Mizzima UPDATES Day 5 - 22 May 2009
Aung San Suu Kyi to receive 2009 Gandhi award
Friday, 22 May 2009 22:05
Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been named recipient of Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation.
The award, which will be awarded at a ceremony to be held in Durban, South Africa on July 20, is given to those who inspire young people to make a commitment to non-violence, forgiveness and reconciliation by South Africa’s Gandhi Development Trust.
The award was inaugurated in 2003 to mark the centenary of the Indian Opinion, a newspaper published by Mahatma Gandhi in South Africa.
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Kim Dae Jung donates US $ 10,000 for Suu Ky
Friday, 22 May 2009 20:41
Former South Korean President Kim Dae Jung on Friday donated US $ 10,000 to be used for Aung San Suu Kyi’s political cause during a meeting with Burmese members of Parliament and members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party in exile at his home in Seoul, the Korean Times reported.
Kim invited the Burmese MPs and members of the Korean Chapter of the NLD-Liberated Area to his house and made the donation, the report said.
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Court accepts charges against Suu Kyi
Friday, 22 May 2009 20:28
The special court in Insein prison on Friday accepted the charges against pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been accused of breaching her detention law.
The court at about 4:45 p.m. (local time) on Friday, after taking a 45-minute break, declared that the case has been accepted.
Two witnesses were produced and crossed examined on Friday. The court announced that the next hearing is to be held on Monday, May 25.
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Court adjourns for the day
Friday, 22 May 2009 19:28
Lawyers of Aung San Suu Kyi were seen coming out of Insein prison, where her trial is being conducted. Observers said, Friday’s hearing, the fifth day of the trial, took much longer than any other day.
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Irrawaddy NLD youths condemn Suu Kyi's trial
Friday, 22 May 2009 19:25
The National League for Democracy youths in Irrawaddy Division on Friday condemned the trial of party leader Aung San Suu Kyi saying it lacks openness.
In a statement, the youths described Aung San Suu Kyi as a person who needs to play an important role in the national reconciliation process and called on the junta to immediately release her.
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Interview with Naw Ohn Hla
Friday, 22 May 2009 16:03
A strong supporter of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Naw Ohn Hla, regularly leads a prayer team to Shwe Dagon Pagoda on Tuesday to pray for her release . She has been regularly waiting outside of the Insein prison, since Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial began on Monday.
Naw Ohn Hla, a former NLD member, in relation to the case expressed her view on the restrictions on the media in covering the case.
“The charge itself is unlawful. The blame is on the government. Though they may write anything in their newspaper, we all understand that they are the ones responsibile. Because all the newspapers and journals only reflect their policy and since they are only allowed to carry whatever the government wants. It is like a propaganda. Because there is no freedom of press and the reports carried in the papers are not like news. And that is because reporters cannot write what they want to write. Since all publications have to go through censorship board, they can filter it.”
“With Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s case, everybody believes that it is the government’s ploy. And allowing foreign diplomats into the court is also understood to be a way to ease international pressure.”
“Everybody who came today were soaked in the rain. Currently there are about 300 to 400 people getting wet in the rain.”
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Excerpts from junta-run newspaper on Thursday’s trial
Friday, 22 May 2009 15:50
Burma’s state-run newspaper, the New Light of Myanmar on Friday carried a report of the court hearing of the fourth day of Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial on Thursday. A summary of the witnesses reported in the paper is as folows:
During the hearing, witness Police Major Aung Htut Kyaw, in charge of the computer section of the overseas division, produced a Canon camera and six memory cards, containing 331 photographs and one video file filmed by Mr. John William Yettaw himself in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house, the paper said.
“The video file and photographs showed flippers, different stages of using the flippers, Mr John William Yettaw trying them on, Mr John William Yettaw in disguise, in the downstairs sitting-room of the house and pictures there, and his photographs taken by himself on his arrival at Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house at night. Police Major Aung Htut Kyaw showed the photographs with the help of a computer,” the paper said.
“In the video file, Mr. John William Yettaw said that he was in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s house and asked for her permission to take her photographs and to upload them on the YouTube website; that he thought she refused because she was frightened; that he had caused her a lot of trouble on 30 November 2008; that he left his family behind; that he believed God was with him and protects him; that he admired Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; that he did not blame her for not allowing him to take her photographs; that she would have to face lots of hardships in future; that he prayed that he might be able to help her; that he spent the previous night at the house; that today was 6 May; that he had been hoping the whole night to go back to Thailand; that he felt delighted and proud of staying there,” the paper said.
Testimony of witness Police Captain Tin Zaw Tun :
The paper said witness Police Captain Tin Zaw Tun testified that he had asked Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to put on a woman’s dress and took photographs of her. He was crossed examined by Nyan Win, counsel of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
Police Captain Tin Zaw Tun said he had arrived in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s residence on May 7, 7:20 a.m. (local time) to seize the items that John William Yettaw had left and to investigate his entry into the house. He asked Daw Khin Khin Win and Daw Win Ma Ma, the two women who live with Aung San Suu Kyi, to wear chadors and took photographs.
In response to John William Yettaw’s lawyer Khin Maung Oo, Tin Zaw Tun said that the reason he could say the two sets of clothes were the chadors of Muslim women was that they were usually worn by Muslim women; and that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said the chadors were just given to her as a present, the paper said.
The paper also said Hla Myo Myint, lawyer of Daw Khin Khin Win and Daw Win Ma Ma, crossed examined Tin Zaw Tun on the security situation in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s residence. Though it mentioned that separate units take responsibility for the main security of the area, it was not clear how it actually works.
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Observer’s view on the situation near Insein prison
Friday, 22 May 2009 13:57
“The defense counsels have entered the prison at 10 a.m. I do not see anyone coming from the US embassy. But security is tight. There are plainclothes security officials and police vehicles. There are also prison vans. It is still raining. It rained earlier this morning and it is raining again.”
“Women's groups of the NLD have also come. Rangoon division NLD members have also joined in. And there are a lot of youths too.”
“U Win Tin has been here all morning. He just left a while ago. He said he has a meeting. I am not sure if he will come back. The meeting could be long.”
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Burmese Consul posts denigrating comment on Suu Kyi
Friday, 22 May 2009 13:11
The Burmese Consul General in Hong Kong on Friday posted a denigrating online message suggesting that the US citizen caught visiting Aung San Suu Kyi might have been her “boy friend”.
The message, titled ‘Secret Agent or “Boy friend”?’ posted on the consulate’s website and signed by the Consul General for Hong Kong and Macau SAR said, they have received a number of inquiries about an American man, who swam across Innya Lake and visited Aung San Suu Kyi.
In reply to the queries, the message said, “Dear Friends, Frankly, we have no idea whether he is either a secret agent or her boy friend at this moment. We shall try to learn it and tell you later.”
The Burmese Consul-General in Hong Kong earlier in January have also circulated a mocking message among diplomats on the issue of Rohingya boatpeople calling them “Ugly as Ogres” and rejecting their nationalities as Burmese.
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Interview with Aye Thar Aung
Friday, 22 May 2009 12:57
“I have arrived near the Insein prison where the security has put up barricades. Right now I am standing in front of the Insein Bazaar, and I think I am about 50 metres from the entrance to the prison. The court is about another 50 metres from the entrance.”
“U Win Tin has left, as he has a meeting. There are several other people along with me. I arrived here at about 11 a.m (local time).”
“People just come here and sit and wait to show their solidarity. There are about three police vehicles that I can see. They are parked on the other side of the road. There is also a prison van. Security personnel are seen around the Insein Bazaar.”
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Aye Thar Aung, Secretary of CRPP arrives outside Insein jail
Friday, 22 May 2009 12:29
An observer said, Aye Thar Aung, Secretary of the Committee Representing Peoples’ Parliament, an alliance of several political parties, arrived in front of Insein Bazaar to show solidarity to Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently facing trial for the fifth-day in a court in Insein jail.
It has been raining Incessantly in Rangoon, and security has been beefed up around the Insein prison. There are about four police vehicles along with three prison vans stationed outside, the observer said.
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UNESCO writes to Snr. Gen Than Shwe on Suu Kyi’s trial
Friday, 22 May 2009 12:06
The head of UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on May 20 sent a letter to Burmese Army Chief Snr. Gen Than Shwe urging him to release Aung San Suu Kyi unconditionally.
The UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, in his letter, said the charges and trial against Aung San Suu Kyi in Insein prison court are unacceptable.
Matsuura underscored the point that Aung San Suu Kyi has to play a very important role in Burma’s national reconciliation process.
Matsuura also expressed his concern over the trial that Aung San Suu Kyi stands weeks before her house arrest term expires.
Aung San Suu Kyi is a recipient of the 2002 UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence.
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Fire breaks out in San Chuang
Friday, 22 May 2009 11:28
A fire broke out for a brief period in a fuel shop in Rangoon’s San Chuang Township on Friday morning. The fire was noticed at about 9:30 a.m. (local time) and started from a candle lit over a can of tar. Neighbours rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire, which burnt for about 15 minutes.
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Ban Ki-moon to visit Burma soon
Friday, 22 May 2009 11:25
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he will visit Burma as soon as possible to press for the release of Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who is currently facing trial, and other political prisoners.
Ban, in an interview with CNN, said “I am deeply concerned about what has been happening in Myanmar [Burma] in terms of democratization and I am going to urge the junta again to release political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi.”
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Do you know Yettaw?
Friday, 22 May 2009 11:23
John William Yettaw, an American citizen, visited the residence of Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi just weeks before she was about to complet six years of house arrest.
Following Yettaw’s visit, the Burmese military regime filed a lawsuit against Aung San Suu Kyi, charging her for violating her detention law by receiving a guest and providing him meals. Friday is the fifth day of her trial, which is being held in a special court inside the notorious Insein prison behind closed doors.
However, Yettaw's details, a character in the world famous case, is little known to the people. According to news reports Yettaw is said to be writing a ‘faith-based’ book on heroism and he had travelled earlier to Thailand and met some opposition groups who are supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The 53-year old American is also said to have arrived in Rangoon on May 2, and the following day made makeshift flippers from a pair of sandals and used them and floating aids he mad, to swim one mile across Innya Lake to reach Aung San Suu Kyi’s lakeside home.
When he arrived he was asked to leave but he claimed that he was too exhausted from the swim and ended up sleeping on the ground floor of the house. He apparently also stayed a second night and then swam back across the lake, but was arrested by authorities on his way back.
The incident occurred at a time when Aung San Suu Kyi’s house arrest term was about to expire, according to the junta’s accepted law.
Reports said Yettaw is a resident of Falcon, Missouri in the United States.
If you have personally met him earlier or known him, we would appreciate it if you send us more information about him in the following email addresses – mizzima@mizzima.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , editor@mizzima.com
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