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BURMA RELATED NEWS
- November 14, 2002.
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HEADLINES
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reuters - U.N. envoy meets Myanmar
junta as frustrations grow
AP - U.N. envoy holds crucial meeting
with Myanmar junta leader
AP - U.S. trade representative to
meet ASEAN economic ministers in Manila
AFP - Aung San Suu Kyi greeted by
supporters on visit to restive Shan state
AFP - Thai hotel group Dusit to
manage luxury Myanmar property
AFP - Aung San Suu Kyi visits Shan
state to open NLD offices
AFP - Myanmar junta leader, UN envoy
holds talks critical to reform hopes
Xinhuanet - Myanmar, Japan to
cooperate in computer field
Bkk Post - Tip-off leads to record
pill bust, arrests
Bkk Post - Reef set to make way for
Chinese ships
Asia Times - UN's Myanmar special
envoy threatens to quit
Asian Tribune - At last, some good
news from Burma - Editorial The Age
Asian Tribune - Freedom of
Press Movement in Insein Prison 1992-199
Asian Tribune - UN
Special envoy Razali in Rangoon - The last trip?
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thursday November 14, 3:40 PM
U.N. envoy meets Myanmar junta as frustrations grow By Aung Hla Tun YANGON (Reuters) - A U.N. envoy to Myanmar met the military government's top generals on Thursday to urge them to start talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi amid growing scepticism over the junta's pledges to loosen its grip on power. Razali Ismail, who said this week he would consider quitting if there was no progress in a reconciliation process he helped start two years ago, told Reuters he talked to junta leader Senior General Than Shwe for about half an hour. The two other members of Myanmar's leadership triumvirate, powerful military intelligence chief Khin Nyunt and army chief Maung Aye, were also at the meeting. "It was a very important meeting," he said, but added he would give no details of the discussions until the end of his five-day visit to the country. "I've still got another day," he said. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party said Razali's two previous meetings with Than Shwe had been courtesy calls, but this time the meeting would be more serious. "I think Razali will ask (Than Shwe) to start meaningful political dialogue as soon as possible," NLD spokesman U Lwin told Reuters before the two met. "When Razali met us yesterday, we told him that we are ready to sit at the negotiating table anytime, anywhere without any preconditions." The generals have released more than 400 political prisoners, many from the NLD, from Myanmar's ramshackle prisons since late 2000 and freed Suu Kyi from house arrest in May. They have promised a transition to democracy, but diplomats say the generals have not talked to the NLD on political change or even on possible cooperation on humanitarian issues. Many analysts and diplomats believe the junta has no real intention of stepping down. They say the ruling generals took a calculated risk granting Suu Kyi freedom in the hope of breaking the country's political isolation and attracting trade and investment into a crumbling economy. Many Western countries, including the European Union and the United States, have imposed political and economic sanctions on the regime, accusing it of widespread human rights abuses and of being a drug-producing haven. Myanmar's military has kept a tight grip on power for the last 40 years, ignoring results of 1990 elections that the NLD won by a landslide. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ U.N. envoy holds crucial
meeting with Myanmar junta leader
Wed Nov 13,11:46 PM ET By AYE AYE WIN, Associated Press Writer YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - A United Nations envoy held a rare and crucial meeting with the Myanmar junta leader Thursday, raising hopes that it would produce a breakthrough in the slow-moving efforts to restore democracy. The envoy, Razali Ismail, met with Senior Gen. Than Shwe at a Defense Ministry guest house, U.N. officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Details of the meeting were not known. This was only the third time that Than Shwe has met with Razali since he was appointed special envoy in 2000 when he initiated a reconciliation process between the junta and the pro-democracy opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Than Shwe and Razali first met in October 2000 and then again in April, following which Suu Kyi was released from 19 months of house arrest on May 6. Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962, and the current group of generals came to power in 1988. They called elections in 1990 but refused to hand over power when Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won. The initial euphoria over Razali's mediation efforts has evaporated with the junta dragging its feet and giving no indication when it will hold a dialogue with Suu Kyi. Before arriving in Myanmar on Tuesday ? his ninth visit to the country ? Razali had reportedly warned that he would quit if no progress was made soon. The United Nations has said that Razali was keen to meet Than Shwe, who is known to control all power in the government and take all important decisions. "The meeting between Razali and Senior General Than Shwe will have some significance because he's the only person who could answer Razali's questions," said NLD spokesman U Lwin. The NLD on Wednesday urged Razali to tell the junta to start the democracy talks soon, saying it is ready to discuss any issue without preconditions. "We are prepared for the dialogue with the government and we have not set any preconditions," U Lwin told reporters on Wednesday after he and other senior leaders met with Razali. Razali is expected to travel to the northeastern Shan State on Friday to meet with Suu Kyi, who is traveling there on party work. Since her unconditional release, Suu Kyi has made three other political trips outside Yangon. She also has visited several party offices in Yangon suburbs. But the visit to Shan State is of greater signifiance because of allegations by ethnic Shan minority that government troops had raped their women to intimidate Shan rebels fighting for autonomy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ U.S. trade representative to
meet ASEAN economic ministers in Manila
MANILA, Philippines (AP) _ U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick is scheduled to meet Southeast Asian economic ministers in Manila next week to discuss a proposed U.S. web of free trade agreements with countries in the region, a Philippine official said Thursday. Trade Secretary Mar Roxas said in a statement that the Nov. 20 meeting was expected to focus on the licensing of critical pharmaceutical products as well as the U.S. trade initiative with nations in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. Announced by U.S. President George W. Bush last month, the Enterprise for ASEAN Initiative offers a roadmap for more trade with the United States. It eventually could become a network of free trade agreements between the United States and individual ASEAN members, Roxas said. Compulsory licensing of pharmaceutical products would allow drug companies in ASEAN countries to market drugs with U.S. patents, thereby lowering prices of important medicines. Roxas said World Trade Organization matters may also be discussed during the informal meeting. He did not elaborate. At the WTO meeting in Doha, Qatar, last year, developing countries pushed for special treatment in terms of tariff cuts, elimination of farm subsidies by developed economies, greater access for their fish and farm exports, and recognition of the primacy of health concerns over drug patent rights. ASEAN is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aung San Suu Kyi greeted by
supporters on visit to restive Shan state
YANGON, Nov 14 (AFP) - Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was greeted by thousands of supporters on a visit to Shan state Thursday as she exercised her newly won right to travel freely through the country, party officials said. National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesman U Lwin said the Nobel peace laureate would make an extensive tour of the restive state during the nine-day trip which began Wednesday. "She is going to open four NLD offices there," he told AFP. The trip was meant to coincide with a separate visit to Shan state by United Nations envoy Razali Ismail, who is in the midst of a crucial five-day mission aimed at reviving Myanmar's stalled political reconciliation process. The pair were scheduled to meet Friday in the southern Shan capital of Taunggyi, giving them an opportunity to discuss the Malaysian diplomat's talks with junta leader Senior General Than Shwe. But in a sign that little was achieved, Thursday's meeting lasted just 15 minutes. Razali declined to comment on their progress but told reporters that he would not now be travelling to Shan state. The talks with Than Shwe are seen as critical to Razali's efforts to push forward democratic reforms through a dialogue between the military government and the opposition which he brokered two years ago. Aung San Suu Kyi continued her tour of southern Shan state Thursday, stopping in several villages and towns where supporters lined roadways to meet and catch a glimpse of her, U Lwin said. She was due to spend the next few days in Taunggyi before proceeding north to the town of Lashio. Rainy weather and landslides may force the opposition leader to fly to Shan's northern regions instead of traveling overland as she usually does. Aung San Suu Kyi has made several political trips around the country since she was released in May from 19 months under house arrest with a guarantee that she would have complete freedom of movement. Her trips have gone off smoothly, although Yangon is informed of her movements in advance and dispatches a security detail for her "protection" wherever she goes. Shan state, where ethnic unrest and tensions with government forces have simmered for decades, has been in the spotlight recently with the release of a report alleging systematic sexual abuse of ethnic minority women there. However, Aung San Suu Kyi is not expected to look into the rights abuse claims during her trip, which will focus on building up the NLD which has suffered in recent years due to government repression. The military has ruled Myanmar for the past four decades, and refused to recognise a landslide election victory claimed by the NLD in 1990. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thai hotel group Dusit to
manage luxury Myanmar property
BANGKOK, Nov 14 (AFP) - Thailand's largest hotel group, Dusit Hotels and Resorts, said Thursday it will assume management next month of a luxury property in Myanmar's capital Yangon. Dusit will take over the 211-room Inya Lake Hotel, a four-star property managed for the past seven years by US chain Renaissance Marriott. "The handover will take place sometime before December 15," said a spokeswoman for the Thai group. The management would be on a contract basis, said the official who declined to reveal financial terms of the deal. Inya Lake is one of a handful of upscale properties in the Myanmar capital which are owned in full or in part by the state and managed by international tourism giants from France, Japan, Singapore and the United States. Inya Lake would be the fifth overseas hotel managed by the group, which already has one property in Manila, two in Indonesia, and one in Dubai, in addition to the six it runs in Thailand, the spokeswoman said. The historic hotel was built in 1961 and renovated in 1996 after Renaissance took over its management. Dusit reportedly intends to add new resort facilities to the hotel, including a spa, banquet hall and meeting rooms. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aung San Suu Kyi visits Shan
state to open NLD offices
YANGON, Nov 14 (AFP) - Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was greeted by thousands of supporters on a visit to Shan state Thursday as she exercised her newly won right to travel freely through the country, party officials said. National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesman U Lwin said the Nobel peace laureate would make an extensive tour of the restive state during the nine-day trip which began Wednesday. "She is going to open four NLD offices there," he told AFP. The trip coincides with a separate visit to Shan state by United Nations envoy Razali Ismail, who is in the midst of a crucial five-day mission aimed at reviving Myanmar's stalled political reconciliation process. U Lwin said Razali and Suu Kyi were due to meet Friday in the southern Shan capital of Taunggyi following the Malaysian diplomat's talks with junta leader Senior General Than Shwe on Thursday. The meeting with Than Shwe is seen as critical to Razali's efforts to push forward democratic reforms through a dialogue between the military government and the opposition which he brokered two years ago. Aung San Suu Kyi continued her tour of southern Shan state Thursday, stopping in several villages and towns where supporters lined roadways to meet and catch a glimpse of her, U Lwin said. She was due in Taunggyi later Thursday where she is to spend a couple of days before proceeding north to the town of Lashio. Rainy weather and landslides may force the opposition leader to fly to Shan's northern regions instead of traveling overland as she usually does. Aung San Suu Kyi has made several political trips around the country since she was released in May from 19 months under house arrest with a guarantee that she would have complete freedom of movement. Her trips have gone off smoothly, although Yangon is informed of her movements in advance and dispatches a security detail for her "protection" wherever she goes. Shan state, where ethnic unrest and tensions with government forces have simmered for decades, has been in the spotlight recently with the release of a report alleging systematic sexual abuse of ethnic minority women there. However, Aung San Suu Kyi is not expected to look into the rights abuse claims during her trip, which will focus on building up the NLD which has suffered in recent years due to government repression. The military has ruled Myanmar for the past four decades, and refused to recognise a landslide election victory claimed by the NLD in 1990. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Myanmar junta leader, UN envoy
holds talks critical to reform hopes
YANGON, Nov 14 (AFP) - UN envoy Razali Ismail met with Myanmar's leader Senior General Than Shwe Thursday in talks critical to the diplomat's efforts to revitalise a stalled reconciliation process, officials said. Razali, who warned recently he would quit if the junta failed to make progress on democratic reforms, had planned to confront Than Shwe over a broken promise to begin a dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. But in an indication that little was achieved, the meeting which was also attended by junta number-two Deputy Senior General Maung Aye and number-three General Khin Nyunt lasted just 15 minutes, official sources said. "It can't be particularly good. You'd have thought that if they went to the lengths of committing to the meeting then it would have been half an hour or so at least," said one Yangon-based diplomat. "Fifteen minutes is not much... it's not usual," he said. Razali was tight-lipped after the meeting, saying only that he had cancelled a visit to northeastern Shan state planned for Friday where he was scheduled to see National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi. But he told ethnic party leaders later that he had urged Than Shwe to hasten the release of political prisoners which began at the beginning of 2001, and suggested 200 more be released by the end of the year. Shan NLD leader Khun Tun Oo also said Razali told them he proposed that an ongoing national convention aimed at drafting a new constitution be revived as a way of continuing the reform process. The NLD withdrew from the convention in 1995 after Aung San Suu Kyi declared it a sham. Most of its 700 members were handpicked by the military and routinely shut out proposals put forward by the pro-democracy minority. "We are all for the national convention, as long as it is representative and the NLD is part of it," Khun Tun Oo told AFP. Razali had indicated that the meeting with Than Shwe was the top priority during his ninth mission to Myanmar, which is aimed at breathing new life into the reconciliation process he brokered two years ago. Landmark contacts between the junta and the opposition have completed a confidence-building stage but since Aung San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest in May a hoped-for political dialogue has failed to materialise. Razali told the Malaysiakini Internet news service that he wanted to convey international concern over "why since the lifting on the restrictions on Suu Kyi in May, a dialogue did not take place." Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) said earlier that the meeting between Razali and Than Shwe was crucial to the envoy's efforts to reignite the reform process. "Mr. Razali asked us what our proposals are for when he meets this man Mr. Than Shwe. We told him we should start the dialogue right now," NLD spokesman U Lwin told AFP. "The main thing is that he requests that dialogue will begin." The party spokesman said Aung San Suu Kyi was greeted by thousands of supporters in Shan state Thursday as she exercised her newly won right to travel freely through the country. The Nobel peace laureate has made several political trips around the country since being freed from 19 months under house arrest, armed with a guarantee that she would have complete freedom of movement. Myanmar's military has ruled the country for the past four decades, refusing to recognise a landslide election victory claimed by the NLD in 1990. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Myanmar, Japan to cooperate in
computer field
Xinhuanet 2002-11-14
00:13:44
YANGON, Nov. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Myanmar and Japan have reached a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of computer. The MoU was signed here on Wednesday by the Myanmar Computer Federation (MCF) and the Japan Technology Engineer Examination Center, official newspaper The New Light of Myanmar reported Thursday. The memorandum covers the holding of information technology (IT) engineering examination in Myanmar, supply of computer machines for Myanmar-Japan electronic (e)- Learning Center, computer training and training of Myanmar computer engineers in Japan, the report said. Myanmar and Japan have been cooperating in the IT sector since October 2001, when a Myanmar-Japan e-learning center was established here to train Myanmar teachers from computer-related universities and schools by Japanese experts. Myanmar started introducing e-education data broadcasting system in the country in January 2001, integrating the system into its education system. In January 2002, Myanmar set up its first Information and Communication Technology Park in Yangon. So far, a total of 304 e-learning centers have been reportedly opened across the country. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangkok Post -
Thursday 14 November 2002
Tip-off leads to record pill bust, arrests Police swoop on car park dealers Manop Thip-osot Police seized more than three million methamphetamine pills yesterday, the largest haul ever made in Bangkok and neighbouring areas. Three men were arrested. Loh Jaemsrisai, 43, Chatchai Thammasri, 39, and Son Sutham, 44, were apprehended as they were allegedly about to deliver 1.6 million metamphetamine tablets to customers at a spot opposite a Tesco Lotus superstore on Bang Na-Trat road, said national police chief Sant Sarutanond. The arrest led to a search of a 10-wheel truck left at Bang Khla intersection in Chachoengsao province. Another 1.48 million speed pills were found hidden in the vehicle, Pol Gen Sant said. It was the biggest drug seizure ever in Bangkok and neighbouring areas. The police swoop followed a tip-off by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, he said. The drugs were smuggled into Thailand from Burma and then to Chachoengsao for delivery to major dealers, many of whom were based in the city's Klong Toey area, he said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangkok Post -
Thursday 14 November 2002
Reef set to make way for Chinese ships Panel agrees blasting to proceed as planned Anchalee Kongrut A major reef near Chiang Rai will be blasted in March as the upper Mekong river is cleared to let large cargo ships pass from Yunnan province in China to Burma, Laos and Thailand. Suphot Tovichakchaikul, a Thai representative on the Mekong river commission (MRC) said the blasting would proceed as agreed last year by Laos, Burma, Thailand and China. Khong Phi Luang is one of eleven reefs in the upper Mekong to be blasted. Nine reefs are between Burma and Laos and another is in China. The blasting would start on Dec 15. The countries say the reefs obstruct trade. When finished, 150 tonnes of cargo could move from Yunnan province to countries downstream. Likewise, goods exported from Thailand will be able to take a shortcut to the inner mainland of China. For now, goods between China and Thailand are shipped via the China Sea from Guangdong province. A ship covers the 1,500-kilometre distance in one week. Mr Suphot said China had provided 220 million baht for the work, and decided to reduce the planned size of channel from one which could take a 500 tonne vessel to 150 tonnes. An environmental impact assessment showed the ecological impact from blasting would be minimal. Activists and fishermen said blasting would irrevocably change the river's ecology. Rapid tidal movements and land erosion would result once the reefs were removed, said Premrudee Daoroung, an activist of Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance, an NGO. Many fish would die. ``We are concerned because the EIA was done in less than a year. Australian academics said the EIA was insufficient,'' said Ms Premrudee. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asia Times - Nov 15,
2002
UN's Myanmar special envoy threatens to quit By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS - A United Nations special envoy to Myanmar has threatened to resign because of slow progress in ongoing talks for national reconciliation between the military junta and opposition leaders in the politically troubled Southeast Asian nation. "If it goes on and on, I may decide to step down. It has been going on in my mind - but for how long more?" said Ambassador Razali Ismail of Malaysia, who has played the role of a conciliator between the two politically warring parties. Razali's threat also follows a complaint last week by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who said that the "positive momentum" generated so far could dissipate unless "some tangible progress is made in the near future". Annan appealed to senior ruler General Than Shwe, other leaders of the military government, and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to set aside their differences and commence substantive dialogue "as soon as possible". Razali, who has made nine visits to Myanmar since his appointment two years ago, told reporters in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur that he is disappointed with the pace of talks. The government "didn't give a time but they said [the dialogue] would take place very soon. My understanding was that 'very soon' would be like a couple of weeks or three to four weeks. But it has been more than that," he added. The envoy has requested meetings in Yangon with all of the political leaders in order to spur the reconciliation process. They are scheduled to end on Saturday. According to diplomats here, Razali's threat may also be an attempt to exert pressure on the military government to act decisively. At a UN news conference last week, Sergio Pinheiro, the UN special rapporteur on the human-rights situation in Myanmar, told reporters that leaders of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) told him that there have been no negotiations and no discussions with the junta on the next step toward reconciliation, nor had there been discussions of elections or the right of political parties to operate freely in Myanmar. But the government, Pinheiro said, believed it was already engaged in a dialogue because of its ongoing talks with the general secretary of the NLD, Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest until last May. The NLD's victory in the 1990 elections was not recognized by the military regime. Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest and her party members who were elected to office were jailed. Among the positive developments, Pinheiro said, was that since Suu Kyi's release there had been no retaliations against those who meet her. She is also free to travel and to reopen party offices. But Pinheiro pointed out that the NLD office is still under strict surveillance, and the party needed permits in order to print any materials, including membership cards. "This is ridiculous; the government is so worried about any unrest and they try to control everything so tightly," he added. Even the pace at which political prisoners were being released was extremely slow. Since January last year, more than 500 prisoners have been released. That still leaves about 1,450 politicians still in Myanmese prisons. A lone political protester was arrested early this year and sentenced to 14 years' jail. In a seven-page report released last week, Annan said his special envoy had reminded the government that the release of political detainees was an "important barometer of the national reconciliation process". He urged the government to give priority to members of parliament elected in the 1990 elections, as well as the elderly, the sick, women and those who have completed their sentences. Annan also complained that the lifting of restrictions on the activities of legal political parties has been unevenly applied. While the office of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy is open, its activities are limited to Shan state. And despite numerous requests, the NLD has still not been granted a license to publish. On the other hand, said Annan, the pro-government National Unity Party that contested the 1990 elections, has been allowed to publish and distribute political material. Pinheiro said that while political squabbling continued, the Myanmese economy has been on the downswing. "The economic situation is still very weak, with terrible inflation that was currently making life difficult for the people," he said. Things were much harder for people living in border areas than for those living in cities. The wages were so poor, Pinheiro added, that an average police officer earned only about US$2 a month, while judges earned $5 monthly. (Inter Press Service) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asian Tribune
Date : 2002-11-14 At last, some good news from Burma - Editorial The Age Tuesday 13 March 2001:In 1990 a democracy movement led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the Burmese prime minister (General Thakin Aung San) who had been assassinated in 1947, won a landslide victory in the country's general election. But the military regime refused to allow Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy to rule. For much of the past decade, Ms Suu Kyi has been under house arrest and the Burmese military rulers have perpetrated a regime of unrelenting oppression and abuse of the human rights of its people. Now, in an extraordinary development revealed in The Age on Saturday, Burma's military rulers are holding secret talks with Aung San Suu Kyi about the framework for a transitional administration to return the country to civilian rule. Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate and a woman who has shown herself to be not only of the highest integrity but one of the bravest political leaders in the world, is believed to be prepared to accept the condition that she will not take a direct role in any future civilian government. It is a great pity that she may never be able to claim her rightful role as the leader of the country's government. Yet the fact that the regime appears to be ready to consider entering an interim government with her NLD party is itself an astonishing and most encouraging political shift. Another condition is believed to be that the military will be guaranteed immunity from prosecution for past abuses. Whether this condition should or can be sustained if and when the country ever returns to true democracy is an issue that will be decided in the future. The concessions offered by the military government at present do not represent a perfect outcome by any means, but when it comes to ending military dictatorships the world must unfortunately sometimes accept imperfect solutions. What is clear is that the concessions have been made as a direct result of the effects of the international sanctions that have been imposed on Burma. There has been a great deal of debate about the validity of these sanctions, as there is about the sanctions imposed on other rogue states. And it is true that in some cases, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, sanctions have so far had little effect in ending abusive regimes. But the change of heart of the Burmese rulers has been caused by pressure from the world outside. Trade sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States have virtually halted all Western investment in Burma; tourism has shrunk dramatically in response to an international campaign for travellers to boycott the country; and consumer pressure has had a significant effect in persuading multinational companies that trading with Burma is bad for business. As a result, Burma's economy has collapsed. These are early days yet. But the world should be encouraged: it has a weapon against regimes that are prepared to use the might of the state against their own citizens. It is an imperfect one to be sure, but one worth using even if it works only some of the time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asian Tribune
Date : 2002-11-14 Freedom of Press Movement in Insein Prison 1992-199 By Zin Linn This is the final version of The Unknown Story of the Twenty Four written by Zin Linn. The first part of this two parts article appeared on 12 November 2002. U Win Tin U Win Tin, 72, is a prominent journalist and a founding leader of the NLD. He is also a famous writer, editor and critic. He was arrested on July 4, 1989, during a comprehensive crackdown on the NLD and other opposition parties. He has been sentenced three times. He was originally sentenced to 3 years and since then has received additional sentences of 10 years and 7 years. His total imprisonment will be 20 years with hard labor. Born on March 12, 1930, U Win Tin received a B.A.degree in English Literature, Modern History and Political Science from the University of Rangoon. In 1953 he became assistant editor of the Burma Translation Society. From 1954 to 1957 he was a consultant editor of Djambartan Publishing Co.(Netherlands). He then became the executive editor of the Mirror Daily in Rangoon and held this position from 1957 to 1969. In 1969 he took on the role of chief editor at the Hantharwaddy Daily in Mandalay until 1978. In 1988 uprising he was vice chairman of the Writers' Association. U Win Tin was the leading activist in the cell-compound news & information movement. While in prison he has suffered from heart attacks, spondylitis, hernia and also sight and dental problems. Although the junta has tried to change his ideology he stands firmly on the side of democracy. He received UNESCO's Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Award in 2001. Dr Zaw Myint Maung Dr Zaw Myint Maung, 48, won a seat in Parliament in the 1990 Election for the NLD. He is the MP for Amarapura Township in Mandalay division. He was arrested for participating in the forming of a provisional government and was sentenced to serve 25 years imprisonment in November 1990. Dr Zaw Myint Maung was a leading activist in the prison movement and was a brave and active member of Insein Prison's CPPPR as well as the MIC. He is a qualified writer and poet. He is also a very reliable physician and was a member of the MAC in our cell-compound. His work in both fields resulted in two separate sentences: 7 years for code 5(J) and 5 years for panel code 6. His total additional sentence was 12 years. He is now in the Myitkyina Prison. Dr Myint Naing Dr Myint Naing, 49, is an elected member of parliament from the 1990 election. His constituency is the Kantbalu Township, which lies in the Sagaing division. He was arrested in November 1990 together with Dr Zaw Myint Maung for forming a provisional government and also received 25 years imprisonment. Dr Myint Naing contributed his political memoirs in the Tidal Wave magazine, which was published in the cell-compound. He was also a committee member of the CPPPR as well as the MAC. He took responsibility for being a staff editor of the Tidal Wave and was sentenced to an additional 5 years for panel code 6. He is now in Thayet prison, middle Burma. Kyaw Min Yu Kyaw Min Yu, (aka) Jimmy, is a member of the DPNS Central Executive Committee and was arrested in 1989. At that time he was only 19 years old. He received 20 years imprisonment. Kyaw Min Yu was the most active member of the MIC and was responsible for smuggling the 8-band radios into the cells. He wrote many articles about the 1988 students strike, which appeared in the periodicals published in Insein. He was sentenced to 7 years for code 5(J) and 5 years for code 6, totaling 12 years. He is now serving his 32 year sentence in the Tharawaddy Prison. Myat Tun Myat Tun, 36, is an NLD Executive Committee member of Kamaryut Township in Rangoon division. He was a 3rd year university student, majoring in Burmese, when charged in connection with the Democratic Alliance of Burma and sentenced to 8 years. He was responsible for listening to the radio, with earphones, at night. He shared this task with Jimmy and they both took notes. They sent the notes to Myo Myint Nyein who was in room 17 of 4 (long) cellblock. Myat Tun wrote poems and literary reviews in the Yangon University Annual Magazine. He also wrote satirical short-plays in the Tidal Wave and other issues, which were produced in Insein, and received 7 years imprisonment for this work. He is now in Myingyan Prison. Thet Min Aung Thet Min Aung, 35, was arrested in early 1991 for possessing arms and was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. He is a member of the ABSDF. Thet Min Aung was an MIC executive member and successfully managed to smuggle papers and writing materials into prison. His duty was to deliver the news bulletins and hand-written magazines to the inmates in cellblock 3. He actively participated in the news and information movement in prison. Moreover, he was chosen as the ABSDF's representative in the CPPPR. Due to his participation in this committee, he was charged with panel code 6 and sentenced to an additional 5 years imprisonment. He is now in Bassein Prison and serving in restricted confinement as he refused to talk about his involvement when the ICRC met him exclusively. Ko Ko Oo(aka) Bo Bo Ko Ko Oo is an ABSDF member who was arrested in 1991 for possessing arms and received 10 years imprisonment. He was a member of the HPPC in cellblock 3 and was one of the editorial staff for JAC's magazines. For this he received an additional 7 years imprisonment. He is currently held in Myingyan Prison. Ba Myo Thein Ba Myo Thein, 44, is a member of the Democratic United Front and a strong supporter of U Nu, a former prime minister. He was responsible for collecting articles from other cell-compounds and was also the chief editor of the U Nu Memorial magazine. He smuggled the magazine out and sent it to U Nu's daughter, Daw San San Nu. He received a further 7 years and 5 years, altogether 12 years. He is serving this sentence in Tharawaddy Prison. Soe Myint Soe Myint, 52, is a qualified veterinarian. In 1975 he was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment for participating in the students strike. Released in 1980, due to a general amnesty, he was rearrested in 1982, accused of having connections with under-ground movements. He received an 8 year sentence but was released in 1987. In 1991 he was arrested again and sentenced to 10 years for involvement in underground movements. Soe Myint is a musician and composer as well as being a good short-story writer. He wrote some poems in annual magazines during his student-days. He contributed songs together with international notes in the Tidal Wave magazine. He also wrote short stories in the hand- written magazines that were circulated in Insein. He received an additional 5 years and 7 years, totaling 12 years. He is now held in Tharawaddy Prison and is suffering from arthritis. Htay Win Aung (aka) Pyone Cho Htay Win Aung was a Geology major student. He was a well-known leader of Rangoon Division Students' Union and was subsequently sentenced to 7 years in prison. He is a good artist and is gifted at embroidery. He illustrated many of the hand-written magazines. His paintings were very attractive and for these decorations he was sentenced to a further 7 years imprisonment. He is now in Tharawaddy Prison. His younger brother, Thet Win Aung, is also in Kale Prison serving 60years for his involvement in student's strikes in1998. Yin Htway Yin Htway, 36, is a Central Executive Committee member of the DPNS and was arrested in early 1990, accused of defiance against SLORC. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. At the time, he was a 3rd year History student. Yin Htway was one of the editorial staff of the New Blood Wave magazine, which was brought out in commemoration of Phone Maw, the first fallen student in the 1988 uprising. He also wrote political dialogues in the hand-written issues. He received a further 7 years imprisonment for his work on the New Blood Wave. He is now in Tharawaddy Prison. Hla Than Hla Than, 33, is a member of ABSDF. He lived in Tharkeyta Township and was a college student. He was arrested in 1990 for possessing arms and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. As a member of the MIC of the 4 (short) cellblock, Hla Than wrote his memoirs in the hand- written magazines. The court handed down an additional 7 years imprisonment for this work. He is now detained at Tharawaddy Prison. Aung Myo Tint Aung Myo Tint, 33, was a student activist arrested for possessing arms and received 20 years imprisonment. He was an editorial staff member of the New Blood Wave and wrote poems in prison periodicals. He was sentenced to a further 7 years for his activities. He is now in Myaungmya Prison. Sein Hlaing Sein Hlaing, 47, was a leading member of the Tri-color group. This group was responsible for the security of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in 1988. He cooperated with Myo Myint Nyein in delivering an anti-government satirical pamphlet called "What is Occurring?''. He was sentenced to 7 years for his involvement. Sein Hlaing wrote articles in the prison-magazines and took the duty of distributing the periodicals among political prisoners. After participating in this movement he was sentenced to another 7 years imprisonment. He is now in Tharawaddy Prison. Win Thein Win Thein was an active and leading member in the Tri-color group. He was also a member of NLD youth. He was arrested for alleged defiance against the junta's unjust law and received a 10-year sentence. Win Thein was one of the editorial staff that produced the New Blood Wave magazine. He was responsible for keeping and lending Time, Newsweek and Readers' digest as well as other books. He was sentenced to an additional 7 years imprisonment. He is now in Tharawaddy Prison. Tun Win Tun Win, 48, was an Arakanese insurgent who participated in the taking of Minbya in 1986. He managed to get a pocket radio and delivered news and information through 4(short) cellblock. He received 7 years in addition to his life sentence. He is now detained in Tharawaddy Prison. None of his relatives can afford to visit him and he is suffering from gout. Phyo Min Thein Phyo Min Thein is a leading member of ABFSU, in Lower Burma. He was arrested in the 1991 December movement and received 10 years imprisonment. He was responsible for bringing out the Diamond Jubilee National Day Annual Magazine. This annual magazine was very grand with an embroidered cover of a dancing peacock. There were over 100 articles with colorful illustrations. For this work he was seriously tortured and sentenced to a further 7 years imprisonment. Zaw Min Zaw Min, 32, was a 4th year Geography major student and a member of ABFSU when he was arrested, accused of having connections with the ABSDF Underground Unit. He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. He cooperated with Phyo Min Thein in bringing out the Diamond Jubilee Magazine. He also worked with Myo Myint Nyein to produce a weekly news bulletin. He wrote poems and drew sketches of the 1988 events. He received a further 7 years imprisonment. He is now at Thayet Prison. Soe Htet Khine Soe Htet Khine, 30, is a member of ABSDF and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. He was an active youth in the 4(long) cell-block and his duty was to deliver news-bulletins and other periodicals. He wrote poems in the handwritten issues. He was also part of the assistance staff on the Diamond Jubilee National Day Annual Magazine (1995). For this reason, he received another 7 years imprisonment. He is now serving in Thara- waddy Prison. Aung Kyaw Oo Aung Kyaw Oo,30, was a 1st year History student in Workers' College and a member of ABSFU. Charged in connection with the 208th Battalion of ABSDF, he was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by No.2 military court in Insein Jail. He wrote memoirs of the students strike in 1988.He also composed some poems in the Diamond Magazine. One of his poems was titled '' Together With Infinite Strength". He was a member of the news-bulletins producing team. For this, he received an additional 7 years imprisonment. He is now in Tharawaddy Prison. Zaw Tun Zaw Tun, 37, was a 3rd year Economics student and a leading member of the Workers' College Students' Union. Due to his connections with ABSDF he received 7 years imprisonment. Zaw Tun wrote articles on political economy, which was published in the Insein prison issues. He was also one of the prisoners responsible for producing the Diamond Jubilee magazine. He was sentenced to a further 7 years. He now serves in Tharawaddy Prison. Nyunt Zaw Nyunt Zaw was 24 when he was arrested in 1991, accused of being an ABSDF underground member. He was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. He helped to produce the news bulletins and gave them a neat and tidy appearance. He did this under the watchful eye of the jail authorities, at night times, and was industrious and vigilant. He was sentenced to an additional 7 years and transferred to Tharawaddy Prison in September 1996. There he was placed in solitary confinement and he suffered from heart disease. In mid-1999 his health condition deteriorated and he asked the jail authorities for health care. But MI did not give permission and Nyunt Zaw had a heart attack in his cell. He passed away while alone in his cell - nobody noticed. The jail authorities did not even send his death message to his family. Kyi Pe Kyaw Kyi Pe Kyaw, 36, is a member of ABSDF and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in 1990. He and Myo Myint Nyein were the two most responsible for bringing out the weekly news-bulletin for the whole cell-compound. Both of them were in room 17 of 4 (long) cellblock and their cell was the news information headquarters. They made a secret underground hole where they stored everything for the bulletins and other periodicals. Kyi Pe Kyaw was sentenced to another 7 years for his work in Insein Prison. He was sent to Myitkyina Prison in Kachin State in 1996 where his family cannot visit him because of the long journey. He remains in Myitkyina Prison. Myo Myint Nyein Myo Myint Nyein, 50, was an editor when he was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment due to his publication ''What is Occurring?", a satirical poem-booklet. Myo Myint Nyein successfully sent a prisoner's shirt, signed by prisoners of conscience, to the UNHRC annual meeting in1993. He also took responsibility for the editing of the Diamond Jubilee National Day magazine (1995). Moreover he and Kyi Pe Kyaw managed to deliver the weekly news-bulletin regularly. He smuggled the report on the Human Rights Abuses in Prisons to the UN Special Rapporteur Mr. Yozo Yokota. He was sentenced to additional 7 years for his activities. Then he was sent to Tharawaddy Prison in 1997. He remains in Tharawaddy Prison and now suffers from gastritis, migraines, neurotic behavior and hypertension. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asian Tribune
Date : 2002-11-14 UN Special envoy Razali in Rangoon - The last trip? The mediator of Burmese affairs, the UN special envoy Mr. Razali Ismail has arrived in Rangoon on 12 November. The deputy SPDC Foreign Minister U Khin Maung Win welcomed him at the airport and later on, he met Secretary No.1 Khin Nyunt and Foreign Minister U Win Aung. In the evening, of 12 th November, he met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at her home and had a discussion with her unofficially during dinner said the NLD spokesman, U Lwin. He also added that the official meeting between Mr Razali and the NLD will be held tomorrow at 10am at the party's head office and it will be attended by the CEC members. They will be discussing the releases of political prisoners and political dialogues and the party will be expressing their standpoints at the meeting. Mr Razali is scheduled to meet representatives of UNA on the 15th of November. He is expected to return to Kuala Lumpur on the following day. Even though Mr Razali himself and a UN spokesman had stated that the matter of political dialogues would be discussed decisively with Senior General Than Shwe, there is no sign of the plan to meet the general. At the same time, a statement was issued by the European Union at the British Embassy in Rangoon. It urged the SPDC "to take clear and substantive steps to initiate a genuine political process, leading to reconciliation and democratisation in Burma". Mr Razali had said that he would resign from his duty if no progress were made during his current visit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |