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Dear Burma Related News
readers
I am away from my computer for a while and can't access to
internet for 5 days. I would like to apologize for your
inconvenience.
TIN KYI
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BURMA RELATED NEWS
- November 17 - 21, 2002.
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HEADLINES
------------------------------------------------------------------------ AFP - Myanmar junta begins mass
release of political prisoners
AFP - Dozens feared dead
as infighting hits Myanmar ethnic army
AFP - Myanmar troops
attack Shan rebels during Suu Kyi visit
Dow Jones - ONGC Eyeing Stakes In Pete Fields Abroad-Min AP - Environmentalists say making
Mekong navigable threatens fish
AP - Myanmar says progress achieved
in reconciliation process
AP - Myanmar minority rebels want
stop for foreign arms aid to government
AP - Southeast Asian countries
cooperate to thwart threat from new group
AP - Myanmar says progress achieved
in reconciliation process
ABC online - Dissidents released from
Burmese jails
FCO - MINISTER WELCOMES UN RESOLUTION
ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN BURMA
Xinhuanet - China, Myanmar sign
contract on building river-crossing bridge
The Daily Star - Morshed leaves for
Myanmar
Asia Tribune - Situation in
Bassein and Tharawaddy prisons in Burma
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thursday November 21, 4:53 PM
Myanmar junta begins mass release of political prisoners YANGON, Nov 21 (AFP)Myanmar's ruling junta said it had begun freeing a group of 115 political prisoners, the biggest single release since United Nations-brokered reconciliation talks began two years ago. "The release of the prisoners started to take place in various parts of the country since this morning," a government spokesman told AFP. The mass release came as pressure mounted on the government to advance a reconciliation process with the opposition led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, which UN envoy Razali Ismail kicked off in October 2000. Since then more than 400 dissidents have been freed from jail in small groups and Aung San Suu Kyi has been released from house arrest, but the junta has reneged on promises to begin political talks with the opposition. Razali visited Myanmar last week in another effort to kick-start the stalled process, but came away disappointed over the lack of progress and saying he had pushed the junta to release 200 more prisoners by the end of the year. Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), hailed the release of the prisoners who include an unknown number of members of the opposition party. "We welcome this release in triple digits and hope that more such releases will follow soon," said Ohn Myint of the NLD Welfare Support Committee. The junta's move came shortly after the United States complained that the UN-brokered dialogue between the two sides on Myanmar's political divide had produced little results. "It appears as though not a great deal of progress was made, I have to say," Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs James Kelly said Tuesday. "Hope had started to pick up with the progress of dialogue last summer and it doesn't seem to be getting very far. There are still an awful lot of political prisoners held and a lot of restrictions on freedom in Burma." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wednesday November 20, 03:31 PM
Dozens feared dead as
infighting hits Myanmar ethnic army
BANGKOK, Nov 20 (AFP) - Fighting between factions of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), an ethnic militia aligned with the Myanmar junta, is feared to have left dozens dead, Thai military sources said Wednesday. "There was internal fighting and a massacre in the DKBA, but we cannot confirm the number of casualties, we are checking," said Major Prayoon Phonok, commander of a civil affairs taskforce in the Myanmar border region. "Initially I heard some 50 DKBA militia were killed, but it is still unclear," he told AFP. The Karen National Union (KNU), a rival militia which is waging a decades-old guerrilla war against Myanmar's military government, said some two dozen DKBA members were killed in the gun fight on November 16. KNU secretary general Pado Mahn Sha said an armed group of 60 junior and low-ranking DKBA left their base inside Myanmar and took a position on a nearby hill to wage an all-day assault on their former headquarters. Myanmar government troops joined the battle to support the DKBA leaders at the headquarters in Myaing Gyi Ngu, he said. "The DKBA leaders have good contacts with Myanmar's military which are making them rich while low-ranking members are poor, with not even enough food," Pado Mahn Sha said. "I believe this is the result of a divide-and-rule policy over the DKBA by the Myanmar government and I feel sorry for the low-level DKBA members." Prayoon said the rebel faction's leader, Captain Pa Aee, went into negotiations with Myanmar soldiers but he was ambushed and committed suicide to avoid being held captive. The Thai officer also said he believed the conflict stemmed from a lack of funds in the DKBA, caused by a business conflict within the ethnic army. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sunday November 17, 07:39 PM
Myanmar troops attack Shan
rebels during Suu Kyi visit
CHIANG MAI, Thailand, Nov 17 (AFP) - Ethnic Shan rebels said Sunday that Myanmar government troops had attacked one of their positions near the Thai border during a visit to their home state by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The three-pronged attack took place shortly before midnight Saturday on a Shan State Army (SSA) frontline position near the top of Mai Yom Mein hill which lies opposite Thailand's Chiang Mai province, they said. A close-range gun battle raged for 30 minutes before the Myanmar troops withdrew, said Shan spokeswoman Nam Khur Hsen, adding that there were no reports of casualties. Khur Hsen accused the Myanmar troops of mounting the attack to disrupt Aung San Suu Kyi's visit, and to draw Thai border forces' attention to the battle zone and away from drugs shipments heading into Thailand. "The fighting that broke between government troops and the SSA looks like an excuse to stop Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to Shan State by showing the region is unsafe for her," she told AFP. National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in Shan State on a nine-day political tour. After being released from house arrest in May, she has been exercising her right to travel freely around the country by spending an extended period in the restive state, and opening several NLD party offices. Shan state, where ethnic unrest and tensions with government forces have simmered for decades, has been in the spotlight recently with the release of a report alleging systematic sexual abuse of ethnic minority women there. However, Aung San Suu Kyi is not expected to look into the rights abuse claims during her visit, which will focus on building up the NLD which has suffered in recent years due to government repression. Although the junta has not interfered in her recent trips around the country, it is informed of her movements in advance and dispatches a security detail for her "protection" wherever she goes. "Aung San Suu Kyi is not the enemy, she will never be harmed by SSA troops," the ethnic army said in a statement. The SSA is one of the few militias still fighting Yangon's rule. Dozens of other groups have signed ceasefire pacts with the military government in return for a degree of autonomy. Myanmar's junta and the SSA routinely trade allegations that each other is involved in the drugs trade which sees vast amounts of heroin and methamphetamines trafficked into Thailand. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thursday November 21, 11:45 AM
INDIA PRESS: ONGC Eyeing Stakes In Pete Fields Abroad-Min NEW DELHI (Dow Jones)--State-owned petroleum exploration firm Oil & Natural Gas Corp. (P.ONG) plans to buy stakes in petroleum fields in Myanmar, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan and the U.S. through its wholly owned overseas exploration arm ONGC Videsh Ltd., reports the Economic Times. "We are negotiating with oil exploring companies in those countries for acquiring oil stakes in them. The negotiations are in an advanced stage," the report quotes Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Ram Naik as saying. The objective is to ensure India's energy security, Naik says in the report. India imports around 70% of its crude requirements.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Environmentalists say making
Mekong navigable threatens fish
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ A Chinese-initiated project to blast rocks in the Mekong River to make way for larger shipping vessels will destroy the spawning and feeding grounds of several fish species, activists warned Thursday. The blasting of rapids, shoals and reefs started in March on the Mekong in three sites in Laos and Myanmar with the approval of their governments. Thirteen more sites are set to be blasted in the two countries as well as in Thailand and China. Work was halted because of the seasonal rains that have flooded the river but is set to continue Dec. 15 _ and critics are pushing to see that it doesn't. ``We need the government to halt the project and conduct a standard environmental impact assessment,'' Chainarong Sretthachau, director of the Thailand chapter of Southeast Asia Rivers Network, told a news conference. The World Wildlife Fund has joined the Southeast Asia Rivers Network in the campaign to halt the project until a more comprehensive study is carried out, said Robert Mather, Thailand's representative for WWF International. ``You're removing some of the very important features for the biology of all the aquatic species that live in the Mekong. That in turn has an effect on the local fishermen's livelihoods,'' Mather said. ``You are removing the one place where the fish can lay their eggs, you're removing the one place where a lot of the fish can feed. It is the most valuable part of the river for biology. The rest is just water flowing past,'' he said. Damaging fish stocks will affect millions of people who live along the banks of Mekong and depend on fishing for their livelihood. The activists have rejected an environmental impact assessment conducted by a group of experts from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, which took just six months to complete. An Australian university that independently evaluated the assessment called it speculative and ``fundamentally flawed.'' Chainarong said the environmental impact assessment didn't mention the ecosystem and claimed that the impact on the fish could be avoided. China plans to dam and blast the Mekong River to make way for hydropower dams, channelization for navigation and heavy commercial shipping. Chinese authorities argue the impact of reshaping the Mekong will be minimal and even beneficial. Dams, they say, will ease the annual cycles of flooding and water shortages in the Mekong Basin while deeper navigation channels are sure to foster regional trade and help alleviate poverty. The basin is home to more than 60 million people, mostly fishermen and farmers who depend on its rich sediment and abundant fish. After the Amazon, the Mekong is the world's most biodiverse inland waterway, with an estimated 1,245 species found in its waters. These provide some 80 percent of the protein intake of the basin's people. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Myanmar says progress achieved
in reconciliation process
Tue Nov 19, 8:36 PM ET YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar's military government says it has achieved much progress in a national reconciliation process to restore democracy, and urged the world to show patience and understanding in resolving the decades-old political deadlock. In a statement received Wednesday, the junta thanked the United Nations special envoy Razali Ismail for his efforts to push the reconciliation process, saying "we are encouraged" after his five-day visit last week. "We very much appreciate the hard work of (Razali) and hope that friends of Myanmar worldwide will support this process with patience and understanding of the complexity of the situation," government spokesman Hla Min said in the statement. He said Razali's talks last week with junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe and two deputies, Gen. Maung Aye and Gen. Khin Nyunt, "helped clarify issues and continued to expand confidence." However, Razali's visit ? his ninth to the country since being appointed the special envoy in April 2000 ? gave little indication that he had made progress in persuading the government to start talks with the opposition led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Razali initiated a dialogue between the junta and Suu Kyi in October 2000. But after initial confidence-building talks with Suu Kyi the junta has not held any discussions on substantive issues, raising suspicions that it is stalling for time and has no intention of giving up power. The junta statement made no mention of its future plans but said that "since 1990 the government of Myanmar has achieved much in its progression toward national unity, concluding agreements with 17 armed national groups bringing them into the legal fold," a reference to ethnic minority groups that gave up separatist rebellions. Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962. The current group of generals took power in 1988 and called elections in 1990. However, it refused to hand over power after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won. Instead it jailed hundreds of dissidents, many of whom have been released since the start of the Razali-initiated reconciliation process. It also freed Suu Kyi from 19 months of house arrest in May. Razali, who has expressed disappointment at the slow progress, said he expects the military government to release at least 200 political prisoners before the end of this year. He is likely to return to Myanmar in January to review the situation, and dismissed suggestions that he wants to quit because of frustrations at the seemingly uncompromising Myanmar government. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Myanmar minority rebels want
stop for foreign arms aid to government
MAE SOT, Thailand (AP) _ Ethnic rebels called Monday on countries selling arms to Myanmar's military government _ including China, India and North Korea _ to stop, because of the junta's continuing war on minorities. The National Democratic Front, which comprises only ethnic minority armed groups, made its appeal in a statement issued after a Nov. 11-16 meeting held in the jungle along the Myanmar-Thai border. Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been ruled by the military since 1962 and the current group of generals came to power in 1988. They called elections in 1990 but refused to hand over power when the opposition National League for Democracy party won. Many Western countries already maintain political and economic sanctions toward the junta because of its poor human rights record and failure to hand over power. The ethnic rebels _ meeting at a stronghold of the Karen National Union, the biggest and most influential group in the NDF alliance _ said the junta was not seeking national reconciliation and instead continued its ``brutal suppression'' of ethnic minorities. In addition to Beijing, New Delhi and Pyongyang, the ethnic rebels called on Pakistan and other Asian nations to stop providing arms to Myanmar's government. The group elected Ba Thin Sein, who heads the Karen group, as its new chairman, and vowed to fight the junta using the tactics of the defensive warfare, diplomacy, publicity and propaganda, said the statement. The National Democratic Front, formed in 1976, also called Monday for a countrywide cease-fire. The military has concluded cease-fire agreements with more than a dozen ethnic minority groups that had been fighting for decades for more autonomy, including three who were among the 11 founding groups of the NDF. The groups who didn't sign bore the brunt of military offensives that sharply reduced their strength and territorial control. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Southeast Asian countries
cooperate to thwart threat from new group
MANILA, Philippines (AP) _ Southeast Asian countries are cooperating to thwart possible terror attacks by a recently discovered Muslim extremist umbrella group aiming to transform the region into an Islamic stronghold by force, according to an intelligence official and confidential documents. Muslim militants linked to the al-Qaida network and its Southeast Asian ally, Jemaah Islamiyah, established Rabitatul Mujahedeen (League of Holy Warriors) to unite all Islamic extremists in the region and launch strikes against governments there, the Philippine police intelligence documents said. The documents said the new group was formed in 1999 in Malaysia and uncovered this year through disclosures by suspected terrorists arrested in Singapore and Manila. Deadly bombings in 2000 that struck the Philippine ambassador's residence in Jakarta, Indonesia, and other targets in the sprawling Muslim nation may have been Rabitatul Mujahedeen's initial terror projects, as well as five almost-simultaneous blasts in the Philippine capital, Manila, the documents said. ``It's been set up,'' Superintendent Robert Delfin, who heads the Philippine national police intelligence, told The Associated Press by telephone Wednesday. ``It's like an umbrella group, but no matter the extent of their network, we can monitor them. We know the personalities.'' Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines are cooperating and exchanging information on the new group and discussing how to thwart its plans and arrest members, Delfin said. One proposal is to establish a single list, or ``order of battle,'' that would include all wanted terror suspects in Southeast Asia, including known members of Rabitatul Mujahedeen and Jemaah Islamiyah and al-Qaida operatives, Delfin said. Representatives from Islamic militant groups from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Egypt _ including Jemaah Islamiyah _ attended at least three covert meetings in Malaysia to establish the new group in 1999-2000, according to the confidential documents, adding that militants from Bangladesh also are involved. Abu Bakar Bashir, the alleged spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah now under arrest in Indonesia, was reportedly chosen to head the new group. Fellow Indonesian Riduan Isamuddin, who has been implicated in operations to support the Sept. 11 hijackers, was designated as secretary-general, the documents said. Also known as Hambali, he remains at large. Rabitatul Mujahedeen aims ``to facilitate cooperation and share resources in terms of training, procurement of arms, financial assistance and terrorist operations,'' the documents said. It said the group formed a policy-making central committee and finalized a logo featuring two swords, a Quran and a flag with Arabic markings reading ``There is no God but Allah.'' A team of Philippine security officials traveled to Singapore and interrogated a suspected Malaysian terrorist, Faiz Abu Bakar Bafana, on Oct. 29-30, the intelligence documents said. Bafana provided limited details about Rabitatul Mujahedeen and pledged to tell more in exchange for immunity from prosecution in connection with current and future terror charges against him, the documents said. Bafana and Hambali recently were indicted in absentia in the Philippines, where they allegedly financed the procurement of 1.2 tons of explosives intended for a plot to bomb the U.S. Embassy and other Western targets in Singapore early this year. Philippine police will ask Filipino justice officials whether such an immunity could be given to Bafana and if he could be utilized as a witness against other suspected terrorists, the documents said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Myanmar says progress achieved
in reconciliation process
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ Myanmar's military government says it has achieved much progress in a national reconciliation process to restore democracy, and urged the world to show patience and understanding in resolving the decades-old political deadlock. In a statement received Wednesday, the junta thanked the United Nations special envoy Razali Ismail for his efforts to push the reconciliation process, saying ``we are encouraged'' after his five-day visit last week. ``We very much appreciate the hard work of (Razali) and hope that friends of Myanmar worldwide will support this process with patience and understanding of the complexity of the situation,'' government spokesman Hla Min said in the statement. He said Razali's talks last week with junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe and two deputies, Gen. Maung Aye and Gen. Khin Nyunt, ``helped clarify issues and continued to expand confidence.'' However, Razali's visit _ his ninth to the country since being appointed the special envoy in April 2000 _ gave little indication that he had made progress in persuading the government to start talks with the opposition led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Razali initiated a dialogue between the junta and Suu Kyi in October 2000. But after initial confidence-building talks with Suu Kyi the junta has not held any discussions on substantive issues, raising suspicions that it is stalling for time and has no intention of giving up power. The junta statement made no mention of its future plans but said that ``since 1990 the government of Myanmar has achieved much in its progression toward national unity, concluding agreements with 17 armed national groups bringing them into the legal fold,'' a reference to ethnic minority groups that gave up separatist rebellions. Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962. The current group of generals took power in 1988 and called elections in 1990. However, it refused to hand over power after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won. Instead it jailed hundreds of dissidents, many of whom have been released since the start of the Razali-initiated reconciliation process. It also freed Suu Kyi from 19 months of house arrest in May. Razali, who has expressed disappointment at the slow progress, said he expects the military government to release at least 200 political prisoners before the end of this year. He is likely to return to Myanmar in January to review the situation, and dismissed suggestions that he wants to quit because of frustrations at the seemingly uncompromising Myanmar government. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dissidents released from
Burmese jails
21/11/2002 23:01:50 | ABC Radio Australia News Burma's military government says 115 political prisoners will be released in the biggest single release since United Nations-brokered reconciliation talks began two years ago. A government spokesman has confirmed the release of prisoners began recently. International pressure has been mounting for the government to advance a reconciliation process with the opposition, led by Nobel peace laureate and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Since UN envoy Razali Ismail began brokering dialogue in October 2000, 400 dissidents have been released from jail and Ms Suu Kyi released from house arrest. However, the junta has reneged on promises to begin political talks with the opposition. Mr Razali ended a visit to Burma last week expressing disappointment over the lack of progress, and saying he had called for the release of 200 more prisoners by the end of the year. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ MINISTER WELCOMES UN
RESOLUTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN BURMA (20/11/02)
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Thu Nov 21 13:09:00 UTC+0900 2002 Foreign Office Minister Mike O'Brien today welcomed the adoption of a resolution at the 3rd Committee of the United Nations General Assembly that expressed grave concern over the human rights situation in Burma. The resolution, which was co-sponsored by the European Union, expresses concern over the ongoing systematic violation of human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the people of Burma. Particular concern was expressed over the continued detention of political prisoners and the human rights abuses in the ethnic minority areas of Burma. Mike O'Brien said: 'This new-look resolution accurately reflects the state of human rights in Burma today. I look forward to it being formally adopted at the Plenary session next month. There have been some modest improvements, such as the release of over 350 political prisoners and the reopening of some political offices belonging to democracy groups. However, as I discussed with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi when we spoke on the telephone on 1 November, the overall situation remains a serious concern of the international community. 'Burma's continuing poor human rights record underlines the urgent need for action by the Burmese authorities to bring about national reconciliation and democracy in Burma. The UK is concerned that after his meeting with Senior General Than Shwe last week, the United Nations Envoy, Tan Sri Razali Ismail, has reported that the political process in Burma has not been maximized or developed. I urge Senior General Than Shwe to take advantage of Mr Razali's good offices. If the Burmese authorities genuinely want to take credible steps towards a more prosperous and peaceful future, action can no longer avoided.' ------------------------------------------------------------------------ China, Myanmar sign contract on
building river-crossing bridge
Xinhuanet 2002-11-18
19:08:28
YANGON, Nov. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- The China CAMC Engineering Co. Ltd and the Public Works (PW) under the Myanmar Ministry of Construction signed a contract here Monday on building Myanmar's Mandalay Ayeyawady River Bridge (Yadanabon) by the Chinese company. On behalf of the respective sides, President of the Chinese company Luo Yan and PW Managing Director U Nay Soe Naing signed the document. Present at the signing ceremony were Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Li Jinjun, Economic and Commercial Counselor Jin Honggen and Myanmar Minister of Construction Major-General Saw Tun. The four-lane river-crossing highway bridge will be located on the Ayeyawady River in Mandalay in the central part of the country, with its main bridge extending 1,126 meters and its largest span being 224 meters. Under the contract, the Chinese side will be responsible for the bridge's design, equipment supply and technical supervision, while the Myanmar side for the civil construction. The building of the bridge is set to complete in two and a half years. The bridge is an important transport construction project of Myanmar crossing the country's Ayeyawady river and standing as an important link connecting Mandalay and Sagaing areas. On completion, the bridge will promote Myanmar's socio-economic development and will become a symbolic construction building of Mandalay with shining beauty added to the second largest city of the country. The project is the sixth major one of its kind contracted by the Chinese company since it entered the Myanmar market in 1995. Before this, it had built and completed five major bridges for the country, namely the Myitkyina bridge (Bala Mintin), Maubin bridge, Nyaungdon bridge (Bo Myat Tun), Ayeyawady bridge (Magway) and Ayeyawady bridge (Dedaye). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Daily Star - Thu.
November 21, 2002
Morshed leaves for Myanmar UNB, Dhaka Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan yesterday left Dhaka for Myanmar on a three-day official visit. The visit is aimed at promoting and strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, said a Foreign Ministry press release. During his visit in Myanmar, the foreign minister will pay a courtesy call on Senior General Than Shwe, Chairman of State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Morshed Khan and his Myanmar counterpart will also hold wide-ranging talks covering the entire gamut of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of common concerns. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Asian Tribune
Date : 2002-11-21 Situation in Bassein and Tharawaddy prisons in Burma Some students imprisoned in Pathein Jail were released on the 5th November. According to information received in Bangkok, to the vacant wards, U Kyaw Mya and those transferred from Taungoo prison were moved. The person in charge of the special and death cell ward where U Kyaw Mya and the Toungoo group were moved has been also replaced. U Kyaw Mya was seen to be responsible for the conflict and was removed to a cell in the Leper ward. He suffers from gastric disorder and there is great fear for his health. Because of conflict between the Toungoo group and Thein Myint, the new man in charge, a petition for his transfer was presented to the Chief jailor Ye Hla. His response was that it was not within his power because it was a special appointment by the military intelligence. In the meanwhile, according to news monitored in Bangkok, U Maung Ko, another political prisoner inside Tharawaddy Prison in central Burma, died last November 15. He is the 82nd political prisoner to die while in the custody of the current military regime. U Maung Ko is the fourth political prisoner to die this year. Other political prisoners who have died since July include: Mai Aik Pan, leader of Palaung State Liberation Front; U Aung May Thu, also held inside Tharawaddy Prison; and U Sai Phat, a National League for Democracy (NLD) leader from Shan State. U Maung Ko was arrested in 1996 under charge 5(J) of Burma?s Emergency Provision Act 1950. Authorities accused him of sympathizing with the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) and he was sentenced to seven years in prison. U Maung Ko, aged over 50 years old, died of a heart attack while in detention. It must be noted that, in 1990, another U Maung Ko, from the NLD, died while being held in an interrogation center. Also, in the early 1990s, a third U Maung Ko, who was an alleged underground cell leader of the CPB, died during interrogation by the junta. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |