US diplomats seek facts in Burma Nov 3, 2009
Burma has been ruled by its military since 1962. Two senior US officials have begun a fact-finding visit to Burma ... Mr Campbell, the top US diplomat for East Asia, is the highest ranking US official to visit Burma since 1995. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
US zeroes in on China's clout in Myanmar Oct 24, 2009
"Our dialogue with [Myanmar] will supplement rather than replace the sanction regimes that have been at the center of our Burma [Myanmar] policy for many years," he told the committee ... China's economic and strategic interests, as well as political clout, have steadily risen in Myanmar since Beijing reversed previous policies and withdrew support from the insurgent Communist Party of Burma (BCP) in the 1980s. (Asia Times Online)
Power vs. freedom Oct 24, 2009
In Burma, the clear majority of the Burmese people want freedom from an oppressive, brutal and murderous military dictatorship. This week 10,000 monks and more than 100,000 Burmese have been peacefully protesting on the streets of Rangoon risking their lives for freedom. (Fresno Bee -- Opinion)
Thailand 14-day adventure from $1,199 Oct 17, 2009
Next youll embark on a scenic boat trip along the Mekong River in the historic Golden Triangle region, the meeting point of Thailand, Burma and Laos. Other tour highlights include visits to the renowned Chiang Mai, known as the rose of the north, where youll visit an elephant farm and learn about the role of elephants in Thai agriculture. (MSNBC -- Travel)
Diwali parties go top notch! Oct 11, 2009
The 150-yearold Burma teak consoles have been polished to put up the family photographs in silver frames. Swati says, Signature style is important as the dcor reflects the hosts personality. (India Times)
Burma's Suu Kyi Meets With Western Diplomats Oct 9, 2009
RANGOON, Burma Burma's junta leader has allowed detained Burma pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to meet Western diplomats to discuss sanctions imposed against the military-ruled country, government officials said Friday ... After the letter, Burma Relations Minister Aung Kyi met with Suu Kyi twice within a week ... She was sentenced to an additional 18 months of house arrest -- which means she cannot participate in elections scheduled for next year, the first in Burma in two decades. (Fox News)
Walking Trails in St. John's, NL Oct 5, 2009
Enjoy Fall Foliage Along One of Newfoundlands Many Nature Walks. Historic St. John's, Newfoundland is home to a network of scenic walks and pathways. (Suite101.com)
A Visit to Isla Negra, Home of Poet... Oct 5, 2009
Diplomatic work and poetry readings took Neruda to destinations like Singapore and Burma and numerous exotic artefacts fill his office. But nothing is tagged with any information. (Suite101.com)
Storm's evolution a tale of two cities Oct 5, 2009
To focus on Burma is to ignore China's implicit support of the regime, and Thailand's exploitation of Burmese refugees. The National Gallery of Victoria will be open all night as the grand finale to the hugely successful Salvador Dali exhibition. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Burma Rejects Suu Kyi's Appeal of House Arrest Oct 2, 2009
RANGOON, Burma A court in military-ruled Burma rejected opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's latest bid for freedom Friday, turning down an appeal of her most recent sentence of house arrest, her lawyer said ... Burma's courts almost always follow the same hard line toward Suu Kyi and the country's democracy movement, which the military government often accuses of collaborating with the country's enemies to destroy the nation ... It and other Western nations apply sanctions because of Burma's... (Fox News)
Bill Gates richer than 140 nations Oct 2, 2009
The Microsoft visionarys nest egg is just short of the GDP of Tanzania and Burma, it added. Although his wealth has fallen by $7 billion in a year, Gates has retained his title as the richest American for 16th year in a row. (India Times)
Ma Sees Want Want in China Bring Prosperity to Taiwan as Shares Return 39% Sep 30, 2009
Chu, who was wounded, and 10,000 other survivors crossed into the Golden Triangle, the opium-growing region of Burma, Laos and Thailand. Many became kingpins in the heroin trade. (Bloomberg)
U.S. Official Spent Six Days in Cuba to Talk Postal Service, Expanded Ties Sep 30, 2009
Sept. 29 (Bloomberg) -- President administration is working to resume more direct contact with Cuba as part of a U.S. effort to establish dialogue with foes from Iran to North Korea to Burma. The State Department held talks with Cuba this month in Havana to discuss resuming direct postal service between the two countries. (Bloomberg -- Latin America)
US changes tack on Myanmar Sep 24, 2009
The country, also known as Burma, has been ruled by military juntas since 1962 ... "We believe that sanctions remain important as part of our policy, but by themselves they have not produced the results that had been hoped for on behalf of the people of Burma," Clinton told reporters, using the country's traditional name. (Fresno Bee -- Nation)
Last Resorts Sep 24, 2009
a British group that advocates against exploitation and for ethical forms of tourism, for example, endorses a of Burma. But perhaps not traveling to Burma is an easy choice. (Slate)
The paper airplane contest and the stateless boy Sep 21, 2009
Mong is on a list of people who will be considered for repatriation to Burma in February 2010. AP. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Living hand-to-trunk in Thailand Sep 14, 2009
Asian elephants still populate parts of Thailand, Burma, India, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, but their natural habitats have dwindled and the beautiful beasts are precariously close to extinction. Travelers now typically experience Asian elephants only on trekking trips where they carry passengers and luggage, or as part of choreographed and unnatural spectacles. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Travel)
Tourism -The Role of the Military Sep 7, 2009
This edifice of our military history will attract and also serve as the first point of call for all tourists who would want to see, at first glance, the gallantry of our officers and men of the Armed Forces over the years, not only in Africa but also around the world from the Burma days to the Congo days etc. How many tourists visit Africa each year. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Why Don't We All Drive on the Same Side of the Road? Sep 5, 2009
Once these norms were set, many countries eventually adjusted to conform to the right-hand standard, including Canada in the 1920s, Sweden in 1967 and Burma in 1970. The U.K. and former colonies such as Australia and India are among the Western world's few remaining holdouts. (Time.com)
Gaping Gila Monsters, Buzzing Insects, Clambering Ungulates: New Finds From Germany's Messel Pit Aug 26, 2009
(July 1, 2009) A new fossil primate from Myanmar (previously known as Burma) suggests that the common ancestor of humans, monkeys and apes evolved from primates in Asia, not Africa as many researchers. (Apr. (Science Daily)
American Freed From Burma Heads Home Aug 19, 2009
American Man Jailed in Burma Heads Home ... BANGKOK An American man imprisoned in Burma for sneaking into the opposition leader's compound but released with the help of a visiting U.S. senator headed home on a flight Tuesday after two days of health checks in Thailand ... John Yettaw, 53, of Falcon, Missouri, was detained in Burma for three months after he swam across a lake and made an unauthorized visit to the home of detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi. (Fox News)
U.S. should talk to Burma; China sure is Aug 18, 2009
Twenty years of sanctioning and lecturing Burma's military regime have failed. The West needs to engage with Burma's leaders, increase humanitarian aid and reopen commercial relations with the country ... I witnessed repression in Burma firsthand when I was 8, during the violent unrest surrounding my grandfather's funeral. (Herald Online, SC -- Opinion)
Realpolitik revealed in Myanmar release Aug 18, 2009
In May, Obama renewed the 1997 Investment Ban for American companies wishing to do business in Myanmar and in July he renewed the Burma Freedom and Democracy Act, which bans for another three years the importation of goods from Myanmar ... According to Aung Din, executive director of the US Campaign for Burma (Myamnar), "This is just Senior General Than Shwe giving an award to Senator Webb for his efforts on US engagement with the regime, increasing US business opportunities in [Myanmar] and his... (Asia Times Online)
* US senator holds talks with leader of Myanmar junta Aug 16, 2009
Webbs office said on Aug. 6 that he would travel to five countries in Southeast Asia on a two-week mission to explore opportunities to advance US interests in Burma [Myanmar] and the region. . (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
U2 stages to become gig venues Aug 16, 2009
Burma deports Suu Kyi US 'guest. Thai elephant gets artificial leg. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
American leaves Myanmar after release from jail Aug 16, 2009
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on a trip through Asia in February, addressed the administration's dilemma with Myanmar, also called Burma ... "I don't think Sen. Webb can be proud for the release of Mr. John Yettaw, while our leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the real victim of this conspiracy and injustices, and two women colleagues, are still under detention," said Aung Din of the U.S. Campaign for Burma, a Washington-based group ... "This will surely make a negative... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
EU to expand Burma sanctions over Suu Kyi trial Aug 15, 2009
In the first concrete response to the conviction this week of Burma's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, the European Union said it would impose sanctions against members of the judiciary responsible for the verdict, as well as against state-run media and other enterprises ... After Suu Kyi's conviction and return to house arrest on Tuesday, several Western nations expressed their outrage by calling for additional economic and diplomatic penalties to isolate and punish Burma's junta for its... (San Francisco Chronicle)
U.S. senator visits Myanmar junta Aug 15, 2009
Webb is scheduled to depart Myanmar -- also known as Burma -- on Sunday. His office would not discuss what the first-term senator plans to discuss during his scheduled meeting with Than Shwe. (CNN -- International)
Forgotten heroes Aug 15, 2009
British documentary makers Robin Forestier-Walker and Oliver Owen have been tracing Nigerians who fought against the Japanese in Burma during World War II. ... It was as Private African Banana that he went on to travel 6,300 miles (10,100km) to the jungles of Burma in the Royal West African Frontier Force ... In fact, only two in 10 of the soldiers who fought in Burma were white. (BBC News -- Africa)
US senator 'meets Burmese leader' Aug 15, 2009
Burma is the first stop of an Asian tour for the US senator ... Adding to international condemnation, the UN Security Council has expressed its "serious concern" and the EU extended sanctions against Burma ... Four senior members of Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) have been invited to Burma's administrative capital, Nay Pyi Taw, "to meet with an important person", party spokesman Nyan Win said, adding that it was unclear if that person was Than Shwe or Jim Webb. (BBC News)
UN 'concern' at Suu Kyi sentence Aug 14, 2009
A statement from the council, which came after two days of debate, also called for the release of all political prisoners in Burma ... Earlier the European Union extended its sanctions on Burma ... Correspondents said Thursday's UN statement was watered down from an original US draft, which "condemned" the verdict and demanded that Burma's military junta free Ms Suu Kyi. (BBC News)
UN Calls for Reconciliation in Myanmar as U.S. Senator Webb Visits Yangon Aug 14, 2009
Suu Kyis detention provoked international condemnation of Myanmars military leaders who have ruled the country formerly known as Burma since 1962 ... His visit to Burma is one stop on a two-week, five-nation tour of Asia to explore opportunities to advance U.S. interests in the region, Webbs office in a statement in his Web site yesterday ... He said in June that as long as authorities in Myanmar continued the trial of Suu Kyi, it will be very difficult to pursue a meaningful... (Bloomberg -- US)
Senator to Press Burma in Historic First Aug 13, 2009
In First, U.S. Senator Webb to Meet Burma Chief ... U.S. Senator Jim Webb plans to meet with Burma's top official, Senior General Than Shwe, following his arrival Friday in what would be the first-ever meeting between a U.S. official and Burma's junta chief, Webb's office said ... "If the Shwe meeting takes place it will be the first time that a senior American official has ever met with Burma's top leader," a statement from Webb's office said. (Fox News)
'Guilty' in Burma Aug 12, 2009
Nobel Laureate Suu Kyi Found Guilty in Burma ... RANGOON, Burma A Burmese court found democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi guilty Tuesday of violating her house arrest by allowing an uninvited American to stay at her home ... Than Shwe said he reduced the sentences to "maintain peace and tranquility" and because Suu Kyi was the daughter of Aung San, a revered hero who won Burma's independence from Britain. (Fox News)
* World News Quick Take Aug 8, 2009
Webb, the chairman of a Senate subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific affairs, leaves tomorrow for a five-nation, two-week trip to explore opportunities to advance US interests in Burma [Myanmar] and the region, a statement from his office said. A Vietnam War veteran and former US Navy secretary who speaks Vietnamese, Webb will also meet government representatives and industry leaders in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, his office said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
The UMCOR Hotline for August 4, 2009 Aug 5, 2009
In Myanmar (Burma), an estimated 20,000 people die from HIV/AIDS every year. About 240,000 people in the country are living with HIV/AIDS, but only 15 percent of those who need antiretroviral treatment are medically covered. (AlertNet)
Top Article: This Could Be Asia's Hour Aug 4, 2009
Moreover, if China, India and the ASEAN states take the lead in promoting a just resolution for the people of Burma, or if China proves more willing to press North Korea on nuclear weapons, these states will demonstrate that a world with multiple leading stakeholders can be safer than a world led by a single superpower ... Issues such as Burma, North Korea, Darfur, Zimbabwe, climate change and nuclear proliferation all appear to be falling, because they are being insufficiently addressed, into... (India Times, India)
Experience Thailand from Five Star ... Aug 2, 2009
The Anantara Golden Triangle Resort and Spa epitomizes the beauty of this region, both in its design and its hillside location overlooking Burma and Laos. The Anantara s world class standards of luxury and service can be enjoyed for less than $150 per person per night. (Suite101.com)
Funeral held for Spain bomb dead Aug 1, 2009
New film exposes Burma protests. Afghanistan civilian deaths rise. (BBC News)
Burma Delays Suu Kyi Verdict Until Aug. 11 Jul 31, 2009
July 31: Burma activists shout slogans during a rally demanding the immediate release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Seoul, South Korea. July 31: Burma activists shout slogans during a rally demanding the immediate release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Seoul, South Korea ... RANGOON, Burma The Burma court scheduled to deliver a verdict in the high-profile trial of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said Friday it was not yet ready to make a decision and adjourned until... (Fox News)
American John Yettaw Awaits Fate in Suu Kyi Trial Jul 31, 2009
American John Yettaw who defied the military rulers of Burma to swim to the home of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi could learn his fate Friday. The prison court will pass judgment on charges of trespassing against Yettaw, in addition to charges that Nobel laureate Suu Kyi breached the terms of her house arrest by sheltering Yettaw when he arrived at her home in May. (Fox News)
Leonard N. Hare Jul 28, 2009
Dr. Hare was born on Dec. 5, 1921, in Rangoon, Burma ... and in 1944, married Esther Borrowdale on June 25, and set out bound for Burma on July 1 ... With wartime travel conditions, the couple finally arrived in Burma in June of 1946 where Dr. Hare served as principal of Myamungmya and Ohn Daw schools. (St. Joseph Herald-Pallidium, MI)
Suu Kyi Verdict Set for Friday in Burma Jul 28, 2009
Jan. 30, 2008: Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is seen in Yangon. Jan. 30, 2008: Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is seen in Yangon ... RANGOON, Burma The high-profile trial of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi concluded Tuesday with the court announcing it will deliver its verdict at the end of the week, officials and diplomats said. (Fox News)
Clinton talks tough in Thailand Jul 25, 2009
Old adversaries The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is billed as East Asia's top security-related summit, gathering 26 countries and the European Union, and Clinton came with a wide array of talking points, focusing sharply on North Korea and Myanmar, also known as Burma. "We know that there are also growing concerns about military cooperation between North Korea and Burma, which we take very seriously," Clinton said ... "It would be destabilizing for the region. It would pose a direct threat to... (Asia Times Online)
Aung San Suu Kyi's trial to resume today Jul 24, 2009
Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962. Suu Kyi's opposition party won national elections in 1990, but Myanmar's generals refused to relinquish power. (India Times, India)
Profile: Aung San Suu Kyi Jul 24, 2009
As a pro-democracy campaigner and leader of the opposition National League for Democracy party (NLD), she has spent more than 11 of the past 19 years in some form of detention under Burma's military regime. In 1991 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to Burma ... After a period of time overseas, Aung San Suu Kyi went back to Burma in 1988. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Drivers 'don't trust' road taxes Jul 24, 2009
Page last updated at 04:06 GMT, Friday, 24 July 2009 05:06 UK. MPs say a new consensus is needed on tackling congestion. (BBC News -- UK)
Thousands gather to watch solar eclipse Jul 22, 2009
The excitement this time around is largely due to the unusually long duration of the instant of greatest eclipse, or "totality'' -- when the sun is wholly covered. At its maximum, this will last six minutes and 39 seconds -- a duration that will not be matched until the year 2132. In India, hordes of scientists, students and nature enthusiasts readied for the eclipse while millions of others planned to shutter themselves indoors, giving in to superstitious myths about the phenomenon. The eclipse... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Pulse prices likely to soar further Jul 22, 2009
Prices could ease marginally upon arrival of fresh stocks from Burma and Canada later this year, but the continuous decline in arhar would likely to keep prices firm despite better global supply ... But lower stocks and good domestic demand at export destination meant that Burma (Myanmar), key exporter of pulses to India, exported only 74,501 tonnes of beans and pulses in May this year, down by 65% compared to the corresponding period last year ... Mere duty import wont be able to ease prices... (India Times)
Raghu Krishnan: India & Myanmar Jul 21, 2009
Yet Burma, or Myanmar as it is now known, has remained in a time-warp ... As Justin Wintle points out in his biography Perfect Hostage: Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma and the Generals, there was the prospect of a breakthrough a few years ago: Progress appeared to have been made in December 2005 when, in the wake of a fiercely critical report prepared by the US law firm Piper Rudnick Gray Cary and commissioned by Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu and former Czech President Vaclav Havel, the UN Security... (India Times)
Asia Will Witness 21st Century's Longest Eclipse Jul 21, 2009
One astrologer in Myanmar, also known as Burma, predicted in a magazine that the eclipse would trigger wars, instability and natural disasters for the next several months. In India, hundreds of scientists have started arriving in the village of Taregna in Bihar state, where they hope to avoid the monsoon clouds hanging over much of the country. (KIRO TV, WA)
Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award conferred on Suu Kyi Jul 21, 2009
The Premier of the KwaZulu-Natal province Zweli Mkhize, who was the guest of honour said "the people and government of South Africa fully supported the struggles of Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma.' "We will work with UN Secretary General and the UN to ensure that the elections in Myanmar next year is credible," he said. We can fully identify with the brutal oppression and restrictions imposed on Aung San Suu Kyi and other freedom fighters because we too experienced the same situation... (India Times, India)
Source: Burma Calls for Nukes, N. Korea Answers Jul 21, 2009
No one expects military-run Burma, renamed Myanmar, to obtain an atomic bomb anytime soon, but experts have the Southeast Asian nation on their radar screen ... U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, along with representatives from North Korea and Burma, will attend ... Alert signals sounded recently when a North Korean freighter, the Kang Nam I, headed toward Burma with undisclosed cargo. (Fox News)
Century's longest Solar eclipse on July 22 Jul 19, 2009
Travelling across Bhutan, the eclipse will be visible in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Burma (Myanmar), before reaching China at 06:35 IST, he said. China's largest city Shanghai will experience the total solar eclipse for five minutes, he said, adding across the East China Sea, the eclipse will sweep over Japan's Ryukyu Islands and Iwo Jima. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Myanmar to obey UN chief? Jul 14, 2009
"There can be no free and fair elections while key leaders of Burma's democratic opposition, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and more than 2000 other political prisoners, languish in Burma's prisons," US delegate Rosemary DiCarlo told the council. " "Now is the time for Burma to match its words with deeds ... When Burma demonstrates its willingness to respond to the international community's demands and commit to genuine progress toward reform, the United States stands ready to respond," she... (iAfrica.com)
'Myanmar polls not credible sans Suu Kyi' Jul 14, 2009
"To be credible and legitimate, Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners should be released," Ban told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York, soon after briefing the Security Council on his recent visit to Burma ... China on the other hand argued the success or failure of Ban's trip to Burma should not be determined by him not able to meet Suu Kyi. (India Times, India)
Hopes and fears Jul 11, 2009
Photographs of Aung San Suu Kyi are banned in Burma. The trial of Burma's pro-democracy leader on charges of breaking the terms of her house arrest has been proceeding in fits and starts at a court inside Rangoon's Insein prison, but a verdict is expected soon ... Foreign journalists are barred from Burma, so our correspondent must remain anonymous for his own safety. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Who won the BA tickets? Jul 9, 2009
Brett Travelling down the Irrawaddy River in Burma towards Bagan an area of 21 square km's with over 300 Buddhist temples dotted all over. We experienced these amazing temples with a 13 year old Burmese boy who had the most unbelievable understanding of the history of the area as well as the most infectious personality an off the beaten track which will live with me for ever. (iAfrica.com)
Eclipses in 2009 Jul 7, 2009
The Moon's shadow crosses Bhutan and clips Nepal, Bangladesh, and Burma (Myanmar) before reaching China. Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, lies within the path of totality, which also sweeps across Chongqing, Wuhan, and Hangzhou in southern China. (SkyAndTelescope.com)
NICHOLAS KRISTOF Jul 5, 2009
Nicholas D. Kristof's Columns. Sunday, July 5, 2009. (The Drudge Report)
No small Change Jul 5, 2009
As the country's experiments with socialism continued, John Mathai presented his first budget in 1949-50, starting with "the impasse in Berlin, the civil war in Greece, the Palestine question, civil strife in China, the disturbances in Burma..." Lots of rhetoric. Reason: very little economic progress. (India Times, India)
UK threatens new Burma sanctions Jul 5, 2009
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown says new sanctions may be imposed on Burma's regime after it snubbed visiting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Mr Ban expressed "deep disappointment" after Burma's top general rejected his request to meet with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi ... He reacted after Mr Ban's two-day visit to Burma ended with little progress. (BBC News)
U2 asks fans to support Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi Jul 4, 2009
"This next song is dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma," Bono told the crowd, according to a statement received Friday from the Burma Campaign UK. The London-based human rights group helped coordinate a recent campaign that groups celebrities, musicians and dignitaries calling for Suu Kyi's release. "Let's send her a message of love and support. Let us stand with her ... Put on your masks," Bono said, according to the statement, which said thousands in the audience were wearing... (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
UK-born astronauts are to receive a commemorative pin Jul 4, 2009
Page last updated at 17:38 GMT, Friday, 3 July 2009 18:38 UK. Honour given to 'UK astronauts. (BBC News -- Science)
Ghana: World Bank Approves U.S. $535 Million Package Jul 4, 2009
Improvement of Urban Roads ($78m): This component will be implemented by the Department of Urban Roads and consists of rehabilitation of the Burma Camp and Giffard roads, and the financing of urban transport infrastructure such as depots, terminals, and access facilities to the planned Bus Rapid Transit system in Accra. Improvement of Feeders Roads ($50. (allAfrica.com)
