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Third Force parties register for electiony AHUNT PHONE MYATublished: 24 March 2010

ome political parties including so-called Third Force parties have begunregister for Burmas upcoming elections after the ruling junta last week

nnounced regulations for political parties registration.

ye Lwin of Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics (UMFNP)id registration forms for his party and 88 Generation Students and

ouths-Union of Myanmar, led by his younger brother Ye Htun, werebmitted to the Election Committee in the capital Naypyidaw Monday.

We have submitted applications to form political parties as provided ine [Election] Laws. I applied for the registration of the Union of Myanmar

ederation of National Politics, said Aye Lwin.

he 88 Generation Students and Youths-Union of Myanmar led by Ye Htun will stand as a separate party.

ye Lwin, known to have close ties with the ruling State Peace and Development Council, was a student ac1988 uprising against the military rule. Later, he switched sides and started running campaigns against

ternational sanctions on Burma under the banner of 88 Generation Students Union of Myanmar, inntrast with prominent pro-democracy 88 Generation Students led by Min Ko Naing.

hu Wei, chairman of another Third Force group the Democratic Party said the group has decided to entergistration and stand for the election.

We summoned a Central Executive Committee meeting on Sunday and concluded to register, said Thu W

We are to send a representative among our CEC members to travel to Naypyidaw and submit our applicat

ther Third Force groups planning to register for the election are Diversity and Unity party led by Nay Mei, a yet to be named group led by former 88 generation student activists Phyo Min Thein and Thein Tin

ung and the Union Democracy Party led by Shan politician Shwe Ohn.

urrently, about nine political groups are preparing to enter the elections.

eanwhile, the main opposition National League for Democracy is to decide on March 29 on whether togister and stand for the elections or not. Regulation for political party registration pointed in the Election

aws requires the group to expel its leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

he recently told her lawyers she would not even think of registering for elections but added she would let arty decide for itself whether or not to participate.

ource :http://www.dvb.no/news/%E2%80%98third-force%E2%80%99-parties-register-for-election/

Nasaka seizes 33 bags of salt, arrests 11 Rohingyaaungdaw, Arakan State: Burmas border security force, Nasaka seized 33 bags of salt and arrested 11ohingyas on March 23, according to a villager from Maungdaw Township.

he arrested people were trying to take 33 bags of salt from Maungnama salt field to Bawli Bazaar to sell inarket.

ut, Nasaka personnel from Aung Mingla outpost under Nasaka headquarters went to the Maung Nama saeld and seized all the salt and took it to their outpost after being tipped off.

ollowing their arrest, they were tortured and beaten up by Nasaka personnel in the outpost, sources said.

Aye Lwin giving speech at an a

sanction campaign event in 200

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he Nasaka personnel demanded a huge sum of money for them to be released.

asaka personnel have been exploiting salt producers of Maungdaw Township. Since January 5, Nasakadered salt producers to sell their produce to the Nasaka agents at lower than market prices, so the Rohinnnot take the salt from one village to another. It has to be sold to the Nasaka agents at lower prices, said lt producer in Maungdaw Township.

local farmer in Maugdaw Township said, We work very hard in the salt fields and produce salt to get somofit, but we dont get any benefit from the production as we have to sell it to the Nasakas agents at lowerices.

ource :http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2497:nasaka-izes-33-bags-of-salt-arrests-11-rohingyas&catid=118:march-2010&Itemid=2

Sixteen Rohingyas arrested on borderaikonchari, Bangladesh: Sixteen Arakanese Rohingyas were arrested by police from Sacc Dala borderea of Naikonchari on March 23, said a source from Asartali.

hey were arrested while trying to go to Coxs Bazaar from Sacc Dala area of Naikonchari.

hey crossed the Burma-Bangladesh border to seek work in Bangladesh as they did not get jobs in Burma. rakanese Rohingyas are jobless in their own country, sources said.

ter arrest, they were handed over to the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) of Naikonchari by the police.

owever, whether the arrested were pushed back to Burma or not was not clear till the time of writing thisport, said another local.

his month, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and police arrested 65 Arakanese Rohingyas during in raids in differrder areas.

ource :http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2496:sixteen-hingyas-arrested-on-border&catid=118:march-2010&Itemid=2

Concerns expressed on Burma Human Rights Situationava Thakuria / Guwahatihe International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAurma Lawyers' Council (BLC), and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) have expressed gravncern on the human rights situation in Burma (Myanmar).

l the four important organizations have come to an united stand that the United Nations Human Rightsouncil should endorse the report and the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur on Burma andend a clear signal to the Burmese authorities that a tremendous accountability gap remains unfilled and irrent approach to national reconciliation is deeply flawed.

entionable that Professor Tomas Quintana, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rightstuation in Myanmar, in his latest report to the Council on March 15, 2010 commented that there is a pattgross and systematic violation of human rights which has been in place for many years and still continue

IDH, ALTSEAN Burma and BLC have already drawn the attention to the fact that some of these allegedolations may amount to international crimes and the Burmese government is thus obliged to investigate osecute those responsible and provide redress to victims, said in a statement released on March 23, 201

http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2497:nasaka-seizes-33-bags-of-salt-arrests-11-rohingyas&catid=118:march-2010&Itemid=2http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2497:nasaka-seizes-33-bags-of-salt-arrests-11-rohingyas&catid=118:march-2010&Itemid=2http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2496:sixteen-rohingyas-arrested-on-border&catid=118:march-2010&Itemid=2http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2496:sixteen-rohingyas-arrested-on-border&catid=118:march-2010&Itemid=2http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2497:nasaka-seizes-33-bags-of-salt-arrests-11-rohingyas&catid=118:march-2010&Itemid=2http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2497:nasaka-seizes-33-bags-of-salt-arrests-11-rohingyas&catid=118:march-2010&Itemid=2http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2496:sixteen-rohingyas-arrested-on-border&catid=118:march-2010&Itemid=2http://www.kaladanpress.org/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2496:sixteen-rohingyas-arrested-on-border&catid=118:march-2010&Itemid=2

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multaneously from Paris, Brussels and Bangkok.

gned by Souhayr Belhassen (FIDH President), Guy Ryder (ITUC Secretary General), Thein Oo (PresidentLC) and Debbie Stothard (Coordinator ALTSEAN Burma), the statement also added, The ongoing lack ocountability for these alleged violations at the national level, warrants the consideration by the UN of the

ossibility to establish a commission of inquiry with a specific fact finding mandate to address the questionternational crimes, as stated in Special Rapporteur's report.

peaking to this writer from Bangkok, Debbie Stothard informed that these organisations have long beenquesting for the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into allegations of international crimes comm

Burma.

As stated in his latest and previous reports as well as in those of other UN special procedures andechanisms, consistent reports of crimes perpetrated by the Burmese military include the destruction of o000 ethnic minority villages, rampant use of forced labour in certain areas, the conscription of tens ofousands of child soldiers, the forced displacement of over one million refugees and internally displacedrsons, and the widespread and systematic rape of women in the ethnic minority regions of the country,

dded.

ommenting on the proposed election in Burma, the coordinator of ALTSEAN Burma Debbie warned thatng as state sponsored and orchestrated violations continue unabated and have not been addressed, the

neral elections planned for this year will bring neither true democracy nor genuine national reconciliatioe country.

he concluded asserting, The undemocratic election laws announced recently and the Burmese governmeaction on key benchmarks established by the international community are also clear indications of thevernment's recalcitrance on real political reform.

ource :http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2532

Burmese Army wraps up first phase ofmilitia training in Kachin Stateith the Border Guard Force issue yet to be resolved and tension mounting, the first phase of the 11-day m

aining in Kachin State in the north was wrapped up by the Burmese Army after the junta announced theectoral laws on March 8, said local residents.

The militia training to the first batch called the 1/2010 militia bcombat battle training was given by Burmese Army trainers to 8residents of Tatkone quarter, one of the largest ethnic Kachinquarters in Kachin States capital Myitkyina, local trainees toldKachin News Group.

The training began on March 8, the same day that the junta relethe electoral laws and was concluded on March 19, the trainees s

All trainees were Kachin men and they were forced to join theBurmese Armys basic combat training by local military authoritreluctantly, they added.

During the training period, the civilian trainees were especiallytrained in basic combat like soldiers with machine guns, saideyewitnesses.

urmese soldiers trained the "basic combat

ttle training" to Kachin civilians in

yitkyina in Kachin State, northern Burma

fore the countrywide elections in this year.hoto: Kachin News Group.

http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2532http://kachinnews.com/News/Burmese-Army-wraps-up-first-phase-of-militia-training-in-Kachin-State.htmlhttp://kachinnews.com/News/Burmese-Army-wraps-up-first-phase-of-militia-training-in-Kachin-State.htmlhttp://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2532http://kachinnews.com/News/Burmese-Army-wraps-up-first-phase-of-militia-training-in-Kachin-State.htmlhttp://kachinnews.com/News/Burmese-Army-wraps-up-first-phase-of-militia-training-in-Kachin-State.html

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he second phase of militia training for local civilians is also underway in different quarters in Myitkyina, cal residents.

Puta-O, the remote and landlocked town in northern Kachin State, the Burmese Army is preparing to gie same basic combat training to local civilians, said Puta-O residents.

Bhamo late last year, civilians from each quarter and village were forcibly assembled in the guise ofeserved firefighters but they were given basic combat training by Burmese military trainers, said residenhamo.

ocal members of the junta-back Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) in Myitkyina andhamo also have to take basic combat training from the Burmese Army, said members of USDA in the twoties.

Kachin State, the junta forcibly recruited local civilians in the name of reserved firefighters and they wven basic combat training since the Buddhist monk-led anti-junta demonstration in 2007, according to lources.

eople in Kachin State believe that the junta is preparing for an offensive against the Kachin Independencerganization (KIO), the last remaining Kachin ceasefire group which has refused to transform its armed-w

the junta-proposed Border Guard Force.

ource :http://kachinnews.com/News/Burmese-Army-wraps-up-first-phase-of-militia-training-in-Kachinate.html

Security Council mulls Myanmar's electoral laws

FP/File Myanmar men read newspapers in a street of Yangon on March 9. The UN Security Council on Wednesday held

NITED NATIONS (AFP) The UN Security Council on Wednesday held closed-door talks on Myanmar writain and China clashing over whether it was appropriate for the 15-member body to weigh the military-runtry's electoral affairs.

he consultations, called by Britain following Myanmar's new electoral laws that disqualify detained demoon Aung San Suu Kyi, marked the first time the council took stock of developments in the country since laugust.

hey came on the eve of a meeting of the so-called Group of Friends of Myanmar at UN headquarters.

itain's UN envoy Mark Lyall Grant said many council members voiced concern about Myanmar's new

ectoral laws "which fall well short of what the international community expected in a free and fair procesll short of the expectations set up in previous (council) statements."

http://kachinnews.com/News/Burmese-Army-wraps-up-first-phase-of-militia-training-in-Kachin-State.htmlhttp://kachinnews.com/News/Burmese-Army-wraps-up-first-phase-of-militia-training-in-Kachin-State.htmlhttp://kachinnews.com/News/Burmese-Army-wraps-up-first-phase-of-militia-training-in-Kachin-State.htmlhttp://kachinnews.com/News/Burmese-Army-wraps-up-first-phase-of-militia-training-in-Kachin-State.html

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e noted that the council had repeatedly stressed the importance of releasing all political prisoners, includung San Suu Kyi, establishing a national dialogue and creating the right conditions for reconciliation.

yanmar's new laws relate to the registration of political parties and bar anyone serving a prison term froming a member of an official party.

ut China's new UN Ambassador Li Baodong, whose country maintains close ties with Myanmar, stressed neighbor was a sovereign state and that its upcoming general elections, the first to be held in 20 years, w

domestic matter.

e noted that holding elections was not an easy task for a poor country like Myanmar but was "a verymportant step in the process of national reconciliation, democracy."

t is very important for the international community and the Security Council to help Myanmar promote anstructive, healthy environment conducive to the coming general election," Li said.

ut Lyall Grant disagreed with the notion that the council should not get involved in Myanmar's electoralolitics.

We don't agree with that," he told reporters, pointing out that Myanmar was on the council's agenda.

We believe these laws set out a process which is not conducive to free and fair elections later this year andany ways seems designed to target Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD opposition party and to make it veryfficult for them to register for the elections," Lyall Grant said.

ung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) has yet to announce whether it will take part inolls, which are expected in October or November although the government has still not set a date.

eanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon was to chair Thursday's meeting of the Group of friends of Myanmar, wings together Australia, Britain, China, the European Union, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Norway,ussia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.

he group was set up in December 2007 as a forum for informal discussions and for developing sharedproaches to back UN efforts to promote democracy and national reconciliation in Myanmar.

arlier this month, Ban reiterated his call for "an inclusive political process leading to fair, transparent andedible elections in which all citizens of Myanmar, including Aung San Suu Kyi can freely participate."

he 64-year-old opposition leader has been in detention for 14 of the last 20 years since the previous electi

he was already barred from standing as a candidate under a new constitution approved in a 2008 referenat stipulates that those married to foreigners are ineligible. Her husband, British academic Michael Aris,1999.

he Nobel Peace laureate was sentenced to three years' jail last August over an incident in which a US manwam to her lakeside home. The sentence was commuted by junta supremo Than Shwe to 18 months underouse arrest.

ource :http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100324/wl_asia_afp/myanmarunmeet_20100324195416

Security Council mulls Myanmar's electoral lawsNITED NATIONS The UN Security Council on Wednesday held closed-door talks on Myanmar with Brnd China clashing over whether it was appropriate for the 15-member body to weigh the military-ruled

untry's electoral affairs.

he consultations, called by Britain following Myanmar's new electoral laws that disqualify detained demoon Aung San Suu Kyi, marked the first time the council took stock of developments in the country since laugust.

hey came on the eve of a meeting of the so-called Group of Friends of Myanmar at UN headquarters.

itain's UN envoy Mark Lyall Grant said many council members voiced concern about Myanmar's new

ectoral laws "which fall well short of what the international community expected in a free and fair procesll short of the expectations set up in previous (council) statements."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100324/wl_asia_afp/myanmarunmeet_20100324195416http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100324/wl_asia_afp/myanmarunmeet_20100324195416

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e noted that the council had repeatedly stressed the importance of releasing all political prisoners, includung San Suu Kyi, establishing a national dialogue and creating the right conditions for reconciliation.

yanmar's new laws relate to the registration of political parties and bar anyone serving a prison term froming a member of an official party.

ut China's new UN Ambassador Li Baodong, whose country maintains close ties with Myanmar, stressed neighbor was a sovereign state and that its upcoming general elections, the first to be held in 20 years, w

domestic matter.

e noted that holding elections was not an easy task for a poor country like Myanmar but was "a verymportant step in the process of national reconciliation, democracy."

t is very important for the international community and the Security Council to help Myanmar promote anstructive, healthy environment conducive to the coming general election," Li said.

ut Lyall Grant disagreed with the notion that the council should not get involved in Myanmar's electoralolitics.

We don't agree with that," he told reporters, pointing out that Myanmar was on the council's agenda.

We believe these laws set out a process which is not conducive to free and fair elections later this year andany ways seems designed to target Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD opposition party and to make it veryfficult for them to register for the elections," Lyall Grant said.

ung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) has yet to announce whether it will take part inolls, which are expected in October or November although the government has still not set a date.

eanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon was to chair Thursday's meeting of the Group of friends of Myanmar, wings together Australia, Britain, China, the European Union, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Norway,ussia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.

he group was set up in December 2007 as a forum for informal discussions and for developing sharedproaches to back UN efforts to promote democracy and national reconciliation in Myanmar.

arlier this month, Ban reiterated his call for "an inclusive political process leading to fair, transparent andedible elections in which all citizens of Myanmar, including Aung San Suu Kyi can freely participate."

he 64-year-old opposition leader has been in detention for 14 of the last 20 years since the previous electi

he was already barred from standing as a candidate under a new constitution approved in a 2008 referenat stipulates that those married to foreigners are ineligible. Her husband, British academic Michael Aris,1999.

he Nobel Peace laureate was sentenced to three years' jail last August over an incident in which a US manwam to her lakeside home. The sentence was commuted by junta supremo Than Shwe to 18 months underouse arrest.

ource :http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hD21AipHS_McYJEgn5B6WY3aIVWg

China Consortium Starts Work On MyanmarHydroelectric Project

EIJING -(Dow Jones)- Chinese state-owned enterprises have set up a consortium to build a $9 billion, 7.1-gawatt hydropower station across Myanmar's Salween River, a Chinese government agency said on itsWete.

hina's State Asset Supervision and Administration Commission said the dam in Myanmar would be jointlveloped by China, Myanmar, and Thailand.

he Chinese consortium includes China Three Gorges Corp., Sinohydro Corp., and China Southern Power

he three companies have started work on the project, the commission said on its web site.

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pon completion, the hydropower station will be the largest in Southeast Asia by installed capacity.

he three Chinese companies, which first signed an agreement to cooperate on the project in November 20e proceeding with the development plans.

he commission didn't say whether the electricity produced by the dam would all be used in Myanmar, or ime would go to China.

hina needs power and wants to reduce its carbon emissions, and it sees hydropower as a plentiful resourc

ccording to a report by China's state-run Xinhua news agency, the country will be revising its hydropowerget for 2020 to 270 gigawatts, 37% above an earlier target of 197 GW.

yanmar's military government is planning up to five big dams along the Salween to supply power to Chinnd Thailand, and has stepped up attacks on tribal groups in the area, mostly Kokang, Shan and Karen,cording to reports in Thai media and on the Web sites of activists monitoring dam development in the ar

he areas of the Upper Salween to be developed by the Chinese were secured last year in a series of Myanmvernment offensives against the Kokang in northern Shan State, according to an Oct. 19, 2009, report on

ww.salweenwatch.org.

onathan Shieber in Shanghai and Wan Xu in Beijing contributed to this article; Dow Jones Newswires;610-84007799;wan.xu@dowjones.com

END) Dow Jones Newswires3-24-100045ET

opyright (c) 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

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