[burmanet2-l] Burma Related News - Feb 25, 2002.

["TIN KYI" <tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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Burma Related News - February 25, 2002.
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Headlines
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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