Heightened security in Rangoon over past few days

Heightened security in Rangoon over past few days
Mizzima NewsMarch 10, 2008
New Delhi – Security has been tightened in most of the townships in Rangoon. Soldiers were seen patrolling the city in FAW military trucks imported from China and Hino TE 11 in many townships in Rangoon. Troops were deployed in some crowded and major intersections, local residents said.
Soldiers and riot police in combat gear and red, yellow and green scarves, are patrolling the city in TE 11 trucks. They also patrolled each township in commandeered Toyota Dyna pick-ups and two fire tenders totaling four to five vehicles with Swanahshin and members of Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) in mufti onboard, accounting for 50 persons," Ko Win from South Okkalapa said.
"The colour of scarves varies for each township. For instance, they used yellow in Dagon satellite Township, red in South Okkalapa, green in Latha and Bahan Townships. They used green scarves in the diplomatic enclave," he added.
"Security has been tightened over three to four days. The soldiers with yellow scarves are patrolling in FAW trucks in our township. We heard that these trucks are also patrolling every township in Rangoon. A fire tender is sandwiched between these FAW trucks," a local resident in Tamwe said.
We learnt that three to nine vehicles are patrolling in each township of Tamwe, Kamayut, Mayangon, Thingangyun, Mingalar Taungnyunt, South Okkalapa, Dagon satellite township, North Okkalapa, Hlaing Thayar, Thaketa, Bahan, Botathaung and Latha Townships. There are about 20 uniformed soldiers in each vehicle.
"Security has been tightened in key places such as near Kandawgyi Lake, Shwedagon pagoda, in Bahan 3rd lane and in front of Town Hall. The soldiers in FAW trucks are also seen in downtown Rangoon. The soldiers with red scarves were deployed at the intersections. The FAW trucks are patrolling in downtown Rangoon," a local resident of Rangoon said.The members of the USDA and Swanahshin were seen accompanying the military trucks with two or three Dyan pickups and two fire tenders. The soldiers are wearing red scarves, he added.
The people in Rangoon speculated that the tightening of security was because of the UN special envoy Mr. Gambari's visit to Burma.
"It is very frustrating for commuters in Rangoon. The cars and buses had to stop when these patrol cars came. The patrol cars don't care for traffic rules and keep jumping the red light," Ko Win further said.

Junta's Snub Singnals Failure of Gambari's Mission(irrawaddy.org)

Junta’s Snub Signals Failure of Gambari’s Mission
By WAI MOE
Monday, March 10, 2008, -->
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Burma’s military junta has spoken: there will be no role for the United Nations in determining the course of the country’s political transition to what it calls a “disciplined democracy.” This is the message that the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) sent to the international community and the Burmese people through its treatment of the UN special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari.
Detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi (L) meets UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari (R) on Saturday. (Photo: AFP)
The Nigerian diplomat, who has just completed his fifth visit to Burma, proposed a more inclusive process of political change in the country, and offered to send monitors to ensure that the outcome of the junta’s planned referendum on a draft constitution is accepted as legitimate. The junta said no to both suggestions. Gambari met with National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi twice during his five-day trip, but was denied a meeting with the junta’s supreme leader, Snr-Gen Than Shwe. Instead, he met with members of the regime’s “Spokes Authoritative Team,” consisting of Information Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan, Foreign Minister Nyan Win and Culture Minister Maj-Gen Khin Aung Myint. There were also brief meetings with other NLD leaders, representatives of ethnic groups, and officials from the pro-junta Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) and National Unity Party (NUP). As he did during Gambari’s last visit to Burma in November 2007, Kyaw Hsan used the occasion of his latest meeting with the UN representative to send a clear message that the junta does not appreciate international interference in its affairs. The state-run mouthpiece, The New Light of Myanmar, published the full text of Kyaw Hsan’s indignant reaction to Gambari’s role in releasing a statement from Aung San Suu Kyi following his last visit. “Sadly, you went beyond your mandate,” said the information minister in his carefully worded reproach. “Some even believe that that you prepared the statement in advance and released it after coordinating with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” he added. He went on to accuse the UN envoy of trying to “frame a pattern desired by western countries.”Kyaw Hsan also took issue with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s calls for a more inclusive constitution-drafting process, pointing out that the NLD walked out of the National Convention two years after it first convened in 1993. The constitution, finally completed last year, is in no further need of revision, insisted Kyaw Hsan. “The majority of the people do not demand to amend it,” he told Gambari. But analysts say that most of delegates at the convention were handpicked by the junta and only a few representatives from political parties were allowed to attend the convention. Before the NLD walked out of the National Convention in November 2005, only 99 of the 702 delegates were elected officials. After meeting with Kyaw Hsan’s team, Gambari met with a member of the commission responsible for holding the referendum, Thaung Nyunt, who flatly rejected a proposal for international monitoring of the forthcoming referendum in May. “U Thaung Nyunt replied that holding the referendum for the constitution is within the State sovereignty. Besides, there were no instances of foreign observers monitoring events like a referendum,” said a report in The New Light of Myanmar. U Lwin, secretary of the NLD, told The Irrawaddy on Saturday that Gambari explained to his party that he came to Burma with a mandate from the UN Security Council.
“He also told us about his meetings with the regime officials on previous days,” said U Lwin, who declined to provide any further details.Meanwhile, observers in Burma said that the junta’s snub of Gambari showed that the generals were not interested in listening to the international community. “It is very clear that they [the junta] will do everything their own way. No matter what the international community says, they negate all voices,” said a Burmese political observer in Rangoon, adding that the chances of a national reconciliation talks taking place now are non-existent.

Gambari Meets Daw Aung San Su Kyi(irrawaddy.org)

Gambari Meets Suu Kyi
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Saturday, March 8, 2008, -->
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The UN special envoy to promote political reconciliation in Burma met Aung San Suu Kyi and other opposition party members Saturday, a day after being rebuffed by the country's military rulers.
Suu Kyi, who has been detained without trial for 12 of the past 18 years, was seen being driven from the residence where she is held under house arrest to the state guest house where Ibrahim Gambari was staying. Gambari, representing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, was scheduled to hold talks with Suu Kyi, but details of their meeting were likely to be closely held.
UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari (far R) meets foreign diplomats upon his arrival in Rangoon. Burma's ruling junta has refused to amend its proposed constitution, which bars democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from running in elections. (Photo: AFP/MNA-HO)The UN envoy earlier held talks with representatives of ethnic groups, non-governmental organizations and several political parties including executives of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.
At their one-hour morning meeting with Gambari, five NLD leaders told him of their desire for an accelerated dialogue with the junta and the release of political prisoners, according to one of the party members present.
The United Nations holds a similar position, but the junta shows no sign of implementing either action. Burma has been in a political deadlock since the junta, which seized power in 1998, refused to honor the results of a 1990 general election won by Suu Kyi's party.
Gambari told the NLD executives that he would try his utmost to press their case, but also suggested that they should grab any opportunities offered by the junta, said the party official, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the press.
The junta's top spokesman told Gambari at a Friday meeting that that the government had done enough to hold a dialogue with Suu Kyi, by appointing a ministerial level liaison officer for her and announcing that junta chairman Snr-Gen Than Shwe would be willing to meet her if she gave up her "confrontational attitude" and stopped calling for sanctions against the junta.
Information Minister Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan told Gambari that Burma has no political prisoners and that Suu Kyi was detained because she tried to disrupt stability of the country, state-controlled media reported.
Kyaw Hsan also expressed unhappiness with Gambari's trips to other countries in the region to seek their support for political reform in Burma.
Gambari arrived Thursday on his third trip to Burma since the junta's deadly crackdown on nonviolent pro-democracy protesters in September sparked a global outcry. The visit came amid growing concerns that the government is ignoring calls for political reform and is tightening its grip on power.
The junta said last month that it would hold a constitutional referendum in May and general elections in 2010—the first specific dates for steps in a previously announced "roadmap to democracy."