Burma: Person Of The Year 2007 Is U Gambira
Tuesday, 1 January 2008, 9:57 am
Press Release: Terry Evans
The influential Burmese website
THE BURMA DIGEST yesterday announced the results of it's poll for Person of the Year 2007 in Burma.
U Gambira, who led Burma's Saffron Revolution in 2007 got highest number of votes; and accordingly was named as "The Person of the Year 2007 in Burma".
U Gambira, the 29-year old leader of the All-Burma Monks' Alliance that spearheaded nationwide protests in Burma in September, became a fugitive following the deadly Sept. 26-27 crackdown on protesters in Burma.
He made important announcements to the world outside Burma about the alliance's aims and in a climate of fear and arrests of pro-democracy activists, became one of the new leaders of Burma's freedom movement.
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scoop.co.nz
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Myanmar government quashes rumors of fuel rationing cuts
Published: January 1, 2008
The Associated Press
YANGON, Myanmar: Myanmar's ruling military, apparently wary of igniting another outbreak of mass demonstrations, tried to quash rumors Tuesday that fuel rations would be slashed in the face of rising global oil prices.
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A report in the state-owned New Light of Myanmar on Tuesday said that rationing of gasoline, diesel and compressed natural gas will remain the same.
As fuel prices increase worldwide, rumors have been rampant in Yangon that instead of increasing fuel prices, the government might reduce the ration for private-car owners to one gallon (3.8 liters) from two gallons (7.6 liters) a day.
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Gasoline and diesel has been sold under a rationing system in the country's major city, Yangon, since 1980.
Each car has a ration book, allowing car owners to purchase 227 liters (60 gallons) per month.
Since November, the government has slashed the gasoline and diesel quotas of senior civil servants by at least 75 percent.
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iht.com
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CNG to be sold as required according to runs Sale of fuel will remain as usual
YANGON, 31 Dec-With a view to ensuring the systematic sales of CNG to buses and trucks in Yangon Division, CNG will be sold with CNG purchasing books beginning 1 January 2008. And it will be sold as required according to runs of buses.
Moreover, the sale of fuel to petrol and diesel-used vehicles will remain as usual.
myanmar.com
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Border fencing suspended
Iboyaima Laithangbam
Tuesday, Jan 01, 2008
IMPHAL: The work on erecting a 10 km long border fencing near the Moreh market in Manipur has been suspended following objections raised by some military officers from Myanmar.
India and Myanmar have a common border 1,643 km long, of which 398 km is in Manipur .
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hindu.com
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State cooperatives evict local businesses Reporting by DVB
Dec 31, 2007 (DVB)–Private stores opened on space rented from the Burmese government's cooperatives office in Pakokku have been ordered by the cooperatives headquarters to move out before the end of 2007.
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One business owner said that the store owners had written a letter of complaint to the minister of commerce and the divisional Peace and Development Council chairman, but had so far received no assistance.
"We rented this space from the cooperatives with a proper contract,” the owner said.
“It doesn't say anywhere that have to move when asked. We have spent a lot of money on setting up our shop here."
Government seizes farmland from locals Reporting by Nan Kham Kaew
Dec 31, 2007 (DVB)–The Burmese government has seized over 1000 acres of privately-owned farmlands near Meikhtila airbase for an upcoming factory project, according to locals
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"Most of the paddy rice produced in the district comes from these farmlands. They are vital food sources for all the people in the whole district."
The airbase authorities reportedly promised the farmers compensation of twelve times their farm tax rate for the loss of land.
The tax rate for each acre of farm is 1.50 kyat.
Missionaries give Christmas donation to prison inmates Reporting by Thet Naing snip
Kalay township residents said that the living condition for inmates in prison work camps in the area has been very poor, with prisoners shackled and given demanding farm work to do with no proper meals.
Death rates among prisoners have been on the rise too, residents said.
english.dvb.no
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xs.to
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Bangladesh authorities arrest 14 Chins from Burma
31 December 2007 - Bangladesh authorities arrested 14 Chins from Burma in Rumana village in Bandarban district of Chittagong hill tracts in Bangladesh for distributing Bible tracks (booklet) on November 28, 2007.
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khonumthung.com
Details of those arrested here
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Sittwe Elders Dispute Junta's Report on Rally 12/31/2007 
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In their letters, the elders stated, "We, Arakanese people, have not supported the outcome of the government's national convention nor its road map, either past, present, or in the future, because it is not beneficial to Arakanese people."
The so-called rally held by the government was fabricated and had nothing to do with the desires of the Arakanese people, they further added.
An estimated 71,000 Arakanese people attended the rally organized by the government to demonstrate support for the national convention and its road map.
Exile Arakanese Mark 223 Years Since the Fall of Arakanese Sovereignty
1/1/2008
Dhaka: The Arakanese community in exile in Bangladesh held a ceremony in Dhaka marking the 223rd anniversary of the downfall of Arakan's sovereignty and calling for national unity among Arakanese people in fighting against the Burmese military junta for self-determination and equal rights in Burma.
The ceremony was held in a hotel in Dhaka during the afternoon with many Arakanese, including politicians, women, and students, participating.
Arakanese leaders delivered speeches during the ceremony and called for unity among the Arakanese people in the fight against the Burmese military junta.
snip narinjara.com .................................................. Students face threat of Thai security crackdown
Kaowao: December 28, 2007
Only a handful of migrant students are able to attend their classes due to the Thai crack down on migrant workers, according to local sources in Maharchai, near Bangkok.
Mon teacher Nai Tun Wei in Maharchai, said, “Classes had been scheduled for every day with great success, students were happy to get some education, but the crack down has forced the students out of the classroom fearing imminent arrest by Thai security. We have only one class during the week now.”
Thai Mons and Nai Tun Wei founded the Thai-Mon Literature Promotion Club with the goal to help educate the migrant community and provide quality language instruction by teaching them Thai, Mon and English languages.
snip Mon refugees arrested on Xmas Day in Malaysia
Kaowao: December 28, 2007
Kuala Lumpur -- Seven refugees were arrested on Christmas Day, December 25th by the Malaysian police while out visiting friends, according to a source from Mon Refugee Organization.
The police picked up the friends, Nai Shwe Kyar and Nai Khemar who hail from Durae of Ye Township and five other refugees from Mon State and have not been heard from since, say worried friends.
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kaowao.org
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Mya Than Htike and Ko Tut Pe's Trial
30 December 2007
Original report by Ye May Aung, DVB
Ko Mya Than Htike, member of the NLD Party, Thingun Gyun, Rangoon, was brought before court last Wednesday but there was no hearing and the case has been adjourned. He was shot at and arrested while reciting prayers with other protesters in September, before being detained in Insein Prison.
Ma Wa Wa Lwin, his sister said,' The next hearing date was given as 2nd January. He has been charged under Section 505b. He was both hand-cuffed and shackled. He was brought in by special police car. He looked fine. His gun shot wound is also healing well. We managed to send him medicines and other essential items.'
Similarly,
Ko Tut Pe aka Ko Win Zaw, member, NLD Party, Thone Kwa, was brought before Thone Kwa Magistrate court for the trial. He has been arrested and detained since early September. However, it is reported that the hearing was held without informing his family.
snip Health Concern For NLD Member
31 December 2007
Original report by Maung Too, DVB
Worrying news is reaching the family and friends that
Ko Tut Pe aka Ko Win Zaw, who has been in custody for over 4 months is now unable to walk, after having to sleep on the concrete floor.
He is a member of NLD Party, Thone Kwa.
snip Senior General Than Shwe Being Asked For Permission To See Ko Htin Kyaw
31 December 2007
Original report by Maung Too, DVB
The family and colleagues of
Ko Htin Kyaw, the famous leader of instigating protests against increased fuel prices, have applied directly to Senior General Than Shwe for permission to see him as his health deteriorates rapidly after 32 consecutive days of hunger strike.
Ko Thein Myint Aung, a colleague of Ko Htin Kyaw said,' We have written to the Senior General for permission to see Ko Htin Kyaw, so that we could beg him to defer the hunger strike. The country is losing so many pro-democracy people and we intend to stop that'.
snip
whoiswhoinburma.blogspot.com
with thanxs to Goldie Shwe for the above translations
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How trio whistled to safety
Kota Kinabalu: Tired, cold and hungry from surviving on rainwater for five days, three crew members of MV Emerald which sank off Bintulu on Dec.26, could only muster a whistle as they clung to a piece of wood in the sea.
But it was enough - a fisherman forced to return home by bad weather on Sunday heard them whistling and rushed to their aid.
Myanmar nationals Phone Nyint Kyaw, 22, Zaw Min Htwe, 29 and 30-year-old Lin Zaw were spotted hanging onto a piece of timber by the fisherman at 6am, almost five days after their vessel had sunk.
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dailyexpress.com.my
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Rome shows support to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 
Rome City Hall decorated its facade with posters of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and French-Colombian hostage, Ingrid Betancourt.
A giant poster depicting photo of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy icon of Burma, has been on display in Italian capital, Rome.
The mayor of Rome has chosen to display the huge poster in front of the capital's town hall.
The picture shows the photo of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Ingrid Betancourt, a Colombian politician who has been taken hostage by a leftist rebel group since 2002.
The display is to reflect the support of Romans to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Burmese people in their struggle for democracy, said Cicilia Brighi, an Italian trade unionist who also has involved in the campaign.
She told the BBC Burmese Service that this campaign is important in pushing Italian government to pressure more on Burma's military government.
bbc.co.uk
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Human Rights Torch First to See Sun in 2008
By Sarah Matheson
Epoch Times Staff in Gisborne Jan 01, 2008
Maori Performing Arts group Waka Toa perform at the Gisborne Torch Relay ceremony on New Years Eve 2007.
(Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)
The Human Rights Torch has come to the end of its journey in New Zealand, ushering in the New Year in style in Gisborne - the first city in the world to see the sun.
The Torch arrived in New Zealand on December 16 and travelled from Auckland to the Bluff, even travelling up the country's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mt Cook.
Gisborne District Councilor Andy Hall received the torch on behalf of Gisborne. He thanked the organizers for the opportunity to stand up for human rights and freedom.
"We are standing up for those who don't have the ability to stand up tall in their own country," he said.
Burmese democracy advocate Naing Koko said the Chinese Communist Party continues to affect countries like Burma, Thailand, North Korea, Sudan and Zimbabwe.
"While people are celebrating the New Year we should not forget about the people suffering in the third world, particularly China," he said.
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Gisborne District Councilor Andy Hall receives the Human Rights Torch for Gisborne on Monday.
(Edward Dai/The Epoch Times)
en.epochtimes.com
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Burma: Three months of quiet repression, arrests, censorship and propaganda
Tuesday, 1 January 2008, 10:55 pm
Press Release: Reporters Sans Frontieres
The military government has constantly hounded Burma's journalists during the three months that have gone by since 27 September 2007, the day that Japanese video reporter Kenji Nagai was murdered by a soldier in Rangoon, report RSF and the Burma Media Association.
The police and army continue to hunt for journalists and activists who photographed and filmed the crackdown on the pro-democracy demonstrations. At least nine have had to flee to Thailand. The privately-owned media have resumed publishing but the Censorship Board has stepped up its control.
"The impression that things are back to normal is false," the two organisations said. "The security services are still looking for the underground journalists who let the world know about the violence against monks and pro-democracy activists. We call for an end to the intimidation of the press and for the release of the six journalists currently held. The international community must find a way to get UN special rapporteur Sergio Pinheiro's recommendations implemented."
The UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Burma on 14 December that calls on the government to guarantee the freedom of the independent media. An RSF representative addressed the council, calling for the release of Burma's journalists and an end to the censorship.
Ko Aung Gyi, the former editor of the sports magazine "90 Minutes", is one of the latest journalists to be detained. It is not known why he was arrested in Rangoon. Two other former journalists, Ko Win Maw and Ko Aung Aung, have also been arrested without being charged. At least 15 other journalists have been arrested since September and then released. The six currently in prison include Win Tin, a prominent journalist held since July 1989.
People who have been arrested and then released say the police ask everyone for the names of the "cameramen," meaning the journalists who work clandestinely for foreign news media or Democratic Voice of Burma, an exile radio and TV station based in Oslo. Many photographers and cameramen who contributed to exile media have stopped working altogether for fear of being identified and some have even thrown away their equipment.
The Union Solidarity anda Development Association (USDA), a pro-government militia, continues to be hostile towards journalists. "The Myanmar Nation" photographer Aung Khine Nyunt was beaten by thugs believed to be USDA members while taking photos of a march on 21 October. In all, about 10 journalists were beaten or roughed up during the demonstrations.
At least nine Burmese journalists have fled the country because of the repression, and have sought refuge in Thailand. Most of them left the capital during the first wave of arrests at the end of September.
The Censorship Board has had no qualms about asserting itself. The weekly "News Watch" was banned for a week in mid-November after proposing the publication of photos that displeased the military. The military censors have even forced editors to resign. In early December, the authorities punished the magazine "Action" for failing to withdraw articles censored by the government. A censorship official publicly criticised "Action" for not being "constructive."
The newspaper "Middle Line" also got into trouble. It was suspended after its editor, Oo Swe, complained that some media were getting favourable treatment from the censors, according to the exile magazine and website "Irrawaddy".
To prevent Burmese from seeing reports and pictures of the crackdown in September, the military government has controlled the sale of foreign publications very strictly since mid-October. The magazines "Time" and "Newsweek" and Thai newspapers have not been seen in newsstands for the past few weeks. The Internet has been restored but surveillance has been stepped up in Internet cafés. For fear of reprisals, many Internet café owners have removed the programmes from their computers that allowed users to circumvent the government's filters.
Around 10 journalists suspected of sympathizing with the pro-democracy protests have been banned from being published or interviewed. They include sports reporter Zaw Thet Htwe, cartoonist Au Pi Kyee and writer Pe Myint. The censorship is not limited to political topics. The military government, for example, banned coverage of a new outbreak of bird flu on 20 October, although the outbreak was announced by the government agency responsible for dealing with it.
Anyone who criticises the government can be the target of repression. This is why the authorities banned a video of a show by the comic troupe "Say Young Sone." According to Democratic Voice of Burma, which decided to televise it, the DVD is selling very well on the streets of Rangoon. Similarly, a spokesman for the Zantila Rama monastery was sentenced to two years in prison in December for complaining that military personnel stole money during a search. Democratic Voice of Burma said he was found guilty of defamation. A Burmese rapper was arrested in November for paying tribute to the monks at a concert. And "Irrawaddy" reported in early November that Tin Yu, a resident of a Rangoon suburb, was arrested for "talking to foreign media."
The government media continue to pump out their propaganda, putting all of the activities of the military government's leaders on the front page. The government's TV stations have on several occasions vilified the reporting of the foreign media, such as the BBC, RFA and VOA, accusing them of trying to "destabilise" Burma. The government media have been ordered to praise the return to normality and the country's economic progress. At the end of November, the USDA militia announced the launch of a new daily newspaper to reinforce the public's support for the regime.
Finally, many Rangoon-based journalists have criticised Myat Khaine, the editor of the weekly "Snap Shot", for voluntarily giving the information ministry photos of protesters.
Français: Rapport Capsule: Trois mois de répression silencieuse: censure, propagande et détentions
ENDS
scoop.co.nz
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mid  |
xs.to TP Myanmar Students Announcement
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
We would like to announce that We, the Tamasek Myanmar Associations from Singapore Tamasek Polytechnic is not getting involve with the entertainment program by preformed by Burmese Students from various Polytechnics from Singapore; on the 2 January 2008 at the Singapore Mandarin Hotel(Orchard) for the Burma Independent Day Celebration( 4 January ..baydah) organized by Burmese Embassy in Singapore.
xs.to Please United:
On 2 January 2008, Junta Collaborators, Traitors of the Burmese People and some Burmese Students from various Polytechnic in Singapore are participate in the entertainment program at Singapore Mandarin Hotel (Orchard Road) to mark the anniversary of Burma Independent Day,, organized by the Burmese Embassy in Singapore.
We want to warn all those entertainer not to forget the Monks, Students and Public who were sacrifice their lives in the recent September Saffron Revolution. Don't forget the cruelty and suppression of the Na-Ah-Pha(Junta).
While all the Burmese people are suppressing and suffering, to accept to participate in the Junta Entertainment is the act of supporting the Junta cruel suppression in last September 2007.
Ask yourself "who you are". Are you the collaborator of Junta? If not, then think carefully what to do before it is too late. Don't make yourself a person hated by the all Burmese People.
It is the responsibility of all patriotic Burmese to try to stop this Independence Day celebration organized by the Junta's embassy. Tell your friends not to go there if they are invited, Not to get involve.
Businessman and Students in Singapore and everywhere around the world, If you love your country, if you are patriotic Burmese, then don't go to this Celebration even you are invited by the Junta embassy..
Posted by ေဗ ဒါ Bay Dah
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Walking Campaign For Burma
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
xs.to
On 4 January 2008 Burma Independence Day, to commemorate this occasion, Burmese monks in Sri Lanka will walk 116 km Long Peace Walk starting from Galle City and end at in front of the UN Office at Colombo City on 8 January 2008 for the Freedom of Burma and the World Peace.
Posted by ေဗ ဒါ Bay Dah
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Burma : Human Rights Information
1 Jaunary 2008
Original report :
DVB
Information on human rights violations in Burma can now be reported to United Nations Human Rights Commission, in the statement issued by 8888 generation students.
Every record of a photograph, medical report, court order, etc, concerning the human rights violation committed by any organisation including the SPDC government can now be emailed to
hrhittaing[at]gmail.com and there is an appeal to all friends to distribute this email address and forms to everyone.
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whoiswhoinburma.blogspot.com
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