On
Myanmar, UN Council's Weak Response Belies Rice's China and Russia
Claim, of Total and UK Banks
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, August 13 -- In a weakened and belated response to Myanmar's
sentencing of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to 18 more months of
house imprisonment, the UN Security Council on Thursday afternoon
issued a
"press statement" that touted Myanmar's sovereignty and noted Than
Shwe's reduction of the sentence from three years hard labor to 18
months at home.
Inner City Press asked the Council President for August, UK Ambassador
John Sawers, if there had been any discussion of the credibility of the
2010 elections, even if Suu Kyi were released, given the limitation of
top posts to those with military backgrounds. Sawers answered at length
that the Council supports national reconciliation, that the elections
must be inclusive, that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said that.
Many read the press statement as heavily influenced by China, with its
indirect praise of Than Shwe's mercy and Myanmar's sovereignty.
The weak press statement came less than 20 hours
after U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan
Rice told an audience at New
York University that she is working well with China and Russia,
even
fielding the latter's ambassador's call on the way to the NYU speech.
The U.S. had proposed a stronger Presidential Statement, but it was
delayed and watered down.
As
Inner City
Press wrote in its review yesterday of Rice's speech, for Rice to say
China and Russia are cooperating reflects to some a devaluing of the
importance of such issues as the dictatorships in Myanmar and
Zimbabwe, the slaughter of civilians this year in Sri Lanka, to say
nothing of killings in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, Chechnya
and Ingushetia. Working well
together?
France
too may
care less about Myanmar than it lets on. While President Sarkozy
speaks of sanctions, France-based oil company Total continues doing
business in the country. The same of true in Sri Lanka of UK-heavy
financial firms such as HSBC and Standard Chartered. So where is the
beef?
UK's Sawers and his minister with Ibrahim "Good Offices" Gambari
Inner City
Press asked Sawers about the additional European Union sanctions which
France, despite and without changing Total's investments, proposed on
August 11. Sawers said, in his national capacity, that the EU continues
operations on this and a decision is expected in a day or two. There
was a ruling earlier on Thursday -- but it does not impact Total or
many other European financial investments.
Footnote:
In
further
reporting on Ms.
Rice's speech, Inner City Press has learned that it
was written, at least initially, by speech writer Warren Bass in
Washington. Thus, to be fair, perhaps the omission of Africa in the
lede, which Inner City Press noted, is attributable to Bass and not
Rice. But the lack of focus on reform goes beyond its mention or
non-mention in a speech. And it was Ms. Rice herself who opined she's
working well with China and Russia. If Thursday's outcome on Burma is
any indication, the commitment to human rights is taking a back seat.
Watch this site.
Amid
UN's Myanmar Stalling, Exiles Curtailed in Jakarta, Suu Kyi House
Litigation
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, August 11 -- As in New York the UN Security Council delays
in even issuing a statement about the conviction of Aung San Suu Kyi
in Myanmar, in Jakarta a planned meeting of exiled Burmese democracy
figures was cut back by Indonesian authorities, from two days to less
than one. Three participants spoke to the Press in New York on August
7, in an event organized by Independent Diplomat, promoting their
upcoming Jakarta meeting. When four days later it was curtailed, no
update was given. On background, a media advisory arrived:
"Due
to restrictions by Indonesian police, a revised program to discuss
the Burma democracy movement’s transitional / national
reconciliation package with Indonesian parliamentarians, politicians
and Indonesia-based diplomats and NGOs will take place only briefly
tomorrow, Wednesday, August 12. The original two-day program, will
now be shortened to a one-day program where from 9 am -11 am a
briefing will be held for invitees and participants at the Sari Pan
Pacific Hotel and then continued in the afternoon from 2-5pm at the
Indonesian parliament, hosted by the PDI-P caucus at their office.
There are no scheduled events or meetings and NO press conference on
August 13."
Of
the three exiles
who appeared at the UN in New York on August 7, an Inner City Press
source writes:
"What
is intriguing about your items on 5 and 8 August is that the 'Trio'
seems to include both Sein Win (NCGUB) and Maung Maung (NCUB). Last
year, against SW's advice, MM tried to "unseat" the Myanmar
delegation. MM knew it was just propaganda, but he is a better
politician than SW. If they have really come together, that is news.
Of the Trio who met you, only Bo Hla-Tint is an elected NLD Member.
Maung Maung is the darling of AFL-CIO, the ITUC an the Italian Trade
Union Confederation, but was not elected in 1990. Sein Win is PND
(Party for National Democracy) and a cousin of Suu Kyi whose brother
Aung San Oo, a US citizen, married Le Le Nwe Thein who must have a
brother I assume to be Sein Win. Suu Kyi and Aung San Oo are fighting
for possession of 54 University Avenue which has supposedly just been
"sold" by family proxies for Aung San Oo, a sale which Suu
Kyi is currently contesting. Sein Win, wisely, keeps well out of this
family squabble.
The Lady, the house, the litigation not shown
In
2001
they were all good friends:
'Minister
U Win Sein, Chief Justice U Aung Toe, Attorney-General U Tha Tun and
Auditor-General Brig-Gen. Tin Aye then left the Mausoleum. U Nan Nwe
and family on behalf of U Aung San Oo and wife Daw Le Le Nwe Thein
and Secretary of National League for Democracy U Lwin and party, on
behalf of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi laid wreaths. Afterwards, families of
the Arzanis ["Martyrs"] laid wreaths at the respective
tombs and shared merits.' (New Light of Myanmar 20 July 2001)
The
UN Security
Council's deliberations will continue. Watch this site.
At
UN, Burmese Exile Figures Denounce Nuclear and Constitution Reports,
No Team Ban Meeting
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, August 8 -- Days before the military government in Myanmar
will announce its verdict on democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, three
exiled Burmese leaders came to the UN in New York and told the Press
of a "Proposal for National Reconciliation." Inner City
Press asked "prime minister in exile" Sein Win about the
Constitution that was pushed through in the wake of Cyclone Nargis,
and under which the UN is reportedly considering working with the
regime on a 2010 election.
Sein Win said that the under the
constitution, the Commander in Chief, who must have a military
background, appoints 25% of the seats. Since the Constitution can't
be amended with less than 75% of votes, he said, the military
essentially has a veto over any amendments.
Inner
City Press
asked about the reports of North Korea assisted tunnels and nuclear
developments in Myanmar. Foreign minster in exile U Bo Hla-Tint said
that the reports are worrying, and that the UN Security Council
should take them seriously. Ban
Ki-moon, when Inner City Press asked
him this week about the reports, replied that he had no information,
no substantial information.
Previously,
Ban's
envoy to Myanmar Ibrahim Gambari told Inner City Press that the Rohingya,
Muslims so mistreated in Myanmar they take to the seas,
facing further abuse in Thailand and elsewhere, are not within his
mandate. Inner City Press asked the trio who their proposal deals
with Rohingya. "They are citizens of Burma," said NCUB
General Secretary (in exile) U Maung Maung.
He added that
Burma does
not need a nuclear reactor, on which he said Russia is helping. We
already sell gas to Thailand, he said. "Burma does not look
forward to being a nuclear state."
UN's Ban with "former armed groups" -- who
refuse to go the government's bidding on the border, per trio
The
trio was not
able to meet with Ban's envoy, Ibrahim Gambari. Later, several Ban
advisers moaned that "we're going to get demarched on
Monday, why did you not receive, etcetera." The Ban advisers
said of the Burmese trio that they are "nice guys" but
"getting older and older" and "desperate." A wire
service journalist opined that his Asian bureau opined that "the
generals will never listen to them." It was, then, sad. But
heartfelt. We'll have more on this.
Footnote:
The August 7 press conference was organized and promoted by
Independent Diplomat, which also at the UN pushes issues of climate
change and small states and Western Sahara, among others. On the
latter, a UN staffer recently marveled at Polisario's representative
in Australia signing deals with Australian energy companies for some
future date, while the UN and its Office of Legal Affairs has
strikingly declined to comment on complaints that Morocco is illegal
moving to exploit energy and other resources.
The National Coalition
Government of Burma press release, seemingly referring to U.S.
lobbying rules, says that "more information is available at the
Department of Justice." Might DOJ have information or views on
the legality of Morocco's exploitation of Western Sahara? Or might
the War on Terror, even under Obama, still seem more important?
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