YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's junta allowed a doctor to visit detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday after barring access to the ailing Nobel Peace laureate over the weekend, a spokesman for her party said.
Nyan Win of the National League for Democracy (NLD) said he had no update on Suu Kyi's condition after she was diagnosed with low blood pressure and dehydration on Friday and put on an intravenous drip.
Rights groups have accused the regime of denying the 63-year-old Suu Kyi adequate medical care after her personal doctor, Tin Myo Win, was detained for questioning last week.
One of Australia's largest engineering companies is abruptly pulling out of Burma after an investigation by Asia Sentinel revealed that a subsidiary was working on the construction of a lavish new airport for the repressive junta in Naypyidaw, the generals' reclusive capital.
Downer EDI's Singaporean consultancy arm, CPG Corporation, was contracted to design the revamped airport at Naypyidaw, working alongside Asia World, the shady Burmese conglomerate whose management are targeted by sanctions in Australia, the US and Europe.
The revelation that it has been doing business in Burma is highly embarrassing for a company that has donated thousands of dollars to Australia's ruling Labor Party and has won billions of dollars in Australian government contracts. Prime Minister and Labor leader Kevin Rudd has been vociferous in his condemnation of the Burmese regime and last year his government ratcheted up sanctions against the generals and their cronies.
GENEVA - HUNDREDS of thousands of people in areas of Myanmar devastated by cyclone Nargis a year ago are in urgent need of a proper roof over their heads before the imminent monsoon season, the UN said on Tuesday.
'At the moment half a million people still live in tremendously poor housing conditions, and with the monsoon coming we are facing now a humanitarian crisis again,' said UN human settlements specialist Mariko Sato.
William Hague, Neil Kinnock and Lord Steel have lent their support to Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s (CSW) ChangeforBurma petition, which calls upon the UN Security Council to bring Burma’s military junta before the International Criminal Court to answer for its crimes against humanity, and for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to make the release of the regime’s 2100 political prisoners one of his top priorities.
Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague MP (pictured), who led the Conservative Party from 1997-2001 last month endorsed the petition saying, “In the wake of the shocking prison sentences imposed on activists in Burma, and the regime’s continuing crimes against humanity, it is vital that we do everything in our power to summon up the will of the international community to influence the junta in Burma and seek the release of all political prisoners.”
Mr Hague was joined by Neil Kinnock, leader of the Labour Party from 1983-1992, and Lord Steel, leader of the Liberal Party from 1976-1988 in support of the petition. “Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and all political prisoners in jail today, are detained simply for speaking about freedom. These courageous people deserve our support. We must use our liberty to promote theirs,” Lord Kinnock said.
The joint petition launched by CSW and Partners Relief and Development UK is part of a larger push for human rights in the Southeast Asian nation led by two Burmese NGOs, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners and the Forum for Democracy in Burma.
To date ChangeforBurma has drawn over 250,000 signatures in support. “We are delighted to have the support of such major political figures for this campaign,” CSW’s East Asia Team Leader Benedict Rogers said.
“It shows just how seriously the issue is taken, and it should send a message to the regime in Burma that their gross abuse of prisoners of conscience has not gone unnoticed by the world. We will not stay silent, and will continue to campaign until all political prisoners in Burma, including democracy leader and Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, are free,” he said.
The renewal of EU sanctions against the leaders of the Burmese military junta last month at the EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Luxembourg has drawn praise from the British NGO the Burma Campaign UK. Mark Farmaner, the Director of the Burma Campaign commented that to “relax sanctions now, when the regime is showing no improvement on human rights, and increasing restrictions on delivery of aid, would be irresponsible.”
The Burma Campaign called upon the EU governments to target their sanctions, singling out the leaders of the regime and their business partners. The NGO said it would “like to see the EU use sanctions in a smarter way, in combination with diplomatic pressure” to bring regime change to the country.
Source : George Conger : ReligiousIntelligence.com
"Shan Women and Children are still being Raped by SPDC"(by:Feraya) Shan Women's Action Network reports that the Burmese Military Regime is still giving license to its soldiers to commit rape to women and children of Shan State.
In March 2006, an SPDC colonel who visited Murng Kerng, Central Shan State was reported to have told soldiers at the command post of infantry battalion 243: “Do anything you like, whether it be stealing, robbing, raping or dealing in drugs. The only thing is to be careful it doesn't come out on one of the foreign radios”.
"Shans are also people who matter"(by:Feraya) Recently, I asked a group of Shan friends for their views as ethnic people with regard to democracy in Burma and this is what they said.
Many Shan people have experienced and are still experiencing victimization, persecution and unlawful execution by the SPDC Military Regime, and as with other ethnic groups, they also suffer the most horrendous brutality of being raped, tortured, imprisoned, and are still having to endure forced labour, and forced displacement
"UNITY OF PURPOSE TOWARDS TRUE DEMOCRACY"(by:Feraya) The reason why the Nepalese people are approaching victory for their democracy revolution is because they have unity of purpose and unity in achieving a common goal. The Nepalese planned their uprising together as “one”, and they acted as “one”. There is certainly a lot we can learn from the situation in Nepal even though it isn't exactly the same as the situation in Burma, and it is worth our time studying what they did well and not so well, and what we can learn from them
The Promises of Panglong (by:Feraya) History has never been my strong subject, so I am afraid I do not have much knowledge of the Panglong Agreement and Union Day. What little I know of, is just my personal and simplified perspective, so do forgive me if I've got it wrong.
"Won all"( by:Taisamyone )
The wishes of the people of Burma for a binding UNSC resolution have been ignored by the cynical power-game played by Russia and China. The junta can chortle away in the New Light of Myanmar at their ability to influence their commercial partners in crime – Russia and China.
ASEAN: What are they up to?(by:Taisamyone) The countries that make up ASEAN encompass extremely diverse cultural, religious and ethnic groups, countries emerging from decades of disruptive wars, economic and political upheaval and now attempting to look to the future.
“I believe education is very important to me because if I cannot read or write, then other people who are smarter than me will take advantage of me or trick me. If I am literate, I will understand and be able to communicate. My mother wants me to live on the Thai side, but my mother does not have an identity card so she cannot live with us. If I do not have an education, then it is like being blind.”
You talk of the weather,
And other trivialities,
Such as the price of this and that,
Your holidays in the Bahamas,
Your round the world cruise,
Your favourite pub,
Your aches and pains,
Your annoying neighbours,
Your weight loss or gain,
Your stressful job,
Your dreadful boss,
Your horrible dentist,
Your cat's diarrhoea.
MSK Radio Station
Mai Soong Kha (MSK) New Tai Radio station will be setup in the end of 2007 an immediate opening for below positions. Interested candidates should send their resume and cover letter to saisaitip@maisoongkha.com
