Myanmar Confident of Free and Fair Elect

Myanmar Confident of Free and Fair Elections, Minister Says

“We are confident that we will be able to hold the upcoming by-election free and fair as in the last nationwide general elections,” Wunna Maung Lwin said in a speech today in New Delhi, where he was on a four-day visit. “The reform process that we have started is irreversible. There will be no turning back or derailment in the road to democracy.”

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-25/myanmar-confident-of-free-and-fair-elections-minister-says.html

Suu Kyi foresees democratic Burma Burma

Suu Kyi foresees democratic Burma

Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says she believes Burma will hold democratic elections “in my lifetime”.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC, she said she did not know when that would be or whether she would run.

She said political prisoners must be freed. Officials deny their existence.

She is due to meet William Hague – the first UK foreign secretary to visit since 1955. Several top officials have visited since Burma’s first elections in 20 years that ended military rule.

A nominally civilian government is now in place.

Ms Suu Kyi, 66, told BBC World News that she foresaw “a full democratic elections in my lifetime”, adding: “But then of course I don’t know how long I’m going to live. But if I live a normal lifespan, yes.”

Last month she formally registered her National League for Democracy (NLD) as a political party, after boycotting the 2010 polls because of electoral laws that prevented her taking part. The authorities officially approved the NLD registration on Thursday.

Of President Thein Sein, a former top general who stepped down to contest elections as a civilian, Ms Suu Kyi said: “I trust the president, but I can’t yet trust the government for the simple reason that I don’t yet know all the members of government.”

Continue reading the main story
Analysis

Rachel Harvey
BBC News, Rangoon
William Hague came to Burma to encourage the government to continue on the path of reform. But he seems to have come away from his meetings having himself been encouraged.

Mr Hague made clear that if the recent trend continued there could be rewards, including the lifting of sanctions. But he said this would only happen when there was a “complete process of reform”.

There is now a widely held view that Burma stands at a crossroads and the next year could prove critical in determining the scope and speed of change.

In her interview with the BBC, Aung San Suu Kyi said things were not moving as quickly as many would like, but she added that she trusted President Thein Sein and believed him to be an honest man.

That view will undoubtedly influence the thinking of western nations – Britain, the US and the EU in particular – who tend to take their cue from Burma’s most famous former political detainee.

Investors eye resourceful Burma
She added: “The most important thing about the president is that he is an honest man… He is a man capable of taking risks if he thinks they are worthwhile.”

Asked whether the day was coming when she would run for that office, however, she replied: “I can’t even tell whether this is something that I would like to do or would do.”

Prisoner account
William Hague said after meeting his counterpart Wunna Maung Lwi in Nay Pyi Taw that “the foreign minister has reaffirmed commitments that have been made to release political prisoners”.

“He said the changes are irreversible and I welcome that way of thinking,” Mr Hague added.

“I stressed that the world will judge the government by its actions.”

But in an interview with the BBC Burmese service later, Wunna Maung Lwi said Burma did not acknowledge there were political prisoners.

They are all criminals, he said, and it was up to the president to decide when prisoners were released – adding that prisoners had already been freed on three recent occasions.

The government, he said, was focused on the development of the whole country.

Between 600 and 1,000 journalists, dissidents and monks who led anti-government protests in 2007 are thought to remain behind bars in Burma.

Ms Suu Kyi said all political prisoners must be freed – regardless of whether the government admitted their existence.

Burma, she said, had made progress but it was not “as fast as a lot of us would like it to be. But on the other hand I don’t think it’s too slow. It’s slow but not too slow”.

She called for Western countries to invest in Burma, which was suffering from “reputation risk”.
Suu Kyi foresees democratic Burma

Burma Democratic Concern(B.D.C) warmly w

Burma Democratic Concern(B.D.C) warmly welcomes 88 Generations Statement

Dear 88-generations;
Our Burma Democratic Concern(B.D.C) warmly welcomes your statement’s 9-items and wishing on your best democratic endeavors on Burma’s Democracy,Human rights,Civil-war stopped,Peace,National reconcilation,Solidarity,Modern developments together with global democratic countries.
thanking you in anticipation;
best regards;

yours’

(U Thi Ha Tint Swe)
Patron of B.D.C,U.S.A.
Ph;(509)545-3066.

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Insight: Freed prisoners add momentum, risks to Myanmar reform
By Aung Hla Tun | Reuters – 9 hrs ago

YANGON (Reuters) – Buddhist monk Shin Gambira endured solitary confinement, beatings and sleep deprivation in Myanmar’s prisons for his leading role in the 2007 “Saffron Revolution” — peaceful protests that were crushed by the country’s military.

Finally free at a monastery on the outskirts of Myanmar’s main city of Yangon, about the worst he will say of his captors is that they were “very rude and cruel”.

“Don’t let me elaborate on it. Let bygones be bygones,” the 33-year-old former protest leader said of his ordeal, following his release last week with about 300 other political prisoners.

Interviews by Reuters with more than a dozen of the newly released prisoners reveal a similar remarkable lack of bitterness toward their captors after years of imprisonment and torture for their beliefs. They described overcrowded cells at the notorious Insein detention center, watching a fellow inmate die from a lack of medical care, and routine deprivation of water and sleep among other abuses.

But nearly all said they backed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s decision to place trust in the government’s reform pledges and take part in April by-elections that could give her National League for Democracy (NLD) party a vital foothold in parliament, part of dramatic changes underway in the former Burma.

Still, the interviews with the former prisoners in Myanmar reveal an undercurrent of skepticism about the government’s true intentions and an impatience for more concrete democratic reforms.

Many also expressed concern that Suu Kyi risks weakening her powerful political capital if, as some believe, she takes a ministerial role as part of the reconciliation process. That could point to future tensions within the opposition and complicate the reform process if the pace of change stutters in coming months.

Sources within the opposition told Reuters there was already intense debate among dissidents over whether to set up a new political party as an alternative to the NLD. Opponents of such a move fear it would dilute the opposition’s message and pave the way for further splintering.

Htay Kywe, who helped lead pro-democracy protests in 1988 in which thousands of demonstrators were killed by soldiers, said Suu Kyi had made a “practical choice” to run in the by-elections and help restore the rule of law in the country.

“This is Daw Aung San Suu Kyi trying in the most non-violent way to work for the country’s transition to democracy. We support this,” said the 44-year-old, referring to Suu Kyi by her honorific title.

Htay Kywe, who spent about 17 years in prison in two spells after his first arrest in 1991, is among many members of the so-called “88 generation” who have been released in recent months and who are sure to play an important role in opposition debate.

The largest release yet of high-profile dissidents promises to speed up the national reconciliation process and provides a powerful argument for the United States and other Western nations to lift economic sanctions against the impoverished but resource-rich country.

Business executives, mostly from Asia, have swarmed into the commercial capital, Yangon, in recent weeks to hunt for investment opportunities in the country of 60 million people, one of the last frontier markets in Asia. Myanmar is also at the centre of a struggle for strategic influence as the United States sees a chance to expand its ties there and balance China’s fast-growing economic and political clout in the region.

Myanmar has thawed astonishingly quickly in the past year.

The government has begun peace talks with ethnic rebels, relaxed its strict media censorship, allowed trade unions and protests, and showed signs of pulling back from the powerful economic and political orbit of its giant neighbor China. It was rewarded last November when Hillary…

Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC): Detta

Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC): Detta är nu dags att internationella samfundet måste ta bort TURISM, handel och investeringar Sanktion om Burma

18 jan 2012

Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) välkomnar varmt frigivningen av hundratals politiska fångar. Enligt listan över Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, aos NLD nätverk inne i Burma som stöder fångar och besöker fängelser runt om i landet – är siffrorna ungefär närmaste väldokumenterade av NLD att det finns 591 politiska fångar i Burma. Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) välkomnar regeringens beslut att frige de politiska fångarna i enlighet med listor över NLD och vi kallar för U Thein Sein regimen att frige alla övriga politiska fångar i enlighet med NLD, aos lista över politiska fångar.

Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) välkomnar också amerikanska regeringens beslut att normalisera diplomatiska förhållande som svar på Burma regeringen aos positiva vidtagit åtgärder. Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) uppmuntrar internationella samfundet att engagera sig mer med Burma i syfte att balansera Kina, aos inflytande över Burma. Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) anser verkligen att fler engagemang effektivt skulle främja politiska, medborgerliga, demokratiska och ekonomiska frihet i Burma.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi har redan uppmanat investeringar och turism i Burma. Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) skulle vilja upprepa vår ledare, aos kräver investeringar och turism i Burma. Vänligen investera i Burma och vänligen besök Burma. Burma står inför utmaningar som vi måste ta itu förnuftigt, klokt och realistiskt för henne strävan efter demokrati. Burma måste lösa fattigdom, korruption, dålig teknik, och brist på kompetens, dålig bank, arbetslöshet och inflation och finans-och penningpolitik.

Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) uppmanar till investeringar i Burma som avsevärt kommer att öka välfärden för det burmesiska folket. Genom att ta bort investeringar och handel sanktioner mot Burma, tror Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) verkligen att burmesiska medborgare kommer att ha nytta av ökade investeringar som kan ge teknik, kunskap och demokratiska värderingar sedan utanför Investeringen stärker privata institutioner. Samtidigt måste Burma arbeta hårt för att avsluta ekonomi monopolet och svågerpolitik i Burma. Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) välkomnar turister som besöker Burma i syfte att främja vanliga burmesiska folket att engagera sig i människor från hela världen.

Burma behöver teknik och ekonomiskt stöd från internationella samfundet att hjälpa återuppbygga nationen efter fem decennier av isolering och ekonomiska vanskötsel. Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) är mycket bekymrad över att på grund av den utdömda påföljden om Burma som subsequence viktiga internationella biståndet stoppas levererar i Burma. Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) kräver att internationella samfundet att ge mer humanitärt bistånd och utvecklingsbistånd i Burma och sedan tidigare merparten av den amerikanska regeringens stödprogram som gick till organisationer baserade i Thailand. Om det finns hinder blockerar hjälpmedel pågår i Burma måste vi ta bort dem omedelbart eftersom vi don, AOT vill såra försörjningen för de vanliga människorna i Burma som lider rykte risk. Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) motsätter sig någonting skada människor.

Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) är mycket tråkigt att lära sig att Burma får mindre bistånd pengar än något annat land i Sydostasien på grund av påföljden om Burma. Till exempel i 2009-10 Burma får endast $ US7.2 per capita av Overseas Development (ODA), medan grannlandet Laos fick $ US64.4. Särskilt internationella samfundet måste ta bort alla sanktioner som blockerar tekniskt stöd inom vård och social välfärd. Burma demokratisk betydelse (BDC) är mycket chockad över att höra att restriktioner av västländer förbjuda hjälp från att nå någon medlem av regeringen på grund av som förbjuder att ge all hjälp som även tillhandahålla utbildning till lärare och hälsovårdspersonal….

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC): This is

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC): This is NOW Time that International Community MUST remove TOURISM, TRADE and INVESTMENT Sanction on Burma

18 January 2012

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) warmly welcomes the release of hundreds of political prisoners. According to the list of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD network inside Burma who are supporting prisoners and visiting prisons around the country — the numbers are approximately nearest well documented by NLD that there are 591 political prisoners in Burma. Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) welcomes the decision of the government to release the political prisoners according to the lists of NLD and we call for U Thein Sein regime to release all the rest of the political prisoners in accord with the NLD’s list of political prisoners.

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) also welcomes US Government decision to normalise diplomatic relation in response to Burma Government’s positive steps taken. Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) encourages international community to engage more with Burma in order to balance China’s influence over Burma. Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) truly believes that more engagement would effectively promote political, civil, democratic and economic freedom in Burma.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has already invited investment and tourism in Burma. Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) would like to echo our leader’s call for investment and tourism in Burma. Please do invest in Burma and please do visit Burma. Burma is facing challenges ahead which we must address sensibly, wisely and realistically for her quest for democracy. Burma must resolve poverty, corruptions, poor technology, and lack of expertise, poor banking, unemployment and inflation and fiscal and monetary policies.

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) calls for investment in Burma which will significantly boost the welfare of the Burmese people. By removing investment and trade sanction on Burma, Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) truly believes that Burmese citizens will have the benefits of increased investment which can bring technology, knowledge and democratic values since outside investment strengthens private institutions. At the same time, Burma must work hard to end the economics monopoly and cronyism in Burma. Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) welcomes tourists visiting Burma so as to promote ordinary Burmese people engaging with people from around the world.

Burma needs technology and financial assistance from international community to help rebuilding the nation after five decades of isolation and economics mismanagement. Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) is very concerned that due to the sanction imposed on Burma as the subsequence crucial international aid are stopped delivering in Burma. Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) calls for international community to provide more humanitarian assistance and development aid inside Burma and since in the past most of the US government’s aid programme went to organisations based in Thailand. If there are obstacles blocking aids going inside Burma then we must remove them immediately since we don’t want to hurt the livelihood of the ordinary people of Burma whom are suffering from reputation risk. Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) opposes anything hurting people.

Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) is very sad to learn that Burma receives less foreign aid money than any country in Southeast Asia because of the sanction imposed on Burma. For example, in 2009-10 Burma receives only $US7.2 per capita of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) while neighbouring Laos received $US64.4. Particularly international community must remove all sanctions that block technical assistance in health and social welfare. Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) is very shocked to learn that restrictions imposed by western countries prohibit assistance from reaching any member of the government because of which prohibit providing any assistance such as even providing training to teachers and health workers.

In particular,…

Burma Insight: 16 Jan 2012 Yangon, Janua

Burma Insight: 16 Jan 2012

Yangon, January 16 — The Senate minority leader and the top republican in US Senate Mitch McConnell this morning said he shared the view of Secretary of States Hillary Clinton that it is now appropriate for the United State to upgrade the diplomatic relations with Myanmar and send here an ambassador to head the US diplomatic mission here.

He made this declaration after 1 hour and 15 minutes talks with democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi at her residence this morning.

It should be recalled that in her speech in Washington on January 13 this year, Secretary of States Hillary Clinton announced that US would start the process of exchanging ambassadors with Burma.

Dubbing the changes that are now taking place in Myanmar as “those heading in the right direction,” Mitch McConnell said: “In the wake of these changes it is now appropriate for us to reconsider in the United States the various sanctions we have imposed on Burma.”

Touching on the by-elections in which the National League for Democracy ( NLD ) of Aung San Suu Kyi would also be contesting, Mitch McConnell said: “We also look forward to a free and fair by-elections on April 1.”

While focusing these attentions on the way ceasefire agreement with Kachin and Karen minorities, he termed these agreements “the important directions, but many need to be done for resolving dispute with the other minorities.”

“We will be watching to see a progress towards resolving those differences with minorities in the future and the resolution of these problems must be taken into account in the context of lifting the sanctions on Myanmar,” McConnell drove home the point.

Concluding his remarks, Mitch McConnell, who arrived here yesterday for a 3-day visit, said he would be holding talks with Myanmar President Thein Sein tomorrow.

On her part, Aung San Suu Kyi told newsmen that she was confident that a man like Senator Mitch McConnell would be able to judge how far the Burmese people were progressing along the road to democratization.

“To come to the point I trust his judgment and I know that he will be watching the situation closely to find out what needs to be done as seasoned democratic politician,” said Aung San Suu Kyi.
http://www.bdcburma.org

Burma signs historic ceasefire in six-de

Burma signs historic ceasefire in six-decade ethnic conflict

PA-AN, MYANMAR—Burma’s government signed a ceasefire with ethnic Karen rebels on Thursday to try to end one of the world’s longest-running insurgencies, part of its efforts to resolve all conflicts with separatist groups.

The government and the 19-member Karen National Union (KNU) delegation agreed in principle to 11 points and signed two broad agreements to end hostilities between the military and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and start dialogue towards a political settlement to a 62-year conflict.

The ceasefire could be a small step towards the lifting of two decades of sanctions imposed on Burma by the European Union and the United States, which have made peace with ethnic militias a pre-requisite for a review of the embargoes.

Peace talks have been held on six occasions since 1949, but no lasting agreement has been reached.

The deputy leader of the KNU delegation, Saw David Htaw, said the climate of change in Burma under its new reform-minded government made dialogue inevitable.

“We have never been more confident in our talks. According to the changing situation everywhere, peace talks are unavoidable now, this is something we have to pass through without fail,” he told Reuters.

“The people have experienced the horrors of war a long time. I’m sure they’ll be very glad to hear this news. I hope they’ll be able to fully enjoy the sweet taste of peace this time.”

Through the KNLA, its military wing, the KNU has fought successive governments for greater autonomy since 1949, a year after Burma gained independence from Britain.

Saw David Htaw praised the government’s peace negotiators as “honest and sincere.”

As well as the sanctions issue, peace with the KNU is vital for Burma’s economic interests.

If the conflict resurfaces, it presents a security threat that could disrupt construction of the $50 billion Dawei Special Industrial Zone, which will be Southeast Asia’s biggest industrial estate when completed and a major source of income for the impoverished country.

Past offensives by government troops have driven hundreds of thousands of Karens from villages, many into camps in neighbouring Thailand, which has struggled to cope with the flood of refugees.

Burma’s army has been accused of oppressing the Karens and other ethnic minorities by committing human rights abuses ranging from rape and forced labour to torture and murder. The West has responded by maintaining tight sanctions.

According to the agreements reached in Pa-an in eastern Kayin State, all efforts would be made to resettle and rehabilitate the displaced. Arms would be permitted in certain areas, landmines cleared and liaison offices set up to facilitate dialogue.

The talks were the latest in a series of dialogues between the government and rebel groups along Burma’s borders with Thailand and China.

An agreement has also been reached with Shan State Army (South), but initial talks with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) have been derailed by persistent fighting, despite an order last month by President Thein Sein for the military to end its operations.

U.S. officials have said the peace process might prove the toughest challenge for civilian leaders who are eager to bring the nation in from the cold after five decades of army rule.

The rebels hold deep distrust towards Thein Sein’s government, which is composed of the same people as the old military regime, but they are broadly behind Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s vision of federalism within Burma’s republic, a plan supported by her late father, Aung San.
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1114377–burma-signs-historic-ceasefire-in-six-decade-ethnic-conflict

Burma halts construction of Thai-backed

Burma halts construction of Thai-backed power plan

The Burmese authorities have halted the construction of a Thai-backed power station, citing concerns over pollution and the environment.

The decision on the coal-fired plant at Dawei comes four months after the controversial Chinese-funded Myitsone hydroelectric dam was halted.

The move is seen as another indication of burgeoning political and economic reforms.

The announcement came from Minister for Electricity Khin Maung Soe.

Speaking to reporters in Rangoon, he said that the decision to stop construction of the power station had been taken after “listening to the people’s voice and reading the concerns about the environmental impact of this plant in local media reports”.

The 4,000-megawatt plant would have formed part of the huge Dawei development on Burma’s southern coastline and activists had warned the project could trigger an influx of “dirty” industry.

“This is intriguing as there had been no real public campaign on the same scale as for Myitsone,” said Aung Zaw, the editor of the Thailand-based Irrawaddy magazine.

“This is a pre-emptive move from a government that is increasingly worried about public opinion and stability.”

More engagement

The designers of the Dawei Development Project say the opening of the deep sea port and the subsequent development will provide a new east-west trade route, allowing goods from China a land shortcut on their way to European markets.

Plans for the $50bn (£32bn) industrial zone include road and rail links, a fertiliser plant and an oil refinery.

The decision on the power plant comes as the international community continue to deepen their engagement with the once isolated nation.

On Monday, Australia announced that it was easing some of its sanctions as a response to political reforms introduced by the new military-backed civilian government.

Last week William Hague became the first British foreign secretary in more than 50 years to visit Burma. His trip followed on from one by Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state.

Both came as part of efforts to encourage the Burmese authorities towards further reforms and the release of political prisoners.
BBC News

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BURMA RELATED NEWS – JANUARY 07- 09, 2012
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AP – Australia eases sanctions against Myanmar
AP – Reports: Myanmar cancels planned coal power plant
AFP – Top US officials on Clinton ‘follow up’ in Myanmar
Reuters – Myanmar army chief visits Thailand, Dawei project in focus
Reuters – Asian firms in pole as Myanmar beckons
Asia Times Online – A decommissioned inquiry on Myanmar
The Nation – For the good of Burmese, Asean and Suu Kyi will have to work together
The Nation – PTTEP eyes LNG blocks with existing PTT deals
Bangkok Post – Stronger military ties with Burma
Bangkok Post – Dawei locals appeal to govt
Aliran – 60000 villagers flee Burma military assault
The Christian Post – Burma’s Christian Civilians Attacked During Christmas
IRIN – MYANMAR: High hopes for Karen peace talks
Bernama – More Armed Groups Expected To Sign Peace Agreements With Myanmar Government
NASDAQ – Volkswagen will have to reverse gears to sell in Burma (VLKAY, GM, F, VROM)
Washington Examiner – Burmese businesses bring a new flavor to Waterloo
China Daily – Support for Myanmar
Times of India – Antiques smuggled through Sunderbans
The Spectator – The Burma trail
The Irrawaddy – Adviser Denies Hinting Govt Role for Suu Kyi
The Irrawaddy – Further Hardships for Rangoon Warehouse Blast Victims
The Irrawaddy – Four Killed, 40 Injured in Bomb Blast at Karen Festival
Mizzima News – NLD reshuffles senior leadership
Mizzima News – 4,000-MW power plant project cancelled in Dawei
Mizzima News – Burma to call for offshore energy bids
DVB News – Shan army to hand over drugs
DVB News – NDF lines up candidates for April vote
DVB News – Britain balancing hope and scepticism in Burma
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Australia eases sanctions against Myanmar
AP – 2 mins 45 secs ago

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Australia said Monday it is easing some restrictions on members of Myanmar’s ruling elite in response to political reforms by its military-backed government.

The decision came as the party of Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi began gearing up to contest by-elections on April 1. Her National League for Democracy party has cautiously endorsed reforms instituted by President Thein Sein that include legalizing labor unions and freeing some political prisoners.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd announced the easing of sanctions during a visit to Indonesia, Australia’s Foreign Affairs Department said.

“The changes to the sanctions list are an acknowledgment that Burma is taking a number of important steps toward a more open democracy and greater engagement with the region,” the department said a statement, using the name for Myanmar preferred by the country’s democracy movement.

Australia bars visits by senior Myanmar officials and bans financial transactions with them. Like other Western nations, it imposed the sanctions because of abuses by the previous military government.

The new policy removes former Cabinet ministers who have left politics and tourism officials from the sanctions list. The statement said an arms embargo remains in place.

“We hope positive developments, such as the increased participation of opposition parties in the political process, the release of around 220 political prisoners, and new labor laws that will legalize trade unions, will continue. In this context we will keep our approach to sanctions under review,” Rudd said in the statement.

The United States and Britain, whose foreign secretary last week visited Myanmar, have not eased their sanctions, saying the release of more political prisoners is a key indicator of the progress of reforms. Between 1,000 and 2,000 political prisoners are believed to still be detained.

Thein Sein took office last year after a general election boycotted by Suu Kyi’s group, which said the polls were undemocratic.

The government legally dissolved her party for…