LAIZA, Kachin State—Representatives of Burma's ethnic Kachin State are en route to the capital, Naypyidaw, to attend a meeting on Wednesday with a US delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell. The delegation marks the first meeting between Kachin ethnic leaders and US officials since World War II.
The armed cease-fire group, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), previously expressed an interest in attending the meeting, but the military government denied it the opportunity to participate.
However, in a compromise arrangement, well-known Kachin peace brokers Rev Dr. Lahtaw Saboi Jum and Dr. Manam Duga will deliver the KIO's proposal for a federal system in Burma and represent the organization's official stance.
“We want to let them know we just want a real federal system,” said KIO Vice Chief of Staff Gen Gun Maw. “We are requesting they [the two Kachin delegates] talk about this on behalf of the ethnic minorities.”
Campbell has said the Obama administration will continue to press for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and for an end to conflicts with ethnic minority groups. Campbell has said he views US delegations as a means to facilitate genuine dialogue between the Burmese government, the democratic opposition and the ethnic minorities.
The delegation will meet individually with ethnic representatives and junta officials, and has requested to meet privately with Suu Kyi. US officials have stated they will not be meeting with junta Snr-Gen Than Shwe on this visit.
irrawaddy
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Border Guard Deadline Passes Without Agreement
The Burmese regime’s deadline for 17 cease-fire militia groups to accept the transformation of their troops into junta-controlled border guard forces passed on October 31 with a few militias accepting the order and stronger ones, such as United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Kachin Independent Organization (KIO), rejecting it.
Instead of opting for a military solution, the junta will likely focus on negotiations to persuade recalcitrant militias to accept the order, observers said.
According to Kachin sources, KIO Vice Chairman Gauri Zau Seng, KIA Vice Chief of Staff Gen Gun Maw and others are expected to meet with the junta's Northern Command in Myitkyina during the first week of November to discuss the latest proposal.
Ma Grang, a Kachin source on the Sino-Burma border, said KIO leaders will meet with Burmese authorities after they sent a letter in October demanding an agreement based on the spirit of the Panglong Agreement made with the Burmese government in 1947.
The Panglong Agreement, a one-page document, states the central government will not “operate in respect to the Frontier Areas in any matter which would deprive any portion of those areas of the autonomy which it now enjoys in internal administration.”
Kachin sources also said the internal autonomy promised to outlying ethnic areas has never been fully realized.
Junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe was reportedly very angry with the KIO letter, saying Kachin leaders did not understand the spirit of the Panglong Agreement, Ma Grang said.
The KIO leaders also said they wish to discuss whether its militia will become a border guard force or a Kachin Regional Guard Force with the new government after the 2010 election, he said.
Aung Kyaw Zaw, a former Communist and expert on issues along the Sino-Burma border said the Wa will continue negotiations.
A UWSA officer in the Wa capital Panghsang said, “the deadline is over but we have not reached agreement with the Burmese regime and will continue to negotiate.”
He said Wa leaders will hold talks about the border guard force issue with Lt-Gen Ye Myint, head of the junta’s Military Affairs Security, this month.
Though pressures on the UWSA have increased, major fighting seems unlikely at present.
A Wa official said Wa leaders meeting with a Burmese delegation led by the Commander of the Lashio-based Northeastern Region Command, Maj-Gen Aung Than Htut, in October demanded autonomy.
“Aung Than Htut said he will submit the request to his superiors,” he said.
Other ceasefire militias that rejected the border guard force order or remain undecided are the Shan State Army-North, the New Mon State Party, the National Democratic Alliance Army known as the Mongla militia, and the KNU/KNLA Peace Council.
The Mongla militia reportedly said they will hold talks with its military allies the UWSA before making a final decision over the border guard force order.
Mongla delegates who met with Lt-Gen Ye Myint on Oct 28 accepted the regime’s border guard force plan in principle, but they opposed a proposal to assign 30 junta military officials to each battalion, deployment of Burmese army battalions and staff in the Mongla region or any sudden changes to the Mongla region’s administration.
However, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and several small militias such as the New Democratic Army-Kachin, the Kachin Defense Army, the Karenni National People’s Liberation Front and the Karen Peace Force have agreed to serve as border guard forces.
A source close to the DKBA said they reportedly signed an agreement with the regime to serve as a junta dominated border guard force before the deadline.
Since then DKBA troops have been cleaning up Karen National Liberation Army bases on the Thai-Burmese border, said the source.
Recently, some 700 DKBA troops were sent to KNLA Brigade 5 in Papun district and Brigade 3 in northern Karen State. The troops have seized several KNLA outposts since the deployment, the DKBA source said.
irrawaddy
Instead of opting for a military solution, the junta will likely focus on negotiations to persuade recalcitrant militias to accept the order, observers said.
According to Kachin sources, KIO Vice Chairman Gauri Zau Seng, KIA Vice Chief of Staff Gen Gun Maw and others are expected to meet with the junta's Northern Command in Myitkyina during the first week of November to discuss the latest proposal.
Ma Grang, a Kachin source on the Sino-Burma border, said KIO leaders will meet with Burmese authorities after they sent a letter in October demanding an agreement based on the spirit of the Panglong Agreement made with the Burmese government in 1947.
The Panglong Agreement, a one-page document, states the central government will not “operate in respect to the Frontier Areas in any matter which would deprive any portion of those areas of the autonomy which it now enjoys in internal administration.”
Kachin sources also said the internal autonomy promised to outlying ethnic areas has never been fully realized.
Junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe was reportedly very angry with the KIO letter, saying Kachin leaders did not understand the spirit of the Panglong Agreement, Ma Grang said.
The KIO leaders also said they wish to discuss whether its militia will become a border guard force or a Kachin Regional Guard Force with the new government after the 2010 election, he said.
Aung Kyaw Zaw, a former Communist and expert on issues along the Sino-Burma border said the Wa will continue negotiations.
A UWSA officer in the Wa capital Panghsang said, “the deadline is over but we have not reached agreement with the Burmese regime and will continue to negotiate.”
He said Wa leaders will hold talks about the border guard force issue with Lt-Gen Ye Myint, head of the junta’s Military Affairs Security, this month.
Though pressures on the UWSA have increased, major fighting seems unlikely at present.
A Wa official said Wa leaders meeting with a Burmese delegation led by the Commander of the Lashio-based Northeastern Region Command, Maj-Gen Aung Than Htut, in October demanded autonomy.
“Aung Than Htut said he will submit the request to his superiors,” he said.
Other ceasefire militias that rejected the border guard force order or remain undecided are the Shan State Army-North, the New Mon State Party, the National Democratic Alliance Army known as the Mongla militia, and the KNU/KNLA Peace Council.
The Mongla militia reportedly said they will hold talks with its military allies the UWSA before making a final decision over the border guard force order.
Mongla delegates who met with Lt-Gen Ye Myint on Oct 28 accepted the regime’s border guard force plan in principle, but they opposed a proposal to assign 30 junta military officials to each battalion, deployment of Burmese army battalions and staff in the Mongla region or any sudden changes to the Mongla region’s administration.
However, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and several small militias such as the New Democratic Army-Kachin, the Kachin Defense Army, the Karenni National People’s Liberation Front and the Karen Peace Force have agreed to serve as border guard forces.
A source close to the DKBA said they reportedly signed an agreement with the regime to serve as a junta dominated border guard force before the deadline.
Since then DKBA troops have been cleaning up Karen National Liberation Army bases on the Thai-Burmese border, said the source.
Recently, some 700 DKBA troops were sent to KNLA Brigade 5 in Papun district and Brigade 3 in northern Karen State. The troops have seized several KNLA outposts since the deployment, the DKBA source said.
irrawaddy
US Delegation Arrives in Naypyidaw
US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell arrived in Naypyidaw on Tuesday morning to hold a meeting with Burmese military government officials, the US embassy in Rangoon confirmed.
An official with the embassy who spoke on condition of anonymity because of protocol told The Irrawaddy that Campbell flew straight to the remote Burmese capital with three other State Department officials and that the flight arrived at 10:20 a.m. local time.
According to diplomatic sources, Campbell is accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia Scot Marciel, the US State Department’s Burma Officer Laura Scheible and another State Department officer.
The embassy official said that the US delegation is scheduled to stay in Naypyidaw all day on Tuesday to engage in direct dialogue with representatives of the Burmese regime before flying to Rangoon on Wednesday to meet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as other opposition leaders and ethnic representatives.
Responding to a question as to whether Campbell will meet with junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe and Prime Minister Thein Sein, the embassy official said that he believed the delegation will meet with Thein Sein.
“But for sure, he [Campbell] is meeting with the people he met in New York during the time of the [UN] General Assembly. He will meet the same people he met then, but also with other people,” the embassy official added.
On Sept. 29 in New York, Campbell led a US delegation in talks with Burmese government officials, including a former Burmese ambassador to Washington, Minister of Science and Technology U Thaung,
To mark the arrival of Campbell in Naypyidaw, 50 civil society groups from Burma and other Asian nations urged the US to remain firm in its efforts to support genuine democratization and national reconciliation in the country.
In an open letter, the groups called for Campbell to ensure that the regime meets key benchmarks before next year’s election, including: the release of Suu Kyi and all political prisoners; an end to attacks against ethnic groups; an inclusive dialogue; and a review of the 2008 Constitution.
Speaking at the US Congress on Oct. 21 before his trip to Burma, Campbell said the US must be prepared to sustain efforts beyond the planned 2010 election. “Some day, a new generation of leaders in Burma will come to power,” he said.
irrawaddy
An official with the embassy who spoke on condition of anonymity because of protocol told The Irrawaddy that Campbell flew straight to the remote Burmese capital with three other State Department officials and that the flight arrived at 10:20 a.m. local time.
According to diplomatic sources, Campbell is accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia Scot Marciel, the US State Department’s Burma Officer Laura Scheible and another State Department officer.
The embassy official said that the US delegation is scheduled to stay in Naypyidaw all day on Tuesday to engage in direct dialogue with representatives of the Burmese regime before flying to Rangoon on Wednesday to meet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as other opposition leaders and ethnic representatives.
Responding to a question as to whether Campbell will meet with junta chief Snr-Gen Than Shwe and Prime Minister Thein Sein, the embassy official said that he believed the delegation will meet with Thein Sein.
“But for sure, he [Campbell] is meeting with the people he met in New York during the time of the [UN] General Assembly. He will meet the same people he met then, but also with other people,” the embassy official added.
On Sept. 29 in New York, Campbell led a US delegation in talks with Burmese government officials, including a former Burmese ambassador to Washington, Minister of Science and Technology U Thaung,
To mark the arrival of Campbell in Naypyidaw, 50 civil society groups from Burma and other Asian nations urged the US to remain firm in its efforts to support genuine democratization and national reconciliation in the country.
In an open letter, the groups called for Campbell to ensure that the regime meets key benchmarks before next year’s election, including: the release of Suu Kyi and all political prisoners; an end to attacks against ethnic groups; an inclusive dialogue; and a review of the 2008 Constitution.
Speaking at the US Congress on Oct. 21 before his trip to Burma, Campbell said the US must be prepared to sustain efforts beyond the planned 2010 election. “Some day, a new generation of leaders in Burma will come to power,” he said.
irrawaddy
Than Shwe Visits the Delta
Junta Snr-Gen Than Shwe toured Bogalay and Pyapon townships on Monday, areas in the Irrawaddy delta that were devastated by Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.
Burma’s state-run media reported on Tuesday that Than Shwe and his delegation toured medical clinics, schools and government departments in Bogalay Township.
It was his second trip following the cyclone that devastated the Irrawaddy delta, killing almost 140,000 people and affecting more than 2 million, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in Burma’s history.
Than Shwe told government authorities to implement construction projects on roads, bridges and buildings, according to state-run media which ran front-page stories on Tuesday, saying the delta has almost fully recovered from the cyclone’s devastation.
Than Shwe was widely criticized in the cyclone’s wake for waiting two weeks to visit the delta and for refusing to allow foreign humanitarian aid to enter the country, seriously delaying the rescue effort. Authorities refused to let ships carrying relief supplies from the US, France and Britain to enter its territorial waters, reportedly in fear of an invasion.
NGOs in the delta say that many people still need aid and lack shelter and adequate food. A Rangoon based NGO, which provides shelters and clean water in Laputta, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that it has cut its services in half because of a lack of funds.
“There are many things to be done, but we can’t do it as we don’t have enough money. For people who don’t get shelters, they have to wait,” he said.
Cyclone Nargis devastated agriculture and fisheries, the two major industries in the storm-affected area, and they have yet to recover fully.
According to a Rapid Food Security Assessment released in March by the United Nations’ World Food Programme, 83 percent of sampled households reported being in debt because they had to borrow money to buy food.
irrawaddy
Burma’s state-run media reported on Tuesday that Than Shwe and his delegation toured medical clinics, schools and government departments in Bogalay Township.
It was his second trip following the cyclone that devastated the Irrawaddy delta, killing almost 140,000 people and affecting more than 2 million, in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in Burma’s history.
Than Shwe told government authorities to implement construction projects on roads, bridges and buildings, according to state-run media which ran front-page stories on Tuesday, saying the delta has almost fully recovered from the cyclone’s devastation.
Than Shwe was widely criticized in the cyclone’s wake for waiting two weeks to visit the delta and for refusing to allow foreign humanitarian aid to enter the country, seriously delaying the rescue effort. Authorities refused to let ships carrying relief supplies from the US, France and Britain to enter its territorial waters, reportedly in fear of an invasion.
NGOs in the delta say that many people still need aid and lack shelter and adequate food. A Rangoon based NGO, which provides shelters and clean water in Laputta, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that it has cut its services in half because of a lack of funds.
“There are many things to be done, but we can’t do it as we don’t have enough money. For people who don’t get shelters, they have to wait,” he said.
Cyclone Nargis devastated agriculture and fisheries, the two major industries in the storm-affected area, and they have yet to recover fully.
According to a Rapid Food Security Assessment released in March by the United Nations’ World Food Programme, 83 percent of sampled households reported being in debt because they had to borrow money to buy food.
irrawaddy
China Oil Company Starts Work on Burmese Pipeline
BEIJING — State-owned China National Petroleum Corp. said Tuesday it has begun construction of a pipeline across neighboring Burma to speed delivery of Middle East oil shipped through the Indian Ocean.
Construction of the 771 kilometer (481 mile) pipeline comes as China boosts investment in Burma and tries to gain greater access to foreign oil and gas supplies to fuel its booming economy.
The pipeline will connect Burma's port of Maday Island on the Indian Ocean via Mandalay in central Burma to Ruili in China's southwestern province of Yunnan, CNPC said on its Web site. It gave no indication when the pipeline would be ready for use but said it will be capable of carrying 84 million barrels of oil per year.
The pipeline would speed delivery of Middle East oil to China and eliminate the need for tankers to pass through the crowded Malacca Strait between Malaysia and Indonesia.
China is Burma's biggest foreign investor and the closest ally of its military regime, which is shunned by the West because of its poor human rights record and failure to hand over power to a democratically elected government.
Critics complain that oil and gas projects in Burma are helping to keep the military in power and could harm the environment and local residents.
"Past experience has shown that pipeline construction and maintenance in Burma involves forced labor, forced relocation, land confiscations and a host of abuses by soldiers," said a group based in Thailand, the Shwe Gas Movement, in a report this year.
CNPC owns PetroChina Ltd, Asia's biggest oil and gas producer by volume.
CNPC and another Chinese state-owned oil producer, China National Offshore Oil Co., have exploration projects in Burma and are expected to be key customers for natural gas from a newly developed offshore field.
China also has built an oil pipeline connecting its northwest with fields in Kazakhstan in Central Asia and is constructing another pipeline to obtain crude from Russian fields in Siberia.
irrawaddy
Construction of the 771 kilometer (481 mile) pipeline comes as China boosts investment in Burma and tries to gain greater access to foreign oil and gas supplies to fuel its booming economy.
The pipeline will connect Burma's port of Maday Island on the Indian Ocean via Mandalay in central Burma to Ruili in China's southwestern province of Yunnan, CNPC said on its Web site. It gave no indication when the pipeline would be ready for use but said it will be capable of carrying 84 million barrels of oil per year.
The pipeline would speed delivery of Middle East oil to China and eliminate the need for tankers to pass through the crowded Malacca Strait between Malaysia and Indonesia.
China is Burma's biggest foreign investor and the closest ally of its military regime, which is shunned by the West because of its poor human rights record and failure to hand over power to a democratically elected government.
Critics complain that oil and gas projects in Burma are helping to keep the military in power and could harm the environment and local residents.
"Past experience has shown that pipeline construction and maintenance in Burma involves forced labor, forced relocation, land confiscations and a host of abuses by soldiers," said a group based in Thailand, the Shwe Gas Movement, in a report this year.
CNPC owns PetroChina Ltd, Asia's biggest oil and gas producer by volume.
CNPC and another Chinese state-owned oil producer, China National Offshore Oil Co., have exploration projects in Burma and are expected to be key customers for natural gas from a newly developed offshore field.
China also has built an oil pipeline connecting its northwest with fields in Kazakhstan in Central Asia and is constructing another pipeline to obtain crude from Russian fields in Siberia.
irrawaddy
Dissidents Expect Little from US Visit
Most Burmese dissidents, activists and ethnic leaders believe the visit of a US delegation to Burma is positive, but do not expect any major political concessions on the part of the Burmese military regime to come from the talks.
Several dissidents have voiced their opinions, generally saying that the visit may be beneficial to the regime, but not to Burma’s opposition groups.
The US delegation, led by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, arrived on Tuesday morning in Burma’s capital, Naypyidaw, where it met with Burmese government officials.
According to diplomatic sources, Campbell is accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia Scot Marciel, the US State Department’s Burma Officer Laura Scheible and another State Department officer.
On Wednesday, the delegation will fly to Rangoon to meet representatives of various ethnic groups and leaders of the opposition National League for Democracy, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
One of the invited ethnic leaders, Aye Tha Aung, the chairman of the Arakan League for Democracy, said he hopes the US representatives learn more about the political landscape of Burma as they meet with representatives of the regime, the opposition and the ethnic groups.
“However, I am not hopeful of political improvement, because the regime refuses to hold tripartite dialogue [between the junta, the opposition political parties and the ethnic groups],” he said.
Political improvement will only come when there is a tripartite dialogue, and it doesn’t matter what the US does,” he said, adding that the Burmese regime only seeks better relations with the US as a means to lift economic sanctions.
Regional human rights activist Debbie Stothard, who is the coordinator of Altsean-Burma, said, “This trip is going to be the first real test of the new US policy … We want to see a genuine outcome.”
She said that an improvement in Burma’s political climate can only be measured by three criteria: the unconditional release of political prisoners, including Suu Kyi; an end to military conflict, war crimes and crimes against ethnic minorities; and a move toward tripartite dialogue.
Hla Ngwe, the joint secretary (1) of the Karen National Union, said, “If the US delegation is allowed by the junta to hear and discuss the demands of ethnic groups, dissidents and opposition parties, then a degree of success may be measured.
However, he said he doubted whether the talks would be productive as key government decision-maker Snr-Gen Than Shwe will miss the meeting.
Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, a Wa official in Wa capital Panghsang said he does not believe the US can persuade the Burmese regime of the need for a political process. He said the political conflict in Burma is a domestic problem that can only be solved by the parties involved.
“We all want peace and that’s what we hope for,” he said. “But so much depends on the will of the Burmese junta.”
Campbell’s delegation is the first occasion for the Obama administration to negotiate with the Burmese junta since it announced in September it would engage with the regime though continue to impose economic sanctions.
irrawaddy
Several dissidents have voiced their opinions, generally saying that the visit may be beneficial to the regime, but not to Burma’s opposition groups.
The US delegation, led by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, arrived on Tuesday morning in Burma’s capital, Naypyidaw, where it met with Burmese government officials.
According to diplomatic sources, Campbell is accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia Scot Marciel, the US State Department’s Burma Officer Laura Scheible and another State Department officer.
On Wednesday, the delegation will fly to Rangoon to meet representatives of various ethnic groups and leaders of the opposition National League for Democracy, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
One of the invited ethnic leaders, Aye Tha Aung, the chairman of the Arakan League for Democracy, said he hopes the US representatives learn more about the political landscape of Burma as they meet with representatives of the regime, the opposition and the ethnic groups.
“However, I am not hopeful of political improvement, because the regime refuses to hold tripartite dialogue [between the junta, the opposition political parties and the ethnic groups],” he said.
Political improvement will only come when there is a tripartite dialogue, and it doesn’t matter what the US does,” he said, adding that the Burmese regime only seeks better relations with the US as a means to lift economic sanctions.
Regional human rights activist Debbie Stothard, who is the coordinator of Altsean-Burma, said, “This trip is going to be the first real test of the new US policy … We want to see a genuine outcome.”
She said that an improvement in Burma’s political climate can only be measured by three criteria: the unconditional release of political prisoners, including Suu Kyi; an end to military conflict, war crimes and crimes against ethnic minorities; and a move toward tripartite dialogue.
Hla Ngwe, the joint secretary (1) of the Karen National Union, said, “If the US delegation is allowed by the junta to hear and discuss the demands of ethnic groups, dissidents and opposition parties, then a degree of success may be measured.
However, he said he doubted whether the talks would be productive as key government decision-maker Snr-Gen Than Shwe will miss the meeting.
Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, a Wa official in Wa capital Panghsang said he does not believe the US can persuade the Burmese regime of the need for a political process. He said the political conflict in Burma is a domestic problem that can only be solved by the parties involved.
“We all want peace and that’s what we hope for,” he said. “But so much depends on the will of the Burmese junta.”
Campbell’s delegation is the first occasion for the Obama administration to negotiate with the Burmese junta since it announced in September it would engage with the regime though continue to impose economic sanctions.
irrawaddy
Suu Kyi to Meet Campbell in Rangoon Hotel
The US delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is scheduled to meet pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi at Rangoon’s Inya Lake Hotel on Wednesday morning.
The meeting was confirmed by an official with the US embassy in Rangoon. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity said the embassy had been responsible for arranging the meeting at the hotel.
Following the meeting with Suu Kyi, Campbell will hold talks with opposition and ethnic leaders, the official said.
Campbell will hold a press conference on Wednesday at Rangoon International Airport before leaving Burma, the official announced. The State Department official will also report to the press on his Tuesday talks with senior regime officials in Naypyidaw.
Journalists in Rangoon report that Burma’s Ministry of Information is allowing photographers access to the US delegation and Suu Kyi when they meet on Wednesday.
“We are permitted by the authorities to take photos of the meeting between the US officials and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but only a photo opportunity,” said one Rangoon journalist. “The authorities told us ‘no questions’.”
Ahead of Campbell’s trip to Burma, Suu Kyi told her lawyer last week that she is “keenly monitoring” the State Department officials’ two-day visit to Burma.
Some observers remain skeptical about the visit and its chances of success. “We are not that excited,” said a senior Rangoon correspondent, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We have seen this kind of cosmetic [by the junta] in the past.”
“The real question is whether they [the military regime] have genuine political will,” the journalist said. “People have given them the benefit of a doubt, but whatever they do we treat it with a pinch of salt.”
A week before Campbell’s visit, the junta arrested more a dozen relief workers who helped Cyclone Nargis victims, including eight journalists, according to human rights groups.
Campbell’s visit follows the launch of a new Burma policy by the Obama administration in Washington. US officials led by Campbell met with a Burmese delegation headed by U Thaung, the Minister of Science and Technology who is a former Burmese ambassador to the US, in New York on Sept. 29.
On Oct. 9, the Burmese junta acceded to a request by Suu Kyi for a meeting with diplomats from the US, Britain and Australia to talk about the effectiveness of sanctions.
The meeting prompted speculation that Suu Kyi had shifted her stance on sanctions.
“I think most outside observers are misjudging Suu Kyi’s stance,” said Bertil Lintner, a Swedish journalist who is author of many books on Burma. “She has not changed her minds about sanctions as such. Sanctions are not an end in themselves but they are there to achieve a goal.”
Lintner told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that if the regime is not willing to compromise, then, of course, she would like to see sanctions remain in force until those goals are met.
“By making that statement, Suu Kyi has once again become an active player in the Burmese imbroglio,” he added. “Now, no one can ignore her. She has showed that she is flexible and reasonable.”
Along with the US efforts for democratization in Burma, a key issue in US-Burma relations is cooperation in the fight to defeat the drug trade.
“There are a number of areas in which we might be able improve cooperation to our mutual benefit, such as counter-narcotics, health, environmental protection, and the recovery of the remains of World War II-era missing Americans,” Campbell told the US Congress on Oct.21.
Shortly before Campbell’s arrival in Burma, Prime Minter Gen Thein Sein travelled to the Kokang town of Laogai in northeastern Burma on Saturday to attend the incineration of seized narcotic drugs and precursor chemicals.
“This is a kind of signal by the junta to the US,” said Aung Kyaw Zaw, a former communist fighter who observes the Burma situation from China’s Yunnan Province. “But an open secret here is that the ruling generals have been involved in and ignored drug trading in the country for at least two decades,”
irrawaddy
The meeting was confirmed by an official with the US embassy in Rangoon. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity said the embassy had been responsible for arranging the meeting at the hotel.
Following the meeting with Suu Kyi, Campbell will hold talks with opposition and ethnic leaders, the official said.
Campbell will hold a press conference on Wednesday at Rangoon International Airport before leaving Burma, the official announced. The State Department official will also report to the press on his Tuesday talks with senior regime officials in Naypyidaw.
Journalists in Rangoon report that Burma’s Ministry of Information is allowing photographers access to the US delegation and Suu Kyi when they meet on Wednesday.
“We are permitted by the authorities to take photos of the meeting between the US officials and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but only a photo opportunity,” said one Rangoon journalist. “The authorities told us ‘no questions’.”
Ahead of Campbell’s trip to Burma, Suu Kyi told her lawyer last week that she is “keenly monitoring” the State Department officials’ two-day visit to Burma.
Some observers remain skeptical about the visit and its chances of success. “We are not that excited,” said a senior Rangoon correspondent, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We have seen this kind of cosmetic [by the junta] in the past.”
“The real question is whether they [the military regime] have genuine political will,” the journalist said. “People have given them the benefit of a doubt, but whatever they do we treat it with a pinch of salt.”
A week before Campbell’s visit, the junta arrested more a dozen relief workers who helped Cyclone Nargis victims, including eight journalists, according to human rights groups.
Campbell’s visit follows the launch of a new Burma policy by the Obama administration in Washington. US officials led by Campbell met with a Burmese delegation headed by U Thaung, the Minister of Science and Technology who is a former Burmese ambassador to the US, in New York on Sept. 29.
On Oct. 9, the Burmese junta acceded to a request by Suu Kyi for a meeting with diplomats from the US, Britain and Australia to talk about the effectiveness of sanctions.
The meeting prompted speculation that Suu Kyi had shifted her stance on sanctions.
“I think most outside observers are misjudging Suu Kyi’s stance,” said Bertil Lintner, a Swedish journalist who is author of many books on Burma. “She has not changed her minds about sanctions as such. Sanctions are not an end in themselves but they are there to achieve a goal.”
Lintner told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that if the regime is not willing to compromise, then, of course, she would like to see sanctions remain in force until those goals are met.
“By making that statement, Suu Kyi has once again become an active player in the Burmese imbroglio,” he added. “Now, no one can ignore her. She has showed that she is flexible and reasonable.”
Along with the US efforts for democratization in Burma, a key issue in US-Burma relations is cooperation in the fight to defeat the drug trade.
“There are a number of areas in which we might be able improve cooperation to our mutual benefit, such as counter-narcotics, health, environmental protection, and the recovery of the remains of World War II-era missing Americans,” Campbell told the US Congress on Oct.21.
Shortly before Campbell’s arrival in Burma, Prime Minter Gen Thein Sein travelled to the Kokang town of Laogai in northeastern Burma on Saturday to attend the incineration of seized narcotic drugs and precursor chemicals.
“This is a kind of signal by the junta to the US,” said Aung Kyaw Zaw, a former communist fighter who observes the Burma situation from China’s Yunnan Province. “But an open secret here is that the ruling generals have been involved in and ignored drug trading in the country for at least two decades,”
irrawaddy
Cameron must pledge a referendum on EU reform
President Klaus has signed the Treaty and David Cameron is expected to make an announcement at 4pm tomorrow about what he will do next.
There's zero chance he will call a referendum on the now-ratified Lisbon Treaty (to come into force by 1 December), but he must still pledge to hold a referendum on reform of the EU. A referendum on future treaties simply will not cut it, since Lisbon allows for EU integration to take place without the need for further treaties, and a mere 'manifesto mandate' to EU reform is woefully inadequate - poll after poll shows the vast majority of voters from all parties want to be consulted.
Yes, it was Labour and the Lib Dems who got us into this mess by reneging on their promise of a referendum, but the Tories must now do the right thing and give the British people a say on what is feasible and realistic - a package of reforms which they could seek to lever in using upcoming negotiations on the EU budget.
If you haven't seen our press release today, here's our take in a nutshell:
Following President Klaus' signature of the Lisbon Treaty today, Open Europe calls on the British Conservative Party to now pledge to hold a referendum on reform of the European Union.
The potential election of a new Conservative government will coincide with the opening of EU budget negotiations, where discussions will be held about how much each country should pay into the EU over the period 2014 to 2020.
The UK has a veto over these negotiations, and should be prepared to use it to fight for a package of reforms which must be fleshed out between now and the election.
This Reform Package should be put to the British people in a referendum, with a question along the lines of: "Are you in favour or against withholding agreement to the EU budget until the European Reform Package has been adopted?"
Tomorrow, Open Europe will publish the first in a series of papers looking at which policy areas the Conservatives should propose to tackle, and how. The first paper will look at EU social and employment policy, which currently accounts for a staggering 25 percent of the total cost of regulation in the UK.
Open Europe Director Lorraine Mullally said:
"Now that Lisbon is a done deal, the Conservative Party must pledge to hold a referendum on EU reform. They must not follow Labour and the Lib Dems and go back on their promise to give people a say on the future of the EU."
"The public are crying out to be consulted. The Conservatives should now announce a referendum on a package of meaningful EU reforms which they should draw up carefully over the next weeks and months. Linking their ideas for reform to the EU budget, a Conservative government could be in a strong position to work with key allies in Europe for a better, more democratic and modern European Union."
"A simple 'manifesto mandate' for these things will not be enough - people want their long overdue say, and the Conservatives should give them it. A strong mandate from the people will strengthen the Conservatives' position in Europe when the time comes."
There's zero chance he will call a referendum on the now-ratified Lisbon Treaty (to come into force by 1 December), but he must still pledge to hold a referendum on reform of the EU. A referendum on future treaties simply will not cut it, since Lisbon allows for EU integration to take place without the need for further treaties, and a mere 'manifesto mandate' to EU reform is woefully inadequate - poll after poll shows the vast majority of voters from all parties want to be consulted.
Yes, it was Labour and the Lib Dems who got us into this mess by reneging on their promise of a referendum, but the Tories must now do the right thing and give the British people a say on what is feasible and realistic - a package of reforms which they could seek to lever in using upcoming negotiations on the EU budget.
If you haven't seen our press release today, here's our take in a nutshell:
Following President Klaus' signature of the Lisbon Treaty today, Open Europe calls on the British Conservative Party to now pledge to hold a referendum on reform of the European Union.
The potential election of a new Conservative government will coincide with the opening of EU budget negotiations, where discussions will be held about how much each country should pay into the EU over the period 2014 to 2020.
The UK has a veto over these negotiations, and should be prepared to use it to fight for a package of reforms which must be fleshed out between now and the election.
This Reform Package should be put to the British people in a referendum, with a question along the lines of: "Are you in favour or against withholding agreement to the EU budget until the European Reform Package has been adopted?"
Tomorrow, Open Europe will publish the first in a series of papers looking at which policy areas the Conservatives should propose to tackle, and how. The first paper will look at EU social and employment policy, which currently accounts for a staggering 25 percent of the total cost of regulation in the UK.
Open Europe Director Lorraine Mullally said:
"Now that Lisbon is a done deal, the Conservative Party must pledge to hold a referendum on EU reform. They must not follow Labour and the Lib Dems and go back on their promise to give people a say on the future of the EU."
"The public are crying out to be consulted. The Conservatives should now announce a referendum on a package of meaningful EU reforms which they should draw up carefully over the next weeks and months. Linking their ideas for reform to the EU budget, a Conservative government could be in a strong position to work with key allies in Europe for a better, more democratic and modern European Union."
"A simple 'manifesto mandate' for these things will not be enough - people want their long overdue say, and the Conservatives should give them it. A strong mandate from the people will strengthen the Conservatives' position in Europe when the time comes."
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