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BURMA RELATED NEWS - September
12, 2001.
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HEADLINES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- PD - Myanmar Actively Launches Military
Diplomacy
VOA News - ILO Team Heads to Burma For Labor
Probe
The Nation - Letters - Third anniversary of
student's arrest
Xinhuanet - ASEAN-Japan Economic Ministers
Meet
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The People's Daily
Online
Wednesday, September 12, 2001, updated at 11:05(GMT+8) Roundup: Myanmar Actively Launches Military Diplomacy In recent years, especially since entering into the new century, Myanmar's
military diplomacy has been active with gradual increase of military exchange
with foreign countries, constituting an important part of the country's exchange
with foreign nations.
Myanmar's military diplomacy has played an important role in breaking the
sanctions imposed on it by western countries, expanding its diplomacy space and
strengthening the friendship between armed forces of Myanmar and foreign
countries.
During this year, high-ranking military commanders from Indian, China,
Thailand, Russia, Cambodia and Indonesia have visited Myanmar.
These frequent visits have indicated Myanmar is actively launching its
military diplomacy in the service of its politics, foreign diplomacy and
military affairs.
A fact that deserves special mention is that a fleet of Pakistani naval
vessels comprising a submarine, a destroyer and a tanker made a nearly-week-long
friendly visit at Myanmar's Yangon Port on April 25 this year. It was the first
time for Myanmar to permit foreign naval fleet to visit its port in several
decades.
Besides, during the August visit to Myanmar of the Russian Vice-Defense
Minister, the two sides signed a contract on sale of ten Russian MIG-29 fighter
aircraft to Myanmar worth of as high as 130 million U.S. dollars.
It was the first time for Russia to sell such fighters to Yangon. Equipped
with these advanced fighters, Myanmar air force's fighting capability will
greatly increase.
The military exchange between Myanmar and India has drawn special
attention. According to Indian official statistics, in the past seven years,
exchange of visits between military authorities of the two countries amounted to
20 times, of which Myanmar military delegations went to India for eight times.
Of the 12 tours to Myanmar by Indian military delegations, there included
those made by Chief of the Army Staff, Chief of the Air Staff and Chief of the
Navy Staff and Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee.
According to the Indian News Annual published by the Indian Embassy here,
in recent years, there has been a further intensification of relations between
defense forces of India and Myanmar with a progressively large number of Myanmar
defense personnel going to India for training and the border units of the two
armies meeting twice a year at the border to ensure peace and tranquillity along
the 1,400-kilometer-long front.
In addition, the two countries have also agreed to enhance cooperation in
combating drug trafficking and suppression of activities of ethnic separatists
in border areas.
Since 2000, Myanmar and India have successively carried out joint military
operation twice against the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, destroying
five bases on the Myanmar side set up by the separatists.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- ILO Team Heads to Burma For Labor
Probe
VOA News 11 Sep 2001 22:04 UTC The International Labor Organization or ILO is sending a high level team of
experts to Burma to evaluate the government's efforts to deal with forced labor.
The three-week mission will begin on September 17.
The Burmese military junta promised to eliminate forced labor after the ILO
condemned the practice. The U.N. organization has been examining forced labor in
Burma since 1998.
Burmese authorities agreed to the group's mission in May following a visit
to Burma by an ILO official. A date for the mission was set last week.
The ILO group will be led by Ninian Stephen, a former governor general of
Australia and former judge at the International War Crimes tribunals for Rwanda
and Yugoslavia.
Other members of the team will be Nieves Roldan-Confesor of the
Philippines, Kulatilaka Ranasinghe of Sri Lanka and Jerzy Makarczyk of
Poland.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Nation
Letters - Third anniversary of student's arrest Published on Sep 12, 2001 September 14 marks the third anniversary of the arrest of Burmese student
leader Myo Min Zaw, who is now serving a 52-year sentence at Pathein Prison,
Ayeyarwady Division.
His sentence, harsh even by Burmese standards, presumably was given in
retaliation for his role in organising peaceful student demonstrations in June
and September 1998.
He is considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International,
imprisoned solely for his non-violent political beliefs. I appeal to all who do
business with Burma and have contact with Burmese authorities to call for the
immediate release of Myo Min Zaw and other prisoners of conscience.
I also ask the media to keep the public informed of these cases. In spite
of the recent releases of many members of the National League for Democracy,
there are still hundreds of political prisoners who need your help.
Andrew Kearns
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA GROUP -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASEAN-Japan Economic Ministers
Meet
Xinhuanet 2001.09.12 22:00:06 HANOI, September 12 (Xinhuanet)
-- Exports of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to Japan grew
by 38.1 percent from 37 billion U.S. dollars in 1999 to 52 billion in 2000
while imports grew by 19.7 percent from 51 billion to 62 billion for the
same period.
This was disclosed by the Eighth Consultation between the ASEAN economic
ministers(AEM) and the Japanese minister of economy, trade and industry
which was held in the Vietnamese capital Wednesday.
However, despite the positive economic growth in ASEAN last year, the
ministers also agreed that the growth would be tempered by a number of
downside risks this year, the slowdown of the global economy in
particular.
During the meeting, ASEAN ministers informed Japanese minister some
of their measures they are taking to counter the effect of the global
economy slowdown including the acceleration of the programs of ASEAN Free
Trade Area, ASEAN Investment Area, e-ASEAN initiative and the Initiative
for ASEAN Integration. Japan also briefed her counterparts on their
measures to restructure and revitalize the economy.
The ASEAN ministers welcomed Japan's new initiatives to support the
development of local industries in the new ASEAN member countries and to
support the development of standards and conformance system in ASEAN.
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