Friday, March 13, 2009
The French government minister responsible for human rights issues, Rama Yade, an outspoken critic of the Burmese regime, began a three-day visit to Thailand on Thursday, during which she will discuss the Burma question with Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya.
Yade, a minister of state in the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, will also visit a refugee camp housing about 20,000 Burmese, most of them Karenni.
A French Foreign Ministry statement said that apart from bilateral issues Yade would discuss with Kasit the Burma situation.
The statement said the objective of her visit to Ban Mai Nai Soi refugee camp in northern Thailand’s Mae Hong Song Province was to strengthen cooperation between the Thai government and major donors of aid to refugees, including the European Union.
Rama Yade is a 32-year-old career politician who was born in Senegal, West Africa. She has made clear her concern for events in Burma at a number of international gatherings, and at an Asean summit in Singapore in November 2007, two months after the September uprising, she said it was time the grouping tackled the challenges posed by Burma.
“After the tragic hours of repression of the pro-democracy movement, fragile hope has appeared for the people of Burma,” Rama Yade said at the summit. “It is naturally for them to maintain and develop it by envisioning the prospects for the future.”
She said she was convinced the EU and Asean can work together for change in Burma. “I’m certain, at any rate, that we must do so, in the interest of the people of Burma,” she said.
In an article carried by the English-language daily Bangkok Post on Thursday, Yade said France and the EU, “far from preaching,” want to “stand alongside Asean, which at the Cha-am/Hua Hin summit recently reaffirmed its wishes for Burma: democracy, freedom and co-operation with the international community.”
France and the EU also wanted to “give the efforts of the United Nations Secretary General every chance,” she said.
“Expectations will, of course, remain high with respect to Burma, where we share the hope of a return to democracy and freedom, for Aung San Suu Kyi, for all political prisoners and for the population as a whole, and with freedom, the hope of a return to economic development,” she said in the article.
“We are willing to assist and support a genuine process of democratisation that respects the choices of the Burmese after an inclusive dialogue between the authorities and the opposition that everyone hopes for.
“We hold out our hand to people of goodwill in Burma to accompany it in the best possible way on its own path towards freedom.”
Yade has repeatedly called for the release of Suu Kyi—most notably in article for the French daily “Le Figaro” in September 2007 and in a statement issued jointly with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in May 2008.
During her stay in Singapore for the 2007 summit, Yade visited a Burmese monastery and the Burmese community there, along with British Parliamentary Undersecretary of State, Meg Munn. They met Burmese monks and activists.
When former Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama visited France in June 2008, Rama Yade discussed the Burma situation with him, including the delays of international relief supplies to the victims of Cyclone Nargis.
A few days after Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, France sent its navy vessel Mistral with 1,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies to join US and British ships off the Burmese coast. Burmese authorities refused to allow the supplies to be delivered and the ships eventually unloaded their supplies at Thai ports—although French officials reportedly pushed for unilateral action to rush relief to the cyclone victims.
The regime’s refusal of cooperation angered the French government, and a joint statement by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of Defense said: “France reiterates that in her eyes nothing can possibly justify disaster victims seeing themselves denied the basic right to benefit from the necessary aid and stresses her commitment to the implementation of the ‘responsibility to protect’ principle under all circumstances.”
irrawaddy
Friday, March 13, 2009
Burmese military regime shut down 50 Chin ethnic orphanages
Friday, 13 March 2009
The Burmese military regime has shut down at least 50 Chin orphanages in Rangoon, the former capital of Burma leading to problems for children.
According to a report said the regime closed down about 50 Chin orphanages on March 6, 2009 as their licenses expired. The regime has seized all the buildings
“We had registered for a period of five years. I don’t know others’ cases. Actually, we had registered in 2003 and its validity is up to 2008. Now we have to register for 2009 to 2013, but just before doing so the authorities stopped renewing the license,” said a local Chin from Rangoon.
It means 50 out of 100 Chin orphanage schools in Rangoon city have now been shut down by the government. Similarly, 13 out of 16 schools in Hleku townships also closed including Victoria Childcare Centre (VCC) which looks after 54 orphanages.
Kanpalet Township, Southern Chin state, which looks after 99% of the children in VCC has sent them back to their relatives as per the rule of government that allows a person can adopt not more than five children in his life time.
“The children’s future will be totally dependant on the adopters. Some will be adopted well and some might be adopted as house keepers or servants. It’s very hard to figure out their fortune,” said a victim at one of orphanage schools.
At the same time, some schools are searching for people to adopt the children. It is difficult to know where other schools are located and who are taking responsibility regarding this matter as the government has restricted them and they are afraid to used telephone for their security.
“Once we had used telephone for conversation about our work, the authorities immediately arrived and they inquired about it. We don’t want to use the phone anymore after facing this thrice as we’ve afraid,” he added.
He continued that the care takers at the orphanage schools have been given an appointment on 17 March. It needs to be watched how it will turn out, but the schools cannot be opened again.
Chin orphanage schools started to open in 2003 in Yangon city and there are about 140 of Chin orphanage schools in Burma.
burmadigest
The Burmese military regime has shut down at least 50 Chin orphanages in Rangoon, the former capital of Burma leading to problems for children.
According to a report said the regime closed down about 50 Chin orphanages on March 6, 2009 as their licenses expired. The regime has seized all the buildings
“We had registered for a period of five years. I don’t know others’ cases. Actually, we had registered in 2003 and its validity is up to 2008. Now we have to register for 2009 to 2013, but just before doing so the authorities stopped renewing the license,” said a local Chin from Rangoon.
It means 50 out of 100 Chin orphanage schools in Rangoon city have now been shut down by the government. Similarly, 13 out of 16 schools in Hleku townships also closed including Victoria Childcare Centre (VCC) which looks after 54 orphanages.
Kanpalet Township, Southern Chin state, which looks after 99% of the children in VCC has sent them back to their relatives as per the rule of government that allows a person can adopt not more than five children in his life time.
“The children’s future will be totally dependant on the adopters. Some will be adopted well and some might be adopted as house keepers or servants. It’s very hard to figure out their fortune,” said a victim at one of orphanage schools.
At the same time, some schools are searching for people to adopt the children. It is difficult to know where other schools are located and who are taking responsibility regarding this matter as the government has restricted them and they are afraid to used telephone for their security.
“Once we had used telephone for conversation about our work, the authorities immediately arrived and they inquired about it. We don’t want to use the phone anymore after facing this thrice as we’ve afraid,” he added.
He continued that the care takers at the orphanage schools have been given an appointment on 17 March. It needs to be watched how it will turn out, but the schools cannot be opened again.
Chin orphanage schools started to open in 2003 in Yangon city and there are about 140 of Chin orphanage schools in Burma.
burmadigest
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Wheat growing areas may receive rainfall next week
Vinson Kurian
Thiruvananthapuram, March 13 The Climate Prediction Centre (CPC) of the US National Weather Services sees renewed western disturbance activity over northwest India from mid-week next week.
The wheat-growing belt here is desperately looking out for one round of showers. And CPC predictions seem to promise just that for Punjab, northeast Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and west Uttar Pradesh.
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarkhand will start getting showers from March 18 onwards, but the plains are expected to get their due from March 21. The wet weather may hold up to March 24, according to the CPC, which provides forecasts for up to 14 days, based on initial conditions prevailing on the day of forecast (March 11, in the instant case).
HEATING UP, TOO Around this time, the maximum mercury belt is forecast to reach northwest India, east and northeast India, pushed north as it would be by a string of thundershowers over peninsular and central India.
The maximum heating would, however, return to the peninsular east from March 19. The forecasts largely hold true, except when unforeseen atmospheric events intervene and get simulated in succeeding forecasts.
MORE RAINS India Meteorological Department (IMD) too has mounted a watch for thundershowers breaking out over the central peninsula (Maharashtra and adjoining areas of Andhra Pradesh to Chhattisgarh) for at least three days from Saturday.
This is attributed to west-to-southwesterly flows generated deep down from the peninsular latitudes.
A string of cyclonic circulations has already shown up over west and central India to spearhead weather under their respective regions.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Entire Northeast not disturbed: Lakhera
Aizawl, Mizoram Governor Lt Gen. (rtd) Lakhera today reiterated that the entire Northeast region was not disturbed as most of the mainland Indians considered.
People from outside the region are reluctant to visit NE as they think it is entirely an insurgency-torn area, which is a misconception, he said speaking at the inauguration of a two-day national seminar on ‘the dynamics of culture, society and identity: emerging literatures of Northeast India’ jointly organised by the Mizoram University and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla.
Lakhera said it was an opportunity for the seminar participants from central India to witness that Mizoram stands out as an island of peace in the sea of insurgency.
He also underlined that NE people have their own problems different from those of the central Indians and hoped to end such concerns in near future.
People from outside the region are reluctant to visit NE as they think it is entirely an insurgency-torn area, which is a misconception, he said speaking at the inauguration of a two-day national seminar on ‘the dynamics of culture, society and identity: emerging literatures of Northeast India’ jointly organised by the Mizoram University and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla.
Lakhera said it was an opportunity for the seminar participants from central India to witness that Mizoram stands out as an island of peace in the sea of insurgency.
He also underlined that NE people have their own problems different from those of the central Indians and hoped to end such concerns in near future.
Ukhrul devastated by raging fire
UKHRUL, Mar 11 : Many were rendered homeless as a ravaging fire broke out at 12.20 pm this evening at Ukhrul town’s Wino bazar, destroying properties worth crores of rupees. At least six civilians were injured and two of them were taken to the district hospital with minor injuries, while the other four were treated at a private clinic. A young 13-year old girl received after-shocks and was also rushed to the hospital.The whole town was engulfed in smoke as flames soaring up to 50 metres high continued to raze one house after another in this thickly populated posh locality. By the time the fire brigade arrived on the spot at around 12.45 pm, the fire was beyond control. Assisted by the strong wind, it started eating shop after shop within minutes. Roars of cylinder blasts were heard all over and all vehicular movement came to a grinding halt as the inferno started spreading to the wooden buildings across. The Assam Rifles swiftly pitched in their firefighters from the northern direction while the fire brigade and the police, assisted by the civilians fought the fire from the western side. The DIG of B Range, Brig. S Mander personally supervised the rescue operation. Very close to the vicinity were more than 500 students appearing for their HSLC exam. However, the exam carried on as normal.It took more than four hours for the fire brigade assisted by the police, the Assam Rifles and Manipur Rifles to finally bring the flames under control. By the time the flames died down, almost 100 houses of the town’s commercial hub were reduced to cinders. In the midst of the billowing smoke from the rubbles, the scene was replete with signs of agony, loss and helplessness everywhere. The loss of property was estimated at crores of rupees, according to initial estimates. The fire was believed to have started from a tea-hotel.It was reliably learnt that the district civil administration was in the process of arranging emergency ‘relief camps’ for those who lost their homes, the number running into hundreds.A statement from the Assam Rifles said that the commander 10 Sector himself went to the site of the fire and supervised the fire fighting operations. The 10 Sector provided 13 to 15 water browsers, firefighting equipment, recovery vehicles and JCB to ensure the fire was brought under control and the loss of property minimised.Four Assam Rifles columns were placed into operation and the AR played a big role in bringing the fire under control around 4 pm, thus averting any further damage, the AR said.The AR has also provided tents for the displaced persons and opened a kitchen to provide food for over 400 people, along with providing generators for electricity during the night. A medical camp supervised by a number of medical officers has also been planned for March 10 to treat the people affected by the fire and this is addition to the medical help already provided, the statement from the PRO IGAR(S) further said.
Nagaland records more than 60 percent untrained teachers
Dimapur, March 11 : The North East Council (NEC) in its sectoral summit on education expressed serious concern regarding the training of untrained teachers in North East India. A huge backlog of teachers (more than 50% in the North East) appointed over the last several years have remained untrained for a long time. In the case of Nagaland, more than 60% of in-service teachers are yet to be trained; as on January 2008, out of 12,101 elementary and primary teachers in Nagaland, 7,681 were untrained.
“This is a matter of serious concern as the issue is directly linked to quality education to our children. Though various steps have been initiated over the years for the training of the untrained teachers, the issue has not received the desired momentum. There appears to be lack of proper/coherent policy in this regard and, therefore, various initiatives taken so far for the training of untrained teachers have largely remained unsuccessful,” Dr. T Iralu, Regional Director of IGNOU Kohima Regional Centre stated.
Seminar on Training of Untrained Teachers on March 13Thus, in order to discuss various issues and policy options for the successful training of untrained teachers through sharing of experiences across the whole of North East India, IGNOU Kohima Regional Centre, in collaboration with SCERT Kohima, is organising a one day Regional Seminar on ‘Training of Untrained Teachers in North East India: Issues and Challenges’ in Kohima. The Seminar is being sponsored by the Educational Development of the North East Region Unit (EDNERU), IGNOU, New Delhi. It will involve the participation of concerned officials from all the states of North East India (including Sikkim) and will include policymakers, educationists, policy implementation agencies such as SSA, DIET, SCERT, Teachers Training Colleges as well as Education Departments dealing with the training of untrained teachers.
Kateekal Sankaranarayanan, Governor of Nagaland, will be the chief guest at the proposed Regional Seminar to be held on March 13, 2009. Director of School of Education, IGNOU, New Delhi, will also attend the Seminar and present a keynote address on the issue. There will be paper presentations from each of the North Eastern States giving status report of the teachers’ training in their respective states. Regional Directors of IGNOU, North Eastern states, will also share their experiences in dealing with the teachers’ training programs through IGNOU.
The Regional Seminar will be held at the ATI auditorium (and not at the Zonal Council Hall as informed earlier). It will start at 10 am and conclude at 6 pm. The inauguration of the Seminar by the Governor is scheduled from 11 am to 12 noon.
“This is a matter of serious concern as the issue is directly linked to quality education to our children. Though various steps have been initiated over the years for the training of the untrained teachers, the issue has not received the desired momentum. There appears to be lack of proper/coherent policy in this regard and, therefore, various initiatives taken so far for the training of untrained teachers have largely remained unsuccessful,” Dr. T Iralu, Regional Director of IGNOU Kohima Regional Centre stated.
Seminar on Training of Untrained Teachers on March 13Thus, in order to discuss various issues and policy options for the successful training of untrained teachers through sharing of experiences across the whole of North East India, IGNOU Kohima Regional Centre, in collaboration with SCERT Kohima, is organising a one day Regional Seminar on ‘Training of Untrained Teachers in North East India: Issues and Challenges’ in Kohima. The Seminar is being sponsored by the Educational Development of the North East Region Unit (EDNERU), IGNOU, New Delhi. It will involve the participation of concerned officials from all the states of North East India (including Sikkim) and will include policymakers, educationists, policy implementation agencies such as SSA, DIET, SCERT, Teachers Training Colleges as well as Education Departments dealing with the training of untrained teachers.
Kateekal Sankaranarayanan, Governor of Nagaland, will be the chief guest at the proposed Regional Seminar to be held on March 13, 2009. Director of School of Education, IGNOU, New Delhi, will also attend the Seminar and present a keynote address on the issue. There will be paper presentations from each of the North Eastern States giving status report of the teachers’ training in their respective states. Regional Directors of IGNOU, North Eastern states, will also share their experiences in dealing with the teachers’ training programs through IGNOU.
The Regional Seminar will be held at the ATI auditorium (and not at the Zonal Council Hall as informed earlier). It will start at 10 am and conclude at 6 pm. The inauguration of the Seminar by the Governor is scheduled from 11 am to 12 noon.
Central funds to revive forest
| Cachar | ||
March 11 : The Union forest and environment ministry has finally decided to sanction funds for the upkeep of the Barail wildlife sanctuary in Cachar. An estimated Rs 2.5 crore will be required for the improvement of this new reserve forest over a span of five years. The Barail wildlife sanctuary was elevated from a reserve forest to a protected forest following an Assam government notification on June 19, 2004, under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The sanctuary occupies 32,624 hectares spread over Cachar district and its adjoining North Cachar Hills district. The south Assam conservator of forests, P. Suryanarayan, said the last obstacle to the sanctuary’s development had been removed. The Centre will release funds in phases to demarcate the sanctuary to prevent illegal encroachment. Suryanarayan said they would start by setting up boundary pillars and deploy more security personnel of the Assam Forest Protection Force inside the sanctuary. At least five companies of the force will be deployed to prevent poaching. The boundaries of the sanctuary have been already demarcated. While on its eastern side, the sanctuary will begin from the banks of the Daloo river in Cachar’s Udarbond block, the southern boundary will stretch from Maraocherra up to Marilong on the Assam-Meghalaya border. The forest at present continues to be free of encroachers and no one will be allowed to inhabit forest space in future either. The sanctuary abounds in exotic fauna like the Chinese pangolin, flying fox, stump-tailed macaque, Rhesus macaque, capped langur, hoolock gibbon, Malayan sun bear, leopard, tiger, sambar, Indian bison and crestless Himalayan porcupine. The rare birds found here are the lesser adjutant stork, white-winged wood duck, slender-billed vulture, khaleej pheasant, wreathed hornbill and black-browed leaf warbler. The state forest and environment department has also proposed to upgrade 20,527 hectares of the Barak reserve forest, located on the southern fringes of Cachar district, into the district’s first biosphere reserve. The proposed biosphere reserve forest will be a treasure trove of medicinal plants and a rich array of rare animals, including the goral. |
EVMs for Mizoram
Silchar March 11 : The office of the chief electoral officer in Mizoram has announced that electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used during the April 16 Lok Sabha polls for the lone seat in the state.
The machines will also be used for Mizoram’s Assembly bypolls for the South Tuipui constituency, to be held on April 16.
The state’s chief electoral officer, Lalmalsawma, said in Aizawl yesterday that against the backdrop of the threat posed by the Mizo National Front (MNF) to boycott the polls if EVMs are used, his office was “carefully proceeding with the chores of holding a hassle-free parliamentary election and an Assembly byelection.”
Lalmalsawma disclosed that the EVMs were now being constantly monitored and checked.
Christians hear of suffering in Burma
A 20-year-old Burmese woman told 150 delegates attending the Global Day of Prayer for Burma on Saturday that “unless the situation in Burma changes, I will never see my father again”.
Wai Hnin Pwint Thon’s father Mya Aye is currently serving a 65 year prison sentence for peacefully protesting against Burma’s brutal military regime. He is suffering from a severe heart condition and is likely to die in prison.
Fearing her own arrest, Wai Hnin told Premier Christian Radio’s Cindy Kent that she came to the UK in 2005 and now volunteers at the Burma Campaign UK, assisting their work in releasing Burma’s many political prisoners.
Her eight-year-old sister still lives with her mother in Rangoon, but Wai Hnin’s refugee status means she is unable to visit them.
Wai Hnin’s moving story formed part of the annual day hosted by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) together with Karen Aid and Partners Relief and Development.
Baroness Caroline Cox and CSW’s East Asia’s Team Leader Benedict Rogers, author of A Land Without Evil: Stopping the Genocide of Burma’s Karen People, joined a panel of notable speakers to present the plight of Burma’s ethnic minorities at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster.
Mr Rogers gave an informative overview of the current humanitarian, political and human rights issues in Burma, including the persecution of ethnic minorities such as the Karen, Karenni, Shan Kachin, Chin and Rohingyas, while Baroness Cox, Chief Executive of the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART), presented first-hand evidence of the famine sweeping Chin State, and of the plight of the Shan people.
A short film depicting CSW’s most recent fact-finding visit to the Thai-Burmese border, gave delegates yet more evidence of human rights violations in Karen State.
The Global Day of Prayer for Burma was first initiated in 1997 by Christians Concerned for Burma at the request of Burma’s democracy leader, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. It has since become an internationally recognised event, attended by representatives from nearly all Burma’s persecuted ethnic minorities.
"This year‘s event was particularly important in light of the forthcoming 2010 elections currently being planned by Burma’s military regime, the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, and also the Chin famine," said Mr Rogers. "We are now urging all our supporters to join us in urging the UN Secretary General to intensify his efforts to facilitate a process of meaningful dialogue between Burma’s military regime, the democracy movement and the ethnic nationalities. Concrete action must be taken without further delay.”
Wai Hnin Pwint Thon’s father Mya Aye is currently serving a 65 year prison sentence for peacefully protesting against Burma’s brutal military regime. He is suffering from a severe heart condition and is likely to die in prison.
Fearing her own arrest, Wai Hnin told Premier Christian Radio’s Cindy Kent that she came to the UK in 2005 and now volunteers at the Burma Campaign UK, assisting their work in releasing Burma’s many political prisoners.
Her eight-year-old sister still lives with her mother in Rangoon, but Wai Hnin’s refugee status means she is unable to visit them.
Wai Hnin’s moving story formed part of the annual day hosted by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) together with Karen Aid and Partners Relief and Development.
Baroness Caroline Cox and CSW’s East Asia’s Team Leader Benedict Rogers, author of A Land Without Evil: Stopping the Genocide of Burma’s Karen People, joined a panel of notable speakers to present the plight of Burma’s ethnic minorities at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster.
Mr Rogers gave an informative overview of the current humanitarian, political and human rights issues in Burma, including the persecution of ethnic minorities such as the Karen, Karenni, Shan Kachin, Chin and Rohingyas, while Baroness Cox, Chief Executive of the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART), presented first-hand evidence of the famine sweeping Chin State, and of the plight of the Shan people.
A short film depicting CSW’s most recent fact-finding visit to the Thai-Burmese border, gave delegates yet more evidence of human rights violations in Karen State.
The Global Day of Prayer for Burma was first initiated in 1997 by Christians Concerned for Burma at the request of Burma’s democracy leader, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. It has since become an internationally recognised event, attended by representatives from nearly all Burma’s persecuted ethnic minorities.
"This year‘s event was particularly important in light of the forthcoming 2010 elections currently being planned by Burma’s military regime, the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, and also the Chin famine," said Mr Rogers. "We are now urging all our supporters to join us in urging the UN Secretary General to intensify his efforts to facilitate a process of meaningful dialogue between Burma’s military regime, the democracy movement and the ethnic nationalities. Concrete action must be taken without further delay.”
Daughter Burmese Dissident Fears Father Will Die
Burma's military has been cracking down on dissidents and ethnic minorities, rights activists say.
RANGOON/LONDON (BosNewsLife)-- The daughter of a detained prominent Burmese dissident fears her father will die in prison.
In a statement, seen by BosNewsLife Tuesday, March 10, Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, 20, said “Unless the situation in Burma changes, I will never see my father again.”
Wai Hnin’s father, Mya Aye, is currently serving a 65 year prison sentence after peacefully protesting against Burma’s military government, advocacy groups say.
Her comments were released following the annual 'Global Day of Prayer for Burma' in London, organized by Britain-based Christian rights group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), which is investigating the situation in Burma, also known as Myanmar.
BURMA CAMPAIGN
Wai Hnin told the estimated 150 delegates attending the prayer day that she arrived in Britain in 2005 to avoid arrest at home. She now volunteers at the pro-democracy 'Burma Campaign UK', and fights for the of Burma’s political prisoners.
Her eight year old sister still lives with her mother in Rangoon and Wai Hnin’s refugee status means "she is unable to visit them," CSW said.
Delegates gathering at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster also discussed the reported government crackdown on Burma's ethnic minorities, including many Christians.
Karen, Karenni, Shan Kachin, Chin and Rohingyas are among those targetted by Burma's army.
Thousands of villagers have been displaced because of attacks by government forces in recent months, and famine speading in Chin State and other areas, according to rights activists.
NEW ELECTIONS
This year‘s Global Day of Prayer for Burma was "particularly important in light of the forthcoming 2010 elections currently being planned by Burma’s military regime," said CSW’s East Asia Team Leader Benedict Rogers.
He said human suffering in Burma has been underscored by the "devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis" of 2008, and famine.
He said CSW has urged supporters to pressure the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "to intensify his efforts to facilitate a process of meaningful dialogue between Burma’s military regime, the democracy movement and the ethnic nationalities. Concrete action must be taken without further delay”.
The Burmese authorities have denied wrongdoing and describe reports of widespread human rights abuses, as "American" and "Western propaganda."
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Chin Community in thupha chawi lo, Human Rights watch report sawifiah
Aizawl: Tunlaia Mizoram titi leh sawi hlawh tak, YMa leh Mizo mipuite khawvel pum hriata Chin mite laka rilru diklo pu leh hnuaichhiah nia ngaih theih tura internet-a Human Rights Watch report thehdarh chu Mizoram-a awm mek ‘Chin community in Mizoram’ intite chuan a dik tawh lo tiin sawifiahin thu an tichhuak.
Chin Community in Mizoram (CCM) thuchhuajin a tarlan dan chuan Human Rights Watch, Thailand-a awm ten Ja. ni 28, 2009 khan Bangkok-ah report an tlangzarh a, he report zingah hian Mizoram mipuite chungchang belhchian dawllo tak thuziak a awm tih sawiin an dem takzet thu an puang a. Hetiang hian an sawifiah nghal bawk.
HRW report (252)-a YMA-in Chin mite Mizoram atanga hnawhchhuahna order a siam anga thu ziak hi diklo taka ziak a ni a. Hetianga thuchhuah hi Central YMA in a siam kan hre lo. September 2008-ah Mizoram atanga hnawchhuahna order avanga chhuak an awm lo.
HRW report (263)-a Mizote rilru puthmang anga thuziak ‘Chin mi pakhat tihhlum hi ui pakhat tihhlum tluk lek a ni’ tia an ziak hi, Mizo mipuite hmuhsitna leh an zahawmna tihbawrhban theihna thuziak a ni a. He ngaihdan hi Mizote rilru puthmang ang lo taka ‘Report’ hi Zo Hnahthlak unaute inkara inhmuh thiamlohna thlen thei, tawngkam chhe tak a nih avangin kan dem takmeuh a ni.
HRW report (285/286)-a tarlan, "Chin mite tan thlanmual hran, khaw pawnah Mizo-ten an siamsak" tia an tarlan hi thu dik a ni lo. Riangvaite thlanmual hi tu tih hriat loh leh ruang latu awm lo mitthu te tana sorkar siam a ni lo. Chin mite kan thih hian kan awmna veng thlanmualah YMA buaipuia vui kan ni. Chuvangin, Chin mite tana khaw pawna siamsak anga ziak hi thu belhchian dawllo a ni.
HRW Report (297,298,299)-a tarlan, India Danin naupang kum tlinglo hna thawhtir chungchangah hian retheih luat tuk avangin chhhungkaw tan naupangte pawhin hna an thawk bawk a ni. Tihluihna avanga thawk an awm hriat a ni lo.
Heng human rights watch thuziak thenkhatte hi kan inunauna tichhe thei thuziak a ni a, Mizo mipuite ngaihdan emaw,Chin Community te ngaihdan laka tihchiana a awm lo tiin, hetiang thil hi tun hnu-ah chuan thleng leh tawh lo turin kan duh takmeuh a ni, CCM thuchhuah chuan a ti.
CCM te hian Human Rights watch report an sawifiahnaah hian internet lama HRW te thu tarlan zawng zawng an sawifiah lova, an sawifiah loh zingah hian thu ngaimawhawm tamtak a la awm niin thudawnna chuan a sawi a. Chung zingah chuan Biak In kharsak chungchang te, Lung in tang (Prisoner) ang mai kan ni, tia sawi te leh Mizo mipui tana ngeiawm tak takte a la tel.
Internet Website pakhat Human Rights watch-ah hian YMA leh Mizo hnam pum hmingchhiatna thu engemawzat chu ‘Life for Chin in Mizoram’ tiin January 27, 2009-a post-ah tarlan a ni a. Mizoram-a Burma mi nia sawite dinhmun hrang hrang tarlan a ni ber. (Courtesy ZALEN)
[emizoram]
Back to square one
M Shamsur Rabb Khan
See how politicians play with people’s emotion. First, the BJP President raised two emotional issues: construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya and direct action against Pakistan. While the former is too delicate an issue that touches upon the religious sentiments of the majority of the people, the latter is no less serious as it stakes the national security.
But the tone and tenacity with which Rajnath Singh deliberated upon these two issues are definitely juxtaposed to nationalism though his party’s led NDA government had failed to build the proposed temple in its five-year rule during which the issue was put on the back burner. Does the BJP President have the moral guts to make a promise that would perhaps be the hardest nut for him to crack?
Well, very smartly Rajnath Singh put the condition that ‘if his party gains majority in Parliament, it will go ahead with a legislation” for the Ram temple construction. The BJP as well as its President, along with others, knows it very well that an absolute majority is a thing of the past in the Indian democracy except that something very extraordinary work is done by a single part – be it the BJP or the Congress.
In coalition, as has been the norm for government formation in recent years, it would not be that easy to create consensus for it. And since temple-promise is part of the BJP’s ideological plank, not that of the NDA, building consensus among partners on the temple construction issue, leave alone the legal strictures and bindings, would be a near impossible scenario. Rajnath Singh’s promise, therefore, is an unattainable target that he has offered in Nagpur.
Why did then the BJP raise the Ram temple issue in spite of knowing all this? First, recent Assembly elections have shown that BJP has lost Rajasthan and Delhi to Congress on the issue of security, corruption and inflation. On terrorism, the party’s double standard has been exposed badly since the outbursts of L K Advani and others against the ATS in general and Hemant Karkare in particular, while extending support to Hindu terror accused like Sadhvi and Col. Purohit.
While on Batla house encounter, the BJP came vehemently in opposition to any demand for judicial probe, it wholeheartedly supported for a judicial investigation for Malegaon accused. The stand clearly illustrated the fact that the BJP opposes terrorism and terrorists only when the Muslim individuals and organizations are supposed to be culprits, not he Hindus even if they do, it is labelled as ‘response in reaction’. BJP’s narrow ideals and conflicting ideas on terrorism are entirely and exclusively anti-Muslim and pro-Hindus since the party does not believe in the dictum: what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.
Second, the BJP is badly in search of an election plank that could appeal to the people since on governance and inflation issues, it received setback in Rajasthan and Delhi. And nothing at this stage could be as emotional an issue than the Ram temple promise, which might, as Rajnath Singh expects, help the party regain its rapid stride that it made in the late 1990s. However, the very beginning of the party is faulty: the projection of 81-year old L K Advani for the PM post is something a great majority of people in this country does not approve of due to two broad factors – his age and his image of a hardliner. Since many would not have forgotten what he did in the 1991 when riding on his Somnath-Ayodhya Rath Yatra. During and after the Rath Yatra of 1991 thousands of innocent people, mostly Muslims were butchered in various parts of the country. Advani was responsible for the great communal polarization and divide in this country, albeit Advani described it as the "biggest mass movement in India since Independence." While in recent times, people’s inclination is vividly tilted towards younger leaders taking the governance affairs, Advani is too old to rule a country of more than a billion population.
Third, demanded ‘direct action’ against Pakistan is another emotional issue since the ghastly Mumbai carnage the general feeling of anger among the people has been directed towards some sort of ‘concrete action’ not the ‘hollow words’ that the successive governments have adopted so far. Reading the people’s pulse, the BJP is trying to play this card, in order to beat the drum of patriotism as if the BJP is the sole torch bearer of nationalism, or making nationalism synonymous with BJP, if the Hinuds. Since it has fetched considerable amount of votes to the party in earlier elections, the BJP harps on it as it is directed more against native Muslims than the Pakistanis. Bu the BJP or more precisely Rajnath Singh is simply too sanguine to believe that people in India are bunch of nincompoops that they would forget and forgive the party for its inept handling of Kandhar issue and security lapses in Kargil in 1999, which led to war with Pakistan and the subsequent heavy military losses.
So, rather than making emotional appeals to create vote bank politics, for which the BJP has left no stone unturned in attacking and accusing the Congress, it should devote sometime on real-time issues, with a firm belief to treat people of different castes and creed on equal footing. But this is a Herculean task for the BJP too.
See how politicians play with people’s emotion. First, the BJP President raised two emotional issues: construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya and direct action against Pakistan. While the former is too delicate an issue that touches upon the religious sentiments of the majority of the people, the latter is no less serious as it stakes the national security.
But the tone and tenacity with which Rajnath Singh deliberated upon these two issues are definitely juxtaposed to nationalism though his party’s led NDA government had failed to build the proposed temple in its five-year rule during which the issue was put on the back burner. Does the BJP President have the moral guts to make a promise that would perhaps be the hardest nut for him to crack?
Well, very smartly Rajnath Singh put the condition that ‘if his party gains majority in Parliament, it will go ahead with a legislation” for the Ram temple construction. The BJP as well as its President, along with others, knows it very well that an absolute majority is a thing of the past in the Indian democracy except that something very extraordinary work is done by a single part – be it the BJP or the Congress.
In coalition, as has been the norm for government formation in recent years, it would not be that easy to create consensus for it. And since temple-promise is part of the BJP’s ideological plank, not that of the NDA, building consensus among partners on the temple construction issue, leave alone the legal strictures and bindings, would be a near impossible scenario. Rajnath Singh’s promise, therefore, is an unattainable target that he has offered in Nagpur.
Why did then the BJP raise the Ram temple issue in spite of knowing all this? First, recent Assembly elections have shown that BJP has lost Rajasthan and Delhi to Congress on the issue of security, corruption and inflation. On terrorism, the party’s double standard has been exposed badly since the outbursts of L K Advani and others against the ATS in general and Hemant Karkare in particular, while extending support to Hindu terror accused like Sadhvi and Col. Purohit.
While on Batla house encounter, the BJP came vehemently in opposition to any demand for judicial probe, it wholeheartedly supported for a judicial investigation for Malegaon accused. The stand clearly illustrated the fact that the BJP opposes terrorism and terrorists only when the Muslim individuals and organizations are supposed to be culprits, not he Hindus even if they do, it is labelled as ‘response in reaction’. BJP’s narrow ideals and conflicting ideas on terrorism are entirely and exclusively anti-Muslim and pro-Hindus since the party does not believe in the dictum: what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.
Second, the BJP is badly in search of an election plank that could appeal to the people since on governance and inflation issues, it received setback in Rajasthan and Delhi. And nothing at this stage could be as emotional an issue than the Ram temple promise, which might, as Rajnath Singh expects, help the party regain its rapid stride that it made in the late 1990s. However, the very beginning of the party is faulty: the projection of 81-year old L K Advani for the PM post is something a great majority of people in this country does not approve of due to two broad factors – his age and his image of a hardliner. Since many would not have forgotten what he did in the 1991 when riding on his Somnath-Ayodhya Rath Yatra. During and after the Rath Yatra of 1991 thousands of innocent people, mostly Muslims were butchered in various parts of the country. Advani was responsible for the great communal polarization and divide in this country, albeit Advani described it as the "biggest mass movement in India since Independence." While in recent times, people’s inclination is vividly tilted towards younger leaders taking the governance affairs, Advani is too old to rule a country of more than a billion population.
Third, demanded ‘direct action’ against Pakistan is another emotional issue since the ghastly Mumbai carnage the general feeling of anger among the people has been directed towards some sort of ‘concrete action’ not the ‘hollow words’ that the successive governments have adopted so far. Reading the people’s pulse, the BJP is trying to play this card, in order to beat the drum of patriotism as if the BJP is the sole torch bearer of nationalism, or making nationalism synonymous with BJP, if the Hinuds. Since it has fetched considerable amount of votes to the party in earlier elections, the BJP harps on it as it is directed more against native Muslims than the Pakistanis. Bu the BJP or more precisely Rajnath Singh is simply too sanguine to believe that people in India are bunch of nincompoops that they would forget and forgive the party for its inept handling of Kandhar issue and security lapses in Kargil in 1999, which led to war with Pakistan and the subsequent heavy military losses.
So, rather than making emotional appeals to create vote bank politics, for which the BJP has left no stone unturned in attacking and accusing the Congress, it should devote sometime on real-time issues, with a firm belief to treat people of different castes and creed on equal footing. But this is a Herculean task for the BJP too.
Fines for sending back foreign workers lowered
The Star Online
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government is willing to give employers a massive reduction in fines to send back foreign workers who have overstayed, or those whose work permits have expired. The fines can be reduced by as much as 70%, said Immigration Department director-general Datuk Mahmood Adam.
Instead of having to pay between RM2,000 and RM3,000 in fines, employers would only have to pay the nominal compound of RM300, and another RM100 for a special (exit) pass to repatriate a foreign worker who had overstayed.
“Sometimes, employers overlooked the work permit deadlines; or, the foreign workers were unsuitable for the work, not capable or often falling ill,” said Mahmood.
“These are circumstances we can understand. The Immigration officials will be lenient and impose the RM300 compound and allow the foreign workers to be deported.”
Mahmood urged employers to take up the offer in line with the Government’s policy to cut down on illegal immigrants.
Two weeks ago, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said companies in dire straits owing to the economic crunch could apply to the Human Resources Ministry to let the foreign workers go even if their service contracts had not expired.
Last week, MTUC called on the Government to declare a general amnesty for illegal foreign workers as thousands wanted to return home but were afraid of getting caught.
MTUC vice-president K. Balasubramaniam said once they left, jobless Malaysians would have the opportunity to fill the vacancies.
Do justice...
Last Saturday night, a few staff members from our office (and a few of our spouses) took several of our Burmese refugees to the movie Burma VJ, which was playing at the True/False Festival. The movie itself was interesting, focusing on the video journalists who work in Burma, forced to hide their cameras and other equipment for their safety. They then try to smuggle the images which they captured out of their country via the Internet or satellite; different news companies such as CNN and the BBC are then able to broadcast images from Burma that they otherwise would not have been able to obtain, as journalists are not usually allowed into the nation.
Burma, also known as Myanmar, has been governed by an often brutal military junta since 1962 when a general led a coup that overthrew U Unu, the first prime minister of Burma. The military generals maintains strict control of the nation and of its people. The population is diverse in terms of ethnicities, and tension still arises between different people groups. The country's people are heavily influenced by Buddhism, but not all Burmese people are necessarily Buddhist. For instance, our office is currently resettling a large number of individuals from the Chin ethnic group, and we are beginning to resettle individuals from the Karen ethnic group, as well as a few individuals from the Burman tribe. The vast majority of our Chin refugees are Christian; Isaac actually teaches a Sunday school class for them at Grace. There are, however, a few Chin individuals and families that are Buddhist. So far, I've noticed that the Karen individuals are mostly Catholic, and the Burman individuals are mostly Buddhist.
The military junta claims to operate by Buddhist philosophies, but I tend not to believe that they truly live by the Buddhist ethic of non-violence, especially after what happened during the protests of the summer of 2007. Several hundred monks across the nation were protesting the government iron-hand rule, demonstrating their support for the Burmese people. At one point, the military actually began shooting at the monks and then ransacked a monastery, kidnapping many monks and nuns who were never seen again. In the movie Burma VJ, one video journalist is somehow able to capture the searing image of a dead monk who washed ashore on one of the rivers. His body is face down, but you can clearly see the blood and bruises covering his head, back, and legs. Furthermore, the denial by the government of Burma for offered foreign aid after Cyclone Nargis (a category 4 cyclone) hit the country in May 2008 led to international outrage. The official death count by the Burmese government was grossly underestimated, most likely to avoid negative political ramifications. All these things being mentioned, the country of Burma is a nation that struggles with human rights issues; simply ask anyone of our Burmese refugees and you can hear stories of threatened violence, unfair jail sentences, and even torture conducted by the government.
One of the local churches in town, The Crossing, was the main sponsor of the True Life fund, which is a part of the True/False Film Festival every year; one movie is chosen, and a specific cause is supported through the fund. This year, Burma VJ was the film chosen to benefit from the True Life Fund; money raised and donated through this method will go to the video journalists in Burma so that they can purchase better and smaller equipment, which will be easier to hide from officials.
After the movie, a representative from The Crossing spoke for a few minutes. He didn't preach; he simply got up and said that, as Christians we serve a just God who cares about the world. Because He is just, we should care about the injustices in the world and do what we can to correct those injustices, and that's why the church decided to support this cause. I agree with what he says completely. Sometimes it is hard for those of us who live in the Western world to think about such things because it makes us uncomfortable, which is not what we are used to feeling. I know that our economy is not in the best shape right now, but from a global perspective, we are still among the richest individuals in the entire world, and we are used to being comfortable. Houses, apartments, cars, air conditioning and heat, even food to eat on a regular basis- these are things that we take for granted; they are not guaranteed in other parts of the world.
I recently finished An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina, the man who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda. The autobiography itself was very good; Rusesabagina briefly related his childhood and adult life leading up to the events of the genocide in April 1994.
Not only does Rusesabagina relate the events, but he truly does an excellent job of explaining his views behind things; he discussed Rwandan history, the effects which European colonialism had on the tiny country, the interplay between Rwanda and its neighbor Burundi. I learned so much from this book, not just in terms of what happened inside the doors of the Mille Collines while over 800,000 individuals, including men, women, and children, were being hacked to death by their neighbors and former friends in just 100 days while the world stood by and did nothing.
There is a line from the movie Hotel Rwanda that continues to haunt me. An American cameraman just captured footage of bodies strewn along the roads as more individuals continued to kill others by chopping them with machetes over and over again. Don Cheadle plays Paul Rusesabagina in the film, and he says to the cameraman: "I am glad that you have shot this footage and that the world will see it. It is the only way we have a chance that people might intervene." The cameraman looks down at the ground, raises his head to Rusesabagina and asks, "And if no one intervenes? Is it still a good thing to show?" A look of incredulity sweeps over Rusesabagina's face. "How can they not intervene when they witness such atrocities?" he asks. Again, the cameraman looks at the ground and replies, "I think if people see this footage, they'll say 'Oh my God, that's horrible,' and then go on eating their dinners."
I'd like to include an excerpt from this book which demonstrates our tendency to watch these horrors unfold and still remain silent:
"UN member states signed a treaty in 1948 threatening criminal penalties for the leaders for any regime found to have conducted an extermination campaign against a particular religious or social group. But the United States dragged its feet, fearing the encroachment of a world government telling it how to act. It was not until 1986 that the U.S. Senate finally ratified the agreement. By then genocides had been carried out in Cambodia, in Nigeria, in Pakistan, in Burundi, and in many other places on the globe. But this is characteristic. As Harvard University scholar Samantha Power has pointed out, the world's foremost superpower, America, has almost never acted to stop a race of people from being exterminated, even when confronted with overwhelming evidence."
Power has written a book on the West's failure to act in the face of genocide and other human rights situations. I would like to read A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide sometime this year. I've read other books detailing the Rwandan genocide from various accounts and perspectives, including Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda and We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families. After every book I read, I am still shocked at what the world allowed to happen in Rwanda, in Bosnia, in Cambodia, and continues to allow to happen to Sudan, among other place. I know that I am also responsible for this, as I too have watched the news at night, saw atrocities being committed in a city or country far away from me and thought, "Oh my God that is horrible." Then I went on eating my dinner.
I think we all realize that policies are shaped, things get done, and goals are accomplished when individuals join together and act. We can't leave change up to others; we have to be the instruments. So what will we do? Will we go on eating our dinner or will we allow ourselves to become uncomfortable so that we can do justice here and around the world?
My friend Jessica posted a video on her blog back in January. Please watch it, and become uncomfortable. Because I think when we become uncomfortable, that's when we decide to take action, and that's when we can truly change the lives of others and hopefully, the world.
Burma, also known as Myanmar, has been governed by an often brutal military junta since 1962 when a general led a coup that overthrew U Unu, the first prime minister of Burma. The military generals maintains strict control of the nation and of its people. The population is diverse in terms of ethnicities, and tension still arises between different people groups. The country's people are heavily influenced by Buddhism, but not all Burmese people are necessarily Buddhist. For instance, our office is currently resettling a large number of individuals from the Chin ethnic group, and we are beginning to resettle individuals from the Karen ethnic group, as well as a few individuals from the Burman tribe. The vast majority of our Chin refugees are Christian; Isaac actually teaches a Sunday school class for them at Grace. There are, however, a few Chin individuals and families that are Buddhist. So far, I've noticed that the Karen individuals are mostly Catholic, and the Burman individuals are mostly Buddhist.
The military junta claims to operate by Buddhist philosophies, but I tend not to believe that they truly live by the Buddhist ethic of non-violence, especially after what happened during the protests of the summer of 2007. Several hundred monks across the nation were protesting the government iron-hand rule, demonstrating their support for the Burmese people. At one point, the military actually began shooting at the monks and then ransacked a monastery, kidnapping many monks and nuns who were never seen again. In the movie Burma VJ, one video journalist is somehow able to capture the searing image of a dead monk who washed ashore on one of the rivers. His body is face down, but you can clearly see the blood and bruises covering his head, back, and legs. Furthermore, the denial by the government of Burma for offered foreign aid after Cyclone Nargis (a category 4 cyclone) hit the country in May 2008 led to international outrage. The official death count by the Burmese government was grossly underestimated, most likely to avoid negative political ramifications. All these things being mentioned, the country of Burma is a nation that struggles with human rights issues; simply ask anyone of our Burmese refugees and you can hear stories of threatened violence, unfair jail sentences, and even torture conducted by the government.
One of the local churches in town, The Crossing, was the main sponsor of the True Life fund, which is a part of the True/False Film Festival every year; one movie is chosen, and a specific cause is supported through the fund. This year, Burma VJ was the film chosen to benefit from the True Life Fund; money raised and donated through this method will go to the video journalists in Burma so that they can purchase better and smaller equipment, which will be easier to hide from officials.
After the movie, a representative from The Crossing spoke for a few minutes. He didn't preach; he simply got up and said that, as Christians we serve a just God who cares about the world. Because He is just, we should care about the injustices in the world and do what we can to correct those injustices, and that's why the church decided to support this cause. I agree with what he says completely. Sometimes it is hard for those of us who live in the Western world to think about such things because it makes us uncomfortable, which is not what we are used to feeling. I know that our economy is not in the best shape right now, but from a global perspective, we are still among the richest individuals in the entire world, and we are used to being comfortable. Houses, apartments, cars, air conditioning and heat, even food to eat on a regular basis- these are things that we take for granted; they are not guaranteed in other parts of the world.
I recently finished An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina, the man who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda. The autobiography itself was very good; Rusesabagina briefly related his childhood and adult life leading up to the events of the genocide in April 1994.
Not only does Rusesabagina relate the events, but he truly does an excellent job of explaining his views behind things; he discussed Rwandan history, the effects which European colonialism had on the tiny country, the interplay between Rwanda and its neighbor Burundi. I learned so much from this book, not just in terms of what happened inside the doors of the Mille Collines while over 800,000 individuals, including men, women, and children, were being hacked to death by their neighbors and former friends in just 100 days while the world stood by and did nothing.
There is a line from the movie Hotel Rwanda that continues to haunt me. An American cameraman just captured footage of bodies strewn along the roads as more individuals continued to kill others by chopping them with machetes over and over again. Don Cheadle plays Paul Rusesabagina in the film, and he says to the cameraman: "I am glad that you have shot this footage and that the world will see it. It is the only way we have a chance that people might intervene." The cameraman looks down at the ground, raises his head to Rusesabagina and asks, "And if no one intervenes? Is it still a good thing to show?" A look of incredulity sweeps over Rusesabagina's face. "How can they not intervene when they witness such atrocities?" he asks. Again, the cameraman looks at the ground and replies, "I think if people see this footage, they'll say 'Oh my God, that's horrible,' and then go on eating their dinners."
I'd like to include an excerpt from this book which demonstrates our tendency to watch these horrors unfold and still remain silent:
"UN member states signed a treaty in 1948 threatening criminal penalties for the leaders for any regime found to have conducted an extermination campaign against a particular religious or social group. But the United States dragged its feet, fearing the encroachment of a world government telling it how to act. It was not until 1986 that the U.S. Senate finally ratified the agreement. By then genocides had been carried out in Cambodia, in Nigeria, in Pakistan, in Burundi, and in many other places on the globe. But this is characteristic. As Harvard University scholar Samantha Power has pointed out, the world's foremost superpower, America, has almost never acted to stop a race of people from being exterminated, even when confronted with overwhelming evidence."
Power has written a book on the West's failure to act in the face of genocide and other human rights situations. I would like to read A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide sometime this year. I've read other books detailing the Rwandan genocide from various accounts and perspectives, including Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda and We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families. After every book I read, I am still shocked at what the world allowed to happen in Rwanda, in Bosnia, in Cambodia, and continues to allow to happen to Sudan, among other place. I know that I am also responsible for this, as I too have watched the news at night, saw atrocities being committed in a city or country far away from me and thought, "Oh my God that is horrible." Then I went on eating my dinner.
I think we all realize that policies are shaped, things get done, and goals are accomplished when individuals join together and act. We can't leave change up to others; we have to be the instruments. So what will we do? Will we go on eating our dinner or will we allow ourselves to become uncomfortable so that we can do justice here and around the world?
My friend Jessica posted a video on her blog back in January. Please watch it, and become uncomfortable. Because I think when we become uncomfortable, that's when we decide to take action, and that's when we can truly change the lives of others and hopefully, the world.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Mysterious disease affects potato cultivation in West Bengal
Farmers in Singur, which had caught the global limelight over agricultural land acquisition for the Tata's proposed Nano factory, are worrying about their uncertain future.
The farmers are very nervous. If the crops are good, they find surplus production on hand with no avenues for marketing. If the crops are poor, they do not have any other alternative to sustain their livelihoods.
The farmers have already lost a major part of their crop due to the unknown disease. Many farmers are contemplating suicide as they find it difficult to go through this.
"Many have taken loans. Some did not have land but leased land from landowners. We are in worse condition, forcing to contemplate suicide. We do not know what the future has in store and how we will feed our children," said Dukhiram Das, a farmer.
Sukumar Samanta, President of Singur Ratanpur Aalu Baybsai Samity said about 13-14 lakh tons of potato was expected in comparison to last year's potato cultivation of over 21 lakh tons.
"This year compared to the usual potato cultivation in Hooghly district, 5000 hectares less have been planted with potato. This year's winter was not favourable for the crop. Last year, the yield was about 21 lakh tons. This year it will be only about 13-14.5 lakh tons," Samanta said.
The disease has affected 35 percent of the crops. Production would only be about 65 percent in comparison to last year.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Idol Party Scoop: Who's Hooking Up With Miley?
Michael Becker / FOX, AP Photo/ Amy Sancetta The celebrities el-oh-vee-ee love this season of American Idol!
First Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony text Jorge Nuñez. Then Kayne West and Kelly Clarkson sign on to perform on the March 11 show. (Hell to the yeah on that, btw!) And now Miley Cyrus is eyeing 16-year-old redheaded firecracker Allison Iraheta, and Ellen DeGeneres has given Jorge a lucky penny.
"I heard that Miley Cyrus wants to take me on tour with her. It's crazy. I'm like, 'Oh my God. Yes! Take me now!' " Allison told us at the American Idol Top 13 (13!?! We're still reeling over that!) party at Area nightclub in Los Angeles last night, after Miley told mtv.com, "I'll make [Allison] an American Idol!" Miley has the power to make someone an American Idol? That's so cool!
Meanwhile, the Ellen Degeneres interview crew handed Jorge Nuñez a lucky penny that came straight from the talk show host. "Here it is!" he proudly showed us. "Very cool, huh?"
Very cool, indeed. Read on to find out what other cool surprises we uncovered about season eight at last night's party, straight from the horses' mouths...
Producer Ken Warwick on what's ahead: "There is a big surprise coming. You'll never guess what it is, but it's something that rears its head every season and it's huge." Gulp. William Hung?
Judge Kara DioGuardi on how she didn't even know they were picking 13: "I'm always the last to know anything. It was down to the end of the show, I didn't know [they were doing four wild cards]...There wasn't even talk about it! We were unanimous on Megan. We were unanimous on Matt. And I think Anoop, too...I can't pick a favorite now, but I really like Matt. I think Adam has something. I really like Lil. And I like Allison."
Anoop Desai, 21, Chapel Hill, N.C., on his biggest fear (a fear we all share): "I'm fearful that [the styling team is] going to make my hair ridiculous like Sanjaya. No faux-hawk!"
Matt Giraud, 23, Kalamazoo, Mich., on the gloved one: "I think that Michael Jackson theme night is coming up, so I'm excited about that." In the meantime, he's steering clear of these here Internets, after getting slammed for his Coldplay rendition: "It hurt extra worse because I felt like I disappointed people. I'm not googling myself anymore. Brooke White told me not to, so I'm not!"
Adam Lambert, 26, Los Angeles, on not giving a crap: "I didn't take that advice to not google yourself. I did. I saw it all [referring to some photos of him kissing another guy]. My thought? Oh well! It is what it is. It doesn't matter to me." Adam also told us that he hopes to sing Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" on the show.
"The way I do it, it doesn't sound karaoke."
"The way I do it, it doesn't sound karaoke."
Scott MacIntyre, 23, Scottsdale, Ariz., on tickling the ivories: "I'm so excited this next week to see them roll a grand piano onstage. I can't wait to play again. I think I can use it whenever I ask for it. It's where my heart is."
Michael Sarver, 27, Jasper, Texas, on his biggest competition: "There is something about Danny Gokey when he sings. I was really touched by him. If I lost my wife like he did, I don't know that I could get up the next day. I have a lot of admiration for him."
Danny Gokey, 28, Milwaukee, Wis., on what he's all about: "I get my strength from my faith in God. My goal is to be a Christian who does mainstream music. I want my music to reach out to the multitudes. I want to bring entertainment, but I want to bring encouragement and hope at the same time."
Alexis Grace, 21, Memphis, Tenn., on her belting out some big ones: "I'm dying to belt out some Dusty Springfield, 'Son of a Preacher Man.' I'd also like to do some James Brown, 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag' and 'It's a Man's World.' I like the old classics." The pink-tipped cutie also got a present from her family recently: "They sent me a laptop so I can iChat with my fiancé and daughter. I don't plan to use it to google myself though!" [Brooke White strikes again.]
Jasmine Murray, 16, Starkville, Miss., on her dream tour date: "Justin Timberlake. He's my favorite male artist."
Jorge Nuñez, 20, Puerto Rico, on the accent dilemma: "When they first talked to me about my accent, I worked with a vocal coach on it. But I'm glad they changed their minds. I'm happy that I can be true to myself. I'm really fearful, though, of country night!"
Megan Joy Corkrey, 22, Sandy, Utah, on how she'll mark the occasion: "I'm thinking of getting a new tattoo to celebrate. Maybe a music note."
Allison Iraheta, 16, Los Angeles, on what she really, really, really wants (and it's not to zigga-zig-ahh!): "I really, really, really want to do 'Barracuda' by Heart. It's a hard song to sing, but I'm up for it."
Lil Rounds, 23, Memphis, Tenn., on mo' rounds: "Just keep Lil Rounds around a little while longer, and I promise you will see some transformations stylewise. You'll enjoy it. Musically, I like a mix of the older songs with contemporary, like Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle."
Kris Allen, 23, Conway, Ark., on being called, awwww, a "heartthrob": "I'm not uncomfortable with it. It's flattering, but I'm married. We got married five months ago." Something tells us that won't stop the girls from screaming.
What do you think of the lucky 13? Who's your fave? What big surprise do you think Warwick is talking about?
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