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BurmaNet News: April 11, 2001



______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
        An on-line newspaper covering Burma 
         April 11, 2001   Issue # 1776
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________

NOTED IN PASSING: ¡°The spy and intelligence agencies of the west are 
buying the touts under the name of journalists.¡±

The New Light of Myanmar describing The Bangkok Post, The Nation, 
Asiaweek, The Far Eastern Economic Review and other periodicals.  See 
The New Light of Myanmar (SPDC): Some Thai dailies that are always 
biased

INSIDE BURMA _______
*Bangkok Post: Burmese poised for attack on Karenni
*Bangkok Post : Burmese Border: Junta to Give Reporters Tour
*Mizzima: Junta maintains no human rights violation in Burma
*Kyodo: 'Strongman of Burma' makes 1st public appearance in 13 years
*Irrawaddy: Who Will Fill Tin Oo¡¯s Shoes?
*Kyodo: Dance show by Japanese, Myanmar artists staged in Yangon

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*Irrawaddy: Burmese Apply Trade Pressure on Talks

ECONOMY/BUSINESS _______
*Myanmar Times:  The IT revolution: wait now, pay later 

OPINION/EDITORIALS_______
*Bangkok Post: Time to Go after Drug Precursors
*Financial Times (London): Letter--Back ILO over forced labour in Burma
*The New Light of Myanmar (SPDC): Some Thai dailies that are always 
biased


__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________




Bangkok Post: Burmese poised for attack on Karenni


April 11, 2001

Mae Hong Son-Thousands of Burmese troops have been deployed near the 
border to mount an offensive against the last stronghold of ethnic 
Karenni rebels.

A border source said more than 1,000 guerrillas of the Karenni National 
Progressive Party were preparing to defend their stronghold in Burma's 
Kayah state, opposite Mae Hong Son.

Four Burmese battalions have been deployed in the Khun Huay Dua area, 
opposite Muang district.

The Karen National Union and the Shan State Army are also prepared to 
help their Karenni allies in the fighting, which is expected to force 
more than 1,000 refugees into Thailand next week.

Thai soldiers of the 7th Infantry Regiment have been placed on alert.





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Bangkok Post : Burmese Border: Junta to Give Reporters Tour 

April 10, 2001 


Rangoon will invite impartial reporters to inspect the Wa border 
township of Mong Yawn, to prove its construction and development was not 
funded by drug money. 

Lt-Gen Wattanachai Chaimuenwong, the Third Army commander, quoted 
Burma's Triangle Region commander Maj-Gen Thein Sein as saying 
"non-biased foreign reporters" would be invited to visit Mong Yawn. 

Burmese authorities maintain that revenues from mine concessions and 
government budget financed the town's construction. 

The invitation was raised at a recent regional border committee meeting 
which took place in Kengtung, Burma. Lt-Gen Wattanachai represented 
Thailand to discuss border problems and restore ties with Burmese 
leaders. 

He said the closure of Tachilek border checkpoint was also discussed, 
and believed the border would be reopened soon as the township was 
falling short of necessary commodities. 

uSix Hmong tribesmen were sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday for 
possessing 100,000 speed pills with intent to sell. 

The six were initially sentenced to death by the Southern Bangkok 
Criminal Court. However, the terms were commuted to life in jail because 
they had confessed during police interrogation. 

They were arrested while delivering methamphetamine tablets to 
undercover police posing as buyers in Hot district of Chiang Mai on Jan 
19, 1998. 

Wassana Nanuam 


___________________________________________________





___________________________________________________



Mizzima: Junta maintains no human rights violation in Burma

Geneva, April 9, 2001 

Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com) 

    Despite internationally well-documented on human rights abuses in 
Burma, Burmese government continues to maintain that there is no human 
rights violation in the country but expresses its willingness to 
cooperate with the United Nations agencies.  
Speaking at the on-going United Nations Human Rights Commission meeting 
in Geneva, the head of the Burmese juntas delegation U Mya Than today 
reiterates his governments position that there is no human rights 
violation in the country.  
for the first time in six years, the government of Myanmar has accepted 
the visit of the newly appointed special rapporteur Prof. Pinheiro, said 
U Mya Than who is the head of the Burmese Mission at UN. Quoting a major 
part of Mr. Pinheiro¡¯s intervention report of last Friday, U Mya Than 
praised Mr. Pinheiro¡¯s report as balanced.  
his presentation is fairly balanced and reflects the positive 
developments taking place in Myanmar, he said in his 15-minute 
intervention. He also said that his government had no other choice but 
to categorically reject the visit of former special rapporteur Mr. 
Lallah as his reports were very much biased.  
there are also other activities going on in Myanmar by way of promoting 
human rights in raising awareness of human rights. He however maintained 
that there is no human rights violation in Burma and whatever has been 
said about the violations of human rights in Burma is portrayed by the 
anti-Burmese government elements in Western Media.  
Debby Stothard from Bangkok-based Altsean-Burma (Alternative Asean 
network on Burma), however, dismissed U Mya Than¡¯s report as usual lie. 
 
what Ambassador Mya Than said is very predictable. It is the same old 
song every year except that the SPDC now feel more confident that Prof. 
Pinheiro is their good friend because he did not refer on any human 
rights violations in Burma. But this is because his visit was an 
exploratory one in term of building up good will. It was not an 
investigatory one. So, we will really see what will happen in July in 
the next trip he goes there, said Debby Stothard.    





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Kyodo: 'Strongman of Burma' makes 1st public appearance in 13 years

April 10

Yangon

Gen. Ne Win, the longest ruling leader of Myanmar once known as the 
'Strongman of Burma,' made his first major public appearance in 13 years 
on March 21, sources close to the gathering confirmed Tuesday. 

The reclusive general offered lunch to 99 Buddhist monks and nearly 500 
lay guests, many of them his former cronies, at a local hotel. 

After ruling Myanmar for 26 years from March 1962, first as president 
and later as chairman of the Socialist Party, Ne Win retired from 
politics in July 1988. 

Since then, he has been seen in public only rarely, the exceptions being 
attendance at a handful of private social or religious functions of his 
close relatives. 

According to a former minister and a military commander in Ne Win's 
government who were close to him and present at the lunch, the 
91-year-old general is in perfect health. 

'He walked into the hall without help, greeting old friends loudly. 
Though slow in movement, U Ne Win has a good memory, even recalling 
incidents from the past to former subordinates who retained little or no 
memory of the same,' they said. 

The March 21 gathering was arranged by Ne Win's daughter Sandar Win. But 
many lay guests, mostly former colleagues and disciples who are now 80 
years old or more, appeared to be there at his invitation. The younger 
guests were Sandar Win's friends. 

Of the four survivors of the 'Thirty Comrades,' 30 youths that included 
Aung San and Ne Win who secretly went to Japan in 1940 for military 
training to fight the British, he invited none. 

Ne Win himself, Bo Hmu Aung, Bo Ye Htut and Bo Kyaw Zaw are the only 
ones of the 30 still alive. 

Bo Kyaw Zaw lives in China; Bo Hmu Aung and Bo Ye Htut in Yangon. 

But all the surviving members of his Socialist Party government were at 
the lunch, prominent among them Brig. Gen. Sein Lwin, the second last 
president, Gen. Aye Ko, a former vice president, and Col. Tun Tin, last 
prime minister. 

Conspicuously absent were members of the current ruling junta. 

Since Ne Win's appearance at such a big gathering speculation about the 
motive behind the ceremony is rife in Yangon. 

Some believe it was an astrological move to lengthen his life to 99 
years. Others believe it was to show he has no link with the present 
junta, while yet others speculate it was part of a strategy by Sandar 
Win in grooming her three sons for politics. 

Few in Myanmar believe it was simply a religious gathering. 




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Irrawaddy: Who Will Fill Tin Oo¡¯s Shoes?

Feb 2001 Issue

The death of State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Secretary 2 
Lt-Gen Tin Oo and other senior generals in a helicopter crash in 
February has created a vacuum in the ruling regime¡ªand an opportunity 
for observers to assess how well the junta¡¯s delicate balance of power 
is holding up to a host of pressures. 

Unlike in the past, Tin Oo¡¯s successor will likely be selected by 
consensus, rather than handpicked by the most powerful general, since 
there is no obvious person to claim that title. "The military will hold 
a high-level meeting including all regional commanders to decide who 
will be the next-in-lines," said a source in Rangoon
One likely candidate, SPDC Secretary 3 Lt-Gen Win Myint, who is now 
temporarily serving in Tin Oo¡¯s place as army chief of staff, visited 
the site of a recent border clash with Thailand on Feb 23, where he made 
it clear that the War Office in Rangoon is still in charge. "Win Myint 
shows his assertiveness by sidelining regional commanders such as 
Maj-Gen Thein Sein of the Triangle Region Military Command," commented 
one exiled Shan analyst. According to some sources, Win Myint is an ally 
of SPDC Secretary 1 and intelligence chief Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, who is 
seen as head of a "moderate" faction within the regime and the leading 
figure behind a recent series of talks with the democratic opposition.

There has also been speculation about who will replace Win Myint if he 
takes over Tin Oo¡¯s post. According to some ceasefire ethnic groups and 
exiled analysts, Northeast Military Commander Brig-Gen Tin Aung Myint Oo 
has the best chance, while inside sources believe that Southwest 
Military Commander Brig-Gen Shwe Mann, based in Irrawaddy Division, is 
most favored for the post. "He frequently appears in the newspapers 
these days," noted one veteran journalist in Rangoon. "Also, don¡¯t 
underestimate the seniority of Rangoon Military Commander Khin Maung 
Than. He holds the rank of major general."

Meanwhile, there has been some news coming out about dissatisfaction 
among groups loyal to Tin Oo¡ªa hardliner notorious for his verbal 
attacks on the opposition¡ªover the junta¡¯s low-key handling of his 
death and funeral





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Kyodo: Dance show by Japanese, Myanmar artists staged in Yangon


YANGON April 10 Kyodo - The first cultural exchange dance show ever 
performed by both Japanese and Myanmar artists was staged Monday night 
at the National Theater in Yangon. 
The four-hour show was sponsored by the Myanmar-Japan Friendship 
Association of Myanmar, in cooperation with the Japan-Myanmar Friendship 
Association of Japan. 

A 54-member Japanese cultural delegation including 26 artists arrived 
April 3 in Yangon to participate in three days of joint performances. 

Japanese artists performed songs and dances accompanied by the drum, 
samisen and flute. Aikido and karate demonstrations drew long applause, 
and Myanmar artists performed native cultural dances and songs. 

Addressing the opening ceremony, Myanmar-Japan Friendship Association 
Chairman and Home Minister Col. Tin Hlaing said, ''The Cultural Exchange 
Variety Dance Show is the result of interrelations and cooperation 
between Japan and Myanmar, respecting and understanding each other's 
culture.'' 

Japanese Ambassador Shigeru Tsumori said, ''This cultural exchange dance 
show will certainly deepen the already firm social, economic and 
cultural ties that exist between the two nations.'' 
 



___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
				



Irrawaddy: Burmese Apply Trade Pressure on Talks 


By Maung Maung Oo

April 03, 2001-- In a move seen as an attempt to apply pressure on Thai 
negotiators meeting with their Burmese counterparts in the northern town 
of Kengtung, authorities in the southern port city of Kawthaung, 
opposite Ranong, Thailand, have ordered a ban on all cross-border trade. 
According to local sources, the order warns that any transaction with 
Thailand will be treated as a violation of border trade rules.

"It seems to be not only retaliation against the Thai Third Army¡¯s ban 
on trade with Burma in February, but also an attempt to put pressure on 
the meeting of the Regional Border Committee (RBC)," said a trader in 
Kawthaung. 

The RBC has just completed its second day of talks in the Shan State 
town of Kengtung, about 60 km from the site of a border conflict that 
broke out in February. The talks are scheduled to end tomorrow. 

So far, according to a Burmese military intelligence source in Kengtung, 
no effective compromise has emerged from the talks. This top-level 
meeting between Thai and Burmese authorities is the first of its kind in 
two years. It follows a series of township-level meetings in February 
that failed to defuse mounting border tensions in the area around 
Tachilek and Mae Sai, on the Burmese and Thai sides of the border, 
respectively.

A Burmese delegation led by Maj-Gen Thein Sein, Commander of the 
Triangle Region Command (eastern Shan State), and a Thai delegation led 
by Lt-Gen Wattanachai Chaimuenwong, Commander of the Third Regional Army 
(northern Thailand), are participating in the three-day talks. From 
Kengtung, the Thai delegation will leave for Rangoon to meet with 
General Maung Aye, number two in the ruling State Peace and Development 
Council.

"Myanmar has agreed to the regional border meeting, which is a good sign 
because we can clear up all the misunderstanding and thus our relations 
will be cordial," said Thai Defense Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. But 
Burmese authorities did not seem to expect much progress to result from 
this meeting, according to a report from the Shan Herald Agency for 
News, citing a Burmese military intelligence source.

People in Tachilek, meanwhile, are anxious to see some signs of a thaw 
in relations with their neighbors. "People are really upset about this 
border closure," said a businessman in Tachilek. "We business people are 
expecting results from this border meeting because our business depends 
on the Thai side," he added.

Thailand last month unilaterally reopened its border at Mae 
Sai-Tachilek, but authorities on the Burmese side refused to respond in 
kind. The border crossing has been closed since a skirmish between the 
Thai and Burmese armies claimed lives on both sides in early February. 

Both sides have also traded tit-for-tat accusations about their alleged 
involvement in the local drug trade. However, analysts have noted that 
Thailand has toned down its accusations that the Burmese regime is 
playing host to the region¡¯s biggest drug producers, apparently in a 
bid to ease the way for the current talks.



_______________ ECONOMY AND BUSINESS _______________



Myanmar Times:  The IT revolution: wait now, pay later  

April 8, 2001

¡°Is it smart to talk about an Internet based economy at a conference 
here in Yangon? Some people believe that Myanmar may have her head out 
in the 21st century, but her body is still in the last century. And for 
this reason she is not ready.¡± In a session marked by strong words and 
powerful sentiment, those opening remarks by speaker Mr. Murugaiah 
Rjaretnam, Director of information and Resource Centre from Singapore at 
the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Conference held in 
Yangon last month carved straight to the heart of a very hot topic ¨C is 
this the right time for Myanmar to be developing an ICT industry? 
 


Technology, especially information technology, is not a magic wand that 
will bring immediate development to the third world,¡± said Mr. 
Rjaretnam.The chairman of the country¡¯s e-National Taskforce, U Hlaing 
Win, said, ¡°a handful of developing countries may avail themselves of 
the opportunities of existing information and communication technology 
to become developed countries themselves but we need to make resolute 
efforts to prevent a massive widening of the knowledge gap between the 
rich and the poor in the years ahead. The poorest societies on earth are 
even more starved of knowledge than they are of food.¡± Another speaker 
at the conference Mr. Rafael Lopa quoted Mark Malloch Brown, 
administrator of the United Nations Development Program:¡°The 
¡®Information Revolution¡¯ has become so ubiquitous a phrase we risk 
losing sight of what it really means. Too many people argue that in a 
world where half the population has yet to use a telephone and there are 
billions of illiterate adults, using IT for development is inappropriate 
and ineffective.


¡°But the point about revolutions is they are revolutions: they 
transform all the processes they touch from financial transactions to 
educational provision. Already for much of the world the Internet has 
changed the way people live, work, and do business forever.¡°Our 
challenge is to find ways to unlock that transformative power to ensure 
the poor are among its beneficiaries and not its casualties.¡±In his own 
words the speaker, Mr. Lopa, concluded that ¡°it (IT development) may or 
may not be applicable to the societal vision of other countries and 
other people.¡°One reality is universal; the poor cannot wait. As such, 
for those of us who are in positions to find ways and means to find the 
utility of ICT in the lives of the poor, we must not wait.¡±So, who is 
in a position to find the ways and means?

Pioneer
U Chit Tun Pe is the CEO of Inforithm, a local IT development company 
which set up in 1997, when access even to computers in Myanmar was 
minimal.U Chit Tun Pe¡¯s detractors predicted such a risky business move 
would amount to nothing. But U Chit Tun Pe is an innovator.His company 
subscribes to the goals and philosophies expounded by the e-National 
Task Force and the United Nations Development Program, pushing for 
greater investment in Myanmar¡¯s IT industry, now.The company has also 
pushed the envelope on multimedia communication tools. Inforithm¡¯s 
function primarily is the development of software technology, including 
educational and commercial multimedia CD-ROM. Finding employees with the 
ability to pursue these aims was easy, as Inforithm¡¯s highly-skilled 
team of graphic designers and programmers attests.

The Myanmar market is dramatically different to those overseas because 
of the relatively low spending ability of Myanmar people. A CD that 
would cost US$80 overseas needs to be priced about US$7 to capture the 
market here. And even at that price, buyers complain. But although the 
¡°benefits are intangible¡± at this stage, U Chit Tun Pe is confident 
for the future and confident that buyers are satisfied with his 
products, despite what must be a frustrating underestimation of 
value.¡°The recognition I have gained, the leading role I play, the 
products I¡¯ve created and data I¡¯ve collected cannot be traded for 
anything,¡± he told Myanmar Times.Inforithm has produced interactive 
educational software, encyclopaedias, reference software, business 
directories, and is now extending into web development. The company also 
plays a consultative role organising multimedia tools and systems for 
marketing, communication and training needs. Inforithm has also helped 
the Ministry of Forestry develop a web-site, which focuses on 
conservation issues.

The next step is customised software, and web-site design. Though not 
available inside the country, the importance of the internet to market a 
product is, globally, taken for granted. And potential clients can reach 
companies through e-mail addresses on their websites, even if the 
advertising company does not have net access.One of U Chit Tun Pe¡¯s 
great loves is creating products with religious and cultural content. 
The CD The Life of The Buddha, translated into English, Chinese, 
Japanese and Myanmar, is one example.A challenge to produce CD-ROMs 
because of their animated content, U Chit Tun Pe hopes the CD will 
capture the younger generation¡¯s interest, perhaps even overcoming the 
difficulties parents face trying to force their children to read books. 
He is now working on non-profit projects, such as t-bis.net ¨C a 
Theravada Buddhism information system, and yazawin.com, aimed at 
providing information on Myanmar history.

Potential
The enormous potential for the Internet to globalise cultural 
understanding and encourage Myanmar people to conserve and value their 
culture underscores U Chit Tun Pe¡¯s futuristic gaze.He also 
participates in a SIG (Special Interest Group) seminar which is held at 
the ICT Centre, Dagon Plaza, every Saturday from 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm, at 
which the members discuss the role of multimedia. ¡°IT development is a 
must. And to form a strong infrastructure is a basic key,¡± U Chit Tune 
Pe said.

He knows that forming infrastructure is costly, but added, ¡°the initial 
investment may seem vast but what people may not have realised is the 
power of its cost effectiveness in the medium-term¡±. He cited the 
example of a project in Malaysia via which student textbooks were now 
being made available on the net. What seemed a huge undertaking 
initially actually reduced costs, as the need for raw materials, 
printing, storage and distribution were no longer necessary.Detractors 
of the hoped-for IT revolution in Myanmar demand that investors should 
focus on health and environmental issues, instead of IT infrastructure. 
But U Chit Tun Pe begs to differ.¡°The Internet allows you to reach a 
much wider audience, and also close certain barriers. Businesses gain a 
lot of advantages through the IT movement, and so can health and 
environmental organisations. Up-to-date changes and results of new 
experiments, for example. Even interactive relationships with people in 
the same field.

¡°We cannot wait to see whether students of this generation are capable 
or not in another ten years or so. We have to educate them now to be 
able to catch up with the rest of the world.¡±In the information age, 
when keeping pace with global developments and events can mean the 
difference between prosperity or failure for a nation, ¡°IT is about 
accessing information, receiving evidence-based information, and storing 
this information. It¡¯s information as bread and butter¡±.U Chit Tun Pe 
dominates Myanmar¡¯s IT industry because he did not wait, in much the 
same way that Silicon Valley, and then India, did not wait. IT might not 
be a magic wand, but voices such as that of U Chit Tun Pe give integrity 
to the belief that its absence might prove a curse.
  


_______________OPINION/EDITORIALS_________________




Bangkok Post: Time to Go after Drug Precursors 


April 10, 2001 


>From Thailand and all around, the message has been gloomy for several 
years. Increasing numbers of citizens, especially children, are hooked 
on drugs. Traffickers are flourishing, and have increasing influence on 
the economy and politics. Authorities have responded too slowly. Only 
recently have there been signs that high-ranking officials finally 
realise the enormous problems they face. Much remains to be done. 

Last year's decision to set up a special office to monitor and attack 
money laundering was a major break in the drug battle. People make, 
smuggle and sell illicit drugs for just one reason: the enormous profit. 
Attacking drug trafficking through the wallets, bank accounts and luxury 
assets of the trafficker is an effective way to fight the problem. The 
Thai money laundering commission was slow in setting up, but has had 
several quick successes. 

Another, different, attack needs to be mounted on the making and 
smuggling ofdrug precursors. These are the materials used to make the 
popular, illicit drugs. A blockade on drug precursors is not simple. As 
with money laundering, authorities must plan carefully, and strike 
effectively. 

Many of the precursors are dual-use chemicals, used for both legal and 
illegal purposes. This is a difficult problem, but not insurmountable. 
Thailand has effectively wiped out criminal use of these dual-use 
precursors. More bothersome is that most drug precursors are made in 
badly supervised China and India, and smuggled for use into greedy, 
drug-producing areas of Burma. 

Rangoon's official view is that if any precursor is smuggled through 
Thailand into Burma, then the drugs and trafficking which follow are 
Thailand's fault. This is tortuous logic. Clearly, Thai border controls 
must be better. Our frontier is unacceptably porous, and regularly 
penetrated by the Burmese-supported drug traffickers. 

Burma's convenient rhetoric attempts to cover up the fact that 
precursors are also smuggled into Burma. Even if this smuggling 
determined the responsibility for drug trafficking - which it does not - 
Burma's shoddy border guards are equally to blame. 

The Burmese attitude is important. The problem of drug precursors cannot 
be handled by any one country, or even by Burma and Thailand together. 
The main chemicals needed for heroin and methamphetamines are acetic 
anhydride, potassium permanganate and ephedrine. These are made in 
far-off areas of China. Xu Jinying of the Shanghai city Municipal 
Anti-drug Commission admitted recently that cash-strapped state 
enterprises make these chemicals, often illicitly. 

To stop this precursor traffic requires a strong effort by three 
countries. China needs to monitor and prevent illicit production of this 
material. Thailand and Burma must step up their attempts to block the 
smuggling. In Burma's case, such a campaign could also stop the traffic 
in precursors from India - which, in turn, needs to crack down on the 
rampant, illegal production of drug precursors. 

In all these countries, this effort will be neither simple nor quick. It 
will require the will and ability to work together. There are many who 
say China, Burma and Thailand cannot work together against major drug 
dealers. Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai has started the 
machinery for such an alliance. It must be more than just another of the 
endless committees, or part of the international bureaucracy. 

Burma, by any measure, has obstructed almost all helpful steps to 
attack, cut down and finally end the drug trafficking in that country. 
China has been incredibly slow to realise the dangers of both drug abuse 
and drug trafficking, and has paid a heavy price. The three countries 
have a common aim to cut the trade in illegal chemicals used to make 
drugs. Even better, the results of a three-way campaign against 
precursors can be easily measured to see who is co-operating. 




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Financial Times (London): Letter--Back ILO over forced labour in Burma 

April 11, 2001

 
>From Mr Bill Jordan. 

Sir, The article on the role of the International Labour Organisation 
(ILO) in pressing Burma's authorities to eliminate forced labour 
("Forced labour in Burma tests ILO's will to uphold global standards", 
March 27) points out that the issue constitutes a major test of the 
organisation's credibility. The International Confederation of Free 
Trade Unions has fully backed the ILO director-general's consistent 
efforts to engage in a fruitful dialogue with the regime in order to 
obtain a real change on the ground. 

Our present call for trade sanctions stems from the generals' stubborn 
refusal, first, even to acknowledge they had a problem and, second, to 
co-operate in earnest with the international community to solve it. The 
onus now falls on governments and companies to provide the ILO 
director-general with the sort of backing he needs: forceful and 
unambiguous pressure on the regime, including a credible commitment to 
resort to trade and investment bans if the forced labour scandal 
persists. Regrettably, it has even worsened, as a stream of reliable 
evidence gathered by our sources in Burma confirms on a daily basis. 
Meanwhile, in order to deflect international pressure, the regime has 
put in place a propaganda plan, which the ICFTU has recently exposed. 

Next June, the ILO annual conference will hold a special sitting on this 
case. It will be up to governments and companies to prove that they take 
their role in the ILO, and the ILO itself, seriously. Failing that, they 
should not be surprised if they find themselves confronted with the same 
questions in other forums, including the World Trade Organisation. 

Bill Jordan, General Secretary, ICFTU, Boulevard du Roi Albert II 5, 
B-1210 Brussels, Belgium 





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The New Light of Myanmar (SPDC): Some Thai dailies that are always 
biased

Saturday, 7 April, 2001



Every independent and sovereign nation has the three organs of the State 
power for national development, peace and stability. The three powers of 
the State are (1) the Legislative Power, (2) the Executive Power and (3) 
the Judicial Power. There are law-making bodies for the legislative 
task. They are called the legislative estate. The executive estate is 
the government. The judicial estate is the courts at different levels.  
In addition to the three estates, the public relations media which is 
called the periodicals, are existing as the fourth estate. Journalists 
must observe the journalism codes of conduct, which state that the 
periodicals must not be partial and must present news reports correctly 
and fairly and in time.  

The journalists of the west caught in the net of politicians and 
businessmen began to go against the duties of the fourth estate and the 
journalism codes of conduct. Instead of writing authentic news they are 
writing gossips, throwing the journalism ethics into the dustbin. Thus, 
majority of the periodicals and media have become the fifth columnists 
of the old and neo-colonialists. They are violating and abusing the 
journalism codes of conduct by imposing news blackouts and giving 
priority to reporting slanderous news and rumours. In western countries, 
the big businessmen themselves have set up periodicals and TV and radio 
stations for the success of their business. Similarly, some capitalists 
are manipulating the periodicals, TV and radio business and using them 
as lucrative enterprises and investment areas.  

The spy and intelligence agencies of the west are buying the touts under 
the name of journalists. Thus, it is hard to believe the news reports of 
the so-called journalists. The western periodicals and radio and TV 
stations, failing to observe the journalism codes of conduct and dignity 
of the worthy citizens, are attacking the nations with media weapon. The 
western group has already taken foothold in the area of Asian 
periodicals, radio and TV. It has been stated for many times that the 
Asia week magazine of Hong Kong, Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) 
magazine, The Bangkok Post daily and The Nation daily are owned by the 
west. I have read in the books that the runaways and their associates 
worked as editors in The Bangkok Post daily during the time when U Nu 
and U Law Yon were expatriates.  

The periodicals that are making instigations in collusion with the 
western media to destroy the peace and stability in the whole Southeast 
Asian region and to worsen the tense border situation between Thailand 
and Myanmar are The Bangkok Post and The Nation dailies. Many of the 
columnists have already presented the mischievous acts of The Bangkok 
Post and The Nation dailies. The dailies never stand for the interests 
of Thailand and its people. By applying instigative writings, they gave 
unfair support to insurgents and expatriates, who are taking refuge in 
Thailand, and the west block. When drug insurgents under the charge of 
Ywet Sit and the Thai side attacked Tachilek region in February 2001,  

The Bangkok Post and The Nation dailies wrote the news report about the 
incident from opposite point of view. While ignoring the three persons 
who died from rocket shells in Tachilek, they were repeatedly reporting 
about a person who died in Maesai. Now Myanmar people have already known 
what kind of dailies The Bangkok Post and The Nation are. Behind the 
current tense situation between Thailand and Myanmar are some Thai 
nationals who, always in cahoots with insurgents, runaways and drug 
traffickers, are encroaching upon Myanmar. And it is the Bangkok Post 
and the Nation (including the Western media) that are continuously 
"stroking a fire" in the current standoff. If we study the made-up news 
items in the Bangkok Post and the Nation published on 4-4-2001, we can 
easily see who are responsible.  

The 4-4-2001 issue of the Bangkok Post flattered Lt-Gen Wattanachai 
Chaimuenwong, Commander of the Third Army Region as a tough-talking and 
fiercely patriotic commander, his job was one of the toughest in the 
Royal Thai Army, covering as it does the highly sensitive border regions 
with Myanmar whereas the paper described new Defence Minister Chavalit 
Yonchaiyudh as a person inclined to maintain cordial relations with 
Myanmar. In the editorial of the Bangkok Post titled "Low expectation 
for border talks" it was reported as follows: "He's (Lt-Gen Wattanachai 
Chaimuen-wong is) currently leading the Thai delegation to the first 
Regional Border Committee meeting, in Kengtung, for nearly three years. 
His expectations are low because, with good reason, he doesn't believe 
the Burmese side is sincere.  
According to sources close to Wattanachai, the Burmese are likely to do 
everything possible to put Lt-Gen Wattanachai in a bad light.¨] This is 
an attempt to drive a wedge. In the same Bangkok editorial, it said one 
item up for discussion in Kengtung would be the issue of joint border 
patrols which would allow Thai troops accompanied by Myanmar troops to 
patrol areas inside Myanmar territory so that both forces could help 
each other in jointly destroying the Wa's drug production bases. It 
added that the likelihood of the Myanmar accepting the idea was, of 
course, fairly remote for obvious reasons, but the request in itself was 
a useful test of their sincerity.  

This way it interfered even in the affairs of the Border Committee 
meeting. There is no such Wa's drug production bases in the Wa peace 
region. In fact, the Wa insurgent group led by Maha Hsan that has 
crossed the border into Thailand is engaged in the drug trafficking. If 
the Thai Army is desirous of conducting joint border patrols inside 
Myanmar territory, I have something to say. What will be the reply of 
the Bangkok Post editor if Myanmar, too, wish to conduct joint patrols 
of the activities of the runaways, insurgents and opium robbers inside 
the Thai territory (many areas including Bangkok, Chiangmai and Maesai)? 
The concluding sentence of the Bangkok editorial reflected its 
destructive nature as follows: "We cannot and should not take a 
conciliatory approach towards Burma as long as it keeps feeding off "the 
tears of the Thai people"." A news item titled "Rangoon agrees to closer 
cooperation" in the 4-4-2001 issue of the Bangkok Post reported on the 
meeting of the Comma! nder of the Triangle Region Command Maj-Gen Thein 
Sein of Myanmar and the Third Army Commander of Thailand Lt-Gen 
Wattanachai Chaimuenwong that Thailand and Myanmar agreed the previous 
day to strengthen border cooperation, including joint efforts to fight 
drugs.  

The report added that both sides would step up border cooperation, 
especially on intelligence exchanges, that the Thai side was surprised 
by the Myanmar team's positive responses to a number of issues raised by 
the Thai Third Army Chief, that both sides agreed to withdraw their 
forces deployed at Loilan area since 1997. On the issue of Myanmar 
refugees housed in Thai border camps, the report quoted Maj-Gen Thein 
Sein as saying that there should be no problem in taking back those 
refugees. It said the Kengtung meeting was scheduled to end on 4-4-2001 
morning with the signing of an MoU by Lt-Gen Wattanachai Chaimuenwong 
and Maj-Gen Thein Sein. True colours of Thai newspapers can easily be 
seen.  

Certainly, they have no good intention because they are always inventing 
false stories, instead of writing genuine reports. They should not do 
so. The news reports I have just cited are all false. A study of the 
news report and the editorial carried in the 4-4-2001 issue of the 
Bangkok Post will highlight the true nature of the editors of the 
Bangkok Post. The Bangkok Post dated 4-4-2001 carried a news report with 
the headline "Uranium smuggling foiled". The report said that the 
seizure of 1.25 gram of uranium in Manipur to the north-east of India 
showed that there was a link with a Japanese in smuggling uranium out of 
India through Myanmar. Thus, it made preposterous accusations.  

According to that news report, as the narcotic drug control committee of 
western Inphal in India thought that packet to be a packet of heroin, 
they seized and opened it. Only then, did it turn out to be a packet of 
uranium; the sample of the seized metal was sent to the department of 
chemistry of the university of Manipur (India); and Seekai Chongloi, who 
was arrested, exposed the implication of a retired soldier of Manipur 
rifle unit stationed near Shilaung (India) and a lecturer from the 
university of Manipur in the smuggling of uranium.  

An Indian police officer said to Calcutta Statesman Daily that the 
Ministry of Atomic Energy of the government of India had lost three 
kilos of uranium in the eastern region (Shilaung). Indian people who 
smuggled uranium of India right inside India were arrested. It had 
nothing to do with Myanmar. The Nation made accusations against Myanmar 
without rhyme or reason. It has been many times that they wrote 
incorrect news reports which said that narcotic drugs were smuggled from 
Myanmar to India. It has also been for a long time that the Western 
media and the media in Bangkok under the sway of the West have been 
writing accusing news reports. Now they came to write about "the 
smuggling of uranium of India through Myanmar.¨] The news report did not 
expose the nationality of Seekai Chongloi, who was arrested for this 
case. As far as I know, this name is not like the name of Indian people. 
 

Actually, the spelling and pronunciation of that name sound Thai. The 
ins and outs of the Bangkok Post and the Nation can now be known. With 
regard to the case of the hitherto existence of insurgents, runaways, 
absconders, opium traffickers and the Kuomintang who fled from Myanmar 
for various reasons and the case of "pouring petrol onto the fire" to 
create problems between Thailand and Myanmar, the Bangkok Post and the 
Nation are very good at reporting news. It can be said that they managed 
to perform to the liking of the West bloc. The media which is attempting 
to interfere in the internal affairs of another nation with foul means 
after breaching the media code of conduct and without having a go at 
standing with dignity as the Fourth Estate, will be just the fifth 
columnist of a big bloc.  

A pair of scales should give a right measurement. In measuring things, 
the tongue of the scales should be in the right vertical position. If 
goods equal to the standard weight are put onto a scale pan and the 
standard weight onto another, the tongue of the scales will be in the 
right vertical position, which shows that a one-viss weight block and 
the goods are equal in weight. A newspaper should strike a balance in 
stating an authentic news report. It is like a pair of scales. 
Newsprint, photos, the printing machine and good impression serve as a 
good pair of scales to determine whether the newspaper is good or not.  

If journalists who observe media code of conduct and have dignity are 
put onto a scale pan and the correct and timely news reports which serve 
the interests of the audience, the country and national causes onto 
another, the tongue of the scale of pairs called "The newspaper' will be 
in the right vertical position. However, the newspaper audience of the 
world and that of Myanmar can obviously see that every day the majority 
of the Western media and the Bangkok Post and the Nation in Thailand are 
having the tongues of their scales tilted. A newspaper should be right. 
Otherwise, its tongue will tilt.  

Author : Maung Hmat Kyauk




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