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BURMA RELATED NEWS
- December 18, 2002.
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HEADLINES
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AFP - US, Myanmar at odds over drugs
status
AFP - Myanmar junta raps Suu Kyi over
backing of international sanctions
AFP - Bangladesh, Myanmar pledge
cooperation in economic challenges
AFP - Myanmar, Bangladesh agree on
road, cooperation on Asean
AP - Bangladesh says Myanmar military
ruler promises democracy
Reuters - Thai police seize 22 kg
heroin near Myanmar border
The Guardian - Rights activists put
70 firms on Burma 'dirty list'
WP - Reward for Burma's
Anti-Drug Efforts Unlikely
The Nation - YADANA GAS
PIPELINE: Sulak loses round one of legal fight
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wednesday December 18, 9:54 AM
US, Myanmar at odds over drugs status WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (AFP) - Myanmar said it had been told by the United States that it had not done enough to combat drugs production to be certified as cooperating in the fight against narcotics. But the State Department immediately denied that it had made a final recommendation, branding Myanmar's announcement, in a statement issued in Washington, as "premature at best." Any decision not to upgrade the US assessment of Myanmar's anti-narcotics performance would be a bitter blow to the military government's drive to get recognition for its anti-narcotics efforts. It would also be a disappointing return for a recent Myanmar charm offensive aimed at healing poisoned relations with the United States, which included the hiring of a Washington DC-based congressional lobbying firm. "The Government of Myanmar has been informed that its attempt to come into compliance with the US State Department's anti-narcotics program, and thus be certified by the Bush Administration for meeting certain basic anti-narcotics achievements, has been denied," the Myanmar statement said Tuesday. "The denial comes after a massive effort by Myanmar to achieve a series of drug-eradication accomplishments including significant decreases in opium production and cooperation with US law enforcement authorities," it said. Yangon government spokesman Colonel Hla Min, said "our struggle to become a drug free society will continue on track, with or without American recognition for our efforts." But the State Department said no final determination had been made on whether Myanmar, in language set down by US legislation, had "failed demonstrably ...to make substantial efforts" to honor international anti-drugs agreements and other measures set out under US law. A certification that Myanmar had cooperated with the United States to reach minimum anti-narcotics benchmarks would clear the way for US anti-narcotics funding. "The announcement, I would say, is premature at best. We're going to be looking at the decisions involved to make final determinations in the next several months," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. Contacts on the issue take habitually take place with affected countries, and "Myanmar may have formed an impression from some conversations," Boucher said. A recommendation is made by the State Department on certification, but has to be cleared by the White House. No final decision is expected until at least next month. Myanmar has been campaigning in recent months to have its name taken off a US list of "major" producers altogether, and has won qualified American praise for its efforts to combat illegal narcotics production. It sent anti-drugs czar Colonel Kyaw Thein to Washington earlier this year, and has conducted a string of public events in which large quantities of seized narcotics have been torched. The Washington Post reported in November that there was debate within the administration on taking Myanmar off the major producers list. But Boucher said that such a move was not in the cards. "The question some have raised of removing Burma from what's called the Majors List is not under discussion and it's not being recommended or looked at," he said, using Myanmar's former name. "Also, we're not considering any bilateral narcotics assistance for Burma." US officials have nevertheless admitted that some members of the military regime in Yangon are sincere about the anti-drugs drive, despite their fierce criticism of the government's record on human rights, economic management and political repression. Any change of drugs status for Myanmar has been fiercely resisted by supporters of the embattled opposition of Aung San Suu Kyi in the US Congress and the non-governmental organisation community. Campaigners fear that the junta would showcase its new status and portray it as international acceptance of its rule. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wednesday December 18, 6:29 AM
Myanmar junta raps Suu Kyi
over backing of international sanctions
YANGON, Dec 18 (AFP) - Myanmar's ruling junta Wednesday rapped opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi over her continued backing of sanctions against the regime, saying they only harmed ordinary people in the impoverished country. In the most hostile comments since the two sides began tentative reconciliation talks two years ago, the government said it "could not understand the logic behind some of her ideas" aired in a recent BBC interview. "Whether her views reflect reality is up to the listeners or viewers to make their own judgement," it said, abandoning an agreement to cease criticism of each other in a bid to support the UN-sponsored talks. Aung San Suu Kyi has been a staunch supporter of sanctions introduced following the brutal repression of 1988 pro-democracy protests and 1990 disallowed elections won by her National League for Democracy. Under the measures led by the United States and the European Union, all but a small amount of humanitarian aid is banned. In August Aung San Suu Kyi appeared to soften her stance on the issue, saying development aid might be acceptable if it fell within strict guidelines. But as the reconciliation process sagged, with the government reneging on promises to begin a fully fledged political dialogue with the opposition, her stance appears to have hardened. In the BBC interview last week she indicated it was not yet time to ease the sanctions, which have helped cripple the Myanmar economy. "Our policies with regard to sanctions will not change until such time as political dialogue is in place. So our policy remains the same," she said. "The sanctions are very limited in scope and the people in Burma who are affected by it are therefore consequently very few," she said, referring to the country by its former name. "The reason why there is not as much investment in Burma as there might have been is because the political climate is not healthy." She also backed a vigorous campaign mounted by pro-democracy groups in the West to deter tourists from visiting Myanmar -- another bugbear to the junta which has battled to capture the tourist dollar. "Our policy with regard to tourism has not changed which is to say that we have not yet come to the point where we encourage people to come to Burma as tourists," she told the BBC question-and-answer program. The government said there was "no doubt that any form of economic sanction and tourism embargo negatively affects the lives of the mass population of a country." "It is definitely difficult to understand when a political party supports or even stays neutral by allowing the rich and powerful nations to impose hardship on the same people it vows to serve," it said. However, Aung San Suu Kyi was upbeat about the prospects for political reconciliation, telling the BBC she was confident political change would come to the military-ruled country. "We are confident change will come -- not as quickly as most of us would wish, but it will come," she said. The Nobel peace laureate's remarks boosted confidence in the slow-moving national reconciliation process, which observers in the Myanmar capital Yangon had feared was on the verge of complete breakdown. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangladesh, Myanmar pledge
cooperation in economic challenges
DHAKA, Dec 18 (AFP) - Bangladesh and Myanmar pledged to boost bilateral ties to overcome economic challenges faced by both countries as Myanmar Senior General Than Shwe ended a landmark visit Wednesday. "The rapid pace of globalisation as well as a complex international situation and global economic uncertainties are posing daunting challenges to developing nations like Myanmar and Bangladesh," Than Shwe said late Tuesday at a banquet hosted by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. "Relying mostly on our resources and adopting policies and measures best suited to the country's own conditions, we have been able to bring about significant advances in the lives of our people," he added. Than Shwe said trade and commerce between the two countries had expanded, but there was still the potential for much more growth. "We look forward to working closely with Bangladesh in the bilateral context as well as in the framework of BIMSTEC in the years ahead." BIMSTEC is an economic forum grouping Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Zia said the neighbours had excellent potential to expand cooperation and interaction in trade and economic fields and called the visit a "beginning of a new era of close friendship." She said Bangladesh valued its membership of Asian Cooperation and Dialogue (ACD) and would like to make BIMSTEC and ACD effective mechanisms to promote harmony, peace and development in the region. Than Shwe, who is the military commander-in-chief, prime minister and defence minister, left Wednesday to end his two-day maiden visit to Bangladesh. He is the first leader of Myanmar's junta to visit Bangladesh. The last leader to come was the then Burmese president Yu San Wu in 1986. "The Myanmar and Bangladesh border will be turned into one of peace, stability and prosperity," Than Shwe said at a lunch with President Iajuddin Ahmed before he left. "We recognise the urgent need for a direct road link and coastal shipping links between the two countries," Ahmed said. On Tuesday Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed to link their two capitals by road "at the earliest" and set up two task forces to expedite the process. Officials said that three agreements on coastal shipping, trade and current accounts would be signed by the two countries next year. Foreign affairs analysts here said a road link between the two capitals would open wider links to Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. A Bangladeshi foreign ministry spokesman said Myanmar had also responded positively to Dhaka's eagerness to join the Asian Regional Forum (ARF). Joining ARF is the first step in becoming a dialogue partner of ASEAN, which Dhaka is seeking as part of efforts to develop ties with its eastern neighbours. Myanmar, formerly Burma, was among the first countries to recognise Bangladesh after it won independence from Pakistan in 1971. But relations were strained in the early 1990s when around 250,000 Rohingya Muslims flooded into Bangladesh from Myanmar, claiming atrocities by the junta. Ties have improved since then, with the repatriation of most of the refugees under a United Nations agreement, but more than 20,000 still live in camps in Bangladesh. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Myanmar, Bangladesh agree on
road, cooperation on Asean
DHAKA, Dec 17 (AFP) - Myanmar and Bangladesh on Tuesday agreed to boost bilateral ties with linking their two capitals by road "at the earliest," a foreign ministry spokesman said. "Myanmar Senior General Than Shwe responded positively to (Bangladesh) Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's proposal for linking Dhaka and Yangon by road at the earliest," Foreign Secretary Shamser Mobin Chowdhury told reporters. He added:"Task forces on studying technical and economic feasibility study on the road link will be set up at the earliest." Chowdhury said Than Shwe, in reply to Zia's request on backing Bangladesh's eagerness to join the Asian Regional Forum (ARF), responded by saying "we will not only help Bangladesh, but will also talk with other ASEAN members to support Bangladesh." Joining ARF is the first step in becoming a dialogue partner of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Dhaka is seeking it as part of its efforts to develop ties with its eastern neighbours who have made great economic strides. Zia termed the visit as a "historical one" and hoped it has opened "a new era of bilateral ties." Zia told reporters "the talks have been very fruitful." Foreign affairs analysts here said a road link between the two capitals would open wider links to ASEAN member countries. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Earlier on the day, Than Shwe arrived on his maiden visit to neighbouring Bangladesh and held official talks with Zia. Than Shwe, Myanmar's military commander-in-chief, prime minister and defence minister, was greeted by Zia and cabinet members as he arrived at the colourfully decorated Zia International Airport in Dhaka. Four Bangladesh Air Force fighter aircraft had escorted his plane as it landed and a 21 gun-salute heralded his arrival. The leader reviewed an armed forces honour guard before driving to the nearby National Martyrs' Memorial, dedicated to those who died in Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence. Myanmar, formerly Burma, was among the first countries to recognise Bangladesh after it won independence from Pakistan in 1971. Than Shwe, whose planned trip last year was cancelled due to illness, is the first leader of Myanmar's junta to visit Bangladesh. In 1986 the then president Yu San Wu came to Dhaka. He is accompanied on his two-day visit by a 38-member delegation, including his wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing and two daughters. The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding and agreement. Among the delegation are Foreign Minister Win Aung, Commerce Minister Brigadier General Pyi Sone and Industry Minister Aung Thaung. He will also meet President Iajuddin Ahmed on Wednesday. Current trade between Bangladesh and Mynamar is very small. Relations between the neighbours were strained in the early 1990s when around 250,000 Rohingya Muslims flooded into Bangladesh from Myanmar, claiming atrocities by the junta. Ties have improved since then, with the repatriation of most of the refugees under a United Nations agreement, but more than 20,000 still live in camps in Bangladesh. The spokesman said Than Shwe also assured of repatriating the remaining Rohingyas through proper process. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangladesh says Myanmar
military ruler promises democracy
Tue Dec 17,11:46 AM ET By PARVEEN AHMED, Associated Press Writer DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) - Myanmar's military ruler has promised a return to democracy, the country's leader was quoted as saying by the Bangladeshi government Tuesday. But there was no indication of when the ruling junta might allow elections or a new constitution. "The military establishment has no intention to deny democracy to the Myanmar people and state power ultimately belongs to the people. The present set up is a transitional arrangement," Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Shamser Mobin Chowdhury quoted Myanmar's Senior Gen. Than Shwe as telling the Bangladeshi prime minister Tuesday. Apart from the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political detainees, Myanmar's junta has made no other concessions or given any indication that it is ready to give up its grip on power. Suu Kyi's party won general elections in 1990, but was not allowed to take power. The Myanmar side did not hold a news briefing after meetings with Bangladeshi officials in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital. Than Shwe arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday for a two-day visit aimed at promoting trade, communication links and cultural exchanges. This is the first visit of its kind in more than two decades. In separate pacts, the foreign ministers of the two countries agreed to send senior officials to discuss bilateral issues annually, and to promote cultural exchanges. Bangladesh has common historical and cultural links with its southeastern neighbor, with which it shares a 256-kilometer (159-mile) border. Myanmar said it would extend border trade, study the possibility of opening direct road links between the two neighbors, and consider Dhaka's proposal to establish shipping ties. Meetings will continue Wednesday. Than Shwe also expressed his commitment in solving the issue of repatriating refugees from Myanmar's Muslim minority. "Myanmar is as committed as Bangladesh to bring the refugee issue to an end," Chowdhury said. In 1991, more than 2.5 million Muslims fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine state to escape alleged persecution by the junta. Western governments and human rights groups have accused the junta of widespread rights abuses. More than 230,000 Muslims have returned to Myanmar since 1993, when the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees began a repatriation program. About 22,000 Muslim refugees are still waiting to go back, according to the agency. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thai police seize 22 kg heroin
near Myanmar border
MAE SOT, Thailand, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Police on Wednesday arrested five people close to the Thai-Myanmar border in possession of 22 kg, or 48 pounds, of heroin in one of Thailand's biggest drugs busts of the year, officials said. An official in Mae Sot, 500 km, or 313 miles, north of Bangkok, told Reuters the group was arrested while trying to sell 58 bars of heroin with an estimated street value in the Thai capital of $2.3 million. The group comprised two Thai men, a Thai woman and two men who were members of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). The DKBA is an ethnic minority guerrilla army allied to the Myanmar government, which operates along the border in the notorious Golden Triangle region. The maximum penalty for possession of such a large amount of heroin in Thailand is death by firing squad. Thailand is a major conduit for heroin produced from opium poppies grown mostly in neighbouring Myanmar and Laos. U.S. drugs officials say much of the opium refined into heroin for trafficking to Western countries is produced by ethnic minority militia groups inside Myanmar. Myanmar says it is cracking down on drugs but the United Nations has said that while opium poppy cultivation is declining, opium production in the country remains significant. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rights activists put 70 firms
on Burma 'dirty list'
Terry Macalister Wednesday December 18, 2002 The Guardian Nearly 70 companies including the Cordiant advertising agency, City law firm Norton Rose and Sea Containers, rail and holiday company, have been targeted by human rights activists for their activities in Burma. A "dirty list" of businesses whose operations are said to be helping to finance the military dictatorship in south east Asia is published today by the Burma Campaign. Activists are hoping that members of the public and
investors will steer clear of these companies, putting pressure on them to break
links with Burma.
"Foreign investment helps finance a regime that uses rape, torture and murder to suppress its own people," Yvette Mahon, director of Burma Campaign UK, said. Cordiant is listed because it owns the global advertising company Bates which handles contracts for foreign investors in Burma. Similarly Norton Rose is targeted for providing legal help to investors in Burma. The bulk of the firms listed by the campaign are involved in the tourist trade where forced labour is said to have been used to build holiday infrastructure. This month Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the democratic opposition in Burma who was released from house arrest in May, repeated her call for foreign visitors to stay away. "We have not yet come to the point where we encourage people to come to Burma as tourists," she said. This has not stopped companies such as Abercrombie & Kent or Sea Containers' subsidiary Orient Express offering holidays to the area and not mentioning the repressive regime operating in Burma in their promotional literature. The Lonely Planet company which produces a travel guide is already facing boycott action for encouraging tourists. Sea Containers confirmed that its subsidiary offered river boat tours. "We leave it to the informed traveller to decide for themselves whether they want to visit Burma," said a spokesman. British American Tobacco, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and ABN Amro are also among the companies that appear on the "dirty list" along with Carnival Cruises. A "clean list" of companies including household names such as Bhs, Adidas and Carlsberg is also published today. The Burma Campaign is keen to publicise those firms which have taken a deliberate decision not to work in the area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Washington Post
Reward for Burma's Anti-Drug Efforts Unlikely By Glenn Kessler Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, December 18, 2002; Page A29 The State Department has decided not to recommend that Burma be "certified" for its anti-narcotics programs, dealing a heavy blow to the repressive regime's efforts to improve ties with the United States, according to the Burmese government and congressional sources. Department officials, the leading advocates within the U.S. government for taking small steps to improve relations with Burma, had been close to recommending that the nation be rewarded for meeting anti-drug goals that the United States had set earlier in the year and made eligible for some drug eradication aid. But when news of the pending decision leaked last month, a series of negative editorials in newspapers in the United States and Asia, along with congressional protests, persuaded officials to reverse course, the sources said. The final determination is still up to the White House, but few expect President Bush to overturn the recommendation and risk congressional anger for a regime with few friends in the world. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the incoming Senate majority whip, sent national security adviser Condoleezza Rice a note last month that stressed the need to maintain a tough policy on Burma. In an unusual move, the Burmese government announced that it had been informed that its effort to win U.S. approval for its anti-drug efforts had been denied. In a statement issued by its Washington lobbyist, the country, also known as Myanmar, denounced the decision. "The denial comes after a massive effort by Myanmar to achieve a series of drug-eradication accomplishments, including significant decreases in opium production and cooperation with U.S. law enforcement authorities," said the statement, which added that "denial of U.S. certification followed an intense media and lobbying campaign in Washington by those who favored linking drug certification with political issues." "Drug traffickers and their associates will be pleased with the U.S. government's decision to remain on the sidelines in one of the world's largest narcotics control challenges," said Hla Min, a government spokesman. "Our regret is, without U.S. cooperation the time frame to totally eradicate drugs in Myanmar is significantly longer." In its statement, Burma suggested that a more rapid decrease in cutting opium poppy production would lead to a humanitarian crisis. But Burma is also the primary source of amphetamine-type stimulants in Asia, producing an estimated 800 million tablets per year. There is substantial evidence -- recently detailed in the Asian edition of Time magazine -- that the government is linked to major drug traffickers, including joint ventures with the military and frequent meetings between traffickers and junta leaders. "Given Burma's horrendous record on the drug front, it would have been an unmitigated disaster to take Burma off the list of the world's worst offenders on drugs," said Rep. Tom Lantos (Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House International Relations Committee. Officially, the State Department said no decision had been made. "The announcement, I would say, is premature at best," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. The Burmese government "may have formed an impression from some conversations," he added, "but we have a final determination to make over the next several months about whether or not they failed demonstrably to cooperate." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Nation
YADANA GAS PIPELINE: Sulak loses round one of legal fight Published on Dec 18, 2002 In a setback to opponents of the Yadana gas pipeline, the Constitution Court ruled yesterday that PTT Plc's legal action against social critic Sulak Sivaraksa and other protesters at a construction site was not in violation of the Constitution. Constitution Court judges voted 12 to 1 that PTT could cite the Petroleum Act of BE 2521 in suing Sulak and others for obstructing construction of the pipeline, court chairman Jul Atirek said. Sulak and other activists formed a human chain and staged a sit-in protest in Kanchanaburi's Thong Pha Phum district against the project, which links Thailand and Burma. After PTT sued him and others, Sulak petitioned the Constitution Court through a criminal court, saying that the firm's action violated the Constitution's articles 35, 44 and 46, which allow members of the public to stage peaceful protests and take action to preserve natural resources. Jul said that although the PTT had become a public company, it still enjoyed the same rights as when it was a state enterprise. PTT was previously a state enterprise known as the Petroleum Authority of Thailand. With yesterday's ruling, it now depends on the criminal court to rule on the PTT case against Sulak and his group, Jul told a press conference yesterday. When asked whether the judgement would be a setback to the conservation movement, Jul said the court had merely referred to the Constitution without taking other factors into consideration. According to the Petroleum Act, anyone found to have obstructed the operation of one of its projects could face imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of no more than Bt1,000, or both. The 238-kilometre Yadana pipeline was built between 1996 and 1998. It carries natural gas from Burma across the border to an electrical power plant in Ratchaburi province which has been operating since October 2000. |