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BurmaNet News: March 13, 2001



______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
        An on-line newspaper covering Burma 
         March 13, 2001   Issue # 1754
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________

INSIDE BURMA _______
*DVB: Sources claim Suu Kyi met U Tin Oo, U Lwin, NLD offices to reopen
*Reuters: Myanmar tells Thailand don't blame us for drugs
*AP: Myanmar junta defends ethnic group blamed for drug trafficking

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*AP: Thai government blames predecessor for sour ties with Myanmar
*Xinhua: Thai PM: Thai-Myanmar Relations Sound at National Level
*Bangkok Post: Talks with Burma in April to ease tension
*Bangkok Post: Seminar slams foreign policy: Sukhumbhand sees lack of 
coherence
*European Union: Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European 
Union concerning the next visit of the Troika to Rangoon 

ECONOMY/BUSINESS _______
*Guardian (UK): Premier profits from Burma stand
*Kyodo: More than 38 tons of MSG seized near Yangon
*AP: Hundreds wait in vain at border as Myanmar shuts crossing

OPINION/EDITORIALS_______
*The Nation: Time for Burma's junta to fight the Wa drug machine
*Bangkok Post: The battle plan to fight drugs

OTHER______
*Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand Bulletin:  Burmese Language 
Course
*Burma Campaign UK: Got two minutes for freedom in Burma? 

		


__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________



DVB: Sources claim Suu Kyi met U Tin Oo, U Lwin, NLD offices to reopen


Rangoon Division National League for Democracy [NLD] party is making 
arrangements to reopen NLD township offices and to reinstall NLD 
signboards in Rangoon Division. The Rangoon Division NLD has issued a 
directive last week to township NLD parties whose offices were closed 
and signboards pulled down. According to the directive, the township NLD 
members are to present a report to the Rangoon Division NLD citing where 
the office is located, the structure of the office, and arrangements to 
reorganize the township executive committee. The report from the 
townships will then be forwarded to the SPDC [State Peace and 
Development Council] Commission [Multiparty Democracy General Election 
Commission] offices through the Rangoon Division NLD. According to NLD 
members who do not want to disclose their names, the NLD will soon be 
allowed to reopen their township offices and to reinstall the NLD 
signboards nationwide. Although details of the discussions between Daw 
Aung San Suu Kyi and the SPDC are not definitely known, some NLD members 
told DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] it is believed that plans to reopen 
the township NLD offices are associated with the talks. Furthermore, 
according to sources close to NLD Vice Chairman U Tin Oo who remains 
under house arrest, it is believed that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin 
Oo have met at least twice. The SPDC has also allowed U Lwin, one of the 
NLD leaders, to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi twice a week. According 
to NLD members, DVB has learned that the SPDC has allowed other NLD 
leaders who wish to see Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to see her. DVB 
correspondent Myint Maung Maung also reports that the movements of NLD 
members have become more free now. 

[Begin Myint Maung Maung recording] NLD party members are becoming 
active now to reopen NLD township and ward offices which were closed 
down before. The NLD party members were not harassed by the SPDC 
officials like before and they have more freedom of movement now. In the 
past, the Military Intelligence personnel will watch every move made by 
the NLD party members and Kyant Phut [derogatory term for Union 
Solidarity and Development Association] members, who are lackeys of the 
SPDC, will also hassle the NLD members. At present, NLD party members 
are making preparations to do routine party office work and to commence 
organizational activities.




___________________________________________________



Reuters: Myanmar tells Thailand don't blame us for drugs

By Dominic Whiting 

 BANGKOK, March 12 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government told 
Thailand on Monday to concentrate on dealing with its own drugs industry 
rather than blame others for its problems. 

 Myanmar government spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Hla Min said in a 
statement received in Bangkok that a weekend Thai conference on drugs 
chaired by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was wrong to conclude 
Myanmar was the root of Thailand's drug problems. 

 ``Putting all the blame on a neighbouring country for everything that 
goes wrong in Thailand is not the way to solve any problems,'' he said. 

 The closed-door Thailand conference brought government, army and police 
officials together to discuss the flood of metamphetamines which Thai 
officials say is entering 
the country through its porous border with Myanmar. 

 The Thai army says that 700 million metamphetamine pills -- stimulants 
which affect the central nervous system -- will come into Thailand this 
year, an increase of 40 percent on last year. 

 Thai politicians at the conference told reporters they had been shocked 
by photographs of impressive infrastructure in the prosperous and 
growing Myanmar town of Mong Yawn, which Thai officials believe has been 
funded by the drugs trade. 

 But Myanmar denies this, saying that successful development projects 
and other economic activity is responsible for the growing wealth of the 
Wa ethnic group living in the area under the control of the 
Yangon-backed United Wa State Army (UWSA). 

 ``MANY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS'' 

 ``The Wa people are involved in many development projects in the 
country such as mining, fisheries, logging, agriculture, Hla Min said. 

 ``Recently they have discovered a huge mine containing at least nine 
different minerals which are being exported to China.'' 

 The Thai government has said it suspects the UWSA (or Red Wa) are the 
most important producer of metamphetamines coming into Thailand from the 
mountainous 

``Golden Triangle'' region at the intersection of Thailand, Laos and 
Myanmar. 
 But the Myanmar spokesman rejected this also: 

 ``It is disappointing to learn that the Red Wa is being used as a 
scapegoat and the whole narcotic problem Thailand is encountering today 
seems to be very conveniently thrown on the UWSA,'' it said. 

 ``One begs to knows to know that if the UWSA ceases to exist today, 
will the narcotic problem in Thailand disappear?'' 

 ``To be realistic the Thai authorities should first examine the 
internal drug distribution system in Thailand and how these organised 
crime syndicates and individual big dealers are not only surviving but 
thriving and also being protected,'' the Myanmar statement said. 

 The statement came just a day after Prime Minister Thaksin said he was 
looking for ``sincere'' discussions with the Myanmar government. 

 ``We need a decisive response from Myanmar to solve this problem,'' he 
told journalists after the conference on Sunday. 

 Relations between Thailand and Myanmar have taken a turn for the worse 
in recent weeks after fighting between Myanmar troops, backed by their 
Wa allies, and ethnic 

Shan rebels spilled over into Thai territory. 
 Thai army sources believe the fighting was related to control over the 
drugs trade. 



___________________________________________________



AP: Myanmar junta defends ethnic group blamed for drug trafficking 

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ Firing the latest salvo in a war of words, 
Myanmar on Monday accused Thailand of making a pro-Yangon drug army the 
``scapegoat'' for its narcotics problems. 

 ``Putting all the blame on a neighboring country for everything that 
goes wrong in Thailand is not the way to solve any problems,'' a 
government spokesman said in written statement faxed to The Associated 
Press in Bangkok. 

 He said Thai authorities should clean their own house first, claiming 
that crime syndicates and drug dealers are ``thriving and also being 
protected'' in Thailand. The spokesman cannot be identified under 
Myanmar government rules. 

 His statement was in response to a Thai government seminar over the 
weekend where the army said Myanmar's United Wa State Army, a group of 
ethnic Wa fighters known as the Red Wa, has built a drug manufacturing 
city, Mong Yawn, close to the border with Thailand. 

 A former separatist group, the UWSA signed a cease-fire with Myanmar in 
exchange for virtual control over areas in eastern Myanmar near the Thai 
border. The UWSA is now an ally of the Myanmar junta in its fight 
against other ethnic rebels. 

 ``It is disappointing to learn that the Red Wa is being used as a 
scapegoat and the whole narcotics problem Thailand is encountering today 
seems to be very conveniently thrown on the UWSA,'' the spokesman said. 

 ``One begs to know that if the UWSA ceases to exist today, will the 
narcotics problem in Thailand disappear?'' 

 Thai army officials had told the seminar, called to develop an 
anti-narcotics strategy, that Mong Yawn has first class hotels, a big 
hospital and its own hydroelectric dam. They said the UWSA has brought 
in 50,000 people to help manufacture drugs. 

 The United States also says the UWSA is a major narcotics trafficker 
and operates with the tacit approval of Myanmar's military junta. 

 A U.S. State Department report released this month says the UWSA is 
``heavily involved'' in drug trafficking and is ``largely immune from 
government action'' as authorities make little attempt to seize drugs or 
destroy drug factories in UWSA-controlled territories. 

 Thailand echoes these accusations and says the UWSA is flooding the 
country with methamphetamine, a synthetic drug that has been declared 
public enemy no. 1 by the government. 

 At the weekend seminar, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told the 
Thai military to use every force necessary to quell the UWSA's drug 
trade. He said the government would buy satellite photos taken by the 
United States to monitor drug production and trafficking along the 
border.




___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
				




AP: Thai government blames predecessor for sour ties with Myanmar 


BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ Thailand's new government on Tuesday blamed its 
predecessor for unfriendly relations with Myanmar, and expressed the 
hope that an upcoming bilateral meeting would help mend fences. 
 Thailand and Myanmar have been exchanging hot words during the last 
month after their troops clashed at the border. The verbal war has grown 
with Thailand's protests that Myanmar is doing little to stop ethnic 
drug armies in its territory from flooding Thailand with the 
methamphetamine drug. 

 Defense Minster Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said age-old rivalries between 
Thailand and Myanmar increased after the previous government of Prime 
Minister Chuan Leekpai criticized Myanmar's ruling military junta for 
suppressing democracy. 

 Chavalit, known to be close to Myanmar's generals, said relations 
remained sour because of the ``policy of not talking'' adopted by 
Chuan's government. 

 ``Myanmar had invited Chuan to talk, but he turned it down,'' Chavalit 
said. ``I don't know the reason ... but the attitude added to the 
problems, which resulted in deterioration of relations,'' Chavalit said. 


 The new government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra took office 
last month after defeating Chuan's party in the Jan. 6 elections. 

 Thailand reopened its northern border with Myanmar Monday after a 
monthlong closure following border clashes, but Myanmar kept its gates 
closed in an apparent rebuff to the Thai olive branch. 

 Chavalit said he hoped that a meeting of their regional border 
committees scheduled for April would help improve ties. The talks have 
been suspended since 1998 when Myanmar refused to participate. 

 Chavalit said Myanmar has confirmed that it will host the meeting this 
year in Kentung town. 

 The border disputes are only part of the problems between the two 
countries. Thailand's main frustration is over the rising use of 
methamphetamines, which officials say are largely being produced by the 
United Wa State Army. 

 A former Myanmar rebel group, the Wa army signed a cease-fire with 
Yangon in exchange for virtual autonomy in a border area with Thailand 
where it is known to operate amphetamine laboratories. 

 Thai and U.S. narcotics officials say Myanmar authorities are turning a 
blind eye to the United Wa State Army. 

 On Monday, the Myanmar junta said Thailand was making the Wa army a 
``scapegoat'' for its problems and asked it to clean its own house first 
by cracking down on crime syndicates that buy the drugs. 

 Thaksin said in response Tuesday: ``We are sweeping our own house but 
our effort must be harder because the dust keep coming from our 
neighbor'' ^sw/vj< 
 

___________________________________________________




Xinhua: Thai PM: Thai-Myanmar Relations Sound at National Level


BANGKOK, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Bilateral relations between Thailand and 
Myanmar remain sound at the national level, although some problems may 
exist at the local level, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said here 
Tuesday. Thaksin was quoted by the official Thai News Agency as saying 
that Thailand would treat Myanmar as an allied nation with sound 
relations because bilateral ties between the two countries at the 
national level had remained normal. "We have no problems with Rangoon at 
the national level, though some problems may exist at the local level 
due to suspects on drugs problems along the border," he was quoted as 
saying. "We have evidences that the ethnic Red Wa group has been 
involved in drugs problems in Thailand. Therefore, the Thai Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs will seek clarification and guarantee from Rangoon 
whether it gives any support to the Red Wa group," he said. Thailand 
wanted cooperation from Rangoon in dealing with drugs problems, said the 
Thai premier. Thaksin made the remarks after Thailand reopened a key 
check point in Northern province of Chiang Rai on Monday while the 
Myanmar side failed to reopen its check point as the both sides had 
agreed, the report said. Enditem



___________________________________________________



Bangkok Post: Talks with Burma in April to ease tension

Thailand to push for border demarcation


Wassana Nanuam


Regional-level talks to be held early next month in Burma will help ease 
border disputes between Thailand and Burma, according to Lt-Gen Pisnu 
Urailert, chief of the Supreme Command's Directorate of Civil Affairs.

Lt-Gen Pisnu said the 18th meeting of the Thai-Burmese Regional Border 
Committee (RBC) in early April in Burma's Keng Tung-to be chaired by 
Thailand's Third Army commander Lt-Gen Watthanachai Chaimuenwong and 
Burma's Southwest Army chief Maj-Gen Khet Sein-is expected to lessen 
tension on the border.

During these talks Thai authorities will propose that the border in the 
Phuteng Nayong area in Chiang Rai be demarcated and that Burmese troops 
no longer be permitted to let artillery shells land on Thai soil, he 
said.

Lt-Gen Pisnu said the Thai military wants the area to be declared a 
no-man's land pending border demarcation.

A sub-committee chaired by Maj-Gen Prasart Luewattananon, director of 
the Supreme Command's Joint Operation Centre 103, will draft issues to 
be put on the agenda of next month's RBC meeting.

Lt-Gen Pisnu said the Thai armed forces have reiterated they will not 
support any anti-Rangoon minority groups, nor will they withdraw Thai 
soldiers from the border in Chiang Rai until the situation improves.

Meanwhile, army spokesman Col Somkhuan Saengpattaranate said Burma 
yesterday did not open its gate at the Tachilek checkpoint while the 
Thai side reopened its gate at the Mae Sai checkpoint in Chiang Rai for 
cross-border trade, despite a previous agreement.

"We opened Mae Sai checkpoint because we are sympathetic with the 
Burmese who face a shortage of food and goods, though Thais are not in 
trouble.

"We want the border trade to resume and believe that the border 
situation has improved since there will be an RBC meeting soon," he 
added.
 




___________________________________________________




Bangkok Post: Seminar slams foreign policy: Sukhumbhand sees lack of 
coherence 


March 13, 2001 

LENGTH: 416 words 



BODY: 


Lack of coherence in the implementation of foreign policy will further 
complicate Thailand's problems with Burma, Sukhumbhand Paribatra, the 
former deputy foreign minister, said yesterday. 

Addressing a seminar on post-election trends in Thailand, M.R. 
Sukhumbhand said the Foreign Ministry under the Democrat government 
conducted foreign affairs with the support of the armed forces, the 
National Security Council and other government agencies. 

But under the Thai Rak Thai-led government, the prime minister and the 
defence minister seemed to have different agendas, posing a dilemma for 
the new foreign minister, M.R. Sukhumbhand said. "The question of 
coherence is probably the most problematical in our relations with 
Burma. We need a coherent process of implementation of foreign policy 
where Rangoon is concerned," he said. 

"If there is no coherence in Thai foreign policy from now on, we'll have 
problems dealing with our Burmese friends more than before," he added. 

The keynote speaker at the seminar organised by the Institute of 
Southeast Asian Studies, M.R. Sukhumbhand also questioned the Thaksin 
government's commitment to Asean, noting that Surakiart Sathirathai, the 
foreign minister, seemed preoccupied with bilateral issues. 

"Most of the time, the new foreign minister has talked about bilateral 
relations and economic components of bilateral relations with 
neighbours, rather than Asean as a whole. And I think he only has in 
mind the immediate neighbours Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. He is 
very silent about Asean," he said. Professor Kusuma Snit-wongse, a 
political scientist from Chulalongkorn University, expressed concern 
about Mr Surakiart's failure to address human rights and democracy 
during the government policy debate in parliament, saying the government 
might pursue economic interests at the expense of these issues. 

"We've seen some backtracking in foreign policy. I'm very concerned 
about this inward-looking policy as it goes against the international 
situation," she said, adding that personal diplomacy endorsed by Defence 
Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh was an "inappropriate instrument" for 
solving problems with Burma. 

M.R. Sukhumbhand said the election outcome signalled the possible 
emergence of a two-party system. Although voters grew impatient with the 
Democrats, who led the country for six of the past eight years, voting 
percentages showed the Democrats remained a viable alternative, he said. 


Woranant Krongboonying 


___________________________________________________



European Union: Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European 
Union concerning the next visit of the Troika to Rangoon 

March 13, 2001


At the 13th EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting (Vientiane, 11 and 12 December 
2000), Mr Win Aung, the Burmese Minister for Foreign Affairs, announced 
in the plenary session that the European Troika was invited to go to 
Rangoon in January 2001. At the request of the French Presidency, he 
stated that the Troika would have the same opportunities as on its first 
mission in July 1999. 

The Presidency of the European Union takes note of this announcement and 
reaffirms the Union's willingness to pursue its dialogue with all the 
parties concerned, as it did at the time of the Troika's first mission 
to Burma in July 1999. 

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. 


_______________ ECONOMY AND BUSINESS _______________
 



Guardian (UK): Premier profits from Burma stand 

Terry Macalister
Tuesday March 13, 2001
The Guardian 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,450874,00.html


Premier Oil's decision to defy British government demands and stay in 
military-run Burma has paid off. The company yesterday reported its 
first profits in three years. 
Chief executive Charles Jamieson claimed the political climate in Burma 
was improving. He expressed "cautious optimism" that the future of the 
country would reduce pressure on Premier. 

Production started from Premier's Yetagun gas project in Burma last May 
and it is now Premier's largest asset. Gas is moving from Burma by 
pipeline to Thailand. 

Pre-tax profits on ordinary activities bounced to £17m in the year to 
December 31, compared with a £16.7m loss last time. Turnover rose from 
£89.5m to £115.7m. 

Profits would have been higher if Premier had not been forced to put in 
place an oil price hedge at $19.54 per barrel when the average price 
over 2000 was $28.39. 

The hedge was imposed by Amerada Hess and Petronas, its two major 
shareholders in return for an investment of £136m in November 1999. 

Premier has also left nearly £12m of extra revenues out of its immediate 
turnover on the grounds they are part of a take-or-pay contract and 
therefore must be treated as debt for the time being. 

Like other oil companies, Premier has increasingly switched its 
attention to gas and concentrated on south-east Asia. Its other major 
asset is in Indonesia where Premier has just brought on stream its West 
Natuna gas scheme six months ahead of schedule. 

Mr Jamieson said the commercialisation of its Asian gas business, 
successful exploration work and a growing base of reserves put Premier 
in a strong position for the future. 

Progress was also being made in talks with Amerada Hess and Petronas 
about in creasing shareholder value. These two companies hold 50% of 
Premier and effectively rule out any outside bid for it. This has held 
back the price of the company. 

Recent speculation that US-based Amerada might sell down or out its 25% 
stake sent the share price up from 12p to 20p. It has since dropped back 
and ended the day down 0.75p at 17.75p. Mr Jamieson said various options 
were being looked at and he expected a decision before the end of the 
year. 

Analysts said the Premier results were encouraging but they remained 
sceptical about talk of a corporate shake-up. 



   
    
  
  
  
  
   
  
___________________________________________________




Kyodo: More than 38 tons of MSG seized near Yangon



YANGON March 13 Kyodo - More than 38 tons of monosodium glutamate (MSG), 
apparently made in Thailand and brought to Myanmar by schooner, were 
seized by a navy patrol boat Feb. 4 near Yangon, local newspapers 
reported Tuesday. 
The patrol boat was said to have chased and stopped the schooner, 
without a registration number and sailing with its lights off, in the 
Hlaing River and found 38.6 tons of MSG bearing several Thai brand 
names. 

Ten crew members escaped from the boat during the chase, but the 
remaining three confessed the schooner had left with the cargo from a 
private jetty in Thailand, the newspapers said. 

Myanmar's junta has banned import of MSG from Thailand and warned 
several brands of MSG and soft drinks could be harmful to health. 
 


 

 
March 13, 2001  



___________________________________________________


  



AP: Hundreds wait in vain at border as Myanmar shuts crossing 

MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) _ Myanmar on Monday failed to open a major border 
crossing with Thailand even after the Thai side reopened its gates in a 
bid to end monthlong tensions over fighting between their armies. 
 Hundreds of disappointed people waited in rain near the Thai checkpoint 
at the foot of a bridge over a canal that separates Mae Sai town in 
northern Thailand with Tachilek in Myanmar. 

 Thailand opened three other crossings in Mae Sai district, but ``the 
other side does not seem to have responded well to our attempts to ease 
tensions,'' Ronarong Sukthavorn, the chief customs official in Mae Sai, 
told The Associated Press. 

 ``Myanmar procedure is usually slow. But they might open soon, I 
hope,'' he said. 
 Mae Sai is 720 kilometers (445 miles) north of Bangkok. 

 In Yangon, a Myanmar government spokesman said reopening border 
crossings will not resolve the ``real issues.'' 

 ``The border crossing have been reopened several times in the past. 
Scratching the surface is not the solution,'' said the spokesman, 
speaking on customary condition of anonymity. 

 Thailand had closed the border after heavy fighting on Feb. 11 between 
Myanmar troops and ethnic Shan rebels seeking independence when several 
shells landed on Mae Sai town from Myanmar, killing two civilians. Thai 
troops later fought with Myanmar soldiers, accusing them of intruding 
into Thai soil, a charge Myanmar denied. 

 Maj. Domsak Khamsijam, who held talks with a Myanmar border committee 
to ease tensions, said he had informed his counterpart about the planned 
reopening or the border Monday. In response, Myanmar said it had never 
shut the border in the first place, Domsak said. 

 ``But when we opened the border, they closed their gate. When we asked 
why, they said they have to consult their supervisors,'' he said. 

 Among those waiting was Chinda Nanthapao, a 42-year-old Thai woman who 
owns a shop in Tachilek selling watches, calculators and transistor 
radios. 

 ``If Myanmar does not opens the border soon, the ones to be affected 
the most will by Thai people who have invested in Tachilek,'' she said. 
 She said 80 percent of shops in Tachilek are owned by Thais. ``During 
one month of the closure we have lost a lot of money,'' she said. 

 Myanmar and Thailand have had uneasy relations over several disputes. 
Yangon accuses Bangkok of providing sanctuaries to anti-government 
ethnic rebels. Bangkok denies the charge, and complains that Yangon 
turns a blind eye to drug lords who operate amphetamine factories in 
Myanmar and smuggle them into Thailand.




_______________OPINION/EDITORIALS_________________



The Nation: Time for Burma's junta to fight the Wa drug machine 

March 13, 2001



THE weekend's drug conference in the northern tip of the country has 
dramatically changed Thailand and Burma's relationship. 

Burma may now be compelled to practise what it always preaches: "good 
neighbourliness". 

Though the conference stopped short of directly condemning Rangoon, 
perhaps in a bid to allow the ruling military junta to save face, much 
of the evidence produced about where the drugs originated pointed a 
finger directly at the United Wa State Army (UWSA). 

The junta now needs to produce credible counter evidence to clear its 
name. 

This is no time for Rangoon to resort to its customary incoherent excuse 
or thinly veiled retaliatory moves, such as bans on Thai products. 

The conference for the first time has put Burma firmly on the defensive 
as far as bilateral relations are concerned. 

It is now time for Burma to realise the gravity of the drug problem and 
begin to sincerely cooperate with its neighbour. 

Former foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan is, however, unconvinced of the 
effectiveness of the new government's tactics. 

He said the conference had churned out a confusing signal, on one hand 
the prime minister was criticising the junta, and on the other the 
foreign minister was expounding an "Asian" solution to the problem, 
being non-confrontational. 

Tackling the drug problems has always been high on the agenda of 
successive Thai governments, according to a Burma watcher. 

But this administration has been much tougher than its predecessors in 
sending a serious signal to Burma and putting the junta on the spot, 
said a source who did not wish to be named. 

"The presentation of Mong Yawn [as a 'drug city'] per se is embarrassing 
for Rangoon," he said. Thai-Burma ties could not become any worse, they 
were already at their lowest ebb, he said. 

Burmese expert Sunait Chutintaranond said the authorities once again 
seemed to be serious in creating a "national immunity" against the 
spectre of cross border drug trade, referring to a nation-wide plan to 
fight drugs and a strengthening of border towns. 

In the past ethnic minority armies have proven an effective buffer to 
the drug trade, but they have been substantially weakened. Sunait said 
in the past, "our immunity derived from the buffer, that was 
subsequently demolished, but now we are constructing it anew from 
inside". 

The scheme represented a new dimension in the battle against drugs that 
needed further support. 

Sunait warned any dialogue with Burma concerning narcotics must take 
into account three crucial elements: the willingness of the Burmese 
authorities to take on the UWSA; the capability of the regime to do so; 
and the potential consequences for Burmese national security. 

He said, an "exit strategy" had to be prepared for Rangoon, if Bangkok 
was ever to gain its support in taking on the UWSA. 

In this case Thaksin, as the nation's leader, should not rush to Rangoon 
before mutual concessions had been achieved through whatever channels 
necessary, be they formal or informal, said Sunait. 

Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman Kraisak Choonhavan said 
international support should be more aggressively mobilised, especially 
from Asean and Burma's powerful neighbours like China and India. 

Thailand is starting to clean its house, and a good neighbour should 
turn its attention to its own. 

BY MARISA CHIMPRABHA and 

VORAPUN SRIVORANART 


___________________________________________________



Bangkok Post: The battle plan to fight drugs 

March 13, 2001


The weekend meeting on Thailand's increasing and dangerous drug problem 
was extremely useful. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra invited 
virtually all relevant government agencies. He also opened most of the 
meeting to the public, through the media. Mr Thaksin and all Thais saw 
for the first time, in one place, the scope of the problem. 

Those who attended the meeting in Chiang Rai were clearly shocked by 
many of the revelations. The army's security briefing was probably the 
most sobering. It detailed the growth of a brand new and modern city 
inside Burma, almost in sight of the Thai frontier. Mong Yawn is the 
headquarters of the United Wa State Army, and appears entirely dedicated 
to producing, marketing and smuggling drugs of various types to and 
through Thailand and other neighbouring countries. 

There never has been such an operation in our history. Mong Yawn is a 
speed empire, totally controlled by drug dealers with at least the 
acquiescence of Rangoon. Some believe Burma actively supports, and 
profits from, the drug trade. This threatening drug city is expanding 
every day, even as the Shan are ruthlessly eliminated. Details of Mong 
Yawn caused Premier Thaksin to re-introduce the word which has fallen 
into disfavour. But as he said: "It is the vital mission of the country 
and it is a war." 

If the Burmese support for drug trafficking were not bad enough, the 
conference made clear we have our home-grown problems. Sinister and 
anti-Thai people would destroy the country and our children's brains for 
dirty drug money. Money laundering is at an all-time high. Chemical 
precursors, such as ephedrine for methamphetamines, are bought abroad by 
drug traffickers, and smuggled to the Burmese drug-making factories 
through Thailand. 

Mr Thaksin indicated his support for a number of possible measures to 
step up the war on drugs. Some are excellent ideas. The army can be 
reinforced along our borders, to stop smuggling in both directions. The 
military can also help all agencies improve their intelligence 
capabilities. It is far easier to stop drug smugglers if you know their 
agents and "mules" used to carry drugs. Pinpoint raids against known 
dealers will yield far more for the country than roadblocks and random 
searches of mostly honest citizens going about their business. 

But Mr Thaksin also must beware embracing quick-fix, populist solutions 
to this threatening problem of national and international drug 
trafficking. A curfew on youth, for example, may sound like a way to 
keep young people out of those nightclubs where drugs are introduced. 
But it is already illegal for young people to be in such clubs, and 
asking our police to keep all under-18s off the streets at night is a 
terrible waste of resources. 

Just as troubling is the call for a "speed up of justice" for drug 
dealers. We remind the premier and his supporters that they are 
"suspected" drug dealers until the courts deal with them. More liberal 
use of the death penalty will not deter drug smuggling. Not even 
summary, public executions will do that. Nor will the prospect of tough 
life in an army camp stop a troubled or witless teenager from popping 
speed pills. 

Drug trafficking will be defeated by a combination of relentless law 
enforcement against criminal traffickers, combined with education. We 
must reduce the supply of drugs, and we must convince Burma of this, or 
make Rangoon face the consequences. We must also reduce the demand, by 
convincing Thai adults and children that drugs ruin their lives and all 
hope for the future of the nation. This is a matter of national 
survival. We must approach it intelligently and immediately. 




______________________OTHER______________________



Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand Bulletin:  Burmese Language 
Course

March 9, 2001

   The internationally renowned linguist, Professor John O'Kell of 
London University's prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies 
(SOAS) will be teaching a two weeks intensive Burmese language course at 
the FCCT. O'Kell, author of the definitive textbooks used for Burmese 
instruction world-wide, will teach speaking, reading and writing to 
various levels of students.
   A minimum group of six is required to hold the course. The course is 
tentatively scheduled for two weeks, two hours per day from either 19 - 
30 March Or during the Songkran New Year Festival. Professor O'Kell has 
been travelling in Burma for more than three decades and has been a key 
instructor in the respected Southeast Asian Summer Studies Institute 
course held annually in the United States. This is a unique opportunity 
to study a regional language in depth with one of the world's true 
masters!    Interested parties email their intent to study as soon as 
possible to Sarah Rooney at: swrooney@xxxxxxx
or hallacy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


___________________________________________________






Burma Campaign UK: Got two minutes for freedom in Burma? 

'PLEASE USE YOUR LIBERTY TO PROMOTE OURS', Daw Aung San Suu Kyi  


Your help is desperately needed in the struggle for freedom in Burma. 
    Join the Burma Campaign e-mail network.

    This network has been set up to help support the struggle for 
democracy and human rights in Burma. You will not be bombarded with 
e-mails. We will simply send you details of the latest campaign actions 
you can take to promote freedom in Burma, and let you know of any 
significant new developments. 
    Subscribing is simple. Just send a blank e-mail to: 
burmacampaign-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxx 
    We need to build this network to reach as many people as possible. 
Please forward this e-mail to as many people as you can. 


WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN THE CAMPAIGN NETWORK?



    'WHY IS BURMA IMPORTANT? IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE 
DEMOCRACY, THEY HAVE A MILITARY DICTATORSHIP - IT'S BAD. IT'S ONE OF THE 
WORST REGIMES IN THE WORLDèIT'S A NIGHTMARE AND I THINK PEOPLE CAN 
EASILY SEE WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.'     Mark Thomas

    Burma is ruled by one of the most brutal regimes in the world. 
    Over eight million people, including children, are forced into 
slave-labour every year. 
    There are 1,700 political prisoners, many of whom are subject to 
regular beatings and torture. 
    Over one and a half million people have been forced to flee their 
homes to escape the military. 

    ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

    The Burma Campaign UK supports the people of Burma in their struggle 
for democracy and human rights. We campaign to increase the pressure on 
the military regime, both politically and economically. Our campaign to 
tighten the economic noose around the regime is already having an 
impact. We have succeeded in forcing many companies to withdraw 
operations from Burma, including Burton, River Island and British Home 
Stores. 
    We are currently campaigning to force Premier Oil to withdraw 
operations from Burma. We are also campaigning jointly with Tourism 
Concern calling for a boycott of all Lonely Planet publications until 
they withdraw their guide to Burma. The development of hotels, transport 
and tourist attractions to encourage visitors to Burma is directly 
linked to mass human rights abuses. Added to this, tourist dollars go 
straight into the hands of the dictatorship. For these reasons Aung San 
Suu Kyi, the British Government and the European Union have asked 
tourists not to visit Burma! Against the weight of this advice Lonely 
Planet publications continues to promote tourism to Burma through their 
Burma guide.  
    We are also campaigning to push the UK government to fulfil its 
election pledge to impose economic sanctions against Burma. 
    To receive regular campaign updates just send a blank e-mail 
to:burmacampaign-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxx 
    To find out more about the campaign visit www.burmacampaign.org.uk 



    To sign up to the network just send a blank e-mail to: 
burmacampaign-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxx 


  Yvette Mahon
  Director
  The Burma Campaign UK
  Bickerton House
  25-27 Bickerton Road
  London
  N19 5JT

  Tel: 0207 281 7377
  Fax: 0207 272 3559







________________


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Burma News Summaries available by email or the web

There are three Burma news digest services available via either email or 
the web.

Burma News Update
Frequency: Biweekly
Availability: By fax or the web.
Viewable online at http://www.soros.org/burma/burmanewsupdate/index.html
Cost: Free
Published by: Open Society Institute, Burma Project

The Burma Courier 
Frequency: Weekly 
Availability: E-mail, fax or post.  To subscribe or unsubscribe by email 
celsus@xxxxxxxxxxx
Viewable on line at: http://www.egroups.com/group/BurmaCourier
Cost: Free
Note: News sources are cited at the beginning of an article. 
Interpretive comments and background
details are often added.

Burma Today
Frequency: Weekly
Availability: E-mail
Viewable online at http://www.worldviewrights.org/pdburma/today.html
To subscribe, write to pdburma@xxxxxxxxx
Cost: Free
Published by: PD Burma (The International Network of Political Leaders 
Promoting Democracy in Burma)




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