May 2, 2008 (DVB)
Burmese migrants celebrate May Day
May 2, 2008 (DVB)
Heavy rains cause flooding in Rangoon
May 1, 2008 (DVB)
Monk U Kawvida dies at 81
May 1, 2008 (DVB), Sayadaw Bhaddanta Kawvidabhivamsa, 81, chairperson of the International Burmese Monks Association, died of a heart attack on Tuesday at the Coney Island Hospital in New York.
U Kawvida, who was widely known as Masoeyein Sayadaw, became a monk when he was 19.
He was the abbot of Masoeyein monastery in Mandalay when he was jailed for three years by the SLORC government for his leading role in Burmese monks’ ex-communication boycott of government members in 1990 after the elections.
U Kawvida was chairperson of the Sasana Moli, also known as the International Burmese Monks' Assocation, which was established after the September 2007 monk-led protests to raise international awareness about Burma's sitution and lobby foreign governments for assistance.
Monk U Sandawbatha, who was U Kawvida’s aide, said he passed away on Tuesday at 1.07pm.
"Sayadaw collapsed and lost consciousness while he was resting in his monastery after his early morning meal on Tuesday," he said.
"He was immediately sent to Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn but they said his brain had already stopped working."
U Kawvida’s funeral will be held on Monday.
Reporting by Aye Nai
Riot at Malaysian immigration detention centre
Apr 30, 3008 (DVB)−An argument over the beating of five Burmese refugees at an immigration detention centre in Malaysia culminated in rioting and a fire started by an inmate, according to an eyewitness.
Ko Sarmi, a Burmese migrant being held at the detention centre, said the problems began earlier this month after security guards made false accusations against some of the inmates.
"The incident took place on the evening of 13 April after Malaysian voluntary fire brigade officials who were in charge of security at the detention centre started beating up five ethnic Chin refugees from Burma, accusing them of smoking in the camp," he said.
"The people were non-smokers, but the camp officials took them into a room and started beating them up."
The incident sparked an argument with the camp officials early the next morning.
"We were called in to have our regular meal at breakfast time by the camp officials, and when we saw them we demanded an explanation of why they beat up the five refugees the night before," Ko Sarmi said.
"They refused to explain and instead told us to stand in a line. The argument escalated when other detainees joined in. Then people started ransacking the camp."
Ko Sarmi said one of the inmates then set fire to the camp.
"The fire was started by an Indonesian detainee. He wrapped his shirt around a stick, soaked it in gasoline and set fire to the room underneath the cell where he was detained."
Following the riot, the inmates were sent to another detention centre where Ko Sarmi said some were sold on to people smugglers.
"A few days after arriving at the new camp, the camp authorities sold about 100 of us including me to Thai human smugglers for 500 ringgit each," he said.
"We were asked to pay the Thai smugglers 2100 ringgit each in order to get back to Kuala Lumpur, and 1900 ringgit to the border."
Malaysian authorities have recently stepped up action against Burmese and other migrants.
Many have been arrested, while others have been forced to go into hiding in the jungle areas.
Reporting by Naw Say Phaw
Businesses threatened with closure for ‘No’ vote
Apr 30, 3008 (DVB)−Owners of beauty and massage parlours in Rangoon are the latest to face pressure from the city authorities to vote Yes in the upcoming referendum, according to Rangoon residents.
The business owners have been threatened with closure if they do not vote in favour of the new constitution.
A resident of Rangoon’s Lanmadaw township told DVB that owners of beauty parlours and massage businesses were called to a meeting on 27 April at around 7pm by township authorities who ordered them to vote Yes in the referendum.
"Over 100 beauty and massage parlour owners were told at the meeting that they and all their employees must vote Yes," said the Lanmadaw man.
"The township chairman said their businesses would be shut down if they refused to do so."
The Burmese government has been putting pressure on a number of groups, including government workers and farmers, ahead of the 10 May national referendum on the draft constitution.
The government is running an ongoing campaign of incentives and intimidation aimed at persuading people to vote in favour of the new constitution.
Reporting by Naw Say Phaw
