The Forgotten Minorities of Myanmar by Nehginpao Kipgen

The Forgotten Minorities of Myanmar Nehginpao Kipgen

8 November 2009 In just over a month from the announcement of the Obama administration’s nine-month long policy review on Burma, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and his deputy will pay a two-day visit from November 3 to 4, to the military-ruled country.
Kurt Campbell and Scott Marciel are expected to meet with senior military junta officials and members of the opposition, including detained Aung San Suu Kyi as well as representatives of ethnic minority groups. The administration announced on September 23 that it will pursue a direct and high-level engagement with Burma, while retaining sanctions. Though the visit is a short one, it will be a test of the engagement-sanction policy.

There are critics who argue that the US high-level attention validates the brutality of the junta which has waged war against its own people and imprisoned more than 2,200 political prisoners. Proponents of engagement, however, argue that the policy is a way forward to democratisation for the country that has been under military rule since 1962.

The good news is that Suu Kyi, the opposition leader, welcomes engagement for the fact that it is designed to be inclusive of the State Peace and Development Council, the National League for Democracy, and the 
ethnic minorities.

Japan Pledges More Aid to Burma if Political Prisoners are Released

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has urged Burma to release detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi before next year’s election, saying Tokyo is willing to provide more aid if democratic reforms in Burma are advanced.

In talks with Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein in Tokyo Saturday, Mr. Hatoyama said it is extremely important that Burma release Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners before the general election to be held in 2010.

The Japanese leader said that given recent progress being made, including dialogue between the military government and the Nobel Peace laureate, Japan would expand, in phases, humanitarian and human resources assistance to Burma.

Last week, a senior U.S. official was in Burma for talks with the country’s ruling generals, putting in motion U.S. President Barack Obama’s new policy of “pragmatic engagement” with the isolated Southeast Asian nation.

Burmese Army Closes Three Pagodas Pass Border Crossing

Kaowao
November 7, 2009
Sangkhlaburi – The Burmese Army has closed Three Pagodas Pass border and barred local people from walking across the border to work on Thai soil.

“The closure of the border started this morning. The commander of the Burmese Army Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 283 ordered the closure. This will definitely cost both sides several million baht in revenue,” said Nai Soe Mon, a businessman from the border town.

About three thousand people from Three Pagodas Pass town inside Burma cross the border every day to work in the shoe and sewing industries in Thailand. Business at the border is booming due to cheap labor; workers earn about 70 to 200 Baht per day. Seventy-five percent of these day workers are women.

The local community complained that the shoe, sewing and furniture industries on both sides would suffer from the border closure. The closure affects the many people working in the industries located around Three Pagodas Pass who rely on this main source of income in the border town.

Restrictions on trade and frequent border closures limit border trade on the Three Pagodas Pass border. When the Thai government banned furniture from Burma in 2005, the Burmese Army prevented all Thai goods from being exported across the border. The main check point gate has closed since then but local authorities allow people to walk from other exits unofficially.

GET OUT KILLER thein sein – 1-2 VDO Japan

National Day of Burmar Myanmar-bur

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SPDC Minister named 2010 Election english

1. Brigadiers- Oung Myint (present minister for mine ministry)Paung township, Mon state.
2.Brigadiers- Than Htay ,Mate Tee La, Thar Si township,Mandalay division.
3.Maj_Gen-Thein Sway ,Sittway township, Arakan state.
4.Lieutenant_Col-Nyan Tun Aung ,Na Toe Kyee township,Mandalay division.
5.Col-Thein Nyint ,Ma Oo Pin township,Irrawaddy division.
6.Maj_Gen-Thein Zaw (present minister for communication minitry)Myintkyina city,Kachin state.
7.Brigadiers-Kyaw San(present minister for information ministry)Pa lare township,Sikyane division.
8. U Aung Thoung(present industry no 1 minister)Mandalay city, Mandalay division.
9.U Soe Than(present minister for project and economic ministry)Tome Tay township,Rangoon division.
10.Maj-Gen-Tin Naing thein(present minister for trade ministry) unknow the place from where he wii be participate.
11.Brigadiers-Maung Maung Thein ,k yan township,Rangoon division.
12.Brigadiers-Aye Myint (present minister for sport ministry) Har Kar township, Chin state.
13.Dr-Chan Nyein(present minister for ecucation ministry)Kaint Blu township,Sikyane division.
14.Maj_Gen-Aung Min(present minister for railway ministry)Ka Wa township,Pagu division.
15.Col-Zaw Min(present minister for eletronic ministry)Magway city, Magway division.
16. Brigadiers-Thein Aung(present minister for forest ministry)Ingapu township,Irrawaddy division.
17.Maj_Gen-Htay Oo(present minister for agriculture ministry) Pyaw Bwell, Ya Mee Thin township,Mandalay division.
18. Brigadiers-Aung Thein Lay (Mayor of Rangoon) Rangoon division.
19. Maj_Gen-Soe Naing(present minister for travel ministry)Day Dee yea township,Irrawaddy division.
20.Brigadiers-Lune Thee(present minister for energy ministry)Kune Chan Kone township, Rangoon division.

Translated by Free Burma Project
Maesot, Thailand