Thailand to press Myanmar to hold free and fair elections

Bangkok Apr 3 : Thailand will urge Myanmar's military rulers to ensure that parliament elections to be held this
year are free and fair and promote genuine national reconciliation.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Bangkok was concerned that the ground rules for the national election
announced by the military regime in Naypitaw were not consistent with the requirements for a free and fair
elections.

''I am concerned about national reconciliation and the inclusiveness of the whole political process,'' the Thai
foreign minister said.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva would raise the issue with Myanmar's leaders at next week's ASEAN
summit in Hanoi, Mr Piromya said.

The Thai Foreign Minister said he would also discuss the issue with his Myanmar counterpart during the
forthcoming meeting of the Mekong River Commission of which Myanmar is a member.

Mr Piromya said the Indonesian foreign minister, who was visiting Myanmar, was also likely to convey to
Naypitaw, ASEAN's concerns over a free and fair election in Myanmar.

The Myanmar Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has been barred from contesting
the parliament elections which are being held after two decades.

Her National League for Democracy which swept the 1990 parliament polls but was prevented from taking office
by the military junta, has decided to boycott the election.

The Thai foreign minister said the electoral rules set by the Myanmar government appeared to discriminate
against the Opposition.
--UNI
Source :http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-82724.html

Eyes on Burma as India prepares talks with militants

4/3/2010
Nava Thakuria:
The military ruled Burma (Myanmar) emerges as an important actor on the projected peace talks between the
Union government of India and the banned militant group, United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). An active
and influential underground outfit of Northeast India, the ULFA is fighting New Delhi for its core demand of
sovereignty for Assam (out of India). The three decades old armed outfit is understood to be responsible for the
killing of thousands of people in the State.

The militant outfit reportedly runs few training camps inside the jungles of northern Burma. The cadres of
ULFA are using those hideouts, mostly in Sagaing division and Kachin province of Burma, for many years. New
Delhi is worried about the hideouts, which have been used by many Northeast militants, and pursuing the
military government in Rangoon (now Nay Pie Taw) to take actions against those militants. However the
Burmese junta is yet to initiate for an affective approach to the problem, though they had not hesitated to play
tricks with the Indian government for their selfish interest time to time.

The Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram, responsible for domestic law and order situation, expressed hope
that the Burmese army would launch crack down operation against the Northeastern militants taking shelter
inside that country.
In his recent visit to Itanagar, the Tibet and Burma bordering Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh, Chidambaram
asserted that the militants using the forests of northern Burma as their hide outs remain security threat to India.

New Delhi still believes that ULFA’s military chief Paresh Barua is hiding some where in Burma-China border.
The notorious militant leader, as the Indian security agency claims, had recently left Bangladesh for hiding in
Burma. Barua might had come to know about the change of Dhaka’s heart towards New Delhi that finally
resulted in deporting some top ULFA leaders to India (from Bangladesh) recently.

Meanwhile, in response to the voices of local people, the Assam government is tying to create a peaceful
ambience. Recently Dispur played an important role in the release of two top ULFA leaders. Following the
government’s submissions at the designated TADA court in Guwahati on February 16 that Dispur had no
objection if ULFA vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi and publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary were given bail, both
were granted the same on February 23 last. The court only directed them not to leave Guwahati without prior
information and asked them to report to local police stations if they had to leave for their home towns.

The local media remains speculative but positive about the talks. Similarly, various socio-political and advocacy
groups of the State came out with their official statements that they want the peace as early as possible. They are
unanimous that the common people can not afford the insurgency turned terrorism for decades. Rather they
want development and prosperity in a peaceful ambience.

During his latest visit to Northeast, the Indian Union home secretary GK Pillai expressed hope that ULFA
leaders would attend the talks. He even clarified that New Delhi would not insist on a formal letter from the
outfit expressing its eagerness for discussion.

Mentionable that, the issue of a formal letter from the ULFA leaders remained a major hurdle for the talks
between the government and the underground outfit. The Indian Union home minister P Chidambaram had
earlier asked for such a letter and the Assam chief minister supported him.

Talking about Paresh Barua, the home secretary Pillai disclosed that he was plying somewhere along the Kachin-
China border. He also confirmed that New Delhi had reiterated its request to the Burmese junta to flush out the
Northeastern militants from their soil. He expected that Burma would soon launch the operation against the
militants.

But the Indian government made it clear that it would go for talks with the militant outfit even without the
presence of hard-liner Paresh Barua.

New Delhi maintains that it would continue its effort to bring all the left out ULFA leaders to the negotiation
table, who want to talk to the government under the parameters of Indian constitution, in the coming days.
Source :http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2546

Nasaka fires on Bangladeshi fishermen

Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar: Personnel of Burma’s border security force Nasaka fired on Bangladeshi fishermen on
April 2, at around 5:30 am, sources said.

Early in the morning, two row boats went to Burmese territorial waters to catch fish while the Nasaka personnel
were patrolling the Naff River.

Having seen the row boats in Burmese territory, the Nasaka personnel signaled the fishermen to stop. But, they
did not stop for fear of arrest, said a fisherman.

The Nasaka personnel fired two rounds at the fishermen on the Naff River. But nobody was injured in the
shooting. The fishermen arrived in Bangladesh without any injuries.
Every Thursday, some Bangladeshi fishermen from Gumdum go to Burmese territorial waters to catch fish or
buy fish from fishermen of Burma, said a local.

Source :http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2515:nasaka-fires-
on-bangladeshi-fishermen&catid=119:april-2010&Itemid=2

Chin political leaders to register political party

3 April 2010: A number of Chin political leaders went to Naypitaw, capital of Burma on 29 March to register
their political party for the forthcoming 2010 general elections.

The political party will be registered as the Chin National Democratic Party (CNDP). If the authorities do not
accept it, then it will be renamed the Chin People’s Party.

“I received a telephone call from two Chin political leaders, who are in Naypyitaw this morning. They are trying
to have the party registered to put up candidates in the election. But I don’t know their names,” Mr. Nahthang, a
member of the party in Falam town told Khonumthung News.

Regarding contesting the elections, Chin political leaders in Yangon city and representatives of Chin people in
all townships of Chin state have had a discussion. They decided to field candidates in the election from one
political party, he added.

However, there is no official information as to who will be selected as candidates from among Chin political
leaders. Though the junta has announced its election laws on 8 March, the date of the election is yet to be
announced.

Meanwhile, the National League of Democracy has announced that it will not register the party for the election
that will be held after 20 years. Khonumthung News.

Source :http://khonumthung.org/news.php?readmore=175