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Sunday, May 14 3:55 AM SGT
Myanmar Orders Stop to E-Mail
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar, where the government bars public access to the Internet, has ordered a stop to unauthorized e-mail and telephone services, state-run newspapers reported Saturday. The communication minister told telecommunications officials Friday in the capital, Yangon, that outsiders using sophisticated equipment are illegally engaged in international telephone and e-mail services. Such illegal services could reduce the ministry's revenues, Minister Brig. Gen. Win Tin said. He ordered officials to prevent them, the New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported. The government of Myanmar, also called Burma, keeps a tight grip on all communications and media. The Myanmar Post and Telecommunications, a state agency, is allowed to provide telephone and e-mail service, but it cannot allow public access to the Internet. People with unauthorized ownership of a fax modem or computer network risk up to 15 years imprisonment and a fine. Last year, five companies running e-mail services, including two managed by foreigners, were ordered to shut down. Executives and technicians were taken in for questioning, and authorities confiscated their equipment. The military regime is sensitive to the large volume of Web sites and news groups posted overseas by exiled dissidents and supporters of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Her party swept the last general elections in Myanmar, but the ruling military barred the new parliament from convening. The state forbids posting political writings on the Internet, including anything ``detrimental'' to Myanmar or ``to the current policies and secret security affairs of the government.'' Bangkok Post - May 14, 2000. DRUG
SUPPRESSION
Border villages to get priority New units will
dog corrupt officials
Close scrutiny of 109 border villages being used as transit points by drug traffickers will be a priority in a stepped up war against drug trafficking in the North and Northeast. New units will also be set up specifically to investigate and apprehend corrupt officials involved in the trade. PM's Office Minister Jurin Laksanavisit said the National Narcotics Operation Centre had on Friday agreed keeping a close eye on the border villages would be a priority over the next six months. "We have intelligence reports indicating that these 109 villages are involved in drugs," said Mr Jurin. "We have to step up our drive against drugs to eventually make them drug-free villages."Mr Jurin said the centre would intensify its operations in 117 areas in all four regions, including the capital. Other priorities agreed included forming special investigation units in regional drug centres to examine activities of government officials suspected of involvement in the trade. Mr Jurin said the centre, formed in 1998 with direct responsibility to head drug suppression efforts countrywide, was aware that a number of government officials were directly involved in drug-trafficking activities. The new units would uncover evidence to prove these links and the officials would be arrested. Under new regulations, officials found to be involved with drugs would be swiftly dismissed, he said. However, without help from the public it was unlikely the authorities could win the drug battle. Public complaints and information provided on drug traders' activities would be swiftly acted upon, he said. Mr Jurin said the centre supported the establishment of drug-free villages and "white" schools countrywide, hoping to use these as models to fight the spread of drug abuse. Mr Jurin also said Interior Minister Banyat Bantadtan had recently signed an order to control the movement of caffeine in six northern provinces, as part of efforts to curb supplies of precursor chemicals to methamphetamine producers in Burma. Transport of caffeine would then require advance approval from local officials. He said 70% of methamphetamine comes from caffeine. The restriction would help reduce production. It would apply in 32 districts of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Tak, Phayao and Nan. In the past six months, authorities in the North have seized 22 tonnes of caffeine, enough to make 440 million speed pills, the minister said. Bangkok Post - May 14, 2000. BORDER
Army gives villagers in remote
volatile areas military training
Lack of
citizenship cause for concern
Subin Khuenkaew and
Khattirat Cherdsathirakul
A civilian army has begun to take shape along the Thai-Burmese border, with more than 5,000 members trained to protect themselves and act as the eyes and ears of the authorities. The so-called territorial defence training scheme, supervised by the Third Army, has so far been implemented in 120 border villages in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Tak, Mae Hong Son, Phayao, Nan, Uttaradit and Phitsanulok provinces. It is part of the government's policy to stabilise the area along the Thai-Burmese border. Lt-Gen Chamlong Phothong, the Third Army's deputy commander in charge of the project, said the target was 592 villages in 35 districts in the eight provinces by the year 2001. These border villages are prone to attacks by foreign troops and exploitation by drug traffickers, putting national security at stake. Lt-Gen Chamlong said the Third Army is speeding up implementation of the scheme and this year's training will focus on about 200 villages in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Tak and Mae Hong Son. The massacre of nine villagers in Ban Mae Soon Noi of Chiang Mai last year and the spread of narcotics and other illegal activities have exposed the neglect of concerned authorities. The deputy commander conceded that because of such neglect certain villages had become involved in illegal activities such as drug smuggling and illegal logging. "All this affects national security," he said. Col Banyong Sirisunthorn, the project's deputy chief, said military training has been provided to villagers in high-risk areas which authorities and troops have difficulty reaching. The villages are located near areas where there are movements of foreign troops or drug traffickers. Military training takes one full week in a classroom and in the field where participants are educated about anti-drug laws and trained to use various kinds of weapons and communications equipment. While the participants learn about different types of firearms and explosives, they are not trained to fight a war. The main aim of the military training is to help them keep village folk under control when an attack or intrusion takes place to facilitate evacuation to safer areas. While some of the trained villagers prepare for protection, the others will notify the authorities for back-up. A-yae Chaewaku, 30, assistant chief of Phaya Phrai village, leads a group of 270 men aged 16-40 from three smaller villages in tambon Therd Thai to receive training. Phaya Phrai village, located about 2km from the border, comprises mainly hilltribe people who migrated from Burma 30 years ago. It used to be controlled by former drug warlord Khun Sa of the Mong Tai army before the narcotics crackdown launched by the Prem administration. Without Khun Sa, the village is considered a high-risk area because it is located close to 614th battalion under supervision of Wei Hsueh-kang, a new drug baron. Even though the village has been registered and recognised by the local administration authority, 99% of the villagers are not Thai and do not have identification cards. A training soldier has voiced concern as to how the scheme can be successfully implemented when these villagers have not yet been granted Thai citizenship. "It is hard for us to tell them to love the country under such circumstances. "They feel they are Thai and they should be legally recognised," he said, adding that it is the army's duty to bring the matter before the government. His comments were echoed by one of the participants who said the villagers wanted Thai citizenship. "None of the people in my village have been granted Thai citizenship although we were born here. Authorities keep telling us we are Thai and we think we are Thai. But without an ID card life is difficult," he said. Col Banyong voiced support that these villagers should be granted Thai citizenship, and the process is under way. "If any of them is hurt because of their involvement in the territorial defence acts they should get the privilege," he said. Col Banyong said the training scheme has so far faced no hurdles except for some communications problems because the participants come from different ethnic groups. "But there is no serious problem because some villagers can speak good Thai," he said. Mr A-yae and other participants all welcome the military training scheme, saying their villages were quite vulnerable and members needed to be prepared. Unknown foreign troops entered the village several times, said Mr A-yae, who also admitted there was a small problem of drugs in the village. "The village has a policy against drugs and the drug addicts will be banished or sent to authorities," he said. Other participants said they have learned a lot from the training scheme and many voiced confidence that the training would pay off. Bangkok Post - May 14, 2000. Editorial
The Association of Southeast Asian
Nations seems bent on setting new records for irony. At least, two recent
meetings in Burma made it appear that way. First came the meeting of Asean
ministers to discuss free trade. Burma was a curious choice of venues,
considering the country's arbitrary trade rules, lack of legal infrastructure
and poverty. Then, last week, the 10 Asean chiefs of police held an anti-crime
conference in Rangoon. They convened near the homes of some of the world's major criminals. If that
was not enough, their meetings were held in the Traders Hotel. This hotel is
known in Rangoon street slang as the "opium traders hotel." Most people in the
Burmese capital believe it was financed in part by the proceeds of Golden
Triangle drug profits. The truth is known by members of the Burmese junta. The
question is whether Asean should be associated. To be charitable, the police chiefs were not responsible for organising the
meeting. Their political masters handled that job. Rangoon got the honour on the
simple basis of rotation-last year's conference was in Hanoi. Still, it is
difficult for many to reconcile holding a conference on international law
enforcement in one of the most infamous centres of international crime. It was the 20th time that Asean police chiefs had got together. The actual
worth of such meetings is difficult to judge. The chiefs, commissioners,
generals and their aides make valuable personal contact. In theory, and
sometimes in practice, personal relations can speed or resolve tricky
cross-border problems. Whether the police officers actually learn anything new
in the working sessions is a matter they must decide themselves. For the public, however, the only true value of such meetings must be the
results they achieve in combatting crime. It is difficult to see where the
Rangoon conference made any progress. Indeed, the sarcasm and scepticism thrown
on the meeting from some quarters could mark a setback. If the public has no
respect for such an anti-crime endeavour, they will be slower to help
authorities in their difficult crackdowns on international criminals. Col Tin Hlaing was the chief Burmese spokesman at the conference. He said
major international police problems included drug trafficking, arms and human
smuggling, computer crime, money laundering and corruption. While all nations in
the region are aware of these problems, few are as intimately involved as Burma.
Rangoon openly backs drug traffickers and has encouraged money laundering. Its
solution to computer crime has been to imprison anyone with an unlicensed
computer. The Burmese minister promised full cooperation against trans-national crime,
but called for patience. One can hope that the other police chiefs in the
audience grimaced at this. Thailand and neighbours have shown the patience over
the unacceptable behaviour of Burma. In fact, Rangoon's time is running out. It
is past time for Burma to take action to back up the pretty words of Col Tin
Hlaing and others. It is no secret to anyone, let alone the police chiefs in Rangoon last week,
that Burma shelters drug dealers. The regime has gladly accepted laundered money
in the form of "foreign investment." It has failed its own people in cracking
down on human trafficking. Patience is a virtue in shorter supply in Asean
crime-fighting circles. What Asean needs is some results from Burma. The Asean police chiefs are back in their countries. Police commissioner Pol
Gen Pracha Promnok is contemplating once again how to advance the fight against
international crime. He must wonder if he can depend on his Burmese
counterpart-the head of all Asean police chiefs for the next year-for any help.
It is within Burma's power to help Thailand combat drug smugglers from Burma,
the worst threat to our national security. Pol Gen Pracha and all of Thailand
will be waiting for the
answer. |