Date:
News
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(1) Another Two Bombs Explosion in Kachin
(2) 18 Mon women raped by Burmese Army troops in 2004
(3) NE trade body to have office in
(4) Suu Kyi Party calls for Unconditional Release of
All Political
Prisoners
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Another Two Bombs
Explosion in Kachin
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
Two bombs blew up again this morning in Myitkyina,
Kachin state, in
northern
and a muslin pali,
at about 6 a.m. No one yet claims responsibility.
"It was in front of an ice factory behind the pali in Myoma block, but I
don't know details. Yes, it is
confirmed," said Major Khun Mau, second
secretary and central committee
member of the Kachin Independence
Organization (KIO), adding that that many KIO officers are in
Myitkyina, the capital of
It was the first bomb blast in 2005. Last year, three bomb
attacks
occurred in the Kachin
ethnic dominated area, particularly assassination
attempts on the leaders, but there
was no clear information about the
culprits.
Observers believe there is deep conflict between rival Kachin armed
groups, and that
forces.
Reportedly, there have been disputes between Kachin army leaders and a
group of mainly Chinese businessmen
regarding the sharing of business
interests such as gold and gem
mining, and the forest.
However, there was speculation too that all assassination
attempts may
be the start of the power struggle.
An unsuccessful coup took place in
January 2004 at the KIO headquartersat Liaison Bum.
On
was killed by a bomb blast in the
bathroom of his house in Laiza, a town
adjacent to the Chinese border.
On Sept. 15, Bawmwang Hsinwa Naw, a member of another
cease-fire group,
New Democratic Army-Kachin
(NDA-K), and a brother of Bawmwang La Raw,
and Chairman of Pan Kachin Development which ran several education and
health-care projects in
On Dec. 10, NDA-K leader Zahkung
Ting Ying's vehicle was was hit by a
bomb and he narrowly escaped an
explosion because he shrewdly traveled
in the next car.
+++++++++++++++
18 Mon women raped by Burmese Army
troops in 2004
=================================================
Independent Mon News Agency
Witnesses from local villages reported that about 18 Mon
women were
raped by Burmese Army commanders
and soldiers during their launch of
military operations against a Mon
splinter group active in southern
Most women victims were family members or relatives of
soldiers in the
splinter group, as some women were
raped at their houses after threats
of killing by the soldiers, while
others were raped during forced labor
in the military camps.
Mi Aye Lwin, 20, a pregnant woman,
was gang-raped by Burmese Army
Light Infantry battalion No. 586 soldiers, and she delivered
her baby in
the military camp in February 2004.
She was arrested by the soldiers
after her father was accused of
being a rebel-supporter.
"Rape or sexual violations against Mon women they
(Burmese soldiers)
believe are rebels is a serious punishment
of the Burmese Army. They
have not only punished Mon women in
the rural community where war is
happening, but also raped many
women in other ethnic areas. Very
sorrowfully, very few Burman people
in cities and in
how terrible Burmese soldiers are
toward ethnic people," said Nai Kasauh
Mon, director of the Human
Rights Foundation of Monland, which has
documented rape cases on a regular
basis in their monthly reports.
During a year of military operations against Mon splinter
groups,
Burmese soldiers did not undertake many operations in the
jungles where
Mon rebel soldiers were taking bases. But they were just
based inside
villages and restricted villagers
from leaving. They also forced young
women to walk as model girls to
entertain them in their military camps
in the villages.
"We have difficulty complaining about rape. To whom can
we complain?
The military was the most powerful in the regime. These
cases were
violations by soldiers. So if we
complained to a higher rank, we were
always denied," said a village
community leader.
Many young women in the village were sent to town by their
parents to
free them from rape and sexual
harassment. Many young women, including
the rape victims, have migrated to
and seek work to support their
families who remained in the village in
various difficult situations
surrounded by the Burmese Army.
The villagers were restricted from going to work in the
farms, gardens
and plantations. The Burmese
Army gathered in the main villages
everyday in the base for
registration to report they were still in
village. Men who were late gathering in the group faced beatings and
other serious torture. On some days,
soldiers put these men in the sun heat.
According to the Human Rights Foundation of Monland, more than 10
villagers were killed on accusation
of supporting rebels from December
2003 to March 2004. About 50 were arrested and seriously
tortured on
similar accusations.
Local Burmese Army commanders often tried to close Mon
National Schools
in the area and forced Mon teachers
to resign from the schools. Some
schools were already shifted from
Mon Schools to Government Schools by
the Burmese Army commanders.
++++++++++++++
NE trade body to have
office in Mandalay
===============================
Surajit Khaund
(
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
In a rare gesture, the Indo-Myanmar Traders Union, one of
the leading
trade bodies in northeast
consent from the Mandalay
Industrial Zone Corporation to open an office
in
"We have got a response from U Maung, chairman of the
Industrial Zone Development Corporation to open the office,
and our
organization will submit a proposal
in this regard soon," W.N, Singh,
vice president of Indo-Myanmar
Traders Union ,told this correspondent
today. He said the office would be
set up very soon as'
very positive to enhance trade with
"We also want to reciprocate our proposal by openingan office in Imphal
by the junta," he said. "
trade with
solve problem of traders while
exporting and importing. Besides, it will
strengthen bilateral relations
between the countries," he added.
After the ASEAN rally, the Indian Commerce Ministry took a
series of
measures to increase volume of
trade with
countries, for which it offered
incentives to traders in the region.
Similarly, the junta is also seeking help from Indian
companies to
invest in the country to improve
the economy.
Expressing satisfaction with the gesture of the junta,
Singh, who is
also involved in export and import
with
government has softened its stand
on trade with
now willing to boost export with
and
But at the same time Burmese traders should come forward to
strengthen
trade with this region," he
said
+++++++++++++++
Suu Kyi Party calls
for Unconditional Release of All Political Prisoners
=====================================================
Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
The National League for Democracy has demanded the
unconditional release
of all political prisoners
including those under house arrest and
abandoning surety for amnestied
political prisoners in a statement
released today.
The NLD held its 57th Anniversary Independence Day ceremony
at its
statement, including canceling
inappropriate orders and decrees such as
the 1975 State Protection Law;
Articles 5e and 5j of the 1950 Emergency
Provisions Act, to allow the NLD to open branch offices.
The ceremony was attended by NLD Central Executive Committee
members,
delegates from states and
divisions, representatives of national race
political parties, veteran politicians
and others who participated in
NLD spokesperson U Lwin told Mizzima that the guests numbered about 500.
The ruling military junta also held a separate Independence
Day ceremony.
of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi
led the resistance that ended
colonial rule.
NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 59, and party vice chairman U
Tin Oo have
been detained under house arrest
since last year and party founder Win
Tin, a 74-year-old writer, is still in prison.
According to an Amnesty International report in 2003,
Shold more than 1,350 political prisoners.
Despite the military junta's recent release of about 22,000
prisoners
Whom state-owned media say were wrongly charged by the
former National
Intelligence Bureau, only about 70 political prisoners were freed.
**End**
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Burma News International is a network of nine exiled media
groups
such as Mizzima
News, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News Group,
Khonumthung News Group, Narinjara News, Kaladan Press
Network,
Independent Mon News Agency, Karenni Information
Network Group and Network Media Group.
.........................
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