It's been a schizophrenic time for the U.S. solar industry. On the one hand, about $11 billion worth of solar power is set to be installed in 2012, with more than five times that figure in the investment pipeline. Demand for solar power rose eightfold between 2006 and 2011 — from 200 MW to 1,600 MW. Nationally, the solar industry employs some 100,000 Americans, a number that rose by nearly 7% last year — even as overall employment barely grew at all.
Despite those rosy numbers, many U.S. solar companies — especially those that manufacture solar panels and modules — are struggling to survive. Most notably, the solar start-up Solyndra went under in 2011, taking with it over $500 million in government loan guarantees. The Bloomberg Large Solar Energy Index of 17 top solar companies lost more than two-thirds of its value in 2011.
In other words, if you're buying solar panels or running a business installing them, life is good, but if you own a company that actually makes solar equipment in the U.S., you're looking at a lot of red ink. That's because solar power is getting much cheaper — prices for modules have dropped 40% over the past five years. According to some U.S. solar-panel manufacturers, that drop in price is due largely to low-cost imports from Chinese panelmakers. It's not that their manufacturing methods are necessarily better than ours. It's that government support from Beijing and low-cost labor make it easy for China to undercut its U.S. competitors. The result is more and cheaper solar power for Americans — but perhaps less market share for U.S. manufacturers. (See TIME's video "When the World Didn't End, the Solar-Power Boom Began in Stelle, Ill.")
Those concerns prompted the U.S. arm of the German manufacturer SolarWorld AG to file a complaint on behalf of companies that say they're being harmed by unfair Chinese trade policies. The U.S. Department of Commerce has been investigating the complaint and is scheduled to make a decision by March 2 (though the announcement has already been delayed twice). If investigators conclude that Beijing has been unfairly aiding its solar exporters, the government could slap hefty tariffs on imported Chinese panels — as much as 50% to 100% of the modules' value.
It's not yet clear where the U.S. government will come down on the complaint, though it's notable that President Obama announced during last week's State of the Union address that he would create a new Trade Enforcement Unit to speed investigations of unfair trading practices. He specifically mentioned China as a target, noting that his Administration has brought trade cases against Beijing at nearly twice the rate of his predecessor. "I will not stand by when our competitors don't play by the rules," Obama said.

That kind of aggressive posture may be needed, because U.S. solar manufacturers and their workers are indeed getting their butts kicked by China, which already accounts for three-fifths of the world's solar-panel production, most of which is exported to the U.S. and Europe. But while tariffs could help domestic panelmakers — not to mention appealing to an America-first impulse that is especially acute as the economy struggles — the move would raise the overall price for solar power in the U.S. (See "The China-U.S. Solar War Heats Up.")

That, in turn, would hurt consumers who want solar power as well as the U.S. companies that install and maintain the modules. In fact, there's a bit of a civil conflict brewing within the U.S. solar industry over the impending trade war. Many renewable-energy advocates argue that tariffs could backfire, stopping the growth of solar installation in the U.S. just as it's set to really take off, not to mention harming the environment and destroying American jobs.
That's the conclusion of a study commissioned by the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) — which opposes the tariffs — and put together by consultants at the Brattle Group. The analysis found that a 100% tariff on imported modules would result in a net loss of as many as 50,000 jobs in the U.S. over the next three years and would cost consumers between $700 million and $2.6 billion. A 50% tariff would eliminate up to 43,000 jobs and cost consumers from $600 million to $2.3 billion. "The analysis makes it clear that tariffs on polysilicon solar cells would be devastating for American workers," says Jigar Shah, the president of CASE and a renewable-energy veteran. "We can't allow one company's anti-China crusade to threaten the U.S. solar industry and tens of thousands of jobs." (See "How an Artificial Leaf Could Boost Solar Power.")
As the range of the forecasts indicates, it's difficult to predict just how major tariffs would affect the U.S. solar industry, and in a statement, a coalition of U.S. solar manufacturers called the study "highly speculative." But we know the impact of tariffs wouldn't be pretty — and you can bet that China, which has already launched its own investigation into U.S. renewable-energy policy, would take measures against U.S. solar exports. "These are not trivial numbers," says Mark Berkman, the author of the report and a principal at Brattle.
Here's the unfortunate truth: for all the talk about renewable energy recharging U.S. manufacturing, the cheapest solar panels will probably be made in China. (Solar panels are quickly becoming a commodity, and China tends to dominate commodity manufacturing.) If solar is going to become more than a rounding error in the global energy budget, it needs to get extremely cheap — but that may leave U.S. factory workers out of luck, although there are plenty of good domestic jobs available in installing and maintaining panels. Solar may still be the energy source of the future — but it might not be made in the USA.

Benchmarking for success

Pichaya Changsorn
The Nation February 1, 2012 1:00 am

The Thailand Productivity Institute is setting up a "benchmarking centre" to encourage networking Thai organisations to share their best practices.

"While [conducting] TQA [Total Quality Award] is a way to 'know oneself', benchmarking helps you to 'know the others', said the institute's executive director Phanit Laosiri, citing ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu who said: "Know yourself, know your enemy, and you shall win a hundred battles".
According to the latest survey by global consulting firm Bain & Co, benchmarking continues to be the most popular management tool for small and big firms all over the world. In Thailand, however, this tool has not been widely utilised as most firms are reluctant to disclose information and have not collected their data systematically, he said.
"Benchmarking is the best short-cut tool for learning but it's not a tool for one to copy from the others. Organisations should not fail to innovate and continuously improve, said Phanit.
To encourage Thai organisations to benchmark and share their practices, FTPI will serve as a one-stop venue for providing training, consulting, and database on benchmarking. The pilot project started last year to benchmark production processes, human resource processes, and product development processes of firms in the Thai fashion industry. The second project that will be implemented sometime this year involves benchmarking of "customer service excellence" of TQA and TQC (Total Quality Control) firms, and other participating companies.
Bruce Searles, accredited delivery partner for benchmarking with the Australian Quality Council (AQC) who advises FTPI on the project, pointed out four challenges for firms when pursuing a benchmarking project:
-Focus on practices, not the numbers
This is because "statistics are not telling you how to improve things, they only tell you what to improve." Moreover, it's often not relevant to compare one data to the others.
-Focus on the most important things
Remember the 80:20 rule - a small portion of your business is generating the bulk of productivity and profitability.
-Identify who has the best practices.
Experience tells us that having six or more partners in a benchmarking consortium will help each other the most.
-Implementation
There is a so-called "not invented here" mentality that prevents companies from implementing an improvement programme after learning the best practices of other firms from a benchmarking study.
FTPI's Phanit said Thai firms lagged behind other companies in Asean in making use of benchmarking due to the "culture" of price-cutting and fierce competition against each other. Nonetheless, some Thai companies have recognised the benefit of sharing their best practices such as Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding, Khanom Electricity Generating, and two other power firms. They came to the FTPI a few years ago and asked the institute to conduct a study to benchmark among themselves and also with other power companies in the region, to learn how to run their generators at optimum efficiency.

One woman pro-democracy activist who took the Burma government’s invitation to return home seriously is Daw San Dar Win, a teacher, who works at Burma Migrant Education Department in the Thai border town of Mae Sot.
Saw San Dar Win said that she returned to Burma for family reasons and not because of political motivation.

“I contacted the Burma Embassy in Bangkok prior to my returning. The main reason of my returning is to be reunited with my family. At moment, I don’t want to comment on the political situation here or there. After I have returned to Burma, I will share my political feelings.”

Daw San Dar Win is the first Burma pro-democracy activist living and working in Mae Sot, to return home to Burma. She said she discussed with her colleagues before making the decision to return to her husband, U Myint Oo, who came to the border to collect her.

Daw San Dar Win worked in Mae Sot at a number of jobs - the officer-in-charge for the Committee for Protection and Promotion of Child Right (CPPCR), as secretary of the Burmese Migrant Teachers Association (BMTA) and as a teacher in Amay Eain and Hle Bee migrant schools.

Dr. Cynthia Maung, founder of Mae Tao Clinic, a close colleague of Daw San Dar Win, said that her friend went back to Burma because of the positive political changes in Burma.

“Before she went back, Daw San Dar Win told me that now that Daw Aung San Su Kyi is running in the election and because of the political developments in Burma - that’s why she went back.”

Daw San Dar Win before she left Burma in 2005 worked as the chairperson of the National League for Democracy’s (NLD) Women Affair in Magwe Division. When she got to the border she worked in education for seven years.

Since Burma’s President U Thein Sein’s invited Burmese exiles to return, 15 pro-democracy activists based along Thai-Burma border have contacted the Burma Embassy in Bangkok and have since left to live in their country of birth either on a temporary or permanent basis.

The Karen Women’s Organization released a statement today to say they had formed a peace committee, in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Recommendation 1325, to ensure women are represented during the peace process with the Burma Government.

The Karen Women Organization statement was issued as a result of discussions held during its 5th congress that started on the 26th January and ended on 28th. The meeting was attended by 40 representatives from seven Karen State districts and held at a location on the Thai-Burma border. The KWO statement explained.

“The on-going peace process was discussed, analyzed and representatives decided to participate in the Karen peace process as KWO believes that women's participation is important. KWO formed a peace committee to represent the needs, concerns and suggestions of women and children and to ensure women's voices are heard and recognized during the peace process.”

The KWO delegates at the 5th congress meeting reviewed and improved the KWO's current constitution, policies on different issues, management structure and implementation of tasks at all levels.
“KWO also plans to raise awareness about the possible refugee repatriation process in the refugee community and to advocate for women and refugee participation in the process.”
The KWO was formed in 1949 and now has 49,000 members.
A KWO spokeswoman said.

“We mainly work on women's capacity building, the special needs of women and children, documenting human rights violations and advocating justice for women who have been sexually abused by the Burmese military along with other woman related issues.”

As Burma’s Parliament prepares for its next session, the London based pro-democracy advocates, ‘Burma Campaign UK’, called on the international community to scrutinize Burma’s upcoming annual budget as a sign of its commitment to implement reforms that benefit the people.

Last year’s, President Thein Sein’s government allocated just 1.3 percent of the government budget to health, and just over 4 percent on education. Almost 25 percent was allocated to the military a figure many international human rights groups dispute including Burma Campaign UK in a media statement released last week.
“There is believed to be additional military spending outside the official accounts.”
Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK said.
“Thein Sein has promised reform and to prioritize development. This budget will be a test of how serious he is - there needs to be substantial increases in spending on health, education and agriculture, and major cuts in military spending.”
The Burma Campaign UK statement stressed the importance of a shift in military spending in the country, which faces endemic poverty, a chronic lack of infrastructure and a series of wars in ethnic areas, such as Karen and Kachin State.
“Thein Sein’s government has asked for more international support to tackle poverty, promote development, and build the capacity of government departments.”
The Burma Campaign UK in their media statement said they had pushed Britain to give more international aid to impoverished country, but warned.
“Support for increased aid to Burma could be undermined if the government continues to spend almost 20 times more on the military than it does on health.”
Burma Campaign UK noted decades of military rule Burma had turned the country into an economic and social wasteland.
“Burma’s health, education and agriculture sectors have been neglected for decades. They need substantial upfront investment to build basic infrastructure and train professionals, in addition to a general long-term increase. Given the desperate state of health and education, the government should be laying out a plan for the next few years on how the balance of spending between health and education, and the military, will be reversed.”
Mr Farmaner said the coming budget will be a real test of the Burma’s military dominated government commitment to making education and health programs a budget priority at the expense of the armed forces.
“If we see increases in health and education budgets of just one or two percent, and no significant reduction in military spending, it will raise real concerns about how serious Thein Sein’s government is about turning promises of reforms into concrete change.”
The Burma Campaign UK come March this year will be keeping a close watch on parliamentary proceedings to make sure President Thein Sein honours his promises to reform the welfare sector.
“The ability of Parliament to make significant changes to any proposed budget should also be watched closely. Constitutionally, the Parliament has very little power, but does have to approve the budget.”

Following ceasefire talks with the Burma Government last week in Pa-an the Karen National Union issued a statement today to make clear their commitment to the peace process.

The KNU, 19-member delegation, met with Railways Minister, U Aung Min, and representatives of the Burmese government on Thursday last week. The KNU statement explained that the two parties had agreed in principle to a ceasefire.
“The KNU delegation reached an initial agreement with the Burmese government's representatives towards a ceasefire agreement. When the delegation returns to our headquarters, the KNU leadership will discuss about subsequent steps required in this dialogue with the Burmese government.
The KNU also presented at the meeting its 11 point proposal that the KNU says the Burma government delegation agreed in principle to.
“The KNU leadership will take further steps to continue concrete discussions on how the terms and conditions of the proposal will be materialized on the ground, in detail, before both sides can agree on the final ceasefire agreement.”
The full list of the Karen National Union 11-point proposal is printed below.

1. Establish a nationwide ceasefire and immediately cease military operations in ethnic areas.
2. Guarantee the human rights and safety of all civilians.
3. Build trust among the people.
4. Support the basic needs of the people and ensure that development projects have the full participation and support of local villagers.
5. Allow national media outlets to participate in the peace processes, in order to provide accurate information about developments.
6. Immediately stop forced labor, arbitrary taxation and extortion of villagers.
7. Release all political prisoners and provide solutions to settle land rights issue.
8. Set out principles for all parties to ensure a genuine peace process.
9. Ensure the legitimacy of representatives involved in negotiations, provide adequate time for their consultation with respective constituencies and establish a clear role for third parties.
10. Initiate a plan for monitoring and ensuring the transparency of the peace process.
11. Establish a flexible process that guarantees progress towards sustainable peace, and in which all parties speak straightforwardly and avoid using words that may be misinterpreted.

The Karen National Union's general secretary Naw Zipporah Sein and a member of the KNU’s Peace Committee said further talks would be needed with the Burma government representatives after yesterday’s meeting in Pa-an town, Karen State.

Naw Zipporah Sein

KNU general secretary Naw Zipporah Sein told Karen News.
"We signed an agreement with them [government] at the state level. This signed agreement is only that we agreed in principle. We need to have a lot more discussions about the politics involved in the detail."

A 19-member delegation, led by General Mutue Sae Poe and Padoh David Taw, under the supervision of the KNU Peace Committee, met with representatives of the Burma government led by Railways Minister Aung Min -according to government staff a State level ceasefire agreement paper was signed.

During the ceasefire meeting, the KNU demanded 11 key points be agreed to - the Burma government stop military operations in ethnic areas, start a nationwide ceasefire as soon as possible, to guarantee the human rights and safety of civilians, to build trust, to plan development projects that have the full participation and decision making of local villagers, to immediately stop forced labor and to stop excessive taxation and extortion of villagers.

The KNU are also stipulated that the Burma government release all political prisoners, provide solutions to settle land right issues, to set out principles for a genuine peace process, to open a liaison office for peace talks, to allow unrestricted unarmed travel and movement in Karen State and to draw clear lines of controlled territory.

It was agreed by both sides at the Pa-an meeting In the state that they will continue to discuss the details of the ceasefire, opening a liaison office, allowing unrestricted unarmed travel and movement in Karen State.

The KNU leaders at the meeting acknowledged to Karen News that their delegation didn't have a mandate to sign the ceasefire at this initial meeting and the KNU will release a media statement on the issue.

According to a KNU source at the Pa-an meeting, KNU delegates plan to continue their trip to Mon State, Pago (Pegu) Region and to the Burma capital Nay Pyi Daw.

A source told Karen News that the Burma representatives also signed a paper that agreed in principle to the  KNU's 11-key points and both delegations will open discussion within 45 days.

Naw Zipporah Sein said "We are welcome to government signing our [KNU] 11-key points, even if it is agreed only in principle."

In 2011 the KNU held three preliminary ceasefire meetings with Burma government delegations in Thailand on October 9, November 19-20 and on December 21.

Yesterday, a 19-member Karen National Union delegation held talks with Burma government representatives, led by Railways Minister, Aung Min, in Pa-an, Karen State to discuss a ceasefire agreement. A KNU spokesperson confirmed to Karen News what the talks had achieved.

U Aung Min and Saw Mutu Sae Poe

“The KNU delegation reached an initial agreement with the Burma government's representatives towards a ceasefire agreement. When the delegation returns to our headquarters, the KNU will continue to discuss about subsequent steps in this negotiation with the Burmese government.”
The KNU spokesperson said the KNU welcomed the Burma delegation’s agreement-in-principle to the 11 key points they presented at the Pa-an talks.
“We welcome the report by our delegation that the Burma government's representatives agreed in principle to the eleven-point proposal that the KNU presented in the talks. We will take further steps to continue discussions about how to materialize these points when both sides finalize the ceasefire agreement.
The KNU’s 11 key points agreed in principle by the Burma government’s delegation include – a demand for the Burma government to stop military operations in ethnic areas, start a nationwide ceasefire as soon as possible, to guarantee the human rights and safety of civilians, to build trust, to plan development projects that have the full participation and decision making of local villagers, to immediately stop forced labor and to stop excessive taxation and extortion of villagers.
The KNU also demanded the Burma government release all political prisoners; provide solutions to settle land right issues, to set out principles for a genuine peace process, to open a liaison office for peace talks, to allow unrestricted unarmed travel and movement in Karen State and to draw clear lines of controlled territory.
KNU leader refutes today’s media stories that the Karen had signed a ceasefire with the Burma government.

U Aung Min and Saw Mutu Sae Poe

Saw David Thrackbaw, the Karen National Union vice-chairmen told Karen News that no ceasefire agreement has yet been signed with the Burma government delegation despite numerous media stories.
Burma’s Railway Minister, U Aung Min is in charge of the government’s delegation while the Karen National Liberation Army chief of staff, General Mutue Sae Poe, leads the KNU delegation.
“It is disingenuous of the Railway Minister, Aung Ming, to say so. He does not have the mandate to sign anything. He is overstepping his authority and at this stage is talking too much - only Burma’s President Thein Sein can ratify a ceasefire agreement and for the KNU it is our Central Committee.”
Saw David Thrackbaw questioned the rational and the timing behind the Railway Minister’s statement to the media claiming the ceasefire is a done deal.
“It’s easy to promise everything, I question why he’s {Railway minister] is such a hurry to get a ceasefire with the Karen. We are now entering the dry season and with a ceasefire in place, I imagine the Burma Army will be in hurry to resupply their 200 army camps in Karen State.”

A position statement from the Karen National Union strongly stressed that today’s peace talks in Pa-an Town with the Burma government are just a first step. The KNU statement said.

KNU vice president Pado Saw David Tharc Kabaw - Photo: KIC

“These talks are being initiated as preliminary discussions towards a ceasefire agreement, which would be a first step towards solving the longstanding political conflict between the ethnic nationalities and the Burmese government.”
The KNU, vice chairman, Saw David Tharc Kabaw, explained to Karen News his concerns about the talks.
“I’m cautious, very cautious, there is no certainty, we’re still not sure of the real agenda. We hear the [Burma] President has good intentions towards moving the country to democracy, but the indicators we have say something different, especially the military offensive against Kachin civilians.”
Saw David Thrac Kabaw warned that the reforms in Burma have delivered little for ethnic people or the government’s political opposition.
“The changes so far have been only cosmetic; they failed to deliver on their promise to release all political prisoners. By keeping political prisoners locked up, they are removing key political opponents who have for years struggled for democracy. There is no rule of law.”
The KNU position statement said that a 19-member delegation, led by General Mutu Sae Poe and Padoh David Taw under the supervision of the KNU Committee for Emergence of Peace, would begin talks in Pa-an Town with representatives of the Burmese government.
Saw David Thrac Kabaw told Karen News that knowing what the Burma government’s ‘real agenda’ was is difficult to understand.
“Our past experience has been that the real power always lies in the hands of the ‘military hardliners’ and the in the past they have not hesitated to use guns against ethnic people. The [Burma Army] offensive against the Kachin is very brutal. The Burma Army has moved almost two thirds of its soldiers there.”
The KNU’s Saw David Thrac Kabaw said the fact the Burma Army is attacking the Kachin now and talking peace to the other ethnic groups such as the Karen have made him suspicious of what the Burma government’s real objective is.
“It could be a strategy of ‘good cop bad cop’, we witness this before in 2004 when General Khin Nyunt made all sorts of promises to ethnic groups only to find himself locked up and under a lifetime of house arrest.”
Saw David Thrac Kabaw said the KNU stood strong behind the Kachin people.
“We regard all [Burmese] ethnic people as our allies; they have suffered just as the Karen has. The ethnic alliance is still strong despite the rumors being spread by the government, mischief makers and black propaganda – we still believe ethnic unity is strength.”
The KNU position statement reinforced the organizations commitment to a genuine peace process.
“The KNU believes that in order to achieve genuine peace and an end to the civil war in Burma, the underlying political conflict must be solved by political means, beginning with earnest dialogue. The KNU is committed to this process for the wellbeing of the Karen people and the people of all of Burma.

To coincide with ceasefire talks between the Burma’s government and the Karen National Union (KNU), Karen communities around the world are holding traditional peace ceremonies in front of Burmese Embassies.

In a media statement issued today an alliance calling itself the Karen Communities Worldwide said.
“The traditional peace ceremonies are being held to call on the military-backed government to not only to agree a ceasefire, but also engage in dialogue to solve the political problems behind the conflict.”
The media statement noted tomorrow’s ceasefire talks will be the sixth time in the past 63-years that official talks have been held.
“Past negotiations have failed because the Burma government has always effectively demanded surrender, and has refused to seriously discuss the political problems which are the cause of the conflict.”
Karen Communities Worldwide said that as refugees it is not secure for them to return to their homeland.
“We know it is not safe to return to our homeland without a political solution that ensures there will be peace and where our rights and culture will be protected. We have seen how human rights abuses have continued in other areas of Burma where there are ceasefires. A ceasefire alone tackles the symptoms, not the causes. There must also be political dialogue for a permanent political solution.”
Karen Communities Worldwide in their media statement said, “the military backed government says it wants to talk peace but it is still attacking Karen villages, still executing unarmed villagers, and has recently jailed Mahn Nyein Maung, a senior KNU leader.”
Karen Communities Worldwide alliance called for tomorrow’s peace talks to include - “a nationwide ceasefire, dialogue for a political solution that guarantees ethnic rights and culture, stop attacking Karen and all ethnic people, stop military actions in ethnic areas, stop human rights violations and to free all political prisoners, including Mahn Nyein Maung.”
Karen Communities Worldwide acknowledges that “all Karen want peace, but not peace at the price of surrender that leaves us defenseless against human rights abuses and oppression. There must be a political solution that guarantees ethnic rights and protects ethnic culture. There must be a political solution where the people of Burma can live peacefully side-by-side - different but equal.”

A network of Karen community–based-organisations on the Thai Burma border on the eve of official ceasefire talks between the Karen National Union and the Burma government have issued a media statement calling for third party observers to be involved.

Saw Eh Htoo Soe

The group calling itself the Karen Community Based Organisations (KCBO) issued a media statement today that said.

“There must be third-party international community observers to monitor the peace talk process.”
A KCBO spokesperson, Saw Eh Htoo Soe, told Karen News.
“We issued this media statement to support our Karen leaders at tomorrow’s ‘peace-talks’. We hope the peace is not only for the Karen, but all people in Burma.”
KCBO spokesperson, Saw Eh Htoo Soe explained to Karen News why his organization wants independent international observers at the ‘peace talks’.
“In the past there were [ceasefire] agreements that were easily broken this time we want to see credible and independent witnesses to ensure the agreements are binding. With independent witnesses at the talks we will know who has not honored the agreements. It is normal practice between warring sides to have independent third parties to keep everyone honest.”
The KCBO media statement welcomed Thursday’s official ‘peace talks’ between the KNU and Burma government representatives, but urged in a number of bullet points that the outcome of the talks must be for all Karen.
“The peace talk must benefit the overall Karen population and other ethnic nationalities of Burma, both parties must recognized and mutually respect the agreements which result from the peace talks and, in addition to a ceasefire, the overall goal of the peace talk is for a long-term and genuine political dialogue so that there will be sustainable peace in Burma.”


The Karen National Union’s 19-member ‘peace talk’ delegation left the border town of Myawaddy this morning for official ceasefire talks in Pa-an Town,  Karen State, with Burma government representatives on Thursday, January12.
The KNU delegation is led by the Karen National Liberation Army chief of staff, General Mutue Sae Poe - Karen News understands that the KNU delegation have prepared 11 key points for discussion with their Burmese counterparts.
The KNU 11 key points include – a demand for the Burma government to stop military operations in ethnic areas, start a nationwide ceasefire as soon as possible, to guarantee the human rights and safety of civilians, to build trust, to plan development projects that have the full participation and decision making of local villagers, to immediately stop forced labor and to stop excessive taxation and extortion of villagers.
The KNU are also demanding the Burma government release all political prisoners, provide solutions to settle land right issues, to set out principles for a genuine peace process, to open a liaison office for peace talks, to allow unrestricted unarmed travel and movement in Karen State and to draw clear lines of controlled territory. The KNU have prepared a six-page document detailing their demands that are to be discussed at tomorrow’s Pa-an meeting.
Padoh Saw David Taw, secretary of the KNU Peace Committee and also a member of the delegation spoke to Karen News and said that the mood of the delegation is positive.
“I don’t think there will be any big problems arising at the meeting since we are only discussing with the government about what we have set out. To get a ceasefire agreement this is the first step and we know both sides want to have ceasefire agreement.”
The KNU main delegates are General Mutue Sae Poe, Padoh Saw David Taw, Padoh Saw Ah Toe, Brigadier General Johnny, Lieutenant Colonel Roger Khin, Major Shisho, Major Ei Tha, Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win, Padoh Saw Lay Law Hsaw, Padoh Saw Aung Maw Aye, Padoh Saw Shwe Maunn and Padoh Saw Eh Wah. The delegation team will start their talk on January 12 with representatives from Burma government in Pa-an Town.
The other seven members of the delegation led by Padoh Saw Thawthi Bwe includes a medic, two officers from the KNLA and three security personnel responsible for the safety of the delegation team.
The Burma government representatives led by General Chit Than (retired) and U Ko Ko Maung  from Myawaddy collected the KNU delegation team at 8:00 am this morning to drive them to Pa-an.
The KNU delegation is also scheduled to meet with the Pa-an based Karen Peace Committee leader Abbot Ashin Pyinyarthami from Taungalay Temple and visit the Burma Army’s South Eastern Command Headquarters in Mon State.
The Burma government peace emergence group led by Minister U Aung Min had met with Chin National Front on January 3 at Hakka Town and they signed ceasefire agreement on January 4. Burma’s media are predicting that the ‘peacetalks’ with the Karen on January 12 and with the New Mon State Party on January 20 will reach the first objective - ceasefire agreements.
The KNU has been struggling for equal right and self-determination since January 31, 1949 and has been fighting against the Burma military regime’s for more than 60 years.

Pythons linked to Florida Everglades mammal decline

By Paul Rincon Science editor, BBC News website

Pythons occasionally eat alligators, which can end badly for both animals

Burmese pythons, originally kept as pets, are the likely cause of a severe mammal decline in Florida's Everglades.

A team studied road surveys of mammals in the Everglades National Park before and after pythons became common.
Researchers found a strong link between the spread of pythons and drops in recorded sightings of racoons, rabbits, bobcats and other species.
In PNAS journal, they report that observations of several mammal species have declined by 90% or more.

“Start Quote

They are a new top predator in Everglades National Park - one that shouldn't be there”

End Quote Prof Michael E Dorcas Davidson College, North Carolina

The national park covers the southern 25% of the original Everglades - a region of subtropical wetlands that has been drained over the last century to reclaim it for human use.

As Burmese pythons have made it from captivity into the wild, the absence of natural predators has allowed populations to balloon. Intermittent sightings were recorded for 20 years before the snakes were recognised as being established across the Everglades in 2000.
The pythons are now established across thousands of sq km in southern Florida. Although there are no accurate figures for how many there are, the numbers removed from the Everglades reached nearly 400 in 2009 and has been increasing year-on-year (apart from a slight drop in 2010 due to a cold spell).

Restoration of the Everglades remains a divisive issue in Florida

"Any snake population - you are only seeing a small fraction of the numbers that are actually out there," said said Michael Dorcas, one of the study's authors, from Davidson College in North Carolina.
He told BBC News: "They are a new top predator in Everglades National Park - one that shouldn't be there,"
"We have documented pythons eating alligators, we have also documented alligators eating pythons. It depends on who is biggest during the encounter."
Earlier this month, US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced that the US was poised to approve a ban on importing Burmese pythons. But some observers at the time remarked that the move was about 30 years too late.
Getting ambushed
Prof Dorcas and his colleagues looked at data on mammals found during roadkill surveys from 1993-1999, and on live and dead mammals encountered during nighttime road surveys from 1996-1997.
They then compared these results with similar data collected between 2003 and 2011, after the pythons were recognised as being established.
They found that observations of raccoons and opossums had dropped by about 99%. There had been a 94.1% fall in observations of white-tailed deer and an 87.5% decrease in sightings of bobcats.
No rabbits or foxes were seen during the more recent survey; rabbits were among the most common mammals in the roadkill survey between 1993 and 1999.
The majority of these species have been documented in the diet of pythons found in the Everglades National Park. Indeed, raccoons and oppossums often forage at the water's edge, where they are vulnerable to ambush by pythons.
Observations of rodents, coyotes and Florida panthers had increased slightly, but the overall number of sightings remained low.
The researchers also found that the declines in mammals coincided geographically with the spread of Burmese pythons. Mammal species are more common in areas where pythons have only been recently introduced, and are most abundant outside the snakes' current range.

Bill Nelson holds up the 5m-long skin of a Burmese python at a hearing on Capitol Hill in July 2009

Prof Dorcas said more research was needed to assess the impact of such large declines. But he added: "It's not unreasonable to assume that any time we have major declines in mammals like this it's going to have overall impacts on the ecosystem. Exactly what those are going to be, we don't know. But it's possible they could be fairly profound."
The ban on importing Burmese pythons has come after five years of debate and lobbying in Washington DC. Florida's Democrat Senator Bill Nelson was among those who campaigned for a ban, unravelling the skin of a 5m-long Everglades python at a 2009 Senate hearing to make his point.
But reptile breeders and collectors had disputed that the tropical snakes posed much risk beyond south Florida and argued that any ban would harm a multi-million dollar industry.
Although the ban is unlikely to have much impact in southern Florida, where the reptiles are already established, scientists say it could help prevent their spread to other suitable habitats in the US, such as southern Louisiana and south Texas.

New book praises Suu Kyi’s nonviolence

Thursday, 26 January 2012 11:58 Mizzima News

(Mizzima) – A new book “Evolving the Spirit – From Democracy to Peace” by Anthony Russell praises Aung San Suu Kyi as one of the leaders who uses a religious spirit in her efforts to establish democracy and peace in Burma.

Author Russell writes: “What fascinates me is the single belief-system that runs through all the great religions. Cut away the political fat and they all throb with a single spiritual beat.”

The book, launched by Burma Campaign UK on Wednesday, describes 10 steps to help reach peace, the understanding that once we change personally, none around us can remain unaffected. “This change can then ripple out to affect the world beyond,” said Russell.

“Taking the principle of non-violence to the wider world is even today political dynamite,” he writes. “Aung San Suu Kyi represents that spirit to perfection. There is nothing naive about her. She is sophisticated, knowledgeable and deeply grounded in her morality and common sense. She has every chance of leading Burma out of the morass in which it finds itself.”

However, the book carries a warning, made clear by Gandhi’s writings as well as his sudden demise, that nonviolence is not the passive, easy approach traditionally portrayed. To Russell, “It is as controversial and threatening today as in Roman times though just as relevant.”

The book includes contributions from the BBC’s World Affairs Editor John Simpson, the conservationist Chris Darwin, and UK Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Russell has been involved with the Burma Campaign UK promoting awareness of human rights. A staunch advocate of nonviolence and an anti-war campaigner, he is a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and has said he would like the West as to promote democratic principles more strongly. He believes that only strengthened international law, in the form of the UN, ICC and the IMF, can bring lasting peace.

All the great faiths of the world, he argues, share a “golden threat” of truth, which is all that really matters, as the rest is “mere politics.”

In “Evolving the Spirit',” he argues that peace in the world comes from international cooperation on one level but just as importantly, from each of us as individuals. Each person’s ultimate power is achieved by assuming the “dignity of the mature,” he has said, “acting not reacting,” having no enemies and not judging others or taking revenge.

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Press freedom ranking

Wednesday, 25 January 2012 18:58 Mizzima News
(Mizzima) – Burma ranked 169, slightly higher than China and Vietnam, in the ranking of countries with a free press in an analysis by Reporters Without Borders. Burma was in the bottom 10 in countries with the most restrictive free speech and press.

In 2010, Burma was ranked seven places lower, reflecting a slight improvement in a loosening of prior censorship laws. However, newspapers and journals are still required to have all articles approved by censors before publication.

In its assessment of Burma, the report said: “Burma showed signs of beginning to carry out reforms including partial amnesties and a reduction in prior censorship, but it remained largely under the control of an authoritarian government run by former members of the military junta reinvented as civilian politicians. Less than 10 of its journalists remain in prison at the start of 2012.”

Many arrests were made in Vietnam (172nd), the report said. In China (174th), the government responded to regional and local protests and to public impatience with scandals and acts of injustice by “feverishly reinforcing its system of controlling news and information, carrying out extrajudicial arrests and stepping up Internet censorship.”

“This year’s index sees many changes in the rankings, changes that reflect a year that was incredibly rich in developments, especially in the Arab world,” said a press release. “Control of news and information continued to tempt governments and to be a question of survival for totalitarian and repressive regimes. The past year also highlighted the leading role played by netizens in producing and disseminating news.”

 “This year’s index finds the same group of countries at its head, countries such as Finland, Norway and Netherlands that respect basic freedoms,” said the report. “This serves as a reminder that media independence can only be maintained in strong democracies and that democracy needs media freedom.”

The United States (47th) also owed its fall of 27 places to the many arrests of journalist covering Occupy Wall Street protests.
Assessing China, the report said: “China, which has more journalists, bloggers and cyber-dissidents in prison than any other country, stepped up its censorship and propaganda in 2011 and tightened its control of the Internet, particularly the blogosphere. The first protest movements in Arab countries and the ensuing calls for democracy in China’s main cities set off a wave of arrests with no end yet in sight.”

Its ranking of the Philippines said: “In the Philippines (140th), which rose again in the index after falling in 2010 as a result of the massacre of 32 journalists in Ampatuan in November 2009, paramilitary groups and private militias continued to attack media workers. The judicial investigation into the Ampatuan massacre made it clear that the response of the authorities was seriously inadequate.”

For Indonesia, the report said: “In Indonesia, an army crackdown in West Papua province, where at least two journalists were killed, five kidnapped and 18 assaulted in 2011, was the main reason for the country’s fall to 146th position in the index. A corrupt judiciary that is too easily influenced by politicians and pressure groups and government attempts to control the media and Internet have prevented the development of a freer press.”

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