I pray I never see you again

Posted on August 27, 2008
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It may seem like an odd request to lift up in prayer, but today, I did pray this over someone.

I was visiting the inpatient’s department at Mae Tao Clinic for my weekly prayer ministry today. And I was introduced to a woman who I did not recognise, but who said I’d prayed for her twice before.

Apparently, on an earlier visit, I had prayed for her and afterwards she had felt better, so she went back home to Burma. But, when she started feeling unwell again, she had returned to the clinic and been readmitted.

That was when I met her for the second time. Again, she began to feel better after I prayed for her and had returned home. But, when the pain returned, she once again headed to the clinic.

So, this time I told her I would pray that I never see her again!

Shane’s Tweets for 2008-08-26

Posted on August 26, 2008
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Aung San Suu Kyi refuses food

Posted on August 26, 2008
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Concerns raised for Suu Kyis health

Concerns raised for Suu Kyi's health

There is speculation that Burma’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi may have begun a hunger strike in order to press the military junta to hold direct talks with her regarding the junta’s planned elections in 2010. According to the National League for Democracy (Liberated Area), Suu Kyi has not accepted food deliveries at her house in Yangon since August 15.

Mizzima is quoting Nyo Ohn Myint, the NLD-LA’s Foreign Affairs in-charge as saying, food supplies are usually delivered to Suu Kyi’s home weekly by the party’s youth members. But, he said, “She was sent the last food supply on August 15, and she reportedly told the youths not to bring her food in the following weeks.”

Suu Kyi’s food supply was due on August 22, but on her request the youths have not sent her any more supplies.

NLD representatives in Rangoon could not confirm that Suu Kyi has begun a hunger strike, as they have had no communication with her.

Last week, Suu Kyi refused to meet with UN Special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, who was on a six day visit to the country. It is thought her refusal was due to her displeasure at the lack of progress in the UN’s efforts to facilitate dialogue between the two sides.

In a statement, the NLD-LA said, “If Daw Aung San Suu Kyi continues to refuse food from her comrades, her health will be of serious concern.”

They added that two people living with Suu Kyi are also refusing food. They are calling on the international community to take immediate action.

Suu Kyi has been held under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years.

Shane’s Tweets for 2008-08-25

Posted on August 25, 2008
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Mixed reviews for Gambari

Posted on August 25, 2008
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Gambari under fire after visit

Gambari under fire after visit

Ibrahim Gambari, the UN’s special envoy is coming under fire following his less than fruitful visit to Burma last week (see Gambari leaves without seeing Suu Kyi).

The opposition National League for Democracy called his six day trip ‘a waste of time’. Spokesman, Nyan Win, said Gambari had not established any dialogue between the military rulers and the opposition. He also accused him of wasting his time on matters that he was not supposed to deal with.

The NLD is upset that Gambari appears to be pushing them to accept the junta’s roadmap for democracy, which the opposition has dismissed.

However, Gambari did win praise from exiled Shan leader, Harn Yawnghwe, the director of Euro Burma Office. According to the Shan Herald Agency for News, he said, “Mr Gambari is considered an old hand in dealing with military dictators, his country also having been under military rule.”

The Brussels based Harn described the UN as one of the few friends the people of Burma have.

He also praised the work of the UN’s Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana. “Mr Quintana is also a veteran human rights activist,” he said.

“They [Gambari and Quintana] deserve all the support and advice that we can give,” he said.

He also warned that without UN involvement, Burma would cease to get any attention on the international stage.

The real reason for choosing anniversary of 8888 for the Olympic Opening Ceremony

Posted on August 25, 2008
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It seems the decision to hold the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on August 8 actually had less to do with Chinese superstition and more to do with American TV schedules.

Eight is considered a lucky number by the Chinese, which was thought to be behind the decision to hold the Opening Ceremony on the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008.

However, the decision came under fire from members of Burma’s democracy movement, as it marked the twentieth anniversary of the 8888 uprising in Burma, which resulted in the violent massacre of thousands of anti-junta protesters.

China is the principal supporter of Burma on the international stage, supplying the junta with arms and using their veto power at the UN Security Council to block UN action against the regime.

However, according to this article in the New York Times ‘On TV, Timing Is Everything at the Olympics‘, the choice of dates was influenced by US TV network NBC, which in 1995 agreed a deal with the International Olympic Committee for the rights to the winter and summer games through 2008. The broadcaster’s sports division pushed for an early August start to the Games to avoid conflict with US television’s coverage of the NFL and American college Football games.

The Chinese had wanted to start the games later, extending them into September. But, changed their mind after the network suggested 8/8/08 as the start date.

Shane’s Tweets for 2008-08-24

Posted on August 24, 2008
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Gambari leaves without seeing Suu Kyi

Posted on August 24, 2008
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Ibrahim Gambari left Burma on Saturday

Ibrahim Gambari left Burma on Saturday

And… he’s… gone! The UN’s Special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari left Burma Saturday with his tail between his legs and serious questions being asked about his future role.

According to the UN, Gambari spent Saturday meeting the diplomatic corps and senior members of the junta, including an “open and extensive meeting” with Prime Minister Thein Sein.

But, there was no meeting with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which was reportedly the intention behind his decision to stay an extra day (see: Gambari extends visit after failing to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi).

Suu Kyi resisted attempts by the former Nigerian Foreign Minister to meet her. She did not show up for a scheduled meeting on Wednesday. And it appears having the mountain go to Mohammed didn’t work either. According to press reports, two of Gambari’s aides were seen outside Suu Kyi’s house on Friday morning, but nobody came out to meet them!

According to press reports, Suu Kyi is unhappy with the way Gambari’s visit was carried out. And, she is not the only one upset with Gambari’s visit.

According to the US Campaign for Burma, the UN “seriously misrepresented” details of Gambari’s visit.

They question a statement by the UN on August 20, saying Gambari held ten separate meetings with political parties and civil society groups. They say he met with nine Burmese groups, all of which are supporters and proxies of the junta. “This statement is not only misleading but patently false,” says a press release by the pressure group.

Quoting informed sources within Burma, they say Gambari met with: The Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), the major funder of the regime’s brutal militia “Swan-Arr-Shin”, which led the regime’s efforts in attacking and killing peaceful monks and democracy activists during and after last September’s Saffron Revolution.

Gambari also met with the notorious Union Solidarity and Development Association, the group that carried out an assassination attempt on Suu Kyi in May 2003. During that attack dozens of her party members were killed. Gambari also met with the National Unity Party, a military-backed political party that lost severely to the NLD in 1990 elections — gaining only 10 out of 485 seats in parliament. He also met with the 88 Generation Students and Youth, another pro-junta group, which had campaigned to support the regime’s constitution. This group is not related to the major dissident group, the “88 Generation Students”; instead, it is a front group formed by the regime to counter the activities of real student activists.

However, not everyone in the regime was willing to meet with the UN’s special envoy, and he once again failed to see supreme leader Than Shwe. A failing that is said to have further upset Suu Kyi.

On Thursday, The Burma Campaign UK called on the UN to abandon its softly, softly approach to Burma’s generals. They say the human rights situation in Burma has significantly deteriorated since Gambari first visited in May 2006.

They say, in that time, the number of political prisoners almost doubled from 1,100 to 2,056; more than 130,000 people in Eastern Burma have been forced from their homes as part of the regime’s ethnic cleansing campaign, September 2007’s peaceful pro-democracy protests were brutally suppressed, with protestors fired on and thousands of monks arrested; humanitarian aid was blocked following Cyclone Nargis; and political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, have been routinely denied access to doctors and medical treatment.

This latest visit has succeeded only in causing Gambari and the UN commitment to meaningful dialogue to be further questioned and for his reputation and ability to act as an effective mediator to be seriously questioned.

The UN Security Council was reportedly already upset by the lack of progress in Gambari’s mission (see: US spells out goals for Gambari’s visit, threatens increased UN pressure), will now have to start asking some hard questions about Gambari’s future role.

Mark Farmaner of the Burma Campaign UK said, “By any measure the record of Gambari and the UN is one of failure. There is a human rights crisis in Burma and it is getting worse.”

“The current UN approach is failing, and the people of Burma are paying the price. It is time the UN set benchmarks, such as the release of all political prisoners, and a timeline for those benchmarks to be implemented. If the regime continues to defy the UN, stronger action should be taken,” he said.

The UN says this week Gambari held numerous meetings with Government officials, discussing issues including national reconciliation and how to help Burma tackle its socio-economic challenges.

But, with both the opposition and Than Shwe unwilling to deal with Gambari can we really expect him to have any meaningful impact.

Or, can we expect more of these pointless visits, which serve as little more than a PR exercise. And, alarmingly, it’s the junta that is benefiting the most, by being perceived as cooperating with the UN.

Shane’s Tweets for 2008-08-23

Posted on August 23, 2008
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Shane’s Tweets for 2008-08-22

Posted on August 22, 2008
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Gambari extends visit after failing to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi

Posted on August 22, 2008
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Gambari: Still hoping to meet with Suu Kyi

Gambari: Still hoping to meet with Suu Kyi

It is being reported that Ibrahim Gambari, the UN’s special envoy to Burma will extend his visit to the country by one day after failing to meet with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Gambari was due to leave Burma today at the end of a five day visit. He has already met with representatives of the junta as well as civil society groups and political parties, including leaders of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. He also found time to tour areas affected by Cyclone Nargis.

Gambari was scheduled to meet Suu Kyi on Wednesday. But she failed to attend. Her absence is being interrupted as a sign of her displeasure at the lack of progress in Gambari’s mission to promote dialogue between the junta and the opposition.

This is Gambari’s fourth visit to Burma in the past year and despite minor concessions by the junta following the violent crackdown on peaceful protests last year, there have been few tangible results from Gambari’s efforts.

In May, despite much of the country still recovering from Cyclone Nargis, the junta forced through a referendum on a new constitution. The new charter will enshrine military rule and increase the junta’s control of the country.

Within the UN Security Council, the US has threatened to increase pressure on the junta if they fail to cooperate with Gambari (see: US spells out goals for Gambari’s visit, threatens increased UN pressure). If Gambari does leave without meeting Suu Kyi, his visit may well be interrupted as a failure. He has already failed to meet with the junta’s senior leader, Than Shwe.

Shane’s Tweets for 2008-08-21

Posted on August 21, 2008
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