulties. Most rely on their plantations for food and income and their land requires constant work throughout the year, such as clearing land for new cultivation, planting crops and spreading fertilizer. Different tasks are undertaken at different times of year.
“This is the time to harvest betel nuts from my plantation and if I can’t go and collect my betel nuts now I will lose the chance to earn enough money to buy food for coming year. If they’re left on the trees until later they will fetch a lower price and my family will face a big problem,” said a 40 years old villager and plantation owner from Alaesakhen.
Some villagers have left and moved to a Mon resettlement camp, Panon Pone in Ye Chaung Pyar, a New Mon State Party (NMSP) controlled area.
According to a 55 year old man from Kyaukadin village, as well as being unable to work on their land, many people moved because they had to pay illegal taxes to both the Chan Dein group and the military.

klopadoh by Kwekalu News

http://www.kwekalu.net/update/klopadoh.html

Information 51 by Karenunited

http://www.karenunited.co.cc/

In the year since the devastating tropical cyclone Nargis struck Burma on May 2, 2008, some 2 million of its citizens continue to live in terrible conditions, with many without pure drinking water and food or proper shelter.

In the year since the devastating tropical cyclone Nargis struck Burma on May 2, 2008, some 2 million of its citizens continue to live in terrible conditions, with many without pure drinking water and food or proper shelter. Despite the fact that a full year has passed since the disaster, relief from international agencies, originally blocked by the junta, remains sporadic, paltry and tragically late.

After international donors came up with a relatively small US$ $310 million, the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Burmese government have belatedly finalized a recovery plan budgeted for US$691 million to restore livelihoods and housing through grants and microfinance. It is understood that the initiative might take three more years to put in place. Almost criminally, the afflicted have been left largely to fend for themselves. With another monsoon season approaching, agricultural production is suffering primarily because of salinity in the water, poor quality rice seeds, lack of draft animals and agricultural labor, setting the stage for additional famine.

continue http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1849&Itemid=189

Inner City Press caught up with Burmese Ambassador Than Swe in the hall after he spoke to the Council, near the anniversary of Cyclone Nargis.

He had said, “peace and stability prevail in almost all corners of Myanmar.” But as Inner City Press asked earlier in the week, the army there reportedly clashed with the Karen National Union, injuring across the border at least two Thai soldiers. “That is not true,” Ambassador Than Swe told Inner City Press. The UN on the other hand said envoy Ibrahim Gambari does not monitor such matters. Watch this site.

http://www.innercitypress.com/caac1srilanka042909.html

NLD Statement posted 30.april

http://arzarni.blogspot.com/2009/04/nld_6926.html