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BurmaNet News: September 3, 2001
- Subject: BurmaNet News: September 3, 2001
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 02 Sep 2001 20:28:00
______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
An on-line newspaper covering Burma
September 3, 2001 Issue # 1876
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________
INSIDE BURMA _______
*DVB: Curfew imposed to prevent student unrest
*DVB : Interview with U Khun Tun Oo of SNLD--Shan party head expresses
cautious optimism on government-Suu Kyi talks
MONEY _______
*Asia-Inc: Killing me softly...Dominic Faulder explains how corruption,
ineptitude and sanctions have turned Myanmar into something less than an
economic powerhouse
*The Australian: Protest? You can't even burn a bra
*New Straits Times (Malaysia): The beauty of Myanmar teak
GUNS______
*Bernama: M'sia Offers Military Technology To Myanmar
*Bangkok Post: Burmese Withdraw
DRUGS______
*Bangkok Post: Silk Road of Drugs Drug Smuggling
*Bangkok Post: Drug-runners Shot Dead in Chiang Mai
REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*Bangkok Post: New Minorities Group Pushes for Three-way Democracy Talks
More than 10 Groups Together in New Bid
*International Labor Rights Fund: Burmese Workers Suing Unocal in Los
Angeles Will Have Their Day in Court
*Agence France Presse: Britain encouraged by UN envoy's Myanmar visit
*Bangkok Post: Khin Nyunt talks to include labour issue
*Lloyd's List: Mitsui OSK's man in Vietnam has lived with Burmese
guerrillas, dodged bullets in Bangkok and tried to climb Everest. Who
says shipping people are dull?
EDITORIALS/OPINION/PROPAGANDA________
*Washington Post: MiGs, Drugs and Thugs
OTHER______
*Medialink: Fellowships to Australia close 16 November 2001
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
___________________________________________________
DVB: Curfew imposed to prevent student unrest
Excerpt from report by DVB on 27 August
DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] has already reported about a fight that
broke out between some GTI [Government Technical Institute] students and
local youths in Sandoway, Arakan State on 24 August. A curfew was
imposed the following day.
The incident happened when four GTI students, who were returning home
after visiting a friend at Sandoway general hospital, were attacked by
a group of local youths at about 2100 on 24 August. The four students
suffered severe injuries... When the students in town heard about the
news hundreds of students turned up at the GTI compound. After that,
the GTI compound was cordoned off by riot police from Myoma Police
Battalion, Sandoway and personnel from LIB [Light Infantry Battalion]
No 55. A curfew was later imposed.
The following afternoon Brig-Gen Tin Thein from Military Operations
Management Command No 5 based in Ann arrived at Sandoway with an office
staff and a battalion of soldiers. Later, a temporary command centre was
set up at Sandoway Peace and Development Council Office where the
situation was monitored. At night, Brig-Gen Tin Thein went to the GTI
and warned the teachers and students not to create any unrest.
According to latest reports received by DVB, although the situation has
not improved, a curfew remains in place.
Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 27 Aug 01
___________________________________________________
DVB : Interview with U Khun Tun Oo of SNLD--Shan party head expresses
cautious optimism on government-Suu Kyi talks
Text of report by DVB on 31 August
DVB has already reported that during his Rangoon visit Mr Razali Ismail
held discussions with representatives of five national race political
parties where U Khun Tun Oo from the Shan Nationalities League for
Democracy [SNLD] attended the meeting and discussed ethnic affairs. DVB
contacted U Khun Tun Oo to learn more about the discussions. Ko Moe Aye
conducted the interview.
[Ko Moe Aye] Mr Razali met five national race leaders including you.
[Khun Tun Oo] Yes.
[Ko Moe Aye] Can you tell us anything about the meeting?
[Khun Tun Oo] Since tripartite talks are not yet possible we requested
him to work for the success of the two-party talks. We were also told
that he would continue to work till the tripartite talks.
[Ko Moe Aye] Mr Razali said the UN would not neglect ethnic affairs.
[Khun Tun Oo] Yes, he did say that. He said it was in the UN resolution
and the national race issue would have to be resolved by tripartite
talks. He also reaffirmed that the national race issue is not forgotten.
He said the UN would never desert the national groups.
[Ko Moe Aye] Regarding the present situation, are you satisfied with the
way the two-party talks are progressing?
[Khun Tun Oo] He [Mr Razali] does not know and I do not know as well so
I cannot comment on that. The talks are proceeding in a very cautious
and closely controlled manner so nothing concrete is coming out of them.
We heard that the talks are progressing well and satisfactorily. That's
about it. In my view I would rather use the term cautious optimism than
optimism.
[Ko Moe Aye] As far as we know the national groups this side [exiles]
are also worried whether their affairs might be passed over or
neglected.
[Khun Tun Oo] It is clear at present. The principle that the five
national groups have adopted is that since the condition of the economy,
social, health, and education sectors are at a low ebb, we will give
priority to fix that first. Only when that seems to be on the right
track will we consider the dialogue process and move from two-party to
tripartite talks. We believe the UN will not abandon us. Even if the
matter is not brought up now it will become obvious in future. The
matter must be resolved whether now or later. Well, we are as worried as
the national races outside the country [exiles] are worried, but the
situation inside the country is worse especially in the districts.
[Ko Moe Aye] Yes. When Mr Razali met the national races, including the
SNLD, he is supposed to have said that the talks between Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi and the SPDC had reached a very important stage. What about
that?
[Khun Tun Oo] I don't know about that. Mr Razali did not say that. He
did not say that they had reached an important stage but he did say that
there was improvement. That's all.
[Ko Moe Aye] If the SPDC really wanted national reconciliation, a
nationwide cease-fire should be enforced. What is your opinion?
[Khun Tun Oo] To give my personal opinion they [the SPDC] are still
feeling the water [preceding six words rendered in English]. To grant a
genuine cease-fire and meet with all national races depends on the
progress of the current bipartite talks.
[Ko Moe Aye] In the latest developments U Aung Shwe [chairman of
National League for Democracy, NLD] and U Tin Oo [NLD vice-chairman]
have been released but Daw Aung San Suu Kyi still remains under de facto
house arrest. What is your view about that?
[Khun Tun Oo] That is politics and the move improves the political
climate. The government frees a political party chairman and they are
also holding talks. That is good. Mr Razali came and then met a number
of [NLD] party members apart from Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. These are good
signs. Any legal political party should be allowed to function freely
and work for the good of the country.
Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 31 Aug 01
______________________MONEY________________________
Asia-Inc: Killing me softly...Dominic Faulder explains how corruption,
ineptitude and sanctions have turned Myanmar into something less than an
economic powerhouse
By: Dominic Faulder
Aug 27, 2001
BRIGADIER GENERAL ZAW THUN surveyed his rapt audience of business people
before making a startling admission in English. It would cost him his
job as deputy minister of national planning and economic development.
"They're killing me softly with the system," he confided. Addressing a
seminar on the Burmese economy, Zaw Thun had already run through a long
list of how "they" - the hardline generals of the State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC) which rules Myanmar - were doing just about
everything wrong. "Some who are hold-ing responsibility in the country
lack proper awareness," he noted tactfully.
Zaw Thun's extraordinary address in July last year was probably the
frank-est admission of failure from a serving officer since General Ne
Win seized power in 1962. Ne Win set his country off along his
idiosyncratic "Burmese Road to Socialism", dispatching it to economic
oblivion. Ne Win's military heirs still cling to half- baked policies as
often as not fuelled by numerology and astrology. When news of his
comments eventually leaked, Zaw Thun was fired and confined to his home.
The fact that he was subsequently released may be attributable to his
good connections to SPDC chairman Senior General Than Shwe and former
dictator Ne Win. The supernatural shrine in his father's gar-den, of the
type so beloved by many of the wives of the senior generals, is also
thought to have played a part in his avoiding a long meditational spell
at the capital's infamous Insein jail.
Zaw Thun, a perfectionist who reputedly once threw away his golf clubs
in frustration at his own shortcomings on the links, languishes out of
office in Yangon. It can be small consolation that his grim observations
about the dire state of the Burmese economy are even truer today than a
year ago.
The double-digit GDP growth claimed by the junta, which Zaw Thun said
was at most 6%, has certainly dropped. Foreign exchange reserves were
down to about $US220 million in mid-2000, and cannot have improved.
Despite the junta's imposition of draconian import curbs, the annual
balance of payments deficit has been running at around $US500 million
due to the almost total lack of domestic manufacturing. Far from being
self sufficient, the Burmese economy remains dependent on imports for
most consumer items, and also to meet its basic energy requirements.
The cost of petrol and diesel jumped 50% to more than 900 kyat to the
gallon from April to May this year. In January and February, domestic
crude oil production was down 11%. Revenues from natural gas sales to
Thailand have never met expectations, and major investments are required
if domestic oil and gas deposits are ever to be exploited for domestic
benefit.
This looks unlikely in even the medium term, given the sanctions imposed
by Western powers. Foreign direct investment dropped more than 50% in
the first two months of this year compared to 2000, totalling a paltry
$US4 million; hardly a statement of international confidence in the most
resource-rich country in South-East Asia. According to the Myanmar
Times, residential rental rates are down to about 40% of those in the
"halcyon days" of 1996-97, evidence that foreign investors and
entrepreneurs are simply not setting up shop.
Last year, tourist arrivals fell nearly 10%, to 235,000, and dropped by
nearly a third in the first two months of this year. Official tourist
figures are dubious since they include cross-border movements. These
have been adversely affected by spats and closures along the troubled
border with Thailand.
Even with the opening of a large international airport at Mandalay (a
third is on the way at Pegu, north of Yangon), Myanmar's overall tourism
performance remains dismal. Arrivals by air at Rangoon in the late 1980s
were around 40,000 annually. In 2000, these had not even tripled to
120,000. By comparison, Cambodia, a country with one-fourth the
population of Myanmar, managed more than 400,000 visitors last year and
is on course for one million in 2003. Yet, in all South-East Asia,
Myanmar's Pagan ranks a worthy second to Cambodia's Angkor complex as a
heritage attraction.
But if Zaw Thun has been vindicated in anything, it is the spectacular
crash of the kyat. Last year, he revealed that he had tried to persuade
the junta to deregulate and float the currency before 1996-97 when the
market value was between 150 to 200 kyat per dollar. He reckoned that
the move then might have knocked the free market value of the currency
to about 300 kyat at that time, but that by 2000 it would have tumbled
to 600.
Ne Win's old fixed exchange rate of 6.7 kyat remains defiantly in place,
foiling the best efforts of many to do business with the country.
However, in mid-May, the free-market rate on the kyat plumbed record
depths of 950 to the dollar before rallying to around 740. Gold prices
also rose steeply. The value of Foreign Exchange Certificates, which
visitors are forced to buy, has long since diverged from their nominal
dollar value.
Many observers contend that Myanmar's mounting economic crisis can be
traced back to well before the Asian economic flu struck in 1997, and is
firmly rooted in the junta's economic ineptitude and misgovernance.
Certainly, Myanmar has well and truly missed the foreign-investment
boat, which is unlikely to come around again any time soon. Myanmar
gained little impetus from the regional boom of the 1990s in large part
because of the regime's inability to implement meaningful economic and
political reform.
Have sanctions aggravated this situation? "Absolutely," says Maureen
Aung-Thwin of the Open Society in New York. "But worse than actual
sanctions is the fact that, under the present political and economic
situation, even if sanctions were lifted, companies - not major Western
ones - wouldn't rush in."
Over the past three years, the junta has been increasingly circumspect
about the economic data that it reveals. This serves to cloud, but not
conceal, the severity of the crisis. "I think the situation is bad, but
I don't know how bad," concedes Tin Maung Than, one of Myanmar's best
known journalists, who lives in exile in Bangkok. "How, when foreign
reserves are only meant to be worth two months' of imports, can they
survive?" he asks.
Black revenues from the booming narcotics trade may be part of the
answer. Myanmar's unbridled drug industry, which can only benefit from
Taleban curbs on opium production in Afghanistan, has reduced relations
with Thailand to near military and open verbal warfare. Even Thailand's
cherished royals have been lambasted recently in the Burmese state
media, and one of their projects shelled.
Perhaps the only upside in this economic quagmire is that the junta
finally seems to have been forced to enter into a dialogue of sorts with
Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. Closer to power, her
party would undoubtedly attract the multilateral assistance denied to
the junta. "Neither side has a way out, but there are some areas open to
compromise," argues Tin Maung Than.
But the NLD is by no means a catch-all solution. The party has been
devastated. Even without making any allowance for its wholly forgivable
inexperience in government, 38 of the MPs elected in 1990 are dead, 74
have been locked up in one way or another, and 123 have been coerced
into resigning. Others have fled abroad.
___________________________________________________
The Australian: Protest? You can't even burn a bra
August 29, 2001
By John Ellicott.
It was once a common show of defiance by feminists, but burning a bra in
the new millennium is outlawed as a danger to public safety. Activists
had their bras at the ready in Sydney's Pitt Street Mall yesterday as
they protested against the use of Burmese labour to manufacture the
formerly Australian-made Triumph brassieres. But just as a lighter was
about to be put to the bras, a police officer and council inspector
David Robinson told the demonstrators bra burning was not allowed.
"It's certainly something we don't give approval for," Mr Robinson told
the organisers.
"We are supported by the police in this matter," he said. "The police
also do not support the burning of effigies." Protesters from several
unions and Burmese dissidents gathered under a giant bra in the mall in
support of the rights of Burmese workers, who they said were making
Triumph bras in sweatshop conditions. Under the clothing union's
"Support Breasts, not Dictators" campaign, shoppers were urged not to
buy the bras until Triumph observed an International Labour Organisation
ban on trade with Burma. NSW Legislative Council president Meredith
Burgmann said the protesters wanted to burn the bras but took the advice
of authorities. "We were going to burn them, but the council has asked
us not to, so we're going to use scissors instead," she told the crowd.
Dr Burgmann was arrested 21 times as a student protester in the 1960s
and served a two-month jail term as a result.
But she doesn't feel the fire has gone out of her belly. "I didn't want
to spoil the Labor Council's protest and they were running the show,"
she said. She didn't burn her bras as a student activist "because I
needed them too much".
What you can't do in Sydney's Pitt St Mall: * Burn a bra * Ride a
bicycle * Ride a skateboard * Hand out commercial literature * Busk
before 2pm and conduct anything except walk-by acts in three set
locations * Drink alcohol.
___________________________________________________
New Straits Times (Malaysia): The beauty of Myanmar teak
September 1, 2001
LIVING room lacking in character? Try adding a piece or two of Myanmar
teak furniture with its rich wood shade and natural grains.
Elvira Danker of Tanamera Trading has two shops selling Myanmar teak and
cane furniture, rattan products, antiques, reproductions, ethnic fabrics
and precious gemstones. But most interesting, even for her, is the wood
furniture. "They're not
even coloured or lacquered, yet they look simply stunning," says Danker,
who has lived in Myanmar for two years.
She adds that the beauty about such items is that they last "almost
forever". However, some may not like them because they tend to be very
heavy but she notes that the heavier the item, the longer it lasts.
Most of the furniture at her shops, she says, come in European designs
which make them easier to blend in with contemporary ones.
Least expensive is a rocking chair that costs RM600 while the most
pricey is a coffee table that comes with two side tables. This set is
tagged at RM3,000.
Also nice is the cane furniture. "Cane is in abundance in Myanmar and
the supply and quality is better than that here," she says. The best
part
is that the colour becomes richer through the years.
Prices for the cane furniture range from RM890 to RM3,600.
_______________________GUNS________________________
Bernama: M'sia Offers Military Technology To Myanmar
Malaysian National News Agency, Fri, 31 August 2001
>From Shahrullizan Rusli
YANGON, Aug 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia-Myanmar military ties have entered
a new phase with the Myanmar military ruler agreeing to send a technical
team to Malaysia to study the country's sophisticated defence
technology.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said except in military
training, defence ties between Malaysia and Myanmar were very limited
previously.
"They are very keen to know our expertise in defence technology and how
they can benefit from the knowledge and expertise Malaysia have," he
told Bernama in Bagan at the end of his four-day visit to Myanmar.
The technical team comprising officials from Myanmar's three services --
land, sea and air -- would be sent as soon as possible to explore the
opportunities available in the local defence industry.
Although Myanmar had its own defence industry, it was confined to
manufacturing short-range rockets, ammunition, bombs and land mines.
Their technology is quite old but creative to the extent of inventing
own rifle merged with the technology of AK-47 Russian-made rifle and
rifles of other European countries.
Najib said Myanmar armed forces were keen to acquire defence technology
available in Malaysia and in turn Malaysia would tap the investment
opportunities in that country.
The highlight of Najib's visit to Myanmar was his meeting with Prime
Minister Senior Gen Than Shwe who is also chairman of the State Peace
and Development Council on Tuesday.
Than Shwe told Najib that he was impressed with Prime Minister DatukSeri
Dr Mahathir Mohamad's leadership and was implementing the proposals made
by him.
"I feel this visit is successful as the Myanmar government is showing
keen interest on efforts to enhance bilateral ties between Kuala Lumpur
and Yangon," he said.
Najib said Malaysia was prepared to help develop Myanmar and not merely
to enhance friendship. "If Malaysia can contribute towards Myanmar's
stability and prosperity, the region will also benefit including
Malaysia," he said.
Najib also encouraged Malaysian entrepreneurs to invest in Myanmar.
Myanmar, with a 44 million population, besides providing cheap labour,
was rich in untapped natural resources.
"Dr Mahathir himself encouraged Malaysian entrepreneurs to seek business
opportunities in Myanmar. The 150 entrepreneurs based here are involved
in various businesses including hotel, trade and logging," he said.
He said the secret of doing business in Myanmar was the ability of
businessmen to forge cordial ties with the government. "The prospect of
getting business is very good indeed if they established close ties," he
said.
Najib said Malaysian entrepreneurs also had good opportunities in
Information Technology (IT) as the Myanmar government was learning from
Malaysia's expertise in preparation to enter the Internet network.
Despite entering the millennium era, Myanmar still does not have
Internet.
The communication network was still backward and its infrastructure
facilities was 50 years behind Malaysia.
___________________________________________________
Bangkok Post: Burmese Withdraw
September 1, 2001
Burmese troops who took over a Thai paramilitary ranger camp on Doi Lang
in Chiang Mai's Mae Ai district withdrew into Burma early yesterday
after talks between local border co-ordinators, said the defence
spokesman.
Col Palangkoon Klaharn said the Burmese did not want their actions to
mar a visit to Bangkok by Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Secretary One of Burma's
State Peace and Development Council on Sept 3-5. Nine Burmese soldiers
took over the 31st paramilitary ranger base on Wednesday while the
rangers were away on patrol.
Villagers arrested
Phrae _ Four villagers were arrested yesterday in Wang Chin district for
illegal logging.
Acting on a tip-off, police went to Mae Phung national forest reserve
and scoured the area. They found four villagers sawing teak logs into
planks.
They said they wanted the wood to build new houses after their old
houses were damaged or swept away in May 4 flash floods.
Army builds houses
The army is building 200 housing units for villagers of Ban Nam Kor in
Phetchabun's Lom Sak district left homeless by flash floods on Aug 11.
Col Somkhuan Saengpataranet, the army spokesman, said soldiers of the
1st Cavalry Division of the Third Army were building new units as well
as repairing damaged houses.
Radio stations under the Second and Third Army regions had kept the
villagers informed of weather conditions.
Asylum call
The Bangkok-based Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development called on
Australia to take more than 400 asylum-seekers on board a Norwegian
ship. In a letter to Prime Minister John Howard, the regional human
rights group said it was worried about health and safety conditions on
board the Tampa, off Christmas Island.
Forum-Asia said Canberra's refusal to let them land could hamper
Australia's role in promoting and protecting human rights in the region.
________________________DRUGS______________________
Bangkok Post: Silk Road of Drugs Drug Smuggling
Just When Drug Suppression Agents Were Starting to Get on Top of
Trafficking Operations, the Wa Producers Have Come up with Bold New
Strategies to Thwart Them Including Using Civilian Cover to Protect
Their Cross-border Operations into Thailand
September 2, 2001
SURATH JINAKUL
:
Faced with a tough suppression campaign by Thai soldiers and
anti-narcotics officials, the United Wa State Army (UWSA) under drug
baron Wei Hsueh Kang has resorted to erecting a "human wall" close to
the Thai border to protect its drug smuggling operation, which has now
shifted to the Andaman Sea route.
Dubbed the "Silk Road of Drugs", this new smuggling route stretches from
the Burmese border town of Tachilek down to the deep-sea port of
Myawaddy, and onto the southern tip of Burma opposite the Thai province
of Ranong (see map).
In late 1999, Thai authorities began to detect an exodus of tribal
people from northern Burma to areas close to the Thai-Burmese border
opposite the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai. These migrants
comprised the Wa and Kokang, which had lived in rugged mountainous areas
near the southern Yunnan province of China.
During the past year, the UWSA and its ally Kokang Democracy United Army
(KDUA) have resettled more Wa and Kokang civilians along the border
opposite the Thai provinces of Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son and Tak. This
year saw new settlements sprout up along this south-bound route, raising
concerns among Thai security and anti-narcotics officials which had
clashed with unidentified armed groups.
While drugs are still smuggled through the porous border with Burma,
large quantities of them are believed to have been sent to third
countries via the Andaman Sea, according to anti-narcotics officials.
In the biggest drug haul in several years, Thai navy officers
intercepted two fishing boats in the Andaman Sea near the Surin group of
islands on January 7 this year and seized five million methamphetamine
tablets and 100 kilogrammes of heroin. The boats were en route to
Singapore when they were intercepted.
Anti-narcotics officials believe Wei Hsueh Kang had teamed up with
former drug baron Lo Hsing-han and Singaporean mafias to link the "Silk
Road of Drugs" with a sea-bound route via the Burmese town of Myawaddy.
A deep-sea port was officially opened in Myawaddy on June 1 this year.
It was hailed as a major step forward for Burma's economic development.
But anti-narcotics officials are suspicious about the source of money
that went into the port's construction.
According to an army officer involved in drug suppression, the
south-bound migration of Wa, Kokang and other hilltribe people would not
be possible without the tacit approval of Chinese and Burmese
authorities.
"China has had a big problem fighting drug smuggling and drug addiction
in its southern region," he told Perspective. "Naturally, they would be
happy if these drug-producing groups are moved away from their border,"
he added, referring to the Wa and Kokang tribesmen.
Burma itself would benefit from the resettlement of these minority
groups, which serve as a counter-force against other armed minority
groups still opposed to Rangoon.
The civilian communities set up along the border also provide a "buffer"
for illegal drug labs and caravans that snake along the rugged border
terrain, the officer noted.
THE WA-KOKANG ALLIANCE
The surrender of drug warlord Khun Sa to Burmese authorities in 1996
enabled Wei Hsueh Kang and the UWSA to emerge as the major heroin
producers and traffickers in the Golden Triangle. Lately, production
shifted to methamphetamines, which were smuggled in large quantities
into Thailand in the last few years.
With Khun Sa out of the picture, the UWSA had joined forces with the
Kokang Democracy United Army (KDUA), which has about 7,000 armed men.
The Kokang is an ethnic minority group in Burma which together with the
Wa, the Shan and the Chinese Haw had been associated with the Communist
Party of Burma. Since communism lost its hold in the region, communist
fighters have disbanded and regrouped under the Kokang leadership.
In the late 1990s, the UWSA, the KDUA and some minority groups entered
into a peace agreement with the Burmese military junta, which has since
allowed them to rebuild their forces and businesses.
In return, the groups help the ruling junta to crush anti-Rangoon
elements. The coalition also ensures that no activities against Rangoon
arise from the various groups of Buddhist and Christian Karens.
While the Wa produce drugs, the Kokang help them guard drug labs and
trafficking routes. They also collect protection fees from drug caravans
and other illegal activities, according to security sources.
But with millions of methamphetamine tablets smuggled into Thailand each
year, armed clashes between drug smuggling gangs and Thai security
forces are unavoidable.
In one such clash in September 1999, a Thai Border Patrol policeman was
killed and three seriously wounded in an ambush by drug smugglers in
Chiang Mai's Mae Ai district. Then Narcotics Suppression Bureau
commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Komkrit Patphongpanich remarked that "the fight
against drugs is going to get increasingly harder."Since then Thai
authorities have stepped up border surveillance. Soldiers, Border Patrol
Police and army-trained rangers have teamed up to stop the flow of
methamphetamines from across the border.
BORDER INFILTRATION
Mr Anuwat S. Sairattanyu, headman of Pang-kerd village in Chiang Mai's
Mae Taeng district, is concerned about an influx of new migrants from
Burma.
"I was informed by people in some border villages (in Mae Taeng) that
Burmese, Chinese and other tribal people crossed the border into their
villages in April this year, claiming it was unsafe to stay in Burma,"
Anuwat told Perspective in a recent interview at his home.
"They claimed they had escaped fighting in Burma."In addition to these
migrants, tens of thousands of hilltribe people from northern Burma had
been resettled in border areas opposite Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Mae
Hong Son during the past year, he said.
"They are literally forming a human wall along the border," said Anuwat.
He believes the new border villages are designed to protect drug
smugglers operating along the "buffer zone".
"If they run into Thai border officials and a clash erupts, they can
take cover inside these villages," he noted.
Because the border is not clearly demarcated, a dispute could erupt over
territorial sovereignty, Anuwat said, adding that some of the new
settlements are located very close to the Thai border.
His concern is shared by Mr Krisada Boonraj, chief officer of Fang
district in Chiang Mai.
According to Krisada, ethnic minorities and Chinese from southern China
have been moving toward the Thai border. Many new arrivals have mingled
with tribal villagers already settled in Thailand.
This makes it difficult for Thai authorities to identify "bad elements"
who may enter the country to engage in drug trafficking.
He confirmed that Thai security officials had clashed with armed groups
who entered villages in Mon Pin sub-district of Fang in April and May
this year.
In view of the new security threat arising from the presence of new
migrants just across the border, Krisada said Thai authorities must
strengthen cooperation with tribal communities in the country.
These highlanders have been living in Thailand for a long time and they
are loyal to Thailand, he said, adding that the government is now
working to grant them Thai nationality. (see story on Page 3)It is hoped
that these ethnic Thai citizens will serve as the eyes and ears of
government authorities in their efforts to maintain border security and
stem the flow of drugs from across the border.
GLOBAL COOPERATION
Last month's seizure of 450,000 Wa-made methamphetamine tablets in
Switzerland confirms the urgent need for increased international efforts
to fight the drug scourge.
The Swiss drug bust provided the first major confirmation that the
United Wa State Army has expanded its methamphetamine trade beyond
Thailand.
In a big step towards regional cooperation, China, Thailand, Burma and
Laos have pledged to cooperate in the suppression of narcotics
production and trafficking.
Meeting in Beijing last Tuesday, ministers from these countries pledged
to cooperate to curb trafficking of heroin, methamphetamines and other
drugs from the Golden Triangle, which straddles the borders of the four
countries.
Officials of the four countries will share intelligence and join forces
to stem the proliferation of chemicals used in the production of
narcotic drugs.
Anti-narcotics officials in Thailand, Asean countries and those in
Europe and America have been working together to break the networks of
drug syndicates around the world.
The "Silk Road of Drugs" has indeed posed a new challenge for Thai
authorities which, in addition to policing the border with Burma, have
to look out for smugglers in the Andaman Sea.
In response to this challenge, the Thai government has set up a "Sorn
Chon" task force to suppress drug smuggling in the Andaman Sea. The
Royal Thai Navy's 3rd Fleet will spearhead the operation, in
coordination with the Marine Police, the Excise Department and the
Customs Department.
Bangkok Post: Drug-runners Shot Dead in Chiang Mai
September 2, 2001
Three suspected Burmese drug traffickers were shot dead in Chiang Mai's
Muang district on Friday, allegedly while delivering 70,000 speed pills
to police agents.
The incident took place as Interior Minister Purachai Piumsombun was
visiting the province to inspect night entertainment areas as part of
the government's get-tough policy against nightspots nationwide.
___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
Bangkok Post: New Minorities Group Pushes for Three-way Democracy Talks
More than 10 Groups Together in New Bid
September 2, 2001
SUPAMART KASEM
A committee has been set up by pro-democracy Burmese ethnic minority
groups to co-ordinate attempts to bring about peace and democracy in
Burma.
An agreement was reached at a three-day ethnic nationalities seminar
which ended on Friday at the Karen National Union's Law Khii Lah camp
opposite Tak. More than 10 pro-democracy ethnic minority groups resolved
to form the EthnicNationalities Solidarity and Co-operation Committee to
bring together Burmese minority forces pushing for tripartite peace
talks.
The panel will be chaired by KNU president Pado U Ba Thin.
The groups which signed the pact were the KNU, Karenni National
Progressive Party, United Nationalities League for Democracy/Liberation
Area, Shan Democratic Union, Arakan Liberation Party, Chin National
Front, Pa-o People's Liberation Organisation, Palaung State Liberation
Front, and allied groups.
All groups, it was decided, would support any activities and diplomatic
approaches to ease conflict in Burma through talks between Rangoon, the
Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy party, and ethnic
nationalities.
"We have kept watch on talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the State
Peace and Development Council which began in October last year. We
consider this as a good sign and are willing to support it," U Ba Thin
said.
He said he appreciated United Nations special envoy Razali Ismail's Aug
27 visit to Rangoon to push forward peace talks.
___________________________________________________
International Labor Rights Fund: Burmese Workers Suing Unocal in Los
Angeles Will Have Their Day in Court
new economy communications
Terry Collingsworth
THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2001 (202) 347-4100 ext 2
Claims that Unocal Knowingly Benefited from Rights Abuses to be Heard in
Superior Court
California Superior Court Judge Victoria Chaney released an opinion
today in Los Angeles that Burmese villagers who have filed suit against
Unocal Corporation, the Los-Angeles-based oil and natural gas drilling
company, will have their day in court. "This is a major victory. Despite
Unocal's best efforts, the Burmese villagers who suffered unspeakable
violence at the hands of Unocal's security force in Burma, will get to
tell their stories. We look forward to having a Los Angeles jury decide
who is telling the truth about human rights violations on Unocal's
pipeline project in Burma," said Terry Collingsworth, general counsel of
the Washington-DC based International Labor Rights Fund, lead
plaintiffs' counsel in the case.
In March, 2000, Federal District Court Judge Ronald S.W. Lew ruled that
the Burmese villagers' case should be heard in a California state court.
Judge Lew dismissed their claims under the Federal Alien Tort Claims Act
on grounds that the court had no jurisdiction. Lew's 41-page opinion in
the federal case damaged Unocal, however, because he found that "the
evidence does suggest that Unocal knew that forced labor was being
utilized and that the Joint Venturers benefited from the practice." John
Doe I v. Unocal Corp., 110 F. Supp. 2d 1294 (C.D. Ca.. 2000). Judge Lew
also wrote that there is evidence that "the military forced Plaintiffs
and others, under threat of violence, to work on [Unocal's pipeline
infrastructure] projects and to serve as porters for the military for
days at a time." Id. at 1298.
Judge Lew specifically refused, however, to dismiss the state law claims
despite Unocal's repeated urging. He remanded those claims to state
court for resolution. Judge Chaney also rejected Unocal's claim that the
federal ruling precluded a state trial.
Now, while the federal claims are on appeal to the US Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals, the state law claims will be allowed to proceed in
California court, offering the Burmese workers another opportunity to
hold Unocal responsible for their injuries. The Burmese believe that
Unocal violated California's constitution and unfair business practice
law, citing the company's involvement in the Burmese army's use of
torture, physical assaults, and forced labor in the construction of a
natural gas pipeline through Burma.
1320 18th street nw #500 washington dc 20036 (202) 721-0111
___________________________________________________
Agence France Presse: Britain encouraged by UN envoy's Myanmar visit
September 1, 2001 Saturday
LONDON, Aug 31
Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Friday he was encouraged by
UN envoy Razali Ismail's four-day mission in Myanmar during which he met
twice with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the ruling generals.
Straw said in a statement released in London Friday: "I am encouraged
that the UN Special Envoy for Burma Razali Ismail was again granted
access to Burma's political leaders during his latest visit this week,
including democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. "I hope his visit will
inject even greater urgency into a process leading to national
reconciliation and a return to democracy in Burma."
Straw added: "I look forward to the outcome of UN Human Rights envoy
(Paulo Sergio) Pinheiro's visit next month, and to the report of the ILO
Assessment Mission on forced labour, also due in Burma in September.
"If real progress is made in Burma towards improved human rights and
political freedoms, we shall respond in kind."
During Razali's four-day visit, the Malaysian diplomat met twice with
Aung San Suu Kyi to discuss the progress of the talks -- her first with
the junta since 1994 -- which began in October.
He also pushed the junta to release 29 elected MPs from the opposition
NLD who remain in jail.
The release of the 29 and other leading NLD figures, particularly those
who are elderly or infirm, is believed to be a top priority of Aung San
Suu Kyi.
___________________________________________________
Bangkok Post: Khin Nyunt talks to include labour issue
September 1, 2001
Thailand will propose that Burma enter into a memorandum of
understanding on legal labour when Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt pays a visit next
week.
Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said he would submit a draft MoU
on a regime for the import and export of foreign labour to Burma's State
Peace and Development Council's Secretary One.
A source said the draft was a bid to open a "new channel" for labour
flows, and to address the problem of Thai employers who claimed they
were resorting to illegal means because there was no legal means for
hiring labour. But the draft was envisaged for the future and would not
deal with the estimated 800,000 illegal Burmese workers now in the
country , the source said. Agreement on the regime was expected to help
reduce the inflow of illegal Burmese workers.
Work on the draft started this month, and an agreement in principle
could allow the document to be signed at the Thai-Burmese Joint
Commission meeting, postponed from this month to December, the source
said.
The draft provides for protection of workers' welfare and rights, the
source said.
Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt will hold separate talks with Mr Surakiart, Defence
Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on
his Sept 3-5 visit.
Mr Surakiart said different issues were being prepared for the
discussions.
Besides the draft MoU, he would also discuss a general policy on foreign
labour and the planned voluntary repatriation of illegal workers, for
whom Burma would have to prepare a holding area.
He would also discuss the repatriation of displaced persons that would
take place when the situation normalises. The United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for
Migration would be asked to set up a vocational centre on the Burmese
side of the border.
He said he had already touched on this plan with his Burmese counterpart
Win Aung and the country's defence minister.
A source said the IOM had been drawn into the plan to allay Burma's fear
of being pressured on human rights issues.
Mr Surakiart said fishing concessions, lifting limits on trade,
construction of a second bridge between Mae Sai and Tachilek, and
co-operation against drugs were also on the agenda.
___________________________________________________
Lloyd's List: Mitsui OSK's man in Vietnam has lived with Burmese
guerrillas, dodged bullets in Bangkok and tried to climb Everest. Who
says shipping people are dull?
August 31, 2001
Janet Porter hears an inspiring story of commitment to the shipping
industry from Masafumi YamamotoSHIPPING is crying out for fresh blood -
the cream of today's school-leavers. And what the industry needs are
more role models who will appeal to the brightest and best.
No, not those who have followed the path of university, graduate trainee
intake and fast-track up the corporate ladder. At least, not all the
time.
For what is most likely to bring excitement and glamour back to a
business that can offer both, but which does not always realise it, is a
bit of adventure.
That's where Masafumi Yamamoto enters this tale. For the past nine
years, he has represented Mitsui OSKin Vietnam.
A posting to Ho Chi Minh City at a time when the former Saigon was still
fairly isolated from the rest of the world would be challenge enough for
most. But how this young Japanese arrived there would have tested the
resolve of the most determined thrill-seeker.
Not Yamamoto. "I will always select the harder option if I have a
choice,"grins. "Life is fun."
But even he had second thoughts about such a philosophy when an AK47 was
rammed into the side of his head and he was asked if he had any last
words. For once, he was speechless.
Thankfully, that scary moment turned out to be an initiation rite by the
head of the local guerilla movement in Burma.
But it was not the only fright Yamamoto had during the few months he
spent in the Burmese jungle with local freedom fighters. He vividly
remembers the time when he was marching through the forest in the dead
of night, with no torch and only the back of the man ahead for guidance.
He was ordered in no uncertain terms to follow exactly in the footsteps
of his guide, but only later discovered the group had been gingerly
making its way across a minefield.
"Iappreciated his kindness,"recollects a decade later.
Other near misses included coming under mortar attack while sheltering
in a trench.
And like any good Japanese, he decided to take some photographs of
government troops in a trench a few hundred meters from where the
guerillas were dug in. But as he focussed his camera, he was showered
with bullets and very quickly retreated.
So how had Yamamoto come to be with the guerillas in the first place?
Brought up in Tokyo, he rebelled against Japan's structured social
system and dropped out of university where he had been studying
literature, determined to gain what he calls "real experience".
He left Japan when he was 20 and headed for Shanghai, his first overseas
trip. Then it was on to Tibet, where local hospitality included, on one
memorable occasion, being offered a night with the wife of the family he
was staying with.
"My refusal resulted in a fairly cold night alone," he remembers.
He walked from village to village towards Nepal where, in a moment of
madness, he attempted to climb Everest wearing little more than a
threadbare sweater and a pair of worn out shoes. Not surpringly, he
failed to get to the top. More surprisingly, he had a second attempt.
>From there, Yamamoto travelled on to Bangladesh but decided to leave
when pre-election tensions escalated into fighting between rival
factions that became "bloody heated".
India was the next port of call, with Yamamoto joining the West Bengal
Kabaddi Association. He had played the sport, a popular Indian team game
akin to tag in which one of the players has to touch as many of the
opposing side while holding his breath, when at university in Tokyo.
After that, it was on to Bangkok where again found himself in a spot of
bother when demonstrations against the prime minister turned violent and
several protestors were shot dead.
"Ito dodge the bullets,"says thankfully.
It was during his spell in Bangladesh that he had met refugees from
Burma, or Myanamar, for the first time. Later, in Bangkok, he made
contact with the local representative of the guerilla movement and was
then smuggled across the border into Burma.
"No big deal," he shrugs.
A few months and several close shaves later, he was back in Bangkok to
ponder his future.
"I had two choices, to go to Australia or to go to Vietnam to teach
Japanese." He chose the latter, and moved to Vietnam in the early 1990s
where he spent a year teaching before joining MOL nine years ago.
As one of the longest ex-pat residents in Ho Chi Minh City, Yamamoto has
seen enormous changes in Vietnam as it gradually opens up its markets to
the rest of the world.
But he is not as optimistic as most about the country's prospects. What
concerns Yamamoto is the threat of China, which is already draining
resources from the whole region in its drive to become the "factory of
the world".
Cambodia enjoyed a brief period of boom when its economy was
liberalised, but quickly saw activity slow down again, and Yamamoto is
concerned that Vietnam will go the same way.
But what of his own prospects.
Now in his early thirties, with a Vietnamese wife, Hang, a beautifully
restored house on the banks of the Saigon River, and two sisters-in-law
in residence, he seems to have settled down. But even Yamamoto himself
is not sure whether or not he has.
What he does know is that his underlying principle is to "select the
harder way whenever I encounter a junction".
Shipping?It can't possibly be when the industry is able to attract
people of Yamamoto's calibre and enterprise.Above: A Burmese guerrilla.
During several months spent with the freedom fighters Yamamoto was shot
at, caught up in a mortar attack and had to tiptoe through minefields.
APMount Everest: Yamamoto tried to climb the mountain wearing little
more than a threadbare sweater and a pair of worn out shoes.
___________EDITORIALS/OPINION/PROPAGANDA__________
Washington Post: MiGs, Drugs and Thugs
Sunday, September 2, 2001
THERE AREN'T many places in the world where the visit of a United
Nations diplomat can cause a stir.But the Southeast Asian nation of
Burma, also known as Myanmar, is so paralyzed by political repression
and economic backwardness that any movement can cause excitement. Last
week U.N. envoy Razali Ismail, a Malaysian, was in Burma trying to
promote talks between the ruling military junta and the democratic
leaders who have spent most of the past decade in prison or under house
arrest. The release from house arrest of two of those leaders was enough
to trigger speculation of an impending thaw and calls for renewed aid to
the impoverished nation.
Burma certainly needs reconciliation and a transition to democracy. But
those who root for such an outcome should not allow wishful thinking to
cloud their judgment. It is gratifying that the generals have released
some 200 prisoners of conscience, but more than 1,500 remain locked up
-- and there is nothing to prevent the generals from taking more
hostages anytime they want. Nothing internally has changed for the
better: The press is muzzled, forced labor remains a common practice,
child soldiers are still pressed into service, drug profits continue to
sustain the regime. Aung San Suu Kyi, head of the National League for
Democracy, a woman frail in appearance but indomitable in spirit,
remains under house arrest, virtually cut off from the world. There
isn't much to cheer about yet.
Humanitarian groups have pressed for a resumption of aid, as have some
Japanese officials; plenty of corporations are eager to get back into
this resource-rich nation. No one can doubt the needs of Burma's
population of 48 million. But the priorities of their government make
any aid a questionable proposition. This summer, the ruling generals
concluded a deal with Russia to buy a dozen advanced MiG-29 fighter
jets. This was not only "an indication that the Russians are willing to
sell military hardware to anyone, anywhere," Sen. Mitch McConnell
(R-Ky.) said, but also a reminder that the welfare of their impoverished
people is not a priority of the "thugs and thieves" who rule Burma.
The generals seized power in 1988. Two years later they allowed
parliamentary elections; but when Aung San Suu Kyi's party won an
overwhelming victory, the junta locked her away and refused to honor the
results. Ever since the once-promising and well-educated nation has been
slipping downhill. Until the democrats are allowed to assume the
positions they earned in election, no amount of aid is likely to stem
the slide.
______________________OTHER______________________
Medialink: Fellowships to Australia close 16 November 2001
Medialink is again offering fellowships of up to $A12,000 for Asian
media personnel to work in Australian news organisations for 3 to 12
months. The closing date for the next round is 16 November 2001.
This program is open to all categories of:
* News media: newspapers, magazines, radio, television and online news.
* Media personnel: editors, reporters, photographers, cartoonists,
technicians, camera crews, producers, advertising personnel.
For enquries, information and application forms:
www.asialink.unimelb.edu.au/medialink
<http://www.asialink.unimelb.edu.au/medialink>
Previous fellowship recipients from Asia include:
* Hendrarto Darudoyo, Indonesian journalist / editor of Warta Ekonomi, *
Indian Express reporter, Rajesh Kumar,
* From Indonesia, Febrina Siahaan, Tempo reporter, and
* From China, Xinhua News Agency reporter Wen Chihua.
________________
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