Pakistani media is supra-liberal: Talat Hussain

Disagreeing with the labelling of Pakistani media as right- leaning, veteran journalist Talat Hussain says that local media is almost entirely “supra-liberal”.
“The mention of a conservative opinion in a TV show or a column doesn’t mean the whole media is conservative. It is exaggeration,” he said.
Hussain stated that a glance at the top newspapers and broadcasters in Pakistan reveals that not a single outlet has a right-wing slant.
The senior journalist explained that there may be individuals in the media that have right-wing, extremist views but they are just a small fraction as compared to the majority.
Compelling conservatism 
Differentiating between extremist views which he condemned, and the conservative standpoint, Hussain said that conservative arguments are compelling.
“Conservative arguments have won elections in Egypt and in certain African countries,” he said, adding that the same right-wing, conservative view is also playing a major role in Europe and the United States.
He said that these opinions exist and they need to be heard.
“In a society where conservative groups are present, you cannot lock them out,” Hussain said.
Speaking about extremist groups, Hussain said they should be banned regardless of their religious affiliation but he said critics should also admit that most of the groups that did well politically in the Middle East were banned groups with militant wings.
“[Turkish Prime Minster Recep] Erdogan is very conservative, very right-wing but look what he has done for his country,” Talat said.

Pakistan likely to miss mango export target for second year

KARACHI: Pakistan is likely to miss export target of mango largely for second consecutive year as the country has only exported 73000 tons out of the target of 0.15 million tons of the fruit so far.
Exporters of mango, who faced multiple issues, hampering the already limited exports, could only export the fruit worth only $27 million in two months which is only 50 percent of the targeted 66 percent exports.
According to Waheed Ahmed, Co-chairman, Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchant Association (PFVA), only 25000 tons of exports are estimated during the remaining season of mango which be closed by September, reducing the exports at around 0.1 million tons against the target.
Citing reasons of the decline in mango exports, he said that the logistic issues at shipping companies and Pakistan International Airlines were the major hindrances the exporters faced the most this year which remained unresolved despite repeated and timely complains.
Non-availability of pallets and containers and Off-loadings at PIA have also caused reduction in exports by 30 percent. PIA flights offload consignments at various airports without any justification which also results in cancellation of orders.
PIA being the only national carrier is expected to be well equipped to facilitate the exporters of fresh agro produce but it’s quite disappointing to share that the Airline does not have enough pallets and aircraft containers to handle the cargo leading to in-ordinate delays in promptly getting the cargo on board.
Besides, 100 percent examination of consignments at ports by ANF also not only caused delay in shipment but also affected the quality of exportable fruits badly resulting cancellation of import orders.
Shipping companies left already booked consignments at ports for several times while a shipping firm even left for Masqat carrying huge quantity of fruits booked for Dubai port.
Beside the logistic issues, Pakistani exports of fruit has also lost a lucrative market of neighboring country Iran, where at least 30000 tons of mango were being exported previously, as a result of trade embargo imposed by United Nations on Tehran. With the loss of this market, exporters have faced almost $ 10 million worth exports of mango during the ongoing season.
Besides, no export of mango to other potential markets of Japan and United States has been recorded this year in absence of VHT plant and radiation facilities. The country could not start commercial trade despite the already obtained market access of US, Japan, Jordan, Mauritius, and South Korea.
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Brief history of Pakistan’s 10 Olympic medals in 64 years

LAHORE: Since their first-ever participation in the London Olympics in 1948, Pakistan have succeeded in winning just 10 medals in 64 years — a performance which can easily be dubbed shameful, disappointing and unacceptable by any measure and by any critic of sports anywhere on the planet.
 
Three of the 10 medals have been gold-plated and all were won in hockey.

As many as 515 Pakistani sportsmen have till date represented their country in the Olympics. While 83 Pakistani sportsmen had failed to win any medal at the 1948 London Olympics and at the 1952 Helsinki games, the 62-member national squad managed a silver medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, where the hockey stars had gone into the finals against the triumphant Indians — who had ended up clinching the top honours with a 1-0 margin.

The 49-member Pakistani squad then went on to win its first-ever gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics by trampling all over their arch-rivals India under captain Abdul Hameed ‘Hameedi,’ who was an Army major.

Moreover, wrestler Mohammad Bashir had gone on to secure a third place and hence win a bronze medal in this particular event.

At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Pakistan had to settle for the second place after being trounced by old foes India, who had snatched a 1-0 win to claim their seventh Olympic gold medal.

The Pakistani sportsmen hence landed back home dejected from Japan with a solitary silver medal.

At the 1968 Mexico Olympics, Pakistan edged Australia by a 2-1 margin to win a gold medal. Just 20 Pakistani sportsmen had featured in this event.

Asad Malik and Abdul Rasheed scored the two goals, helping the Pakistanis hold their heads high in pride under captain Tariq Aziz, who had done his MSc in Animal Husbandry and had later joined the teaching faculty at the West Pakistan Agriculture University.

At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Pakistan hockey stars were defeated by hosts West Germany by a lone-goal margin in the final.

A 25-member Pakistani squad had participated in this particular event.

As poor and biased umpiring visibly cost Pakistan the match, all the 11 players in the final were suspended for a disorderly behaviour during the medal ceremony. Shahnaz Sheikh had reportedly taken off a shoe and swung his medal on that.

Not only was a perfect goal scored by Mudassar Asghar disallowed, but Germany was also awarded a controversial penalty corner from which they had scored in the 60th minute.

Pakistan Hockey Federation was suspended from international hockey for four years. A life ban was consequently imposed on the manager and the players involved.

However, the ban was revoked in 1974 only after an apology tendered by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the then Pakistani President, was accepted.

At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the 24-member Pakistani contingent was restricted to a bronze medal. Pakistan did not participate in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, along with 60 other nations in a US-led boycott, as a mark of protest against the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan.

The Green-shirts then won gold in Hockey at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics by defeating Germany in the final. Some 29 Pakistani sportsmen had participated at the Los Angeles Games.

At the 1988 Seoul games, boxer Syed Hussain Shah bagged a bronze medal. A 31-member Pakistani contingent had participated.

At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Pakistani hockey team clinched a bronze medal, courtesy Shahbaz Ahmed Senior, who was nicknamed ‘The man with the electric heels.’

A 27-member Pakistani contingent had participated in this event.

Not less than 98 Pakistani sportsmen taking part in the Atlanta games 1996, Sydney Olympics 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing Olympics 2008 then failed to win a single medal for Pakistan, though a few have pinned high hopes that the Pakistani squad representing the country in the ongoing London 2012 Olympics might salvage the lost pride of the country and save its blushes after having had four terrible medal-less events in a row.

US drone kills seven in NWaziristan

A US drone attack Sunday killed at least seven militants in Pakistan, officials said, days before the country's intelligence chief visits Washington with the contentious raids likely to be discussed. Attacks by unmanned American aircraft are deeply unpopular in Pakistan, which says they violate its sovereignty and fan anti-US sentiment, but US officials are said to believe the attacks are too important to give up. Drone strikes are likely to be a major issue when Pakistan's spymaster, Lieutenant General Zaheer ul-Islam, holds talks in Washington on August 1-3 with his CIA counterpart. In Sunday's attack, the second in the month of Ramadan, missiles struck a compound in Khushhali Turikhel village of the troubled North Waziristan tribal district, which lies on the border with Afghanistan. "US drones fired six missiles into a militant compound. At least seven militants were killed," a security official told AFP. "It is not immediately clear if there was an important militant killed in the attack." The toll might rise as militants search for colleagues buried under the rubble of the compound, the official said, adding that missiles also hit and destroyed two militant vehicles. Local intelligence officials confirmed the attack and casualties. Khushhali Turikhel lies around 35 kilometres (20 miles) east of Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan which is considered a stronghold of Islamist militants. Washington regards Pakistan's semi-autonomous northwestern tribal belt as the main hub of Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants plotting attacks on the West and in Afghanistan. Ten militants were killed on Monday in a similar attack in Shawal area of North Waziristan. In a drone attack at the start of July, six militants were killed and an attack on June 4 killed 15 militants, including senior Al-Qaeda figure Abu Yahya al-Libi. There has been a dramatic increase in US drone strikes in Pakistan since May, when a NATO summit in Chicago could not strike a deal to end a six-month blockade on convoys transporting supplies to coalition forces in Afghanistan. On July 3 however, Islamabad agreed to end the blockade after the United States apologised for the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers in botched air strikes last November. Islam's trip on Wednesday marks the first Washington visit in a year by the head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and signals a thaw in relations beset by crisis since US troops killed Osama bin Laden near Islamabad in May 2011. In protest at US drone attacks, local Taliban and Pakistani warlord Hafiz Gul Bahadur have banned vaccinations in North and South Waziristan, putting 240,000 children in the region at risk. They have condemned the immunisation campaign as a cover for espionage. In May, a Pakistani doctor was jailed for 33 years after helping the CIA find bin Laden using a hepatitis vaccination programme as a cover.

Pakistan and US trade barbs over Taliban havens

ASPEN: Tensions flared between the United States and Pakistan on Friday, as two top officials traded accusations of doing too little to combat the Taliban sanctuaries in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The tart exchange between the officials, Douglas E Lute, President Obama's top adviser on Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's envoy to the United States, took place during a conference.
Under questioning from Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes", Sherry, speaking on video conference from Washington, said that Pakistani Taliban, who have taken refuge in two remote provinces in eastern Afghanistan, were increasingly carrying out rocket attacks and cross-border raids against Pakistan.
"These are critical masses of people that come in; this is not just potshots," she said. The envoy said further on 52 different occasions in the last eight months Pakistan had provided to the US and NATO commanders in Afghanistan the locations from which the terrorists were attacking, but to no avail.
Immediately, Lute, a retired three-star general and deputy national security adviser, fired back. "There's no comparison of the Pakistani Taliban's relatively recent, small-in-scale presence inside Afghanistan to the decades-long experience and relationship between elements of the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban," he said. "To compare these is simply unfair."
Pakistani officials say two senior Taliban commanders — Mullah Fazlullah from Swat and Faqir Muhammad from Bajaur — are taking refuge in Afghanistan while their fighters plan attacks in Pakistan.
"We're feeling a little bit of blowback from ISAF redeployments along the border," Sherry said, referring to the NATO command in Afghanistan.
The barbed exchange came during a wide-ranging 90-minute panel discussion in the Aspen Security Forum at the Aspen Institute. At the beginning of the session, it seemed that Lute and Sherry were intent on building upon the recently agreed deal to reopen NATO supply lines into Afghanistan.
Sherry said that the two countries had experienced "an extraordinarily difficult period" after a US air strike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at Salala last November, but that they were still staunch allies. Lute said the countries shared the vital interests of defeating al Qaeda and stabilising Afghanistan.
Sherry called for an end to CIA drone strikes, adding that the attacks succeeded in damaging al Qaeda but were now only serving to recruit new terrorists.
"I am not saying drones have not assisted in the war against terror, but they have diminishing rate of returns," Sherry said.
"We will seek an end to drone strikes and there will be no compromise on that," she added.
Lute would not comment on the drone programme, but US officials have said privately that the programme will continue because Pakistan had proved incapable or unwilling to target terrorists the US considers dangerous.
Sherry defended Pakistan's arrest of Dr Shakeel Afridi, who has been sentenced to more than three decades in prison for aiding the CIA in tracking down Osama bin Laden by conducting a fake vaccine programme in Abbottabad.

Burmese Muslim losing hope

It’s nearly two months since the Muslim’s massacre ignited in Arakan, the western province of Burma (Myanmar). It all began on 3rd June 2012 when 11 Muslims were killed by the extremist Buddhists with an alleged assistance of Burmese Army after bringing them down from a bus. The Muslims of Burma are losing hopes for a better future as they do not see any sort of help, now, from the International community specifically from the Muslim Ummah who have done nothing other than the lip service.

The attitude of civilian and military leadership of Pakistan, Saudia Arabia and other Muslim States came as a shock as they showed signs of no interest and even no condemning statement have been uttered from them till now. Kala, a 75-year-old Arakanese who has been in Bangladesh refugee camps for many years, describes the plight of Rohingya Muslims and refugees’ despair saying, “We are waiting for death that will lessen our suffering.”

To make the matters more disastrous, Bangladesh not only has been disallowing entrance to refugees that have been coming since June into the neighboring country but also returning those who arrived in the campsites in the past years. The Rohingya Muslims have been facing bottomless list of difficulties as it has been reported recently in a descriptive report on the oppression of the Muslims of Burma produced by the Turkish charity IHH, stating the dilemma of Muslims living in Burma.

Burmese Muslims are not allowed to marry without a permit. A couple wishing to get married has to pay a tax. At times they are denied a permit even if they pay the tax. They are deprived of all public services. For instance, when they get sick they cannot go to state hospitals for treatment. Muslims are not allowed into higher education institutions. Muslims are prohibited to work in public sector jobs. There is not a single Muslim civil servant in Arakan till date.

Muslims cannot own fixed line telephones or cellular phones. They are not allowed to own motor vehicles. When Muslims are accused of a crime, they are not given the right to defense and are imprisoned right away. The ordinary citizens of Pakistan plead the Pakistan Army for an immediate reaction in this regard as we do not expect this from hopeless Civilian leadership of the country. We see you as the authority in this country, so you must take necessary measures to rescue the Muslims of Burma if you own some courage, before we lose trust from you as well.

Forgotten Rohingya

Burma (now Myanmar) has a history of persecuting its minorities, Muslims in particular. The Muslims constitute 4 percent of its 60 million population. When I was posted at Yangon in the 1990s, local Muslims claimed that their ratio of population was much higher. The last official census was held in 1983. T
he bulk of the Muslims live in the Rakhine State, bordering Chittagong in Bangladesh. From its west, the Rakhine State (called Arakan by the British) borders the Bay of Bengal with a fairly long coastline. In the north, River Naf separates it from Bangladesh. Islam came to this part of the world through Arab traders and Rohingya Muslims, who number around one million and are descendents of the Yemeni Arab traders. With their darker skins and sharper noses, the Rohingya are easily distinguishable from the Burmese.General Ne Win, who assumed power in 1962, nationalised all businesses and Muslims were the biggest losers. He also purged the armed forces and the civil bureaucracy of Muslims. Many fled to neighbouring East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), Thailand and Saudi Arabia. Anti-Muslim riots took place in Mandlay in 1997 and again in 2001. The current rioting in Rakhine State began early June as majority Buddhists alleged that Muslim men had raped one of their women. In the ensuing rioting, hundreds of Muslims were killed. The security forces sent by Yangon (former Rangoon) to protect the Muslims are alleged to have made the situation worse by siding with the majority.The Rohingya problem, however, goes deeper into history. Their area in Myanmar had been a part of the Mughal Empire till 1785, when it was annexed by Rangoon. Some years later, the territory was annexed by the East India Company and then passed to British India. In those days, the Rakhine State was administered from Chittagong and Rohingya moved freely between Bengal and Burma. This has given rise to the false Myanmar claim that Rohingya are migrants from British India. The fact of the matter is other way round. Many of them migrated from Burma and settled in Bengal.What we witnessed recently is a systematic genocide abetted by the Myanmar authorities and the international media has just about ignored it. The Myanmar government still considers the Rohingya as illegal immigrants, ignoring the fact that they have lived there for decades, if not centuries. General Ne Win stripped them of the Burmese citizenship in 1982. This minority has no rights; it cannot buy land and is not represented in government jobs. This is racial discrimination, plain and simple! The UN has described Rohingya Muslims as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. Hundreds killed in a few weeks and the world is just not bothered. The West is salivating about the prospects of new business opportunities in Myanmar. President Barack Obama has recently lifted restrictions on US investments in Myanmar and UK has opened a trade office on July 11 in Yangon. The United States is keen to counter vast clout that China enjoys in Myanmar. China and India have not spoken about this persecution as they too have vital interests there. Even the Muslim world has taken no notice of the grotesque brutalities in Myanmar. The OIC, which adopted a human rights charter in 2008, has also done little. And worse still, this huge problem of violation of basic human rights has not shaken the champion of human rights and darling of the West, Madam Aung San Suu Kyi.Thousand of Rohingya have fled by sea or river to Bangladesh only to be returned by its navy using brute force. This is in violation of the Convention on Refugees 1951 and its attendant Protocol of 1967. Under the Convention, no country can shut its borders to the refugees fleeing persecution. The receiving country, however, does have the right to screen the refugees to determine their credentials. Bangladesh has refused to accommodate these refugees on its soil, as it is not a signatory to the convention. However, that position does not entitle BD armed forces to fire on fleeing Rohingya.It may be of interest to the readers to know that a large number of Burmese, who fled to Saudi Arabia in 1960s and 70s hold Pakistani temporary travel documents even today. Thus, Pakistan had done its bit to help these persecuted people. But today, even Pakistan government is quiet about the atrocities heaped on these innocent people by a racist regime in Yangon. Iran is the only Islamic country that spoke for the Rohingya people this time. I have called the regime racist because Myanmar President General (retd) Thein Sein has publicly suggested that these people should be expelled and the UN should take their charge. The UN has rejected this demand, out of hand. The Rohingya have all along been loyal citizens of Myanmar and even then their basic citizenship right is denied to them.The West seemed euphoric in recent months as Aung San Suu Kyi was released to contest by-elections. In this international euphoria, President Asif Zardari too rushed to Yangon to bestow a Benazir Award on Suu Kyi. But nothing of substance has changed in Myanmar. The real power still lies with the generals. Indeed, with the advent of a semblance of democracy, majority Buddhists feel they now have a licence to persecute minorities. This is tyranny of the majority at its worst.I have often wondered what makes Buddhists, their monks in particular, as they walk bare footed to save insects, so cruel. My analysis is that military regimes, lacking legitimacy, befriend clergy. In Myanmar, the generals have often pandered to the monks. Military patronage has made the monks bold, indeed savage.It is about time that the UN, OIC and the international media took notice of this grave historic wrong of racial discrimination that has now become genocide. Bangladesh should speak for the Rohingya rights within Myanmar. After all, a peaceful and stable Myanmar, with all its minorities feeling secure, is good for the entire region. And it would only look good if India, which has secular credentials and aspires to be a global power, also espoused the just Rohingya cause. But I doubt it, as Delhi is too keen on keeping the Myanmar junta in good humour.

Burma’s State-Run Newspaper Propagates Homecoming Of Exiles – OpEd

The Saturday editorial of state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper is in the style of switching over to a new tune of change. However, its way of thinking cannot get away from the influence of its proprietor.

It looks good that the editorial points calls for perfect management of natural resources in general. But it did not mention the environmental damages made by the military and its cronies. It says that the devastating disasters worldwide stem from over-exploitation of the environment. On the other hand, it fails to spotlight the lessons from the Cyclone Nargis in 2008. Moreover, there is a faction in the government of Burma which aims to exploit the Myit-sone dam project on the Irrawaddy River although the people have said no.

Another point the editorial mentioned is concerning the Human Development Index of the nation. It says: “Education index is one of the determining factors in Human Development Index of a nation. Our country at the moment is in critical need of human capital that can lead the nation towards its goal as it is undergoing a series of drastic reforms.”

But here also, the editorial does not mention unemployment problems in Burma. Just only in Thailand, numerous media news say that there are far and wide between 2 to 3 million Burmese migrants workers employed largely in various factories, fisheries, farming, construction and even as domestic workers.
The editorial confesses that the government cannot help employees of Burma to grasp all the opportunities to be presented at present and in the near future. It happens mainly because of the workers’ limited professional knowledge, it says.

“We have ever been proud of our rich, valuable natural resources but never have enough knowledge to make use of it. In consequence, we could do nothing but to surrender the lion’s share of our natural resources to foreign companies,” revealing the mismanagement of the successive regimes of Burma.
According to the editorial, the President, in his speeches on a number of occasions, heartily invited Burmese professionals to come back home to join hands with the government in the office for national development. It also highlights the nation as one of the least developed in the Asia-Pacific Region. To be frank, President Then Sein’s occasional invitations are deemed as an unofficial greeting among the Burmese exile communities in several countries. They feel it is a discriminatory approach since the Burmese embassies throughout the globe are treated dishonestly.

It also says that the government alone cannot tackle all the daunting challenges on the revolutionary path toward a democratic nation. That is why it calls for collaborative efforts of the government and the people in unison. The opinion of the editorial on this part is too different from the ground situation. The biggest unemployment problem of the country comes because of the government’s policy errors, such as illegal land confiscations. Even though the President has been requesting the Burmese professionals in various fields of works to return home, few may be eager to follow his advice since the exiled Burmese nationals know the regime’s incapability.

In conclusion, the editorial says: “It is human nature to look for pastures new when situations are hard or hopes are fading. But, we could finally see the light at the end of tunnel now as the country is moving toward a new inspiring chapter. Various challenges and threats big or small await all of us. If you still cherish your motherland and your families and friends, why don’t you come back and join with us? Please, come back!”
However, Burmese people in exile are not much impressed with the President’s call for homecoming. Firstly, his invitation is too vague to be trusted and weak because it is not a presidential decree supported by the parliament. Secondly, the President has not enough power to stop the ongoing civil war against Kachin rebels. Thirdly, although the president promised to establish a practice of good governance, law and order have not been seen so far. The worst is that the corruption of the government officials is out of control and worse than ever.

In brief, it is sweet to listen to the speech – “Please, come back!” However, political, economic and social environments are not well organized enough to receive the exiled Burmese professionals. As a result, only a few went home to collaborate with the government and hundreds of thousand still reluctant to go home.
Yet, the editorial itself should be welcome seeing that it openly says the real weakness of the current situation in the country.

House panel condemns massacres against Burmese Muslims

Amman, July 29 (Petra) -- The Lower House Arab and International Affairs Committee on Sunday condemned the "brutal" massacres against Burmese Muslims which left more than 1,000 Muslims dead.

The panel said in a statement it was following up with profound concern the violence and brutality which were perpetrated ruthlessly by Buddhists against the Muslim community in Burma.

 The statement also denounced as "racist" remarks by Myanmar's president in which he called for the expulsion of the Muslim minority from the country.

Such remarks, it stressed, had opened the door wide for an atmosphere of tension and violence that led to such serious violations against the innocent Muslims.

The committee urged the international community to bear its responsibility to protect the Muslim minority in Myanmar, stop more killings of more innocent victims and the sabotage and destruction of homes and find a radical solution to "this peaceful minority that guarantees their safety and the safety of their property." The panel's head, MP Mohammad Halayqha, urged the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to intercede with all concerned authorities and take necessary measures to ensure Muslim minority's rights and to call for formation of an international fact-finding mission.

Burma’s military ‘still in control’

Aung San Suu Kyi has gained support but are moves towards a Burmese democracy an illusion?

TWO bored-looking soldiers stand at the corner of a busy Yangon junction, armed with sizeable machine-guns. In a state long dominated by the military, it is an unusual sight.

In many ways, Yangon is now a normal South-East Asian city: busy, noisy and grubby but also exciting and energising. In the Burmese parliament last week, Aung Sun Suu Kyi, now the leader of the opposition after many years under house arrest, made her maiden speech in what appears to be a fledgling democracy.
The new civilian-led government seems intent on economic and social reforms that will help the formerly isolated country find more of a place in the new world order.
So where are the once ever-present police and military? Is their absence another positive sign that Burma (or Myanmar, to use its official government name) is moving towards a 
future characterised by democracy, human rights and economic improvement?
Not according to Thein Won Maung, a senior member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), who recently returned to Myanmar after more than 20 years in exile, who is convinced the military state apparatus has merely gone underground.
“People don’t see a heavy police or military presence on the streets, and assume it is part of the positive changes going on,” he says. “But there are government informers everywhere – in hotels, restaurants and in the street – watching where you go and who you meet.”
And some believe the release and triumphant return of the charismatic Suu Kyi to frontline politics may only have served to make the situation worse for many Burmese by creating an illusion of change not borne out by reality.
There are fears that “The Lady” herself could be a problem for Burma rather than the natural solution many perceive her to be. The Myanmar Times reported this month that her global fame risked “eclipsing new stars” and could thwart the rise of a new generation of leaders. Suu Kyi will be 70 in the year of the pivotal 2015 elections.
The transition to a democracy began in earnest in January when a quasi-civilian government ended the military regime that seized power in 1989 and began political reform.
Suu Kyi, the NLD leader freed from house arrest in 2010, won a seat in parliament in April by-elections, along with 40-plus party colleagues.
Her subsequent election and triumphant tour of Europe in June was soon followed by 
the significant United States decision to suspend most economic sanctions against Myanmar. In a carefully choreographed series of events, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton then met Myanmar president U Thein Sein in Cambodia and US corporates went to Myanmar to talk business.
However, the sense that 
the machinery of state remains all-pervasive is borne out by 
a report in the New Light Of Myanmar, a pro-government English-language newspaper. It reports a question by 
U Nyan Lin on falling standards of state worship in cinemas. He asks “if there is any plan to cure the situation as people hardly salute the state flag in cinemas”.
Since 2006, a reminder has flashed on screen, in Burmese and English, to remind cinema-goers of their responsibility before the flag appears. “In the past, law enforcement police were assigned at cinemas to search out those who did not salute to the state flag,” the report says. “They were taken out of the cinema and fined.”
In the light of recent non-compliance, the Home Affairs Ministry has issued orders that such behaviour will no longer be tolerated. Educative “signboards” reinforcing the message will be installed at “visible places” and loudspeaker announcements made. Cinema owners are being advised to hire “supervisory staff” to urge the audience to salute the flag.
This North Korea-style approach is at odds with the 
positive picture of Myanmar currently presented in the West. Asked if he and NLD colleagues are optimistic about the future, Thein Won Maung replies: “Not optimistic – very concerned. These changes are not meaningful. The dropping of sanctions has come too quickly and plays into the hands of the government. They need the investment but there are no guarantees these changes will lead to real democracy and human rights.”
Human Rights Watch has criticised the US for failing to impose stringent conditions, while the Burma Campaign UK says human rights issues are being talked down and positive changes talked up due to investment opportunities.
The EU suspended sanctions in April and a blue-chip UK trade delegation – including Rolls-Royce, BP, British Gas and Ernst & Young – has 
visited Myanmar.
Thein Won Maung urges caution and is blunt in his assessment of the government’s intentions. “There is no chance that the military will allow the democratic parties to form a government if they win the full election in 2015,” he said.
Even staunch supporters fear too much expectation is placed upon Suu Kyi. Dr Cynthia Maung, de facto leader 
of the enormous exiled Burmese community in Mae Sot, Thailand, says: “There are huge expectations of what she can do, especially in the West – too much on one person’s shoulders.”

Burma’s monks call for Muslim community to be shunned

Hanna Hindstrom Monks who played a vital role in Burma’s recent struggle for democracy have been accused of fuelling ethnic tensions in the country by calling on people to shun a Muslim community that has suffered decades of abuse. In a move that has shocked many observers, some monks’ organisations have issued pamphlets telling people not to associate with the Rohingya community, and have blocked humanitarian assistance from reaching them. One leaflet described the Rohingya as “cruel by nature” and claimed it had “plans to exterminate” other ethnic groups.The outburst against the Rohingya, often described as one of the world’s most oppressed groups, comes after weeks of ethnic violence in the Rakhine state in the west of Burma that has left more than 80 dead and up to 100,000 people living in a situation described as “desperate” by humanitarian organisations. As state-sanctioned abuses against the Muslim community continue, Burma’s president Thein Sein – credited by the international community for ushering in a series of democratic reforms in the country and releasing political prisoners such as Aung San Suu Kyi – has urged neighbouring Bangladesh to take in the Rohingya.“In recent days, monks have emerged in a leading role to enforce denial of humanitarian assistance to Muslims, in support of policy statements by politicians,” said Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan project, a regional NGO. “A member of a humanitarian agency in Sittwe told me that some monks were posted near Muslim displacement camps, checking on and turning away people they suspected would visit for assistance.”The Young Monks’ Association of Sittwe and Mrauk Oo Monks’ Association have both released statements in recent days urging locals not to associate with the group. Displaced Rohingya have been housed in over-crowded camps away from the Rakhine population – where a health and malnutrition crisis is said to be escalating – as political leaders move to segregate and expel the 800,000-strong minority from Burma. Earlier this month, Thein Sein attempted to hand over the group to the UN refugee agency.Aid workers report ongoing threats and interference by local nationalist and religious groups. Some monasteries in Maungdaw and Sittwe sheltering displaced Rakhine people have openly refused to accept international aid, alleging that it is “biased” in favour of the Rohingya. Monks have traditionally played a critical role in helping vulnerable citizens, stepping in to care for the victims of Cyclone Nargis in 2008 after the military junta rejected international assistance.Many have been shocked by the response of the monks and members of the democracy movement to the recent violence, which erupted after the rape and murder of a Buddhist woman, allegedly by three Muslims, unleashed long-standing ethnic tensions.Monks’ leader Ashin Htawara recently encouraged the government to send the group “back to their native land” at an event in London hosted by the anti-Rohingya Burma Democratic Concern. Ko Ko Gyi, a democracy activist with the 88 Generation Students group and a former political prisoner, said: “The Rohingya are not a Burmese ethnic group. The root cause of the violence… comes from across the border.” Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, said: “We were shocked to have [Ashin Htawara] propose to us that there should be what amounts to concentration camps for the Rohingya.”  Suu Kyi has also been criticised for failing to speak out. The Rohingya have lived in Burma for centuries, but in 1982, the then military ruler Ne Win stripped them of their citizenship. Thousands fled to Bangladesh where they live in pitiful camps. Foreign media are still denied access to the conflict region, where a state of emergency was declared last month, and ten aid workers were arrested without explanation.          

UN Calls for Burma Carnage Enquiry

 NEW YORK: UN human rights Chief Navi Pillay has called for an independent investigation following claims of abuses by security forces in Burma's Rakhine state.

Ms Pillay said forces sent to quash violence in the northern state were reported to be targeting Muslims.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says about 80,000 people have been displaced following inter-communal violence. The agency says most of those displaced are living in camps and more tents are being airlifted in to help them.

The latest violence in Rakhine state began in May when a Buddhist ethnic Rakhine woman was allegedly raped and murdered by three Muslims. On June 3, an unidentified mob killed 10 Muslims. Ms Pillay's office says that since then at least 78 people have been killed in ensuing violence but unofficial estimates are higher.

"We have been receiving a stream of reports from independent sources alleging discriminatory and arbitrary responses by security forces, and even their instigation of and involvement in clashes," Ms Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said.
"Reports indicate that the initial swift response of the authorities to the communal violence may have turned into a crackdown targeting Muslims, in particular members of the Rohingya community."

She welcomed a government decision to allow a UN envoy access to Rakhine state next week, but said it was "no substitute for a full-fledged independent investigation".

The UNHCR says that about 80,000 people had been displaced in and around the towns of Sittwe and Maungdaw. Spokesman Andrej Mahecic said that many were too scared to return home while others were being prevented from earning a living. "Some displaced Muslims tell UNHCR staff they would also like to go home to resume work, but fear for their safety," he said.

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi recently called for laws to protect the rights of ethnic minority groups. In her first statement in parliament, she said such laws were important for Burma to become a truly democratic nation of mutual respect.

Burma has undergone a series of political reforms initiated by the military-backed government. But some parts of the country are still hit by conflict and unrest, most recently Rakhine state.

IBA chides massacre of Muslims in Burma

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad Bar Association (IBA) on Saturday passed a resolution unanimously to condemn Myanmar Muslims’ massacre at the Islamabad District Courts.
The legal fraternity condemned the brutalities of the Myanmar government against the Muslims. They appealed to the Islamic countries, including Pakistan, to build up diplomatic pressure on Myanmar to stop its atrocities on the Muslim population and protect their fundamental human rights forthwith.
Islamabad District Court Bar Association (IDCBA) President Syed Javed Akbar Shah Mashhadi chaired the meeting and said that 700,000 Muslims were living in Myanmar while the Myanmar government was killing 20,000 innocent Muslims every month.
He lamented that the UN as well as the national and international media had become a silent spectator. No one is raising his voice against these brutalities, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, IDCBA General Secretary Chaudhry Ayyub Arbab Gujjar disclosed that in the recent riots 30,000 Muslims had been killed, 10,000 were missing, 5,000 Muslim women raped and 17 Muslim towns had been set on fire.
He said it was a shameful act for all human beings on the globe, adding the International Bar Association must take a serious notice of it and ease tension between the Muslims and Buddhists of Myanmar.
The lawyers decided to raise funds for the financial support of the Muslims living at the borders of Myanmar and Bangladesh.