NEW YORK -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva plans to pay a one-day visit to Burma next monthb to confirm cooperation between the two countries.
Mr Abhisit will hear the Burmese government’s plans for after the election on Nov 7 and discuss the status of former opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, other jailed prisoners and the problems of some ethnics minorities groups.
He is scheduled to visit the neighbouring country on Oct 11.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Thailand will assure Burma about the preparation of the border negotiation, connectivity, roads and bridges building as well as the progress of the roads building project at Kho Khareng which is funded by the Thai government.
“The Thai government also wants to learn more about the Burmese privatization which has just started with its state enterprises and the open market policy. We are interested to learn which sectors will be of interest to the Thai private sector and confirm our readiness to cooperate on the economic front,’’ said the foreign minister.
Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/198938/pm-to-visit-burma-next-month
Thursday 30 September 2010
Wednesday 29 September 2010
Burma rejects criticism of elections
Burma's foreign minister on Tuesday rejected international criticism of the country's election insisting that the junta is committed to a "free and fair'' vote.
The minister, U Nyan Win, said the election in Burma on November 7, which the opposition has said would be a sham, was "a critical phase of its political transformation process.''
He told the UN General Assembly that more than 3,000 candidates from 37 parties would take part in the vote for 1,171 parliamentary seats.
"Such a large participation made it crystal clear that the elections become virtually inclusive,'' the minister said.
U Nyan Win made no mention of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, nor UN and international demands that she be freed for the vote.
"The people will exercise their democratic right to elect the representatives of their own choice who can serve their interest better,'' the minister said.
"With its ample experiences and lessons learned in holding multiparty general elections in the past history, Burma is confident in its ability to conduct the elections in an orderly manner.
"Whatever the challenges facing us, we are committed to do our best for the successful holding of the free and fair general elections for the best interest of the country and its people.''
A UN ministerial group said Monday that the election will not be credible unless the military rulers release Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition detainees.
The group _ which included ministers from neighbors China and India, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia as well as Britain and the United States _ "clearly reiterated the need for the election process to more inclusive, participatory and transparent,'' UN chief Ban Ki-moon said.
"Members called for steps to be taken for the release of political detainees including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,'' he added.
The minister, U Nyan Win, said the election in Burma on November 7, which the opposition has said would be a sham, was "a critical phase of its political transformation process.''
He told the UN General Assembly that more than 3,000 candidates from 37 parties would take part in the vote for 1,171 parliamentary seats.
"Such a large participation made it crystal clear that the elections become virtually inclusive,'' the minister said.
U Nyan Win made no mention of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, nor UN and international demands that she be freed for the vote.
"The people will exercise their democratic right to elect the representatives of their own choice who can serve their interest better,'' the minister said.
"With its ample experiences and lessons learned in holding multiparty general elections in the past history, Burma is confident in its ability to conduct the elections in an orderly manner.
"Whatever the challenges facing us, we are committed to do our best for the successful holding of the free and fair general elections for the best interest of the country and its people.''
A UN ministerial group said Monday that the election will not be credible unless the military rulers release Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition detainees.
The group _ which included ministers from neighbors China and India, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia as well as Britain and the United States _ "clearly reiterated the need for the election process to more inclusive, participatory and transparent,'' UN chief Ban Ki-moon said.
"Members called for steps to be taken for the release of political detainees including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,'' he added.
Sunday 19 September 2010
Sunday 12 September 2010
Burmese Video: "Ar-Yone-Oo-Mar SHOCK Shi-Tae" Ads (Sunrise Shock) 08 September 2010
Burmese Video: "Ar-Yone-Oo-Mar SHOCK Shi-Tae" Ads (Sunrise Shock) 08 September 2010
Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) today releases the Burmese video trailer, "Ar-Yone-Oo-Mar SHOCK Shi-Tae" (Sunrise Shock).
We are humbled to present the preview of our work, "Ar-Yone-Oo-Mar SHOCK Shi-Tae" (Sunrise Shock) video which is the collective efforts of the Burma democratic activists from UK.
We hope that this piece could be one of the corner stones when we could write the true Burma history.
We will share the video with all the democratic activists and organizations around the world as well as people inside Burma so that we can have the opportunity to see two different perspectives compare with junta's propaganda video, Ar-Yone-Oo-Mar-Phu-Tae-Kyar, with full of wrong and misleading information.
We are well aware of the challenges ahead trying to distribute our video inside Burma but we will use the modern internet technology believing that it could help us promoting the good news inside Burma.
Please see the link at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biRw3h...
For more information please contact Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) http://www.bdcburma.org
Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) today releases the Burmese video trailer, "Ar-Yone-Oo-Mar SHOCK Shi-Tae" (Sunrise Shock).
We are humbled to present the preview of our work, "Ar-Yone-Oo-Mar SHOCK Shi-Tae" (Sunrise Shock) video which is the collective efforts of the Burma democratic activists from UK.
We hope that this piece could be one of the corner stones when we could write the true Burma history.
We will share the video with all the democratic activists and organizations around the world as well as people inside Burma so that we can have the opportunity to see two different perspectives compare with junta's propaganda video, Ar-Yone-Oo-Mar-Phu-Tae-Kyar, with full of wrong and misleading information.
We are well aware of the challenges ahead trying to distribute our video inside Burma but we will use the modern internet technology believing that it could help us promoting the good news inside Burma.
Please see the link at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biRw3h...
For more information please contact Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) http://www.bdcburma.org
Friday 10 September 2010
Burmese Video Love Scene: "Ar-Yone-Oo-Mar SHOCK Shi-Tae"
Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) is embarking on media campaign so as to encourage everyone's participation working for democratisation of Burma. Media play important role to restore democracy in Burma so that Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) is producing the video, "Ar-Yone-Oo-Mar SHOCK Shi-Tae", to share with all the people inside Burma so that they can have the opportunity to see two different perspectives compare with junta's propaganda video, Ar-Yone-Oo-Mar-Phu-Tae-Kyar which is full of wrong information".
In the video, there will be the information regarding why we should boycott junta's planned sham election which will be held on 7 November 2010. Addition, there will be more information about junta's unilaterally adopted sham constitution and why we must collectively lobby international governments including UNSC to to declare military entrenching constitution as NULL & VOID. This is part of the answer for Burma crisis.
For more information please contact Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) http://www.bdcburma.org
Monday 6 September 2010
Burmese FM to Attend US-Asean Summit
Burma's Foreign Minister Nyan Win will attend the US-Asean summit convened by President Obama later this month in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
The White House on Friday announced that Obama will host a meeting with leaders of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean). Obama has invited the leaders of the 10 Asean member states as well the Asean secretary-general to join him for the second ever US-Asean leaders' meeting, it said.
Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win attends the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Informal Consultations in Hanoi in July. (Photo: Reuters)
Confirming that the top Burmese leader will not be attending the meeting, a senior US official said that no direct invitation was sent to Burma.
“The invitation went to the Asean chair [Vietnam], so we did not address an invitation to Burma directly,” the official told The Irrawaddy. “The Burmese have decided to send their foreign minister, Nyan Win.”
The White House said, at the first such meeting, held in Singapore in November 2009, Obama and the Asean leaders pledged to deepen cooperation in a number of areas of common concern, including trade and investment, regional security, disaster management, food and energy security, and climate change.
“The President looks forward to working with the leaders to assess the progress on these issues, to identify future efforts to strengthen US-Asean relations, and discuss multilateral approaches for greater regional cooperation,” the White House said.
It is understood that Obama will discuss the upcoming election in Burma, which the US has said lacks credibility.
Of late, the Obama administration has shown signs of adopting a stronger position against Burma; given that a year ago it had adopted a new policy of simultaneous engagement with and economic sanctions on Burma.
The US had two rounds of talks with the military junta, however top US officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, expressed frustration over the response of the junta toward a credible and transparent election and the release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=19380
The White House on Friday announced that Obama will host a meeting with leaders of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean). Obama has invited the leaders of the 10 Asean member states as well the Asean secretary-general to join him for the second ever US-Asean leaders' meeting, it said.
Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win attends the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Informal Consultations in Hanoi in July. (Photo: Reuters)
Confirming that the top Burmese leader will not be attending the meeting, a senior US official said that no direct invitation was sent to Burma.
“The invitation went to the Asean chair [Vietnam], so we did not address an invitation to Burma directly,” the official told The Irrawaddy. “The Burmese have decided to send their foreign minister, Nyan Win.”
The White House said, at the first such meeting, held in Singapore in November 2009, Obama and the Asean leaders pledged to deepen cooperation in a number of areas of common concern, including trade and investment, regional security, disaster management, food and energy security, and climate change.
“The President looks forward to working with the leaders to assess the progress on these issues, to identify future efforts to strengthen US-Asean relations, and discuss multilateral approaches for greater regional cooperation,” the White House said.
It is understood that Obama will discuss the upcoming election in Burma, which the US has said lacks credibility.
Of late, the Obama administration has shown signs of adopting a stronger position against Burma; given that a year ago it had adopted a new policy of simultaneous engagement with and economic sanctions on Burma.
The US had two rounds of talks with the military junta, however top US officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, expressed frustration over the response of the junta toward a credible and transparent election and the release of all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=19380
Thursday 2 September 2010
"Lifeline service": BBC Burmese marks 70th anniversary
"Lifeline service": BBC Burmese marks 70th anniversary
By Bethan Jinkinson
BBC News
Burma's first post-Independence Prime Minister U Nu appeared on the BBC Burmese service in 1947
As the BBC Burmese service broadcast a programme marking its 70th anniversary, Sandhobasa, a monk, called in to say that he had been listening for more than two decades.
The broadcasts enriched his knowledge, he said, and he had become attached to them. He could, he said, name the day when every presenter joined or left the BBC.
Founded in 1940, the service has covered independence, uprisings and long years of military rule.
Small teams based in Bangkok and London's Bush House broadcast to an estimated 22.9% of Burma's adult population, and in times of national crisis these figures soar.
"The BBC plays a massive role in bringing accurate, impartial information to the people of Burma," says Soe Win Than, one of the editors at the service.
"People inside Burma cannot get free information. We are a lifeline service."
Essential listening
Last year Burma was voted 5th worst in the world in terms of media freedom by Reporters Without Borders; local media is heavily censored.
The BBC began broadcasting to Burma in 1940, when Burma was still part of the British empire
Soe Win Than says this is particularly true in times of crisis, such as during the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, or the 2007 protests led by monks.
"During the uprising the government slowed down the internet connections and blocked access," he says.
"People tuned in to the BBC to find out what was happening - and our listenership skyrocketed."
This also happened in August 1988, when hundreds of thousands of people took part in pro-democracy protests across the country.
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
The people of Burma are deprived of the privilege of free information”
Soe Win Than
BBC Burmese service
Former student leader Aung Myo Tun said that during that time he listened to the BBC every day.
But it is not only in times of crisis that the BBC is essential listening in Burma.
Sit Maw, a 19 year-old student living in Burma's commercial capital Rangoon, is one of an estimated 8.3 million weekly listeners in Burma.
"The information in my country is not good," he says. "Most news is controlled by the government."
"We need free information about what is happening inside and outside the country and in the world today. That's why I listen to the BBC. "
His view is confirmed by research.
"Independent surveys also show that BBC Burmese has established itself as the most trusted, reliable source of information in Burma, says the BBC's Director of Global News, Peter Horrocks.
"It's not an exaggeration to say that its broadcasts have helped to keep the Burmese people informed - and empowered."
Huge following
In their weekly Have Your Say programme, listeners from inside Burma as well as countries like Bangladesh, Thailand and Japan call in to to take part in discussion.
"The people of Burma are deprived of the privilege of free information," says Soe Win Than.
Presenter Ne Win (R) was one of the service's best known voices; he retired in 1995
"The government in Burma is so paranoid that they censor publications with dark covers, as they believe they imply that Burma is still in the dark ages."
"Our Have Your Say programme gives the Burmese people a forum, a chance to talk about a range of topics, including politics."
BBC Burmese do not only broadcast radio. They also have a Burmese language website, and receive many emails a day.
They have just launched a newsletter aimed at Burmese migrants on the Thai-Burma border.
Not surprisingly BBC journalists enjoy a huge following in Burma.
"Every journalist in Burma wants to work for the BBC" says producer Moe Myint, one of the younger members of the team. "Nobody can compete in terms of audience or reputation."
But for those who work for the BBC, there is a personal cost. Moe Myint says that whenever he returns to Burma he is followed by the authorities "everywhere I go".
Several BBC Burmese journalists have experienced difficult circumstances due to the political situation in Burma.
Nita May spent three years in the notorious Insein prison, where she gave birth to a son.
Another member of staff took part in the student uprising in 1988 and had to escape through the jungles on the Thai-Burma border.
Now as journalists in London and Bangkok, they provide an essential link to the outside world for a country starved of independent news.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11164597
By Bethan Jinkinson
BBC News
Burma's first post-Independence Prime Minister U Nu appeared on the BBC Burmese service in 1947
As the BBC Burmese service broadcast a programme marking its 70th anniversary, Sandhobasa, a monk, called in to say that he had been listening for more than two decades.
The broadcasts enriched his knowledge, he said, and he had become attached to them. He could, he said, name the day when every presenter joined or left the BBC.
Founded in 1940, the service has covered independence, uprisings and long years of military rule.
Small teams based in Bangkok and London's Bush House broadcast to an estimated 22.9% of Burma's adult population, and in times of national crisis these figures soar.
"The BBC plays a massive role in bringing accurate, impartial information to the people of Burma," says Soe Win Than, one of the editors at the service.
"People inside Burma cannot get free information. We are a lifeline service."
Essential listening
Last year Burma was voted 5th worst in the world in terms of media freedom by Reporters Without Borders; local media is heavily censored.
The BBC began broadcasting to Burma in 1940, when Burma was still part of the British empire
Soe Win Than says this is particularly true in times of crisis, such as during the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, or the 2007 protests led by monks.
"During the uprising the government slowed down the internet connections and blocked access," he says.
"People tuned in to the BBC to find out what was happening - and our listenership skyrocketed."
This also happened in August 1988, when hundreds of thousands of people took part in pro-democracy protests across the country.
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
The people of Burma are deprived of the privilege of free information”
Soe Win Than
BBC Burmese service
Former student leader Aung Myo Tun said that during that time he listened to the BBC every day.
But it is not only in times of crisis that the BBC is essential listening in Burma.
Sit Maw, a 19 year-old student living in Burma's commercial capital Rangoon, is one of an estimated 8.3 million weekly listeners in Burma.
"The information in my country is not good," he says. "Most news is controlled by the government."
"We need free information about what is happening inside and outside the country and in the world today. That's why I listen to the BBC. "
His view is confirmed by research.
"Independent surveys also show that BBC Burmese has established itself as the most trusted, reliable source of information in Burma, says the BBC's Director of Global News, Peter Horrocks.
"It's not an exaggeration to say that its broadcasts have helped to keep the Burmese people informed - and empowered."
Huge following
In their weekly Have Your Say programme, listeners from inside Burma as well as countries like Bangladesh, Thailand and Japan call in to to take part in discussion.
"The people of Burma are deprived of the privilege of free information," says Soe Win Than.
Presenter Ne Win (R) was one of the service's best known voices; he retired in 1995
"The government in Burma is so paranoid that they censor publications with dark covers, as they believe they imply that Burma is still in the dark ages."
"Our Have Your Say programme gives the Burmese people a forum, a chance to talk about a range of topics, including politics."
BBC Burmese do not only broadcast radio. They also have a Burmese language website, and receive many emails a day.
They have just launched a newsletter aimed at Burmese migrants on the Thai-Burma border.
Not surprisingly BBC journalists enjoy a huge following in Burma.
"Every journalist in Burma wants to work for the BBC" says producer Moe Myint, one of the younger members of the team. "Nobody can compete in terms of audience or reputation."
But for those who work for the BBC, there is a personal cost. Moe Myint says that whenever he returns to Burma he is followed by the authorities "everywhere I go".
Several BBC Burmese journalists have experienced difficult circumstances due to the political situation in Burma.
Nita May spent three years in the notorious Insein prison, where she gave birth to a son.
Another member of staff took part in the student uprising in 1988 and had to escape through the jungles on the Thai-Burma border.
Now as journalists in London and Bangkok, they provide an essential link to the outside world for a country starved of independent news.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11164597
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