KAOWAO NEWS NO. 121

 

Newsletter for social justice and freedom in Burma

December 1-22, 2006

 

Readers' Front

Mon entertainer charged for rural bridge accident

Burmese government restricts ethnic national dress

Attacks on ethnic women during military operation

Final tribute to revered Mon Buddhist Monk draws thousands

NMSP urged to maintain arms amid gov’t pressure

HTM: the silent killers in lower Burma

Ivanhoe Mines in the process of divesting from Burma

Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Burma formed

Identity, Conflict and National Reconciliation in Burma

Climate Change vs Mother Nature

 

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Readers' front

 

Dear readers,

 

We invite comments and suggestions on improvements to Kaowao newsletter. With your help, we hope that Kaowao News will continue to grow to serve better the needs of those seeking social justice in Burma. And we hope that it will become an important forum for discussion and debate and help readers to keep abreast of issues and news.  We reserve the right to edit and reject articles without prior notification. You can use a pseudonym but we encourage you to include your full name and address.

 

Merry Christmas to you all!

 

Regards,

 

Editor

Kaowao News

kaowao@hotmail.com, www.kaowao.org

 

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Mon entertainer charged for rural bridge accident

Kaowao: December 22, 2006

 

Ye -- One of the most popular Mon entertainers has been charged with negligence after causing an accident in early in December that killed two people.

 

Chit Soe (aka) Nai Soe Tin, the owner of Mon Chit Soe Dance Troupe was charged by Ye township police and will be brought to the court for the final verdict today according to his manager.

 

Two entertainers died and others were injured in a car accident on December 2 while the entertainer’s vehicle loading the group crossing the bridge between Hnit-kayin of Ye and Anin of Thanpyuzayart Township suddenly lost control striking the guardrail and crashing into other vehicles.

 

Chit Soe had negotiated with the local authorities to close the case spending 10 million Kyats to settle the lawsuit.  However, authorities say damage to the railway and bridge will cost more. 

 

The Independent Mon News Agency, on December 2, 2006, reported that his truck rolled down the hill, but Chit Soe told Kaowao that the accident occurred while his vehicle was crossing the bridge.

 

A fan of Mon Chit Soe said the performer was not at fault for causing the accident, because the bridge is equipped to handle many vehicles, even a train and that his truck was within the overall weight capacity. However, it is thought that the bridge was already in a poor state and that the government itself is to blame for the accident due to poor infrastructure.

 

The local Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association organized the three-night performance. Chit Soe from Taung Bon of Northern Ye, with a talent for dancing, singing, and acting, developed the modern Dance Troupe fifteen years ago. He became very popular and has not only attracted a following from among the Mon but also other Burmese.  His troupe is one of the biggest entertainment groups in southern Burma.

 

According to a Mon leader, the government’s charges against him stem from the government’s tactic in suppressing non-Burman entertainers.  A vehicle belong to Chit Soe was confiscated by the Thanbyu Zayat SPDC in 2004.

 

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Culture and literature

 

Burmese government restricts ethnic national dress

Kaowao: December 19, 2006

 

The State Peace and Development Council authorities have prohibited students attending the Government Technical College in Pa-Auk, Moulmein from wearing their ethnic traditional dress.

 

"Since July this year, the SPDC had ordered us to wear the college’s uniform, white shirt and blue longyi, but the teachers (in this campus) who understand our traditional spirit don’t restrict us too much, but we still can’t wear our traditional clothes,” complained a Mon student from Pa-Auk campus.

 

This year in September, the SPDC’s Southeast Military Command prohibited Moulmein University students from wearing their traditional Mon dress.

 

To preserve their cultural identity, Mon university students normally wear their dress (red sarong and white shirt) every Monday out of respect for their indigenous culture, as do most ethnic groups in Burma.   Normally the authorities had permitted the ethnic groups to wear their traditional clothing, while repressing the gathering of traditional celebrations such as Mon National day and other social gatherings.

 

However, recently all ethnic nationalities have been ordered not to wear their traditional clothes on university campuses. In the face of increasing repression of social activities, Mon students feel most affected because many Mon attend GTC and MU in the capital of city of Mon state.  It’s the SPDC’s way to intimidate and assimilate the ethnic nationalities," said a member of Mon Culture and Literature Committee in Moulmein.

 

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Attacks on ethnic women during military operation

Kaowao: December 14, 2006

 

Ye -- Several women were rounded up and tortured by the SPDC’s Burmese Army in retaliation for an ambush attack by a Mon guerrilla group during a military operation in southern Ye, Mon State early this month.

 

According to Mon refugees, who recently fled from the Khawzar area, Mon women were beaten up and the men were given electrical shocks by the Burmese troops from Infantry Battalion No. 31.

 

“After the guerrilla group carried out a surprise attack on the Burmese troop, they accused the local villagers of giving information on their movements. About a hundred villagers nearby were summarily tortured including children and women,” says an eyewitness, Nai Lin Aung from Khawzar, who gave testimony to a human rights worker on the border. The accurate number of people tortured is unknown and humanitarian access is not possible due to the insecurity.

 

The BA has had a skirmish with the dissident group led by Nai Sook Gloin (nicknamed long hair) on December 4, 2006.  The group also engaged with the BA troop near Kaw Hlaing village on October 21. No one can confirm the status of the fighting or the number of casualties.

 

“The more the villagers are tortured, the more support will be given to the guerrilla group, the villagers are extremely unhappy with human rights abuses by the Burmese Army," commented Rev. Aopaesa, a young monk from southern Ye, Mon State.

 

“The lives of ethnic people have no value, no one comes to their aid and the army will not be punished for their actions,” says a human rights worker from the border. Mon women and children are increasingly subjected to violence and restriction of their movements whenever the Burmese Army is active in their area. 


After the New Mon State Party reached a cease-fire agreement with the military junta in 1995, Nai Hloin split from the party to take up arms against the Burma Army.  The two brothers, Nai Hloin and Nai Bin were active until early 2005 before they sought a safe haven in
Thailand due to the Burma Army’s brutal offensive in the area. The Mon armed group uses ambush tactics and guerrilla warfare.

 

Thailand Burma border based, Human Rights Foundation of Monland, on December 12, has called on the international community to pressure the military junta to immediately halt the arbitrary arrests and inhuman treatment of innocent civilians. 

 

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Final tribute to revered Mon Buddhist Monk draws thousands

Kaowao: December 11, 2006

 

Sangkhalaburi – Amid stormy skies and lightning strikes in Sangkhlaburi on the Thai Burma border, Mon civilians are gathering to pay final tribute to Ajar Tala Uttama who passed away in October at the age of 96.

 

Colonel Nai Kaorot, a senior leader of the New Mon State Party said the Abbot's devotees from southern Burma, neighbouring Sangkhlaburi, will be bussed in by the NMSP for their journey up to Waengka Wiwekaram Buddhist Temple in Sangkhalaburi, a tiny hilltop town in a mountainous area of Kanchanaburi province on the Thai Burma border.

 

Civilians, dignitaries, politicians, devotees, and members of NMSP from Thaton, Moulmein and Tavoy Districts are arriving today and will spend a week in the beautiful spiritual setting.  The NMSP sponsor a religious service from December 11 - 13 for three days, providing food, facilities and entertainment.  Thamai Dwaek or traditional dance groups as well as other Mon culture troupes from Mon communities of Karen and Mon State will be performing on stage.

 

People are gathering to remember the compassionate deeds of Reverand Uttama, a Mon Buddhist monk who was widely respected by the Thai people including government officials, the Thai military and the Thai royal family.  After two years of medical treatment at Sirirat Hospital with Royal Thai Patronage, Ajar Tala Uttama passed away on October 18, 2006.  But amid the pomp and circumstance of the 2-day service, Sunthorn Sripanngern of the Mon Unity League reflected that Rev Uttama would have not wanted all the fanfare. “If he was here today, he would have gently reminded us that we are making too much of a fuss over him.”

 

He was born in Mawkanin, Ye Township of Mon State and fled to Thai Burma

border when the Mon people took up arms against the central Burmese government during post independence civil war in Burma after the second world war.  With his followers, he built Waengka, a Mon village that was submerged under water after the construction of Khaolam Dam. Waengka was transferred to its present location and a Mon temple was built, the setting for the Reverend’s funeral service today.

 

The Reverend fought for the rights of the Mon people on the Thai-Burma border, he was the force behind securing citizenship for many and earning him a place of deep respect among the Buddhist community in Burma and Thailand. “Rev. Uttama as a teacher was only one part of his life, he was first and foremost a strong humanitarian, his life was full of accomplishments,” said a friend. “He worked well into his 80s raising funds for Mon people in need, he will be dearly missed,” said another. These days, the Waengka Mon village at the border is crowded with his devotees from Thailand and the border areas who have come to pay their final tribute, including the current Thai Prime Minister, General Surayud Chulanont.

 

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NMSP urged to maintain arms amid gov’t pressure

Kaowao: December 9, 2006

 

Mon grass roots communities have urged the ceasefire group, New Mon State Party not to lay down their arms amid pressure given by the military regime.  Public opinions have been heard during the party’s public campaign in Ye, Yepyu, and Three Pagodas Pass Townships under its administration this week.

 

“We (Mon public) cannot give up our arms to them.  We have sacrificed for so many years.  The SPDC will surely take away our rights if the NMSP gives up their arms,” said a villager at the public gathering on December 4, 2006 where NMSP leaders Nai Hongsar, Ong Htow Mon and Captain Jalon Htow talked to over 120 attendees at Palai Japan village, a sparsely populated area near Three Pagodas Pass Thai Burma border town.

 

The Mon population has grown increasingly frustrated since the SPDC resumed its National Convention with rumors circulating that ceasefire groups will be disarmed.

 

Over the past 3 months, the NMSP conducted a survey report among the public that shows the majority want the NMSP to maintain its arms but opinion is divided on whether to join the National Convention or to walk out.

 

NMSP’s Military Commission member, Colonel Nai Kaorot spoke to Kaowao that the NMSP would take the public concerns seriously and reiterated its position for self-determination.  However, they will continue to observe its cease-fire policy and solve the political crisis through a dialogue. “We have no option but to continue on with the peace process and hope for a positive outcome for our aspirations as an independent people,” he added.

 

The NMSP is one of the strongest ethnic ceasefire groups and occasionally speaks out in support of an open dialogue with the military regime.  It also supports the UN Security Council decision to include Burma in the Security Council discussion to press for democratic reform.  As a consequence, the regime has ceased its supplies of food and provisions to the party. 

 

Established by late President Nai Shwe Kyin in 1958, the NMSP is the only major political party with a military wing, the Mon National Liberation Army, which has fought against the regime for almost five decades.  It reached a cease-fire deal with the ruling Burmese junta in 1995.

 

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HTM: the silent killers in lower Burma

Reported by Gong Ong and Lita Davidson

World AIDS Day, December 1, 2006

 

In observance of the 19th commemoration of World AIDS Day today activists around the world are working at the local level to build a comprehensive approach in fighting AIDS.  But a region in Mon State, Lower Burma, is cut off from the outside world and rarely hears what developments are taking place internationally. Few local people will know of the World Health Organization’s funding initiative where millions of dollars of aid is being doled out to combat the disease.

 

Senior leaders of Burma’s State Peace and Development Council will deliver speeches to mark the day in the new capital Naypyidaw or in Yangon claiming they will combat the disease as outlined in their Master Strategic Plan to enhance and expand AIDS prevention and control programmes throughout the country.  Burma will receive US $99.5 million in foreign aid to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, the deadly trio of diseases that killed 5. 7 million people worldwide in 2004 and, the three leading causes of death in Burma. This new aid package is to fill the gap left by the exit of the Global Fund last year because of too many restrictions imposed by the SPDC on aid workers.

 

According to the World Health Organization and as demonstrated by Africa, to make any progress in such programs health workers need to work from the ground up with the local communities and its procedures and operations need to be transparent. To combat malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS effectively, community leaders who understand community concerns need to recruit the local people, for example, mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, who would play a vital role in treatment and prevention. Encouraging ownership in implementing prevention, educational awareness, and treatment programs are measures that are the most effective and positive way to ensure a sustainable success in fighting infectious diseases, especially in remote areas that need to be tackled at all levels. This is being done worldwide to produce practical methods at the local level in treating the three killer pandemics.

 

But the majority of Burma ’s population in both the rural and urban areas are poorly informed about AIDS and lack any capacity building programs or a community health network which are critical to strengthen the ‘collective response’ in prevention and intervention. 

 

The population of Monland in lower Burma is estimated to be around 4 million and is believed to have higher rates of AIDS cases in the region according to reports by local health workers. On April 6, 2004, Kaowao reported that hospital blood tests recorded over one thousand individuals being infected with AIDS/HIV in Ye township, a community of migrant workers.

 

After two years no progress has been seen and many believe its getting worse. Locals say the situation may be out of control, but it is difficult to monitor and there is no access for people to get treatment, no accurate statistics are being kept which are critical for monitoring, with many suffering alone and afraid of speaking up due to social stigma. Some have died in the villages due to financial problems without ever having been to a clinic. Besides Northern Ye, there are other big communities in Mon State that have no preventive education programs on AIDS. 

 

“It is not easy to get the right figures and education on AIDS is rarely given out in the community even though they have experience of death from this disease.  Thousands of local people, most of them are women, could be HIV positive through their spouse who work in the neighbouring countries as migrant workers”, said Soe Mon, a local medic from Durae.

 

A young widow women who was struggling to survive, who had never been outside of her village, died of AIDS in March this year.  Her husband who worked in Thailand died in 2002 at home and her children are orphans taken care of by the community.

 

“It is very unfortunate that an innocent woman died without knowing about this problem.  The local community now realize that AIDS is a deadly disease and are becoming more concerned, but it is only a gossip among the community and there is no education on how to prevent and treat it,” Soe added.

 

These communities need immediate access through empowerment and design intervention that considers the needs of a migrant worker community.

 

Northern Ye Township of Mon State captures the magnitude of the problem.  A medic from Kawdut said many people contracted HIV from their husbands who worked in Singapore and Malaysia. Most of them have died from the disease leaving their widows infected and alone to bring up their children. 

 

Many villages have benefited from migrant laborers, where they send money back home to boast the local economy. However, some have died from AIDS and most likely have spread the disease to their spouses.

 

There is no official statistics on this problem and some activist estimated, northern Ye township and Thanbyu Zayat is the most HIV infected area in the region because many people in these areas work as migrant labourers, a high risk population that moves around a lot and visits brothel houses for pleasure. 

 

The Mons from Burma only learn of family planning and education on AIDS when they arrive in Thailand where systematic measures to fight AIDS have been in force in years. But even there only a few publications on STD and family planning ever reach the many hundreds of communities where many thousands of young Mon live.  Many workers do not understand Thai and publication in Mon language is not available.

 

Sumit Punnakari, who heads Humanitarian Assistance and Reconciliation Project (HARP) in Thailand says, "Burmese migrants know little about it due to a lack of HIV/AIDS education in Burma and among migrant communities in Thailand.  AIDS is a real threat to humanity and Mon people are no exception. We have to fight this cruel battle without choice and we must overcome it."

 

Large migrant communities have no services and are often discriminated against and, arrive from Burma with little education. In Mahachai on the outskirts of Bangkok, for example, where large communities of Mons live in Thailand, estimated at 100,000 people, little or no education is given out and are increasingly at risk of contracting the disease because there are no services in the community.

 

"There is a lot more to do for pubic education on AIDS. There should be grass-roots campaigns to achieve better results,” said a Mon Unity league representative based in Bangkok. He is convinced that more education and prevention programs are needed in major population areas, especially villages with a high percentage of migrant workers. Especially more information on HIV prevention, HIV testing, HIV/AIDS care, living with HIV/AIDS, treatment, and orphan care. These measures need to be implemented now, as a Nigerian AIDS worker succinctly put it: “Kill or be killed.”

 

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Ivanhoe Mines in the process of divesting from Burma

 

News report by Canadian Friends of Burma

 

(December 19, 2006, London, Ontario) - During a final round of public consultations hosted by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) yesterday, public and social activists were informed that Ivanhoe Mines is in the process of divesting from Burma.

 

It is a confirmation of a major institutional investor on the position of Ivanhoe Mines that hinted in its press release dated Oct. 18, 2006, as followed, “Ivanhoe is negotiating the divestiture of its joint venture interest in the Monywa Copper Project in Myanmar [Burma].” However, Burma activists are still skeptical on the real intention of Ivanhoe Mines.

 

Ivanhoe initially announced its intention to sell off 50% of its joint-ventured assets in Burma worth US $120 million to a consortium of Korean companies, but failed to realize it in June, as announced in May of this year. 

 

Meanwhile, public pressure is rapidly mounting on CPPIB to divest almost 3 million shares it holds with Ivanhoe Mines in the market value of CAD $32 million. Activists from Canadian Friends of Burma and Friends of the Earth challenged unethical investment of public pension fund contributed by 16 million working Canadians in the evening consultation. A report on CPP investment in Burma was also issued prior to the consultation by Friends of the Earth (available on www.foecanada.org).

 

Ivanhoe invested USD $150 million in mid-1990 and an additional USD $390 million was planned to invest in the expansion of Letpadaung project, located six miles southeast of the existing Ivanhoe-operated mine in Burma.

 

However, operations had to shut down for one month in April this year, citing expected decreases in production, inability to import additional mining equipment, and an additional 8% tax imposed on copper exports from Burma. The company also said that it is concerned about timely approvals for the expansion of the Letpadaung deposit.

 

Ivanhoe earned US $47 million from operations from Burma last year and provided approximately about US $60 million to the coffer of the military junta including 30% tax on chopper exports and 4% loyalty fee. 

 

In the consultation, CPPIB senior executives also expressed their concerns, given the nature of political risk in Burma, and informed the public that they have met with Ivanhoe Mines executives a number of times and exchanged dossiers, making their concerns known since early this year.

 

The Government of Canada discourages investment in Burma; however, the level of Canadian investment in Burma remains the same. Some new businesses even showed interest in doing business. For example, Calgary-based TransCanada Pipelines, along with Calgary-based Sea NG Management Corporation and Kanata-based BMT Fleet Technology, expressed interest to transport gas from Burma to India.

 

Recently, the new Conservative government assured Burma activists that they would review the existing symbolic economic measures on Burma and replace with more punitive and effective measures including a ban on investment in Burma.   

 

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Canadian Parliamentary Friends of Burma formed

Kaowao: December 12, 2006

 

The Parliamentary Friends of Burma was officially launched with 25 MPs and Senators joining to support democratic change in Burma.

 

Parliamentary Friends of Burma (PFOB), formed on December 7, is now the biggest Parliamentary friendship group in the Canadian Parliament,” said Tin Maung Htoo, Executive Director of the Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB), the organization that helped form the group.

 

According to the Ottawa based CFOB statement, 25 MPs and Senators from all political parties joined PFOB and membership includes important figures such as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the ruling party’s Caucus Chair. The group also consists of leading political figures such as Mr. Jack Layton, the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), the Chair of Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, and the foreign affairs critic from Bloc Quebecois.

 

Dr. Sein Win, Prime Minister of the Burmese government in exiled and Mr. Charles Chong, the head of Singaporean Parliamentary Caucus on Burma and member of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC) attended the event along with Canadian parliamentarians, government officials, representatives of civil society and Burmese delegates from across Canada. Dr. Sein Win delivered a keynote speech during the reception.

 

“The launch of Parliamentary Friends of Burma (PFOB) last week in Ottawa is a timely and important initiative in the cause of restoring democracy and the rule of law to 50 million nationals of what should be a peaceful, important and prosperous member of the international community,” said Hon. David Kilgour, former Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) and a member of Advisory Council of the Canadian Friends of Burma. He chaired the official launch of PFOB on Dec. 7.

 

Successive Canadian MPs have supported Burmese Democratic Movement since a nation-wide Democratic Movement broke out in Burma in 1988. The name of Parliamentary Friends of Burma (PFOB) has virtually existed in the Canadian Parliament since more than 10 years ago with MPs advocating for Democracy in Burma. The first attempt to officially form the group took place on Nov. 30, 2005; however, it was postponed due to an early dissolution of Parliament on Nov. 28, 2006.

 

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Identity, Conflict and National Reconciliation in Burma

By Nehginpao Kipgen

 

Identity

 

In sociology and political science, the notion of social identity is individuals' identifying themselves as members of a particular group - such as nation, social class, subculture, ethnicity, and so forth. It is in this context that sociologists and historians speak of a national identity of a particular country. The Union of Burma is comprised of more than 100 different ethnic groups and sub-groups, making her one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia. According to the State Peace and Development Council, Burma’s military government, ministry of foreign affairs website (www.mofa.gov.mm), there are 135 “ethnic races” in Burma.

 

Although there has been no reliable census under the present military regime, the country’s population is estimated to be over 50 million; ministry of foreign affairs puts estimated population at 52.4 million as of July 2003. According to CIA – The World Factbook as updated on the 30th November 2006, ethnic groups of Burma is categorized in percent as: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%. The same source provides religious composition as Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%, animist 1%, other 2%. Burmese, spoken by ethnic Burmans, is the lingua-franca while minority ethnic groups also have their own languages and dialects.

 

The Union of Burma is made up of 7 states and 7 administrative divisions. The ongoing National Convention, which first convened in January 1993 and supposedly drafting a constitution, plans to change these divisions into “regions” in a hopeful “disciplined democratic Burma.” Also, in an attempt to pacify the longstanding grievances of minority ethnic groups in states and regions, self-administered areas (zones and divisions) are prescribed: five self-administered zones (one in Sagaing division and four in Shan State) and one self-administered division (in Shan State).

 

Although the 1947 constitution did not make any specific mention of federalism, its purpose was to establish a federal government in which the individual states would have self governing responsibilities. However, on the contrary, the country, in post independence, has never been even quasi-federal. It should be noted here that prior to independence, the British ruled Burma under two administrative units - the valley area and the hill area states.

 

At the United Nations, Burma is officially known as Myanmar; a name which majority of Burmese pro-democratic forces and some western countries are reluctant to adopt. It was renamed by the then State Law and Order Restoration Council in 1989. Regardless of which name is used, Burma is a country of multi-ethnic groups. Any attempt to build a stabilized democratic society by sidelining minority ethnic groups would be a grave blunder.

 

Nature of Conflict

 

The conflict in Burma is ethnical, political and religious. Generally speaking, the major Burman ethnic group has a feeling of chauvinism over the other minority ethnic groups. There has been ethnic hatred for a long time, and dates back to the country's pre-independence era. One of the reasons for the rise of insurgency problems in the country is due to hatred and discrimination on the basis of ethnicity.

 

For example, in the mid 1940s, the Chins, the Karens and the Mons were looked down by the Burmans as if they were little better than the barbarians or cheap animals. The Karens were particularly despised by the Burmans, and were referred to as uneducated people, who feed on small animals such as snakes, frogs, monkeys, and wild yams, etc. Such awkward attitude ignited ethnic hatred between the Burmans and the Karens. It is interesting to note that the Karens did not participate in the Panglong Conference and the subsequent agreement signed between the British government and the frontier leaders in the presence of 23 representatives from the Shan State, the Kachin Hills and the Chin Hills to form an interim government. The Karens and others doubted the sincerity of the Burmans.

 

Although Burma is not officially declared a theocratic state, there has been persecution and restriction on minorities, belonging to religions other than Buddhism. For instance, a church, especially in villages in rural areas, has to seek prior permission for Christmas celebration or any other important religious festivals. Anyone who defies the order can be arrested and imprisoned at will.

 

There have been a number of cycles in the history of modern Burma, beginning from 1947, that has led to the rise of political conflicts in the country. They may be broadly classified under the following headings - (1) the Panglong Agreement & its subsequent events, (2) the 1962 military coup & its aftermath, (3) the 8888 democracy uprising (4) the 1990 general elections, and (5) the Depeyin massacre. Political conflicts in Burma are mainly between the major ethnic Burman dominated government and other ethnic groups of the country. However, as time goes on, more dissident ethnic Burmans have joined the movement against its own government. The battle is now basically between the military junta and the democracy activists of multi-ethnic groups.

 

National Reconciliation

 

Since the 8888 uprising and the subsequent events, there has been a considerable shift in the philosophies of revolutionary groups. Almost all armed ethnic groups have been pushing for the restoration of democracy and the establishment of a federal society. Whatever the causes are, one thing is clear that the stalemate between the Burman government and ethnic insurgent groups will continue to persist if the government ignores the doctrines of equality, liberty and fraternity at the national level. Solutions to the ongoing political imbroglio in Burma may be achieved primarily in two different ways – Intervention and Popular Uprising. A popular uprising is more likely to succeed if a break away group or disgruntled military personnel join the movement.

 

In resolving any conflict involving two opposite groups, the intervention of a third party is one most viable solution. Noticing the different levels of interventions such as diplomatic intervention, economic sanctions, and military intervention, political strategists need to explore which does best work for Burma. Diplomatic interventions and economic sanctions have been unevenly used for over 10 years by the international community, particularly the European Union, United States of America and the United Nations. These actions unequivocally brought immense impact on both the populace and the ruling military regime. Had these engagements been a concerted effort involving Burma’s neighboring countries – particularly China and India, juggernaut changes could have happened. With the recalcitrant nature of Burma’s military leaders and appeasement diplomacies of some of the influential countries on their side, no pragmatic transformation has been visualized till date. This indicates that any constructive democratization of Burma largely rests on the shoulders of neighboring countries, including the two Asian nuclear rivals – China and India.

 

The successful placement of Burma situation on the permanent agenda of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on September 29, 2006 and the continued engagement process is a remarkable change in history. With the UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari’s briefing to the Security Council on November 27, there is the probability of drafting a resolution as indicated by the resigning US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton. It is expected that the language of the draft will test the nerves of the veto wielding powers, particularly China and Russia. A resolution is likely to happen under chapter VI rather than the much desired chapter VII of the UN Charter. If any binding resolution can be reached, non-compliance on the part of the Burmese military regime will have its ramifications. After all, this is all about politics.

 

Ibrahim Gambari said the good offices process of the UN Secretary General toward Burma “cannot be open ended.” “We are now waiting for the government to [take] further steps to respond to the concerns of the international community. The ball is clearly in the court of the government." History is the proof; nothing much should be expected from the military generals except for the slow implementation of proposed seven steps road-map toward “disciplined democracy.” In his most recent visit, Gambari reportedly met representatives from minority ethnic groups attending the National Convention. The nature of the convention speaks for itself; delegates are handpicked.

 

To bring a long lasting solution to the decades' old conflicts in Burma, it needs the sincerity, honesty and the participation of all ethnic groups. Different ethnic groups should be brought into confidence, and their legitimate demands should be looked into. This process of democratization has to be an inclusive approach. The international community should continue to step up its pressure against the military regime. Meanwhile, if an isolationist policy is failing or not efficacious enough, other alternative means need to be explored. Ultimately, justice will prevail. Only when political course is set correct, will there be a congenial atmosphere for socio-economic and educational developments in this impoverished Southeast Asian nation. Burma must, eventually, prepare for creation of more new states.

 

(Nehginpao Kipgen is the General Secretary of US based Kuki International Forum and a researcher on the rise of political conflicts in modern Burma (1947-2004).  The views expressed here are solely the opinion of the author. Kao-Wao Editor)

 

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Environment

 

Climate Change vs Mother Nature

By Geneviève Roberts, The Independent: 22 December 2006

 

Bears have stopped hibernating in the mountains of northern Spain, scientists revealed yesterday, in what may be one of the strongest signals yet of how much climate change is affecting the natural world.

 

In a December in which bumblebees, butterflies and even swallows have been on the wing in Britain, European brown bears have been lumbering through the forests of Spain's Cantabrian mountains, when normally they would already be in their long, annual sleep.

 

Bears are supposed to slumber throughout the winter, slowing their body rhythms to a minimum and drawing on stored resources, because frozen weather makes food too scarce to find. The barely breathing creatures can lose up to 40 per cent of their body weight before warmer springtime weather rouses them back to life.

 

But many of the 130 bears in Spain's northern cordillera - which have a slightly different genetic identity from bear populations elsewhere in the world - have remained active throughout recent winters, naturalists from Spain's Brown Bear Foundation (La Fundación Oso Pardo - FOP) said yesterday.

 

The change is affecting female bears with young cubs, which now find there are enough nuts, acorns, chestnuts and berries on thebleak mountainsides to make winter food-gathering sorties "energetically worthwhile", scientists at the foundation, based in Santander, the Cantabrian capital, told El Pais newspaper.

 

"If the winter is mild, the female bears find it is energetically worthwhile to make the effort to stay awake and hunt for food," said Guillermo Palomero, the FOP's president and the co-ordinator of a national plan for bear conservation. This changed behaviour, he said, was probably a result of milder winters. "The high Cantabrian peaks freeze all winter, but our teams of observers have been able to follow the perfect outlines of tracks from a group of bears," he said.

The FOP is financed by Spain's Environment Ministry and the autonomous regions of Cantabria, Asturias, Galicia and Castilla-Leon, where the bears roam in search of mates. Indications of winter bear activity have been detected for some time, but only in the past three years have such signs been observed "with absolute certainty", according to the scientists.

 

"Mother bears with cubs make the effort to seek out nuts and berries if these have been plentiful, and snow is scarce," Mr Palomero said, adding that even for those bears - mostly mature males - who do close down for the winter, "their hibernation period gets shorter every year".

 

The behaviour change suggests that global warming is responsible for this revolution in ursine behaviour, says Juan Carlos García Cordón, a professor of geography at Santander's Cantabria University, and a climatology specialist.

 

"Meteorological data in the high mountains is scarce, but it seems that the warming is more noticeable in the valleys where cold air accumulates," Dr García Cordón said. "There is a decline in snowfall, and in the time snow remains on the ground, which makes access to food easier. As autumn comes later, and spring comes earlier, bears have an extra month to forage for food.

 

"We cannot prove that non-hibernation is caused by global warming, but everything points in that direction."

 

Spanish meteorologists predict that this year is likely to be the warmest year on record in Spain, just as it is likely to be the warmest year recorded in Britain (where temperature records go back to 1659). Globally, 2006 is likely to be the sixth warmest year in a record going back the mid-19th century.

Mark Wright, the science adviser to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in the UK, said that bears giving up hibernation was "what we would expect" with climate change.

 

"It does not in itself prove global warming, but it is certainly consistent with predictions of it," he said. "What is particularly interesting about this is that hitherto the warming has seemed to be happening fastest at the poles and at high latitudes, and now we're getting examples of it happening further south, and heading towards the equator.

 

"I think it's an indication of what's to come. It shows climate change is not a natural phenomenon but something that is affecting not only on the weather, but impacting on the natural world in ways we're only now beginning to understand."

 

The European brown bear, with its characteristic pelt that ranges from dark brown through shades of grey to pale gold, has black paws and a tawny face. It has poor vision, although it sees in colour and at night, and if threatened rears on its hind legs to get a better view. It can live for up to 30 years. It has acute hearing, and an especially fine sense of smell that enables it to detect food from a long distance. It is carnivorous, but has a multifunctional dental system with powerful canines and grinding molars perfectly adapted to an omnivorous diet.

 

The animals would normally begin hibernation between October and December, and resume activity between March and May.

 

The Cantabrian version of the brown bear, a protected species, was once as endangered as the Iberian lynx or the imperial eagle still are in Spain, but is now recovering in numbers. Between 70 and 90 bears roamed Spain's northern mountains in the early 1990s; now 130 live there.

 

Other seasonal freaks

 

*The osprey found in the lochs and glens of the Scottish Highlands in the summer months, usually migrate to west Africa to avoid the freeze. This winter, osprey have been spotted in Suffolk and Devon. Swallows, which also normally migrate to Africa for the winter have been also seen across England this winter.

 

* The red admiral butterfly, below, which hibernates in winter, has been spotted in gardens this month, as has the common darter dragonfly, usually seen between mid-June and October, which has been seen in Cheshire, Norfolk and Hampshire.

 

* The smew, a diving duck, flies west to the UK for winter from Russia and Scandinavia. This year, though, they have been mainly absent from the lakes and reservoirs between The Wash and the Severn.

 

* Evergreen ivy and ox-eye daisies are still blooming and some oak trees, which are usually bare by November, were still in leaf on Christmas Day last year.

 

* The buff-tailed bumblebee is usually first seen in spring. Worker bees die out by the first frost, while fertilised queen bees survive underground between March and September. This December, bees have been seen in Nottingham and York.

 

* Primroses and daffodils are already flowering at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, in Carmarthenshire. 'Early Sensation' daffodils usually flower from January until February. Horticulturalists put it down to the warm weather.

 

* Scientists in the Netherlands reported more than 240 wild plants flowering in the first 15 days of December, along with more than 200 cultivated species. Examples included cow parsley and sweet violets. Just two per cent of these plants normally flower in winter, while 27 per cent end their main flowering period in autumn and 56 per cent before October.

 

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