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US ‘Troubled’ by Burma Developments

Aung San Suu Kyi(center) speaks with us charge d' Affaires Larry Dinger(Left) and Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Cambell(right) at a govermet guest house in Rangoon.

Kurt Campbell, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said that the Burmese military regime should abide by UN sanctions that prohibit buying arms from North Korea. He also said that the junta’s election plan lacks legitimacy. During his second visit to Burma, he spent nearly two hours in a closed-door meeting with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Campbell said he was disappointed with the round of talks he had with junta leaders during his visit and urged the military government to move toward more openess and democracy.

Thailand Vows Inquiry after Crackdown

A tire burns as Thai soldiers clash with anti-government protest in Bangkok's financial district on May 14.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva promised an independent investigation into the violence that wracked Bangkok during two months of anti-government Redshirt protests. More than 80 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the unrest, which culminated in a military crackdown on May 19. Abhisit faced calls from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct a thorough inquiry and underwent two days of grilling in the Thai parliament for his government’s handling of the crisis. Curfews were imposed in major cities in the immediate aftermath of the crackdown following a series of attacks on major commercial properties in Bangkok and on government buildings in provincial capitals. Meanwhile, Thailand’s Department of Special Investigations circulated copies of an arrest warrant for Thaksin Shinawatra to 187 countries, accusing the ousted prime minister of terrorism for his alleged role in financing the Redshirt protests and inciting violence. 

Burma Heatwave Leads to Water Shortages

An intense heatwave in April and May left many parts of Burma with severe water shortages. People in Rangoon, Pegu, the Irrawaddy delta, central Burma and Arakan State endured daily temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius for almost one month. The town of Myinmu, in central Burma, recorded its highest temperature in 27 years—46.5 degrees. Meteorologists blamed the heatwave and subsequent drought on a lack of monsoon rains. In the cyclone-ravaged Irrawaddy delta, many rice crops were destroyed by the heat, while thousands of villagers had to rely on donations of drinking water from UNICEF and Rangoon NGOs such as the Free Funeral Services Society.

Former Indonesian First Lady Dies

Former Indonesian first lady Hasri Ainun Habibie died in May of cervical cancer at a Munich hospital, where she had been treated since March. She was 72. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered a state funeral. Her husband, who had been vice president, became president after longtime President Suharto was swept from power following a wave of massive pro-democracy street protests. The couple had been living in Germany, where her husband had attended school. She is survived by her husband and two sons.

Junta Rejects International Election Observers

The Burmese government has rejected the participation of international election observers in the upcoming election this year. The New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported that the chairman of the Union Election Commission, Thein Soe, told visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell of the government’s decision.