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JUNTA'S WORDS OF SYMPATHY RING HOLL
- Subject: JUNTA'S WORDS OF SYMPATHY RING HOLL
- From: m.win@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 02:23:00
Subject: JUNTA'S WORDS OF SYMPATHY RING HOLLOW/THAI TROOPS RE-DEPLOYED ALONG BURMA BORDER
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BURMA COURIER No. 199 Sept 12 - 18, 1999
JUNTA'S WORDS OF SYMPATHY RING HOLLOW
Based on Reuters, AFP, IHT and S.H.A.N reports: September 17, 1999
BANGKOK -- Burma's military government said this week it had not been
approached about participating in a peacekeeping force for East Timor =
and
had "no tradition'' in any case of taking part in such operations.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said on Monday Jakarta would =
welcome
the deployment of a multinational force to troubled East Timor and
expressed a preference for soldiers from the Association of South East
Asian Nations (ASEAN).
But Rangoon, which prides itself on its recently acquired ASEAN =
membership,
was not about to get involved, the Foreign Ministry replied in a faxed
statement to a news agency request for clarification. At 450,000 =
strong,
the military ruled country has one of the largest armies in southeast =
Asia.
The previous day, a government spokesman had expressed "full sympathy =
with
our Indonesian brothers" over developments in East Timor and said that =
the
military government "greatly regretted the loss of lives and destruction =
of
property" there.
Among the countries which have expressed willingness to participate in =
the
Australian-led peacekeeping force, which is to begin operations in East
Timor this weekend, are the ASEAN bloc's Thailand, Malaysia and the
Philippines. New Zealand, South Korea and, eventually, Canada are also
also expected to contribute troops to the 7,000 strong force.
Over a hundred thousand East Timorese have fled the country and many
thousands more are in hiding in the mountains after paramilitary squads
linked to the Indonesian military trashed the capital, Dili, and went on =
a
shooting rampage, following a U.N. monitored vote for independence in =
the
former Portuguese colony in August.
Mary Robinson, the U.N. commissioner for human rights visited Jakarta =
this
week and drew an agreement from Indonesian President B.J. Habibie for an
investigation of military abuses in East Timor that she said could
eventually lead to war-crimes trials.
Among the international observers at last month's referendum in East =
Timor
were representatives of the Shan and Karenni peoples who have long =
argued
for their own right to have free and fair referenda held in their
jurisdictions in Burma. The trip was organized by the Asia-Pacific
Coalition for East Timor (APCET).
The Shan States, Karenni and Mon of Burma are, together with East Timor,
members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, set up by
the Dalai Lama of Tibet and the Baltic States several years ago.
************************************************************
BURMA COURIER No. 199 Sept 12 - 18, 1999
THAI TROOPS RE-DEPLOYED ALONG BURMA BORDER
Based on S.H.A.N. and Bangkok Post reports: September 17, 1999
CHIANG MAI -- A major re-deployment of Thai army units along the =
country's
troubled northern and western borders with Burma is underway, the Shan
Herald reports.
A well-informed source told the Shan news agency this week that the =
Third
Cavalry Regiment, long stationed along the eastern border with Laos, had
recently been transferred to Chiang Mai in the north. Third Cavalry =
has
taken over positions all along the northern border that were previously
occupied by the Naresuan Task Force of the Third Army. The Naresuan =
Task
Force, which has been active in combating armed groups engaged in drug
trafficking in the north, was being transferred to Thailand's Tak =
province,
the source reports.
Last week, Thai police and customs officers in the Mae Sai district of
Chiang Rai province near the Burmese border area seized 58 kg of =
explosives
along with three boxes of dynamite and two tonnes of ammonium nitrate =
used
to manufacture explosives. The cache was uncovered on the premises of a
transport company. An officer said the explosive device was so powerful =
it
could have destroyed the town of Mae Sai. He said police were
investigating whether Burmese exiles were connected to the cache.
Meanwhile, Burmese army forces in eastern Shan state were reported to be =
on
the move towards a border pass along Highway 45 to the south of Mongton.
The Shan Herald reported that large numbers of civilian porters and all
available trucks in the town had been requisitioned to move troops and
supplies southwards from an army base located at army district =
headquarters
in Monghsat on September 10.
Two days later, troops were reported near the villages on Poong Pakhem =
and
Nakawng Mu in the border area. A S.H.A.N. source said that as many as =
600
soldiers from battalions 65, 225, 333, 519 and 49 were involved in the
operation. The Shan States Army's 727th Brigade, commanded by Maj.
Ternkhurh, has been active in Mongton Township and is reported to have a
Burmese army mountain stronghold under siege in the border area.
************************************************************
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>BURMA COURIER No.=20
199 Sept 12 - 18,=20
1999<BR><BR>JUNTA'S WORDS OF SYMPATHY RING HOLLOW<BR>Based on Reuters, =
AFP, IHT=20
and S.H.A.N reports: September 17, 1999<BR><BR>BANGKOK -- Burma's =
military=20
government said this week it had not been<BR>approached about =
participating in a=20
peacekeeping force for East Timor and<BR>had "no tradition'' in any case =
of=20
taking part in such operations.<BR><BR>Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali =
Alatas=20
said on Monday Jakarta would welcome<BR>the deployment of a =
multinational=20
force to troubled East Timor and<BR>expressed a preference for soldiers =
from the=20
Association of South East<BR>Asian Nations (ASEAN).<BR><BR>But Rangoon, =
which=20
prides itself on its recently acquired ASEAN membership,<BR>was not =
about to get=20
involved, the Foreign Ministry replied in a faxed<BR>statement to a news =
agency=20
request for clarification. At 450,000 strong,<BR>the military =
ruled=20
country has one of the largest armies in southeast Asia.<BR><BR>The =
previous=20
day, a government spokesman had expressed "full sympathy with<BR>our =
Indonesian=20
brothers" over developments in East Timor and said that the<BR>military=20
government "greatly regretted the loss of lives and destruction =
of<BR>property"=20
there.<BR><BR>Among the countries which have expressed willingness to=20
participate in the<BR>Australian-led peacekeeping force, which is =
to begin=20
operations in East<BR>Timor this weekend, are the ASEAN bloc's Thailand, =
Malaysia and the<BR>Philippines. New Zealand, South Korea and, =
eventually,=20
Canada are also<BR>also expected to contribute troops to the 7,000 =
strong=20
force.<BR><BR>Over a hundred thousand East Timorese have fled the =
country and=20
many<BR>thousands more are in hiding in the mountains after paramilitary =
squads<BR>linked to the Indonesian military trashed the capital, Dili, =
and went=20
on a<BR>shooting rampage, following a U.N. monitored vote for =
independence in=20
the<BR>former Portuguese colony in August.<BR><BR>Mary Robinson, the =
U.N.=20
commissioner for human rights visited Jakarta this<BR>week and drew an =
agreement=20
from Indonesian President B.J. Habibie for an<BR>investigation of =
military=20
abuses in East Timor that she said could<BR>eventually lead to =
war-crimes=20
trials.<BR><BR>Among the international observers at last month's =
referendum in=20
East Timor<BR>were representatives of the Shan and Karenni peoples who =
have long=20
argued<BR>for their own right to have free and fair referenda held in=20
their<BR>jurisdictions in Burma. The trip was organized by the=20
Asia-Pacific<BR>Coalition for East Timor (APCET).<BR><BR>The Shan =
States,=20
Karenni and Mon of Burma are, together with East Timor,<BR>members of =
the=20
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, set up by<BR>the Dalai =
Lama of=20
Tibet and the Baltic States several years=20
ago.<BR><BR>************************************************************<=
BR>BURMA=20
COURIER No. 199 =
Sept 12 -=20
18, 1999<BR><BR>THAI TROOPS RE-DEPLOYED ALONG BURMA BORDER<BR>Based on =
S.H.A.N.=20
and Bangkok Post reports: September 17, 1999<BR><BR>CHIANG MAI -- =
A major=20
re-deployment of Thai army units along the country's<BR>troubled =
northern and=20
western borders with Burma is underway, the Shan<BR>Herald =
reports.<BR><BR>A=20
well-informed source told the Shan news agency this week that the=20
Third<BR>Cavalry Regiment, long stationed along the eastern border with =
Laos,=20
had<BR>recently been transferred to Chiang Mai in the north. =
Third=20
Cavalry has<BR>taken over positions all along the northern border that =
were=20
previously<BR>occupied by the Naresuan Task Force of the Third =
Army. =20
The Naresuan Task<BR>Force, which has been active in combating armed =
groups=20
engaged in drug<BR>trafficking in the north, was being transferred to =
Thailand's=20
Tak province,<BR>the source reports.<BR><BR>Last week, Thai police and =
customs=20
officers in the Mae Sai district of<BR>Chiang Rai province near the =
Burmese=20
border area seized 58 kg of explosives<BR>along with three boxes of =
dynamite and=20
two tonnes of ammonium nitrate used<BR>to manufacture explosives. =
The=20
cache was uncovered on the premises of a<BR>transport company. An =
officer=20
said the explosive device was so powerful it<BR>could have destroyed the =
town of=20
Mae Sai. He said police were<BR>investigating whether Burmese =
exiles were=20
connected to the cache.<BR><BR>Meanwhile, Burmese army forces in eastern =
Shan=20
state were reported to be on<BR>the move towards a border pass along =
Highway 45=20
to the south of Mongton.<BR>The Shan Herald reported that large numbers =
of=20
civilian porters and all<BR>available trucks in the town had been =
requisitioned=20
to move troops and<BR>supplies southwards from an army base located at =
army=20
district headquarters<BR>in Monghsat on September 10.<BR><BR>Two days =
later,=20
troops were reported near the villages on Poong Pakhem and<BR>Nakawng Mu =
in the=20
border area. A S.H.A.N. source said that as many as =
600<BR>soldiers from=20
battalions 65, 225, 333, 519 and 49 were involved in =
the<BR>operation. The=20
Shan States Army's 727th Brigade, commanded by Maj.<BR>Ternkhurh, has =
been=20
active in Mongton Township and is reported to have a<BR>Burmese army =
mountain=20
stronghold under siege in the border=20
area.<BR><BR>************************************************************=
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