Burma Junta

Source: www.newsdesk.org --- 31 days ago
A U.S. government-backed satellite company tested its products in Burma, despite longstanding U.S. sanctions against doing business with that nation's repressive military regime, a Thai court case reveals. The revelations grow out of one of several corruption cases under way against former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, according to the Hong Kong's Asia Times newspaper. Thaksin's wife, Pojaman, was sentenced on Thursday to three years in prison for tax evasion in a separate case. In the U.S.-Burma case, prosecutors say the former prime minister arranged for a Thai state loan to the Burmese Junta of $119 million to purchase satellite services that were sold by his family's company. Burma, dubbed Myanmar by its ruling Junta, later allegedly used some of the loan money in a deal whereby it allowed a company called iPStar to test its satellite-phone services in the nation before launching the products throughout much of Asia. IPStar's technology had been built by a U.S. company, Space Systems/Loral, using $190 million in government-guaranteed loans, according to Asia Times. "Now Myanmar's Junta is likely using U.S.-funded wireless broadband technology to perpetuate its repressive policies and harassment of pro-democracy groups," wrote Asia Times. In an op-ed in Satellite Today, Peter J. Brown -- the same reporter who wrote about the story for Asia Times -- wrote: "It is hard to imagine that the Asia team at the U.S. State Dep ...

Source: www.fwicki.com --- 22 days ago
Poor, isolated and under tough international sanctions, Burma faces a humanitarian crisis that could force its military Junta to open its doors to the outside world. United Nations agencies began distributing badly needed food and supplies Tuesday ... ...

Source: www.meyul.com --- 25 days ago
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Source: www.catw-ap.org --- 34 days ago
Activists warn ASEAN, Aid workers: BE WATCHFUL! THE Junta MAY POLITICIZE RELIEF DISTRIBUTION After their rally yesterday in front of the Myanmar (Burma) Embassy, activists under Free Burma Coalition-Philippines today held another rally outside the Thai Royal Embassy in Makati City and urged Thailand government, the next Chair of the ASEAN to also echo the demand for [...] ...

Source: democratizationpolicy.org --- 12 days ago
When the United Nations sent Ibrahim Gambari as a special envoy to Burma on his latest visit, his first goal should have been to do no harm. Representatives of Burma’s main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, make fairly clear that they think Gambari failed even in this modest aim. From the BBC: Burma’s main [...] ...

Source: au.rd.yahoo.com --- 4 days ago
Burma 's detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has refused to meet with the Junta's liaison officer, state media said. ...

Source: news.bbc.co.uk --- 30 days ago
The US first lady calls for Burma's military Junta to hold dialogue with the opposition, as she visits a border refugee camp. ...

Source: news.bbc.co.uk --- 14 days ago
UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari leaves Burma without meeting Junta head Than Shwe or detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi. ...

Source: www.moreover.com --- 32 days ago
Amnesty International has urged Burma's Junta to release more than 2,000 political prisoners it says remain jailed 20 years after a pro-democracy uprising. The London-based human rights group urged the United Nations to take bolder measures to secure the ...

Source: www.guardian.co.uk --- 29 days ago
Benedict Rogers: For Olympic China, 8 is lucky. But on the 20th anniversary of a massacre in Burma, it's an ideal time to break with the Junta ...

Source: www.slate.com --- 18 days ago
The New Yorker, Aug. 25An article on Burma puts traces the cycles of oppression and uprising since the country came under the control of a military Junta in 1962, giving historical perspective to last September's monk riots and this spring's devastation by Cyclone Nargis. Recently, "millions of Burmese have responded to the country's seemingly incurably condition by fleeing." Those who remain may endure the Junta because they are "too gentle to rebel." … A piece considers the effects of the foreclosure crisis on Greenwich, Conn., as the town tries "to maintain, in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, that they are immune, more or less, to the ravages of the credit crisis." Given the economic downturn, Greenwich real-estate developers who "made a great deal of money buying up empty lots or teardowns and building enormous speculative ready-to-occupy mansions" cannot find buyers for the luxury houses. [ more ... ] ...

Source: www.voanews.com --- 12 hours ago
The Burmese military Junta has again failed to cooperate with the United Nations in an effort to promote democratic political progress in Burma. ...

Source: www.ireland.com --- 14 days ago
A UN envoy left Burma (Myanmar) today after failing to meet detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi or coax concessions from the military Junta during his six-day mission, diplomats said. ...

Source: www.democracynow.org --- 32 days ago
Chevron is being accused of promoting geo-political blackmail in its efforts to stave off a lawsuit accusing it of contaminating the Ecuadorian rain forest. Nearly 30,000 Amazon residents are seeking $12 billion from Chevron for dumping billions of gallons of toxic oil waste. According to Newsweek, the oil giant is urging the Bush administration to yank special trade preferences for Ecuador if the country’s government doesn't force the Amazon residents to drop the case. If the White House agrees, it would be the second major lobbying victory for Chevron in just a matter of weeks. Last month, the Senate dropped an effort to penalize Chevron for maintaining extensive ties to the military Junta in Burma. ...

Source: www.topix.com --- 15 days ago
Bangkok : The UN's special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari's current mission to help break the political deadlock between the military Junta and the detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi seems to be ... ...

Source: www.upiasiaonline.com --- 9 days ago
U.N. special envoy Ibrahim Gambari left Burma on Aug. 23 after failing to secure meetings with senior military leaders or detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Optimism has waned for talks between the lady and the generals after the Junta forced through a new Constitution by referendum in May. ...

Source: www.france24.com --- 27 days ago
Aung San Suu Kyi, the leading figure of the opposition to Burma's military Junta, has been allowed to meet her lawyer, for the first time since 2004, to discuss her house arrest, according to her party. ...

Source: www.bignewsnetwork.com --- 2 days ago
-- The Burma Lawyers’ Council (BLC) has demanded that the Junta abolish state law 20/90 on religious organisations and stop the practice of forcibly disrobing monks and trying them at civil cour... ...