Dam investment projects put peace at risk
Saw Paul, director of the coalition for sustainable rivers development, the Karen Rivers Watch (KRW) said.
“At this fragile stage of the ceasefire process, pushing ahead with the Hatgyi dam and other (mega development projects) will reignite conflict and could derail the talks. Investing in these projects is sabotaging the hopes of Karen people for lasting peace.”
The Karen Rivers Watch in a released statement said they are concerned the security around the dam sites could escalate into armed conflict.
“The increased Burma Army security around the dam sites and blatant disregard for concerns of impacted communities are heightening tensions, and throwing into doubt the government’s sincerity in conducting ceasefire talks.”
Villagers being taxed by all armies
Mi Myint, a traveler who was taxed when using traveling on the river spoke to
Karen News.
“Boat fees are 32,000kyat. The boat driver on our trip paid for us at the checkpoints from Chaung Sone to Waytar Li. We travelers had to pay for ourselves at the other checkpoints between Waytar Li to Kyain Seikgyi.”
Mi Myint explained that travelers have to take two boats and the boat fees are 17,000kyat from Chaung Sone to Kyun Chaung and 15,000kyat from Kyun Chaung to Kyain Seikgyi.
A local villagers said that there are as many as four passenger boats using the Zami waterways and that they each have to pay 1000kyat for each person at six different checkpoints operated by different soldiers including New Mon State Party, Karen National Union, the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and the Burma Army.
General Baw Kyaw Heh Accuses Government Of ‘Dirty Politics’
The Karen National Union (KNU), a leading ethnic armed and political organizations currently in peace talks with the Burma government, has been giving out mixed signals about a nationwide ceasefire that is being pushed by the government Minister U Aung Min.
Naw K’nyaw Paw, the Secretary of the Karen Women Organization (KWO), interviewed Lieutenant General Baw Kyaw Heh, the Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Karen National Liberation Army, to get his views for
Karen News on a number of critical issues including the proposed ‘nationwide ceasefire’.
General Baw Kyaw Heh explained to Naw K’nyaw Paw that a nationwide ceasefire is nothing more than a tactic to split ethnic people.
Burmese protest U Thein Sein’s Australia trip
Saw Kyaw Kwi, an Australian based
Karen News reporter said protesters demonstrated in front of the Governor-General’s house in Canberra for two hours before continuing to country’s parliament to protest further. with an open letter with seven demands to give to U Thein Sein.
“When U Thein Sein arrived at the governor’s house, protesters started shouting. The activists gave an open seven-point letter to the Sky Net media in-charge U Kyaw Win.”
The protesters letter demanded an end to dictatorship in Burma, the end of the 2008 constitution, to release all political prisoners, to stop military offensives in ethnic areas, to work on building peace and the implementation of a nationwide ceasefire.