|
The Daily Star
11 Myanmar citizens held in Ctg for
smuggling cattle
COX'S BAZAR, Feb 2: BDR jawans Tuesday seized 73 cattleheads
being smuggled into the country through the Naaf river in Teknaf thana and
arrested 11 Myanmar nationals in this connection, reports UNB.
Sources said that a BDR squad halted two trawlers in the river and arrested 11 Myanmar nationals along with the cattleheads worth about Tk 5 lakh.
The arrested were identified as Hethami, 31, Muchiaoung, 32, Kawho, 25, Toaithoa, 26, Thela, 28, Aoungoe, 29, Momiza, 35, Aoungo, 35, Moasi, 29, Chotenoe, 28 and Koepejoe, 40.
A case was filed in this regard.
The Nation Feb 4, 2000. Suu Kyi seeks discussions with Gusmao
NOBEL Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has asked East Timorese leaders to visit her in Burma, saying she has many issues she would like to discuss with them. In a recent interview with The Nation, Aung San Suu Kyi praised East Timor leader Xanana Gusmao and de facto Foreign Minister Jose Ramos Horta. She expressed optimism that the two would build a free and just society for the former Portuguese colony that voted overwhelmingly for independence last August. "They must not give up their attempt to come here to meet us. Please try,'' the National League for Democracy president appealed to the two men. Gusmao has said he would like to visit Suu Kyi. He pointed out that the East Timor independence movement was similar to the Burmese democratic movement. The two East Timorese are leading a delegation to Southeast Asia to drum up support for the half-island state that drifted violently to independence after the people there voted to go free from Jakarta rule. Thailand is deemed as an important destination because the country despatched some 1,500 soldiers to help restore peace in the war-torn island, taking the second-in-command position to Australia. The leaders had asked Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai to keep the Thai troops in the territory because they are popular with the local people, and the premier agreed in principle, but urged the two leaders to forward their request to the United Nations. In a separate development, Suu Kyi touched upon the 12-year-old twin boys leading the anti-government insurgent group, the God's Army, whose base camp in southern Karen state has been overrun by the Burmese troops. The rag-tag God's Army, which came under heavy shelling by both the Thai Army First Region and the Burmese army in recent weeks, was accused of laying siege to Ratchaburi Hospital, holding hostage hundreds of medical staff and patients. The rebels had demanded that Thai troops stop attacking them. Suu Kyi commented that neither terrorism nor government ceasefire initiatives would solve the problems of minority rebels that have battled the Burmese military regime for decades. She said she had no information on the God's Army, led by Johnny and Luther Htoo whom, followers say, have miraculous powers. The chain-smoking twins are seen as saviours by 100 to 200 rebels after they directed a successful counterattack against Burmese troops. Suu Kyi deflected a question about what advice she would offer them: "Before I think of giving them any advice, I would like to ask them to tell me about themselves," she said. "I would like to know what their lives have been like, why they are doing what they are doing, why they believe and what they believe they should be doing," she added. Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent promotion of democracy, said that her National League for Democracy does not believe "that terrorist activity really achieves anything positive". "I understand that the group that took over the hospital were quite young, that these people were quite unaware of the fact that a place like a hospital is sacrosanct," Suu Kyi said. "If that is the case, then it means there is a great gap in their education somewhere," she added. The Nation Politics
Border village raided for weaponsPOLICE and soldiers yesterday raided a border village in Suan Phung district, suspecting that people there were sympathisers of the Karen rebels fighting the Burmese military government, official sources said. A combined force of about 100 soldiers from the 29th Infantry Regiment and a unit of border police raided Ban Huay Phak in Ratchaburi's Suan Phung district to look for weapons, but found none. The move came after authorities received intelligence reports linking the villagers to the Karen rebels. The raid came amid heavy fighting between Burmese troops and rebel groups including the Karen National Union, its splinter group, the God's Army, and its allies, the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors. Nearly 2,000 Karen villagers from Burma have crossed the border to seek refuge. According to 9th Infantry Division commander Maj Gen Sanchai Ratchathawan, Burmese soldiers are also attacking the Mon rebel area adjacent to Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district, forcing scores of people to flee into Thai territory. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' regional representative, Jahanshah Assadi, is scheduled to visit the district today to make a donation to four schools as a token of appreciation for the burden the local villages have endured amid the influx of displaced people from Burma. Health Minister Korn Dabaransi is also scheduled to visit the district to show moral support to the Suan Phung District Hospital, which has been overwhelmed with work for the past three weeks since heavy fighting erupted. More fighting was also reported along the border - near Hua Hin - where KNU soldiers and armed Burmese dissidents were holding their ground as Burmese government soldiers tried to close in on them. Officials said the rebels, amid heavy pounding from the Burmese, have broken into small groups and are carrying out a number of hit-and-run attacks against government troops who were showing signs of weariness after three weeks of an all-out offensive against the rebels. Meanwhile, in Mae Hong Son's Ban Nam Peangdin district, Thai soldiers detained six Burmese government soldiers after they crossed into Thailand. Thai Ranger Unit 3607 commander Col Songserm Khanthawong said yesterday that the six are being questioned. Songserm feels they may be planning terrorist activities on Thai soil and suggested that they may have hidden some weapons in the country. The Nation |