BRIEFLY NOTED (June 2010)
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NLD Focuses on Electoral Rights
Former members of the recently dissolved National League for Democracy (NLD) in central and eastern Burma distributed leaflets with the message: “Citizens have the right not to vote in the coming election.” The former members said that the leaflets, together with letters of appeal to the general public, were distributed in Mandalay, Sagaing and Magwe divisions and Karen State. The NLD on March 29 announced its decision not to re-register as a political party to contest the election scheduled for later this year and was subsequently dissolved by the junta.
US Extends Sanctions Against Burma
US President Barack Obama has formally extended sanctions against Burma, first imposed in May 1997, “because the actions and policies of the government of Burma continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.” The move bars US firms from investing in Burma and bans Burmese exports to the US. The sanctions also target private individuals linked to the junta. The extension comes just days after the National League for Democracy headed by pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was forcibly dissolved after refusing to meet a May 6 deadline to re-register as a political party—a move that would have forced it to expel Suu Kyi.
Naypyidaw: No More ‘Military Government’
The War Office in Napyidaw has issued a directive to all state-controlled media, including newspapers, radio and television, to stop describing the Burmese regime as a “Tatmadaw government,” according to military sources. Tatmadaw, in Burmese, means “military or armed forces.” Many high-ranking army officers, including Prime Minister Thein Sein, have already resigned from the army in order to set up a political party and become candidates in an election that is slated to take place later this year. The election is part of the regime’s efforts to establish an ostensibly civilian administration after more than two decades of military rule.
Rangoon Market Blaze
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| Burmese firemen fight a blaze at Rangoon's Mingalar Zay market on May 24. |
Aquino Refuses to Take Oath before Arroyo Appointee
Sen. Benigno Aquino III, who will become the Philippines’ next president, vowed not to take his oath of office before newly appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, who once served as the chief of staff and spokesman for his predecessor, Gloria Arroyo. Aquino, who is the son of democracy icon Corazon Aquino, is set to be sworn in on June 30.
Indonesian Child-teen Smokers Rising
Data from Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency showed 25 percent of Indonesian children under 15 have tried cigarettes, with 3.2 percent of those active smokers. The percentage of 5- to 9-year-olds lighting up increased from 0.4 percent in 2001 to 2.8 percent in 2004, the agency reported. A health law passed in 2009 formally recognized that smoking is addictive, and an anti-smoking coalition is pushing for tighter restrictions on smoking in public places, advertising bans and bigger health warnings on cigarette packages. A bill on tobacco control has been stalled because of opposition from the tobacco industry. Tubagus Haryo Karbyanto, a member of the National Commission of Tobacco Control, said Indonesia must address the social conditions that lead to smoking, such as family influence and peer pressure. Indonesia is the world’s third-largest tobacco consumer.
Truck Crash Kills 13 Burmese Migrant Workers
A pickup truck loaded with Burmese migrants went out of control and crashed on the highway near Cha-am in Phetchaburi Province in western Thailand, killing at least 13 people. The vehicle was carrying 16 Burmese migrants from Ranong in the south to the port of Mahachai in central Thailand when it tried to evade inspection by Thai police, who gave chase.
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