BURMA RELATED NEWS - MARCH 31, 2011

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BURMA RELATED NEWS - MARCH 31, 2011
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AFP - US says Myanmar remains 'oppressive'
AFP - Scant hope for change in Myanmar 'civilian' rule
AP/CP - Germany's Merkel speaks with Myanmar opposition leader Suu Kyi after new government sworn in
Channel NewsAsia - Merkel urges Myanmar to free political prisoners
UN News Centre - Ban calls for genuine transition to democracy in Myanmar
Asian Correspondent - US disregards Burma’s new regime, urges real reform
New York Times - President Replaces Junta in Myanmar Shadow Play
ABC News - Burma's new parliament labelled a 'farce'
Asia News Network - Wider dialogue in Burma
The Guardian - Assessment of Burma's earthquake slow to emerge
IRIN - ASIA: Earthquakes highlight need for regional preparedness, say experts
VOA News - China Urges Respect for New Burma Government
VOA News - US Dismisses Governmental Change in Burma as 'Immaterial'
The Star - US slams ‘oppressive’ environment in Burma
National Jeweler - Myanmar gem auction brings in $2.8 billion
Assam Tribune - India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral trade proposed
The Irrawaddy - COMMENTARY: Burma; Still a Pariah
The Irrawaddy - Burma's New Govt Fails to Inspire
The Irrawaddy - World Leaders Wary of New Burmese Government
Mizzima News - Shan leader Khun Htun Oo awarded Nationalities Hero prize
Mizzima News - Few details on where the money goes from state auctions
Mizzima News - Opposition groups hope some political prisoners will be granted amnesty
DVB News - Opposition seeks gas accountability
DVB News - Burmese caught in deadly Thai floods
DVB News - Finance chief to target Burma trade
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US says Myanmar remains 'oppressive'
Wed Mar 30, 6:34 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States said Wednesday it remains deeply concerned by the "oppressive political environment" in Myanmar even with the disbanding of a military junta.

Washington is demanding the release of political prisoners and official recognition of the National League for Democracy, the main and now dissolved opposition party of pro-democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

"We remain deeply concerned about Burma's oppressive political environment," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

Myanmar's strongman leader Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree officially dissolving the military junta, clearing the way for the installation of a civilian government.

The army hierarchy retains a firm grip on power in the resource-rich Southeast Asian country, however, and many analysts believe Than Shwe will attempt to retain some sort of control behind the scenes.

The handover came after widely-panned elections last November -- the country's first in 20 years -- which were marred by the absence of Suu Kyi and claims of cheating and intimidation.

Toner, without commenting directly on the move, blasted the November vote as a "fundamentally flawed electoral process that has ensured the key military regime figures have continued to dominate the government."

In late 2009, President Barack Obama's administration sought to engage in a dialogue with the junta, noting that sanctions alone would have little impact on one of the most closed regimes in the world, which has rarely flinched to Western pressure.

Former prime minister Thein Sein, a key Than Shwe ally, was earlier sworn in as president at the parliament in Naypyidaw.

He is among a slew of generals who shed their army uniforms to contest the elections last year and are now civilian members of parliament, which also had a quarter of its seats allocated to the military.
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Scant hope for change in Myanmar 'civilian' rule
25 mins ago

YANGON (AFP) – Myanmar's attempt to rebrand itself with a nominally civilian government was met with scepticism at home and abroad on Thursday, with critics fearing army power has merely moved into the shadows.

Newspapers were sold out on the streets of Yangon a day after former general Thein Sein was made president and the feared junta was disbanded following nearly half a century of military rule.

But while the new order provoked interest, there was little optimism.

Company manager Konaing said the new parliament, which is dominated by the army hierarchy and lacks the participation of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, was a "hot issue" with ordinary people.

"But they do not think there will be changes in the country as the generals only changed their uniforms. We have not many expectations, not much hope," he told AFP.

Wednesday's handover came after Myanmar's first elections in 20 years last November, which were slammed by critics as a sham to provide a civilian facade to army rule, and marred by the absence of Suu Kyi, and by claims of cheating.

Myanmar's strongman Than Shwe also relinquished his position at the head of the army during the power transfer, but many analysts believe the feared "senior general" will find a way to retain influence behind the scenes.

In a rare address, printed in Thursday's government mouthpiece The New Light of Myanmar, Thein Sein insisted the Myanmar people "have elected us and given (us a) mandate".

"I invite and urge some nations wishing to see democracy flourish and the people's socioeconomy grow in Myanmar to cooperate with our new government," he said.

But the United States expressed concern over the country's "oppressive political environment", while United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Myanmar to prove "that this change is one of substance".

China however voiced its approval of the country's "independent choice of development path and hopes to see sustained stability and progress in democracy in the country, so as to achieve democratic development".

Myanmar's influential northern neighbour is to send a senior official to meet Thein Sein on Sunday, the first international engagement of his presidency.

"We hope the international community will create a sound environment for Myanmar to achieve economic growth," Beijing said, in a nod to economic sanctions enforced by the US and European Union because of Myanmar's human rights abuses.

The election, and Suu Kyi's release from house arrest a few days later, divided the opposition and reignited a debate about sanctions.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), which has no voice in parliament and was disbanded for boycotting the poll over rules seemingly designed to exclude her, said it "acknowledged" the changes.

"As the NLD mainly works for national reconciliation we expect to start a dialogue with the new government," said spokesman Nyan Win.

Opposition group the National Democratic Force (NDF), which split from Suu Kyi's party to participate in the vote, said the president's speech promising to focus on healthcare and education, was "very significant".

"We can see that he has the desire to reform but we have to wait and see whether it really happens," said the party's leader Khin Maung Swe.

Thein Sein, the country's former prime minister and a key Than Shwe ally, is among a slew of generals who shed their army uniforms to contest the elections and are now civilian members of parliament.

His junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) bagged 388 of the national legislature's 493 elected seats the election, while a quarter of the assembly was already reserved for military legislators.

"Many government workers are hoping for change," one Myanmar official said, on condition of anonymity.

But Myanmar analyst Maung Zarni, of the London School of Economics, said: "It requires a tremendous degree of suspension of rational thought and empirical knowledge to feel any sense of optimism" with the new government.
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Germany's Merkel speaks with Myanmar opposition leader Suu Kyi after new government sworn in
By The Associated Press | The Canadian Press – 1 hour 25 minutes ago

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken by phone with Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and underlined calls for her political party to be recognized.

Merkel's office says the two spoke on Thursday — a day after Myanmar's junta was officially disbanded following its handover of power to a new so-called civilian government.

It says Merkel voiced her esteem for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate's decades of nonviolent resistance against the military regime.

The German government says the two agreed on what they expect from the new administration.

It pointed to a U.N. Human Rights Council resolution calling for the release of all political prisoners and the full recognition of parties including Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.
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Channel NewsAsia - Merkel urges Myanmar to free political prisoners
Posted: 31 March 2011 2258 hrs

BERLIN : German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday urged the new civilian government in Myanmar to release political prisoners as she spoke by phone with pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, Berlin said.

Both expressed hope that the new government, which took over on Wednesday from the military junta but remains dominated by the army hierarchy, would "free all political prisoners, introduce a peace and reconciliation process, and fully recognise political parties, including the National League for Democracy led by Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi", according to a statement from Merkel's office.

Suu Kyi told Merkel she wanted to engage in dialogue with the new government, while Merkel spoke of her support for the 65-year-old leading opposition figure, who was released last year from house arrest, and for "the democratisation process" in Myanmar.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called for "inclusive dialogue" on broad political and economic reforms and said the new government must answer "the longstanding aspirations of the Myanmar people for national reconciliation, democratisation and respect for human rights remains."

Wednesday's government handover came after Myanmar's first elections in 20 years last November which were slammed by critics as a sham to provide a civilian facade to army rule. Suu Kyi did not take part in the poll.

The European Union is to decide in April whether to continue sanctions imposed against the military in Myanmar.
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UN News Centre - Ban calls for genuine transition to democracy in Myanmar

30 March 2011 – Myanmar’s authorities have a duty to show that their announced transfer of power from the long-ruling State Peace and Development Council to a new Government is more than a change in name and a genuine move away from military rule, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

“Responding to the long-standing aspirations of the Myanmar people for national reconciliation, democratization and respect for human rights remains essential to laying the foundations for durable peace and development in the country,” he said in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

“The Myanmar authorities now have an opportunity and, indeed, an obligation to their people, to demonstrate that this change is one of substance and that it is the start of a genuine move away from almost 50 years of direct military rule,” he added.

Mr. Ban called on the authorities to engage in an inclusive dialogue “with all relevant parties on broad reforms necessary for the development of a credible system of government that can effectively address the political and socio-economic challenges facing Myanmar.”

He pledged the UN’s continued commitment to work with all relevant actors toward building a “stable and fully democratic future in which all the people of Myanmar can contribute.”

Last month Mr. Ban took note of the newly-convened Parliament’s election of a new president and vice-presidents and voiced hope that the move marked the beginning of a change from the status quo.

Mr. Ban has long been involved in seeking to ease the South-East Asian country’s transition to democracy. At the time of elections last year, he warned that the vote was unsatisfactory because of the exclusion of some parties, including that of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Her National League for Democracy (NLD) won the last elections, later invalidated by the country’s rulers, two decades ago but was barred from participating this time. For much of the past 20 years she was held under house arrest before being released in November last year. At that time Mr. Ban called for the release of all remaining political prisoners and highlighted the need to include in the transition al those who were excluded from the elections.
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Asian Correspondent - US disregards Burma’s new regime, urges real reform
By Zin Linn Mar 31, 2011 4:07PM UTC

Burma’s Myanmar Radio and Television (MRTV) announced on Wednesday morning that former retired general and Prime Minister Thein Sein, the head of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, was publicly sworn in as the country’s new president.

In his inaugural address to Parliament President Thein Sein called for development and modernization of Burma’s armed forces.

He said, “If the nation does not have strong armed forces, our country will face hegemony of others. Our country stood tall with its own monarchs and sovereignty for thousands of years. But, in the late Konbaung Period, our country fell under the subjugation of the colonialists without any strong resistance. That was due to lack of a strong Tatmadaw (Armed
Forces). If we do not take national defense seriously, we will fall under the rule of neo-colonialists again.”

At the same time, he also said his government will fight corruption together with the people as it harms the image of the nation and the people.

The United States Wednesday dismissed the so-called transfer of power in Burma from military to civilian figures as “immaterial” and said military leaders remain in control, according to the VOA.

The State Department says the United States will continue pressing a two-track strategy of engagement with Burmese authorities and sanctions to try to promote real reforms.

The comments came after a ceremony in the Burmese parliament in which the long-ruling military junta was declared officially dissolved, and a new civilian government – chosen in a broadly condemned election last November – was sworn into office.

“There was a fundamentally flawed election process that’s now ensured that key military regime figures have continued to dominate the government and all decision-making. The fact that they’ve taken off their uniforms and donned civilian clothes is immaterial. We remain deeply concerned about Burma’s repressive political environment,” spokesman Mark Toner said.

Mr. Toner said the United States urges Burmese authorities to release all political prisoners, recognize the legitimacy of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party, the NLD, and to enter into a genuine, inclusive, dialogue with all democratic and ethnic-based opposition groups “as a first step toward reconciliation.”

Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won the Burmese elections in 1990 but the military disregarded the results and kept the Nobel Peace laureate in custody for most of the last two decades.
However, an NLD spokesman said the party is open to dialogue with the new government but remains concerned about continuing military control.

The new commander-in-chief of Burma army also appeared at the inauguration of Thein Sein as president. General Min Aung Hlaing was present at the swearing-in as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, the post held by Than Shwe for more than two decades. General Min Aung Hlaing, 54, is an army cadet of the 19th Intake of Defense Services Academy and a senior strategic trainee of the 4th Intake of the National Defense College.

President Thein Sein released the cabinet listings comprising 30 ministers, including Defense Minister Major-General Hla Min, Home Minister Lieutenant-General Ko Ko, Border Affairs and Industrial Development Minister Major-General Thein Htay, and Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin who was former Burma or Myanmar’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, according to the official MRTV.

Other respective ministers are as follow: Kyaw Hsan (Ministry of Information and Ministry of Culture), Myint Hlaing (Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation), Win Tun (Ministry of Forestry), Hla Tun (Ministry of Finance and Revenue), Khin Maung Myint (Ministry of Construction), Tin Naing Thein (Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries), Win Myint (Ministry of Commerce), Thein Tun (Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications), Aung Kyi (Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement), Thein Htike (Ministry of Mines), Ohn Myint (Ministry of Cooperatives), Nyan Tun Aung (Ministry of Transportation), Tint San (Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Ministry of Sports), Kyaw Swar Khine (Ministry of Industry (1), Soe Thein (Ministry of Industry (2), Aung Min (Ministry of Rail Transportation), Than Htay (Ministry of Energy), Zaw Min (Ministry of Electric Power (1), Khin Maung Soe (Ministry of Electric Power (2), Dr. Mya Aye (Ministry of Education), Dr. Pe Thet Khin (Ministry of Health), Thura Myint Maung (Ministry of Religious Affairs), Aye Myint (Ministry of Science and Technology), Khin Yi (Ministry of Immigration and Man Power), Thein Nyunt (Ministry of President Office) and Soe Maung (Ministry of President Office).
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New York Times - President Replaces Junta in Myanmar Shadow Play
By SETH MYDANS
Published: March 30, 2011

BANGKOK — A nominally civilian government took office in Myanmar on Wednesday but the change was mostly one of political structure as the military, which has ruled for a half-century, maintained its grip on power.

Thein Sein, 65, a retired military officer who leads the military-backed majority party in a newly elected Parliament, was sworn in as president. He formally replaced the military junta that has been headed by Senior Gen. Than Shwe for the past two decades.

But under the new structure the general will remain the power behind the scenes and have the right to override civilian rule by decree.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962 and ruled by the current junta since 1988, when the army crushed a pro-democracy uprising, killing an estimated 3,000 people. A military-backed party was routed in an election in 1990 but the army refused to give up power.

The leader of the opposition, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, was freed last November after spending nearly 15 of the past 21 years under house arrest. Her party, the National League for Democracy, chose not to take part in the parliamentary election held just before her release and is not represented in the new Parliament.

The transition culminates a “roadmap to democracy” that included a constitutional referendum in 2008 and the election last year, both widely seen as fraudulent.

Many Western analysts dismiss the change as a Potemkin facade but some have voiced hopes that it might open the door a crack to incremental change.

“Anyone trying to identify potential reformers in this system will go stir-crazy from speculation,” David Mathieson, an expert on Myanmar with Human Rights Watch, said. “Most of the new government have praetorian repression in their DNA, and the best we can hope for is that there are some civilians in ministries that matter, like health and education, that can attempt to turn back the slide into social atrophy that decades of military mismanagement have wrought.”

Under the new Constitution, 25 percent of the seats in Parliament are reserved for serving military officers. Together, the military and the military-backed party control about 84 percent of the seats, said Aung Din, executive director of the United States Campaign for Burma, a lobbying group.

General Than Shwe has appointed all government ministers and senior judges, controlled the budget, and initiated the major laws that have been announced, said Win Min, a professor at Payap University in Thailand who is on leave in the United States. He said the moment to look for possible change might not be the current restructuring of government but the eventual decline of the senior general, who is 77.
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ABC Radio Australia
Burma's new parliament labelled a 'farce'
Updated March 31, 2011 21:40:11

Burma has officially dissolved its military government and sworn in a hybrid administration in what many say is simply a civilian facade to an otherwise little-changed military regime. Others, though, say it's a small step in a democratic direction. The new parliament follows elections in November that were boycotted by the main opposition party led by Aung San Suu Kyi. So what does it mean for Burma General Than Shwe?

Presenter: Liam Cochrane
Speaker: Maureen Aung Thwin, head of the Burma project of the Soros Foundation

THWIN: It means that he gets to have a shadowy new entity called the State Supreme Council which is not accountable to anybody. So basically he let go of two official posts and now he's basically still running the country.

COCHRANE: So this new State Supreme Council is.....

THWIN: ....it's what some people say is the new junta. Sorry.

COCHRANE: I think I was just about to ask the question that you answered. The State Supreme Council, this new body is that now the seat of power for the regime?

THWIN: Well, not official seat of power, but I think the five [SSC members], the core of Than Shwe's disciples are all there and he heads it and he's not accountable to anybody and I don't think the Constitution can touch them. They're not accountable to the Constitution either.

COCHRANE: Now at least on paper, the new President, Thein Sein, he would appear to be above that body. What will that relationship be like?

THWIN: Well, remember he's the protege of Than Shwe, so he's titularly above the body. I mean everybody knows where there centre of power still is, so I think they can do officially whatever they want. But the power has not shifted anywhere.

COCHRANE: Please go on.

THWIN: No, I was going to say that I find it very interesting that the SPDC the former SPDC, the State Peace and Development Council is now disbanded and the main Opposition Party that won the 1990 NLD is effectively disbanded. However, the power behind the SPDC, the military regime's power has basically just moved to another untouchable locus but the NLD has been disbanded but it's still holds I think the moral authority power. So it's going to be very interesting I think to see whether the NLD, whatever you call it disbanded or not, maybe it's a start, maybe it's a way of face saving if they want to do some dialogue with the so-called new government, it might be a way out of this, but Than Shwe doesn't have to do it directly. I don't know, but it's at least begs for some interesting possibilities.

COCHRANE: So the NLD, the National Democratic League of course headed by Aung San Suu Kyi, I mean is there a chance that now that we have a parliament that is at least in name 'civilian' and more of a parliament structure that we would recognise in Australia or America or Britain. Is it possible that the opposition plays more of an opposition role?

THWIN: Yes, they can, because some of the so-called opposition parties who ran, who did contest the election basically still very much support the leadership of Aung San Suu Kyi, but whether they can play a leadership over officially, obviously they cannot and whether they might be reconstituted to run in the next election is a possibility.

COCHRANE: Do we have any indication of how this new Parliament will operate? Will it meet regularly and consider new laws, the things that we might expect from a Parliament?

THWIN: No, I don't think so. I think from what we've seen now, there's no coverage. Everything is done in secret and there's so many rules about what you can bring up and who can bring it up, resolutions or issues to debate and it's since it's totally dominated still by the military, by its appointed posts and also by its proxy party. From what we've seen, it's actually sort of a farce. But it's still interesting that they somehow felt the need to form this body. It's almost like they want legitimacy in some way.

COCHRANE: In that way, do you see this as a small step forward for Burma in terms of democracy?

THWIN: In Burma, anything that's not status quo can be a small step, because you never know of unintended consequences. So far Than Shwe has played it quite well. He created that USDA, then they became the USDP, the party, that mass movement that became a party that won overwhelmingly. In a way, he's looking like he sort of had some foresight, but things can backfire, especially when you're playing with pretending to be a Parliament and you really don't quite know what a Parliament should be doing.
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Asia News Network - Wider dialogue in Burma
Editorial Desk
The Straits Times
Publication Date : 31-03-2011

The military in Burma may or may not be ready for meaningful and inclusive dialogue with the opposition as it handed over power Wednesday (March 30) to the government elected last November. If it were so inclined, it could simply respond to the offer that pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi made last weekend for talks to clear up 'misunderstandings'.

Even after the new, nominally civilian government takes office, the military - or Tatmadaw - will continue to wield dominant, if not ultimate, power. It is a reality that Suu Kyi has chosen not to ignore. At the same time that the Tatmadaw marked Armed Forces Day on Sunday (March 27), her National League for Democracy (NLD) also celebrated the resistance that her father, General Aung San, led against the Japanese 66 years ago.

Beyond that bit of shared history, the two sides remain far apart. The unconditional release of more than 2,100 political prisoners remains an NLD priority demand unlikely to be met soon. Now disbanded for boycotting what it considered an unfair election, the NLD has no seat in any of the new parliamentary houses. Yet, any attempt at conciliation will fail if the military continues to marginalise Suu Kyi and her movement. Now free from house arrest, she is keeping an open mind on whether the new government will bring change.

If the Tatmadaw adopts a similar attitude and is willing to resolve the undisclosed misunderstandings, better relations and prospects could well result. No matter how limited, the demilitarisation of rule has begun to diversify opinion. The National Democratic Force, which broke away from the NLD to contest the election, held talks last week with the United States' charge d'affaires Larry Dinger on lifting Western sanctions. If more voices are heard on this and other critical issues, in or outside parliament, a clearer articulation of Myanmar needs and interests would emerge.

The world would then find it easier to help the country along the road to conciliation even as it finds it harder to ignore the more excessive abuses. Western powers should not remain hung up on the perplexing sanctions question, but engage with even more groups, including those in the new political structure, ethnic minorities as well as the opposition. The US and the United Nations should appoint full-time envoys to coordinate and focus on conciliatory initiatives.

Although it has yet to meet with complete success, Asean's positive engagement policy has endured recent years in good shape. It is time for other countries to adopt similar approaches towards helping the Myanmar people build a peaceful and prosperous country.
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The Guardian - Assessment of Burma's earthquake slow to emerge
News of the true extent of damage caused by the 7.0 magnitude quake that struck Burma is taking time to filter out
By IRIN, for the Guardian Development Network
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 30 March 2011 14.01 BST

After a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Burma's eastern Shan state last week, information about the true scale of the disaster has been slow to emerge, given the region's mountainous terrain, linguistic barriers and security concerns, according to an aid agency with dozens of volunteer surveyors in affected areas.

"Getting accurate data is quite slow," Bernd Schell, head of delegation at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), told IRIN from Burma's economic capital, Rangoon.

About 32 IFRC volunteers are participating in six multi-agency survey teams, including UN agencies, and local and international NGOs, which are fanned out in affected townships more than 1,300km north-east of Rangoon.

Schell said he did not expect damage to be "dramatically higher" than what has been reported by the government so far – at least 70 fatalities and hundreds of destroyed homes. But the situation is still not clear, he added.

"You have the physical access problems – it is a mountainous area and going to certain villages is a challenge – and these are not conflict-free zones. Security issues mean all movement must be cleared [by authorities] ... Security issues affect [our ability] to get a comprehensive assessment."

In addition, surveyors are required to speak local languages, he added.

Shan state is home to several ethnic armies. While the government has signed ceasefire agreements with the biggest groups, pockets remain outside government control, and fighters are heavily armed, according to analysts.

Burma lies on one of the two main earthquake belts, known as the Alpide belt, which starts from the northern Mediterranean in the west and extends east through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, the Himalayas, Burma and Indonesia.

The 24 March earthquake is the third to hit the Southeast Asian nation this year. According to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha), no damage or casualties were reported from the first two, measuring 6.4 and 5.4 magnitude on 11 February and 10 March this year.

At least 18 large earthquakes have occurred in Burma's central lowland region near the Sagaing fault that passes through the country.

Because Nay Pyi Taw, Burma's recently established capital, is located on this fault, its population of close to 1 million is exposed to a significant earthquake hazard, according to a January 2011 geophysical study.
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ASIA: Earthquakes highlight need for regional preparedness, say experts

BANGKOK, 31 March 2011 (IRIN) - Two back-to-back earthquakes in Japan and Myanmar, which left more than 27,000 people dead and thousands more injured, underscore the need for greater disaster preparedness in the region, experts say.

"Natural hazards to do not recognize man-made borders, and this in itself is a compelling reason for countries to come together for regional cooperation in disaster-risk reduction," Krasae Chanawongse, chairman of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) told IRIN in Bangkok.

According to a recent report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Asia-Pacific region accounts for 85 percent of global deaths from natural disasters, and 38 percent of global economic losses.

"Building codes, stronger schools and hospitals, and the location of power plants are all important. We need risk-sensitive land-use planning," said Sanny Jegillos, regional programme coordinator at the UN Development Programme, at an ADPC regional panel discussion earlier this month in Bangkok. Climate change, coupled with rapid economic growth, urbanization, and unregulated construction, make the region particularly vulnerable, he added.

While the region has shown more effective and rapid responses compared with 10-15 years ago, "progress has been regrettably uneven because some countries lack funds, expertise, and technology", Oliver Lacey Hall, regional head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Bangkok, said.

According to the latest figures provided by OCHA on 30 March, the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March left over 27,000 people dead, 173,000 homeless, and more than 16,000 missing.

Two weeks later, a 6.8 magnitude quake in Myanmar's eastern Shan state left 74 dead, 125 injured, and 703 homes damaged or destroyed. More than 3,000 people were left homeless, the Myanmar Red Cross reported.
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VOA News - China Urges Respect for New Burma Government
Peter Simpson | Beijing March 31, 2011

China has praised Burma’s new government for promoting democracy. Beijing denounced other countries for criticizing its close neighbor’s new administration, which was sworn in this week.

Offering China’s congratulations to the new Burma government, which took office Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu was quick to warn other countries not to meddle in its neighbor's internal affairs.

Jiang says Beijing disapproves of those countries which claim the new civilian-led parliament in Burma is merely the old, military-led government in a new guise.

She praised the new administration for what she calls promoting democracy.

The United States has been among the nations which have dismissed the transfer of authority in Burma as a sham. U.S. officials said Wednesday they will continue to push for what they describe as proper reform.

The U.S. and other critics claim that retired and serving military generals from the old government, together with technocrats, are maintaining their tight grip on power. The new president, Thein Sein, is a former general who gave up the uniform just last year to run in widely criticized elections.

China has close political, military and economic ties with Burma and has long been a staunch defender of its close ally.

It has been a strong supporter of the outgoing military government, which ruled Burma since 1988 in what they described as a "disciplined democracy." Burma has been under one form or another of military rule since 1962.

Spokeswoman Jiang Yu says the international community should respect Burma’s democratically elected government. And, she says it should help Burma to move along the path of economic growth and development.
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VOA News - US Dismisses Governmental Change in Burma as 'Immaterial'
David Gollust | State Department March 30, 2011

The United States Wednesday dismissed the nominal transfer of authority in Burma from military to civilian figures as "immaterial" and said military leaders remain in control. The State Department said the Obama administration will continue pushing for genuine reform.

The State Department is calling the nominal transfer of power to civilians in Burma at best a lateral move, and says the United States will continue pressing a two-track strategy of engagement with Burmese authorities and sanctions to try to promote real reforms.

The comments came after a ceremony in the Burmese parliament in which the long-ruling military junta was declared officially dissolved, and a new civilian government -- chosen in a widely-criticized election last November -- sworn into office.

The former prime minister in the military-led government, Thein Sein, an ex-general who gave up his military post only last year, became president of a self-described civilian government that includes other former military officials.

Asked at a news briefing if the development was an advance for Burma, State Department Acting Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner said it was a step sideways, or even backwards, for the politically-isolated Southeast Asian state. "There was a fundamentally flawed election process that’s now ensured that key military regime figures have continued to dominate the government and all decision-making. The fact that they’ve take off their uniforms and donned civilian clothes is immaterial. We remain deeply concerned about Burma’s repressive political environment," Toner said.

Spokesman Toner said the United States urges Burmese authorities to release all political prisoners, recognize the legitimacy of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party, the NLD, and to enter into a genuine, inclusive, dialogue with all democratic and ethnic-based opposition groups "as a first step toward reconciliation."

Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won Burmese elections in 1990 but the military ignored the results and kept the Nobel Peace laureate in detention for most of the last two decades.

She was freed from house arrest a few days after the November election, while the NLD was ordered disbanded for boycotting the election.

An NLD spokesman said the party is open to dialogue with the new government but remains concerned about continuing military control.

In his inaugural speech, new President Thein Sein accused Western countries of bullying Burma and said they should recognize positive changes and drop sanctions.

The Obama administration has sent senior envoys to Burma seeking dialogue, but also has kept long-standing sanctions, including a near-total trade ban, in effect.

The State Department spokesman said the administration remains committed to the two-track strategy of outreach and sanctions, but has always been "clear-eyed" about its expectations from the attempt at engagement.
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The Star - US slams ‘oppressive’ environment in Burma
March 31 2011 at 02:15am

Washington - The United States said on Wednesday that it remains deeply concerned by the “oppressive political environment” in Burma even with the disbanding of a military junta.

Washington is demanding the release of political prisoners and official recognition of the National League for Democracy, the main and now dissolved opposition party of pro-democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

“We remain deeply concerned about Burma's oppressive political environment,” said State Department spokesperson Mark Toner.

Burma's strongman leader Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree officially dissolving the military junta, clearing the way for the installation of a civilian government.

The army hierarchy retains a firm grip on power in the resource-rich Southeast Asian country, however, and many analysts believe Than Shwe will attempt to retain some sort of control behind the scenes.

The handover came after widely-panned elections last November - the country's first in 20 years - which were marred by the absence of Suu Kyi and claims of cheating and intimidation.

Toner, without commenting directly on the move, blasted the November vote as a “fundamentally flawed electoral process that has ensured the key military regime figures have continued to dominate the government”.

In late 2009, President Barack Obama's administration sought to engage in a dialogue with the junta, noting that sanctions alone would have little impact on one of the most closed regimes in the world, which has rarely flinched to Western pressure.

Former prime minister Thein Sein, a key Than Shwe ally, was earlier sworn in as president at the parliament in Naypyidaw.

He is among a slew of generals who shed their army uniforms to contest the elections last year and are now civilian members of parliament, which also had a quarter of its seats allocated to the military.
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National Jeweler - Myanmar gem auction brings in $2.8 billion
Mar 31, 2011

Naypyitaw, Myanmar--Myanmar earned more than $2.8 billion from the sale of jade, gems and pearls at its 48th annual gems auction, held this month in the capital here.

The auction sold 16,939 lots of jade, 255 lots of pearls and 206 lots of gems through competitive bidding, resulting in record-high revenue for the country. Approximately 8,719 local and foreign gem merchants took part in the event, which took place March 11 – 22.

The auction was organized by the Mines Ministry, a foreign exchange earner that faces economic and political sanctions from the West due to its poor human rights record. In 2003, the United States placed a ban on gems imported from Myanmar, and in 2008 the ban was tightened with legislation that included a prohibition on rubies and jade originating in the country and processed in third-party nations.

In 2009, the United States Congress and President Barack Obama reauthorized the sanctions. Jewelers such as Tiffany & Co. and Leber Jeweler Inc. have long refused to purchase gems from Myanmar, and Bulgari and Cartier also voluntarily pledged to boycott the country’s stones.

Gem sellers in Myanmar say the sanctions have little impact on their businesses because they rely on major buyers from China and Thailand.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is a major global producer of jade and high-quality rubies.
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Assam Tribune - India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral trade proposed
Sobhapati Samom

IMPHAL, March 30 – A 12- member Thailand delegation visited Manipur and Myanmar’s border township Tamu recently to establish a trilateral trade between India, Myanmar and Thailand.

Tharodol Thongruang Thai-Myanmar Border Trade in-charge led Thai delegation also attended a day-long Union of Myanmar Border Trade sponsored trilateral trade conference at Tamu town, near Moreh on Sunday wherein he appealed to the Myanmarese officials to help in boosting cross-border between the three countries.

“Myanmar would be the confluence of India’s Look East Policy and Thailand’s Look West Policy”, the Thai team leader said. “Myanmar would be greatly benefited from these two similar policies of India and Thailand if Myanmar takes up some pro-active initiatives”.

Vice President of the Trade Chamber of Commerce (Myanmar) U Myin Swe led the Myanmar delegation while the Indian team was headed by Officer on Special Duty L Dwijamani of Manipur Commerce and Industries (Foreign Trade).

The Myanmarese delegates responding to the appeal of the Thais assured that their country would make maximum efforts to facilitate cross-border trade between India and Thailand through Myanmar.

Proposals to identify the trade items that would be sanctioned for cross-border trade among the three countries were also raised during the meeting.

Dwijamani on behalf of the Indian delegates highlighted the importance of fostering closer ties among the three countries besides emphasising on the need to build closer relations among the three countries in the fields of culture and sports. The meet also agreed to identify the trade items for the cross-border trade jointly.

The Thai delegation also had meetings with the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and the Chief Secretary DS Poonia prior to their departure on Monday, in connection with Thailand’s role in the ongoing 16 year-old Indo-Myanmar border trade which was opened on 12 April, 1995.
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The Irrawaddy - COMMENTARY: Burma; Still a Pariah
By AUNG ZAW Thursday, March 31, 2011

If you read The New Light of Myanmar today hoping to find signs of change in Burma, you can be forgiven for feeling a bit despondent. Ex-Gen Thein Sein's inaugural speech as the country's newly minted president gave no indication that his government—sworn in just yesterday—has any intention of breaking with the policies of the past two decades.

The central message was clear: The army remains in charge, and real reform, if it ever comes, will only do so at a pace that Burma's entrenched military rulers approve of.

Among other things, Thein Sein laid out his foreign policy in his address to Parliament. Vowing to stand firm as a respected member of the global community, he invited nations wishing to see “democracy flourish” in Burma to cooperate with his government. To this end, he called on foreign governments to end “various forms” of pressure on Burma, “including assistance and encouragement to the anti-government groups and economic manipulations.”

But Thein Sein, a staunch loyalist of Snr-Gen Than Shwe, the head of the now-dissolved State Peace and Development Council, is not likely to get his wish.

Shortly after his speech, US State Department Acting Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner dismissed the nominal transfer of authority in Burma from military to civilian figures as “immaterial.” Military leaders are still in control, he said, meaning that sanctions would remain in place, even as the Obama administration continues to try to engage the Burmese authorities.

Toner told Voice of America that the US urges the Burmese authorities to release all political prisoners, recognize the legitimacy of Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, and enter into a genuine, inclusive, dialogue with all democratic and ethnic-based opposition groups “as a first step toward reconciliation.”

There was nothing in Thein Sein's speech to suggest that any of this would happen anytime in the foreseeable future. So Burma's longstanding pariah status in the international community looks set to continue.

It's doubtful that Thein Sein will ever exercise his executive power to free Burma's more than 2,000 prisoners of conscience, grant an amnesty for political dissidents, recognize the existence of opposition parties that decided not to contest in the 2010 election and order an end to the army's aggression toward ethnic groups. Even if he wanted to do any of these things, it really isn't in his power to do anything without the approval of his boss, Than Shwe.

Although Than Shwe has slipped into the shadows and is no longer the face of the ruling military clique, it is clear that he is still very much in command. As the de facto leader, he will continue to steer the country along the same course as he has since first taking the helm in 1992.

What this means in concrete terms is that there will be no compromise with the West. Instead, China will continue to exercise growing influence over Burma as its rulers look to Beijing as their chief source of foreign support.

To underline this fact, Jia Qinglin, the fourth highest-ranking leader in the Chinese politburo hierarchy, will be visiting Burma soon to meet the country's new president and senior government officials. China has already invested heavily in Burma's “transition” by endorsing the outcome of last year's bogus election, so it should come as no surprise that it is eager to lend as much legitimacy as it can to Thein Sein's puppet government.

So where does this leave Western policy makers, particularly in Washington, which has taken the lead in imposing tough penalties on the Burmese regime? Having already ruled out the possibility of lifting sanctions under the current circumstances, the US may now consider even more stringent measures, including more targeted sanctions. This could happen even if blanket sanctions are eventually lifted.

Another thing the US can do is appoint a full-time special representative and policy coordinator on Burma, as authorized by the 2008 JADE Act.

Such a move would show that Washington is serious about making democratic reform in Burma a foreign policy priority, and could add impetus to its efforts to engage the Burmese authorities.

Finally, the US could take a more multilateral approach, including stepping up its efforts to win more support for a UN Commission of Inquiry into the military regime’s war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Although Burma's military rulers have already granted themselves immunity from prosecution under the 2008 Constitution, it is important to remind them that they are still accountable under international law for any atrocities they committed while in power. This would send a strong message to Naypyidaw that simply swearing in a new government is not going to wipe the slate clean, much less convince anybody that democracy has returned to Burma.

In any case, whatever the West decides to do about Burma, it will be up to the country's rulers to decide for themselves if they can afford to remain pariahs forever. If Thein Sein truly wants Burma to take its place in the community of nations, he will have to do more than tell the rest of the world to change their policies.
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The Irrawaddy - Burma's New Govt Fails to Inspire
By KO HTWE Sunday, May 1, 2011

Burma's new “Union Government” may have been sworn in on Wednesday, but several leading members of opposition parties and ethnic armed groups are dubious that the civilian administration will provide the peace and democracy that the people of Burma seek.

In President Thein Sein's inaugural address to parliament on Wednesday, he urged all MPs “to cherish and protect at risk to life the constitution and the democratic nation to be built in line with the constitution.”

He also called on the entire nation to help build the Tatmadaw [Burma's army] into “a strong, efficient, modern and patriotic army.”

However, speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday, Win Tin, a leading member of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), said that the constitution was not in line with the wishes of the people.

“I cannot accept the Tatmadaw continuing to play a leading role in Burmese politics,” he said. “We [Thein Sein and I] are totally different in that I have no desire to protect the 2008 constitution.”

Thein Sein said his government will guarantee the rights of Burmese workers both inside and outside the country. He also said it will safeguard the rights of peasants by amending and revoking existing laws, and by adopting new resolutions as necessary to protect the fundamental human rights of Burma's citizens.

“What he said about the rights of farmers and workers is just rhetoric,” said Win Tin. “I'm sure it will raise eyebrows over at the ILO [International Labour Organization].”

The new government may be guaranteeing farmers' rights, but that won't stop the junta's companies from seizing land and jailing dissenters, he said.

However, NLD spokesman Nyan Win said that his party accepted the practical aspects of forming a new government, and said he hopes to be involved in talks with the government on the issue of national reconciliation.

“We accept the reality of the situation,” he said. “We will not criticize the new government simply because it came into effect based on the 2008 constitution which we disagree with.”

He said the NLD's desire to sit down at the negotiating table with the new government does not contradict the party's policy that called for a constitutional review.

Khin Maung Swe, one of the leading members of the National Democratic Front, also spoke to The Irrawaddy. He said that the the new president's speech carried both good and bad points. “However, one thing we can say for sure is that the junta has transfered power to a civilian government.”

Many parliamentary candidates have expressed frustration that they have not been kept appraised of many of the nation's most important affairs.

“The appointment of a new president is an important landmark in the country's history,” said an MP on condition of anonymity. “But the regime didn’t inform us about it. We only find out what's going on when we attend parliamentary sessions.”

Meanwhile, Shan State Army-South spokesman Sai Lao Hseng told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the parliament has rejected a proposal to hold peace talks with the armed ethnic groups.

“The civil war will continue,” said Lao Hseng. “It is difficult for the new government to amend the 2008 constitution. And it does not represent the interests of the ethnic minorities.”

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Thursday, Karen National Union Secretary-General Zipporah Sein said she believed nothing will change under the new government.

“We have never supported the 2008 constitution, the 2010 election or the 2011 government,” she said.

Many observers have said that the average person in Burma does not notice any difference in the political make-up of the country despite the fact that power has officially been transfered to a new civilian administration, and that all state/division level, district level, township level and ward/ village level offices of the previous ruling State Peace and Development Council have been closed and their administration dissolved under the orders of Burmese dictator Snr-Gen Than Shwe.

“I heard that Thein Sein has been appointed president, but I don't care!” said a taxi driver in Rangoon. “I'm still queuing for gasoline. Who cares about politics when you don't have enough money for food?”

A Rangoon businessman was also pessimistic. “We have been cheated again,” he said. “All those appointed to the new cabinet are close to the regime.”
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The Irrawaddy - World Leaders Wary of New Burmese Government
By HTET AUNG Thursday, March 31, 2011

The United Nations has urged that the new government in Burma should be “more than a change in name, and a genuine move away from military rule,” according to a statement from the UN secretary-general's office on Wednesday.

“The Myanmar [Burmese] authorities now have an opportunity and, indeed, an obligation to their people, to demonstrate that this change is one of substance and that it is the start of a genuine move away from almost 50 years of direct military rule,” said the statement issued by the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Burma's military junta, known as the State Peace and Development Council, officially ceased to exist as of Wednesday after the transfer of power to a civilian government in Naypyidaw led by President Thein Sein, the first president elected in accordance with the 2008 constitution. He had previously been prime minister since 2007.

Despite the transfer of power, the UN reaffirmed its stand on “an inclusive dialogue” between the new government and the democratic opposition.

“The Secretary-General believes the authorities must engage in an inclusive dialogue with all relevant parties on broad reforms necessary for the development of a credible system of government that can effectively address the political and socioeconomic challenges facing Myanmar,” said the spokesperson.

The United States expressed its deep concerns on the continuous “oppressive environment” in Burma.

“The fact that they [the Burmese generals] have taken off their uniforms and donned civilian clothes is immaterial,” said Mark Toner, the acting deputy spokesperson of the US State Department. “We remain deeply concerned about Burma’s oppressive political environment.”

Toner, however, said that the US's two-track approach—engaging with Naypyidaw while maintaining sanctions—will remain in place.

On Wednesday, Burma's state-run New Light of Myanmar published a list of the 23 nations and organizations, including the UN chief, that sent messages of felicitations and congratulations to the president and two vice-presidents of the new government.

Chinese President Hu Jintao was the first on the list. All the leaders of Burma's fellow member states at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with the exception of the Philippines, sent messages of congratulations to the leaders of the new Burmese government which has effectively taken office after ministers were sworn in on March 30.
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Mizzima News - Shan leader Khun Htun Oo awarded Nationalities Hero prize
Thursday, 31 March 2011 20:24 Myo Thant

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Khun Htun Oo, a Shan leder and a political prisoner who was sentenced to 93 years, has received the first Nationalities Hero prize given by the United Nationalities Alliance (UNA), a group representing several ethnic nationalities in Burma.

Currently, Khun Htun Oo, 68, is detained in Putao Prison in Kachin State.

The award ceremony was held at Khun Htun Oo’s house at Ninemile in Rangoon on Wednesday, attended by thnic leaders and National League for Democracy leaders. Wai Wai Lwin, Khun Htun Oo’s wife, accepted the honour certificate on behalf of Khun Htun Oo.

Aye Tha Aung, a member of UNA, said that Khun Htun Oo was the natural choice because of his dedication and struggle for ethnic groups and national reconciliation.

Khun Htun Oo is the chairman of Shan National League for Democracy (SNLD), the second largest winning party in the 1990 election in Burma. The party has since been dissolved because it decided not to contest in the 2010 election.

Khun Htun Oo, along with seven other Shan leaders, was arrested in November 2005 for attempting to form the Shan State Consultative Council.

One of the leaders, Sae Htin, was sentenced to 106 years in prison.

In the parliamentary session of People’s Parliament, Sai Hla Kyaw, an MP in the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP), asked if amnesty would be granted to political prisoners, including Khun Htun Oo. Home Affairs Minister Maung Oo answered that only the president and the National Defense and Security Council have the power to grant amnesty, so it could be carried out only under the new government.

On Wednesday, President Thein Sein said in his inaugural address to Parliament that lip services and talks were not enough to achieve national unity, and leaders need to improve communications in ethnic areas and the education and the health standards of ethnic people.

He did not mention detained ethnic leaders and other political prisoners.

There are 324 ethnic political prisoners in Burma. The total number of political prisoners is 2,076, according to figures compiled in March by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).

Aye Tha Aung, who is also the secretary of the Committee Representing People’s Parliament, said that all political prisoners should be granted amnesty for the sake of national reconciliation, but he did not think the new government would offer amnesty.

‘To achieve national reconciliation, all political prisoners should be released. And the government needs to hold political dialogue with armed groups to establish peace. But, I see little hope the new government will do that’, Aye Tha Aung said.

On the other hand, Lower House MP Sai Saung Si of the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party told Mizzima that he hoped that the new government would grant amnesty to all political prisoners.


A source close to the government’s Prison Administrative Department said that to win political favour, the new government was compiling a list of prisoners who will receive amnesty. However, the source said it is not known if the list includes any political prisoners.
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Few details on where the money goes from state auctions
Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:38 John Hanness

Rangoon (Mizzima) – A total of 157 state-owned properties in Rangoon were put up for auction in March. Although details of the sale are sketchy, it follows the pattern of an ongoing privatization programme of government-owned property being carried out in the wake of the military junta moving the capital of Burma from Rangoon to Naypyidaw in 2005.

A good questions–with no clear answer–is where do the funds go from the large auctions of state-owned property?

Burma has been privatizing state enterprises for about 15 years. The majority of the property in this latest sale appears to have been sold, but some listings were later removed from the auction for undisclosed reasons, sources said.

Sources said that rumours again circulated that some properties acquired by bidders with close connections to the regime and who offered prices 50 percent to 100 percent higher than market price, in some cases.

Asia World and AA group were among the bid winners for property in prime business locations.

Some of the winning bidders were said to have not been able to make their bids good in time, because they were unable to resell the property to a third party. Several bidders had formed collectives to raise their bargaining power, sources said. Rumours circulated in Rangoon criticizing the auction as an attempt by some entrepreneurs to launder dirty money.

Under normal circumstances, it would be expected that higher revenues fetched from auction of enterprises and real estate sales would be used for productive use and invested in physical and human resource development.

However, observers say the pattern is for funds to generally disappear into state coffers, and little is known about how the funds are ultimately used.

On the other hand, huge flow of funds from the private sector to government coffers can make for a liquidity crisis in the private sector which can lead to appreciation of the Burmese currency, which hurts exporters the most.

To complicate matters, the cost of living in Rangoon for low income earners is steadily rising with little chance for a raise in wages.

Questions about the auction might have been asked in the just-ended session of Parliament, as to whether auction revenues could be put to use creatively in a way that would benefit the overall economy?

After all the assets that were auctioned off, we’re the people’s assets.
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Opposition groups hope some political prisoners will be granted amnesty
Thursday, 31 March 2011 21:21 Phanida

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Even though President Thein Sein made no comment on amnesty for political prisoners in his inaugural speech, some opposition members are hopeful the new government will grant some political prisoners freedom.

Win Hten, a National League for Democracy (NLD) leader, recalled that political prisoners were released in 1962 when the Revolutionary Council led by Ne Win came to power, in 1974 when the Burma Socialist Programme Party was formed, in 1988 when the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) came to power and in 1997 when SLORC was renamed the State Peace and Development Council.

‘Every new government must take the responsibility to handle the situation regarding political prisoners’, he said.

He noted that President Thein Sein, in his inaugural speech, made no mention of political prisoners. ‘That is their mistake’, said Win Htein, who was detained 22 years in prison for allegedly sending information to the foreign media.

He said there was a chance amnesty could be granted to political prisoners in April or May.

On the other hand, Tate Naing, the secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), said that the new president may hold personal grudges against political prisoners.

‘It is clear that he thinks political prisoners are his enemy. So, as far as I’m concerned, even if he granted amnesty, only some prisoners would be released’, Tate Naing told Mizzima.

A source close to the government’s Prison Administrative Department said that to win political favour, the new government was compiling a list of prisoners who will receive amnesty. It is not known if that list would include political prisoners.

On March 24, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana, called for an immediate release of political prisoners

On March 22, in the regular parliamentary session of the Lower House, Sai Hla Kyaw, an MP in the Shan Nationalities Democratic Party (SNDP) aka White Tiger Party, asked if amnesty would be granted to political prisoners, including Khun Htun Oo. Home Affairs Minister Maung Oo answered that only the president and the National Defense and Security Council have the power to grant amnesty, so it could be carried out only under the new government.

Although several opposition political parties mentioned submitting a motion in Parliament for the release of all political prisoners, no action was taken during the session which ended on Wednesday.
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DVB News - Opposition seeks gas accountability
By JOSEPH ALLCHIN
Published: 31 March 2011

The formation of a public accounts committee in Burma appears to have given the National Democratic Force (NDF) a glimmer of hope that they can prize open one of the junta’s most valued assets.

Analysts have long claimed that the lucrative gas revenues the country ‘enjoys’ from its most valuable legal export were siphoned off by way of discrepancies in the dollar exchange rate. This has meant that the vast profits from sale went towards lining the junta’s pockets, and not feeding the nation.

The market rate for the Burmese currency hovers around 1,000 kyat to the US dollar, whilst the official exchange rate is closer to six kyat to the dollar. The accusation is that the junta accounts at the official rate. when in reality it is sold using the market rate.

The NDF has Tin Nwe Oo on the parliamentary committee, a trained accountant and former Dean of the Rangoon Institute of Economics. She told DVB: “We are to guarantee and take responsibility regarding public accounts as a standing committee in the parliament.”

The leader of the opposition party, Khin Maung Swe, said that he hoped the committee would “scrutinise all the ministries…starting in May”.

The NDF leader was upbeat about its formation, despite facing several challenges. Amongst them is the fact that, as the Myanmar Times reported, the committee will be staffed mostly with pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) members. Indeed the chairman of the committee will be the former deputy minister of planning and economic development, Thurein Zaw.

Another potential hindrance will be the structure of the process by which the committee goes about its work. Economic analyst Aung Thu Nyein suspects it will have limited or no oversight as regards to the commercial income of ministries. The person who does have this privilege is Tin Aung Myint Oo, the new Burmese vice president whose position allows him to be in charge of the budget for central government.

Aung Thu Nyein believes that gas revenues will be ploughed by Tin Aung Myint Oo to a so-called Fund to Protect State Sovereignty, a shadowy body overseen by the newly-appointed commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing.

It is inevitable then that the relatively junior Min Aung Hlaing will not have the power to resist the business-as-usual destination for the funds, which analysts suspect have been used for the acquisition of military hardware or special projects like the alleged nuclear program.

The NDF’s Tin Nwe Oo told DVB however that “the budget for 2011/12 fiscal year, which was set last year, will be used starting from 1 April and the accounts are supposed to be sent to us but have not yet arrived. We need to first look at amounts of income and spending under different categories.”

Worryingly, Tin Nwe Oo also confessed: “I am usually asked in the first place to give my opinion in discussions. I even ask them to show me the minutes of the discussions afterwards because people who do the minutes cannot understand things at the level that I speak.

“I pointed that we need the computers and software we have to use – only three out of the 13 [committee members, excluding chairman and vice chairman] know how to use a computer, specifically only Microsoft Word. So I was able to request what we need.”

Gas revenues were said to be worth in the region of $US2.5 billion in 2008 alone, but this will inevitably rise when the Shwe gas pipeline comes online in 2013.

These revenues are noted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to have a “small fiscal impact”, as the earnings accounted for around one percent of budget revenues in 2007/08, but if accounted for at market rates, would have amounted to as much as 57 percent.

As these figures indicate, the ability of the public accounts committee should be judged on its success in wresting control of this chunk of revenue, which in any other circumstance would be hugely significant to the country’s prospects.

“Up to now we don’t know exactly in which way the gas revenues go through the budget system,” says Khin Maung Swe. “We don’t know as yet because the budget system is not very much open to the public.”

The NDF has previously spoken of the importance of the extractive sectors and the urgent need for a more people friendly, and indeed sustainable, policy towards them.

Analysts have estimated that should gas revenues be accounted for properly, Burma would not have a fiscal deficit, or indeed a public sector deficit, as it currently does. At the moment it runs with an approximate 3.5 percent deficit when in fact it is estimated that it should be running with a surplus of some 15 percent of GDP.
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DVB News - Burmese caught in deadly Thai floods
By MAHN SAIMON
Published: 31 March 2011

Burmese migrants are among nearly one million people thought to have been hit by heavy floods in southern Thailand which have so far claimed 15 lives.

Eight provinces in the country’s south, including popular tourist islands like Koh Tao, have been affected, with some 400,000 houses thought to have been damaged.

Thousands of Burmese migrants work in low-skilled industries in Thailand, many in the south. “We have been unable to get to work for some time now; over 10 days already,” said one man, who ekes out a living in a rubber plantation in Phang Nga province. “The rain never stopped – it’s still falling, causing the floods.”

Thailand’s meterological department announced yesterday that there would be another heavy storm in two days, which could cause waves of up to three metres at sea.

Another Burmese national in Hat Yai, close to the Malaysia border, said however that he had no heard of any casualities among Burmese, although it had been raining solidly for three days.

According to 2011 statistics, there are more than two million Burmese migrant workers in Thailand, including 100,000 in southern Thailand’s Phang Nga and Phuket who work on rubber plantations, and the fishing and hotelier industry.

Despite their close proximity, there has been no similar flooding in Burma’s southern Tenasserim division, although heavy rain has been reported.

Burmese were among the 5,400 that died in Thailand after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004.
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DVB News - Finance chief to target Burma trade
By SHWE AUNG
Published: 31 March 2011

Burma’s new commerce minister has said that boosting trade will be made a priority of the new government as it looks to stem the tide of economic stagnation that has made it one of the world’s poorest countries.

Speaking to DVB yesterday shortly after power was officially handed over from the junta, Win Myint said that the revamped ministry will “do our best to increase commerce values, [and push] for faster and smoother commerce flows”.

Overseas investment in Burma is on an uphill trend thanks largely to China’s energy-hungry population, although it maintains significant trade relations with Thailand and Singapore.

But rampant corruption and favouritism means that Burma remains Southeast Asia’s least developed country, despite boasting a spectacular bounty of natural resources.

Whether the transfer of power to what the junta claims is a civilian government will improve prospects there remains to be seen. Asked whether business should be hopeful of more freedom to trade in the new era, Win Myint’s answer was typical of the stonewalling epitomised by the previous junta:

“Thank you. I am a businessman and trader myself. I will get back to you when convenient.”

Prior to elections last year, swathes of industry nationalised by the former Ne Win regime were sold to private business, nearly all of which were headed by powerful cronies of the junta.

Like Win Myint, many of the former top-ranking generals who are now MPs in the junta-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) oversaw the sale of properties such as banks and ports to well-connected tycoons, making the prospect of any change in the economic landscape slim.

One businessman in Rangoon said however that he hoped Win Myint’s experience and “connection with real business people” would engender the transition that traders are hungrily eyeing.

Prior to his recent appointment, Win Myint was president of the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), Burma’s largest business federation which represents nearly 11,000 Burmese and 770 foreign companies in the military-ruled country

Proposals in parliament yesterday to reduce tax by 10 percent were reportedly snubbed, despite widespread protestations about the new government budget which allocates 24 percent of annual spending to the maligned military.

Rangoon-based Burmese economist Maw Than said that more factory jobs may open for Burma’s working class population if greater foreign investment arrives, and that it should use this opportunity to bring an end to international sanctions.

It was Win Myint who last year stressed the importance of increased trade between China and Burma, particularly in the agricultural sector which accounts for some 60 percent of the Burmese labour force’s income. Back then, border trade dominated Burma’s economic ties with China, but that is rapidly changing with the increased focus on the energy sector.

China’s total investments in its southern neighbour last year are thought to have topped $US10 billion, boosting total contracted foreign investment in Burma since 1988 by more than 50 percent.
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