Sourece: by BURMA DIGEST
May 20th, 2008
Source: by Amnesty International Malaysia
Photo proof of:Irresponsible United Nations is dragging its feet in applying “responsibility to protect” the Burmese people
Posted on May 20, 2008 by sanooaung
SEAPA condemns continued detention of Philippine broadcaster
Source: By SEAPA
BANGKOK, 29 May 2008: The Southeast Asian Press Alliance condemns
the continued detention of Philippine radio commentator Alex
Adonis, who has been in jail for libel since 2007, despite a court
order calling for his release on parole.
A coalition of free press advocacy groups from the Philippines,
Thailand, and Indonesia, SEAPA sees Adonis’ continued stay in
prison as an affront to, and indicative of, a flawed justice system
that too often leaves the rights of the Philippine press vulnerable
to powerful interests.
The Manila-based Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, a
founding member of SEAPA, reported on 26 May 2008, that the warden
of the Davao Penal Colony has refused to follow an order by the
Department of Justice Board of Pardon and Paroles (DOJ-BPP) to
release the broadcaster. Adonis’ parole had been granted as early
as December 2007, and records show that the parole order was
received by the Davao jail warden in February 2008. CMFR adds that
the radio commentator also continues to be held despite his posting
of a bail bond for another libel case he is facing.
Adonis was sentenced on 26 January 2007 to a prison term ranging
from five months to four-and-a-half years, and a fine of P200,000
(approx. US$4,600) after a local court found that he had libeled a
congress representative, the current House Speaker, Prospero
Nograles. A local court said Adonis was guilty of “slandering”
Nograles, the speaker of the House of Representatives and a valued
ally of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in his
commentaries about the allegedly fleeing naked from a Manila hotel
after being caught by his reported paramour’s husband. Adonis was
supposed to be freed on bail last December but a new libel case -
this time filed by Nograles’ alleged mistress – further kept his
release on hold.
Beyond the court’s findings and decisions, SEAPA says Adonis’ case
is troubling for its demonstration of everything that is dangerous
with the Philippines’ criminal defamation law. As pointed out in a
complaint filed before the UN Human Rights Committee last April by
the CMFR, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, and
Adonis’ lawyer, Mr. Harry Roque, criminal defamation is excessive
in its prescribed prison penalties, and is quite inevitably used to
harass media practitioners and to have a chilling effect on the
press in general. No less a person than the Chief Justice of the
Philippines has urged Philippine judges to mitigate against this
problem with criminal defamation by imposing fines instead of
imprisonment in libel cases.
SEAPA thus joins the call on Philippine authorities to not only
effect the release of Adonis, but to also, once and for all,
decriminalize libel in the country. Criminal defamation has no
place in a genuine democracy, and is in fact a threat to its
principles and functioning.
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ABOUT SEAPA
Burma grants all UN visa requests
Source : By BBC News,Burma grants all UN visa requests |
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Burma has approved all pending visas for UN staff, in a sign the regime intends to keep its promise to allow in all foreign aid workers. More foreign relief workers from other groups are also being permitted to enter the Irrawaddy Delta, which took the brunt of last month’s cyclone. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last week urged Burma to allow humanitarian relief into the stricken country. The UN estimates that more than two million people still need aid. The move comes as Burma said it had officially adopted a new constitution, which it claims was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of Burmese people in a national referendum earlier this month. But there were widespread reports of irregularities during the poll, and critics alleged that holding the vote so soon after the cyclone showed a lack of sensitivity towards the victims. Promise kept The junta’s new stance on international aid is being interpreted as a sign that the authoritarian regime intends to keep its promise to grant access to aid workers from all countries. Last week’s offer by senior General Than Shwe to the UN secretary general to allow in “all foreign aid workers, regardless of nationality”, appeared to be a breakthrough, according to the BBC’s Jonathan Head in Bangkok. Chris Kaye of WFP on the situation in the Irrawaddy Delta. The ruling junta had previously insisted that it could adequately provide for the victims of Cyclone Nargis on its own.Our correspondent adds that this could be because of pride, or because of intense suspicion of any large-scale foreign presence on the part of junta. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the former UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma, told the BBC in an interview on Wednesday that the cyclone crisis had helped achieve more active dialogue with the junta. He said that the international relief operation could have positive ramifications for Burma’s future democratic development. Media blasts Burmese state media, believed to closely reflect the views of top generals, has launched a torrent of criticism directed at international aid efforts.
State media has long insisted that the junta was capable of handling the crisis on its own. Reports on Thursday say that people in the delta could survive on “fresh vegetables that grow wild in the fields and on protein-rich fish from the rivers”. The editorials say that although aid is welcome, the Burmese people do not need donated foreign chocolate bars to survive. One paper suggests the cyclone victims could eat frogs. Even the victims themselves are not spared, and stand accused in these reports of tarnishing the image of the Burmese people by lining the roads scrambling for donations. The papers blame the opposition National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, of using the cyclone to stir up unrest. The cyclone devastated large swathes of land in key coastal areas of the Irrawaddy Delta. Farmers in that part of Burma provide two-thirds of the country’s rice harvest. The UN has said that efforts need to be made to help the region’s farmers to work again and supply them with rice seed by the end of June, or Burma’s rice harvest this year and next will fail. At least 78,000 people have died as a result of the cyclone, and 56,000 people are still missing. |
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SEAPA calls for continued pressure for release of Aung San Suu Kyi
Media Release
(Bangkok: 28 May 2008)
SEAPA calls for continued pressure for release of Aung San Suu Kyi
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance strongly condemns the continued
detention of Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and calls
on the international community to step up pressure on the country’s
military junta to release Suu Kyi as well as all political
prisoners and journalists still languishing in Burmese prisons.
As her prescribed period for detention was expected to expire this
week, the Burmese junta on Tuesday extended the house arrest of Suu
Kyi by at least six months. Burma observers had hoped that the
release of Suu Kyi after five years of imprisonment could signal
hope for reconciliation in the country, though beyond that the
junta would still have much to undo in its policies and practices
before democratic reform even becomes a possibility in long
repressed country.
In 1990, Ms. Suu Kyi led the National League for Democracy to a
landslide victory in Burmese national elections, in what had been
hoped would put Burma back on the path of democracy. Instead,
however, the ruling military nullified the vote, banned the NLD,
and arrested Ms. Suu Kyi.
The reign of repression and brutality has continued in Burma ever
since, clamping down not just on political figures, but also
student leaders, religious activists, writers, artists, and
journalists. One free expression advocate, U Win Tin, jailed since
1989, spent his 77th birthday in prison despite failing health.
More recently, on Tuesday, about 20 NLD activists were arrested
while attempting to march from the party’s headquarters in Rangoon
to her house to demand for the Nobel Peace laureate’s release.
SEAPA says the continued detention of U Win Tin and Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi bodes ill for the prospects of free expression, democracy,
and human rights in Burma. Indeed, the alliance of free press
advocacy groups from Southeast Asia noted that not even Cyclone
Nargis and its trail of destruction could distract the Burmese
generals from their desire to further consolidate their power.
Despite the humanitarian emergency still unravelling in Burma, the
junta had pushed ahead with a sham referendum for a poisoned
constitution.
“In a way, nobody is surprised that Suu Kyi, U Win Tin, and so many
opposition leaders are still in prison,” SEAPA said in a statement.
“But the latest actions — or inaction — of the junta therefore
should move the international community to speak and move on behalf
of the shackled people of Burma.”
ABOUT SEAPA
SEAPA calls for continued pressure for release of Aung San Suu Kyi
SEAPA calls for continued pressure for release of Aung San Suu Kyi
28 May 2008
Source: By Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), BangkokThe following is a 28 May 2008 SEAPA media release:
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance strongly condemns the continued detention of Burma’s democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and calls on the international community to step up pressure on the country’s military junta to release Suu Kyi as well as all political prisoners and journalists still languishing in Burmese prisons.
As her prescribed period for detention was expected to expire this week, the Burmese junta on Tuesday extended the house arrest of Suu Kyi by at least six months. Burma observers had hoped that the release of Suu Kyi after five years of imprisonment could signal hope for reconciliation in the country, though beyond that the junta would still have much to undo in its policies and practices before democratic reform even becomes a possibility in long repressed country.
In 1990, Ms. Suu Kyi led the National League for Democracy to a landslide victory in Burmese national elections, in what had been hoped would put Burma back on the path of democracy. Instead, however, the ruling military nullified the vote, banned the NLD, and arrested Ms. Suu Kyi.
The reign of repression and brutality has continued in Burma ever since, clamping down not just on political figures, but also student leaders, religious activists, writers, artists, and journalists. One free expression advocate, U Win Tin, jailed since 1989, spent his 77th birthday in prison despite failing health. More recently, on Tuesday, about 20 NLD activists were arrested while attempting to march from the party’s headquarters in Rangoon to her house to demand for the Nobel Peace laureate’s release.
SEAPA says the continued detention of U Win Tin and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi bodes ill for the prospects of free expression, democracy, and human rights in Burma. Indeed, the alliance of free press advocacy groups from Southeast Asia noted that not even Cyclone Nargis and its trail of destruction could distract the Burmese generals from their desire to further consolidate their power. Despite the humanitarian emergency still unravelling in Burma, the junta had pushed ahead with a sham referendum for a poisoned constitution.
“In a way, nobody is surprised that Suu Kyi, U Win Tin, and so many opposition leaders are still in prison,” SEAPA said in a statement. “But the latest actions — or inaction — of the junta therefore should move the international community to speak and move on behalf of the shackled people of Burma.”
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ABOUT SEAPA
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) is a coalition of press freedom advocacy groups from Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. Established in November 1998, the network aims to unite independent journalists and press-related organisations in the region into a force for the protection and promotion of press freedom and free expression in Southeast Asia. SEAPA is composed of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (Indonesia), the Jakarta-based Institute for the Study of the Free Flow of Information (ISAI), the Manila-based Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Thai Journalists Association.
Contact us at:
seapa (a) seapa.org, or call (662) 243 5579.
Referendum Approved in Cyclone-hit Areas
Source by BBC News,
UN official sees Burma progress
A senior UN official says there are fragile signs that Burma’s co-operation with the international aid effort for victims of Cyclone Nargis is improving. Kathleen Cravero of the UN Development Programme told the BBC that visas had become more easily available and access to affected areas was getting better. But she said more was needed and said the UN would continue to monitor the Burmese government’s stance. On Sunday, international donors pledged nearly $50m (£25m) to help relief work. The amount was only a fraction of the $11bn sought by the Burmese government. Some donors said the money depended on foreign aid workers being allowed into the Irrawaddy Delta disaster zone. At least 78,000 people have died as a result of the cyclone that struck three weeks ago. More than 50,000 people are still missing. At the weekend, Burma held a second round of voting on its military-backed constitution, after the 10 May referendum was delayed in some regions because of the cyclone. According to state media, the overall result showed nearly 93% of people endorsed the constitution. Critics claim the vote was rigged, and are angry it was held at all amid such a huge disaster. ‘Encouraging’ Late last week, Burma’s top leader Gen Than Shwe told UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that “all” aid workers would now be allowed into the country.
Correspondents say it appears to be a significant breakthrough, but that the coming week will clarify whether or not it is genuine. Speaking from Rangoon, Ms Cravero told the BBC that since the top-level meeting, the situation had improved somewhat. “In the last few days the visa situation has greatly opened up and access to the affected areas has begun to open up. So if we can call that fragile but concrete evidence, that’s been encouraging,” she said. “But of course it has to open up much more, both in terms of getting the right experts in and getting those experts to the areas where it counts.” The UN believes only a quarter of those needing aid – up to 2.4 million people – have received it. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is ‘cautiously optimistic’ Aid agencies say expert personnel and specialist equipment are desperately needed in the worst-hit regions. Speaking after the donor conference on Sunday, Mr Ban said he hoped Burma’s leaders were now facing up to the scale of the problem. “I’m cautiously optimistic that this could be a turning point for Myanmar (Burma) to be more flexible, more practical, and face the reality as it is on the ground,” he told the BBC. But Burma is still unwilling to accept aid from foreign naval vessels waiting off its coast. A French ship, Le Mistral, is now heading for Thailand so that its cargo of aid can be delivered via the World Food Programme (WFP). French officials said they were “particularly shocked” by Burma’s failure to allow them to deliver the aid directly. |
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Referendum Approved in Cyclone-hit Areas
Source By Irrawaddy Publishing Group.
| By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS / RANGOON | Monday, May 26, 2008<!– , –> |
Voters in cyclone-hit areas of Burma overwhelmingly approved a constitution which critics say will perpetuate the military’s decades-old grip on power in the country, state radio said on Monday.
The constitution was approved by a 92.4 percent vote in a referendum held in the Irrawaddy delta and Rangoon on Saturday, the radio said. The official turnout was 26 out of 27 million eligible voters.
The Saturday balloting was irrelevant since the main May 10 referendum had already approved the draft document by an identical 92.4 percent. Voting was postponed in areas hit by Cyclone Nargis.
The junta says the constitution will pave the way for a general election in 2010. The constitution guarantees 25 percent of parliamentary seats to the military and allows the president to hand over all power to the military in a state of emergency—elements that critics say defy the junta’s professed commitment to democracy.
The constitution would bar Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained leader of the country’s pro-democracy movement, from public office. The military refused to honor the results of the 1990 general election won by her National League for Democracy.
Critics also slammed the regime for holding the referendum while hundreds of thousands suffered from the cyclone, and from most accounts receiving very little government aid.
China quake deaths exceed 51,000
China quake deaths exceed 51,000 |
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The death toll from the earthquake in China’s Sichuan province has increased to more than 51,000, with another 30,000 people missing. Officials revised the figure as they made a renewed international appeal for 3.3m tents for survivors of the quake. Three days of national mourning for victims of the 12 May disaster has now come to an end. The Olympic torch relay has resumed, but organisers said the Sichuan leg would be delayed because of the quake. New town planned A Chinese government spokesman said on Thursday that the death toll in last week’s quake had now reached 51,151, with 29,328 missing and nearly 300,000 injured. The official death toll on Wednesday was around the 41,000 mark.
Chinese officials say one of the towns worst affected by the earthquake – Beichuan – will be rebuilt on a completely new site. State media say the location has not yet been decided but is likely to be about 20km (12 miles) from the current town, where 70% of buildings were destroyed. The 7.9 magnitude quake left some 5m people homeless, with many still sheltering in the open under makeshift tarpaulins more than 10 days after the disaster. China’s leaders have promised a 70bn yuan ($10 bn; £5bn) reconstruction fund. Officials have warned that any corrupt practices linked to relief supplies for the quake will be severely punished. Both domestic and international aid has been flowing into the earthquake zone, with supply planes landing from countries including the US, Russia and Singapore. Relay resumes The relay got under way on Thursday with a minute’s silence in the eastern seaport city of Ningbo, Zhejiang province.
Flame bearer Zhu Shijie, a crane operator, said: “We all must fight the earthquake together.” The torch will be taken through the streets of Shanghai on Friday, before travelling through the rest of China and arriving in Beijing for the start of the Games on 8 August. The relay has been greeted by enthusiastic crowds throughout China, after a troubled international leg that attracted protests over China’s human rights record.
Are you in the region? How have you been affected by the earthquake? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below: You can send pictures and video to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here. Click here to see terms and conditions At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |
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