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Monday, May 22 4:37 PM SGT
Myanmar Govt Denies Rumors Of Unrest By MonksBANGKOK (AP)--Myanmar's military government Monday denied rumors that Buddhist monks are planning to cause unrest in the country, saying the stories were planted by antigovernment activists.The rumors apparently originated from an exile group based in Thailand, the All Burma Young Monks Union, which last month circulated a letter threatening mass action unless the regime started a dialogue with the democratic opposition by Thursday. The letter called for the government to enter into talks with Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of her National League for Democracy, along with other politicians. A statement from the government spokesman's office, faxed to The Associated Press in Thailand, said the threat of unrest "was created by a group of bogus monks based on the Thai side of the border." It asserted that Myanmar's monks are actually "quite fed up and frustrated" by antigovernment attempts to destabilize the country, also known as Burma, and create the impression "the religious community is about to start a revolution." The statement denied a report that 29 monks had been arrested in the southern city of Mergui. The report originated with the Norway-based opposition radio station, Democratic Voice of Burma. The Thursday deadline cited in the dissidents' statement falls two days before the 10th anniversary of a general election won by the National League for Democracy. New Straits Times Monday, May 22 6:30 PM SGT National: 10 Myanmar held for illegal entryTUMPAT, Sun. - Police arrested 10 Myanmar immigrants, including a nine- year-old boy, for entering the country without travel documents yesterday. District police chief Superintendent Muhd Fuad Talib said today four of them were arrested at an illegal jetty in Cabang Empat and the rest at another illegal jetty in Kuala Jambu. He said they were picked up by members of the General Operations Force between 6am and 10pm. They are being held at the district police lock-up for further action. The Straits Times- May 22,
2000.
Myanmar sentences embassy raider to death Human rights groups cry foul, saying there is no clear proof that the
accused was involved directly in the hostage-taking incident in Bangkok
YANGON -- An anti-government militant who allegedly helped take over the
Myanmar embassy in Bangkok last year has been sentenced to death by a Myanmar
court, according to the state-controlled newspaper.
Saw Tin Oo, who was detained by the Thai police outside the Myanmar embassy
amid the hostage crisis last October, was sentenced for treason by the Rangoon
East District Court on Thursday, The New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported.
Thai immigration officials released Saw Tin Oo on Feb 29. But he was
arrested the following day by the Myanmar Defence Services Intelligence in
Myawaddy, across from Mae Sot district.
"The authorities had been tracking the terrorists who seized the embassy,"
the report said.
Human Rights Watch Asia said Thai authorities had taken five Myanmar
nationals from Bangkok in February to the Friendship Bridge linking Mae Sot with
Myawaddy.
The men were then deported to Myanmar and later incarcerated, the rights
organisation said.
'It's very distressing to get this news because there has been no clear
proof that this person, Saw Tin Oo, was directly involved in the hostage-taking
incident," said Ms Debbie Strothard, director of AltSean, a human rights
organisation based in South-east Asia.
"It also goes to show that any Burmese dissident deported to the border is
being placed in danger."
According to her, the Myanmar government is using the death sentence to
scare off any planned protests on the upcoming 10th anniversary of the landslide
election victory by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the
National League for Democracy.
The newspaper report said besides treason, Saw was sentenced to eight years
on two charges of membership of an unlawful organisation and violating the
immigration act.
Courts in Myanmar are not believed to have sentenced anyone to death for
treason in recent years, although they have handed down death sentences to drug
traffickers.
But death sentences are rarely, if ever, carried out. -- The Nation/Asia
News Network, AP
The Straits Times - May 22,
2000.
Yangon slams Bangkok over rebels YANGON -- Two state newspapers in Myanmar have condemned Thailand for
allowing ethnic guerillas to live along its border on the pretext of
humanitarian assistance.
Analysts said this was the first time that Myanmar's military rulers and
their mouthpieces had publicly and specifically attacked the Thai authorities
for allowing ethnic rebels and anti-government activists to camp in Thailand to
fight against the Yangon government.
A commentary, published in the vernacular-language Myanma Alin and Kyemon
newspapers, said that the Thai authorities must be held responsible for the
so-called "boomerang problems" caused by Myanmar refugees living on Thai
territory.
Yangon had previously criticised "some countries" for allowing ethnic
guerillas to stay on their soil to fight the Myanmar government, but never cited
a specific nation. -- Reuters
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