Burma Peace Rally in San Francisco (Dec 9th, Sunday)

Burmese American Democratic Alliance (BADA) is organising a Peace Rally in San Francisco on December 9th, 2007 (Sunday).

Driving for Burma

A Burmese guy from Toronta, Canada is going to drive across North-America to raise awareness for Free-Burma Campaign.

Starting from December 1st 2007, he will be driving from Toronta (Canada) to Washington DC (USA), then to Los Angeles, California (USA). It is driving across the whole United States from east-coast to west-coast. From Los Angeles, he will drive up north to Vancouver (Canada) and then will be back to Toronta (Canada).

His car will be painted with all the "Free-Burma" posters.

We strongly support him for such a brave, unique and fantastic idea!
This is a very innovative way to raise awareness for our Free-Burma activities.

For more information, you can visit www.drivingforburma.blogspot.com.

Singapore Police & Burmese Demonstrators

This is the video taken at the Demonstration in Singapore. It was on Nov 20th, at downtown Singapore. You can see that the singapore police force came, asked questions and recorded the Identification/info of the demonstartors.

That's the major difference between Singapore and other Western countries.
We did our peaceful demonstrations here in the U.S quite a few times and no police asked for any ID. Same in other countries as U.K, Australia, Norway or Japan.

A few of my friends in Singapore have already got written warnings from the police and they had to give a few visits to the police stations. Two of my friends have their personal computers taken away by the police without prior notices.

Thanks Niknayman (niknayman.blogspot.com) for the video.

Fund Raising for Peace in Burma

Just a kindly reminder for our Fund-Raising event that will be held this coming Sunday.
Show your support. Show your unity. Contribute something for peace in Burma.
See you all then.

Burma Protests during ASEAN Summit at Singapore and Malaysia

There were a few protests in Singapore and Malaysia on November 20th 2007, during the ASEAN Summit.

All the protests were triggered by the announcement from the ASEAN Summit that ASEAN would not ban Burma Junta from their organization.

(Ref: niknayman.blogspot.com)

EU and ASEAN call for Burma's Democracy

(http://www.reuters.com)

By Jan Dahinten and Koh Gui Qing

SINGAPORE (Reuters) -

The European Union and Southeast Asian leaders called on Thursday for enhanced economic cooperation and the release of political detainees in military-ruled Myanmar, but set no deadlines for either.

A free-trade agreement between the EU and its fifth-largest trading partner the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has stumbled over issues such as reform in military-ruled Myanmar, which the EU slapped sanctions on this week.

A joint declaration welcomed the decision of the Myanmar government to step up dialogue with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and called for a peaceful transition to democracy, although the two blocs clashed over sanctions.

"We see some progress, but it is not sufficient," Jose Socrates, acting president of the EU, told a news conference.

"I disagree that the EU and ASEAN have fundamental differences over Myanmar -- both want human rights and democracy -- and both want to achieve that goal," Socrates said.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said negotiations between the blocs "should not be held hostage" by the Myanmar issue and said they had agreed to move faster towards free trade.

"It will take a lot of creative work," Lee said.

Talks over a free-trade agreement kicked off in May but have made little progress since then.

"We need to quicken our pace. We need to put in a little bit more drive," said the EU's trade chief Peter Mandelson. "I have two concerns. One is the...level of ambition."

The two groups said they would be mindful of the different levels of development and capacity in moving towards a deal. ASEAN encompasses Cambodia, one of the poorest countries in Asia, and Singapore, the second richest in terms of GDP per capita.

Mandelson said banking secrecy laws in Singapore, one of Myanmar's biggest investors and accused of acting as banker to Myanmar's military rulers, were not a stumbling block to a deal.

The leaders said they had not spoken much of financial market turbulence, with EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso telling Reuters he was concerned about the strength of the euro -- at a record high versus the dollar -- for European exporters.

The leaders said record oil prices were also a worry, with Barroso saying they agreed in talks on climate change on the need to move away from fossil fuels to a lower-carbon economy.

"We are determined to go to the next conference in Bali to achieve a result," said Socrates, adding this would be a two-year road map to agreed on a new framework to replace the Kyoto Protocol by 2009.

Next month's Bali conference is seen by the UN, financial markets and green groups as one of the last opportunities for more than 180 nations attending to agree to work on a global formula to fight climate change before the protocol's current targets end in 2012.

LITTLE PROGRESS

The EU diplomats welcomed a new ASEAN charter -- enshrining principles of democracy and human rights, economic integration and environmental protection -- but advocated a "carrot and stick" approach for reform in Myanmar.

The EU this week adopted sanctions against 1,207 firms in Myanmar and expanded visa bans and asset freezes on the country's military rulers in response to their bloody crackdown on the biggest pro-democracy protests in nearly 20 years in September.

The United States also expanded its sanctions against Myanmar's rulers in October. But ASEAN leaders say sanctions reduce the chances of leading the regime on a democratic path.

EU officials said once the bloc was satisfied with the progress of reforms, it could do more to help fight poverty in Myanmar, where protests started over fuel price hikes.

"There's great potential if we can further remove obstacles to our bilateral trade," said Barroso. "It's up to ASEAN members to decide how far to go," he said, on ASEAN's integration aims.

ASEAN still needs to define what it means by a single market, with common economic and social policies or a single currency as in the EU seen as unlikely, analysts said.

U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said this week a U.S.- ASEAN trade deal was unlikely because of the political situation.

Diplomats say the new ASEAN charter, which gives the group a legal identity, means that the current option of excluding Myanmar from trade deals will end.

The charter, signed on Tuesday, needs to be ratified by the 10 ASEAN member states within 12 months for it to take effect. But the Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said its Congress might not ratify unless Myanmar releases Suu Kyi.

(Additional reporting by Geert De Clercq and Chua Baizhen, Writing by Neil Chatterjee; editing by Bill Tarrant and David Fogarty)

Aung San Suu Kyi's Book: "The Voice of Hope"

Today, I read Aung San Suu Kyi's one of the famous books called" The Voice of Hope".
It is a very good book.
Here is the details about that book.

The Voice of Hope: Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, or the Dalai Lama, Aung San Suu Kyi has become an international symbol of struggle against repression and brutality. In The Voice of Hope, she emerges as a human being--a mother of two sons as well as an inspirational human rights advocate and all-around moral compass. Once a soft-spoken scholar living in England, this daughter of a Burmese military hero catapulted to prominence as the spokesperson for her country's beleaguered democracy movement.

Even when imprisoned by Burma's ruling junta, she continued to work for freedom and human rights, eventually winning the Nobel Peace Prize and attracting the world's attention to the plight of Burmese dissidents. The Voice of Hope chronicles nine months' worth of her conversations with British-born Alan Clements, a Burma expert and former Buddhist monk. The two discuss love, truth, power, compassion, and freedom from fear as well as Aung San Suu Kyi's own brand of activist Buddhism. In the process, a portrait emerges of a profoundly religious as well as political leader, a woman who used years of house arrest to develop her meditative practice, mindfulness, and spiritual strength. (Amazon.com)

Tortures from Burma Prisons (The Darkness We See)

This book is about all the tortures from Burma Prisons.

Event in Singapore was a Success

Date: 17, November, 2007 (Saturday)
Time: 5pm - 8:30 pm
Place: Excelsior Hotel, (beside Pennisula Plaza, City Hall, Singapore)
What: Talked about current Burma's situation and what to ask for from Singapore Government. An official proposal will be submitted to the ASEAN Summit that is being held from Nov 18 to 22nd.

Fund Raising For Burmese Democracy Movements

We are organizing another Fund-Raising Event for the Burmese Democracy Movements all over the world.

Date: December 2nd, 2007 (Sunday)
Time: 10 am to 3pm
Place: Monterey Park, Los Angeles, California, CA 91754

Intention:
Our Brave Burmese people inside Burma are fighting for Democracy against the brutal military regime. We would like to take a part in the movement and raise funds to support our brave people.

What is going to be there:
Different stalls for
- Varierities of Food,
- CD, DVD, T-shirts, Caps and others.

Please come and support!

Singapore bans Myanmar protest at ASEAN summit

Koh Gui Qing
Reuters
18 Nov 07
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/17/AR2007111700300.html

Singapore has banned all outdoor protest at a summit of Southeast Asian nations and rejected an opposition party's request to stage a Myanmar pro-democracy protest, police and activists said on Saturday. Leaders of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are set to sign a common charter that would turn the 40-year-old group into a legal entity.

Myanmar prime minister Thein Sein is expected to come, which would mark the first appearance of a top junta member at an international forum since the regime's bloody crackdown on protesters in September. Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site.

Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

About 2,500 police have been mobilized for the event and roadblocks have been set up in streets around the venue, where ASEAN will meet other Asian leaders, including Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao and Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. A police official told Reuters that two applications for an outdoor protest had been rejected, but one for an indoor protest had been approved. He declined to say who the applicants were or where the indoor protest would be held.

The opposition Singapore Democratic Party said on its Web site the government had rejected its application for a protest to "call on ASEAN member states to take concrete measures to promote democracy in the region rather than just make empty promises." Under Singapore laws, any public gathering of more than four people requires a police permit."The Charter states that ASEAN would promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people in the region. How does ASEAN intend to do this if its chair bans outright any form of political activity?" the SDP said.

An SDP member told Reuters the party had not decided if it will stage a protest anyway.Protected AreasIn September 2006, during the IMF-World Bank meetings in Singapore, SDP leader Chee Soon Juan ignored a police ban on outdoor protest and made headlines worldwide with a dramatic standoff with police, which formed a human barricade around the handful of SDP activists, blocking them in a city park for four days and nights to stop them from holding a democracy march. Police said that for the duration of the ASEAN summit, four areas, including the summit venue and the president's palace, had been marked as "protected areas." This means that police can search or detain anyone in the area or ask them to leave.

A group of international students from the National University of Singapore plans a Burmese democracy demonstration outside the summit venue, a statement on the SDP Web site said."The students will wear red t-shirts and stand in groups of four to remain within Singapore's stringent laws against the freedom of assembly," it said. Diplomats expect that the annual ASEAN summit will be dominated by the Myanmar issue.

Human Rights Watch has urged ASEAN to establish deadlines to implement a binding regional human rights mechanism.On Friday, the U.S. Senate voted to urge ASEAN to suspend Myanmar until the military regime shows respect for human rights.The charter that ASEAN is set to sign on Tuesday does not include provisions for suspension or exclusion of members, one of the committee members who drafted the text told Reuters on Friday. Singapore and other ASEAN members have said that keeping Myanmar inside ASEAN offers better chances of putting the country on the road to democracy.

International students to attend forum to explain protest action

Singapore Democrats17 Nov 07

The group of students who will be protesting outside the Shangri-la Hotel on Monday, 19 Nov 07, will be present at the forum tomorrow to relate what they will be doing at Monday's protest.

The forum is organised by Sg Human Rights, a new group comprising of Singaporean rights activists. The international exchange students have taken the courageous step of demonstrating their solidarity with the Burmese people and they want to express this at the ASEAN Summit.

They also want to let the Burmese generals know their outrage of the brutality against peaceful protesters and monks.They are also other activities at the forum. There will be a greeting card for Burma as well as a petition to the Singapore Government (see www.sghumanrights.org) for all to sign.Letters and messages from all over the world will be read out during the forum.

Balloons carrying a "Free Burma" message will also be released to symbolise our wish to see Burma freed from the clutches of the tyrants. As you can see this will be an exciting and meaningful event.

Come and hear what the international students have to say and give them your support. Come and let ASEAN know that we want firm action action against Burma. Come and let the Burmese junta know that we want them to stop their repression.Come and let the Singapore Government that we want democracy and freedom in our own country. Come and be part of this landmark event.

Bring your friends and relatives.Tomorrow 2:00 pm at Quality Hotel, Balestier Road.Remember Wear RED!

U.S. Congress urges ASEAN to suspend Burma/Myanmar

Paul Eckert & Philip Barbara
Reuters17 Nov 07
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN16418653

The U.S. Senate voted unanimously on Friday to urge the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to suspend Myanmar until the military rulers there show respect for human rights.The Senate resolution, approved concurrently by the House of Representatives, came days before the leaders of ASEAN meet in Singapore next week for their annual summit.

The resolution urged the grouping "to review Burma's membership in ASEAN and to consider appropriate disciplinary measures, including suspension, until such time as the Government of Burma has demonstrated an improved respect for and commitment to human rights."The military government of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, was quoted by U.N. human rights envoy Paulo Sergio Pinheiro on Friday as acknowledging that at least 15 people were killed in September's crackdown on the biggest democracy protests in nearly 20 years.

Friday's nonbinding resolution was sponsored by Senator Barbara Boxer, chairwoman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs.In a statement published on her Web site, the California Democrat called on ASEAN to follow up its condemnation of Myanmar's crackdown with concrete punitive steps."I appreciate the strong comments from ASEAN member nations condemning the junta's violent suppression of peaceful protesters in Burma. I

t is now time for ASEAN to back its words with actions," Boxer said.ASEAN groups Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Singapore squirms as Burmese Protest

Asia Times:

By:Alex Au

"Police take a stern view against those who organize and participate in illegal assemblies or processions. It is an offense to do so without a permit." This sharp warning was carried in the country's national daily on September 27, 2007 in an attempt to warn off anyone intending to organize marches.

The country was not Burma, but Singapore. A month earlier, on August 25, 2007, 30 to 40 Burmese residents in Singapore had marched two kilometers down Orchard Road, the main shopping street, to a point near the City Hall.

They did so to show solidarity with the then-nascent protests in Rangoon over the recent fuel-price hikes. "They just wore ordinary white T-shirts, carried no placards, and no one shouted slogans," reported an observer. "It was entirely peaceful." The point was to send pictures back to Burma to encourage their compatriots. Barely 20 steps from the starting point, the group was intercepted by a police inspector and four or five officers videotaping the participants.

The inspector "advised" the participants not to proceed, or else they might face charges. To underline the seriousness of the warning, ID particulars of 23 of the participants were recorded. Despite this, the march continued, only to encounter the same police officers about one kilometer further on, near the presidential palace. Another warning was given.

A week later, at the end of August, the 23 participants received letters from the police requiring them attend police interrogation over this "illegal procession". They had to make signed statements, and were issued a warning not to participate in any such activities again. Said one of those who was called up, whose name has to be withheld for her own safety, "the police told us: 'If you do it again, you will be deported immediately'." As protests intensified in Burma, with monks joining in and being beaten and arrested for their trouble, Singaporeans too were increasingly moved by events over there.

University students began to organize, choosing October 4 to hold a mass event across four campuses. The police were not far behind. At the Singapore Management University, a 7.30pm peace vigil was set to take place in the open deck on the ground floor of the library building. "At mid-afternoon, the police contacted the Dean of Students telling him that unless we had a permit, the Peace Vigil would be an illegal assembly," said Mark Myo, one of the organizers. The event thus had to be moved indoors into the library.

Something similar happened at the Kent Ridge campus of the National University of Singapore. The campus newspaper, The Ridge, reported that "appeals were made to hold outdoor vigils", but the proposal was rejected, "as it is not in keeping with the university culture and may not serve an academic purpose". In the end, at Kent Ridge, the vigil didn't take place at all.

The most contentious case could be the battle of wills that took place at the end of September between the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and the police. The SDP had set up a petition table outside the Myanmar embassy and invited people to come sign two petitions - one to Singapore's prime minister, the other to the Myanmar ambassador. At one point over 200 people, Singaporeans and Burmese, showed up.

They lit candles, stuck messages onto the embassy gates and stayed on peacefully as a gesture of solidarity. Throughout, the police tried to tell people to leave, videotaping faces in an attempt to scare individuals off. "We advise you to leave; we are investigating this case," repeated the officer-in-charge ad nauseum. Some left; others moved a little, but still hung around.

At the entrance to St Martin's Drive, where the embassy was located, more policemen were deployed to prevent people from walking up the narrow road towards the embassy and the petition-signing area. A man named Wunna was among those who tried to enter. "The plainclothes policemen stationed there warned me not to proceed into the road, or else they would investigate," he said. He decided not to risk it, and turned back. By then, Singapore's foreign minister, George Yeo, had already issued a statement on behalf of Asean "demand[ing] that the Myanmar government immediately desist from the use of violence against demonstrators."

It would hardly do for the Singapore government to engage in similar behaviour. Even short of violence, prosecution and deportation would put them in the same moral basket as the Myanmar military junta. It is an open secret that the Singapore government and many companies here happily do business with the Myanmar generals. As reported in the newspaper Today, on October 5, "Myanmar's official data reports Singapore as its second-largest investor with over US$1.57 billion, mostly in the services sector."

Flowing in the other direction are funds connected with the regime, substantial amounts of which are believed to be parked in Singapore banks. Moreover, the Myanmar generals regularly come to Singapore for medical treatment. This cozy relationship may explain the fact that police surveillance of the 30,000 - 60,000 strong Burmese community in Singapore has been going on for a long time. Said Aung Naing: "Sometimes, we feel that they are tapping our phones.

During one recent conversation with my husband, we heard a woman's voice in the background." Aye Aye, a petite young woman with Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi's face emblazoned on her T-shirt, recalled a police officertelling her once, "We keep records on you." Wunna added: "At events such as prayer sessions, birthday celebrations, and the annual water festival, we see police vans nearby."

Intelligence officers regularly contact organizers of events to find out what they are up to. "Just before the birthday celebrations for Aung San Suu Kyi in June this year," Wunna recalled, "the intelligence officer contacted one of the organizers with detailed questions about the agenda, what kinds of documents they were going to distribute, and so on."

That reminded Aung Naing, an engineer with a master's degree, "The same thing happened just prior to the water festival in April." The Burmese community uses a small street beside a Buddhist temple for this festival. Different groups park vehicles along this street, decorated as focal points for their celebrations. "In 2006, our lorry had a big poster, four feet x six ft, of Aung San Suu Kyi on it. But this year, the police contacted us and told us not to put up her picture," he said.

His wife chipped in: "We negotiated and thought we could to put up a smaller picture, three ft x five ft." But on that day itself, a monk from the temple told them the police had called with a warning that the picture had to be taken down within 30 minutes. "If not, they would come and arrest us," she recalled the monk saying. That was April, before the crisis in Burma broke out. Now, with the world's attention focused on the plight of Burmese deprived of liberties, arresting them in Singapore may prove rather hard to do.

The Singapore government is caught in an acute dilemma. On the one hand, they have to make suitably outraged remarks about the crackdown against demonstrators in Burma; on the other hand, they do not want the Burmese community in Singapore to protest and inspire Singaporeans to take to the streets too. The Lee government's draconian ban on any kind of street march or protest rally is central to its grip on power.

Another dilemma has to do with the transition that sooner or later will happen in Myanmar. Memories of what happened after the fall of Indonesia's Suharto, with whom Singapore had been very cozy for decades, are still fresh. Singapore continues to suffer suspicion from the new democratic polity in Jakarta nine years after the dictator's fall in 1998.

With the rapidly changing situation in Myanmar, Singapore has to walk a fine line between the generals and those arrayed against them. The SDP's agility in seizing the issue and championing the cause of the protestors presented another headache. The government would be aghast at the prospect of an opposition party burnishing its credentials as a result of its timely outspokenness. The government's response may well be Machiavellian.

A few days after the standoff at the embassy, many in the Burmese community received a mysterious sms that warned them not to go to the Myanmar embassy to sign petitions but instead sign petitions at Peninsula Plaza where it was "more effective and safe". Peninsula Plaza is the shopping mall that serves as the hub of social life for the Burmese community. Thiha recalled, "We could not recognize the number. We don't know who sent it." In his opinion, "the undercover police approached active members of the community to do a parallel petition." Despite that, Thiha said, "I appreciate that the Singapore police, at least, is corruption-free.

But I want to suggest that they in turn should appreciate the situation in Burma, and our movement." Kyaw Swar, a geologist, thought Singapore should lighten up more. "There should be freedom of expression. Even if a country is small, rights should not be alienated from human beings." "They should not deal with the generals," stressed Thiha, bringing up the subject of medical treatment for them.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was recently on CNN saying that offering the junta leaders medical treatment was only being humanitarian, in keeping with the Hippocratic oath. "If Osama bin Laden needed medical treatment," Thiha asked, "will Singapore allow him to come or not?" Alex Au is an independent social and political commentator, freelance writer and blogger based in Singapore. He often speaks at public forums on politics, culture and gay issues.

(Copyright 2007 Asia Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. )

Singapore denies money laundering Myanmar leaders-AFP

SINGAPORE (Reuters ) -
Fri Oct 5, 11:43 PM ET

Singapore's prime minister has defended the country against accusations that it is a money-laundering centre for members of Myanmar's military regime in a AFP interview reported by local media on Saturday.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also said the country could not deny Myanmar leaders who travel to the wealthy island republic for medical treatment as this would be inhumane."We don't play dirty money, we don't condone money laundering. Our rules against that are as strict as any other financial centre - London, Hong Kong, New York," Lee said in the AFP interview broadcast late on Friday.European Union parliamentarians on Tuesday urged the city-state to ease strict bank secrecy laws to avoid becoming a financial haven for organised crime.

It also urged Singapore to punish the Myanmar generals that ordered the bloody crackdown on anti-government protests by seizing their assets in Singapore."The European Union parliamentarians were in Singapore. They wanted us to open up to them so that they can collect tax for Europeans who have invested in Singapore. That's a different matter altogether, nothing to do with Myanmar," Lee said.

Singapore is one of Myanmar's biggest foreign investors and its trade with the country formerly known as Burma was worth S$1 billion ($680 million) last year.Lee said denying Burmese leaders medical treatment in Singapore would go "against human nature"."I mean, somebody is sick, he wants to come to Singapore, he needs treatment and you're telling me that I shouldn't treat him because he's not a good man? It goes against the Hippocratic Oath of doctors," he said.

Myanmar junta leader Tan Shwe, 74, stayed in a Singapore hospital in January amid tight security for an undisclosed ailment. Myanmar Prime Minister Soe Win, 55, was in Singapore at least twice this year to treat an illness reported to be leukemia

Singapore weapons factory for junta

South China Morning Post
Wednesday, July 22 1998
WILLIAM BARNES in Bangkok

Singapore has supplied Burma's military regime with an arms factory that was designed and prefabricated by the island state's own weapons maker.The weapons made in the factory - thought to be EMERK-1 assault rifles with a bull-pup configuration, which shortens their length, had already started to be issued to soldiers guarding the controversial Yadana gas pipeline, according to the latest issue of the authoritative magazine Jane's Defence Weekly.

Singapore has previously supplied the regime with weapons at a critical time and has also built a cyber-war centre in Rangoon capable of telephone, fax and satellite communications.The purpose-built arms factory was created by Chartered Industries of Singapore, with the help of Israeli consultants.Although no official announcement has been made, the plant is understood to have arrived in Rangoon in 40 containers aboard the Singapore-registered vessel Sin Ho in February.

A decade ago - near the height of nationwide pro-democracy protests led by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi - Singapore shipped tonnes of ammunition, mortars and other war material to Burma.The shipments were marked as coming from a subsidiary of Chartered Industries of Singapore - Allied Ordinance, Singapore.Chartered Industries is the weapons arm of Singapore Technologies which supplied the regime with its highly efficient cyber-war centre.

The supplies were sent only weeks after the junta emerged following the retirement of the old dictator, Ne Win.They included rockets manufacturered under license in Singapore, but exported without authorisation from Sweden.Only China is more important to the dictatorial military regime than Singapore, which has frequently defended not only its links to Rangoon, but the junta itself.

Last November, Singapore tried to water down a United Nations General Assembly resolution critical of the regime's refusal to recognise the overwhelming victory of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in 1990 elections and widespread human rights abuses."Our position is different.

We have concrete and immediate stakes," argued the Singapore representative, Bilahari Kausikan, in a letter to the Swedish mission which drafted the resolution.Singapore had used weapons sales, military training and intelligence co-operation to "win a sympathetic hearing at the very heart of Burma's official councils", said Jane's Intelligence Review in March.

At about the time the small arms factory was arriving in Rangoon, Burma's intelligence chief, General Khin Nyunt, told a co-ordinating board for the Myanmar-Singapore Joint Ministerial Working Committee that his officials should "give priority to projects arranged by Singapore".

Singapore Feels Heat of Anti-Burma Drive

Financial Times (UK)Tuesday, November 13, 2007
By John Burton in Singapore and Amy Kazmin in Bangkok

With Burma's state-controlled banking system crippled by stifling regulations, Burmese business people ­ and others with access to hard currency ­ have for yearslooked to Singaporean banks to hold their assets.Singapore has a much more developed financial services sector than other south-east Asian countries.

The city-state, as an international finance centre, is relatively open to deposits from overseas, and its banks have an enviable reputation for service and efficiency. "Leading entrepreneurs in Burma regard Singapore as their refuge from the chaos of Burma's monetary and financial system," says Sean Turnell, a professor at Australia's Macquarie University and Burma specialist.But as the US leads efforts to increase the financial pressure on Burma's ruling military junta and its supporters, that practice has put Singapore in an uncomfortable spotlight.

Visiting the region last week, a senior US official called on Singapore and its south-east Asian neighbours to crack down on Burmese funds parked in their banks."We believe that there are [Burmese] regime officials with accounts in Singapore and other countries and we hope that governments will ensure that their financial institutions are not being used as sanctuary," said Kristen Silverberg, the assistant secretary of state in charge of co-ordinating US diplomatic policy with the UN and other international organisations.

The statement was one of the most explicit the US has made about the possible role of Singapore, its closest ally in south-east Asia, in sheltering the assets of Burma's military leadership.Bank secrecy laws prevent the Monetary Authority of Singapore from commenting on whether Burmese officials have accounts in the city-state, but it has said that any suggestion that junta leaders may be using it as a "financial haven" are "completely baseless".

It says it acts strictly against money-laundering of illicit funds, such as earnings from "criminal conduct", and funds linked to terrorist groups or regimes targeted by UN sanctions ­ which Burma has not been.But Prof Turnell says the source of the generals' money ­ if not actually illegal according to Singaporean law ­ is still of questionable legitimacy.

For years Burma's generals have been accused by opposition groups of exploiting a monopoly on profits from Burma's extensive natural resources."If anyone looks at any of the entrepreneurs, or any business in Burma that makes any money at all, it makes money in rent-seeking on the state in various forms," Prof Turnell says. "Thus, one might regard any of the money of the regime as somewhat ill-gotten".The US request for Singapore to restrict its banking ties with Burma comes as Singapore promotes itself as a regional offshore banking centre with some of the world's strictest bank secrecy laws.

Singapore has quietly co-operated with the US previously on similar issues. When the US imposed tougher financial sanctions on North Korea in 2005, funds deposited by the Pyongyang government in Singapore were removed under US pressure, according to an intelligence official with knowledge of the issue.Rangoon-based diplomats say the example of US financial pressure against North Korea has rattled the junta, already shaken by recent financial sanctions imposed by the US and Australia.

Banks in Singapore are required to identify "politically exposed persons", defined as senior officials from foreign governments, who might deposit funds in the city-state, according to MAS guidelines.Singapore, which currently chairs the Association of South-East Asian Nations and is host of next week's annual gathering of the group, has argued that formal economic sanctions could backfire on efforts to push the military junta into talks with the democratic opposition, though George Yeo, the foreign minister, has promised the city-state would comply with any UN-mandated sanctions.

Irrespective of government policy, Prof Turnell says Singaporean banks may be quietly re-evaluating or cutting their ties with Burmese elites."They are extremely jealous of their squeaky clean image ­ and the idea that they uphold more internationally accepted norms than other place," he says. "This has the potential to embarrass Singapore and tarnish that competitive edge."

Singapore PM Keep denying.....Singapore’s arms sales to Myanmar not substantial

By vusi October 24, 2007
The Straits Times (Singapore):

Singapore’s military sales and economic links with Myanmar were in the spotlight as MPs yesterday pressed for details and asked for tougher action, including sanctions against the junta.But Foreign Minister George Yeo, responding in Parliament, cautioned against applying more pressure, saying that sanctions or expelling Myanmar from Asean would make national reconciliation there harder to achieve.

The Myanmar issue dominated the question-and-answer session at Parliament’s sitting, with Mr Yeo responding to questions from seven MPs and a slew of follow-ups that came thick and fast.

Speaking in calm and measured tones, Mr Yeo told Ms Irene Ng (Tampines GRC), Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong and Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim that Singapore had few defence interactions with Myanmar.

Links had to be maintained with the military as it was a key institution there. But these were limited to a multilateral level, such as international meetings.
And while Singapore’s established policy has been not to divulge details of defence sales, he said that over the years, defence sales to Myanmar had not been substantial.

These had always ‘been carefully limited to items that are not suitable for countering civilian unrest’, he said. ‘There have not been any defence sales to Myanmar in recent years and, going forward, we will continue to behave in a responsible manner.’

There is no arms embargo against Myanmar, but Mr Yeo said Singapore would comply should there be one sanctioned by the United Nations. There was also ‘no truth’ to claims that Singapore helped set up a listening facility to monitor civil dissidents.
The Government had replied to The Age newspaper, and made repeated clarifications to Australian newspapers, but these were ignored.

Economic links with Myanmar were also limited. Trade last year amounted to $1 billion, or 0.1 per cent of Singapore’s total trade. Myanmar was 50th among trading partners, and cumulative total direct investments by Singapore firms at the end of 2005 was just $742 million.

‘Our policy on Myanmar does not hinge on this,’ he said, referring to trade and economic links. ‘Instead, our actions are guided by what is best for the long-term interests of Asean.’ Mr Yeo also reminded the House that the Monetary Authority of Singapore operated a strict regime against money laundering and procedures were in place to deal with suspicious transactions.

Regional and global attention has focused on developments in Myanmar after the junta’s recent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators and MPs wanted to how Singapore and Asean were responding. His key point to MPs on dealing with the Myanmar situation was to underscore the importance of staying engaged - even as Singapore and Asean register their strong concerns to the government.

The priority must be to support UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari’s efforts, and ‘it is important that whatever actions we take strengthen his hand and not make his already complicated task more difficult’, he said.

Cutting links with Myanmar would only give short-term satisfaction. ‘If we in Asean boycott Myanmar, we would lose our moral influence which is not insignificant. Such an approach would only worsen the long-term position for us,’ he said. ‘In any case, the preference of all the Asean countries is to continue to engage Myanmar, and keeping it in the family. This is certainly Singapore’s position.

Singapore Protest for Burma!

Date: Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Time: 12 pm to 1 pm in San Francisco

Program:

11:50 - 12:00 Gather at the Ferry Building (1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111)

12:00 - 12:20 Meditation walk to the Singapore Consulate (595, Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105)

12:20 - 1:00 Meditation protest/rally at the Singapore Consulate

Freedom for Burma Concert

What: Freedom for Burma Concert
Where: Sea World Seafood Restaurant
Rosemead, Los Angeles, California
When: Nov 18, 2007 (Sunday), 6pm to 11pm
Singers: La Sho Thein Aung and his Bands

Democracy for Burma Seminar

What: Democracy for Burma Seminar
When: Nov 17, 2008 (Saturday)
: 11am to 2pm
Where: Santa Monica Public Library, Los Angeles County, California
601, Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica
Speakers: Moe Thee Zun, Dr. Thaung Htut, U Mya Win

Join U.S. Campaign For Burma

Ref: http://www.uscampaignforburma.org

The United States Campaign for Burma is a U.S.-based membership organization dedicated to empowering grassroots activists around the world to bring about an end to the military dictatorship in Burma.

Through public education, leadership development initiatives, conferences, and advocacy campaigns at local, national and international levels, USCB works to empower Americans and Burmese dissidents-in-exile to promote freedom, democracy, and human rights in Burma and raise awareness about the egregious human rights violations committed by Burma’s military regime.

The leadership of USCB is comprised of seasoned human rights advocates, with experience both inside and outside the U.S. government. The board and staff, which include former Congressional staff, former Burmese political prisoners, and experienced advocates, are dedicated to increasing the profile of Burma and seeking solutions to the country’s decades-long conflict.

The core strength of USCB — individual members, community chapters, student chapters, and affiliates across the United States — is Americans and Burmese dissidents-in-exile.

In other words, we need you!

This is the USCB badge. Feel free to post this on your websites or blogs.

Want this badge?

Protest against Singapore Government over Burma (Nov 20th, Tuesday 11:50am to 1pm, San Francisco)

Burmese American Democratic Alliance (BADA) is going to have a protest against Singapore over Burma. We will be going to the Singapore Cosulate in San Francisco on next Tuesday (Nov 20th) from 11:50am to 1pm and do the protest. Please join us in protesting against Singapore Governmber over being supportive to the Burmese Junta.

Nov 20th date was purposely chosen because of the 13th ASEAN (Association of South East Asia Nations) Summit that will be held from Nov 18 to Nov 21. Singapore is currently the chair-country of ASEAN and it has been a safe haven for the Burmese Generals and their family members to keep all their money at banks, to buy nice houses, to go for medical treatments, and to go for expensive shoppings, while all the Burmese People back home are poor and starving.

Singapore has been a second home for Burmese Generals and their family members for their surgeries and expensive/advanced medical treatments. The Head of the Burma's Junta, Senr. General Than Shwe got his medical treatment at Singapore General Hospital in January 2007. Burma's then Prime-Minister General Soe Win was also treated in Singapore until September 30th 2007, before he died on Oct 12th 2007. Than Shwe's son-in-law, Tayza is said to have his good amount of private assets in Singapore. Tayza's two sons, Pine Phyoe Tayza and Htet Tayza, are said to be staying and studying at expensive private schools in Singapore.

So, Come and Join Us in the protest!

The whole world is watching.
Singapore, Please STOP supporting the Burma's Dictatorship NOW!!!

.........................................................................................................................................................................
Following is the more details about the protest:

What: Burma freedom supporters, organizations and groups working towards a speedy democratic development in Burma. And YOU. The Buddhist Peace Fellowship (www.bpf.org) and Buddhist Community, the Burmese American Democratic Alliance (BADA, www.badasf.org) and Burmese Community. We will practice walking meditation and hold a rally at the San Francisco Singapore Consulate during the 13th ASEAN Summit in Singapore.

Date: Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Time: 12 pm to 1 pm

Program:
11:50 - 12:00 Gather at the Ferry Building (1 Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111)
12:00 - 12:20 Meditation walk to the Singapore Consulate (595, Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105)
12:20 - 1:00 Meditation protest/rally at the Singapore Consulate

Press Contacts: Maia Duerr: 510 655 6169; Nyunt Than: 510 220 1323

How to get there: The closet BART station to SF Ferry Building and Singapore Consulate is the Embarcadero BART station. http://www.bart.gov/stations/stationguide/stationoverview_embar.asp
Walking route: Primarily walking on the platforms, from the Ferry Building we will cross the Embarcadero and to Market Street. On Market, we will walk towards Montgomery Street. The Singapore Consulate is located at the corner of Market and Montgomery streets. Please see the routing map here.

Our demands to Singapore Government:

Singapore is the current Chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), where the 13th summit will be held from Nov 18 to Nov 21. This is a major event for Singapore.

1. Amid the global effort (by the U.S., the European Union, and Burmese abroad) to expose dictators, their families, and their cronies (who are getting rich at the expense of people's misery and massive suffering in Burma), we demand Singapore to follow suit and take actions, impose sanctions, and expel these people.
2. We also want Singapore to stop arms sales to Burma and stop brokering arms deals for Burma to help the regime avoid EU-Burma arms embargo maintained since 1988 pro-democracy uprising.
3. The Singapore government must also stop pressuring, harassing, restricting, controlling and manipulating the Burmese population in Singapore which is outraged by the atrocities in Burma and wants to advocate and help for the betterment of their home country.
4. We also demand Singapore and the ASEAN as a whole to defend the peaceful protesters in Burma and to work with the U.S. and the United Nations to bring about a quick and peaceful transition to democracy in Burma.

Background:

1. Singapore is a safe haven for the dictators, their families, and their cronies, including drug lords. (See the recent statement by a senior officer from the US State Department below).
---------------------------------------------
"We believe that there are regime officials with accounts in Singapore," senior State Department official Kristen Silverberg told reporters in Thailand during a regional tour to drum up support for a tougher Asian stance against the regime.

"We hope that they ensure that their financial institutions are not being used as sanctuary for Burmese officials," said Silverberg, who is responsible for U.S. liaison with groups such as the Association of South East Asian nations (ASEAN).

Despite Washington's assertion that Myanmar's generals park their cash in banks in Singapore -- also their favoured destination for shopping and medical treatment -- Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong insists the financial system is clean.

"We don't play dirty money. We don't condone money-laundering," he told CNN recently.
----------------------------------------------

2. Singapore launders Burma's drug money. (Extensive work done by KPFA Dennis Bernstein and Lesley King; and a video documentary by an Australia Television has been a major embarrassment and political issue to the Singapore government; because carrying even small amount of heroin is punished by the death penalty in Singapore. In fact, the opposition member challenged the government to show the video to public from the government TV instead of just denying it. But they dare not.)
3. Singapore is the major arms dealer for Burma’s brutal dictator. Singapore has been serving as the middle man/agent and help SPDC avoid EU-Burma arms embargo placed since 1988 and has been making a lot of money from such illegal deals. Besides, amid the people's uprising in 1988, Singapore ship a weapons factory to manufacture assault rifles and ammunition to Burma's Junta to seek economic favor.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On 28 Sept 2007, Amnesty International urged the United Nations to immediately impose a mandatory arms embargo on Burma/Myanmar. One of the things mentioned by Amnesty was…..

In addition there have been allegations about Myanmar’s military relations with Singapore. According to Jane’s Intelligence Review, in 1998 Singapore supplied Myanmar with a purpose-built factory to manufacture assault rifles and ammunition. The plant was designed and built by a state owned Singapore company with assistance from Israeli consultants, then dismantled and re-assembled in Myanmar. (This is amid the peoples' uprising)

According to a recent report by the Associated Press…

Most known arms transfers to Myanmar are legal, and some are even reported to the United Nations. But other transactions are murkier, as countries more sensitive to international opinion apparently try to mask their activities. Analysts say these include India, as well as Israel and Singapore.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Singapore is the world class exporter of Furniture and jewelry by adding value to the cheap Burmese raw material obtained illegally and/or by sweet deals with Burma's brutal, but incompetent and corrupted regime under which people suffers greatly.

5. Singapore government pressure, harass, restrict, control and manipulate Burmese population in Singapore not to advocate nor protest against Burma dictatorship.

More on Singapore ties to Burma, please read here http://www.badasf.org/2007/WhySingapore.htm

(Ref: http://www.badasf.org/)
........................................................................................................................................................................

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's News aired on MRTV

This is the News that was aired on MRTV (Myanmar Radio and Television), Myanmar Government's TV station.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3_IeV7b5Gc