News from Burmese Media
Shan Herald Agency for News: People Threatened to Support the Draft Constitution
Kaladan Press Network: BDR Seizes Boat Arrests 15 People en Route to Malaysia
Irrawaddy News Magazine: Norway’s Vast Oil Wealth Fund Barred from Investing in Arms Suppliers to Burma
Irrawaddy News Magazine: Police Try to Calm Refugees; Hundreds of Burmese Are in Utah
News from Regional/International Media
The Nation: Burma Warns of Terrorist Acts During Water Festival
AP: Myanmar Warns of 'Terrorist' Bomb Plans
Xinhua Online: 7th Asian Billiards and 9th U-21 Asian Snooker Championships Open in Myanmar
The Times of India: Myanmar Looks to Get a Satellite with India's Help
The Straits Times: Myanmar Crisis Six Months On
The Jakarta Post: Than Shwe Assures SBY of Reforms
Opinion/Other
Shan Herald Agency for News: Politics, Science and Hysteria REsurgence 2 - Tom Fawthrop
Irrawaddy News Magazine: Weak Words from the UN Security Council [Commentary] - Yeni
Report/Briefer
Shan Herald Agency for News: Weekly Diary, No. 295 (28 March–4 April 2008)
- 2 IC in Delhi!
- NLD Says No to Draft!
- Rising Global Rice Price Hits Burma!
- Junta Gets Missiles from N Korea!
- Thaksin’s Lawyer Defends State Loan to Burmese Junta
- Stalemate in Burma-Bangladesh Sea Border Talks
- Burma Committed to East-West Economic Corridor Road
- Inflation, Economic Slump Overshadow East Asian Financial Summit
"Nine months after the research which produced the Project Maje report "We Built This City: Workers from Burma at Risk in Malaysia" (July 2007) the situation for people from Burma seeking refuge and work in Malaysia has not improved at all. Raids by the Malaysian vigilante group Rela have continued and may be even more widespread. Rela activities are said to be especially violent and relentless in regions other than Kuala Lumpur, with the island of Penang especially prone to Rela raids. In addition to the abusive behavior of the government-sanctioned legitimate Rela units, the unlimited power of Rela has spawned copycat criminals who simply pose as Rela members in order to rob and extort from foreigners. Lack of police or government control of Rela continues in spite of international press coverage and pressure campaigns. Members of the Chin and Kachin communities mentioned recent legal in-sourcing of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia as a new problem, driving down wages for the illegal foreign workers and increasing competition for jobs...
Special Feature
Irrawaddy News Magazine: Rebel Dreams and Influences [Beyond 1988 - Reflections] - Aung Naing Oo
"1988-1992: In the jungle, students-turned rebels often proclaimed, “Man, I want to be a real rebel.” Moe Thee Zun, one time leader of the student movement, often uttered this. I did too.
Indeed, we were rebels. Even if most of us were unarmed because there were too few guns to go around, we fought with words, denouncing the military at any opportunity. Joining hands with Karen and other multi-ethnic resistance fighters—even without actually fighting ourselves—proved our rebel credentials. Even those who did nothing but complain all day about the difficulties of jungle life and criticizing resistance leaders were technically rebels, as they belonged to rebel organizations.
But we still wanted to be rebels—real, genuine rebels. It was a wish reiterated every time there were food shortages, and other things missing in our jungle life. I will tell you why..."
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