[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

BurmaNet News: September 14



Note: Recent mailing address changes will be in effect as of the next issue.

  Strider



************************** BurmaNet **************************
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
**************************************************************

BurmaNet News: Wednesday, September 14, 1994

QUOTE OF THE DAY:   "Don't say anything - you have to carry loads like this
                    because of your inferior race."

                              Tatmadaw officer to a Karen porter

*************************************************************
Contents:

1: MNRC: LATEST INFORMATION FROM HALOCKHANI MON REFUGEE CAMP
2: BURMANET: MORE INFORMATION FROM HALOCKHANI
3: BKK POST: TEXACO BEGINS DEAL TO SELL NATURAL GAS TO THAILAND  
4: KHRG: INCOMING FIELD REPORTS: 8/94
5: NATION: SRT GETS RAIL SUMMARY
6: BURMANET: CURRENT TRAVEL INFORMATION

*************************************************************
MNRC: LATEST INFORMATION FROM HALOCKHANI MON REFUGEE CAMP
Mon National Relief Committee
 
Date: 10th September 1994
 
On 8th September, Chairman of Mon National Relief Committee (MNRC), Phra 
Wongsa Pala and other members went to the Halockhani camp to monitor the 
situation.  All refugees have returned back to their former camp 
yesterday evening.  They slept in the camp for one night and in the 
morning of 9th September at 9:00 a. m, they met with two Ninth Army 
officer Maj-Gen. Thaveep and Col. Sakorn who landed in the camp with 
Army helicopter.  When they met each other, Phra Wongsa proposed the army 
officers the following points.
 
(1)  To lift the blockade for transportation road from Sangkhlaburi to the
     camp to provide the supplies.

(2)  At present, not to deport back the illegal immigrants from IDC of
     Bangkok and other prisons as the food in the camp is short and many
     kinds of troubles were made to refugees by them.  If impossible, to
     deport back just only Mon immigrants.

(3)  To resettle the refugees from Baleh Dompai village who are homeless
     after Burmese troops attacked and burnt down their houses.

The Army officers replied to MNRC Chairman points as follows:
 
(1)  Starting on 15th September, the Army will lift the blockade for
     transportation and allow to provide the supplies, give access to all
     organizations including Aids Agencies, Government Agencies,
     Non-Governmental Organizations and journalists.  For the time being will
     two trucks of MNRC for transportation will be allowed.

(2)  Not to allow any Mon soldiers with arms or uniforms in the camp, If the
     Burmese troops knew there is any Mon soldier in the camp, they will make
     trouble for the refugees and arrest the Mon soldier again.  The Burmese
     troops cannot make any troubles or disturbance to Mon refugees, if they
     do not allow Mon soldiers staying with them.

(3)  They will repatriate nearly 200 Mon families of villagers from
     Songkhalia and Nan Pakoke villages, which situated on the way proceeding
     to Three Pagoda Pass from Sangkhlaburi.
 
Now, the soldiers from Ninth Army are still in the rice warehouse which holds
the stocks for the Mon refugees.  The soldiers distributed the rice by
themselves and they do not allow camp leaders to suitably manage the
warehouse.  Also for us, we do not know how many rice sacks are left, how
long the refugees can get the distribution and when we should arrange for
rice transportation.
 
 
[signed]

  Mon National Relief Committee
  P.0. Box 1, Sangkhlaburi, Kanchanaburi 71240
  (or) G. P. 0. Box 1983, Bangkok 10500, Thailand     
  tel: 66 34 595 080

 
*************************************************************
BURMANET: MORE INFORMATION FROM HALOCKHANI

BurmaNet has a report that during the most recent weekly deportation of
"illegal immigrants" from Burma through the Halockani Refugee Camp, Thai Army
troops forced the deportees to settle in the Baleh Dompai section of the
camp.  Baleh Dompai (sometimes spelled Plat Ton Pai) was the section of the
camp burned down when Burmese troops originally attacked the camp.  Refugees
have resisted going back to this section of the camp as it is two kilometres
out from the main body of the camp and is therefore closest to the nearby
SLORC outpost.  

Most of the deportees will probably not remain in the area for long.  In
theory, they are supposed to be go back to their homes inside Burma.  In
practice, upwards of 70% will make their way back to Thailand to search for
work.  Their return will be expedited by the brokers who arrange their
transportation and passage through Thai police and army checkpoints. 
According to sources in Sangklaburi, the trafficking is well organized and in
the hands of about ten local residents who operate with the knowledge of
local authorities.  A return trip to Bangkok will cost each refugee 3,500
baht (US$180), of which 2500 baht goes to the local police.  Again, according
to sources in Sangklaburi, the money is funnelled through the deputy
commander of the police post there who will then have to share out with his
superiors and other authorities.

The Mon authorities are unhappy about the deportations through Halockani
because of the drain it causes on their foodstocks.  They are also concerned
that the Thai soldiers occupying the rice warehouse are not doing a good job
of distributing the rice equally among the refugees and have not allowed camp
authorities to determine how much rice is left.  Thai soldiers originally
siezed the warehouse and prevented distributions of the rice to the refugees
in order to make them go back over the border into Burma.  The rice was paid
for primarily by Northern European church groups and channelled to the
refugees through a relief group called the Burmese Border Consortium. 
 

*************************************************************
BKK POST: TEXACO BEGINS DEAL TO SELL NATURAL GAS TO THAILAND  
Wednesday  September 14, 1994
by Boonsong Kositchotethana
Rangoon
 
THE oil group led by Texaco has kicked off negotiations with the Petroleum
Authority of Thailand (PTT) for longterm sales to Thailand of natural gas it
discovered offshore Burma.  
 
The talks began recently following a landmark accord struck by the PTT and
the group made up of France's Total and the US energy company Unocal for the
supply of natural gas from the latter's Yadana gas field, some 320 kilometers
south of Rangoon in the Gulf of Martaban.
  
 
The negotiations have come about because Texaco has greater knowledge about
the size of gas reserves at the Yetagun prospect, some 420 km south of the
Burmese capital and because the PTT has already concluded the Yadana
agreement, a priority for the Thai and the Burmese governments.  
 
Pe Kyi, managing director of the state energy firm Myanma Oil & Gas
Enterprise (MOGE), told Business Post that initial estimates in Yetagun
(waterfall in Burmese) showed gas reserves of about 1.5 trillion cubic feet
(Tcf), much smaller than the size of Yadana whose recoverable reserves 
are certified  at 5.8 Tcf.   

Thai officials said the discussions  with  Burma  and Texaco centred on the
possible gas delivery rate of some 200 million cubic feet per day (M cfd) by
the turn of the century.
  
 
The gas would be transported to Thailand through a pipeline proposed to be
laid from the offshore gas field to Thailand's southern border in the area
around Ranong or Krabi.  
 
>From there it could be laid across the southern peninsula to Khanom, Nakhon
Si Thammarat, a centre of oil gas industries that form the nucleus of
Thailand's ambitious Southern Seaboard Development Programme, according to
Prime Minister's Office Minister Savit Bhotiwihok.  
 
It will become the second gas field offshore Burma which would be developed
almost exclusively for exports to Thailand to meet the country's energy
hunger.  
 
It will also provide another major source of income for this former British
colony which desperately needs foreign exchange to fuel its backward economy
and spur development.   

Yadana gas exports to Thailand, at the rate of 525 MMcfd, will generate an
annual income of 10 billion baht for a period of 30 years.  
 
Meanwhile, PTT Exploration & Production Plc (PTTEP), an affiliate of the PTT,
has shown keen interest in acquiring a stake in the Yetagun development.
"Yes, we  would like very much to participate," said PTTEP president Vi et
Choopiban.  
 
PTTEP's equity participation in Yetagun will be negotiated as part of the gas
sales accord between the PTT and Texaco and the Burmese authorities.  
 
Texaco discovered Yetagun gas prospect in 1992 by drilling two successful
wells. They were bored in blocks M-13, in water slightly over 100 metres
deep, which forms part of the three adjoining blocks that total 36,200 square
kilometres.  
 
According to Texaco, the first wildcat well, Yetagun No. 1, flowed a combined
rate of 75 MMcfd of gas and 1,800 barrels per day (b d) of 47.5x API gravity
condensate from four zones between 1,950 and 2,196 metres.  
 
The second successful well, Yetagun East No. 1, drilled at a location close
to the first well, tested a combined daily rate of 63 MMcfd of gas and 1,922
b/d of 53.5x API condensate from three zones between 2,012 and 2,133 metres. 

 
MOGE chief Pe Kyi said Texaco would conduct a three-dimensional seismic
survey in the Yetagun area in order to get a better idea of the size of gas
reserves there.  
 
The quality of Yetagun gas is higher than Yadana gas which comprises mostly
methane, which is good as fuel.  
 
Texaco Exploration Myanmar Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Texaco, has a
50% interest in the production sharing contract covering blocks 12, 13 and
M14.  
 
Other co-venturers are Premier Petroleum Myanmar Ltd with a 30% interest and
Nippon Oil (Myanmar) Exploration with a 20% stake. 
 

*************************************************************
KHRG: INCOMING FIELD REPORTS: 8/94

An Independent Report by the Karen Human Rights Group
August 10, 1994


The following reports have recently been sent in by human rights
monitors operating independently inside Karen areas.  A few of
the incidents were reported in radio messages from Karen frontline
military units, and these are noted as such.  Note that these
field reports are not even close to a complete summary of all
the killings and looting being done by SLORC troops - for every
field report which is sent in, there are a hundred similar incidents
which are not being reported.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Mone Township, Nyaunglebin District

The following incidents were reported by civilian Karen human
rights monitors in the area.

On 23 June 1994 troops from SLORC #73 Light Infantry Battalion
went through villages in Mone Township demanding 8 people from
each village as forced conscripts for the Army.  Villages which
were unable or unwilling to provide the conscripts were forced
to pay 3,000 Kyat for each conscript they did not provide.

On 3 July 1994, SLORC #73 Light Infantry Battalion's commanding
officer Saw Win Naing arrested villagers Maung Htwe and Ko Thein
and beat them severely.

On 5 July 1994 troops from SLORC #73 and #26 Light Infantry Battalions
burned down the farm hut of Saw Baw from Da Kaw Bwa village, and
stole everything they found there.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thaton District

The following incidents were reported in radio messages from frontline
Karen military units.

On 8 June 1994 SLORC troops commanded by Aung Tun from #4 Company
of #34 Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) came to Naw K'Toh Village,
shot and killed Dee Pa Leh's cow and ate all of it.  They then
beat the owner once and his son 3 times with a stick, and then
they scathed his son with a gunshot.

On 10 May 1994 troops from SLORC #76 LIB came to Kaw Kyer Ther
village, arrested villagers Kyaw Soe Pyu (age 32) and Saw Ganoo
(age 35) and killed them both.

On 28 April 1994 troops from SLORC #96 LIB came to Paw Ghee Khee
village and shot to death villager Pa Kloh, age 26 (father's name
Thaw Pee).  They also shot and wounded Saw Ger Ker, age 20, who
was wounded in the arm and also suffered a broken leg.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Toungoo District

The following incident was reported in radio messages from frontline
Karen military units.

On 31 May 1994 a group of soldiers from #2 Column of #39 LIB came
to Ta Pah Kee village.  There they met Saw Potha Dah, who is headman
of Mah Lah Ko village, and a friend, and looted 250,000 Kyat in
cash from them.  They took Potha Dah, his wife, a church deacon,
and Ta Pah Kee village headman Saw Pa Aye along with them as captives
to their camp, where Saw Pa Aye was tortured seriously while the
troops demanded another 250,000 Kyat.  The report did not specify
whether or not  any of this money was paid before they were released.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kya In Seik Gyi Township, Dooplaya District

The following incidents were reported in radio messages from frontline
Karen military units.

On 21 February 1994 Capt. Myo Lwin Thet Lwin led #5 Company of
#32 LIB to Taree Hta Gaun village and burned down and destroyed
the houses of 4 villagers:  Moo Pu Kyaw, who lost his rice barn,
120 tins of paddy, his betelnut crop, and cash and belongings
worth an estimated 300,000 Kyat;  U Talay Heh, who lost his rice
barn, 160 tins of paddy, his stored betelnut and pepper, 15,000
Kyat cash and 200,000 Kyat worth of belongings, and whose 2 pepper
plantations were also burned;  Ah Pu, who lost 80 tins of paddy
and belongings worth over 37,000 Kyat;  and Naw Paw Ser, who lost
her rice barn, 260 tins of paddy, her betelnut crop and over 500,000
Kyat worth of belongings.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lu Thaw Township, Papun (Mudraw) District

The murder of Saw Ghay in Paw Muh Der village, Mudraw District
was previously reported in 'Incoming Field Reports: #1' (KHRG
29/4/94).  More detailed information has since become available
from Paw Muh Der villagers and a SLORC soldier from the camp,
including the detail that it was 59 Infantry Battalion who did
it, not 35 Infantry Battalion as previously reported.

Paw Muh Der village is in an area of steep high hills and thick
forest.  It has only 24 houses, 143 people, all simple farmers.
 It is only one hour's walk from the Say Day camp of SLORC #59
Infantry Battalion (IB).  On 3 March 1994, Column #2 of #59 IB
came to the village led by their Column Commander Maj. Aung San
Oo.  As soon as the villagers knew they were there they tried
to escape to the forest, without being able to take anything with
them.  The SLORC troops captured the 20 people who couldn't escape,
mainly women and children, including Saw Ghay (male, age 35) and
his 3-year old daughter.  Saw Ghay's wife was very sick but still
managed to escape with their other child, an 18-month old son.
 Saw Ghay's sister-in-law was hiding in another house, and saw
the soldiers drag Saw Ghay away from the others.  Then the soldiers
went and looted every house.  They stayed in the village 2 days
and then released everyone except Saw Ghay and went back to their
camp.  After they left, Saw Ghay's father-in-law came back from
the forest, and when he didn't see any soldiers all the villagers
returned.  They discovered that everything they owned had been
stolen, and that whatever the soldiers couldn't carry away with
them they had destroyed.  Outside the village they found Saw Ghay's
dead body.  His stomach had been cut open, he had been stabbed
in the chest and neck and his penis was cut off.  All the villagers
went to see, and then they buried the body.  After the SLORC troops
returned to their camp they reported to the higher authorities
that they had taken a Karen position in battle, captured and executed
a Karen soldier, and that the property they'd collected was from
the Karen base [this was reported to the villagers by one of the
soldiers; also note that Saw Ghay was not a Karen soldier].  Now
the villagers don't dare stay in Paw Muh Der village anymore,
so they've moved to another place where there is no good place
to plant crops to survive.  They're very afraid of their future.


The following incidents were reported in radio messages from frontline
Karen military units.

On 10 March 1994 SLORC #2 Company of #59 LIB, commander Aung San
Oo (see incident report above), came to Thay Baw Village and shot
and killed villager Saw Soe Ghay Htoo, age 35, father's name Saw
K'Bweh.  After shooting him, they stabbed his body all over with
a knife and then left it behind.  Then on 18 March 1994 the same
troops went to Thu Day village and shot dead villager Saw Ko Pa
Moo, age 30, father's name Saw Plah Heh.  Just as they had done
in Thay Baw village, they then stabbed his body all over with
a knife before leaving it there.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kyauk Kyi Township, Nyaunglebin District

The following incident was reported by civilian Karen human rights
monitors in the area.

In November 1993, Saw Eh Mwee (not his real name) of Po Lo No
Po Village (called Kyun Gone village by the Burmese) in Kyauk
Kyi Township was a trader, and he had driven some cattle to an
area controlled by the Karen National Union (KNU) and done some
trading there.  The SLORC learned of this and accused him of being
connected to the KNU.  They tried to capture him but he had already
fled to avoid them.

Officer Bo Win Oo of SLORC Infantry Battalion #60 then sent an
order via the village headman calling Saw Eh Mwee's wife, Naw
Ray Say (not her real name), to come to the camp.  When she arrived
he interrogated her about the whereabouts of her husband and forced
her to give him 1,500 Kyat and 2 ducks.  He then released her
on her sworn bond not to run away.

Two months later, on 12 January 1994 at about 7 p.m. during the
Karen New Year celebrations, troops from Infantry Battalion #60
came to the village and surrounded Naw Ray Say's house.  They
tied up her and her father at gunpoint and dragged them outside,
where she was tied to a mango tree and surrounded by 5 soldiers.
 They interrogated her about her husband and threatened her all
night.  The next day they released her father but took her to
In Net Village, then the following day to the Military Intelligence
office at Kyauk Kyi, where she was finally untied.  They made
her stay there and cook for them for 2 days.  They asked her about
her husband and she told them she didn't know where he was and
that he wasn't a rebel.  After 2 days they took her to #60 Infantry
Battalion camp and put her under guard.  She says that while there,
she saw about 30 other villagers from around her village also
being held prisoner, but that she did not know why.  The next
day she was released after signing a bond.

On arriving home, she learned that her relatives had to pay 6,600
Kyat and 3 bags of rice for her release.  She also found that
while she had been gone the soldiers had destroyed her house and
driven her relatives out of the village.  She and her children
fled the village and lived in temporary huts in the forest, and
after 5 days of this they held a traditional ceremony to try to
rid their lives of bad influences.  They then went to live in
B--- village to escape any further mistreatment by SLORC.  Most
of her relatives moved to other villages as well.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kyauk Kyi Township, Nyaunglebin District

The following story was told by U Maung Win (not his real name),
a 54-year old Burman Buddhist farmer from Zee Gone village in
Kyauk Kyi Township, with wife and 7 children aged 14 to 27:

"I, U Maung Win [name changed], and my family of 9 people had
lived and worked peacefully as farmers in Zee Gone village, Kyauk
Kyi Township since 1939.  But my son Maung Thein Soe [name changed],
his heart full of revolution, joined the Karen National Liberation
Army and is serving in their No. 3 Brigade.  On April 27, 1993
a battle broke out between my son's company and Burma Army's Company
No. 2 of Light Infantry Battalion No. 48 in the farm fields of
Dike Pone village.  My son dropped his national ID card at the
battle site.

Captain Aung Kyaw, commander of Company No. 2, LIB No. 48 got
his ID card and found out the names of his parents.  He then alleged
that we are an 'insurgent household'.  Realizing our danger in
advance, we went into hiding.  While we were in hiding Captain
Aung Kyaw came to our house and forcefully stole my bicycle, 4
aluminum pots, 4 new blankets, 2 new longyis, 9 steel spoons,
one cleaver knife, 2 chickens and one tiger-head brand flashlight.
 He also made a threat that 'This family won't have it easy if
I find them'.  In fear of what he would do to us, our family fled
to the liberated area controlled by No. 3 Brigade of the Karen
National Liberation Army and we are now living as refugees.  To
certify that the above story is true, I hereby sign my name below.

                                   Signed, U Maung Win [name changed]"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Nyaunglebin District

The following people arrived in the Karen-controlled territory
of eastern Nyaunglebin District in December 1993.  While these
stories may seem like 'old news' to some, they certainly aren't
to the people who experienced them.  They are included in this
report because they have only recently been sent in, and because
they are reflections of identical experiences which are happening
to others right now, and which we will no doubt be reporting later.

U Thein Hla (not his real name), age 62 with 3 children, a Burman
Buddhist farmer from Kyaik Mayaw Township near Moulmein, was at
the movies with his son when he was captured along with 18 others.
 SLORC troops took them from the village on full moon day in October
1993 and sent them to Martaban, where they were put on a train
to Pegu.  They were kept there for 2 nights, then sent to Kyauk
Kyi by truck.  They slept there one night, then set out for the
hills with 100 porters and 100 SLORC soldiers.  2 days later they
reached the frontline area at Kyo Tadah camp, where they were
kept for one month.  100 porters were given 10 small army cookpots
of rice per day.  They were always hungry.  They had to work carrying
rocks every day, and while working they were tied together with
rope in groups of four.  They also had to carry 2 tins of rice
at a time as porters, and any who couldn't carry it were beaten
with sticks or gun butts, kicked in the stomach with army boots
and punched in the head.  Some died and some escaped, and after
1 month there were only 50 porters left.  Then the guards on duty
one day allowed U Thein Hla and 5 others to escape, each going
their own way.  He was alone in the forest on the run for 2 days
before meeting 2 Karen soldiers who took him to their camp.

Three escaped porters arrived at a Karen military camp east of
Kyauk Kyi on 16 December 1993:  U   T---, age 54, a labourer from
Ye Da Shi town with 4 children;  U H---, age 42, a labourer from
Pyu town in Pegu Division, unmarried;  and U S---, age 45, a labourer
with 7 children from Htan Ta Bin town.  U T--- said he was conscripted
as a porter by #26 LIB.  During his time as a porter Cpl. Than
Tun beat him on the head with a rifle butt.  After 2 months as
a porter the wound had still not healed.  U H--- was planting
rice in the fields when he was arrested by #59 LIB.  They tied
his hands, put him on a truck and sent him to Kyauk Kyi town (a
distance of 180 km. as the crow flies, and much farther by truck
over the rough roads of the Pegu Hills).  There he was handed
to #60 LIB and sent to the frontline, where he was a porter for
a month before being sent to #30 LIB under Maj. Win Naing, where
he continued as a porter.  The porters were only given one little
milktin of rice per day between 2 people (an average villager
eats 3 milktins of rice per day himself).  While carrying heavy
loads he fainted and collapsed, and a private from #30 LIB kicked
him in the face with his army boot and broke three of his front
teeth.  He was a porter for 56 days, and says the loads he had
to carry were unbearable.  U S--- was walking with his child when
he was captured as a porter by #59 LIB.  He was handed to #60
LIB and was sent to the frontline in Mu Theh - Byat Kaw area.
 Later he was handed to Maj. Win Naing of #30 LIB.  He was a porter
for 57 days, during which he says he was forced to work like a
bullock, treated brutally in many ways and given almost nothing
to eat.  The usual load given to these men was 2 big tins of rice
at a time.  Eventually they couldn't bear it anymore, ran away
and found some Karen soldiers.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kyaikto Township, Mon State

The following story was told by Maung Aung Toe (not his real name),
Karen, age 17, from Kyaikto Township in Mon State:

"I was just living and working peacefully with my parents.  Then
at 8 a.m. on 19 April 1992 Sub-Lt. Soe Naing from #96 LIB arrived
at our house with a unit of soldiers.  They claimed that my father,
who had just finished his breakfast, had contact with Karen rebels.
 They tied him up and took him outside the village.  I was in
bed with malaria.  A corporal covered my head with a blanket and
told me not to raise my head or look.  He then ransacked our house
and stole everything, including our gold rings and a gold necklace.
 My father was beaten to death with a bamboo stick after being
interrogated and tortured outside the village.  The people who
found his body came and told me about it.  I ran to where his
body was, and saw that his brains had spilled out and he had stab
wounds on his chest.  I went back and told the village elders,
and we brought my father's body back and cremated it.  My father's
name was Maung Ngeh Po.  Sub-Lt. Soe Naing said to the villagers,
"This is a lesson for you people - if you have any contact with
Karen rebels you will suffer the same fate.  All of you better
keep this in mind."  Our village always has to send them 3 porters
every week to carry heavy loads for them.  Mostly we have to carry
their rations and ammunition to their camp at Nat Gyi village.
 While we're there the officers always say "Don't say anything
- you have to carry loads like this because of your inferior race".
 If we can't send the porters we have to pay them 300 Kyat per
person per week.  We couldn't bear it anymore, so my brother and
I decided to flee to the liberated areas."


*************************************************************************
NATION: SRT GETS RAIL SUMMARY
September 14

Standard gauge suggested for Denchai-Chiang Rai route 
by Urairat Choopraser
 
THE State Railway of Thailand has received the preliminary summary of the
project revision of the Denchai-Phayao-Chiang Rai rail route from Acer
Freeman Fox who suggested the railway be built on standard gauge.   
 
Acer Freeman Fox Consultants has submitted the project revision and advised
SRTthat it should be the pioneer route in Thailand, to be built on the
standard gauge (1.435 metres). All present tracks are on 1 metre gauge.   
 
The project will cost Bt3.69 billion. each kilometre of standard-gauge rail
will cost Bt11 million. The total length is 336 kilometres.   
 
The route will start from Denchai district in Uttaradit through Sung Men
district in Phrae, passing to the east of Phrae airport.   
 
There will be a 2.2-kilometre tunnel between Song and Ngaw districts in Phrae
and a bridge across the Yom River.   
 
The rails will go further through dense jungle in Phayao and end in Chiang
Rai.There will be nine bridges across the rivers: Lai, Kam Me, Tha, Song,
Yom, Ngaw, Ing, Lao and Kok.   
 
Acer Freeman Fox suggested SRT change the location of two stations; in Phrae 
and in Chiang Rai. The land which was previously planned to be a station in
Phrae is now being developed into a housing project and the site in Chiang
Rai has been reserved for a factory to treat water.   
 
The SRT is talking with the provincial administrations to look for other 
places.  The SRT hopes to lengthen the route from Chiang Rai through Mae Chan
to Chiang Saen.  The last destination could also be in Mae Sai. The added way
is about 90 kilometres long.   
 
Apart from the Denchai to Chiang Rai route which will thereafter end either
in Chiang Saen or Mae Sai, the SRT has told the consultant company to study
another route from Uttaradit through Nan to Phayao where the two tracks can
be connected.   
 
The rails will start from the Uttaradit station, passing near the Sirikit dam
to Nan. From Nan to Phayao (150 kilometres), the route will pass by very high
mountains. The highest level is 90 metres which is difficult for
construction. Therefore the consultant proposed two possible routes.   
 
The first route will be from Nan westward to Ban Luang sub-district which
will need a long tunnel of 17 kilometres and a 400-metre bridge across the
Kang Sua Ten dam. From the dam, the rails will pass Chiang Muan district, Bo
Bia district and meet the main route at the 683rd kilometre.   
 
The second alternative will avoid the Kaeng Suya Ten dam -- from Nan westward
along road number 1080 to Ban Pak Ngaw which will see a tunnel of 47
kilometres to meet the master route at the 715th kilometre. This choice will
require much work for land preparation because there is a land slope of 17
kilometres.   
 
The Denchai-Chaing Rai rail project was earlier studied by Pauling Plc in
association with Freeman Fox and Partners and Halcrow Fox and Associates in
1986. Last February, the SRT called Acer Freeman Fox Consultants to review
the study. The SRT will present the project to the Cabinet soon and expects
to fulfil the project by the year 2000. 

*************************************************************************
BURMANET: CURRENT TRAVEL INFORMATION

The following was lifted from a discussion in the rec.travel.seasia
newsgroup.  It's inclusion in the BurmaNet News is NOT intended as an
endorsement for tourists to travel to Burma.

++++++++++++++

Current government policies in Myanmar
rec.travel.asia      8:36 AM  Sep  8, 1994
(at void.ncsa.uiuc.edu)  (From News system)

Joe Brenner (doom@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) wrote:
: I'm going to Myanmar in February or thereabouts and I'm
: confused on the current travel policies.  The embassy in
: D.C. wasn't much help.  

: 1.  I hear you have to exchange $300.00 when you enter the
: country at the airport at the official exchange rate. Is
: there any way around this?

I was there in January of this year.  At that time, $200 was required.
When I flew into the airport in Rangoon, the exchange was done as I walked
through the airport.  No one check to see if I exchanged money.  Two
people off the plane snuck by and didn't exchange to FEC.  However, this
didn't help them any.  All Hotel and restaraunts that foreigners are
allowed to stay at are priced such that you would likely use it all up.
Local hotels won't allow foreigners to stay in their hotel due severe
penalties/imprisonment.  

: 2.  If anyone has been there recently and has exchanged
: money on the black market or sold duty free items purchased
: in Bangkok to the same effect I'd be interested in hearing
: your experiences.

The wiskey and cigarettes thing is a thing of the past. Don't bother,
they can get it cheaper than you'll probably be able to.  Because so
many older guide books recommended this, it was common to be asked if 
I had some to sell.  The price was low though.  If you bring something
to barter, remember that they are very brand conscious.   The lipstick
I brought it went over well, since typically all they get is burmese
bark makeup.  However, If you want to get local currency, it's best
to exchange cash.  Everywhere people will exchange money.  Officially it's
illegal though.  The black market exchange rate depends on how close you 
are to Rangoon.  As of Jan '94, best exchange was Rangoon $1US = ~120kyat,
Mandalay $1US=~110kyat, Bagan & Inle Lake $1US=~100kyat.  The rate is
about 5-10% less for FEC instead of US$.


: 3.  What's the gov't hotel situation?  Do they still have to
: be MTT approved?  Can you stay in the cheap guest houses
: now?  What about train tickets, do you still have to
: purchase them for more expensive rates through MTT or can
: you get them at the train station?

Everything has to be done through MTT.  I tried to get around this always.
All tourists go to Rangoon, Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake.  Any Hotel
or train ticket purchase in these locations will have to be done through MTT 
or at MTT rates.  If you get outside of these areas, I suspect you can work 
outside of MTT.

: 4.  Is there still a form they give you which you have to
: have filled out and stamped every time you exchange
: currency?

No.  The Hotel and train ticket pricing system takes care of this.

: 5.  Can you eat off the food stalls and live to tell about
: it?

I only ate cooked or boiled things and was fine.  However, I did lose
a lot of weight.

: 6.  Has or will the 2 week visa policy be extended or are
: you still limited to 14 hurried days?

I could only get a 2 week visa.  There were rumors everywhere of a 4 week
visa in 1994.  However, when I went into the immigration office in Rangoon
to see about extending my visa, they said that foreigners could only stay
max of 14 days (no extensions).   They never heard of the 4 week rumor.

: Anything else you've experienced or had problems with in
: Myanmar feel free to share.  Thanks a lot for taking a look
: at this. 

Busses in Myanmar are for tiny people and are extremely uncomfortable.  
If you go from Mandalay to Bagan I would recommend the boat method.  I didn't
and wish I did.  Bagan was my favorite place of the four hurried rest stops.
If I went again, I probably would have skipped Inle Lake to spend more 
time there.  However, others might disagree.

If you have access to www, I've scanned in pictures of my trip to burma 
as well as other places and put them on line.  The address is 

http://yahoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/davet/travel/travel.html

As far as getting to Rangoon,  Thai air, Myanmar air and Bima were the
choices from Bangkok.  Thai & Myamar air were between 5000 and 6000 baht. 
Bima was 3700baht.  I took Bima. I was a little worried because it was so
cheap.  The flight and airplane was as nice as any other.  It only flies in
and out on Thursdays which is why they say it is so cheap.

enjoy,
Dave Thompson

National Center for Supercomputing Applications   |  605 E Springfield Ave
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign   |  Champaign IL 61820
Email:  davet@xxxxxxxxxxxxx             |  (217) 244-1957
http://yahoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/davet/

Conf: (i)ndex (u)nread (w)rite (c)apture (v)isit (g)o e(x)it (q)uit (?)
Conf?  24


Topic 24  Travel to Burma Questions
davet     rec.travel.asia      2:04 PM  Sep  8, 1994
(at void.ncsa.uiuc.edu)  (From News system)

In article <CvMvny.DF9@xxxxxxxxxx> John wrote:
: Can anyone post up-to-date infomation on travel to Burma?

: Am interested in current visa rules and travel conditions.

The embassy in Bangkok can get you a visa in a couple hours.

: Is overland travel through Thailand possible?  How about 
: Burma to India overland?

There are only two points in Burma where land crossings are legal.  However,
this is deceptive.  For the land crossings, you're only allowed into the
neighboring town and must be out the same day.  Cost is $10 entry fee.
You won't get a good idea of what burma is like doing this.  The fly in rule
is due to the fact that you would be passing through the rebel war zone
otherwise.  If you want to get to Rangoon, Mandalay, Bagan, Inle, etc,
you'll have to fly in.  

: Please, no flames about going there. IMHO, isolation is not the answer 
: and I'm on a shoe string budget - actually, less than shoe string, more 
: like flip flops. :-) 

The cheapest flight in from Bangkok I could find (and I really looked) 
was 3700 baht = US$148.  You can find this fare on koh san road in Bangkok
at most any of the travel agents.


Dave Thompson

National Center for Supercomputing Applications   |  605 E Springfield Ave
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign   |  Champaign IL 61820
Email:  davet@xxxxxxxxxxxxx             |  (217) 244-1957
http://yahoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/davet/


*************************************************************************
ABBREVIATIONS USED BY BURMANET:

 AP: ASSOCIATED PRESS
 AFP: AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
 AWSJ: ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL
 BBC: BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
 BI: BURMA ISSUES
 BIG: BURMA INFORMATION GROUP
 BKK POST: THE BANGKOK POST
 CPPSM: COMMITTEE FOR THE PUBLICITY OF THE PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE IN MONLAND
 DA:  DEPTHNEWS ASIA
 FEER: FAR EAST ECONOMIC REVIEW
 KHRG: KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP
 NATION: THE NATION (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)

*************************************************************************
* The BurmaNet News is distributed via the reg.burma and seasia mailing *
* lists, and the soc.culture.burma and soc.culture.thai newsgroups.  To * 
* subscribe to the reg.burma mailing list, send a note to:              *
* strider@xxxxxxxxxxx                                                   *
*                                                                       *
* The BurmaNet News is distributed at least weekly and sometimes more   *
* frequently, time permitting.                                          *
*************************************************************************