Philippines: Battle rages between govt troops, Islamic rebels in Maguindanao | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education | Asian Correspondent
Edwin Espejo, Aug 06, 2012
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, PHILIPPINES – Government troops and members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) are still locked in pitched battles in several towns of Maguindanao leaving the national highway that connects Cotabato City and General Santos City impassable.
The fighting began Sunday when BIFF guerrillas began harassing military detachments in the towns of Datu Unsay, Datu Saudi, Ampatuan and Guindolongan.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from both sides but Col. Prudencio Asto, spokesman of the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said armed elements believed to be loyalists of renegade Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander Umra Kato simultaneously attacked military outposts in the said towns at around midnight Sunday.
Intermittent exchange of gunfire continued until Monday morning and later spilled over in the capital town of Shariff Aguak.
The military has sealed off portions of the said highway leaving tens of motorists stranded.
Kato is a former high ranking official of the MILF who broke away from the main rebel group to form the BIFF after refusing to answer for initiating the 2008 atrocities that killed tens of combatants from both sides and scores of civilians. Tens of thousands of residents throughout Maguindanao and Lanao del Norte also fled their homes during the height of the fighting.
MILF spokesman Von Al-Haq confirmed Kato’s BIFF was behind the latest attacks.
It also marked the 4th anniversary of Kato’s 2008 rebellion which was caused by the Supreme Court declaration of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) as unconstitutional.
The MOA-AD was supposed to be a landmark document agreed upon by the peace negotiating panels from both the Government of the Philippines and the MILF (GPH-MILF). Before it could be initialed, however, the Supreme Court declared it as unconstitutional.
In August that year, Kato, along with Abdullah Macapaar, alias Kumander Bravo, led hundreds of MILF rebels in a coordinated attack which spanned across the mainland Mindanao provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Maguindanao, Sarangani and Davao Oriental. MILF rebels in Basilan and Sulu also briefly joined the guerilla offensives.
The 2008 rebel offensives were the heaviest since the end of 2000 when former President Joseph Estrada ordered an all-out attack against rebel strongholds throughout Mindanao.
At that time, a formal ceasefire between the Philippine government and the MILF was already in place.
Both Kato and Kumander Bravo were later sanctioned by the MILF for their role in the outbreak of hostilities.
Kato however ignored the sanction and formed his own breakaway group. Bravo has remained with the MILF, though
The BIFF is believed to have at least 1,500 fully armed regulars.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Taiwan president unveils disputed islands peace initiative | The China Post
President unveils disputed islands peace initiative | The China Post
The China Post, August 6, 2012
President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday proposed a peace initiative to address territorial disputes over the Tiaoyu Islands, urging neighboring countries to show restraint and to seek peaceful means to settle the issue.
Under what he called “the East China Sea Peace Initiative,” Ma urged all parties to refrain from taking antagonistic actions, shelve controversies, observe international law and resolve disputes via peaceful means.
All sides should also seek consensus on a code of conduct in the East China Sea and establish a mechanism for cooperation on exploring resources in the region, the president told a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace between the Republic of China and Japan.
Ma also reiterated Taiwan's claim to sovereignty over the islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands in China and the Senkaku Islands in Japan.
Taiwan, Japan and China have been involved in heated disputes due to competing territorial claims over the Tiaoyu Islands located in a resource-rich region for several years.
According to experts, Ma's remarks yesterday were effective in declaring Taiwan's stance to the international community concerning the controversy.
“Ma is voicing his hope to the United States and Japan that the Tiaoyu Islands issue can be resolved peacefully, at the same time expressing his stance to China that Taiwan will not back down from its declaration of sovereignty over the islands,” said Huang Chieh-cheng, assistant professor with Tamkang University and former vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council.
Ho Si-shen, Japanese professor with Fu Jen Catholic University, said Ma's intentions were to prevent the territorial row from escalating and to make the government's stance on this issue clearer.
“Ma wants the Tiaoyu Islands to become islands of opportunity, not catalyst of conflicts,” he said.
The China Post, August 6, 2012
President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday proposed a peace initiative to address territorial disputes over the Tiaoyu Islands, urging neighboring countries to show restraint and to seek peaceful means to settle the issue.
Under what he called “the East China Sea Peace Initiative,” Ma urged all parties to refrain from taking antagonistic actions, shelve controversies, observe international law and resolve disputes via peaceful means.
All sides should also seek consensus on a code of conduct in the East China Sea and establish a mechanism for cooperation on exploring resources in the region, the president told a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace between the Republic of China and Japan.
Ma also reiterated Taiwan's claim to sovereignty over the islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands in China and the Senkaku Islands in Japan.
Taiwan, Japan and China have been involved in heated disputes due to competing territorial claims over the Tiaoyu Islands located in a resource-rich region for several years.
According to experts, Ma's remarks yesterday were effective in declaring Taiwan's stance to the international community concerning the controversy.
“Ma is voicing his hope to the United States and Japan that the Tiaoyu Islands issue can be resolved peacefully, at the same time expressing his stance to China that Taiwan will not back down from its declaration of sovereignty over the islands,” said Huang Chieh-cheng, assistant professor with Tamkang University and former vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council.
Ho Si-shen, Japanese professor with Fu Jen Catholic University, said Ma's intentions were to prevent the territorial row from escalating and to make the government's stance on this issue clearer.
“Ma wants the Tiaoyu Islands to become islands of opportunity, not catalyst of conflicts,” he said.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
UN: Burma Still Has Serious Rights Challenges | The Irrawaddy Magazine
UN: Burma Still Has Serious Rights Challenges | The Irrawaddy Magazine
ASSOCIATED PRESS, August 5, 2012
RANGOON — A United Nations human rights expert called Saturday for an urgent independent investigation into recent bloody sectarian violence in western Arakan State of Burma which he said was one of many human rights challenges facing the country.
Tomas Ojea Quintana ended a weeklong visit to Burma saying that the country’s much-touted democratic reforms will not take hold unless the government places human rights at the center of its agenda for change.
During a two-day tour of Arakan state, Quintana said he witnessed “widespread suffering” from the June violence between Arakan Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya that left at least 78 dead and tens of thousands homeless. He said he recorded allegations of “serious human rights violations” by police and security forces including killings, torture, arbitrary arrest and excessive use of force.
“The human rights situation in Rakhine [Arakan] state is serious,” he told reporters. He did not discuss the target of the alleged abuses.
New York-based Human Rights Watch has accused government forces of opening fire on crowds of Rohingya and committing other “atrocities” during attempts to restore order.
“It is of fundamental importance to clearly establish what has happened in Rakhine state and to ensure accountability,” Quintana told reporters before leaving from Rangoon’s airport. “Reconciliation will not be possible without this. Exaggerations and distortion will fill the vacuum to further fuel distrust and tensions between communities.”
He said it was a “matter of urgency” to set up an independent and credible investigation into the allegations of rights abuses.
Much remains unknown about what transpired in Arakan State during nearly two weeks of sectarian fighting, rioting and arson attacks between the two groups because the area was virtually sealed off to the outside world.
Tensions between the Arakanese Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya are longstanding, in part because many in Burma consider the Rohingya to be illegal settlers from neighboring Bangladesh. The United Nations says there are about 800,000 Rohingya in Burma and considers them to be among the most persecuted people in the world.
Quintana also expressed “serious concern” about the treatment of six U.N. workers who were detained in Arakan State. They were accused by Burmese authorities of taking part in the violence and setting fire to villages — accusations Quintana said he believes are unfounded.
Quintana’s visit to Burma also focused on making an overall assessment of the human rights situation as the country moves down a reformist path under President Thein Sein after decades of repressive military rule. He met with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, government officials, lawmakers and others.
He is to present his findings to the upcoming U.N. General Assembly.
Quintana said there was reason to be encouraged by some recent changes but pointed out the issue of political prisoners as an enduring obstacle to true democratization.
“I must, therefore, once again call for the release of all prisoners of conscience without conditions or delay,” he said. “National reconciliation and democratic transition cannot move forward without these necessary steps.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS, August 5, 2012
RANGOON — A United Nations human rights expert called Saturday for an urgent independent investigation into recent bloody sectarian violence in western Arakan State of Burma which he said was one of many human rights challenges facing the country.
Tomas Ojea Quintana ended a weeklong visit to Burma saying that the country’s much-touted democratic reforms will not take hold unless the government places human rights at the center of its agenda for change.
During a two-day tour of Arakan state, Quintana said he witnessed “widespread suffering” from the June violence between Arakan Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya that left at least 78 dead and tens of thousands homeless. He said he recorded allegations of “serious human rights violations” by police and security forces including killings, torture, arbitrary arrest and excessive use of force.
“The human rights situation in Rakhine [Arakan] state is serious,” he told reporters. He did not discuss the target of the alleged abuses.
New York-based Human Rights Watch has accused government forces of opening fire on crowds of Rohingya and committing other “atrocities” during attempts to restore order.
“It is of fundamental importance to clearly establish what has happened in Rakhine state and to ensure accountability,” Quintana told reporters before leaving from Rangoon’s airport. “Reconciliation will not be possible without this. Exaggerations and distortion will fill the vacuum to further fuel distrust and tensions between communities.”
He said it was a “matter of urgency” to set up an independent and credible investigation into the allegations of rights abuses.
Much remains unknown about what transpired in Arakan State during nearly two weeks of sectarian fighting, rioting and arson attacks between the two groups because the area was virtually sealed off to the outside world.
Tensions between the Arakanese Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya are longstanding, in part because many in Burma consider the Rohingya to be illegal settlers from neighboring Bangladesh. The United Nations says there are about 800,000 Rohingya in Burma and considers them to be among the most persecuted people in the world.
Quintana also expressed “serious concern” about the treatment of six U.N. workers who were detained in Arakan State. They were accused by Burmese authorities of taking part in the violence and setting fire to villages — accusations Quintana said he believes are unfounded.
Quintana’s visit to Burma also focused on making an overall assessment of the human rights situation as the country moves down a reformist path under President Thein Sein after decades of repressive military rule. He met with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, government officials, lawmakers and others.
He is to present his findings to the upcoming U.N. General Assembly.
Quintana said there was reason to be encouraged by some recent changes but pointed out the issue of political prisoners as an enduring obstacle to true democratization.
“I must, therefore, once again call for the release of all prisoners of conscience without conditions or delay,” he said. “National reconciliation and democratic transition cannot move forward without these necessary steps.”
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Viet Nam: Pro-democracy bloggers face harsh penalties in upcoming trial | fidh.org
Viet Nam: Pro-democracy bloggers face harsh penalties in upcoming trial | fidh.org
fidh.org, 31 July 2012
fidh.org, 31 July 2012
Bangkok-Paris-Geneva,
August 1, 2012. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights
Defenders, a joint FIDH and OMCT programme, together with the Vietnam
Committee on Human Rights (VCHR), call on the Vietnamese authorities to
drop all charges against three pro-democracy bloggers and release them
immediately and unconditionally. Mr. Nguyen Van Hai (aka Dieu Cay), Mr.
Phan Thanh Hai and Ms. Ta Phong Tan are scheduled to be tried by the Ho
Chi Minh People’s Court on August 7, 2012 at 8am.
Ta Phong Tan, Dieu Cay, Phan Thanh Hai – Courtesy Dânlànbáo
Putting these
bloggers on trial during summer holidays behind closed doors reveals
the government’s fear of media and international scrutiny. On July 31,
2012, the Observatory and VCHR wrote to the European Union delegation to Viet Nam and to 31 embassies of African, Asian, European, and Latin American states [1],
urging them to call on Viet Nam to drop the charges against the
bloggers and to send high-level observers to access the courtroom in
order to attend the trial on August 7.
The three outspoken bloggers have been charged under Article 88.2 of the Criminal Code for “conducting propaganda against the state” for their online writings and criticisms of the government. They face a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted. Article 88 is among several repressive provisions in Vietnamese law that are routinely used to criminalise free speech and imprison peaceful dissidents.
During his detention, Mr. Dieu Cay has reportedly faced intense pressure from the authorities to plead guilty to the charges laid against him, which he has consistently refused. His lawyers also stated that Mr. Dieu Cay went on hunger strike in prison in March 2012 to protest his detention, and had to be hospitalised. He was previously convicted on trumped-up charges of ‘tax evasion’ after a manifestly unfair and closed trial in 2009 and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared his detention to be arbitrary and in violation of international law [2]. His current prolonged detention began on October 19, 2010, the same day he completed the prison terms he received in 2009. Mr. Phan Thanh Hai and Ms. Ta Phong Tan have also been in pre-trial detention in Ho Chi Minh City since their arrest, respectively on October 18, 2010 and on September 5, 2011.
In his online writings, Mr. Dieu Cay, one of the founders of the Club of Free Journalists, calls for greater respect for human rights and democratic reforms. He is also known for his criticisms of China’s claims over disputed islands in the South China Sea. In January 2008, Mr. Dieu Cay and other activists staged an anti-China demonstration in Ho Chi Minh City.. Before their arrests, Mr. Hai has published a number of articles on his blog, including one that criticised and called for the repeal of Article 88 of the Criminal Code, while Ms. Tan has blogged about police abuse and violations of human rights by the State.
“Vietnam plans to run for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, but it no longer even makes an effort to put up a façade of compliance with international human rights law, as it regularly parades human rights defenders before kangaroo courts and makes a crime out of free speech”, said Mr. Vo Van Ai, President of VCHR.
In addition, on July 30, 2012, Ms. Ta Phong Tan’s mother (Mrs. Dang Thi Kim Lieng) immolated herself outside the People’s Committee headquarters in Bac Lieu to protest her daughter’s unfair imprisonment. She had suffered repeated Police harassments and interrogations since her daughters’ arrest. She died later the same day.
Since 2009, Vietnamese human rights and pro-democracy bloggers have been harassed, intimidated, arrested and jailed for their online writings and activism. Those imprisoned for their Internet activities include Mr. Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, Mr. Nguyen Tien Trung, Mr. Le Thang Long, and Mr. Tran Kim Anh [3]. On July 13, Government agents attacked bloggers Nguyen Hoang Vi, Bui Thi Minh Hang and Lee Nguyen while they were driving back after a birthday party in Ho Chi Minh City. Mrs. Duong Thi Tan, Mr. Dieu Cay’s wife, was also in the car when the attack occurred.
Bloggers and other netizens who participated in or tried to attend anti-China demonstrations in several cities in early July also faced intimidation. On July 1, a group of knife-wielding men, allegedly led by the son of a local official, entered the house of outspoken blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh in Hanoi and attacked him, after he came home from the demonstrations. Bloggers Ms. Nguyen Hoang Vi and Ms. Huynh Thuc Vy were among several people briefly taken into police custody and interrogated during or after the anti-China demonstrations in Ho Chi Minh City. Following an appeal to support the July 1 demonstrations launched by Venerable Thich Quang Do, leader of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), Police forcibly impeded Thich Quang Do and at least sixteen UBCV monks from joining demonstrations in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue. Several monks were assaulted by Police.
Blogger Nguyen Xuan Dien, whose online writings focus on abuses of land rights, has recently been questioned by the authorities over his Internet activities. It also appears that his blog had been attacked by hackers. As of writing, articles no longer appear on Mr. Dien’s blog [4].
The escalation of crackdown on online dissent comes amidst a government effort to adopt a new Decree on Management, Provision, and Use of Internet Services and Information on the Network that, if passed in its current form, would grant the authorities expansive discretionary power to censor, control and possibly criminalise Internet use in Viet Nam. In June 2012, the UN Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a resolution affirming the right to freedom of expression must be protected online, and that States are called on to “promote and facilitate access to the Internet”.
“Such prosecution of ‘speech crimes’ will only worsen if the new draft Internet decree is adopted, and the international community must urge Viet Nam to break away from its already atrocious record in respecting freedom of expression”, warned Debbie Stothard, Deputy Secretary-General of FIDH.
“Judicial proceedings behind closed doors not only violate Viet Nam’s obligations under international law, they also clearly indicate that the judicial authorities have no intention to try the defenders according to international fair trial standards. But the bloggers’ pleas for justice will be heard even behind those doors”, said Gerald Staberock, Secretary-General of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).
The three outspoken bloggers have been charged under Article 88.2 of the Criminal Code for “conducting propaganda against the state” for their online writings and criticisms of the government. They face a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted. Article 88 is among several repressive provisions in Vietnamese law that are routinely used to criminalise free speech and imprison peaceful dissidents.
During his detention, Mr. Dieu Cay has reportedly faced intense pressure from the authorities to plead guilty to the charges laid against him, which he has consistently refused. His lawyers also stated that Mr. Dieu Cay went on hunger strike in prison in March 2012 to protest his detention, and had to be hospitalised. He was previously convicted on trumped-up charges of ‘tax evasion’ after a manifestly unfair and closed trial in 2009 and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention declared his detention to be arbitrary and in violation of international law [2]. His current prolonged detention began on October 19, 2010, the same day he completed the prison terms he received in 2009. Mr. Phan Thanh Hai and Ms. Ta Phong Tan have also been in pre-trial detention in Ho Chi Minh City since their arrest, respectively on October 18, 2010 and on September 5, 2011.
In his online writings, Mr. Dieu Cay, one of the founders of the Club of Free Journalists, calls for greater respect for human rights and democratic reforms. He is also known for his criticisms of China’s claims over disputed islands in the South China Sea. In January 2008, Mr. Dieu Cay and other activists staged an anti-China demonstration in Ho Chi Minh City.. Before their arrests, Mr. Hai has published a number of articles on his blog, including one that criticised and called for the repeal of Article 88 of the Criminal Code, while Ms. Tan has blogged about police abuse and violations of human rights by the State.
“Vietnam plans to run for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, but it no longer even makes an effort to put up a façade of compliance with international human rights law, as it regularly parades human rights defenders before kangaroo courts and makes a crime out of free speech”, said Mr. Vo Van Ai, President of VCHR.
In addition, on July 30, 2012, Ms. Ta Phong Tan’s mother (Mrs. Dang Thi Kim Lieng) immolated herself outside the People’s Committee headquarters in Bac Lieu to protest her daughter’s unfair imprisonment. She had suffered repeated Police harassments and interrogations since her daughters’ arrest. She died later the same day.
Since 2009, Vietnamese human rights and pro-democracy bloggers have been harassed, intimidated, arrested and jailed for their online writings and activism. Those imprisoned for their Internet activities include Mr. Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, Mr. Nguyen Tien Trung, Mr. Le Thang Long, and Mr. Tran Kim Anh [3]. On July 13, Government agents attacked bloggers Nguyen Hoang Vi, Bui Thi Minh Hang and Lee Nguyen while they were driving back after a birthday party in Ho Chi Minh City. Mrs. Duong Thi Tan, Mr. Dieu Cay’s wife, was also in the car when the attack occurred.
Bloggers and other netizens who participated in or tried to attend anti-China demonstrations in several cities in early July also faced intimidation. On July 1, a group of knife-wielding men, allegedly led by the son of a local official, entered the house of outspoken blogger Nguyen Huu Vinh in Hanoi and attacked him, after he came home from the demonstrations. Bloggers Ms. Nguyen Hoang Vi and Ms. Huynh Thuc Vy were among several people briefly taken into police custody and interrogated during or after the anti-China demonstrations in Ho Chi Minh City. Following an appeal to support the July 1 demonstrations launched by Venerable Thich Quang Do, leader of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), Police forcibly impeded Thich Quang Do and at least sixteen UBCV monks from joining demonstrations in Ho Chi Minh City and Hue. Several monks were assaulted by Police.
Blogger Nguyen Xuan Dien, whose online writings focus on abuses of land rights, has recently been questioned by the authorities over his Internet activities. It also appears that his blog had been attacked by hackers. As of writing, articles no longer appear on Mr. Dien’s blog [4].
The escalation of crackdown on online dissent comes amidst a government effort to adopt a new Decree on Management, Provision, and Use of Internet Services and Information on the Network that, if passed in its current form, would grant the authorities expansive discretionary power to censor, control and possibly criminalise Internet use in Viet Nam. In June 2012, the UN Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a resolution affirming the right to freedom of expression must be protected online, and that States are called on to “promote and facilitate access to the Internet”.
“Such prosecution of ‘speech crimes’ will only worsen if the new draft Internet decree is adopted, and the international community must urge Viet Nam to break away from its already atrocious record in respecting freedom of expression”, warned Debbie Stothard, Deputy Secretary-General of FIDH.
“Judicial proceedings behind closed doors not only violate Viet Nam’s obligations under international law, they also clearly indicate that the judicial authorities have no intention to try the defenders according to international fair trial standards. But the bloggers’ pleas for justice will be heard even behind those doors”, said Gerald Staberock, Secretary-General of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).
Censorship board back in action, suspends two weeklies | Reporters Without Borders
Censorship board back in action, suspends two weeklies | Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders, 3 August 2012
Reporters Without Borders, 3 August 2012
Reporters Without Borders and its partner organization,
the Burma Media Association, roundly condemn the resumption of
censorship by Burma’s Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD),
which suspended two weeklies, The Voice and The Envoy,
indefinitely on 31 July for allegedly violating “2011 Order No. 44” and a
PSRD ban on publishing articles that have not received its approval.
“The PSRD’s measures show we were right to have
repeatedly voiced doubts in recent months,” the two organizations said.
“It is clear that part of the government or at least some of its most
influential members are trying to keep the media under strict control.
The current period’s transitional nature cannot be used by the
information ministry or the PSRD to justify these suspensions. Such
drastic sanctions on the press must end once and for all.”
The two organizations added: “We urge the PSRD to rescind the suspensions imposed on The Voice and The Envoy and to end its policy of deterrence, which just has the effect of getting journalists to censor themselves.”
A PSRD official told The Irrawaddy that The Voice was suspended because of a story about a cabinet reshuffle that named five ministers and a cartoon by Shwe Bo
on the cover above a photo showing information ministry officials
inspecting the cartoon during an exhibition organized by the Daw Khin
Kyi Foundation on 26 July in Rangoon. The cartoon, which likened the
media to a chained elephant, was subsequently banned from the
exhibition.
The Envoy was banned after it reprinted passages
from an article about the cabinet reshuffle and an interview with a
Burmese parliamentarian that had appeared in a Chinese publication, Southern Weekly.
PSRD director-general Myint Maung and deputy
director-general Tint Swe summoned the editors of all of Rangoon’s
weeklies on 31 July to remind them of the PSRD’s rules and the 1962
Printer and Publisher Act. Tint Swe said The Voice had printed eight news stories without submitting them for approval while The Envoy had printed seven.
Venus News editor Thar Lun Zaung Htet told The Irrawaddy after the meeting: “We are even afraid to publish the news. We are worried for our future.”
More than 90 Rangoon-based journalists affiliated to
various journalists’ organizations subsequently attended an emergency
meeting organized by Zaw Thet Htwe, the present head of the Myanmar
Journalists Union.
The participants agree to form a Press Freedom Committee
with Zaw Thet Htwe as its spokesman. This committee then issued a
seven-point statement that was sent to President Thein Sein. It included
calls on the government to lift the bans on suspended publications and
to fire the officials responsible for imposing restrictions on the
media.
The committee also warned that it would not recognize
any media law if journalists were not properly consulted during the
drafting process, and it requested a meeting with President Thein Sein
with the aim of ending press freedom violations.
Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association support the Press Freedom Committee’s demands.
They are also worried by other recent press freedom restrictions and government attacks on the media.
The PSRD suspended the newspaper Snapshot last month for publishing the photo of a rape victim and judicial proceedings are now under way against the paper (see report). The Voice is being sued for libel by the ministry of mines. In January, a construction ministry engineer sued Modern Weekly and one of its reporters, Thet Su Aung, over a November 2011 article criticising road repairs in the Mandalay area.
US Congress renews Burma import ban | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education | Asian Correspondent
US Congress renews Burma import ban | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education | Asian Correspondent
AP News, Aug 03, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has renewed a U.S. import ban against Burma for another year.
But Republican minority leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, said Thursday he was encouraged by Burma’s progress in the past year-and-a-half. He said lawmakers would monitor developments there “with hope for the future.”
McConnell is an influential voice on Burma policy. He said the import ban contains a waiver provision that could be exercised down the road.
President Barack Obama last month waived sanctions banning U.S. investment in Burma, the biggest step yet to reward democratic reforms.
McConnell said he remained concerned by ethnic violence and political prisoners in Burma and arms sales with North Korea.
Democrat Rep. Joe Crowley said the U.S. needed to press for further progress by keeping the 2003 sanctions law on the books.
AP News, Aug 03, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has renewed a U.S. import ban against Burma for another year.
But Republican minority leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, said Thursday he was encouraged by Burma’s progress in the past year-and-a-half. He said lawmakers would monitor developments there “with hope for the future.”
McConnell is an influential voice on Burma policy. He said the import ban contains a waiver provision that could be exercised down the road.
President Barack Obama last month waived sanctions banning U.S. investment in Burma, the biggest step yet to reward democratic reforms.
McConnell said he remained concerned by ethnic violence and political prisoners in Burma and arms sales with North Korea.
Democrat Rep. Joe Crowley said the U.S. needed to press for further progress by keeping the 2003 sanctions law on the books.
Friday, August 3, 2012
US Sanctions on Burma Renewed Despite Reforms | The Irrawaddy Magazine
US Sanctions on Burma Renewed Despite Reforms | The Irrawaddy Magazine
LALIT K JHA / THE IRRAWADDY, August 3, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C.— In a strong indication that US lawmakers feel that Burma’s reforms have still not gone far enough, the US House of Representatives and the Senate on Thursday renewed sanctions against Burma for another year.
The renewal of the sanctions under the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act—though delayed by a few days—now heads to the White House for US President Barack Obama to sign into law. After passing the legislation, US lawmakers said that they would like Burma to carry out more reforms, including the release of political prisoners.
Under the legislation, which was included in a legislative package along with other trade measures related to Africa and Central America, the United States will continue to ban imports of Burmese products for another year. The legislation was unanimously passed by the both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Welcoming the move, the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, refuted reports that the bill renews sanctions for three years. “The measure we are passing renews import sanctions for one year and one year only. I emphasize this point because it has been misreported that this bill renews sanctions for three years. That is not accurate; the bill renews them only for one,” he said.
McConnell also clarified that enactment of this bill does not overturn the easing of investment and financial sanctions that the Obama administration unveiled earlier this year. “In fact, this year’s bill—as in years past—provides authority for the administration to waive the import sanctions should it determine that certain conditions have been met,” he said.
However, before deciding whether to waive import sanctions, McConnell said he would strongly urge the administration not only to consider the changes occurring within Burma, but also to consult closely with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy.
“By passing this legislation extending sanctions for one year, the US Congress sent a clear message that we will continue to stand squarely with the Burmese people in their struggle for human rights,” said Congressman Joe Crowley, one of the main sponsors of the legislation in the US House of Representatives.
“While we have seen many signs of progress in Burma and it is important to acknowledge and respond to that progress, there is still more to be done. Too many political prisoners are still in prison, violence continues against ethnic minorities, and not all necessary political reforms have been put in place,” Crowley said.
It is critical that the US continue to carefully balance its efforts to show recognition for some of the political changes that have taken place while continuing to press for further progress by keeping this law on the books, the lawmaker said.
Appreciating the recent reforms in Burma, McConnell said he would like to see US investment in Burma.
“I want to see investment in the ‘new’ Burma. I want to see Burmese reformers empowered accordingly, and I want to see greater economic development come to this underdeveloped country. And, frankly, during challenging economic times here at home, I want American businesses to be able to compete in Burma now that sanctions have been removed by other Western governments,” he said.
At the same time, he said high standards for accountability in American business operations in Burma are important going forward. This is particularly acute with regard to transactions involving the state-run Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, he noted.
As such, he urged US businesses to show the Burmese people and the world the positive effects that American investment brings. “I am confident that, as they do elsewhere around the world, US enterprises in Burma will set the standard for ethical and transparent business practices and lead the way for others to follow,” he said.
The US Campaign for Burma welcomed and supported the unanimous decision of the US Congress to extend sanctions against the ruling elite, the military and cronies who control the Southeast Asian country and continue to commit crimes against humanity against ethnic minorities under a system of impunity.
“Congress has sent a clear strong signal to Burma’s ruling regime—sanctions will remain in place while political prisoners remain behind bars, military attacks and human rights abuses against ethnic minority civilians persist, and until genuine national reconciliation, justice and accountability are achieved,” said Jennifer Quigley, advocacy director of the US Campaign for Burma.
“While some reforms have been undertaken by President Thein Sein, Congress recognizes much more needs to be done. Renewal of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act demonstrates the need to focus on ethnic minority rights and genuine democratic reform and freedom,” she said.
LALIT K JHA / THE IRRAWADDY, August 3, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C.— In a strong indication that US lawmakers feel that Burma’s reforms have still not gone far enough, the US House of Representatives and the Senate on Thursday renewed sanctions against Burma for another year.
The renewal of the sanctions under the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act—though delayed by a few days—now heads to the White House for US President Barack Obama to sign into law. After passing the legislation, US lawmakers said that they would like Burma to carry out more reforms, including the release of political prisoners.
Under the legislation, which was included in a legislative package along with other trade measures related to Africa and Central America, the United States will continue to ban imports of Burmese products for another year. The legislation was unanimously passed by the both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Welcoming the move, the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, refuted reports that the bill renews sanctions for three years. “The measure we are passing renews import sanctions for one year and one year only. I emphasize this point because it has been misreported that this bill renews sanctions for three years. That is not accurate; the bill renews them only for one,” he said.
McConnell also clarified that enactment of this bill does not overturn the easing of investment and financial sanctions that the Obama administration unveiled earlier this year. “In fact, this year’s bill—as in years past—provides authority for the administration to waive the import sanctions should it determine that certain conditions have been met,” he said.
However, before deciding whether to waive import sanctions, McConnell said he would strongly urge the administration not only to consider the changes occurring within Burma, but also to consult closely with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy.
“By passing this legislation extending sanctions for one year, the US Congress sent a clear message that we will continue to stand squarely with the Burmese people in their struggle for human rights,” said Congressman Joe Crowley, one of the main sponsors of the legislation in the US House of Representatives.
“While we have seen many signs of progress in Burma and it is important to acknowledge and respond to that progress, there is still more to be done. Too many political prisoners are still in prison, violence continues against ethnic minorities, and not all necessary political reforms have been put in place,” Crowley said.
It is critical that the US continue to carefully balance its efforts to show recognition for some of the political changes that have taken place while continuing to press for further progress by keeping this law on the books, the lawmaker said.
Appreciating the recent reforms in Burma, McConnell said he would like to see US investment in Burma.
“I want to see investment in the ‘new’ Burma. I want to see Burmese reformers empowered accordingly, and I want to see greater economic development come to this underdeveloped country. And, frankly, during challenging economic times here at home, I want American businesses to be able to compete in Burma now that sanctions have been removed by other Western governments,” he said.
At the same time, he said high standards for accountability in American business operations in Burma are important going forward. This is particularly acute with regard to transactions involving the state-run Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, he noted.
As such, he urged US businesses to show the Burmese people and the world the positive effects that American investment brings. “I am confident that, as they do elsewhere around the world, US enterprises in Burma will set the standard for ethical and transparent business practices and lead the way for others to follow,” he said.
The US Campaign for Burma welcomed and supported the unanimous decision of the US Congress to extend sanctions against the ruling elite, the military and cronies who control the Southeast Asian country and continue to commit crimes against humanity against ethnic minorities under a system of impunity.
“Congress has sent a clear strong signal to Burma’s ruling regime—sanctions will remain in place while political prisoners remain behind bars, military attacks and human rights abuses against ethnic minority civilians persist, and until genuine national reconciliation, justice and accountability are achieved,” said Jennifer Quigley, advocacy director of the US Campaign for Burma.
“While some reforms have been undertaken by President Thein Sein, Congress recognizes much more needs to be done. Renewal of the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act demonstrates the need to focus on ethnic minority rights and genuine democratic reform and freedom,” she said.
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