COMMENTS (0)

RECOMMEND (192)

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PLUSONE

MORE

E-MAIL

PRINT

TEXT SIZE

"The very existence of a travel guide to Burma encourages people to visit a country they might not otherwise consider," TUC General-Secretary Brendan Barber said in a statement. "We want to see the travel industry drop Burma from their list of destinations, and taking the Lonely Planet guidebook off the shelves would help enormously.” The Lonely Planet series is now published by Britain’s BBC, which said it had no plans to withdraw the guide. The Burma Campaign-UK, an organization that lobbies for human rights and democracy in Burma, has also been pressing for the withdrawal of the Burma edition. Britain’s TUC has a membership of 60 unions, representing more than 6 million workers.

Computer Virus Attacks Burmese Opposition Groups

Burmese opposition groups are being targeted by a new virus that attacks their computers and destroys their files. The virus, which carries the name “Happy Birthday,” is circulating mostly in offices in the Thai-Burmese border town of Mae Sot, but has also appeared in Rangoon. Among the affected organizations are the Burma Lawyer Council (BLC), Political Defense Committee (PDC), Karen National Union (KNU), Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP) and Dr Cynthia Maung’s clinic. A PDC technician said the virus “starts working as soon as you start opening the computer. It will ask you to restart the computer when opening the window.” PDC had lost all its files because of the virus, and the systems of other groups were also being damaged, the technician said.

---

Friday, February 15, 2008

Burma Starts Relocating Animals to New Zoo in Naypyidaw

First, the civil servants were trucked to Burma's newly built capital. Now, it's the rhinos and elephants turn. Using cranes and trucks, the military government this week began relocating scores of animals—including elephants, rhinos, deer and bear—from Rangoon's Zoological Garden to the capital Naypyitaw, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Rangoon, zoo officials said. The Rangoon zoo houses 150 species of mammals, birds and reptiles, but it is chronically short of funding and has started falling into disrepair. The animals moving to Naypyitaw will be housed in a 200-acre facility that opens to the public March 27. While the junta has claimed the new zoo will be world class, some residents have expressed concern it lacks the infrastructure and lush vegetation the animals need to survive. (AP)

Filipinos Working Overseas Send Home US $1.4 Billion in December

Millions of Filipinos working overseas sent home US $1.4 billion in December—the most in a single month—pushing total remittances in 2007 to a record US $14.45 billion, officials said Friday. The funds accounted for 10 percent of annual gross domestic product, said Amando Tetangco, the central bank governor. He said the 2007 amount was 13 percent higher from the previous year because of "continued demand abroad for Filipino workers and enhanced remittance service provided by banks and nonbank remittance agents." About 8 million of the Philippines' population of 90 million work abroad, sending money that provides a backbone of the economy. (AP)

---

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Boeing Appoints Former US ambassador as President of Southeast Asia Division

Boeing Co. said Wednesday it named Ralph Boyce, a former U.S. ambassador, as president of the company's business in Southeast Asia. Boyce, 56, who will be based in Singapore, will succeed two retiring Boeing executives _ Douglas Miller, vice president of integrated defense systems and head of Singapore, and Paul Walters, who has led Boeing's business in the remainder of Southeast Asia, the company said in a statement.  Boeing said that prior to joining the company, Boyce was a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service. From January 2005 to December 2007, he served as the American ambassador to Thailand; before that, he was ambassador to Indonesia for three years until October 2004. (AP)

American Detained in Thailand over Child Sex Charges

An American English teacher facing child sex charges in the United States was detained in Thailand, police and an embassy spokesman said Thursday. Earl R. Bonds, 42, of Missouri, was detained Wednesday night by Thai police in Phuket, where he worked as an English tutor, after authorities received a request from the FBI for his arrest, said Police Col Wiseth Kethphan, chief of the city's tourist police. He was taken to Bangkok and expected to be remanded into American custody, Wiseth said.  It is believed that Bonds arrived in Thailand two months ago, he said. Michael Turner, the US Embassy spokesman, praised the cooperation between Thai and American authorities in making the arrest. He said Bonds may be extradited as soon as Thursday.