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Regional commanders: Ceasefire, non-ceasefire groups must abide by the new constitution
The 2010 Election Challenges
Forced Labor Widely Used in Road Construction
Recent Burmese News – 08-07-13

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Regional commanders: Ceasefire, non-ceasefire groups must abide by the new constitution
By Hseng Khio Fah
No.08-7/2008
13 July 2008
Politics

Regional commanders said all ceasefire and non-ceasefire groups must comply with the new constitution approved by Burma’s ruling junta in May, while meeting with people from United Wa State Army and Shan State Army, according to SHAN sources.

On 5 July, the new Commander of Eastern Region Command and Chairman of Shan State South Peace and Development Council, Maj-Gen Ya Pyae who succeeded Maj-Gen Thaung Aye, called on Merng Zeun, former Shan State Army 758th Brigade commander who surrendered on 17 July 2006, at Namzarng and told that all ceasefire groups and the rebel groups must change their policies in accordance with the new constitution while expressing his thank.

“All armed groups must remain under the command of the Tatmadaw (Armed Forces) according to the new constitution which most people supported on the May 10 referendum and all must adjust themselves during the 2 years before the 2010 election,” said the commander.

“You are so lucky that you surrendered your arms to us earlier, if not you too will be in the list of the discussion.”

Likewise, last June, Maj-Gen Min Aung Hlaing, the outgoing Commander of Kengtung-based Triangle Region Command and the new Maj-Gen Kyaw Phyo also called the meeting with 20 representatives from the United Wa State Army (UWSA) at its command post before he transferred his position to the new commander.

“In the next two years, there will be an election. You all must tell your top officials that you must prepare to abide by the new constitution,” Maj-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said during the meeting.

“It is as good as saying we must surrender or retire. Does it mean they’re ready to fight us if we refuse to?” commented the source form the SSA.

On the other hand, the Burma Army has reportedly reinforced armoured vehicles and troops at Loi Lang, opposite Mae Ai district, Chiangmai’s province. Unconfirmed report also says it will set up an FM 88 radio station in the area that will have many ethnic languages like Shan, Akha, Lahu and others, according to Shan State Army source based in Loi Kaw Wan, opposite Chiangrai.

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The 2010 Election Challenges
The Irrawaddy
By MIN ZIN - Saturday, July 12, 2008
 
Burma's conflict is moving into a new phase of intractability. In other words, the conflict will become institutionalized in 2010.

The military has unilaterally set the rules of the new game with the ratification of its constitution and is preparing to hold elections in 2010 as part of its seven-step “roadmap.” But the new constitution will not bring about much-needed state-building, a process in which all parties rally together and make their voices heard.

Instead of entering into the state-building process, Burma ranked 12th out of 177 states in order of their vulnerability to violent internal conflict and societal deterioration in the 2008 “failed state” index, presented by Foreign Policy magazine and the Fund for Peace. In the 2007 index Burma was designated 14th in failed state rankings. The country is crumbling.

"I can't really see anything happening that will be positive for the country's better future at this stage," said David Steinberg, a Burma expert from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

The incompatible goals of the military elites and the opposition, including ethnic minorities, will not be transformed by the new constitution and the 2010 election.

The opposition will continue to fight for the goal of national reconciliation but is likely to find itself ineffective within the new institutional procedures that favor the military's exclusive domination. As result, the opposition will have to pursue alternative course of actions—such as public mobilization and international advocacy.

On the other hand, since the military continues to impose its one-sided goal of exclusive domination with the new constitution and elections it cannot expect to minimize the cost of conflict. The most visible costs of this approach will be the continuation of international isolation and further damage to the country's economy.

"We do not accept the junta's unilateral solution," said Aung Din, a former political prisoner and executive director of the US Campaign for Burma. "Until and unless there is a negotiated political settlement, made by the military, the National League for Democracy led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and ethnic representatives together, the US-led western sanctions against the junta will not be lifted."

Sein Htay, a Burmese economist in exile, goes further, saying: "No matter whether there are western economic sanctions or not, the regime's policy failure and mismanagement will damage the prospect of development and public welfare. The country's economy will continue to worsen after 2010."

The threat of renewed public uprisings will still be present, since the military's intentions do not facilitate a reconciliation of interests. More repression will result, increasing existing grievances and public hostility towards the military.

"As the generals will use the same method of coercion against the people even after 2010, the existing public anger that reached an unprecedented high level during the crackdown against monk-led protests last year and the regime's negligence of cyclone relief in May will then be compounded," said Win Min, a researcher in civil-military relations in Burma. "Antagonistic civil-military relations will continue."

Apart from being unable to transform incompatible goals and relations, the new, post-2010 regime will not change any salience of the issues that the country has been facing and which have earned it pariah status.

According to the military's new constitution, a military chief will independently administer military affairs, including recruitment and expansion of troops, promotions, troop deployment, budget, military-owned businesses, purchase and manufacture of weapons, etc.

Consequently, the issues of child soldiers, forced relocations, forced labor, landmines, internal displaced person, the flow of refugees to neighboring countries, rape and other rights violations—all of which are associated with the military's unchecked interests and behavior— will continue unresolved, especially in ethnic areas such as the eastern areas of Burma.

Since the elected parliament’s legislative power will be restricted and because it will not be able to oversee the military, no civilian mechanisms will be available to redress the military’s excesses. Military personnel accused of crimes will be tried by a court-martial appointed by the head of the armed forces, the Tatmadaw—effectively allowing the military to continue its violations with impunity.

The 2010 elections could, however, contribute to leadership changes, at least on a nominal level during the initial stage. Two power centers will be created—military and government.

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Forced Labor Widely Used in Road Construction
Maung Daw News
7/8/2008

Maungdaw: A large number of people in Maungdaw Township have been used as forced labor by local authorities on repair work on the Buthidaung - Maungdaw roadway since the road and bridges collapsed in heavy rains, said a resident from Maungdaw.

He said, "We have to go do the road repair along the motor road after the authorities summoned 50 people from each ward in downtown Maungdaw through Rayaka, the ward councils. The forced labor began on Monday."

In Maungdaw, there are six wards altogether, and each had to send 50 people yesterday to the locations where the road was damaged with their own mattocks and pickaxes to do repair work. They had to work from 9 am to 4 pm yesterday without pay.

"We had to work there from 9 am to 4 pm without payment, but the authority did not provide any assistance with any food or drinking water during the work time. We brought our own food from our homes to the road repair sites," the resident said.

A local source said the authority not only summoned people from downtown Maungdaw, but also a large number of people from rural villages located along the Buthidaung - Maungdaw motor road.
A witness said, "I saw a large number of people leave for the 7-miles bridge in many vehicles from the central market to repair the road, and most people were day laborers from Maungdaw."

According to another report, many wealthier families have had to pay 2,000 kyat to the ward council in order to hire a day laborer if they were unable to send someone from their own families to do the work.

In Maungdaw's government construction department, there is no machinery such as excavators or dump trucks to aid the repair work, so authorities have used locals as manpower to do all the necessary tasks.

The road constructed is expected by some to take as much as a year to complete by the people without any machinery due to the heavy damaged it sustained in the rains.

According to a local source, many people from Maungdaw are preparing to work at the road construction today after the township authority summoned them to do so.

The Buthidaung - Maungdaw motor road is a key transportation link along the western border and is central to the border trade with Bangladesh. Every rainy season the road suffers blockages and bridge collapses but the authority has neglected to repair such weaknesses as they arise.

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Recent Burmese News – 08-07-13

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