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."

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.

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.

Mysterious disease affects potato cultivation in West Bengal

Singur (West Bengal), Mar 8 : Potato cultivators in Hooghly district of West Bengal are facing a crisis with the outbreak of a mysterious disease.

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.

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."

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?