• Post-Cyclone Aid Divides Myanmar

    A robust influx of foreign money has showered aid on a small part of Myanmar
    2008-10-20 22:00:00

  • Jade and gem sale earns Myanmar 赏 million AP

    AP - Myanmar has earned more than 赏 million 130 million euros from its latest government-sponsored sale of gems, despite a U.S. ban on their import, an official said Friday.
    2008-10-17 10:15:18

  • Poll fever grips Mizoram, hectic political parleys on

    NAT1National/PoliticsPoll fever grips Mizoram, hectic political parleys onBy Sujit ChakrabortyAizawl, Oct 16 IANS Pre-poll alliances, seat sharing talks and choosing of candidates - hectic political activity has begun in Mizoram that is headed for elections to its 40-member assembly Nov 29.Political analysts feel that the elections would be a triangular fight between the ruling Mizo National Front MNF, the main opposition Congress and the newly formed United Democratic Alliance UDA.The UDA was formed last month with the merging of the Mizoram People's Conference MPC, the Zoram Nationalist Party ZNF and the Zoram Kuthnathawktu Pawl ZKP, a civic organisation.The Bharatiya Janata Party BJP has also announced that it will contest the elections."The realignment of political parties is a common phenomenon before every election here," said political analyst Zodin Sanga.Sandwiched between Myanmar in the east and south and Bangladesh in the west, Mizoram with an estimated population of one million, occupies an area of great strategic importance.The five-year term of the present Mizoram assembly expires Dec 14. In the 2003 assembly elections, the ruling MNF secured 21 seats and the Congress 12, while seven went to smaller parties."We shall finalise our party's candidates in the Oct 30 general meeting and after that the names of the nominees would be announced," said V. Zokungpuia, MNF information and publicity secretary.He told IANS: "Clean, efficient and young popular leaders would be given priority for nominations."The main opposition Congress, headed by Lal Thanhawla, a former chief minister, is holding talks for a pre-poll alliance with the newly floated Mipui Tangrual Pawl United People's Party, which is demanding six seats."We would finalise the alliance and allotment of seats to the MTP after talking with the central leaders including All India Congress Committee AICC president Sonia Gandhi," said Congress spokesman Lalsawta."The UDA would also finalise the alliance's seat sharing soon. A joint assembly of the constituent parties would be held early next month to finalise the poll strategies, candidatures and other issues," UDA spokesperson C. Lallianchhunga told reporters here.Apart from the three major groupings, the BJP and a few independent candidates have announced their intention to fight the elections.According to the Election Commission schedule, the notification for the elections to the 40-member 39 are reserved for the tribals and one general Mizoram Assembly would be issued on Nov 5, the last date for filling of nominations is Nov 12 and the scrutiny of nominations would take place the next day. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is Nov 15.In all, 611,124 electors are eligible to exercise their franchise in the coming elections and more than 91 percent voters are covered under the Electors Photo Identity Cards EPIC.--Indo-Asian News Servicesc/szh/mv/jg/ky 492 Words*16100910
    2008-10-16 00:00:00

  • World Bank commits $10 bn as Asean standby fund

    INT30International/Diplomacy/EconomyWorld Bank commits $10 bn as Asean standby fundManila, Oct 15 DPA The World Bank committed $10 billion in a standby fund to help member countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations Asean weather the global economic crisis, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said Wednesday. Arroyo said the bank issued the commitment after the 10-country Asean and its partners Japan, China and South Korea agreed at the weekend to set up a mechanism that would help cash-strapped members. Asean consists of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Arroyo said Asean ministers and their partners from China, South Korea and Japan met Saturday on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund IMF-World Bank meetings in Washington. "The facility can also be used to purchase what the bankers called toxic assets and recapitalized troubled financial institutions and companies," she said. "The World Bank indicated that it could initially commit $10 billion as its contribution to the standby facility," Arroyo added. Arroyo said the IMF and World Bank would draft the implementing mechanism for the standby facility "as soon as possible and in consultation with Asean finance ministers and central bank governors." "Immediately thereafter, they will convene another meeting to discuss the guidelines for the facility, which we suggested should be quick in disbursing with minimal conditionalities," she added. Arroyo reiterated her appeal to governments of developed countries to consider the interests of developing and emerging economies in their response to the worsening global economic crisis.--DPAdkg274 Words15101305
    2008-10-15 04:01:12

  • Sixth Council meeting of International Network for Bamboo and Rattan today

    New Delhi, Oct 15 ANI: The Sixth Council meeting of the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan INBAR will begin here today This is for the first time that the council meeting is being organised outside its headquarter in China. India being chair of the council session is hosting the Sixth Council Session. This meeting will provide guidance for future thrust of INBAR activities. INBAR has 34 member countries at present, which include 13 in Africa, 10 in Asia, 10 in America and one in Oceania. The member countries are: Argentina, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Peru, Rwanda, The Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Surinam, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Uganda, Venezuela and Vietnam. INBAR is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to improve the social, economic, and environmental benefits of bamboo and rattan. It connects a global network of partners from the government, private, and not-for-profit sectors in over 50 countries to define and implement a global agenda for sustainable development through bamboo and rattan. The Director General of INBAR will give an overview of the global bamboo and rattan sector as background information for new council participants to understand the work of INBAR. There will be thematic discussion on the INBAR membership benefit package developed on the basis of findings of INBAR surveys. There will be also discussions on capacity building and training, technology transfer, project development, fund raising and implementation and information dissemination. The INBAR council has approved the accession of one new member state that is Suriname in last January. The agreement is open for signature by any member state of the United Nations or its specialised agencies. ANI
    2008-10-15 03:00:00

  • Brisk trade in tiger parts in Myanmar, says WWF AFP

    AFP - Skins, claws and bones from at least 1,158 tigers and other protected big cats have been spotted in open markets in Myanmar during surveys conducted over the last 18 years, according to a World Wildlife Fund WWF report.
    2008-10-15 03:00:00

  • Suu Kyi appeals against prolonged detention

    INT16International/Politics/RightsSuu Kyi appeals against prolonged detentionYangon, Oct 11 DPA Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has submitted an appeal against the government's latest extension of her house arrest - arguing that it violates the country's laws, sources said Saturday. The appeal was handed over to authorities by Suu Kyi's lawyer Hla Myo Myint at the military's new capital of Naypyitaw Thursday, said sources from the opposition party National League for Democracy NLD. Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, has spent about 13 of the past 18 years under house arrest in her family's Yangon compound. The head of the NLD party, which won the 1990 general election, has been kept in near complete isolation since May 30, 2003, when she was charged with disturbing the peace by campaigning in the provinces. Under Myanmar emergency law, political prisoners can only be kept under detention for a maximum of five years on charges of disturbing the peace. But Suu Kyi's detention was extended last May for another six months, raising legal questions. Myanmar's ruling junta has been sending mixed signals about the duration of Suu Kyi's incarceration. There have been hints that she may be released within six months. Many observers believe it is unlikely that she will be released before the next general election, slated for 2010. The NLD party won the 1990 polls by a landslide, but the military government - which has ruled since 1962 - refused to accept the results. Suu Kyi is widely seen as Myanmar's democracy icon, and is one of the few opposition leaders with enough popular and international support to undermine the military's monopoly of political power in the southeast Asian nation.--DPAskp/jg306 Words11100900
    2008-10-11 00:04:10

  • Asean to study impact of trade liberation on health

    INT56International/Diplomacy/Health/BusinessAsean to study impact of trade liberation on healthManila, Oct 10 DPA Southeast Asian health ministers Friday called for a study on the impact of trade liberalisation on health to ensure that people are protected from harmful products that are easily distributed across borders. The ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Asean also agreed that there was a need to look into the negative effects of increasing migration of health workers. The Asean health ministers were meeting in Manila with their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea. The scandal over tainted Chinese milk and dairy products dominated the discussions. "The health ministers share the common view that globalisation and trade liberalisation may contribute to positive and negative implications to the health sector," said Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque. Duque said the ministers welcomed the "move to mount a regional initiative... to discuss and to develop approaches to address the negative impact of trade liberalisation". Chinese Vice Minister for Health Liu Qian assured his counterparts that Beijing has put in place the necessary measures to resolve the melamine-milk scandal that has spread to various countries in Asia. "The Chinese government is urging all exporters to follow our market rule banning all tainted milk and milk products," he told a press conference after the meeting. "All the products in the market are now safe." During the meeting, the participating health ministers agreed that melamine, even at the "minutest amount, should never be added deliberately to any food product." Chinese milk and dairy products laced with melamine - a binding agent and coating for particle, fibre and laminated board - have been linked to the deaths of four Chinese babies. More than 50,000 children fell ill after consuming the contaminated products. Since the scandal broke out, more than 30 countries, including Asean member countries, have banned, recalled or found contamination in dairy products from China. Asean consists of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar Burma.--DPAsnb/dg363 Words10101905
    2008-10-10 10:00:10

  • Dhaka to press for road up to China with Yangon

    INT34International/DiplomacyDhaka to press for road up to China with YangonDhaka, Oct 7 IANS Bangladesh is set to begin a survey on the proposed road link to China via Myanmar this month with the consent of Yangon, officials said. Its communications ministry has requested the foreign affairs ministry to seek the opinion of Myanmar authorities in this regard, the New Age newspaper said Tuesday, quoting an unnamed government official. Dhaka would focus on having a road link to China through Myanmar and settling the maritime delimitation during bilateral talks with Myanmar's Vice Senior General Maung Aye, who is paying a three-day visit to Bangladesh.Myanmar will have to build a 120 km road from Bawlibazar to China border Kyautaw to that end. During the talks, Bangladesh will try to pursue the Myanmar delegates on this point."We're looking forward to expediting the whole process while we talk," Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said. He added that Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, during his visit to China in September 2007, also laid emphasis on building a road between the two nations through Myanmar.Chowdhury said maritime border demarcation would be an important feature at the bilateral talks. Bangladesh and Myanmar sat in April in Dhaka to discuss demarcation after a gap of 22 years.The next maritime talk is scheduled to be held in Myanmar in January next year. The two countries cannot carry out offshore oil and gas exploration because of claim and counter-claim of the seabed of the Bay of Bengal.Bangladesh also has a sea border with India, with whom talks have recently been held to resolve the long-standing maritime border demarcation issue. All the talks, however, ended inconclusive.However, the long-pending issue of repatriation of the Rohingya refugees, the Muslim tribals who have fled Myanmar following military crackdown, is not on the agenda, say foreign ministry officials.The Rohingya influx has become a major concern for Bangladesh as approximately 30,000 refugees are residing in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar and Chittagong, in southern Bangladesh. --Indo-Asian News Serviceved/sh/dg359 Words07101334
    2008-10-07 04:03:10

  • Truck with immigrants overturns in Turkey, 18 killed

    INT24International/Accident/ImmigrationTruck with immigrants overturns in Turkey, 18 killedAnkara, Oct 5 RIA Novosti At least 18 people were killed and 23 injured after a truck with illegal immigrants overturned in western Turkey Sunday, media reported. The accident occurred near the town of Malkara in the Tekirdag province. According to NTV television, the driver lost control of the truck, following which the vehicle overturned. The driver fled the scene of the accident, NTV said. Earlier reports said that a passenger bus overturned in western Turkey. The governor of the Tekirdag province, Aydin Nezih Dogan, who had visited the scene of the road accident, said that most victims were citizens of Myanmar. Turkey is a major transit route for people who try to reach Europe illegally. --RIA Novostidkg/vt138 Words05101644
    2008-10-05 07:02:07
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