dejunter burma

source lacroix

The warning is final. The Minister of Internal Affairs wrote Burmese Aung San Suu Kyi stating that it violated the law by leaving open the headquarters of his party, the National League for Democracy (NLD dissolved since last year) and publishing political statements, suggesting itself to transform the NLD in "social organization".

And seriously to keep the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 against his travel plans, imminent in the northern provinces of the country. "We fear that this causes chaos and riots, as previous events have proved." The allusion is could not be more clear: in 2003, Suu Kyi and her team were attacked in an ambush orchestrated by the military junta, which had a hundred deaths.

The "Lady of Rangoon" remains active

It seems that this is the tour of the country that frightens the regime. Obviously, the "Lady of Rangoon" has lost none of its popularity in the country, despite his arrest and imprisonment for nearly 15 years in the last 21 years. Since his last release last year, it has continued to call for support from the international community for the democratization of Burma.

Just last week, broadcast on BBC radio, she launched the Burmese people "envy" the Arab Spring. "The universal human aspiration for freedom was brought to us by the recent developments in the Middle East. The Burmese are as excited by these events than other peoples. "

Such an inspiring speech can once again that "scare the authorities," says Renaud Egreteau, Burma expert at the University of Hong Kong (1). At 66 years, Aung San Suu Kyi continues its commitment to democracy despite serious threats to his life again: "It is a choice that I made and I do not see at all my life as a sacrifice "(2).

DORIAN MALOVIC

source: ParisMatch - Article: Julie Montagard

Burma is a bus ride constantly interrupted by checkpoints gathering. | Photo Julie Montagard

On the west coast, in Arakan State, the Burmese population attends muzzled heist nature reserves. No benefit to it and with serious consequences for the environment. Here, India and China are a fierce war to win huge markets: gas, oil, infrastructure ... and the ruling military unscrupulous reap their share of profit.

The beach was sacked, and the next monsoon we face a disaster. "Despite the lock word in Burma, the young student Phru Gri explodes with anger. The soft Sittwe, capital of Arakan (one of the seven states of the Union of Myanmar), became the Sittwe mutilated. To this day, from View Point, end of a spit of land, we discovered one of the most beautiful seascapes in the Southeast Asia. Where the sweet waters flow into large Kaladan salty depths of the seabed of the Gulf of Bengal, a sandy beach and gray stretched out of sight. Today, against the backdrop of two islands silhouetted on a slightly hazy horizon, an endless stream of trucks and tractors hollow and carries the sand. Bins do not go away. Just a few kilometers. On a huge project: the construction by India of a deepwater port.

But why destroy this range, hitherto preserved, rather than look elsewhere for materials? Dr. Mya Min, navy sweater over longyi fine tile, as are almost all men of the country, said in a low voice: "Pots of wine, of course! A Rakhaing * like us, but in cahoots with the authorities obtained the contract against 4,000 kyat (a few euros). Pittance, but offset by 500 kyat it collects any load of sand and 1000 by large truck. Given the back-and-forth day and night, it's a bargain! "
Damage to View Point are yet only a small taste of what awaits the territories of two western states of Burma, Arakan and Chin State. Arakan became a challenge for international lusts for a series of offshore drilling revealed in 2004, the presence of huge gas reserves off the city of Sittwe. Gas and oil are, after opium and precious stones, the main source of income for the junta.

19 foreign companies ... and war

According to the Network of information and documentation for sustainable development and international solidarity (Ritimo) Burmese gas exports increased by almost 30% between 2007 and 2008, representing 43% of total exports during the year. Similar explosion in the hydrocarbon sector since, according to the Myanmar Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, foreign investment in the oil sector for the same period tripled. Also according to official sources, 13 foreign companies, including Total, were involved in 2008 in oil and gas projects in Burma. They are 19 now. Between these global corporations, it is a fierce war. When the main gas field is discovered at Shwe off Sittwe, Indian companies, Chinese and Korean are rushing to get the concession. Willing to invest huge sums.

It is ultimately the Korean group Daewoo wins that operate 100 billion cubic meters of gas. South Korea's Daewoo resell the gas to China and forward pipeline to Yunnan. To join the province of South-West China, the pipeline will cross the whole of northern Burma. It will be coupled with a pipeline that will transport the oil that China imports from Africa and the Middle East, thus avoiding the Malacca Strait ** between Malaysia and Sumatra. Shwe Gas, it will be these two pipelines built side by side on nearly 1200 kilometers to the nose of the Burmese people, which itself undergoes restrictions. "When I think we do not have electricity - for the few people who have access to - a few hours a day," protested Aung Aung, a resident of Mrauk U, the second city of the Arakanese state. "How can our leaders they export energy when our country needs it so much ..."

Expropriation, confiscation, extortion

The construction of the two pipelines generates much concern. Caritas (Catholic Relief International network) and Shwe Gas Movement, two non-governmental organizations warned: "Already 13,200 soldiers of the Burmese army had taken position on the edge of the 50 meter wide road, raising fears of indigenous, such as Historically, land confiscation, forced displacement or forced labor, not to mention the abuse caused by the soldiers. "According to the NGO EarthRights International (ERI), the Shwe project - the largest ever in Burma - will report to the junta for nearly 48 billion dollars (32 billion euros) over thirty years.

As for India, in April 2009 it won the contract for the construction of a deep water port in Sittwe (delivery in 2013). The geopolitical reasons: competition with China, defending its commercial interests, dramatic increase of its energy needs, development of its armed provinces bordering Burma movements, all of which are to this state along the Bay of Bengal strategic for it. This port will indeed also enable India to connect the ports of the eastern coast - Chennai (Madras) and especially Calcutta - the Asian market. And also open up its North-East States, because this project - Kaladan Multi-Modal Transport (KMMT) - also includes the domestication of the Kaladan river to river port Paletwa and building a highway to India's Northeast.

A new source of income for the junta

The offices of the Indian group Essar moved to Sittwe, on Strand Road, near the future port, where every day people flock to the heart of the central market which is full of manufactured goods made in China (as Delhi dream made into in India through its future cargo). Their doors are open but can not initiate a conversation with employees. A "we have nothing to say" stop all trade with faces as locked as soldiers Tatmadaw, the Burmese army. "A major component of the contract, said the spokesman of the Indian Essar newspaper" The Telegraph ", the construction of the port of Sittwe help infrastructure development in Burma, which is an opportunity for this country and will create jobs. "Adding, as if it was not obvious:" It will also help the Burmese government to make lots of money. "The contract is valued at 3.42 billion rupees (51 million euros), according to Mizzima News, a news agency in New Delhi founded by Burmese exiles. Arakan Rivers Network is indignant: "India brings a new source of revenue to the Burmese junta, seeming to ignore the discrediting of the government for its lack of democracy. "

Pollution and deforestation

For now, the port of Sittwe can only accommodate ships of small tonnage (2000 3 000 tonnes) and retains its activity in a traditional decor intact. In the morning, long boats unload their cargo back men assaulted by a mob came to source and brokers raising the stakes fish spread on the ground. A vision came from the depths of time, soon wiped out by new infrastructure and heavy tonnage vessels. Rakhaing a businessman who - as is often the makers - has swapped the traditional longyi for pants to Western says: "I agree that this project started, because we need a large port we open trade international. But, he says, lowering his voice, I regret that the government of our country is not interested in environmental and ecological consequences of this huge project. "And he adds bitterly:" Our leaders do leave because they have ample leg fat! "

As he and the young Phru Gri, or Dr. Mya Min, many are worrying about the consequences of this enormous KMMT project on the environment and the already fragile populations of these Arakan and Chin states, many of which live the resources of the river. Arakan Oil Watch (AOW), an independent non-governmental organization based in Thailand, denounces "the thousands of acres of land already confiscated, low irregular wages for local workers, the lack of participation in decision making, the deployment of troops and the lack of income for local people. " What to add, according to several associations, pollution of marine areas, accelerating deforestation and logging of teak.

Operated on their own land

Meanwhile, many of the people live on a daily income of less than 2 euros. And poorest of the poor, Muslims from Bangladesh at the time of the English colonization derive the toughest tasks. We find, therefore, quite naturally, on this site, shoveling into day or night, to carry on the back the basic materials of the future port, while in another part of the city, but for the same project, their mothers and sisters are clearing rubble brought from Lemro river in heavy and aging vessels. Throughout the day, topped by a heavy cart-load, they come and go from the boat to roughly square consists of four wooden planks, which "calibrates" pays them 2,500 kyat (2.20 euros) when in completed four. A pooled, not individual income. The team can vary from 6 to 8 or 10 women. The amount itself remains unchanged.

* Name of the inhabitants of Arakan.

Narrow ** sea passage attended by more than 50,000 ships a year, carrying a quarter of the goods traded in the world and currently 80% of the 1.5 billion barrels of imported oil annually by China.

Source: AFP

But ....

The Burmese authorities have burned large quantities of drugs seized Sunday especially opium, for a total value of approximately $ 50 million, to mark the UN day against drug trafficking, has been a journalist the AFP.

"We must increase our efforts to eradicate narcotics by all means," said General Ko Ko, Minister of Home Affairs, at a ceremony in the capital Naypyidaw.

The drugs seized included including 4.5 tons of opium and 146 kilograms of heroin. The new civilian government, set up three months ago after the resignation of the military junta and still control, "continue the war against this scourge until its roots are eradicated from our soil," promised the officer.

Burma says it wants to eradicate all drug trafficking in 2014.

But it has again become a major producer of heroin, with output increased by 20% in 2010, on Thursday warned the United Nations Office against Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

With the temporary decline of the Afghan opium production in Burma last year and represented 12% of world production, against 5% in 2007.

"The opium production in Myanmar increased slightly because we had a lot of difficulties, especially in terms of security, to destroy poppy farms in some areas," admitted a senior official in Burmese covered of anonymity.

Several regions of the country are struggling with rebellions from ethnic minorities, promoting multiple illegal activities.

source: PCinpact (Nile Sanyas)

Awesome!!

French journalists Gaël Bordier and Tristan Mendes-France, along with their illustrator Antoine ERRAST and editor Miguel Escobar, hit hard by running there is little site Happy-World.com . It contains an (excellent) video documentary on Burma (or rather Myanmar), freely available under license Creative Commons 3.0 at that. If this is not a first in itself, the project innovates by its presentation and webdoc next generation.

Named "Burma: the dictatorship of the absurd," this documentary made ​​in 2009, is available free in its entirety on his official website, as well as Dailymotion, Vimeo, YouTube and Facebook and soon.

Originally intended to be broadcast on television, this documentary was eventually rejected by all the major chains says Pierre Cattan, producer of the documentary, told our colleague Owni . The documentary was not necessarily being thrown in the trash.

"For the diffusion is Wikileaks that inspired us. The progressive online content partnerships with serious and reputed media, "he explained as our colleague. "The production finance the first project of its own funds and the funds raised help with the first film, ideally, to finance the second film," says Owni. Result if Happy World works, other webdocs follow in the coming years, with a rate of one per year documentary.

If it is available on various platforms , it is on the official website that this documentary takes any interest. In fact, while watching the documentary, the right part is updated with links to articles on the topic "live", but also audio interviews, etc.. The documentary is therefore simply not just video, audio and text are also exploited. A real web-documentary fee. Financially, the authors rely on support via Paypal and Flattr this time.

Finally, in the spirit of exploiting the Web to its advertising, the authors had the idea to set up a module simulating censorship a Twitter account. Here, one of PCINpact .

source AFP

An Australian businessman, only foreigner to lead a group to press Burma on Tuesday asked to be acquitted in a case that observers attributed to a power struggle.

Ross Dunkley, head of Myanmar Consolidated Media Group (MCM), the Myanmar Times weekly published in English and Burmese, is considered in Rangoon including abuse of a 29 year old woman and for giving him illegal drugs. He faces 14 years in prison.

"I request the payment of charges for these leaders, because he has not committed any crime," said his lawyer Aung Than Soe.

Attorney Mone Mone asked him to court for "an appropriate sentence," without giving further details.

The judgment will be delivered on June 30, said the judge.

Dunkley was arrested on February 12 and released on bail on March 29.

The woman he is accused of assaulting had previously asked to withdraw his complaint, explaining that she was pregnant and unable to go to court, but his request was rejected.

David Armstrong, chairman of Post Media Group Ltd, which publishes the Phnom Penh Post, which is a shareholder Dunkley, reports from the first day that the case "coincides with tense and protracted discussions" in MCM and ensures that her partner is innocent .

The Australian, who also heads the Cambodian newspaper Phnom Penh Post, MCM was founded in 2000 with Sonny Swe, the son of a former military intelligence officer.

But in 2004, the services were completely dismantled by the ruling junta. Sonny Swe was arrested, convicted, and its share (51%) transferred to Tin Tun Oo, editor MCM, "close to the Ministry of Information" by its opponents.

In late January, the respected website Irrawaddy Burmese exile had already reported a struggle between Dunkley and Tin Tun Oo. Since then, he has denied any fight in the newspaper and paid part of the deposit of the Australian.

Source: AFP

The opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon Tuesday during the celebration of the 66th anniversary.

Photo: AP

A delegation of the European Union arrived in Burma for talks with the new civilian government, a Burmese official said Monday.

source: lenouvelobs

and I want to wish you a happy birthday, Ms.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was able to celebrate his birthday on Sunday unhindered. Aged 66 years, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 1991 was offered a gift on this occasion: welcome to Yangon International Airport youngest son, Kim Aris, who lives in Britain.

Suu Kyi has celebrated 15 birthdays in detention or under house arrest the past 22 years and this is the first in nine years that it can freely celebrate with his friends, his family and supporters. On this occasion, she had to offer a meal to the monks, before attending a party at the headquarters of his party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) and a reception in the garden of his house on Inya Lake.

"If you had asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I would have said peace, stability and prosperity for the country," she said at the party headquarters. However, it noted that "sparks fly war" in Burma, probably in reference to fighting between government forces and the Kachin rebels in the north that have displaced thousands.

The opponent was speaking to half a thousand activists from a candle in hand for his birthday. Balloons were then released into the sky, before dozens of sparrows and doves are released from their cages. On the sidewalk in front of more than fifty plainclothes police and members of the intelligence services were filming or taking pictures of all those entering the NLD offices.

Aung San Suu Kyi intends to launch in the coming days on a tour of the country, hoping that it does not suffer the same fate as the previous May 2003. At the time, his convoy was attacked by a mob controlled by the government in the north-west of the country and she had to return to Rangoon.

The dissenting saw his arrest lifted last November, shortly after the elections, the NLD has also boycotted. The junta since 1962 officially handed over power to civilians in March, although observers agree that that power remains in the hands of the military.

source: owni.fr

believe me have a look on this site

The military junta is one of the most repressive in the world with regard to the Net plans. Bloggers imprisoned, cut network, the local system can it be bypassed?

In Burma, the average monthly wage is $ 30. To qualify for DSL, it is necessary to pay 120 . In a country where most people connect to the network in cafes because of domestic equipment, the state of the infrastructure brings us back to the '90s, when broadband did not exist, the optical fiber was utopia not yet been achieved, and that the average consumer clung to a package of 20 hours by measuring its chance.

But the decay of Myanmar is not everything: we must also rely on an extremely effective censorship, which is the country to be ranked in the lackluster list of "enemies of the Internet" , issued by Reporters Without Borders. More than 12,000 IP addresses distributed to local service providers, all subservient to the regime, only a big hundred answers, an iniquitous position the hacker and activist Jacob Appelbaum summarized as follows :

This means that all Burmese networks, with the exception of those hundred, are cut off from the outside world.

All in all, the country has only three service providers , the largest of which is represented by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPT), so the state, which keeps the upper hand on to button supply network.

While Iran is seriously considering to develop a national intranet, which would further facilitate a little more work of the censors, the Burmese model appears as one of the most coercive world, severely circumscribed by an arsenal of laws not respectful of human rights and freedom of expression. And it is a French company, Alcatel-Lucent, which provides control infrastructure.

While filming a documentary on the spot, the French journalist Paul Moreira found that the telecommunications giant had sold its technology to "lawful interception" in partnership with China. In the jargon, this advanced equipment has another polite name, "Deep Packet Inspection" (DPI). Specifically, it allows a state to filter and read the full electronic trading of its population, is a formidable weapon to track dissidents. To discard the involvement of Alcatel, one of its officers has the rhetorical pirouette: "What is better? Restricted or no communication at all communications? "

This is probably not the opinion of Zarganar, Nay Phone Latt and "Nat Soe" three bloggers jailed for expressing a little too publicly their opinions. They are serving sentences of between 10 and 35 years. In 2007 and 2010, the junta has refined its repressive apparatus, such as rationing the use of the Net to slices of six hours . It is no coincidence that some say "Myanmar Wide Web" - an ironic reference to the World Wide Web - to discuss the Burmese lock.

To try to circumvent the firewall, develop initiatives such as Barcamps, whose first version was organized Burmese in Rangoon on 23 and 24 January 2010, bringing no less than 2700 participants. Their goal? Awareness of digital issues, education and pedagogy. For the 2011 edition, not less than 4000 people gathered at Info-Tech, an area dedicated to new technologies, in order to talk about Facebook and Twitter. A tour de force in a country where the flow of wireless network performance appears little better than a sickly 56K modem. And most importantly, a great snub to the authorities.

source: LePost

During 3 days, from June 17 to 19, all users who wish may send a message of solidarity and Happy Birthday Aung San Suu Kyi. To your keyboards!

Sunday, June 19, Aung San Suu Kyi will celebrate for the first time in over 20 years, her birthday in freedom!

During three days, the site will aungsansuukyi.fr all messages of sympathy from netizens. Thousands of messages are expected. They will all be sent to him Sunday night at 23 o'clock.

, Prix Nobel de la Paix et leader de la Ligue Nationale birmane pour la Démocratie, continue à oeuvrer inlassablement pour la libération de son pays et de son peuple. After so many years in prison or under house arrest because of its own democratic opinions, Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize and leader of Burma's National League for Democracy, continues to work tirelessly for the liberation of his country and its people.

Thousands of messages expected from France, Switzerland and Belgium

The team of French information site and support for Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma is preparing for several days and all the necessary technical means have been developed to collect messages of French Internet users, but also Belgian and Switzerland.

Operation "Happy birthday, Aung San Suu Kyi!" Last Friday morning to Sunday evening without interruption.

It is possible to write the message in both French (Aung San Suu Kyi understand French!), In English, or, of course, Burma!

It is advisable to short messages to be more powerful as possible there and not saturate the network.

The Aungsansuukyi.fr 's team calls all readers, subscribers and supporters to the buzz around this by circulating the information up on blogs, websites and Facebook pages, the goal, of course, to collect the largest number of messages before Sunday night, 23 pm, closing of the transaction.

Recall our full support for Aung San Suu Kyi on the eve of his dangerous tour throughout Burma

Released last November, Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize and leader of the National Democratic League of Burma, continues to work tirelessly for the liberation of his country and his people.

Far from being satisfied with his own freedom, it calls for the release of all prisoners and prisoners of opinion are more Burmese in 2000 and that even the International Red Cross does not have access.

On 22 June, only protected by the young activists of the organization, it will go on the road to Burma to meet all those and all those for whom it is the only hope and have been waiting for so long! But the last time she attempted such a tour in 2003, his convoy was attacked and she escaped by a miracle the attack, which killed more than 80 of her supporters.

Operation "Happy Birthday Aung San Suu Kyi" is of course a way to tell her how much she is loved in France. But it is also, and most importantly, a way to remind him that we are tens of thousands around the world to think about it and to support it with all our might and with all our hearts!

Happy birthday, Aung San Suu Kyi!

Pierre MARTIAL - journalist and writer

President of France Aung San Suu Kyi

source: romandie.com

The rebels of the Kachin ethnic minority who face week the Burmese army in the far north of the country, appealed to China to participate in a settlement of the crisis, when Beijing called the protagonists restraint.

The fighting, described as violent, spread to Shan State in northeastern Burma. And the Kachin Independent Army (KIA) said Thursday need a referee for potential negotiations.

Without the involvement of another country as a witness, as a facilitator (...), there is no solution, said a spokesman of the KIA, Henry Branglai, reached by telephone from the seat of the rebellion in Kachin State.

The appeal is unlikely to be heard: China has indeed returned back to back belligerents. We are closely monitoring the situation at the border (...) and call the parties to the conflict (...) calm and restraint to avoid escalation, said the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hong Lei.

We urge them to resolve their differences through peaceful negotiations.

The fighting began last Thursday after an offensive by the Burmese army in an area controlled by the KIA, an initiative, according to Henry Branglai to allow him to gain influence in that area.

The Burmese authorities have not communicated. Only a Burmese official on condition of anonymity acknowledged fighting. But no reliable and independent information was available from this very remote area.

And counts of refugees and displaced persons vary considerably depending on the source.

Henry Branglai said thousands of people were and forth and back and to either side of the Chinese border.

Beijing has denied that his repressed refugees side. Since the conflict broke out, some at the border came to China to find their relatives and friends, assured Hong Lei, stating that they were supported in accordance with international practices.

An administrative charge of Yunnan in turn denied any exodus. The doors are open as normal. Burmese come and go every day. We do not believe provide tents and food, because at the moment it is not necessary, he told AFP.

On Wednesday, a spokesman for the news agency Kachin News Group (KNG) asserted that the fighting marked the first day of the civil war between the army and the KIA.

KIA, which should have at least a few thousand fighters, was once one of the most powerful rebellions in Burma. It controls large parts of northern Kachin State, despite a cease-fire with the junta in 1994.

Many minority groups, which represent a third of the 50 million people of Burma have never pacified their relations with the central government since independence in 1948. Since then, a civil war between the capital to some of these groups, who demand more rights and autonomy.

End of 2010, analysts had said fear a massive offensive of the Burmese army, accused of trying to watch the last rebellions once completed his post-election constitutional reforms.