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BURMA RELATED NEWS - NOV - 13, 2000. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HEADLINE
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Asia Pulse - Lion Asiapac Invests US$28.6 MLN in
Automotive Player in China
ABC online - Australian makes emergency landing in Burma
The Boston Globe - A
guardian of hope in Burma
Bkk Post - Senate panel set to inspect refugee
shelter
Bkk Post - DKBA leaders urge more Karen to
return
Kyodo News - Australian pilot rescued after emergency landing in
Myanmar
Bkk Post - Accord has a great
deal going for it
Monday, November 13 4:17 PM SGT
Lion Asiapac Invests US$28.6 MLN in Automotive Player in China SINGAPORE, Nov 13 Asia Pulse -
Lion Asiapac Limited [LAP], a leading foreign player in China's land transport
market, said it will acquire 100 percent of Angkasa Transport Equipment Sdn Bhd
(ATE), the motor vehicle arm of KLSE-listed Angkasa Marketing Berhad
(KLSE:ANMS).
Through ATE, LAP will have equity interest in two Chinese automotive
companies Hefei Jianghuai Automotive Co., Ltd , and Anhui Jianghuai Automotive
Chassis Co., Ltd, Lion Asiapac said in a statement Friday.
It said a conditional sale and purchase agreement has been entered into
between LAP, AMB Venture Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Angkasa, which
currently owns 92.1 percent, and Mr Cheng Heng Jem, who owns the remaining 7.9
percent of ATE. LAP will issue new shares, as well as create and issue warrants
as consideration for the sale. Upon, amongst other things, approval of its
shareholders, LAP will pay AMB and Mr Cheng a deposit amounting to RMB27.37
million (US$3.3 million).
In addition, a total of S$18.1 million worth of shares, with warrants
attached in the ratio of one warrant for every new share issued, will be issued
to AMB as initial consideration for the sale. LAP has also committed another
S$25.6 million worth of shares, with warrants attached in the ratio of one
warrant for every new share issued, in the event that Anhui, in which ATE has
24.5 percent equity interest, is successfully listed on the Stock Exchange of
Shanghai or Shenzhen. A total of 92.1 percent of these shares and warrants will
be paid to AMB, and the remaining 7.9 percent to Mr Cheng. After the proposed
listing of 80 million shares in Anhui via an initial public offer, LAP's
indirect interest in Anhui will be diluted to approximately 15.98 percent.
Based on a post-listing valuation of Anhui's shares at RMB10.50 each, LAP
is expected to issue another 102.6 million new shares, and a corresponding
number of warrants, the statement said. This acquisition is expected to enlarge
LAP's issued and paid-up share capital by 174.8 million shares to 422.2 million
shares. The 174.8 million warrants attached to the new shares, if fully
exercised, will further enlarge LAP's issued and paid-up share capital to 597.1
million shares.
ATE manufactures and sells motor vehicles through its participation in
Anhui and Hefei, a sino-foreign equity joint-venture company between ATE and
Hefei Jianghuai Motors Factory (now known as Anhui Jianghuai Automotive Group
Co., Ltd). Anhui manufactures and markets automotive chassis and gearbox
components, while Hefei designs, manufactures and assembles various motor
vehicles such as commercial trucks and agricultural vehicles, and motor vehicle
chassis. Hefei was ranked one of China's top 15 automotive product manufacturers
in 1998 and 1999 by the China's State Bureau of Machine-Building Industry.
Sam Chong Keen, managing director of LAP said: "This move is in line with
our decision to focus our business operations on China's automotive industry.
Our motorcycle division has done very well in the China market, and we intend to
expand our land transportation business in China through synergistic
acquisitions such as ATE, which also has a proven and profitable track record.
Combining the two complementary businesses together will give us a bigger slice
of the fast growing automotive market in China.
"China's automobile industry is still in its infancy stages. In 1999, only
an estimated 1.6 million cars and trucks were sold within the world's most
populated country. There is therefore a huge potential market for us in China
alone. In addition, China's entry into the WTO will provide us with the
opportunity to be a major player in the world's largest automotive markets.
Being a low-cost player with an established market presence in China, the WTO
liberalisation will enhance our competitive position. We will be able to further
capitalise on our existing economies of scale to offer better value automobiles
to customers.
"This liberalisation also augurs well for us as we will have direct access
to the best equipment, designs and technology from Japan, Europe and the United
States, allowing us to be more competitive, and also presenting us with more
opportunities for expanding our export business. The listing of Anhui will also
provide us with a timely inflow of funds to grow and upgrade our automobile
business accordingly, " he said.
Hefei currently employs over 3,600 staff, including 480 professional
technical staff and 100 dedicated research and development personnel, and has
two production facilities spanning a total land area of 383,000 square meters
and capacity of 40,000 vehicles. Its products include commercial light trucks,
passenger bus chassis, and agricultural vehicles. Hefei's agricultural vehicles
in particular, which were developed with China's road conditions and farm income
in mind, have gained popularity in foreign markets with low income and difficult
road conditions.
LAP also has seafood processing and distribution operations in Myanmar and
Indonesia, with its factories employing the latest equipment and freezing
technology. Its products are exported to markets in Europe, Japan and the Middle
East. Through its subsidiary Advent Electronics Pte Ltd, LAP markets and
distributes semiconductor products and subsystems to the electronics industry in
the region. Its key principals include International Rectifier, Texas
Instruments, Sharp, ST Microelectronics, National Semiconductor and Astec.
In a move to re-align its business focus and re-deploy its resources to
higher-yielding businesses, LAP ceased operations in its dry cargo container
business during the first quarter of year 2000.
ABC online - Nov 13,
2000.
Australian makes emergency landing in Burma An Australian, flying a single-engine plane, has made an emergency landing
and been rescued by the Burmese navy.
53 year-old Kim Parker was flying from Phuket in Thailand to Calcutta,
India, when his aircraft developed engine trouble.
He was forced to make an emergency landing on the edge of the Mali island,
in southeastern Burma.
Mr Parker, who was the sole occupant of the plane, was not injured.
Mali, which has a naval base, is 460 kilometres southeast of the capital,
Rangoon.
Mr Parker has been transported by air to Rangoon, and taken to the
Australian Embassy.
The Boston Globe
A guardian of hope in Burma By H.D.S. Greenway, 11/13/2000 RANGOON AUNG SAN SUU KYI, ''The Lady,'' as her supporters call her, is a stubborn
woman. More than 10 years have passed since Burma's brutal military junta
refused to accept her party's stunning victory in the first free election Burma
had seen in 30 years. The junta put her under house arrest and imprisoned her
lieutenants. Hundreds fled the country.
But for 10 years Suu Kyi has refused to accept the verdict of the junta. By
so doing she won the Nobel Peace prize in 1991 and remains to this day the
constant if flickering flame of resistance to tyranny in this sorry land.
She has paid a heavy price: For 10 years she has been either under house
arrest or unable to leave the capital. She has been separated from her children,
and when her British husband was dying of cancer in England he was refused a
visa to see her one more time. She refused to leave the country to see him
knowing that the generals would never let her return. Her two sons remain in
Britain.
In August she attempted to drive out of Rangoon to attend a political
meeting. She was stopped but for nine days refused to leave her car in silent
protest. She was then escorted back to the capital.
In September she tried to board a train north to another political event
but was told there were no more tickets. She was confined to her house near the
Inya Lake. The road to her house is sealed off, and only those with government
permission may approach. People attempting to see her risk arrest.
The generals have bottled her up, all but destroyed her political party,
and show no sign of losing their hold on power. But such is Suu Kyi's prestige
that they dare not kill her, as they have others who have opposed them.
The West, led by the United States and Britain, have imposed sanctions and
urged isolation. But the West has little influence here, and the regional powers
that matter and share a border, India and China, have said little.
Three years ago Burma was accepted for membership in the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations, but ASEAN is an organization famous for not interfering
in the domestic politics of its members.
Burma is accustomed to isolation. From the early '60s to 1989 Burma adopted
a xenophobic ''Burmese Road to socialism'' that cut the country off from the
rest of world almost as completely as North Korea. It also brought what had been
a rich country with more than half the world's rice exports to ruin. Today
socialism has been replaced by crony capitalism, and although the country is
more prosperous, Rangoon is still the most down-at-the-heel capital in Southeast
Asia. The government ministries and many businesses are stocked with military
men whose incompetence is exceeded only by their greed.
The kind of people power that toppled corruption and dictatorship in the
Philippines and Indonesia was met by bullets here in 1988. Hundreds of
pro-democracy student demonstrators were killed - nine months before a similar
event took place in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
Enter Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of the man who led Burma to
independence from Great Britain in 1948 only to be felled by assassins. She had
arrived only recently from England, but as has happened to other dutiful
daughters of Asian politicians, people ralled to her.
Some will tell you that her refusal to compromise with the military has
achieved nothing. The generals have marginalized her. They say people will soon
forget her.
Others will say that her stand against foreign investment and tourism is
hurting the Burmese people without achieving any political gain. But, like a
military commander who has been overrun by an enemy, Suu Kyi will call down
artillery on her own position if it will hurt the junta.
People are afraid to discuss politics, but an acquaintance whom I met in a
public place opened her purse to retrieve her glasses and left it open long
enough for me to see Aung San Suu Kyi's photograph within. The glance that
passed between us seemed to say: Despite what you may hear, and whatever the
generals may do, we have not forgotten her.
Bangkok Post - Nov 13,
2000.
Senate panel set to inspect refugee shelter A senate panel sub-committee on foreign affairs is to inspect a refugee
camp in Tha Song Yang district in Tak today to investigate problems posed by
refugees.
The province is home to more than 61,700 refugees, most of whom are Karen
people fleeing fighting in Burma. Some of the refugees have reportedly caused
problems for local villagers and threatened natural resources.
The 10-man panel, chaired by Sen Udorn Tantisunthorn for Tak, is scheduled
to visit Mae La Camp, which houses 36,941 refugees.
Recently, local residents and officials submitted a petition with the
Senate asking it to look into their problems.
It alleged some refugees encroached on forest reserves, stole produce from
farms and worked without official permission.
"A lot of them are paid to cut trees and burn forests to make way for
farming in forest reserve areas. Some of them have encroached on forests to
occupy the lands," said the senator.
He voiced concern about the birth rate in refugee camps, saying it would be
a burden for Thailand in the future.
Bangkok Post - Nov 13, 2000.
BORDER - Burma exiles would rather stay at home DKBA leaders urge more Karen to return Supamart Kasem Tak More than 5,000 displaced Burmese would rather stay in a DKBA-held area of
Burma, opposite Tak, than return to Thailand.
Their decision was in line with the wishes of some Democratic Karen
Buddhist Army leaders who want Karen refugees in Thailand to return to DKBA-held
zones.
Most of these displaced Burmese are former Karen refugees who used to live
in refugee camps in border areas of Tak.
Of the 1,000 families living in an administrative zone of the pro-Rangoon
DKBA's 999th Division, 460 came from Huaykalok and Mawkier refugee camps in Mae
Sot and Phop Phra districts, and 183 from Mae La camp in Tha Song Yang district.
The remainder are Burmese workers and Karen tribespeople.
The centre of this 50-km DKBA-held area is Kok Ko village, north of
Myawaddy and opposite Tak's Mae Sot and Mae Ramat districts.
"Newcomers are usually unable to provide for themselves. So we will help
them by providing them with shelter and food in the first six months and then
allow them to run corn and nut plantations and rice fields here," said Lt-Col
Maung Chit Tu, head of the DKBA's 999th Division.
"Some of them run coffee shops or boutiques or become labourers."
He said some displaced Burmese served the administrative zone as teachers,
officials, sawmill labourers, furniture factory workers and tailors making
uniforms for DKBA troops.
The zone also has schools and a temple, from which abbot Luang Phor Yai and
other monks sit on the district's advisory committee for education.
Lt-Col Maung Chit Tu said the DKBA were forced to take care of the refugees
because Rangoon refused to help them or allow international organisations or
neighbouring countries to assist them.
However, Rangoon had no problem with their stay in DKBA-held areas.
"We want all refugees to come back to live in Burma to work and help
develop our Karen society.
"We do not want them to suffer the indignity of waiting in line for food at
refugee camps in Thailand," he said.
It would not be easy for the DKBA to welcome almost 100,000 Karen refugees,
he said, adding that they would have to return to the Thai shelters if the DKBA
were unable to cope.
"These refugees are not liked by many Thais even though the Thai government
has a policy of giving them humanitarian assistance.
"So we want them to come back to live in Burma," Lt-Col Maung Chit Tu
said.
He promised to ensure the safety and peaceful livelihood of all refugees
who return.
With the exception of soldiers of the anti-Rangoon Karen National Union and
their relatives, most Karen refugees wanted to return.
The KNU rebels tried to force Karen refugees already living in Burma to go
back to Thailand and threatened to harm those who refused.
The KNU's 7th Division earlier attacked Ta Pong camp in Burma, opposite Ban
Wang Takhian, after unsuccessfully trying to force Karen villagers there to
return to Thailand.
San Kyi, 65, said her family and many neighbours returned to Kok Ko village
in Burma when they learned they would be moved from Huaykalok camp in Mae Sot to
Umpiommai camp, which they disliked.
Her family would never return to Thailand unless they were forced to by
fighting, she said, adding that it was better than living in a refugee camp
where they were not free to move around.
Ketti, 21, from Moulmein in Mon state, said strict regulations on alien
labour employment forced her to leave Thailand and stay with her sister in Kok
Ko village.
She will return if she fails to find a job in the village.
Although willing to welcome all displaced Burmese to his jurisdiction,
Lt-Col Maung Chit Tu refused to accept Muslims since they have long caused
unrest in Burmese society.
Maj Kyaw Kar, commander of the DKBA's 555th Division, reportedly ordered
more than 1,000 Muslims to leave Ta Kwet Poe village, southeast of Hlaingbwe,
within two months.
About 20 Muslim families moved to a border area opposite Tha Song Yang late
last month but the remainder asked the DKBA to allow them to stay until the end
of the harvest season.
Australian pilot rescued after emergency
landing in Myanmar
YANGON, Nov. 13 (Kyodo) -- An Australian pilot has been rescued by Myanmar navy personnel after his single-engine airplane made an emergency landing on an island off the southeastern coast of the country, local newspapers reported Monday. Kim Parker, 53, was on a solo flight from Thailand's Phuket Island en route
to Calcutta when his aircraft developed engine trouble near the coast of
Tanintharyi, forcing him to land on the island of Mali, about 500 kilometers
southeast of Yangon, the reports said.
Navy personnel stationed near Mali rushed to the site and found Parker who
sustained slight bruises, the reports said.
Navy personnel immediately took him to the town of Myeik and transported
him to Yangon by air where he was turned over to Australian Embassy officials,
the reports said.
Bangkok Post - Nov 13,
2000.
Editorial - Accord has a great deal
going for it
Yet another Asian proposal mooted by the Thai government has come to
fruition with the signing on Friday of the Vietnam Declaration. This initiative,
which is believed to be special to Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan, aims to
bring Mekong basin countries closer to India. In addition to India, the
signatories of the Vietnam Declaration of Mekong-Ganga Co-operation are Laos,
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Burma.
Unfortunately Mr Surin was unable to sign the declaration himself. It was
signed on Thailand's behalf by Adisai Bodharamik, a. Prime Minister's Office
minister. The declaration also was initialled by Indian External Affairs
Minister Jaswant Singh, Lao Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Somsavat
Lengsavad, Vietnam's Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien, Cambodia's Tourism
Minister Veng Sereyvuth and Burma's Minister for Hotels and Tourism
Major-General Saw Lwin.
The Vietnam Declaration, basically, is a commitment by the five Southeast
Asian countries to improve co-operation in the areas of tourism, culture,
education and communication with India. This type of general accord is typical
of what emanates from these international gatherings, most of which later prove
meaningless. But this time the countries have chosen specific projects to be
targetted initially and hopefully followed through with the type of enthusiasm
with which this accord was signed.
A highlight is the push for a trans-Asian highway to connect India with
Southeast Asia. A stumbling block to this has long been Burma, which has all but
closed borders with its neighbours. But Saw Lwin surprised initial talks by
stating that Rangoon was "prepared to pave the way in our position as the
strategic gateway to India". Since the days when international trade was first
documented, India and Thailand have maintained trading relations and a return to
an overland route would provide great benefits for this country to take
advantage of the burgeoning Indian economy.
The signatories also decided to conduct top-level, tourism marketing
missions to promote areas in India and in the Mekong valley countries, and to
encourage cultural and religious ties as well as ecotourism. They also agreed to
co-operation in areas like women's empowerment and health. Efforts also are to
be made to encourage export markets for handicrafts and traditional textiles and
the promotion and preservation of old manuscripts.
The signatories said efforts would be made to identify heritage sites in
the region and campaign for their inclusion in the Unesco heritage site list.
They also agreed to exchange programmes involving students and faculty members
of technology and management institutes and to provide scholarships to
outstanding science students.
Many believe the Vietnam Declaration is politically motivated to
counterbalance the growing influence of China in the region. This trend
continues this week with visits to Laos and Cambodia by China's Jiang Zemin, who
is the first such high-ranking Chinese leader to visit Phnom Penh in 30
years.
In pointed remarks, Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong told Mr Singh
during his three-day visit to Hanoi that Vietnam regarded its relationship with
India as having "strategic importance". Vietnam has long been a rival of China
and may well feel closer relations with New Delhi and its one billion people may
give it much needed confidence when dealing with its northern neighbour. Vietnam
has much influence on Lao and Cambodian international affairs and any close ties
it establishes with New Delhi will have a natural run-off effect.
If acted upon enthusiastically, the Vietnam Declaration is itself an
important cross-cultural accord which presents great benefit for the six nations
involved. But its underlying strength could well be in the fact it offers
Southeast Asia an ever-increasingly powerful friend in the international
arena. |