Burma Update

Bangkok Post, 25 Jan.06.

On Feb 7, the Shan State Army will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Panglong Agreement, which enshrines the rights of ethnic groups in Burma FHe has quit politics, but Thaksin Shinawatra continues to dominate the headlines FChances are that Prasong Soonsiri will head the Constitution Drafting Committee

Shan State Army (SSA) leader Yawd Serk insists he is ready to hold peace talks with the Burmese government to break the country's political deadlock.

"The SSA is ready to enter talks through political means if the Burmese government gives us the opportunity," said Col Yawd Serk. He reiterated his readiness to negotiate with the junta as SSA troops and Shan people were preparing an event to mark the 60th anniversary of the Panglong Agreement on Feb 7.

The Panglong Agreement, signed in 1947 by national hero Aung San and ethnic leaders, enshrined the rights of different ethnic groups in Burma during Burma's independence struggle. General Aung San, father of Burma's democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was assassinated a few months after the agreement was signed. The Panglong Agreement became a legend of the fight for freedom by the Shan and ethnic groups who have been oppressed by the Burmese authorities for over 60 years.

Feb 7 is the day most Shan people remember as it marks the day they adopted their national flag and national anthem - Kherh Tai Kherh Raza. The atmosphere at all SSA bases along the Thai border to the west is expected to be more lively on that day. A religious ceremony will be held to make merit for Shan fighters who lost their lives during their struggle against Burmese troops.

The SSA has long been fighting against the Burmese government for greater autonomy of the Shan State. It refuses to give up the fight although several rebel groups laid down their arms.

Col Yawd Serk says he has more than 10,000 heavily-armed troops. He admitted the use of weapons would not be the only way to achieve the goal of freeing Shan people from slavery. "The SSA has tried to move towards a political fight. There will be light at the end of the tunnel as democratic countries are paying more attention to us. Now, some powerful countries feel sympathy for us and advise us not to give up our efforts," he said.

In the past, events to celebrate the Panglong Agreement were usually held at the SSA main base on Doi Tailaeng opposite Mae Hong Son's Pang Ma Pha district. But this year, the venue has been moved to a border area opposite Chiang Rai's Mae Fa Luang district.

"This venue is the safest place as it is not vulnerable to attacks by Burmese troops," said a leading member of the panel responsible for organising the event.

Non-governmental organisation activists, songs-for-life singers and other rights groups will flock to the border to attend the event, which will recall the legend of the Panglong Agreement, that has yet to materialise. At least 2,000 people are expected to join the event.

Security will not be a worrisome issue on that day as the Thai Border Committee will meet in Chiang Rai during the time of the celebrations.

CEBU, Philippines - ASEAN host the Philippines has urged military-ruled Burma to free democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and take "concrete" steps to democracy, according to documents obtained Sunday.

President Gloria Arroyo, who had a closed-door meeting with Burma's Prime Minister Soe Win on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit Saturday, expressed hope the extension of Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest last May "would be the last."

She said Burma's engagement with UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari is encouraging but such visits must yield "more concrete and meaningful results" in future.

Her comments to Soe Win, as reported in the document, were stronger than the official position of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In their post-summit statement, ASEAN leaders encouraged fellow member Burma to "make greater progress towards national reconciliation." They called for the release of detainees but did not name the democracy leader.

Arroyo also said Burma should consider the desire expressed by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy to be consulted by the government, and added that "dialogue and compromise should be an ongoing process."

The president said there was "tremendous concern" in the international community about the 61-year-old Nobel peace prize winner, and expressed hope that her request for more regular medical attention would be granted.

Arroyo also noted the positive developments in recent months, including a decline in the number of cases filed against individuals lodging forced labour complaints against the government.

Soe Win, according to a diplomatic source, explained his country's "road map" to democracy and what he termed internal problems. Rights groups say the "roadmap" is a sham to deflect pressure to democratise.

Agence France-Presse, The Nation, 15 Jan.07

Bangkok Post Breaking News 15 Jan.07
By Girlie Linao

Cebu, Philippines (dpa) - Despite being frustrated by the slow pace of democratic reforms in Burma, its Southeast Asian neighbours have started to shift their attention to the humanitarian "crisis" plaguing the military-ruled country.

While leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations still stressed the need for Burma to "make greater progress towards national reconciliation," they also offered various assistance in alleviating humanitarian problems there.

But democracy activists stressed that all the humanitarian problems plaguing the people of Burma were "directly and indirectly caused" by the military junta of General Than Shwe.

"There is definitely a humanitarian crisis in Burma. Unfortunately, the main cause of this crisis is the military regime," Debbie Stothardt, coordinator of the Bangkok-based pro-democracy Alternative Asean Network, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in a telephone interview.

Burmese Prime Minister Soe Win welcomed the offers of aid from his Asean counterparts and briefed them on the progress of his government's seven-step roadmap to democracy during their annual summit in the central Philippines, an Asian diplomat said Sunday.

But Soe Win's report piqued some of the Asean leaders, who noted that there was "nothing new" or concrete about the implementation of democratic reforms, another diplomat said.

The meeting occurred just a day after the a US-proposed resolution to declare the situation in Burma a threat to regional security was defeated in the United Nations Security Council after China and Russia vetoed it.

Asean leaders said they believed that the region should be allowed to deal with the problems in Burma first before it was taken up in international forums such as the UN.

According to a briefing paper on the meetings held in Cebu province, 585 kilometres south of Manila, Asean leaders expressed their desire to "work with Burma in improving the human security situation in the country" - using the military's junta word for Burma.

"If the government of Myanmar would let us, we are willing to play a role in alleviating the humanitarian problems faced by Myanmar, such as HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, internal displacement due to conflict between government forces and insurgents, and poverty," the confidential paper added.

The document noted that since it was the "humanitarian crisis" that brought the situation in Myanmar to the attention of the United Nations, it was time for Asean to re-examine its approach to the situation in Myanmar.

"Up to this point, Asean has dwelt too much on political and economic engagement with Myanmar," the paper said.

The UN's focus on the humanitarian situation in Burma "should spur Asean to reflect on what role it envisages for itself in improving the humanitarian situation in its member countries, especially in light of its efforts to draw up its charter and to evolve an Asean socio-cultural community, where human, cultural and natural resources are developed and shared for the community interest of Asean peoples," it added.

Asean has often been criticised for failing to take stronger action against Burma, whose failure to implement democratic reforms and dismal human rights record have been an irritant in relations with key dialogue partners, such as the European Union and the United States.

In a statement at the end of their summit, Asean leaders called for the release of those placed under detention and for effective dialogue with all parties concerned.

"Furthermore, we agreed on the need to preserve Asean's credibility as an effective regional organisation by demonstrating a capacity to manage important issues within the region," the statement added.

Stothardt said any effort to help the Burmese people must be done side by side with pressuring the military junta to implement democratic reforms and stop repressive policies.

She noted that people in Burma were poor not because of the lack of funds or resources, but because "the regime is prioritising the military, splurging on fighter jets and military hardware and not on education, health and other services."

According to international organisations, the military junta only spends 0.3 per cent of its gross domestic product on education and even less, 0.19 per cent, for public health services.

Stothardt added that according to the World Health Organisation, Burma is ranked 190th among 191 countries in its public health services.

"The Burmese people are facing a very terrible, very horrible situation there because of the military junta's bad governance, economic neglect and lack of democracy," she said.

"The bigger disaster in Burma is not natural, it's a military-made disaster," she added. "The humanitarian situation in Burma will be resolved once the military stops attacking the people and subjecting them to repressive acts. They don't even have to spend money."