Minbya: People in Min Bya Township in Arakan have raised their voice regarding their daily hardships in the township at a public meeting that was held on Wednesday as part of the founding day of the township's Rakhine National Development Party, said party leader U Tha Kyaw.

"We held a public meeting during the founding ceremony of the RNDP in Min Bya where over 100 people attended and shared their problems and bitter difficulties. They also demanded we present their difficulties and problems on a daily basis to the state and central government," U Tha Kyaw said.

Most of the people were from rural villages and gathered in the meeting to raise their voice about their daily difficulties in their respective villages in Min Bya Township.

"The people especially presented to us to get more fertilizer and loans from the government for their farming because the government-provided fertilizers and loans are insufficient. We promised to submit their demand to the government authority step by step," said U Tha.

A young farmer who attended the ceremony said that he submitted two points in the meeting - first to form village administrations in accordance with the present constitution, and second to inquire with the high authority about the issue of leasing creeks and rivers in Arakan State.

He said, "Now the current government authority has appointed village administrators in the villages across our township against the present constitution. In the constitution, the village administration must be appointed with respectable gentlemen in the village, but the government authority in our township has appointed the former village chairman, who were appointed by the military government in 2006, to be the village administrators. All of the people in our township want the village administrator to be appointed in accordance with the present constitution, so we revealed this in the meeting."

Many people who attended the meeting from rural areas demanded they eliminate the system of leasing creeks and rivers out to businessmen because the system is very challenging for the survival of Arakanese people throughout the state.

"Many people presented the issue of creek, river, and ocean leasing to private businesses by the government. Most Arakanese people have not been able to carry out their daily livelihoods in the creeks and rivers since the government began leasing them to businessmen," he said.

The RNDP won a majority of elected seats in Arakan State in the last election but was unable to form as a majority in the Arakanese state because the government reserved more seats for former military personnel who are aligned with the government-backed USDP.

RNDP leaders will present the people's difficulties to the Arakan State government as well as the central government during the next parliamentary sessions, said U Tha Kyaw.

Nava Thakuria
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New Delhi: Burma (Myanmar) may be trying to show a democratic face to the international community, but the country still maintains the same old practice of dictatorship. The Southeast Asian nation stage-managed an election in the last year and a kind of democratic regime is set up at Nay Pyi Daw, but the influence of armed forces on the government remains intact. The new government is yet to make any concrete decision to release thousands of political prisoners of Burma.


Raising voice for a real democracy nearly two hundred India-based Burmese activists staged a protest rally in New Delhi on August 8 and called for immediate release of all political prisoners, including the 8888 generation student leaders who have been sentenced for 65 years imprisonment in the country.

“8th August 2011 is the 23rd Anniversary of the Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests in Burma known as ‘8888 Uprising’. The 8888 uprising was started by students in Rangoon on August 8, 1988. Students’ protests spread throughout the country,” said M. Kim, a young Burmese exile who has been living in India for many years.

The movement involved hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life, including young school children, demonstrated against the regime and demanded to stop one-party authoritarian state and reform to multi-party democracy government in Burma.

The regime responded by military killings on un-armed peaceful demonstrators. Thousands of deaths and displacement have been attributed to the brutal military crack down during this uprising with more than 3000 people killed and hundreds of students were thrown into jail and many thousands have been forced to leave the country.

“I feel like it happened yesterday, those tragedies and fallen heroes can never be forgotten, the spirit of 8888 movement lives on in the generation that has been carried forwarded ” said Thin Thin Aung, another Burmese exile, who was involved in the 8888 movement and later fled to India in 1988 with hundreds of Burmese youths.

She also added that the military controlled government still rules in Burma with civilian clothes. More than 2000 political prisoners including 8888 generation student leaders are being detained under harsh condition in different jails throughout the country. The military regime continues to commit gross human rights violations including extra judicial killings and rape by military personnel.

Similarly, massive militarization, armed conflicts and displacement of ethnic people remain a major issue for Burma. The regime has not shown sincerity to resolve the issue engaging in political dialogue, rather it has intensified attacks on the ethnic armed groups.

“If Thein Sein government really wants genuine peace and reconciliation in the country, it must show the political will and creates the environment conducive to the political change in Burma that has to start with the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners”, asserted Ms Thin Thin.

The India based Burmese democracy activists also called on the Thein Sein led Burmese government on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the 8888 people’s uprising, to declare nationwide ceasefire and to commence inclusive political dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other stake holders.

By Tun Tun
--------------
Sittwe: Sittwe University closed for a few hours yesterday after a clash broke out between Sittwe University students and three-wheeler drivers after the drivers had increased their fares, said one student.

The incident occurred suddenly at 1:00 pm at the Sittwe University entrance gate after the drivers increased their fares from 100 Kyat to 200 Kyat for a trip between downtown Sittwe and the university.


"Because of the clash, there was unrest at Sittwe University. The authority quickly closed down all entrance gates of Sittwe University for nearly two hours and did not allow any students to leave the university compound during that period," a student from Sittwe said.

The conflict ended after Sittwe University authorities negotiated between the students and drivers on the fare increase on routes between downtown Sittwe and the university. However, around 30 students marched on the streets from the university to the intersection located near the largest generator in Sittwe after the clash.

Another student said, "We were unsatisfied with the increased school taxi fare. Because of this we marched in the street to voice our concern about the taxi fare increase. But we withdrew our protest when we reached the intersection of the largest generator after the university authority promised us the taxi fare would not increase again."

The university authority sent all students back to the homes in a school vehicle in order to avoid any untoward incidents.

Speaking to Narinjara, a mother of a student from Sittwe University said, "My son arrived back safely in the evening by a bus that was arranged by the university authority. I heard there was a clash between students and taxi drivers at Sittwe University. Now I am happy because my son safely arrived back home."

The university authority pressured the taxi drivers not to collect more than 100 Kyat from students for a route between downtown and campus.

In 2009 and 2010, students from Sittwe University and Sittwe Technological University staged similar protests in the Arakan Capital against increasing bus fares.

Min Bya: Seven villagers from villages in Munbra Township in western Burma's Arakan State are facing charges after complaining and demanding the authorities appoint their village administrator in accordance with the 2008 constitution.

The villagers are from the village groups of Thunpone Chaung, Chaungchay, and Thakpone Chaung in Munbra Township, and they are facing charges of defamation by the administrators of those village groups, said a village elder from the area.


"The administrators who have filed a suit against the seven villagers are U Tun Gree of Thunpone Chaung, U Saw Hla Aung of Chaungchay, and U Sein Kyaw Won of Thakpone. They have accused the villagers of misleading other villagers in their village tracts with defamations against the administrators," said the elder on condition of anonymity.

He added that the administrators have been serving as heads of the village groups since 2006. As they have done nothing to improve the welfare of the villages during their tenure, almost all villagers from those three village tracts have submitted a signed petition to the township administration authorities demanding new administrators be appointed in their areas according to the 2008 constitution that was adopted in April of this year.

In retaliation against the villagers, the administrators have filed charges in the township court against the selected seven villagers who were identified as leading the villagers against them.

In Article 289 of the Burmese constitution that was drafted by the previous SPDC military regime in 2008, a person who has integrity and moral uprightness and is admired in the ward or village must be appointed as the village administrator.

"They have been charged 211, a legal section covering fraud, and their case started on 29 April, and was heard again on 2 August in the township court," said the elder.

The villagers being sued by the administrators include one from Zeepun Gree Village and one from Khwasone Village in the Thunpone Chaung group, four from Chaungchay, and one from Thakpone Village group.

The elder said most of the residents from those village tracts are disappointed with the authorities for allowing their own villagers to be brought to trial by the administrators, and are ready to support them if the court rules against the seven in the defamation case.

By Tun Tun
------------
Sittwe: Over 400 students from the Technical University in Sittwe in western Burma's Arakan State have staged a demonstration against the hike in school transportation fares by walking in a procession in the streets on Wednesday.


A student who participated in the demonstration said they walked over five miles to the office of the state administration in downtown Sittwe from their university to protest the fare increase.

"We started the march from our university at 1 pm to the general administration office downtown to protest the hike in fares for our school transportation," said the student.

She added that there were disturbances and attempts by authorities to block the students on their march to the office, but no student was arrested.

"There were disturbances by the police and intelligence officials on our way marching to the office, but no student was arrested. We arrived in front of the office around 2 pm and the state's chief minister and responsible officials, including our university principal, came to us to discuss the matter, and they promised to reduce the car fares to 100 Kyat from 200 kyat," she said.

The source said that students withdrew their protest at 4 pm after authorities promised to get the car fares reduced to the previous rate of 100 Kyat.

Another students said they will continue their protest if the authorities' promises are not met.

"We will continue our protest if the care fare is not reduced to 100 Kyat from 200 kyat, as being promised by the authorities," he said.

According to the students, mini vehicles such as three wheelers and cars are running routes between the university and downtown Sittwe for school transportation using fuels provided by the government at below market costs. They have staged the protest because the drivers increased the fares up to 400 Kyat.

Similar protests were carried out occasionally during 2009 and 2010 by university students in Sittwe whenever their school transportation fees were increased.

By SAI ZOM HSENG
The Burmese Army is launching a major offensive against the Shan State Army (SSA), in a conflict that has already affected about 30 villages in northern and central Shan State, according to SSA sources.

The Burmese troops will soon overrun the armed group's headquarters in Wan Hai, Mong Hsu Township, said Col Sai Htoo, the assistant secretary general of the SSA's political wing, the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP), which is also located in Wan Hai.

Around 300 local people have fled the area and schools have also been shut as fighting intensifies. Most residents have moved to urban areas, and teachers were instructed on Tuesday morning to return to Lashio, the capital of northern Shan State, said Sai Htoo.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, Sai Htoo said that the SSA, formerly known as the Shan State Army-North and led by Col Pang Fa, expected to lose control of its headquarters in the very near future.

“The commander of the [Burmese Army's] Northeast Military Command is now at the front line commanding his troops and battalions. There is an 80 percent chance that we will lose our headquarters very soon, but we will continue fighting using guerrilla warfare.”
Yesterday, skirmishes between the two sides brought the fighting closer to Wan Hai, with Burmese troops using artillery against the Shan troops until later Monday evening, according to local resident Sai Aung.

Last week fighting was reported every day in Kye-thi-Marn Sam Township, especially around Doi Sai, a mountain around 16 km (10 miles) from Wan Hai and a key location on the SSA's line of defense. According to Sai Htoo, Burmese Army troops have been ordered to seize Wan Hai within seven days.

Burmese battalions under the control of the Northeastern Military Command are coordinating their attacks against the Shan troops with Burmese Army battalions from Military Operation Commands 1 and 2, which are based in Kyaukme and Mong Naung, respectively, and include artillery battalions.

A spokesperson for the SSA/SSPP said that the combined strength of the Burmese Army battalions engaged in the offensive is around 1,500 troops, while the SSA has about 1,000 troops in Wan Hai.

Although sources said that there have been numerous casualties among both the Burmese and Shan troops, no further details were available. Injured Burmese troops were reportedly evacuated from the area to major cities with helicopters from Nam Hsan Air Force Base.

The SSPP/SSA, a former ceasefire armed group, declared in May that it was now cooperating with the former Shan State Army-South, led by Lt-Gen Yawd Serk. The two groups have now united under the banner of the SSA.

New York: Arakanese living in the USA will celebrate the 17th annual Arakanese Thingyan or New Year water festival in New York, according to the Thingyan Association, the organizer of the festival.

The festival will be held from 11am to 4pm local time on 17 July, at 100 West 84th Street, PS9 Playground between Columbus Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue, in Manhattan, New York.

Ko Kyaw Tha Hla, the managing director for organizing the festival, said the festival is held to show the Arakanese traditional culture to people internationally as well as to the different ethnic peoples from Burma living in USA.

"This is the most enjoyable Arakanese traditional festival and we celebrate it especially to make known our culture to the peoples here in USA. There are also people of Burmese origin who were born or brought up here and do not know about our lovely Arakanese traditional culture and I hope our celebration will not only enlighten to the people about our culture, but will give a chance to them to have a great fun in our festival", said Ko Kyaw Tha Hla.

The new year festival or Thingyan is traditionally held during the month "Tankhu" that starts a new year on the Arakanese lunar calendar and usually coincides with mid-April in the Roman calendar. Playing water among the adults and children is the joyous feature in the festival, which is for quenching the summer heat and for getting rid of troubles in the bygone year in tropical Arakan State in Burma. It is also distinguished for using traditional race-boats filled with water with the waiting young women holding bowls under a pavilion for pouring water with their interested young men and the water of love at the pavilion may lead most of the young peoples to their conjugal knots.

The organizing Thingyan Association said that because April is too cold to celebrate the festival, particularly with playing water, it has to be planned to celebrate in mid-July with the coming of summer in New York.

It said apart from the playing water, the festival will be celebrated with traditional singing and dancing, exhibition of arts and crafts, selling of traditional foods, and children games.

"Wet or dry, come to experience colorful multi-ethnic culture and heritage of Burma", invited the organizer. The detailed plans of the festival also can be read at http://www.thingyan.org.

An official newspaper of the Burmese regime ran an article that blamed the rising poverty rate in the country on the "unqualified" rulers from former regimes in the country.

The Kyemon, one of the official newspapers of the Burmese regime, carried an article on 10 July written by Wai Yan Maung, who criticized the rulers of former regimes for poverty in the country.


Wai Yan Maung commented in his article, titled "Let's Participate and Help in Unity as a National", that the rise of poverty in the country is due to consecutive low-standard rulers in the country.

The author stated, "if I have to frankly overview the situation of the country that is figuratively called the land that bears gold and rich in natural resources, it has a rising poverty rate over 26% that is due to consecutive hold on state power by unqualified rulers who have been neglecting work for the poor sector of the country."

He also said that the country faces vast inequality between the rich and poor due to the weakness of rulers who have over-prioritized the country's economy for their own close associates and cronies, and the slow pace of development in the country is due to the weakness of their governance, with most of the people suffering because the rulers favored just a small handful of people.

He added that the benefits of the country have been effectively lost for the well-being of the country because of their misrule.

According to readers, the article that criticized the consecutive rulers of the country will especially embarrass recent military regime headed by Senior General Than Shwe, which ruled the country for the last 23 years.

Readers also say they see the article as a blow to the retired head of state, General Than Shwe, other senior officials from the armed forces who are still holding state power after shedding their uniforms, and their relatives and associates who are still controlling much of the economy.


http://www.narinjara.com

By Maung Rammar
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Kyauk Taw: Farmers in western Burma's Arakan State have become tenants on their own farmland as the army has been renting the land for cultivation after confiscating it from them.

A farmer from Apaukwa Village in Kyauktaw Township said the army has been renting the confiscated land at a rate of 25 baskets - a Burmese unit of measure for rice, approximately 11 kilograms in a basket- of paddy per acre to the farmers who owned the land previously.

"We have to hire our own farmland from the army for our cultivation at a payment of 25 baskets of paddy for an acre of land, since the army forcibly confiscated our land. We are forced to do so because we have become landless and have no choice for our livelihoods of cultivation in our area," said the farmer.

According to the farmers, there are over 280 acres of arable land being confiscated by army battalion 539 of Sa Ka Kha, or Military Operations Command 9, in the villages of Apaukwa, Kyaoak Taungpyin, Thakkay Chaung, and Kan Zauk in southern Kyauktaw Township, and the army has been renting the land to the farmers for paddy that is used for income and soldiers' rations.

Apart from those farmlands, army battalions 374, 375, and 376 of Sa Ka Kha 9 have also confiscated nearly 400 acres of land from the farmers from the villages of Lanmataw, Daungtaungyaw, Nyaungpunhla, Tharaktapu, and Tharakoak, and they have been leasing out the land to the farmers in a similar manner.

It was reported that land confiscation by the army in Arakan State started during the reign of Maung Oo as commander of Western Command under the SPDC regime around 2005.

The farmer said that they are left without any profit and it is like working to feed the army because they have to give 25 baskets of their paddy produced each season.

"It is like working to feed the army because if we cultivate and acre of land, it can not produce 100 baskets of paddy and we have to invest everything, like labor, seed, fertilizer, insecticides, and everything that is needed for cultivation, and we have no profit but we are working to survive ourselves," said the farmer.

According to farmer sources, this situation is occurring not only in Kyauktaw Township; every other township in Arakan State has been suffering the same fate with over-militarization in the state.

The army's battalions have been confiscating arable land from the public not only for construction of their bases, but also for their finances and rations for soldiers in the battalions. According to farmers from Ponnakyunt Township in northeastern Arakan State, the local army battalions forcibly confiscated more than 200 acres of farmland from the local farmers last year because land they had confiscated earlier was lost to railroad construction in the area.

There were only three battalions of the Burmese army in Arakan State, mostly based in Sittwe, until 1989, when the current military took hold of power. Since then, the army junta has extended its battalions and there are now over 60 battalions based in Arakan State.

Sources said that local people in Arakan State have been suffering from the rights abuses and land confiscation, illegal tax collection, monopolization of commerce and the economy, and various restrictions and oppression with over-militarization and strengthening of the armed forces in the state.

They added that although it was declared that power was transferred to the democratic government in Burma, they have not seen anything chance from the way things were run with the former military regime.

Dhaka: The Bangladesh Coast Guard and Navy have launched an operation to drive out Burmese poachers after the high authority reported that many fishing boats from Burma have been entering Bangladesh waters for fishing, reported a Bangladesh newspaper.

The report said that Coast Guard and Naval forces have launched searches for the Burmese fishing boats in likely spots along the maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal after receiving direction from the high authority.


A Coast Guard operation officer said they were informed by the fishing department on Saturday that some trawlers from Burma were fishing in the Bay in Bangladesh territory.

Afterward, Coast Guard patrol boats from four outposts - St. Martin Station, Teknaf Station, Cox's Bazar Station, and Shahpuri Station - rushed to the reported locations to drive out Burmese fishing boats, he said.

The Bangladesh Navy has also dispatched ships near the maritime boundary to search for Burmese fishing boats after receiving instructions from the high authority regarding the Burmese poachers.

On directives of the high command from headquarters, a naval ship is patrolling the reported spots, but there were no details on where the navy ship was patrolling at the moment.

However, Bangladesh authorities have not yet seized any fishing boats in Bangladesh waters as there are many canals flowing from Burma into the Bay of Bengal that fishermen are able to use to enter Bangladesh waters.

According to the report, Coast Guard members already started interrogations and gathering information from the locals and Bangladeshi fishermen who regularly go fishing in the Bay regarding the Burmese fishing boats intruding in Bangladesh waters.

There is still an unresolved maritime boundary dispute between Burma and Bangladesh, and both countries are being extra cautious about protecting their current boundary.

http://www.narinjara.com

Dhaka: Bangladesh and Burma will resume direct air links soon, after flights have been stopped for more than four years, according to an official from Bangladesh's commerce ministry.

Bangladesh airline Biman, the only airline that had been flying between Dhaka and Rangoon, stopped its flights before the end of 2006 due to financial losses, and since then travelers from both countries have to transit through the Bangkok airport.

Bangladesh and Burma are now working to resume the direct air link that will save much time and costs for travelers between the two countries without requiring any medium transit, he said.

The source also said the commerce ministry has already requested its government restore direct air links to Burma in order to boost bilateral trade, including the border trade between the two countries.

Burma is the third largest importer of Bangladesh pharmaceuticals and the re-opening of direct air links between the two countries will help to boost bilateral trade as well as border trade, added the source.

Burma has signed aviation accords with 43 countries and regions around the world since 1949.

Flights from 14 foreign airlines are now flying to Rangoon in Burma, including Air China, China Southern Airline, Indian Airlines, Thai Airways International, Thai Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, Phuket Airline, Malaysian Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Silk Air, Qatar Airways, and Jetstar Asia.

Dhaka: Arakan ranks second after Chin State for poverty among the fourteen states and divisions in poverty-stricken Burma, according to a report of results from a survey on household living conditions.

The report, titled "Poverty Profile", was published by the UNDP in Burma in June 2011 and was based on surveys taken in 2004 - 2005 and 2009 - 2010 through its Integrated Household Living Conditions Assessment that has been implemented with the Burmese government's Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development.

The report said the highest rate of poverty is in Chin State, at 73%, followed by Arakan State at 44%, Tanintharyi Division at 33%, Shan State at 33%, and Ayeyerwaddy Division at 32%.

Arakan State in the western coastal region has potential, with its geographically rich natural resources, to become a developed and prosperous state compared to other states and regions in Burma. But, Arakanese intellectual Dr. Aye Kyaw from New York says, Arakan being ruled as a hidden colony with militarization for many years is the main reason it has become an impoverished state in Burma.

"Arakan is just a hidden colony existing under cover of a state with over militarization by the Burmese forces for so many years. Now there are over 60 battalions based in the state and they are not the forces being deployed for the well-being of the state, but for monopolizing the state's resources for their own benefit, and these are the reasons why Arakan became impoverished," said Dr. Aye Kyaw.

He said the forces have confiscated many arable lands from the local people and contained the people's access to natural resources with strict rules within the state.

Dr. Aye Chan, an Arakanese professor from Japan's Kanta University, also said the high level of poverty afflicts the state because the government and its armed forces has monopolized even resources such as land, waters, and forests, on which the local residents depend for the livelihoods.

"All natural products and resources are being monopolized by the government and its forces in Arakan State. For example, the local residents have no right to fish in their nearby waters such as ponds, creeks, rivers, and the sea, for their livelihoods without paying a huge toll and tax to them. That is the reason why the highest level of poverty afflicts the state," said Dr. Aye Chan.

He said despite the multibillion international business projects being constructed for exporting gas and oil found in onshore and offshore fields in Arakan State, most of the Arakanese people are fleeing their homeland to find jobs elsewhere to survive.

Over three million people are now living in Arakan State and it is estimated that over a million people have left their homeland for mainland Burma and neighboring countries due to political oppression and economic hardships in their state.

According to the report, Arakan also has the lowest level of literacy, with 71% of primary enrollment rate and 32% of secondary enrollment rate.

In terms of electricity, Arakan State has the lowest access rate, with just 26% of the population having access to electricity, most of whom are urban dwellers.
However, the report said the poverty rate has fallen by 6% across the whole of Burma according to the 2009 - 2010 survey as compared to the 2004 - 2005 survey, and the current poverty rate in the country is 26%, of which 70% is from people living in rural areas.

Minbya: People in Min Bya Township in Arakan have raised their voice regarding their daily hardships in the township at a public meeting that was held on Wednesday as part of the founding day of the township's Rakhine National Development Party, said party leader U Tha Kyaw.

"We held a public meeting during the founding ceremony of the RNDP in Min Bya where over 100 people attended and shared their problems and bitter difficulties. They also demanded we present their difficulties and problems on a daily basis to the state and central government," U Tha Kyaw said.

Most of the people were from rural villages and gathered in the meeting to raise their voice about their daily difficulties in their respective villages in Min Bya Township.

"The people especially presented to us to get more fertilizer and loans from the government for their farming because the government-provided fertilizers and loans are insufficient. We promised to submit their demand to the government authority step by step," said U Tha.

A young farmer who attended the ceremony said that he submitted two points in the meeting - first to form village administrations in accordance with the present constitution, and second to inquire with the high authority about the issue of leasing creeks and rivers in Arakan State.

He said, "Now the current government authority has appointed village administrators in the villages across our township against the present constitution. In the constitution, the village administration must be appointed with respectable gentlemen in the village, but the government authority in our township has appointed the former village chairman, who were appointed by the military government in 2006, to be the village administrators. All of the people in our township want the village administrator to be appointed in accordance with the present constitution, so we revealed this in the meeting."

Many people who attended the meeting from rural areas demanded they eliminate the system of leasing creeks and rivers out to businessmen because the system is very challenging for the survival of Arakanese people throughout the state.

"Many people presented the issue of creek, river, and ocean leasing to private businesses by the government. Most Arakanese people have not been able to carry out their daily livelihoods in the creeks and rivers since the government began leasing them to businessmen," he said.

The RNDP won a majority of elected seats in Arakan State in the last election but was unable to form as a majority in the Arakanese state because the government reserved more seats for former military personnel who are aligned with the government-backed USDP.

RNDP leaders will present the people's difficulties to the Arakan State government as well as the central government during the next parliamentary sessions, said U Tha Kyaw.

Pauktaw: The special tribunal of Burma's election commission in Naypyidaw has ruled against three elected MPs from the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party on charges of election fraud filed against them by their rivals from the Union Solidarity and Development Party.

The three MPs from the RNDP who lost in the case are U Kyaw Tun Aung, candidate from the national parliament, U Aung Kyaw Zan, candidate from the people's parliament, and U Maung Kyaw Thein, candidate from the state parliament. All three were elected in Pauktaw Township in northeastern Arakan State.

U Maung Kyaw Thein said the judgement by the EC was unfair and they would appeal after discussion with legal experts and senior members of their party.

"The judgement by the EC are quite unacceptable and we believe it is just an act of bullying against us because we won more than twice the votes our rivals got in the election. I received more than 16,000 votes while my rival got only 6,000 votes. It is totally unfair and we are now preparing with our seniors and legal experts in our party to submit our appeal for an amendment to the judges," said U Maung Kyaw Thein.

The RNDP, the local Arakanese ethnic party, won 34 seats in Arakan State in the election held in November 2010. Nine of those elected candidates were accused of fraud and faced charges with the election commission by their rivals from the USDP, the proxy party of the Burmese military regime.

Their cases were heard separately by the tribunal of the election commission in Naypyidaw.

U Kyaw Lwin, a candidate from the people's parliament, and U Ohn Tin, a candidate from the state parliament, from the RNDP in Kyaukpru Township, were found not guilty of fraud in their cases on 15 June.

U Hla Maung Thein, an elected candidate for the state parliament from Rathidaung Township, U Phe Than from the people's parliament, U Aung Win and U Maung Lone from the state parliament in Mraybon Township were all found not guilty on 24 June as well.

However, the tribunal of the EC has handed down guilty verdicts to the remaining three RNDP MPs who were elected from Pautktaw Township in its judgement on 6 July.

Rumors are spreading among political circles and local voters in Arakan State that the election commission tribunal received 50 million kyat from the USDP candidates to decide against the RNDP defendants.

The RNDP won the won a majority of the seats fielded in Arakan State in the last November election, but the USDP, the military proxy party, controls the regional state government after appointing its candidates as chief minister and ministers for most of the state ministries.

By Maung Ramar
----------------------
Kayuk Pru: NGOs have been distributing funds to farmers in Giri-affected areas in western Burma's Arakan State, particularly for purchase of seeds for paddy cultivation.
giri

A farmer from Kyaukpru Township said the NGOs, including Save the Children and some Christian organizations, are helping the farmers with funds for buying paddy seeds for their cultivation based on the size of the farmland in their area.

"The NGOs, including Save the Children and some Christian organizations are providing us with funds that range from 30,000 to 60,000 Kyat, depending on the size of farmland we possess," said the farmer.

He said the financial help from the NGOs, which do not need to be paid back, have come as an impetus for the recovery of the farmers, who have nothing left for their livelihoods after being hit by the cyclone last year.

He added that there the government's agricultural banks are loaning farmers up to 60,000 Kyat, but the loans are only available to those who have close relationships with the bank officials or local authorities, and have to be paid back after the harvest season.

The NGOs have already provided financial aid to farmers in the villages of Goonshun, Ohndaw, Muntattaung, Kamtee, Latekhamaw, Kalabar, Saikhrun, Uchay, Nhanphaytaung, and Munprun in Kyaukpru Township.

According to the farmers, Save the Children has also donated necessary funds for rebuilding the dams that were destroyed during the cyclone in Mraybon and Kyaukpru Townships.

The Arakan League for Democracy, the leading Arakanese political party from the 1990 election in Burma, has also been providing financial aid for the expense of paddy cultivation to farmers in the area.

narinjara

Sittwe: The Arakan State parliament will convene an emergency session on 30 June, but no specific information about why the session was called has been revealed, a parliamentary source said.
Rkhine-state-parliament

The parliamentary body of Arakan State has sent invitation letters to all legislators in the state to join the session on 30 June.

U Aung Mra Kyaw, a state legislator, confirmed that he received the invitation letter to join the emergency session.

"The parliament will be resumed at 10:00 am on 30 June, but I do not know why the parliament authority is holding the emergency session. There aren't any details in the letter about it," he said.

The first session of state parliament stopped in April, and this will be first time it has convened since them. There are nearly 50 legislators in the Arakan State parliament, but most are from the government-backed party and the army.

http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=3001

Construction under way on Maday Island. (PHOTO: Irrawaddy)

Although a complaint by local workers has been sent to the prime minister of Arakan State regarding the disposal of waste from Kyaukpyu deep seaport project and related work sites, no action has yet been taken, according to local residents.

More than 100 workers from South Korea, China, India, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as domestic company employees, are reportedly living and working in a natural gas refinery project near Gangawdaw pagoda in the town of Kyaukpyu where construction is currently underway.

“Every day, their leftover food, toilet waste and everything else is transported to a creek near Ohndaw and Gonchain villages, which are located not far away from the Gangawdaw pagoda,” a villager from Ohndaw told The Irrawaddy.

He said that the local villagers could no longer stand the smell from the waste, which became worse on rainy days. About 100 villagers from Ohndaw and some local monks signed a petition and sent it to township and district administrators and asked them to take the necessary measures.
The local authorities, however, responded that they were not in a position to do anything or stop the companies, he said.

“The local authorities wouldn't take any responsibility, so we sent our complaint on to Hla Maung, the prime minister of Arakan State, on June 18. He didn't respond nor did he take any action,” he said.

The local residents, however, still have not given up. They said they will send their petition to the union government in Naypyidaw.

“We have received the villagers' letter of complaint and are preparing to discuss the matter with the state government,” said Ba Shin, a Kyaukpyu resident and a member of the Pyithu Hluttaw [Lower House] representing the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP). “But I don't think it can take any action against those who throw their waste out without consideration for others. Nevertheless, we have submitted this case to the related parliamentary sessions in Naypyidaw.”

He said companies, their domestic and foreign employees, and the local authorities involved in the Kyaukpyu deep seaport project and its related projects should pay serious attention to avoid any waste which has an impact on the environment and local residents.

He also said that rocks and reefs near Maday island were dynamited to lay gas pipelines to transport gas to China, a move that affected the environment and killed a lot of aquatic animals.

U Ohn, one of Burma's most prominent environmentalists and the vice-chairman of the Forest Resource Environment Development and Conservation Association, told The Irrawaddy that the environment on Maday Island and in the surrounding Kyaukpyu area will be severely affected by construction of the deep-sea port and related projects.

“What has been written in the book with regard to environmental conservation is really great. But there has been no implementation. We still haven't been consulted on anything about the environmental impact of projects in Kyaukpyu,” said U Ohn.

State-run newspapers in Burma reported that the construction of the deep seaport on Maday Island was led by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), one of the biggest companies in China. The CNPC began construction on the seaport in October 2010 and is due to finish by 2013, they said.

It is expected to transport 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas and about 400,000 barrels of crude oil to China every year.

Wong Aung, the coordinator of the Shwe Gas Movement, which is made up of individuals and groups who are concerned about the overall impact of the extraction of natural gas in Burma, told The Irrawaddy that in addition to CNPC, other domestic and foreign companies such as Asia World and Daewoo are involved in the project.

He said human rights violations and work exploitation exist in the project's work sites. About 100 workers, who were dissatisfied with their working conditions sent complaints to local authorities, and were subsequently dismissed from their jobs.

According to some local employees, they have to work from 6 am to 6 pm but are only paid 1,500—2,500 kyat [US $1.90—3.00] a day. Daily wages are officially fixed at 5,000 kyat [$6.00], but local authorities and Burmese supervisors exploit their workers, they said.

Tibetan Monks Beaten, Detained
2011-06-07

They are held for demonstrations against Chinese rule.

AFP


Tibetan monks at a monastery in China's southwestern Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, March 23, 2008.

Three Tibetan monks in a Tibetan-majority area of China protested against Chinese rule in separate actions this week, drawing severe beatings by police, sources in the region and in exile said.

The protests took place in the Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of China’s southwestern Sichuan province, an area known for frequent protests by Tibetans against Beijing's rule.

“On June 6, at around 2:30 pm, two young monks appeared at Do Sengge in Kardze town, a place used by police for their headquarters,” a local Tibetan told RFA, speaking on condition of anonymity and identifying the protesters as Tsewang Tashi and Gyurme Sonam, both around 18 years old.

“They shouted slogans calling for the long life and return to Tibet of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and calling for freedom for Tibet. They also threw leaflets in the air,” the man said.

Police rushed in and attacked the two with iron rods before detaining them, he said, adding that “local residents saw stains of blood on the pavement from the beating.”

Speaking separately to RFA, another resident of Kardze town confirmed the incident, saying that though she did not witness the event, “I heard from others that two monks had protested downtown.”

‘Gestures of support’

The next day at around noon, another monk staged a solitary protest in downtown Kardze, and was also detained and beaten, sources said.

“At mid-day today, June 7, a monk named Oser Phuntsog suddenly appeared in the middle of town and shouted slogans,” Tenzin Namgyal, a former Tibetan political prisoner now based in India said, citing contacts in the region.

“Since there was an incident in Kardze the day before, armed police forces were present everywhere, and [Oser Phuntsog] was detained, severely beaten, and taken from the area,” he said.

“Many Tibetans who witnessed the incident made gestures of support and showed their displeasure when Oser Phuntsog was beaten and taken away.”

“No information is available about his present condition or whereabouts,” he said.

A Tibetan living in Belgium confirmed the protests had taken place, citing sources in Kardze.

“Three monks protested in Kardze town for two days in a group of two monks on June 6 and one monk on June 7,” the source, named Trechoe, said.

“They are currently detained at a prison in Kardze town near the hospital,” he added.

Attempts to reach Kardze police authorities for comment on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

Reported by RFA’s Tibetan service. Translations by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Richard Finney.

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/protest-06072011204542.html

Sittwe: Arakan State in western Burma is the site of China's main business projects being conducted in Burma, but the state and its people will not benefit from this business, report local residents.

During President U Thein Sein's recent three-day visit to Beijing, a number of deals, including construction of a railroad from the port city of Kyaukpru in Arakan to Ruili in China's Yunnan Province and a credit line of USD 763 million, were signed to expand economic cooperation between China and Burma.
images

The renovation of Kyauk Pru Jetty No 1 for Chinese ships
China Railway Group Limited, China's largest railroad builder, announced at the end of the presidential visit on 28 May that it had signed a side agreement to build a 810-kilometer long railroad between Kyaukrpu and Ruili through Muse on Burma's border.

The company said construction of the railroad was expected to be complete within three years and would help enhance economic ties between the two countries as well as promote economic growth in Burma.

Apart from the railroad, China has been building oil and gas pipelines, a deep seaport, and a terminus for receiving crude oil that will be supplied from the Middle East and Africa, as part of the Shwe Gas Project in Kyaukpru.

Local residents from poverty-stricken Arakan State, however, have no faith that they will benefit from these infrastructure and business projects being implemented by Burma and China in their state.

U Won Aung, an Arakanese activist for the Shwe Gas Movement based in Thailand, said neither benefit nor development has been seen so far for Arakan or its people since the projects have been started.

"It has already been three years since the projects related to the Shwe Gas Project have begun in Arakan State, and no benefit or development has so far been seen for the state or its people, but the projects have already deprived local people of arable land and their livelihoods with little or no compensation," said Won Aung.

The Burmese regime often announces through its media that it has been striving for the equal development of all states and divisions in Burma with the implementation of infrastructure and business projects.

Won Aung, however, said the government's continuous failure to meet the basic needs of the local people in Arakan State shows its claims for development are just propaganda and not practical words.

There is also widespread criticism of the Burmese regime at home and abroad for its selling off of national resources to neighboring countries for its own profit, in spite of the country's own need for development.

According to the reports of Burmese media after Thein Sein’s China visit, China is Burma’s biggest trade partner and the trade volume between the two countries reached USD 5.3 billion in the fiscal year 2010. It is expected to reach USD 6 billion in the present year 2011.

China has also invested USD 15.8 billion in 72 business ventures in Burma, including gas and oil pipelines, a deep seaport, an oil terminus, and transportation links related to the Shwe Gas Project that are originating in Kyaukpru Township in Arakan State.

A resident from Kyaukpru said many local residents have lost their livelihoods to the Chinese projects after the Burmese regime forcibly confiscated their arable land for construction of the projects. Locals have also been denied the opportunity to work on the projects because the Chinese companies have brought their own workers from China even for basic jobs such as construction labor.

Despite the investments by China, India, and international companies to develop infrastructure to extract natural resources from Arakan State, many Arakanese are still facing joblessness and an economic crisis in their state. Many are leaving their homeland for Thailand, Malaysia, and other areas of Burma to seek job opportunities.

http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2976