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BURMA RELATED NEWS - December 22,
2001.
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HEADLINES
----------------------------------------------------------------------- AFP - Thais give thumbs down to legalised
casinos
The Daily Star - BIMSTEC meeting in Yangon today
Bkk Post - EU told to take Burmese refugees
Xinhuanet - Thai Government to Close Maneeloy
Holding Center for Myanmar People
ST - Thailand to play bigger regional role:
Thaksin
NMG - Burmese Students decide to confront Thai
Government plan to move Maneeloi Camp
NMG - Oversea Burmese workers may face
more difficulties with new visa regulation in Thailand
----------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday December 22, 3:19 PM
Thais give thumbs down to legalised casinos BANGKOK, Dec 22 (AFP) - Thais
have rejected a proposal to legalise casinos to stem the flow of gambling money
out of the kingdom, a pollster said Saturday.
Tsiti Ratanathot, deputy director of Assumption University, which conducted
the survey from December 19 to 20, said many Thais disagreed with the idea
tabled at a seminar hosted by Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University on
Tuesday.
Academics at the seminar estimated the annual amount of money pouring out
of Thailand and into casinos across the border in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos
stood at 114 billion baht (2.6 billion dollars).
"Some people think that having legalised casinos can save money flowing out
to another country," he said. "But some disagree with it, and our institute
finds that we should find other solutions."
The Assumption University poll of 1,214 Bangkok residents found that some
52 percent of respondents thought the idea would do more harm than good while
about 30 percent said sanctioned casinos would be acceptable.
Up to 49 percent of the surveyed group came out against legalised casinos
and 38 percent supported them, while the remaining gave no answer.
Just 27 percent said they thought legal gambling halls would halt the
outflow of money to casinos beyond Thailand's borders.
Thailand's Anti-Money Laundering Commission on Friday meanwhile threw its
support behind proposed casino legislation as a means of drumming up revenue for
the government despite likely social problems, reports said.
In August, the National Intelligence Agency said Thais were wagering some
seven billion baht (156 million dollars) each year at 18 casinos strategically
situated next to busy border checkpoints.
It said an estimated 500,000 gamblers frequented the establishments -- 13
in Cambodia, four in Myanmar and one in Laos.
----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Daily Star - Fri. December 21,
2001
BIMSTEC meeting in Yangon
today
Multi-modal transportation links to dominate
issues
M Anwarul Haq
A day-long ministerial level meeting of BIMSTEC countries in Yangon today
will focus on setting up air, surface and sea communication links among the five
members to bolster economic cooperation.
It follows a two-day meeting of senior officials in the Myanmar capital.
The meeting which concluded yesterday fixed the agenda for today's meeting.
Observers see the ministerial meeting as crucial for further economic
co-operation among the five littoral neighbours -- Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri
Lanka, India and Thailand.
The meeting is expected to discuss removing impediments to developing
multi-modal transportation links and formulating a standard customs procedure
for the member countries, sources said.
Scope for establishing shipping links are excellent since all the member
countries are linked to the Bay of Bengal, they said.
The fourth policy level meeting since launching of the BIMSTEC in 1997 is
expected to deliberate on removing impediments related to operational aspects of
the Trans Asian Highway which provides scope for setting up arterial road links
among four of the five member countries, the sources said.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Reaz Rahman, now in Yangon, will
represent Bangladesh at the meeting.
The grouping is considered a potential economic platform for promotion of
regional trade, investment, tourism and aviation among the member states.
The meeting is also expected to discuss tapping potential in the energy
sector, including joint collaboration and pipeline supply of gas among
neighbours.
The ministerial meet will review six thrust sectors for which committees
were set up earlier. These are: Trade and Investment (headed by Bangladesh),
Technology (India), Transport and Communication (Thailand), Energy (Myanmar) and
Tourism and Fisheries(Sri Lanka).
BIMSTEC is also working on forging stronger ties with development partners
and international financial organisations. It is learnt to be seeking support
from ESCAP for technical cooperation, particularly in the communication
sector.
The first ministerial level meting of BIMSTEC was held in Bangkok, the
second in Dhaka, and the third took place in Delhi in July last year.
Commerce and Trade Ministers also met in Yangon in February this year and
discussed possibility of creating a preferential trading arrangement among the
five members.
BIMSTEC is being considered as a bridge between the SAARC and the
ASEAN.
To give it an institutional shape, ambassadors of BIMSTEC countries in
Bangkok have started holding weekly informal consultations.
The Delhi meet launched the BIMSTEC Economic Forum to promote private
sector trade, investment and tourism among the member nations.
BIMSTEC has also plans to encourage growth of private sector airlines in
the region. The members are learnt to be willing to provide concessional air
fare and other facilities by reducing "basic operational costs" of private
airlines linking the member countries.
More regional travel at economic rates are seen by BIMSTEC members as a way
of increasing people-to-people contact, growth of tourism industry with
consequent increase in intra-country trade, the sources said.
----------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - Dec 22,
2001.
EU told to take Burmese refugees Group has accepted only 10% of students Bhanravee Tansubhapol The Foreign Ministry has suggested that the European Union (EU) take the
796 Burmese refugees on the Burmese border if it is so concerned about their
safety.
Laxanachanthorn Laohaphan, head of the ministry's International
Organisations department, made the point to envoys from Belgium, Spain and the
European Commission who sent her an aide memoire on Thursday.
They called on Thailand to allow shelter for the asylum seekers at Ban Ton
Yang, in Sangkhla Buri district of Kanchanaburi.
The mainly Karen civilians, who had fled a Burmese army attack at Htee Wah
Doh in Burma on Nov 21, were now living at the nearby Mon village of
Halockanee.
Rattakit Manathat, Foreign Ministry spokesman, said nations should share
international burdens and responsibilities. The 15-nation strong EU had been a
main contributor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
but had resettled only about 10% of the Burmese students from Thailand.
Thailand was ready to organise a meeting of EU representatives,
international organisations and refugee agencies to sort out the problem.
Ms Laxanachanthorn told the envoys that the Nov 21 attack was the first in
that border area in five years.
Thailand did not deem it necessary to give refuge to the asylum seekers
because the situation had eased, although that could be reviewed if the
situation worsened.
Thailand would grant asylum to ``people who flee armed conflict'' under a
working arrangement with the UNHCR. Thailand, she said, continued to give people
refuge for humanitarian reasons and had allowed Burmese to shelter here for 15
years. Some 108,000 displaced Burmese live at nine camps along the border.
Ambassadors of the EU, the United States, Canada, Norway and Switzerland on
Nov 16 wrote to Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai protesting against the
forced repatriation of 63 Karens 10 days earlier.
----------------------------------------------------------------------- Thai Government to Close Maneeloy
Holding Center for Myanmar People
Xinhuanet 2001-12-22 10:19:46 BANGKOK, December 22 (Xinhuanet) -- The Thai government will close down
the Maneeloy Holding Center, the country's largest shelter of exiled Myanmar
students and displaced people, in Ratchaburi province by next week, the Thai
News Agency(TNA) said Saturday.
Deputy Permanent Secretary for Interior Pairoj Promsarn was quoted as
saying Friday that he would call a meeting with Governor of Ratchaburi province
and other authorities concerned to discuss the permanent closure of the closure.
Local authorities and officials of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) had prepared to move the students and displaced people to a new
shelter along the Thai-Myanmar border in Suan Phung district, he disclosed,
saying that they appeared to be understanding and ready to move out.
The students staged a hunger strike last week to protest the closure of the
center.
Meanwhile, Myanmar exiled students issued a statement Friday, calling for a
six-month extension of the closure of the Maneeloy Holding Center.
In the statement, the students also called for a meeting between the Thai
government, UNHCR, and Myanmar students to jointly discuss the issue.
----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Straits Times - Dec 22,
2001.
Thailand to play bigger regional role: Thaksin BANGKOK - Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday said that Thailand
would play a more active role in both the economic and political affairs of the
region and suggested the possibility of getting involved in the standoff between
Myanmar's ruling junta and the opposition.
Speaking to reporters after returning from the US, he said the
international community saw Thailand as the region's economic powerhouse and
added that Americans would like to team up with the country in the air-transport
industry.
He said a new dimension had emerged in the international arena and it was
important that Thailand combined politics with international trade in dealing
with global affairs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------- Network Media Group
Burmese Students decide to confront Thai Government plan to move Maneeloi Camp Chiang Mai, December 22, 2001 Burmese Students Association (BSA) in Maneeloi students camp decided not to
move out from the camp after failed negotiation with the representatives from
Thai Ministry of Interior (MOI) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee
Thailand office, said Kyaw Swe, secretary two of BSA today on December 22.
"We asked to extend the period for existing Maneeloi camp. But, they (Thai
and UNHCR authorities) didn't accept. They said we must move within this
December. They also asked us (BSA) to organize other students to move out from
the camp and not to block those who want to move", said Kyaw Swe.
Ethnic refugees and students in the camp made decision not to move out from
the camp due to refusal of Thai and UNHCR authorities on their demands.
Representatives from BSA started to negotiate and ask Thai and UNHCR
authorities not to move or close down the camp since late November this
year.
Although students went into hunger strike since December 6, their demands
were not reached.
Seven students including three female students were sent to hospital during
the hunger strike.
Hunger strike was eventuated on December 20, as the students are so tired
after more than 200 hours away from food, said Ko Kyaw Swe.
The students in the camp said they were informed they would be moved to
Than Hin refugee camp on the border near Thailand's southern town of
Kanchanaburi.
A humanitarian worker used to work with refugees in Than Hin camp told the
students in Maneeloi about the situation there as "Refugees in Than Hin camp
face a lot of difficulties. Health and medical care is insufficient. Women must
take their own security", explained Ko Kyaw Swe.
Yesterday, UNHCR called and interviewed four female students, but the
result of the interview was not yet known for the students.
The detail planning was unclear although the students decided to confront
the Thai government plan to move them to border camp.
----------------------------------------------------------------------- Network Media Group
Oversea Burmese workers may face more difficulties with new visa regulation in Thailand New regulation to start on Tuesday Chiang Mai, December 22, 2001 Oversea Burmese workers may face more difficulties with Thailand's new
regulation on visa, said Soe Naing, a Burmese sailor in Bangkok.
The new regulation is going to start on Tuesday, December 24, said a travel
agent from Chiang Mai.
"To go back to Rangoon (Yangon) to apply Thai visa will be more expensive
for us due to unwritten payments. And, to get new job abroad in Rangoon is more
difficult for us because few shipping companies are there in Rangoon than in
Bangkok", Ko Soe Naing said.
"We are not clear about the new regulation yet", said a Thai immigration
officer in Chiang Mai.
"I am not sure with the new regulation. We should wait and see. According
to my information, new regulation will be started on Tuesday on Thai-Laos border
with new officials. So, we will know after this", said a travel agent in Chiang
Mai who has been working on tour, ticketing and visa on South East Asian
countries.
"Burma will get less foreign income if Thai won't allow 30 days stay
without visa as oversea workers need to stay in Bangkok for 2-3 months to get
new jobs", said a Burmese opposition leader.
He refused to answer the question of impact on the exile opposition groups
with new visa regulation.
Thai government approved the new regulation on visa on December 18 proposed
by Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. According to new regulation,
Burmese citizens will not get the privilege to stay in Thailand for thirty days
without visa. Other Asean countries are still on the list of this
privilege.
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