“Thousands of ethnic Karen have fled to Thailand in recent days.” Photo by the BBC.
Here’s the latest on Burma:
The BBC reports that “Thailand has sent heavily-armed troops to reinforce positions along the Burma border after an influx of ethnic Karen refugees fleeing an army offensive.”
Reuters reports that Burma’s ruling military junta has upheld a ban on defense witnesses for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace laureate and Prime Minister-elect who is currently on trial for violating the terms of her house arrest.
Al Jazeera English reports that the junta will allow one witness to testify on Suu Kyi’s behalf, though.
The Agence France-Presse reports that Suu Kyi “met with her defence lawyers in jail…as her legal team vowed to push ahead with an appeal to allow more witnesses at her trial.”
Mizzima reports on vile attempts at assassinating Suu Kyi’s character.
Reuters reports on how the trial has clouded the issue of continuing aid post-Cyclone Nargis.
On that issue, the Associated Press reports that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, international donor agencies, and various countries have appealed to the generals to “widen the door for representatives of international aid agencies to deliver assistance to the people still suffering after Cyclone Nargis hit [Burma] more than a year ago.”
The United Nations’ Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator has said that the education sector in Burma urgently needs a funding boost.
Finally, the AP reports that “President Barack Obama’s choice as top U.S. diplomat for East Asia said Wednesday that the United States is interested in easing its long-standing policy of isolation against military-run [Burma].” The article continues:
Kurt Campbell, however, told U.S. lawmakers at his Senate confirmation hearing that Myanmar’s heavy-handed treatment of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi hinders any U.S. effort to change course and engage the ruling junta in [Burma].
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“Thousands of ethnic Karen have fled to Thailand in recent days.” Photo by the BBC.
