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Showing posts from October, 2011

Mass Protest Around Misuse of the Term ‘Arakan’ Arises in Arakan State

Narinjara By Takaloo ------------ Maungdaw: Mass protests against the destructive and deceptive use of the term ‘Arakan’ by a group of people who are not associated with it have been arising in western Burma’s Arakan State. Mass Protest meeting in Maung Daw Arakan state Public conferences were held in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and the capital Sittwe in Arakan State denouncing those who they claim have made up a fallacious history of Arakan, misusing the terminology of ‘Arakan and Arakanese’ in order to make human rights claims before international communities. A public conference to denounce those allegedly misusing the term ‘Arakan’ was held on Saturday (29 October 2011) at Myoma Buddhist Monastery in Maungdaw with participations of different tribes such as Mro, Khami, Thet, Dainak and the peoples who describe themselves as Bengali (Hindu). “We all are living and suffering together here on the land of Arakan regardless of our race and creed and so we should not se

Cambodia's Former King Vows to Stay in Homeland

Irrawaddy Cambodia’s former king, Norodom Sihanouk (C), attends a ceremony with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni (L) and former queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk (R) at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh on October 3   PHNOM PENH — Cambodia's ailing former king Norodom Sihanouk, his country's dominant figure for half-a-century, vowed Sunday at a rare public appearance never to leave his homeland again. Sihanouk, his son King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen shared the podium at a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the former monarch's return to his homeland after years of civil war. The occasion may mark a last hurrah for Sihanouk, one of the giants of postwar Asian politics and the nonaligned movement of Third World countries. In recent years, Sihanouk, who turns 89 on Monday, has suffered from colon cancer, diabetes and hypertension, and spent most of his time in China. He returned Thursday from his latest three months of medical treatment

Govt Holds Peace Talks with DKBA

Irrawaddy DKBA Brigade 5 leaders, including Brig-Gen Saw Lah Pwe (black shirt), pose for a photograph at a base in eastern Burma. (Photo: The Irrawaddy) A five-member Burmese government delegation met with representatives of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)'s Brigade 5 in Mottama, Thaton District, Mon State, on Oct 26 for talks aimed at ending fighting, according to Karen sources. The Burmese delegation, acting as liaisons for President Thein Sein, included two senior members of the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)—ex-Brig-Gen Thein Zaw and ex-Brig-Gen Maung Maung Thein—as well as the commander of the Southeast Regional Military Command and the chief ministers of Karen and Mon states. The DKBA delegation, which was led by Col Saw Moseph, met the Burmese officials at a government office in Mottama. “They [the Burmese government] invited us to talk, but we haven't reached any agreement yet,” said Maj San Aung of the D

Burma's Asean Chair Possible with Further Reform

Irrawaddy A girl from Burma holds up a banner in protest against Burma President Thein Sein outside the Burmese embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 11, 2011. (Photo: Reuters) Further democratic reform in Burma must be achieved before it can chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2014, observers have urged. A decision whether to grant Burma the Asean chair will be made at the organization's next summit in Bali this November. Several observers have told The Irrawaddy that there is a real possibility that Burma could win the Asean chair after positive remarks by Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa who visited the country last weekend. After his trip to Burma, Natalegawa said that he thought significant changes were happening in the country. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi met Natalegawa during his visit and also indicated that she may support Burma’s bid if there were further moves towards democratic reform by Naypyidaw.

NLD and Allies Discuss Party Registration

  Irrawaddy In this photo taken on Oct. 22, 2011, Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, right, shakes hands with supporters after she visits a class of traditional hand weaving course organized by women members of her National League for Democracy party in Rangoon. (Photo: AP) A key decision that could affect Burma's political future is pending as Aung San Suu Kyi and the leadership of the National League for Democracy (NLD) are scheduled to meet with their pro-democracy allies on Friday. Aye Thar Aung, a leader of the Arakan League for Democracy, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the meeting is significant for both the NLD and its ethnic allies since they will discuss the issue of political party registration, an option that has been availed to them since Burma's Parliament passed a bill last week amending the Political Parties Registration law. Ahead of the meeting, Suu Kyi met government liaison minister Aung Kyi in Rangoon on Sunday

Families Fear for Hunger Strikers

Irrawaddy Insein Prison, situated in the northwestern suburbs of Rangoon, is the current site of a hunger strike by 15 political prisoners. Family members of the 15 political prisoners who have been on hunger strike in Rangoon's Insein Prison since Wednesday say they are anxious for the health and the lives of their loved ones. The 15 political dissidents said they are refusing to eat until they and all other political prisoners are afforded the same terms as criminal prisoners who are automatically given one-third off their sentences in return for good behavior. Prison authorities have banned relatives of the hunger strikers from visiting and from sending personal supplies, including water and medicine, to the dissidents. On Thursday, prison wardens stopped issuing the 15 with drinking water, and on Saturday eight of the group were transferred to holding cells that are otherwise used as kennels for guard dogs. One of hunger strikers' family

Threat of disease from historic flooding looms in Thailand

(CNN) -- Worries about high tides overwhelming parts of Thailand in recent days have morphed into fears about water- and insect-borne diseases in the flood-ravaged country. Bangkok's central business district has avoided major flooding so far, but outlying areas are chest- or waist-deep in water. "The water in those parts is a filthy black color containing sewage, garbage and dead animals with a nasty smell. Mosquitoes are also breeding rapidly," said Igor Prahin of Bangkok. More than 370 people have died since the flooding began after heavy monsoon rains. U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Kristie A. Kenney said Monday that "the worst may be over for central Bangkok," but about 2 million people are still affected by the flooding. The United States has pledged a total of $1.1 million in aid. CNNGo: Updated travel information for tourists Charities working in the country have warned of diseases such as diarrhea, dengue fever and malaria in the coming days an

Is 160 enough? One Indian man's family

By Sumnima Udas , CNN October 31, 2011 -- Updated 0857 GMT (1657 HKT) Ziona, center, with his has 39 wives, 86 children and 35 grandchildren in rural Baktwang village, India. STORY HIGHLIGHTS One man in India is the patriarch of a family of 160 in rural India Ziona, who only goes by his first name, has 39 wives, 86 children and 35 grandchildren. Ziona's father, Chana, founded the Christian sect in Baktwang that promotes polygamy "I never wanted to get married but that's the path God has chosen for me" Mizoram, India (CNN) -- The world's population hits 7 billion this week, but Ziona, the patriarch of what may be the biggest family in the world, is not bothered. "I don't care about overpopulation in India ... I believe God has chosen us to be like this (have big families). Those who are born into this family don't want to leave this tradition so we just keep growing and growing," he says with a smile. Ziona, who only goes by his f

Top universities pull away from pack

The Times A handful of elite universities is pulling away from the rest of Britain’s higher education as the gap between top institutions and the rest widens, new tables show. League tables show that Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College and University College London entrenched their positions among the world’s top 20 universities. Britain’s university sector sealed its place as the second strongest worldwide, behind only the United States whose institutions dominate the rankings. But the growing gulf between the top four and the other leading universities is a blow to attempts by the Government to narrow the gap between selective universities. The coalition’s higher education reforms, with student number controls lifted for undergraduates with A-level grades of AAB or higher, are intended to create a British “Ivy League” of around a dozen top universities. This is modelled on America’s universities where the brightest 5 per cent of undergraduates attend a small number of eli

Cameron seeks rapid and radical adoption reform

The Times Radical reform of the ailing adoption system will enable local authorities to be stripped of their duties if they fail to meet new standards, the Prime Minister has told The Times. A Green Paper detailing new “floor standards”, similar to those issued to schools for their exam results, will set out the minimum proportion of children that should be adopted from care each year. It will also impose time limits on the process. Any council that consistently fails to meet the standards will be compelled to contract out its adoption service to a more successful local authority or a charity, increasing its risk of suffering funding cuts and job losses. The failing councils will be “named and shamed” when data is published. David Cameron set out his plans in an interview with The Times, which has been campaigning for reforms to the system, to mark the beginning of National Adoption Week. He commended the newspaper’s “enormously persuasive” efforts to increase the number of ado

Three die as early snow hits northeast US

The Times A car crushed by a tree brought down by an early snowfall in Worcester, Massachusetts Adam Hunger/Reuters A freak snow storm broke records and tree limbs as it swept through northeast America over the weekend, killing three people, causing three state governors to declare a state of emergency and leaving more than three million people without power. Parts of the northeast were covered with a blanket of snow at least a foot deep. A thinner layer, 1.3in deep, settled on Central Park in New York City – the deepest snowfall there in October since records began. It was only the fourth October day in 135 years on which snow settled to a measurable level in the park. City officials closed the park and dealt with nearly a thousand calls reporting fallen branches in the metropolis, brought down by the weight of snow gathering on trees that were still for the most part in full leaf. ’Shock’tober Snowstorm said one headline today, registering the amazement of meteor

Hacker group takes on Mexican drug cartel over kidnapped activist

The Times Computer hackers may be about to open a dangerous new front in Mexico’s brutal drug wars after threatening to expose online the high-placed allies of a notorious cartel unless it releases a kidnapped activist. Anonymous, an international hacker co-operative, has posted on YouTube a video vowing to fight the vicious Zetas cartel from cyberspace using information rather than guns or knives. The clip makes reference to an unidentified hacker abducted by the drug-runners in the Mexican coastal city of Veracruz. “You have made a great mistake by taking one of us — free him,” the video says. Action online would quickly mean blood on the streets, however. Anyone exposed as a Zetas collaborator, accurately or otherwise, would become an instant target for rival cartels engaged in an already bloody turf war for control of Veracruz, according to analysts. Stratfor, a global intelligence organisation which picked up on the video last week, said that the Zetas could retaliate by

Welcome to the world’s 7 billionth baby

The Times The Philippines-born child was named by the UN as a symbolic 'seven billionth' baby EPA Melissa van der Klugt Last updated October 31 2011 12:01 AM A child born in the Philippines has been welcomed as one of the world’s symbolic “seven billionth” babies, arriving to delighted cheers at a crowded hospital in Manila. Danica May Camacho was delivered just before midnight on Sunday at an event attended by senior United Nations officials. Weighing 5lb 8oz (2.5kg), Danica, which means “morning star”, is the second child for her parents Camille Dalura and Florante Camacho. “She looks so lovely,” her mother said as she held her. “I can’t believe she is the world’s seven billionth.” The delivery room in the state-run hospital was crammed with television crews and photographers, as well as UN officials who presented the child and her parents with a cake as she lay on her mother’s chest wearing a knitted red hat. Among other gifts that Danic

US 'has confidence' in Thailand

Bangkok Post Despite the huge task ahead after the flood recedes, Thailand has the capacity to bounce back, US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenny said on Monday afternoon. Mrs Kenny was commenting after delivering the fourth batch of US supplies to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. The US disaster assessment team has worked with the Thai military, government agencies, and international organisations to ensure the appropriate distribution of  flood relief, said Mrs Kenny. The US had provided items that would not be duplicated by other donors. "Our aid is so far worth 33 million baht and we are looking beyond the relief stage to rehabilitation in areas such as  health care and education. T "American business is also keen to help with Thai economic recovery," she said.

Govt reins in prices of flood-related products

Bangkok Post The government has announced recommended prices for flood-related products to prevent hoarding and profiteering, Deputy Commerce Minister Phum Saraphol said on Monday. "After the Commerce Ministry added flood-related products to its price-control list, the Department of Internal Trade hasa set recommended prices for them....to prevent people from hoarding," Mr Phum said. He said the suggested price for of a 600cc bottle of drinking water was no more than seven baht, a 750cc bottle no more than nine baht and 1.5 litres no more than 14 baht. Villagers run to receive drinking water packs dropped from a helicopter in Ayutthaya on Oct 12, 2011. (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard) Recommended prices for other flood-related products are as follows; Twenty-five-kilogramme sacks of sand - 45 baht each Cement blocks - 10 baht each Life jackets - 450 baht each Fiberglass boats for two people - 4,500 baht each Fiberglass boats for four people - 6,500 bah

Six more districts told to evacuate

The Nation October 31, 2011 7:01 am The Bangkok authorities on Monday asked people in six Bangkok districts to evacuate, as the water run-off from the north started to seep towards the inner areas. The evacuation order was issued as areas along the Chao Phraya River experienced high tide. The six districts are Don Mueang, Laksi, Bang Phlat, Sai Mai, Thawee Watthana and Taling Chan. Residents in 13 districts bordering the Chao Phraya River were also on alert Monday for another day of high tides. Residents in seven additional districts - Bang Khen, Lat Phrao, Wang Thong Lang, Khan Na Yao, Nong Chok, Min Buri and Lat Krabang - must be vigilant and monitor the incoming northern run-off. Meanwhile Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra remains confident that the floodwater will not reach the inner part of the city, saying some parts of the capital were seeing more water than others due to breached dykes, which are being repaired. Latest reports say the northern run-off is flowing

Hong Kong extends tourism ban on Thailand as flooding continues

The Nation Hong Kong October 31, 2011 7:00 am Hong Kong Monday extended a ban on tour groups travelling to Bangkok as serious flooding continued to threaten the Thai capital. Travel industry officials in Hong Kong last week halted all tours to Bangkok until November 1, leading to the immediate cancellation of around 50 tours carrying 1,500 people. The Travel Industry Council Monday extended the ban until November 8, leading to the scrapping of 30 planned tours carrying a further 800 visitors. "We are having frequent dialogue with the government to see whether or not they are going to lower the travel warning for Bangkok," the council’s executive director Joseph Tung said. The Hong Kong government currently has in effect a red travel warning for Bangkok, meaning travellers should avoid all non-essential travel to the city. Hong Kong is a two-and-a-half hour flight from Bangkok and is one of its biggest source markets for tourism, particularly for weekend and shor

Chao Phraya hits record level of 2.53m

The Nation October 31, 2011 7:08 am Leaks in barriers spur flooding in Sukhumvit 50 and two Samsen sois The Chimplee, Taling Chan and Bang Lamat subdistricts of Taling Chan were declared "surveillance areas" yesterday after the Chao Phraya River reached a record high of 2.53 metres and some parts of the floodwall leaked. "Evacuations may be ordered," Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said. The permanent embankment stretching along most of the Chao Phraya in the capital stands just 2.5 metres high. The overflow reached Samsen Sois 21 and 23 and many more zones. Besides the spillover from the swollen river, the capital has also been swamped by runoff from upstream provinces in several districts, including Sai Mai and Thawee Watthana. On Saturday night, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) told Bangkok residents along the Lat Phrao, Bang Khen, Thanon, Bang Bua and Prem Prachakorn canals in Don Muang district to prepare to move to evacuation centre

Motorways to be free for 2 weeks

The Nation To help motorists during the flood crisis, tollways, motorways and elevated expressways will remain free of charge till November 14. Supoj Sublom, permanent-secretary of the Transport Ministry, said yesterday the ministry has extended the toll-free period for the Bangkok-Chon Buri Motorway (Route 7) and the Bang Phli-Bang Pa-in Motorway (Route 9) from tomorrow till November 14. The Expressway Authority of Thailand will also extend the free use of its tollways from Bang Na to Chon Buri (Buraphawithi), Bang Phli to Rama II (Kanchanapisek) and At Narong-Ram Intra to Lamlooka (Chalongrat) till November 14. Pol Maj General Amnuay Nimmano, deputy Metropolitan Police commissioner, said police would take legal action against traders who hoard the 16 goods recently added to the price control list of the Commerce Ministry's Internal Trade Department. They are sanitary napkins, sleeping bags, water pumps, water tanks, batteries, sand and s

Army best at rescues: poll

The Nation Four in five Bangkok residents have praised soldiers for being the most dependable rescue operators in the face of flooding, Suan Dusit Poll said in a survey released yesterday. Some three in 10 people voiced surprise about officials' failure to safeguard the capital from inundation. About the same number of respondents said they were confused by the floodrelated information provided by the government. Seven in 10 people said they would not leave their homes to live in shelters because they believed they could survive, despite the flood. One in five said they wanted to assess the flood situation for them

PM Yingluck: It won't get any worse

Bangkok Post Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra says the flooding in Bangkok should not get any worse, but Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi said the west of Bangkok, Thon Buri, will see more flooding. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Ms Yingluck said Monday the flooding in Bangkok is unlikely to get any worse than it is now. She said that all the watergates were now controlled, the water level would stabilise over the next day or two. The floodgate at Khlong Sam Wa would be operated systematically to make sure the Lat Krabang and Bang Chan industrial estates in the east were not affected. The Bangkok Metropolitian Administration and other agencies had been assigned to negotiate with Khlong Sam Wa residents on the necessity to properly control the watergate, she said. The prime minister insisted that the government's Flood Relief Operations Centre (Froc) will do its best to protect inner Bangkok from flooding and push for quicker drainage

Bangladesh: Breeding ground for Muslim terror

Bangladesh: Breeding ground for Muslim terror By Bertil Lintner Among the more than 60 videotapes that the American cable television network CNN obtained from al-Qaeda's archives in Afghanistan in August this year, one marked "Burma" (Myanmar) purports to show Muslim "allies" training in that country. While the group shown, the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), was founded by Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar's Rakhine State and claims to be fighting for autonomy or independence for its people, the tape was, in fact, shot in Bangladesh. The RSO, and other Rohingya factions, have never had any camps inside Myanmar, only across the bo

Godzilla talks about returning to Burma

Mizzima News    (Interview) – Thee Lay Thee traditional dance troupe leader comedian Godzilla, and comedians Sein Thee, Zee Thee and dancer Chaw Su Myo returned to Burma this week after four years in exile. Comedian Pan Thee, Kyel Thee and dancer Mya Sabai Ngone have remained in Thailand. Comedian Zarganar formed the popular dance troupe. In 2007, members left Burma after severely criticizing the former Burmese junta in performances inside the country and in foreign countries. Zarganar was arrested in June 2008 while helping Cyclone Nargis victims. He is serving a long prison term in Myitkyina Prison in Kachin State. Before the troupe returned to Burma, Mizzima correspondent Kyaw Kha talked with Godzilla about the decision to return and their future plans. Comedian Gozilla of the Thee Lay Thee dance troupe surrounded by journalists at Rangoon International Airport after their return to Burma on Sunday, September 11, 2011. Photo: Mizzima Q: Although President Thein S

Saffron Monk U Kawvida Closely Watched after Release from Prison

Narinjara News Yangoon: The authorities have been closely watching Ven. U Kawvida who was the former chairman of the government backed Thinga Council ( Monk Council) in the Eastern Township of New Dagon in Rangoon. He was then involved as a leader in the monk-led demonstration known as the Saffron Revolution, and has since been released from Tharat Prison as part of the presidential general amnesty. Saffron Monk U Kawvida with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Ven. U Kawvida said thst authority forces including the Special Branch of Police (SB), Military Intelligence (MI) accompanied by village administrators have been coming to his monastery to watch his movements since he was released from the prison. “I am sure that [the authority forces] are closely watching me. The SB came to my monastery yesterday and interrogated other monks in the monastery about me and the day before yesterday the MI accompanied by the village administrators also visited my monastery to inquire abou

Rohingya Hoax by Maung Tha Hla

Author Maung Tha Hla, who is the author of The Rakhaing,   companion of the periodical Rakhaing  Guardian,   is the   founder president of the Buddhist Rakhaing Cultural   Association of the  United States of America. He served twenty years with the Burma Foreign Service,   which he quit during the tenure of  office of Deputy   Permanent Representative of Burma to the United Nations   Organization.  A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR "The Piltdown Man", a scientific forgery, was   speculated in 1912 as the missing link  Between man and the   apes. The paleontological hoax was finally uncovered in   1953.  Now there is "The Rohingya", an ethnological fraud,   which claimed to be the hybrid  race of Arabs, has fooled the   public since the 1950s, having concocted the far-fetched   shipwreck story. The international community, who were   prone to deceit, seemed to have  the least notion of what was   encapsulated in the humbug wangled by the illeg