3 DEMOCRACY & DIALOGUE: Inviting the US, Keeping the UN Out; SPDC Lashes Out at Opposition; Harassment of Daw Suu; CRPP, SPDC Refuses to; Recognize Ethnic Parties,,, 7 MILITARY THREAT: Reshuffle; Ne Win Family Appeal Rejected; Explosion on Gas Pipeline; 18 Villagers Killed in Crossfire; Bombs; Army vs NaSaKa; New Equipment & Infrastructure; Upgrading NaSaKa... 12 DRUGS: Thaksin's War on Drugs; UWSA Deny Putting Contract on Thaksin; Wa Continue Production; SSA Joins War on Drugs; Less Opium, More Meth; US Fails to Certify Burma; US Not Invited to Opium Survey; India & China; Aid for Crop Substitution... 16 ECONOMY: Price Hikes; Pay Rise for Civil Servants; Forced Sale of Crops; Oil & Gas; Bank Crisis; Foreign Trade & Investmen; Tourism, Pressure and Divestment... 30 AID: United Nations, Japan, Israel; Helen Keller Intl/ TotalFinaElf; FIFA... 32 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: US-Running Out of Patience; Vietnam � Strengthening Close Friendship; Russia, Malaysia China - Exchanging Goodwill Visits; UK - Growing Criticism; Asean, Asean � EU Meeting; Bangladesh �Trading Ties; Japan Defends Policy; India, Australia... 38 THAI-BURMA RELATIONS: High Level Visits to Burma; Princess Smoothening Relations; Thaksin, the Great Mediator? Border... 43 ETHNIC RELATIONS: 5 Armies Establish Joint Command; Defections, Divide and Rule; Ceasefire Groups Strengthen Ties; Arakan State � Rangoon Tightens its Grip; Shan, Karen, Mon... 48 HUMAN RIGHTS: Amnesty Intl Inside for 1st Time; SPDC Threatens Villagers before ICRC Missions, Villagers Trained to Lie to Intl Monitors; Political Prisoners, New Arrests; Pinheiro's 5th Mission, "the Bug"; US Country Report on HR; Forced Labour, Extortion; Land Confiscation, Shoot Order; Freedom of Press & Expression... 55 WOMEN & CHILDREN: Rape, Child Soldiers... 57 RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: Blacklist; WCC Chair Meets Khin Nyunt; Discrimination Against Muslims; Discrimination Against Christians; Forced Conversion... 59 DISPLACEMENT: IDPs; Refugees & Asylum-seekers; Migrants... 64 LANDMINES... 65 HEALTH... 66 ENVIRONMENT... 67 CHRONOLOGY: 1 JANUARY ~ 31 MARCH 2003... 72 APPENDIX I: Current Composition of the CRPP... 73 APPENDIX 2: SWAN Recommendation to UNHRC... 74 APPENDIX 3: Diplomatic Visits/