Burma

Impose economic and diplomatic sanctions against Myanmar: ASEAN lawmakers

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Asean should impose economic and diplomatic sanctions against Myanmar for ignoring calls to commit to free and fair elections, a group of Asean lawmakers said Wednesday. Myanmar should also be immediately suspended from Asean and its expulsion considered, the parliamentarians urged in a petition to government leaders gathering for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations … Read more

George Yeo’s Meet the People Session at McDonald’s

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Ravi Philemon

The flyer hyped it as “Coffee Shop Talk with Minister George Yeo” and the talk was supposed to be on the title, “The Economy and You – How we are coping and how we will progress”.

I went to the “talk” about 15 minutes late, only to find the Minister being flanked by a grassroots leader who actually looked more like a bodyguard.  He also tried to play the role of a moderator.

When I arrived the Minister was saying that Singaporeans should create new opportunities outside the United States of America (USA) and ride on the organic growth of China and India.

He said that although the economies of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand were contracting, the economies of the other South East Asian (SEA) countries were growing at a rate of about 7% a year.

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An extraordinary film – Burma VJ

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The film will be screened in Singapore on July 16. Please see below for details.

“This film BURMA VJ is comprised largely by material shot by undercover reporters in Burma. Some elements of the film have been reconstructed in close collaboration with the actual persons involved, just as some names, places, and other recognizable facts have been altered for security reasons and in order to protect individuals. ”

Armed with small handy cams undercover Video Journalists in Burma keep up the flow of news from their closed country. Going beyond the occasional news clip from Burma, acclaimed director Anders Østergaard, brings us close to the video journalists who deliver the footage. Though risking torture and life in jail, courageous young citizens of Burma live the essence of journalism as they insist on keeping up the flow of news from their closed country. The Burma VJs stop at nothing to make their reportages from the streets of Rangoon.

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Free Aung San Suu Kyi

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Latest:
The prevailing CPF Minimum Sum (MS) is being raised from July 1 for those aged 55 years. The new amount is $117,000, up from $106,000. From CNA.

 

Chetan Rogbeer / Pictures by Andrew Loh

Around 400 people gathered at Hong Lim Park on Sunday for a vigil in support of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyu. Ms Suu Kyi is currently undergoing a trial, behind closed doors, in Burma for breaching the rules of her house arrest by allowing an American, John Yettaw, to stay at her residence.

Mt Yettaw had swam across a river to Ms Suu Kyi’s house and stayed there for three days uninvited. He was caught by the Burmese authorities while attempting to leave her house.

Ms Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years, mostly under tight security and in virtual isolation.

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West condemns Aung San Suu Kyi charges, Asia silent

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Thu, May 14, 2009
AFP

LONDON (AFP) – Western governments lined up to condemn “disturbing” new charges brought against Myanmar’s pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday, but there was a deafening silence in Asia.

Gordon Brown, leader of the former colonial power Britain, said the junta which has kept her under house arrest for years wanted any excuse to extend her detention while the European Union said the move could not be justified.

The United States also said it was “troubled” by the development but there was no immediate response from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the regional bloc which includes the country formerly known as Burma.

“I am deeply disturbed that Aung San Suu Kyi may be charged with breaching the terms of her detention,” Brown said in a statement.

“The Burmese regime is clearly intent on finding any pretext, no matter how tenuous, to extend her unlawful detention,” he said.

“If the 2010 elections are to have any semblance of credibility, she and all political prisoners must be freed to participate.”

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