By Myint Thein - Senior Advisor to the Burmese Resistance The Burma Communist Party is planning a national uprising in Burma, the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors has started a bombing campaign in Rangoon,the Wa Drug Warlords are seeking revenge since the businesses they owned with Khin Nyunt were confiscated, and those that assassinated S-2 General Tin Oo are now targetting General Than Shwe. A prominent astrologer is predicting that Aung San Suu Kyi will be assassinated this year. 2005 will be a very dangerous year in Burma.

Foreign investors are becoming aware of the increased political risk in Burma. Ivanhoe Mines which operates the Monywa copper mine is trying to sell their business operations in Burma to Chinese companies. And the New York Times on January 7,2005 reports that China National Off-shore Corporation is engaged in negotiations to purchase Unocal Corporation which has significant business operations in Burma. (boxun.com)

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The Yadana and Yetagun natural gas pipelines was not attacked due to a gentleman's agreement between the Karen Army and the Thai Government. But there are now rumors that Muslim terrorists in Southern Thailand are planning to attack the Thai Embassy in Rangoon as well as the Yadana and Yetagun natural gas pipelines.

Burma is now paying the price because evil Khin Nyunt refused (or pretended) to engage in good-faith negotiations to secure a political settlement in Burma. The Junior Generals should not repeat the mistakes made by Khin Nyunt. They should take a good look at Indonesia. It is possible for a retired general, with a good and decent reputation, to become President in a free and fair election.

Conclusion : The Burmese generals has easily defeated the passive resistance campaign by Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy. Aung San Suu Kyi will remain an important figurehead, but the generals will now have to deal with tough-minded individuals who will fight them. (Asian Tribune - Date : 2005-01-09)

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Burma ruling junta is making peace, said Karen President

Suthep Chaviwan - Asian Tribune

President of the ethnic Karen National Union, (KNU) Saw Ba Thin Sein's said that the State Peace and Development Council, (SPDC) is likely to make proper attempts to seek proper ways and means to resolve problems with ethnic groups in the country including Karens.

Mae Sot, Thailand, 09 January, (Asiantribune.com): Burma Military Government is at present in the process of making peace with the Karen National Union and at present it does not engage in any military offensive in Karen areas in the recentl weeks.President of the ethnic Karen National Union, (KNU) Saw Ba Thin Sein's said that the State Peace and Development Council, (SPDC) is likely to make proper attempts to seek proper ways and means to resolve problems with ethnic groups in the country including Karens.

"At present peace is prevailing in Karen area, but it does not know how long this peace will exist," Karen's leader said.

He said that so far no peace pact has been signed between the SPDC and KNU, but it is a gentlemen understanding. "We have established our direct contact with military rulers in Burma and vice versa for direct contacts to discuss if in any problem arises in the Karens' region."

The KNU is reported to have established the direct contact with the leaders of the Burmese junta, through the SPDC's Military Intelligence which is headed by the new military intelligence chief, Maj-Gen Myint Swe, who is also the Commander of the Yangon Military Division.

Asked about the future of ethnic Karen displaced persons, reported more than 110,000 of them are at present languishing in the campsites located in Thai territory border with Burma. Bathin said that when peace and order restored in the Karen region, these people will be sent back. The junta is reported working on this matter, he said.

Other problems are also regarding the huge number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), mostly villagers who have fled their homes to escape conscription as military porters or for other abuses. More than a half million of them is massing near Thai border.

The ruling junta is making peace to relocate or resettle these displaced persons, the report said.

The KNU's liaison officer, Col. Soe Soe said: "There remains an unusual peace in Karen area at this time. The junta does not harass us."

The KNU officer who showed a degree of optimism said that a high ranking General of the Burmese junta told him that they are working for peace. "The first phase is to enter and maintain cease-fire in all our area and then follow it with peace negotiation." He further added: "There will be zone of peace, no military offensive. If the junta continues with this policy then it is better for our people and to all the concerned parties."

Soe Soe is a member of the KNU delegation that holds peace talk with the ruling junta on numerous occasions. The last round of talk was interrupted by the change in the junta's leadership when the Prime Minister, Gen Khin Nyunt, was ousted from his duty on 19 October 2004

Soe Soe said that it is not know when the next peace talk will take place. "It is up to the junta, but we are ready to take part at the negotiation,"he said.

Although on the initiative of the ousted Prime Minister Khin Nyunt several rounds of talks were held last year with the Burmese junta, "no substantive issues or political subjects have been talked," Soe Soe added.

"The leadership of junta in the past and present said that they want to make peace in our area and in the whole of Burma, but do not want to talk about politics," he said.

All issues connected with Politics, junta wanted it to be taken up at the National Convention. But the Ceasefire Groups that meet with the junta, however, had shared their opinion that they want to have their right of self-determination in Karen territorial area.

"We wanted to talk about the Federal set up for Karens, not autonomous or sovereign state for Karens as misunderstands by outsiders," Soe Soe said.

" WE want to have a federated state, Karen Federation with Burma, "emphasised Soe Soe.KNU which was founded in April 1947 demanding self-determination in the eastern Burma, known as Kawthoolei State, bordering Thailand is the oldest ethnic armed group in Asia.

It remains the strongest group in Burma in spite of split into two factions,the main stream KNU and the pro-Rangoon Democratic Karen Buddhist Organization, according to observers.

Suthep Chaviwan - a veteran journalist from Bangkok. Thailand. Born in the northeast of Thailand, close to Laos, 57 years ago and was a full time staff reporter of the "Bangkok Post" leading English news daily, for more than two decades. He contributed this interview to "Asian Tribune".(Asian Tribune - Date : 2005-01-09)

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Only ILO can help us rid of forced labour in Burma says released prisoner

Naing Min Kyi from Pegu: former judge, ex-political prisoner and rights activist explains his lufe in prison.

Naing Min Kyi was arrested on 18 July 2003 and charged with attempting to assassinate the leaders of Burma's military junta, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Initially, he was sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to life sentence and then reduced to two years in prison. He was at last released on 3 January 2005from the notorious Insein Jail in Rangoon . He was arrested with 8 other people and they were accused of reporting forced labour practice in Burma to the ILO and trying to assassinate SPDC leaders.

"In fact, if we look at the whole case of ours, they charged us on three accounts. We were accused us of trying to assassinate state leaders by blasting them with bombs on Martyrs Day (19 July) 2003, conspiring with the National League for Democracy (NLD) to mislead the people of Burma and reporting false news, and they gave us death sentence. But all the nine people, none of us had personal contact with each other. Neither did we know each other. The places of arrests were not the same. We had never seen the bombs. I had never thought in my life to do such a thing. There was no evidence or witness to verify that we did plot and plan to assassinate the state leaders on which day and the like. The point of conspiring with the NLD to mislead the people is neither true. We, Mon people do not regard the people/public as a herd of buffaloes or cows. We regard the public as our mother, our father. The public has already had high reasonable mentality. I want to say that you can't treat the people like a herd of buffaloes or cows. As regards to the accusation, the main culprit is U Myo Chit. We believe that he is an informer of the MI (military intelligence)."

"In order to make the people (of Burma) escape from the sufferings caused by forced labour, I believe that ¨C as far as I know ¨C there is no other organisation to free us except the International Labour Organisation (ILO). In our country, our people greatly suffer the pains of forced labour ¨C some people have to give away their lives. In order to escape from this kind of world, I contacted all the organisations within my reach with the intention of reporting to the ILO. I knew that if I did this kind of job, I would be tired, poor, starved, imprisoned and even killed. Would I do it? I decided to do it and proceeded. I didn't feel a thing when they gave me death sentence. My release also gave me no special feeling. According to resolution 39 of 1930 ILO Convention, the practice of forced labour was banned throughout the world. It is not me who fail to follow the law-like resolution. I have to carry on with this job as long as there is forced labour practice in Burma."

"While I was facing the trial, on 5 November 2003, Mr. Pinheiro (Paulo Sergio) and team¡­came to see us, encouraged us, helped us and demanded our release. And the Amnesty (International) demanded our release. Especially I want to say that the ICRC tried its best to provide us with medicines, food and help ¨C it was not only us ¨C the ICRC is an organisation that helps all kinds of prisoners. We have to give them thanks and honour, they deserve.

The ILO is the leader of all the lowly class, workers and farmers throughout the world. Therefore, the ILO is an organisation worthy of great respect for helping us to be free from the beginning, middle and to the end. I believe and regard that it is a parent-like organisation.(DVB News)

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Given below is the full text KNU Leader Saw Ba Thin Sein's full text of the New Year address:

Dear All the Karen People, Officers and Men of the Karen Revolution,

- Today is the Karen New Year Day of the Year 2744 Karen Era. On this New Year day, I wish you all to have health and happiness with the New Year. At the same time, I would like to talk about the following matters.

- First, I would like to say that the Karen are the people who started to enter and settle down in the country now known as Burma, around 739 BC. They are also the second largest in population among the peoples who have entered and settled down in Burma. More than 1,000 years ago, when city states were the order of the day, the Karen people were able to live in freedom and peace. However, later, their freedom was deprived together with the national right to decide their own destiny, and they had to live under oppression through successive ages. For that reason, we have to strive on until this day, for the rights of the Karen people to decide their own destiny, to establish a viable Karen sate in accordance with the will of the Karen people, to enjoy democratic freedoms and to establish a federal union.

- If a people do not have the right to decide their own destiny politically, they will not be able to maintain their language, literature, culture etc., will become a dispossessed class of people, en mass, and die out eventually. We can distinctly see it, if we look into the disappearance of Pyu, Kanyan and Thet peoples, who had been well known during the period of Thayaykittaya (Pyi). As the struggle of the Karen people to get the right to decide their own destiny is related to the fate of the Karen people to remain as a separate entity, we must think deeply about it and strive on with unity.

- Nowadays, for gaining the right of the Karen people to decide their own destiny, the entire Karen people must have political alertness, unity and respect for Karen language, literature and culture. We must be "One" in spirit and mind. We must avoid acts and speeches that might harm our unity.

- The revolutionary resistance of the Karen people has been going on for more than 50 years. This resistance is not to harm the basic rights of other peoples but to gain our own basic rights. For that reason, we must respect the basic rights of the other peoples. There must be mutual recognition, peaceful co-existence and cooperation with the other nationalities for mutual benefit.

- At the present, we, the KNU are making an effort to resolve political problems justly in the interest of the Karen people. In making the effort, we always stand by our own basic principles. In saying principles, the 4 eminent principles of Saw Ba U Gyi are the most paramount. If we strive on with firm political objective, unity, steadfastness, courage, - political, military and organized alertness, and in firm cooperation with fellow ethnic and democratic forces, we shall certainly achieve victory and reach our goal.

- In closing, I wish you again to have all kinds of grandeur and may all your wishes be fulfilled!

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According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, there are an estimated one million internally displaced people (IDPs) in Burma today, with over 526,000 in Shan, Karen, Karenni and Mon areas of eastern Burma, living in dire conditions either in relocation camps under the control of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) forces or in temporary shelters in the jungle, or on the run, without access to adequate food supplies, health care, shelter or education.

Since 2002, at least 157,000 have been displaced and 240 villages destroyed, CSW stated in a recent report. Since 1996, an estimated 2,500 villages in eastern Burma have been destroyed, relocated or abandoned.

"While some areas of Karen State have seen a decrease in military activities since a verbal ceasefire was agreed between KNU (the Karen National Union) and the SPDC, and ceasefire talks commenced, other areas have seen no change," CSW reported. "Since the ceasefire talks began, the KNU has reported over 200 clashes between the Burma Army and KNLA troops." (boxun.com)