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Title: Countdown to the Myanmar Elections
Source/publisher: Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum
Date of publication: 2010-08-25
Description: I. The election timetable...II. Designation of constituencies...III. Party registration process...IV. Tensions continue over the Border Guard Force scheme...V. The campaign period...Appendix 1 – Registration/approval of political parties as of 23 August 2010...Appendix 2 – Seats in the national legislatures...Appendix 3 – Seats in the fourteen region/state assemblies.....I. The election timetable: "On 13 August, the Myanmar Election Commission finally announced the timetable for the country?s first elections in two decades; two days earlier, it had designated the constituencies.2 The key dates are as follows: The announcement gave parties little more than two weeks? notice of the candidate registration deadline – although most parties had already been considering for some time the question of which constituencies they would contest, and identifying possible candidates. The limited time remaining, and the considerable costs associated with contesting a seat (a non-refundable US$500 fee per candidate), mean that a number of parties have to scale-back their ambitions. With 498 seats up for grabs at the national level, and a further 665 in regional legislatures, only highly-organized and well-funded parties can hope to contest a majority of seats. Although parties have already started their canvassing activities, the campaign period proper – when confirmed candidates can formally seek support from the electorate in their constituency – will last only two months..."
Creator/author: Richard Horsey
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-27
Type: Individual Documents
Format : pdf
Size: 341.13 KB
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Title: Tyrants, Tycoons and Tigers
Source/publisher: Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG)
Date of publication: 2010-08-25
Description: Summary: "A bitter land struggle is unfolding in northern Burma?s remote Hugawng Valley. Farmers that have been living for generations in the valley are defying one of the country?s most powerful tycoons as his company establishes massive mono-crop plantations in what happens to be the world?s largest tiger reserve. The Hukawng Valley Tiger Reserve in Kachin State was declared by the Myanmar* Government in 2001 with the support of the US-based Wildlife Conservation Society. In 2004 the reserve?s designation was expanded to include the entire valley of 21,890 square kilometers (8,452 square miles), making it the largest tiger reserve in the world. Today a 200,000 acre mono-crop plantation project is making a mockery of the reserve?s protected status. Fleets of tractors, backhoes, and bulldozers rip up forests, raze bamboo groves and fl atten existing small farms. Signboards that mark animal corridors and ?no hunting zones” stand out starkly against a now barren landscape; they are all that is left of conservation efforts. Application of chemical fertilizers and herbicides together with the daily toil of over two thousand imported workers are transforming the area into huge tapioca, sugar cane, and jatropha plantations. In 2006 Senior General Than Shwe, Burma?s ruling despot, granted the Rangoon-based Yuzana Company license to develop this ?agricultural development zone” in the tiger reserve. Yuzana Company is one of Burma?s largest businesses and is chaired by U Htay Myint, a prominent real estate tycoon who has close connections with the junta. Local villagers tending small scale farms in the valley since before it was declared a reserve have seen their crops destroyed and their lands confi scated. Confl icts between Yuzana Company employees, local authorities, and local residents have fl ared up and turned violent several times over the past few years, culminating with an attack on residents of Ban Kawk village in 2010. As of February 2010, 163 families had been forced into a relocation site where there is little water and few fi nished homes. Since then, through further threats and intimidation, * The current military regime changed the country?s name to Myanmar in 1989 1 others families have been forced to take ?compensation funds” which are insuffi cient to begin a new life and leave them destitute. Despite the powerful interests behind the Yuzana project, villagers have been bravely standing up to protect their farmlands and livelihoods. They have sent numerous formal appeals to the authorities, conducted prayer ceremonies, tried to reclaim their fi elds, refused to move, and defended their homes. The failure of various government offi cials to reply to or resolve the problem fi nally led the villagers to reach out to the United Nations and the National League for Democracy in Burma. In March 2010 representatives of three villages fi led written requests to the International Labor Organization to investigate the actions of Yuzana. In July 2010, over 100 farmers opened a joint court case in Kachin State. Although the villagers in Yuzana?s project area have been ignored at every turn, they remain determined to seek a just solution to the problems in Hugawng. As Burma?s military rulers prepare for their 2010 ?election,” local residents hold no hope for change from a new constitution that only legalizes the status quo and the military?s placement above the law. Companies such as Yuzana that have close military connections are set to play an increasing role in the economy and will also remain above the law. The residents of Hugawng Valley are thus at the frontline of protecting not only their own lands and environment but also the rights of all of Burma?s farmers. The Kachin Development Networking Group stands fi rmly with these communities and therefore calls on Yuzana to stop their project implementation to avoid any further citizens? rights abuses and calls on all Kachin communities and leaders to work together with Hugawng villagers in their brave struggle."
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-25
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English and the other EU languages
Format : pdf
Size: 2.58 MB
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Title: Notification No. 88/2010 of the Union Election Commission (list of Region or State Hluttaw Nationalities constituencies)
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Alin" 14 August 2010
Date of publication: 2010-08-14
Description: Supplement of Region or State Hluttaw Nationalities constituencies - "The one-page supplement carrying the list of Region or State Hluttaw Nationalities constituencies issued under Notification No. 88/2010 of the Union Election Commission is attached to this daily issued today."
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-19
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese
Format : pdf
Size: 48.05 KB
Local URL: PDF icon 88-2010.pdf
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Title: Notification No 86/2010 of the Union Election Commission (list of Amyotha Hluttaw constituencies)
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Alin" 13 August 2010
Date of publication: 2010-08-13
Description: Supplement of Amyotha Hluttaw constituencies - "The seven-page supplement carrying the list of Amyotha Hluttaw constituencies issued under Notification No 86/2010 of the Union Election Commission is attached to this daily issued today"
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-19
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese
Format : pdf
Size: 91.52 KB
Local URL: PDF icon 86-2010.pdf
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Title: Notification No. 85/2010 of the Union Election Commission (list of Pyithu Hluttaw constituencies)
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Alin" 12 August 2010
Date of publication: 2010-08-12
Description: Supplement of Pyithu Hluttaw constituencies - "The four pages supplement carrying the list of Pyithu Hluttaw constituencies issued under Notification No. 85/2010 of the Union Election Commission is attached to this daily issued today."
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-19
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese
Format : pdf
Size: 59.98 KB
Local URL: PDF icon 85-2010.pdf
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Title: Notification No. 87/2010 of the Union Election Commission (list of Region or State Hluttaw constituencies)
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Alin" 15 August 2010
Date of publication: 2010-08-15
Description: Supplement of Region or State Hluttaw constituencies - "The 32-page supplement carrying the list of Region or State Hluttaw constituencies issued under Notification No. 87/2010 of the Union Election Commission is attached to this daily issued today."
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-19
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese
Format : pdf
Size: 652.54 KB
Local URL: PDF icon 87-2010.pdf
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Title: Notification No.91/2010 of the Union Election Commission (Rights to assemble and canvass for Hluttaw candidates)
Source/publisher: "The New Light of Myanmar" 19 August 2010
Date of publication: 2010-08-19
Description: NAY PYI TAW, 18 Aug—The Union Election Commission issued Notification No.91/2010 today. The following is the unofficial translation of the notification.... The Union of Myanmar Union Election Commission Nay Pyi Taw... Notification No.91/2010... 8th Waxing of Wagaung 1372 ME - (18th August 2010)... Rights for Hluttaw candidates to assemble and canvass
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-19
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 44.76 KB
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Title: Focus on the Global South
Source/publisher: Focus on the Global South
Description: "Focus on the Global South is a program of development policy research, analysis and action. Focus engages in research, analysis, advocacy and grassroots capacity building on critical issues. It was founded in 1995 and is currently attached to the Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute (CUSRI) in Bangkok, Thailand. Focus was founded, the same year the World Trade Organization came into existence. At that time, the system of corporate-driven globalisation was at its apogee. Focus?s program and structure reflected the priorities of a people?s movement that was facing a steep uphill struggle as it grappled with the impact of globalisation on the daily lives and struggles of the poor and marginalized people in the South. Today, corporate-driven globalisation is suffering a deep crisis of legitimacy globally and is on the ideological defensive, even as its poverty-creating, inequality-increasing, and ecologically destructive structure and dynamics continue to grind on. Focus has also traveled considerably from its starting point. It is today widely considered a ?key player? in the global movement for a different and better world. Its analyses of global developments are extensively consulted, as are its suggestions for structural change. Focus? goals have not changed. They continue to be the dismantling of oppressive economic and political structures and institutions, the creation of liberating structures and institutions, demilitarization, and the promotion of peace-building instead of conflict. It is the programmatic and organizational expressions of these goals that need to be adapted to the changes in the global balance of forces" ... Rich seam of articles, links, news etc.
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-10
Type: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, French, Spanish, Thai, Indonesian, Portuguese
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Title: ILC 2010 (99th Session) : Committee on the Application of Standards: Convention 87 (Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise) - Debate and Conclusions on Myanmar
Source/publisher: International Labour Office (99th Session, PR 16, Pt II)
Date of publication: 2010-06-17
Description: Extract on Myanmar from the debate on Convention 87 in the Committee on the Application of Standards. N. B. the proposal in the Workers? concluding statement that "...In conclusion, given the gravity and persistence of the situation, the Worker members considered that all means available to the ILO should be used, including the establishment of a new commission of inquiry, as well as the designation of a liaison officer responsible for dealing with complaints relating to the exercise of the rights enshrined in Convention No. 87..." ....The Alternate link is to the full Provisional Record of the afternoon session of 17 June.
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-07
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 169.73 KB
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Title: PROTECTING PERSONS AFFECTED BY NATURAL DISASTERS - Operational Guidelines on Human Rights and Natural Disasters
Source/publisher: Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)
Date of publication: 2006-06-00
Description: "Floods, earthquakes and storms have routinely displaced tens of thousands around the world. Over the past few years, the international community?s response to these catastrophes has become ever swifter and more sophisticated. Until very recently, however, and in the rush to deliver life-saving aid, little attention was paid to the rights of these displaced people. The publication of these guidelines reflects an understanding of the need for the humanitarian system to provide to the people on the front lines of disaster response the guidance they need to ensure the protection of the rights of the people left homeless by natural disasters. This document is the result of a collaborative approach that took place over more than a year. The Representative of the UN Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Mr. Walter Kälin, prepared draft Operational Guidelines on Human Rights and Natural Disasters. These were shared with the members of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Working Group. Each member of the IASC WG contributed its own expertise, operational experience and insights to the collaborative process. This ensured that the final product is one that meets the needs of those affected by disasters. This version of the Operational Guidelines was formally adopted by the IASC WG at a meeting in Geneva on 9 June 2006.We want to thank all the members involved for their work and participation. The Guidelines are short and easily accessible. They are complemented by a Manual that gives the human rights background which underpins them. The Manual also sets out practical operational steps to provide humanitarian workers with examples of how these Guidelines can best be implemented. Human rights are as much a part of the lives of the people we are called upon to assist and to protect as are their needs for food and shelter. For the first time, these Guidelines will provide responders with the information they need to make a rightsbased approach a part of the emergency response."
Creator/author: Walter Kaelin
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-07
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Time for UN Intervention in Burma/Myanmar:
Source/publisher: National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB)
Date of publication: 2003-10-00
Description: Geographical Location of Burma/Myanmar; Country Report; Historical Background; 1988: Prospects for Re-emerging of Democracy; Democracy?s Light Begins to Dim; National Council of the Union of Burma; I. Rule of Law, or ?Law and Order??; II. Unconstructive SPDC?s Stance on Regional Cooperation; III. Militarization of Burma and Regional Instability: A Military Build-up Bursting at Its Seams; IV. Genocidal Policies and Practices of the Military Regime; V. Arrest, Arbitrary Detention, and Disappearance; VI. Torture and Extrajudicial Killings; VII. Political Prisoners and Former Political Prisoners; VIII. Forced Labour and Forced Relocation; IX. The Rights of the Child; X. Women?s Rights and Realities; XI. Violence Against Women: Soldiers Licensed to Rape; XII. Refugees and Migrants: Mass Exodus from an Intolerable Situation; XIII. Inhuman Living Condition: Economic Mismanagement; XIV. Illegal Drug Industry: Bane of the International Community; XV. HIV Epidemic: Crisis on the Horizon.
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-06
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.06 MB
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Title: Life in Burma?s Relocation Sites
Source/publisher: Ethnic Nationalities Council
Date of publication: 2010-01-00
Description: Abstract: :Widespread human rights violations have been occurring in ethnic areas of Burma since the late nineteen sixties. This report, based on a 2008/9 field survey, focuses on the government?s use of mass displacement and relocation designed to destabilize the ethnic populations of Karen State. The government first initiated a policy of ethnic relocation in Karen State in 1975 as part of what became known as the four cuts campaign, a policy intended to deprive the ethnic resistance movement of food, money, intelligence and recruits. While noting the existence of such earlier camps, this report specifically examines the lives of people living in sites after a further concerted effort to control the civilian population was initiated in 2006. This report identifies three types of site created by the military regime. The first, roughly translated from Burmese as ?model? villages, are some of the most recent examples and have been created under the guise of development; the second type, initiated in 1979, are primarily security driven and have resulted in highland villages being relocated to the plains; the third, which are also security initiated and mainly located in Taungoo, consists of villages cleared from areas of military infrastructure. Villagers in this latter type, unlike the previous two, have been given no provision for relocation; rather, the population was told to vacate the area with little regard as to where they would go. Relocated villagers, despite the fact that purported contact with resistance forces has all but been eradicated, continue to face severe abuses by Burmese authorities. Forced labour on infrastructure projects and military controlled business is widespread. Villagers are ordered to act as sentries, messengers, porters and minesweepers by the Burma Army. Corruption and illegal taxation is prevalent in all the sites assessed. In addition, the opportunity for making a living has been drastically reduced. Malnutrition, especially in infants, has increased and is exacerbated by army restrictions that prevent villagers from access to food, medicine and education. This report identifies serious issues of concern that continue to affect the ethnic populations of Burma. It highlights the government?s disregard for the rights of its people and its blatant use of the local population as little more than a captive workforce to be used as the military dictates."
Creator/author: Paul Keenan
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-03
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 3.56 MB
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Title: Text of the Mine Ban Treaty in Burmese
Source/publisher: International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)
Date of publication: 1999-03-00
Description: The date given is that of the entry into force of the treaty...Burma is not a State Party.
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-24
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese
Format : pdf
Size: 141.2 KB
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Title: "Eleven" website
Source/publisher: Eleven News Group
Description: Home... Politics... Business... National: Crime; Science & Tech... Lifestyle... Tourism... Opinion... Sports... Asean... ASIA... Top Events 2012... [* Weekly Eleven Archive (monthly, from October 2009)?]
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-21
Type: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Burmese
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Title: A CONFLICT OF INTERESTS: The uncertain future of Burma?s forests
Source/publisher: Global Witness
Date of publication: 2003-10-00
Description: A Briefing Document by Global Witness. October 2003... Table of Contents... Recommendations... Introduction... Summary: Natural Resources and Conflict in Burma; SLORC/SPDC-controlled logging; China-Burma relations and logging in Kachin State; Thailand-Burma relations and logging in Karen State... Part One: Background: The Roots of Conflict; Strategic location, topography and natural resources; The Peoples of Burma; Ethnic diversity and politics; British Colonial Rule... Independence and the Perpetuation of Conflict: Conflict following Independence and rise of Ne Win; Burma under the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP); The Four Cuts counter – insurgency campaign; The 1988 uprising and the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC); The 1990 General Election and the drafting of a new Constitution; Recent Developments: The Detention of Aung San Suu Kyi... The Administration of Burma: Where Power Lies: The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); The Cabinet; The Three Generals; The Tatmadaw; Regional Commanders... Part Two: Logging in Burma:- The Economy: The importance of the timber trade; Involvement of the Army; Bartering; Burma?s Forests; Forest cover, deforestation rates and forest degradation... The Timber Industry in Burma: The Administration of forestry in Burma; Forest Management in Burma, the theory; The Reality of the SPDC-Controlled Timber Trade... Law enforcement: The decline of the Burma Selection System and Institutional Problems; Import – Export Figures; SPDC-controlled logging in Central Burma; The Pegu Yomas; The illegal timber trade in Rangoon; SLORC/SPDC control over logging in ceasefire areas... Ceasefires: Chart of armed ethnic groups. April 2002; Ceasefire groups; How the SLORC/SPDC has used the ceasefires: business and development... Conflict Timber: Logging and the Tatmadaw; Logging as a driver of conflict; Logging companies and conflict on the Thai-Burma border; Controlling ceasefire groups through logging deals... Forced Labour: Forced labour logging... Opium and Logging: Logging and Opium in Kachin State; Logging and Opium in Wa... Conflict on the border: Conflict on the border; Thai-Burmese relations and ‘Resource Diplomacy?; Thais prioritise logging interests over support for ethnic insurgents; The timber business and conflict on the Thai-Burma border; Thai Logging in Karen National Union territory; The end of SLORC logging concessions on the Thai border; The Salween Scandal in Thailand; Recent Logging on the Thai-Burma border... Karen State: The Nature of Conflict in Karen State; The Karen National Union (KNU); The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA); Logging in Karen State; Logging and Landmines in Karen State; Charcoal Making in Nyaunglebin District... The China-Burma Border: Chinese-Burmese Relations; Chinese-Burmese relations and Natural Resource Colonialism; The impact of logging in China; The impact of China?s logging ban; The timber trade on the Chinese side of the border... Kachin State: The Nature of Conflict in Kachin State; The Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO); Jade and the KIA?s insurgent Economy; Dabak and Mali Hydroelectric Power Projects; The New Democratic Army (Kachin) (NDA(K)); The Kachin Defence Army (KDA); How the ceasefires have affected insurgent groups in Kachin State; HIV/AIDS and Extractive Industries in Kachin State ; Logging in Kachin State; Gold Mining in Kachin State; The N?Mai Hku (Headwaters) Project; Road Building in Kachin State... Wa State: Logging in Wa State; Timber Exports through Wa State; Road building in Wa State; Plantations in Wa State... Conclusion... Appendix I: Forest Policies, Laws and Regulations; National Policy, Laws and Regulations; National Commission on Environmental Affairs; Environmental policy; Forest Policy; Community Forestry; International Environmental Commitments... Appendix II: Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG): Ministerial Declaration... References. [the pdf version contains the text plus maps, photos etc. The Word version contains text and tables only]
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-20
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English (Thai & Kachin summaries)
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Title: Listening to Voices from Inside: Myanmar Civil Society?s Response to Cyclone Nargis
Source/publisher: Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS)
Date of publication: 2009-05-03
Description: Executive Summary: "Cyclone Nargis is believed to be the worst recorded natural disaster in Myanmar?s history. It swept through the South Eastern region of Myanmar in early May 2008. It caused widespread destruction and devastation. This book contains a collection of narratives obtained through interviews with key actors involved in the cyclone relief effort. We primarily interviewed members of local organisations but have also included a number of alternate perspectives from external actors who work closely with the Myanmar context. The following summary reflects the main points gained from this project: * On the one hand, Cyclone Nargis brought so much destruction. At the same time, it brought people together and provided the opportunity for people in civil society to take action and mount a response to the disaster. This is of particular significance in the Myanmar context where civil society is struggling with the impact of decades of civil war and division amongst identity groups such as clan, ethnicity, religion, or geographic/regional affiliation, or a mixture of these. * As these narratives outline, the response to Cyclone Nargis was massive, immediate and greatly increased people?s capacities in building relationships, working with communities outside traditional target areas, integrating existing programs and working with the authorities. Those providing the response comprised NGOs, business entities, religious institutions, government authorities, and community organisations both highly organised and loosely organised. * Cyclone Nargis provided a number of opportunities for collaboration amongst actors who had previously been looking to work together for some time. It created the conditions for alliances to be forged and many organisations set out strategically to build their networks and integrate existing programs such as environmental awareness, participatory community organising, peacebuilding, etc. have had a much greater destructive impact. A great deal of international assistance was prevented from reaching affected populations due to Government restrictions on entering Myanmar. This situation provided the opportunity for local and international organisations, including the UN, to build their connections and develop strong relationships for their field operations during the relief effort. * Capacity building work carried out by NGOs prior to Cyclone Nargis was able to be capitalised upon in the wake of the disaster. Networks already existed so organisations were able to quickly mobilise community organisers, trauma healers and, in some instances, disaster response teams. Despite this however, capacity building was highlighted by the organisations we interviewed as a significant need of organisations in Myanmar and an area where external organisations can greatly assist. * Through Cyclone Nargis, young people were able to gain volunteer experience and employment as a result of the expansion in NGO activities in responding to the disaster. The focus on building the younger generation is particularly important in the Myanmar context as decades of civil war has led to a decline in education standards and employment opportunities for young people. Building a sense of community by engaging young people in community work and exposing them to different contexts can inspire and encourage young people to become socially active. * External organisations in Myanmar need to understand the local context and the conflict dynamics. This understanding is critical if the assistance provided by external organisations is going to have any resonance. Moreover, without understanding the context and conflict dynamics, local organisations will be unnecessarily burdened by the expectations of outside entities and can potentially be put at risk. * Isolationist policies adopted by the international community towards Myanmar need to be reconsidered. These policies further polarise issues resulting in the Government becoming more entrenched in their position. The majority of civil society groups we interviewed for this project were balancing working with the Government with their commitment to communities. * In carrying out emergency response work for Cyclone Nargis, organisations became aware of the interdisciplinary nature of relief work and the need to work holistically in responding to the context. This necessitated being flexible and creative. * An acceptance that organisations can develop a working relationship with Government and benefit from it, was a key learning expressed by many of the organisations we interviewed. This learning reinforces the importance of networking and building relationships. * A number of organisations interviewed expressed that external organisation should trust the local people to do the work and also support and strengthen local mechanisms in program cycle management. This includes building skills in reporting, monitoring and evaluation. A strong recommendation emerged that participation in developing frameworks and co-operation between external and local organisations and community people, is required."
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-18
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 810.49 KB
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Title: SELF-DEFENCE? ONLY ALTERNATIVE FOR VICTIMS OF STATE TERROR
Source/publisher: Burma Courrier
Date of publication: 2000-06-05
Description: "The wanton killings by what is termed "government soldiers" of innocent villagers in Shan State is getting to be a "normal" event. This is because the international community has not done much, except to slap the junta on the wrist at what has become an annual farce. The Shans in their naivete think that the "Burman" junta is getting away with rape, murder, plunder, torture, and ethnic cleansing behavior because the "world" is not yet aware of what is happening to them. They believe, very firmly, that once the "world" is aware of the horrors, the United Nations or some governments, or leaders, will be driven by moral outrage, a sense of justice, and will come to the assistance of the innocent victims..."
Creator/author: Chao-Tzang Yawnghwe
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-15
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Federalism: Putting Burma Back Together Again
Source/publisher: "Legal Issues on Burma Journal" No. 11 (Burma Lawyers? Council)
Date of publication: 2002-04-00
Description: Federalism in Burma: "This paper deals with the absence or the non-existence of a functional relation between the state in Burma and broader society which is also made up of non-Burman 1 ethnic segments that inhabit the historical-territorial units comprising the Union of Burma. 2 Introduction: Putting the Country Back Together Again The paper looks into the problems related to the task, as yet to be accomplished, of "putting the country back together again", in contrast to the claim of the military and its state is "keeping the country together". It is here argued that although the military has, in a manner of speaking, "kept the country together", it has also distorted the relation between the state in Burma and broader society by monopolizing power and excluding societal elements and forces from the sphere of the state and from the political arena. The military?s centralist, unitary impulse, informed by it ethnocentric (Burmanization) national unity formula, has contributed to a dysfunctional state-society relation, that has in turn brought about the present crisis of decay and general breakdown, making Burma a failed state..."
Creator/author: Chao-Tzang Yawnghwe
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-15
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : htm
Size: 35.76 KB
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Title: Intra-European Bargaining and the ‘Tower of Babel? EU Approach to the Burmese Conundrum
Source/publisher: Springer Netherlands ("East Asia", Volume 27, Number 1 / March, 2010)
Date of publication: 2009-09-09
Description: Abstract: "Since the 1990 imposition of an arms embargo, the European Union has kept on furthering its sanction policies towards Burma?s military regime in response to its poor record on human rights and authoritarian rule over the country. However, more than a decade after the 1996 EU Common Position on Burma, the European approach to the Burmese conundrum has still failed to achieve its initial objective of facilitating a transition to democracy and of stimulating aid and development in the country. This article seeks to underline the limits of the EU position by highlighting the internal and external obstacles the Europeans have been facing in their policymaking process towards Burma. It is argued that the varied and multiple interests of the 27 EU members; an influential European public opinion favouring an attitude of ostracism; and misunderstandings or miscalculations in appreciating the current state of Burmese affairs have hindered the EU from playing an efficacious role. Moreover these factors also impede its reappraisal." Keywords: Burma - Common position - Engagement - EU foreign policy - Myanmar - Ostracism - Sanctions
Creator/author: Renaud Egreteau
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-12
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Rethinking Daná in Burma:
Source/publisher: Stanford University
Date of publication: 2004-05-23
Description: "Previous anthropological literature construes daná (Pali dâna) in Burma rather narrowly, as giving to monks or to the Buddha. However, the detailed data I collected during fieldwork in Burma reveal that the Burmese understand daná more broadly, as 'giving' in which saydana (Pali cetanâ) plays a key role. The paper is a chapter of my PhD dissertation entitled "In the World of Rebirth: Politics, Economy and Society of Burmese Buddhists." By presenting ethnographic data that has not been offered in previous literature, I re-examine the Burmese concept and practice of daná. Daná is closely associated with the Burmese notions of purity, detachment, and nobility, as well as merit. Its idea is deeply grounded in the Burmese language and culture. Some forms of daná are not as conspicuous as giving to the monastic order. They are less identifiable by an outside observer, for they are not always revealed as daná because they occur in the everyday act of giving. Thus, such forms of daná have been largely neglected, or at best treated less seriously. I argue, however, that we cannot fully understand the idea of daná or the mindsets of the Burmese Buddhists without taking these forms of daná into account. A detailed observation of the everyday discourse of daná reveals that daná permeates all kinds of daily transactions, shaping the practice of giving in Burmese society. This understanding of daná may seem at odds with the traditional descriptions of daná in Burma or in other Theravada Buddhist societies. However, I will show that the Burmese understanding of daná in fact resonates with the idea of daná we find in stories of giving in Buddhist cultures. The point of my argument is not to understate the significance of giving to monks or to the Buddha. My intention is to offer a description and analysis that takes into fuller account the subtleties of the practice and language of daná."... Paper from "Burmese Buddhism and the Spirit Cult Revisited - An Interdisciplinary Conference on Religion in Contemporary Myanmar Saturday, May 22-Sunday, May 23, 2004 Hartley Conference Center Mitchell Building Stanford University.
Creator/author: Naoko Kumada
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-08
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: ?External? Aspects of Self-Determination Movements in Burma
Source/publisher: Queen Elizabeth House
Date of publication: 2003-02-00
Description: Abstract: "Based on secondary resources and long term anthropological field research, this paper explores some of the ?external? factors involved in the pro-democracy and ethnic struggles for self-determination currently being experienced in Burma. The analysis draws in cultural, economic and political aspects to demonstrate that a number of macro- and micro-level external or external-origin influences are at play, at a number of different ?inside?, ?outside? and marginal sites. The paper argues in particular that ?cultural? factors such as computer-mediated communication and contacts with outsiders when living in exile, serve as means by which real, virtual and imaginary connections are drawn between these different sites and the actors who inhabit them. In the context of Burma, this paper thus presents a glimpse into this complexity of origin and substance of external influences, of interactions between the external and the internal, and of the multidirectional pathways along which they operate. After an introductory overview, it does so by first reviewing some pertinent macro-political and macro-economic external factors, including international views and strategic interests. The paper then focuses on micro-level social and cultural issues, examining aspects of new media as utilised by the Burmese exile community and international activists. External influences on exiled communities living in the margins on the Thai-Burma border (characterised by the paper as neither ?inside? nor ?outside? proper), including Christianity and foreign non-governmental organisations, are then explored. The paper concludes that inside views, reactions and experiences of outside influences are presently just as important in determining outcomes as are the outside influences themselves."
Creator/author: Sandra Dudley
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-08
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Thai-Yunnan Project Project
Source/publisher: Department of Anthropology, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University
Description: * Bulletin [2001-2005] * Bulletin Board * Seminars * Publications * Back Issues Thai-Yunnan Newsletter The Bulletin was launched in 2001. The Thai-Yunnan Newsletter ceased publication in 1995. Current issues of the Bulletin plus archive of the 28 issues of the Newsletter from June 1988 to March 1995. They contain a fair amount of scholarly articles and correspondance on Burma.
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-08
Type: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Title: TOTAL Oil: fuelling the oppression in Burma
Source/publisher: The Burma Campaign, UK
Date of publication: 2005-02-00
Description: " Burma is ruled by a military dictatorship renowned for both oppressing and impoverishing its people, while enriching itself and the foreign businesses that work with it. TOTAL Oil, the fourth largest oil company in the world, is in business with Burma?s dictatorship. It has been in Burma since 1992 against the wishes of Burma?s elected leaders, many of whom are being detained by the Junta. Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma?s pro-democracy leader, has said that ?Total has become the main supporter of the Burmese military regime.” . She told the French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur that "TOTAL knew what it was doing when it invested massively in Burma while others withdrew from the market for ethical reasons”. She added, ?the company must accept the consequences. The country will not always be governed by dictators.” The National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won 82 percent of the seats in Burma?s 1990 election. It has called on foreign companies not to invest in Burma because of the role investment plays in perpetuating dictatorship in that country. All the major ethnic leaderships from Burma have whole-heartedly supported this position too. Therefore, the mandate from which companies are asked not to invest in Burma comes from within the country. This report gathers together much of the available evidence relating to TOTAL?s role in fuelling the oppressive dictatorship in Burma. Broadly, it covers human rights abuses associated with TOTAL?s gas pipeline, TOTAL?s financing of Burma?s dictatorship and TOTAL?s influence on French foreign policy and therefore on European Burma policy as a whole. TOTAL?s presence in Burma has consequences far beyond its 63-kilometre pipeline across Burmese territory. Its destructive influence goes to the heart of international policy towards one of the world?s most brutal regimes. For that reason it is essential for all those who want change in Burma to deal with the problem of TOTAL Oil. As long as TOTAL remains in Burma, the dictatorship will be satisfied that the chances of real pressure against it are unlikely. This report has been produced to coincide with the launch of a new international campaign calling for TOTAL?s withdrawal from Burma. The campaign comprises 43 organisations across 18 countries..."
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-04
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Blood Jade - Burmese Gemstones and the Beijing Games
Source/publisher: 8808 For Burma & All Kachin Students and Youth Union
Date of publication: 2008-08-04
Description: "...Burmese jadeite is a global business predicated on human suffering and the absence of the rule of law, and is controlled with an iron grip by Burma?s military regime. The regime led by Senior General Than Shwe grew in notoriety in September 2007 when it violently suppressed peaceful protests led by Buddhist clergy in Burma. The regime?s status as an international pariah was further cemented when it obstructed humanitarian aid to 2.4 million people affected by Nargis, a class four cyclone that hit the Irrawaddy delta region on May 3, 2008, killing 150,000. Burma?s regime has effectively consolidated military control over the entire gems industry, including jadeite, by eliminating small and independent companies from mining and forcing all sales to go through national auctions held by official government ministries in Rangoon. Gems are now Burma?s third largest export and provide the regime with an important source of foreign currency1. Much of this cash comes from China, which has recently seen a dramatic rise in demand for Burmese jadeite due to its overall economic growth. On March 27, 2007, the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) announced that the design for the medals of the Beijing Games included jade from China?s Qinghai province2. BOCOG has publicly stated that their officially licensed products are being made with Qinghai jade (or nephrite), not jadeite from Burma. However, many if not most of the jade products on the general market are from the abuse-ridden jadeite industry in Burma and profit Burma?s brutal military regime. The showcasing of jade on the world stage will further escalate the growth in demand3. Jadeite production comes at significant costs to the human rights and environmental security of the people living in Kachin state. Land confiscation and forced relocation are commonplace and improper mining practices lead to frequent landslides, floods, and other environmental damage. Conditions in the mines are deplorable, with frequent accidents and base wages less than US$1 per day. An environment of impunity and violence has been created by the military regime and its corporate partners, who inflict beatings on and even kill locals who are caught collecting stones cast off as trash by the mining companies. Mining company bosses and local authorities are complicit in a thriving local trade in drugs, which – when coupled with a substantial sex industry – has led to a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic that has spilled over the border into China. While Burmese jadeite is only one part of China?s vast economic relationship to Burma?s military rulers, it is an industry on which individuals can have a direct and substantial impact, if they make conscientious decisions not to buy what can justifiably be called ?blood? jade... The authors of this report call on individuals – global consumers, visitors to China, Olympic spectators, and Olympic athletes – to boycott the sale of Burma?s blood jade. The Beijing Organizing Committee of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and the government of the People?s Republic of China should take immediate action to curb the global trade in blood jade, beginning by ending their promotion of jade products from Burma..."
Date of entry/update: 2010-07-04
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 1.17 MB
Local URL: PDF icon bloodjade-red.pdf
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Title: Listening to Voices from Inside: Ethnic People Speak
Source/publisher: Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies
Date of publication: 2010-06-00
Description: Executive Summary: "Listening to Voices from Inside: Ethnic People Speak showcases the voices of people from civil society, and of different ethnic groups, who are rarely heard. Myanmar is an extremely ethnically diverse country. Regrettably, inter-ethnic conflict is a fundamental dynamic in Myanmar?s protracted civil war. Despite this, ethnic diversity and interethnic conflict seldom capture the attention of the international community who have a tendency to see inter-ethnic conflict as adjunct to the quest for peace and democracy in Myanmar. This publication, the result of a foundational study, presents the voices of eighty-seven civil society members from different ethnic groups who live in Myanmar. It documents their perceptions of opportunities and challenges in key areas of interactions with other ethnic groups, government and military relations, education, employment, health, and culture. It records their vision for the future and how external organisations can support that vision. Listening to Voices from Inside: Ethnic People Speak creates a channel for local people to be heard on inter-ethnic issues in Myanmar and is a resource to increase understanding of the issues among external and domestic actors. It brings inter-ethnic conflict back from the periphery to argue that transforming inter-ethnic conflict is central to building peace and democracy in Myanmar. The following summarises the key points under each section:..."
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-23
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Union of Myanmar Union Election Commission Directive No. 2/2010
Source/publisher: Union of Myanmar Union Election Commission via "The New Light of Myanmar" 23 June 2010
Date of publication: 2010-06-23
Description: "...1. For holding a free and fair multi-party democracy general election in 2010, the Union Election Commission is granting permission to set up political parties and register as political parties in accord with the Political Parties Registration Law. 2. Under Section 9 of Political Parties Registration Law, the parties that have been granted permission to register as political parties shall have to submit a report to the UEC that they have enlisted the prescribed strength of their parties in accord with Section11 and Rule 13(a) (b) after mobilizing their members in accordance with Section 10. 3. The UEC, therefore, has issued the directive under Section 26 of Political Parties Registration Law in order that the political parties that have been granted permission to register shall act in conformity with the law in enlisting the prescribed number of party members..."
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-23
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 84.7 KB
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Title: ILC 2010 (99th session):- Committee on the Application of Standards: Special Sitting to examine developments concerning the question of the observance by the Government of Myanmar of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29): Conclusions
Source/publisher: International Labour Office
Date of publication: 2010-06-00
Description: "...The Committee called for the strengthening of the capacity available to the ILO Liaison Officer to assist the Government in addressing all of the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry, and to ensure the effectiveness of the operation of the complaints mechanism, particularly in respect of the urgent issuance of an entry visa for an additional international professional as a priority and without delay. The Committee specifically called on the Government of Myanmar to take every opportunity, including through the continued use of all of the available forums, to increase the awareness of the people (the civil and military authorities as well as the general public) as to the law against the use of forced labour, to their rights and responsibilities under that law and of the availability of the complaints mechanism as a means of exercising those rights. An authoritative statement at the highest level would be a significant step in this regard. The Committee regretted with serious concern the continued human rights violations in Myanmar, including the detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The Committee urged her immediate release as well as that of other political prisoners and labour activists. The Committee called on the Government to investigate, without further delay, the allegations of forced labour orders and similar documents which had been submitted to the Committee of Experts and encouraged the Government to communicate to the Committee of Experts, for its next session, its findings and any consequential concrete actions taken. The Committee expected to be in a position to take note of significant developments at the next session of the Conference"
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-23
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 65.59 KB
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Title: ILC 2010 (99th session):- Committee on the Application of Standards: Special Sitting to examine developments concerning the question of the observance by the Government of Myanmar of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Provisional Record
Source/publisher: International Labour Office
Date of publication: 2010-06-00
Description: A. Record of the discussion in the Committee on the Application of Standards... B. Observation of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations on the observance of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), by Myanmar ... C. Report of the Liaison Officer to the special sitting on Myanmar (Convention No. 29) of the Committee on the Application of Standards, and register of cases as of 17 May 2010 ... D. Conclusions adopted by the Committee on the Application of Standards in its special sitting to examine developments concerning the question of the observance by the Government of Myanmar of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) (International Labour Conference, 98th Session, June 2009)... E. Document before the Governing Body at its 306th Session (November 2009) and conclusions of the Governing Body... F. Document before the Governing Body at its 307th Session (March 2010) and conclusions of the Governing Body
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-23
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Crimes against Humanity in Western Burma: The Situation of the Rohingyas
Source/publisher: Irish Centre for Human Rights
Date of publication: 2010-06-16
Description: "In August 2008 the Irish Centre for Human Rights received funding from Irish Aid to launch a project on the human rights situation of the Rohingyas/Muslims of Rakhine State in Western Burma/Myanmar. As part of the project a research unit was established at the Irish Centre for Human Rights to carry an open source research and take part in a fact-finding mission and the drafting of a report under the supervision of Prof. William Schabas. In 2009, Nancie Prudhomme (project manager and researcher) and Joseph Powderly (project researcher) undertook a 4-week fact-finding mission to gather more detailed, first-hand and new information about the situation of the Rohingyas in Western Burma. As part of their mission Nancie and Joseph visited Burma and Thailand. In Thailand, they had meetings on the situation of the Rohingya "boat people" pushed back to sea at the beginning of 2009 and on the status of the Rohingya issue within Asia generally and more specifically at the ASEAN level. As part of the fact-finding mission the researchers also spent two weeks in Bangladesh visiting refugee camps and interviewing Rohingya refugees and human rights and humanitarian workers. The researchers were joined in Bangladesh by Mr. John Ralston, Executive Director of the International Institution for Criminal Investigation and former Chief of Investigations at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and for the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry for Darfur. The team interviewed Rohingya victims in and around refugee camps in Bangladesh. The mission in Bangladesh provided detailed information on the causes for flight to Bangladesh and the current situation in Western Burma. The report of the Rohingya project was officially launched on June 16 th, 2010 by Micheál Martin, the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, at Iveagh House"..... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: "The plight of the Rohingyas has become better known since the start of 2009, in particular because of world-wide media coverage of the case of the so-called ?boat people”, consisting of hundreds of Rohingyas who attempted to reach Thailand by boat and were subsequently mistreated there. Despite this new interest in the Rohingya community, very little work has been done to examine the root causes behind their continuous suffering. The Rohingyas are a Muslim minority group residing in North Arakan State in Western Burma. It is estimated that there are approximately 800,000 Rohingyas in Arakan State, and many hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees in other countries. There are disputes over the historical records, and whether the Rohingyas are an indigenous group or whether in fact they began entering Burma in the late 19th century. Even the very name ‘Rohingya? has been disputed. Whatever position is taken on these questions, it is undeniable that the Rohingyas exist, and have done so for decades, as a significant minority group in North Arakan State. For many years, the Rohingyas have been enduring human rights abuses. These violations are on-going and in urgent need of attention and redress. Irish Aid provided funding for independent research to be conducted by the Irish Centre for Human Rights on the situation of the Rohingyas. The content and views expressed in the resulting Report by the Irish Centre for Human Rights are entirely those of the authors. This Report is based on a fact-finding mission to the region, including Burma, as well as on extensive open-source research, and confidential meetings with organisations working in the region. Much of the most important information came from the many interviews conducted with Rohingya individuals in and around refugee camps in Bangladesh, where they were able to speak more freely than they can in Burma itself about the violations they had endured and which had caused them to flee their homes. The Report examines the situation of the Rohingyas through the lens of crimes against humanity. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and international criminal law jurisprudence, especially that of the ad hoc International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, are used to provide detailed and clear legal foundations for the examination. As becomes evident in the individual chapters, there is a strong prima facie case for determining that crimes against humanity are being committed against the Rohingyas of North Arakan State in Burma..."
Creator/author: Nancie Prudhomme, Joseph Powderly, John Ralston...Supervised by Prof. William Schabas (
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-18
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 2.21 MB
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Title: Overview of Land Confiscation in Arakan State
Source/publisher: All Arakan Students? and Youths? Congress (AASYC)
Date of publication: 2010-06-00
Description: Introduction: "The following analysis has been compiled to bring attention to a wider audience of many of the problems facing the people of Burma, especially in Arakan State. The analysis focuses particularly on the increase in land confiscation resulting from intensifying military deployment in order to magnify security around a number of governmental developments such as the Shwe Gas, Kaladan, and Hydropower projects in western Burma of Arakan State...Conclusion: "The SPDC?s ongoing parallel policy of increasing militarisation while increased forced land confiscation to house and feed the increasing troop numbers causes widespread problems throughout Burma. By stripping people of the land upon which peopl?s livelihoods are based, whilst providing only desultory compensation if any at all, many citizens face threats to their food security as well as water shortages, a decrease or abolition of their income, eradicating their ability to educate their children in order to create a sustainable income source in the future. Additionally, the policy of using forced labour in the Government?s construction and development projects, coupled with the disastrous environmental effects of many of these projects, continues to create severe health problems throughout the country whilst simultaneously stifling the local economy so that varied or sustainable work is difficult to become engaged in. All of this often leads to people fleeing the country in search of a better life."
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-16
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 2.34 MB
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Title: THE SITUATION IN MON STATE
Source/publisher: Euro-Burma Office (EBO) - EBO Analysis Paper No. 1, 2010
Date of publication: 2010-06-16
Description: "As pressure mounts on the ceasefire groups to transform into Border Guard Forces, media attention has focussed on those groups, especially the Wa in Shan State and the possibility of impending conflict. While there is no doubt that the situation there is precarious, with the oncoming rainy season, it is unlikely that there will be any military action until at least November 2010. Instead, the Burma Army has increased its pressure on the New Mon State Party (NMSP), a smaller and easier target, bordering Karen State and Thailand in the South of the country. While no official statements have been made, recent reports suggest that the NMSP is already considered illegal. At a 7 May meeting with the USDA, Major General Thet Naing Win of the South-east Command reportedly told the audience that the NMSP should be considered an illegal armed group. A source within the NMSP confirmed the group?s new status.1 With the NMSP?s uncertain future, a new political party, the All Mon Region Democracy Party (AMRDP), has registered its intention to contest the election. Although, at the time of writing, the new party remains to be officially approved by the election commission, it remains the only glimmer of hope of Mon representation in the near future..."
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-16
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Listening to Voices from Inside: People?s Perspectives on Myanmar?s 2010 Election
Source/publisher: Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies
Date of publication: 2010-06-00
Description: Conclusion: "What have been presented in this report are the views of members of civil society inside Myanmar, not the perspectives of CPCS. The Centre has chosen not to draw any specific conclusions from this report, allowing the voices of those inside Myanmar to stand on their own. Nevertheless, the Centre believes there are some principles which might guide international engagement with Myanmar?s 2010 election. While it is almost certain that the 2010 election will not meet international standards, it is an opportunity to expand the space and roles for civil society. Statements condemning the election should not be made without meaningful attempts to engage domestic civil society throughout the election process. The international community should not rely solely on the perspectives of outsiders. In this respect the international community should make every effort to visit Myanmar to monitor what is happening on the ground. It is suggested that dialogue with local civil society be maintained as a means of monitoring the process in its entirety—not just vote observation and monitoring. This engagement with civil society should serve as the basis for policy formation. Further, governments and organisations should find creative ways to engage the election process without endorsing it. Examples of engagement include voter conscientisation, technical and financial support to Myanmar civil society groups engaged in non-political election activities and exchange visits between political parties and MPs in other countries to widen the experience of candidates. Importantly, the international community should not allow the election to distract from efforts to address the variety of critical and pressing issues challenging Myanmar today. These include a country-wide humanitarian crisis, ongoing ethnic armed conflict and widespread human rights violations and poverty. The international community should use the election as an opportunity to refocus their energy on these specific areas which desperately need to be addressed."
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-16
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 598.49 KB
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Title: 3 Statements in "The New Light of Myanmar" of 12 June 2010 on the Democratic Voice of Burma video, ?Myanmar's military ambitions” broadcast on Aljazeera from 4 June 2010
Source/publisher: "The New Light of Myanmar"
Date of publication: 2010-06-12
Description: 1) Press Statement of Ministry of Foreign Affairs on unfounded allegations against Myanmar regarding nuclear programme... 2) Press Statement of Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Myanmar?s relations with Democratic People?s Republic of Korea..."Al Jazeera airs incorrect news report saying Myanmar trying to possess nuclear weapons - News report based only on exaggerated fabrications of some deserters, fugitives, exiles"
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-12
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 222.79 KB
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Title: Burma?s 2010 Elections: Challenges and Opportunities
Source/publisher: Transnational Insititute, Burma Centrum Nederland (Burma Policy Briefing Nr 2, June 2010)
Date of publication: 2010-06-00
Description: CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS: *The elections will not be free or fair, given the uneven playing field, longstanding denial of basic freedoms, and some draconian provisions of the election laws... * In criticising the process, it is important not to undermine the position of those candidates proposing change. An embryonic opposition voice in authoritarian legislatures should be encouraged rather than marginalised... * These elections must also be judged on how they deliver on demands for equitable political rights and inclusion by ethnic groups, and on the long-standing crisis of conflict and insurgency in the ethnic borderlands... * It would be a massive wasted opportunity if the West failed to engage with the new government, to assess their willingness to take the country in a different direction... * Benchmarks must be tangible, but also realistic. The international community must deliver on its longstanding commitment to support meaningful reforms towards democracy and ethnic peace in Burma.
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-10
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Burma in 2010: A Critical Year in Ethnic Politics
Source/publisher: Transnational Insititute, Burma Centrum Nederland (Burma Policy Briefing Nr 1 June 2010)
Date of publication: 2010-06-00
Description: CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS: * The 2010 general election could mark the most defining moment in a generation, but new divisions in Burmese politics are undermining prospects for democracy and national reconciliation... * Resolution of Burma?s long-standing ethnic crises is integral to the achievement of real peace, democracy and constitutional government... * The UN and international community need to establish a common focus on the election and its political consequences. * Political and ethnic inclusion is essential if Burma?s long history of state failure is to be addressed... * To establish sustainable ethnic peace, there must be conflict resolution, humanitarian progress and equitable participation in the economy, bringing rights and benefits to all the country?s peoples and regions.
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-10
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: The Economy of Burma/Myanmar on the Eve of the 2010 Elections
Source/publisher: United States Institute of Peace
Date of publication: 2010-05-00
Description: Summary: * The government of Burma is undergoing a critical transition: Before the end of 2010, the military regime that has ruled the country since a palace coup in 1998 will hold an election based on a constitution drafted in a nondemocratic process and approved by a referendum in 2008. The referendum fell far short of global standards of credibility and the election is likely to yield a government that neither the antimilitary movement nor the international community views as legitimate. However, the constitution and election also may offer opportunities for further international involvement that began in the wake of Cyclone Nargis in 2008. * Burma's lagging economic performance--socioeconomic indicators placed it among the world's most impoverished in 2000--is due to a simmering internal conflict based on ethnic and religious differences. Successive military regimes after the failure of Burma's parliamentary government in 1962 have managed to further alienate the population and monopolize the benefits of Burma's abundant natural resources. Growth-disabling economic policies and brutal suppression of dissent since 1988 have caused an exodus of political and economic refugees estimated to be in excess of 3 million. * However, Burma occupies a strategic space in the Southeast Asian region. It is a major supplier of natural gas to Thailand and could be a major agricultural exporter, as it was before World War II. Also, Burma is arguably the greatest obstacle to the 2015 integration objectives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and its internal conlict contributes to tension between China and India. * There is a glimmer of hope that the next government will consider economic policies conducive to sustainable economic growth, thereby improving the environment for political reconciliation. If so, the challenge for the international community will be to find ways to support economic policy changes in this direction that do not trigger a backlash from the country's military rulers. Though difficult, it may be possible to accomplish this through a patient economic strategy that involves more nuanced use of sanctions and effective collaboration with other actors in the region, particularly ASEAN... About the Report: This report examines the economy of Burma at a crucial moment in Southeast Asia's most troubled country. A low-intensity conflict based on ethnic and religious differences has simmered since independence in 1948. The country's military rulers have been waging an existential struggle with a democratic movement led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi since they repudiated her party's election victory in 1990. Before the end of 2010, an election will be held that is more about transferring power to a new generation of military officers than making a transition to civilian rule. To focus attention on the economic dimension of peacebuilding in Burma, this report draws on the discussion at a day-long workshop sponsored by USIP's Center for Sustainable Economies. The workshop brought together experts on key aspects of Burma's economy and employees from congress and U.S. government departments and agencies directly concerned with U.S. relations with Burma. The workshop sessions focused on macroeconomic policy, the extractive sectors, agriculture, the private sector, trade and investment, and the narcotics economy. Professor Joseph Stiglitz led the concluding session on a more productive agrarian economy.
Creator/author: Lex Rieffel
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-09
Type: Individual Documents
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Title: "Shwe Gas Bulletin" Volume 3, Issue 10, May 2010
Source/publisher: The Arakan Oil Watch
Date of publication: 2010-05-00
Description: No Breakthrough against Forced Labour in Myanmar: ILO...Chinese Oil Companies Damages (sic) peoples? lives in Burma (Editorial)...US Banks Involved in Shwe Gas Project...Shwe Gas Project Will be Completed by March 2013: Hyundai Heavy...Joseph Stiglitz: Developing Nations Need to Attempt to Reverse Natural Resource Curse...Vietnam & Myanmar sign Multiple Economic Pacts...Oslo-Listed Seadrill leaves Burma...India?s Essar Arm Gets Govt. Contract for ‘Kaladan Muli Modal Transit Transport Project?... China Signs Myanmar Pipeline Deal to Boost Oil Supply...First Village Forcibly relocated for Irrawaddy Dam Project.
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-09
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 348.42 KB
Local URL: PDF icon SGB03-10.pdf
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Title: Myanmar
Source/publisher: Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) via Aljazeera
Date of publication: 2010-06-04
Description: "Top-secret material reveals that Myanmar is trying to build rockets and nuclear weapons"..."About Film In a new investigative documentary produced by DVB we have discovered that Burma?s ruling generals have started a program to build nuclear weapons. It has long been suspected that Burma has been pursuing a nuclear programme but now, for the first time, DVB provides evidence of how, where and why they are pursuing this goal. With a combination of high quality colour photographs taken from the military?s own top secret files, expert analysis and witness accounts DVB?s documentary exclusively reveals the detailed nature of the regime?s intent. The huge amount of evidence collected by DVB over the last 5 years also reveals that the ruling junta are trying to develop long-range missiles and digging themselves in with a series of military bunkers. Experts agree Burma is a long way from achieving its goals. But many believe that with its stated intent to one day acquire nuclear weapons its ambitions should be taken seriously. This groundbreaking information reveals the paranoia of Burma?s ruling generals and gives us a glimpse into the minds of the Burmese military. Elections later this year are aimed at convincing the world Burma are moving towards democracy, but in reality, fearing attack from the United States and an uprising by their own people, Burma is trying to become the next nuclear- armed North Korea."
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-07
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese
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Title: Burma?s 2010 Elections: Implications of the New Constitution and Election Laws
Source/publisher: Congressional Research Service
Date of publication: 2010-04-29
Description: Summary: "On an undisclosed date in 2010, Burma plans to hold its first parliamentary elections in 20 years. The elections are to be held under a new constitution, supposedly approved in a national referendum held in 2008 in the immediate aftermath of the widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis. The official results of the constitutional referendum are widely seen as fraudulent, but despite significant domestic and international opposition, Burma?s ruling military junta—the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)—has insisted on conducting the polls as part of what it calls a path to ?disciplined democracy.” On March 9, 2010, the SPDC released five new laws for the pending parliamentary elections. Three of the laws are about the three main types of parliaments stipulated in the constitution—the two houses of the national parliament (Pyidaungsu Hluttaw) and the Regional or State parliaments. The fourth law—the Political Parties Registration Law—sets conditions for the registration and operation of political parties in Burma; the fifth law establishes a Union Election Commission to supervise the parliamentary elections and political parties. The new laws were quickly subjected to sharp criticism, both domestically and overseas. In particular, the law on political parties was widely denounced for placing unreasonable restrictions on the participation of many opposition political leaders and Burma?s Buddhist monks and nuns. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Philip J. Crowley said the Political Parties Registration Law ?makes a mockery of the democratic process and ensures that the upcoming elections will be devoid of creditability.” There have also been objections to the terms of the Union Election Commission Law and the 17 people subsequently appointed to the commission by the SPDC. In late September 2009, the Obama Administration adopted a new policy on Burma. The policy keeps most of the elements of the Burma policies of the last two administrations in place, but adds a willingness to engage in direct dialogue with the SPDC on how to promote democracy and human rights in Burma, and greater cooperation on international security issues, such as counternarcotics efforts and nuclear nonproliferation. The Obama Administration accepts that little progress has been made during the seven months that the new policy has been in effect, but has indicated that it will remain in place for now. There are signs of concern among Members of Congress about the dearth of progress in Burma towards democracy and greater respect for human rights. Nine Senators sent a letter to President Obama on March 26, 2010, urging the imposition of additional economic sanctions on the SPDC in light of ?a set of profoundly troubling election laws.” However, another Senator perceives ?several substantive gestures” on the part of the SPDC, and suggests it is time to increase engagement with the Burmese government. The 111th Congress has already taken action with respect to Burma, such as renewing the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003. If it were to determine that additional actions should be taken, there are several alternatives available. Among those alternatives are holding hearings or seminars on the political situation in Burma, pushing the Obama Administration to implement existing sanctions on Burma more vigorously, and adding or removing existing sanctions. This report will be updated as circumstances warrant."
Creator/author: Michael F. Martin
Date of entry/update: 2010-06-02
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Les Rohingya de Birmanie Arakanais, musulmans et apatrides
Source/publisher: Editions Aux lieux d??tre
Date of publication: 2007-00-00
Description: "Les Rohingya, population musulmane du nord de la province birmane d?Arakan, situ? ? la fronti?re du Bangladesh, sont exclus de la liste officielle recensant les 135 minorit?s nationales, interdits de d?placement et priv?s de la plupart des droits civiques. Cet ouvrage se penche sur l?identit? des Rohingya et sur l?histoire du bassin bengalo-arakanien avant d?analyser la situation contemporaine." ...Mots-Cl?s -- Rohingya -- Birmanie -- Myanmar -- Arakan -- Rakhine -- Musulmans -- Identit? -- Ethnicit? -- minorit?s -- Etat-Nation -- Asie du Sud-Est
Creator/author: Gabriel Defert
Date of entry/update: 2010-05-30
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Francais, French
Format : pdf
Size: 3.15 MB
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