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HEADLINES
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AFP - Suu Kyi meets again with lawyer: witnesses
AFP - Lawyer says Suu Kyi in good health
AP - UN to consider request for Myanmar junta's seat
AP - Myanmar's colonial-era Strand Hotel well preserved
ICP - As US Tightens Insurance Sanctions on Iran, Lloyd's of London Writes Myanmar Policies
Daily Vidette - Dictatorial rule continues in Burma
EARTHtimes.org - US, Britain demand more pressure on Myanmar for democratic progress
Bangkok Post - EDITORIAL: Suu Kyi needs proper care
Mizzima News - 88 generation activist Nilar Thein arrested
Mizzima News - Gambari to brief Security Council today
Mizzima News - Security blanket at hospital where Daw Suu's aide is admitted
The Irrawaddy - More Dissidents in Central Burma Arrested
DVB News - Student killed by mob in Myingyan
DVB News - Htin Kyaw refuses to attend court hearing

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Suu Kyi meets again with lawyer: witnesses
Thu Sep 11, 10:04 AM ET

YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar's detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi met for two hours with her lawyer Thursday, witnesses said, amid worries for her health after her party said she was not accepting food.

Lawyer Kyi Win arrived around 2:00 pm (0730 GMT) at the lakeside Yangon home where the Nobel peace laureate has been confined for most of the last 19 years, the witnesses said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He left two hours later and went to the home affairs ministry, they added.

The meeting was their fourth since August 8. Previously they have discussed filing a legal appeal against her house arrest, but the subject of their latest talks was not immediately known.

Aside from a medical check-up by her personal physician last month, Aung San Suu Kyi has refused to meet with anyone else -- including visiting UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari last month and the junta's liaison officer last week.

Concerns about her health have mounted since her National League for Democracy (NLD) party said on September 5 that she had refused most of her food rations for the last three weeks.

One of the two maids who stays with Aung San Suu Kyi was hospitalised last weekend with kidney trouble, adding to speculation about the detained opposition leader.

The regime insists that she is not staging a hunger strike, and the NLD has stopped short of saying she was holding one.

But the party has said that her refusal of food supplies was "to denounce her continuing detention, which is unfair under the law."

The 63-year-old has no other source of food aside from the daily supplies provided by the military regime.

Her party won a landslide victory in a 1990 election but the junta never allowed it to take office. The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962.

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Lawyer says Suu Kyi in good health
Thu Sep 11, 11:06 AM ET

YANGON (AFP) - Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer said Thursday that he had held "positive" talks with the detained democracy leader and that she appeared in good health, after reports she was not accepting food.

Kyi Win said he had informed the Nobel Peace Prize winner of concerns about her health, after her National League for Democracy (NLD) party said last week that she had not accepted most of her food rations for three weeks.

Concerns that Aung San Suu Kyi was staging a hunger strike were heightened after she refused last week to meet the junta liaison officer Aung Kyi.

Her lawyer said she appeared well during their two-hour discussion at the lakeside Yangon home where she has been confined for most of the last 19 years, but that she would only explain her actions on Sunday, when she will see her personal physician.

"She recognised our reasons for worrying," he told reporters.

"Doctor Tin Myo Win is scheduled to go in on Sunday, at her request. Then she will tell him her situation, including whether she will meet with Relations Minister Aung Kyi," the lawyer said.

Asked about the concerns, he said: "It will be solved soon."

After meeting Aung San Suu Kyi, he said that he met with officials at the home affairs ministry.

"We had a very, very frank and open discussion. I would say the authorities are thinking positively" about Aung San Suu Kyi's demands, which include the right to receive monthly medical checkups and to allow her two maids to move in and out of her house, he said.

"Today is a very positive day," he added.

His meeting with the 63-year-old, known here simply as "The Lady," was their fourth since August 8. Until last month, she had not seen her lawyer since 2004. Their talks have focused on a legal brief appealing her detention.

Since they began meeting last month, she has refused to meet almost anyone else. She accepted a medical check-up last month, but refused a visit from her doctor last week.

She also turned away visiting UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari last month and the junta's liaison officer Aung Kyi last week.

Concerns about her health have mounted after one of her two maids was hospitalised last weekend with kidney trouble.

The regime denies that she is staging a hunger strike, and the NLD has stopped short of saying she was holding one.

But the party has said that her refusal of food supplies was "to denounce her continuing detention, which is unfair under the law."

The 63-year-old has no other source of food aside from the daily supplies provided by the military regime.

Her party won a landslide victory in a 1990 election but the junta never allowed it to take office. The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962.

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UN to consider request for Myanmar junta's seat
AP - Thursday, September 11

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will ask a committee to consider a request from the winners of Myanmar's 1990 elections to replace the country's current military junta representatives at the United Nations, the U.N. said Wednesday.

The letter from pro-democracy candidates elected to parliament 18 years ago challenged the legitimacy of the military government that refused to cede power after a landslide victory by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. The junta has ruled Myanmar, also known as Burma, ever since.

U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said any decision on who should represent a country at the United Nations is up to the General Assembly's Credentials Committee, which will meet soon after the 63rd session of the assembly opens on Sept. 16. World leaders will arrive the following week for their annual ministerial meeting.

``The secretary-general can only convey this letter ... (and) it will be conveyed,'' she said.

Daw San San, vice president of the Members of Parliament Union (Burma), said in the letter obtained by The Associated Press that the organization has set up a permanent mission to the United Nations and has appointed U Thein Oo as its permanent representative to the U.N.

``His excellency U Thein Oo is instructed to represent the people of Burma and the legitimate, democratically elected members of parliament in all organs of the United Nations,'' San said.

Oo was identified as an elected representative from Mandalay.

Myanmar's U.N. Mission said Ambassador Kyaw Tint Swe was not in his office Wednesday afternoon to comment.

The military has ruled Myanmar since 1962 and has been widely criticized for suppressing basic freedoms. The current junta, which took power in 1988 after crushing pro-democracy demonstrations, held general elections in 1990 but refused to cede power to Suu Kyi's NLD. Since then, the country has been in political deadlock.

Suu Kyi has been in prison or under house arrest for more than 12 of the past 18 years. For about the last three weeks, the 63-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner has refused daily food deliveries to her home to protest her ongoing detention, according to her political party.

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Myanmar's colonial-era Strand Hotel well preserved
AP - Wednesday, September 10

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - In the colonial heyday of this elegant Victorian hotel, gentlemen in white dinner jackets and ladies in flowing gowns sipped cocktails on the shaded verandah as the sun went down, enjoying a welcome respite from the tropical heat.

The legendary Strand Hotel was one of the great watering holes of the British Empire. Just like Raffles Hotel in Singapore or the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok, the 107-year old Strand remains a national landmark.

Yangon has the largest number of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia, including colonnaded government offices and sumptuous official residences, but most are dilapidated, neglected for decades.

Large black water streaks mark most of the facades, and bushes sprout from the roofs of some, including the stately High Court building _ adjacent to a rooftop statue of a British lion still gazing over his domain.

Surprisingly, however, most of the old buildings appear to have survived relatively unscathed the fury of Cyclone Nargis which devastated the capital when it roared through on May 3. Although many modern structures were badly hit with their roofs torn off, the city's historic downtown district appears relatively undamaged .

Except for the glittering golden stupas such as the famed Shwedagon Pagoda that are the symbol of Yangon, almost everything else in the city is suffering from more than 40 years of neglect. This includes the potholed roads and even the rundown mausoleum where Myanmar's best-known citizen, former United Nations Secretary General U Thant, lies buried.

The Strand was built in 1901 by the Sarkies brothers, Armenian refugees from Turkey who founded a chain of luxury hotels in the region, including Raffles, the Oriental, the Majapahit in the Indonesian port of Surabaya, and the Eastern & Oriental in Penang, Malaysia.

In the 1920s and '30s, it became a favorite hangout of famous writers, British officers, celebrities and even royalty. Luminaries such as Rudyard Kipling, W. Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, Noel Coward, George Orwell and Lord Mountbatten were all regular customers. More recently, it has accommodated the likes of Mick Jagger and Oliver Stone.

Completely renovated in 1990, its teak floors are polished and gleaming, the antique chandeliers sparkle in the spacious and luxurious reception rooms and the quintessential colonial icon _ the ceiling fans _ gently rotate above tables surrounded by rattan chairs in the cozy cafe.

But today, the Strand is mostly empty, just like in other hotels in this city of five million once called Rangoon. Since the cyclone swept through the nearby Irrawaddy Delta killing more than 130,000 people, the number of guests has plummeted.

``It's understandable that a tragedy of this scale has badly affected Myanmar's entire tourist industry,'' said the hotel's manager Budiman Widjaja. ``But we hope that with the passage of time things will improve.''

Before World War II, the Strand was reserved for ``whites only,'' but during the Japanese occupation of Burma _ as Myanmar was formerly known _ it became an army barracks. It received its first Burmese guests only after the war.

The socialist military regime that ruled the nation from 1962 to 1988 nationalized the hotel and it became a rundown shadow of its former self.

But since the early 1990s, the military junta has tried to encourage foreign tourism, and the property was acquired by Adrian Zecha, the founder of Singapore's exclusive Aman Resorts chain, and renovation began.

The Strand reopened in 1995 as an all-suite, top-of-the range boutique hotel. Its teak and marble floors, mahogany furniture, and canopied beds compliment original pieces, like period bathroom fixtures.

But unlike the other grand old hotels in the region, the Strand's restoration remained true to its architectural past, and it has no new wing, and no swimming pool or tennis courts.

``We came to the Strand because of its old-world romantic charm,'' said Tomas Llobet, from Brussels, Belgium, who was celebrating a marriage anniversary with his wife Victoria. ``We wanted to be in a place with a lot of historic character, properly renovated without huge concessions to modernity.''

The ghosts of the British colonels would approve their choice.

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As US Tightens Insurance Sanctions on Iran, Lloyd's of London Writes Myanmar Policies
ICP - Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, September 11 -- As the U.S. tries to tighten sanctions on Iran, including by pressuring insurance companies, it is not clear what is being about Myanmar.

That nuclear concerns outweigh human rights is not surprising to many. At the UN on September 10, Inner City Press asked Daniel Glaser, deputy assistant Treasury secretary for terrorist financing and financial crimes what steps the U.S. is taking with insurance companies, and whether these steps might include the U.S. sanctions on the Myanmar military government of General Than Shwe.  Glaser said professorially that "insurance is a financial service, and UN Security Council resolutions relate to financial services. It is important for the insurance sector to take into account all of the safeguards" in the Council's resolutions.

Glaser's boss Stuart Levey, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, has spoke about both maritime insurance and, months ago, about Myanmar. In March 2007, for example, Levey spoke in connection with blocking correspondent accounts under Section 311 of the Patriot Act with the ironically named Myanmar Mayflower Bank. Inner City Press' question to Glaser on September 10 about Myanmar, however, went unanswered. Glaser said, "we and our partners have started a dialogue with the international insurance community to make sure that they are taking the steps that they need to take. It's going to be important for insurance companies to be as vigilant as possible, particularly on maritime insurance and re-insurance. " On Myanmar, nothing.

Lloyd's of London publicly admits to writing insurance on shipping and aviation in Myanmar. Its spokespeople say that the UK government have been initiated any discussions to curtail this business. That nuclear concerns trump human rights may not be surprising -- but that doesn't make it right.

At the UN's symposium on supporting the victims of terrorism on September 9, Ingrid Betancourt, recented freed from the FARC in Colombia, said that the UN must more to free Aung San Soo Kyi in Myanmar. Inner City Press asked if she meant that Myanmar is engaged in state terrorism. Ms. Betancourt indicated that yes, Aung San Soo Kyi's house arrests is not unlike her captivity in Colombia in being arbitrary.

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Dictatorial rule continues in Burma
Daily Vidette - Alex Kantecki, Daily Vidette Staff Writer
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: News

Tun Myint, assistant professor of political science at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., spoke about the prolonged history of struggles between the Burmese government and its citizens in the Bone Student Center Wednesday afternoon.

The presentation, "Explaining Doggedness of Dictatorial Rules in Burma/Myanmar, " focused on the history of military rule in Burma and how the legitimacy of the government has come under constant question.

"Burma will continue to struggle for legitimacy until its government is replaced by a more democratic one," Myint said.

"Legitimacy will come when there is a strong sense of religious and cultural foundation effectively built into the government's soul."

Burma, the largest country by geographical area in southeast Asia, has been controlled by its military since 1962. There have been many protests against the government, but few have had any success.

According to Dr. Te-Yu Wang, professor of politics and government, Myint spent two years in Burma as a student activist.

"It's rare to find an expert who was actually there opposing the government," Wang said. "We were just lucky to get him for this presentation. "

In order to legitimize the Burmese government, the social foundation of Burma needs to be better defined, according to Myint.

"Without social foundations, no roots of democracy can exist," Myint said. "So far, government has failed to establish a law system based on social foundations. "

There are four main social foundations to consider, according to Myint.

"The most important one is defining religious views," Myint said. "Eighty-nine percent of the Burmese population is Buddhist, so teaching of Buddha is essential."

Another important social foundation essential to Burmese life is teaching karma.

"No single creator exists in Buddhism," Myint said. "You are your own creator."

"For example, if you look at a piece of wood, it is just wood, but if you put pieces of wood together, you call it a table. You created it."

The final two social foundations are creating a specific language and naming system.

In addition to successfully building social foundations into the government, Burma faces other challenges in its quest for legitimacy.

"The government needs to think outside the box," Myint said. "They need to institute a framework that will meet the needs of the self-governing nature of the citizens. A lot of citizens do not even have the basic needs necessary for survival."

Myint's presentation was part of the International Seminar Series, available to the public every Wednesday at noon on the third floor of the Bone Student Center.

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US, Britain demand more pressure on Myanmar for democratic progress
EARTHtimes.org - Posted : Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:56:07 GMT
Author : DPA

New York - The United States and Britain on Thursday called for more pressure on Myanmar to end its defiance of demands for democratic progress and the release of political prisoners, including opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the United Nations Security Council should review UN mediation, which is being led by special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, and pressure the military government to yield results.

The UN has been demanding that the government hold a political dialogue by all parties for national reconciliation. It has also called for the release of all political prisoners. But there has been no progress on these two main issues despite four visits by Gambari to Myanmar.

"It's time to review what is needed to be done more effectively and bring results," Khalilzad said following a closed-door session of the 15-nation council, which Gambari attended.

"Pressure should be applied on the regime," Khalilzad said. "The regime is defying the international community and we believe that there should be a debate to say what is the most effective."

British Ambassador John Sawers agreed with Khalilzad, saying that Gambari's diplomatic efforts had been constrained by the military government. Neither Sawers nor Khalilzad was specific about the kind of pressure they would like to impose on Myanmar.

Gambari told reporters that the Myanmar government has "failed to deliver substantive results."

He visited Myanmar a fourth time in August to pursue the dialogue on political progress and the release of political prisoners, but obtained no results. Suu Kyi also refused to meet with him, apparently because he brought no change to the political impasse.

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Suu Kyi needs proper care
Bangkok Post - EDITORIAL: Thursday September 11, 2008

The military dictators in Burma continue to provide good argument about why democracy, in the cliche'd phrase, is the worst possible political system except for all the others.

The regime has become almost entirely closed off, and is unaccountable to citizens, neighbours and the world. It was good to hear from former prime minister Samak Sundaravej that Thailand will urge Burma to give in and accept the United Nations' advice.

That should be standard Thai policy in any case. But the government and others should be doing more right now to find out the facts about the health of the country's best-known citizen, Aung San Suu Kyi.

The state of Mrs Suu Kyi has now gone far beyond politics, and is in the world public domain. Last month, the chief UN mediator Ibrahim Gambari failed to see the Nobel Peace Prize laureate as expected. That might have been put down to political disagreement of some sort. But last weekend, reliable spokesmen of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party said Mrs Suu Kyi had gone on a hunger strike. She claims, according to the NLD leaders, that she will not eat until she is released from her house arrest which, so far as is known, is illegal even under the harsh laws of the military council and government.

That makes her condition the business of pretty well the whole world. The democracy advocate is frail, getting on in years. She has a strong will, but an extended fast - and three weeks is certainly a long time - requires careful supervision. The most troubling aspect of this situation, for now, is that the Burmese authorities show no responsibility. Questions about Mrs Suu Kyi's health are met with silence. The US government yesterday finally complained publicly, stating that it was concerned about the well-being of the pro-democracy leader, but no independent Burmese group or foreign country can find out such a simple matter.

This is a dictatorship which had to be shamed into accepting any aid for its citizens after devastating Cyclone Nargis, despite a huge outpouring of sympathy from people around the world. In recent months, it has simply shown top UN officials the door, specifically Mr Gambari, whose mission to try to ease some democratic reforms through the cracks in the diplomatic door have crashed and burned.

Now, faced with an extremely simple question, the generals show just how unaccountable an anti-democratic regime can become.

It is an uncomplicated matter: Is Mrs Suu Kyi on a hunger strike, and if so what is the state of her health and care? To the generals, who see foreign-led plots for domestic insurrection everywhere they look, the inquiry probably is a super-political conspiracy. In fact, Mrs Suu Kyi has thrilled the world with her principled, non-violent stand against her government. That world is genuinely concerned that The Lady may be at risk, even harming herself, with a dangerous, extended fast. Around the globe, concerned people simply want to know what is happening.

And it is a valid question. In most civilised countries, the state of health of an opposition leader, even a detained person, is easy enough to determine. Mrs Suu Kyi has now been held far past the deadline last May for her release under the regime's laws. Her state of health is, literally, a state secret.

This is what happens when a regime abandons all pretence of democracy. It is unaccountable to anyone. The response to world concern for Mrs Suu Kyi proves that democratic reform is needed in Burma, as soon as possible.

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88 generation activist Nilar Thein arrested
Mizzima News - Than Htike Oo
Thursday, 11 September 2008 19:09

Chiang Mai - Prominent woman activist Nilar Thein, who went into hiding one year ago, was hunted down and arrested on Wednesday.

An 88 generation student, who requested not to be named, told Mizzima that Nilar Thein was arrested by Burmese security forces on Wednesday evening while going to visit fellow activist Ant Bwe Kyaw's mother in Rangoon's Yan Kin Township.

"It is confirmed that she was arrested while going to visit the mother of Ant Bwe Kyaw," the 88 generation student, who is also on the run from the junta, told Mizzima.

However, it is still unclear how Nilar Thein was arrested and where she is being detained.

But, the 88 student said it is possible that Nilar Thein was arrested on her way to see Ant Bwe Kyaw's mother, who resides alone and is reportedly in ill health.

Nilar Thein went into hiding as the junta brutally cracked down on protestors in Rangoon and other cities last August and September, leaving her young baby with family members.

Nilar Thein's husband, Kyaw Min Yu, also a member of the 88 generation students, was arrested on August 21, 2007 along with 12 colleagues, including prominent student leader Min Ko Naing as well as Ko Ko Gyi, Min Zeya, and Mya Aye.

On August 19, 2007, Kyaw Min Yu's group held the first peaceful march in protest against the sharp rise in fuel prices. The protest, which was joined by over 400 people, later ignited nation-wide protests that grew into the largest demonstrations in the country since the 1988 student-led anti-government protests.

In November 2007, Nilar Thein's female colleague Suu Suu Nwe, a champion for labor rights, was arrested for her involvement in a September protest.

Nilar Thein's arrest came amidst the junta's new campaign against activists in a step to prevent renewed protests in the days leading up to the anniversary of last year's Saffron Revolution.

Nilar Thein had earlier served two terms of imprisonment in Insein and Tharrawaddy prisons for her involvement in political activities.

In March, she along with two of her colleagues—Suu Suu Nwe and Phyu Phyu Thin —were named recipients of the Czech Republic's Homo Homini award for their promotion of democracy, human rights and nonviolent solutions in Burma's political conflicts.

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Gambari to brief Security Council today
Mizzima News - Thursday, 11 September 2008 12:15

United Nations Special Envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, is poised to meet with Security Council members Thursday morning in New York, according to the office of the Secretary General.

In a Wednesday press conference at the U.N. in New York, spokesperson Michele Montas informed reporters that Gambari was due to meet with the Security Council the following morning, after which it is expected he will hold his own press conference regarding his ongoing efforts in Burma.

Gambari's mission has recently been decried "a waste of time" by the opposition National League for Democracy, and critics have been further frustrated by the lack of communication from the Special Envoy in the weeks following his visit.

Also yesterday, Montas clarified the position of the international body with respect to a petition from elements within Burma's democratic opposition to unseat the junta's representative at the U.N.

Though addressing their plea to the Secretary General, Montas pointed out that the Secretary General does not deal with such matters, the correct forum for such a review being the General Assembly's Credentials Committee.

"The Secretary-General can only convey this letter to Members of the General Assembly," Montas said of the missive from the opposition camp. "As you know, the matter of credentials is something that is handled by the General Assembly."

The Credentials Committee will convene following the opening of the 63rd seating of the General Assembly – due to commence on September 16th.

China, Russia and the United States were joined on the committee last year by Angola, Chile, Namibia, Singapore, Suriname and Switzerland. A new slate of nine members is to be appointed at the onset of this year's General Assembly meeting.

Gambari left Burma on August 23rd, after which he met with leaders in Thailand and Indonesia before briefing Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Turin, Italy. He has previously met with, and received the support of, the President of the General Assembly.

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Security blanket at hospital where Daw Suu's aide is admitted
Mizzima News - Thursday, 11 September 2008 21:15

New Delhi - A security blanket envelops the Muslim Charity Hospital on Barr Street, Kyauktada Township, Rangoon where Win Pa Pa, daughter of Khin Khin Win, who takes care of detained Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, is being treated for the sixth day today.

The National League for Democracy party spokesman Nyan Win said security has been beefed up at the hospital. He saw many plainclothes policemen and policewomen along with other security personnel in and around the hospital on Barr Street where Ma Win Pa Pa (28) is being treated.

"The security personnel, plainclothes policemen and women are deployed in and around the hospital," NLD spokesman Nyan Win said.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's physician Dr. Tin Myo Win also confirmed that security has been tightened at the hospital.

"There is deployment of security personnel. I can't say whether it is more or less," he said.

Dr. Tin Myo Win denied the news that has been circulating that Ma Win Pa Pa has been discharged from the hospital and shifted to another hospital.

"She has not been discharged from the hospital. She is still in our hospital and her condition has improved. But Ma Win Pa Pa needs more medical attention here," he said.

Khin Khin Win and her daughter Win Pa Pa who have stayed with pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and looked after her since 1997 were initially allowed to move freely out of Daw Suu's residence but the junta authorities restricted their movement since 2004. They have to suffer confinement along with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who is under house arrest.

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More Dissidents in Central Burma Arrested
The Irrawaddy - By SAW YAN NAING
Tuesday, September 9, 2008

At least eight dissidents in Yenanchaung Township in Magwe Division, central Burma, including members of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), were arrested by security forces on Monday, according to several local sources who spoke to The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity.

The eight arrested men were named as: Myint Wai, Win Myint Hlaing, Khin Win, Tint Lwin, Aw Gyi (aka Win Hlaing), Than Aung, Nang Win and Maung Maung.

The arrests appear part of an ongoing concerted campaign by Burma’s ruling military authorities to monitor and stamp out opposition during the anniversary of last year’s monk-led demonstrations.

Monday’s arrests follow the detention at the weekend of 10 members of the NLD in Magwe Division’s Pwinbyu and Sinpyukyun townships, said Nyan Win, a spokesman for the NLD.

The detained men were named as: Nyein Maung, Thein Aung, Htay Myint, Win Maung, Kyi Htay Aung, Ko Ko Oo, Than Htun and three unidentified persons, according to NLD sources.

The 10 dissidents are currently being detained in custody in Pwinbyu Township and will reportedly be summoned for trial on September 19, a youth member of the NLD said.

Several sources told The Irrawaddy that the Burmese authorities arrested the NLD members on suspicion of involvement in the Buddhist monk-led demonstrations in September 2007, in which the UN has said that at least 31 protesters died during a brutal crackdown by Burmese security forces. 

In late August, some 11 NLD members were arrested in Rangoon’s Hlaing Thayar Township, said sources. The authorities accused them of taking part in last September’s uprising. 

And last Friday, six more activists in Hlaing Thayar Township were arrested.

Perhaps fearing another uprising during the anniversary of last year’s demonstrations, Burmese security forces have been deployed in many areas around the country and are reportedly monitoring those who were involved in the 2007 uprising, including monks.

According to Thailand-based human rights group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), more than 30 activists were arrested by Burmese military authorities in August; 21 of who are still imprisoned.

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Student killed by mob in Myingyan

Sep 11, 2008 (DVB)–A Myingyan college student was attacked and killed last night by a mob of about 20 people armed with sticks and swords, according to students at Myingyan college.

Mahn Bhu Khee, 19, from Chin state's Kanpatlat township, was a second-year Zoology student in Myingyan, Mandalay division.

Locals said the attack took place at around 10.30pm yesterday while he was on his way back from a funfair at Thone Su pagoda by motorbike.

The attack took place about 50 yards away from township police station (1).

An officer on duty at Myingyan police station said Mahn Bhu Khee’s attackers were also on motorbikes.

"The attack took place near the police station and it involved people on motorbikes – he was alone when he was attacked," the officer said.

The officer said about 15 people had been arrested so far in connection with the murder.

Officials at Myingyan hospital said the autopsy showed Mahn Bhu Khee died from a stab wound from a knife sharpener.

"He died on the spot after he was stabbed. A post mortem was carried out this morning but I don't know the exact details as it was done by the hospital chief," an official said.

"The hospital chief is attending the provincial Peace and Development Council meeting at the moment."

Angry students descended on the police station this morning and were told that the police were still in the process of hunting down the perpetrators.

The students speculated that Swan Arr Shin members were responsible for the attack, as they had been told by township police chief Colonel Htun Sint during riot training three days ago that the authorities would take responsibility for the consequences of harsh crackdowns on rioters.

A report earlier this week from a source close to Myingyan township Peace and Development Council office said that local authorities had been given three-step instructions for dealing with protestors – first to try to negotiate with them, then to shoot at their legs and finally to shoot to kill.

A Myingyan resident said it would have been difficult for anyone else to carry out such an attack given the heightened security presence in the township.

"Htun Sint told them during his speech that they had permission to shoot at demonstrators and told them to be sure to treat them harshly," he said.

"Everyone thinks it's them who committed the murder because no one else would do it at a time like this when the security is extremely tight with a police presence all over the place."

Myingyan college students are now negotiating with the authorities to collect their schoolmate's body so they can bury it tomorrow.

Officials at Myingyan college and the victim's family could not be reached for comment on the case.

Reporting by Aye Nai

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Htin Kyaw refuses to attend court hearing

Sep 11, 2008 (DVB)–Detained protest leader Ko Htin Kyaw clashed with prison officials yesterday when he refused to appear in court, according to sources close to his family.

Htin Kyaw, who is being detained in Rangoon’s Insein prison for leading protests last year, refused to appear in court in protest at the poor timekeeping of witnesses and judges and their failure on some occasions to come to court at all.

Htin Kyaw was told by the authorities to come out of his cell to appear at the township court but he told them he could not do so.

When the prison authorities tried to drag him out of the cell, a scuffle broke out.

As a result, Htin Kyaw was taken to a court at the entrance to the prison instead of the court outside the jail, the sources said.

Htin Kyaw was arrested on 25 August last year for his role in instigating protests against fuel price hikes, and has been charged with causing public alarm under section 505(b) of the penal code.

He has been arrested and imprisoned at least three times for staging peaceful protests.

Monk leader U Gambira and 11 others also appeared at the court yesterday as their trial continued.

88 Generation Student leaders appeared at a special court inside Insein prison on the previous day.

Reporting by Aye Nai

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