This is what jet lag does to me..up all night reading up crazy good articles…found this one to be good to be shared- What have clothes got to do with sexual attacks? by Annie Zaidi.

Eve teasing (or sexual harassment as we call in West) is rather a common sight in India, esp in Mumbai and Delhi(as stats say) and often violent and cause of several deaths. My recent visit(to the south) made me feel the issue has dramatically reduced, thanks to increased media awareness and police enforcement and what I think is the greater opportunity for men to socially interact with women(thanks to a booming economy and workforce) but yet the issue is far from being dead and a deadly virus(like HIV)  that spreads from what seems to be fun and affects the innocent, who often get blamed for it.

The often used lame excuse by  some men(and some women) is to blame women for how they dress (in which case there should be no rape in Middle East!) and often law enforcement play the same game. In Banglore, the technology capital of India a ladies college has instructed all women to wear Sarees, what they deem to be ‘decently dressed’  and believe that eve teasing(sexual harassment) will magically disappear when that happens. While its commonly perceived that fair skinned women in ’sexy’ clothes are the target, a walk down any crowded place in India will prove that myth to be wrong. Women of all color and age are a target to these Vultures, though admittedly there has been an improvement over the years and yet common sight especially where young women folk together, be it outside colleges, beaches, malls or restaurants

Eve teasing has little to do with how Women dress and more to do with the attitudes of young(and old) men towards women. It is a disease that is prevalent among the young, old, rich,poor, educated, illiterate, urban, rural, religious,atheist in all segments of society. This BBC Story published recently Eve teasing in India: Assault or harassment by another name talks about the seriousness of the issue. Watch the video on how two young men were stabbed to death trying to protect two of their girl friends from eve teasers.

India’s history and culture that it preaches to the outside world often contradicts it actions.A land of Hindus who pray thousands of Goddess, make  hundreds of movies a year singing the praise of women, a country of billion + people where family planning is a big message for the government , the land of Kamasutra and tantric sex that has left the West amorous to India and yet a country where women in general, every one of them would have in their life time have faced a public sexual harassment case from men in a country where  the majority of them are still shy to ask for a condom in a store!  Welcome to India!

A nice article sent by a friend, that highlights the difference between India and China and why India might end up playing catch up with China with its approach and attitude. I couldn’t find a web link , hence back at my blog to post this article

GARHWAL POST (UTTARAKHAND’S LEADING ENGLISH DAILY)

Dehradun, 21 December, 2011

Difference between India & China

By MARIA WIRTH

Recently, I spent time with my mother in Germany. She lives in a small town near Nuremberg with only some 6000 inhabitants. I was missing India. Reading newspapers and watching news on TV, it seemed as if there was no India. Yet, when I met people and mentioned that I live in India, all were curious, positive and keen to know more about the country. I couldn’t help telling how special India is because, as I see it, India and Indians have a lot going for them, more than any other civilisation. Parts of the Indian tradition have been hijacked by Westerners without acknowledging the source, be it yoga, transpersonal psychology or several scientific discoveries, apart from such basics as the decimal system. Yet, strangely, there is still no official attempt by India to own up and project India’s strong points abroad.

In contrast, China is doing a lot to project a good image by making full use of their main ancient sage, Confucius. Even in that small town near Nuremberg, twelve high school students have signed up for a Chinese language course. It came in the local newspaper. The Confucius institute is financing it. The teacher is a young Chinese.

On the airport, I picked up the International Herald Tribune, and not surprisingly, there was an 8-page Advertising Supplement about China prepared by China Daily. Confucius was all over the supplement: “Confucius lives”, “The way of the Sage”, etc., were some of the articles. Professor Zhang Qun, former head of the Confucius Institute, University of Naples, was quoted, “Western culture started to spread to China long ago, but now it is time for Chinese culture to be promoted to the Western world.” He underwent a wide range of training, including intercultural communications, religion, and even Chinese Opera, tai chi and paper cutting, “because foreigners love these things”, he said. Around 100 million foreigners are learning Chinese, the Chinese education ministry estimates. Though the Confucius Institute started only in 2004, it has now 350 institutes affiliated with universities and 430 ‘classrooms’ affiliated with secondary schools in 103 countries. As many as 260 more universities have applied for Institutes to be set up. Over 7000 young teachers are recruited every year from Chinese universities, who are sent abroad for two years…

Again, I was missing India. India is the cradle of civilisation, it has Sanskrit, the language which, according to NASA, helps develop the brain apart from being a perfect language. It has the deepest philosophy still expressed in a vibrant religion, a huge body of literature, amazing art, dance, music, sculpture, architecture, delicious cuisine and yet Indians are in denial mode and wake up only when foreigners treasure India. They don’t seem to know the value and therefore don’t take pride in their tradition, unlike westerners who take a lot of pride in theirs, even if there is little to be proud of.

An example that Rajiv Malhotra gave IIT students in Chennai recently illustrates it. Malhotra was a successful NRI businessman who retired early to set up the Infinity Foundation promoting Indic studies in the US. In 2005, the Crown Princess of Thailand wanted to have a World Sanskrit Conference. She herself was a Sanskrit student, had sent her sons to India to learn Sanskrit, had brought out a Journal on Sanskrit and wanted to start a Sanskrit College. A professor from Delhi University was organising the conference for her, but to his dismay, the Indian government did not want to sponsor it. He felt it was embarrassing, as many of the eastern countries, including Thailand, look to India as their mother civilisation. And here is this mother not taking any interest. So, he frantically called up Malhotra, asking him to help save face. His Infinity Foundation agreed to sponsor the event. The programme was set, when a few days before the start, the Indian HRD minister suddenly woke up and wanted to inaugurate the conference. A compromise was reached and both, Malhotra and the HRD minister, represented the Indian side.The conference was a success and the Indian Embassy in Bangkok gave a reception. Malhotra asked the young diplomats there about the Indian foreign policy in regard to projecting Indian civilisation as an asset, as soft power, as something of value in Asian countries. They were taken by surprise. “Sir, we don’t have any policy like that. We are a secular country,” the diplomats proffered. Malhotra wondered what this had to do with secular. “There is a demand, so you should supply it,” he suggested. “Set up Colleges of Sanskrit, of Indian thought, of dance, etc. It will also help in trade, in technology, in setting up business in these countries.”

There is a demand for Indian thought and culture not only in Asian countries; it is there in Western countries, too, though may be still unconscious. It would bring fresh air in the fixed thought structures that make westerners believe that there is either a god or no god, that one has the choice only between believing what has been written in a ‘holy book’and being an atheist.

India has a different approach. Already in 1887, Paul Deussen, professor of philosophy in Germany, had written, that it would be of benefit, if Indian Weltanschauung would spread in the west: “It would make us realise that we are stuck in colossal one-sidedness with our entire philosophical and religious thought and that there is a completely different way of approach than the one that Hegel construed as the only possible and reasonable one.”

There is however a difficulty. Most educated, English speaking Indians, who could project Indian culture abroad, know neither Samskrit nor the strong points of their culture and philosophy. In fact, some of them might rather bite their lip than acknowledge that India is a great civilisation. And many of those who know Sanskrit and who know the strong points of Indian culture don’t speak English or are not interested in teaching foreigners. Maybe the solution is to start, like the Chinese, with students. Give students a chance to delve deep into original Indian thought in Sanskrit, bridge the gap between academics and Sanskrit pandits, between universities and gurukuls, and let the students go abroad for a couple of years. They may turn out to be good ambassadors for India and may actually love the idea of being sent abroad. Never mind if they get disillusioned there.

Paul Copeland is a reputed  Toronto based Human Rights lawyer and fellow member of Canadian Friends of Burma who has been a strong voice for democracy in Burma. While Canada has done some good things to support democracy in Burma, a lot more can be done, especially in helping bring refugees in UNHCR camps to Canada. Thousands of them are languishing for decades in camps in Thailand, India and entire South East Asia.  They are dirt poor, peace loving refugees, who have never resorted to violence, even to defend themselves from the brutal junta and  can barely make ends meet, forget paying $40,000 to human smugglers to show up at our door.  They are real refugees and Canada should commit to bring 50,000 of  them over three-five years from various UNHCR camps.  In fact we should by and large be accepting refugees from UNHCR camps and push to make that a habit.

Paul Copeland: On sanctions & ICC

By JOSEPH ALLCHIN, Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB)
Published: 22 February 2011

Toronto-based lawyer Paul Copeland has played an active role in a number of international Burmese pro-democracy pressure groups, including Canadian Friends of Burma and Euro-Burma Office. He tells DVB about how he first gained interest in Burma and why there is such sharp divisions over Western sanctions on the country.

Why were you denied a visa to visit Burma earlier this year?

I have been too active on Burma issues and there are a lot of things on the internet about me – I have a Wikipedia entry about me and it mentions my activities on Burma. Recently I was given an award by the government of Canada, and it was publicised a fair bit by various Burmese groups so I assume that they Googled me and decided I wasn’t a suitable candidate to visit Burma.

Which Burma groups are you affiliated with?

I think I was at the founding meeting of the Canadian Friends of Burma – I’m on the advisory board of that organisation – and I’ve just come on the board of the Euro-Burma Office although I haven’t actually been even involved in a meeting of that yet, but I have known [founder] Harn Yangwhe for a long time. There was another organisation that he used to run that I was part of – I think it was the Associates for a Developed Democratic Burma. And we’ve got an organisation in Toronto called the Canadian Campaign for a Free Burma and I was quite active with that organisation.

How did you first become involved with Burma?

I went on a trek with a guy out of Chiang Mai [northern Thailand] and he was one of the student leaders in 1988. He had been a student leader in 1962 and fought with the Red Karen [Karenni] Army and we pumped him for a lot of information. I then went into Burma and was then allowed one week; that was in February 1988. I wrote to him for an article on Khun Hsa [former Shan drugs warlord] he had, and didn’t hear back from him.

Then after all the killings in Burma I wrote to him again and said I’m sorry to hear about what happened in his country and asked him if I could help. I got a letter from him saying he was supporting 300 students on the border and asked if I could send some money, and then someone came and knocked on my door and said “I’m from the Committee for Restoration of Democracy in Burma, I understand you’re a friend”. After checking them out and thinking they were an OK group I started working with them. Since then I have done whatever I can do. I have done most of the Burmese refugee claims in Toronto, and do some political work, some work to lobby the Canadian government, attended conferences, went back to Burma a couple more times and wanted to go back this time just to update my knowledge and maybe get to talk to some people, if anybody felt comfortable talking to me in Burma.

What was your first impression in that week in 1988?

I loved the country, but it was a total sprint around it. One of the nicest things about the country was how cut off it was from the west. I mean, coming out of Chiang Mai – Chiang Mai now and Chiang Mai then were totally different – it was just a wonderful country and the people were interesting and the history was interesting. I actually sent a postcard back to some of my friends saying “the country’s wonderful but if this is socialism, I’ve gotta find a new political belief” and the postcard never made it out of the country. Or it never made it to Canada anyway.

That trip was in February 1988, so just before the tea shop incident [a brawl which sparked the early protests] and before things escalated over the summer. So I watched as much as there was coverage of it from Canada.

Sanctions are a big issue now. Obviously Canada has some of the strictest sanctions. What’s your perspective on that, given the recent elections?

Over the years there have always been people arguing that they should remove sanctions; various different people from Burma – Dr. Zarni was one for a while who called for the end of sanctions. I have always thought that the decision should be made by the National League for Democracy (NLD), which is the group that I think most represents the democratic forces in Burma. I have not changed my position – they’ve said sanctions should remain in place I think they should. I think that’s one of the few instruments that the NLD and the democratic forces have to put some pressure on the military dictatorship, which is still what Burma is, and I find the call for the removal of sanctions from Germany and from Mark MacKinnon’s article in the Globe & Mail yesterday [Saturday] quite distressing.

It’s like they are saying to the NLD: “Give up the only instrument you have that might put some pressure on the government. They’re really nice people, and will move the country on. You’ve now got a parliament and an elected government.” It’s just a joke to think that the military dictatorship, even in its new form, is going to make any changes or allow any freedom. There are still 2,200-odd political prisoners – people are serving huge, lengthy sentences; there’s no freedom, there’s no democracy, there’s no right to organise; the judicial system is a joke and it is way too premature to remove sanctions.

Canada has been very strong. I should say the conservative government has been very strong on sanctions; the liberal government before it had very good rhetoric on Burma but refused all attempts to get the Canadian government to impose economic sanctions. Canadian economic sanctions are not a big deal in the context of Burma but they are an important symbol and one of the things we have been urging the Canadian government to do is to take more of a leadership role in helping the democracy movement in Burma. We suggested to Prime Minister Harper that he adopt the role that Brian Mulroney did with regards to sanctions on South Africa. Sanctions on South Africa are different to those on Burma, but it is my view that those who are calling for removal of sanctions are serving the interests of the generals.

A lot of the debate around sanctions is about whom the sanctions affect. What is your view on this?

Again I would rely on the NLD rather than my reading of what is going on in Burma. Sanctions were effective on South Africa; they don’t seem particularly so on Iran and their nuclear program. It is hard to tell what effect they will have on Burma. There are many countries – Thailand, China, India – that are doing economic stuff on Burma. There is now an Italian project going into Tavoy, so there are many countries that are making investments in Burma. But I think both the symbolism of the sanctions and the effectiveness of the sanctions again are the only instrument for the democracy forces to try and put some pressure on the generals to actually have something meaningful happen in the country.

And the people?

I think there is not much that is drifting down to the people. The generals are the ones who are making all the money. If you look at Than Shwe’s daughter’s wedding, it is just an obscenity to be spending that kind of money. You look at the creation of the new capital. There’s money floating around but it doesn’t seem to be getting to the people in the country.

Some have been critical of the level of sanctions, that they are not complete enough. Are they just a token gesture?

To a large extent. Ivanhoe [Canadian mining giant] has been carrying on there –Robert Friedland [CEO] made this claim that they sold their stake to some un-named trust but it is very hard to see any clarity with what’s going on. I would presume that Ivanhoe is still benefitting from those copper mines. It would be interesting to see the Canadian government actually take steps to increase the sanctions and say it’s illegal for Canadian companies to carry on with business in Burma until there is some movement towards democracy.

Again, that’s my view. There have been some successful campaigns. There was a campaign a long time ago to get Petro-Can, when it was a government-owned oil company, to stop doing work in Burma. I have an acquaintance who up until 2003 was doing oil exploration with the Chinese National Petroleum Company and with the MOGE [Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise] and he pulled out after the Depayin massacre, but again I think even stronger sanctions would be useful, from the Americans particularly and the Europeans. Most of the Europeans are good on sanctions but the Germans now are basically saying, ‘let’s get rid of sanctions’. I think Amgela Merkel’s calls for the removal of sanctions are serving the generals.

Why do you think countries like Germany are keen to remove sanctions?

My general thought would be that the big companies in that country want to exploit Burma like companies in many other countries are exploiting Burma, and that they don’t want to have their foreign competitors come in and either take advantage of or do development in the country. They think there is money to be made; Burma is rich in natural resources, certainly a lot of oil and gas is around, and a great need for development generally, so I presume that the business class in Germany want to be part of that and don’t want sanctions interfering with that.

Do you think it is hypocritical that somewhere like Israel has no censure yet Burma does?

There was a vote at the Security Council on Friday, vetoed by the US, criticising Israel on the continued building in the occupied territories and continued developing in the occupied territories. There aren’t sanctions against Israel at a national or international level; there is, I think, the BDS campaign which is being organised by the Palestinians as well as a number of other people saying that there should be boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel because of their policies around the Palestinians. So it’s different in each case – the Israelis have the Americans protecting their interests at the Security Council, whilst China and Russia, and at one point South Africa, all voted to block something at the Security Council dealing with Burma issues.

With regards to international pressure on Burma, there have been calls for the generals to be tried at the ICC. What’s your position on that?

Certainly the generals and the military dictatorship in Burma have killed less people as things have gone along; I mean in 1988 they killed at least 3,000 people, whereas during the Saffron Revolution [in 2007] the numbers generally floated around 100. But what they have managed to do is use huge prison sentences to intimidate the people rather than mass killings.

But I think an investigation by the ICC is important. There have been calls for it from various countries. The Canadian government supports the call for an investigation by the ICC and I think it should go ahead – it’s one of the few ways in which the international community has some ability to impact on national leaders. Charles Taylor from Liberia, Milosevic from Serbia, Bashir from Sudan – now [the latter’s] has had no affect at all but it will probably make it very difficult for him to travel internationally. So it’s a way for the international community to influence the behaviour of governments or key players in governments, so that they’re bound to actually follow international norms and not slaughter and kill people indiscriminately.

A lot of our readers have been very engaged on the issue of whether an enquiry should include different ethnic armies and rebel groups. What is your perspective on that?

Well first, the scale of what has been done by the various ethnic groups does not compare to what has been done by the military dictatorship in Burma. Secondly, generally speaking the ICC stuff is reserved for very large players on the scene. The ICC does not have the capability of investigating every criminal offence in the country. I am not aware particularly of the type of killings or imprisonments for trying to express democratic values, of that having been done by the ethnic minorities.

So I am not in favour of the ICC looking at the ethnic minorities. I think it is beyond the scope of what the ICC can do and would in many ways waste the resources of the ICC. What they should be looking at again is national leaders and trying to ensure that national leaders follow human rights and social justice norms and international law norms in how they run their countries and treat their people.

How should people now respond to the elections?

[The choosing of people] allowed to compete in the elections was a very flawed process. I think when any reasonable observers look at it they can tell it was a total sham. What’s been produced, what little functioning that has happened, doesn’t resemble any form of democracy that anybody in the world knows. Its’ a charade put together by the military government to maintain their continued power. And it’s done really in a process that was laid out by a US PR firm a long tome ago, the so-called ‘road map to democracy’, and if the road is a mile long they have gone about a centimetre. The firm was called DCI and operate out of Washington. They received about a quarter of a million dollars to rebrand the SPDC.

Nobody should be paying any attention to this and think it is a sign of democracy unless there is some sign that there will be some meaningful discussion, or unless there are splits in the military hierarchy. If the military are serious about demonstrating to the world that they were trying to move the country forward, they should release all political prisoners. That would be a first step in moving the country forward but until that happens nobody should be taking the government of Burma seriously.

What is the most striking thing that the people you represent in Canada are fleeing from?

It’s international law and they have to have a well-founded fear of persecution by reason of political belief or religious belief or other things, and it’s really easy to qualify as a refugee from Burma. The government is so repressive that if you say anything in regards to democracy, you are subject to arrest. If you are a Christian, certainly in some areas you have major problems. There are problems based on ethnicity – the Karen are mistreated in certain parts of Burma – and the SPDC army’s treatment of people in eastern Burma has been horrendous. So it’s not very difficult to qualify. Some of the people have been very involved in the political stuff, some less so. Some of the case law out of Britain says that even making an unsuccessful refugee claim from Burma will result in you being persecuted when you get back to Burma, so that making a claim by itself is almost the basis for being a refugee.

Is Western governments’ inability to reign in companies such as Total, Chevron and Ivanhoe an indictment of the failure of sanctions?

The main Canadian company in Burma was Ivanhoe, but they had operations in Burma before sanctions. But the mining lobby is quite powerful. There have been attempts by an MP named John Mackay to have the Canadian mining companies held accountable in Canada for what they were doing internationally. That piece of private members’ bill failed in the House of Commons, but Canadian mining is a huge international operation. And again some of them aren’t exactly helpful to the local people. In the Philippines there is some litigation going on and in places in South America.

Mining is a big part of the economic activity in Canada. One of the things about Ivanhoe is that that are incorporated in the Yukon [Canadian federal territory]. The Yukon has a law which states that shareholders cannot bring issues of social justice to shareholder meetings.

http://www.dvb.no/interview/paul-copeland-western-companies-are-self-serving/14366

India has unveiled a $273.4 Billion budget for the year 2011-2012. . Two key sectors that will be of interest to Canada are infrastructure, and Mutual Funds. Defence and commodities continue to be highly untapped markets for Canadian companies. Here is  2 minute version of it more details  below.

-“The budget has set about a lot of enabling factors for foreign investors to participate more directly in the Indian markets, whether it be through an increase in capacity allocated for the infrastructure funds, or it be through a reduction in withholding taxes or for the ability to directly invest in Indian mutual funds.”-WSJ

-India emerged relatively unscathed from the recent global downturn thanks to the government’s stimulus and robust consumer demand, especially in the vast rural areas. The government estimates economic growth will rise to 8.6% this fiscal from 8% last year.

-The limit for foreign institutional investors to invest in corporate bonds specifically targeted for infrastructure has been raised to $25 billion from $5 billion earlier.

-India has laid out a target to spend $1 trillion for infrastructure projects in the five-year project that will begin April 1, 2012.

-India will open its gates for foreign investors to invest in equity schemes of domestic mutual funds.

-This would liberalize the portfolio investment route and would enable Indian mutual funds to have direct access to foreign investors. The new policy would widen the class of foreign investors in Indian equity market, which had hitherto been restricted to only Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), sub-accounts registered with SEBI and NRIs.

India will be World’s No. 1 economy by 2050: CITI Financial Read the report from CITI financial on the top 10 economies in 2050 with India, China, US among the top three, No European country on the list. A reminder to us in Canada on the need for us to realign our global strategic priorities and our need to further engage India and China towards our long terms foreign markets penetration and sustainability

——————

If you are interested in more details of the budget, the financial numbers are here:

Following are the highlights of the budget: (Source: Reuters) by Numbers:

BORROWING

* Gross market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 4.17 trillion rupees (Reuters forecast 4.5 trillion rupees)

* Net market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 3.43 trillion rupees (Reuters forecast 3.77 trillion rupees)

* Revised gross market borrowing for 2010-11 at 4.47 trillion rupees

FISCAL DEFICIT

* Fiscal deficit seen at 5.1 percent of GDP in 2010-11

* Fiscal deficit seen at 4.6 percent of GDP in 2011-12

* Fiscal deficit seen at 3.5 percent of GDP in 2013-14

SPENDING

* Total expenditure in 2011-12 seen at 12.58 trillion rupees

* Plan expenditure seen at 4.41 trillion rupees in 2011-12, up 18.3 percent

REVENUE

* Gross tax receipts seen at 9.32 trillion rupees in 2011-12

* Corporate tax receipts seen at 3.6 trillion rupees in 2011-12

* Tax-to-GDP ratio seen at 10.4 percent in 2011-12; seen at 10.8 percent in 2012-13

* Customs revenue seen at 1.52 trillion rupees in 2011-12

* Factory gate duties seen at 1.64 trillion rupees in 2011-12

* Non-tax revenue seen at 1.25 trillion rupees in 2011-12

* Service tax receipts seen at 820 billion rupees in 2011-12

* Revenue gain from indirect tax proposals seen at 113 billion rupees in 2011-12

* Service tax proposals to result in net revenue gain of 40 billion rupees in 2011-12

SUBSIDIES

* Subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 1.44 trillion rupees

* Food subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 605.7 billion rupees

* Revised food subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 606 billion rupees

* Fertiliser subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 500 billion rupees

* Revised fertiliser subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 550 billion rupees

* Petroleum subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 236.4 billion rupees

* Revised petroleum subsidy bill in 2010-11 at 384 billion rupees

* State-run oil retailers to be provided with 200 billion rupee cash subsidy in 2011-12

GROWTH, INFLATION EXPECTATIONS

* Inflation seen at 5 percent in 2011-12

* Economy expected to grow at 9 percent in 2012, plus or minus 0.25 percent

TAXES

* Standard rate of excise duty held at 10 percent

* Service tax rate kept at 10 percent

* To widen scope of service tax

* To raise minimum alternate tax to 18.5 percent from 18 percent

* Iron ore export duty raised to 20 percent

* Personal income tax exemption limit raised to 180,000 rupees

* To reduce surcharge on domestic companies to 5 percent

DISINVESTMENT

* Disinvestment in 2011-12 seen at 400 billion rupees

POLICY REFORMS

* Foreign direct investment policy to be liberalised further in 2011-12

* To create infrastructure debt funds

* To boost infrastructure growth with tax-free bonds of 300 billion rupees

* Raised foreign institutional investor limit in 5-year corporate bonds for investment in infrastructure by $20 billion

* Food security bill to be introduced this year

* To permit Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) registered mutual funds to access subscriptions from foreign investments

* Public debt bill to be introduced in parliament soon

SECTOR SPENDING

* To allocate more than 1.64 trillion rupees to defence sector in 2011-12

* Corpus of rural infrastructure development fund raised to 180 billion rupees in 2011-12

* To provide 201.5 billion rupees capital infusion in state-run banks in 2011-12

* To allocate 520.5 billion rupees for the education sector

* To raise health sector allocation to 267.6 billion rupees

AGRICULTURE

* To focus on removal of supply bottlenecks in the food sector in 2011-12

* To raise target of credit flow to agriculture sector to 4.75 trillion rupees

* Gives 3 percent interest subsidy to farmers in 2011-12

* Cold storage chains to be given infrastructure status

* Capitalisation of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) of 30 billion rupees in a phased manner

* To provide 3 billion rupees for 60,000 hectares under palm oil plantation

* Actively considering new fertiliser policy for urea

FINANCE MINISTER ON THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY

* “Fiscal consolidation has been impressive. This year has also seen significant progress in those critical institutional reforms that will pave the way for double digit growth in the near future.”

* “At times the biggest reforms are not the ones that make headlines, but the ones concerned with details of governance which affect the everyday life of aam aadmi (common man). In preparing this year’s budget, I have been deeply conscious of this fact.”

* Food inflation remains a concern

* Current account deficit situation poses some concern

* Must ensure that private investment is sustained

* “The economy has shown remarkable resilience.”

FINANCE MINISTER ON GOVERNANCE

* “Certain events in the past few months may have created an impression of drift in governance and a gap in public accountability … such an impression is misplaced.”

* Corruption is a problem, must fight it collectively

Citi Financial has released a report that project the largest economies of the world in 2050. It is an interesting list with India leading the way(not surprising)  with no European country(surprising) and Nigeria coming in at  six.  Here is the top 10 and news article on it.

Following will be the 10 largest economies in the world in 2050:

1. India: $85.97 trillion

2. China: $80.02 trillion

3. United States: $39.07 trillion

4. Indonesia: $13.93 trillion

5. Brazil: $11.58 trillion

6. Nigeria: $9.51 trillion

7. Russia: $7.77 trillion

8. Mexico: $6.57 trillion

9. Japan: $6.48 trillion

10. Egypt: $6.02 trillion.

Why India will be world’s No. 1 economy by 2050

The 10 largest economies by 2050 (in trillion 2010 PPP dollars) will be very different from what they are now. Read on to find out which are these nations and why India will be the largest economy. . .

In view of its continuing robust growth, India is expected to be the world’s largest economy by 2050, surpassing China and the United States, a Citi report said.

“China should overtake the US to become the largest economy in the world by 2020, then be overtaken by India by 2050,” financial services group Citi said the report.

The estimates are based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), an economic growth indicator that takes into account the purchasing power of each country’s currency, instead of the prevailing exchange rate conversion.

Indian economy is expected to be nearly $85.97 trillion on PPP basis by 2050 from $3.92 trillion in 2010, Citi said.

Going by the report, India would surpass the US — currently the world’s largest economy — to become the second largest by 2040.

“We expect India to overtake Japan to become the third largest economy in the world by 2015,” it noted.

In terms of PPP, Indian economy — valued at $3.78 trillion — was at the fourth place in 2009. The country was behind the US, China and Japan, according to the World Bank.

Citi pointed out that North America and Western Europe’s share of world’s real GDP (in terms of dollars calculated on PPP basis) is expected to fall from 41 per cent in 2010 to just 18 per cent in 2050.

During the same period, developing Asia’s share is predicted to rise from 27 per cent to 49 per cent in 2050.

Citi emphasised that a number of major changes within a relative short time are required for India to meet future challenges.

Noting that India’s infrastructure has to be improved, Citi said the country needs to relax its “hostile attitude towards FDI”, if it is to reap the benefits of rapid cross-border technology transfer that China has benefited from so greatly.

“…a further round of serious deregulation of the domestic economy and further trade liberalisation are required,” it noted.

The report said India’s population of working age is expected to grow by 40.7 per cent between 2010 and 2050.

India has successfully raised its aggregate savings rate to levels that would allow sustained high levels of domestic capital formation (the domestic saving rate averaged 34.4 per cent over 2006-2009 and the gross domestic investment rate 32.4 per cent), the report added.

Growth until 2050 and its key drivers

Many potential drivers have been put forward. But at the highest level of aggregation, the taxonomy of potential growth drivers only has three categories: (1) initial conditions and the external environment, (2) institutions and (3) policies. Each of these three categories does, however, have a number of sub-categories.

The momentous shifts in economic weight and power are also evident in rankings of the largest economies by size of real GDP in 2010 PPP dollars.

Citi expects India to overtake Japan to become the third largest economy in the world by 2015, but otherwise forecast little change in the order of the ten largest economies over the next five years.

By 2020, China should have just overtaken the US to become the largest economy in the world, while Italy would have dropped out of the top ten, to be followed by France by 2030, the UK by 2040, and Germany by 2050.

By 2050, the make-up of the ten largest economies in the world should bear little resemblance to the one in 2010.

Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Mongolia, Nigeria, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam have the most promising (per capita) growth prospects, according to Citi. And these are Citi’s Global Growth Generator or 3G countries.

1. India: $85.97 trillion

Citi expects India’s real per capita GDP to grow at 6.4% p.a. over the 40-year period between 2010 and 2050 (7.2% p.a. over the next 10 years and at rates of 7.7% p.a. between 2020 and 2030 and 5.2% p.a. between 2030 and 2050).

As a result, India is expected to become the largest economy in the world by 2050, overtaking China and the US in the process.

India starts way below the frontier: it ranks 54th in real per capita GDP, at $3,298 in 2010. It truly is an Emerging Market as regards the sectoral composition of its production and labour force, which are overwhelmingly rural.

Its demographic evolution is at least 35 years behind that of China with a high (but falling) birth rate and a large and growing population of young workers: India’s population of working age is expected to grow by 40.7 per cent between 2010 and 2050.

India’s assets are many: It has successfully raised its aggregate savings rate to levels that would allow sustained high levels of domestic capital formation (the domestic saving rate averaged 34.4 per cent over 2006-2009 and the gross domestic investment rate 32.4 per cent).

Its education system, while not without weaknesses, produces a large pool of cheap, internationally competitive, English-speaking graduates, allowing India to build up a comparative advantage in certain sectors, such as IT or business processes.

This ’demographic dividend’ can, of course, become an economic curse if the young are not educated and trained properly and if the domestic capital formation rate is not high enough to create an adequate supply of productive jobs.

For India to meet that challenge, a number of major changes will have to occur in a relatively short period of time.

First, India’s infrastructure has to be improved across the board.

Second, India has to move from a position of educating a limited number of youngsters very well but not the majority (especially females in rural areas and the lower castes almost everywhere) to one of educating all its youth properly.

Third, India needs to relax its hostile attitude towards FDI, if it is to reap the benefits of rapid cross-border technology transfer that China has benefited from so greatly.

Finally, a further round of serious deregulation of the domestic economy and further trade liberalisation are required. Pricing water, energy and other resources at full marginal social long-run cost, at least for all producers especially, in the case of water, those in the agricultural sector – or equivalent measures to ration the use of these essential scarce resources will be necessary to avoid an environmental block on economic growth.

Given these changes, India’s growth rate during the next 20 or 30 years could be as high as those of China this past decade, and these prospects are reflected in India’s 3G score of 0.71.

So check out which will be the other nations among the top 10 largest economies in the world (in trillion 2010 PPP dollars) in 2050.

2. China: $80.02 trillion

For China Citi predicts an average growth rate of 5.0 per cent p.a. for real per capita GDP over the period 2010 2050, lower than in the recent past, but still highly respectable – even more so after two decades of largely uninterrupted near double-digit increases.

China’s real per capita GDP ranking in 2010 is 45th, at $7,430. This is quite far above the poorest countries now, but even more distant still from the rich industrial nations. A lot of convergence therefore remains to be done.

3. United States: $39.07 trillion

The US economy is the largest in the world currently, with an estimated 2008 gross domestic product (GDP) of $14.3 trillion (a quarter of nominal global GDP and a fifth of global GDP at purchasing power parity).

But its dominance is seen declining as nations like India and China show rapid and sustained growth to become the world leaders over the next four decades.

4. Indonesia: $13.93 trillion

Indonesia’s predicted growth rate of per capita income from 2010 to 2050 is 5.6% pa. It currently ranks 50th in real per capita income, with a 2010 real per capita income level of $4,362, so there is plenty of potential for catch-up and convergence.

Indonesia’s large population (233 million in 2010) is predicted to rise to 288 million in 2050. Its population of working age is expected to increase by 17.9 per cent over the same period.

Thus, demographics are a factor that should be working in Indonesia’s favour to achieve China-like growth rates over the next 40 years.

Indonesia ranks high on the 3G Index, with a score of 0.72 for the Index excluding government consumption.

5. Brazil: $11.58 trillion

Brazil, with a 2011 population of 203.4 million, has traditional advanced EM demographics.

Brazil’s public spending as a share of GDP is not too far below that of some of the West-European EU member states.

It also spends a rather small share of GDP on gross fixed investment (just 17,3 per cent of GDP during 2006-2009).

Given Brazil’s low investment rate, its ambiguous attitude towards FDI (and the rapid technology transfer it permits), its fairly favourable demographics and the poor educational and training record of much of its population, Brazil’s sustainable growth rate of real GDP per capita is estimated to be no more than 3.5 per cent p.a. between 2010 and 2050.

6. Nigeria: $9.51 trillion

Nigeria has been a classic example of the natural resource curse at work in the past, but is beginning to show signs of being able to solve the political economy problem of managing the exploitation of natural resource wealth. At 6.9% p.a. between 2010 and 2050, Citi expects average real per capita growth in Nigeria to be the highest among the countries in our sample.

It is blessed with natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable, even though those blessings have often turned to curses in the past. The policy environment and economic management have improved in recent years.

On the economic side, oil revenues are managed more prudently, with the existence of the excess crude account and the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund.

7. Russia: $7.77 trillion

Citi predicts 3.7 per cent real per capita GDP growth p.a. for Russia between 2010 and 2050. It is ranked 28th in our sample as regards real per capita GDP in 2010, with $15,701.

Russia is expected to have a population of 138.7 in 2011, which is declining at an annual rate of 0.5 per cent, due to a combination of a very low birth rate (a total fertility rate of 1.4) and an extremely low male life expectancy (for a country with its per capita income).

The country’s booming natural resource sector allows it to paper over the large cracks in its economic edifice.

8. Mexico: $6.57 trillion

The economy of Mexico is today the 11th largest in the world. The country is well known for the quality of its car industry.

Mexico has at times been seen as a chronic economic underachiever, despite its favourable geography and demographics (a population size of 113.7 million and a total fertility rate of 2.3 in 2011), and despite an impressive series of economic reforms following the economic crisis of 1981-1985.

Mexico has the potential of being a Latin American success story surpassing even the growth performance of Brazil over the past decade.

9. Japan: $6.48 trillion

Japan today is a major economic power with world’s second-largest economy by nominal GDP and the third largest in purchasing power parity.

It is also the world’s fourth largest exporter and sixth largest importer. It is also the only Asian country in the G-8.

With GDP (PPP) of $4.356 trillion, Japan is a force to reckon with. However, it will see other nations overtake it over the next 40 years.

10. Egypt: $6.02 trillion

For Egypt, Citi expects a steadily rising growth rate for the next 40 years, averaging 5.0 per cent p.a. between 2010 and 2050.

Egypt ranked 48th in 2010 as regards real per capita GDP with $5,878.

Its population is expected to increase from 84.4 million in 2010 to 129.5 million in 2050 and the population of working age is expected to grow over the same period by 60.8 per cent.

The political revolution that swept aside the President Hosni Mubarak regime in February 2011 gives grounds for hope, but has not by itself solved the challenge of finding employment for the rapidly rising population.

After the political transformation that is to be expected, it will be the right time for far-reaching reform in the economic sphere as well, says Citi. And that is why it is optimistic about the prospects for Egypt.

How India can generate sustained growth

The secret of achieving sustained high growth really is no secret at all. The fact that it is no secret does not mean, however, that it is easy to achieve, says the Citi report.

Citi says, growth should be easy for those starting out far behind, and lists out 17 reasons, all of which hold true for India:

1. Start poor: Far below the frontier levels of labour productivity and total factor productivity, and with a low stock of capital per worker.

2. Have a young population, that is, a large population of working age relative to the economically inactive population.

3. Educate the workers and future workers, men and women, to the maximal extent.

4. Let the best and brightest be educated abroad. They will come back if the country provides a reason for them to come back.

5. Create a professional, well-trained career civil service.

6. Strive for institutions that support the orderly succession of supreme political power. Avoid personalised autocracies.

7. Create a market economy and rely to the fullest possible extent on the profit motive for the provision of private (rival and excludable) goods and services.

8. Invite in FDI to the fullest extent. The technology, know-how and expertise it brings in are far more important than the equity funding these are bundled with.

9. Invite foreign businesses, entrepreneurs, managers and workers and open up to the global treasure chest of ideas.

10. Make sure you can achieve economies of scale, either by having a large domestic market or by opening up fully to world trade. Global export markets will allow you to exploit any economies of scale for traded goods and services. Competition from foreign imports and FDI will keep domestic producers in both traded and non-traded sectors on their toes.

11. Focus limited public spending on infrastructure, health, pre-school, primary and secondary education and vocational training and poverty relief.

12. Achieve high domestic investment rates and fund domestic capital formation mainly through domestic saving. Funding domestic capital formation with foreign saving/current account deficits always brings additional risks with it.

13. Liberalise the capital account slowly and deliberately, making sure the domestic banking sector and financial system can cope with the stresses and strains brought by financial openness. the way to minimise corruption is (a) to limit bureaucratic discretion (the source of corruption rents), (b) to maximise transparency and openness in government and (c) to encourage an open society, through diverse and critical media and a thriving civil society (to maximise the risk of exposure). When closer to the frontier, the quality of institutions matters more.

14. Make sure domestic financial market development and international financial integration do not get ahead of your supervisory and regulatory capacities.

15. Try to make sure that domestic savers have choices other than bank deposits and residential real estate. Consider the early liberalisation of portfolio investment abroad for this reason.

16. Encourage competition. Avoid man-made obstacles to entry and exit in labour markets and product markets, wherever possible. Avoid unnatural monopolies.

17. Regulate natural monopolies through transparent, accountable mechanisms.

For the first time in the forum’s history, members of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) discussed the advancement of democracy in Burma today, following the tabling of a proposed resolution by the Canadian Delegation at the APPF conference in Ulannbattor, Mongolia.

The Honourable Bryon Wilfert (MP, Richmond Hill) is Co-Chair of the Canadian delegation and had proposed the resolution, which called on member states to support the principles of democracy in Burma .

“After much discussion and compromise, the conference calls on the Burmese Government to continue the peaceful transition process to democracy in Burma within a definite time frame, and to include Aung San Sun Kyi and other political parties in the process,” said Wilfert.

“It is important that Parliamentarians from across Asia/Pacific have come together to show support for the democratic process in Burma. These voices support peaceful change and reconciliation in Burma,” commented Wilfert.

“Having proposed the resolution, I was pleased that a consensus on this issue was achieved and a clear message has been sent to the Burmese government that real change must happen.” Wilfert noted. “I want to thank members of the Canadian delegation for their support and assistance.”

Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) and Canadian civil society organizations would like to encourage the Government of Canada to play an active role in the international call for the implementation of a UN ‘Commission of Inquiry’ into gross human rights violations, specifically ‘crimes against humanity’ and ‘war crimes’ in Burma.  Such an inquiry could investigate reports of human rights and humanitarian law violations in Burma, through the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, the Security Council, the General Assembly, or the office of the Secretary General.

Just last week, another report was launched documenting human rights violations and calling for a UN inquiry.  Written by the Physicians for Human Rights, “Life under the Junta: Evidence of Crimes Against Humanity in Burma’s Chin State” further indicates that human rights violations in the north-western part of Burma are tantamount to ‘crime against humanity’. Please see the report at http://burma.phrblog.org/report/

Government of Canada and all three opposition parties, have all voiced their support for the Inquiry. Canadians are not alone, thirteen other countries have also made a public commitment to the call: Australia, UK, Czech Republic, Slovakia, US, Hungary, New Zealand, Netherlands, French, Ireland, Lithuania, Estonia and Argentina.

CFOB and Canadian civil society organizations would like to see Canada take the opportunity of the 16th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, to develop this common approach to support the call for a Commission of Inquiry.

The Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) is federally incorporated, national non-governmental organization working for democracy and human rights in Burma.

Premier’s Statement Thai Pongal

NEWS January 14, 2011

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty released this statement marking the Thai Pongal festival.

“On behalf of the Government of Ontario I wish to extend warm wishes to those Ontario families who are celebrating Thai Pongal.

Thai Pongal, an annual festival celebrating the bounty of the harvest, is observed annually by millions of Tamils around the world.  This is a wonderful opportunity for Tamils across Ontario to come together with family and friends and celebrate.

These celebrations also provide an opportunity for all Ontarians to thank the Tamil community for their contributions to Ontario and learn about the wonderful diversity that makes Ontario the best province in the greatest country in the world.”

2010 was spectacular with the release of  Aung San Suu Kyi, but a disaster with the flawed election and nature’s havoc with Giri. We will continue to pursue peaceful means to bring democracy and respect for human rights in Burma and thanks to Canada for being supportive, but more needs to be done.

- Canada has accepted refugees from Burma now living in UNHCR camps in Thailand, but more needs to be done. We should agree to bring 50,000 more refugees from camps in South East Asia over next five years.

- Canada should continue and increase aid for Canadian groups working with Burmese refugees in Thailand and other regions and to other humanitarian and democratic engagement projects in Burma.

- Canada should continue to support UN/US measures to bring democracy and human rights in Burma (thanks for all the ongoing support so far).

- Canada has burgeoning relationship with India and should work with US to cajole India, which is one the three countries with influence in Burma(besides China and Thailand)

- Thanks to Canadian PM Stephen Harper, Foreign Minister Lawrence Canon and Minister for International development, Bev Oda for their support to the Burma file and most importantly to MP Larry Bagnell for his ongoing passion and support for democracy and human rights in Burma. Not to forget the opposition leaders Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton who have worked with the government to support our efforts to bring peace in Burma.

By Canadian Friends of Burma – 31^st December, 2010

In 2010, the Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) has successfully mobilized Canadians in support of democracy and human rights in Burma. The most notable achievements – among others – this year have been a five-year extension of Canadian humanitarian assistance to Burmese refugees and community-based organizations working in Burma’s neighboring countries including Thailand, and support for a UN ‘commission of inquiry’ into ‘crimes against humanity’ and ‘war crimes’ in Burma. These important accomplishments, along with others to be outlined below, would not have been possible without support of thousands of Canadians − from Prime Minister to Ministers, opposition leaders to their political staffers, and MPs, Senators and their assistants.

Burma supporters across Canada are, of course, the driving force of those outcomes. And it is also very important to acknowledge the role of Canadian civil society organizations (CVOs), especially the major financial support provided by Rights and Democracy, Inter Pares, Canadian Autoworkers Union (CAW), Canadian Communication, Energy and Paper-workers Union (CEP), and other individual for the work of Canadian Friends of Burma in the year 2010, as well as almost two-decade tireless campaign work for free Burma. The People of Burma and its rightful leader Daw Aung San San Suu Kyi will definitely appreciate your support in the struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights in Burma and duly acknowledge one day. Since Burma’s struggle for fundamental rights and democratic freedoms is still ongoing and even more important in the coming year 2011, your continuous support in both moral and material terms is still essential and therefore earnestly sought.    

Highlights in December:

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s sister-in-law visit

In early December, CFOB was able to welcome Mrs. Lucinda Phillips, sister-in-law of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in Ottawa. Parliamentary Friends of Burma (PFOB) and Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) arranged a number of meetings for her with Canadian politicians including Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon and CIDA Minister Bev Oda, as well as key Burma supporters including founders of Canadian Friends of Burma and key partner organizations working on Burma. Mrs. Philips relayed a message from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in which the democracy leader and the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner thanks Canada for conferring her with Honorary Canadian Citizenship, bringing over 4000 Burmese refugees to Canada and providing emergency assistance to cyclone victims in Burma.)

Invitation of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to Canada

Another important event on the last days of this year is that Prime Minister Stephen Harper extended an invitation to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to come to Canada. In the statement issued on Dec. 27, he said, “I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada has invited Aung San Suu Kyi to Canada to personally accept her honorary Canadian citizenship.  We recognize that Aung San Suu Kyi’s immediate priority since her release from house arrest is to focus her energies on consultations and dialogue within Burma, before embarking on international travel. We hope, however, that she will be able at the appropriate time to accept our invitation.”

A possibility of inviting her to Canada was discussed within the Burmese activist community in Canada after she was released on Nov. 13. The New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton and Hon. Larry Bagnell, Liberal (Yukon) and chair of PFOB, publically led the effort in requesting the government to extend the invitation to her. When her sister-in-law Lucida Phillips was on Parliament Hill on Dec. 2, NDP leader queried this possibility in the House and Government House Leader John Baird responded by saying that the government would look into that possibility. As mentioned above, Prime Minister Stephen Harper eventually responded to that call by formally inviting her to Canada. In a message delivered on Dec. 2, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi not only thanked Canada for its support for Burma, but also clearly indicated, “I look forward very much to the day that conditions in Burma will allow me to be free to visit Canada myself and thank the Canadian people in person.”

Political Prisoners highlighted in International Human Rights Day

CFOB helped highlight the situation of more than 2,200 political prisoners in Burma at an event organized by Amnesty International Canada on Dec. 10. A CFOB representative was a speaker at an evening event held at its Head Office in Ottawa. The event was as part of a nation-wide campaign under the name of “Write for Rights” and chose a dozen of political prisoners including two from Burma – Zargana and Su Su Nway. Zargana is an Honorary Member of PEN Canada and Su Su Nway received Canada’s 2007 John Humphary Freedom Award bestowed by Rights and Democracy.

Highlights in November:

Leading Burmese activist visit and action against Burma’s sham elections

Dr. Naing Aung (left), General Secretary of Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB), along with Tin Maung Htoo (CFOB), meeting with CUSO/VSO staffs in Ottawa – Nov. 4 Photo: CUSO/VSO

Dr. Naing Aung, a leading Burmese democracy activist and Secretary General of Thai-Burma border-based Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB), visited to Canada in early November. His visit took place in the final days leading up to Burma’s general election on Nov. 7 and was intended to build international resistance against the elections which is neither free nor fair. On Nov. 4, Dr. Naing Aung took part in the press conference held on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, along with MPs from all political parties including Bob Rae (Liberals), Paul Dewar (NDP), Jean Dorion (Bloc Québécois) and Brue Stanton (Conservative). Rights and Democracy’s President Gérard Latulippe also joined the press conference. With the coordination of local groups, CFOB mobilized action in Ottawa, Saskatoon, Calgary and Vancouver. Please see related news reports on each action below:

Ottawa: Protesters demand human rights, end of military regime in Burma

Saskatoon: City residents call for freedom in Myanmar

Vancouver: Don’t buy into junta’s ‘Orwellian game’, election protesters told

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon also expressed Canada’s concerns on the elections taking place under oppressive conditions in a statement issued in the eve of the elections.  He further issued another statement on Nov. 8, saying “Canada is deeply disappointed that the regime did not live up to its own commitment to hold a free and fair election. We are also concerned by reports of outbreaks of violence in border areas in the aftermath of the election.”

Dr. Naing Aung who was in Ottawa during the elections period also gave a briefing about the elections to foreign affairs officials on Nov. 8. During his advocacy trip, he also met Members of Parliament and Burmese activist community. He was interviewed by a number of media including CBC radio, CFRU 93.3 and CKCU-91.1.  Please see below a list of events he participated:

Nov. 3 – doing a presentation at CUSO-VSO office

Nov. 4 – meeting with PFOB members; a press conference on Burma’s Elections on Parliament Hill

Nov. 5 – giving a speech at Ottawa’s One World Film Festival where a short Burma film “The Border: Misery and Hope” was screened

Nov. 6 – participating in an Ottawa demonstration against shame elections in Burma

Nov. 8 – meeting with Canadian foreign affairs officials by presenting an election briefer

Nov. 9 – taking part in Burma Awareness Night at Brock University in St. Catherine

Canadians joined in the celebration on the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

A gathering for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and in protest of Burma’s sham elections Human Rights Monument in Ottawa – Nov. 6 Photo: The Impression

The most excited moment this year, of course, is the release of Burmese democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Nov. 13. Canadians and Burmese-Canadian across Canada joined the celebration of this news including Canadian Prime Minister Stephan Harper. Mr. Harper issued a statement, calling her “an unwavering champion of peace, democracy and respect for human rights in Burma.” A few days after her release, CFOB helped arrange interview opportunity for Canadian media to get heard of her voices in Canada. CBC ‘The Current’ program broadcast an interview with her on Nov. 16 and Canada’s national weekly magazine Maclean’s also run an interview with her on Dec. 20.

Canada’s Support for Cyclone Giri Victims in Burma

At the end of Nov. 30, Hon. Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, announced that Canada would provide humanitarian support to help the Burmese people affected by Cyclone Giri hit western part of Burma on October 22. Canada’s support in the amount of $500,000 will be administered by Save the Children Canada and Médecins Sans Frontières Canada (MSF). ”Canada’s assistance will provide emergency shelter and health services, as well as access to drinkable water,” said minister Oda in the announcement. Hon. Larry Bagnell, chair of PFOB, requested Canada’s immediate assistance as soon as the latest wave of cyclone struck western part of Burma.

Highlights in October: Burma VJ Monks’ visit

Burma VJ monks and political staffers on Parliament Hill after a meeting with PFOB hosted by Ottawa-Centertown MP Paul Dewar on Oct. 15 – Photo: CFOB

In October, CFOB brought two Burmese Buddhist monks who played a leading role in the 2007 Saffron Revolution, to Ottawa to hear their first-hand accounts.  Accompanied by U Kawida, the abbot of Burmese Buddhist Temple in Toronto, the two monks, U Pyinya Zawta and U Agga Nya Na, met with officials from Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC) and members of Parliamentary Friends of Burma (PFOB) on October 15, 2010.

U Pyinya Zawta is a founding member in Exile of the All Burma Monks’ Alliance that led the monks against the military junta in 2007 in Burma was imprisoned for ten years for his pro-democracy activities in Burma. He is the commanding voice behind the scenes in the documentary film, Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country.

U Agga Nya Na is one of the monks who experienced the Saffron Revolution in 2007 first-hand. After more than 1 month in hiding, he escaped to Thailand where he testified to a delegation from the United States Congress and the Ambassador from the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok about the violent crackdown by the military regime on the peaceful protest.

When the monks were in Canada, the following meetings, events and activities were arranged by CFOB with the coordination of various organizations:

Oct. 15 noon – meeting with Foreign Affairs officials;

Oct. 15 afternoon – attending a meeting hosted by PFOB and its vice-chair Paul Dewar;

Oct. 16 morning – attending Burma VJ screening and discussion with Religious Society of Friends;

Oct. 16 noon- meeting with Ottawa Burmese Community;

Oct. 17 – meeting with Toronto Burmese Community;

Oct. 18 – participating in Burma VJ screening at University of Toronto

Burma VJ Screening in Ottawa

In the evening of Oct. 26, Academy Award Nominee Burma VJ: Reporting from a closed country was screened at Bytowne Cinema, in Ottawa. Amnesty International Canada sponsored the screening with the attendance of around three hundreds audience. CFOB’s representative was invited to talk about the political situation in Burma at the event held afterward at Don Cherry’s sports Grill. The screening of documentary such as Burma VJ is the best tool of public education and awareness on Burma and the ongoing struggle for Democracy in Burma.

Burma VJ Screening in Regina

University of Regina and Regina Amnesty International hosted a Burma event at the Regina University along with a screening of Burma VJ: Reporting from a closed country – the documentary on the 2007 Saffron Revolution in Burma. CFOB’s representative was invited to Regina from Ottawa to talk about the struggle for democracy in Burma and to give a lecture to students who are studying international relations. A dinner reception was also hosted by Regina Friends of Burma. CFOB’s representative was interviewed live by local CBC radio and a news report was also published on local newspaper “Shedding light on human rights issues”

http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Shedding+light+human+rights+issues/3720611/story.html

Highlights in September and August:

Canada’s support on UN’s commission of inquiry on Burma

One of the biggest campaign successes this year within two months of September and August is Canada’s support on a UN Commission of Inquiry on ‘crimes against humanity’ and ‘war crimes’ in Burma. CFOB effectively mobilized the public support, putting out an action alert across Canada. In response to that mounting call from both domestic and international community, Canada pledged to support the commission on Burma.

“Canada supports both the UN Special Rapporteur’s work on human rights abuses in Burma, and the idea of a UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights abuses by the Burmese regime,” said the Minister Lawrence Cannon in a videotaped message sent to CFOB on Sept. 3. “We will work with our allies in the international community to develop a common approach to support the recommendations that the Rapporteur will present to an upcoming session of the UN General Assembly,” he added.

All three opposition parties: Liberals Party of Canada, New Democrat Party (NDP) and Bloc Quebecois – supported the call, urging the Conservative government to support it. Moreover, 82 MPs and Senators also endorsed such call. And a number of Canadian civil society organizations including labor unions and Burmese dissident communities in Canada also requested the government t o support this initiative. Please see news articles and statements below:

·         Canada throws support behind Burma inquiry

·         Silence on Burma inquiry raises eyebrows

·         Liberals call on the government to support a UN Commission of Inquiry in Burma

·         New Democrats call for UN commission of inquiry on Burma

·         BQ Presses Harper to Get Involved in Ending the Crimes Against the Burmese People

·         NUPGE presses Ottawa on Burma rights campaign

·         Canada backs UN inquiry into crimes in Burma

CFOB team attendance at RSM in Thailand

A photo-op after the Regional Strategic Meeting in Mae Sod, Thailand

In Sept. 2010, representatives from Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) attended Joint Regional Strategic Meeting (RSM) on the Thai- Burma border. RSM is a broad-based network consists of major Burma campaign and solidarity groups from Asia-Pacific region. CFOB is part of that network since its inception and usually attends its annual Regional Strategic Meeting (RSM) hosted by Alternative ASEAN (ALTSEAN – Burma) and Burma Partnership (BP). RSM reviews global Burma campaigns, refine the regional advocacy and campaign strategy, share key messages, talking points and other advocacy resources, and develop joint calendar for action and contingency planning processes.  This year conference welcomes 54 Burma and solidarity groups from 20 countries around the world. And the two major focuses were the 2010 elections and a UN “commission of inquiry’ into gross human rights violations in Burma.

While in Mae Sod, CFOB team visited to Umpiem Refugee Camp, two and half hours away from the south Mae Sod and met with post-ten students and some former political prisoners. CFOB team also visited to another post-ten school run by Canadian charity ‘Project Umbrella Burma’ near Mae Hla Refugee Camp, located at the north of Mae Sod and two and half hours away from the town.  CFOB team also met former political prisoners in Mae Sod and visited to a few dissident and community-based organization offices including Assistance Association for Political Prisoners – Burma (AAPP). Moreover, CFOB team was invited to a reception hosted by Canadian ambassador in Chaing Mai on Sept. 15 and arranged to meet with some other campaign organizations based in Chaing Mai.  CFOB staff also met with Canadian Embassy staffs in Bangkok before coming back to Canada.

Highlights in June:

June was the month of world attention falling on Canada as it was hosting G8 and G20 Summits. Leaders gathered in Muskoka, Canada also discussed about Burma’s political issue and made the following statement in the G8 Declaration. “We urge the Government of [Burma] to take the steps necessary to allow for free and fair elections. Full and inclusive democratic participation is essential to this. We urge the Government to release without delay all political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and and engage the democratic opposition and representatives of ethnic groups in a substantive dialogue on the way forward to national reconciliation.”

And June is also the month in which Burmese democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was born and her birthday ceremony were held around the world including in Canada. Canadian ambassador Ron Hoffman attended a birthday celebration on Thai-Burma border and gave a speech in which he said: “Today we reaffirm our commitment to carry this collective struggle forward. The Government of Canada will do its part to ensure that Canadian actions match our words.”

Canada urged to probe Ivanhoe over ‘arms-for-copper’ deal

Also in this month CFOB learned Vancouver-based Ivanhoe Mines’ 50% asset in Burma was acquired by a Chinese armed-manufacturer Norinco, according to a press release posted on the company’s website. Therefore, CFOB called on the Government of Canada to investigate on the report. Please see detailed reports on the issue below:

·         Canada urged to probe Ivanhoe over ‘arms-for-copper’ deal

• Chinese arms maker’s copper mine deal raises queries over Canadian
• Critics decry Norinco outlay on Ivanhoe’s Burmese mine

CFOB urges EDC not to support Ivanhoe Mines

Also in this month, he Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) expressed its concerns by reports that Export Development Canada (EDC), a Crown corporation, intends to give as much as half a billion dollars in public subsidies to Ivanhoe Mines and its Chairman Robert Friedland for a controversial mining project in Mongolia.  Later, EDC ensured CFOB that it would not lend such support without going through a screening process based on its corporate social responsibility code of conduct.

Protection of former political prisoners on Thai-Burma border

As well, in June, CFOB staff met with a few dozen of former Burmese political prisoners in Mae Sod and two refugee camps – Upheim and Nupo located along Thai-Burma border. During this fact-finding mission, CFOB learned a great deal of current and former political prisoners’ situation and their immediate need. CFOB was also able to raise the issue with Canadian ambassador and embassy staffs in Bangkok. In 2009, CFOB played important role in garnering unprecedented public support for the release of political prisoners in Burma with more than 30,000 signatures.

Highlight in April-May: Research trip to Thailand

A CFOB staff conducted a feasibility study in Thailand and along Thai-Burma border for implementation “Burmese Diaspora Volunteering Program” sponsored by CUSO-VSO. The new programme is aimed at recruiting experienced and skilled volunteers from the diaspora communities in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, to strengthen the work with its partner organizations on the Thai-Burma border, to help build links between the programme and the diaspora communities and to facilitate mutual support and effective advocacy on issues faced by the Burmese people. With the coordination of CUSO-VSO in Ottawa and VSO Thailand-Burma Program in Bangkok, the study was carried out in April and May, 2010 on the Thai-Burma border including Chaing Mai, Mae Saraing, Mae Hong Song, and Mae Sot. The field research mainly included interviews and meetings with more than 30 VSO partner organizations, most of which are CFOB’s partner organizations and volunteers around the world, as well as potential partner organizations.

Highlight in March: Third Burma Forum Canada held

A photo-op with MP Black Kelly (Con.), sitting with Bo Hla Tint (NCGUB) on left side and Harn Yawngshwe (EBO) right side, after making an announcement of continuation of assistance for another five-year for Burma at Sandman Hotel, Saskatoon March. 6 – Photo: CFOB

Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) sponsored the 3^rd Burma Forum Canada that held in Saskatoon from March 6 to 7, 2010. More than 50 Burmese dissidents and representatives from Burma’s Diaspora communities across Canada attended, as well as representatives from the National Coalition Government of Union of Burma (NCGUB), Ethnic Nationalities Council (ENC), and Euro-Burma Office (ENC). The significance of the Forum is that it became a staging ground for the Government of Canada to make a major announcement related to the continuation of Burma Border Project. Moreover, the Forum’s “Saskatoon Declaration” becomes an important policy recommendation to the Government of Canada related to Burma.

CFOB regards the Burmese Diaspora community as important component of our solidarity work for Burma and wants to keep them active in our advocacy work. With this intent, CFOB is always looking for an opportunity to strengthen the role of Burmese Diaspora community in Canada. And holding 3^rd Forum was of course a great opportunity for us to fulfil that role. CFOB provided a considerable amount of time and energy for the preparation and organizing of this Forum.

This Forum is one of the biggest gatherings for Burmese Diaspora community with the representatives from such city as Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Calgary, Lightbridge, and Vancouver. The Forum, set up in the summer of 2004 with Burmese origin activists across Canada, is a policy consultation place for Burmese Diaspora communities in Canada.

And it is the third time in six years for Burmese activists in Canada to come together to discuss pressing issues of Burma. They discussed about Canada, U.S. and EU foreign policies towards Burma and the role of the United Nations in the restoration of democracy in Burma. They also touched on the upcoming 2010 elections and the role of ethnic nationalities.

The Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) is federally incorporated, national non-governmental organization working for democracy and human rights in Burma. Contact: Suite 206, 145 Spruce St., Ottawa, K1R 6P1; Tel: 613.237.8056; Email: cfob@cfob.org; Web: www.cfob.org

In the US you can not make donations to Wikileaks through Visa, Mastercard or Paypal, but you can still use them for KKK ! Way to go Obama, defending the rights of KKK but not Wikileaks! You are an inspiration for young visible minorities to follow!

Yesterday on Parliament Hill we hosted a joint meeting by Parliamentary Friends of Burma (PFOB) and Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) with Mrs. Lucinda Phillips, sister-in-law of Aung San Suu Kyi. She delivered a message from the Burmese democracy leader to the government and people of Canada

Her message is as followed:

“I deeply appreciate the award of Honorary Canadian Citizenship, both for myself and because it symbolizes the help that Canada has given my people. Canada has never faltered in its support for the democracy movement in Burma for which I am very grateful. I would particularly like to thank the generosity of the government for taking in so many Burmese refugees and the help that they have received when they arrived. A good example of Canadian generosity is the recent donation to the victims of Cyclone Giri in Western Burma which has scarcely impinged on the consciousness of the outside world.”

“I have always felt a particular closeness to Canada because of my French-Canadian mother-in-law, Josette Vaillancourt who was always proud to be Canadian and always kept her Canadian passport through living in England for over 60 years. I am also aware of the history of the Vailancourt family’s efforts to foster good relations between the peoples of Canada, something that I have always advocated for Burma. Lucinda [sister-in-law] will no doubt explain that part of the family history. Finally I look forward very much to the day that conditions in Burma will allow me to be free to visit Canada myself and thank the Canadian people in person. Thank you very much.”

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Accompanied by Hon. Larry Bagnell, chair of PFOB and representatives of CFOB, Mrs. Lucinda Phillips also met Hon. Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Hon. Beverley Oda, Minister of Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and delivered the message.

The meeting in the morning was attended by PFOB members Senator David Smith, Patterson, MP Paul Dewar and many others. Brief meetings was also held with Rob Oliphant, Kirsty Duncan and Senator Condi Nino

Jack Layton, raised a question about an invitation of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to Canada in the House of Commons yesterday. Hon. John Baird, the leader of the Government in the House of Commons, answered, “the government is certainly be pleased to continue to work with him on this important issue.”

PFOB that consists of more than 40 MPs and Senators from all political parties recommended Prime Minister Stephen Harper to invite her to Canada. Mr. Harper issued a statement calling her “an unwavering champion of peace, democracy and respect for human rights in Burma” after her release from the under house arrest last month.

After meeting with parliamentarians and political staffers from political parties in the morning yesterday, Mrs. Phillips also held a discussion in the afternoon with a group of long-time Burma supporters and founders of CFOB in the boardroom of Inter Pares, a major relief and social justice organization in charge of channeling Canadian humanitarian aid to Burma. We had the chance to meet Canadian volunteers who just returned from the Thailand-Burma border working with Burmese refugees, some who have been struck there for decades.

Canada has been a major supporter of the Burmese Refugees for years and we need to continue the tradition of helping these refugees by giving a chance for more of them to come to Canada and continue to financially and politically support the refugees in Thailand.

The Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB) is federally incorporated, national non-governmental organization working for democracy and human rights in Burma. Contact: Suite 206, 145 Spruce St., Ottawa, K1R 6P1; Tel: 613.237.8056; Email: cfob@cfob.org; Web: www.cfob.org