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BURMA HUMILIATES THE UN CHIEF AGAIN

Today was a sad day for Burma with the head of the UN Ban Ki-Moon humiliated once again by the Burmese Junta. He gave a rare public speech outlining his vision for a democratic Burma, just hours after the ruling junta refused to let him meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Ban told an audience of diplomats, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations that the military regime must free the pro-democracy icon and introduce other reforms for the good of the country's people.

"I am here today to say: Myanmar, you are not alone. We want to work with you for a united, peaceful, prosperous, democratic and modern Myanmar," Ban said at the Drug Elimination Museum in the commercial hub Rangoon. He used the ruling military regime's name for Burma throughout his visit.

"We want to help you rise from poverty ... work with you so that your country can take its place as a respected and responsible member of the international community," the secretary general said.

"But let me emphasise: neither peace nor development can thrive without democracy and respect for human rights. Myanmar is no exception."

Junta chief Than Shwe earlier Saturday refused to let Ban visit Aung San Suu Kyi.


Back on April the 10 of last year I constructed a blog on the the deaths of 54 migrant workers from Burma. The only possible escape for a lucky few from a brutal merciless dictatorship. I use these words carefully as I have witnessed it frequently with my own eyes. Of course they are just words and in a world where we are overwhelmed with atrocity upon atrocity before our eyes daily its easy to become numb to what the reality of todays news means for the impoverished destitute Burmese people tomorrow. The song below refers to immigrants from Mexico which is now termed a failed state. Burma has long since failed its people indeed as hurricane Nargis demonstrated the junta or regime has no regard whatsoever for its own people.

54 Burmese found dead in a cold storage truck

Fifty-four Burmese were found dead from suffocation, in a cold storage truck which was abandoned in Ranong province on late Wednesday.

Police also found 47 survivors. Of them, 21 were hospitalised in a nearby hospital. Police believed the Burmese were illegal immigrants who were smuggled into Ranong and were on their way to Phuket.

That was it, the total mention on one of the National newspapers here in Phuket, just a few lines. They were poor, they were illegal immigrants who were smuggled into Ranong and were on their way to Phuket to try to find work. The migrants were supposed to pay 5000 baht ($170) each to transport them from the Burma-Thai border in Ranong to the nearby paradise resort isle of Phuket.Probably most of the women were young mothers, forced to take their chances to feed their young children, this is the norm. Of the dead, 37 were women and 17 were men.

Of course if all of these young people were western students for example, the media coverage would be so much different.

Cheap lives in in our modern fascist world, where nobody seems to care. Where has our humanity gone ? Where has our natural human nature or empathy gone ??? The survivors were arrested.

I awoke to this news this morning here in Phuket, followed by the news that Israel refuses to allow the UN Human rights observer into Israel or the occupied territories. Once again another state snubbing international law and the UN with impunity.

 

Thai officials inspect the dead bodies of Burmese migrants who died in a seafood container in Ranong province. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

 

Link to Film Background;

http://www.hillerphoto.com/burma/fs_container.htm

KICK A DOG

Burma keeps hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons. Having lived myself, through years of a neo-colonialist war in the Northern part of Ireland and visiting Burma, I realized that this story of oppression, needs to be told in a sensitive way, so that people from a normal society can understand, what it is like to live, in such an oppressive environment, why people resort to violence in such circumstances, the above website and the account therein, is the best that I have found, to explain honestly, what Burma is like as I have seen it.

Why soldiers treat their own people like this, can be best explained from my own experience simply in the following crude way.

If you kick your friendly pet dog everyday for years you will create have a vicious animal. This is the sad reality of Burma from my observations, furthermore oppression has been so long and so chronic, the more sensitive are losing their minds.

Every day for many years now, Burmese people have been slaves to the Junta, they are literally like dogs who are kicked every day by a brutal society engineered by this bullying regime, this is what I have witnessed myself.

Change in the name of humanity, is imperative, after the recent ruthless crackdown of the Monk's demonstrations there.

They say the pen is mightier than the sword. I am not sure about that, can we try ?. We cannot allow the reality of Burma to slip into background again, until it is next popular to demonstrate, we must keep it in the international consciousness and limelight. I would ask you to please forward this story and website to a friend and ask them to pass it on.

BBC UNCENSOR BURMA

The BBC has some excellent reporters but unfortunately their editors and sub editors run a regime of brutal censorship. For some strange reason their censorship policy does not apply to Burma otherwise known as Myanmar. This is an example of one of their better reporters who in this instance was not censored.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8131869.stm

Nuclear North Korea Arming Burma

North Korea is secretly helping Burma to build an underground complex around it capital, along with other strategic locations. Believed to have begun in 2003, they are now ready for use, possibly including long range nuclear missiles.

North Korean technicians helped the Burmese Junta to construct underground facilities where they can also survive any threats from their own people or the outside world, in the event of Nuclear warfare with its neighbours or with its own people. It is not known exactly how many sites are linked to Burma’s reported efforts to develop nuclear technology from North Korea because of dangerous secrecy restrictions on communications with the outside world.

The export of nuclear know-how to Burma was first documented in June 2006, when intelligence agencies intercepted messages from Naypyitaw the new capital of Burma, confirming the arrival of a group of North Korean experts at the sites. North Korean tunnelling technology is of a very high quality, with bunkers and silos up to 50 meters below ground, offering facilities such as missile silos, nuclear laboratories, electricity, ventilation and running water. The missiles would put most of Burma's Asean neighbours along with India and Pakistan, within range of any possible nuclear Burmese strike.


Below is the latest linked report from Al Jazeera


http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/06/20096255353936689.html

NORTH KOREA MISSILE PARTS FOR BURMA JUNTA

A North Korean ship that a US destroyer is tracking as part of efforts to enforce UN sanctions, is believed to be carrying missiles or related parts, a report said on today.
South Korea's media citing an unnamed intelligence source, said the ship was heading for Burma via Singapore. The 2,000-tonne Kang Nam 1 left North Korean port of Nampo on June 17 with Burma set as its final destination media said.

"The United States believes that the Kang Nam 1 may carry missiles or related parts and that the ship is likely to stop at Singapore on her route," the source said.

A US defence official said on Friday the USS John S. McCain was shadowing the Kang Nam 1, the first vessel to be monitored under a UN resolution imposed, that bans shipments of arms and nuclear or missile technology to and from North Korea.

Another defence official said the ship was one of a group of vessels previously linked to illicit missile-related cargo. It was unclear what cargo the ship was carrying but 'once a suspect, always a suspect', he said.

US officials have yet to indicate if they will search the vessel under the UN Security Council resolution.

The North Koreans are expected to reject any such request. The ship will likely stop for refuelling along the Chinese coast or elsewhere, US officials said. At that point, the country where the ship enters port is obliged under the UN resolution to search the vessel if there are grounds for suspicion.

Pentagon officials declined to comment on a report saying the Navy destroyer was heading to intercept the North Korean vessel. The officials stressed that the UN sanctions do not authorise military force and that Washington was pursuing a diplomatic strategy.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running high since Pyongyang carried out its second nuclear test last month. After the underground test and subsequent missile launches, the Security Council adopted the UN resolution last week that includes financial sanctions designed to choke off revenue to the regime.

If the crew does not accept inspection on high seas, North Korea is required to direct the vessel to a port for inspection by the local authorities there.

Singapore, said it would act "appropriately" if the vessel docks at its ports. But there was doubt that Burma would cooperate with such an inspection.


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Aung San Suu Kyi

Today is the 64th birthday of Burma's detained opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.


Ms Suu Kyi has been under detention for much of the past 19 years.



Global action totally inadequate.



A message from a group of women Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including Guatemalan rights activist Rigoberta Menchu and anti-landmine campaigner Jody Williams said: "Your imprisonment and trial are a stark illustration of the brutality and lawlessness of the Burmese military regime."




http://www.hillerphoto.com/burma/fs_container.htm



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