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Burma: Exiled opposition leader calls for meetings with China and India
In the Wake of Security Council Resolution on Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict the Security Council Should Refer the Situation in Burma to the International Criminal Court
Recent Burma News (24-06-08)

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Burma: Exiled opposition leader calls for meetings with China and India


Bangkok, 24 June (AKI) - The prime minister of the Burmese opposition's government-in-exile, Sein Win, has asked for a meeting with respresentatives from the governments of India and China.

In an interview with the Thai-based Irrawaddy news website, Win said that he was asking for a meeting with the leaders of the "countries that play an important role for a peaceful solution to the political crisis" in Burma.

Win said that it was support from these two Asian giants was "necessary".

"I want to travel to India and China and talk with their government officials and meet their people and present our views," he said adding that he was undeterred by previous attempts to open discussions with New Delhi and Beijing which has so far not produced any positive results.

He said that the two countries "are very elusive because they are afraid any contact with us could jeopardize their relationship with the (ruling) military junta."

However he added that the desire for stability, prosperity and dialogue could become the basis of talks between these two government and the Burmese government-in-exile.

"Since 1990, I could not go to China and India," said Sein Win, who in an interview last year said he would like to have his government-in-exile located in India, rather than in Washington DC.

Win is a cousin of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently under house arrest. Suu Kyi is the leader of the National League of Democracy.

Win said the recent referendum conducted by the Burmese military junta was "unacceptable" not just in the way in which it was conducted but also in the basis of the referendum.

The referendum was for the people of Burma to vote on whether to adopt a new constitution. The referendum was carried out on 10 May despite the devastation caused in Burma by Cyclone Nargis just days before.

The military-drafted new constitution also bars Suu Kyi's National League of Democracy from taking part in elections in 2010. Suu Kyi led the NLD to a landslide victory in elections in 1990 but the party was never allowed to take office.

http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=1.0.2281967506

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In the Wake of Security Council Resolution on Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict the Security Council Should Refer the Situation in Burma to the International Criminal Court

June 20, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The United Nation's Security Council took a historic step with the passage of Resolution 1820 on Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict. Resolution 1820 recognizes the importance of full implementation of Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security and reaffirms the Security Council's commitment to end sexual violence as a weapon of war and a means to terrorize populations and destroy communities. For this commitment to be meaningful, the Security Council must provide justice for victims of sexual violence in armed conflict even when it is not politically convenient. As Resolution 1820 states:

Recalling the inclusion of a range of sexual violence offenses in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court...,

Notes that rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute a war crime, a crime against humanity, or a constitutive act with respect to genocide... and calls upon Member States to comply with their obligations for prosecuting persons responsible for such acts, to ensure that all victims of sexual violence, particularly women and girls, have equal protection under the law and equal access to justice, and stresses the importance of ending impunity for such acts as part of a comprehensive approach to seeking sustainable peace, justice, truth, and national reconciliation;

There is substantial documentation that sexual violence is used by the military junta against ethnic women in Burma as a means to consolidate military rule and destroy ethnic communities. Virtually none of the perpetrators have been brought to justice. Four concrete examples of this sexual violence include:

* October 23 to November 4, 2004 - four Mon women held by SPDC troops at their base and repeatedly gang raped (Catwalk to the Barracks, Mon Women's Organization, 2004)
* October 9, 2006 - Palaung woman raped, her skull cracked open and stabbed four times in her left breast (Burma Human Rights Yearbook, Human Rights Documentation Unit, 2006)
* October 10, 2006 - three naval cadets raped a 14 year old girl, none of the cadets were punished and the girl was forced to marry one of her rapists. (Burma Human Rights Yearbook, 2006)

These crimes are part of a systematic strategy for destroying ethnic communities in Burma and are a threat to international peace and security. Security Council Resolution 1325 specified the need to affirm the link between women and peace and security and to address sexual violence against women in conflict. This was reaffirmed in Resolution 1674 on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, which endorsed the Responsibility to Protect Doctrine. In Resolution 1820, the Security Council resolved to take action to end the impunity of those responsible for sexual violence in armed conflict once and for all. For Burma, politics must give way to justice. The Security Council should use its Chapter VII powers to refer the military junta to the International Criminal Court.

SPDC leaders who should be investigated for systematic sexual violence in Burma include:

* Senior-General Than Shwe, Chairman and Commander-in- Chief of Defense Services
* Deputy Senior-General Maung Aye, Vice Chairman and Deputy Commander-in- Chief of Defense Services and Commander-in- Chief (Army)
* General Thura Shwe Mann, Joint Chief of Staff of the Army, Navy and Air Force

 

Andrea Friedman, Esq.
Global Justice Center
Tel: 212-725-6530 x203
www.globaljusticece nter.net
afriedman@globaljus ticecenter. net

Naw Zipporah Sein
Karen Women's Organization
P.O. 19, Mae Sariang,
Mae Hong Son, 58110, Thailand,
Tel: 66-53-682572
www.karenwomen. org
kwo@loxinfo. co.th

Lway Aye Nang
Palaung Women's Organization
P.O Box (40), Mae Sot P.O
Tak, 63110 Thailand
Tel: 66-89-43-42- 841
www.plaungwomen. org
lwayayenang@ gmail.com

U Aung Htoo
Burma Lawyers' Council
Tel: 66 (0) 81 533 0605
www.blc-burma. org
blcsan@ksc.th. com

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Recent Burma News (24-06-08)

84,500 Confirmed Dead From Myanmar Cyclone
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 11:04:01 PM
YANGON, Myanmar -- Myanmar’s ruling junta has announced that 84,500 people perished in Cyclone Nargis in May, up from an earlier confirmed toll of 77,700.Myanmar’s deputy foreign minister told reporte...

Human Smuggling Crackdown Hits Kawthaung
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 10:42:07 PM
About 200 Burmese job seekers in Kawthaung, a border town in southern Burma, were arrested in the past five days following a human smuggling crackdown by local authorities. Those arrested were staying...

Myanmar cyclone toll rises to 138,000 dead, missing
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 10:40:03 PM
YANGON (Reuters) - More than 138,000 are dead or missing from the devastating cyclone that struck Myanmar last month, the government said on Tuesday, according to an Asian diplomat.

Myanmar cyclone toll rises to 138,000
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 10:29:35 PM
YANGON (Reuters) - More than 138,000 are dead or missing from the devastating cyclone that struck Myanmar last month, the government said on Tuesday, according to an Asian diplomat.

Work-shy Myanmar buffaloes add to farmers
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 10:29:27 PM
DEDAYE, Myanmar (Reuters) - With a planting deadline looming, rice farmers in cyclone-hit parts of Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta have hit a problem -- donated oxen and

84,500 confirmed dead from cyclone
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 10:29:18 PM
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written a...

Myanmars New Capital Isolates and Insulates Junta
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 10:29:15 PM
A government building in Naypyidaw, the city that Myanmar’s junta built from scratch to replace Yangon as the capital. Foreigners rarely travel here.

Myanmar cyclone death toll rises; group says aid needs being met
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 10:29:13 PM
Meanwhile, a representative from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the regional bloc that includes Myanmar, said a recent assessment tour found the needs of the storm’s survivors were being ...

Number of dead and missing in Myanmar cyclone raised to 138,000
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 8:01:06 PM
A total of 138,373 people were killed or reported missing when Cyclone Nargis smashed into Myanmar's central coast last month, a joint assessment of the disaster revealed Tuesday.

Restrictions Tightened on Cyclone Refugees Bound for Thailand
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:40:07 PM
Burmese authorities are stepping up their restrictions on cyclone survivors trying to flee to neighboring Thailand, according to Burmese social organizations helping victims of the disaster.Mahn Mahn,...

Hundreds Missing in Aftermath of Philippines Typhoon
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:39:59 PM
Philippine officials refused to give up hope of rescuing some of the 800 people missing after a ferry capsized during Typhoon Fengshen, even as the still-roiling seas stalled efforts to get inside the...

Divers Find only Bodies in Capsized Philippines Ferry
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:39:51 PM
Divers managed to get inside an upside-down ferry off the Philippines coast on Tuesday but found only bodies three days after the vessel capsized with more than 800 people aboard during a powerful typ...

Defiant Thai Prime Minister Faces No-confidence Motion
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:39:49 PM
Thailand’s prime minister faced more criticism on Tuesday with the lower house of parliament set to consider a no-confidence motion, but his government said it was confident he would keep his job....

Vietnam Considers Increasing Rice Exports
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:39:47 PM
Vietnam’s could export 2.5 million tonnes of rice in the first half of the year, state-run media reported on Tuesday, a jump of 4.2 percent from the same period last year that will leave little ro...

Asian Currencies Fall amid Oil Price Jitters
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:39:45 PM
Most Asian currencies fell on Tuesday amid persistent jitters about high oil prices, but their downside potential was seen as limited given expectations that central banks would intervene to smooth ou...

Weekly journal involved in row over celebrity drug abuse case
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:39:41 PM
In connection with the interrogation of some celebrities regarding a high profile drug abuse case, a weekly journal has been embroiled in a dispute with some of them. An apology appeared in today’s...

Cyclone affected farmlands likely to be seized for forest reserve
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:39:40 PM
New Delhi-In an inexplicable move the forest department of the ruling Burmese military junta has decided to confiscate nearly25,000 acres of cyclone affected farmlands in Kadone Kani ...

54,000 missing one month after Burma cyclone
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 4:50:16 PM
One month after a deadly cyclone hit Burma nearly 54,000 people are still missing and more than 84,000 are dead, according to a Burmese official. Deputy foreign minister Kyaw Thu told a meeting of of...

Residents say ordered to vote “yes”- Abdul Khalik
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:42 AM
According to some reports, military officers went to every house across the country and ordered people to vote “yes” in the May 10 national referendum to adopt the junta-drafted constituti.. .

Voters reveal injustices in 10 May referendum- Naw Say Phaw
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:42 AM
Voters in Burma’s national referendum on 10 May testified about official violations of referendum regulations at a hearing session held at the National League for Democracy headquarters on Friday afte...

Reshuffle could signal changes at the top- Min Lwin
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:41 AM
Details of the latest reshuffle have yet to emerge, although it is reported to have been planned as long ago as March. Observers believe many senior officers have been allowed to retire. According to...

Burmese junta deports Korean journalist- Zarni
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:40 AM
A Korean journalist was deported from Burma by the ruling military junta on Sunday for visiting the office of opposition political party- the National League for Democracy.

Youth activist faces unlawful association charges- Yee May Aung
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:39 AM
Zayar Thaw, a member of the popular hip-hop group Acid and leader of the youth activist group Generation Wave, was brought to court on Friday to face charges under the Unlawful Association Act.

Plague of rats devastates Burma villages- Nick Meo
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:35 AM
Villagers believe the bamboo seeds are a rodent aphrodisiac Burma’s latest human disaster is unfolding almost unseen by the outside world in the jungle-covered mountains of Chin State, far to t...

More woes in Myanmar: Oxen won't plow
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:35 AM
“Thanks to donors and arrangements by the government, we are getting buffaloes and oxen, and in some cases small tractors and tillers, almost free of charge,” said Ko Hla Soe, a farmer in ...

Myanmar's new capital: Remote, lavish, off-limits
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:33 AM
Naypyidaw is Myanmar’s new capital, built in secret by the ruling generals and announced to the public two and a half years ago, when it was a fait accompli. A nine-hour drive north from the fo...

Kuki conference concludes on Burma-India border- Khin Maung Soe Min
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:32 AM
The first ever Kuki national unity conference drew to a close on 19 June in the Indian town of Moreh on the border with Burma, according to Baik Pu Lon Lon, one of the event’s organisers.

Large haul of illegal medicine seized at border
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:31 AM
Bangladesh authorities seized a haul of medicine from Burma worth an estimated 1,870,400 taka and arrested a smuggler on Friday in Teknaf on Cox’s Bazar highway near the Burmese border, accordin...

SKorea-led consortium strikes Myanmar gas deal with China
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:30 AM
The consortium led by Daewoo International, operator of two natural gasfields in waters off Myanmar, said it signed a memorandum of understanding with China National Petroleum Corp last week. Daewoo ...

Border closed for residents, open for timber business
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:30 AM
The Three Pagodas Pass TPP township authorities in Karen State are allowing vehicles carrying timber after being bribed to cross the main gate. Local residents and passengers are not being allowed the...

Will assessment report bring in more aid for cyclone survivors- Solomon
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:28 AM
The report of the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment team will be used to seek more funds to help victims of Cyclone Nargis in Burma, a United Nations spokesperson said on Monday.

Activists welcome UN pledge to end rape in conflict
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:27 AM
In adopting the resolution unanimously on 19 June, members of the Council condemned the use of sexual violence in conflict “as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instil fear in, disperse an...

Let us now praise coups- Paul Collier
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 7:49:24 AM
This murderous outrage reminds us of a central problem in trying to help ease the misery of the developing world, especially the “bottom billion” inhabitants of countries being left behind...

Malaysia Frees Sri Lankan Businessman after 4-year Detention for Alleged Illegal Nuclear Deal
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 2:08:04 AM
A Sri Lankan businessman jailed four years ago for allegedly supplying nuclear weapon components to Libya has been freed and is no longer a threat to national security, a Cabinet minister said Monday....

Phakant jade mines flooded
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 2:07:41 AM
Chiang Mai- Some wards of the famous jade mine in Phakant, Kachin State has been flooded. Following incessant torrential rain from June 19 to 22, Phakant, Aye Mya Tharyar, Nhetpyawtaw, Saitaung,...

Funding crunch could ground cyclone helicopters
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 1:22:30 AM
BANGKOK, 23 June 2008 (IRIN) - The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that its relief flights into Myanmar’s cyclone-stricken Ayeyarwady Delta could end soon without additional money to keep its...

UN Appeals for Funding to Keep Burma Aid Helicopters Flying
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 1:09:06 AM
The United Nations warned Friday that it will be forced to ground helicopters that have been ferrying critical aid to Burma’s cyclone survivors unless the international community urgently provides...

Myanmar retires elderly junta lieutenant generals
Yesterday, June 24, 2008, 12:01:28 AM
Amid signs that Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Than Shwe has tightened his grip over the military, at least five lieutenant generals have been retired from the regime for 'health reasons', military sources revealed Monday.

Volunteers fill Myanmar relief void
Monday, June 23, 2008, 5:45:42 PM
Volunteers turning to Internet to help relief efforts following deadly cyclone Myanmar’s military government strictly controls all media in country Bloggers played vital role in passing information ab...

Malaysian Party May Fail in No-confidence Vote Bid
Monday, June 23, 2008, 3:27:45 PM
A planned no-confidence vote against Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi could fizzle out on Monday, helping the premier fend off for temporarily a growing challenge to his leadership.In an...

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