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BURMA RELATED NEWS
- November 09, 2002.
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HEADLINES
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Reuters - U.S. Calls for Substantive
Dialogue in Myanmar
AFP - US rebukes Myanmar over
democracy
AFP - UN envoy to visit Myanmar next
week
ABC Online - UN to send envoy back to
Burma
VOA - Asia Pacific US Disappointed
with Lack of Progress in Burma
Bkk Post - Anti-drug ops `may
threaten normal links'
Bkk Post - More Chiang Mai-Delhi
flights to boost economies
The Nation - Three held for drugs
Asia Tribune - Opponents of the
regime in Burma held for possession of banned newspapers
Asia Tribune - Paulo Sergio Pinheiro
insists on five democratic conditions for transition in Burma
UN Wire - Study Shows 72
Warring Parties Use Child Soldiers
------------------------------------------------------------------------ U.S. Calls for Substantive
Dialogue in Myanmar
Fri Nov 8, 3:32 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States called for "substantive dialogue" between the government and opposition in Myanmar on Friday and said it strongly supported a visit next week by U.N. special envoy Razali Ismail. Ismail, on a visit between Nov. 12 and 16, expects to meet pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and several members of the ruling military junta. He will try to accelerate dialogue between the two sides. The military rulers released Suu Kyi from house arrest earlier this year but the dialogue has made little progress. State Department Richard Boucher said in a written statement: "We expected that dialogue between the regime in Burma (the old name for Myanmar) and Aung San Suu Kyi would be well under way by now. Instead, we have seen no signs of the discussions critical to the future of Burma. He said the United States strongly supported Ismail's mission. "We reiterate our call for a substantive dialogue with the democratic opposition and the immediate and unconditional release of all of the many remaining political prisoners," Boucher said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ US rebukes Myanmar over
democracy
WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (AFP) - The United States hit out at Myanmar's military rulers on Friday, accusing them of making no progress on a promised democracy dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In a statement issued ahead of UN envoy Razali Ismail's ninth visit to Yangon next week, the State Department called for a speeding up of junta-opposition contacts, noting that six months had passed since Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from house arrest. "Given such a positive step earlier this year, we expected that dialogue between the regime in Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi would be well under way by now," said spokesman Richard Boucher in a statement. "We have seen no signs of the discussions critical to the future of Burma," said Boucher, using the country's former name outlawed by the junta. "We note that many political prisoners remain in detention and Burmese citizens have recently been arrested and sentenced to long prison terms for peacefully expressing their political views." Despite the savage criticism, Boucher reiterated strong US support for Razali's initiative to promote political reform, which is now two years old. "His facilitation of talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese regime are key to a better future for the Burmese people," said Boucher. "We look forward to the results of meetings between Senior General Than Shwe and Ambassador Razali in particular. "We believe that discussions at this level are essential to moving forward and maintaining international confidence in the reconciliation process." The United States is a fierce critic of Myanmar's military regime, and its treatment of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), which won an overwhelming 1990 election victory that was never recognized by the junta. Razali will visit Myanmar from November 12 to 16, said Fred Eckhard, spokesman for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Friday. Annan was "concerned that the positive momentum generated for the on-going national reconciliation process in Myanmar since the restoration of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom of movement on May 6 could dissipate unless some tangible progress is made in the near future," he said. As well as Than Shwe, Razali had also asked to see other top general Maung Aye and Khin Nyunt and will also meet Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior members of the NLD, he said. The United States last sharply criticised Myanmar on October 3, when it condemned the arrests of 30 opposition activists. Myanmar, treated as a pariah state by Washington and some of its Western allies, has recently made attempts to improve its standing in the US capital, hiring a lobbying firm and making major policy announcements to the media here, before releasing information in Bangkok or Yangon. When Aung San Suu Kyi was freed in May, the ruling generals promised people would be allowed to go about their political business unfettered by authorities. Later, in a statement issued here in July, the junta claimed it was victim of a vicious "smear" campaign designed to frustrate its goal of improving poisoned relations with the United States. The tirade followed allegations that Myanmar troops had systematically raped women and girls in Shan state. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ UN envoy to visit Myanmar next
week
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 8 (AFP) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will send his special envoy, Razali Ismail, to Myanmar next week to inject new life into the dialogue between the military junta and the opposition, Annan's spokesman said Friday. The visit, Razali's ninth since he was appointed in April 2000, will run from November 12 to 16, spokesman Fred Eckhard said in a statement. Annan was "concerned that the positive momentum generated for the on-going national reconciliation process in Myanmar since the restoration of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom of movement on May 6 could dissipate unless some tangible progress is made in the near future," he said. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), spent 19 months under house arrest before her release. Annan attached particular importance to discussions Razali hoped to have with Senior General Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Eckhard said. Razali had also asked to see generals Maung Aye and Khin Nyunt, respectively the vice-chairman and Secretary-1 of the SPDC, and other government leaders, Eckhard said. "He will also meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior members of the NLD, as well as representatives of ethnic nationality groups," the statement said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ UN to send envoy back to Burma
09/11/2002 13:22:23 | ABC Radio Australia News UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says he will send his special envoy, Razali Ismail, to Burma next week to inject new life into the dialogue between the military junta and the opposition. Mr Annan says the visit, Mr Razali's ninth since he was appointed in April 2000, will run from November 12th to 16th. Mr Annan says he is "concerned" that the positive momentum generated since the restoration of Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom of movement could dissipate unless some tangible progress is made in the near future. Ms Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy, spent 19 months under house arrest before her release. Mr Annan attached particular importance to discussions Mr Razali hoped to have with Senior General Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ VOA News
Asia Pacific US Disappointed
with Lack of Progress in Burma
David Gollust- State Department 09 Nov 2002, 01:07 UTC The United States is expressing disappointment over the lack of progress in the Burmese military government's promised democracy dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. U.N. Special Envoy for Burma Razali Ismail is to begin his ninth mission to the Southeast Asian country next week. A written statement issued here in advance of Ambassador Razali's mission makes clear U.S. impatience with the pace of political dialogue in Burma. Noting that six months have passed since the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States would have expected that dialogue between her and the military leadership would be "well under way by now." However, Mr. Boucher said there are as yet "no signs" of the talks he said are "critical to the future of Burma." He also said many political prisoners remain in detention, and that Burmese citizens have recently been arrested and given long prison terms for expressing their political views. Despite this, Mr. Boucher said the United States welcomes the U.N. envoy's return to Burma and looks forward in particular to his planned meetings with Burmese senior general Than Shwe. The spokesman said talks at this level are "essential" to moving forward and maintaining international confidence in the reconciliation process. He said the United States reiterates its call for "substantive dialogue" between the military regime and democratic opposition, and for the unconditional release of remaining political prisoners. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Laureate, was released last May after 12 years under varying degrees of house arrest. The United States has been a persistent critic of the Burmese military leadership and its treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi. Her opposition party, the National League for Democracy, won an overwhelming victory in 1990 parliamentary elections which was never recognized by the generals. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangkok Post -
Saturday 09 November
2002
Anti-drug ops `may threaten
normal links'
Rangoon angry over death of two villagers Wassana Nanuam The army chief fears that drug suppression operations on the border could undermine efforts to normalise relations with Burma. Gen Somdhat Attanant said Rangoon had complained after Thai soldiers shot dead two Burmese villagers they suspected of being drug traffickers. The Third Army said a border patrol unit had stopped three villagers near the border in Mae Chan district in Chiang Rai on Oct 26, having received a tip-off about a drug deal. When the villagers started shooting, the soldiers returned fire, killing one suspect on the Thai side of the border. The other two crossed back into Burma. The unit gave chase but ran into Burmese soldiers. One of the two villagers who fled to Burma died later. They were carrying some 10,000 speed pills. The incident threatened to start another row with Rangoon, which has demanded an explanation. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has asked Gen Somdhat to give a full account. Gen Somdhat said drug patrols should take care to avoid conflict, and soldiers should not hunt down suspects beyond the border. ``Our soldiers must give up the chase when they get to the border and let Burmese troops take over from there,'' he said. ``Since it's impossible to move our country geographically, we might as well make an effort to co-exist amicably with our neighbour,'' he said. Defence Minister Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayudhaya said Thai and Burmese drug patrols had to play by the rules. ``If one strays from the rule, we must smack him on the head and explain the reason for the smacking.'' Gen Thammarak said Thai soldiers were not siding with Burmese minority groups. Gen Somdhat is likely to join Gen Thammarak on an official visit to Burma. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangkok Post -
Saturday 09 November 2002
More Chiang Mai-Delhi flights to boost economies Bhanravee Tansubhapol Thailand and India will increase direct flights between Chiang Mai and New Delhi to boost trade and tourism. The agreement was reached during talks between Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his visiting Indian counterpart, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, yesterday. Mr Vajpayee stopped over in Bangkok on his way home from Phnom Penh where he attended a meeting with Asean leaders this week. Greater Mekong Sub-region leaders agreed in Phnom Penh to develop Chiang Mai as a GMS centre in its contact with India. The air route will link Chiang Mai, Kunming, Hanoi, Siem Reap, Rangoon and Chittagong. Mr Vajpayee has agreed in principle to Thailand's proposal to issue Asia bonds, after Japan and China supported them. Prime Minister Thaksin has also invited India's deputy prime minister and interior minister to Thailand to discuss an extradition treaty. Thailand is considering an Indian draft of the treaty and it is expected to sign the agreement soon. In another development, Thailand, Burma and India are expected to have talks about a road link this month in Rangoon. Thailand will consider giving Burma a soft loan for a road linking Mae Sot, Myawaddy, and Morley in India. The route would link the eastern seaboard via Kanchanaburi to deep seaports in Burma and India. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The
Nation
Three held for drugs PRIYAKORN BODHITHONG Published on Nov 9, 2002 Two Thai nationals and a Burmese Assumption University student were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking, police said yesterday. Second-year student Kiang Tashin and Thai national Opas Taen-in were nabbed on Thursday evening after receiving a box that allegedly contained money that was a payment for drugs bought from them by another suspect, Wan Sri-hanam. Police had arrested Wan earlier that day on Soi On Nut 36, Bangkok, for possession of 130,000 methamphetamine pills with intent to sell. Wan told police he had been buying the pills from Kiang for about six months, with each order worth Bt1-2 million. Police later found 150,000 more pills at Wan's house in Taling Chan district. While police were searching the house, Kiang called Wan with instructions to pay her in front of Assumption University. After Kiang and Opas received the box from Wan, police followed the pair to a house on Ramkhamhaeng Road, where they arrested them. Police Major Prasong Arnmanee said Kiang's mother, also Burmese, co-owned a logging company with Thai business partners, and the company's bank account had been found to contain Bt50 million, part of which police suspect may have been illegally obtained. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asian Tribiune
Date : 2002-11-09 Opponents of the regime in Burma held for possession of banned newspapers Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association have condemned the arrests of dozens of dissidents for their involvement in distributing newspapers that have been banned by the junta. Some of them have been held in undisclosed locations for more than ten days. "Although 18 political prisoners were released in September, this new crackdown is evidence of the military regime¹s hostility towards the pluralism of information. It is intolerable that dozens of Burmese people should be imprisoned simply for having read or distributed a newspaper," state Robert Ménard, Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders, and U Thaung, President of the Burma Media Association, in a joint letter addressed to Burma¹s Home Affairs Minister, Colonel Tin Hlaing. The two organizations call for the release of all those imprisoned for possession of opposition publications. "The ending of censorship and of restrictions on opposition publications would be an unprecedented gesture of openness in Burma," emphasize Ménard and U Thaung. Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association have also asked the Home Affairs Minister to do all he can to persuade the government to allow the National League for Democracy (NLD) to launch a newspaper. The military junta has never responded to the request made in May 2002 by Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the NLD, for a licence to publish. On 25 September 2002, about thirty activists, mostly former political prisoners, were arrested and interrogated by intelligence services for possessing opposition publications, notably the newspaper Khit Pyaing (New Era, published in Thailand). According to Irrawaddy magazine (based in Thailand) this is an intimidation strategy by the military intelligence service (MIS) aimed at preventing opponents from gaining access to banned publications. To date, more than a dozen people are still being held in undisclosed locations. According to Reporters Without Borders and the Burma Media Association, almost forty people have been arrested over the last two years for having distributed or read an opposition newspaper printed in Thailand. Some of them have been tortured or given heavy prison sentences for this offence alone. In July 2002, Aung Thein and Kyaw Naing Oo, two members of the youth section of the National League for Democracy (NLD), were arrested and sentenced to three years in prison for possessing copies of Khit Pyaing. They were apparently badly beaten up when they were arrested. On 12 February 2002, Ko Tin Saw, alias Tharkhan, was arrested at Bayintnaung market in Kawthaung (in the east of the country) on his way back from Ranong (Thailand). In possession of a mobile phone and the February issue of Khit Pyaing, he was accused of sending information to radio stations abroad. The same day, Ko Tin Saw was taken to the intelligence service¹s n°3 Base in Kawthaung, where he was tortured under interrogation. In 1999 and 2000, seven members of the underground network that distributed the banned journal Mojo, a publication linked to the NLD, were arrested. The seven are Mg Hla Soe, Ko Win Naing, Mg Kyaw Wae Soe, Joseph, Tint Wae, Ko Myo and Ma Htay Htay. Most of them have been sentenced to seven years in prison for distributing this monthly opposition publication, printed in Thailand, which has now ceased to appear. Three thousand copies used to be sent to Burma on a regular basis. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asia Tribune
Date : 2002-11-09 Paulo Sergio Pinheiro insists on five democratic conditions for transition in Burma There can be no credible democratic transition without five fundamental conditions. These are - the inclusion of all component of society in the political dialogue; immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners; the lifting the restrictions which continue to hamper the ability of political parties individual and groups; explicit discussion of political democratization that cannot take place without free elections and accountability through judicial mechanism of abuse committed by state agents. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation in Myanmar said this at an interview held with the Democratic Voice of Burma, a Radio station, located in Oslo, Norway, which promotes the activities of the democratic opposition groups of Burma. It was earlier reported that, the Special Rapporteur Professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro recently visited Burma. During the visit, which started on 17 October, the Special Rapporteur met in Rangoon with the Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC); the Foreign Minister and his Deputy; the Home Minister; the head of Department of the Office of the Military Intelligence; the Chief of the Bureau of Special Investigation; the Directors-General of the Prisons and the Police Departments; the Chiefs of the Special Branch and the Criminal Investigation Departments; and members of the governmental Human Rights Committee. The Democratic Voice of Burma held an exclusive interview with Professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, after his return from Burma. The full text of the interview is given below: Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) : The Financial Times newspaper on 31st Oct reported that you had asked the international community to increase humanitarian assistance. Can you comment on that? Prof. Pinheiro : I have read many stories during my stay in Burma that I had appealed for an increase of humanitarian aid to the country. It is not what I said. What I said is that I think that it is very important to consider the possibility of engaging with the society in the country. But I didn't ask for anything about the change of humanitarian aid to the country. DVB : When should international community increase aid to Burma, then? Prof. Pinheiro : Mr. Razali (UN Special envoy to Burma) and I propose several scenarios when this question can be organized. But for me, this is conditionally, I don't think the international aid and international investment to the country has to be changed before the condition of political participation of other forces in this endeavor. DVB : "Myanmar Times" - published in Rangoon on 28th October also reported that you had asked for increased cooperation with the military regime in Burma. How did this misunderstanding arise? Prof. Pinheiro :I think that there is a perhaps the selection of something that I have written or people have not read everything that I said. And as things are moving very slow, some people think that I am happy with this situation. Not at all! I will not continue with my mandate if things are not improved in the near future. I will not prepare to stay years and years with this pace. I will be two-years with my mandate and I don't want to continue with just waiting things to happen. I will say this tomorrow during my speech at UN General Assembly in New York. DVB : What are the main points in your speech tomorrow? Prof. Pinheiro : In my view, there can be no credible democratic transition without five fundamental conditions. These are inclusion of all component of society in the political dialogue, immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, the lifting the restrictions which continue to hamper the ability of political parties, individual and groups, explicit discussion of political democratization that cannot take place without free elections and accountability through judicial mechanism of abuse committed by state agents. DVB : After returning from Burma, did you get any impression of when the dialogue could start? Prof. Pinheiro : Let me put it this way. After the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, I was suspecting that the move forward will be not so slow but in fact it is very slow. At that time, I was suspecting something different. DVB : Has the dialogue stopped? Prof. Pinheiro : What I can say is that dialogue has not stopped. It is not correct to say that there is a stalemate. The contact continues and both sides - the SPDC and the NLD confirmed to me that the contacts have happened. Many contacts had happened in the past and continue to happen. But political negotiation has not started. That is what ambassador Razali and I would think that that is essential. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ UN Wire - Nov. 8,
2002
CHILD SOLDIERS: Study Shows 72 Warring Parties Use Child Soldiers Seventy-two warring parties in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe employ child soldiers, according to a new Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers study. The report is based on research covering more than 180 countries and territories during 1999 and September 2002. Its release comes two weeks before a Nov. 20 U.N. Security Council meeting where Secretary General Kofi Annan will deliver his own list of governments and nonstate armed groups using children in war. Myanmar, which has an estimated 70,000 child soldiers, is the world's largest single user of children in combat, according to the coalition, which includes Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Defense for Children International, the Quaker United Nations Office and the International Save the Children Alliance. "Children as young as 11 are forcibly recruited into Myanmar's national army," said Coalition Coordinator Casey Kelso. Colombia ranks behind Myanmar with an estimated 6,000 to 14,000 child soldiers as young as 8 years old. Other countries on the list include Sri Lanka, Russia, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Nepal, Sudan, Liberia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The coalition has urged the Security Council to make field visits to areas where international standards against using children in war are being flagrantly violated (Thalif Deen, Inter Press Service/TerraViva, Nov. 8). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |