KAOWAO NEWS NO. 115
Newsletter for social justice and freedom in Burma
August 16-
Readers' Front
Mon migrant dies in dash for freedom from
Plight of boat refugees uncertain
Mon national dress restricted on university campuses
Exiled ethnic nationalities seminar held in
Mon activist among 30,000 delegates at AIDS Conference
Town businessmen to pay for raising artillery
Captured soldier dies while portering
Flooding besets Mon State
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Readers' front
Dear readers,
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suggestions on improvements to Kaowao newsletter.
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Editor
Kaowao News
[email protected], www.kaowao.org
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Mon migrant dies in dash for freedom from
(Kaowao:
A Mon migrant worker died after fleeing the recent
crackdown by the Malaysian immigration police according to the Mon Refugee
Centre.
NaiMyo
Zaw, of Kaw Gom village near
Mon Refugee Centre was helping to arrange for the
funeral of the migrant worker and treatment for the asylum worker.
Recently, the Malaysian immigration authorities
launched a crackdown on undocumented migrant workers and asylum seekers in the
country. According to migrant community
sources, many arrested migrant workers were forcibly deported to the Thai Malay
border and handed over to local gang outfits there. Police brutality and
corruption by Malaysian and Thai immigration authorities toward illegal
migrants is becoming increasingly widespread.
At the Thai-Malay border, three major
gangster groups are working closely with the immigration officials and Thai
police whose method of extortion includes kidnapping, bribing, beating and
killing illegal workers upon deportation from
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Plight of boat refugees uncertain in
(Kaowao:
Mon refugees who arrived on Malaysian shores by boat
seeking asylum are facing uncertainty and depression, the Mon Refugee Centre
said.
About thirty people from southern Ye
fled to
"At least six of them came to us for help in applying for refugee status but we were not
allowed to enter the UNHCR office," says a social worker from the
"They have come from the black area
(killing fields) designated by the Burmese Army and some of them still have
nightmares. They are feeling hopeless, confused and frustrated even to
meet with UNHCR authorities," said Ong.
The Mon Refugee Centre is assisting a
small number of refugees by providing temporary shelter, food, and clothing.
However, the MRC has limited resources.
Several thousand villagers, mostly from
southern
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Culture and literature
Mon national dress restricted on university campuses
(Kaowao:
A source from
"The reason for its restriction (wearing national
dress) was not clarified by the Burma Army's Southeast Military Command but is
another form of cultural repression and the government's assimilation policy
toward the ethnic nationalities," said a university student who wishes not
to be named.
On August 27, the Mon Culture and Literature Committee
in
To preserve their national costume, Mon university
students normally wear their dress (red sarong and white shirt) in the past
every Monday showing their indigenous culture. While traditional
celebrations such as Mon National day and other activities are restricted by
the regime, usually the authorities had ignored university events held at
campuses in the past.
Mon university students and the community are
disappointed due to the Burma Army's constant repression of social activities
in their traditional life.
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(Kaowao:
Ethnic nationalities of
Delegates of Monland
Restoration Council (USA) were among ethnic leaders including President of
Interim Shan Government Tiger Yawnghwe (Hsö-khan-pha), Secretary General of Ethnic Nationalities
Council Dr. Lian H Sakhong and former KNU leader Maj. Mahn
Robert Zan.
The seminar observed that the SPDC army increased use
of forced labor in road constructions and development projects such as gas
pipeline and damming projects in ethnic regions. The army increased
human rights violations in Arakan, Karen, Karenni, Mon and Shan ethnic regions
and local villagers are being forced to carry ammunition, rations and other
supplies in support of the regime's military operations.
According to the seminar's Information and Media
Working Group statement issued on August 15, the seminar discussed current
political, social, economic and human right situations in the ethnic regions
and unanimously agreed that military regime has been operating its policy of
divide and rule among ethnic nationalities systematically within cease-fire or
none ceasefire groups. The SPDC increased human rights violation in all
ethnic regions as well as continued genocide war against ethnic nationalities.
The participants call on the regime to stop genocides
war against ethnic nationalities, to stop land confiscation and return to the
original owners, to begin peaceful dialogue with NLD and the representatives of
ethnic nationalities immediately, and to free all political prisoners including
Khun Tun Oo, Daw Aung San Su Kyi and Nai Yekkha.
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Mon activist among 30,000 delegates at AIDS Conference
(Kaowao:
Sumit Punnakari, who
leads health and education workers from
" Most Burmese migrants know little about it due
to a lack of HIV/AIDS education in
The UNAIDS 2006 report on the
global AIDS epidemic states that approximately 38.6 million people around the
world were living with HIV at the end of 2005. Over 4 million people
became newly infected with HIV and an estimated 2.8 million people worldwide
died of the disease.
Hundreds of NGOs from
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Town businessmen to pay for raising artillery
(Kaowao News:
Businessmen in
The
township SPDC called about 119 businessmen two days ago (August 15) and the
authorities announced at the meeting that the business community must
contribute 140,000 Thai Baht.
"The
SPDC officers were unhappy that only a few businessmen showed up at the meeting
but they forcibly set up the quota to contribute money. The quota is 4,000 Baht
each from first class business owners, 2,000 Baht each from furniture factory
owners, and 500 Baht each from weaving owners," said a participant who was
forced to attend the meeting.
There
are 4 quarters (blocs) in the border town and the SPDC's target is that the
total amount will have to be paid in four days. Officials will visit the homes
of the business community within the next four days to collect the money.
The
SPDC explained at the meeting, that the artillery battalion will be formed in Naga Taung (
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(Kaowao:
According to U Than Aung,
Coordinator of Burma Forum
The BFC Report recommends the
The activists recommend that the Canadian Government
should work together with other countries to establish a mechanism for
humanitarian operation in
The report was published following the 2nd Burma Forum
meeting held in
Over 810 Burmese refugees mostly ethnic Karen from
Thailand have been accepted to Canada and about 646 will be arriving between
August and October.
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Captured soldier dies while portering
(Kaowao:
One of two captured soldiers, who had fled rape
charges from Burmese Army died while portering last week, said a source from
the
The defected soldiers, who were later captured and
used as porters for the Burmese Army, had taken the gun from a captain, Myint Mor who died in an offensive
against the Karen National Union on
Htay Kyaing, Major Colonel
from Light Infantry Battalion No. 308 based in the
The
Major Colonel wants to keep it secret that his soldiers had defected taking
a pistol with them because he could be charged if his superiors know the
situation.
"They later lost the 9mm handgun when they tried
to flee from LIB 308, the deserted soldiers were caught by the LIB
battalion," a town resident who requested not to be named for security
reasons said to Kaowao reporter.
The source explained that, "The two soldiers had
raped a local woman and left the battalion when the commander tried to arrest
them. They were hiding in the surrounding area when they were captured. As punishment,
the two deserters were then used as porters to carry ammunition and rations
along with other porters during an offensive against KNU, 25 km west of
Fate
on the other soldier is unknown at this point.
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Flooding besets Mon State
(Kaowao:
With rain-swollen rivers still dangerously flooding
out Ye,
Over two weeks of heavy rains caused flood in many
areas in Ye, Kyaik Mayaw, Mudon and Thanbyu Zayat Townships and one of the most serious flooding is Ye
city of southern Mon State.
"The water level at Ye River has risen to the
critical mark, the local communities have never seen the water level rise like
this in many years," said Nai Khin from Durae. The town
residents were evacuated and villagers nearby provided food to help the
civilians at Annawar and Kannar
Blocs that was totally hit by the flood.
Last month, days of heavy rains caused Ye River to
overflow its banks and the City Market was flooded.
"The river level reached the critical level five
days ago but the situation is getting better now," said Nai Soe from the city.
Durae and
Hangam Mon communities, where the stream passed
through the villages, were also flooded and the continuing rain has further
deteriorated the motor road from
Some local people complained that the severe flooding
was caused by deforestation along the upstream of Attaran,
and Ye (Bee Ree) River. This area also faces a long
summer and the production of betel nut and other crops decreased due to dry
weather.
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