FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press release from Burma Rivers Network
September 30, 2011
Burma Rivers Network demands official cancellation by China Power Investment of not only Myitsone but all seven Irrawaddy dams
The Burma Rivers Network (BRN) is encouraged by news that President Thein Sein plans to stop the construction of the Irrawaddy Myitsone Dam, but urges the people of Burma to demand an official declaration and pull-out of all personnel and equipment from the dam site by the project-holder, China Power Investment (CPI). BRN also urges continued pressure on the military government and the CPI to immediately cancel the other 6 mega-dams planned on the Irrawaddy source rivers, which will have the same devastating impacts on the country.
If the Myitsone project is indeed cancelled, this would be a great victory for the people of Burma, especially the brave villagers at the Myitsone site who stood up to the Burma Army and refused to make way for the project.
However, CPI is now in control of the Myitsone site and only their actions will confirm whether the dam is indeed suspended. There needs to be an official statement by CPI announcing this, and the Myitsone construction camps must be closed. Most importantly the people who were forced to move to the Myitsone dam relocation camp must be allowed to return their homes.
“Until the Chinese project holders publicly declare their cancellation of the Myitsone dam and pull out from the dam-site, we must assume the project is going ahead,” said Ah Nan, assistant coordinator of BRN.
Even if the Myitsone dam is cancelled, BRN’s campaign to stop all the seven hydropower dams at the source of the Irrawaddy will continue, as the other six mega-dams on the N’mai and Mali rivers, planned for export of electricity to China, will have the same effects as the Myitsone dam. Building these six dams will also cause irreparable environmental destruction, unpredictable water surges and shortages, and inflict social and economic damage to the millions who depend on the Irrawaddy. Thousands of Kachin villagers will also be forced to relocate.
| Contact: | Ah Nan (+66) 848854154 |
| Sai Sai (+66) 884154 |
For further information on the 7 dams planned at the Irrawaddy source,
| please visit | www.burmariversnetwork.org, |
| Email – | burmariversnetwork@gmail.com |
To download: English
Please find attached the September 2011 issue of ALTSEAN Burma Bulletin.
The Burma Bulletin is a short month in review of events in Burma,
particularly those of interest to the democracy movement and human
rights activists.
In the September 2011 issue you will find:
* Conflict in Kachin and Shan States
* Parliament avoids key issues
* Burma still top ATS producer
* Myitsone dam suspended?
* Arbitrary arrests and imprisonment
* US steps up engagement
* Other Burma news
* List of Reports
* Much more...
The September 2011 Burma Bulletin is also available online at:
http://bit.ly/q4sEDv
You can also receive daily Burma updates by following us on Twitter
http://twitter.com/altsean
Yours, in solidarity,
ALTSEAN-Burma
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| Map showing area of report |
The following is an update on a village that was hit with Burma Army mortar fire in June during fighting between the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), and Burma Army Infantry Battalion (IB) 283 (see previous report). On 7 June 2011, Burma Army mortar fire killed a seven-year-old child and wounded two other villagers when it landed in Mae Ta Ler Village in Kaw Taw Ri (Kawkareik) Township, Dooplaya District.
Pictured below is the deceased 7-year-old Saw Kaw Buh. He died that day (7 June 2011) from head injuries which he sustained due to mortar fire.
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| 7 year old Saw Kaw Buh, died from injuries sustained in a mortar attack |
Saw Lar, 17, was placed in the hospital with injuries to the left cheek and shoulder. The wounds are visible in the below picture and he is now in recovery.
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| Saw Lar, 17, injured in Burma Army mortar attack |
Naw Ku Kyi, a 25-year-old mother of three, originally sustained injuries to her forehead, back and fingers. She is pictured below in her condition immediately after the attack. She survived and is recovering.
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| Naw Ku Kyi, a 25-year-old mother of three, injured in Burma Army mortar attack |
July 2011 - The Burma Army increased its presence in Win Ye Township throughout the month of July.
Below are the units that have been added to the area.
| Burma Army Unit | Purpose |
| LIB 583 | Second column patrol between Yel Tagon and Anankwin. |
| IB 61 | Activities between Anankwin to Taungzon |
| LIB 566 | First column patrolling between Aplone and Taungzon; Second Column patrolling between Chongzon and Aplone |
| LIB 563 | First Column patrolling between Mae Ka to Three Pagodas; Second Column patrolling between Chongzon and Three Pagodas |
| Division 44- LIB 1 | Patrolling Tagontine, Lakazine, and Chongnakwa. |
| LIB 586 | Activities in Ye area |
| MOC 19 | Activities in Ye area |
| TOC 1 | Activities in Ye area |
| IB 106 | Activities in Ye area |
In June 2011, the Nyaunglebin District FBR team visited six villages with at least 800 families and 1800 people; they were able to provide medical assistance to over 400 patients.
Villagers stated in interviews that though the Burma Army has been less active in the area since the beginning of the year, Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 264 is still present with three camps - Kyauk Kyi, Bawgata, and Toe Ta Dah Camp. LIB 264 has been using civilians and village headmen for security, forcing them to report any Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA -- pro-democracy ethnic resistance) movement within their villages every two days.
On 12 June 2011 in Ler Doh Township, the Burma Army opened fire on two Muthey villagers who were searching for their buffaloes at Ee Tha Plaw. The troops shot at them with rifles and fired seven mortar rounds, though neither person was injured. The two villagers escaped the attack and were able to return to their homes.
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| The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) mission is to provide hope, help and love to internally displaced people inside Burma, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Using a network of indigenous field teams, FBR reports on human rights abuses, casualties and the humanitarian needs of people who are under the oppression of the Burma Army. FBR provides medical, spiritual and educational resources for IDP communities as they struggle to survive Burmese military attacks. For more information, please visit www.freeburmarangers.org |
© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR
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| Map showing area of report |
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| Map of Mergui/Tavoy area of Burma |
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| Three Burma Army soldiers in a nearby village |
Local leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU, pro-democracy ethnic resistance) reported activities of Colonel Tin Win, commander of Tactical Operation Command (TOC) 2 under MOC 13. All of these activities occurred in Ler Hpa Doh Village along the Tenasserim River in Ler Mu Lah Township, Southern Karen State. He summoned chainsaw owners to give him 100,000 Kyat per chainsaw on 15 September 2011, or else they are not allowed to work with their chainsaws. He also summoned motor boat owners who transport goods along the river to give him 200,000 Kyat per trip along with 2 gallons of gasoline. On the same day, he accused two men in the area of having contact with the KNU and forbade them from travelling outside their village. He confiscated 2 mobile phones and said they must give him 500,000 Kyat per phone to get them back. On 21 September 2011, he ordered his men to collect 2 sacks of rice from each boat owner in the region to refill his damaged rice. Often boat owners in this area are required to transport rice for the Burma Army free of charge and using their own fuel, and they are responsible for replacing rice that becomes wet or otherwise unusable during transport. The cost of one sack of rice at this time in this area is 25,000 Kyat. Any boat owners who do not obey this order cannot travel through this area.
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| Road construction work site |
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| Car road built by company to transport coal |
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| Medics treat patient |
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| Health class during Good Life Club program |
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| Making bracelets during Good Life Club program |
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| Relief Teams graduation Southern Karen State 2011 |
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| The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) mission is to provide hope, help and love to internally displaced people inside Burma, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Using a network of indigenous field teams, FBR reports on human rights abuses, casualties and the humanitarian needs of people who are under the oppression of the Burma Army. FBR provides medical, spiritual and educational resources for IDP communities as they struggle to survive Burmese military attacks. For more information, please visit www.freeburmarangers.org |
© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR
To unsubscribe from this email list, please respond to this email with the word REMOVE in the subject line, or send email to mailadmin@freeburmarangers.org.
ALTSEAN-Burma has released a briefer titled "Serious international
crimes continue in Burma under 'new' regime"
Since Thein Sein took office as Burma's President on 30 March, the
regime has continued to perpetrate crimes against humanity and war
crimes with total impunity. Reports of serious international crimes
have increased significantly in line with the escalation of the
ongoing Tatmadaw offensives in Kachin, Shan, and Karen States.
Women and children have been particularly vulnerable. In the past six
months, Tatmadaw soldiers raped and killed women during their
offensive in Kachin and Shan States. At least 30 cases of rape and
sexual violence perpetrated by military personnel have been
documented. The regime also continued to recruit children into the
military in order to offset the steady increase in desertions.
Those governments that hoped for a new "civilian" regime to deliver
some form of progress must recognize that an impartial and
independent Commission of Inquiry (CoI) is a necessary measure to
address the root causes of political crisis in Burma and empower all
stakeholders to push forward the agenda for reform.
The briefer is available at: http://bit.ly/oU9VAr
Yours, in solidarity,
ALTSEAN-Burma
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On 5 June 2011, gunfire broke out between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA -- pro-democracy ethnic resistance) Battalion 16 and Burma Army Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 373 between Jauke Ku Village and Myine Tha Ya Village in Win Ye (Waw Reh) Township, Dooplaya District. In addition to firing on KNLA troops, LIB 373, led by Battalion Commander Aye Min Soe, began firing on and mortaring nearby Myine Tha Ya Village and Aplone Village. When they arrived at Myine Tha Ya Village, the Burma Army forced the villagers out from their covering pits, which are holes the villagers dig in the ground to hide in for protection from crossfire. After forcing them out of the covering pits, the Burma Army forced the villagers to carry loads and serve as human shields and minesweepers on their six-mile patrol to Meh Ta Li Village. Amongst the group of villagers forced to carry loads were a 9 -year-old boy and a pregnant woman.
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| A 9-year-old boy who was forced to carry loads while walking between soldiers, serving as a human shield. |
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A 14-year-old girl who was forced to carry a baby so that the mother of the baby could carry loads. |
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A 50-year-old father who was forced to carry a load for six miles. |
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A 48-year-old mother who was forced to carry a load for six miles. |
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A 24-year-old mother who was eight months pregnant and forced to carry loads and serve as a human shield with her 5-year-old son in tow. |
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A 5-year-old boy who was forced to walk with his mother in between SPDC troops while they patrolled for six miles to Meh La Ti Village. |
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| A 53-year-old widow who was forced to carry loads without a shirt on for six miles. |
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| A 24-year-old mother who was forced to carry loads as another porter carried her 8-month-old baby alongside.
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if ($isReport){ //Info block for the bottom of all reports ?>
| The Free Burma Rangers (FBR) mission is to provide hope, help and love to internally displaced people inside Burma, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Using a network of indigenous field teams, FBR reports on human rights abuses, casualties and the humanitarian needs of people who are under the oppression of the Burma Army. FBR provides medical, spiritual and educational resources for IDP communities as they struggle to survive Burmese military attacks. For more information, please visit www.freeburmarangers.org |
© 2010 Free Burma Rangers | Contact FBR
To unsubscribe from this email list, please respond to this email with the word REMOVE in the subject line, or send email to mailadmin@freeburmarangers.org.
Please find attached the October 2011 issue of ALTSEAN Burma Bulletin.
The Burma Bulletin is a short month in review of events in Burma,
particularly those of interest to the democracy movement and human
rights activists.
In the October 2011 issue you will find:
* Mass release of prisoners
* Crimes, conflict in Northeastern Burma
* Regime detains protesters
* Regime displaces 112,000
* India-regime cooperation
* Regime angers China
* Other Burma news
* List of Reports
* Much more...
The October 2011 Burma Bulletin is also available online at:
http://bit.ly/vruB9G
You can also receive daily Burma updates by following us on Twitter
http://twitter.com/altsean
Yours, in solidarity,
ALTSEAN-Burma
