Anna Roberts interviewed by BBC Burmese
Local and foreign criticism has been coming out on Dr. Noeleen Heyzer’s first visit to Myanmar with the position of United Nations Special Ambassador. So, is it really necessary to have a UN special diplomatic position?
BBC Burmese interviews Anna Roberts, executive director of Burma Campaign UK, about yet another UN Special Envoy being used by the Burmese military and achieving nothing. She calls on the UN Secretary General to work with UN member states to put pressure on the Burmese military: “Abolish the UN special position that has not worked for decades. UN Secretary-General should handle Myanmar’s affairs by yourself.”
Watch BBC Burmese report (Anna Roberts interviewed 6.32 – 13.06, dubbed into Burmese)
New UN envoy meets Myanmar junta – RTL Today
New UN Special Envoy Noeleen Heyzer has made her first visit to Burma, reports Luxembourg’s RTL Today. Rights groups said they had little optimism her visit would persuade the military to end its bloody crackdown and engage in dialogue with opponents of its coup.
“UN envoys have visited when the military told them to, stayed where the military told them to, met who the military arranged for them to meet and then left when the military told them to,” tweeted Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK.
South Africa remains silent about executions in Myanmar – Business Day
David P Kramer of Free Burma Campaign (SA) has written to South Africa’s Business Day newspaper, saying SA’s government does not care at all about the country’s links to executed Myanmar activists.
He wrote to South Africa’s government when the four Burmese activists were sentenced to death, highlighting the friendship between Ko Jimmy and anti-apartheid campaigners in South Africa, and pointing out the close involvement of patrons of Burma Campaign UK’with the British anti-apartheid movement. He called on SA to raise its voice and demand that the planned executions not be carried out. He never received a reply.
International outcry as democracy activists executed – Sky News
Myanmar’s military authorities have executed four democracy activists accused of helping carry out “terror acts”, reports Sky News. The executed men included democracy-figure Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Jimmy, and former politician and hip-hop artist Phyo Zeya Thaw.
Burma Campaign UK said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of the news. “This is a desperately sad day for family and friends of those executed,” said senior advocacy officer Wai Hnin Pwint Thon. “I have known Ko Jimmy my whole life, he was an inspiration to me. He dedicated his life to freedom and democracy for the people of Burma.”
Read Assistance Association for Political Prisoners statement
Mark Farmaner interviewed by BBC Burmese
Representatives from Burma’s Military Council joined Putin allies such as China, India and Iran at the annual International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to fewer attendees from the Western group.
Is Burma becoming a strategic ally for Russia? If Russia supplies Burma with fuel, electricity, and a communications network between banks, will the sanctions of western groups be impossible? BBC Burmese interviews former National Parliament Representative and economic observer writer U Than Soe, and Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK.
Watch BBC Burmese report (Mark Farmaner interview starts at 6.50, dubbed into Burmese)
Myanmar minister joins Southeast Asian defense meeting – Associated Press
Myanmar’s defense minister, under sanctions from the United States, Britain and other countries for abuses committed by his country’s military, has been welcomed to an annual meeting with his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). More than 600 civic groups inside and outside Myanmar had issued an appeal to the ministers not to invite him.
Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, senior advocacy officer at Burma Campaign UK, told The Associated Press that ASEAN was failing to respect and stand with the people of Myanmar by inviting Mya Tun Oo to its meeting. “The military will see this invitation … as a sign of encouragement to continue carrying out their human rights violations in the country with complete impunity,” she said.
Military council and international diplomacy – VOA
Burma Campaign UK told the Voice of America (VOA) that some Asian and European countries are lowering the level of diplomatic relations in the Burmese military council’s diplomatic sphere, and that the National Unity Government (NUG) is increasingly accepted as the official representative of the Burmese people.
Asian and European governments, including the UK, are either renewing their diplomats or lowering their diplomacy to avoid recognising the military council as Burma’s legitimate representative. According to Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, these are behind the diplomatic battles with the military council.
On the other hand, Mark Farmaner commented: “ASEAN does not have a policy. Each member state has a completely different approach and different policies, and ASEAN is confused.”
Dozens of military airstrikes hit near Thai-Myanmar border – Thai Enquirer
At least 28 airstrikes hit near the Thai-Myanmar border yesterday, reports the Thai Enquirer, as the military junta conducts airstrikes close to the Thai border.
The Karen Human Rights Group said the footage obtained from the Thai side of the border appears to show air raids targeting a civilian area and reveals a drone conducting reconnaissance over a village before deploying military jets to bomb the area.
“28 Burmese military airstrikes in Dooplaya, Karen State today,” wrote Zoya Phan, the campaign manager at Burma Campaign UK. “Indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas is a war crime. Time for the UK, EU, USA and international community to sanction aviation fuel and support referring Burma to the International Criminal Court.”
Burma Campaign adds 56 companies to ‘Dirty List’ – Mizzima
Burma Campaign UK has added 56 more companies to its ‘Dirty List’, reports Mizzima, where there is evidence of links to the Burmese military, human rights violations or environmental destruction.
Fifteen Russian companies have been added to the list. “Countries like the USA, Japan and South Korea have arms embargoes but still allow their companies to help fund the military so they can buy arms from countries like Russia and India,” said Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK.
“We have seen a much stronger international response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine than we have to genocide, a coup and indiscriminate airstrikes by the Burmese military”, said Mark Farmaner. “The fact that so many companies are still linked to the Burmese military, including some of the biggest US tech firms such as Apple, shows the inconsistent and weak response to violations on international law by the Burmese military.”
Rohingya camps: Support community learning – Daily Star
At least 25 national and international rights bodies and civil society organisations, including Burma Campaign UK, have made an urgent call for the government to support the community-led learning facilities in Cox’s Bazar’s Rohingya refugee camps, reports Bangladesh’s Daily Star.
About 30 community-led schools have been shut down or dismantled by the authorities since December 2021, on the grounds that they don’t maintain the standards of education and hamper the activities of authorised schools.
The statement said the existing learning centres authorised by the government and operated by UNICEF and other humanitarian partners leave out the older (14+) age groups. And there are nearly half a million Rohingya children in Bangladesh who are deprived of education in an accredited curriculum since their refuge in August 2017.