Burma Dialogue

A Welsh MP is pleading with Britian to block all investments in Burma.

Britain is the second largest source of approved investment in Burma.

You can view complied list via Global Unions of 468 companies profiting in Burma. There is a list of 31 British companies, last updated March of this year (follow link for info on each company).

This BBC report is optimistically envisions a world where the SPDC's National Convention offer hope and probability of democratic progress, but notes,

This might be where Burma's political future is being mapped out, but ordinary Burmese have not been invited.

The NLD continues to boycott the Convention. General Thein Sein has referred to Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy as an "destructive element"

whom, he claimed, were using terrorist methods to undermine the convention.

Recently the junta announced administrative changes at the local level,

allowing many civilians the opportunity to participate in local administration. The government’s move can be read in many different lights as there is no end in sight for Burma's grinding 57-year-old civil war, despite the extensive military upgrades in last many years.

....the country however still maintains its military control. Appointing to important government posts are still a monopoly of the military establishment. Respective army divisions still hold their posts as chairmen of the states and divisions. In the administration system of Burma, commanders of army divisions have been appointed as the heads of the states and division ever since General Ne Win's rule began in 1962.

At the start of Oct. the regime began training members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association to replace educated civilians as local village administrators.

"If we don't attend it [the training], the soldiers come to our village and call us forcibly even if we tell them [the authorities] the reason for not being able to attend. So we are made to attend despite our disapproval," said a trainee from Waw Township in Bago division.

DVB reports Two more villages were forcibly relocated for Burma’s new capital. The NLD have refused to relocate and remain in Rangoon. Many outside organizations like the ILO have also have trouble relocating which makes it difficult to communicate with those in charge.

Previously six villages were relocated to build Ayela Airport for the capital, but the authorities still haven’t given a single pya to the villagers for their confiscated farmlands. Moreover, the displaced villagers are in trouble as they were relocated along the motorways where they could not make a living for their families.

A member of the British House of Commons, Stephen Crabb, gave a lengthy speech this week on human rights in Burma. He ended the speech with a most inspired quote by Zoya Phang

'Promoting human rights and democracy is not imperialist. It is not a cultural issue. It is everyone's business.'

Burma Digest poetically illustrates Burmese will and the issues of speaking out in Burma,

They may silence the voice of people by clamping down on media. They may shut up people’s mouth by intimidation. They may lock up people’s lives behind bars. But they cannot close down people’s mind. They can never seal the people’s conscience down under the shutters of fear.