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HEADLINE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- India Times - Myanmar says UN estimate on HIV exaggerated The Indepentent Bangladesh - Opinion: Myanmar's
changing style of rule
Bkk Post -Ethnic rebels launch arms
spree
Bkk Post -Tai Yai men held over theft of M-16
rounds from police
Bkk Post -Three roles 'make for a
dilemma'
The India Times - July 1,
1000.
Myanmar says UN estimate on HIV
exaggerated
BANGKOK: Myanmar accused UNAIDS on Friday of "extreme" exaggeration in a
report estimating that 530,000 people in the military state have HIV/AIDS.
In a global report released in Geneva this week, the UN agency said
Myanmar, a country of 48 million people also known as Burma, was the third
worst-hit country in Asia after Cambodia and Thailand.
"The Ministry of Health find this report an extreme overestimation," a
statement received in Bangkok said. The ministry said the report was based on
surveys of urban areas, and not the rural areas where 70 percent of people live,
people who are "culturally and traditionally bound" to having a single partner.
Earlier this year, the ruling military put the total number of HIV/AIDS
cases over the past decade at around 25,000 - a figure reached by tallying those
who tested positive in surveys and at hospitals.
The UNAIDS report extrapolates from findings of the official surveys, which
are carried out across the country. Its report gives no estimate of how many
have died of AIDS since the first reported case in 1988.
In the past, the regime, which has been criticised for doing little to
fight the spread of AIDS, has dismissed the idea of a pandemic as propaganda
sown by "destructionists" intent on harming Myanmar's image.
Myanmar has a large migrant population and is a leading world producer of
heroin, so is regarded as health experts as vulnerable to the spread of
HIV/AIDS.
"There is a very high political will and commitment towards the prevention
and control of HIV/AIDS in Myanmar," the statement said, adding the health
ministry wants to cooperate UNAIDS to get a "true picture" of the AIDS situation
in the country.(AP)
The Indepentent Bangladesh
July 1, 2000.Opinion: Myanmar's changing style of rule by Zakir Hossain On April 24th 1992 two years after the election, Myanmar's ruling clique
SLORC issued an order entitled "Convening of a National Convention". It
indicated that a National Convention would be convened in order to lay down
basis principles to draft a firm constitution. In January 1993, the Convention
finally assembled with 702 delegates, of whom only 106 were elected
representatives. The remaining delegates were hand-picked by the SLORC to
represent workers, peasants, intellectuals, ethnic groups and service personnel
were especially invited persons. The SLORC stated that the Convention would only
be drawing up the principles of a new constitution, and the final draft would
still be written, as promised by the elected representatives. Moreover, SLORC
stated the principles discussed by the delegates had to conform with the
objectives of the Convention, as defined by the SLORC, which included the
participation of the Tatmadaw (armed forces) in the national political
leadership role of the state in the future. Despite repeated calls in UN
resolutions for the SLORC to give a timetable for the Convention, there is no
sign that the Convention is near conclusion. On July 10, 1995, Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi was released from her almost six years under house arrest. Although her
release initially raised hopes for an improvement in the human rights situation
in Burma, nothing has changed. Indeed, the pace of political arrests and
persecutions accelerated dramatically since November 1995 when the NLD withdrew
from the SLORC-controlled National Convention due to the undemocratic process.
SLORC responded to the NLD withdrawal by expelling the NLD permanently from the
Convention. A call from the NLD to begin a dialogue with the SLORC in order to
start a process of national reconciliation has been refused by the
SLORC.Political turmoil in Myanmar (Burma) has increased significantly since the
NLD announced that it would hold a meeting in late May 1996 to commemorate the
sixth anniversary of their 1990 election victory. Violence against the civilians
appears to have a fundamental component of military strategy of Burma. The SLORC
reacted by arresting hundreds of NLD MPs and its supporters in an effort to
prevent the meeting. In addition, on June 7, 1996, SLORC issued Law No.5/96, the
sweeping provisions of which allow for up to 20 years imprisonment for anyone
who expresses his or her political views publicly.On November 9,1996, a group of
about 200 young men attacked Suu Kyi's motorcade with iron bars and sticks. The
men were thought to be members of "Union Solidarity Development
Association"(USDA), a SLORC-sponsored group. In December 1996, more than 2,000
people, including hundreds of students, involved in peaceful student
demonstrations, were arrested for calling human rights reforms. Public
gatherings on weekends in front of Suu Kyi's home have been banned since the end
of 1996. Suu Kyi was repeatedly refused permission to leave her compound, and
has been effectively confined to her house for long periods.Since 1989, the
SLORC has sought a military ceasefire with some of the ethnic forces, bringing a
kind of peace to the area under their control. In December 1994, a renewed
offensive against the Karen National Union (KNU) was launched following split
within the KNU and formation of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), which
was supported by the SLORC. In February 1995, the KNU retreated from its
headquarters in Mannerplaw. Since the offensive has taken new turn as DKBA and
SLORC troops launched the first of several raids on the refugee camps in
Thailand. The raids which were intended to terrify refugees into returning to
Burma, while SLORC undertook massive relocation operations throughout the
country causing a mass influx of refugees into neighbouring countries. From 1988
to late 1997, the military junta ruling Burma was known as the State Law and
Order restoration Council or SLORC. However, in a surprise move, on 15 November
1997, the SLORC announced that it had reformed and reorganised, changing its
name to the State Peace and Development Council or SPDC. Since initial
reformation, subsequent changes in personnel (referred to by some as purges)
have also taken place. As the SLORC has been harshly criticised internationally
by political and human rights as well as other organisations for its failure to
democratise and observe international standards of human rights, the move has
been widely interpreted as an attempt to calm further international condemnation
by engaging in nominal and superficial changes. With this fourth name-change of
the military ruling body since 1962, many critics have described the new SPDC as
merely "old wine in a new bottle" [From 1962-1974 it was Revolutionary Council
(RC), from 1974-1988 Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP), 1988-1997 the state
Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) and from 1997 - as the State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC)]The four generals who occupied the upper-most
positions in the 21 member SLORC retain the same positions in the 19-member
SPDC. 15 new younger generals, including heads of navy and air force, and
regional commands, whose power was previously localised, have joined them.
Additionally, there is a 39-member cabinet. Some observers believe that the
shift to SPDC was made to bring the military regime into a position closer to
that of the Indonesian military government model, in order to consolidate its
long-term power. Others believe that the structural changes were effected by
strongman and previous ruler Ne Win, to neutralise alliances in the SLORC. In
case, now regional commanders, many of whom controlled their areas much like
warlords, often with strong business interests in these areas, have a greater
share in state power.
Bangkok Post - July 1,
2000.
SECURITY Ethnic rebels launch arms spreeWa move to upgrade their potent
arsenal
Nusara Thaitawat and Anucha
Charoenpo Demand for war weapons is increasing among
drug-trafficking ethnic minorities in Burma, especially the United Wa State
Army, and insurgent groups in Laos, according to Thai and foreign security
authorities. The UWSA had announced through its extensive network of agents along the
northern border that it was ready to pay 10,000 baht for an assault rifle in
good condition, either an AK-47 or M-16, said a source at the Office of the
Narcotics Control Board. The Wa army, believed to be the biggest drug trafficking organisation in
Southeast Asia, is well-armed. When it was formed in 1989 after the collapse of
the Burma Communist Party, it took with it an impressive arsenal donated to the
BCP by China. Sources believed there were still plenty of Chinese weapons available from
the BCP era, and that the Wa had obtained arms from the Burmese-Lao border and
Cambodia. However, the Wa army was trying to upgrade its weaponry in the face of
increased pressure from both inside and outside Burma. One analyst said the UWSA was bracing for any possible impact from a peace
agreement it signed with the Burmese military junta a decade ago, as top
generals in the junta, including Burmese army commander Maung Aye and
intelligence chief Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, were engaged in what could be a final
battle for leadership. The Burmese army chief is reportedly not in favour of granting too much
autonomy to the UWSA, while Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt is said to have very close ties
with it. Another analyst said the Wa army's rising demand for weapons could result
from an internal power struggle between ethnic Wa and ethnic Chinese members of
the UWSA. "Weapons from Thailand are of much better quality, and the network of
traffickers has been well established since the Indochina war," he said. Most AK-47s coming from Laos were not well maintained and retained only
60-70% capacity. The quality of assault rifles from Thailand was as high as 90%, he said.
Rifles from Laos could fetch only 3,000 baht. Thailand was also a source of all types of weapons money could buy, he
said. Another source said it was an open secret that this illicit arms trade would
not be possible without the co-operation of authorities along the border and in
weapons storage areas. The most recent example came earlier this week with the arrest of two members
of the police ordnance division in connection with the attempted theft of 20,000
rounds of M-16 rifle ammunition. Two other arrested suspects, a former soldier and a former police officer
living in Chainat, were also believed to have links with the UWSA, according to
Pol Gen Pornsak Durongkhaviboon, the new national police chief. One western observer said there were other groups in Burma that were also
looking for weapons, including smaller and less publicised groups that were
making a living by clearing paths for drug shipments from Burma and across the
border. He said a close watch should be kept on the situation in Laos following the
spate of bombings there. "We may see more weapons flowing in that direction," he added. Bangkok Post - July 1, 2000. Tai Yai men held over theft of M-16 rounds from
police Suspects linked to trafficking
gang Five Tai Yai men were arrested in Chiang Mai
yesterday in connection with an attempted theft of M-16 assault rifle ammunition
from the police ordnance division in Bangkok. The five were initially charged with illegal entry after a police raid on
their rented house in Mae Rim district failed to find evidence to link them to
the attempted theft. They were being detained for further questioning because police suspected
them of having connections with a drug trafficking ring and the Shan State Army
(SSA) in Burma. A computer with Internet access and three mobile phones were seized in the
raid. Police would run checks on dozens of phone numbers in their memory
mode. Police also found photographs showing the suspects with Gen Bo Mya, a leader
of the anti-Rangoon Karen National Union, and Col Yod Suk, the SSA
commander. Earlier this week, guards at the gate of the ordnance division tried to stop
and search a pick-up truck leaving the compound, but the driver drove back to a
warehouse and abandoned it. A search of the truck revealed 11 boxes containing
more than 20,000 rounds of M-16 ammunition. Police later arrested four suspects-retired Warrant Officer Peerasak
Netsuwan, Pol L/Cpl Sakren Akkatrakul and Pol Sgt-Maj Chalerm Banchongplian,
both attached to the ordnance division, and Yoswat Ruangsri, a former
policeman. Pol Lt-Gen Wannarat Kotcharak, the city police chief, believed the attempted
theft was linked to a drug trafficking ring. He had asked police investigators
to work with drug suppression agencies to find out if there were any connections
between the two groups. Bangkok Post -July 1, 2000. Thailand faces a foreign relations dilemma-how to
be a good neighbour, regional partner and world citizen all at the same
time. It posed difficulties particularly in relations with neighbouring countries,
Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday. "Thailand has to find a balance of the three roles," he told a seminar. Thailand shared similar values with the international community in respect of
human rights and freedoms as a result of forces of globalisation. To be a good neighbour, Thailand laboured to minimise conflict and seek
peaceful solutions to problems that might affect the lives of people along the
border, M.R.Sukhumbhand said. And being a good regional partner would improve Bangkok's bargaining power in
the international arena. That was the case when Thailand abstained from voting against Burma at last
month's meeting of the International Labour Organisation. ILO resolutions called for governments, workers and employers to "review
their links with Burma and take appropriate measures to ensure Burma cannot take
advantage of such relations to perpetuate or extend the system of forced or
compulsory labour". It was the first time Thailand had abstained, said the
deputy foreign minister. But it was necessary to make Bangkok's position clear to a neighbouring
country he declined to name. |