Member Of The Myanmar Opposition Died While interrogation By Junta

This is inhuman, after all the killing the tragic continues. How can anybody tolerate this nonsense? Check out this lastest news

Myanmar dissident dies under questioning

YANGON, Myanmar - A leader of Myanmar's recent mass protests was arrested Wednesday, and a member of the opposition party has died during interrogation by security forces, an exile group said.

The Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners also said security officers had been threatening dissidents' relatives and neighbors in order to get information on the whereabouts of those involved in last month's pro-democracy protests that were brutally suppressed by the military regime.

"The security forces have become more severe in raiding houses of, and searching for, anyone whom they suspect to have been involved in the protests," it said.
The Myanmar exile group, made up of former political prisoners, said authorities had recently informed the family of Win Shwe, 42, that he had died during interrogation in the central Myanmar region of Sagaing. He and five colleagues were arrested on Sept. 26.

The body of Win Shwe, a member of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, was cremated at the detention center, the group said. The report could not be independently verified, although in the past the group has provided detailed, accurate information on political prisoners in the country.

White House foreign affairs spokesman Gordon Johndroe condemned Win Shwe's death and warned that the United States would impose new sanctions against Myanmar, also known as Burma, if it continued its crackdown on dissidents.

"The United States strongly condemns the atrocities committed by the junta and calls for a full investigation into the death of Win Shwe during his detention in Burma," Johndroe said. "The junta must stop the brutal treatment of its people and peacefully transition to democracy or face new sanctions from the United States."
First lady Laura Bush, who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights in Myanamar, also warned the U.S. was considering sanctions unless the government loosens its grip on the populace.

"The crackdown has been brutal," she said in an interview with USA Today published Tuesday.

The National League for Democracy won a landslide election victory in 1989, but the parliament was never allowed to convene by the military junta.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said that at least seven people have been arrested in the past two days in Yangon, even as the junta and the NLD appeared to be taking cautious steps toward talks.

Hla Myo Naung, a leader of the '88 Generation Students, was arrested in Yangon while seeking treatment for a serious eye problem at a clinic, the exile group said. Hla Myo Naung, 39, had been on the regime's "wanted list" but had evaded arrest for two months. A young woman who belongs to the '88 Generation and had been with him was also arrested.

The '88 Generation organized marches in August over a fuel price increases that quickly ballooned into mass demonstrations calling for democracy when widely respected Buddhist monks began taking the lead.

Petition to PM Lee From Burmese

I have just read an article on the CNA. The report mentioned that a group of Myanmar nationals went to the Istana this morning to hand in a petition to our Prime Minister Lee. The man collected nearly six hundred signatures from Myanmar community in Singapore.

The content of the letter as disclosed by CNA urged our PM to take stern action against the Myanmar crackdown. It also calls for the involvement of the international community and the release of all political prisoners. The petition also states that the people of Myanmar are depending on external support to help stop the violence.

As compare to this one which happen less than a day ago, the above article comes in a very interesting timing.

Burma Situation Improving, I Hope.

Deputy Labor Minister Aung Kyi had been appointed as Liaison Minister to coordinate contacts with Aung San Suu Kyi

The appointment was recommendeded by U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari during his visit to Myanmar earlier, as printed in The New Light of Myanmar newspaper. The junta had accepted the idea "in respect of Gambari's recommendation and in view of smooth relations with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi."

However, the new official's duties were not detailed, and the announcement did not say when he might meet with the 62-year-old Suu Kyi.

It appeared that Aung Kyi would coordinate Suu Kyi's contacts with both the regime and the U.N., which is seeking to end the political deadlock between democracy advocates and a military that has ruled since 1962.

Check this.

The Psychological Effect Of Sanction

Our government did not believe in tightening sanctions on Burma which might be counter-productive, we can see in this report a few days back, and the interesting issue, they may be on the right track. But I am still not agreeing to their statements in the press for not supporting tightening sanction on Burma. The fact is the junta is responding to the threat from the world. In reality, the effect of sanction has worked before it starts, you can see by the way junta reacted.

Myanmar trumpets release of protesters ahead of UN meet

Sun Oct 7, 5:49 AM ET
YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar's state press on Sunday trumpeted the release of monks and demonstrators ahead of a UN Security Council meeting to discuss how to handle the junta following its crackdown on street protests.
Security Council members -- under pressure to condemn the military regime after 13 people were killed in its drive to end the escalating pro-democracy rallies -- were to meet on Monday to debate a draft statement on Myanmar.

The New Light of Myanmar newspaper said Sunday that more than half of the 2,171 people arrested after the biggest anti-government protests in nearly two decades has been released, repeating figures given late Saturday on state TV.
The government paper specified that nearly 400 of 533 Buddhist monks detained had been "sent back to their respective monasteries."

The New Light of Myanmar did not mention the UN Security Council, but analysts have said that the regime is trying to make a few token gestures to ward off a harsh Council statement, or possible sanctions.

It is like when I am trying to talk sense to the children, if I simply talk, the words do not get in their head, if I use cane on them, they become rebellious, and my words would get in from the left ear and got out from the right. One of their most attentive moments happens to be when the cane is right beside me or in my hands. I do not need to actually cane them for them to listen to me. This happens to work well psychologically, although I rarely use this method too often in order to avoid thinning its effectiveness.

Meanwhile, ASEAN countries continue to sit on the fence, apparently sandwich by many factors not within their control and issues they did not want to jeopardize. Check this.

World Effort Has Made A Difference For Myanmar

Myanmar's military regime tries to cool international pressure

YANGON (AFP) - Myanmar's junta Saturday tried to cool growing UN pressure over its deadly crackdown on peaceful protests, offering talks with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and relaxing its blockage of the Internet.

But analysts warned that the rare gestures offered by the regime appeared to be token efforts to stave off tougher UN action demanded by the United States and other Western countries.

Faced with the biggest protests against military rule in nearly two decades, Myanmar's government launched a bloody crackdown in late September that left at least 13 dead and more than 2,000 locked up.

Across Asia, activists on Saturday took to the streets in cities from Sydney to Bangkok, kicking off a global day of protest against Myanmar's bloody crackdown on dissent.

Hundreds rallied outside Sydney's iconic Opera House, while in Melbourne 1,000 people marched, some carrying red banners that read "no more bloodshed."

In London, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent a message of support to the people of Myanmar, saying the world was not forgetting them.

"We have not forgotten their courage and dignity, taking to the streets in the face of a brutal regime. We have not forgotten the guns and batons, the arrests and murders which met them," Brown said.

Meanwhile, UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who visited Myanmar to express global outrage at the junta's actions, warned the UN Security Council Friday that the nation's turmoil could have "serious international repercussions."

As Gambari was briefing the Council in New York, state television in Myanmar broadcast images of the detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi for the first time in at least four years.

The regime also restored some Internet access and announced that it had freed hundreds of detained Buddhist monks who led the protests.

The military, which has ruled this country also known as Burma for 45 years, rarely makes any concessions, but analysts warned the gestures were a bid to ward off tougher international action.

"The regime is trying to cool down international pressure. The junta hopes to defuse pressure as the UN Security Council is likely to take some action against Burma following Gambari's briefing," Thailand-based Myanmar analyst Win Min said.

Junta leader Than Shwe has made a heavily conditioned offer to hold talks with Aung San Suu Kyi, insisting that the Nobel peace prize winner drop her support for sanctions and tell supporters to stop confronting the government.

"It's a mixed signal. It showed Than Shwe at least recognised internal and international calls for dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi," Win Min said.

"But at the same time, the conditions set by the regime were not realistic at all. It looks like the regime really doesn't want to talk to her."

Aung San Suu Kyi, 62, has spent most of the past 18 years under house arrest but she remains an international symbol of non-violent struggle against tyranny.

The United States has led global calls for her release and warned Friday that it may push for UN sanctions if the ruling junta kept up a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.

After Gambari's briefing, the United States, Britain and France circulated a draft of a non-binding statement condemning Myanmar's government.

"The Security Council condemns the violent repression by the government of Myanmar of peaceful demonstrations, including the use of force against religious figures and institutions," the text said.

Gambari told reporters that there was a consensus among members of the Security Council that the status quo in Myanmar "is unacceptable and unsustainable and probably unrealistic."

He also said Aung San Suu Kyi appeared to be in good spirits when he met her.

"But now I think she wants this to be used as an opportunity to really engage in dialogue with the authorities so that together they can move the country forward," he told CNN.

In Yangon, residents declined to comment on the UN draft statement condemning the junta's actions.

"I don't want to talk about politics. Poor people like me are just trying to survive. Now commodity prices are high, but my salary is still low," said a security guard in his 40s who works at a downtown building.

Myanmar's neighbour China has previously sheltered the generals from action at the United Nations.

China's ambassador to the world body, Wang Guangyam, has warned that pressure for greater democratisation "would only lead to confrontation."

Free Burma

FREE BURMA

International Bloggers' Day for Burma on the 4th of October

International bloggers are preparing an action to support the peaceful revolution in Burma. We want to set a sign for freedom and show our sympathy for these people who are fighting their cruel regime without weapons. These Bloggers are planning to refrain from posting to their blogs on October 4 and just put up one Banner then, underlined with the words „Free Burma!“.

Burma: Thousands dead in the massacre of the monks dumped in the jungle

This is really sad. Is this a price too high to pay for freedom?

Burma: Thousands dead in the massacre of the monks dumped in the jungle
Last updated at 01:24am on 1st October 2007

Thousands of protesters are dead and the bodies of hundreds of executed monks have been dumped in the jungle, a former intelligence officer for Burma's ruling junta has revealed.
The most senior official to defect so far, Hla Win, said: 'Many more people have been killed in recent days than you've heard about. The bodies can be counted in several thousand.'
Mr Win, who spoke out as a Swedish diplomat predicted that the revolt has failed, said he fled when he was ordered to take part in a massacre of holy men. He has now reached the border with Thailand.
Reports from other exiles along the frontier confirmed that hundreds of monks had simply ' disappeared' as 20,000 troops swarmed around Rangoon yesterday to prevent further demonstrations by religious groups and civilians.
Word reaching dissidents hiding out on the border suggested that as well as executions, some 2,000 monks are being held in the notorious Insein Prison or in university rooms which have been turned into cells.
There were reports that many were savagely beaten at a sports ground on the outskirts of Rangoon, where they were heard crying for help.
Others who had failed to escape disguised as civilians were locked in their bloodstained temples.
There, troops abandoned religious beliefs, propped their rifles against statues of Buddha and began cooking meals on stoves set up in shrines.
In stark contrast, the streets of Rangoon and Mandalay - centres of the attempted saffron revolution last week - were virtually deserted yesterday.
A Swedish diplomat who visited Burma during the protests said last night that in her opinion the revolution has failed.
Liselotte Agerlid, who is now in Thailand, said that the Burmese people now face possibly decades of repression. 'The Burma revolt is over,' she added.
'The military regime won and a new generation has been violently repressed and violently denied democracy. The people in the street were young people, monks and civilians who were not participating during the 1988 revolt.
'Now the military has cracked down the revolt, and the result may very well be that the regime will enjoy another 20 years of silence, ruling by fear.'
Mrs Agerlid said Rangoon is heavily guarded by soldiers.
'There are extremely high numbers of soldiers in Rangoon's streets,' she added. 'Anyone can see it is absolutely impossible for any demonstration to gather, or for anyone to do anything.
'People are scared and the general assessment is that the fight is over. We were informed from one of the largest embassies in Burma that 40 monks in the Insein prison were beaten to death today and subsequently burned.'
The diplomat also said that three monasteries were raided yesterday afternoon and are now totally abandoned. At his border hideout last night, 42-year-old Mr Win said he hopes to cross into Thailand and seek asylum at the Norwegian Embassy.
The 42-year-old chief of military intelligence in Rangoon's northern region, added: 'I decided to desert when I was ordered to raid two monasteries and force several hundred monks onto trucks.
'They were to be killed and their bodies dumped deep inside the jungle. I refused to participate in this.'
With his teenage son, he made his escape from Rangoon, leaving behind his wife and two other sons.
He had no fears for their safety because his brother is a powerful general who, he believes, will defend the family.
Mr Win's defection will raise a faint hope among tens of thousands of Burmese who have fled to villages along the Thai border.
They will feel others in the army may follow him and turn on their ageing leaders, Senior General Than Shwe and his deputy, Vice Senior General Maung Aye.
UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari is still trying to set up a meeting with General Shwe.

Envoy Stays On, The World Waits.

News from Myanmar News.Net,

UN envoy staying on in Burma
Sunday 30th September, 2007

The UN envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, is staying on to talk to the country's supreme leader about the repression of pro-democracy protests.

Mr Gambari has already met detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and will hold more talks with the country's military Government in the wake of it’s the brutal put-down of democracy supporters.

Mr Gambari met with the country's acting Prime Minister and Information Minister on Saturday but was denied a meeting with the Burma's real powerbroker, General Than Shwe.

He was permitted to see Ms Suu Kyi and held a one-hour meeting with her in the main city, Rangoon, where she has spent much of the last 18 years under house arrest.

Mr Gambari then cancelled a planned flight to Singapore and returned to the junta's isolated administrative capital, Naypyidaw.

Meanwhile, journalists say the death toll appears to be much higher than the Burmese Government is revealing.

It is thought at least 200 people died in the ten days of violence although it could still be higher.

In Europe, there have been peaceful rallies in support of pro-democracy protesters in Burma.

In London and Madrid, several thousand people marched to call for international pressure to ease the crisis.

Several hundred Burmese exiles, including monks were involved in the marches, many of them carrying banners, flags and portraits of Ms Suu Kyi.

In Italy, Pope Benedict said he hoped there would be a peaceful solution to the crisis.

One Life, One Apology

Myanmar Apologizes For Journalist's Death: Kyodo
By REUTERS
Published: September 28, 2007

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan strongly protested to Myanmar over the killing of a Japanese video journalist during an anti-government rally, and Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win offered apologies, Kyodo news agency said on Saturday.

Fifty-year-old Kenji Nagai was fatally wounded in Yangon on Thursday, and pictures smuggled out of the country showed him clutching a camera as he lay dying.

Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura made the protest when he met his Myanmar counterpart at U.N. headquarters in New York on Friday.

The death of Nagai "was extremely regrettable and we will lodge a stern protest," Japanese officials quoted Komura as telling Nyan Win, Kyodo said.

Nyan Win told Komura he was indeed sorry for the death, telling Japanese officials: "Demonstrations are beginning to calm down, and we would also like to exercise restraint," Kyodo said.

Japanese Foreign Ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.

Nagai was the first foreign victim of the protests that began as sporadic marches against fuel price hikes but have swelled over the past month into mass demonstrations against 45 years of military rule in Myanmar, which is also known as Burma.

Access to Web appears cut in Myanmar

Yahoo News,

YANGON, Myanmar - Soldiers in Myanmar pounded down on dissenters Friday by swiftly breaking up street gatherings of die-hard activists, occupying key Buddhist monasteries and cutting public Internet access. The moves raised concerns that a crackdown on civilians that has killed at least 10 people this week was set to intensify.

By sealing Buddhist monasteries, the government seemed intent on clearing the streets of monks, who have spearheaded the demonstrations and are revered by most of their Myanmar countrymen. This could embolden troops to crack down harder on remaining protesters.

Efforts to squelch the demonstrations appeared to be working Friday. Daily protests drawing tens of thousands of people had grown into the stiffest challenge to the ruling military junta in two decades, a crisis that began Aug. 19 with rallies against a fuel price hike, then escalated dramatically when monks joined in.

Soldiers and riot police moved quickly to disperse a crowd of 300 that started marching in the country's largest city, Yangon, sealing the neighborhood and ordering them to disperse. Elsewhere, they fired warning shots to scatter a group of 200.

Bob Davis, Australia's ambassador to Myanmar, said he had heard unconfirmed reports that "several multiples of the 10 acknowledged by the authorities" may have been killed by troops in Yangon. Scores have been arrested, carted away in trucks at night or pummeled with batons in recent days, witnesses and diplomats said, with the junta ignoring all international appeals for restraint.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations expressed "revulsion" and told the junta "to exercise utmost restraint and seek a political solution." Demonstrations against the junta were seen in Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and elsewhere.

But by Myanmar standards, the crackdown has so far been muted, in part because the regime knows that killing monks could trigger a maelstrom of fury.

Southeast Asian envoys were told by Myanmar authorities Friday that a no-go zone had been declared around five key Buddhist monasteries, one diplomat said, raising fears of a repeat of 1988, when troops gunned down thousands of peaceful demonstrators and imprisoned the survivors.

Gates were locked and key intersections near monasteries in Yangon and Mandalay were sealed off with barbed wire, and there was no sign of monks in the streets.

"We were told security forces had the monks under control" and will now turn their attention to civilian protesters, the Asian diplomat said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.

The government's apparent decision to cut public Internet access — which has played a crucial role in getting news and images of the pro-democracy protests to the outside world — also raised concerns.

The World Is Responding ... ... At Last

The situation has taken a great turn since the first warning shot was fire. I couldn’t help but feel heartrending about the loss of life in the crackdown. It started as a peaceful protest, and now the junta has advance its operation to a point of not return. Now they are firing automatic weapon at the people, with 9 deaths including a Japanese journalists, the international community is responding more vigorously. But the crisis have not ended, will the people of Myanmar be free ultimately is still a question.



Kenji Nagai of APF tries to take photographs as he lies injured after police and military officials fired upon and then charged at protesters in Yangon's city centre September 27, 2007. Kenji, 52, a Japanese photographer, was shot by soldiers as they fired to disperse the crowd. Kenji later died. (Stringer/Reuters)



Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee. India is walking a diplomatic tightrope, juggling energy and strategic concerns with a commitment to democracy as military-ruled neighbour Myanmar cracks down on pro-democracy protesters, analysts say.(AFP/File/Pornchai Kittiwongsakul)



U.S. Assistant Secretary of State and envoy Christopher Hill speaks to journalists after returning from six-party talks aimed at disarming North Korea's nuclear weapons program, at a hotel in Beijing,Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007. The United States called on Myanmar's military leaders Thursday to open a dialogue with peaceful protesters in the reclusive Asian nation and urged China to do what it can to prevent further bloodshed. 'It seems that people are sending a very clear message to the regime there that they need to begin a process of genuine dialogue and above all refrain from any use of force,' Hill told reporters earlier on Thursday, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)



Canada's Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier seen here during the APEC Ministerial Meeting in Sydney, on 05 September. In a statement, released by Bernier's office, Canada's government has condemned Myanmar authorities for using "deadly force" to suppress mass protests led by Buddhist monks against the military regime.(AFP/HO/File)



French President Nicolas Sarkozy, 2nd from left, and Rama Yade, left, the junior minister for human rights, face Burmese exiled opposition leader Sein Win, 2nd from right , and British-born actress Jane Birkin, right, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007. Sarkozy met with opponents of the Southeast Asian nation's regime after France and Britain pushed for more international sanctions against Myanmar, saying the world must unite to punish the southeast Asian country for its crackdown against anti-government protesters. (AP Photo/Eric Feferberg, Pool)



Demonstrators gather to protest outside the Myanmar Embassy in central London. The United States demanded that Myanmar's military rulers end an "outrageous" and deadly crackdown on anti-government protestors and called for more global pressure on the junta.(AFP/Shaun Curry )



A monk calls for support during a protest against Myanmar's military rulers in front of the Myanmar embassy in Paris The United States demanded that Myanmar's military rulers end an "outrageous" and deadly crackdown on anti-government protestors and called for more global



Buddhist monks from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka chant during a demonstration outside the Myanmar embassy in Colombo. The United States demanded that Myanmar's military rulers end an "outrageous" and deadly crackdown on anti-government protestors and called for more global pressure on the junta.(AFP/Sanka Vidanagama )



A protester holds a sign during a demonstration in Taipei September 28, 2007 against the violence in Myanmar. At least nine people were killed in Myanmar on Thursday as soldiers and police cleared the streets of central Yangon by giving protesters 10 minutes to leave or be shot, tightening a two-day crackdown on the largest uprising in 20 years. REUTERS/Nicky Loh (TAIWAN)

Police Fire Warning Shots In Myanmar

Breaking news today from here and here.

YANGON, Myanmar - Police in riot gear fired warning shots to disperse more than 100 Buddhist monks who defied the military government's ban on public assembly Wednesday by trying to penetrate a barricade blocking Yangon's famed Shwedagon Pagoda. The junta had banned all public gatherings of more than five people and imposed a nighttime curfew following eight days of anti-government marches led by monks in Yangon and other areas of the country, including the largest in nearly two decades.
Firing shots into the air, beating their shields with batons and shouting orders to disperse, the police chased some of the monks and about 200 of their supporters while others tried to stubbornly hold their place near the eastern gate to the vast shrine complex.
Some fell to the ground amid the chaos and at least one monks was seen struck with a baton.