tagged w/ Myanmar
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Burma has released a number of its high-profile dissidents following an announcement on state TV that there would be a presidential pardon for 651 prisoners.
Among those freed are veterans of the 1988 student protest movement Min Ko Naing and Nilar Thein and senior political representative of the Shan, U Khun Tun Oo. Former Prime Minister Khin Nyunt has also been freed from house arrest.
It is not known how many political prisoners remain in Burma’s jails but it is hoped that the current amnesty will result in all of them being released.
National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is reported to have greeted the latest releases as a ‘positive sign.’
However, Sithu Zeya – a freed journalist who worked on exiled broadcaster Democratic Voice of Burma – was cautious in his response to getting out of prison. “I have been released with a rope around my neck,” he said, in reference to the fact that charges against him have not been dropped.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16540871Burma has released a number of its high-profile dissidents following an announcement... more
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Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has confirmed that she will run for a seat in her country’s new parliament.
Her entry into a by-election scheduled for April will be the first time the National League for Democracy has participated in Burma’s new political structure after it was formally registered as a party in December 2011.
An NLD party spokesman told the New York Times that Suu Kyi would stand for one of 48 seats that have become vacant since November 2010 after the appointment of members to cabinet roles.
Suu Kyi's announcement to run for parliament comes just a week after the Burmese government approved the NLD’s participation in elections following its removal from the list due to the party’s boycott of the general election.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/world/asia/aung-san-suu-kyi-will-run-for-myanmar-parliament.html?ref=global-homeBurmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has confirmed that she will run for a seat... more
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After an election held in Burma last year, power was supposedly transferred from the military junta to a civilian government. But observers have criticized the fairness of the election, as the pro-military party led by Thein Sein received the vast majority of votes.
Thein Sein is described by some as a moderate or reformist. His actions since taking office, however, suggest otherwise. Nearly 2,000 political prisoners including Buddhist monks and journalists remain locked up in Burma. If the new regime is serious about reform, these political prisoners should be released immediately. Tell the President he must free them without delay to prove his commitment to reform.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/free-burma-political-prisoners/After an election held in Burma last year, power was supposedly transferred from the... more
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CNN...
Dolphins in Asia's Mekong River on brink of extinction, group says
A World Wildlife Fund survey found only 85 Irrawaddy dolphins left in Southeast Asia’s Mekong River.
August 16th, 2011
01:48 PM ET
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A group of dolphins is on the brink of extinction in part because their calves are not surviving, the World Wildlife Fund reported.
There are 85 Irrawaddy dolphins left in Southeast Asia’s Mekong River, according to the conservation organization.
“Evidence is strong that very few young animals survive to adulthood, as older dolphins die off and are not replaced,” Dr. Li Lifeng, director of the World Wildlife Fund's freshwater program, said in a statement.
Irrawaddy dolphins are found in the Mekong River, the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar and the Mahakam River in Indonesia. While a survey of the dolphins was done only in the Mekong, the World Wildlife Fund reported that in all areas the species is critically endangered.
“These dolphins are at high risk of extinction by their small population size alone,” said Barney Long, the group’s Asian species expert. “With the added threats of gill net entanglement and high calf mortality, we are seriously concerned about their future.”
The danger of the species' extinction extends beyond the animal itself, the group said.
The dolphins are viewed as sacred by the Khmer and Lao people, the World Wildlife Fund noted.
Dolphin-watching ecotourism also is an "important source of income and jobs for communities" in these areas, the group said.
.CNN...
Dolphins in Asia's Mekong River on brink of extinction, group says... more
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Hein Min Aung remembers the March day in 1999 when he was recruited as a child soldier into the Myanmar army.Only 14 at the time, Aung said he had lived with his parents and five younger siblings and worked at the market in Prome, also known as Pyay on the Irrawaddy River north of Yangon.
Link : http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/08/11/myanmar.child.soldier/index.htmlHein Min Aung remembers the March day in 1999 when he was recruited as a child soldier... more
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sitsi
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"Fighting over hydropower projects ends 17-year ceasefire between Burmese government and Kachin militia.
A bloody outbreak of fighting that has ended a 17-year ceasefire between Burmese government forces and a tribal militia was partly caused by the expansion of Chinese hydropower along the Irrawaddy river, conservationists claim.
Dozens of people in northern Burma have reportedly been killed in the clashes between government troops and the Kachin Independence Army. Thousands more are trying to flee across the border after fierce fighting erupted this month around the construction sites of two Chinese-financed dams in the region.
Amid growing fears that the conflict could escalate, the Burma Rivers Network said China's massive hydropower investments had widened the gulf between the government – which wants to benefit from cross-border electricity sales – and Kachin independence groups, which fear the dams will bring environmental, cultural and social disruption.
"The conflict is closely related to the dams. The government has sent in troops because it wants to gain control of a region that hosts major Chinese investments in hydropower," Sai Sai, of the Burma Rivers Network, told the Guardian.
Details of the fighting remain sketchy. The authorities have yet to acknowledge the conflict. The Irrawaddy magazine – which is published online by overseas critics of the Rangoon government – said stability in northern Burma had deteriorated rapidly with several explosions in the Kachin state capital, Myitkyina, the government closure of Sino-Burmese trading routes and the destruction of at least three bridges.
Burma Rivers Network said power transmission pylons at Dapein dam had been toppled, the fighting had spread to Shweli dam and Kachin forces had vowed to widen the conflict to all areas under their control. The death toll is said to be close to 50.
Dams are by no means the only cause of tension in the region. The uneasy standoff was shaken last year when the Kachin Independence Army rejected a proposal to fall under central government control as a border guard force. Since then the two sides have jostled over territory.
But China's plans to finance, build and generate electricity from at least seven dams in the region may have given the government a greater economic and diplomatic incentive to take control of strategically important areas that have long been in the hands of Kachin forces. According to Burma Rivers Network the investment is worth $3.6bn and will result in annual power sales of $500m.
The state-controlled firm behind the projects – China Power Investment – refused to comment. "We don't accept any interview on our overseas projects. Every company has their own business secrets," said a spokesperson from the Hong Kong-listed corporation."
cont"Fighting over hydropower projects ends 17-year ceasefire between Burmese... more
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Filmed in the summer of 2009, Altered Focus: Burma follows three film makers and skateboarders including Harmony and Analog UK rider Ali Drummond, as they travel across Yangon and Mandalay. The film explores the reaction to this unseen activity whilst touching on the political situation there. (MADE PUBLIC - 9th May 2011)
Altered Focus: Burma - http://vimeo.com/19780095
CNN Feature - http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2011/05/25/aqui.myanmar.skateboarding.cnn?iref=allsearchFilmed in the summer of 2009, Altered Focus: Burma follows three film makers and... more
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Puffin
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8 months ago
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The death toll from a powerful earthquake that hit Myanmar has gone up to 75, state media reported Friday.
At least 111 people were injured, Myanmar Radio reported.
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on Thursday near its borders with China, Thailand and Laos, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
It was a relatively shallow quake, which can be very destructive.
The Geological Survey said the quake was 6 miles (10 km) deep, putting it fairly close to the surface.
Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, has been badly hit by natural disasters in the past few years.
A powerful cyclone in 2008 left an estimated 100,000 people dead and another one two years later left 70,000 people homeless, the United Nations said.
The quake was significantly less powerful than the one that hit Japan two weeks ago, causing a tsunami and prompting fears of a nuclear meltdown. The series of disasters in Japan has left more than 10,000 people dead.
The Myanmar quake was roughly comparable in magnitude and depth to last year's Haiti earthquake, which measured 7.0. More than 200,000 people died in the Haiti earthquake, and millions were affected.The death toll from a powerful earthquake that hit Myanmar has gone up to 75, state... more
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Breaking News Updates People familiar with Mr. Keith Olbermann's plan say he has a possible deal with Al Gore's Current TV. "Tonight, Current TV host Mr. Keith Olbermann with the latest on the 2012 presidential race from commentator Al Gore…"Breaking News Updates People familiar with Mr. Keith Olbermann's plan say he has... more
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World AIDS Day comes amid progress, concern
By the CNN WIre Staff
December 1, 2010 2:32 a.m. EST
A giant red ribbon hangs on the White House for observance of World AIDS Day.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* The estimated number of children with HIV/AIDS in 11 Asian countries increases 46 percent
* The UN says the number of new HIV infections has dropped 20 percent in the past decade
* But the number of new HIV infections outpaces the number of people starting treatment
(CNN) -- As the global community commemorates World AIDS Day on Wednesday, international health organizations report both promising and sobering trends.
While the United Nations says new HIV infections have declined by almost 20 percent worldwide over the past decade, the estimated number of children living with HIV or AIDS in 11 Asian countries has increased by 46 percent between 2001 and 2009, the World Health Organization's South-East Asia office said Wednesday.
"In 2001, an estimated 89,000 children were living with HIV/AIDS," said Vismita Gupta-Smith, public information and advocacy officer for WHO's regional office in New Delhi, India. "In 2009, there are an estimated 130,000 children living with HIV infection," including recent HIV infection, advanced HIV infection and AIDS.
The 11 countries in the region are Bangladesh, Bhutan, North Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Liste.
But a report by a United Nations program released last month shows some encouraging news, including drops in AIDS-related deaths and new HIV cases.
Data from the 2010 global report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows that an estimated 2.6 million people became newly infected with HIV, compared with the estimated 3.1 million people infected in 1999.
Also in 2009, approximately 1.8 million people died from AIDS-related illnesses, compared with the roughly 2.1 million in 2004, according to UNAIDS.
Among young people in 15 of the most severely affected countries, the rate of new HIV infections has fallen by more than 25 percent, led by young people adopting safer sexual practices, according to UNAIDS.
"We are breaking the trajectory of the AIDS epidemic with bold actions and smart choices," said Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS. "Investments in the AIDS response are paying off, but gains are fragile -- the challenge now is how we can all work to accelerate progress."
But not all the news from the UNAIDS report, which covered 182 countries, was good.
"Even though the number of new HIV infections is decreasing, there are two new HIV infections for every one person starting HIV treatment," UNAIDS said.
Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region most affected by the epidemic, with 69 percent of all new HIV infections, according to UNAIDS.
In seven countries, mostly in eastern Europe and central Asia, new HIV infection rates have increased by 25 percent.
UNAIDS said in the Asia-Pacific region, 90 percent of countries have laws that obstruct the rights of people living with HIV.
Despite the lower numbers of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, UNAIDS said the demand for resources is surpassing the supply.
"Donor governments' disbursements for the AIDS response in 2009 stood at $7.6 billion, lower than the $7.7 billion available in 2008," UNAIDS said. "Declines in international investments will affect low-income countries the most -- nearly 90 percent rely on international funding for their AIDS programs."World AIDS Day comes amid progress, concern
By the CNN WIre Staff
December 1, 2010... more
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Tiger Summit aims to save big cats
AP
FILE - In this March 23, 2000 file photo, an Indian tiger looks on from a camouflaged cover of strawgrass in Ranthambhore National Park near Rajasthan AP – FILE - In this March 23, 2000 file photo, an Indian tiger looks on from a camouflaged cover of strawgrass …
By IRINA TITOVA and JIM HEINTZ Irina Titova And Jim Heintz – Fri Nov 19, 12:37 pm ET
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Global wildlife experts and political leaders from 13 countries on Sunday open a meeting aimed at finalizing complex and costly plans to revive the world's tiger population, which has plummeted so sharply that it may be near the point of no return.
Although the fierce and wily tigers may be the epitome of power in their natural habitat, they have seemed nearly helpless against man. The World Wildlife Fund and other experts say only about 3,200 of the big cats remain in the wild, a severe plunge from an estimated 100,000 a century ago.
Their forest habitat is being eaten up by timber operations and construction, while poachers stalk the dwindling tiger populations, killing them for their skins and for body parts prized in Chinese traditional medicine. The wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC said in a report this month that more than 1,000 parts of tigers slain by poachers across Asia had been seized in the past decade.
"The Tiger Summit is our last best chance to ensure a future for these animals in the wild," Ginette Hemley, a WWF vice president, said in a statement Thursday.
The summit, which ends Wednesday, is hosted by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who has adroitly used encounters with tigers, polar bears and other wildlife to bolster his image, and was driven by the Global Tiger Initiative which was launched two years ago by World Bank President Robert Zoellick.
The summit intends to approve a wide-ranging program with the goal of doubling the world's tiger population in the wild by 2022 and to produce a declaration of commitment signed by government leaders from al countries that still have tiger populations: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam and Russia.
The summit also will be seeking donor commitments to buttress expenditures by each of the country's governments. A draft of the Global Tiger Recovery Program, expected to be approved at the meeting, estimates the countries will need $330 million in outside funding over the next five years to fulfill the plan. About 30 percent of that estimate would go toward programs to suppress the poaching both of tigers and of the animals they prey on.
For advocates, saving tigers has implications far beyond the emotional appeal of preserving an attractive and thrilling animal.
"Because tigers are apex predators at the top of the food chain in many Asian ecosystems, they are essential to the effective functioning of other parts of these ecosystems," the GTRP draft says. "Protecting tigers and their landscapes also protects a host of other endangered species and their habitats."
Over the past two decades, much has already been done to try to save tigers, but conservation groups say their numbers have continued to fall markedly, by about a third just since 1998.
In part, that decline is because conservation effors have been increasingly diverse and often aimed at improving habitats outside protected areas where tigers can breed, according to a study published in September in the Popular Library of Science Biology journal.
Putin has done much to draw attention to tigers' plight. During a visit to a wildlife preserve in 2008, he shot a female tiger with a tranquilizer gun and helped place a transmitter around her neck as part of a program to track the rare cats.
Later in the year, Putin was given a 2-month-old female Siberian tiger for his birthday. State television showed him at his home gently petting the cub, which was curled up in a wicker basket with a tiger-print cushion. The tiger now lives in a zoo in southern Russia.
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Heintz reported from Moscow.Tiger Summit aims to save big cats
AP
FILE - In this March 23, 2000 file... more
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Aung San Suu Kyi is finally free. After 15 years of jails and house arrest is now a free woman like many others. Tomorrow she will make her first speech. This liberation comes a few days after the fake Burma elections.
http://www.inaltreparole.net/en/world/aungsansuukyilibera131110.htmlAung San Suu Kyi is finally free. After 15 years of jails and house arrest is now a... more
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Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi released
November 13th, 2010
06:00 AM ET
Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi released
Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi was released from house arrest Saturday, police outside her home said. CNN could not independently verify the report.
Crowds of supporters waited near her home in Yangon. Hundreds of others waited near her National League for Democracy.
Suu Kyi has spent 15 of the past 21 years under house arrest because of her fight for democracy in the nation formerly known as Burma.
Security has been stepped up in Myanmar, but it was unclear whether that was because of the country's first elections in two decades last Sunday.Myanmar activist Aung San Suu Kyi released
November 13th, 2010
06:00 AM ET... more
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pdy
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1 year ago
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Aizawl, Oct 26 : While India is almost prepared for the Indo-Myanmar border trade, the Myanmarese government has many works to finish for the same, an official said today.
PK Neihsial, Superintendent of Central Land Custom based at Champhai, informed DoNER Secretary Jayati Chandra, who visited the proposed border trade area at Zokhawthar, today said the border trade was yet to be commissioned.
http://www.sinlung.com/2010/10/myanmar-for-border-trade-with-india.htmlAizawl, Oct 26 : While India is almost prepared for the Indo-Myanmar border trade, the... more
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Myanmar started to implement the hoisting of the new flag which consists of three horizontal colors, Yellow in top, Green in middle and bottom of Red with a white star in the center.Myanmar started to implement the hoisting of the new flag which consists of three... more
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