MWAF urges eradication of trafficking in Burmese women

July 3, 2008

Mon Son

The Myanmar Women's Affairs Federation (MWAF) has urged doing away
with trafficking in women in Burma while observing Myanmar (Burmese)
Women Day in the country today.

The Chairman of MWAF in Moulmein Daw Khain Myat Htwe called on
Burmese women to eradicate trafficking in women in Burma, explained
its current activities and provided finance to help Burmese women who
are jobless, said a MWAF member who attended the Myanmar Women Day.

According to the MWAF member "MWAF gave loans to Burmese women to the
tune of 7 million kyat in each township in Mon state. The women have
to pay 2 percent interest per month."

Despite MWAF's support to jobless Burmese women it cannot solve the
condition of women in Burma, the secretary of Women's League of Burma,
Nan Yin said.

Junta pretends to help cyclone victims

IMNA
July 3, 2008

Burmese military junta authorities have only pretended to help victims
in some parts of cyclone ravaged areas, claimed villagers.

The Military South-West Commander visited the area and promised to
build houses for victims in Higyi Kyun Island Township.

But local people said, the authorities just built a few houses and
they staked houses on land 15-20 feet wide in Chaungwa village where
more than 600 villagers were killed by the cyclone.

Villagers said, they doubted the government's promise because naval
troops were given the responsibility.

Naval troops visited the village, when MRTV was documenting that the
Navy was helping the villagers in building houses for the victims by
carrying woods, bamboo and other material.

"After the MRTV went back, all materials were carried away
immediately," a Chaungwa villager told IMNA.

They stole the referendum from the people. Imagine people in Burma voting in
front of their supervisors. The thugs tell the people "don't worry I will
vote for you". The junta has different voting days to secure votes. Voting
does not happen on the same day in a secret ballot. The votes were rigged
and the people's votes were stolen by intimidation, promise of severe
punishment, sacking workers, promise to destroy private businesses and
making life most miserable for the "NO" voters.

THE JUNTA PROMISED THE PEOPLE THAT THE REFERENDUM WILL BE FREE AND FAIR AND
THAT IT WILL BE BY SECRET BALLOTS. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN. THIS NEVER
EVENTUATE. THE REFERENDUM WAS STOLEN FROM THE PEOPLE.
THESE GENERALS ARE POWER DRUNK AND ARE DESTROYING THE COUNTRY'S RULE OF LAW.
THE COMMISSIONER OF ELECTION TOE AUNG IS JUST A PUPPET, A USELESS PIECE OF
SHIT WHO IS AFRAID TO SPEAK UP FOR WHAT IS JUST IN SUCH A REFERENDUM.

July 2, Far Eastern Economic Report
All of Burma is a prison - Min Zin

Much has been written about Cyclone Nargis and the failure of Burma's
military junta to respond adequately. But what of the hundreds of
political prisoners held in Burma, many in areas devastated by the storm?
When Cyclone Nargis ravaged Burma in the late night hours of May 2, it did
not spare political prisoners. The notorious Insein prison, where hundreds
of political prisoners (including my brother) are locked up, was one of
the hardest hit places in Rangoon.

Why is my brother in Insein? On Feb. 15, the military raided the offices
of the Myanmar Nation and took my brother, the weekly journal's editor in
chief, to jail. His crime? Possession of a U.N. report on the military's
brutal crackdown on last September's demonstrations by monks and democracy
activists-known around the world as the "Saffron Revolution."

My brother's name is Thet Zin, and he is one of hundreds of Burmese
citizens who struggle to tell the truth about what is happening in their
country-whether through traditional forms of journalism or through the
Internet-under threat of arrest or worse by the military regime. Along
with my brother, his office manager, Sein Win Maung, was also arrested.

July 2, Associated Press
Burma's politics roiled, but junta grip firm - Denis D. Gray

The cyclone that devastated Burma's heartland has also roiled a political
landscape dominated by the military for more than four decades.

Buddhist monks are regrouping after the battering they took nine months
ago, civil society groups are emerging and foreign aid workers-often
agents of political change in the wake of humanitarian crises-are present
in unprecedented numbers.

The junta's grip on power remains absolute. But anger against the regime
has probably never run so high.

"Perhaps incremental change will emerge from engagement on humanitarian
problems," said Joel Charny, vice president of US-based Refugees
International who visited Burma just before the cyclone struck.

People were already incensed by the brutal suppression last September of
anti-government demonstrators, including the country's revered,
saffron-robed Buddhist monks.

Then came Cyclone Nargis, exposing the junta as inept and heartless,
initially blocking international aid efforts and even now still hampering
them.