• CENSORSHIP LIFTED BUT CENSORSHIP BOARD LIVES ON!
• CHINA HAS FIRST MILITARY BASE ABROAD!
• 88 GENERATION STILL DENIED PASSPORTS!
• THE LADY AND PRESIDENT’S 4TH DATE!
• ELECTED SHAN LEADER GETTING BETTER!

Cartoon
Tips for the President: That’s what your outgoing (or, is it ongoing?) boss thought!

Think Piece
The number of arrests is not slowing. That means one of two things: Drug smugglers and peddlers are being replaced faster than they can be arrested or there were so many to start with that the huge number of arrests is just the tip of the iceberg.

Bangkok Post, 22 August 2012

What ending pre-censorship really means:

• The Big Brother censorship board has not been abolished. He is still there to monitor and watch
• The 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Act is still there
• Journals are required to follow 16 guidelines protecting the Three National Causes
• The 2004 Electronics Act remains in place
• The Ministry of Information still controls publishing licenses

The Irrawaddy, 21 August 2012

• Independent papers are still not yet allowed to publish on a daily basis

Associated Press, 20 August 2012

It’s unfortunate when you see the depths of intolerance and discrimination among citizens, including people who otherwise you would think of as progressive and who have fought so long for civil rights.

US ambassador Derek Mitchell, Wall Street Journal, 24 August 2012

The World
19 August 2012
New words to be learned:

Air head : Radio station manager
Pin head : In-charge of personal identification numbers
Knucklehead : World Boxing League President
Bonehead : Chief of Orthopedics
(Frank and Ernest, Sunday comics)

21 August 2012
Ten nations in Asia – including Burma, Bangladesh and India – identified as having little capacity to withstand natural disasters, according to UK-based Maplecroft. (Irrawaddy)

International Relations
19 August 2012

Ashok Nigam, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Burma, thanks government for releasing aid workers – 9 in all – last week but notes “some others” are still under detention. (Irrawaddy)

20 August 2012
Laos defense ministry and China Road and Bridge Cooperation (CRBC) sign MoU for construction of a “strategic” 289.5 km road along the Laos-Burma border. A new point of contact was set up in Moung Meung in Bokeo province early August for joint Mekong patrols. The outpost is called “China’s first military base abroad” in an article on the Chinese nationalistic website junshi.com. (Vientiane Times/Irrawaddy)

20 August 2012
To get sanctions lifted, says US ambassador Derek Mitchell, Burma will have to begin releasing remaining political prisoners, confirm it has cut off weapons transfers with North Korea and take more substantial steps to achieve peace in ethnic-controlled areas. “The wild card” in all of this the military”. (Irrawaddy)

20 August 2012
Welcoming Burma’s announcement that it has ended press censorship, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland says Washington would like Naypyitaw to go a step further and abolish its censorship board. (Irrawaddy)

Thai-Burma Relations
20 August 2012
Kasikorn Research Center says about 500,000 foreign tourists are expected to visit Burma, 90,000 of which will be from Thailand.
2010 - 311,000 visitors
2011 - 391,176 visitors
(Bangkok Post)

22 August 2012

PM Yingluck Shinawatra will visit Burma on 13 September to follow-up on the Dawei deep sea port project agreed during Thein Sein’s visit in July. (The Nation)

Politics/ Inside Burma
15 August 2012

Aung San Suu Kyi opens NLD office in Naypyitaw’s Zabuthiri township. (Mizzima)

22 August 2012
Aung San Suu Kyi and President Thein Sein meets for the 4th time, according to Col Zaw Htay, director of President’s office. (AP)

23 August 2012
President meets speakers of both houses amid dispute over controversial decision by the Constitutional Tribunal. (Irrawaddy)

Ethnic Affairs
18 August 2012
27 member commission formed to “expose the real cause of the (Arakan) incident” and recommend measures to ease tensions and find “ways for peaceful coexistence.” (Agencies) The commission is headed by Dr Myo Myint, former director of the Religious Affairs Ministry and includes Ko Ko Gyi, Dr Aye Maung, Zaganar and Kyaw Khin, General Secretary, Myanmar Muslim National Affairs Federation. Its findings will be presented to the President on 17 September. (DVB)

18 August 2012
Karen National Union (KNU) opens 4th liaison office in Myawaddy. (KIC)

19 August 2012
All Myanmar Islam Association, representing 5 Islamic groups, calls for a peaceful settlement of disputes in Rakhine State “based on loving-kindness.” (New Light of Myanmar)

19 August 2012
6-party alliance Nationalities Brotherhood Forum (NBF) signs agreement to promote newsletters and journals in ethnic languages as they cannot rely on the government to do so. It also calls on Naypyitaw to accurately gather names, ethnic indentities and religions in the census planned to conduct in 2014. (KIC/IMNA)

20 August 2012
Karenni National Progressive Party / Karenni Army (KNPP/KA) and New Mon State Party / Mon National Liberation Army (NMSP/MNLA) recently signed deed commitment with Swiss-based Geneva Call pledging to eliminate underage soldiers and protect children in armed conflict. (IRIN) Karen National Union (KNU) meanwhile says it had already signed the deed in 2007 with UN agencies. (IRIN)

24 August 2012
In a report sent to the Union Assembly on 17 August, President Thein Sein says monks, politicians and Rakhine figures are kindling hatred toward Rohingyas. Dr Aye Maung, leader of Rakhine National Development Party (RNDP) says it has lodged an objection over the report. (AFP)

Shans/ Shan State
22 August 2012

Hkun Htun Oo, leader of Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), leaves Burma for a second medical visit to Bangkok. (SHAN)

Economy/ Business
20 August 2012
Asian Development Bank (ADB) reports the near term outlook for Burma’s economy, one-tenth of the size of Thailand’s, is upbeat. An annual growth of 8% may triple per capita gross domestic product to $ 3,000 by 2030. ADB economist Park Cynyoung urges the government to “urgently develop the agricultural sector.” 20% of the country’s land area is used to grow crops, but only a fifth of that is irrigated. (Bloomberg)

Human Rights
19 August 2012

About 500 villagers in Hpakant jade mining district flee to the township seat to take shelter after learning the Burma Army is moving into the rural area. (KNG)

20 August 2012

Nay Myo Way, Peace and Diversity Party leader, says he has received notice to appear at Mingalodon township court on 23 August to respond to allegations made by Zay Kabar Company he had accused of illegal land grabs. Lawyer Thein Than Oo will represent him. (Irrawaddy)

20 August 2012
Press Scrutiny and Registration Board (PSRD) announces lift of censorship on news media that began on 6 August 1964. Film censorship however still remains in place. (AFP)

22 August 2012
More than 500 residents from 12 villages in Sagaing Region, who fear forced relocation and destruction of their crops due to copper excavation work in Letpadaung mountain range, march to Salingyi township office but turned back en route by security forces. The project is a joint venture between Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings (UMEH) and Wan Bao Company. (Irrawaddy)

23 August 2012
Bangladesh slammed by Human Rights Watch for ordering 3 international charities to stop giving aid to Rohingya refugees because it might encourage fresh flux. Dhaka signed International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which prohibits it from denying access to food and healthcare. (AFP)

24 August 2012
20 prominent members of 88 Generation Students have not been issued passports despite submitting 6 month ago. People usually wait only one month to be issued with the document. They include Min Ko Naing and Soe Tun. (Irrawaddy)

Environment
19-21 August 2012
Worst flood in Lashio in 54 years. At least 1 person reported dead and 2 others missing. (SHAN)

22 August 2012
Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Committee (NRECC) says total forest coverage area was down to 24% in 2008 from 51% in 2005, reports Xinhua news agency. Main causes: excessive cutting down of trees, illegal logging, less replanting and increased use of firewood. (UPI)

Drugs
23 August 2012

Burmese police are in Yunnan to interrogate Naw Kham, arrested in Laos on 25 April and extradited to China on 10 May on charges of 28 robberies and gun-related crimes which resulted in 16 deaths and 3 injuries. (Mizzima)

23 August 2012
Thailand’s Phamueng Force clashes with 30 suspected drug smugglers believed to be from Nampong People’s Militia Force (PMF) headed by Yishay. The clash at Mae Fa Luang 400 meters inside Thai territory results in 1 suspected drug smuggler killed and 1 AK 47 automatic rifle captured. (ASTV)

War
18 August 2012
According to La Hseng, chairman of All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF) Northern Command, that his troops clash with government forces in Lajayang. (DVB)