For the Records

The Death of a student – Ko Phone Maw – March 13th 1988 in Rangoon, Burma

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Interview with the family members of dead student by fellow students for their student union newsletter –  (from “Sethmu Ahman” newsletters, issue (4), 17.9.1988)

A Secret Early Morning Funeral Without Ceremonies but Full of Grief and Grievances

March 14, 2011

We, the editor team of ‘Sethmu Ahman’ newsletter, were able  to have an exclusive interview with  a family member and close friends of Ko Phone Maw, a fifth year chemical engineering student. His life was takne in March students’ demonstration, which occurred in the compound of Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT). The interviewees include Mar Mar Win, elder sister of Phone Maw, and Khin Maung Htun (BSc.History), Win Win Myint (BSc.Physics), and Min Htut, a third year zoology student, who all are  friends of Phone Maw. The following are their original words and feelings.

Firstly, we inquired about his family’s private affairs. Mar Mar Win answered that his parents are U Aubar and Daw Amar (both deceased), and Phone Maw is the fourth son among the five of his siblings. She added that the eldest brother Kyaw Win, the other elder sister Mar Mar Ei, and herself opened a sale shop in Mingalar market to make a living for their family. The parents took care of Phone Maw and the youngest sister Ni Ni Aung, a 2nd year chemistry student in the then Rangoon University( Hlaing Campus).

About Phone Maw’s death, Mar Mar Win explained that her family did not learn of his death immediately on 13.3.88, the very day that tragedy happened. They only heard the news over the radio at 1:00 in the afternoon of 14.3.88, while they were in the market. His younger sister got the news from the university where she was studying.

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For the Records

Shwechinthae Social Service Group (Shwe Bo, Sagaing)

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Contributed by A Reader from Rangoon

March 1, 2011

The following information is about Shwechinthae Social Service Group, a charity organization opened at Shwechinthae monastery in Shwe Bo city in Sagaing division. After thoroughly reading the organization’s papers and records, asking patients and volunteers, I wrote this article mainly focusing on itself and its activities without mentioning the names of present activists of its.

The Beginning of the Beginning

Shwechinthae library was opened on 18.12.2000. Members of library who were graduates, but had no occupation, launched a free teaching program for 10th standard students who cannot afford schooling.

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Portraits

Ko Mya Aye

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Thar Gyi (AAPP)

March 14, 2011

Our first meeting was in the union of graduate old students which was born in Rangoon University. Mya Aye was actively involved in 8888 people’s uprising. Then, a place on Maung Htaw Lay street became a rallying point for our association which we called ‘GODSA’. After that, we met again together in cell block 5 of Insein prison in April, 1990.

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Features

Rangoon View 1st Week of March 2011- MoeMaKa Street Journalist

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Delaying the parliament’s schedule, the present military government is speeding up its moves, to sell country’s natural resources and to give its cronies lucrative contracts to manage state-owned properties, at the same time.

It has been seen that not only the passenger buses, but also the luxurious cars like ‘Mark Two’, join the business of queuing up for petrol at the private stations for hours and reselling it on black market, to earn extra money of 10000 kyat.

The junta does not try to formulate the effective economic policies – letting private enterprises do business freely – to control the consumer goods prices, nor to enforce essential laws so as to be competitive in the market. Thus it is likely to cause inflation and social crises after junta’s plan to raise salaries.

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Burmese Helping Burmese

Friends of MoeMaKa Raised 540,000 kyat toHonor 50 Burmese Political Prisoners from NLD Network

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MoeMaKa

March 4, 2011

In February 2011, MoeMaKa media team was able to raise and make a contribution of 845,000 kyat as “Friends of MoeMaKa Award” towards 600 political prisoners, currently being supported by NLD. In order to show our support, we, MoeMaKa, earnestly keep implementing our plan to help 50 political prisoners, monthly, as people’s good deeds. We would like to inform our readers and benefactors that we have already received the donation of 540,000 kyat from individual and collective donors for March of this year.

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Burmese Events

Burmese in Milwaukee Welcome 21st Century Pin Lon of Burma

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MoeMaKa Reporter (Milwaukee)

March 3, 2011

 

 On February 27, as an activity to welcome 21st Pin Lon conference, Karen, Myanmar, Mon, Chin, Rakhine, and other Burmese nationals gathered and held together the second ceremony of ‘Htamane’, the Burmese traditional food, at Pyinnyar Yama monastery in Milwaukee in Wisconsin State. The arrangements of this successful fair include such as ‘lunch for the audience attended’ and ‘listening to the sermon’.

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News

Price Hikes as Gas and Transport Charges Go Up in Burma

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MoeMaKa Reporter (Yangon)

February 28, 2011

In Burma, merchants and travelers complainingly said that prices of goods and transport charges were rising up, as the domestic price of petrol and diesel went up by over 30%, because of the rise in the price of the fuel in the world. Commodity prices in Yangon and other towns are now shooting up for the high costs of transport, affected by the restriction called ‘ASEAN STANDARD’, which is not allowed trucks to exceed permitted payload and imposed recently by the authority concerned.

During this week, the price of diesel reached 4000 kyat (over US $4) from 3800 kyat, and then it rose up to 4200 kyat (over US $5), in next few days. The petrol price, similarly, went up more 500 kyat (around US $0.50) than its last week’s price and reached 3900 to 4000 kyat (around US $5) in black market.

Although gasoline is being sold at the price of 2500 kyat per gallon, a price fixed by the regime in private stations, the owners of automobiles and motorcycles have to wait for several hours to get a permit to buy it with that price. Thus the work queuing up for petrol and reselling it in black market becomes business in Burma. In the illegal trade, the price of petrol went up to 3900 kyat (over US $4).

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Features

View form Rangoon – by MoeMaKa Street Reporter

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Last Week of February, 2011

 

Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) Plans to Seize the Low Level Administrative Power

After attempting forcibly to win over 80 percent in last year’s election, occupying 25% of parliamentary seats by the military officers and forming a Cabinet overwhelmed by their own members, USDP is planning to replace the positions of the quarter level administration with its members.

News, during these days, has spread that USDP started replacing its members in the ranks of quarter peace and development council, in some Rangoon’s townships.

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Experience

Thee Brothers Teaching Burmese Dance to Displaced Children

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MoeMaKa Ywar Saw Gyi

February 24, 2011

Kyal Thee, a comedian of Thee brothers, stated that they started teaching Burmese traditional dancing to displaced Burmese children for free at their home in Chiang Mai. According to their announcement posted on their blog http://theelaytheet4t.blogspot.com, the dancing class would start at 11:00 am on Saturday and it is free of charge. He also added that the course will only last for 2-3 months.

“We believe that Burmese traditional arts, music, and dance will greatly help them to feel happy, and soothe their tired minds and bodies while these stateless Burmese children, who had to cross from their homeland to another country, are both physically and mentally suffering from harshness of life, poverty and pressures of different surroundings. It is also our wish to do so,” said Ko Kyal Thee.

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