Myanmar reports first bird flu case

Myanmar reports first bird flu case
According to The Daily Star News, BD.

Myanmar reported its first case of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu yesterday, a day after the virus gained new ground in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Lab tests confirmed the outbreak in northern Myanmar after 112 chickens died, said Laurence Gleeson, a senior official at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, citing a report from the Myanmar government.
Afghanistan has detected five cases of the H5 type of bird flu virus and there is a high risk it is the deadly H5N1 strain, United Nations and Afghan officials said Monday.
Three cases of H5 bird flu were detected in the capital Kabul and two in the eastern province of Nangarhar, said Azizullah Osmani, spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry.
"Some samples we tested yesterday are positive for H5 but to determine the sub-type the samples have been sent to Italy," Osmani said at a press conference.
Pakistan is investigating a possible second outbreak of bird flu after poultry farmers threw around 2,000 chicken carcasses on a dumping ground, officials said Monday.
The dead birds were discovered in the southern city of Hyderabad, sparking fears among the public and prompting local authorities to order extensive precautionary measures, the local mayor said.
The scare comes as Pakistan waits to learn from a British laboratory whether birds found with the H5 strain in northwestern Pakistan last month had the deadly H5N1 strain.
"We have summoned samples of the dead birds from Hyderabad to test in the laboratory," said Mohammad Afzal, spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Livestock.


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Strict watch on Myanmar border
According to The Daily Star News, BD.

The government yesterday ordered an intensified vigil against entry of poultry birds and products from Myanmar hours after Yangon reported outbreak of avian flu in its central region.
"All district and upazila livestock officials have been asked to remain alert against entry of poultry birds and products from Myanmar into the country," Dr Salehuddin Mahmud, director general of the Livestock Services, told the news agency.
He said though Bangladesh does not import any poultry birds or products from Myanmar, the frontier vigilance has been intensified as an extra-precaution against entry of birds by chance.
Myanmar reported that it found strains of H5N1 virus in dead poultry around its central city of Mandalaya. Veterinarians said the flu had killed at least 112 birds around the city.
The government prohibited imports of chicks from several countries, including Thailand, India and Malaysia, as part of its vigilance against bird flu to save Bangladesh's growing poultry industry.


GMA-News

55 houses gutted in Bandarban

55 houses gutted in Bandarban
Sources from The Daily Star News, Bandarban, BD.

At least 55 houses were gutted in a devastating fire at remote village Salchhara under Ruma in Bandarban, Army sources said yesterday.
Local people said the fire originated from a furnace of a house on Saturday night.
The blaze engulfed the entire village as there is no fire brigade station in the area.
Army personnel with the help of local people put the blaze under control following hectic efforts of several hours.
Members of the armed forces Ruma zone distributed 20 maunds of rice, money in cash, medicine and crockery among the victims yesterday.

Wanted JMB militants hiding in Sundarbans
Raid soon to flush out militants and dismantle their bases
According to sources from The Daily Star News, Khulna, BD.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), police and other law enforcing agencies are preparing to launch a special combing operation in some areas of the Sundarbans to bust hideouts of Islamic militants.
Wanted Islamist militants are hiding in the deep forest after arrest of JMB kingpins Abdur Rahman and Siddiqul Islam Bangla Bhai, according to intelligence sources.
On June 17, 2001, Koira police in Khulna arrested six Islamist militants from the Sundarbans. They were Hafez Nuruzzaman alias Pintu Molla of Jessore, Abu Zafor alias Mehedi Hasan, Mohiuddin, Arif Hossain and Mostafa Kamal of Faridpur and Syed Mohammad Alam of Kushtia. They told police during interrogation that there were several secret camps in the forest where madrasa students were trained for a Taliban-style movement in the country.
Charge sheets against the six militants were submitted to court on July 1, 2001. Charges against them were framed on December 18 in 2002. But magistrate Abdur Rahman of Koira upazila court dismissed the case on the same day. Later, the case docket was allegedly stolen from the court.
The six arrested militants also told police that Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai visited the camps in Sundarbans at least thrice between 2001 and 2002 to monitor military training of 20 recruited madrasa students loyal to Islami Chatra Shibir. This information was given by the six arrestes during interrogation.
Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai were helped by a section of officials in Koira to damage merit of several other cases. These led to establishment of JMB strongholds inside the Sundarbans, the intelligence sources said.
In 2004, police arrested 11 followers of Bangla Bhai from the Sundarbans and recovered from their possession army uniforms and some books on militancy.
In May 2001, police arrested more 17 Islamist militants from near Rupsha bridge area.
Besides, police arrested JMB suicide bombers Rubel, Faruk, Hasan and Abul Bashar on December 25, 2003 from a room of an 'abandoned' hotel in Khulna city and recovered 150 booklets on Islamist militancy, 12 powerful bombs and a huge quantity of bomb making materials. The booklets recovered from there were edited by Shaekh Abdul Halim and printed from Ad-Din Publications, Dhaka.
The booklets contained guidelines on how to launch militant movement and hit targets with bombs and arms. A diary was also recovered from the spot which contained instructions for taking training in Karat and learn strategies to carry out suicide bomb attacks.
Four suicide bombers arrested from there had told police during interrogation that the abandoned hotel in Khulna city was used as the main training centre of an Islamist militant organisation.
The area where the hotel is situated is a stronghold of Islami Chhatra Shibir, student front of ruling coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami.
GMA-News
The intelligence sources said combing operation in the Sundrbans is deemed as urgent task now to track down the militants and extremists. They think that Bangla Bhai and Abdur Rahman had strengthened their networks in south-western districts from their bases in the Sundarbans.
The Islamist militants arrested from 2001 to 2004 and released on bail due to weak charge sheets are now being hunted by intelligence agencies, said the sources.


GMA-News

Indi, Myanmar sign deal on natural gas

Indi, Myanmar sign deal on natural gas
According to sources from New Age News, BD.

Yangon Indian President Abdul Kalam left Myanmar Saturday after a four day trip in which he sealed a deal allowing his country to search for new ways to tap Myanmar’s natural gas reserves.
The deal marked India’s latest move in its competition with China for influence in military-ruled Myanmar, despite international condemnation of the junta’s human rights abuses and calls for the release of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Indian foreign ministry official Shyam Saran told reporters in Yangon that Kalam and Myanmar’s junta chief, Senior General Than Shwe, did not discuss the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Most of Kalam’s visit, the first by an Indian head of state, focused on business, though he also reached two agreements on satellite imagery and education.
India has been trying to negotiate a three-billion-dollar deal to run a pipeline from Myanmar across Bangladesh to the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, but failed to make headway in the talks.
The agreement signed Thursday would also allow studies into running a much longer pipeline through northeast India, which borders Myanmar, or converting the gas to liquefied natural gas for shipping.
China and Myanmar have already signed a deal to allow China to study building a pipeline from the Arakan Coast to its Yunnan province.
The satellite deal would allow Myanmar to use Indian satellite imagery, which could be applied to agricultural projects or to survey for minerals. The third deal agreed was to improve cooperation in Buddhist studies. Kalam was headed to Mauritius for two days before returning home.


GMA-News

Is Myanmar the next Iran?

Is Myanmar the next Iran?
Ian Bremmer

The United States and its European allies worry that if they simply accept a nuclear Iran, other states will be encouraged to pursue nuclear ambitions of their own. But that ship may already have sailed. As the world watches the twists and turns of Iran's path toward the Security Council, the military regime in Myanmar may be quietly selling its energy resources to finance the acquisition of nuclear technology.
During her Senate confirmation hearings in January 2005, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice labeled Myanmar an "outpost of tyranny." Not without reason. Since 1962, a military junta has ruled the country and carefully maintained Myanmar's isolation from the international community. A popular uprising in the late 1980s forced the regime to gamble on multiparty legislative elections. But when the opposition National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in 1990, the regime voided the result and jailed many of the NLD's leaders -- including Nobel Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi. A decade and a half later, Suu Kyi is again under house arrest without access to even a telephone. Most of Myanmar's more than 50 million people live in poverty -- though the government has blocked international efforts to document their plight.
Myanmar's generals, known in state-controlled media as the State Peace and Development Council, routinely harass and imprison opposition activists. Citizens have been used as slave labour. The junta's security police have been known to strafe demonstrators with gunfire. In December, an Asian human rights group issued a 124-page report on the Myanmar government's "brutal and systematic" torture of political prisoners.
To deepen the country's isolation, last November the generals began to move Myanmar's capital from the southern coastal city of Rangoon to the mountain stronghold of Pyinmana, deep in the country's interior. Perhaps the regime's oft-stated fear of a US invasion prompted the retreat from the coast. That would explain press reports that the junta has surrounded its new capital with land mines. Perhaps the regime is even more afraid of the ethnically diverse and impoverished students of Rangoon. We can't look for answers to the United Nations' envoy to Myanmar. He resigned in January after failing for nearly two years to gain entry into the country.
Despite the regime's aversion to international attention, Myanmar generated international headlines January 11 when the Korean conglomerate Daewoo announced a substantial gas find off Myanmar's northwest coast. Media reports describe the field as "massive," though Daewoo won't know just how massive until intensive exploration and testing are completed next year. The company announced that a petroleum consultant, the Ryder Scott Co., estimates that the find may produce between 2.9 trillion and 3.5 trillion cubic feet of gas, the equivalent of about 600 million barrels of crude oil. Whatever the final numbers, the discovery provides yet another reminder that Myanmar has become an important natural-gas provider for Asia's wealthiest countries.
Just as Iran's energy wealth frustrates US and European efforts to sanction Tehran, foreign competition for gas contracts will obstruct international attempts to pressure Myanmar toward democratic reform. China has profited time and again by forging commercial deals with states that are the objects of international scorn, and other energy-dependent Asian countries (India and South Korea, in particular) don't want China to monopolize Myanmar's energy reserves. These states and others will continue to chase energy deals there, including agreements to build the infrastructure needed to pipe gas or petroleum directly to their consumers and industries. Even the United States and European Union have resisted pressure to ban all investment in the country -- so energy firms Unocal and Total can join in the scramble.
The Myanmar junta knows when it approves these deals that it's giving its Asian neighbors an important stake in the regime's survival. China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, is an especially useful provider of diplomatic cover. Energy revenues also help finance the domestic repression that keeps the opposition in check and the generals in charge.
What else might this new wealth buy? The riches generated by Myanmar's natural-gas deposits may provide the junta with enough cash to realize its long-standing ambition to purchase nuclear technology. In 2002, the Russian government approved an agreement with Myanmar to help the regime build a civilian nuclear reactor. The deal was never consummated, according to the Russian foreign ministry, because Myanmar lacked the money to pay for it. But when Russia's atomic agency announced last October that talks on the subject had resumed, Western governments reacted with alarm and dismissed official Myanmar claims that the facility is meant only for medical research and the production of radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment. More worrying still, the junta's long-rumored high-level contacts with North Korea may well include discussion of the transfer of nuclear technology.
Maybe the Myanmar government believes a nuclear weapon offers the ultimate insurance against a US invasion. After all, the United States invaded Iraq, which did not have nuclear weapons, but has not attacked North Korea, which does. Myanmar's fear of an American attack tells us more about the junta's paranoia than about US intentions. But the Myanmar generals cannot have been pleased when President Bush, during last month's State of the Union address, included Myanmar on a shortlist of states in which "the demands of justice and the peace of this world require freedom."
Another reason Myanmar matters for regional stability is that it adds to the growing list of irritants in US relations with China. Myanmar provides China with the use of a military base on the Indian Ocean. Sino-Myanmar trade grew by more than 10 percent between 2004 and 2005 to more than $1.1 billion. Late last year, China outmaneuvered India for an agreement to buy 6.5 trillion cubic feet of gas. As China's dependence on Myanmar's energy grows, we can expect Beijing to help the junta resist international pressure -- just as they have done for authoritarian regimes in Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. (China has invested around $300 million in Zimbabwe in return for mining concessions and direct supply of gold, diamonds, chrome, bauxite, and possibly uranium.) That will only add to Washington's diplomatic frustrations.
The United States and several other countries would like to move Myanmar onto the Security Council's formal agenda and pressure the junta into reform and greater transparency. But the more dependent Myanmar's neighbours become on the country's energy resources, the less likely it is that any international body can force change on this regime. As a similar scenario unfolds in the diplomatic battle over Iran's nuclear weapons, Myanmar's generals will be watching closely from their new mountain fortress.
Ian Bremmer is president of Eurasia Group, the global political risk consultancy, and senior fellow at the World Policy Institute.

Indi, Myanmar sign deal on natural gas

Indi, Myanmar sign deal on natural gas
According to sources from New Age News, BD.

Yangon Indian President Abdul Kalam left Myanmar Saturday after a four day trip in which he sealed a deal allowing his country to search for new ways to tap Myanmar’s natural gas reserves.
The deal marked India’s latest move in its competition with China for influence in military-ruled Myanmar, despite international condemnation of the junta’s human rights abuses and calls for the release of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Indian foreign ministry official Shyam Saran told reporters in Yangon that Kalam and Myanmar’s junta chief, Senior General Than Shwe, did not discuss the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Most of Kalam’s visit, the first by an Indian head of state, focused on business, though he also reached two agreements on satellite imagery and education.
India has been trying to negotiate a three-billion-dollar deal to run a pipeline from Myanmar across Bangladesh to the eastern Indian city of Kolkata, but failed to make headway in the talks.
The agreement signed Thursday would also allow studies into running a much longer pipeline through northeast India, which borders Myanmar, or converting the gas to liquefied natural gas for shipping.
China and Myanmar have already signed a deal to allow China to study building a pipeline from the Arakan Coast to its Yunnan province.
The satellite deal would allow Myanmar to use Indian satellite imagery, which could be applied to agricultural projects or to survey for minerals. The third deal agreed was to improve cooperation in Buddhist studies. Kalam was headed to Mauritius for two days before returning home.


GMA-News

International Women’s Day celebrated by the Rakhine Community sponsored by RDF

International Women’s Day celebrated by the Rakhine Community sponsored by RDF.

Barishal, 9th March, 06: The 31st anniversary of the International Women’s Day was observed by the Rakine National Community at Barishal District, delta region of Bengal, about 300 miles western part of Dhaka city, Bangladesh, on Wednesday 8th March, 06.

This ceremony was organized by Daw Ma Pu Sein, in-charge of Women and Children Affairs of Arakan Labour Association in Exile--ALAE and sponsored by Rakhine Development Foundation – RDF, that the sources said.

It was started on 11:00 am at Thone-Saung –Rwa village of Barishal, where are living Rakhine community. Apart from this village, other villagers of Rakhine women and gentlemen living in another islands of delta region also attended to this ceremony.

Some responsible persons included Daw Ma Pu Sein and others attendees addressed speech about the International Women’s Day and about the currently sufferings of Rakhine women living in Bengal delta region, called Potuakhali District or Barishal of the Bangladesh. This delta region was established by Rakhine Refugee Community since 1798 A. D. after the Burmese king had occupied Arakan and slaughtered in great massacre the whole Arakan or Rakhine people since 1785 A. D..
Although the situation of the Rakhine Community was in a good position under British rule, it is bad to worse day by day, after Independence of India since 1947. All of the lands owned by Rakhine community were constructed by Rakhine refugee ancestors since 1800 A. D. are lost today in different ways, especially abusing law by the new settlers. The Rakhine women also are suffering in poverty and jobless that the attendees addressed about their situations. There are living about 4000 Rakhine populations in the three islands very separately at the delta region of Bengal.

The ceremony was successfully end at 3:00pm after the attendees were served by lunch, the sources said.


By Arakan National Council – ANC Human Rights Documentation Committee (present Dhaka)

Released from:
The Good Morning Arakan – GMA (News)

The International Women’s Day observed in Dhaka by RWU.

The International Women’s Day observed in Dhaka by RWU.

Dhaka March 8th , 2006: Today, 31st anniversary of the International Women’s Day is observed in Dhaka organized by Rakhine Women’s Union (RWU) that the sources said.
The celebration of this ceremonial function is-known that, sponsored by Women’s League of Burma (WLB).
Daw Saw Mraza Lun, member of the presidency Board of WLB and chairperson of the Rakhine Women’s Union based in Dhaka and RWU members themselves have held the ceremony at Baptist Church of Mirpur-2 Dhaka city on 11:00am to 3:00 pm today, 8 , 3 , 2006.
The invited organization attending to this ceremony are Arakan National Council-ANC, Arakan League for Democracy-ALD (exile), All Arakan Students and Youth Congress-AASYC, The Good Morning Arakan-News- GMA, Rakhine Development Foundation-RDF and Rakhine Student of Dhaka University and Students from Kamalapur Buddha Vihar of Dhaka, and individuals.
There has celebrated by discussing about the bad situation of International Women living standard. And a role play and debate about the Women’s suffering was also held.
The ceremony was come to end at 3:00 pm after feeding lunch—that the sources said.
Among them, Mrs. Rani, personal officer of opposition Leaders of the Parliament and president of Bangladesh Awami League also attended to this ceremony, the sources said.

By Arakan National Council – ANC Human Rights Documentation Committee (present Dhaka)
Released from:
The Good Morning Arakan – GMA (News)

More gas found in Myanmar offshore

More gas found in Myanmar offshore
According to Sources from New Age News, BD.

Natural gas deposits have been found at the Mya field in block area A-3 in western Myanmar’s Rakhine offshore area, said a report of the official newspaper New Light of Myanmar Monday.
Successful drilling of the Mya test well No. 1 at the block in the offshore area was carried out with gas burning on Sunday.
It was estimated that the Mya field contains 2 trillion cubic- feet (TCF) or 56.63 billion cubic-meters (BCM) of gas being explored by a consortium of foreign oil companies, led by South Korea’s Daewoo International Corporation.
Myanmar is planning to sell gas produced from the Mya field along with two other fields—Shwe and Shwephyu in block A-1 to neighbouring countries such as India and China through pipelines, the report said.
The exploration on the block A-3 was conducted under an agreement reached in February 2004 between the Myanmar Ministry of Energy and the consortium, in which Daewoo holds a 60-per cent stake, while South Korea Gas Corporation 10 per cent, ONGC Videsh Ltd of India 20 per cent and Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) 10 per cent.
Adjacent to the block A-3, which has an area of 6,780- square- kilometre (sq- km), there lies block A-1 where two deposits of natural gas, known as the Shwe field and the Shwephyu field, had already been found by the same consortium in January 2004 and April 2005 respectively. The Shwe field holds a gas reserve of 4 to 6 TCF or 113.2 to 170 BCM, while the Shwephyu 5 TCF or 141.5 BCM. And the whole block A-1 is estimated to yield up to 14 TCF or 396.2 BCM of gas.
Meanwhile, Indian company the Essar Oil Ltd has also reached a contract with Myanmar to undertake gas exploration activities at Block A-2 in the same Rakhine offshore area and Block-L in the coastal region of Sittway.
Moreover, three more available blocks off Myanmar’s southern Tanintharyi coast are also under natural gas exploration with test wells being planned for drilling by Malaysia’s Petronas Company covering blocks M-16, M-17 and M-18 with areas of ranging from about 13,000 sq-km to 14,000 sq-km.
Recent years have seen foreign oil companies increase engagement in oil and gas exploration in Myanmar. Thailand’s PTTEP, for example, has covered a number of blocks such as M-3, M-4, M-7, M-9 and M-11 under contracts, while another consortium made up of Chinese and Singaporean companies are also engaged in oil and gas exploration in some onshore and offshore areas.
With three large offshore and 19 onshore oil and gas fields, Myanmar possesses a total of 87 trillion cubic-feet (TCF) or 2.46 trillion cubic-meters (TCM) of gas reserve and 3.2 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil reserve, official statistics show.
The figures also indicate that in the fiscal year of 2004-05, Myanmar produced 7.48 million barrels of crude oil and 10.69 billion cubic meters (BCM) of gas. Gas export during the year went to 9.5 BCM, earning over $1 billion.


GMA-News

Punishment to JMB godfathers demanded

Punishment to JMB godfathers demanded
According to BD News, The Daily Star News, BD.

Gano Mukti O Jatiya Sampad Rakkha Sammilito Andolon yesterday demanded arrest of and exemplary punishment to the 'godfathers' of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
The leaders of the Andolon at a press conference at the Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) office placed 7-point demand, including an open trial of Shaekh Abdur Rahman after interrogation by an acceptable investigation committee, ban on communal education, cancellation of 5th, 7th and 8th amendments to the Constitution, reinstatement of Article 12 of the Constitution, sacking of two identified war criminals from the cabinet, arrest and trial of the ministers, MPs and godfathers who abetted militancy.
BSD Convenor Khalequzzaman read out the written speech at the press conference.
Leaders of BSD, Workers' Party of Bangladesh, Muktijoddha Union, Garib Mukti Andolan, 8-party , Students' Movement for resisting plundering of oil and gas and Movement for emancipation of Workers were present at the press conference.

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Hold open trial to prove JMB chief 's arrest not drama Jalil urges govt
According to Staff Correspondent, The Daily Star News, BD.

Awami League (AL) General Secretary Abdul Jalil yesterday demanded of the government to arrange an open trial of JMB chief Abdur Rahman allowing him to speak with the media and quiz the ministers and MPs who sheltered the militants to prove that his arrest was not a staged drama.
"The government staged the drama on the eve of US President George Bush's visit to India and Pakistan to mislead the international community about the rise of militants in Bangladesh under the shelter of the government," he said at a press briefing at the AL central office in the city.
"We believe that it is the duty of the government to make it clear to the nation that the arrest of Abdur Rahman was not a staged drama," Jalil added.
Referring to Saturday's press briefing of BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Jalil said, " Whatever he had said, it is crystal clear that the arrest was a staged drama by the government to distract peoples' attention from the oppositions' reform proposal on electoral process, power outage, fertiliser crisis and price hike of essentials."
Jalil, also coordinator of the 14-party opposition line-up, put forward a total of 10 questions to Mannan Bhuiyan to explain government's position on the arrest of Abdur Rahman. These included:
How could Rahman travelled different cities including the capital in last eight months along with his family without taking any camouflage when law enforcers were hunting him?
Why he was not allowed to talk to the media after surrendering to law enforcement agencies?
Why did Rahman choose Sylhet for his safe heaven and what was the role of Sylhet intelligence?
Why Rab and Police are giving different statement over the recovery of his cell phone?
Why the government is hiding the books of Golam Azam and Moududi that were found at the den of Rahman and by whose directions the name of the books were withdrawn from the seizure list?
Will the government arrest the patrons of Rahman and Bangla Bhai who tried to hide the militants saying it was a creation of media?
The press briefing was attended by AL leaders Abdur Razzak, Motia Chowdhury, Obaidul Quader, Akhtaruzzaman and Haji Mohammed Selim.


GMA-News

Grievance of Arakanese students under undisciplined Teachers and the Educational authorities in Arakan State

Grievance of Arakanese students under undisciplined Teachers and the Educational authorities in Arakan State

Dhaka, March 4th 06: According to sources from Sittwe and Pouk-Taw townships, some school teachers of Primary level, Junior High Schools and even from High Schools Level have a good chance getting regular payment although nothing attendance for the whole year they have been in school.

Some Primary School Teachers have arranged with young educated villagers about teaching their students. Those government service school teachers---after having put the young teachers in school instead of them—are doing business outside during school educational season.

U Tin Yu—a headmaster of Toungphu village primary school has been in outside business during his on duty to school, while he handed over three villagers to teach students at school.

One Burma Naval retired man living in this village and other two educated girls were teaching the students of Toungphu village primary school but all students have paid for their education fees to those fake teachers, who were appointed by headmaster misused authorized power. The monthly payment for education fee to these teachers of the students were 300 Kyats, 400 Kyats and 500 Kyats for class I,II, and class III and for class IV respectively.

After having taken understanding with higher authorities from Educational Departments and military commanders, school teachers of Pouk-Taw township and Sittwe township have been taking advantage of a good chance getting monthly salary without attending to school for the whole years.
A female teacher of primary school from No 4 Quarter of Pouk-Taw down town, as well as U Tin Yu, having got salary from Educational Department regularly. She never comes to school except the arrival time of inspection for schools by military commanders and educational officers. Most of school teachers neglected their school attended.

Even in Sittwe town, some school teachers included female teachers after having have illegal leave--- they sold Thai Lottery tickets wandering from school to schools and township quarters wide during on duty– that the sources said.
In this way Arakan Education have been coming to down. To promote education in Arakan state, Rakhine Thaharya Association, one social welfare organization of Arakanese (Rakhine) Community has been providing scholarship to the brilliant Arakanese student but it is always less than demands.


By Arakan National Council – ANC Human Rights Documentation Committee (present Dhaka)

Released from:
The Good Morning Arakan – GMA (News)

Dhaka eyes Myanmar drug market

Dhaka eyes Myanmar drug market
Sources from United News of Bangladesh, New Age News, BD.

Dhaka Bangladesh is planning to expand its pharmaceutical market in Myanmar as Bangladeshi medicines have already gained confidence of the neighboruing country’s physicians.
According to industry insiders, some 28 local drug manufacturers are scheduled to visit Myanmar this week to appoint their agents for facilitating the export of medicines.
During the visit, the pharmaceutical companies will also take part in a three-day single country Bangladeshi pharmaceutical products fair in Yangon, beginning on March 10.
The manufacturers would talk to prospective agents and finally appoint them to lodge application with the Myanmar government seeking export registration.
As per the existing laws of Myanmar, the appointed agents will deposit samples of the exportable products to the government.
The government after laboratory test will give registration and the particular agents will import items from the Bangladeshi manufacturers that later on will be marketed on the agent’s own mechanism, local manufacturers said.
When contacted, President of Bangladesh Oushadh Shilpa Samity Md Shafiuzzaman told UNB that Bangladesh is the second largest exporter of pharmaceutical products to Myanmar.
He said some 10-12 local companies have already got registration while some 20 others are going to apply for registration.
‘Myanmar’s pharmaceutical market is 100 per cent import-oriented. Bangladesh has great potentials to capture the market as we’re the second player in terms of export after India,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) will organise the first ever single-country Bangladeshi pharmaceutical exposition in Myanmar on March 10.
A total of 28 local drug manufacturers will take part in the fair setting up some 30 stalls, EPB sources said.
The participating companies include Baximco Pharma, Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Hudson Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Aristo Pharma, Acme Laboratories and Globe Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
On the sidelines, a seminar on diabetes will be held and a video presentation containing an inner look of the industry will be screened.
Bangladesh’s export to Myanmar was around Tk 12 crore last fiscal while the industry insiders hope that the export will cross Tk 20 crore mark in the current fiscal.

GMA-News

International border-demarcation neglected to capture smuggling boats for Burmese police’s interests

International border-demarcation neglected to capture smuggling boats for Burmese police’s interests

Friday, March 03, 2006, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: Accordingly the sources from Bangladesh border area with Arakan state today that- one timber smuggling boat of Arakan state bounding for Bangladesh side in Nef-river was arrested at 2:30 pm today by the Burmese Border Police Force(Na-Sa-Ra). Timber merchants and boat-laborers escaped after jumping in Naf-river bounding to Bangladesh side, the source added.

According to a boat-oil man who escaped to Bangladesh border area said that this timber cargo-boat carrying 80 tons of timber--- bounding to Bangladesh Tek-Naf township from Tong-gup township via Sittwe port already reaches to mouth of Naf-river beyond demarcated river area of Myanmar--- is captured by Burmese Border police Force in Bangladesh river area today. But 8 persons included timber merchant and boat-owner and boat-laborer escape from arrest after jumping down into Naf-river and swimming to Tek-Naf area.
The timber boat with 80 tons timber is already brought-up to Arakan side of Burma back by polices. These police are from Ngakhoung-doe Na-Sa-Ra camp of Moungdaw township.
The prices of timber captured by Burmese Border Police (Na-Sa-Ra) today is about 240 lacs Kyats equivalent to sixteen lacs Taka.

The price of Timber, a production of Arakan Mountain range is 80000 Kyats per one ton at Tong-goup township, and it may be cost 120,000 Kyats at Sittwe Town, the capital city of Arakan state, Myanmar. And this may be surely cost about 300,000 Kyats equivalent to 20,000 Taka of Bangladesh currency if it reaches to Teknaf township of Bangladesh that boat-man says added.
Arakan timber included Teak wood are clear-cut off in Arakan state included Arakan Mountain Range—according to cutting woods under disorderly of SPDC government. Regarding the border marketing goods of legally trading between Myanmar and Bangladesh government are: wasted ironware articles, taffy packages of Snack, and cane and clothing. Rice and timber and teak wood ore ordered as contraband goods by Myanmar governments.

By Arakan National Council – ANC Human Rights Documentation Committee (present Dhaka)

Released from:
The Good Morning Arakan – GMA (News)

Deadlock: construction works of BAJ in Arakan State

Deadlock: construction works of BAJ in Arakan State

Dhaka, February 23, 2006: It appeared that there have been more dead-lock of Burma-Asia-Japan (BAJ), an organization of development construction Burma, in Arakan state that the sources from Arakan state said.

Accordingly the sources—one of the Detachment-Junior High school of Agumow (Kone-den) village in right western side peninsular area of Rathi-daung town-ship -- northern opposite Meyu river side of Sittwe township-- was banned the permission of newly construction school by the Educational Ministry of SPDC government since 1st week of January, 2006. The construction of this new Detachment junior high school was not only sponsored in finance sector but also will be constructed practically by BAJ.

This organization, BAJ, had aided to constructed the primary schools of Magyichaung village, Pouktawbrin village, Agumaw village, Sinbike village, Donebike village and Chaintaly and Kodengouk village etc, western side of Rathidoung townk-ship since 2001 and 2002.

In this way, BAJ, now trying to aid construction for Detachment junior high school of Koneden village. There are children from four villages including Agumow village, Koneden village, Magyichaung village and Pouktawbrin village attended to this Detachment school for their junior secondary level education. But the present school and its rooms are very small for the children to take part in it.

The poor structure of this school was made of wooden pole, bamboo wall and Thatch grass roof only. So the BAJ had taken measurement for the newly school construction instead of the poor one since the last part of 2005.

The submission of BAJ project was already permitted by the state level authorities included by higher military commanders. But this proposal project has been refused by the Educational Ministry.

Accordingly a teacher meeting with us in Cox’s Bazar, the Ministry of Education authorities concerned themselves want to construct this school using expenditure money from BAJ although they banned the permission to construct by BAJ.

As well as Koneden village Detachment junior high-school, the BAJ has been prohibited for its construction an old bridge of Sittwe town.

The proposed bridge by BAJ was named Thenbenchong bridge which was located near a big restaurant along the High Commissioner Road near Kalalden river bank of eastern side of Sittwe town.

This construction project proposed BAJ was already permitted by western command commanders, Maj;Gen; Khin Moung Myint very recently. But the Construction Ministry of the SPDC government banned this project because the aid money of BAJ must be handed over to the Construction. Ministry that the authorities of this Ministry had demanded it, that the sources said.

According to the policy of the BAJ, this demand of Construction Ministry was not possible to hand-over money to the Ministry of any authorities concerned. So it reached to the point of deadlock for the BAJ.



By Arakan National Council – ANC Human Rights Documentation Committee (present Dhaka)

Released from:
The Good Morning Arakan – GMA (News)