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Aug 12, 2008 (DV–Two 1990 elected members of parliament from the National League for Democracy were arrested at their houses in the early hours of this morning, according to NLD spokesperson U Nyan Win.

Nyan Win said the two were taken in by special branch police at around 2am.

"Two of our MPs, U Nyi Pu and Dr Tin Min Htut, were arrested from the houses where they were staying in Rangoon by the special police at around 2am last night," said U Nyan Win.

U Nyi Pu is people's parliament representative in Gwa township in Arakan state while Dr Tin Min Htut is an elected representative in Irrawaddy division's Pantanaw township.

Both men were among the signatories of a letter sent to United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon at the end of July, in which they declared their opposition to the 2010 elections and expressed concern about the UN stance on Burma.

The letter was signed by five 1990 elected representatives and questioned the UN’s change from its original aim of bringing about national dialogue to its current urging of all groups to join the government’s road map to democracy.

Reporting by Aye Nai

Aug 12, 2008 (DV–The Human Rights Defenders and Promoters network is planning to hire out its services to assist farmers and use the proceeds to fund local education and health facilities.

U Maung Maung Lay, an HRDP network member, said the group was planning to help farmers with the winter crop.

"We will start our work for the winter crop within the next month and a half, but before that we will have to move our tillers first to the new locations," he said.

"But this time it won't be like after Nargis anymore – we will charge farmers for each acre of farmland we help to cultivate at reasonable rates."

Maung Maung Lay said HRDP did not stand to benefit financially from the arrangement, but would channel the funds back into development work.

"Then after we have finished the work, we will pay for labour and fuel from that money, and we will use the rest to build a school or a clinic in the region," he said.

"The HRDP will not take a penny of that money."

The HRDP previously provided assistance to local farmers in Bogalay, Labutta, Ngaputaw, Thingangon, Kanyingu and Mawkyun villages, helping to cultivate nearly 500 acres of farmlands with three tillers.

Reporting by Aye Nai

Aug 12, 2008 (DV–The water level of the Bago river is predicted to reach the emergency level of 910cm within the next two days due to ongoing heavy rains, according to the Burmese government's Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.

Locals in Bago township said the floods, which have been affecting areas around Bago, Dike Oo, Shwe Kyin, Nyaung Lay Pin and Kyauktagar townships since July, are now reaching the towns.

"The rain is still falling and water from the Bago river is now reaching into houses – Shwe Than Lyaung, Kyauk Gyi and Yay Kyaw districts are now under water," said a Bago resident.

"The railway station has been affected by the flooding too, but the railway itself is fine because it was built on high ground – but the passengers have had to travel to the station by boat," he said.

"We assume the water will reach emergency levels in Bago within the next three days."

In Shwe Kyin, the water level has already risen to 35cm above the emergency level of 700cm, but the DMH has forecast it will go back down below the emergency level within the next two days, said locals.

Farmlands and gardens along the banks of the Shwe Kyin river have been flooded and all local schools have been shut, residents said.

"We are facing transportation problems as well since we can only go around in boats," said a resident of Shwe Kyin.

Nyaung Lay Pin residents said several parts of the town had been submerged recently, and fourteen houses had collapsed in Yaypawtaung village early on Sunday morning, but no one had been injured.

In Dike Oo, where a few houses were recently damaged by a whirlwind, schools were closed for two days last week but have now reopened.

Reporting by Naw Say Phaw