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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BURMA RELATED NEWS - SEP 19, 2000. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HEADLINE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBC - Burma brands Suu Kyi a
devil
AFP - Cohen urges caution in Korea despite
easing tensions
AP - Myanmar Opposition Gets Back To Work; Holds
Mtg At HQ
Dow Jones - Thai Deputy PM Favors Asian Monetary
Fund,Common Currency
ABC - Albright calls for Asia to pressure
Burma on Aung San Suu Kyi
China Daily - China Eximbank helps fund
Myanmar's largest hydropower project
Bkk Post - FORESTRY - Army accused of
threatening Karen
Bkk Post - Editorial - Asean can learn from Peru
crisis
The Nation - EDITORIAL: Fujimori bows to
the pressure of democracy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBC -Monday, 18 September, 2000, 16:48
GMT 17:48 UK
Burma brands Suu Kyi a devil Burma's military rulers have marked the twelfth anniversary of the coup
which brought them to power, following their suppression of student
pro-democracy protests, with another denunciation of the country's opposition
leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
The attack, in a newspaper commentary, called the opposition leader a
traitor and a devil.
On Saturday Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy outlined
plans to again challenge military restrictions on travel and party business, and
try to thwart a ban on drawing up a new constitution.
The authorities say she is dangerous and relies on collusion with foreign
governments to back her confrontation with the government.
Last week, the military government lifted restrictions keeping the NLD
leadership under virtual house arrest.
From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, September 19 2:46 PM SGT
Cohen urges caution in Korea despite easing tensions BANGKOK, Sept 19 (AFP) - US
Defense Secretary William Cohen Tuesday urged caution and continued vigilance in
Korea despite a North-South rapprochement that has eased tensions on the divided
peninsula.
Hundreds of thousands of North Korean troops are still deployed near the
border and are backed by large amounts of artillery that pose a threat to Seoul,
he said.
"I think we have to be very cautious," Cohen said at a news conference here
before flying to Seoul for defense consultative meetings with South Korea's
leaders.
"We are encouraged by the steps we see being taken. But we must remain
vigilant because of the size of the army that the North Koreans still maintain,"
he said.
North and South Korea have moved swiftly since a historic summit between
their leaders in June to bridge the Cold War's last divide.
The two countries have agreed to the first meeting of their defense
ministers on September 25-26 in the latest move to build confidence between the
militaries that have regarded each other as bitter enemies for half a
century.
President Kim Dae-Jung on Monday inaugurated a project to open a rail and
road line across the heavily mined demilitarized zone that has separated North
and South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Reunions of families broken up by the war also have sent hopes soaring in
South Korea.
"I think it's clear that there has been a reduction in the tensions that
existed, but I think we're in the first stages of this move toward
reconciliation, or rapprochement or some state of positive affairs toward North
and South," Cohen said.
The United States has 37,000 troops deployed in South Korea to defend
against attack by the north.
Kim has said they will have to remain even if Korea is reunified, and that
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il assured him he accepted the need for their
presence.
But warming North-South relations have been accompanied by growing
nationalism in the South that has exacerbated frictions over live fire training
by US forces and other military-civilian issues.
Negotiations on a new status of forces agreement have been complicated by
South Korean demands for legal jurisdiction over US troops accused of crimes in
South Korea.
Cohen said there have been "very productive" discussions on the agreement,
but that it would not be ready to sign during his two-day visit.
Cohen, who arrived here from Jakarta, made a brief stop here for talks with
Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and with Privy Counselor Prem Tinsulanonda.
He emphasized US interest in helping Thailand combat the flow of heroin and
other drugs from Myanmar.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, September 19 4:10 PM SGT
Myanmar Opposition Gets Back To Work; Holds Mtg At HQ YANGON (AP)--Myanmar's
political opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi has resumed routine party business
after a two-week hiatus when authorities had confined leaders to their homes, a
party leader said Tuesday.
About 200 members of the National League for Democracy met Monday at the
party's downtown headquarters, and held a question-and-answer session with Suu
Kyi and others, NLD vice-chairman Tin Oo said.
He said members asked about Suu Kyi's nine-day standoff with the
authorities, which had resulted in the crackdown on the party.
Suu Kyi had camped by her vehicle when she was stopped by authorities on
Aug. 24 from traveling to the countryside for party work. She was forced back to
Yangon Sept. 1 and confined to her home until last Thursday. Eight other party
leaders including Tin Oo were also kept indoors for 14 days.
The party headquarters, closed since Sept. 2, were reopened Friday.
Monday's meeting coincided with the 12th anniversary of the takeover by the
current military regime.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, September 19 3:39 PM SGT
Thai Deputy PM Favors Asian Monetary Fund,Common Currency BANGKOK (Dow Jones)--Thai
Deputy Prime Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi said Tuesday he favors closer
economic relationships among Asian countries, which should include the
establishment of an Asian Monetary Fund and a common currency in Asia.
The Association of South East Asian Nations, or Asean, should play a crucial role in fostering such economic ties in Asia, Supachai told a seminar on Asean economic cooperation. "One of the risks in free trade economy lies in high volatility (in both
currencies and trade). We need to develop a system that can impede these risks,
and also support countries in the same region," he said.
The issue is expected to be raised at the forthcoming meeting of Asean
Economic Ministers in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai during Oct. 2-7.
Supachai, who is also the commerce minister, said an Asian Monetary Fund
should be crucial for Asian countries, particularly when the International
Monetary Fund has to assist many other countries worldwide.
"The IMF resources might be inadequate one day. We need something of our
own," he said.
Japan brought up the idea of the establishment of an Asian Monetary Fund
three years ago, albeit without success due to strong opposition from the U.S.
Expressing support in using the Japanese yen as a common currency in Asia,
Supachai said over-dependency on a particular currency, such as the U.S. dollar,
makes the region vulnerable to foreign exchange volatility.
"The internationalization of the yen should create more stability in trade
in the region," he said, adding that the yen is a relatively more stable
currency than the U.S. dollar, and Japan has much lower interest rates than the
U.S.
Thailand is among the founding nations of Asean, together with Indonesia,
Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. Other Asean members include Brunei,
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. -0- 19/09/00 07-39G
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABC Online - Sep 19,
2000.
Albright calls for Asia to pressure Burma on Aung San Suu Kyi United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright says Asia should
continue to push Burma's military leaders to restore the political rights of
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Mrs Albright made the call at a meeting in New York of foreign ministers
and top officials from 17 Asian countries - to which Burma was not
invited.
Aung San Suu Kyi and the other members of her National League for Democracy
were placed under virtual house arrest at the beginning of this month, after
attempting to travel outside Rangoon.
The military regime has since lifted the house arrests after strong
criticism from US President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair
at the UN Millenium Summit.
Defending the decision not to invite Burma, a senior state department
spokesman said Washington believed that the pressure had been "helpful" in
restoring some rights to Suu Kyi.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- China Daily (09/19/2000)
China Eximbank helps fund Myanmar's largest hydropower project The Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) Monday signed an agreement with
Myanmar's state-run electric power company to approve 1 billion yuan (US$120
million) worth of export seller's loan to help it build a gigantic power
station.
The loan undertaken between the Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise and the
Yunnan Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Co. (YMEC) in southwest China's
Yunnan Province is the largest export seller's credit the Eximbank has issued to
the midwest region.
Yang Zilin, governor of the bank, said the loan was approved to support
Yunnan's exports. YMEC is a supplier of power-generating equipment for the
Panglang Hydro-electric Station, which is the largest hydro-power project in
Myanmar.
Prior to this, Eximbank has approved 60 million yuan (US$7.2 million) of
loans for the project.
To be installed with 280,000 kilowatts of generating capacity, the Panglang
power station will be responsible for one-third of the electricity supplied to
Myanmar when it is commissioned in 2003.
A 160 million-US dollar contract was clinched by the YMEC with the Myanmar
power enterprise in 1998 to become its machinery supplier. It was China's
largest export of complete sets of hydro-power equipment to southeast Asian
countries, and also Yunnan's largest foreign trade project.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - Sep 19,
2000.
FORESTRY - Army accused of threatening Karen Military accused of violating their rights Uamdao Noikorn Karen villagers have again accused the Ninth Army Regiment based in
Kanchanaburi of intimidating hilltribe villagers living inside Thung Yai
Naresuan wildlife sanctuary, in a bid to drive them out.
At a press conference yesterday, Karen representatives and conservationists
complained that the army unit has charged the villagers with threatening the
country's stability and forest ecology.
They said the charge was untrue as the Karen have been living in the forest
for more than 800 years.
The government "must stop impeding our participation in resource and
cultural management and promote Karen's rights... and in keeping the good Karen
culture", said eight conservation groups in a joint statement.
"What they are doing is a violation of human rights, a total disrespect for
our culture, tradition and humanity. Our livelihood will be destroyed, so we
won't move," said Somphob Satasatharn from Sanehpong village.
The village is one of six situated in the middle of Thung Yai, which is
part of the World Heritage site in the Western Forest Complex, targeted for
relocation by the army.
The others include Takianthong, Jae Kae, Ti Laipa, Salawah and
Kohsaderng.
According to villagers from Takianthong, soldiers from the Ninth Army
Regiment have ordered them to leave within this month.
"They have warned us since the middle of last year and dismantled our huts,
banned us from farming and sent 18 families to Burma for not producing Thai ID
cards," said a villager.
Their lament is not new. Early last year the Forestry Department and the
army were accused of destroying the Karen's annual sacred ceremony. Three huts
were burned and demolished on grounds the Thung Yai yard was "the heart" of the
forest.
Lt-Gen Taweep Suwanasingha, the First Army commander, earlier argued the
raid was motivated by the illegal influx of Burmese immigrants whom he claimed
mingled with the locals.
Poaching by both groups was also cited as another threat to the nation's
sovereignty.
While Plodprasop Suraswadi, director of the Forestry Department,
compromised by saying he would not remove those found to have been living in the
forest before it was declared a national park, the army continued its "mission
for the nation".
Villagers of Salawah community also complained of being threatened by
soldiers to move out.
They said signs put up by soldiers at the entrance of each village forbade
villagers from settling, farming or making any use of the land, or they would
face penalties.
The situation is most tense in Takianthong because the villagers have
refused to leave even after the military had allegedly taken action against
them.
Now the soldiers have threatened to demolish their houses, the villagers
said.
In a recent talk among village leaders and local authorities, the
authorities concerned insisted that Takianthong people be moved to a 47,600-rai
plot in a mining concession zone which would become a new settlement for all the
Karen villagers once the concession period expires.
Jae Kae village chief Supachai Phana-udom expressed concern. "We're not
familiar with the landscape and being forced to farm on the same land isn't our
tradition," he remarked, referring to their tradition of rotational farming
which they claimed would give each plot of land time to recover.
Official sources in Kanchaburi dismissed the villagers' claims, saying the
army would never seize any villagers' ID cards.
The sources also said the army did not have anything to do with the
relocation plan, saying it belonged to the Forestry Department.
They said some villagers were arrested because they did not stay in their
designated areas.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - Sep 19,
2000.
Editorial - Asean can learn from Peru crisis When President Alberto Fujimori of Peru decided to run for president for a
third time, members of the Organisation of American States expressed their
concern. When it was clear that Mr Fujimori's supporters cheated during the May
elections, the OAS spoke out forcefully. And when Mr Fujimori's national
intelligence chief was photographed giving money to an opposition politician for
his vote, OAS members demanded decisive action from their neighbour, trading
partner and fellow leader.
There may be a lesson here for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Several Asean members have resisted pressure to modernise the group. Asean
governments continue stubbornly to adhere to the outdated concept of never
commenting on each others' affairs. The role of the OAS has made one thing clear
for Asean. A regional group can, and must, be concerned with events that cast a
negative image over all its members.
The OAS and Asean have several similarities. Both group countries with
wildly different political systems. Both have the primary purpose of promoting
trade and closer relations. The OAS has had to come to grips with the switch
from dictatorships to democracy by most of its members.
Comparisons are always dangerous. For one thing, Latin America is not Asia.
And the OAS has the United States as a member while Asean is superpower-less.
There are enough similarities to beg the question if the younger Asean can learn
from the older OAS. We believe there are. Asean has received strong warnings
from Thailand, the Philippines, and very loudly from Singapore. If the group
does not change its silence over members' outrages, the world will ignore it,
bypass it or otherwise condemn it to obscurity, or contempt.
Mr Fujimori was set in the OAS sights as much as a year ago when he
announced he intended to run for a third term as president. Like the Peruvian
opposition, and like many other democrats, the OAS questioned whether Mr
Fujimori was acting in the spirit of his country's constitution, which allows
presidents to serve only two terms.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Nation - Sep 20,
2000.
EDITORIAL: Fujimori bows to the pressure of democracy Even the strongest of the strong, like President Alberto Fujimori of Peru,
are not exempt from the will of the people and international pressure. His
sudden call for a new election, which will end his 10-year near-totalitarian
regime, is a cause for celebration. It is a triumph for democracy-loving people
around the world because the pressure, both within and without, proved to be too
much. He still, though, will ensure that some of his good works, especially
during his first term, will not be consigned to the trash bin of history.
Credit should be given to the Organisation of American States (OAS), which
has been spearheading international efforts to force Fujimori to accept
political reforms following his recent (and third consecutive) election victory.
The strong hand displayed by the OAS was to all intents and purposes
intervention in the affairs of another country. That is something rare in
international relations, but the effect was positive in that it put the
president in such a position that he had to step down and call a new election.
The broadcasting of a video showing his intelligence chief giving money to
an opposition member sealed Fujimori's fate. The man who rose from humble
origins to the pinnacle of power knew for certain he could not stay. Like a good
pilot, he bailed out, leaving the future of his country in the hands of a new
generation of politicians such as his election rival Alejandro Toledo.
The upcoming election will establish a new political landscape in Peru,
though no doubt some would say it may give it an uncertain future because of the
strong influence of the military. Notoriety is the first word that springs to
mind when mentioning the Peruvian military, but given the current political and
social climate, it too has to listen to public sentiment. Military leaders now
understand that they have to take up the cause of reform and cut expenditures
while being a part of the democratisation process. Given the security situation
within the country, they have to remain vigilant, but the military's support of
democracy can only promote stability and improve Peru's image.
There are some concerns that Fujimori may have something up his sleeve. But
there is no doubt he wants to bow out in six or seven months to leave a positive
legacy. OAS leaders, including US President Bill Clinton and Canadian Prime
Minister Jean Chretien, have ostracised him even though at one time both leaders
had been his strongest supporters and had been generous in providing assistance.
So, in that respect, Fujimori wants to claim a place in history and burnish his
international reputation. In order to do that, he must work diligently in his
remaining months on the country's economy and lay the groundwork for an orderly
election. If he suddenly quit it would create a political vacuum, and that could
only lead to anarchy or military intervention.
If there is any lesson to be learnt from Peru it is that elected leaders
cannot hope to remain in power indefinitely through fraudulent elections and
cheating. When the people show dissatisfaction through street protests and daily
demonstrations, it does not augur well for investment and the strengthening of
international relations. In a totalitarian regime such things may not matter,
but Fujimori - though many accuse him of behaving like a dictator - was at least
trying to do something positive for the country. However, the economy of Peru, a
dynamic Southern Hemisphere country, is faltering.
In the end, Fujimori had to bow to the wishes of the people and the intense
pressure from the OAS. It is something that we here in Southeast Asia should
take note of. Asean's principle of non-interference has allowed dictators and
repressive governments to hide behind their national borders while claiming a
degree of respectability under the aegis of the regional grouping.
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