Democratic Voice of Burma

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• Look west: where Burma meets India
• Michaungkan protestors agree to close rally camp for three months
• Burma’s SEA Games bursts into life
• Japan’s PM to unveil 60bn yen plan for Burma at summit: Kyodo
• Naypyidaw – City of Light
• Land grab activist vows to go on hunger strike

Look west: where Burma meets India Posted: 12 Dec 2013 04:20 AM PST The borderline between Burma and India, a remote strip of insurgent-infested jungle, will eventually be drawn with some precision. But as the line that separates the two countries becomes more distinct, their ruling administrations are ever more entwined. A delegation of senior military officials has just left Naypyidaw for a visit to India, state media reported on Wednesday. But while the newspaper states that Vice-Senior General Soe Win and several other high-ranking officers will be traveling to Bodh Gaya to attend a ceremony at the Officers Training Academy, other sources have reported that Commander in Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing has scheduled visits with India's Minister of Defence and President Pranab Mukherjee. Indian daily The Economic Times reported Wednesday that, "Gen Hlaing, besides meeting his Indian counterpart Bikram Singh and Defence Minister A.K. Antony, will get an audience with President Pranab Mukherjee," citing "diplomatic sources." India's Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs were unavailable for comment or confirmation of the delegation's arrival and roster. The Burmese government likewise did not respond to DVB's request for comment. Related Stories Burmese troops trying to set up base on Indian soil, says New Delhi Dozens of youths freed from Burma's military: UN As monsoon hits, relief workers struggle to provide IDPs with shelter, aid The delegation's visit follows a series of bilateral talks between Burmese and Indian military leaders that signal a strengthening of military cooperation between the two countries, which have enjoyed relatively cordial relations since the early 1990's, when India began to implement its "Look East" policy in efforts to become more integrated with the Southeast Asian economy. Analysts say that India's military interests with Burma are threefold: counter China; suppress insurgencies; and access greater Southeast Asia. Burma scholar Bertil Lintner explained the situation thusly: "India doesn't want to be surrounded by countries that are closer to China than themselves. The other concern is that rebel groups – Naga, Assamese and Manipuri – have bases on the Burmese side of the border, and for years India has been trying to persuade the Burmese military to take action against them, but so far nothing has really happened. Then of course you have the whole Look East Policy." The ping-pong match of diplomatic visits between Indian and Burmese leaders sped up in October 2011 when President Thein Sein made a landmark trip to Delhi. A near-constant stream of exchanges, many geared towards increasing border security, reportedly culminated last week when the two sides "successfully concluded an umbrella border agreement," according to India's The Economic Times. Burmese media has been consistently quiet on the issue, but disputes about the placement of a border fence, as well as the erection of a Burmese army outpost near Hollenphai village in August, which the Manipuri government insists is Indian territory, have brought unwanted attention to the issue in recent months. The dispute concerns a stretch of the border between Burma's Sagaing division and Northeast India's Manipur, historically considered a no man's land where borders drawn up in a 1972 agreement were never formally demarcated, and a policy created by the Indian government allowed visa-free movement over a 16km-wide strip surrounding the border. Travel is restricted on the Burmese side, and a permit is required for many neighboring parts of Northeast India. The land in question has long been a hive of insurgent activity, where separatists from Nagaland, Manipur and Assam have established bases and conducted combat training. It is also widely known as a major heroin portal. The Manipuri border crossing is located in Moreh, one of three operational crossings between India and Burma, though social workers familiar with the region have claimed that at least two others have been proposed. The town is situated in the centre of Manipur's border with Sagaing division, about 60 miles from the currently stalled Indian-backed Tamanthi Dam on Burma's Chindwin River, and is India's only entry point to the 16,995 sq km PSC B2 natural gas block. India's state-owned ONGC Videsh Ltd. announced in a 14 October press release that Burma's national energy company, Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, had just awarded them this and one other much coveted block in central Burma. Moreh could evolve into a major trade hub; some Indian officials have stated the intention to establish a Special Economic Zone in the town. Furthermore, a trilateral highway connecting Northeast India with Burma and Thailand "hopefully will be completed soon," according to India's Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, as reported in The Economic Times in late October. The area, clearly of major interest to the Indian government, is being re-examined by a team sent by India's Ministry of Home Affairs to assess disputed areas and draw up legal borders. The Ministry did not respond to DVB's requests for comment. Unsurprisingly, neither did Burma's Ministry of Defence, famously secretive about its relationship with the Indian government, which has been offering the Burmese army military training and material assistance since the early 1990s, according to Lintner. "In the beginning," said Lintner, "India did support the pro-democracy movement, but sometime in the early 1990s, when it was clear that the pro-democracy movement was not going to come to power any time soon, they started moving closer to the Burmese regime." Around this time, he said, they began offering supplies to the Burmese military, in attempts to get Burma to quash their own troubles with insurgents. This later created even more problems for India. "It turned into a scandal a year ago," he said, "when it was discovered that India supplied Burma with Swedish 84mm rocket launchers." Lintner was referring to the news in December 2012 that the Burmese army had used weapons illicitly procured from Indian officials against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in northeastern Burma in an offensive launched after the breakdown of a 17-year ceasefire between government forces and rebel armies. As Burma's military develops its relationship with the Indian army, Lintner predicts that China, whose ties with Burma are weakening as President Thein Sein's government diversifies its allies, will not take the matter lightly. "They won't respond directly against India," he said. "They're trying to show the Burmese military, 'Look, we are a friendly neighbor, too. We can give you this, we can give you that.' But they won't connect that to India. They will try to improve the old relations with the Burmese military, try to repair as much of the damage as possible."

Michaungkan protestors agree to close rally camp for three months Posted: 12 Dec 2013 03:39 AM PST More than 200 villagers from Michaungkan in the eastern suburbs of Rangoon have agreed to close their rally camp after 17 days of protesting against a 1990 land confiscation by the Burmese military. The villagers finally agreed to end the sit-in for a period of three months following negotiations with the parliamentary Farmland Investigation Commission on Thursday morning. The villagers, rallying for the seventh time against the alleged land grab by the military had already defied an ultimatum by local authorities to disperse by 9 December, but this morning agreed to stop protesting for a period of three months after the commission pledged to help resolve their case and raise the matter in parliament, said Thein Aung Myint, an activist who has been assisting their rally in Rangoon's Thingangyun township. "The Farmland Investigation Commission's U Aung Thein Linn handed an official letter to the villagers pledging to raise the issue in the upcoming parliament session, and they decided to wait and see the results and only resume the protest if they are still unhappy with the situation it in three months' time," said Thein Aung Myint. Related Stories Land grab activist vows to go on hunger strike Michaungkan protestors hold down the fort Michaungkan protestors face forceful removal Aung Thein Linn, an MP for the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party and member of the Farmland Investigation Commission, met with the protestors on Thursday morning when he noted that the land in question had been left unused and thus liable for investigation by the commission. He said a question concerning the issue was previously raised in parliament and he urged the government to resolve the Michaungkan case. "We would like to government to find an answer to this issue, otherwise it will be damaging to our country's image – especially while the SEA Games are being held," said Aung Thein Linn. "These are not the kind of issues that can be kept hidden; the whole world can see the protests happening. We would like the government to attend to the issue, the same way the parliament has, and make a consideration based on a public-focused strategy." The protestors claim they have all the legal documents to prove their original ownership of the land and reiterated their threat to re-launch the protest if they are unsatisfied with the result. The rally camp last Saturday came under attack by men in black vests wearing military badges that left several of the protesters injured.

Burma’s SEA Games bursts into life Posted: 12 Dec 2013 03:27 AM PST The official opening ceremony of the 27th SEA Games on Wednesday evening was well-coordinated, colourful and extravagant. It went ahead without a visible hitch and even evaded what meteorologists had earlier described as an 80 percent chance of a rainstorm. The new Burmese capital, Naypyidaw, often described as a "ghost town", was transformed into a bastion of colour and light, a festive extravagant night that could in time be considered the city's "coming of age" – its prom night. The carnival atmosphere kicked off at 5pm at the Wunna Theikdi stadium. The ceremony was hosted in Burmese and English by MCs Su Yamin and Swe Hein. A festive program of entertainment was led by the "Burmese Lady Gaga" – Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein. Other Burmese singers followed: Zaw Win Htut, Nay Nay, Htoo El Linn, Sone Thin Par, Phyo Gyi, Yuzana, Maykhala and Saw Khu Hser, providing a taste of Burmese culture to the outside world which will surely whet the appetites of many potential tourists. In the tradition of sporting opening ceremonies, the teams were led into the stadium where an enthusiastic crowd, including Burma's President Thein Sein and his wife, stood and applauded. Following the exit of the athletes, the venue was transformed once again into a massive stage for a three-hour kaleidoscope of dance, song, fireworks and other visual delights. Related Stories Naypyidaw – City of Light Even the rain won't dampen Naypyidaw's moment in the sun Yingluck backs out of SEA Games opening ceremony Burma has been participating in the SEA Games since 1959 and has hosted the event twice before. Although Wednesday marked the opening ceremony, several sports have already been completed. Burma currently leads the medal table with 19 golds, 12 silver and 10 bronze. A total of 460 gold medals will be awarded in 33 separate sports during this SEA games. In the 26th SEA Games hosted in Indonesia in 2011, Thailand won the highest number of medals with 266 while Burma went home with just 71 medals. Speaking to DVB on Wednesday, Presidential Adviser Ye Htut said, "Our national sports teams, as well as our volunteers, media personnel and technical staff have proved that Myanmar is capable of managing this difficult task. I believe those abroad watching the opening ceremony of the SEA Games on TV will appreciate our capability and regard this as a victory for all the people of Burma." Asked about what would happen to all the stadia and facilities after the games, Ye Htut said, "The athletes' villages and the stadiums will be used as training centres and will also be used to host the [biennial] National Sports Festival as well as 'friendship' games. So establishing these facilities is just the first step for the development of Burmese sports – it's not just for the SEA Games." The games go into full swing on Thursday with no less than 15 sports taking place in Naypyidaw, Rangoon and Mandalay: swimming, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, chess, cycling, equestrian, football, futsal, pencak silat, pétanque, sepak kakraw, shooting and wrestling.

Japan’s PM to unveil 60bn yen plan for Burma at summit: Kyodo Posted: 12 Dec 2013 01:35 AM PST Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to pledge 60 billion yen (US$580 million) in loans to Burma, chiefly to help it build infrastructure, at an upcoming summit with President Thein Sein, a Japanese government source reportedly told Kyodo News on Thursday. Abe and Thein Sein, who are to attend a special summit of Japanese and ASEAN leaders beginning on Friday in Tokyo, will also sign a memorandum of understanding on Japanese support for Burmese health and medical sectors at the meeting, which is likely to take place Sunday, the report said. "Abe promised to provide more than 90 billion yen in loans and grants during his visit to Myanmar [Burma] in May, and the fresh pledge will push total economic aid promised under his administration above 150 billion yen," Kyodo reported. Abe is also expected to pledge assistance in public health, agriculture and other areas to boost the living standards of ethnic minorities living near Burma’s border with China and other regions. Related Stories Burma and the Philippines pledge increased trade and investment Thein Sein arrives in Manila for trade talks with Aquino Ooredoo calls on Digicel for telecoms development The move is an attempt to counterbalance China's influence in Burma, the government source said, as well as to support Japanese companies as they move into the country, with an emphasis on the Thilawa special economic zone (SEZ), located 25 miles southeast of Rangoon, where Japanese giants Mitsubishi and Sumitomo are among the investors. A ceremony launching the first phase of the 400-hectare Thilawa SEZ was held on 1 December. Win Aung, chairman of the Myanmar-Thilawa SEZ Holding PCL, said the project is located in a very low-cost area which is very convenient for human resources and transporting manufactured products. He added that basic operations at the SEZ will begin in December while major projects are scheduled to launch by early 2015. However, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoshihiko Isozaki expressed hesitation among Japanese businesses to invest in Burma, according to civil society group Dawei Project. The report suggested that the success or failure of the Thilawa SEZ could determine the future of Japanese investments in the country. Isozaki vowed that Japanese and Burmese governments will collaborate to provide electricity, water and transportation in the zone. Read more: http://www.dvb.no/news/japan-on-stand-by-as-itd-dumped-from-dawei-project-burma-myanmar/34609

Naypyidaw – City of Light Posted: 11 Dec 2013 11:04 PM PST Burma’s capital Naypyidaw was bright, noisy, colourful and buzzing last night as the opening ceremony for the 27th SEA Games came alive.

Land grab activist vows to go on hunger strike Posted: 11 Dec 2013 10:51 PM PST Activist Myint Myint Aye, who was detained six months ago for assisting farmers fighting against land grabs in central Burma's Pegu division, has vowed to stage a hunger strike against her arbitrary detention. Myint Myint Aye, a former chairperson for the National League for Democracy in Mandalay's Meikhtila township and now head of civil society group the Meikhtila Social Support Team, along with fellow activists Khin Mi Mi Khaing and Thant Zin Htet, has been languishing in Pegu's Paungde prison since early August after they were arrested without a warrant on 11 July for assisting farmers in Nattalin township demonstrating against confiscation of their land. Related Stories Michaungkan protestors agree to close rally camp for three months Michaungkan protestors face forceful removal 23 farmers sued for 'trespassing' on their own land They were subsequently charged under Section 6 of the 1988 Law relating to the Forming of an Organisation. However, no sentence has yet been passed down. The lawyer defending the trio, Han Su Yin, said Myint Myint Aye vowed on Tuesday to go on hunger strike if no verdict was announced by Friday, 13 December. "The court hearing in Nattalin [on 10 December] was postponed for two weeks," he said. "The verdict should have been passed as the three activists have been in detention for six months as of 10 December. Now they are planning to stage a hunger strike [on 13 December] until the regional high court passes a verdict on their case."

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