Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Suu Kyi: I started as a politician not a human rights defender
• Shan locals petition against Thai coal mining company
• Pope calls for inter-religious dialogue in Burma
• It’s a knock out
• Classic car enthusiasts hit Burma roads

Suu Kyi: I started as a politician not a human rights defender Posted: 29 Oct 2013 04:30 AM PDT Democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has dismissed criticisms of her leadership by insisting that she has always been a politician, rather than a human rights defender. It follows accusations that the opposition leader has prioritised her presidential ambitions ahead of the protection of minorities in Burma. Many analysts say she has abandoned her principles in order to secure her political power base. But speaking in an interview with CNN on Monday, Suu Kyi rejected suggestions that she has been forced to transition from activist to politician. "I'm always surprised when people speak as if I've just become a politician. I've been a politician all along. I started in politics not as a human rights defender or a humanitarian worker, but as the leader of a political party. And if that's not a politician then I don't know what is." The Nobel laureate, who spent 15 years under house arrest at the hands of the junta, has taken an increasingly conciliatory tone towards the military-backed regime since joining parliament and publicly expressed hopes of running for president. Related Stories Suu Kyi: 'the army must be the foundation of the country' Suu Kyi wants to learn from Northern Ireland peace process Suu Kyi rejects allegations of ethnic cleansing in Burma She was come under particular scrutiny for refusing to condemn the spread of anti-Muslim violence in Burma, which has claimed over 250 lives since last year.  But Suu Kyi told CNN that she is accustomed to censure. "I was subjected to the greatest criticisms for 20 years because some people said I was too intransigent, I was not as flexible with the government as I should have been," she said. Almost 140,000 Rohingya Muslims, who are denied citizenship and deeply unpopular in Burma, have been stranded in displacement camps in Arakan state since two bouts of clashes with local Buddhists last year. Human rights groups have described the violence, which has since spread to other parts of the country and disproportionately targeted Muslims, as "ethnic cleansing". But in an interview with the BBC last week, Suu Kyi denied that ethnic cleansing is taking place, insisting that "the fear is not just on the side of the Muslims, but on the side of the Buddhists as well." It is widely believed that she fears losing her core electorate in the Buddhist-dominated country in the run-up to the 2015 general elections. Suu Kyi is currently on a diplomatic tour of Europe, where she has met with political and religious leaders, as well as collected awards for her work promoting human rights and democracy in Burma.

Shan locals petition against Thai coal mining company Posted: 29 Oct 2013 04:08 AM PDT A group of local activists and politicians in Shan state's Kengtung township are preparing a petition against a Thai-owned coal mining project, which they say will cause widespread social and environmental problems. The project will involve the construction of a coal-fired power plant and see the forceful relocation of at least two villages along with the confiscation of over 500 acres of farmland. A local politician told DVB that a public meeting, held on 24 October with people from eight villages in the Monglet village-tract, showed that the vast majority of locals opposed the project. "None of the villagers wish to be relocated, and even if they do, they wouldn't know where to go so all of them are opposed to the project," said Sai Win Myint, the National League for Democracy's Shan state Central Executive Committee member. "We are now collecting signatures from all residents over 18 years old in the villages." He said the petition will be submitted to the township authorities and if they refuse to help them, they will turn to the Shan state government and the union parliament in Naypyidaw. The public meeting was attended by over 300 people including Monglet residents, representatives from political parties including the NLD, the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, as well as local Shan, Lahu and Wa parties, as well as police officers and military officials. The Shan Nationalities and Development Party, who also attended the meeting, say they raised concerns about environmental damage caused by the project as early as two years ago, but no action has been taken. Related Stories Namhkam festival cancelled in wake of bombings As monsoon hits, relief workers struggle to provide IDPs with shelter, aid Man behind Lashio riots handed 26 year sentence The villagers added that the Kengtung district authorities approached them on 20 October to sign an agreement for the project to go ahead. But they refused because the officials failed to give answers to questions about the relocation process, compensation and new job opportunities. The project will see the relocation of Wantaung and Wankyun villages [in Monglet village-tract] and also cover Kengtung town, which is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, with smog, according to a local elder. Burma, which is emerging from nearly five decades of military rule, is rich in gems, industrial minerals, oil, and offshore natural gas reserves estimated at 10 trillion cubic feet. But most of the country's natural resources are found in its volatile ethnic minority regions, including Shan and Kachin states, where violence continues to flare near areas slated for large-scale development projects. Campaigners warn that an influx of foreign investment could exacerbate local grievances, unless "major shortcomings" in Burma's legal and regulatory framework, which allow the government to arbitrarily seize land from farmers, are addressed.

Pope calls for inter-religious dialogue in Burma Posted: 29 Oct 2013 02:15 AM PDT Pope Francis held a private audience with Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the Vatican on Monday. The pope and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate briefly posed for photographers before sitting down for talks, assisted by a translator. Speaking to reporters at a news conference following the meeting Suu Kyi said the talks had touched on efforts to make the world a better place. “Emotions such as hatred and fear, they diminish the lives of people, they diminish human worth and we need to build on the more positive emotions such as love and understanding and the desire and the will to work together towards a better world,” she said. Pope Francis called for inter-religious dialogue in Burma, and said that the Church would be at the service of everyone in the country without discrimination, according to spokesman Federico Lombardi. This was the first meeting between Pope Francis and Suu Kyi, who has been criticised for not speaking out enough against ethnic and religious tensions in her homeland. Related Stories British PM backs Suu Kyi's presidential bid Suu Kyi receives Sakharov Prize – 23 years later Suu Kyi reiterates call for constitutional amendments Suu Kyi finally collected her honorary citizenship of Rome on Sunday, 19 years after being offered the honour. The citizenship recognises her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights. Suu Kyi spent most of two decades under house arrest after the military government ignored the results of a 1990 election won by her party. The daughter of independence figure Aung San, Suu Kyi was elected to parliament last year as Burma opened up after years of authoritarian rule and international isolation. Burma has been rocked by sectarian unrest in recent months, prompting growing international concern. Around 250 people have been killed and more than 140,000 left homeless in several outbreaks of Buddhist-Muslim violence around the country since June 2012, mostly in western Arakan state.

It’s a knock out Posted: 28 Oct 2013 10:57 PM PDT Burmese boxing has been a national sport in Burma for a thousand years, but it will not be part of the Southeast Asian Games in December. Unlike the Thai sport, Muay Thai, which is popular worldwide, traditional Burmese boxing is only well known in Burma. But traditional boxers want the government to do more to promote the sport internationally. Saw Ohn Myint is a former Gold Belt national champion in Burmese boxing. "I have always been a keen boxer and I have sacrificed a lot," he said. Burmese boxing is nearly three times as old as Thai boxing. Both sports are unarmed martial arts akin to kickboxing, but the Burmese style is fast and more violent, ending only when one fighter gets knocked out. Related Stories Thein Sein inspects SEA Games stadiums Para Games athletes slam ‘unfair’ conditions Countdown to the SEA Games Traditionally there were no rules and the winner was the first to draw a significant amount of blood. Rules and a scoring system were introduced as part of an earlier attempt to promote the sport internationally. Hla Soe Oo trains Burmese boxers and campaigned to have the sport included in this year’s SEA Games. "When we told the Myanmar Boxing Federation about our boxing, they said other countries didn't know the style and so they couldn't compete against us," said Hla Soe Oo. The sport gets little in the way of support from the government and minimum sponsorship. Hla Soe Oo would like to see traditional boxing promoted in neighbouring Thailand. "Let's say we can open a training school in Thailand," he said. "We can hold competitions and people can come to learn to fight in our style." He went on to say that the sport needs better marketing to appeal to other countries. There are 12 Burmese boxers who will compete in the SEA Games this year, but they will fight in the Muay Thai style.

Classic car enthusiasts hit Burma roads Posted: 28 Oct 2013 10:19 PM PDT A group of classic car enthusiasts on Monday embarked on a road trip around Burma – an event organisers hope will help save the country’s ageing automobiles from the scrapheap. Twenty cars including marques such as Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce and Chevrolet left Rangoon on a two-week, 1,429 kilometre (889 mile) trip that will take them to Inle Lake, the ancient temple city of Bagan and NgapaliBeach. Nine of the vehicles are owned by foreigners and shipped over specially for the event, which follows dramatic changes in the former pariah state since junta rule ended in 2011. “I have watched what the country has achieved over the last 30 months and it’s astonishing,” said Richard, the British driver of a 1956 Mercedes-Benz. Fume-belching classic European cars and ageing Japanese sedans have rattled along Burma's streets for decades. But as the country opens up following decades of isolation, many have been sent to the junkyard. “It’s very sad to lose these old cars,” said Zaw Phyo Linn of the Burma Classic Cars Club who is participating in the road tour. “Our intention to hold the event is to let people know that these cars are valued and encourage them not to destroy them.” Under military rule, imported cars were a luxury reserved for people close to the junta. But the country’s new reformist government has allowed owners of ageing cars to trade them in for hard-to-get permits to purchase imported used vehicles.

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