Daily News on October 1, 2011

ChinawantsitscompaniesinterestsrespectedafterMyanmarhaltsdamprojects

Peaceandamnesty:dialoguebetweenAungSanSuuKyiandBurmesegovernmentcontinues

PressStatement:possibleembezzlementoffundsinDVBthumbnail

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WhyMyitsoneplanisbeinghalted

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ChinawantsitscompaniesinterestsrespectedafterMyanmar
haltsdamprojects
ByAssociatedPress,Updated:Saturday,October1,7:38PM

BEIJING China urged Myanmar on Saturday to protect Chinese companies interests after the usually
pliant Southeast Asian country surprisingly suspended a jointly backed, but much criticized, $3.6 billion
dam project.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei called on Myanmar to hold consultations to handle any
problems with the Myitsone dam and reminded the Yangon government that both countries agreed to
the project after rigorous reviews.
The Chinese government ... urges the relevant government to protect the legal and legitimate rights
and interests of Chinese companies, Hong said in a statement carried on the ministrys website.
Myanmar President Thein Seins Friday announcement of the suspension of the dam project, which has
started construction, came after the dam project drew strong opposition from environmental activists and
ethnic groups living near the site.
It was a turnabout in relations with China, which has poured billions of dollars of investment into the
country to operate mines, extract timber and build oil and gas pipelines.
Some of Chinas biggest companies are involved in the Myitsone project, among them China Power
Investment Corp., which is providing financing; China Gezhouba Group Corporation, which is building the
dam; and China Southern Power Grid Corp., which expects to buy most of the power generated.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/china-wants-its-companies-interests-respected-aftermyanmar-halts-dam-projects/2011/10/01/gIQAGN5RCL_story.html
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October 1st, 2011

Clean Government , Good government





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http://khonumthungburmese.org/?p=2069
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10/01/201109:34
MYANMAR

Peaceandamnesty:dialoguebetweenAungSanSuuKyiandBurmese
governmentcontinues
byYaungNiOo

ThirdmeetingbetweenoppositionleadersandLabourMinisterAungKyi.Talksjudged"satisfactory
andincludedprotectionoftheIrrawaddyandnationalstability.Burmesepoliticalexpertsconsider
therecentpoliticaldevelopmentsinBurmesepolitics"positive",freedoftheinfluenceofGeneral
ThanShwe.

Yangon(AsiaNews)Apossibleamnestyfor(political)prisonersandapermanent
ceasefirewitharmedethnicgroups.Thesejustsomeoftheissuesdiscussedduring
ameetingyesterdaybetweentheBurmeseoppositionleaderAungSanSuuKyiand
LabourMinisterAungKyi,atSaneLaeKanThar,agovernmentbuildinginYangon.
Lastingabout77minutes,itisthethirdofficialmeetingbetweentheNobelLaureate
andtheseniorofficial,andcomeafterafacetofacemeetingwiththepresident
TheinSeininrecentweeks.Analystsjudgethepoliticaldevelopmentsofrecent
weekspositive",whichcouldleadtoa"realchange"inMyanmar.

Inanofficialstatementreleasedafterthemeeting,bothsidesexpressed"satisfaction"withthe
outcomeofthemeetingwhichalsodiscussedjointcooperationinprotectingtheIrrawaddyRiver,
collaborationforthestabilityofthenation,andthereaffirmationtheprincipleofsuperiorityoflawand
order.TheleaderoftheNationalLeagueforDemocracy(NLD)andtheMinisterhavealsobrought
forwardanewroundoftalksinthenearfuture.AungSanSuuKyi,66,alsowelcomedthedecisionof
PresidentTheinSein,whoorderedthesuspensionofworkontheconstructionofthedamonthe
IrrawaddyRiver(seeAsiaNews29/09/2011BurmesePresidentstopsconstructionofMyitsonedam)."It
isveryimportantsaidNLDleaderthat[thegovernment]hearsthevoiceofthepeople.Thisistherole
thateverygovernmenthastofulfil.TheGovernmentmustworktoresolveissuesofconcernamongthe
people."

Burmesepolicyexperts,interviewedbyAsiaNews,judgethemeetings"positive",for"positiveresults
andarealchangeforthewholecountry."InthelasttwodecadesinMyanmar,powerhasremained
firmlyinthehandsofthemilitarydictatorship.Nowthenewciviliangovernment,appointedbythe
Parliamentinrecentmonths,despitebeingbackedbythearmyandformedbymanyexofficers,seems
moreorientedtoconcedesomeopeningsalbeitcautiouslytotheopposition.

Accordingtothesource,an"institutionalroleintheshortterm"forAungSanSuuKyiisunlikely,but
"herentryintothecountry'spoliticallifeisinevitable"and"desirableassoonaspossible."Peopleseem
readyto"trust"thenewgovernment,whichappearstohavefreeditselfaccordingtounofficial
rumoursfromtheinfluenceofGeneralThanShwe,fatherandmasterofMyanmarforthepast20
years."Accordingtosomeaddsanofficial,onconditionofanonymityitseemsthatThanShwehas
problemsofpersonalsafety."

Theprocesstowardsthefulldemocratizationofthecountrymaystillbefaroff,but"thejourneyinthe
rightdirection"hasalreadybegun.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Peace-and-amnesty:-dialogue-between-Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-andBurmese-government-continues-22788.html
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/burmese/burma/2011/10/111001_khinaungmyint.shtml
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BBCNews

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/burmese/burma/2011/09/110930_myitsone_dam.shtml
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VOA News: By

Victoria Nuland

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http://www.voanews.com/burmese/news/-09-30-11-myitsone-us-130873288.html
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VOA News: By

DVB


DVB

DVB

DVB
report ()

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DVB

management

DVB





DVB
http://www.voanews.com/burmese/news/Burma-DVB-09-30-11-130889493.html
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PressStatement:possibleembezzlementoffundsinDVBthumbnail
ByDVB
Published:30September2011

1.TheManagementandBoardofDirectorsoftheDemocraticVoiceofBurma(DVB)havediscovered
thattheleadershipofDVBInsideOperationsinBurmamayhaveembezzledin2010,uptoBaht9
million(1.7millionNorwegianKronersorapproximately300,000USDollars)fromfundsallocatedfor
journalistsandoperationsinsideBurma.

2.PreliminaryinvestigationsbytheBoardshowthatotherDVBjournalistsworkinginBurmaand
elsewherewerenotinvolved.

3.TheExecutiveDirectorofDVB,AyeChanNaing,andtheDeputyExecutiveDirector,KhinMaungWin,
althoughnotinvolvedintheembezzlement,havetakenfullresponsibility.Theyhavesteppeddown
fromtheirmanagementpositionstoenableexternalauditorstoconductanimpartialinvestigation.
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4.TheBoardofDirectorshaveacceptedthedecisionofthetwoExecutiveDirectorsandhaveappointed
HarnYawnghweasActingExecutiveDirectorofDVBtooverseeoperationsintheinterim.

5.TheDVBBoardhasinitiatedlegalaction.ThisinitiativeisofcrucialimportancetoprovethattheDVB
asanexiledmediainstitutionthatpromotesdemocraticvaluesandtransparencydoesnotallowany
organisationalpracticesthatgocontrarytowhatitispromoting.DVBisregisteredasaNorwegian
Foundation.

6.ThisprocesswillnothaveanymajorimpactonDVBoperations,noronanyoftheDVBaffiliates.

Overtheyears,DVBhasbuiltupanextensivenetworkofreportersinsidethecountry,whichhas
deliverednewsunderchallengingconditions.Thefactthat17DVBjournalistsfromthenetworkat
presentareservingfrom3to65yeartermsinvariousprisonsinBurmaisaclearindicatorofthe
selflessanddedicatedworkofthesejournalists.

(HaraldBockman)
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VOA New: By

(FIFA) MNF

FIFA





FIFA








FIFA


FIFA





World Cup appeal
appeal
appeal




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FIFA

http://www.voanews.com/burmese/news/Burma-MNF-09-30-11-130893088.html
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RFA News: 2011-09-30

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http://www.rfa.org/burmese/news/president-message-09302011094451.html
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VOA News: By &

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http://www.voanews.com/burmese/news/news-analysis/news_analysis_10-01-2011-130886503.html
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30September2011Lastupdatedat12:10
BBCNewsBurmadam:WhyMyitsoneplanisbeinghalted
ByRachelHarveyBBCSouthEastAsiaCorrespondent

Inarareconcession,theBurmesegovernmenthassuspendedalongplannedandhighlycontroversial
hydroelectricdamprojectinthefaceofgrowingpublicopposition.

ThecampaignagainsttheconstructionoftheMyitsonedambroughttogetherconservationists,
scholars,andpoliticalactivistsincludingAungSanSuuKyi,andhadbecomeaserioustestforthenew
civilianled,militarybackedgovernment.

MyitsonewasbeingdevelopedjointlybythestateMyanmarMinistryofElectricPower,theprivately
ownedAsiaWorldCompanyofBurmaandtheChinaPowerInvestmentCorporation.

Scheduledforcompletionin2019,thedamwouldhavecreatedareservoirsome766sqkm(296square
miles)anareaslightlybiggerthanSingapore.Thevastbulkoftheelectricitygeneratedsomereports
sayasmuchas90%wasdestinedforexporttoChina.

MyitsonehadbecomesomethingofacausecelebreforthosewhofearChina'sgrowinginfluencein
Burma.Beijing,exploitingthevoidcreatedbyinternationalsanctions,hasmovedrapidlytoharvest
Burma'srichnaturalresources.

"There'sawidespreadperceptionthatChinahastakenadvantageofBurma'ssituationoverthesepast
decades,"accordingtoThantMyintU,authorofWhereChinaMeetsIndia:BurmaandtheNew
CrossroadsofAsia.

"BurmacanbenefitenormouslyfromChinesetradeandinvestment,butthereisalmostboundtobea
backlashifChineseprojectsareundertakenwithzerotransparencyandlittleconcernfortheirimpact
onlocalcommunities."

Myitsoneis,orratherwas,beingbuiltattheheadoftheIrrawaddytheconfluenceoftheMaliand
N'MairiversinKachinstate.It'sanareaofrichbiodiversity,lessthan100kmfromatectonicfaultline.
Ortoputitanotherway,Myitsonewasahugeconstructionprojectinanenvironmentallysensitive,
earthquakeproneareawherearmedethnicminorityKachinfightersarebattlingtheBurmesearmy.

TheKachinIndependenceOrganisationsawthedamasadirectthreattoitspeopleandtheir
livelihoods.Thousandsoflocalvillagershavealreadybeenresettledtomakewayforthedam;
thousandsmorewouldhavebeenforcedtomoveastheprojectdeveloped.Buttherewasnopublic
consultation.

Burma'sbirthplace

Thepotentialenvironmentalimpactishardertogauge.ThereisnolegalobligationinBurmatoconduct
anyassessment,thoughtheChinaPowerInvestmentCorporation(CPI)didcommissionastudyby
ChineseandBurmeseexperts.Thereporthasnotbeenmadepublic,butpartshavebeenleakedto
activists.Itisunderstoodtohaverecommendedtwosmallerdamsbebuiltinsteadofone,butthat
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advicewasignored.

AccordingtoGraceMang,fromlobbygroupInternationalRivers,theCPIinsteadsaiditwouldstudythe
impactofthedamduringitsconstruction."Thewholepointofconductinganimpactassessmentisto
preventormitigateimpactsbeforetheyoccur,"shesaid."Ifit'sfoundthattheenvironmentalorsocial
impactisunacceptable,thentheprojectshouldn'tbegoingahead."

Intheevent,itmayhavebeenculturalandpoliticalcalculationsthatledtotheprojectbeingsuspended.
TheMyitsonedamresonatedwellbeyondtheconservationistorKachincommunitiesbecauseofits
location,atthebirthplaceoftheIrrawaddy.

"TheIrrawaddyistheBurmesepeople'sheritage,lifelineandcivilisation,"saidAungZaw,editorofthe
Irrawaddynewswebsite."Everyonefeelsattachedtoit.That'sthereasonthecampaign[againstthe
dam]gainedsuchsupport."

OutsideBurma,activistsfrombothenvironmentalandhumanrightsgroupsthrewtheirweightbehind
thecampaign.AsGraceMangputit:"Theyareflooding,quiteliterally,thebirthplaceofBurma.That's
whysomanyareopposed."

'Bolddecision'

Despitethefactthatthemanresponsiblefortheproject,Burma'sministerofelectricpower,ZawMin,
onlyrecentlyvowedthat"wewillneverbackdown",othergovernmentfiguresbegantowaver.A
diplomaticsourcebasedinRangoontoldtheBBC:"Therearesignsofincreasinguneaseamongsome
ministersinNayPyiTaw.Maybesomepoliticalleadersdonotwanttheirlegacytobeoneofirreparable
damagetotheIrrawaddy."

Thisis,afterall,agovernmentthathasbeentryinghardtoconvinceascepticalpublicathomeand
abroadthatitisdifferentfromitsmilitarypredecessorandseriousaboutreform.Speakingaheadofthe
announcementthattheMyitsoneprojectwastobeputonice,BurmeseauthorThantMyintUput
forwardtheviewthatthedamcouldbeaperfectopportunityforthenewadministrationtoproveitself.
"Suspendingworkonthedamwouldbethebestsignsofarthatthenewgovernmentisseriousabout
takingpopularconcernsintoaccount."

ItseemsBurmesePresidentTheinSeinagrees.Thegovernmentwillpointtothisdecisionasconcrete
evidenceofitswillingnesstolistenandtoworkintheinterestsofthepeople.Itscriticswillinterpretthe
moveasacynicalpieceofpublicrelationswhichcaneasilybereversedtheMyitsoneprojecthas,after
all,onlybeensuspended,notcancelled.
AungZawthinksthesuspensionoftheMyitsoneprojectmayencourageBurma'slongsuffering
activists.

"ItisabolddecisiontostandupagainstChinabutthereareseveraldams[dueto]bebuiltalongthe
Irrawaddy,"hesaid.

"WhataboutothermegaprojectswithChina,includingthegaspipeline?Ipredicttherewillbemore
campaignsinthefuture."
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