BurmaNet News: February 8, 2001

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______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
        An on-line newspaper covering Burma 
         February 8, 2001   Issue # 1730
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________

INSIDE BURMA _______
*Reuters: Myanmar Muslim rebels say hundreds dead in clashes
*BurmaNet: Unusual troop activity in Karen, Shan States amidst coup 
rumors
*DVB: Burma: Special branch said deployed for security tasks in Rangoon, 
Mandalay 
*Xinhua: Myanmar Not Worries About Population Growth: Newspaper
*Xinhua: Myanmar Leader Stresses Need to Bring Out Brilliant 
Intellectuals 
*ARNO/NUPA: Arakanese Rohingya Secret killings

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*DVB : Thailand interrogates Burmese soldiers; Burma said massing troops 
near border
*AP: Myanmar sailor charged with killing shipmate 
*Irrawaddy: Burmese Wary of NCGUB Optimism
*Reuters: Samurai delays could hinder Japan's ODA to China

ECONOMY/BUSINESS _______
*FEER: Desperate for Aid
*FEER: Business Behind Malaysian Altruism
*The Star (Malaysia): AHE Ceilings in deal with Myanmar 

OPINION/EDITORIALS_______
*Manager [Thailand]: [Editorial criticizing Soros]

OTHER______
*PD Burma: Calendar of events with regard to Burma as of Feb. 7, 2001


__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________



Reuters: Myanmar Muslim rebels say hundreds dead in clashes

DHAKA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - A Muslim rebel group from Myanmar said on 
Thursday some 450 people were killed and more than 1,500 wounded in 
ethnic violence in western Myanmar.   

Myanmar government troops were called in to restore order following 
clashes between Muslims, known in the region as Rohingyas, and 
Buddhists, known as Rakhaines, the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation 
(ARNO) said in a statement.   ``At least 450 Rohingyas were killed and 
more than 1,500 were seriously injured when the Rakhaines posing as 
monks attacked six villages near Akyab town on February 4,'' said the 
release, faxed to Reuters in Dhaka on Thursday.   

There was no independent confirmation of the rebel group's report.   A 
Myanmar government spokesman said on Tuesday a curfew had been imposed 
in the western town of Sittwe because of disturbances between Muslims 
and Buddhists after ``a quarrel.''   The spokesman said the situation 
had returned to normal.   The ARNO said the killing and arson in Muslim 
villages continued until Tuesday when Myanmar army soldiers dispersed 
the attackers and restored control.   

Thousands of families were homeless after their homes were set ablaze 
and hundreds of Muslim people, including women and children were 
missing, the group said.   The ARNO is seeking autonomy for Muslims in 
Arakan state, also known as Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh. The 
majority of people in Myanmar are Buddhist.   Bangladeshi officials said 
on Thursday they could not confirm the report of violence but if it were 
true, they feared an influx of Muslim refugees into their country.   
They said there had been no fresh movement of refugees into Bangladesh 
in recent days.   Bangladesh has been home to nearly 21,000 Rohingya 
refugees from Myanmar for a decade.  

 They are the remnants of more than 250,000 Rohingyas who fled into 
Bangladesh in 1991-92 to escape alleged Myanmar military persecution, 
including killings and rape.   Myanmar's military government denies 
persecuting its Muslim minority.   Most of the refugees have returned to 
Myanmar under the supervision of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees 
but some 21,000 are still huddled in two refuge camps near Cox's Bazar 
in southeastern Bangladesh.   

The ANRO said the violence was the result of a government campaign to 
get rid of Muslims in Myanmar, also know as Burma.   ``The Burmese 
government is systematically trying to exterminate the Muslims by large 
scale persecution and gross human rights violations,'' the news release 
said. 





___________________________________________________



BurmaNet: Unusual troop activity in Karen, Shan States amidst coup 
rumors

Feb. 8, 2001

News reports and subsequent regime denials of coup rumors at the 
beginning of this month (see e.g. AFP: Myanmar dismisses coup plot 
rumour, Feb. 4, 2001) may have reflected something more than gossip in 
the exile community.  Sources who recently traveled in the Karen State 
report that Burmese units there ceased normal patrolling activities 
between approximately January 28-February 4 and remained stationary in 
their bases.  Burmese military units normally stage aggressive 
patrolling to disrupt the activities of the Karen National Union forces. 
 BurmaNet has similar, although second-hand reports of troops standing 
down in the Shan State during the same period.

If the reports of a cessation in normal troop movements are accurate, a 
number of possible explanations exist including pure coincidence.  If 
there is a connection to the coup rumors, the causal link is unclear.  
It is possible that unusual troop activities sparked rumors of a coup 
but it is also plausible that rumors in the exile community of a coup 
caused anxiety amongst military commanders.


___________________________________________________



DVB: Burma: Special branch said deployed for security tasks in Rangoon, 
Mandalay 

6 February

The SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] military government has 
urgently called on Police Special Branch [SB] personnel from Rangoon and 
Mandalay for special security purposes. A 17-strong Mandalay SB police 
were called on 11 January and attached to Rangoon SB police for joint 
operations. A directive was also issued summoning all SB personnel from 
Narswe, Muse, Kyuhkok, and other detachments under Mandalay SB Unit-19 
to report to Mandalay SB Office by 31 January.

The SB circle was surprised why the Ministry of Defence which has 
Military Intelligence Units in the army, navy, and air force has turned 
to the SB under the Ministry of Home Affairs to give emergency special 
security tasks. After the SB personnel were given emergency security 
tasks in Rangoon and Mandalay, rumours began to appear about a coup 
because of a rift among the generals.
This report was filed by DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] correspondent 
Sai Tin Aye.



___________________________________________________



Xinhua: Myanmar Not Worries About Population Growth: Newspaper

YANGON, February 8 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar is not worrying about the 
country's population growth up to 100 million in the future from 51 
million now, a figure which can put Myanmar on the list of big nations, 
said Thursday's official newspaper The New Light of Myanmar. The 
newspaper reasoned in an article that the area of Myanmar is very large 
with vast expanses of vacant land, saying that there still remain large 
areas where towns and cities can be established and where lands can be 
reclaimed and turned into fields for production of food. 

The newspaper stressed the importance of striking a balance between 
agricultural and industrial workers. It pointed out that the 
contribution of Myanmar's agricultural sector towards the economic 
sector is 57.6 percent, greater than those of other sectors, in which 
industrial sector takes 11.4 percent and service sector 31 percent. The 
newspaper disclosed that arrangements are being made to mobilize 
internal forces in 18 industrial zones, saying that the nation will be 
making progress in all sectors in the next decade with the lift-off 
momentum. Myanmar has 18.22 million hectares of cultivable land, of 
which only 9.31 million hectares have been utilized with 8.91 million 
hectares remaining reclaimed.


___________________________________________________



ARNO/NUPA: Arakanese Rohingya Secret killings

Feb. 7, 2001


On 4-5-6 February 2001 (starting from last Sunday),
in Akyab district of Arakan (the western part of
Burma), an estimate of 150 to 180 Rohingya Muslim
killed, more than 500 seriously injured, 200 missing
including women, children and thousands left homeless
in a planned way secret killings and setting fire the
Rohingya Muslims area of MolviPara, Nazir para, Amla
para , Rohingya para, Sakki Bazaar para and  Kawshy
Para near the township of Akyab. According to  sources
contacted over phone from Rangoon, Akyab and bordering
town of Teknaf (Bangladesh) that a group of Burmese
Army in the guise of Buddhist Monks have firstly come
to Moley Para, the Muslim majority area and started up
in fighting with the local Rohingya residents. Soon
after starting provoked quarrel they have started set
fire the area at lane No.904 and 763 of Nazir pare and
onwards in a planned way. At another stage, before the
incident taken place, all tele-communication
facilities from that Muslims area have been cut off.
As many as 600 houses including 4 boarding were burned
down.

 Finally the Military came to the area and surrounded
with tight control. Still the panic-stricken Rohingyas
are yet to be rescued by the law enforcing agencies of
Burmese regime.


It is not a secret to the world of the Burmese
government's brutality toward the Rohingya Muslims
that assumed the dimension of the world human rights
and ha s effected peace and stability I the region.
And resulted hundreds of thousands of refugee influx
in Bangladesh in many phase of times. Such kind act is
continuously witnessed in Arakan where the Burmese
government is systematically trying to exterminate the
Muslims and subjecting large-scale persecution, ethnic
cleansing and gross human rights violation.


The international community, the world body, United
Nation Organization (U.N.O), amnesty and human rights
International organizations, particularly the
government of Bangladesh to study the matter
immediately and stop the genocidal design of Burmese
government to the unprotected helpless peoples of
Arakan so that recurrence of new influx of refugees
could not happened once again.


N. Shuja

Advisor to the President

A.R.N.O and N.U.P.A






___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
				


DVB : Thailand interrogates Burmese soldiers; Burma said massing troops 
near border

6 February

DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] has already reported yesterday that the 
Thai Border Patrol Police [BPP] arrested five Burmese soldiers who 
crossed over into Thailand on 4 February. DVB correspondent Htet Aung 
Kyaw filed this follow up report:

[Htet Aung Kyaw - recording] An opposition news source from the Bawdi 
border region told DVB that the five SPDC [State Peace and Development 
Council] soldiers who were arrested by the Thai Border Patrol Police 
were not searching for food due to lack of rations but were ordered to 
spy on the situation of the Thai forces. Company Commander Capt. Thein 
Myint Zaw from No 104 Battalion temporary stationed at Upper Pensidaing 
camp gave the orders for the five soldiers. They carried two G-3 
automatic rifles, two G-4 automatic rifles, and other assorted weapons 
and ammunitions. Their names are - Cpl. Maung Maung Oo, L/Cpl Win Myint, 
and Privates Aye Kyaw Lay, Tin Maung Soe, and Saw Po Naung.

A Thai military spokesperson, Col Somkiat, said the soldiers are still 
being interrogated and that he could not provide any details. He told 
DVB that he can confirm that the soldiers brought along some weapons. 
When DVB inquired whether the five soldiers will be sent back to the 
SPDC, he said as far as he can say they are still under interrogation. 
At the same time he said they are in contact with the responsible 
Burmese military officers from that region and doing their best. This 
matter can be resolved through the cooperation of border supervisory 
committees from both sides. According to latest reports received by DVB, 
the commander of Coastal Region Military Command [CRMC] has asked for a 
letter of explanation from the company commander in relation with the 
arrest of the five soldiers by Thai Police because of the commander's 
failure to report the matter to the CRMC. The CRMC came to know about 
the matter only when they were informed by the Army Commander-in-Chief 
's Office in Rangoon.

In another development at about 1600 [local time] today, a six-man SPDC 
section arrived at a Thai BPP post and demanded the release of their 
colleagues but the Thais did not release them. They went back 
disgruntled. At the same time, the SPDC began reinforcing its troops and 
a company from Light Infantry Battalion No 403 arrived as 
reinforcements. It is also learned that more troops are on their way to 
reinforce troops already stationed in the Bawdi region.


___________________________________________________



Xinhua: Myanmar Leader Stresses Need to Bring Out Brilliant 
Intellectuals 

YANGON, February 8 

(Xinhua) - Myanmar leader Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt has stressed the 
need to bring out brilliant intellectuals and intelligentsia in the 
country for national development, according to The New Light of Myanmar 
Thursday. "Bringing out of brilliant intellectuals and intelligentsia, 
who will lead the future nation, is the main requirement for national 
development," said Khin Nyunt, First Secretary of the Myanmar State 
Peace and Development Council. Speaking at the opening of a multi-media 
teaching center Wednesday, he also noted that emergence of multi-media 
teaching centers has led to gradual realization of the goal of narrowing 
the rural-urban education gap.

He added in the centers the government has laid down a four- year 
education promotion program beginning 2000 and is systematically 
implementing it phase by phase to enable students to be outstanding and 
to get access to international-level education. In accordance with the 
education promotion program, 203 centers have been opened in states and 
divisions, and the country plans to introduce them to every township 
this year. 

Statistics show that Myanmar has seen a more than 10 percent increase in 
the number of schools in basic education during the past 10 years, and 
the number of pupils has risen to more than 6.8 million with about 
220,000 teachers. Also there are 123 universities and degree colleges 
with a student population topping 530,000 in the country. 



___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________



AP: Myanmar sailor charged with killing shipmate 

Feb. 8, 2001

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) _ A sailor from Myanmar was charged in court 
Thursday with the murder of his shipmate during a night of drinking in 
Kuching, eastern Malaysia, the national news agency Bernama reported.   
Hla Toe, 32, is alleged to have caused the death of Saw Bernard Low, 43, 
in a fight last month that stemmed from a misunderstanding over a taxi 
fare. If convicted, he could be hanged.   Magistrate Mahazan Mat Taib 
ordered Hla Toe to appear again March 8 for the case to be transferred 
to a higher court for trial.   (b-pm) 
2001-02-08 Thu 03:40 

___________________________________________________



Irrawaddy: Burmese Wary of NCGUB Optimism

Vol 9. No. 1, January 2001


Thein Oo, a minister in the Burmese government in exile, has come under 
criticism from exiles, ethnic groups and ordinary Burmese for recent 
remarks concerning the on-going political dialogue in Burma.  

In an interview with Radio Australia, Thein Oo, the Justice Minister of 
the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), claimed 
that a power-sharing arrangement between the ruling military junta and 
the democratic opposition in Burma could be just weeks away.  

"Opposition politicians are weighing up whether to grant amnesty to 
Burmese [military] leaders," he said in the interview, adding that he 
believed power sharing between the military and the National League for 
Democracy (NLD) could be close at hand. 

Last month, Razali Ismail, the United Nations' special envoy to Burma, 
confirmed that talks between the NLD and the ruling State Peace and 
Development Council (SPDC) had been taking place since last October. 
More recently, a visiting European delegation expressed optimism over 
the progress of negotiations between the two sides. 

"I would like to wait another couple of weeks," said Thein Oo, an NLD MP 
who fled to Thailand after the junta refused to recognize the results of 
general elections held in 1990. "If the military regime is sincere, at 
that time, I think they will have some agreements, some concrete 
agreements." 

But the minister's over-optimism has raised eyebrows among exiles and 
observers inside Burma. Some veteran analysts in Rangoon rejected Thein 
Oo's comments, calling them premature. 
In a subsequent interview with the Burmese-language service of 
Washington-based Radio Free Asia (RFA), Thein Oo appeared to be unable 
to elaborate on the subject of power sharing. "I believe in Daw Aung San 
Suu Kyi," he said, after stumbling over questions pressing him for more 
details. 

In the same report, RFA also asked Padoe Saw Ba Thin, Chairman of the 
Karen National Union (KNU), whether he agreed with Thein Oo's earlier 
remarks. "It is too early to say anything about power sharing," replied 
the KNU leader, adding that he did not expect much to come from the 
on-going talks in Rangoon.  

The KNU leader also said that he hoped to see the establishment of a 
tripartite dialogue process, which would include ethnic minorities. But 
he said that so far, "The Rangoon government has not invited us to 
participate in any dialogue." 

Echoing Saw Ba Thin's sentiments, Col Yord Serk, leader of the Shan 
State Army-South (SSA), recently told a group of Thai reporters that it 
was too soon to say anything about the possible outcome of the 
discussions taking place in Rangoon. "Peace in Burma is still a long way 
off," the Shan colonel warned from his headquarters near the Thai-Burma 
border.  

Meanwhile, sources inside Burma have reported that many listeners to the 
RFA report responded to Thein Oo's comments with dismay. "He is overly 
optimistic," said one veteran journalist in Rangoon. "Even political 
amateurs are still taking a wait-and-see attitude at this stage."

 

___________________________________________________




Reuters: Samurai delays could hinder Japan's ODA to China

By Chikafumi Hodo 

[BurmaNet adds: The only Burma angle in this longish article is brief 
but significant?that among the reasons Japan is increasingly reluctant 
to provide foreign aid to China is the support China provides to the 
regime in Burma.]

 TOKYO, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Angered by a series of interest payment delays 
and defaults on prestigious Samurai bonds by troubled Chinese trust 
firms, Japan is considering cutting back its financial assistance to 
China, a government source said.   China has been trying to resolve the 
problems of the International Trust and Investment Corporations (ITICs), 
but the latest coupon payment delay by a trust based in the southeastern 
Chinese province of Fujian has frayed tempers in Japan.   ``We have told 
them on several occasions that we are disturbed by these financial 
problems. We have said in the past that these problems could affect our 
financial assistance in individual cases,'' the government source said.  
 

``We have made clear that further delays could affect Japan's ODA 
programme (to China) because that requires the full understanding of the 
Japanese public,'' said the source, who declined to be identified.   
Last Friday, Fujian ITIC (FITIC) narrowly avoided a default on its 
Samurai bond by making a delayed interest payment eight days after the 
original deadline for the coupon payment.   Payment delays by Chinese 
firms have become a familiar event following Hainan ITIC's (HITIC) 
humiliating default on 28.5 billion yen ($245.2 million) in Samurai 
bonds in October and Tianjin ITIC's (TITIC) coupon payment delay in late 
December.   ``If the financial problems do not show any sign of being 
resolved, then we must be more direct and say the ODA programme could be 
affected,'' he said.   

TO AID OR NOT TO AID 
 That may be no idle threat. 

 Late last year, a draft report by an advisory panel to Japan's Foreign 
Ministry urged the government to review its aid policy towards China, 
taking into consideration Tokyo's own growing national debt and concern 
over China's military buildup.   Japan's chequebook diplomacy has been 
its most powerful foreign policy tool in recent years, and China has 
received more than 2.0 trillion yen of Japanese aid in the past two 
decades.   A Foreign Ministry official dealing with ODA said it was 
premature to link the problems in the financial sector directly to 
Japan's aid policy to China.   However, he said he was aware of 
government concerns about unresolved issues between Japan and China in 
the private sector.   

``Japan's stance is clear. We'll provide ODA if it has the full support 
of Japanese citizens and will lead to benefits for our country,'' the 
official said.   He cited public anxiety about China's growing military 
power and its financial support for countries such as Myanmar.   
Analysts said Japan could indeed use its ODA programme as a lever to 
accelerate resolving the financial problems.   ``It's natural for Japan 
to press China hard, especially considering the fact that the Samurai 
bonds were publicly placed,'' said Mariko Watanabe, a research fellow at 
the Institute of Developing Economies.   

``Also, considering that China will soon join the World Trade 
Organisation (WTO), it obviously has to follow international 
standards,'' she said.   

GOOD NEIGHBOUR, BAD NEIGHBOUR 

 China is not unaware of the issue, but is keen as part of its market 
reforms to force financial institutions to take responsibility for their 
own balance sheets and regards the aid less as necessary funding and 
more as a goodwill gesture.   Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said during a 
visit to Tokyo last October that he would urge the Hainan provincial 
government to deal with its Samurai problem.   The Japanese government 
source said he was worried that there had been little sign of progress 
on the HITIC default, however.   

China's central bank chief, Dai Xianglong, said in January the country 
would press ahead with reforms this year by shutting down insolvent 
trusts before entry into the WTO.   The January coupon payment delay by 
FITIC came days later.   ``We cannot tolerate these delays,'' said a 
banker involved in Samurais. ``After the series of payment delays, we 
cannot trust China. Many individual investors are worried too.''




_______________ ECONOMY AND BUSINESS _______________
 


FEER: Desperate for Aid

An increasingly dire economic situation compels Rangoon to talk to the 
opposition 
By Bertil Lintner/CHIANG MAI

Fear Eastern Economic Review


FEER , Issue cover-dated February 15, 2001

 

DID TOUGH SANCTIONS imposed by the West prompt Burma's ruling junta 
recently to reopen talks with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi? Or 
was it the quiet diplomacy of Asean's "constructive engagement"? Both 
played a role, but there was clearly a third, and perhaps more 
important, factor: The deteriorating state of the economy.  

Burma is in desperate need of foreign aid, which was cut off in 1988 
when the army killed thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators in the 
streets of Rangoon and set up a military government that rules by 
decree. Although the government has not issued consolidated economic 
statistics for more than two years, data collated by Western embassies 
in Rangoon show that inflation remains high, fuel prices are rising and 
the value of the currency has fallen sharply. In late January the kyat 
stood at 430 to $1, down from 375 six months ago. 

Moreover, the government's system of using Foreign Exchange Certificates 
for local transactions in dollars has virtually collapsed. Officially, 
one FEC is the equivalent of $1, but on the blackmarket an FEC now 
fetches only 270 kyats. With the FEC losing its dollar parity, Burmese 
fear that the system will be abolished altogether. That would leave the 
government with only two choices: To exchange existing FECs for dollars 
or to demonetize FECs. 

Exchanging FECs for dollars is not feasible because "the government 
doesn't have any dollars with which to reimburse the FECs," says a 
Rangoon-based analyst. "The problem is that the government has taken 
people's dollars, exchanged them for FECs and then spent the dollars." 
A Western embassy in Rangoon estimates that $400 million-worth of FECs 
are in circulation. Burma's foreign-exchange reserves, however, stood at 
only $340 million in August, according to the International Monetary 
Fund. With the increase in world oil prices making fresh demands on 
reserves, they have probably fallen further. 

But the other option, demonetizing FECs, would bankrupt many local 
businesses, perhaps leading to social unrest as was the case in the late 
1980s, when several high-denomination kyat notes were made worthless 
overnight. The government could offer a compromise short of 
demonetization--for instance, by letting people cash their FECs for 100 
kyats or so. But people would then rush to change their kyats to 
dollars, causing the kyat to depreciate even further. 
The Burmese government has said that GDP growth for the year ending 
March 31, 2000, was 10.9% and inflation for the year ending March 31, 
2001 will be 3.59%. But the IMF and Western embassies disagree. For GDP, 
the real figure is probably between 2% and 5%, according to a report on 
Burma recently issued by a Western embassy, and inflation will be more 
in the order of 20%. 

RICE SHORTAGE

The report also criticizes the government for "massive economic 
mismanagement--particularly overspending on the military sector" while 
neglecting other areas. Public spending on health is estimated to be 
0.2% of GDP and on education 0.6% compared to an average 1.3% and 3.2% 
respectively in low-income countries, according to IMF figures. 

The only growth seems to be in the illicit trade in drugs, gemstones and 
timber. The embassy report estimates that the black economy now "is 
twice the size of the legal economy" and "accounts for the relative 
prosperity in the capital which takes many first-time visitors by 
surprise." In the countryside, however, the situation is desperate, the 
report says. For reasons that are unclear, the price of rice is falling. 
There also isn't enough rice for domestic consumption and export. 

In reaction, the government has decided to reclaim virgin wetlands for 
the cultivation of rice and other crops. "Rather than encouraging more 
intensive cultivation of existing cropped areas by addressing the causes 
of poor performance, the government has instead granted large tracts of 
land to 'local entrepreneurs' and is offering preferential conditions 
for production on these farms," notes Peter Warr of the Australian 
National University in Canberra, who follows the Burmese economy. This 
policy, he says, is economically wasteful and environmentally damaging. 

Overall, the embassy report concludes: "Many speculate that the regime's 
fear of losing control of rice--important symbolically as well as 
economically--is prompting its apparent willingness to start talking to 
Aung San Suu Kyi." Indeed, in private talks with foreign diplomats, the 
generals have asked what it would take to persuade the outside world to 
resume development aid to Burma. 


___________________________________________________




FEER: Business Behind Malaysian Altruism

Fear Eastern Economic Review

Issue cover-dated February 15, 2001

Malaysia's recent role in bringing Burma's ruling generals and 
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to the negotiating table may be as 
much about business as politics. A senior Thai official says Malaysia 
used oil giant Petronas as a "gateway" for opening the dialogue.      He 
indicated that a promise of investment was made in exchange for the 
appearance of progress in Burma on the political front. With the 
political uncertainty in Indonesia, Malaysia has a security interest in 
finding an alternative source of natural gas. Yetagun, a gas field in 
southern Burma, is still open for foreign exploitation after United 
States firm Atlantic Richfield pulled out in 1998. Malaysian Prime 
Minister Mahathir Mohamad spent a January "vacation" near Yetagun--there 
is no known resort or hotel in the area.      

With Burma's economy in the doldrums and U.S.-led economic sanctions 
still in place, the military junta has become desperate for new foreign 
investment and a fresh source of foreign-currency earnings. The Thai 
official, who is likely to join a new coalition government under 
formation, also claims Malaysia requested sole rights to distribute Thai 
goods in Burma.      He says Malaysia has won the rights to certain 
southern Burmese islands for use in trans-shipping goods to South Asian 
destinations. Most border trade between Thailand and Burma has been 
closed since late 2000 due to heightened bilateral tensions over the 
flood of methamphetamines from northern Burma into Thailand. 



___________________________________________________


The Star (Malaysia): AHE Ceilings in deal with Myanmar 


Feb. 7, 2001

By Jack Wong in Kuching 
MALAYSIAN plaster ceiling expert AHE Ceilings Sdn Bhd is stepping up 
talks with the Myanmar Housing Development Board for the transfer of its 
expertise in housing development to the board.  

According to AHE Ceilings managing director Andy Kho Kak Hee, 
negotiations with the board's top officials started nearly a year ago.  

"We are very keen to export our expertise, help to set up factories and 
train the manpower there in making and installing plaster ceiling,'' Kho 
told Star Business in Kuching yesterday.  

According to Kho, Myanmar, with a population of 40 million, offers great 
business opportunities for fibrous plaster ceilings, which AHE Ceilings 
pioneered in Sabah and Sarawak.  

AHE Ceilings subsidiary Umehiko (M) Sdn Bhd, a joint venture between Kho 
and UM Corp of Japan, distributes plaster ceiling products in Myanmar.  

AHE Ceilings was the sole Malaysian winner in the 27th international 
trophy for quality award hosted jointly by the Editorial Office 
publishers and Leaders Club in Paris in 1999. The Leaders Club is an 
organisation of employers from 120 countries.  

According to Kho, AHE Ceilings, which imports the main raw material 
gypsum powder from Thailand, is also eyeing Vietnam as a potential 
market for its products.  
"Plaster ceiling, which is now a must for new residential houses in 
Sarawak, is fire resistant and provides a cooling effect,'' he said.  

Kho said AHE Ceilings had recently secured the contract to install 
plaster ceiling for 87 more units of semi-detached and terraced houses 
in Tabuan Height, Kuching.  
He said the company had completed the installation of plaster ceiling 
for some 1,500 residential houses and would deliver 44 more units by 
next month in Tabuan Height.  



____________ OPINION/EDITORIALS ________________


Manager [Thailand]: [Editorial criticizing Soros]

Jan. 29, 2001

[BurmaNet adds?This is a summary translation of an editorial in Manager, 
a Thai language publication.  The translation is not verbatim.]

Manager editorial strongly criticizes GEORGE SOROS for allegedly  
profiteering from money speculation and laundering under the cloak of  
assistance funds, including the 'Burma' and 'Supplementary Grant Program 
 
Burma' funds, in collaboration with leaders of various countries in  
Europe and Asia at the expense of their people. Seen as SOROS' main  
allies are key members of the CHUAN Government concerned and Harvard  
economic graduates in the Bolivian, Polish, and Singaporean governments. 
 
 SOROS is also implicated in alleged arms supply to drug trafficking  
kingpin KHUN SA's armed forces and followers that invaded Bangkok and 
Ratchaburi from Singaporean, Israeli, Polish and Portuguese arms dealers 
 through their agents based in Singapore. In addition, the author  
implicates SOROS in money laundering in Burma by an American oil company 
 
presumably spared from legal action by the US Government unlike a Thai  
national arrested in the US on charges of illicit oil purchase from 
Iraq,  
noting that only some American citizens bother to sue Total and Unocal  
for violating US law governing purchase of Burmese gas by the Thai  
Government, pending evidence in the form of overdue Thai payment for the 
 Burmese. The author lastly assumes SOROS to be affiliated with the US' 
City Bank Corp and thus its President ROBERT RUBIN. - Manager editorial


______________________OTHER______________________




PD Burma: Calendar of events with regard to Burma as of Feb. 7, 2001

Published by PD Burma. 



╖  February 11th  : "Burma- The long road towards democracy", 
Seminar, Lund, Sweden. 
 

╖  February 12th-15th : Mr. Jaswant Singh, Indias Foreign 
Minister, will visit Burma. 
   

╖  February 15th  : Conference on Burma, Stockholm. Oluf Palme 
International Center and       Swedish NGO. Foundation for Human Rights 
 

╖  February 15-16th : Burma Donor Meeting, Sweden 
 

╖  February (end)  : International Trade Union conference on 
ôSolidarity with Burmaö, Tokyo 
 

╖  March 8th   : Next session of the Governing Body of the ILO. 
Forced labour in Burma to be 
 discussed

 

╖  April    : EU Common Position Review 
 

╖  April 1-7th   : Inter-Parliamentary Conference, Cuba 
 

╖  March/April  : UN Human Rights Commission, Geneva 
 

╖  May 13-20th  : UN LDC III, UN conference on the LDC-countries, 
Brussels 
 

╖  May 27th   : 11th Anniversary of the 1990 elected 
 

╖  May    : ARF Senior Official Meeting, Hanoi 
 

╖  June    : Meeting in the Governing Body of the ILO 
 

╖  June    : Meeting of the Socialist International Council, 
Lisbon 
 

╖  June 19th   : Aung San Suu Kyi birthday party and Burmese 
Women's Day 
 

╖  July    : Belgium takes over EU Presidency 
 

╖  July    : 8th RFA Ministerial Meeting, Hanoi 
 

╖  July    : 34th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting and Post-Ministerial 
Conference 
 

╖  July    : ASEAN Summit

 

╖  Aug. 31st- Sep.7th  : World Conference against Racism and 
Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia      and related intolerance, South 
Africa 
 

╖  December 1st  : Worlds Aids Day

 

╖  December 10th  : 10th Year Anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize 
for Aung San Suu Kyi, 
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------end 







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