Burma Related News

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July 14th, 1997
Contents:
(1)Drug Talks
(2)Thailand Soldiers 'arrest' student exiles
(3) Malaysian scrutiny of Burma bid grows


The Straits Times
DRUGS TALKS: Members of a Chinese anti-narcotics delegation have arrived 
in Yangon for talks with their Myanmar counterparts on drugs control, 
the official press reported yesterday. 

The one-week visit comes shortly after six Mekong countries, including 
Myanmar and China, met in Bangkok under the auspices of the UN last week 
to discuss regional co-operation in drugs control. -- AFP.

South China Morning Post
Thailand 
Soldiers 'arrest' student exiles 
ASSOCIATED PRESS in Bangkok 
Thai soldiers entered a camp for refugees from Burma and arrested 10 
students for the second time in recent months, an exiled group of 
Burmese students said yesterday.

The All Burma Students' Democratic Front said soldiers from the Royal 
Thai Army's 9th Division entered the Tam Hin refugee camp, 75 kilometres 
west of Bangkok, last Wednesday and arrested 10 students who fled 
fighting in Burma.

The group said the students, who were arrested and beaten with 12 others 
in April, were charged with illegal entry into Thailand. Nearly 100,000 
refugees from Burma are living in camps along the Thai border, after 
fleeing repeated Burmese military offensives against ethnic and student 
rebels.

The Royal Thai Army has generally treated refugees well along the 
northern border.

But those in the southern sector, under the control of the 9th Division, 
have been abused, aid workers say.

The division has forced refugees back across the border into the path of 
the Burmese Army, and at times cut off food, medicine and access by aid 
workers.


South China Morning Post
Asean 
Malaysian scrutiny of Burma bid grows 



IAN STEWART in Kuala Lumpur 
Burma is coming under closer scrutiny in Malaysia as a potential member 
of the Association of South-east Asian Nations.

The move for a closer look, after Asean's watershed decision to defer 
Cambodia's admission, has not only spurred non-governmental groups to 
reaffirm their opposition to Burma's entry, but has prompted 
establishment commentators to suggest that the Burmese should improve 
their domestic affairs.

Malaysia strongly supported the membership of Cambodia, Laos and Burma 
in order to expand Asean to 10 countries, which would form the core of 
the East Asian Economic Caucus proposed by Malaysian premier Dr Mahathir 
Mohamad.

But now that Cambodia's entry has been deferred indefinitely, there is 
less of an imperative for Laos and Burma to be admitted.

The Sunday Star newspaper described how the Cambodian episode seemed to 
have "marred Asean's zest to group all 10 Southeast Asian states" on 
July 24 when foreign ministers begin their 30th ministerial meeting.

Chandra Muzaffar, head of the Just World Trust, said if the use of force 
was Asean's concern in deferring Cambodia's entry, then Burma's 
admission should be delayed. He said the Burmese military junta used 
force to stay in power and prevent the elected National League for 
Democracy from forming the government.

Laotian Foreign Minister Somsavat Lengsavad confirmed his country's 
desire to join Asean, Thai media said.



"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."


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