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BurmaNet News: September 23, 2001



______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
        An on-line newspaper covering Burma 
          September 23, 2001   Issue # 1888
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________


INSIDE BURMA _______
*Reuters: Australia to send aid workers to Myanmar
*AFP: Myanmar to start building first coal-fired power station: report 
*Irrawaddy: The First Perfection: Charity in Buddhism and Burmese 
Culture

MONEY _______
*AFP: Malaysian investment mission meets Myanmar ministers 
*AFP: Thousands of Myanmar workers rush to register for Thai work 
permits
*Xinhua: Myanmar's Machinery Import Up in First Half
*Radio Myanmar: Hong Pang Company begins upgrading Rangoon-Mandalay 
highway

GUNS______
*AFP: Thai refugee camp under tight security after threats of attack 

DRUGS______
*AP: Five suspected drug smugglers killed in border clash

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*AFP: Myanmar belatedly releases condolence message for the US
*Myanmar Information Committee: [Reiterates Than Shwe's 12 Sep sympathy 
message]
*AFP: US attacks, politics to dominate Malaysia-Myanmar talks 




					
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________





Reuters: Australia to send aid workers to Myanmar


CANBERRA, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Australia said on Monday it would send aid 
workers to Myanmar in recognition of recent improved political 
conditions, but said it wanted the release of imprisoned pro-democracy 
politicians to continue. 

 Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he was encouraged by 
last month's release from house arrest of National League for Democracy 
(NLD) chairman Aung Shwe and vice-chairman Tin Oo by Myanmar's military 
government. 

 The release of politicians, members of opposition leader Aung San Suu 
Kyi's pro-democracy NLD who had been elected at the last democratic poll 
in 1990, brings the total number of political prisoners released since 
January to more than 160. 

 ``However, we remain deeply concerned that many Burmese citizens remain 
imprisoned for their political beliefs and we will continue to impress 
the importance of further prisoner releases,'' Downer said. 

 Downer said Australia would send an aid project team to investigate 
ways to alleviate child nutrition problems in the poor country. The 
Australian team will arrive in Myanmar on Monday and stay until October 
13. 

 ``We hope that this small measure will send a signal to the SPDC that 
progress on human rights and political reconciliation will enhance 
Burma's prospects of receiving international assistance that will help 
relieve its pressing humanitarian problems,'' Downer said. 

 The NLD won the 1990 election by a landslide but has never been allowed 
to govern. Myanmar's ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) 
has never recognised the result of the election and has detained dozens 
of opposition politicians since. 

 Tension between the military and NLD has eased since the start last 
year of secretive talks between Suu Kyi, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace 
Prize, and the country's ruling generals. 

 The human rights group Amnesty International says there are still about 
1,500 political prisoners in Myanmar. 





___________________________________________________




AFP: Myanmar to start building first coal-fired power station: report 




YANGON, Sept 23 (AFP) - Myanmar's state power authority, which is 
battling chronic electricity shortages, plans to begin work shortly on 
the nation's first coal-fired power station, the Myanmar Times newspaper 
said. 

 In its edition to be published Monday, the weekly said the Myanma 
Electric Power Enterprise (eds: correct) will build the 120 megawatt 
plant at Pinlaung township in the southern part of Shan State.
 
 "The power station is expected to start generating electricity in 
2003," said Department of Electric Power director-general Thein Tun. 

 The facility, built with machinery imported from Myanmar's main foreign 
backer China, is expected to use 500,000 tons of coal a year sourced 
from a nearby reserve of nearly 21 million tons, he said.
 
 Thein Tun said the reserve will give the power station an operating 
life of about 40 years, and that there were plans to build another power 
station at the site, depending on the availability of coal.
 
 Exploration was taking place for new deposits in the area. 

 The bulk of Myanmar's electricity is generated through gas-fired and 
hydro-electric plants, the latter mainly from the Japanese-built 
"Lawpita" hydro station in Kayah state. 

 In May this year Japan announced a 28.6 million dollar plan to revamp 
the 1960s-era dam, as a reward to the junta for entering into talks with 
the democratic opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi. 

 The grant was criticised by leaders including US Secretary of State 
Colin Powell, as being "too much too soon", and that the junta should 
make more concessions before being handed such large rewards.
 
 The other infrastructure development to spark controversy was the 
military regime's decision earlier this year to begin talks with Russia 
about building a nuclear reactor for scientific and power generation 
purposes. 

 In an effort to end the rolling blackouts that plague the capital 
Yangon, the Myanmar authorities have also experimented with a range of 
power sources including thermal, solar and coal generation. 





___________________________________________________



Irrawaddy: The First Perfection: Charity in Buddhism and Burmese Culture

Vol 9. No. 6, July 2001

Charity, one of the Buddhist perfections, has long been an integral part 
of Burmese culture. But history?and habit?have obscured its real social 
and spiritual value.



by Min Zin

"If you knew what I know about dana (generosity), you would not let one 
meal go by without sharing it," the Buddha once said. Dana is the Pali 
term for giving, generosity and charity, and it is an integral part of 
the Buddhist ethos. It includes giving of material support to those in 
need; giving of spiritual knowledge to those in despair; giving of love 
to those who are abandoned; and giving of protection to those who are 
threatened.

 
VICTORY FOR WHOM? Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt consecrates the SPDC?s hold on power 


Having given away something with the intention of making life easier for 
another being, one immediately feels a happiness that fills one?s heart 
and mind. The Venerable Ashin Thittila of Burma explains the benefits of 
dana thus: "The object in giving is to eliminate the craving that lies 
dormant within oneself; apart from which there are the attendant 
blessings of generosity such as the joy of service, the ensuing 
happiness and consolation, and the alleviation of suffering."

The main idea concerning generosity or any of the ten parami (or 
"perfections", of which dana is the first and foremost) is that there 
should be no strings attached. The Buddha urged his followers to give 
without any expectation of personal reward. Basically, the ultimate aim 
of generosity practice is the transformation of the individual from a 
self-centered, greed-driven existence to one that is other-centered and 
greed-free. 

Giving is literally a practice in letting go?one that increasingly flies 
in the face of the acquisitive tendencies that drive modern society. 
However, even in societies that are not completely consumerist in 
orientation, true generosity faces serious social pressures. In Burma, 
for instance, dana has been misinterpreted by successive reigns and 
regimes to serve the interests of the ruling elite, who profess to 
promote the values espoused by Buddhism. 

Notwithstanding such distortions, evidence of the importance of charity 
in Burmese culture is abundant, from the golden glory of the Shwedagon 
Pagoda (which owes its magnificence to the donations of countless 
devotees) to the familiar sight of mendicant monks receiving alms. Nor 
is charity reserved for those who choose the religious life. Rest houses 
are set up all over the country for the comfort of travelers, and 
vessels of clear, cool water can be found on every roadside, put there 
for the benefit of passersby. These distinctive clay water pots are 
replenished daily, often by local people who have little else to offer, 
but who remain intent upon contributing something for the well-being of 
others. "The inclination to charity is very strong" among Burmese, noted 
Fielding Hall in his book, The Soul of a People, published in 1902. "The 
Burmese give in charity far more in proportion to their wealth than any 
other people."

These days, however, many observers take a more jaundiced view of such 
impulses. "Everything has gone to pot here," remarked one respected 
Burmese writer recently. "You can?t paint a rosy picture of so-called 
?Burmese beauty? anymore. Dana has become a self-serving tool to acquire 
wealth and power," complained the octogenarian author, who has written 
extensively on Buddhist literature in Burma. "Even among religious 
people, dana amounts to little more than sending a money-transfer to the 
next life."

Under the current military regime, dana is often represented as a 
panacea for poverty. In its propaganda, the junta stresses that a lack 
of generosity, and not poverty as such, is the real problem facing the 
country?s many destitute citizens: "If you say you can?t make donations 
because you lack wealth, you can never expect to become wealthy," reads 
one typical pronouncement in a state-run newspaper. This Catch-22 may be 
cold comfort for the poor, but for the regime, it makes perfectly good 
sense. Why blame decades of mismanagement for the country?s many 
economic woes, when the Buddhist scriptures (according to the junta) say 
that poverty is simply a product of parsimony? 


Given the prevalence of such self-serving interpretations of Buddhist 
principles in public discourse (which is almost totally monopolized by 
official opinion), it is not surprising that many Burmese have strayed 
from Buddhism altogether without even realizing it. Many who profess to 
be Buddhists often direct their charitable offerings according to the 
advice of soothsayers and astrologers in order to accrue as much merit 
for themselves as possible. Not only is this practice based on misplaced 
faith in the powers of pseudo-spiritual fakirs; it also runs contrary to 
the Buddhist conception of charity as an act free of self-interest. 

Even more disturbing, from the standpoint of the social impact of such 
distortions of Buddhist principles, is the way charity has become a form 
of bribery or even a means of laundering ill-gotten gains. When 
businessmen want to obtain a license or permit of some sort, they 
invariably make a donation to a pet project run by one of the ruling 
generals. And for Burma?s drug lords, who enjoy a status akin to 
aristocracy in the country?s capital, charity serves as a convenient way 
to convert illicit profits into social, political, and economic capital. 
Thus donation ceremonies, which routinely bring together generals, drug 
lords and businessmen, are highlighted daily on the state-run Myanmar TV 
news programs. Charity funds everything from the restoration of pagodas 
to the national football team; but ultimately, the real beneficiaries 
are those who control the flow of finances behind the scenes. 

Most ordinary Burmese are well aware of how the system works, and remain 
troubled by it, even after more than a decade of such abuses. "Steven 
Law of Asia World Company has offered a huge donation to build schools 
and fund multimedia classrooms," remarked Rangoon schoolteacher Mya Lwin 
recently. He added: "We all know where he gets his money from, but what 
can we do, except hang our heads in shame?" Law is known to be one of 
Burma?s leading narco-billionaires.

While some of these practices are distinctly modern innovations, there 
is nothing new about Burmese rulers using charity to enhance their 
political legitimacy. The current regime has in many ways modeled itself 
after Burma?s pre-colonial kings. This has been most conspicuously the 
case in its patronage of the Buddhist Sangha, or monastic community. On 
a daily basis, the generals make religious offerings that serve not only 
as a form of personal merit making, but also as powerful symbolic 
gestures that exploit the Sangha?s historically important role as a 
unifying factor of the state. 

Pagodas, as the most visible symbols of religious beneficence, have long 
played an especially important role in reinforcing claims to political 
power. In his History of Burma (1925), G. E. Harvey noted that pagodas 
built by Burma?s King Bayinnaung in Ayutthaya (in present-day Thailand) 
and other neighboring kingdoms "are still to be seen, and in later ages 
the Burmese would point to them as proof of their claim to rule those 
countries." This mindset has persisted to this day, as seen in the 
current regime?s building of pagodas modeled after Rangoon?s renowned 
Shwedagon Pagoda throughout Shan State, as a way of asserting Burmese 
(i.e., ethnic Burman) sovereignty over this ethnically distinct region.

The practice of co-opting religious symbolism for political ends 
literally reaches its pinnacle with the ceremonial hoisting of the 
htidaw ("umbrella") on the top of pagodas that have been newly 
constructed or renovated. This act is regarded as the ultimate 
merit-making event, and yet it has no basis whatsoever in Buddhist 
doctrine. According to historian Dr Than Tun, "This practice began in 
the 15th century, when a Mon king invaded Burman-dominated territory and 
put a big crown made like his own on top of each pagoda in the land he 
conquered." As retaliation, "The Burmese king put a likeness of his own 
crown on top each pagoda when he re-seized his land." 

In early 1999, Burma?s military rulers held a htidaw-hoisting ceremony 
to mark the completion of a major renovation of the country?s most 
sacred religious edifice, the Shwedagon Pagoda. The ceremony, which was 
treated as one of the most important religious events of the 20th 
century, culminated with the generals shouting "Aung Pyi! Aung Pyi!" 
("We won! We won!"). Far from sharing in the generals? sense of victory, 
however, local people were left feeling more defeated than ever. "When 
we heard what they were shouting, we felt crushed," recalled one Rangoon 
shopkeeper. "It was not act of dana but of sorcery. I was also 
frightened by the thought of this regime remaining in power for years to 
come," she added. 

By far the most appalling misuse of the principle of dana is the 
widespread practice of forcing people throughout the country to "donate" 
their labor to public works projects. The regime has repeatedly claimed 
that such "voluntary labor" is carried out in the spirit of dana, as if 
there were something spiritually uplifting about being forced to perform 
backbreaking labor at gunpoint. In some instances, people are genuinely 
willing to contribute to the upkeep of temples or to projects that 
directly benefit their communities; but this clearly does not apply to 
the construction of roads and other infrastructure for the tourism 
industry, for instance. "In some cases, people do not mind donating 
their time voluntarily for their religion," observed recently exiled 
social critic Tin Maung Than. "But the donation of labor for temple 
construction must be separated from being ordered to give free labor for 
government projects," he added.

Some scholars have pointed out that the current regime is worse than the 
pre-colonial monarchy in the way it has conscripted labor. "Even King 
Mindon, unlike some of his predecessors, had insisted on paying for 
labor by his subjects, and did not require them to attend to court 
matters while they were busy during harvest time," explained 
anthropologist Gustaaf Houtman, citing Dr Than Tun?s The Royal Order of 
Burma. King Mindon, who belonged to Burma?s last royal dynasty, 
eventually abolished corvee labor altogether, following the introduction 
of a coinage currency and a new taxation system in 1868, according to 
Burmese historian Toe Hla.

Political abuses are not the only issue that makes dana problematical 
from a modern perspective; there are also economic consequences that 
need to be considered. Melford Spiro, in a study of Buddhism in rural 
Burmese society, observed that "The typical upper Burmese village is 
reported to spend from 30 to 40 percent of its net disposable cash 
income on dana and relative activities." This may have the positive 
effect of encouraging hard work and thrift, but, as Trevor Ling pointed 
out in his Buddhism, Imperialism and War, "it is important to note that 
the money that becomes available at harvest time, when the farmer sells 
his surplus, is channeled into what are from the entrepreneurial point 
of view unproductive activities."

"Dana monies may have a very low opportunity cost if the donors do not 
have the skills, knowledge and opportunities to invest them 
productively," concurred a Singapore-based Burmese economist, speaking 
on condition of anonymity. The tendency to "invest" savings in risk-free 
religious generosity rather than in risky capital accumulation has the 
effect of retarding the rate of economic growth, he argued. 

Taken to extremes, some might argue that charity as it has been 
practiced in Burma for centuries is a hindrance to economic development, 
since it diverts capital away from more "productive" uses. However, the 
Singapore-based economist concedes that the problem lies less with 
charity than with the general inefficiency of the Burmese economy: "In 
this case, it is tied up with the problem of a lack of mechanisms, 
modalities and motivation for efficient allocation of financial 
resources." 

Although the profit motive?the driving force behind market-based 
economics?seems to be at odds with the values of Buddhism, it would be a 
mistake to conclude that Buddhism is inimical to economic growth. The 
Buddha taught his lay followers that instead of squandering or hoarding 
wealth, a quarter of one?s income should be used for consumption, a 
quarter saved for an emergency, and a half used for one?s business?a 
very high rate of reinvestment if taken literally. 

The experience of other Buddhist countries also attests to the fact that 
Buddhism is no impediment to economic progress. "Thai people also devote 
a considerable percentage of their income to merit-making," observed 
anthropologist Christina Fink. "Yet the Thai economy grew at a rate of 
more than 10% a year during the late 1980s and throughout most of the 
1990s."

As for the political manipulation of dana, it is worth noting that on 
several occasions, monks conscientiously opposed to the policies of the 
ruling regime have turned the generals? pious pretenses against them. 
The most famous instance of this occurred in late 1990, when senior 
monks in Mandalay called for a religious boycott (pattam nikkujjana 
kamma?"overturning the bowl") against the regime by rejecting alms from 
military officials and their families and refusing to perform religious 
services for them. The protest was eventually crushed, but it served as 
a potent reminder that the Sangha?s moral authority is not something 
that can simply be usurped by an illegitimate and fundamentally immoral 
regime.

Contrary to the regime?s practice of directing its dana almost 
exclusively towards the Sangha, most learned abbots and Buddhist 
scholars agree that there is no doctrinal basis for such bias. In his 
book Ottama Purisa Dipani, the Venerable Ledi Sayadaw stated, "Alms 
giving done for the benefits arising therefrom after selecting the 
status of the donees and the way to accrue most merit is not a noble 
meritorious deed." Citing Ledi Sayadaw?s teaching, U Aung Shwe, one 
Burma?s most influential Buddhist scholars, wrote as follows: "Giving 
alms not only to the Three Gems (the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha) 
but also to the poor is the noblest deed of alms giving."

Efforts to assist the poor by providing such necessities as food, 
medicine, and education, initiated by well-respected abbots like 
Thamanya Sayadaw, as well as by Aung San Suu Kyi?s National League for 
Democracy and other, smaller volunteer groups, reflect a clear 
understanding of the spirit of dana as it is taught in the Buddhist 
scriptures. However, Burmese people seldom make such "secular" 
donations, in large part because the requisite institutions of civil 
society are almost entirely absent. Independent civic-minded 
organizations are virtually non-existent in Burma today, as any form of 
popular participation in activities affecting whole communities is 
regarded as a threat to military rule. The few "volunteer" organizations 
that do exist in Burma at present operate under the auspices of the 
regime, and often serve primarily as means of channeling corporate or 
private "donations" directly into the hands of the generals or their 
cronies. 

Beyond these immediate political circumstances, however, there are also 
deeper cultural factors at work that tend to lead to the misapplication 
of basic Buddhist values in Burmese society. An inordinate attachment to 
tradition for tradition?s sake, without a critical awareness of the 
basis of many time-honored practices, eventually renders even the best 
of these practices meaningless. The Buddha?s teachings on dana remain as 
deeply relevant as ever, but only when they are applied thoughtfully can 
their true value be properly appreciated.




Thamanya Sayadaw U Vinaya

Thamanya Sayadaw U Vinaya, an elderly monk from the Pa-o ethnic group, 
lives at the foot of Thamanya Mountain, some twenty miles outside of 
Pa-an, the capital of Karen State. Thamanya Sayadaw is a strict 
vegetarian, as are those who live in the area around his monastery; the 
food stalls within three miles of the Thamanya sell no food containing 
meat. Visiting pilgrims also eat only vegetarian food for several days 
before coming to pay obeisance to the Sayadaw. People have great faith 
in his metta samatha (power of universal loving-kindness and peace), and 
believe that his blessing will bring them success in their endeavors.

Apart from his accomplishments as a meditator and other imperceptible 
religious qualities, the Sayadaw is also revered for his socially 
oriented charity practice. The grounds owned by Thamanya Sayadaw cover a 
three-mile radius around the mountain where about 7,000 families live. 
The Sayadaw owns several vehicles, including heavy-duty trucks that are 
used for various construction projects, such as building schools and 
maintaining roads and various public utilities. Aung San Suu Kyi once 
noted that while the regime forces people to contribute labor to build 
roads, the Sayadaw achieves his works through voluntary contributions 
from the people.

However, some observers have noted that most people who donate money to 
the Sayadaw seem to do so in the belief that they will earn greater 
merit due to his exalted spiritual status, rather than with an awareness 
of the social value of their contributions. 





______________________MONEY________________________




AFP: Malaysian investment mission meets Myanmar ministers 


BANGKOK, Sept 24 (AFP) - A visiting business delegation from Malaysia 
met leading Myanmar cabinet ministers on Monday to discuss investment 
opportunities, state-run television reported. 

 The 15-member delegation headed by the deputy state secretary of 
western Malaysia's Selangor state held separate talks with Myanmar 
Industrial Minister Aung Thaung and Livestock Breeding and Fisheries 
Minister Maung Maung Thein, TV Myanmar said in a dispatch monitored 
here. 

 They discussed bilateral economic cooperation and investment 
opportunities in Myanmar, it said. 

 Malaysia is ranked fourth among foreign investors in Myanmar. Total 
investment stands at 587 million dollars -- mostly in timber, hotel 
construction, tourism and trading. 






___________________________________________________





Thousands of Myanmar workers rush to register for Thai work permits

April 24, 2001

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ Thousands of illegal migrants, mostly from 
Myanmar, rushed to register for work permits across Thailand Monday, 
under a new government scheme to regulate laborers from poorer 
neighboring countries. 
 Thai Labor Minister Dej Boonlong said he expected some 700,000 migrants 
would sign up. Workers, who must be accompanied by their employers, have 
three weeks to apply. 

 More than one million migrants from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are 
believed to work in farms, factories and households in Thailand, doing 
jobs Thais don't want. They usually earn less than half the Thai minimum 
wage. 
 Until recently, they were routinely subject to deportation, although 
many migrants kept coming back to Thailand anyway. In a policy shift, 
the Thai government now wants to offer them a way of staying 
legitimately. 

 The 3,250 baht (dlrs 74) work permit allows workers to stay for 6 
months and get free state health care. It will be renewable for a 
further six months for 1,200 baht (dlrs 27). Workers can register in 35 
of Thailand's 76 provinces. 
 In Samut Sakhon, a port about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Bangkok 
and a center for fishing-based industries, about 3,000 mostly Myanmar 
workers had registered within the first seven hours of office-opening on 
Monday, said Arunee Krukhun, a registrar official. 

 Authorities in northwestern Tak province _ home to many garment 
factories dependent on cheap Myanmar labor _ have so far received about 
20,000 applications, said Anurut Thosarut, head of the provincial labor 
department. 
 Myint Naing, 22, a knitting factory worker, said that his employer was 
paying for his work permit, but would dock half of the money from his 
from his salary. 
 ``We have agreed as it means we can work legally. In the past, we've 
had to hide in the rice fields to avoid arrest. Sometimes we got 
injured,'' he said. 
 However, officials in Tak indicated the work permit would not guarantee 
migrant workers the local Thai minimum daily wage of 136 baht (dlrs 
3.10). 
 They said it was up to Thai businessmen not the government to decide on 
salaries. 

 Illegal migrant workers in Tak usually earn only 60-75 baht (dlrs 
1.36-1.70) per day. 

 Phil Robertson, representative in Thailand of the Solidarity Center, a 
U.S. labor rights group, said worker registration was a step forward, 
but that it should ensure migrants get the same protection and coverage 
as Thais _ including the minimum wage, benefits, holidays and 
satisfactory working conditions. 

 A Myanmar merchant, who did not want to be named, said for the past two 
months, Myanmar military authorities had prevented anyone who was not a 
merchant from coming to the Thai border opposite Tak. He thought this 
was to stop an exodus of people seeking work permits. 



___________________________________________________




Radio Myanmar: Hong Pang Company begins upgrading Rangoon-Mandalay 
highway


September 23, 2001 5:41am


The Central Supervisory Committee for Ensuring Safe and Smooth 
Transportation meeting No 5/2001 was held at the meeting hall of the 
Army Commander in Chief's Office at 1300 today. Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, 
chairman of the committee and secretary-1 of the State Peace and 
Development Council [SPDC], attended the meeting and delivered an 
address. 

SPDC Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt said: with regard to ensuring safe 
and smooth transportation, the task of upgrading Yangon 
[Rangoon]-Mandalay Highway into a six-lane expressway has been assigned 
to national entrepreneurs. As SPDC Chairman Sr Gen Than Shwe gave 
guidance on the participation of national entrepreneurs in national 
development endeavours duties have been assigned to the entrepreneurs 
and they have been allowed to participate in the task of bringing about 
safe and smooth transportation. 


As the tasks are to be carried out in accord with the guidance of the 
SPDC chairman and the requirements of the nation, national entrepreneurs 
are required to strive for timely completion of upgrading the six-lane 
Yangon-Mandalay Highway. During this month, a ceremony to begin the task 
of upgrading Mandalay-Meiktila section, the northern part of 
Yangon-Mandalay Highway, by Hong Pang Company was held and construction 
work has begun. Other entrepreneurs are also engaged in tasks such as 
finding the axis for the respective sections of the highway, drawing 
road designs, and collecting fuel oil and machinery. 

In conclusion, the secretary-1 urged all to work for the emergence of 
the six-lane Yangon-Mandalay Highway of high standard and assured them 
that the government and responsible departments will provide necessary 
assistance... 

Source: Radio Myanmar, Rangoon, in Burmese 1330 gmt 22 Sep 01 

 


_______________________GUNS________________________




AFP: Thai refugee camp under tight security after threats of attack 


MAE SOT, Thailand, Sept 23 (AFP) - Thailand's military said Sunday it 
had stepped up security around a major refugee camp on the Myanmar 
border, acting on rumours that a rebel militia had targeted it for 
attack.
 
 Fourth Infantry commander in Tak province, Colonel Anek Inamnuay, said 
the Myanmar-aligned Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) was believed 
to be planning a revenge strike against the Karen National Union (KNU). 

 Sources on the border said rumours were sweeping intelligence circles 
that the KNU had captured high-ranking DKBA leader Kyaw Than during a 
raid on one of its bases earlier this month. 

 The DKBA planned to retaliate by torching the Ban Bae Koh refugee camp 
in Tak province's Tha Song Yang district, one of the biggest facilities 
on the border and home to 37,000 Karen. 

 Anek said the Thai army was checking on the rumours, and in the 
meantime tightening its guard over the camp. 

 "The intelligence reports we have say it is possible that the camp in 
Tha Song Yang district will come under attack," he told AFP. "We have 
increased security around the camp." 

 However, KNU secretary general Pado Mansha denied having 51-year-old 
Kyaw Than in his custody, and said his fighters had raided DKBA 
headquarters, not the base closer to the border as the Thais believed. 

 He told AFP that during the raid they found no top leaders, but seized 
four lower-ranking officers and held them overnight before releasing 
them. About five buildings at the headquarters were set alight and 
destroyed. 

 The KNU leader said he had also heard rumours of an imminent attack on 
the camp, although he believed the smaller Mae La camp was being 
targeted. 

 "A raid on a camp would cause heavy casualties, but the Thai army has 
them tightly secured so we don't expect them to be attacked by the 
DKBA," he told AFP by phone from his secret base. 





________________________DRUGS______________________





AP: Five suspected drug smugglers killed in border clash 


BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ Five suspected drug smugglers were killed and 
two Thai soldiers wounded in a jungle shoot-out along the Thai-Myanmar 
border, police said Monday. 

 Acting on a tip, Thai troops intercepted the suspected traffickers 
Saturday night in Chiang Rai province, some 860 kilometers (422 miles) 
north of Bangkok, said Police Capt. Vichien Wanasut. 

 The group, which apparently crossed into Thailand from Myanmar, 
retreated after a brief gunfight, but another clash occurred Sunday 
morning when Thai troops went to sweep the area about one kilometer 
(1,090 yards) from the frontier, he said in a telephone interview. 

 Five bullet-ridden bodies were found, two of them identified as 
hill-tribe villagers and three believed to be members of Myanmar 
drug-trafficking groups. Two Thai soldiers sustained minor wounds. 

 Police seized 8 kilograms (17.7 pounds) of heroin and two rifles after 
the clash. 
 It was not certain whether the dead were followers of one time drug 
warlord Khun Sa. He surrendered to Myanmar troops six years ago but some 
of his followers are still involved in narcotics trafficking, police 
say. 

 Myanmar, also known as Burma, is one of the world's major producers of 
opium, from which heroin is refined. Laboratories near the Thai frontier 
also turn out millions of metamphetamine pills which are flooding 
Thailand. 

 The Thai government has declared a war on this scourge and stepped up 
police and military patrols along the frontier. 







___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
				




AFP: Myanmar belatedly releases condolence message for the US 

YANGON, Sept 23 (AFP) - Myanmar's military regime has belatedly released 
a message of sympathy sent to the United States after the terrorist 
attacks there, and denied rumours that its troops were ready to fight 
with the alleged perpetrator Osama bin Laden. 

 Myanmar's official press maintained a blackout on the attacks until the 
weekend when it finally ran a letter to US President George W. Bush from 
junta leader Senior General Than Shwe, sent the day after the attacks. 

 "I was deeply shocked by the news of the dreadful violence perpetrated 
in the cities of Washington DC, New York and Pittsburgh on 11 September 
2001," Than Shwe said in the message. 

 "At this tragic hour, the people and government of the Union of Myanamr 
join me in offering our heartfelt condolences to the government and 
people of the United States of America." 

 The Myanmar junta typically has a hostile relationship with the US 
government, which has led the international community in condemning the 
regime over its poor human rights record and resistance to democratic 
reforms. 

 Meanwhile, the official press also issued a statement dismissing what 
it said were rumours of a connection between government troops and 
fighters aligned with Bin Laden, who the US has accused of masterminding 
the attacks. 

 "The government and the people of Myanmar are quite surprised to learn 
that in Europe there is a malicious rumour going around stating that the 
Myanmar soldiers are going to join Usamah Bin-Ladin's forces," it said. 
 The statement said the reports were being spread deliberately by exiled 
dissidents who were aiming to discredit the government and deter 
tourists from visiting Myanmar. 

 However, the opposition radio network, the Democratic Voice of Burma 
(DVB) said the government's denial was the first it had heard of the bin 
Laden connection. 
 "DVB has contacted Europe-based Burmese democracy groups but they said 
they have not heard the rumours," it said. 

 The Myanmar Times said in a report to be published in its Monday 
edition that Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win had also expressed 
the government's sympathies over the attacks in a condolence book. 
 "These acts were indeed in no way acceptable to all mankind," the 
minister wrote in the book opened at the Inya Lake Hotel, where a prayer 
service for the victims was held Wednesday. 

 "In this hour of great tragedy, Myanmar wishes to reaffirm its 
friendship with the great people of the United States." 





___________________________________________________




Myanmar Information Committee: [Reiterates Than Shwe's 12 Sep sympathy 
message]

[Information Sheet No. B-1962 (I/L) issued by the "Myanmar Information 
Committee" in Rangoon on 21 September] [FBIS Transcribed Text] This 
office is presenting the message of sympathy sent by H.E. Senior General 
Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council and Prime 
Minister of the Union of Myanmar to the Honorable George W. Bush, 
President of the United States of America on the 12 of September 2001 
for your information. I was deeply shocked by the news of the dreadful 
violence perpetrated in the cities of Washington D.C, New York, and 
Pittsburgh on 11 September 2001. At this tragic hour, the people and 
Government of the Union of Myanmar join me in offering our heartfelt 
condolences to the Government and people of the United States of 
America. Senior General Than Shwe Chairman State Peace and Development 
Council The Honorable George W. Bush President of the United States of 
America [Description of Source: Rangoon Myanmar National Homepage in 
English -- Internet website carrying government news and Information 
Sheets]




___________________________________________________






Xinhua: Myanmar's Machinery Import Up in First Half


YANGON, September 22 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's import of machinery equipment 
was valued at 421.16 million U.S. dollars in the first half of this 
year, up 11.52 percent from the year-ago period, according to the latest 
data published by the country's Central Statistical Organization 
Saturday. During the six-month period, the import value of such 
machinery equipment accounted for 27.33 percent of the country's total 
import value which was registered at 1,541 million dollars. Of this, the 
import value of electric machinery apparatus amounted to 119.65 million 
dollars, rising by 24.89 percent, while that of non-electric and 
transport equipment reached 301.51 million dollars, up 6.97 percent. 
According to official statistics, in 2000, Myanmar imported 628. 05 
million dollars' worth of machinery equipment. Myanmar, an agricultural 
country, has to depend on import for the majority of its different 
machinery equipment in need. The country is trying to produce 
agricultural implements as import-substitute goods, getting aid from 
China in the implementation of two agricultural machinery factory 
projects which will produce walking tractors and reapers. 



___________________________________________________






AFP: US attacks, politics to dominate Malaysia-Myanmar talks 


KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (AFP) - The attacks on the US and their economic 
impact, along with political developments in Yangon, will top the agenda 
when Myanmar's leader visits Malaysia this week, an official said 
Monday. 

 Senior General Than Shwe is due to begin a three-day trip Tuesday at 
the invitation of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. 

 Six senior ministers and the chief of military intelligence, 
Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, will accompany Myanmar's most powerful 
leader, a senior Malaysian government official told AFP. 

 Than Shwe would arrive early Tuesday and hold talks with Mahathir ahead 
of a meeting of delegations. Two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) -- 
on tourism and information exchange -- would be signed. 

 The official said Than Shwe was expected to brief Mahathir on the 
political situation in Myanmar. 

 Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for a 
year, but has embarked on landmark talks with the military. 

 The political atmosphere in Yangon has thawed since the talks began, 
leading to the release of nearly 200 opposition figures including senior 
members of her National League for Democracy (NLD). 

 The Malaysian official said UN envoy Razali Ismail was expected to make 
more frequent visits to Myanmar to "build up the momentum" to pave the 
way for democratic reforms. 

 During a four-day visit to Yangon in August, the envoy met twice with 
Aung San Suu Kyi to discuss the progress of the talks. 

 The official said Mahathir and Than Shwe may discuss how best to 
cooperate to deflect the negative economic impact of the terrorist 
attacks on the US. 

 Malaysia, which is eyeing the energy market in Myanmar, would propose 
"some ideas" and technology to solve the country's chronic electricity 
shortages, he said. 

 The first day of Than Shwe's visit will conclude with a dinner hosted 
by Mahathir. On Wednesday, he is due to tour the Multimedia Development 
Corporation and the world's tallest buildings -- the Petronas Twin 
Towers. 

 On Thursday the general is scheduled to visit the island resort of 
Langkawi before leaving for home later in the day. 












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