Crackdown on illegal Burmese migrants

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February 27, 2009

Feb 27, 2009 (DVB), About 600 people have been arrested in Mae Sot over the last two days during a crackdown by Thai authorities on illegal Burmese migrants in the border town.

A Mae Sot resident said that Thai authorities were making surprise early-morning raids on migrant-populated parts of the town.

One illegal Burmese migrant, who escaped arrest by fleeing into nearby farmlands when her neighbourhood was raided at around 5am yesterday, said the Thai police were quite aggressive with the operation.

"A lot of people were arrested in their living quarters," he said. "The police officers broke open their doors and beat up those who tried to flee."

"I managed to escape by running into nearby fields."

Migrant right activists in Mae Sot said those who were arrested were being detained in three different places in town and they were likely to be sent back to Kyauk Kyi Lone immigration detention camp in Myawaddy border town on the Burmese side.

Meanwhile, Burmese residents in Mae Sot have said some businesses in town had been halted as their Burmese employees were unable to come to work due to the crackdown.

Reporting by Ahunt Phone Myat

Myawaddy TV to publish daily newspaper

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Staff Reporter

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February 27, 2009

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Feb 27, 2009 (DVB), State-run Myawaddy TV is recruiting around 40 journalists in preparation for the publication of a newspaper called Myawaddy Daily, according to a weekly journal editor.

Myawaddy TV is run by the military's Information and Public Relations department. Veteran journalist Ludhu Sein Win said:

"We had to read the government papers before the journals emerged.

"When the journals emerged we read news not included in the government papers. If this newspaper emerges, we will be able to read articles not written in government papers."

By definition, newspapers are state-run, whereas journals are private-owned, although are still censored by the government.

"Although they are called journals, journals of this day and age are like weekly newspapers," said Ludhu Sein Win.

"There is no reason to be higher than that. If the paper is the government’s mouthpiece, I have nothing new to say."

It was not possible to contact Myawaddy TV for comments as to when the paper is going to be launched and what topics would be covered.

Reporting by Ahunt Phone Myat

Authorities charge farmers for aid-donated fertiliser

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Staff Reporter

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February 27, 2009

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Feb 27, 2009 (DVB), Township authorities have been demanding money from farmers in Bogalay, Irrawaddy division, for fertilisers freely distributed by a charity called International Development Enterprise.

IDE distributed two bags of ‘Paleh’ (Pearl) fertilisers to each farmer in Nyinaung village tract for free, a farmer said.

"IDE gave fertilisers to 300 farmers. The village chair and secretary collected them, gave two bags each to farmers, and charged 1500 from each farmer."

The situation is the same at nearby Thitbyuchaung village group and surrounding areas, the farmer claimed. Farmers said it would be better for donors to give aid directly into their hands in the future.

Reporting by Naw Say Paw

Eine Mae villagers pressured not to host NLD members

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Staff Reporter

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February 26, 2009

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Feb 26, 2009 (DVB), Authorities in Eine Mae, Irrawaddy division, have pressured local villagers not to provide accommodation for National League for Democracy members, accusing the group of a plotting bomb attacks in the region.

Aung Din, the NLD chair in Mayanpin village, was chastised after he let youth wing member Htin Kyaw Linn from Eine Mae stay at his house when he visited the village.

Local authorities questioned Aung Din and warned him he would be punished if fail to inform them of such activities in the future, said Eine Mae NLD chair Maung Maung Gyi.

"The township's deputy police chief Min Thu Khine told Aung Din not to let Htin Kyaw Linn stay at his house again, saying they can't risk having bombings in the township," said Maung Maung Gyi.

"He warned Aung Din that he would be punished if he failed to let them know when NLD members visit the village again," he said.

"The government authorities are trying to create divisions between us and the people by calling us bomb plotters , they are basically defaming us."

Some other party members said Eine Mae's local police chief Sein Win had recently told officials from villages in the region during a community meeting to inform the police station of any visits made to their villages by NLD members.

Reporting by Ahunt Phone Myat

Censor board to switch to digital submissions

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Staff Reporter

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February 26, 2009

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Feb 26, 2009 (DVB), Burmese government's press censor board is planning to change from the current paper system to digital, according to the Ministry of Information's Press Scrutiny and Registration Division director, Major Tint Swe.

A weekly news journal published in last week quoted a speech by Tint Swe at a journalist training programme on February 20 in which he said a computerised system would be introduced for viewing press materials submitted to the censor board for approval before they are published.

Win Nyein, editor in chief of the well-respected Ray of Light journal said the new system was unlikely to bring about much change.

"There won't be much of a difference, apart from that we will have to use memory sticks or discs to submit articles for the censor board's approval instead of printing them out on paper as we do now," said Win Nyein.

"The major only said it at the training program workshop, there has been no official announcement about it yet."

Another weekly news journal editor in Rangoon speculated that most publishers and printing offices would welcome the new digital system as it would save them from spending money on printing every time the censor board wants them to make changes.

The Press Scrutiny and Registration Division was unavailable for comment.

Reporting by Ahunt Phone Myat

NLD member released in amnesty

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Staff Reporter

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February 26, 2009

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Feb 26, 2009 (DVB), National League for Democracy member Nyo Gyi, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for intimidation of Union Solidarity and Development Association officials, has been released after serving one year and four months of his term.

Nyo Gyi, deputy-chair of Mandalay's Maddaya National League for Democracy, who was imprisoned in Sagaing's Khandee prison, was among 6313 prisoners across Burma who were granted amnesty by the government over the weekend.

In May 2007, Than Lwin , a relative of Nyo Gyi – was punched in the face with a knuckle-duster by an unknown assailant who fled into a USDA office after the attack.

Than Lwin's attacker was never apprehended, but nine of his colleagues and family members, including Nyo Gyi, were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for intimidation of USDA officials.

"I was kept in a cell without receiving communication from the outside world," he said.

"The food wasn't too bad but it was still bad, and water, too , it contained a lot of dirt and we often got sick after drinking that."

"I had an operation on my eyes while I was in prison and now my left eye cannot see anymore," he added.

Nyo Gyi was also arrested, tortured and sentenced to nine years in prison during 2003's Depayin massacre but he was released after serving 11 months.

Reporting by Khin Hnin Htet

Crackdown on illegal Burmese migrants

Myawaddy TV to publish daily newspaper

Authorities charge farmers for aid-donated fertiliser

Eine Mae villagers pressured not to host NLD members

Censor board to switch to digital submissions

NLD member released in amnesty

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