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BURMA RELATED NEWS
- October 21, 2002.
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HEADLINES
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Reuters - Dhaka denies report al
Qaeda group has fled to Bangladesh
DowJones - Thai Airways Inks Code
Deal With Local Carrier Phuket Air
AP - Thai PM Says US Casino Operator
Interested In Thai Market
Hoover's Online - Democratic Voice of
Burma views gasoline, diesel shortage, price rises
Indian Express - Osama?s right hand
in Burma, says Time
Reuters - Time says Qaeda in
Bangladesh; untrue, says Dhaka
AFP - Myanmar activists welcome UN
envoy's decision to scrap Shan visit
AFP - Cambodia opposition calls for
ASEAN postponement, police reshuffle
AFP - French group TotalFinaElf
perpetuates forced labour in Myanmar: ICFTU
AFP - Denmark warns of
terror threat in southeast Asia
The Nation - Naga's mission of
peace
Asian Tribune - HIV/AIDS
epidemic in Burma is serious and should be contained
urgently.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday October 20, 10:47 PM
Dhaka denies report al Qaeda group has fled to Bangladesh DHAKA (Reuters) - Al Qaeda militants fled to Bangladesh from Afghanistan late last year, U.S. magazine Time reported on the weekend, drawing strong denials from officials in Dhaka. A ship had carried 150 Taliban and al Queda fighters and a huge supply of arms and ammunition from Afghanistan on December 21, 2001, to Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong port, Time reported. Later some of the militants had been transported to Kashmir, territory disputed by India and Pakistan, it said. "The arrival of a large al Qaeda group...raises pressing concerns that Bangladesh may have become a dangerous new front in America's war on terror," the magazine said. "Indeed, one Bangladeshi newspaper last month even quoted an unnamed foreign embassy in Dhaka as saying Osama bin Laden's number two, Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri, had been hiding out in the country for months after arriving in Chittagong." Bangladesh's government and the country's biggest Islamic group both said the report, in the Time issue dated October 21, was baseless, fabricated and part of an attempt to portray Bangladesh as a fundamentalist country. Time quoted an unnamed Bangladesh military intelligence agency official as saying "al-Zawahiri is believed to have left Bangladesh in summer, crossing over the eastern border into Burma with Rohingya (Myanmar Muslim) rebels." U.S. intelligence, however, had no evidence that that report was true, it said. The foreign office in Dhaka dismissed the Time report, saying that predominantly Muslim Bangladesh was not a conduit or sanctuary for Islamic militants and that the country opposed all acts of terrorism. Bangladesh's biggest Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, said it was a "pack of lies" aimed at damaging the country's image as a peace-loving Muslim state. U.S. Amabassaor to Bangladesh Mary Ann Peters said there was no evidence to support Time's statement that Bangladesh is "a haven for hundreds of jihadia (militants)...." "Nor is the embassy aware of any basis for the story that a ship called the M.V. Mecca dropped off a large al Qaeda group in Chittagong last year," she told Bangladesh's state news agency BSS on Sunday. "Bangladesh is certainly not a hotbed of radical Islam." Since the October 2001 election that swept Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia to power, two Islamic parties, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote, have joined the government, prompting a section of Western media to brand the Dhaka administration as fundamentalist. The Far Eastern Economic Review reported in April that Bangladesh could serve as a new base for Islamic extremists as the world's attention focused on Afghanistan and Pakistan following the September 11 attacks in the United States. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday October 21, 8:57 PM
Thai Airways Inks Code Deal With Local Carrier Phuket Air BANGKOK (Dow Jones)--Thai Airways International PCL (H.TAI) said Monday it has signed a code sharing agreement with small local carrier Phuket Airlines on four routes, including flights to neighboring Myanmar. Thai Airways President Kanok Abhiradee told a press briefing the "agreement aims to further promote a closer cooperation among Thai domestic carriers." The agreement, which will take effect Oct. 27, will initially apply to a total of 24 flights per week on the domestic routes Bangkok-Ranong and Ranong-Phuket, and on those linking Thailand's Bangkok and Chiang Mai to Myanmar's Mandalay and Bagan, respectively, currently served by Phuket Airlines. The two airlines will cooperate in areas including sales, ground service and the marketing of holiday packages. The deal, which is part of a progressive liberalization policy, follows another similar code sharing deal signed in June between Thai Airways and two other small private local carriers, PB Air and Air Andaman, operating on domestic routes. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday October 21, 9:28 PM
Thai PM Says US Casino Operator Interested In Thai Market BANGKOK (AP)--The major U.S. casino group MGM Mirage (MGG) is interested in investing in Thailand, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Monday after meeting with the group's chairman. Thaksin quoted MGM Mirage Chairman J. Terrence Lanni as saying in their 30-minute talk that that he was interested in doing business in Thailand because it is a major international tourist destination. "He said his company has all services including restaurants, hotels and casinos to entertain tourists," Thaksin was quoted saying in a statement issued by his office. "Thailand has a high potential and he'd like to look into the possibility of doing business with Thai businessmen." Gambling is illegal in Thailand, although it abounds and underground casinos are common. Neighboring Malaysia has long had a handful of legal casinos, and in recent years other neighboring countries - Myanmar and Cambodia - have also opened casinos, some just across the border from Thailand. Recently, a long-standing debate in Thailand has been reopened by proponents of legalized gambling, who claim it will keep foreign exchange from flowing out of the country. Opponents claim it is morally wrong and can easily bankrupt the families of people who cannot resist the gambling urge. MGM Mirage is a hotel and gaming company headquartered in Las Vegas, which owns and/or operates through subsidiaries 19 casino properties on three continents. More than 11 million tourists visit Thailand annually, and tourism is one of the country's major foreign exchange earners. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Hoover's
Online
Democratic Voice of Burma views gasoline, diesel shortage, price rises October 20, 2002 6:39am 10/20/2002 We understand that gasoline and diesel oil prices have been rising exorbitantly in Myanmar [Burma] in recent days. The price of diesel oil per gallon was over 70,000 kyat last week [as heard] and it has risen to over 80,000 kyat this week. The price rises came despite the introduction of non-driving days every other Sunday for military vehicles and daily calls by SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] newspapers to save fuel oil. DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] called Yangon [Rangoon] and contacted a person in the trucking business to ask him why fuel oil prices were rising uncontrollably and what were the difficulties caused by the price rises. Here is that interview. [DVB] We have heard about the rapidly rising gasoline and diesel oil prices. [Unidentified person] Yes. Yes, that is true. [DVB] How much have they risen? [Unidentified person] I think diesel oil is over 80,000 kyat. [DVB] I see. How much was it before? Say, a week or two ago? [Unidentified person] About a week or two ago, it was about 70,000 kyat. [DVB] You mean the price rose by about 10,000 kyat in just a week or two. [[Unidentified person] Yes, that is true. [DVB] Why do you think it rose so fast in just about a week? [Unidentified person] I don't really know, only the traders will have that answer. I am just a person in the truck business, and I just buy oil at the price they quote. [DVB] If that is the case, we understand that Nilar Yoma gasoline and diesel stations were closed down all over the country recently... [ellipsis as received] [Unidentified person] Yes, that is true. Well, those Nilar Yoma stations did help us a little. [DVB] Have you ever bought gasoline from those Nilar Yoma stations? [Unidentified person] They only sell diesel oil. [DVB] Have you used their service before? [Unidentified person] Yes, but I was told they do not sell fuel oil anymore, and we are still enquiring. [DVB] Are they still closed? What have you learned about them? [Unidentified person] They are open but I am told diesel will be sold to people with [quota] books. They said we must register for the books. But the books... [ellipsis as received] [DVB] Does that mean you have to buy with books at Nilar Yoma stations? [Unidentified person] Yes, that is true. [DVB] Are you not certain that they are officially opened? [Unidentified person] I don't know if they are officially opened. But I think they will sell at around 650 to 700 kyat. [DVB] Do you mean per gallon? [Unidentified person] Yes, per gallon. [DVB] On the basis of that price, how much would a drum cost? [Unidentified person] Each drum holds 50 gallons, and if each gallon is sold at 650 kyat, then the price would be around 32,500 kyat. [DVB] So, if Nilar Yoma stations reopen, the price would be half of what the cost is now? [Unidentified person] Well, I don't think they can sell at all because there isn't any oil left. [DVB] Is it easy to buy at government-regulated price? [Unidentified person] Government-regulated price is only for government departmental cars. [DVB] Isn't it possible for non-government car owners to buy it? [Unidentified person] No. [DVB] Since gasoline and diesel oil prices are rising, haven't the prices of commodities gone up as well? How about the freight charges? Are they more than before? How about passenger buses, are they charging more? [Unidentified person] Of course, how could they not rise? We still travel the same journey. For instance, we received 8,000 kyat for (words indistinct), but we told them that we can only carry their load if they pay us about 11,000 kyat, and we carried the goods and came here at the new rate. [DVB] Is it because of the fuel oil price rise? [Unidentified person] Yes, of course. [DVB] Only recently, we heard that 14 containers belonging to son of General Khin Nyunt, Ye Naing Win, and "Yuzana" U Htay Myint [owner of Yuzana group of companies] were seized at Sule Wharf. Have you heard about that case? [Unidentified person] We are just people in the truck business and we are on the move, so we have not heard about that news. [DVB] Newspapers have been calling for frugality in using gasoline and diesel oil every day. In addition, they are keeping all military-owned vehicles off the road every other Sunday. With regard to these actions, what do you people feel about it? [Unidentified person] We don't know much about it because it concerns government departments. [DVB] As an owner of a vehicle, what do you think should be done to bring down prices of gasoline and diesel oils in Myanmar? [Unidentified person] Prices will go down if a lot more fuel oil is sold. If no arrests are made and if oil is sold abundantly, prices will go down. Previously, we usually buy oil for our trucks in Hlegu, but they raided those shops and made some arrests. It is not easy for people like us in the business. Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 17 Oct 02 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Indianexpress
Osama?s right hand in Burma,
says Time
Dhaka, October 20:Reuters - Al Qaeda militants fled to Bangladesh from Afghanistan late last year, US magazine Time reported on the weekend, drawing strong denials from officials in Dhaka. A ship carried 150 Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters and a huge supply of arms and ammunition from Afghanistan on December 21, 2001, to Bangladesh?s southeastern Chittagong Port, Time reported. Later some of the militants had been transported to Kashmir, it said. ??Indeed, one Bangladeshi newspaper last month even quoted an unnamed foreign embassy in Dhaka as saying Osama bin Laden?s number two, Egyptian Ayman Al-Zawahiri, had been hiding out in the country for months after arriving in Chittagong.?? Time quoted an unnamed Bangladesh military intelligence agency official as saying ??Al-Zawahiri is believed to have left Bangladesh in summer, crossing over the eastern border into Burma with Rohingya rebels.?? Bangladesh?s government and the country?s biggest Islamic group both said the report, in the Time issue dated October 21, was baseless and fabricated. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Time says Qaeda in Bangladesh;
untrue, says Dhaka
DHAKA, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda militants fled to Bangladesh from Afghanistan late last year, U.S. magazine Time reported on the weekend, drawing strong denials from officials in Dhaka. A ship had carried 150 Taliban and al Queda fighters and a huge supply of arms and ammunition from Afghanistan on December 21, 2001, to Bangladesh's southeastern Chittagong port, Time reported. Later some of the militants had been transported to Kashmir, territory disputed by India and Pakistan, it said. ``The arrival of a large al Qaeda group...raises pressing concerns that Bangladesh may have become a dangerous new front in America's war on terror,'' the magazine said. ``Indeed, one Bangladeshi newspaper last month even quoted an unnamed foreign embassy in Dhaka as saying Osama bin Laden's number two, Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri, had been hiding out in the country for months after arriving in Chittagong.'' Bangladesh's government and the country's biggest Islamic group both said the report, in the Time issue dated October 21, was baseless, fabricated and part of an attempt to portray Bangladesh as a fundamentalist country. Time quoted an unnamed Bangladesh military intelligence agency official as saying ``al-Zawahiri is believed to have left Bangladesh in summer, crossing over the eastern border into Burma with Rohingya (Myanmar Muslim) rebels.'' U.S. intelligence, however, had no evidence that that report was true, it said. The foreign office in Dhaka dismissed the Time report, saying that predominantly Muslim Bangladesh was not a conduit or sanctuary for Islamic militants and that the country opposed all acts of terrorism. Bangladesh's biggest Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, said it was a ``pack of lies'' aimed at damaging the country's image as a peace-loving Muslim state. U.S. Amabassaor to Bangladesh Mary Ann Peters said there was no evidence to support Time's statement that Bangladesh is ``a haven for hundreds of jihadia (militants)....'' ``Nor is the embassy aware of any basis for the story that a ship called the M.V. Mecca dropped off a large al Qaeda group in Chittagong last year,'' she told Bangladesh's state news agency BSS on Sunday. ``Bangladesh is certainly not a hotbed of radical Islam.'' Since the October 2001 election that swept Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia to power, two Islamic parties, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote, have joined the government, prompting a section of Western media to brand the Dhaka administration as fundamentalist. The Far Eastern Economic Review reported in April that Bangladesh could serve as a new base for Islamic extremists as the world's attention focused on Afghanistan and Pakistan following the September 11 attacks in the United States. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar activists welcome UN
envoy's decision to scrap Shan visit
BANGKOK, Oct 21 (AFP) - Myanmar activists on Monday welcomed UN human rights envoy Paulo Sergio Pinheiro's decision to scrap a visit to the country's Shan state, where he was to investigate allegations of systematic rape by the military. The claims that rape was being used as a weapon of war, detailed in a July report released by two Thai-based organisations representing the Shan ethnic minority, has drawn angry denials from the Myanmar junta. Pinheiro had been scheduled to visit Shan state from Tuesday to Thursday at the invitation of the regime as part of an 11-day mission to Myanmar, but over the weekend he said he would forego the trip. The Thai-based Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN), one of the groups which compiled the rape report, commended Pinheiro's decision to instead investigate the claims from across the border in Thailand. "I think he did not trust the arrangements made by the military regime," said SWAN spokeswoman Hseng Noung. "We do not believe that he could have had the chance to see the right people." SWAN has said that according to its sources in Shan state, Myanmar authorities have already taken steps to cover up the truth in many areas where major human rights and sexual abuses were taking place. Forced relocations of villagers in affected regions had taken place and residents were forced to sign documents saying that people in the area had experienced no problems with local authorities or soldiers, it said. Aye Mar from Social Action for Women, a leading Myanmar women's rights group, said Pinheiro's trip would have been a "mission impossible" that could never have properly examined the report which documented the rape of 625 women and girls in Shan State. Debbie Stothard, coordinator of activist umbrella group Altsean-Burma, said that Pinheiro was "preserving the integrity of his position" by refusing to go along with a stage-managed trip designed only to clear the junta of blame. "Professor Pinheiro is finally wising up to the tactics of the military regime," she told AFP. "If he had gone there and didn't find evidence of rape, which would probably have been the case, he would have been used by the military regime to justify their claims of innocence." However leading dissident Aung Zaw, editor of the Thailand-based magazine Irrawaddy, said Pinheiro should have pushed for a proper investigation instead of just cancelling his trip. "The UN should find a new person to replace Pinheiro. He has been too soft," he said. "He should insist he wants to conduct an in-depth monitoring in Shan state. It's his job to insist, to challenge, to demand that his trips be transparent and accountable." Pinheiro's trip which began last Thursday comes amid rising criticism of the ruling junta and accusations of gross human rights violations. He is due to see pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi before his October 28 departure, but no date has been set for the meeting. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Cambodia opposition calls for
ASEAN postponement, police reshuffle
PHNOM PENH, Oct 21 (AFP) - Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Monday called for a postponement of the ASEAN summit next month, saying the money used to stage the top-level regional forum would be better spent feeding the million people who face food shortages in the country. His call came as the government announced a reshuffle of senior police amid close scrutiny of Cambodia's security situation. Western embassies closed on the September 11 anniversary and a heightened state of alert has existed on the diplomatic circuit since the October 12 Bali bomb blasts that left nearly 200 people dead. Phnom Penh police chief Suon Chheangly said most of the changes were made within the capital's ranks. "These officials have not made any mistakes," he said "But we consider the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit as a very important and historical event for Cambodia. We want more capable people to manage this effectively." The most significant change was replacing Phnom Penh's deputy police chief for public order, Colonel Kong Saran, with Colonel Van Nary from the interior ministry, he said. The interior ministry is responsible for Cambodia's internal security. Other changes covered traffic and minor crime. The 10-nation ASEAN summit promises to be Cambodia's biggest political extravaganza, marking another turning point in returning this country to international normality after nearly three decades of war, which ended in 1998. But the country is also facing massive food shortages after a period of record drought, prompting Rainsy to call for a postponement of the summit on November 4 and 5. He said one million people were facing food shortages and hosting the ASEAN summit should not be Cambodia's priority as it would cost "millions of dollars" which would be better spent elsewhere. "We should use this millions of dollars from the nation's budget to buy thousands of tons of rice in order to help people," he said. "Millions of Cambodian people are facing food shortages due to the unusual drought." The summit will bring together leaders from Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, plus their Cambodian counterparts. Heads of state or high-ranking officials are also expected from China, Japan, South Korea, India and South Africa. -------------------------------------------------------------------- French group TotalFinaElf
perpetuates forced labour in Myanmar: ICFTU
GENEVA, Oct 21 (AFP) - Forced labour under Myanmar's military junta is increasing, encouraged by investments from multinational corporations, an international union said Monday, revealing new allegations concerning French oil group TotalFinaElf. A report submitted by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) to the International Labour Organisation here cites new testimony on the use of forced labour, continuing into this year, to build roads and other infrastructure projects linked with the Yadana gas pipeline project. Its publication Monday coincides with the opening of a two-day European Union Council of Ministers meeting in Luxembourg, where the situation in Myanmar is on the agenda. The ICFTU is seeking a ban on all European investment in Myanmar. TotalFinaElf and the US group Unocal were major partners in a consortium that constructed the gas pipeline between 1994 and 1998. Last Thursday a French state prosecutor opened an investigation into allegations by two Myanmar citizens that TotalFinaElf used forced labour on the project. It was the first time that TotalFinaElf, the world's fourth-largest oil company, has faced a formal complaint on the Myanmar allegations in its home country. The company has been criticized for years about its role in human rights abuses in Myanmar. A complaint alleging crimes against humanity during the Yadana project was filed in Belgium against the group. TotalFinaElf has consistently denied claims it used forced labour in the impoverished Asia country, formerly known as Burma. The company said Monday it did not immediately have a response to the latest ICFTU publication. In the 350-page ICFTU report published Monday, witnesses testified that the Myanmar military increasingly forced civilians to work during the period from October 2001 through last month. According to the Union Federation of Burma, quoted in the report, civilians from at least 16 villages were forced this year to participate in building a road. Beginning in April, families frequently were forced to work at least 20 days per month, but were told by authorities that it was not forced labour and they would be paid, the report said. But in May, after learning that TotalFinaElf had paid the government, workers asked for their wages and were told their request would be transferred to "higher authorities". Months later, they are still waiting to be paid, the ICFTU said. "Multinationals such as TotalFinaElf have long maintained that there is no link between their investments in Burma and the growing use of forced labour," ICFTU Myanmar expert Janek Kuczkiewicz was quoted as saying. "This new evidence poses real questions about the connections between multinational enterprises, the Burmese military and the use of forced labour. The EU must act now," he said. The ICFTU said it would shortly release new evidence of multinational investment in Burma, "as union researchers uncover new examples of corporations profiting from one of the world's most oppressive regimes." Forced labour is on the rise, notably including forced army conscription and work in the opium poppy fields, as are violent attacks against union groups. Kuzkiewicz, in a searing interview published Monday in the French newspaper Liberation, accused TotalFinaElf of turning a blind eye to human rights abuses in Myanmar in pursuit of profit. The French oil group "agrees to sub-contract labour and hides behind a contract signed with the army to assure the security of a gas pipeline without trying to see the abuses of human rights," he said. "Numerous companies have left Myanmar or are on the verge of pulling out, drawing lessons from their direct or indirect implication in human rights violations. Not TotalFinaElf," he said, which "shuts its eyes" to abuses by the junta. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Denmark warns of terror threat
in southeast Asia
COPENHAGEN, Oct 21 (AFP) - Denmark warned its citizens Monday to take extreme care in southeast Asia, which it considers to be at risk of extremist attacks, a week after a bomb in Bali killed more than 180 people. "Danish citizens must exercise the greatest vigilance and show prudence when in public places, near religious sites, restaurants and other entertainment venues frequented by large numbers of foreigners" the foreign ministry said in a statement. The warning also advises Danish companies operating in Southeast Asia to work with local authorities to review their security arrangements and warns people to take "particular care around British and international schools." The statement names Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand as being places of heightened risk. The ministry has already advised Danish citizens to leave Indonesia where it considers there to be "a high level threat against Western targets." The warning follows an attack in Bali on October 12, in which more than 180 people, mostly Westerners were killed when a car bomb exploded outside a nightclub. Three Danes are among those still listed as missing in the explosion. -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Nation
Naga's mission of peace Subhatra Bhumiprabhas Published on Oct 21, 2002 Instead of weapons, a group of young Naga people are using musical instruments to help their struggle for freedom. Tomorrow they will share the power of their fighting spirit through a series of performances in Bangkok. Students from Nagaland will arrive in Bangkok tomorrow on the first leg of their journey for peace, understanding and human rights. The 34 youngsters from this mountainous region, - sandwiched between China, India and Burma - will bring with them the story of Nagaland and its people's way of life and their struggle for freedom. Through music and cultural performances, the young Nagas, led by the Naga Students' Federation (NSF), will recall the legend of Nagaland's head-hunter warriors. Why did their ancestors take heads? Are they still head-hunting now? As legend goes, Naga warriors often took the heads of their adversaries for the sake of fame. Such local heroes were given the right to adorn themselves with ornaments and decorations on their bodies. Success in headhunting is also believed by the Nagas to bestow on the villagers the ability to produce many children and success in hunting. "Like other indigenous peoples of the world, we practised headhunting. But with the change of time, we have given up," said Achumbemo Kikon, speaker of the NSF. Kikon, however, has more stories from his isolated homeland to tell the world. "We don't have a written history. The Naga people pass on their history by word of mouth," he said. Pride shone in his eyes as he told of his ancestors' resistance to outside forces since the British invasion in 1832. The story has been passed on verbally from generation to generation. The Naga people belong to the Mongol race. However, the name "Naga" is derived from the Burmese word "Naka" meaning "people with perforated ears". The Nagas, who pierced their ears to accommodate big wooden plugs and other ornaments, were given this name while they were passing through Burmese territory during their migratory stage. As Kikon was told by the older generation, Nagas were independent and free people at the beginning of their history and for many years afterwards. "At the core of our history is 1832, when the British came and tried to occupy our land. However, with the resistance of the Naga people, they couldn't dominate and they couldn't rule over the Naga area," he said proudly. Unfortunately, Kikon, now 27, and his peers have never enjoyed freedom in their homeland. These young people were born and live amidst the ongoing war between the Nagas and the governments of India and Burma. Fighting began on a large scale in 1955, and the war has claimed an estimated 200,000 lives, according to the Naga People's Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR). "Naga youth have become victims of a political conflict over our land. The younger generation, especially the student community, are at the mercy of the Indian Army," said Kikon. Realising that continuing an armed struggle would bring nothing but the taking of more innocent lives, Kikon and members of the NSF turned their backs on all kinds of weapons. "We don't encourage violence. We don't believe in using violence," he said. Though a cease-fire agreement was signed in 1997, the Naga youngsters still see violence against their way of life. "We don't have peace of mind because we can't move freely. When you don't have peace of mind, it doesn't matter how much you eat. We are fighting for our future," said Kikon. Kikon and his friends from the Paikai Christian College in Dimapur, Nagaland, have decided to make their journey to call for peace through their traditional music and dance that reflects the Naga people's aspirations. Oral traditions too are kept alive from one generation to the next, through the teaching of songs, dances and folk tales. For the Naga people, music is an _expression_ of dreams, visions, struggle, experience, pain and suffering. Through their traditional music, the young Nagas hope others will learn about the lives of those who have been suffering in silence in their homeland for over five decades. "Most of us here were born and have lived amidst a war. We don't know any other life than oppression. And there's a lot of psychological fear," said Akum Longchari, of the NPMHR. Like Kikon, Longchari, also 27, has been using peaceful means to highlight the plight of the Naga people. As music is such an integral part of Naga culture, the young human-rights activist believes that music can effectively convey the laughter and tears of the Naga people to the international community. "As indigenous people, music is a way of life for the Naga, as it is for other struggling people around the world. Even though we are the oppressed, we have to have the courage to take the first step. Through music, we talk about peace and we are able to tell the oppressor that we are human like they are," he said. To young Nagas Longchari says they shouldn't let the suffering past of their ancestors become their future. "Our struggle for self-determination is to reclaim humanity. First and foremost we want peace." Interestingly, Thailand was chosen as the first place for the Naga people to make their voice heard. "We feel that this is a place where we can tell the world that we are a peace-loving people," said Kikon, adding that in the eyes of the Naga people, Thailand is a place where international conflicts have been settled successfully. "A recent example is East Timor, where Thai people facilitated the resolving of the conflict. Another case is the Sri Lanka initiative. We are also hopeful that the ongoing Naga peace process and political dialogue with the Indian government - many meetings for which have been held in Bangkok - will put an end to all the human suffering that has occurred as a result of over half a century of conflict in Nagaland," said Kikon. The Naga "call for peace" initiative by the young people of Nagaland aims to share a vision of hope for their mountainous homeland. "We dream that one day we will be free. We will be able to look back at our history . . . of where we have lived peacefully, where we exist without any domination from others," said Kikon. His ultimate dream is to see the younger generation of Nagas contribute not only to the Naga people but to any community in other parts of the world that is suffering. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Asian Tribune
Date : 2002-10-21 HIV/AIDS epidemic in Burma is serious and should be contained urgently. In a press statement, the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma ? the Government in exile states, ?Humanitarian assistance from the international community (including HIV/AIDS programs) should be designed to contribute to positive democratic changes in Burma. International assistance that does not take into account the political situation in Burma will not only is ineffective, but it will aggravate the humanitarian crisis by prolonging military rule in Burma. The assistance provided must not support the military regime.? The full text of the statement is as follows: The root cause of the humanitarian crisis in Burma including the HIV/AIDS crisis is ? a) The lack of a democratic government accountable to the people, and b) The military?s focus on power instead of promoting the interest of the people. Humanitarian assistance from the international community (including HIV/AIDS programs) should be designed to contribute to positive democratic changes in Burma. International assistance that does not take into account the political situation in Burma will not only is ineffective, but it will aggravate the humanitarian crisis by prolonging military rule in Burma. The assistance provided must not support the military regime. Existing national and UN data indicate that the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Burma is very serious and needs to be addressed urgently if it is to be contained. A 2001 European Union HIV/AIDS Situation Assessment indicates that the HIV epidemic in Burma has ?bridged? from populations of high-risk behaviors to the general population. This could endanger the future of the people and the Burmese nation. Conditions in Burma are also undermining efforts to contain the disease in the region. The existing public health system in Burma and the centralized military command structure are grossly inadequate and incapable of implementing a national HIV/AIDS program, especially since the populace is alienated from and distrustful of the military and its administrative infrastructure. UN agencies and international NGOs working through existing Ministry of Health structures have also been hampered in their work by security and politically related restrictions and the lack of a comprehensive national program. In contrast, border-based HIV/AIDS related public health programs have built trust, expertise and capacity to operate in remote and war-torn regions of the country. The election winning National League for Democracy led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other ethnic nationality parties and leaders also have the confidence and trust of the population in general. An effective national HIV/AIDS program must, therefore, be designed to include the full participation of all sectors of Burmese society including the NLD and the ethnic nationalities against which the military is currently engaged in armed hostilities. If humanitarian assistance is to be delivered to the people of Burma, the following criteria must be met. The NCGUB defines humanitarian assistance as food, clothing, shelter and health care (including HIV/AIDS), which are the basic necessities of the people. The assistance must - 1. Be delivered only after prior consultation with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD. 2. Be delivered only after prior consultation with independent local (ethnic nationality) leaders and community organizations. 3. Be delivered directly to people. 4. Be delivered through credible international NGOs. 5. Be delivered by NGOs that abide by an international Code of Conduct. 6. Not be delivered through the military or organizations directly or indirectly under its control. This includes the GONGOs such as the Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association, the Myanmar Medical Association, the Myanmar Red Cross Society, and the Union Solidarity Development Association. 7. Be delivered to the most needy areas including ?Black? and ?Grey? security areas in ethnic nationality states, which are off-limit to foreigners and international aid agencies including UN agencies. 8. Be delivered to border areas ? ethnic nationality states - which are generally designated ?Black? and ?Grey? areas where the need is greatest (In order to do this, a nation-wide cease-fire is needed. Current cease-fires with several ethnic armies are a patch work and inadequate for implementing a national HIV/AIDS program). 9. Be delivered across national borders if it is not possible to reach the most needy areas because of obstruction by the SPDC and its military. 10. Be monitored by an (international) independent impartial body. The acceptance of the need for such a body by all parties especially the military and the establishment of a well-designed monitoring system are crucial for the successful implementation of a large-scale national HIV/AIDS program. -------------------------------------------------------------------- |