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          新聞週報 Weekly Diary, No. 239 (24 February – 2 March 2007) S.H.A.N Weekly Diary, No. 239 (24 February – 2 March 2007) ILO PACIFIED! OPPOSITION STRATEGIC MEET DECLARED A SUCCESS! "ECONOMIC" PROTESTORS FREED! WORLDWIDE PROTESTS AGAINST SALWEEN DAMS! Think Piece 23 February 2007 U Aung Thaung "We will never transfer power to the Kalama ( a derogatory word for Indian woman)," promised Industry # 1 minister U Aung Thaung at a mass meeting in Pyawbwe two weeks ago. (RFA)The World25 February 2007Al Gore (Left)Former Vice President Al Gore wins Oscar for best documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth", considered a win for the issue of global warming. (Reuters) 26 February 2007 Rosalyn Higgins, ICJ presidentInternational Court of Justice (ICJ) rules that the 1995 massacre of nearly 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica was genocide. (AFP) 1 March 2007 Kao Kim HournAsean foreign ministers are expected to hold their first talks at the weekend on a charter drafted along the lines of the European Union. It is expected to be completed by October, says 酒店兼職 Kao Kim Hourn from Cambodia's foreign ministry. (AFP) International Relations26 February 2007Than Shwe receiving Tang JiaxuanSenior Gen Than Shwe receives visiting Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan in Naypyidaw to "exchange views on development of Sino-Myanmar friendly ties." (Xinhua) 26 February 2007ILO statement issued today says it has concluded "understanding" with the junta that allows "victims of forced labor to have full freedom to submit complaints to the ILO liaison office" in Rangoon with a guarantee that "no retaliatory action will be taken." A very positive development, says ILO representative in Rangoon Richard Horsey. (Irrwaddy) 28 February 2007Foreigners working in Burma for the UN and international NGOs are paid up to 25 times more than the local staff, according to Ray of Light, a Burmese language journal. While locals are paid between $200-$500, expatriate salaries range from $ 5,000-$12,000. About 70 foreign and local agencies are registered in Burma. (Irr 租房子awaddy)28 February 2007A 34-member trade delegation from Burma begins a 10-day tour of Indian states in Imphal, capital of Manipur, today. (Mizzima) 1 March 2007ICRC has decided to close down 2 of its 5 field offices in Burma, says Thierry Ribaux, deputy head of ICRC delegation in Burma. The two are Kengtung and Moulmein. The other three, Pa-an, Mandalay and Taunggyi, are only allowed to support physical rehabilitation programmes, Myanmar Red Cross Society and families of detainees. (Mizzima) Thai-Burma Relations28 February 2007Kritiya Achvanichkul, director of the Institute for Population and Social Research of Mahidol University, says the ILO-junta MoU is "impractical," while Pranom Somwong, of MAP Foundation, says it has been viewed as a joke. (Bangkok Post) 1 March 2007Thai soldiers stop a small group of Burmese monks from continuing with a peace march from Bangkok to Maesod. 3 Burmese including U Thawparla and a Burmese layman arrested. A Thai supporter accompany them is freed later. They are told 住商房屋not to continue the march "for security reasons." (Irrawaddy) Politics/ Inside Burma21-23 February 2007 Padoe Mahn ShaOpposition holds strategic meeting on the Thai-Burma border. One resolution is to expand their lobbying campaign toward China and Russia, both of whom had exercised their veto power against a US draft resolution censuring Burma's military leaders, according to Padoe Mahn Sha, a KNU participant. (Network Media Group) 26 February 2007All police manning the security kiosks at township police stations in Rangoon have been withdrawn since 24 February and preparations are underway to replace them with USDA members. (DVB) 27 February 2007Nine demonstrators who protested on 22 February released from Aung Thabyay detention camp today: May Win, Kyu Kyu San, Htin Kyaw, Hla Myint Aye, Myo Oo, Hla Thein, Tin Win, Ohn Than and Tun Tun. (Mizzima) 27 February 2007Rangoon's Sanchaung court postpones for the third time the trial relating to Naw Ohn Hla, 45, who had filed a defamation suit against 123 editors a 會場佈置nd publishers of local journals. The case was filed on 26 January. The court has set 9 March to decide whether to begin trial. (Mizzima) 1 March 2007Thakin Chan Tun and U Win Naing, two veteran politicians in Rangoon, praise SPDC decision to release detained protestors, sign a new agreement with ILO and allow peaceful political prayer campaigners. "Some people claim they were done with the instructions of the Chinese," says Win Naing. (DVB) 1 March 2007Burma will hold Academy Awards, the Burmese version of the Oscars, at Naypyidaw on 5 March. 600 movie industry people are expected to attend the ceremony. "I don't want to go, but I have to show my face," says a director. "Otherwise, I could be in trouble with my job in the future. It's always been like that." (Irrawaddy) Shans/ Shan State23 February 2007Charm TongCharm Tong, 25, receives Norway's Student Peace Prize. The ceremony is held at the International Student Festival in Tronheim (ISFIT). 23 February 2007 Khun Tun OoLawyer Aung Thein says a new special appeal will 個人信貸be submitted on behalf of the Shan leaders who had been sentenced from 79 – 106 years imprisonment in 2005. (DVB) Appeal against 28 charges laid against the men will be lodged in two groups. Khun Tun Oo has the most cases – about 5. (DVB) Economy/ Business25 February 2007Two anti-malarial programs in Pegu division will be implemented under a Japanese grant of $ 178,822, says New Light of Myanmar. (Xinhua) 25 February 2007Gas bluesThe generals want the country to run on natural gas, of which it has plenty, but the plan is ill-conceived: Only 20 filling stations for 11,000 taxis and buses CNG pumps are so archaic they can take 30 minutes to several hours (if there are blackouts) One of the poorest nations in Asia has some of the most expensive second hand cars in the world – 1980 Nissan Sunny fetches more than $ 20,000. There are 2 cars for every 1,000 people, according to 2000 figures. By contrast, Rwanda has 4 and Cambodia 47. (Reuters) 27 February 2007State media says Burma has awarded another contract to Daewoo International to explore 關鍵字排名 for natural gas in the Gulf of Bengal. The new block is next to the one where Daewoo has already found 5.7-10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves. (AFP) 28 February 2007Crippling economy may pose a more formidable threat to the junta than the simmering political front. Officially inflation for the 2006-2007 period was estimated to be around 26% from 9% for the previous year, according to a Burmese economist. But unofficial estimates has now reached between 50-60%. (IPS) 28 February 2007P.Chidambaram P.Chidambaram, India's finance minister, announces the country has almost doubled its development aid to Burma from Rs. 44.57 crore (1 crore = 10 million) in 2006-07 to Rs 80.41 crore in 2007-08. (Mizzima)Human Rights26 February 2007Paulo Sergio PinheiroUN rights expert Paulo Sergio Pinheiro urges Burma to grant aid groups immediate access to threatened communities in Karen State. "Humanitarian assistance should not be made hostage of politics", he says. (Irrawaddy) 27 February 2007Maureen Aung Thwin of Burma Project, Open Society Institute, and Cherry Zaha 系統傢俱u of the Women's League of Chinland urge the international community to save Burma's women from "state sanctioned" sexual crimes. They are speaking to the UN panel on "Gender Violence in Burma and Sudan." US ambassador Grover Joseph Rees meanwhile criticizes the UN for forcing a name change of the panel discussion from "State-sanctioned Mass Rape in Burma and Sudan" to "Gender Violence in Burma and Sudan." (Irrawaddy/AP) 28 February 2007Livestock ministry informs FAO and World Organization for Animal Health that H5N1 has been detected in a western suburb of Rangoon, that has killed 68 birds. Authorities have since slaughtered more than 1,500 chickens and ducks and placed a 3 week ban on the sale and movement of poultry in 3 townships in the outbreak area. Burma last reported an outbreak in March last year. No human H5N1 cases have been reported. (AP) Environment28 February 2007Thai and Burma activists present appeal to the kingdom's Ministry of Energy demanding cancellation of Salween dam plans with Burma. "We want authorities to halt the projects until proper im 裝潢pact studies have been done," says April Moe from Karenni State. Thailand and Burma signed MoU in May 2005 to build 5 hydroelectric dams on the Salween. Construction of the Hutgyi dam, the first one, is due to commence in December 2007. She warns Thailand with influx of more refugees displaced by the dams in the future. Similar protests are to take place in Washington DC, Sydney, Jakarta, Manila, Auckland, London, Melbourne, Hanoi, New Delhi, Essen, Tokyo, Vancouver, Paris and New York. (DPA/Press Release) 27 February 2007300 metric tons of illegal logs worth $ 300,000 have been seized in Kachin State's Bhamo district. The seizure took place in spite of millions of kyats in bribes to the state authorities, say loggers. Order for the current seizure came from Naypyidaw, according to army sources. (Kachin News Group) Drugs17-24 February 2007Bangladeshi army raids border area of Bandarban, Chittagong Hill Tracts and destroy 50 acres of poppy fields. (Kaladan News) 27 February 2007A factory run by Chinese nationals in Mongkoe, northern Shan State, raided by Muse anti-narcotics police and troops. 面膜 Police have refused to comment on it. (DVB) 1 March 2007A report by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) released today says opium cultivation in southern and eastern Shan State has continued to drop 34% from 32,800 hectares in 2005 to 21,500 hectares in 2006. (Xinhua) Which is in contrast with SHAN report that says cultivation in Loilem district, southern Shan State, in 2006-07 season is extensive, more than the previous season – Editor US report says increase in production and export of synthetic drugs is threatening to turn the Golden Triangle into "Ice Triangle". Ice the name of the crystal form of methamphetamine. (Irrawaddy) War22-23 February 2007Maj-Gen Aung Than Tut, Commander of Lashio-based northeastern Region, arrives in Mongmai and then Panghsang. Commanders of artillery and armored accompany him, a fact which disturbs Wa leaders. He is returning on 28 February to prepare for the visit of Maj Gen Ye Myint, MAS chief and diplomats. (RFA) Dignitaries will arrive on 2 March to inaugurate a new monastery that has been constructed in place of the old one that was burnt down in 2005 – Editor 吳哥窟  .