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Frogs, not chocolate: Post-cyclone survival in Burma
Regime’s Right to Represent Burma Challenged
US lawmakers ease pressure on Chevron in Myanmar
The last word: Disaster relief – Helping others to help yourself
'The Most Vulnerable Were Swept Away, Killed'
Recent Burmese News – 08-07-16

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Frogs, not chocolate: Post-cyclone survival in Burma
16 Jul 2008 14:43:00 GMT
Source: Refugees International - USA
Joel Charny
Website: http://www.refugeesinternational.org/blog/2008/07/frogs-not-chocolate-post-cyclone.html
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.

On May 30th, four weeks after Cyclone Nargis struck Burma, the New Light of Myanmar, one of the government's propaganda mouthpieces, ran a particularly nasty editorial, accusing the international aid community of being stingy in response to the disaster while assuring the world that the Burmese people were tough enough to survive. "Myanmar people are capable enough of rising from such natural disasters even if they are not provided with international assistance," the commentary stated. "Myanmar people can easily get fish for dishes by just fishing in the fields and ditches. In the early monsoon, large edible frogs are abundant. The people can survive with self-reliant efforts even if they are not given chocolate bars from [the] international community."

The commentary, coming at a time when the government seemed to be finally accepting international access to the Irrawaddy Delta region, elicited global condemnation from political activists and human rights groups, as it underscored the cruelty of the military junta and its lack of concern for the welfare of the people. To this day, two and a half months after the cyclone, the international aid effort has fallen well short of the scope and depth of coverage required to meet the needs of the more than two million survivors directly affected by the storm. Outsiders with no experience inside Burma have stated that a "second wave of dying has begun" and made alarming predictions that "hundreds of thousands" of Burmese may die as the result of Burmese government obstruction.

As access has improved to the delta region, however, and the tri-partite aid coordination body, consisting of representatives of the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asia Nations, and the government, completed its assessment of conditions, the conclusion of the aid agencies is that there were very few additional deaths after the cyclone's initial fury. According to reports by The New York Times and the Associated Press, there was, in fact, no second wave of dying as the result of food shortages, epidemics, and exposure. The Burmese people in the delta showed exactly the resilience and strength to survive that the government of Burma was touting.

This in no way excuses the government for obstructing the relief effort. The resilience of the people derives from their life-long experience of government neglect and failure to tend to their basic needs. They knew that even in the aftermath of the cyclone they would probably be on their own, or reliant on neighbors, religious institutions, and other non-governmental sources of assistance.

My regret is that I didn't have the courage to express skepticism about the alarmist predictions of a second wave of deaths as aid agencies gradually gained access to the delta within two or three weeks of the cyclone. My experience in Cambodia in the aftermath of the 1979 famine taught me that in the relatively lush environment of mainland Southeast Asia, once people are free to forage for food they will survive. Rice paddies are full of small fish, crabs, and frogs that provide protein.

Fruit and edible plants grow in abundance. Air temperatures rarely go below 75 degrees, limiting deaths from exposure. Contaminated water is a menace, but in the rainy season drinking water can be collected.

I knew that no one in the Irrawaddy Delta was going to die from lack of food. The risk was that a cholera epidemic or a wave of diarrheal diseases might sweep through the weakened survivors, especially children. Thankfully, it appears that this did not occur.

International aid agencies have a long record of exaggerating their impact and underestimating the self-help capacity of local people. One of the primary lessons of the response to the 2004 tsunami was that the true "first responders," the ones who save lives in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophe, are precisely the survivors themselves. They, and supporting organizations, including local government agencies, are the ones who make an immediate difference, well before even the fastest international agencies can mobilize. In disaster prone areas, therefore, strengthening the response capacity of communities and their institutions, whether government or non-governmental, is an essential investment to save lives in the future.

In Burma, the government and its most powerful institution, the military, did very little relief work. What helped save the day in Burma was the tremendous outpouring of individual and small group efforts by Burmese citizens. Buddhist monks, teachers, doctors, merchants --- even travel agents according to a former U.S. diplomat in touch with friends inside the country ---banded together to raise funds, collect materials, and provide direct assistance. While the military confiscated some of this aid, and periodically blocked access by Burmese, enough of these efforts were successful to help meet some of the immediate needs of the survivors. Coupled with their ability to live off the land as they re-gained their strength, these efforts were enough to stave off a second catastrophe.

"Frogs, not chocolate" is not going to become the motto of the international aid community, nor should it. The blocking of aid by the Burmese government in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis was unconscionable. But the phrase contains a measure of truth, and suggests that we should never underestimate people's ability to find a way to survive in the face of catastrophe.

-Joel Charny

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/219053/121621956558.htm

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Regime’s Right to Represent Burma Challenged
By VIOLET CHO
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

An umbrella opposition group in exile, the National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB), has objected to the claims of the ruling military regime to represent the country in the United Nations General Assembly.

Myint Thein, the NCUB’s joint secretary, said it was important for the nations of the world to cooperate and extend their active support to the people of Burma, who live under the repressive military junta.

“We want the UN to stand up for the principles of democracy and human rights and reject the credentials of the State Peace and Development Council’s delegation to the United Nations during the upcoming session of the General Assembly..”

Besides campaigning to challenge the regime’s right to represent Burma in the UN, the group confirmed that it would also push to put Burmese human rights issues on the UN Security Council’s agenda and urge the world body to arraign Burma’s junta before the International Criminal Court for its crimes against humanity.

The NCUB has repeatedly engaged in similar campaigns over the past decade, but with no success..

Myint Thein said that the UN should not provide a seat for the Burmese regime, which is one of the world’s most repressive and secretive governments, because of its human rights abuses and its refusal to honor the results of legitimate elections held in 1990, when Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won 80 percent of parliamentary seats.

“We used to only focus our campaign against them [on the basis that] they are not a legal government, but the situation is different now. We want the UN to reject them based on the very recent human rights violations in combination with the junta’s past atrocities,” said Myint Thein.

In a statement released on Monday, the NCUB detailed significant human rights abuses perpetrated by the regime. Among other offenses, the statement described the junta’s ruthless crackdown on peaceful protests by monks and citizens calling for democratic reforms during last year’s “Saffron Revolution.”

The statement also pointed to the regime’s refusal to accept international assistance following Cyclone Nargis as evidence of its failure to provide good governance, and slammed the junta’s decision to go ahead with a discredited constitutional referendum a week after the storm. It also mentioned the illegal extension of Aung San Suu Kyi’s confinement in late May.

Past injustices described in the statement include the killing of protesters during the 1988 national uprising, the regime’s refusal to honor the 1990 elections, its murder of NLD members in the 2003 Depayin massacre, and the ongoing practice of rape, forced labor and killing in ethnic areas.

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US lawmakers ease pressure on Chevron in Myanmar
Channel News Asia
Posted: 16 July 2008 1215 hrs

Billion-dollar gas pipeline being constructed in south-eastern Myanmar.

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers have dropped plans to impose sanctions that would have pressured US energy giant Chevron to pull out from a gas project in military-ruled Myanmar, congressional aides said on Tuesday.

Sanctions that would end tax write-offs enjoyed by Chevron were part of a package of new US measures passed by the House of Representatives last year aimed at punishing the military government for its deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

But in a compromise this week, legislators from the House of Representatives and Senate removed the provision after Chevron argued that other firms from nations such as China and India could easily take over its stake if divested, congressional aides said.

"One of the things it does is it removes the part about tax incentives that affect US companies who might do business in Myanmar," a congressional aide told AFP in describing the compromise resolution that was unanimously passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The new legislation, which is also expected to be cleared by the Senate, merely urged "investors" in the gas project "to consider voluntary divestment over time" if the government did not embrace reforms.

The legislation's main focus was to block the import of Myanmar gems into the United States and to extend financial sanctions, moves that could take hundreds of millions of dollars out of the country each year.

Despite a longstanding ban on imports from Myanmar, gems from the country have entered the United States via third nations such as Thailand, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore, rights groups have said.

"The amendments to this bipartisan bill provided for in this resolution, which have been carefully negotiated with the Senate, promote a coordinated, multilateral approach to sanctions against Myanmar," said Howard Berman, the Democratic chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs.

The European Union has similarly banned the import of Myanmar gems, as have the Canadians, he said.

Under the previous plan, "no deduction or credit against tax shall be allowed" for Chevron on revenues from the Yadana gas project.

Chevron could also have been barred from making any payments to the military government from its joint venture with French oil giant Total, Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production, and Myanmar's Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise operating the lucrative Yadana gas fields.

Chevron is one of biggest Western companies in Myanmar, holding a 28 per cent minority share in the Yadana natural gas project following its acquisition of another US energy giant, Unocal, in 2005.

The United States has already imposed substantial trade, investment and diplomatic sanctions on Myanmar, but Chevron's operations predate an enhanced 2003 US trade embargo.

Under Myanmar law, if Chevron sold its stake, it might have to pay the government much of the company's capital gains on the project - estimated to be around US$500 million.

Chevron's vice-chairman Peter Robertson defended Chevron's investment in Myanmar at a congressional hearing in May, saying the company had helped victims of a recent deadly cyclone that ravaged Myanmar.

"Our plan is to stay in Myanmar ... If we sell our interest, we would pay a large capital gains tax to (the military government)," he said.

"Any way of extracting us would be a benefit - a windfall benefit to the government."

- AFP/yb
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific_business/view/360654/1/.html

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The last word: Disaster relief – Helping others to help yourself

Victims of natural disasters in need of aid are not only vulnerable to the whims of governments, but the strategic giving of companies, says Paul French, Asia editor

Increasingly companies are becoming a major source of charitable donations at times of disaster. As government budgets are stretched, corporate money is assuming a larger importance. But will this mean that countries hit by natural disasters will once again be divided into winners and losers according to the priorities of those companies giving aid?

As the pressure increases on firms to improve the returns on all their business activities, charitable donations are no exception. Hence the buzz term “strategic philanthropy” – the integration of charity into overall corporate planning. In terms of ongoing charitable donations this is nothing new – firms choose and select the causes they ally with (indeed charities often have to bid in charity “beauty pageants”). The winners are invariably those offering the best chance of raising the firm’s profile.

This might work for long running corporate-charity alliances but when natural disasters strike and a rapid response is required it looks less useful. When multiple disasters strike simultaneously then resources only stretch so far, “strategic” giving decisions are forced and there are, of necessity, winners and losers.

This appears to be the stark situation now in Asia. Three major disasters have to be dealt with: the Burma cyclone, the Sichuan earthquake and the renewed onset of famine and disease in North Korea. At the time of writing the Sichuan quake had left just short of 70,000 dead, the Burma cyclone close to 80,000, while information on the effects of the growing North Korean famine are unknown thanks to Pyongyang’s paranoia. However, aid agencies report that dozens of children are dying weekly of a new outbreak of a bird-flu-like disease as well as hunger.

Corporations have had to make strategic choices about aid and the result is that China has received the lion’s share; Burma distinctly less while North Korea gets little beyond the UN and Chinese aid. Sichuan has been a popular cause due to any number of factors including the fact that large numbers of foreign corporations operate in China. Few do business – either manufacturing or selling – in Burma, and close to zero operate in North Korea.

My email inbox has been filled with messages from the PR departments of numerous foreign companies in China telling me of the donations they have made to Sichuan – not one regarding Burma or Korea. I’d like to think this is all just a charitable urge to help but I’m cynical about much of it.

Reputation fire-fighting

Interestingly, one of the first foreign donors was French retailer Carrefour, until the quake the target of nationalist backlash and boycott in China. Chen Bo, national communications manager for Carrefour China, was quick to contact the Chinese press to announce just days after the quake that the beleaguered retailer had donated $430,000, in cash and about half that again in goods to the relief effort. Boycott calls have become more muted.

Even if corporates do not wish to link their donations to their business interests they may find themselves with no choice. Some Chinese “netizens” – or “cybercitizens” active in online groups and blogs – targeted multinationals such as Nokia, McDonald’s and KFC in the first week after the quake, branding them “international misers” and calling for boycotts.

McDonald’s, KFC and Wal-Mart had all already donated to the quake fund. Still, Ning Xiangdong, a business professor at Beijing’s Tsinghua University, explained the motive of companies for donating given the stiff competition and fear of consumer backlashes in China. He told the press: “Any charity activity will lead to an impact on corporate image among the public.” Few companies have or are worried about their corporate image in Burma or North Korea.

It may be a harsh judgement, but China is benefiting from being more of a “market” than Burma or North Korea. China – by far the richest and best-able to deal with its natural disaster – is winning greater support from corporate donors because of its strategic importance as a major sourcing location and potentially vast sales opportunity for global companies.

True, of the three countries, China has clearly been the most open about its troubles both in terms of media access and allowing in international aid. But would it make any difference? The corporate donors have made a strategic decision, which is that China is a strategic market and so gets the money.

This indicates that those countries off the international radar will receive little or no aid from companies, as there will be minimal pressure from customers to help countries that are often of little business interest. This appears to be the reality of corporate giving in times of natural disaster. If you live in a devastated country that isn’t a strategic market, you might find yourself suffering from “strategic philanthropy”.

http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=6009

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'The Most Vulnerable Were Swept Away, Killed'
Embassy, July 16th, 2008
NEWS STORY
One of the first Canadians into the Burmese disaster zone reflects on his experiences, and the path ahead.
By Jeff Davis

The first thing that struck him when he climbed off the commercial flight in the Burmese former capital of Rangoon on May 16, two weeks after the devastation of Cyclone Nargis, was the disquieting calm on the airfield.

A UNICEF emergency officer, Michael Bociurkiw was among the first Canadians permitted entry into the hermitic Southeast Asian realm. While the disaster zone veteran had worked on such crises as the 2005 Pakistan earthquake that killed as many as 80,000 people, this scene was different from the others Bociurkiw had seen.

"I have worked in other disaster zones, and one would expect at that stage of an emergency that aircraft and supplies would be all over the place," he said in an interview two weeks ago. "But it was eerily quiet."

When he finally arrived at his hotel later in the day, he climbed to the roof to get his first bird's eye view of the destruction.

"From the hotel you could see the extent of the devastation, a lot of roofs missing from schools, hospitals and private homes," Mr. Bociurkiw recalled. "Yangon is a beautiful city with huge old trees, and a lot of those are now gone. Toppled."

But he would soon discover first hand that the damage in Rangoon was nothing compared to the devastation the cyclone had wreaked upon the country's rural areas, especially the low-lying Irrawaddy Delta area.

During the storm, which made landfall on May 2, a tidal surge pushed seawater as far as 12 kilometers inland, through an area mere feet above sea level. The deluge contaminated rice paddies with salt, washed away embankments, and destroyed already rudimentary roads.

Flying over the Burmese countryside in a rented Ukrainian helicopter, at times through pelting monsoon rain, Mr. Bociurkiw could see the true extent of the damage.

"In some places we couldn't distinguish waterway from the fields," he said. "In some cases the landscape has been completely changed."

Boats, essential to the rural Burmese lifestyle for fishing and transportation, were "totally destroyed like matchsticks. Destroyed and shoved up on the banks like they were thrown there by one big hand."

Another devastating loss was that of between 100,000 and 150,000 water buffalo, animals essential for transportation, the working of fields, and food.

But while these items will be replaced someday, much was lost forever, including as many as 150,000 lives, many of them children. The death toll was exacerbated by the Burmese government's slow response in allowing humanitarian aid and workers like Mr. Bociurkiw into the country.

"Many fieldworkers were stunned to find that there are almost no children under five in many villages," he said. "They were the most vulnerable, and a lot were swept away and killed. Drowned."

Some were literally ripped from their parents' clutching arms.

Wherever the helicopter passed over the countryside, Burmese survivors climbed trees and ornately decorated Buddhist pagodas waving flags and shocks of white linen in joyous or hopeless attempts to get some desperately needed aid.

Upon spotting a place to land, Mr. Bociurkiw said, the helicopters would touch down lightly, the engines would be kept whirring to prevent the wheels from getting stuck in the soft, muddy soil.

Doors would be flung open and men and women would stream from the jungles, weather worn and deathly thin. Once loaded with supplies or equipment, they would struggle through sopping rice paddy mud to carry tents, high nutrition biscuits, rudimentary building supplies and water purification tablets back to their families.

Recovery Progressing Slowly

Mr. Bociurkiw, in a phone interview with Embassy, said the Burmese government's initial hesitation, as well as the challenges posed by primitive infrastructure, have significantly slowed the overall progress of relief efforts in the country.

It has now been over two months since the disaster and Mr. Bociurkiw said normally, efforts would be shifting from humanitarian assistance to reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Relief efforts in Burma, however, are still in the initial lifesaving phases, and Mr. Bociurkiw expects that to be the case for another four months before medium-term reconstruction begins.

Mr. Bociurkiw said the UN estimates that some 2.4 million Burmese were affected by the cyclone and its aftermath, and the effects are spread over an area roughly the size of New Brunswick.

Of those affected, he said, some 1.1 million victims have not been reached by the UN or its partners, and hundreds of thousands remain without access to safe, clean drinking water.

Mr. Bociurkiw said that international aid workers now enjoy "pretty much unfettered access" to disaster zones, and co-operation is now being facilitated by the so-called Tripartite Group—consisting of UN, Burmese and Association of Southeast Asian Nations officials.

Later this month, Mr. Bociurkiw said, the UN and ASEAN will release a joint assessment that should "give us a very, very clear picture of the extent of devastation and the state of health the people are in."

Early indications, he said, are that some $9 billion in international aid will be required for heavy infrastructure reconstruction and to replace homes, boats, and livestock.

According to the Canadian International Development Agency, Canada has pledged $14 million for relief efforts to help the people of Burma. The Canadian government also pledged to match dollar-for-dollar all monies donated by the Canadian public. How much additional money this donation-matching scheme will yield is not yet known.

Efforts will also continue to repair Burma's damaged health and education systems. Some 4,000 schools were destroyed or severely damaged, and there is a need to replace the teachers, clinicians and midwives killed in the storm.

Fortunately, Mr. Bociurkiw said, efforts to stop a second wave of death brought on by diseases, such as cholera or measles, and starvation have been largely successful. This he attributes to rapid immunization programs, the distribution of one million malaria bed nets, and the "incredible resilience of the people."

During his time in Burma, Mr. Bociurkiw interacted with a number of Burmese officials, including the prime minister.

When asked what he thinks of the regime, he gave a studied reply.

"I think they've now realized that this is bigger than any one entity could ever handle," he said. "Of course there was slowness at the beginning for access for both internationals and supplies, but I think after a while these confidence measures have taken hold and in our case, things are going rather smoothly compared to many weeks ago."

jdavis@embassymag.ca

http://www.embassymag.ca/html/index.php?display=story&full_path=/2008/july/16/burma/

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RECENT BURMESE NEWS – 08-07-16

Junta invites Gambari in August
Today, July 16, 2008, 3 hours ago
New Delhi - The Burmese military junta has extended an invitation to Ibrahim Gambari, UN Special envoy to Burma, to visit the country in mid-August. The visit has to do with resuming talks w...

Eleven ethnic Padaungs still missing
Today, July 16, 2008, 3 hours ago
Chiang Mai - Eleven ethnic Padaungs from Mae Hong Song district, Northern Thailand are still missing. The 11 Padaung or Kayan ethnic tribes living in Huay Pu Ke and Huay Suu Htauk villages ...

Myanmar invites UN envoy
Today, July 16, 2008, 7 hours ago
Myanmar is inviting a United Nations special envoy to visit in mid-August, for talks that are expected to focus on international efforts to bring political reforms to the Southeast Asian nation.The in...

US seeks to hurt Myanmar in the wallet
Today, July 16, 2008, 7 hours ago
The US House of Representatives has voted to punish Myanmar’s brutal ruling regime ‘‘where it hurts - in the wallet,’’ as one lawmaker said.The unanimous vote sent back to the Senate a bill that bars ...

Burma Invites UN Special Envoy to Visit in August
Today, July 16, 2008, 7 hours ago
U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe said Tuesday that Burma’s military government sent a letter inviting Ibrahim Gambari to visit in mid-August. Okabe said the precise date, program and objectives for the ...

Thai Police Kill Drug Trafficker in Chiang Mai
Today, July 16, 2008, 7 hours ago
Thai forces shot and killed a suspected drug trafficker in Chiang Mai Province on Sunday, as authorities in Bangkok expressed growing concern about the introduction of new drugs into the country.Chale...

Indonesia Accepts Responsibility for 1999 East Timor Violence
Today, July 16, 2008, 7 hours ago
Indonesia’s president acknowledged his country carried out gross human rights abuses during East Timor’s 1999 break for independence, but stopped short of offering a full apology Tuesday for m...

Thai Troops Accused of Entering Cambodia
Today, July 16, 2008, 7 hours ago
A Cambodian official claimed Tuesday that about 40 Thai troops crossed into Cambodia’s territory as tensions mounted in a dispute over land near an ancient border temple. The Thai military denied ...

Cambodia Says More Thai Soldiers Have Crossed its Border
Today, July 16, 2008, 7 hours ago
Cambodian officials said more Thai troops crossed into their country’s territory Wednesday in the second day of alleged incursions amid tensions over disputed border land near a historic temple. T...

Arrest Warrant Issued for Malaysia
Today, July 16, 2008, 7 hours ago
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim faced police questioning Wednesday in connection with a sodomy accusation by a male former aide, his lawyer said. Counsel Sankara Nair said police issued an a...

Asian Currencies Steady on Lower Oil, Financial Woes Cap Gains
Today, July 16, 2008, 7 hours ago
Asian currencies mostly steadied on Wednesday, a day after they climbed to multi-week highs against the pressured U.S. dollar with investors waiting for further clues about the health of the global ec...

Evading the Myanmar junta
Today, July 16, 2008, 8 hours ago
Foreign journalists are banned from the country  Tourists are even finding it difficult to get a visa, especially Americans.  So the odds were already stacked against us  I can’t say how w...

House votes to punish ruling regime in Burma
Today, July 16, 2008, 12 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) : The House voted Tuesday to punish Burma’s brutal ruling regime “where it hurts - in the wallet,” by freezing assets of political and military leaders there and banning the...

Myanmar invites UN envoy for a visit
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
July 15, 2008, 20:15 The United Nations said today that Myanmar has invited a UN envoy to visit the cyclone-ravaged country, which is facing renewed international pressure to democratise and improve ...

Man killed in bomb blast on Myanmar bus - Aung Hla Tun
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
One man was killed when a bomb exploded on a bus in army-ruled Myanmar, newspapers said on Tuesday, the latest incident ahead of anniversaries that sometimes serve as flashpoints for dissent.

CNF threatens assassinations if development obstructed - Khin Maung Soe Min
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
The CNF said they have started an operation named People Power 20, or PP20, to encourage development in Chin state in cooperation with the Chin people. According to the CNF’s guidelines, the operatio...

Putao farmers under junta scanner
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
Farmers in Putao in Kachin State in northern Burma are under the scanner with the Burmese military regime investigating whether they are growing rice in their farms this season, a source said.

“Arrested Lieutenant not our member”: KNU - Than Htike Oo
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
News was in circulation in Thailand that 2nd Lt. Pu Pu of the KNU Drug Enforcement Force was arrested by Burmese soldiers on July 11 near Friendship Bridge in Maesod, northern Thailand. “We can...

Burma’s outdoor advertising industry in doldrums after Nargis
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
Cyclone Nargis, which devastated an estimated 2.4 million lives, has left tell tale marks on businesses - particularly advertising industry - in Burma’s former capital Rangoon.

Donated fishing equipment taken back from villagers - Naw Say Phaw
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
Villagers in Daydaye township, Irrawaddy division, have complained that local authorities have taken back items given to them at a public donation by the government and other private donors.

Refugee accommodation booming in Rangoon - Violet Cho
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
According to locals in Hlaing Tharyar Township, the most popular method of bringing in extra income for those living in the suburbs of the Rangoon Industrial Zone is to rent out their houses. Zaw Win...

Study finds Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand face high risk from arsenic contamination - Michael Casey
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
Myanmar’s cyclone-devastated Irrawaddy delta and Indonesia’s Sumatra island face high risks of arsenic contamination in groundwater that could cause cancer and other diseases in residents,...

Trial of Burmese business tycoon Maung Weik begins
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
In one of the bigger scandals that have rocked Burma, a secret and special tribunal in the country’s notorious Insein prison on Monday commenced the trial of business tycoon Maung Weik. He is ch...

Myanmar arrests 329 drug traffickers in June: state media
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
MYANMAR authorities arrested 329 drug traffickers in June in a crackdown following warnings by the United Nations that opium production was soaring again, state media reported on Tuesday.

China top destination for Myanmar trafficking victims
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
Myanmar police have rescued more than 450 victims of human trafficking since 2005, a private weekly magazine said Monday, adding that most of them were being smuggled to neighbouring China.

British MPs call on Govt. to investigation Mahn Sha’s assassination
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
Nearly 60 British parliamentarians have signed a petition, ‘Early Day Motion’, urging for the UK government to investigate and expose the assassins of Burma’s ethnic rebel leader Pad...

Police incompetence; multiple murderers still at large
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
Even three months after the cold blooded multiple murders in Rangoon the culprits have not been brought to justice. Moreover, a suspect died in police custody during interrogation. All those responsib...

Htein Lin: A moving monument - Ko Ko Thett
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
As in the West, Burmese performance art came out of the frustration of avant-garde artists who found traditional media insufficient for their creative energy and imagination. Htein Lin is widely ackn...

PONJA report ready for launch on 21 July 2008
Today, July 16, 2008, 15 hours ago
The ASEAN Humanitarian Task Force, who held their fourth meeting in Singapore on 12 July 2008, was briefed on the preparations for the launch of the Post-Nargis Joint Assessment (PONJA) Report.

Myanmar invites UN envoy for talks on democratic reforms
Today, July 16, 2008, 17 hours ago
Myanmar Tuesday invited UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari for a return visit to continue discussions on implementing the democratic process in the country.

Bus bombing in Myanmar kills man, wounds another
Today, July 16, 2008, 19 hours ago
(alternatively Burma) has killed a 55-year-old man, and left another man wounded. The explosion occured at 8:50 am (0220 GMT) yesterday as the bus travelled to

Myanmar invites UN envoy for talks on democratic reform
Today, July 16, 2008, 20 hours ago
New York - Myanmar on Tuesday invited UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari for a return visit to continue discussions on implementing the democratic process in that country. Myanmar, formerly Burma, said ...

Waiting for Aung San Suu Kyi
Today, July 16, 2008, 20 hours ago
A picture provided by Myanmar News Agency shows detained democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (left) shaking hands with Myanmar’s labor minister prior to their meeting in Yangon in November. (Pho...
 
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