Burma: Released prisoners tell stories of torture; ICRC role needed

Source: Asian Human Rights Commission
Date: 24 Sep 2009

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) welcomes the release of prisoners from jails around Burma during the last week, especially human rights defenders and persons who were detained during and after the protests of August and September 2007, including numbers of persons on whose cases the AHRC has issued urgent appeals. However, it notes with grave concern the reports of torture that some detainees experienced during interrogation. The physical and mental injuries caused in this period were either not adequately treated or not treated at all during the detainees’ incarceration, causing some of them lifelong damage. Among those cases that have been reported in the media:

Ko Myo Yan Naung Thein, a former technical institute student, was assaulted by unknown assailants and taken from a march during September 2007; he suffered injuries to his nerves during torture under interrogation and did not get adequate treatment in Sittwe Prison; he is now reportedly unable to walk.

Ko Bo Bo, a former student leader also known as Ko Moe Kyaw Thu, had been imprisoned on a range of charges since 1992. He told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that after his arrest he was taken to a military intelligence unit in Rangoon where he was hooded and repeatedly assaulted, denied water and refused access to a toilet. During his term at Ohboe Jail he was twice seriously assaulted, in 2000 and 2005, causing him to suffer constant headaches.

PTT exports lubricants to Burma

PTT Plc has appointed a lubricant distributor in Burma, through the 5-year agreement signed yesterday with Tunn Star Co Ltd.It is expected lubricant sale volume would reach 5 million litres per annum in 2010.

PTT first started exporting its lubricant products in 2005 and the products are now available in the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Greece, Pakistan, Nigeria, New Zealand and China.
nation
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Daw Aung San Suu Kyi: ” Those who claim that they will not interfere in the internal affairs of Burma do not hesitate to be involved economically in Burma. As long as they are involved economically, how can they say that they are not interfering in the internal affairs of our country ? If they are prepared to engage economically with our country, then they must also be prepared to do what they can to help us resolve our political problems. There is no way that we can resolve our economic problems without a political situation.”

Welcome to the Obama Administration’s “new” Burma policy, announced Wednesday by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Embracing Burma’s Generals
Burma’s ruling junta is killing ethnic minorities, preparing a sham election and possibly cooperating with North Korea on a nuclear program. So what better time for the United States to elevate talks to a higher diplomatic level?

Welcome to the Obama Administration’s “new” Burma policy, announced Wednesday by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “Engagement versus sanctions is a false choice in our opinion,” Mrs. Clinton told reporters. “Going forward we will be employing both of those tools.” The White House also welcomed Burma’s foreign minister last week in a little publicized visit.

This is diplomatic repackaging, par excellence. The U.S. has an embassy in Rangoon and the chargé d’affaires there talks to Burmese officials. The Bush Administration tried high-level chats with the junta, too. Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Eric John flew to Beijing in June 2007 to ask for the release of Burma’s rightful leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The Burmese refused.

The Bush Administration’s innovation was to push for higher-level, multilateral pressure on Burma at the United Nations Security Council, coupled with targeted financial sanctions against the junta’s top brass. Former First Lady Laura Bush also spearheaded a public relations war, visiting refugee camps and speaking directly to the Burmese people through radio broadcasts. continue
Embracing Burma’s Generals

POLITICS: U.S. Policy Shift on Burma Gets Mixed Reactions By Larry Jagan

BANGKOK, Sep 25 (IPS) – The shift in the United States policy towards Burma has been met with mixed reactions, with few believing it will have an impact. But the South-east Asian state’s detained opposition leader has already endorsed Washington’s move to start talks with the reclusive regime.

“Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said that direct engagement is good,” said her lawyer and spokesman for her party, the National League for Democracy, Nyan Win. “She accepts it, but she says that engagement must be with both sides,” he told local journalists in Rangoon.

Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed Washington’s change in policy towards the junta, and that now the U.S. government would pursue a policy of engagement as well as sanctions to help bring democratic change to Burma.

“Engagement versus sanctions is a false choice in our opinion,” she announced Wednesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. “So, going forward we will be employing both of these tools … to help achieve democratic reform, we will be engaging directly with the Burmese authorities.”

“We want credible, democratic reform, a government that responds to the needs of the Burmese people, the immediate, unconditional release of political prisoners … (and) serious dialogue with the opposition and minority ethnic groups,” Clinton said.

The pro-democracy movement abroad reacted cautiously. “We must warily welcome it,” said a spokesman for the exiled democratic opposition based in Thailand, Zin Linn. “We cannot expect much, but if it helps get Aung San Suu Kyi released, then it is certainly a very good move.”

Inside Burma, most people are more sceptical. “Nothing can budge them (the military junta), they don’t listen to anyone, and they don’t care about anything other than themselves,” a small stall holder in Rangoon, told Inter Press Service.

Most people don’t think it will work, said a Burmese journalist on condition of anonymity. “It’s an OK approach, but it’s too late – what can be done now with elections planned next year? There’s not enough time to change the generals’ minds,” he said.

China Sets Up Three Refugee Camps For Burmese In Anticipation

Written by KNG
Friday, 25 September 2009 16:31
In a surprise move, China is constructing three Burmese refugee camps at different venues on the border with Burma in its northwestern Yunnan province. Ironically, not even a single refugee has fled to the place till now, said border sources.

On direct instructions and allotment of budget by the Chinese central government to local authorities, the construction of three Burmese refugee camps began yesterday in three areas in the bordering territories of Mongkoe Defense Army (MDA) in Northeast Shan State in Burma, west of Salween River, said eyewitnesses.

Geographically, the Mongkoe is situated between the territories of two ethnic armed groups— Loikang-based 4th brigade of Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in west of Salween River (Saphkung Hka in Kachin) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) in east of the river.
According to a Chinese border refugee agency, they plan to accept 5,000 refugees in the border town of Manghai, 6,000 refugees on the border village of Pengjiazhai and 3,000 refugees on the border village of Xiaozhai. These refugee camps are expected to be prepared for Burma’s ethnic minorities from the villages in west of Salween River— Kachin, Shan, Akha and Palong, said residents of Mongkoe.

AHCR:Five men are charged without evidence for allegedly forming an illegal group

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Extortion a Problem for Migrant Workers Applying for Temporary Passports

Sangkhlaburi — While temporary passports allow migrant workers from Burma more freedom in Thailand, they have been known to attract attention from local Burmese authorities, who seek bribes from workers and their families.
A villager from Hnit Kayin of Lamaing sub-township told Kaowao that many villagers are reluctant to apply for the temporary passport because their village headmen have asked for money from applicants. When the mother of Lawee Mon Chan of southern Ye was asked to pay money to the Ye Immigration Department, Lawee decided not to go through with his passport application, even if it meant he could work legally in Thailand.

Farmers’ helper jailed for two years Sept 25, 2009 (DVB)–A Burmese opposition party member has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment after pledging to help two farmers facing charges of damaging government property. Aye Myint, vice-chairperson of Magwe division’s National League for Democracy (NLD) branch, was sentenced yesterday on charges of threatening a civil servant.

Farmers’ helper jailed for two years
Sept 25, 2009 (DVB)–A Burmese opposition party member has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment after pledging to help two farmers facing charges of damaging government property.

Aye Myint, vice-chairperson of Magwe division’s National League for Democracy (NLD) branch, was sentenced yesterday on charges of threatening a civil servant.
His arrest on 17 September followed an announcement made in a teashop owned by a forestry department official that he would assist two farmers whose land had been confiscated by the forestry department.
He had said that he would help the two file a complaint to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Rangoon.
The two farmers, Nyan Myint and Thura Aung, were accused by police of cutting down a tree on the confiscated land, bringing charges of damaging public property.
Aye Myint told DVB on 23 September, the day prior to his sentencing, that he was expecting to be imprisoned.
“I have many reasons to think like that. My family has been under watch by authorities,” he said.
On two occasions he said members of the government proxy Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) had come to his house and thrown rocks.
Yesterday’s sentencing coincided with a visit to the town by ILO’s Burma liaison officer, Steve Marshall, regarding a land dispute between 108 local farmers and local authorities.
Marshall was denied a meeting with Nyan Myint and Thura Aung, reportedly because he had missed visiting hours.

Burma orders 10,000 Chinese to leave

Sept 25, 2009 (DVB)–Up to 10,000 Chinese nationals have been ordered by the Burmese government to leave the Kokang enclave in northeastern Burma, which was last month the scene of heavy fighting.

Rumours have spread throughout the region that fighting could again erupt between the Burmese army and a Kokang armed group, Reuters reported today.
A Burmese military analyst based in the China-Burma border could not confirm the reports, although the Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday advised its citizens not to travel to the region, and for Chinese businessmen in the region to exercise caution.
“The Foreign Ministry and the Chinese embassy in Myanmar [Burma] remind Chinese citizens and companies who are already in Northern Myanmar to pay attention to security risks,” a statement on the foreign ministry website said.
The news coincides with reports that China is setting up new refugee camps close to its border with Burma, in anticipation of a fresh influx of refugees.
According to the Kachin News Group, the orders and funding to build the camps came directly from Beijing.

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) today calls for world leaders to not to get lost in junta’s game plan of sham 2010 election instead of focusing on national reconciliation

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) today calls for world leaders to not to get lost in junta’s game plan of sham 2010 election instead of focusing on national reconciliation. Ruling junta of Burma which gunned down more than 3000 peaceful demonstrator came to power in 1988. Junta held the election in 1990 in which Aung San Suu Kyi led National League for Democracy (NLD) won landslide victory. Junta still ignores to honour it and instead put Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest. During their reign of terror, people of Burma are suffering tremendously. Junta never hesitate to use brutal force to quell anyone who opposes their illegitimate rule.

Aung San Suu Kyi officially once said that “That the results of the 1990 General Elections must be implemented is a resolution already taken by the United Nations. We already know that the General Assembly of the United Nations has accepted the notion that the will of the people has been expressed in the 1990 General Elections. This is something we cannot abandon. It will be to the detriment of our country if after an election has been held the results are not honoured and we do not resist attempts to trivialise it”. She reaffirmed again the importance of implementing 1990 election result and the necessary practical action taken by international community by saying “Since 1992, the United Nations General Assembly has been passing resolutions on the human rights situation in Burma. But resolutions are not enough. Resolutions should be implemented. We think it is time that the international community took a greater interest in getting the terms of the resolutions implemented”. In 1996 students demonstrations were broke out and junta harshly crack down by beating, torturing and imprisoning student leaders. Junta held their so-called National Convention attended by their hand-picked delegation for 14 years long to draw the sham constitution which legitimise military rule in Burma.