The generals are trying to get rid of evidence and witnesses to the late September repression should they be called to account some time in the future. Meanwhile arrests continue as do pro-government demonstrations organised by the military regime. Some ethnic Burmese are dressed up in ethnic minorities clothing to show minorities’ support for the government against the West. ASEAN only expresses support for UN initiative, refuses to implement sanctions against the junta.
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Burmese military officials have refused to let a 14 year old boy from South Dagon township leave the army, despite his parents providing proof that he is underage.
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The 88 generation students have sent a letter to ASEAN leaders at the start of the 13th ASEAN summit to encourage them to take action against human rights abuses in Burma.
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Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) seized a large quantity of Viagra tablets, fake medicines and other items worth about Taka 2 million on November 18, being smuggled to Burma from Bangladesh , according to our correspondent.
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Te Za, President and Managing Director of Htoo Trading Company has grabbed control of almost all Phakant jade mining areas in Kachin State in Northern Burma, according to jade miners.
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UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari’s address on Burma to Asian leaders was canceled abruptly, but his trip to Singapore was salvaged Tuesday by holding private meetings to brief the leaders on his negotiations with the junta.
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A meeting on Monday between opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta’s minister of liaison, Aung Kyi-their third since the retired general’s appointment-has been dismissed by regime critics as a government ploy to deflect attention from the Asean summit in Singapore.
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A regional advocacy group has lambasted ASEAN over its handling of Burma and the ASEAN Charter, stating that recent events have proven the complete “failure of the ASEAN Way”.
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Asean became an official governmental body on Tuesday as it passed a governing charter, while the Burma issue remained as perhaps the hottest item on the Asean Summit agenda.
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About 40 Myanmar residents of Singapore held a brief vigil Tuesday night to protest what they said was an inadequate response to the crisis in Myanmar by Southeast Asian leaders meeting here.
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Japan on Tuesday expressed its dissatisfaction over Myanmar’s failure to fully account for the fatal shooting of a Japanese journalist in September, with Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura warning his counterpart that Tokyo may further cut aid to Myanmar depending on its handling of the matter.
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Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has threatened to derail a landmark ASEAN charter promoting human rights and democracy throughout Southeast Asia less than 24 hours after its signing, by demanding Burma releases opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
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India’s prime minister on Tuesday prodded Myanmar’s junta to cede ground to pro-democracy forces, a government official said.
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Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao reiterated in regional talks here Tuesday that sanctions and pressure would not help reconciliation efforts in military-run Myanmar, an official said.

Wen discussed Myanmar in bilateral talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on the sidelines of the Southeast Asian summit here, foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.

“Each leader discussed the issue of Myanmar (and) one common view was that Myanmar should realise reconciliation, stability and development through its own efforts,” Qin said of the talks.

“The international community should offer constructive help on the basis of respecting Myanmar’s sovereignty. Sanctions and pressure are not helpful.”

On Sunday, Wen also urged reconciliation in bilateral talks with Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein and in discussions with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.

But Qin said Wen would not be meeting with UN special envoy to Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari who arrived in Singapore only to find that his Wednesday speech to Southeast Asian leaders had been cancelled at the last minute.

Qin refused to comment on reports that China played a role in preventing Gambari from addressing the meeting, saying the decision was made by the hosts, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Gambari has visited Myanmar twice since the nation’s military regime sparked international outrage after violently suppressing pro-democracy rallies in September.

Myanmar had objected to him briefing regional leaders, saying he should only report to the United Nations on his findings.

China is the closest Myanmar has to an international ally, and is considered one of the few nations with any influence over its ruling generals.

United Nations -A regional group of southeastern Asian countries, which includes Burma as a member, abruptly canceled a briefing by a U.N. envoy yesterday, dealing the latest blow to U.N. efforts at mediation between the junta and pro-democracy forces. (more…)

The European Union’s envoy to Burma discussed with US officials on Monday how to coordinate pressure on the ruling junta for political reform.
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A new generation of officers in the Tatmadaw (armed forces) have a golden opportunity to restore their status as true heroes of Burma and to rectify the failures of previous military leaders.

Following the government’s brutal suppression of peaceful protests led by monks, a return to the status quo is unacceptable to most Burmese.

Despite Snr-Gen Than Shwe’s preconditions for direct talks with the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, venues for a national reconciliation process are being explored and preliminary stages are already underway, partly due to mediation efforts by the special UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari and the support of the international community, especially the governments in the region.

Despite valid suspicions regarding Than Shwe’s commitment to reconciliation, the current negotiations between Suu Kyi and the government’s liaison minister, Aung Kyi, have the potential to lead to a viable path towards genuine national reconciliation.

To this end, redoubled efforts by the international community alone are not enough. An internal push from the newer generations of military officers is also necessary.

The Tatmadaw has a critical role to play in the emergence of a national constitution that would be acceptable to the majority of people.

What the UN special envoy has proposed to break the political deadlock is that the military leaders and the opposition led by Suu Kyi make a constitutional compromise.

Suu Kyi, who is the daughter of the founder of the Tatmadaw and cares about its image, has publicly announced that she could cooperate with the Tatmadaw and stressed the importance of national unity.

The armed forces, as the strongest institution of the Union, have a historic calling to ensure that it is not an obstacle to a constitutional compromise and reconciliation process. Instead, it must be a significant part of the process and the solution.

A unique problem is the lack of a constitution that protects the people.  The void has been filled by the current leadership, under Than Shwe, in forging absolute dominance over civil society.

The new generations of officers must realize that the concept of the Tatmadaw as the sole backbone of the Union was first devised by the late Gen Ne Win as a means to achieve solidarity among the post-independence, left-wing politicians and has proved to be ineffectual. It only led to the formation of a series of military dictatorships without any advancement in the political or socio-economic areas.

Than Shwe is now using this concept in an attempt to establish a military-backed, monarchy-style rule following the breakdown of the socialist constitution. Statues of three prominent kings from Burmese history erected in the new capital Naypyidaw reflect how he sees his role.

Than Shwe is ruthless. He has annihilated all obstacles in the way of achieving absolute state power. Such conduct is not acceptable by any standard of sovereign countries.

There is a clear danger the Union may become a failed state if the army continues to follow the current direction of militarization under Than Shwe’s leadership. On the other hand, it is recognized that there is a high risk of the Union descending into anarchy if overzealous, abrupt changes in the political system take place.

The people of the Union need the armed forces to serve and protect them with respect to civil society and a democratic constitution. The new generation of officers who are an integral part of the Union must grasp this opportunity to facilitate constitutional compromises and the process of reconciliation.

A professional military is a necessity that must be preserved for external threats to the state. It can be legitimately called upon by the Union under the constitution, if the police force alone is incapable of restoring civil order.

But, with no constitution to protect the people, Than Shwe has ordered the military to use arms against innocent civilians who engaged in a democratic process by staging peaceful protests.

The Tatmadaw must realize that the current demonstrations are not aimed at the military as an institution. Instead, they are directed at the disproportional use of force with impunity by Than Shwe as the head of the government.

Therefore, it should be the duty of every new generation of officers to educate the soldiers under their command and convince their superiors that the time has come to answer the historic call for constitutional compromises and a process of national reconciliation.

They must realize that the proposed draft constitution is only going to lead to the prolonging of the status quo. Without change, another uprising by the people is inevitable.

In the absence of an infrastructure for a civilian authority, the risk of the Union disintegrating into multiple military factions is real once the current form of central military dictatorship one day comes to an end.

Therefore, the army should take a proactive position and form a committee representing the people’s parliament headed by Suu Kyi, to be added to the recently formed constitutional review committee. This would facilitate the initiation of an all-inclusive, transparent dialogue.

In addition, the formation of a poverty alleviation committee as suggested by Gambari could serve as a vehicle to channel much needed financial aid to the Union while circumventing international sanctions directed towards the SPDC.

The Tatmadaw must be prepared to change its direction and march hand-in- hand with the Burmese people towards the emergence of a constitution acceptable to the people of the Union.

Only then can the Tatmadaw restore its image as a protector of the union and the people.

The writer comes from a family of Tatmadaw officers.

Turning 40 is a milestone that deserves a more festive than usual celebration. But it’s seemingly not the case for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the lead-up to its 40th birthday — and it’s all thanks to Myanmar.
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When two of Asia’s most prominent female politicians are under house arrest at the same time, it’s easy to draw parallels. The scary part: comparing the off and on detention of Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto with the longstanding house arrest of Burma’s Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma makes Pakistan look good. But in both cases, this is no time for complacency on the part of the international community.
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