Aung San Suu Kyi Travels around Myanmar
COREN: Welcome back. I'm Anna Coren in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. These are your world headlines. In Syria, opposition groups say at least 25 people were killed in a military assault on the northwestern city of Latakia on Sunday. A human rights group says Syrian navy ships joined in the attack, shelling the city from the sea. Witnesses say troops open fire in residential parts of the city. Officials in northeastern China say they're closing a chemical plant after demonstrations over environmental concerns. Well protesters in Dalian demanded the plant shut down after a storm threatened the sea wall last week. The plant manufactures an ingredient used in polyester. Well, thousands of people had turned up to watch a concert in Indiana in the U.S. on Saturday night. Instead, they saw the entire steel scaffolding holding the stage come crashing down because of strong gusts of wind. Well a night of entertainment turned into tragedy with five people killed. The state fair will resume today with a memorial for those killed. Well, the trial of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak finished for the day on Monday. And the chief judge in the case says there won't be live television coverage when it resumes in September. The ailing leader is accused of ordering deadly violence to crush the Egyptian uprising. Well, CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom is in Cairo where he is following the trial. And he joins us with the latest. Mohammed.</s>MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anna as you mentioned the chief judge Ahmed Refaat did make a ruling at the end of the hearing today that cameras would no longer be allowed in the trial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Now this is already getting reaction. Some activists suggesting that this puts an end to the transparency that was promised by the Egyptian government, by the supreme military council. That by televising this trial that was going to provide the transparency that was wished for by the Egyptian citizens, by the public at large here, and by activists especially. Others suggesting this is better, that the journalists that will be in the courtroom will be able to fully report on what's been going on in the witness testimony that will be given and that this will allow Egyptians to focus more on upcoming elections and other social issues that need to be focused on suggesting that this is a bit of a show trial, a bit of a distraction, a bit of a circus-like atmosphere. Nonetheless, the judge today also decreed that this trial would be postponed, would be adjourned until September 5. He said also that Hosni Mubarak's trial would be linked up with the trial of former interior minister Habib el-Adly. And that's an interesting point, because on August 3 those two cases were joined and the same judge actually decided to split them. Yesterday, we had the second hearing in the case of former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly, that was postponed, adjourned until September 5. Now today we're hearing Hosni Mubarak's trial will be joined once again with the trial of the former interior minister. Both those t rials will resume after (inaudible) after Eid on September 5 -- Anna.</s>COREN: Mohammed, you mentioned that the case has been adjourned. This trial really is going to be dragged out isn't it? The people of Egypt, they want swift justice, but that's highly unlikely. I was reading that Mubarak's defense team, they want some 1,600 people to testify. Can you give us a bit more details about that?</s>JAMJOOM: Well that's right, Anna, the defense team did ask for 1,600 witnesses. And my colleague Ben Wedeman was saying earlier in the day, he was outside of the courtroom, but this thing has the potential to really drag on for quite some time. I mean, the justice system here by most standards goes at a glacial pace anyway. A trial of this nature, it's unprecedented in Egypt. Trying to corral all of this, to get all these people in the courtroom, to get through all these procedural and administrative matters is no easy feat for the Egyptian judicial system. That having been said, at the end of the trial today, the judge says that five witnesses would be called, that's according to the prosecution's request. That's going to be for the next hearing on September 5. We did not hear if any of the other witnesses that were called for by the defense team would be considered, whether he would summon them. But again, it just goes to show this thing really does have the potential to drag on for quite a long time. And the fear now is that the hopes for a speedy, for an expedited trial really would be dashed and that's that what we were seeing here today -- Anna.</s>COREN: Mohammed, we know that scuffles broke out between protesters and Mubarak supporters. Give us the sense of the feeling on the streets of Cairo and Egypt at the moment?</s>JAMJOOM: Well, there were brief clashes outside of the courtroom earlier today. We saw that today and we saw that earlier on August 3 when these trials started up. Emotions really running high. Outside of the police academy, you have anti-Mubarak protesters and you have pro-Mubarak - - you have supporters out there. I mean, we must remember there are people in Egypt that are supporting the former president. There are people that are out there that are upset that this trial is going on. They feel that it's undignified to be treating the deposed leader of Egypt in such a fashion, to be seeing him in this iron and mesh cage, with his two sons there. They don't think that that's right. Then on the other hand you have anti-Mubarak protesters out there as well. And it heats up between those two contingents, between those two crowds. As we've seen, they're not huge clashes, but we've seen scuffles. We've seen rock throwing going on on both days. We've seen the riot police deployed. They want to maintain a calm atmosphere out there. They want to see the crowds out there really directing their focus at the big screen that's showing what's going on inside the courtroom. But it really has a propensity to heat up. And emotions to tend to get the better of people sometimes outside of that police academy here in Cairo -- Anna.</s>COREN: Mohammed Jamjoom in Cairo, thank you for that. Well, let's now move to Norway where police led admitted mass killer Anders Behring Breivik around on a tether this weekend during what they call an intense reenactment of the July 22 shooting rampage on Utoya Island which killed 69 people at a Labour Party youth camp. Ralitsa Vassileva reports.</s>RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The man accused of killing dozens of people at a youth retreat in Norway last month has returned to the scene of the crime. Police led suspect Anders Behring Breivik to Utoya Island to reconstruct the shooting rampage that killed 69 people and help their investigation.</s>FREDRIK HJORT KRABY, POLICE PROSECUTOR (through translator): This is what I can say about the session. It started immediately upon the suspects arrival in Utvika (ph) on the shoreside of the lake. The questioning continued during the boat trip out to the island. Then we walked him through all the sites he had visited on the island. The whole thing lasted for eight hours only interrupted by small breaks. The whole thing was quite intense.</s>VASSILEVA: The Norwegian newspaper Vegette (ph) published photos and video of the reconstruction. Mathias Jorgensen, a video journalist for the newspaper, caught some of the reenactment in progress. The images show Breivik in a bullet proof vest and restrained by a harness tethering him to police.</s>MATHIAS JORGENSEN, VIDEO JOURNALIST, VG: Police told us that that was because they are afraid of him trying to hurt himself or escaping. There were police, helicopters in the air and heavily armed police in the water as well.</s>VASSILEVA: You can also see what appears to be Breivik reenacting how he fired his weapon.</s>JORGENSEN: He was pointing in many different directions and also raising his arms as to shoot. And you also see that the police officers following him around.</s>VASSILEVA: Police say Breivik provided a lot of detail about the shooting and has fully cooperated, but show no sign of remorse.</s>KRABY (through translator): The suspect was emotionally unmoved by his return to Utoya, but he did not express any regrets about what he had done.</s>VASSILEVA: Yet police say they face challenges conducting this reconstruction so as not to offend the victims and their families. 32 year old Breivik is also accused of bombing government buildings and also killing (inaudible). Breivik has pleaded not guilty in court, although police say he has admitted he was responsible for both attacks. Ralitsa Vassileva, CNN, Atlanta.</s>COREN: Well, in Myanmar opposition Aung San Suu Kyi is spreading her wings a little bit. On Sunday, she visited the city of Vego (ph), her first political trip out of Yengon (ph) since being released from house arrest last November. Well here you can see crowds swarming Suu Kyi during her brief visit there eagerly welcoming her with waves and cheers. Well, this is apparently the first of several other planned trips around Myanmar, but its still unclear where she will head next as the government must approve all her movements in advance. Well, Suu Kyi's ability to travel around Myanmar is a pretty big development considering she was held in detention for nearly two decades. For a look at what it all means, leading Bermese journalist Aung Zaw joins us now via Skype form Changmai, Thailand. His magazine, Irrawaddy, covers events in Myanmar and southeast Asia. Great to have you with us and get your perspective. If you can put it into context the significance of this trip, to think that nine months ago she was under house arrest where she'd been for most of the past two decades and now she's traveling around the country with government permission.</s>AUNG ZAW, IRRAWADDY MAGAZINE: Well, I think -- I think all (inaudible) up and down. I think this time is up. We actually maintain our optimism, because she's been allowed to go out of Rangoon. This is the first time she has made a political trip and she has been to (inaudible) more like (inaudible). This time, I think she made a visit to (inaudible) and a thousand of people came up. And she also received cooperation from the government. And she (inaudible) her trip events. And there was no harassment, there was no obstruction from the government. So I think -- it seems like there has been some kind of cooperation going on between the Aung San Suu Kyi and the government. And she (inaudible) I think (inaudible). As we see, politics in Burma is up and down. This time it's up. And I think a lot of people inside Burma are very excited. And I think it's quite (inaudible).</s>COREN: Yeah, positive. And as you say, people are excited. But why do you think that the government is doing this now, considering that the level of support out there, and also the potential for unrest?</s>ZAW: Well, if you look back, the last (inaudible) there were (inaudible) minister. And there was trying (inaudible). And they continue to cooperate and (inaudible) economic institutions. And also (inaudible). But as far as understands, you talk about the release of political prisoners, suspension of the offensive against ethnic minorities. There has been outbreak of civil war in Kachin and Shan and (inaudible) area. So Suu Kyi has been asking government, all foreign government, that she will mediate between the ethnic groups and the government. And also talk about the position (inaudible) suspended last year, because they refused to take part in elections. So now the (inaudible) -- opposition party, whether it is (inaudible) party we have to wait and see whether (inaudible), because if her requests are met in the foreseeable future I think she might decide to (inaudible) party and because of if the government decided the release (inaudible).</s>COREN: Yeah, it is quite an amazing development. And here's hoping his cooperation, his level of cooperation continues. Well, leading Burmese journalist Aung Zaw, we certainly appreciate you taking the time to join us. Thank you. Well, it's been a long time coming, but finally Cesc Fabregas has got his wish and his heading home. We'll have more on the midfielder's drawn out transfer in just a moment.