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-------------------------------------------------------------- Burma Related News - February 25,
2002. -------------------------------------------------------------- Headlines -------------------------------------------------------------- Reuters - Myanmar accused of doing
little to stop forced labour
AFP - ASEAN, EU experts discuss
fighting "terrorism at sea"
AFP - Malaysia blocks release of
three international magazines
VOA News - Labor Official Optimistic
About Burma
Bkk Post - Wei's frozen assets now
reach B270m
Bkk Post - EDITORIAL - Pursuing
violence across borders
The Nation - Drug suspect shot
Xinhuanet - Myanmar Launches 5th
National Sanitation Week
Xinhuanet - Thai Oil Company Signs
Oil Deals With Myanmar
NSTP - Speed up cases of remand
prisoners?
Narinjara news - Forced
Collection of rice in Myanmar
-------------------------------------------------------------- Monday February 25, 5:14 PM
Myanmar accused of
doing little to stop forced labour
By Dominic Whiting BANGKOK (Reuters) - Myanmar, although desperate to end its
political and economic isolation, is failing to curb army use of forced labour
and shunning outside help, the International Labour Office (ILO) said on Monday.
With an ILO team due to leave Myanmar on Monday after a
week-long visit, an executive of the U.N. body said it was rejecting
foreign-funded programmes aimed at halting forced labour.
"Myanmar is a case unto itself in terms of forced labour
extracted by the military," ILO executive director Kari Tapiola told reporters
at an ILO meeting on labour rights in Bangkok.
"At this point, Myanmar is in the category of countries
which have not said yes, we're willing to cooperate," he said.
Myanmar's ruling generals, eager for international
legitimacy which could bring more aid, trade and investment, passed a decree in
2000 abolishing forced labour.
But an ILO report last year said the Myanmar army was
still forcing villagers to farm and work on infrastructure projects or as
porters, especially in areas near the Thai border where government troops are
fighting with ethnic minority armies.
"There's been a degree, but not a very high degree, of
progress," said Tapiola of the government's efforts to stamp out forced labour.
"It could be a case of the government not being able to
control local army commanders who have their own economic interests," he
suggested.
"GROWING ISOLATION"
Tapiola said the ILO and international donors could start
funding village development to give Myanmar people an alternative to forced
labour, if the Myanmar government co-operated.
"We would look at what are the ways of getting the
military out of running businesses," he said.
Although Myanmar authorities this month refused a request
by the ILO to set up a permanent office in Yangon, Tapiola said he was hopeful
of some ILO presence, maybe an ombudsman to receive complaints from the public.
An end to economic isolation could be the reward for the
impoverished Southeast Asian country, he said.
"The incentive is to get out of a growing isolation and an
economic situation which is awfully bad," Tapiola said. "As things are now,
every trade or investment is raising questions about guarantees that no forced
labour is being used."
Many Western firms have stopped sourcing goods from
Myanmar following pressure from human rights groups.
But France's Total, U.S. oil and gas giant Unocal and
Thailand's state owned PTT plc are still involved in construction of two
controversial gas pipelines linking Myanmar gas fields to Thailand.
The firms deny allegations by rights groups that forced
labour is being used on the projects.
Many Western countries, including the European Union and
the United States, which maintain aid and trade sanctions on Myanmar, say they
could soften their stances if the ruling generals improve their human rights
record and move towards democracy.
Since late 2000, the government has been engaged in talks
with Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy,
which won the country's last democratic election in 1990 by a landslide but was
never allowed to rule.
The government has released more than 200 political
prisoners since the talks began, but Amnesty International says at least 1,500
still languish in jails.
-------------------------------------------------------------- Monday February 25, 6:18 PM
ASEAN, EU experts discuss fighting "terrorism at sea" MANILA, Feb 25 (AFP) - More
than 100 maritime security experts and diplomats from the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and European Union met here to discuss curbing
"terrorism at sea" or piracy, the foreign office said Monday.
According to statistics released during Sunday's conference, there were 471
cases of piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2000.
Nearly half occurred in the busy sea lanes of Southeast Asia, the Malacca
Strait and Indian Ocean. Pirates also became more deadly with 72 crewmembers
killed, 129 wounded and five others missing.
"The security environment that has emerged from the rubble of the 9/11
incident introduces new perspectives," Philippine Foreign Minister Teofisto
Guingona said of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
"(This) necessitates fresh approaches ... to the problems posed by
international maritime terrorism, which includes piracy," he added in a
speech.
Guingona noted that piracy evolved in the Philippines at the turn of the
last century, when Filipino Muslim seafarers fought to ward off western
colonizers.
The "modern-day version" however carries "political undertones although
employing traditional ways, including kidnapping for ransom," he said.
"It is sometimes linked to the seccessionist aspirations of some elements
in society, or simply Muslim militancy," Guingona said.
He was apparently referring to the Abu Sayyaf kidnap gang in the southern
Philippines that abducted dozens of foreign hostages in two cross border raids
on Malaysian resorts in 2000.
The Abu Sayyaf is a small group of self-styled Islamic fighters linked to
Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. It is the target of massive joint
US-Philippine exercises in the south of the country.
Guingona urged stronger international cooperation against piracy beyond
intelligence exchange and border patrols.
He said countries concerned should create legislation that would punish
pirates as well as strike a regional agreement defining piracy and armed
robbery.
-------------------------------------------------------------- Monday February 25, 5:14 PM
Malaysia blocks release of three international magazines KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 (AFP) -
Malaysia has blocked the distribution of three international news magazines,
apparently because of government displeasure over foreign media coverage,
publishing sources said Monday.
The last four issues of Time and Newsweek have been withheld after articles
carried by both magazines angered the government, and five issues of the Far
Eastern Economic Review have been delayed.
Frank Proctor, general manager of Newsweek's Pacific edition, said the
delays were "unusual" because of the number of issues involved and length of
time taken for approval of distribution.
"In the past, the time taken by the Malaysian government to approve varies
from week to week, but this time, it is unusual," Proctor told AFP by telephone
from Newsweek's offices in Hong Kong.
Four of the magazines' issues, starting February 4, have yet to be released
and no official reasons for the delay have been given, he said.
The government banned the February 11 issue of Newsweek which showed an
image of the Prophet Mohammad, an offence which Deputy Prime Minster Abdullah
Badawi said violated the the law of the country.
"As such, we will not allow the edition to be circulated," he said.
Newsweek had earlier angered government officials when, in its February 4
edition, it cited a secret Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report as
saying Malaysia was a "primary operational launchpad" for the September 11
terror attacks in the United States.
Rais Yatim, minister in the prime minister's department in charge of legal
affairs, said last month the government was studying the possibility of suing
the US-based magazine over the report.
The distribution of four issues of Time magazine in February has also been
delayed, with no indication on when they would be approved for release.
A senior executive at Time's local distributor, Catalina Anniah, told AFP
it was the first time the magazine had been blocked for so long.
"The Home Ministry told the distributors that the reason they are holding
back is because of censorship of sensitive issues," she said, adding that the
government has been asked for clarification.
"We are one month delayed, with no sign that the magazines will be
released. We will just have to wait for their reply," she said.
Time's February 11 issue carried reports claiming that Malaysia was a
regional financial and planning hub linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist
network.
An official with the Far Eastern Economic Review confirmed that
distribution of the five most recent issues, starting January 24, had been
delayed.
"A ministry spokesman told us that it was for censorship of some of our
articles, but nothing official so far," Carol Po, a subscription executive, told
AFP by telephone from the Review's Hong Kong offices.
"This is the first time such a long delay has happened and we are not
allowed to distribute our magazines until further notice," she said.
The government authorised the release of the Review's January 24 issue
recently but is still withholding the four most recent issues of the weekly,
which sells more than 14,000 copies each week in Malaysia.
Subscribers to the magazine have so far been patient, said Po, and none
have opted to cancel their orders.
"But we hope it doesn't last longer, we have a responsibility to our
readers."
The government, however, denied, any crackdown on foreign publications,
saying the delays in releasing the magazines could be due to many reasons.
Rohaizad Abdul Rahim, press secretary to the Home Minister, said the
release and censorship of foreign publications was carried out by the
publications control division, an autonomous entity within the ministry.
"There was a decision to ban one issue of Newsweek, but whether there is
any fixed decision on other publications, I don't know," he told AFP, adding
that the ministry itself was not involved in censorship.
"We have better things to do with our time than crack down on (foreign
publications)," he said.
-------------------------------------------------------------- Asia Pacific - Labor Official
Optimistic About Burma
VOA News 25 Feb 2002 10:51 UTC An official with the International Labor Organization (ILO) says he is
optimistic that Burma's military government will eventually allow the ILO to
establish a permanent office in Rangoon.
Kari Tapiolo, the ILO's executive director for labor standards, declined to
forecast when the office might open. He said in Bangkok Monday that negotiations
were making progress.
An ILO team is currently in Burma to assess the military government's
efforts to end forced labor.
Last November, an ILO report said forced labor continues in Burma, despite
the government's assertion that new laws have banned the practice.
-------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - Monday 25 February 2002
Wei's frozen assets now reach
B270m
Relatives, aides ran laundering dens
Anucha Charoenpo
The Money Laundering Office has frozen 270 million baht in assets belonging
to drug warlord Wei Hsueh-Kang and his close aides in a series of drug swoops
since December.
Pol Col Peeraphan Premphuti, secretary-general of the office, said the
assets were seized from 50 people with close ties to Wei.
These people, some of whom were Wei's relatives, were business partners who
ran legal businesses _ especially agriculture and jewellery _ as fronts to
launder money illegally obtained from the drugs trade.
Pol Col Peeraphan said they have been running businesses here for many
years.
He said the authorities had credible information and strong evidence to
prove the group was linked to Wei.
Information from police investigations showed Wei had business connections
with as many as 100 other people.
Wei also had close connections with local officials and influential figures
as well as politicians at local and international level to help facilitate his
drug business.
The secretary-general said only a few of Wei's cronies visited him since
the asset seizure.
They claimed some of their frozen assets were legally obtained.
The Money Laundering Office checked the claims and returned some of the
assets after it found they were earned legally.
Investigators were ready to listen to complaints of those affected by the
asset seizure orders.
The office required the owners of assets to clarify the source of their
wealth within 30 days of seizure.
Without the claims, the assets would soon fall under state ownership.
Pol Col Peeraphan said he would soon send the first case involving Wei's
drug gang to court to seek an approval for the asset seizure.
The authorities froze nearly 100 million baht worth of assets in eight
raids in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in December after learning the
assets were all held by Wei's aides, relatives and mistresses.
During the investigation, more assets illegally acquired had been
frozen.
The authorities last week raided 25 locations in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai
with suspected links to Wei.
They seized assets worth around 20 million baht and arrested five people
with fake ID cards.
He did not know if other operations would follow but pledged his office
would try its best to trace the assets of Wei and his gang in Thailand, Hong
Kong, Taiwan and the United States.
Wei, an ethnic Chinese Haw, was arrested in Bangkok several years ago. He
was later convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death.
But he managed to escape to Burma after he was granted bail and joined Wa
forces at Mong Yawn.
-------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - Monday 25 February 2002
EDITORIAL - Pursuing violence across borders The foreign ministers of the 10 countries that make up Asean took the
correct step last week of committing each nation to the the war against
international terrorism. The Phuket meeting, an annual two-day ``retreat'' by
the foreign ministers, was a watershed event. The ministers made important new
decisions to fight cross-border criminals by cross-border means. There will be
no more safe havens.
It is easy to say that Asean was a late-comer to the war on terrorism, but
that is a cheap shot. Rather, the organisation includes countries with no
terrorists, and those that face serious threats. Action has taken place not only
since Sept 11 but long before. Thai troubles with terrorism date back to the
1970s. Malaysia fought communist terrorists before that, and still has the
special laws to prove it.
Asean members were quick to act when the attacks on America gave new
urgency to the problem. The group itself, however, was slow to respond.
Countries that do not face direct threats from international terrorism had to
overcome great inertia to consider anti-terrorist policies. Poorer members like
Cambodia and Laos have huge internal problems that consume the government and
the nation's best minds.
In Phuket last week, the larger and concerned countries took the lead.
Singapore pressed the message it has been pushing since December: The most
pressing problem in the region is terrorism. Terrorists pose a greater threat
than recession. Singapore was clearly unnerved by the discovery at home of a
terrorist ring loyal to the bin Laden gang. It has worked feverishly to wrap up
the extremists, and expand the search for others.
Singapore is correct. Asean suffers two ways from terrorism: Real damage
and image. The sudden news that terrorists have found their way deep into the
communities of our region have shocked many. Bombings in Manila and Jakarta,
arrests in Malaysia and Singapore have stripped the innocence of those in the
region. The world has also been shocked that the seemingly serene Southeast Asia
could hide such extremism.
That would account for the anguish displayed by Foreign Minister Surakiart
Sathirathai. He said Asean should get credit for finding terrorist cells. He has
a point. But then there is the slow reaction of Asean to the events of Sept 11.
Now the grouping is going to work in a manner not seen since the threat of the
Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1978.
The Thai-US Cobra Gold operation will simulate anti-terrorist operations,
and most of Asean _ and China _ are attending. Prime Ministers Goh Chok Tong and
Thaksin Shinawatra agreed to co-operate more closely, and to share intelligence.
So did the 10 foreign ministers, who went further. From now on, any warrant
issued in the Philippines, Malaysia or Indonesia for a cross-border criminal
will be honoured in the other countries. Thailand will sign on for this
unprecedented new co-operation as well.
Properly used, this is a tremendous advance in the region's fight against
its worst elements. Not only terrorists are covered in this landmark agreement.
Traffickers in drugs weapons and people now face the possibility _ dare we hope
probability? _ of arrest.
Thailand is properly taking a short time to analyse this watershed
agreement. The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia already have signed it.
Thailand also is signing on to new agreements to share and exchange both general
information and crucial intelligence on trans-national criminals and terrorists.
There is still much to do before the world is safe from cross-border violence. A
major step forward is this agreement on cross-border law enforcement.
-------------------------------------------------------------- The Nation
Drug suspect shot Published on Feb 25, 2002 Border Police killed a suspected narcotics trafficker believed to be a
member of the Wei Hsueh-kang syndicate in a clash on the Burmese border late on
Saturday.
Some 15 traffickers apparently attempting to cross the border from Burma
exchanged gunfire with a police patrol for 20 minutes before retreating into the
jungle, police said.
A body was later found at the clash site. On the body were a grenade, an
AK-47 rifle and about 300 grams of amphetamine powder, police said.
Police believed the group was attempting to carry some 500,000 speed pills
into Chiang Rai's Mae Suay district when it was intercepted by the Thai
unit.
-------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Launches 5th National
Sanitation Week
Xinhuanet 2002-02-25 11:20:10 YANGON, February 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Myanmar has begun its Fifth National Sanitation Week activities, aiming at reducing the spread of communicable diseases, educating the general public and assisting the people in the actual implementation of sanitary work. The campaign, which started on Sunday, is organized by the Myanmar Ministry
of Health and sponsored by the World Health Organization and the U.N. Children's
Fund.
Myanmar began implementation of its first national sanitation week campaign
in 1998 and the sanitation work coverage was 60 percent then. It was increased
to 86.6 percent in 2001 when the fourth national sanitation week was
launched.
The present fifth national sanitation week campaign is targeted to attain a
coverage of 100 percent.
Myanmar set up a National Health Committee in 1989 to provide guidance for
health development and laid down a national health policy in 1993.
-------------------------------------------------------------- Thai Oil Company Signs Oil Deals
With Myanmar
Xinhuanet 2002-02-25 10:09:16 BANGKOK, February 25 (Xinhuanet) - Petroleum Authority of Thailand(PAT) has agreed on four oil deals with Myanmar's national petroleum company, which will help the former to further expand its overseas market, the Thai News Agency(TNA) said Monday. Abhisit Rujikiatkamjorn, PAT's Senior Executive Vice President, was quoted
as saying that PAT recently signed the contracts with Myanmar's Petroleum
Products Enterprise.
Under the agreement, PAT would sell 100 million liters a year of petroleum
products, worth 900 million baht(20.45 million U.S.dollars) to Myanmar.
"The deals not only help PAT to expand its overseas market, but also boost
its revenues", he said.
The agreement would run until February 2003, with the possibility of annual
renewals, he stated.
-------------------------------------------------------------- The New Straits Times Press
Monday, 25 February 2002 Speed up cases of remand prisoners? By Jalina Joheng KUALA LUMPUR, Mon. ? The police and the Attorney-General Chambers have been
urged to expedite all investigations and court proceedings involving remand
prisoners to help reduce their number in prisons nationwide.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung said today the move was
neccessary to help the Government overcome space contraints in prisons.
He said of the total 27,583 inmates in 22 prisons, 31 per cent were remand
prisoners awaiting court hearings.
"The large number has led to limited space in prisons which can currently
accommodate only 23,914 inmates." Prisons nationwide are bursting at the seams
with the inclusion of dadah addicts, foreign nationals as well as remand
prisoners. There are 5,042 foreigners in prisons with Indonesians topping the
list with 2,606. The rest are Filipinos, Myanmar, Bangladeshis, Indian nationals
and others.
Chor was speaking after attending the Chinese New Year gathering with the
prisoners and the Prisons Department officers at the Kajang prison today.
He said besides the high number of remand prisoners, some juvenile
offenders have also been sent to prisons.
Chor said the Government would be reviewing the prison system to separate
those serving sentences from those on remand and juveniles.
Plans lined up to overcome the problems include the construction of four
more prisons in Pokok Sena, Tapah, Kluang and Limbang, which together could
accommodate 6,300.
Chor said the juveniles would be sent to the Henry Gurney schools in Sabah,
Malacca and Perak.
"With the new prisons and the transferring of the juvenile offenders, it is
hoped the space problems in prisons can be solved by 2004." Chor said the
Government was also reviewing the salary scales for prisons officers and the
facilities in prisons to help achieve a higher standard of
professionalism.
Earlier, Chor advised the inmates to become a better citizen. He urged them
to use their new knowledge and skills learnt in prisons to better their
lives.
-------------------------------------------------------------- Narinjara news
Forced Collection of rice in Myanmar Sittwe, 21st February 02 : The total 'forced
purchase' of rice from the rice growers of the south-western state of Myanmar
till the first week of February 02 is about 156,500 tonnes, according to an
official from the State Agricultural Department.
According to the official statistics, a total of 2,974.08 tonnes of
rice was collected from Sittwe township, 26,926.65 tonnes from Mrauk-u
township, 16,641.28 tonnes from Kyauk-taw township, 16,564.67 tonnes from
Minn-bya township, 12,636.93 tonnes from Pauktaw township, 3,653.99
tonnes from Mye-bon township, 9,595.17 tonnes from Ponnagyun
township, 8,869.48 tonnes from Rathedaung township, 11,573.18 tonnes
from Maungdaw township, 7,908.39 tonnes from Buthidaung township, 11,200
tonnes from Thandway (Sandoway) township, 4,800 tonnes from Gwa
township, 10,630.4 tonnes from Taunggup township, 4,112.64 tonnes
from Kyaukpru township, 3,759.46 tonnes from Rambrey township,
2,809.22 tonnes from Man-aung township, and 1,834.63 from Ann
township.
This year's primary target of rice collection is 260,000 metric
tonnes. "The junta is set to collect more rice from the rice
growers," said a manager from the Agricultural Department. Meanwhile, the
farmers are reluctant to sell the rice to the SPDC junta officials as the price
of 3.2 tonne (tinn 100) of rice is kyat 120,000 at Maungdaw and kyat 87,500 at
Buthidaung as of the first week of February this year. The junta officials
who come with members of the armed forces for forcibly 'purchasing' rice, pay
the growers kyat 30,000 for the same amount which price merely covers the
production cost. When selling at the Maungdaw Myoma Rice sales
centre, the junta gets a price of kyat 141,180 in US dollars for the same from
rice merchants exporting rice to Bangladesh.
There are reports of forcible collection of rice from door to door in the
villages all over Rakhine State by 'rice collection action committees'
consisting of members of the army, police, district and township administration
officials.
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