Tensions Rise on Bangladesh-Burma Border
 |
| Rohingya mothers and children wait in a crowded clinic in Burma. |
The tension along Burma’s border with Bangladesh worsened after Burmese junta troops forced ethnic Rohingya to work on a 200-km wire fence separating the two countries. The work intensified after Bangladesh began a pushback of Rohingya refugees. Burmese authorities started building the fence earlier this year, saying it was intended to stop human trafficking. Bangladesh and Burma share a 320-km border, partly demarcated by the Naf River, a regular route for smuggling and illegal crossings by the Rohingya, a Muslim minority from Burma’s Arakan State. Apart from the refugee issue, a fresh confrontation appeared to be brewing between the two countries after Naypyidaw warned the US energy giant ConocoPhillips against exploring in an offshore block claimed by Bangladesh in disputed waters in the Bay of Bengal. The Burmese regime sent tanks, artillery and warships to the frontier region, and Bangladesh reinforced its defenses in the area with 3,000 more troops.
Cambodian Leader Offers Thaksin a Home
 |
| Thai protesters rally in front of the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok. |
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen unleashed a heated political debate in Thailand in October after offering a home to Thailand’s renegade former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. His offer—which included an assurance that Cambodia would not extradite Thaksin if he entered the country—threatened to exacerbate existing tensions over rival territorial claims. Hun Sen conveyed his offer to Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, a Thai politician and close Thaksin aide, in comments during his visit to Phnom Penh. Thaksin was ousted by a 2006 military coup amid accusations of corruption and later sentenced to two years in prison for violating a conflict of interest law. Hun Sen further provoked controversy by comparing Thaksin to Burma’s democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi Discusses Sanctions with Diplomats
 |
| Suu Kyi meets with Western diplomats. |
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with three Western diplomats in Rangoon in early October to gather information about the aims of their countries’ economic sanctions imposed on Burma. The diplomats were from Australia, Britain and the US. In September, Suu Kyi sent a letter to Snr-Gen Than Shwe seeking permission to meet the ambassadors to discuss a possible end to sanctions.
New Constitution Guarantees Junta Immunity: US Report
Burma’s new Constitution, which comes into effect after the 2010 election, will enshrine the culture of military impunity that has allowed the junta to commit countless human rights abuses over the past two decades, according to a report released by the New York-based International Center for Transitional Justice. The 40-page report, titled “Impunity Prolonged: Burma and its 2008 Constitution,” says the charter—approved last year in a referendum widely dismissed as a sham—contains a number of provisions that protect regime members from future prosecution. The report urges the international community to withhold support for the election until the regime amends the Constitution to end impunity for human rights violations.
Burmese Monks Arrested
At least 30 Burmese monks were arrested in September and October, the second anniversary of the Saffron Revolution.
COMMENTS (0)
RECOMMEND (9)
E-MAIL
PRINT
