US ‘careful’ on easing investment ban

US ‘careful’ on easing investment ban in Myanmar
WASHINGTON – The U.S. said Wednesday it will ease its investment ban in Myanmar carefully, noting that recent democratic reforms are reversible and deplorable rights violations persist.
Kurt Campbell, the top diplomat for East Asia, also said in testimony to a congressional foreign affairs panel that the U.S. remains troubled by Myanmar’s military trade with North Korea.
His cautious comments come as human rights groups voice increasing concern that the U.S., European Union and other nations are moving too fast to relax economic sanctions to reward Myanmar’s shift from five decades of authoritarian rule.
Rep. Donald Manzullo, R-Ill., the panel chairman, said there is still no rule of law in the country also known as Burma, and corrupt officials and the military stand to reap a windfall from the country’s rich natural resources.
“Have our European and Asian allies gone too far by rushing headlong into suspending all sanctions and immediately boosting assistance?” Manzullo told the hearing of the committee that oversees U.S. policy in Asia and the Pacific. He cautioned that a “reckless” lifting of U.S. sanctions could feed the cycle of corruption.
The EU this week suspended its economic sanctions, and Japan said it would forgive $3.7 billion in Myanmar’s debt following recent special elections that saw democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s party sweep most of the contested seats. The U.S. has said it will allow export of financial services and American investment in some sectors of the impoverished economy — such as agriculture and telecommunications — but has yet to announce details.
Campbell described the Myanmar’s political opening as “real and significant” but “fragile and reversible.” In his testimony he credited economic reforms and said the government has doubled spending on education and quadrupled it on health, but military spending, at 16.5 percent of the total budget, remains “grossly disproportionate.”
He noted fighting and reports of severe rights violations in the northern Kachin State — scene of one of Myanmar’s most entrenched ethnic insurgencies — and “deplorable” discrimination against ethnic Rohingyas in the western Rakhine State. He said that despite the releases of more than 500 political prisoners by Myanmar authorities since last October, at least several hundred are still behind bars.
Aung Din, of the U.S. Campaign for Burma, alleged that arbitrary detention and torture continues, and questioned the significance of recent political reforms.
Although Suu Kyi’s party won all but two of the seats in the recent special elections, it still has less than 7 percent representation in parliament. He said the quick easing of sanctions by the U.S. and other nations meant that “the Burmese government led by President Thein Sein is the real winner” of the vote.
In his prepared testimony, Aung Din complained that U.S. officials had failed to consult with veteran student protest leaders, leaders of Suu Kyi’s party and ethnic minorities before announcing its the targeted easing of bans on investment and financial services.
Campbell said the State Department would proceed “in a careful manner” on easing the sanctions, and would work with the Treasury Department to re-examine and refresh its list of sanctioned Myanmar nationals — principally military officials and their associates.
The U.S. has consulted closely with Suu Kyi, who is widely admired in Congress, as it has engaged with Thein Sein’s government, lending bilateral support for its shift from diplomatic isolation of Myanmar. Suu Kyi also endorsed the EU’s move to suspend its economic sanctions for a year.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/25/us-careful-on-easing-investment-ban-in-myanmar/#ixzz1t7lehrI2

Govt relaxes NGO registration process TH

Govt relaxes NGO registration process

THE government plans to amend a law concerning the registration of local and international non-government organisations, a presidential adviser revealed last week.

“The current law for [registration of] NGOs will be amended following a proposal from a member of parliament,” adviser Dr Nay Zin Latt said last week. “The government wants to increase cooperation with NGOs … [and] intends to loosen restrictions gradually.”

The amendments come after the government cut the waiting time for registration and also extended the length of validity for registration.

The change in policy came about in 2011 after the handover to President U Thein Sein’s government and by the end of the year 280 domestic groups had registered, according to Ministry of Home Affairs statistics. However, that still represents just a small percentage of the total number of non-government groups, which is estimated at about 20,000.

“We had to wait for two years for our application to register to be approved,” said U Nay Myo from Ratana Metta Organisation, which focuses on health, child protection and livelihoods and was officially registered in March 2011. “And we still had to promise to do only social affairs.”

Among the more high-profile organisations to be able to register is the Free Funeral Service Society, led by actor Kyaw Thu. The group, which formed in 2000, had its registration revoked in 2008 after a dispute with the government but it was reinstated last month with a validity period of five years, Kyaw Thu told The Myanmar Times.

However, he said the K500,000 (about US$600) registration fee was “unfair”.

“For small organisations, how they can afford this amount? Social welfare work is not a business. Instead of having to pay this fee it would be more beneficial to use this amount to improve people’s health and education,” he added.

Despite the relaxation of the registration process, many local organisations, particularly smaller informal groups, are still not interested in applying to register, said Dr Sid Naing, country director for Marie Stopes International.

“According to the Law of Founding an Organisation, all organisations must register but the law did not come into effect until 2006,” he said. “The former government only gave a registration number to the organisations that it trusted.

“After Cyclone Nargis in 2008, the number of local NGOs rose dramatically. While some of these organisations are officially registered with the government, many are not.”

However, those that operate without official registration can face difficulties, particularly from local officials.

“We had some problem when we went in the wards. The authorities asked our team, do we have an official registration number? If we haven’t, they said only to come back and do our welfare work when we have one,” said U Kyaw Thain Tun, head of Ratna Mahal, a Yangon-based education organisation that formed in 2009.

“We applied to register officially in August 2011 and I hope to get a registration number when I go to the Home Affairs Ministry office in Nay Pyi Taw next month.”

U Myo Yan Naung Thein, director of the Bayda Institute, a political education training centre based in Yangon, said the restrictions on political activities in the current law should be removed.

“It is not fair that NGOs are unable to join political movements. This meant that during the Myitsone Dam affair some environmental NGOs did not participate,” he said. “If NGOs are able to operate freely it will improve the democratic reforms in Myanmar.

“I want to apply to register our organisation because I want to work according to the law but we cannot do so under these restrictions … I would like to suggest to the government that the 1988 registration law is too restrictive and the government should create a new law that is very free and fair.”
http://www.mmtimes.com/2012/news/623/news62305.html

Attn; NLD Excellence sir; NLD should con

Attn;

NLD
Excellence sir;
NLD should continue to do her self Hluttaw duties on constructed visions of all Burma’s national people’s profits and shouldn’t give your national peopls unuseful problems because every patriotic democratic parties used to give their national people’s good prospects without problems and your constitutional problem liked the biting dog-bundle on the truth monkey on beach.
Do you think why did china develop? but not democracy! China do more & speakless!
thanking you in anticipation;
best regards;

yours’

(U Thi Ha Tint Swe)
Patron of B.D.C,U.S.A.
Ph;(509)5453066.

The European Union will suspend most san

The European Union will suspend most sanctions against Burma for a year while it assesses the country’s progress towards democracy.

Officials said that while the decision would be formally taken by the EU’s 27 foreign ministers when they meet on Monday in Luxembourg, it had already been agreed in principle.

The sanctions will be suspended for a year, with the possibility of a review in six months, the officials said. The sanctions target more than 800 companies and nearly 500 people, and include the suspension of some development aid.

An embargo on arms and equipment that can be used for internal repression will remain in place, however.

Burma appears to be undergoing a remarkable transition. Last year, the military junta ceded power to a new government that has embarked on widely praised reforms, including opening a dialogue with the opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and allowing her to run for – and win – a seat in parliament.

The British prime minister, David Cameron, earlier this month became the first leader of a major western country to visit Burma since the relaxation of military rule. The EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, plans to travel to the country at the end of the month.

Energy is an essential for development.

Energy is an essential for development. Burma must work to ensure providing sufficient electricity and gas for all the citizens of Burma.
http://www.bdcburma.org

Urgent help needed for Burma These are t

Urgent help needed for Burma

These are the most basic needs which is urgent and most directly benefitting the people’s daily lives.

(1) Electricity – (We are now living in the stone age with no electricity ironically we have full resources and people are not getting it )
(2) Communications – internet etc..
(3) Transportation

Photo: BAYDA Institute teaching political sciences subjects with no electricity ေဗဒါေက်ာင္းမီးမရွိပဲစာသင္ရပါသည္

We need to give priority to agricultural

We need to give priority to agricultural investments that support the infrastructure and input requirements of sustainable family farming

We need resources from agricultural investments to improve the effectiveness, capacities and capabilities of the organisations and networks at all levels to be able to develop, promote and defend family farming, sustainable food systems and food sovereignty:

We need to realise a common approach in the face of harmful agricultural investments that are capturing productive resources, imposing industrial models of production, and implementing policies, strategies and research and other programmes that undermine local food systems.

We need to Increase the knowledge at all levels including individual famers’ organisations to national platforms and the regional and continental networks about the CFS (UN Committee on world
Food Security) and CSM (Committee on World Food Security) process
http://www.bdcburma.org

Burma Democratic Concern (BDCs) warmly w

Burma Democratic Concern (BDCs) warmly welcome US Government Easing Sanctions on Burma

5 April 2012

Burma Democratic Concern (BDCs) warmly welcome US Government easing sanctions on Burma in light of the by-election and the other progress of recent months. To recognize and embrace the progress that has taken place, Burma Democratic Concern (BDCs) and Burmese people are very glad to learn that US Government is prepared to take five main steps such as—

1. First seeking agreement for a fully accredited ambassador in Rangoon in the coming days, followed by a formal announcement of our nominee;

2. Second, establishing an in-country USAID mission and supporting a normal country program for the United Nations Development Program;

3. Third, enabling private organizations in the United States to pursue a broad range of nonprofits activities from democracy building to health and education;

4. Fourth, facilitating travel to the United States for select government officials and parliamentarians; and

5. Fifth, beginning the process of a targeted easing of US ban on the export of U.S. financial services and investment as part of a broader effort to help accelerate economic modernization and political reform.

Burma Democratic Concern (BDCs) and Burmese people are very glad to express our joy over easing some restricted measures which will be paving ways to tackle extreme poverty, to encourage reform process and to establish genuine democratic system in Burma leading towards work achieving everlasting peace, and national reconciliation.

Since on 18 January 2012, Burma Democratic Concern (BDCs) have been calling for removing such measures http://www.bdcburma.org/StudentDetails.asp?Id=148

Burma Democratic Concern (BDCs) and Burmese people are very happy that the above very facts which will be removed are exactly what we have been asking for and we would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to US Government for helping Burma democratisation with action with action.

For more information please contact Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) at

U Myo Thein [United Kingdom]
Director, Burma Democratic Concern (BDC)
Phone: 00-44-208-493-9137, 00-44-787- 788-2386

U Khin Maung Win [United States]
Director, Burma Democratic Concern (BDC)
Phone: 001-941-961-2622

Daw Khin Aye Aye Mar [United States]
Patron, Burma Democratic Concern (BDC)
Phone: 001 509-783-7223

U Tint Swe Thiha [United States]
Patron, Burma Democratic Concern (BDC)
Phone: 001-509-582-3261, 001-509-591-8459

The following is the original text of the remarks of the US Secretary of State Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Recognizing and Supporting Burma’s Democratic Reforms

Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
April 4, 2012

The results of the April 1st parliamentary by-elections represents a dramatic demonstration of popular will that brings a new generation of reformers into government. This is an important step in the country’s transformation, which in recent months has seen the unprecedented release of political prisoners, new legislation broadening the rights of political and civic association, and fledgling process in internal dialogue between the government and ethnic minority groups. These elections and the progress that we have seen are precisely the kind of step that the President and I envisioned when we embarked on this historic opening. President Thein Sein and many of his colleagues inside the government helped launch their country on a historic new path. And while there is much to be done and significant tests lie ahead, we applaud the president and his colleagues for their leadership and courage, and we congratulate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for her election to the parliament as well as the election of many of her colleagues.

The United States is committed to taking steps alongside the Burmese Government and people as they move down the road of reform and development. In light of the by-election…

Burma’s transition away from military ru

Burma’s transition away from military rule continues
Elections sweep Aung San Suu Kyi into parliament
by Brendan Brady on Monday, April 2, 2012 11:31am – 0 Comments

Khin Maung Win/AP
Update: Aung Sun Suu Kyi’s party won 40 of 45 seats in Burma’s by-elections on Sunday

The sun-baked dirt road was already chock full of chanting supporters when Phyu Phyu Thinn emerged from her headquarters in downtown Rangoon. They had been waiting for hours in the sweltering heat to catch a glimpse of the politician, whom they hurriedly pursued on foot after she was whisked away in an open-top vehicle. The size and furious energy of the crowd were startling sights in Burma, where stultifying and violent military rule has long suppressed public expressions of support for figures outside the ruling clique. The last time the streets of Rangoon rang with calls for political change, in 2007, soldiers gunned down scores of protesters and detained thousands more.

“We have been living in fear for a long time,” Thinn, 40, who is the country’s leading HIV activist and has served multiple stints in prison for participating in protests, told an attentive audience packed inside a Buddhist temple. “But times have changed. We should not be afraid anymore.” It is a hopeful message that Thinn and her fellow National League for Democracy (NLD) member, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, 66, have balanced with caution as they run in parliamentary by-elections on April 1; they will mark their party’s return to electoral politics after being sidelined for over two decades.

Burma’s transition away from military rule had an inauspicious start. In November 2010, the army held a national election that was widely seen as a ploy by the junta to rule through plainclothes proxies in order to rehabilitate the country’s image and end Western-imposed economic sanctions. The army-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) was dominated by former military officers who used their patronage networks to steamroll threadbare competition: many of the NLD’s leading politicians were in jail or barred from participating. Suu Kyi was released from years of house arrest only after the vote. For good measure, the 2008 constitution reserved a quarter of all parliamentary seats and control of key ministries for the army. With its hands tied, the NLD decided to boycott the election and expressed little faith in the new regime.

But a breathtaking series of reforms over the past year has transformed the substance and tone of the power handover, lifting the climate of fear that long gripped the country and paving the way for the first steps of a democratic system to gain traction. Since taking the reins in March of last year, President U Thein Sein, a retired general, has emerged as an unlikely reformer—“Burma’s Gorbachev,” as some analysts have dubbed him. The government released hundreds of political prisoners, allowed citizens to form unions and hold public protests, relaxed media controls and attempted to de-escalate fighting with ethnic separatist armies. Thein Sein has made overtures to Suu Kyi—when the army ruled, its generals made every attempt to denigrate her—and when he addressed parliament this month, he even criticized the past leadership: “Our people suffered under various governments and different systems,” he said. “The people will judge our government based on its actual achievements.”

Thinn, the HIV activist, has been tirelessly delivering speeches and receiving garlands and warm wishes from ecstatic supporters. And in the few moments when she rests, her party’s chief symbols—Suu Kyi and the NLD’s red flag emblazoned with a peacock and star—continue to circulate the city on T-shirts, taxis and pushcarts. A year ago, such public displays of devotion to the “The Lady,” as Suu Kyi is known, were grounds for arrest. Today, NLD supporters are not losing the chance to voice their opinions. “Do you know who that is?” an exuberant commuter walking past a poster of Suu…

Generalplan og folkevår Publisert I går

Generalplan og folkevår
Publisert I går kl. 11:35 – 9666 visninger Innlegg
Det som nå skjer i Myanmar er en leksjon i politisk ­strategi ovenfra. Men også i folkelig styrke nedenfra.

YANGON (Dagsavisen): Det har gjort inntrykk å stå blant tusenvis av ekstatiske burmesere, som i sentrum av millionbyen Yangon og langs støvete landsbyveier jublet over at de for første gang er på vei mot noe som minner om et fritt samfunn, der de selv får bestemme hvem som skal styre landet deres.

Fortsatt er det langt igjen, og det er nå det virkelig blir krevende. Nå skal Aung San Suu Kyi og hennes parti være med å ta ansvar for å løse landets etniske konflikter og økonomiske utfordringer – og samtidig skape et demokrati. Men hvis NLD virkelig har vunnet rundt 40 av de 44 kretsene de stilte i (slik de selv hevdet i går), og de militære virkelig lar seieren forbli så total når de offisielle resultatene kommer, ja da har dette landet i det minste tatt et viktig steg framover langs veien mot demokrati.

Det har også gjort inntrykk å høre de mange stillferdige fortellingene fra aktivister som i tiår har kjempet mot militærdiktaturet, men nå samarbeider med det. Da han var ung studentaktivist, drømte Myo Yan Naung Thein om å bli selvmordsbomber. Hvis han bare kunne sprenge generalene i lufta, ville framtida bli bedre for landet hans. Etter å ha sittet ti år i fengsel, hvor armene hans ble svidd med fyrstikker og stukket med nåler mens han var bakbundet, var drømmen borte. Nå støtter han samarbeid og forsoning. «Vi må la generalene beholde overtaket. Bare slik kan vi få forandring», sa han til meg.

En kan lese dette som resignasjon, som å bli torturert til underkastelse. Etter å ha snakket med mange av disse aktivistene, framstår det for meg som noe mer. En imponerende pragmatisk og målrettet kamp som over tid kan vise seg å gi større resultater enn væpnet opprør.
Det som har skjedd i Myanmar (Burma) de siste månedene, og som toppet seg med søndagens valg, er på ett plan en styrt revolusjon ovenfra. En nøye uttenkt plan der generalene bruker valg og ytringsfrihet som redskaper for å sikre sin makt og sine økonomiske goder. En ny grunnlov er laget som sikrer immunitet og fortsatt innflytelse i parlamentet. Store rikdommer er privatisert. Forsiktig demokratisering sikrer at folket ikke gjør opprør på ny. Nå mangler det bare at sanksjonene skal bli borte så generalene kan skaffe seg en motvekt i Vesten mot Kinas stadig økende innflytelse over landet.

I dette perspektivet er det som skjer i Myanmar det motsatte av hva som har skjedd i Midtøsten de siste månedene. Det kan faktisk godt være at en styrt demokratisering ovenfra vil vise seg å være mer bærekraftig enn opprør nedenfra som presser generalene mot veggen. Myanmar ser ut til å være i en bedre posisjon enn Egypt for øyeblikket, både for generalene og folket.

Men det er ikke gitt at alt skjer etter en nøye uttenkt plan. Flere peker på at munkeopprøret, syklonen Nargis og den arabiske våren alle har presset fram endringer. Hendelsene har tatt hverandre, og skapt en bevegelse som har gått fortere enn noen hadde ventet. Slik kan det fortsette. Noe av det mest slående med å være i Yangon i én uke, var å merke hvordan alle snakket uten frykt, fra taxisjåfører til studentaktivister. Slik var det ikke for ett år siden, sier alle jeg har snakket med. Når frykten først slipper taket, er det ikke gitt at generalene kan fortsette å kontrollere utviklingen slik de har gjort hittil. Det snakkes allerede om at parlamentarikere både fra militærets parti og militærets utvalgte kvote ønsker å slutte seg til vinnerlaget og Aung San Suu Kyis parti.

Dette vil neppe skje over natta. Kanskje vil det ta flere år. Flere i Yangon peker på andre asiatiske lands overgang fra militærstyre til demokrati som modell. Både i Sør-Korea og Indonesia tok det mange år før de militæres innflytelse over politikken ble svekket.

Men selv om utviklingen i Myanmar er styrt ovenfra, har den også kommet etter mange års press…