Thailand: Burmese ethnic armed groups ordered to inform junta of meetings

Kachin Independence Army recruits in training. Pic: AP

By Mark Inkey | @markinkey-By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices Nov 21, 2014 

Lt-Gen Sathit Pittrat, commander of the Thai Third Regional Army, has directed that Burmese ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) must give advance notice to and seek permission from the army for any meetings they intend to hold in Thailand.

The Third Regional Army, based in Pithsanulok, oversees security on the Thai-Burma border. In the future it may also send officers to observe the EAO meetings.

A Thai army officer told S.H.A.N. news: “They [the EAOs] would be required to give a written notice [of meetings] and allow one or two of our officials as observers. We will be happy to accommodate the peace process. Burma’s peace is in our interests.”

Many of the Burmese nationwide ceasefire negotiations between the The Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) on the ethnic side and the Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC) on the government side have taken place in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.

The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) is a coalition of ethnic armed forces based in Chiang Mai, which is also involved in the peace process.

NCCT joint secretary and spokesman Khun Okker confirmed that the Thai army had issued the order.

The NCCT was due to hold a meeting in Chiang Mai next week, which has been postponed pending approval from the Thai army

Khun Okker said: ““We have to ask permission from the Thai Third Army to have our NCCT meeting in Thailand so we have to delay the meeting date because the response from the military officer has not yet come back.

“We sent our request two days ago but it takes time because of bureaucratic procedures. We have to wait for our meeting date and postpone it.”

He said that the Thai Army had not requested to send officers to observe the meeting and he did not think that they would want to interfere with or attend the meetings.

Whether the Thai Army was also extending the directive to cover Burmese civil society organisation (CSO) meetings being held in Thailand was less clear.

According to the S.H.A.N. News report a Thai military source had informed them that the rules for CSOs would be the same as those for EAOs, but Khun Okker said he was not sure that was the case.

A Thailand-based Burmese CSO that did not want to be identified said that it had enquired through informal Thai military channels and had been told that they did not need to ask permission from the army to hold meetings.

In recent weeks, according to anecdotal reports from people working with Burmese CSOs in Thailand, there have been more people than usual showing an interest in what they are doing. Though those making the enquiries have not normally overtly said they are working for the Thai authorities, the CSO workers were suspicious that was who they were collecting information for.

Until now the Third Army has been focused on border activities such as drugs and arms smuggling. This is the first time they have taken an interest in the political and social activities of Burmese people and organisations based in Thailand.

Since the military took over in Thailand after the May 22 coup, the country has become more authoritarian. The army has banned protests and kept a very close watch on any groups associated with the former government and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who now lives in exile.

About the author:Mark Inkey is a freelance journalist specialising in Burma and Southeast Asia. Mark is also English editor of Burmese ethnic news umbrella group http://bnionline.net.

                 FIXING THE SYSTEM

       President Obama is Taking Action on Immigration

THE WHITE HOUSE The President just announced this-Published on Nov 20, 2014 Our immigration system has been broken for decades. That's why President Obama announced new steps tonight to address as much of the problem as he can using his executive authority, and why he'll continue to work with Congress to pass comprehensive reform. Find out more about President Obama's plan -- then pass it on.

Hong Kong protests spur renewed debate over ‘patriotic’ education

Graduates from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University pose for souvenir photos. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Student pro-democracy group Scholarism makes a gesture at the Flag Raising Ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)

By Simon Denyer November 21 at 4:30 AM

HONG KONG — Until the dying days of British rule in Hong Kong, there was no place for politics or controversy in education. Chinese history, as far as the school curriculum was concerned, ended in with the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911, and local current affairs were not really anybody’s business but the colonial rulers’.
Hong Kong Protests Spur Renewed Debate Over ‘Patriotic’ Education by Thavam

It's 2014, and Global Slavery Still Exists on a Huge Scale

• BY JAKE SCOBEY-THAL-NOVEMBER 19, 2014

In 1981, Mauritania became the last country on earth to abolish slavery. It took until 2007 for it to finally become illegal in that country to own another person. Still, the practice remains endemic, despite the efforts of activists to finally stamp out slavery there.

It's a fight that's still ongoing. Government officials and religious leaders have largely allowed slave owners to operate with impunity. With more than 150,000 people out of a population of around 3.9 million enslaved, the country has the highest proportion of slavery in the world. And last week, Mauritanian authorities detained Biram Dah Abeid, one of Foreign Policy's 2014 Leading Global Thinkers and the country's most prominent anti-slavery activist.

A descendant of slaves, Abeid, who is pictured above, has worked tirelessly to pressure the government to hold slave owners accountable. On Wednesday, Abeid and other detained organizers were charged with illegal assembly and rebellion, according to Front Line Defenders, a human rights organization.

The charges come on the heels of the latest edition of the Australia-based Walk Free Foundation's second annual global slavery index. The report, which was released Tuesday, estimates the prevalence of modern slavery -- which includes "human trafficking, forced labor, debt bondage, forced or servile marriage, and the sale and exploitation of children" -- in 167 countries. In all, the report finds nearly 36 million people worldwide live in slavery.

For the second year in a row, Mauritania topped the list with an estimated 4 percent of its population subject to bondage. Uzbekistan, with 3.97 percent of its population enslaved, and Haiti, at 2.3 percent, landed in second and third place, respectively, on the index. In absolute terms, India, with just more than 14 million people in bondage, was the worst offender. Though five countries -- India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia -- accounted for more than 60 percent of the world's slaves, the index reports incidents of slavery in every one of the 167 countries included. Yes, even you, Norway and Finland. (With fewer than 100 people living in slavery, Iceland and Luxembourg had the lowest figures in both prevalence and absolute numbers.)

"There is an assumption that slavery is an issue from a bygone era. Or that it only exists in countries ravaged by war and poverty," stated Andrew Forrest, chairman and founder of the Walk Free Foundation.

Although the report undermines this assumption in absolute terms, it remains true that populations living in conflict, specifically refugees or internally displaced peoples, are particularly at risk. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Syria, and the Central African Republic were all in the top 10 in terms of slavery's prevalence as a proportion of population.

The report also seeks to chart government response to slavery. Mauritania, perhaps surprisingly, rates somewhere in the middle. Partly thanks to Abeid and other abolitionists, the country has made progress in addressing the crisis. This March, the government adopted a U.N. plan to eradicate slavery.

But Abeid's arrest is a troubling step back -- and a reminder that in Mauritania and countries across the globe, slavery in all its forms is still very much a reality.

15 Reasons Why You Should Drink Coconut Milk

Posted By admin On Saturday, November 15, 2014

Coconut milk can be used as a medicine and it is an effective cosmetic product. We hope that the following 15 benefits will surely convince you to use it every day. Coconut is made up of several layers. The outer dark brown and “hairy” hard shell has three holes on its base. Then comes a thin brownish “skin,” and white, creamy and edible coconut meat, and finally, in the middle, there is a milky coconut juice or water.

This juice is often mistakenly referred to as coconut milk – real coconut milk is produced from its “meat”. Coconut milk is therefore the fluid that is released from grated pulp or coconut meat. Its color and rich taste milk can be attributed to the high content of fat or oil.

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Coconut milk is a common ingredient in many tropical cuisines while in the West it is mainly used in the preparation of drinks and cocktails, and plays an important role in the vegan kitchen.

Coconut milk is rich in lauric acid which is also found in significant amounts in breast milk and the secretion of the sebaceous glands.

This acid contains “good” cholesterol and it is very beneficial for the human body. In the body it is converted into monolaurin, a compound with antiviral and antibacterial properties.

15 Benefits of Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is extremely versatile and it is greatly used in cooking, especially in vegan and exotic cuisine. It is rich in vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5, B6, as well as iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.

It is not only beneficial for your digestive system. Coconut milk is an effective beauty product.

Check these 15 benefits of coconut milk:

1. Excellent substitute for milk / cream in coffee

Add some coconut milk to your morning cup of coffee and boost your energy – it is not just the caffeine, but also the electrolytes contained in the milk. Coconut contains potassium, sodium, magnesium chloride, and these keep the body hydrated and properly functioning. What more can you ask for the beginning of a long day?

2. Stewing

Coconut milk adds a sweet and delicious “touch” to the meals.

3. Keep Calm And Drink Coconut Milk

Coconut milk contains 89 milligrams of magnesium per cup, which makes it a rich source of minerals that calm the nerves and maintain normal blood pressure. Magnesium calms nerve cells and then they reduce the muscle contraction. The result: You will feel relaxed.

4. Builds Strong Bones

Coconut milk is not a good source of calcium. It contains slightly more than 38 milligrams of calcium per glass compared to ordinary milk which contains 300 milligrams in the same dosing. But, it is a rich source of phosphorus. With 240 milligrams per cup, coconut milk strengthes the bone structure.

5. Hydrates Skin

Regardless of whether it is applied orally or locally on the skin, coconut milk moisturizes the skin and makes it soft and smooth. Simply apply a thin layer of coconut milk on a clean face, leave for 15 minutes and rinse. Your skin will be really soft.

6. Fights Infections

Coconut milk contains lauric acid, a fatty acid which is very beneficial for the human body. In the body it is converted into monolaurin, a compound with antiviral and antibacterial properties.

7. Regulates Body Weight

Because of its fiber content, coconut milk makes you feel satiated for a long time and when used in moderate amounts it can help you control your weight.

8. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels

It is a rich source of manganese, which is vital for the regulation of blood sugar levels. One of the most important functions of the manganese is to help the glucose metabolism in the human body. Manganese is essential for the metabolism, treats inflammation, prevents osteoporosis, relieves PMS in women, helps the absorption of vitamins and maintains the health of the gastrointestinal tract.

9. Make-up Remover

Mix 1 part of coconut milk and 2 parts with olive oil and use it as a gentle product to remove eye make-up and to moisturize the skin – at the same time. There is no need for heavy, alcohol-sodden chemicals to remove the make-up from the most delicate area on ​​your face. Coconut milk does miracles!

10. Lowers Cholesterol Levels

Despite its saturated fat content, coconut milk can actually help you reduce cholesterol levels. Coconut milk actually increases the blood cholesterol, but its lauric acid increases the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

The fats in coconut milk are easier for the body and the metabolism because they are healthy, including omega-6 essential fatty acids.

11. Prevents Wrinkles

Improve the skin elasticity with coconut milk – thanks to its vitamin and mineral-rich composition, it will retain the flexibility and elasticity of your skin and blood vessels, and slow down the aging process of your skin and body.

12. Heals Sunburns

After a long day in the sun, it is not a bad idea to continue in the tropical mood – use coconut as a medicine. Apply a thin layer of cold coconut milk on the skin area burned by the sun and see how it will soothe and hydrate your skin.

13. Baking

People with lactose intolerance and vegans should use coconut milk instead of regular milk in baked delicacies. Coconut milk brings culinary decadence …

14. Treat Arthritis

Coconut milk contains selenium which is an antioxidant that relieves the symptoms of arthritis. Selenium controls the effect of free radicals and reduces the risk of inflammation in the joints.

15. Improve Hair Quality

Massage some coconut milk into the scalp and using your fingers spread it to the ends. After that, wrap your hair in a towel and leave the coconut milk on for an hour or two. Leave it on as much as you can, it will deeply hydrate your skin and the effects are stronger – as it will penetrate deeper into the hair.

Here is How To Make Coconut Milk at Home

NPC adopts motion on Tamil detainees

By admin on November 19, 2014 

The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) today adopted a motion calling for the release of Tamil political prisoners who have been in jail for several years without a proper trial.

The motion was submitted by the chairman of the council C.V.K Sivagnanam and was adopted unanimously.

In the motion, the NPC called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Justice Minister to release the detainees.

It noted that several Tamil political prisoners have been in jail for between 8-15 years without their case being taken up for hearing.

Most prisoners were arrested on suspicion over LTTE links but have not been charged even five years after the war ended, the motion noted.

The motion also recalls that Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran had sought the release of the detainees at one of his meetings with President Mahinda Rajapaksa and despite an assurance given at the time the President is yet to release them. (Colombo Gazette)

Military shows its force in the North – Journalists threatened

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

lankaviews.com

TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran states that the army continues to threaten journalists in the Northern Province. He also accuses the army of taking various measures to suppress local journalists.

A number of journalists have been threatened in the past few days, while one of the journalists and his family members living in Jaffna has been questioned by the army. Suresh Premachandran has also stated that although the government has promised to safeguard journalists, there is no such situation in the Northern Province, and that every time a journalist leaves Northern Province they have to undergo various problems, and that not only journalists but also media enterprises are facing these threats. He further said that due to this issue, the training workshop for journalists that was about to be held in Kankasanthurai has been cancelled.

Sri Lanka: Eris And Elections

| by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“Experience showed that even the simplest events always worked out differently from what one would have thought beforehand.”

Thomas Mann (The Magic Mountain)

( November 20, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) In modern parlance it would be called a prequel - to the Trojan War. Eris, Goddess of Discord, appears uninvited at the wedding banquet of Peleus and Thetis and throws the eponymous apple amongst the assembled guests, seeding collision, strife and war.

Sri Lanka Eris and Elections by Thavam Ratna

Percy Mahendra And His Cintanaya – Response To Richmond Peiris

By Shanti Wijesinghe -November 20, 2014

Mr Richmond Peiris has made an important comment on the article “Percy Mahendra and his Cintanaya” (Colombo Telegraph, 17 November 2014). It deserves to be quoted in full:

“Most articles on this Web say that Mahinda Rajapaksa can not win the next PE but the prestigious Forbes investment Magazine published in USA, in its 30th October issue emphatically notes that President Mahinda Rajapaksa will win the January elections; the political stability has been cited as a reason to invest in Sri Lanka.

Giving Ten Reasons to Invest In Sri Lanka, a Forbes editorial states that from an investor’s point of view, the case for Sri Lanka is getting strong.

Sri Lanka has one of the best cases for an economy with the stars aligned in its favour,……..

I would like to know your comments.

Thanks”

First of all, I wish to thank Mr Richmond Peiris for the reasonableness of his question, the spirit of inquiry in which he raises it, and not the least, his courteous manner.

My answer is a bit long. It is for that reason that I decided to make this a separate piece, which ensures it better exposure. Besides, I thought the answer is an opportunity to unravel a relatively unknown area ofRajapaksa rule, too important to be lost in a string of comments.

Instead of pursuing a principled foreign policy executed by trained foreign service professionals as was the case under all previous governments, the Rajapaksa regime has resorted to appointing kinsmen and cronies to diplomatic positions. Since such appointees are inept, the regime has resorted to hiring lobbying firms to conduct foreign policy, especially for purposes of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). The propaganda of these firms is part of the propaganda machine the regime has built as one of its arsenals in perpetrating its undemocratic, and immoral rule.Read More

Truth or falsity, or is it the communal divide?

November 21, 2014 

Any intelligent person will agree that communal politics have been the bane of this country. Instead of looking at issues from a national point of view, the communal perspective encourages a narrower approach, each group claiming as large a piece of the pie as an entitlement, indifferent to the consequences to the whole.
Truth or Falsity, Or is It the Communal Divide by Thavam Ratna

Breaking News: Rajapaksa Signs Proclamation

( November 20, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa signed a proclamation a short while ago, calling for a presidential election next year.
The Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, is due to issue an official statement on this within the hour.

Meanwhil; the Jathika Hela Urumaya’s (JHU) Ven Aturaliye Rathana Thera’s temple in Gothami Road, Rajagiriya came under attack a short while ago today,Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) said.

“It has been reported that an unidentified group have thrown stones at Jathika Hela Urumaya’s (JHU) Ven Aturaliye Rathana Thera’s temple in Gothami Road, Rajagiriya. Police have dispatched a number of mobile units to the site to provide security,” Executive Director, CaFFE Mr Keerthi Tennakoon said.

“Rathana Thera was one of the leading figures attempting to field a common opposition candidate for the coming presidential election and in recent weeks has emerged as one of the most important and impactful critic of the government,” he added. “We believe that this attack on Rathana Thera’s temple is an attempt to intimidate opponents of the government and an attempt to thwart the fielding of a common opposition candidate,” he added.

CaFFE has urged the law enforcement authorities to take immediate action to arrest those responsible for the attack and take measures to assure the safety of opposition party leaders and supporters.

Exile: Sharing Some Aspects

By Charles Sarvan - November 20, 2014 

Charles Sarvan

Exile is here, at home, and not abroad.

I will shape my life in a new country.

(Freely adapted from the words of Kent in King Lear, Act 1, Sc. 1)

In recent times, more so than in years past, many Sri Lankans have left the Paradise Isle with relief or regret, or a mixture of both, and there are now communities of Burghers and Tamils; of Sinhalese Buddhists, in various countries and continents. In turn, it means that many within the Island are likely to have close relations and friends settled permanently away from them. Given the above, I share a few, by no means comprehensive, perspectives on exile. They arise from reading an article on the subject kindly shared with me by a contact in Colombo.

The German word elend which translates as “misery” has the same root as “alien”, thus associating exile, foreignness and deep unhappiness, and suggesting that to be an alien is to be in misery, as in the poem by Ovid (born BCE 43) titled Sorrows of an Exile. The experience of exile has led to the writing of several works in various languages, and  I have drawn on the publications of, among others, Salman Rushdie and Edward Said in writing two essays, ‘The imperial and post-imperial experience of “home” in two Sri Lankan works’ and in ‘Lecce: an encounter’, both included in my Sri Lanka: Literary Essays & Sketches.

Read More

27 to quit govt. with Maithri

 Thursday, 20 November 2014 

At the United National Party (UNP) working committee meeting tomorrow (Nov 21) it is to be decided whether UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe or Minister Maithripala Sirisena is to be fielded as the 'common candidate' at the upcoming presidential election.

If Minister Maithripala Sirisena is to be fielded as the common candidate, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) have agreed to extend their support, reports say.

According to UNP internal sources, the contesting of the presidential election by a common front and under a common symbol is to be confirmed at the UNP WC meeting tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Minister Wimal Weerwansa's 'Lanka C News' website reports that Minister Maithripala Sirisena and 20 other Ministers have informed that they would work towards the defeat of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. As we learn around 27-28 ministers with Minister Maithripala Sirisena will cross over to the opposition at the first stage. According to the source it would be 65 ministers in various stages.

Presidential election gazette notification tonight : Maithri rejects P.M. post offered by desperate MaRa

(Lanka-e-News- 19.Nov.2014, 10.45PM) What could possibly be UPFA’s last Cabinet meeting began at 7.00 p.m. (just a while ago) at the Temple Trees , and Medamulana MaRa’s decision to hold the Presidential election is to be announced at this meeting.

Following the Cabinet meeting , the SLFP central working committee is to meet at 8.30 p.m. and at this meeting the approval for the Presidential election is to be obtained. After this meeting , Medamulana MaRa is scheduled to sign the gazette notification pertaining to the Presidential elections, according to informed inside sources of the government. The government printing department is on alert for the printing of the important gazette notification.

Groups are in the ready across the whole Island to paste posters of MaRa throughout the night after the proclamation .

In any event , after Medamulana signs the gazette notification relating to the Presidential election , those of the opposition of the campaign for abolition of executive Presidency , as well as Ministers and government MPs of the SLFP rescue organization that is breaking away from the government are scheduled to function as an independent group in Parliament.

There are only three more days for the Parliament to function, that is , the final day is 24 th. If for any reason , in order to avert any advantage accruing to the Ministers and government MPs who are breaking away from he government , the Presidential election proclamation is postponed to the 24 th night , the minimum number of days that ought to be thereafter allowed legally before holding the elections will necessitate the election date to clash with the visit of the holy Pope . Besides , MaRa’s auspicious date will also become an issue.

Legally after the President announces the holding of Presidential elections officially , the elections commissioner should call for nominations between 16 to21 days , and after nominations are handed over , the elections should be held between 4 to 6 weeks.

In all probability , the proclamation will be made tonight.

Meanwhile the UNP executive committee is to meet on Friday the 21 st . At this meeting it is to be decided to contest the elections as a common front and on a common symbol.

On that day , that is the 21 st ,it will be decided whether Karu Jayasuriya will be the common candidate or not. The Mahanayake of the three nikayas and the archbishop have expressed their consent for Karu as the common candidate, according to reports reaching Lanka e news inside information division.

Even until this noon ,the decision of Ranil Wickremesinghe to make former President Chandrika Bandaranaike who is heading the break away group of the government as the common candidate, has not changed. Chandrika on the other hand had not changed her decision either against coming forward as opposition common candidate . She is in favor of fielding a senior member of the beak away group as the common candidate . No matter what, after the Presidential election is announced , following a meeting of the leaders of the common opposition , the final decision is to be taken.

Meanwhile , Medamulana MaRa has had a lengthy discussion with Minister Maithripala Sirisena this noon , and offered the Prime Minister post to him. Maithripala however had declined to accept it.

---------------------------
by     (2014-11-19 17:22:28)

Who Should Be The Common Opposition Candidate?

By Palitha Elkaduwa -November 20, 2014

Palitha Elkaduwa

This is the critical question that needs to be answered in the coming two weeks in Sri Lankan politics. The answer will have major implications for Sri Lanka’s future for the next several decades.

Government

The Rajapaksa administration has been one of the most confident administrations in post-independence Sri Lanka after the LTTE was defeated in 2009. In 2010 Mahinda Rajapaksa won the presidential election with 58% of the all island vote, polling about 67% of the Sinhalese Buddhist vote. The government’s confidence was shaken in September 2014 when it won the UVA PC with just 51% of the vote. In the 2009 Uva PC election it polled 72% and in the 2010 presidential election in the same province Mahinda Rajapaksa polled 73%.

Opposition                                       .Read More

Enemies Of The President’s Promise: Basil The Main Political Agent Of The Family

By Rajiva Wijesinha -November 20, 2014 

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

Enemies of the President’s Promise – Chapter 2 - Happy Part 4

Underlying Basil’s solipsism was his political ambition. He made no bones about the fact that he saw himself as his brother’s successor. Indeed, he had been put into Parliament before the 2010 election, though a resignation of a National List member that was engineered, on the grounds that there had to be a Rajapaksa available for appointment as President if anything untoward happened to the incumbent. And though soon after the election of 2010 Mahinda Rajapaksa introduced a constitutional amendment to remove term limits, so that Basil’s hope of being seen as necessarily the government candidate in the next election was dashed, the President placed no restrictions on him presenting himself as effectively the main decision maker in government.

Read More