Deadly outbreak of hemorrhagic dengue in Shan State
Posted on September 2, 2010
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Dengue is spread by mosquitos
At least ten people are dead after an outbreak of hemorrhagic dengue fever in Burma’s Shan State, near the border with Thailand.
The Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN) reports the outbreak is centred on the towns of Moncton and Monghsat opposite Thailand’s Chiangmai province.
The first case was found on August 20 in Mongton Township and according to a source on the border, two people died on their way to Mongton hospital. It later spread to Monghsat Township, where six died in one day.
Burma spends 0.4 percent of its budget on health, compared to 30 percent on defense. SHAN quotes a labour activist on the border as saying there were no facilities in Mongton and Monghsat to conduct blood tests.
Hemorrhagic dengue is a severe and potentially fatal version of dengue fever. In recent months, there have been several cases of dengue fever in Mae Sot, particularly among the town’s population of western volunteers.
Dengue is not fatal. There is no specific treatment, but most patients recover after resting and taking plenty of fluids.
KIO reiterates rejection of BGF proposal
Posted on September 1, 2010
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KIA troops source: KNG
The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) has said its armed wing; the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) will not join the Burmese military’s new Border Guard Force (BGF).
The KIO had already rejected the military’s junta’s proposal for the KIA to come under the military’s command. And after several meetings between the two sides, the junta set a final deadline of September 1 for the KIA to join the BGF or face the threat of war.
However, the Kachin News Group reports the organization released a statement today that read, “If the ruling junta restores lasting peace through protracted dialogue with the KIO and implements the goals and aims set forth in the 1947 Panglong Agreement, which was signed by Kachin and other ethnic leaders for a multi-ethnic union with equal rights, the KIO will transform its armed-wing and other departments”
The Democratic Voice of Burma quotes Wawhkyung Sin Wa, the KIA’s deputy-general as saying, said that it was the group’s “unwavering stance” to see a federal union emerge in Burma with autonomy for ethnic minorities.
The KIO signed a ceasefire agreement with the junta in 1994 and has supported the controversial new junta drafted constitution.
But, it said it would like elections to be held in November to be free and fair. In the statement, the KIO told pro-democracy groups that it would cooperate with whoever works towards a consolidated and genuine federal union of Burma.
Junta backed party in smear campaign against ethnic Shan party
Posted on August 30, 2010
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Shan State
The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the political party backed by Burma’s ruling military junta is warning residents in Shan State that they will be in danger of they vote for the Shan National Development Party (SNDP), an ethnic Shan party.
The Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN) reports Naw Kham Oo, the chairman of the USDP branch in Lashio, in northern Shan State told villagers in E Nai village that the SNDP was supported by outlawed armed groups and they will be in danger if they vote for the party.
A local farmer said during a campaign visit, Naw Kham Oo said their lives would be safer if they vote for the USDP.
E Nai village has around 500 households, including several different ethnic groups, such as Lisu, Palaung, ethnic Chinese as well as Shan.
A local businesswoman said Naw Kham Oo warned them; the SNDP did not represent non-Shans and would only represent the interests of the Shan nationality.
A SNDP member in Lashio said they had heard from members in several townships that the party had been accused of being an unclean party. However, they had been unable to lodge a complaint with the Union Election Commission, as they did not have compelling evidence, such as documents, tapes, places, dates and names.
Nonetheless, he said, “We have always reminded all our members to obey the Electoral Law. That is our important principle to uphold. However, we are also worried that we will be continued to be fair game to the USDP.”
The USDP was formed from the junta’s proxy civil organisation, the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA0. The USDA has around 20 million members and vast financial resources, which critics say give it an unfair advantage in campaigning.
SHAN quoted local residents as saying Naw Kham said only the USDP represents all ethnic nationalities because its members are from different ethnic states. “Moreover, many of their members are also ethnic people,” he said.
The SNDP is not the first ethnic party to have encountered unfair treatment. In July, members of a Kachin party were subject to interrogations by local police and military officials.
Burma to stop issuing visas on arrival during election
Posted on August 24, 2010
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In a move seen as preventing foreigners from interfering with the country’s upcoming elections, Burmese officials have announced it will suspend the issuing of visas on arrival from the first of next month.
Mizzima News reports a senior official from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism as saying Visas on arrival that had been issued at Rangoon and Mandalay International Airports would be temporarily suspended ahead of the election on November 7.
Burma introduced the visa on arrival scheme on May 1 in response to calls from the tourism industry. And Mizzima quotes the official as saying, “It [the suspension] will certainly affect and slow down the tourism industry. But our ministry can’t do anything, as it is a directive coming directly from the state level. Tourists will face more difficulties as will tour guides. All businesses related to the tourism industry will be in chaos.”
200,000 tourists visited Burma in 2009, an increase of 23,000 from the previous year, but down 50,000 from 2007.
Burma has also reportedly stopped issuing visas to staff from International NGOs involved in Cyclone Nargis relief operations.
According to the UN’s Integrated Regional Information Network, Burma has ended centralized coordination of Nargis relief work. The announcement meant no Nargis-related visas would be extended, and no new visas would be granted under the old arrangement
Meanwhile, the border crossing between Mae Sot and Myawaddy remains closed after more than a month.
Shan State railway part of military’s armed buildup
Posted on August 17, 2010
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Shan State
A new railway under construction in northern Burma’s Shan State has been denounced by two rights groups as “an expansion of the Burmese regime’s war apparatus in Shan State”.
The railway, a 361 kilometer rail link between the Salween River and eastern Shan State is being built on confiscated farmlands along the route says The Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN) and the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF).
They have documented how complaining farmers have been told the railroad is an ‘army project’ and threatened with prison.
The railway will give the Burmese Army a quick route into the territory of the United Wa State Army (UWSA), an ethnic ceasefire group that has resisted calls by the military for its troops to join a Border Guard Force under the military’s command.
The UWSA is the largest of several ceasefire groups to reject the proposal and the military has threatened them with attack if they continue to refuse.
The railway will allow them to transport heavy artillery into the mountainous region. Ying Harn Fah of SWAN said, “This is not a passenger railway, it’s for the army’s tanks and howitzers.”
The railway will also provide access to the Mong Kok coalfields, opposite Thailand’s Chiang Rai province, where the regime and Thai investors are planning to excavate millions of tons of lignite and build a power plant to sell electricity to Thailand.
Both SWAN and SHRF are demanding an immediate halt to construction of the railway.
Burma’s election raises pressure along the border
Posted on August 17, 2010
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The Moei River, the border between Thailand and Burma
Last week, Burma’s state controlled media announced the country’s military rulers had chosen November 7 as the date for the country’s first elections in 20 years.
The military has long promised that elections would be held this year, but until Friday the exact date was unknown.
The elections are to be held under a new junta drafted constitution and few observers expect them to be either free or fair – the new constitution is seen as reinforcing military rule, with the leading officers merely replacing their uniforms for civilian clothing.
The chosen date has also been criticised for giving opposition parties too little time to prepare. Three ethnic Kachin parties, the Kachin State Progressive Party, United Democracy Party (Kachin State) and the Northern Shan State Progressive Party, which is led by Kachins, are still waiting for the country’s Election Commission to approve their applications for registration. Without the registration, the parties cannot legally begin campaigning or collecting funds.
On the other hand, the military has for a while been preparing for the switch to civilian rule. Its proxy political party, the Union and Solidarity Development Party is extremely well funded and has a big head start, in campaigning in many areas.
However, one area the junta seems determined to enforce its control is along Burma’s restless border with Thailand. The military’s allies, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) appears to be in disarray, with reports for further defections following the decision of the commander of the DKBA’s Brigade 5 to split from the DKBA and reunite with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) (see: Five DKBA Battalions defect to KNLA).
Meanwhile, the border crossing between Mae Sot in Thailand and Burma’s Myawaddy has been closed for the past month on the junta’s orders. The closure is costing Thai businesses a fortune in lost trade.
However, some observers speculate the border will remain closed until after the election, in order to prevent outside interference in the polls.
Sphere: Related ContentDKBA ordered not to carry weapons, wear uniforms while travelling
Posted on August 5, 2010
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DKBA soldiers source: The Irrawaddy
Members of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) have been told by Burma’s ruling military junta not to carry weapons or wear uniforms while travelling in Karen State.
The Irrawaddy reports the order came from Tactical Operation Command in Thingannyinaung, near the border town of Myawaddy. Under the order, DKBA troops can only hold weapons and wear uniforms on their bases.
The order comes as tension rise between the junta and the DKBA over the government’s proposal for the DKBA to join a Border Guard Force (BGF) under the military’s command.
The DKBA has become split over the issue, with some commanders wanting to accept the proposal and others wanting to maintain the group’s independence.
The Irrawaddy quotes a DKBA official as saying, “They [the regime] don”t trust some of our members in regard to the BGF issue.”
The junta has set a deadline of August 10 for the group to join the BGF.
Troops in Myawaddy, Hpa-an and the Three Pagodas Pass area that have accepted the BGF proposal are said to be exempt from the order.
Most of DKBA Brigade 5, led by Colonel Saw Lah Pwe are said to be against joining the BGF and will instead join the Karen National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the opposition Karen National Union (KNU) (see: Five DKBA Battalions defect to KNLA).
According to The Irrawaddy, the military’s the Southeast Command is preparing to announce that Col Saw Lah Pwe and his Brigade 5 troops are an illegal group and has ordered his arrest.
The DKBA split from the KNU in 1995 and signed a ceasefire agreement with the junta.
It now controls much of the area along the Thai-Burma border and has been accused of various human rights abuses as well as involvement in human trafficking.
Children drown fleeing possible army offensive against DKBA
Posted on August 2, 2010
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The Moei River, the border between Thailand and Burma
Three children, including an eight-month-old baby, are dead after the boat they were on sank as they attempted to cross the border into Thailand.
The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reports the children were among Karen villagers who in the past week have fled to the border following reports of a possible Burmese army offensive against their former allies in the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).
DVB reports the children, two four-year-olds as well as the baby, were in a group of 40 people from Ta-Eu Hta village near Burma’s border with Thailand. They were crossing the border near Thailand’s Mawlichai village.
A witness said, “The boatman lost control of the boat at one corner and it crashed into a rock. The children couldn’t swim so they drowned and their bodies couldn’t be recovered.”
The DKBA split from the main opposition Karen National Union (KNU) in 1995 and signed a ceasefire agreement with the ruling military junta. Since then, they have been close allies, fighting against the KNU.
However, in recent months, tensions have risen, after the DKBA rejected a junta proposal for it’s troops to join a Border Guard Force under the command of Burma’s military.
Last week there were reports the military had begun moving artillery into position against DKBA units that had rejected the Border Guard proposal. This prompted hundreds of Karen refugees to flee to Thailand (see: Tensions rise along Thai-Burma border).
More refugees are reported to be on their way to the border.
Five DKBA Battalions defect to KNLA
Posted on July 28, 2010
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DKBA soldiers source: The Irrawaddy
Five battalions from the pro-junta Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) will defect to the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the opposition Karen National Union (KNU). The split follows divisions within the group over a proposal by the military junta for DKBA troops to join a junta commanded Border Guard Force (BGF).
The Irrawaddy reports the five DKBA battalions include 500 troops from Battalions 901, 902, 906, 907 and 908. The battalions are all from the DKBA’s Brigade 5, led by Colonel Saw Lah Pwe, who is known to be against joining the BGF.
A KNLA spokesman said they would join KNLA Battalion 201, which is made up of troops selected for fighting on the front line.
The DKBA had originally accepted the BGF proposal, but in recent months it has become increasingly clear that not all its members are in favour of the move (see: DKBA reverses decision on border guard force).
The junta has given the DKBA a deadline of August 10 to join the BGF. They have already begun moving forces into place to engage those units that reject the proposal (see: Tensions rise along Thai-Burma border).
The DKBA split from the KNU in 1995 and signed a ceasefire agreement with the military junta. Prior to the latest defections, it was estimated to have around 6,000 troops.
Tensions rise along Thai-Burma border
Posted on July 27, 2010
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The Moei River forms the border between Thailand and Burma
Hundreds of Karen villagers have reportedly fled their homes and are heading for the Thai border as the Burmese military reinforced its troops in a standoff with its former allies in the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).
The Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) reports the junta has moved artillery near to Walay, near the border, south of Mae Sot. 300 women and children are reported to have fled the area for the Thai border.
The DKBA split from the main opposition Karen National Union (KNU) in 1995 and signed a ceasefire agreement with the junta.
Since then the DKBA has collaborated with the Burmese Army in military operations against the KNU. However, the relationship has become strained in recent months, after the DKBA rejected a government proposal for it to place its forces under the military’s command in a new Border Guard Force (BGF) (see: DKBA reverses decision on border guard force).
DVB reports the KNU has pledged to help any DKBA forces that reject the BGF proposal in fighting the Burmese army.
KNU Vice President David Thackrabaw, told DVB, the junta had reneged on initial agreements to give the DKBA full governing rights over Karen State and that several DKBA commanders had been “dragging their feet” ever since the BGF agreement was mooted. He was however uncertain of the size of the rival pro and anti-junta DKBA factions, with the SPDC likely to fight alongside DKBA factions still loyal to them.
According to The Irrawaddy, the DKBA warned villagers that fighting between the DKBA and Burmese army could break out this week. Myawaddy Township have fled to Phop Phra in Thailand.
The villagers, mostly women and children are being looked after by NGOs and the Thai authorities.
However, some of the villagers returned on Monday morning. Thai authorities say they did not deport the refugees but advised them that they cannot come unless actual fighting breaks out.
Meanwhile, there were reports in Mae Sot of a gunfight between the DKBA and local police in Myawaddy on Sunday night. The DKBA were resisting an attempt by local police to shut down a DKBA controlled border crossing point.
Myawaddy residents said gunfire could be heard throughout the night on Sunday.
Malaria endemic among IDPs
Posted on July 23, 2010
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Karen IDPs
Seven out of ten Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in the jungles east of Taungoo District in Burma’s Pegu Division are in desperate need of malaria medicine.
The exiled Mizzima News Agency reports the IDPs, most of who are Karen villagers, who were forced to flee their homes to escape Burmese military offensives are in an area infested with malaria carrying mosquitoes.
A Karen relief group, the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP) estimates there are over 4,500 people in hiding in the area.
A CIDKP spokesperson told Mizzima, “We found out that seven out of ten refugees were malaria infected when we conducted medical check-ups. This means 70 percent of them are infected with malaria. Some also died of this disease”
Every year, the rainy season brings more mosquitoes and the CIDKP is trying to eradicate them, but the large numbers mean they have little hope of success.
Health workers in the area report that many of the IDPs were forced to flee without blankets and mosquito nets, making them more vulnerable to the insects.
Many IDPs live in flimsy makeshift bamboo huts deep in the jungle, which offer little protection from the elements or from mosquitoes.
The area has a large Burmese military presence, with soldiers setting fire to hundreds of plantations owned and operated by Karen people.
“Most of these war refugees are fleeing from villages which were set on fire by the junta’s forces. Some of the villages were left unburned, but they dare not go back to their homes as junta forces have planted many landmines there. Many people are being killed by enemy gunfire and landmines when trying to go back to their homes,” said the CIDKP spokesman.
Burma stations missile battalion on Thai border
Posted on July 22, 2010
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Tunguska-M1 Air Defense Systems Source: The Irrawaddy
Burma’s military has stationed a new air defence missile battalion close to the Thai border in southern Burma.
The Irrawaddy reports the new division, which is equipped with Russian made surface to air missiles, is based in Aung Thar Warya Village in Palaw Township, Tenasserim Division. It is under the command of the No. 2 Air Defense Operation Command in Mergui, which is responsible for the air defence system along the southern Thai-Burma border.
The Irrawaddy quotes military sources as saying the new battalion is equipped with at least 12 Russian made Tunguska M1 air defense vehicles, and three sets of surface-to-air missiles.
It is also equipped with 57 mm and 40 mm anti-aircraft auto-cannons, 37 mm anti-aircraft guns and Russia-made IGLA, a portable anti-aircraft missile.
The military regime has also built a new radar air defense warning station in Palaw Township. It is expected the station will monitor Thailand’s air space.
Leaked documents recently revealed the junta had formed a strategic missile force with support from North Korean suppliers. It is intended to guard against external threats and is seen as part of the junta’s attempts to modernise the military.
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