2009-04-28

Irrawaddy 090428

The Irrawaddy News Magazine [Covering Burma and Southeast Asia] www.irrawaddy.org
Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Today's Newsletter

NLD Hold First General Meeting in a Decade By MIN LWIN
Senior leaders of Burma's main opposition party, including nearly 100 elected parliamentarians, met in Rangoon today for the first time since 1997.

NEWS ANALYSIS
Gov't Neglect Plays a Role in Diarrhea Outbreak By WAI MOE
A military government that neglects health care and turns a blind eye to poverty leads to a diarrhea outbreak in Rangoon, claiming five deaths and more than 100 ill residents.

Burmese and Thai Troops Clash on Border By THE IRRAWADDY
Two Thai soldiers and one civilian are injured and hundreds of villagers are evacuated during a Burmese assault on the KNU along the Thai-Burmese border.

Cyclone Fears Still Stalk the Villages
By KYI WAI / KUNCHANGONE / RANGOON DIVISION One year after Cyclone Nargis devastated the Irrawaddy Delta, villagers in the region watch the skies daily for signs of another killer storm. Weather forecasts on the radio command a big following.

Refugee Kids in Malaysia Help Burma Storm Survivors By VIJAY JOSHI / AP WRITER
When the teacher asked her class how it can help Cyclone Nargis victims in Burma, Steven Bawmying suggested laying a long underground pipe to send drinking water from Malaysia.

Regional

10 Killed by Suspected Insurgents in Thailand By SUMETH PANPETCH / AP WRITER
Suspected Muslim insurgents have killed ten civilians in a flurry of attacks in the insurgency-plagued southern Thailand.

WHO Raises Global Alert Level on Swine Flu By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO / AP WRITER
The World Health Organization raised its alert level but stopped short of declaring a global emergency.

Opinion

CONTRIBUTOR
Why Boycott Just Makes Things Worse
By ERIK SOLHEIM
The Norwegian government's involvement in several conflict resolutions does not mean it accepts the views of despotic regimes, but that it creates an opportunity for dialogue.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
"The result of the discussions will decide whether the NLD will participate in the upcoming national elections." Aung Shwe, chairman of the National League for Democracy

Bo Lindblom, Byv. 32, SE-31295 Laholm, 0430-223 64