The Irrawaddy News Magazine [Covering Burma and Southeast Asia]

NEWS IN BRIEF
BRIEFLY NOTED (June 2010)

JUNE, 2010 - VOLUME 18 NO.6

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.

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

Burmese firemen fight a blaze at Rangoon's Mingalar Zay market on May 24.

A fire destroyed Mingalar Zay, one of Rangoon’s largest wholesale markets, in Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township on May 24. The fire broke out on the fourth floor of the six-story market and was not extinguished until the next day. The blaze was caused by an overheated electrical appliance. Damage is estimated at about 20 billion kyat (US $20 million).

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.