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BurmaNet News: October 13, 2000
- Subject: BurmaNet News: October 13, 2000
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 12:11:00
______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
An on-line newspaper covering Burma
_________October 13, 2000 Issue # 1639__________
INSIDE BURMA _______
*AFP: Myanmar opposition leaders confined to homes "for time being":
junta
*AP: Day after U.N. envoy leaves, Myanmar blasts Suu Kyi's party
*AFP: Myanmar stepping up landmine production: researchers
*AFP: ILO mission to visit Myanmar over forced labour
*KNU: Forced Labor in Karen State
*Muslim Information Centre of Burma: Burmese junta sends prisoners as
porters to the front lines in Karen state of Burma
*Arakan Rohingya National Organisation Newsletter: Forced labor in
Arakan
*SPDC: Thaphanseik Multipurpose Dam and other Irrigation in Sagaing
Division Projects Underway
REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*Agence Europe: EU Extends Common Position on Burma and calls on Burmese
Government to Initiate Dialogue
*BBC: UN condemns Briton's detention in Burma
*AP: U.S.: India, China should curb drug precursors going to Myanmar
*AFP: ASEAN vows to boost image but stays quiet on Myanmar
*AFP: Liechtenstein imposes sanctions on Afghanistan, Myanmar
The BurmaNet News is viewable online at:
http://theburmanetnews.editthispage.com
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
AFP: Myanmar opposition leaders confined to homes "for time being":
junta
YANGON, Oct 13 (AFP) - Leaders of the opposition National League for
Democracy (NLD) party remain under de facto house arrest in the capital,
Myanmar's ruling junta said Friday, the day after a UN mediation mission
ended.
"The NLD central executive committee members are being requested to
stay with their families at their respective residences for the time
being," a junta spokesman told AFP.
"But if necessary, for social and health reasons they can and are going
out to fulfil their requirements," the spokesman said.
NLD deputy leader Tin Oo, who was taken to Ye Mon prison north of the
capital, remains at "one of the government guest houses," the spokesman
also said.
NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the other members of the party's
central executive committee were placed under de facto house arrest on
September 22.
The restrictions were imposed after the Nobel Peace Prize laureate
attempted to travel by train to the northern town of Mandalay in
defiance in the junta's ban to travel outside the capital.
More than 100 party supporters who had gathered at the railway station
were also rounded up and taken to Yangon's Insein prison.
UN special envoy Razali Ismail left Yangon Thursday after a four-day
visit aimed at breaking the deadlock between the ruling junta and the
NLD.
In a meeting with Razali, Aung San Suu Kyi stressed the need to create
a climate conducive to meaningful dialogue, an apparent reference to the
need to lift the restrictions against the NLD.
Meanwhile the NLD has been issued with an eviction order by the
landlady of their party headquarters in the capital. The NLD has until
October 25 to vacate the premises, a party source told AFP.
The landlady, Daw Nu, said the NLD's presence had caused a lot of
inconvenience to the general public.
She stressed that it was a family decision taken "without any outside
threat or coercion."
The NLD won a landslide victory in 1990 elections which were
subsequently annulled by the junta.
____________________________________________________
AP: Day after U.N. envoy leaves, Myanmar blasts Suu Kyi's party
Oct 13, 2000
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ Myanmar's pro-junta newspapers Friday accused
U.S. and British diplomats of encouraging opposition leaders to complain
to a visiting U.N. envoy about the government.
Razali Ismail, the special U.N. envoy, left Myanmar Thursday after a
four-day visit aimed at ending the political deadlock between the
military government and the pro-democracy opposition party of Aung San
Suu Kyi.
Before Razali's arrival, British and American diplomats visited the
National League for Democracy headquarters several times and told NLD
members to complain about government repression, the Myanmar-language
Myanmar Alin newspaper said.
The embassies did not immediately respond to the accusations. Calls
made from Bangkok, Thailand, to the embassies went unanswered.
The Myanmar Alin article said the diplomats told the NLD members that
``they would try diplomatic means to call for international pressure and
to expel Myanmar from the United Nations'' and the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations.
The NLD _ even without outside urging _ has frequently complained about
the government, which has imposed severe security restrictions on Suu
Kyi and other top party members. Suu Kyi has been under virtual house
arrest since Sept. 22 when she tried to travel outside Yangon for party
work.
Razali met with Suu Kyi at her house twice, and also held talks with
government leaders.
At the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday, deputy
spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva said Suu Kyi appeared to be in good
health when she met with the Razali.
Razali ``underlined the necessity for national reconciliation'' and
urged both the government and Suu Kyi to start a political dialogue ``as
soon as possible,'' Almeida e Silva said.
The government has said in the past that it would talk to the NLD but
not with Suu Kyi. It also refuses to hand over power to the NLD, which
overwhelmingly won the 1990 elections. The government has blocked Suu
Kyi every time she has tried to leave Yangon, and put her under formal
house arrest from 1989 to 1995.
``As the British and American governments are threatening Myanmar under
the pretext of democracy, their diplomats in Myanmar are personally
getting involved in the affairs of the NLD by giving suggestions and
instructions to the NLD party,'' the Myanmar Alin said.
Another commentary in Myanmar-language Kyemon daily also accused the
diplomats of the two countries of sending fabricated information to
foreign broadcasters like the BBC and Voice of America.
It also accused them of planning and supervising Suu Kyi's failed
attempts to go to the countryside.
The government had been ``very tolerant'' in dealing with Suu Kyi and
her followers and the interference by some ``dishonorable'' diplomats,
it said.
``In other countries, such interference by diplomats will not be
tolerated and will be strongly protested,'' the newspaper said.
____________________________________________________
AFP: Myanmar stepping up landmine production: researchers
BANGKOK, Oct 12 (AFP) - Myanmar's armed forces and at least 10 ethnic
armed groups fighting the ruling junta are still producing and using
landmines bucking the global trend, researchers said.
Since 1998 the Yangon military regime has increased its production of
mines, Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan of the non-governmental organisation
Landmine Monitor told reporters late Wednesday.
In the past two years most other mine-producing countries have either
kept production constant or slashed output, he said.
"Myanmar is one of the countries which has actually acquired more
mine-making technology," he said, adding most of the technology was
bought from China.
The state Myanmar Defense Product Industries produces at least two
types of anti-personnel mines -- the MM1 and the designed-to-kill MM2 --
but is suspected of making three other types, Moser-Puangsuwan said.
Mines made in China, Israel, Italy, Russia and the United States have
also been found in the country, he added.
Some 1,500 civilians and combatants were either killed or injured as
a result of mine blasts in Myanmar in 1999 -- the third highest number
of mine victims in any one country in the world, Moser-Puangsuwan said.
Ten out of Myanmar's 14 states are mined including virtually the
whole of the 2,000-kilometer (1,240-mile) long border with Thailand.
Government soldiers have used villagers as "human minesweepers," forcing
them to walk in front of soldiers in areas suspected of "mine
pollution," he said citing reports from Karen and Shan states in late
1999 and early this year.
"There is no other country on the planet where this type of practice
exists," the landmine researcher said.
Additionally, the military has planted mines in rural areas "as part
of its counter-insurgency operations to forcibly relocate villagers out
of their villages," he added.
At least 10 ethnic armed groups, such as the Karen National
Liberation Army, are also producing mines, "mainly crude glass bottle
fragmentation mines," he said.
The groups mostly use the mines for perimeter defences but they have
also been used in territorial disputes with rival militia.
Myanmar is not among the 139 states which have signed the 1997 Ottawa
Convention committing states to ban the production, use and transfer of
anti-personnel mines.
India, Pakistan, the United States, China and Russia -- three of the
five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- have
also not signed the treaty.
Within Southeast Asia, Laos, Vietnam and Singapore -- one of the
world's largest producers of landmines -- are not signatories.
____________________________________________________
AFP: ILO mission to visit Myanmar over forced labour
GENEVA, Oct 12 (AFP) - Experts from the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) will go to Myanmar next week to check progress on
measures to halt forced labour, sources at the Geneva-based organisation
said here Thursday.
The ILO has given the military junta until the end of November to
implement action on stamping out forced labour or face a review of
relations with the body's 175 member states plus other member
organisations.
An ILO commission of inquiry reported in 1998 widespread use of forced
labour taking place in Myanmar, basing its findings on hundreds of
witness statements.
After an earlier ILO mission to the country in May, which warned
against use of forced labour by the military, Myanmar's Labour Minister
General Tin Ngwe wrote to the ILO promising to carry out the necessary
reforms for halting forced labour.
In an unprecedented step, the ILO voted in its full plenary session in
June to call for sanctions against Myanmar's military regime if
conditions had not improved by November 30.
The resolution was approved despite opposition from other Asian
nations, notably Malaysia.
____________________________________________________
KNU: Forced Labor in Karen State
KNU Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department
28 September 2000
On September 20, 2000, Burma army's IB 280 Battalion Commander Khin
Maung Aye forced the villagers from Kleh Mu Htee area (northern Palaw
township and southern Theyetcahung township) to build a new military
base and a car road. The villagers have to bring along their own tools
and food.
Burma army launched a massive relocation on Karen villages in Palaw and
Theyetchaung Township in1997. Some villages forced to move to a distance
designated area where Burma army controlled and some villages have to
group up in the middle of the village. Those villagers are facing
constant abuses such as; force to work on military plantation, car road
construction, and bridge construction, portering conducted by the Burma
army. They faced many forms of extortion such as porter fees, military
fund, development funds, sentry fees, feeding the army and so on. Burma
army has executed many villagers in this area by accusing them of have
contact with the resistance group.
____________________________________________________
Muslim Information Centre of Burma: Burmese junta sends prisoners as
porters to the front lines in Karen state of Burma
October, 9, 2000.
On August, 20, 2000, the ruling SPDC authorities sent 250 prisoners as
porters to the front lines of Karen state. The prisoners were from Yin
Kyin porter-recruiting camps in Apong township, Mon state of Burma.
According to a Mon prisoner-porter, some of the porters were distributed
to brigade No.66 in Bilin township and some were to Brigade No. 44 in
Pa-an township through Major Zaw Tun of Battalion No
____________________________________________________
Arakan Rohingya National Organisation Newsletter: Forced labor in
Arakan
Volume: 2, Issue-8
Aug/Sep 2000
A LABOURER KILLED BY MILITARY
On 16 August 2000, about 320 Rohingyas were seized to provide forced
labour at the army battalion No. 264, under NaSaKa area No. 9. The
battalion was established near the village of Khinsama Palaydaung, 3
miles north of Buthidaung. One of the forced labourers named Moktul
Hussain son of Ali Akbar, 47, of the same village of Khinsama Palaydaung
felt sick with high fever as a result of hard work. While he was taking
rest under a tree an armed guard came and struck at his neck with a
stick. As a result, the victim felt unconscious with his arteries cut
off and died on the way to Buthidaung General Hospital. But without
formal examination the doctor of the hospital, under the influence of
the administration, declared that the victim was died of malaria.
MILITARY BUSINESS
The officers of the armed forces are establishing various business
projects in Arakan for their own monetary interest, such as
brick-fields, rice farms, paddy, fishponds and poultry farms. The local
people have to provide forced labour, required lands, seeds, and
firewood for brick-fields. Almost all the farmlands belonging to
Rohingyas around the army camps have been confiscated. In addition, the
Rohingya villagers are forced to provide the military cash money and
fowls for the poultry farms. Recently, Military intelligence No. 18 had
ordered the entire Rohingya villages in NaSaKa Area No. 9 of Buthidaung
township to supply them 20 hens and 5 cocks per village ward and
established a large poultry farm at Taung Bazaar, 12 miles north of
Buthidaung town. The poultry farm has been maintained entirely with the
forced labour and so-called monetary contribution of the local
Rohingyas.
ERECTION OF LABOUR NOTICE-BOARD
On July 16, 2000, the authorities called a meeting at the Maungdaw
township PDC office. It was attended by all village PDC chairmen and
secretaries of Maungdaw township. The authorities discussed with them
about the forced labour and portering situation in Arakan. The
authorities forced the participants signed a written document stating
that forced labour and portering are not extracted from the Muslims and
that Muslims are paid due wages for the labour they have provided.
The following day, that is on 7/7/200, when the authorities again asked
the villagers for forced labour, the villagers did not comply with the
order whereupon, all the village chairmen and secretaries under Maungdaw
township, were called to Maungdaw PDC office and were mercilessly
beaten. The authorities asked them, " why did not you all flee to
Bangladesh although we forced you many times to do so?" This is why we
beat you all`. On that day a big notice board was erected in front of
the Maungdaw PDC office by township PDC officer Capt. Hla Pu. It has
been stated on the board that,
i .All the rural & urban Muslims inhabitants are not bound to provide
forced labour and portering.
ii. Due wages would be paid to anyone who provide labour.
The ILO Convention, last May 2000, condemned the Burmese military junta
for practising slave labour throughout Burma. But the junta promptly
denied accusations. The SPDC had agreed to accept a visit to Burma by a
delegation from ILO to examine the forced labour situation in the
country. The decision was taken particularly in the face of the growing
fear that Burma would be expelled from the ILO in its ensuing conference
in November 2000. The erection of this notice board is just to divert
the mind of the NGOs who are critical of Burma Human Rights records.
____________________________________________________
SPDC: Thaphanseik Multipurpose Dam and other Irrigation in Sagaing
Division Projects Underway
MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE
YANGON
Information Sheet
N0. B-1568 (I) 12th October, 2000
Thaphanseik Multi-purpose Dam is being built on Mu River, and its main
structure stretches over four miles. It is intended to feed Kindat
Diversion Dam nine miles downstream along the riverine route in order to
irrigate 150,000 acres. In addition, it can irrigate Kabo Dam's 350,000
acres, and Kindat Diversion Dam's right canal will irrigate over 10,400
acres through Budalin canal and 14,800 acres through Ayadaw canal. The
entire irrigated acreage will be 520,000 on which double cropping and
mixed cropping can be conducted. The storage capacity of the biggest dam
in Myanmar is 2.88 million acre-feet, and the hydroelectric power
station will supply 117.2 million kwh the whole year. At present, the
Irrigation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and
Myanma Electric Power Enterprise of the Ministry of Energy, and Myanmar
engineers are working day and night for completion of the structure to
dam Mu River entirely. The main embankment of the dam is 7,700 feet long
and 78 feet high, and can store 40,400 acre-feet. It will irrigate 5,000
acres and supply drinking water to nearby places. The three river-water
pumping stations at Tatywa on Ayeyawady River are now irrigating over
5,000 acres in Wetlet Township and over 10,000 acres in Sagaing Township
to cultivate monsoon and summer paddy, pre-monsoon sesamum and
long-staple cotton, and pedisein.
___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
Agence Europe: EU Extends Common Position on Burma and calls on Burmese
Government to Initiate Dialogue
Brussels, 10/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The General Affairs Council
extended until April 2001 its "common position" on Burma, adopted in
1996 and amended on 26 April this year. The common position imposes an
embargo on exports that may be used for repression, refuses visas for a
list of junta officials and freezes funds held by these Burmese
officials abroad. While strengthening sanctions, the changes made in the
spring to the common position opened the possibility for Burma's
participation in the EU/ASEAN ministerial meeting to be held in December
in Laos. Nonetheless, following the further house arrest of the Burmese
opposition leader, the EU does not rule out the fact that the
ministerial meeting may be brought into question, European Commissioner
Pascal Lamy said recently (see EUROPE of 7 October, p.6).
After the cancellation of the visit by a European Troika to Rangoon (see
EUROPE of 7 October, p.6), the French Council Presidency encouraged the
Burmese authorities to engage in constructive dialogue with the UN
special envoy in Burma, in a declaration issued on behalf of the EU:
"The European Union gave a very favourable reception to the appointment
last April of Tan Sri Razali Ismail as the UN Secretary-General's
Special Envoy for Burma. It fully supports the efforts deployed by Mr
Razali, who has already made first visit to Rangoon (in June and July),
in favour of the initiation of a dialogue between the Burmese
authorities and the democratic opposition, as well as the national
minorities. The European Union calls on the Burmese Government to engage
in a constructive dialogue with the UN Secretary-General's Special
Envoy, who will shortly be visiting Rangoon, and to take advantage of
his good offices so that Burma can move further along the road to
democratisation and national reconciliation. To that end, it is
important that Mr Razali be able to meet all parties involved, including
the democratic opposition. The Central and Eastern European countries
associated with the European Union, the associated countries Cyprus,
Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries members of the European
Economic Area, align themselves with this declaration".
____________________________________________________
BBC: UN condemns Briton's detention in Burma
BBC, Tuesday, 10 October, 2000, 21:45 GMT 22:45
The United Nations has ruled that a British human rights campaigner is
being held unlawfully in jail in Burma.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said that James Mawdsley was
being held arbitrarily and it asked the Burmese military rulers to
remedy the situation.
The ruling was welcomed by the British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook.
He said that it was clearer than ever that there was no justification
for the detention of Mr Mawdsley.
Mr Cook also said that the Burmese regime had to realise that it could
not continue to ignore human rights and flout international opinion.
Mr Mawdsley is serving a seventeen year jail sentence for handing out
pro-democracy leaflets.
Last month, the Burmese ambassador to Britain was summoned by the
Foreign Office over reports that Mr Mawdsley was beaten in jail.
____________________________________________________
AP: U.S.: India, China should curb drug precursors going to Myanmar
Oct 13, 2000
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ India and China should do more to prevent
smuggling of chemicals being used in Myanmar to make synthetic drugs
that are a rage in the region, a U.S. official said Friday.
The chemicals are pouring into Myanmar from India and China, and to
some extent Thailand, to be used in laboratories for producing heroin
and amphetamine drugs, James Callahan, a top anti-narcotics official in
the U.S. State Department, said.
Amphetamines have replaced heroin as the new scourge of Southeast Asia,
where millions of people, mostly youngsters, have become addicted to the
stimulants.
The drugs are largely produced in Myanmar's border areas by former
warlords who have signed cease-fire agreements with the Myanmar
government and enjoy virtual autonomy in their regions.
Myanmar says it does not have the manpower or resources to patrol its
borders to prevent the chemicals, known as precursors, from coming into
the country and that its neighbors also have a responsibility to stop
the smuggling of precursors.
Callahan said Myanmar has a point.
China and India must ``attempt to do more in regard to border control
on their side of the border,'' Callahan told reporters after the closing
of a three-day U.N. sponsored drug conference he attended.
The precursors are legitimate industrial and medical chemicals, for
example ephedrine, which is used to make cold medicines.
Callahan said China and India have strong legislation to prevent the
diversion of the chemicals, but noted that they have been unable to
enforce the laws properly.
India in particular faces assorted insurgencies in its northeastern
border with Myanmar, also known as Burma.
``In fact the border areas for both India and China with Burma are
areas in which government control is not always as strong as it might be
in the capitals,'' Callahan said.
``There is definitely a problem of precursors coming in,'' said
Callahan, the director for Asia, Africa and Europe in the Bureau for
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.
Before coming to Bangkok for the drug conference, Callahan traveled to
Myanmar where he met with officials of the United Wa State Army, a
former rebel group that is believed to be the biggest amphetamine
producer.
Callahan said Wa officials denied they were involved in the drug
business, an assertion he rejected.
He said that by giving the Wa a virtual free hand, the Myanmar
government has not shown a real seriousness in fighting the drug
problem. By signing cease-fires with the rebels, they have effectively
created ``safe havens'' for drug lords, he said.
Also, known drug traffickers are moving freely in Myanmar and are
laundering their drug money by setting up legitimate businesses without
fear of law, he said.
____________________________________________________
AFP: ASEAN vows to boost image but stays quiet on Myanmar
HANOI, Oct 13 (AFP) - Information ministers from the Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) vowed Friday to boost the group's image
but declined to address the biggest international criticism levelled
against it -- its inaction over Myanmar.
In two days of talks here, the ASEAN ministers agreed "an immediate
programme of action" was essential to "address the current image
problem," a final statement said.
"Ministers strongly recommended that in view of current perceptions
about ASEAN and their effects on its image and work, ASEAN should plan
and formulate strategies ... to advance and reinforce a positive
international profile," it said.
ASEAN chief Rodolfo Severino complained that much of the international
criticism levelled against the group stemmed from a misunderstanding
about its nature and purpose.
"What was addressed at the meeting was certain misconceptions around
the world about the nature of ASEAN and what it is supposed to be and
not supposed to be," he said.
ASEAN has a policy of not interfering in the internal affairs of member
nations, which has consistently rankled the European Union and
Washington.
Despite mounting Western criticism of the military junta in Myanmar and
support from some of its members including Malaysia and Thailand for
outside mediation from the United Nations, ASEAN has so far resisted
pressure to intervene.
Current holder of the revolving ASEAN chairmanship Vietnam, has along
with other members steadfastly opposed proposals to send a troika of
foreign ministers to Yangon.
Severino insisted that the issue of intervention in Myanmar was outside
the information ministers' remit.
"The ASEAN troika, as you know, is an instrumentality of the foreign
ministers and and I think any question of the troika will have to be
addressed by them," he said.
The ASEAN chief insisted there were other areas where the grouping had
failed to get its message across and where more effective public
relations could improve its image.
He cited as an example the massive forest fires which have raged across
the region, most notably in 1997, and the effective measures ASEAN had
taken to counter them.
"The problem received a great deal of the attention but the measures to
resolve them did not receive any."
Severino said the same had been true of ASEAN's efforts to forge
greater regional economic integration.
"ASEAN has made excellent progress in integrating their economies but,
because of the failure to project this ... attention has been focussed
on the problems.
"All projects like this encounter problems," he said.
The ASEAN chief acknowledged that ministers had been able to take few
concrete steps in their bid to boost the grouping's image but blamed
cash constraints stemming from the regional financial crisis of 1997-8.
Ministers agreed to defer a proposed ASEAN satellite TV channel
indefinitely after complaints from some members about the costs.
"It's not been cancelled altogether," Severino said. But "resources are
by their nature limited."
Instead ASEAN will seek to strengthen the existing exchange of
programming between member states as well as boosting the airtime it
receives for its work.
____________________________________________________
AFP: Liechtenstein imposes sanctions on Afghanistan, Myanmar
BERN, Oct 12 (AFP) - The tiny European principality of Liechtenstein has
decided to slap sanctions on Myanmar and Afghanistan, moving in line
with the European Union (EU) and United Nations, a government official
in the capital Vaduz said on Thursday.
The Principality said it will stop supplying the military regime in
Rangoon with any equipment that could be used for internal repression or
terrorism.
Similar sanctions were introduced by the EU in April.
Liechtenstein, an Alpine tax haven wedged in a valley between Austria
and Switzerland, also intends freezing money in bank accounts owned by
members of the Myanmar junta, the source said.
Vaduz will follow the UN's lead and introduce sanctions against the
Taliban -- who control most of Afghanistan -- similar to those adopted
by the Security Council in 1999.
The sanctions will involve freezing of assets held by the Taliban.
Switzerland adopted similar measures against Myanmar and Afghanistan at
the beginning of October.
In August Liechtenstein introduced a law which, when it comes into
effect early next year, will abolish the opening of anonymous bank
accounts
____________________________________________________
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