Democratic Voice of Burma

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Burma must overcome hurdles in the Year of the Horse Posted: 31 Dec 2013 10:36 PM PST   DVB interviews renowned Burmese astrologer San Zarni Bo about what he predicts for the year ahead in Burma.   Q: First of all, what do you foresee on Burma's political horizon in the year 2014? A: A significant change will definitely take place within the political arena in 2014. I see a positive change taking place between 12 July and 5 November – during that period, we will be seeing big changes on the country's constitution and political moves ahead of the next general election – the whole structure of the government will change.   Q: And how about the country's economy? A: The economy will be an issue in 2014 that may cause commotion among the general public on a large scale. We are coming into the Year of the Horse; overspending of budgets by many governments around the world will make people more wary of their governments' fiscal sense and will culminate in governments overtaxing their people. In Burma, despite this being the Year of the Horse, the political changes in the country will cause consumer demand to rise. The Burmese public will gain more confidence in the country's economy, but I still don't see any major investments coming in the year 2014. Meanwhile, many people in Burma will still struggle in their livelihoods – they will suffer from a hike in the Burmese kyat which will in turn affect the middle-class. The rich will become richer and the gap between the rich and the middle-class will widen.   Q: Will there be any more communal violence in Burma? A: The violence could well be triggered between 21 January and 19 February, 20 May and 20 June, and 20 October and 20 November in 2014. What we should be concerned about is that Rahu will fall in the Constellation of Libra along with Saturn at these times while the trajectory of the moon will shift by 10 degrees – the change of the moon's angle will disrupt the mental balance of many people, leading them to behave erratically, and to make matters worse, Burma will enter the zodiac of the moon on 13 April while Rahu will remain in Libra until 12 July. So we need to be mindful about people's erratic state of mind during the said periods as people are likely to commit psychopathic crimes out of character, such as robbery, rape and other forms of violence. They may resort to settling sensitive arguments such as social and religious issues through physical violence instead of dialogue.

Archbishop of Rangoon calls for Rohingya citizenship Posted: 31 Dec 2013 09:17 PM PST In his New Year message to the Roman Catholics of Burma, Monsignor Charles Bo called for unity between the "different souls” of “this wonderful nation” and pointed particularly towards the Rohingya Muslims of western Burma, saying those born in the country should be granted citizenship. The archbishop further called for an end to violence against the Rohingyas, and urged the country to instead fight against poverty and human trafficking. "On the eve of the New Year, Myanmar prepares for the dawn of a new era characterized by freedom, democracy, justice, peace, hope and fraternity among the different souls of this wonderful nation," wrote Msgr Charles Bo in AsiaNews in a message addressed for 1 January 2014 on the occasion of the World Day of Peace. Related Stories UN calls on Thai navy to drop defamation charges on Phuketwan Burma needs a practical long-term policy for the Rohingya issue Thai navy to sue journalists over Rohingya trafficking allegations He noted that Burma has "opened its doors to the world" over the past two years through a series of reforms in favour of democratic freedoms as well as some major economic, social and political reforms. He said that for the first time in over 50 years, there are “concrete reasons for hope” for the future. Citing the communal violence aimed at Rohingyas and other Muslims, he said, "Without fraternity it is impossible to build a just society and a stable and lasting peace.” Emphasizing the value of unity in diversity, Archbishop Bo invited the Burmese government and the international community to resolve the issues related to citizenship, according to the principle that every person born in Myanmar should be recognized as a citizen of Burma. Msgr Bo further noted that other "tragedies", such as the ongoing conflict in Kachin State, cause “great harm” to the nation. "I wish all my brothers and sisters, of all religions and ethnicities, throughout our nation a truly happy and blessed New Year," he concluded.

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