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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BURMA RELATED NEWS - SEP 24, 2000. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HEADLINE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFP - Myanmar junta denies opposition leaders in
jail
AP - Thai Army Kills 4 Armed Intruders From
Myanmar
AP - Myanmar Opposition Said
Ineffective
The Times of India - Rohingya refugees
want to return to Myanmar
SMH - Burma increases pressure on
opposition
Bkk Post - Call for pressure to allow
repatriation
Bkk Post - Inbrief - Border clash
Sunday, September 24 2:31 PM SGT
Myanmar junta denies opposition leaders in jail YANGON, Sept 243 (AFP) -
Myanmar's military junta Sunday denied party chiefs of opposition leader Aung
San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy had been jailed and said they had
been "requested to stay at home."
"The remaining NLD CEC (central executive committee) members are requested
to stay at home for the time being, " a junta spokesman told AFP.
"None of the CEC members has been jailed."
The junta spokesman Sunday said the situation of leading NLD members was
"similar to that of the last time," referring to when opposition leaders were
placed under house arrest early this month following a nine-day roadside
standoff with the military authorities.
"This action taken by the government is a preventive measure intended to
prevent disruption of peace and tranquility the Yangon population as well as the
whole nation is enjoying," the spokesman said.
On Friday, Aung San Suu Kyi and other NLD leaders were escorted from Yangon
central station by police cars after being prevented from boarding the train to
the northern city of Mandalay.
A government official had Saturday said deputy NLD leader Tin Oo was being
held to Ye Mon military base 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Yangon. His
detention came as a security cordon was placed around Aung San Suu Kyi's house,
preventing her from leaving home.
NLD leaders had arrived at Yangon station Thursday afternoon saying they
wanted to take a train to Mandalay to check reports of a crackdown on NLD
offices there.
The official media Sunday attacked the opposition as standing in the way of
progress following Yangon's peace treaties with armed ethnic insurgents.
"Despite such progress, there are certain quarters who pay no attention to
optimistic endeavours and positive achievements and instead heap superficial and
unsubstantiated charges on us, tarnishing our image and placing every obstacle
on our chosen path to democracy," the commentary in the English-language New
Light of Myanmar said.
The junta had September 14 ended the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi and
other NLD leaders following a nine-day roadside showdown but barred her from
leaving the capital.
The Nobel laureate and other members of the NLD central executive committee
were placed under virtual house arrest on September 2, after they tried to
attend a party meeting outside Yangon.
This triggered a nine-day roadside stand-off with the junta before the NLD
members were taken back to the capital by security officials.
Sunday, September 24 7:49 AM SGT
Thai Army Kills 4 Armed Intruders From Myanmar MAE SOT, Thailand (AP)--Four
unidentified, armed intruders from Myanmar were killed Saturday in a gun battle
with Thai soldiers near the border between the two nations, Thai army officers
said.
Fighting broke out after the soldiers came across about 10 armed intruders on a corn plantation just over the Thai side in Tak province, 230 miles northwest of Bangkok. The men were ordered to stop, but instead opened fire with a grenade
launcher, setting off a 15-minute exchange of fire.
Two Thai soldiers were wounded, and the other intruders fled back to
Myanmar, leaving their dead behind.
A Thai soldier who asked not to be identified said the dead men were ethnic
Karen, though he did not say to what group they belonged.
There are two main ethnic Karen ethnic guerrilla groups in the area: The
Karen National Union, which fights against Myanmar's military regime, and the
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, which is loosely allied with the Myanmar
government.
The DKBA has a history of violent incursions into Thai territory, often
targeting refugee camps whose inhabitants are loyal to the KNU. Some of its
members also have a reputation for banditry.
Sunday, September 24 3:10 PM SGT
Myanmar Opposition Said Ineffective YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - As the military government tightened the screws on the country's pro-democracy movement, a senior junta member said Myanmar is not facing any hardship despite attempts by ``internal and external destructive groups'' to jeopardize its development. Lt. Gen. Tin Oo spoke at a dam opening ceremony in
Mandalay in central Myanmar on Saturday, one day after the government renewed
its crackdown on the opposition National League for Democracy, led by Nobel
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. His remarks were published in the state-owned Kyemon
newspaper Sunday.
The military and state-controlled press frequently accuse
Suu Kyi and her party of being in league with foreign powers to take over the
country and undermine its development.
The junta, which has little tolerance for opposition,
disapproves of Suu Kyi's efforts to conduct party work in the countryside and
has physically prevented her from doing so on several occasions. Her NLD party
won a 1990 general election but the military refused to hand over power.
``The internal subversive group in collaboration with the
external groups are trying not only to hamper the momentum of development but
also to halt and destroy development and to isolate the country.'' said Lt. Gen.
Tin Oo, who as Secretary-Two of the ruling State Peace and Development Council,
is officially the fourth-ranking member of the military government.
``Despite attempts by negative-looking destructionists,
Myanmar is not facing any political and economic hardship,'' Tin Oo said.
Diplomats in Yangon said it appeared that the junta has
reinstituted restrictions keeping the leaders of the opposition party at their
homes and barring most visitors. Such restrictions were put in place earlier
this month, after a confrontation with Suu Kyi that caused the government
international political embarrassment
The government has not yet acknowledged the new
restrictions.
On Friday, the military government detained one of Suu
Kyi's top lieutenants and eight other members of her party after keeping them
and Suu Kyi from taking a train out of the capital Thursday to conduct political
activities.
Tin Oo, the 73-year-old deputy leader of the NLD - no
relation to Lt. Gen. Tin Oo - and eight members of the party's youth wing were
taken to a ``government guest house as a temporary measure to prevent similar
incidents,'' a military official said. A government statement said Suu Kyi was
taken to her house.
Suu Kyi's last confrontation with the government began
Aug. 24 when she was barred from driving to a southern town.
Refusing to return to the capital, she staged a nine-day
standoff ended only when she and her party were forcibly returned to the capital
and, with other party leaders, put under virtual house arrest until Sept 14.
When she was released, she immediately vowed to challenge
the unofficial travel ban again.
Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been ruled by the
military continuously since 1962. The current generals took power in 1988 after
violently crushing a nationwide uprising for democracy.
The Times of India - Sep
24, 2000.
Rohingya refugees want to return to Myanmar DHAKA: The Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh's far eastern
Cox's Bazar want to return home to Myanmar and have urged the country's
authorities to ensure peace, security and freedom of movement to facilitate
their return.
The Rohingyas, who hail from the Arakan province of
Myanmar, said they were forced to take refuge in Bangladesh following
repression, forced and unpaid labour, violation of women, forced eviction and
killings by Myanmar troops.
They said although they were getting adequate food,
clothing, shelter and medical facilities here, it was "disgraceful" for them to
live as refugees in another country for such a long time. Several of them said
that they had nothing to do in the camps.
They added that though there was never any pressure on
them to return home, the status of refugees gave them a feeling of "disgrace".
They are also worried about their future and expressed fear that the Bangladeshi
government, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and others
would stop their relief activities. (IANS)
Sydney Morning Herald
Burma increases pressure on opposition Date: 24/09/2000 Burma's junta yesterday placed the deputy leader of the
opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), Tin Oo, under house arrest and
ringed Aung San Suu Kyi's home with a security cordon.
The moves came one day after Aung San Suu Kyi was escorted
from Rangoon central station where she was prevented from boarding a train to
the northern city of Mandalay.
Tin Oo was shifted to Ye Mon military base 50 kilometres
north of Rangoon and would have no visitors, a government official said, adding
the NLD needed time to cool down.
The military considers Tin Oo one of the most pro-active
and fiery NLD leaders and he was targeted by the state press.
"Tin Oo never has the will to do things in a restrained
manner. He always tries to stir up troubles ... and is involved in high
treason," the state newspaper New Light of Myanmar (Burma) said
yesterday.
The "house arrest" came as a tight security cordon was
placed around Aung San Suu Kyi's house, and the NLD leader was barred from
leaving her home, witnesses said.
She was not allowed to receive any visitors and the
government used the state press to slam the NLD leader while urging her to join
hands with the military.
"It is obvious she is the messenger of destruction sent by
the colonialists of the West bloc," the New Light said. "If she does not want to
get along with the military, with whom is she going to cooperate in endeavouring
for the nation's benefit?" The only way she can help the nation is by joining
hands with the military."
Another member of the NLD's central executive committee
was placed in Insein prison, in Rangoon, where human rights groups claim a
series of rights violations have occurred.
However, officials stressed that no charges were filed
against any NLD leaders, but said the leadership needs to remain under detention
to allow the situation in Rangoon time to calm down.
The junta last week ended a house arrest of Aung San Suu
Kyi and other NLD leaders following a nine-day roadside showdown but barred her
from leaving the capital.
Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of the NLD central
executive committee were placed under virtual house arrest on September 2, after
they tried to attend a party meeting outside Rangoon.
This triggered a prolonged stand-off with NLD leaders
camped by their cars for nine days before being taken back to the capital by
security officials.
Bangkok Post - Sep
24, 2000.
BURMESE REFUGEES - Call for pressure to allow repatriation Burden of caring costs B12m a year Cheewin Sattha in Mae Hong Son The international community should pressure Burma into
taking greater responsibility for its people, to ease Thailand's burden in
caring for the large number of refugees, the National Security Council chief
said yesterday.
Kachadpai Burusapatana also demanded the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees take a new approach to the problem.
The UNHCR should set up offices and holding centres inside
Burma to accommodate refugees fleeing fighting in that country, instead of
letting them cross the border to seek refuge here, he said.
Mr Kachadpai's remarks came during a meeting with district
chiefs from Muang, Mae Sariang, Khun Yuam, Pang Mapha and Pai districts and
representatives of the Naresuan Task Force, border patrols and
police.
The meeting was held to tackle border issues such as
refugees, drugs and illegal labour.
The NSC has made it a policy to send as many refugees as
possible back to their homelands over the next three years, because of the
security and economic problems they have caused Thailand for 15
years.
The number of Burmese refugees along the western border,
in particular, has increased-from 18,000 to about 110,000-Mr Kachadpai
said.
"If we remain silent, the flow of refugees will continue.
The NSC, therefore, has mapped out a policy and strategies to create a climate
favourable for repatriation of the refugees," he said.
Pariya Sirikul, the deputy governor of Mae Hong Son, said
Thailand spends more than 12 million baht annually on medical treatment for
refugees and education for their children. Refugees were also destroying the
forests.
Bangkok Post - Sep 24,
2000.
Inbrief - Border clash Tak-Three unknown foreign troops were killed and a Thai
soldier wounded in a clash near Khao Laem at Ban Ruam Thai Pattana 15 in Phrop
Phra district yesterday.
Thai soldiers from the 4th Infantry Regiment task force
were on a routine patrol when they confronted a group of 10 armed men walking on
Khao Laem about one kilometre from the Thai border at Ban Valay.
The foreign troops fired at the Thai soldiers and after an
exchange of gunfire which lasted 15 minutes, fled into the Burmese
jungle.
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