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BURMA RELATED NEWS
- January 11, 2003.
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HEADLINES
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Reuters - Chinese Bus Plunges Into River, 17
Reported Dead
BKk Post - Army commander ready for
long-anticipated Burma trip
The Nation - SUNDAY BRUNCH: A case of true
compassion
Asian Tribune - There's a Burmese army camp on Thai
soil
Asian Tribune - Burmese Opposition welcome Third
Party Mediation.
DVB - Burma: Rangoon announces increase in petrol
ration, price said to quadruple
DVB - Chinese-made military equipment said heading
towards Meiktila Air Base
Mizzima - Indian- Burmese people friendship
through marketing
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Chinese Bus Plunges
Into River, 17 Reported Dead Sat Jan 11,11:17 PM ET BEIJING (Reuters) - A bus packed with school children plunged off a mountain road in southwest China into a river, police said on Sunday, and Chinese media reported at least 17 people were killed. The Beijing Youth Daily reported 17 people were killed when the privately operated minibus careened more than 230 feet down a ravine and into a river a week ago in Yunnan Province, which borders Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. The paper said nine were missing and one person was found seriously injured. A police official from Weixi County told Reuters the bus, filled with elementary and middle school students, was traveling just a short distance when it went off the road killing "more than 10 people" and nine were missing. China has an alarming road safety record. More than 106,000 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2001, an average of 290 per day, state media have said. --------------------------------------------------------------------
Bangkok Post - Sunday
12 January 2003
Army commander ready for long-anticipated Burma trip Wassana Nanuam Army chief Gen Somdhat Attanand will visit Rangoon from Jan 21-22 for talks with Burmese military leaders. Army chief-of-staff Veerachai Iamsa-ad, who will accompany Gen Somdhat, said the army commander had long anticipated the opportunity to hold friendly discussions with the junta. ``We go with love and sincerity for the Burmese military leaders,'' he said. Gen Somdhat would meet State Peace and Development Council first secretary Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt and army chief Gen Maung Aye. He would propose joint border patrols _ an idea Burma has already rejected _ and hotlines for military leaders. On Jan 27, Deputy Prime Minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh will visit Burma for talks with Burmese Prime Minister Gen Than Shwe, Gen Maung Aye and Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt. --------------------------------------------------------------------
The
Nation
SUNDAY BRUNCH: A case of true compassion Ken Ywin Published on Jan 12, 2003 Winning the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership has not in any way altered Dr Cynthia Maung's daily routine. She still goes about treating the flood of destitute refugees huddled on the bare concrete floor of her Mae Tao Clinic. Humility, charisma and a steely determination are this humanitarian doctor's key assets in assisting the tide of human suffering that rolls across the Thai-Burmese border. "I didn't even know what [the] Magsaysay [Award] meant before I received this award," said the demure doctor with a shy smile. The award from the Philippines fetched her US$50,000 (Bt2.15 million) - much-needed funds to operate the clinic where she treats more than 80,000 refugees every year. Close to Mae Sot Airport and less than 10 kilometres from the border, the Mae Tao Clinic is a beacon to the thousands of sick Karen, Mon and Shan refugees seeking cheap medical treatment - a rarity in the poverty-stricken provinces along the border on the Burmese side. Dr Cynthia is in a pensive mood as she glances at the throngs of patients, mostly women, waiting for her. An orderly approaches and, with respect in his hushed voice, bows and gingerly hands her some documents to sign. "There are so many of them, and they keep increasing every year," she lamented. A graduate from the University of Rangoon's Institute of Medicine, Dr Cynthia, 44, has suffered the trauma of displacement as well. "I was born in Moulmein, a coastal city in the Karen State, to a Karen family who came from the Irrawaddy Delta. "I fled the Burmese military suppression in 1988 when the [Burmese] authorities were hunting and arresting students and those actively caught up in the uprising." Recalling her flight, she said: "I trekked for seven days through malaria-infested jungles with 12 others, [altogether] four women and nine men. We lived on handouts from friendly villagers, bought food with the little money we had on us and the soldiers from the Karen National Union [KNU] shared the rations they carried in their backpacks with us and protected us. "Life was harsh when I worked at a private clinic in Pa-an, the capital of the Karen State, for a year in 1987. The township had one hospital with 16 beds, one nurse, a laboratory technician and a sanitationist for a population of 20,000. There was urgent need for medicines, which were scarce, and the private pharmacies in town were the only places where the sick could purchase their medicine. In case of emergencies, the hospital nurse came to call me to assist. External help in those days came only from some religious groups. But not on a regular basis." Tears welled up in her eyes as she recalled the time she first set foot on Thai soil: "We all had high hopes of going back in a week or two to a country where we expected democracy to begin blooming again. Days turned into weeks; weeks changed into months; months became years. We stayed, talked, ate, slept and lived together. We longed to go back. Even today, after 14 years, I still want so much to go back to the land of my late parents and my ancestors." She wiped away her tears with a tissue as I awkwardly turned away and looked out of the window at the mass of suffering humanity waiting for her to treat them. Although the doctor prefers a low profile because she is a refugee, Dr Cynthia is well known among the world community. Prior to winning the Magsaysay Award, she had already received five other international humanitarian awards, all for her dedicated work with refugees from Burma. In 1999, the same year she was awarded the John Humphrey Freedom Award by the Canadian International Human Rights Group, she also received the Jonathan Mann award for Global Health and Human Rights from the Global Health Council. In 2000, she was honoured by receiving the President's Recognition Award from the American Medical Women's Association. Doctors are said to be hardened by constant exposure to the suffering of the diseased and the dying, but not Dr Cynthia. "Along the way to the Thai-Burmese border, there were no clinics, no healthcare. The very sick were brought to Mae-La hospital in Tak province. Knowing I was a doctor, they asked me to help. I worked there for two weeks. The group that came out with me went back to their villages after a month; they were all homesick. "After that, I went to Wang-Ka refugee camp where I met a Karen lady who took me to Huay-Kalok refugee camp, where I stayed for another two weeks. "A lady Karen officer who liased with the Karen camps helped me with contacts with NGOs and religious groups to set up a clinic. Most of the students who fled Burma had malaria and the serious cases were referred to Mae Sot hospital, which had only 150 beds then. It has 300 beds now." From a makeshift wooden shack 14 years ago, Dr Cynthia's Mae Tao Clinic has now grown to several buildings with 100 beds for in-patients and treating about 200 outpatients each day. "They mostly suffer from malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia, skin and urinary tract infections. Now, HIV and Aids, teenage pregnancies and unsafe abortions are on the rise. There are five or six new HIV-positive cases every month. "But the saddest cases are the young teenage girls who are dropped off at our clinic by taxi drivers. They have been physically abused. They are totally traumatised, refusing to talk to anyone about their experiences. They wake up at night, screaming and crying out from their nightmares. Also, the orphans whose parents have succumbed to Aids. There are so many of them." Dr Cynthia calls her staff and their families of 250 people whom she helps feed and look after, "My 'clinic family'." She takes care of them and, in return, they gave her their undying support and love. --------------------------------------------------------------------
Asian Tribune
Date : 2003-01-12
There's a Burmese army camp on Thai soil I read often in the Thai media about the government's firm
stance on protecting territorial sovereignty. So can anyone tell me why there is
a Burmese military base operating inside Thailand at Mei Pee Ya, near Baw Klung
Hot Springs, Suan Phung, in Ratchaburi province?
The Thai 9th Infantry Division wastes no time in forcing unarmed Karen and Mon civilian asylum-seekers back into war-torn Burma: why don't they chase out the 50 armed Burmese soldiers at Mei Pee Ya? Confused, Alabama. The Nation
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Asian Tribune
Date : 2003-01-12
Burmese Opposition welcome Third Party Mediation. By K.T.Rajasingham Burmese democratic group has indicated its willingness to have a facilitator, or in other word, a country as a third party mediator, to bring about sustained peace and reconciliation in the country, which is under the Military rule since 1962. In a written interview with this writer they have agreed with the suggestion to have any one of these countries, namely India, Thailand or Norway as their mediator for talks with the Army Generals, in their long drawn out search for peace, to propel the country into a democratic form of Government. National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma?s East Office has said in it response to a question, ?We would like to welcome your suggestion that there should be a committee appointed on both sides for talks and the talks have to facilitated by a third party. We are interested in your suggestion that we should try to have India or Thailand or Norway as our facilitator.? Burma is a country with a total population of 42,238,224 people out of which Burman constitute 68%, while Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, and others 5%. The country is today is shattered and broken up into pieces according to the ethnic formation and ruled by a Junta, while ethnic groups also control some parts of the country. Democracy is dead in Burma since from 1962. Elections for the unicameral People?s Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw for a total of 485 seats, for a four-year term, were last held on 27 May 1990, but unfortunately the Assembly up to date is not convened. The oppositions hailed that the election was held free and fair the results showed National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Aung Shwe, Chairman, Aung San Suu Kyi General secretary, won 392 seats. Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) led by U Khun Tun Oo bagged 23 seats while; National Unity Party (NUP) a pro-military regime party headed by Tha Kyaw (NUP) won 10 seats, and others 60 seats. Excerpts of the written questions and answers are given below: Question: - I wish to know some developments about the on-going peace talks between the NLD and the Burmese junta. Have you all entered into any Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the NLD and the junta? Answer: According to your first question, the on-going peace talks between the NLD and the Burmese junta never entered into any Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Question: How and where these so called talks are going on? Answer: The answer for your second question - how and where those so called talks are going on - may be depend upon attitude of the junta. It is Daw Aung San Suu Kyi who has been calling for meaningful political dialogue to the junta, since early 1989. But, who will represent the opposition?s side in the dialogue may be another question to be negotiated. In 1989 July, the then Senior Gen.Saw Maung complained in his televised speech that there were over hundred political parties but the army was an only institution and it's difficult for him to whom he had to accept as the representatives of the hundred parties. After that speech, there was a conference of 104 political parties at NLD Head Quarters. The conference unanimously agreed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as the only representative of 104 parties. Then the military intelligence service detained the executive members of the political parties and forced to withdraw their mandates to the Lady. Eventually, the junta kept the Lady under housed-arrest on 19 July 1989. Question: Is there a committee or a delegation set up by the NLD to talk with the Junta? In the Burmese junta side who is involved in the talks? Answer: The latest progress of the talk with the junta may be merely a name-sake talk or a farce one. The junta is playing the game with an intention of reducing international pressures and hoping to get a legal status in the international community. According to the current news and information, the Lady told clearly that there has been no political talk between the NLD and the SPDC. She also exposed her attitude on dialogue. The Lady says she is willing to compromise with the country?s military rulers in discussions to achieve national reconciliation, an Israeli newspaper reported in last August. ''Dialogue always entails compromise,'' Suu Kyi was quoted as saying in an interview published on August 16, 2002, by Israeli newspaper Haaretz. ''I don?t think you can go into dialogue saying, I can?t compromise,'' Suu Kyi said. ''You had better not start that way, because the dialogue won?t get anywhere.'' Suu Kyi and the junta began confidential talks in October 2000 - a development which diplomats say Razali played a key role in brokering - but until now they have never moved beyond "confidence-building" to address substantive issues. After strong international pressure, Suu Kyi was released from 19 months of house arrest in May 2002, but since then she has had no meetings with senior members of the junta. She has repeatedly called for meaningful talks to begin as soon as possible. Question: What is the latest progress in the talks with the junta? Answer: However, no timetable has been set by the junta to further the talks after the Lady's release despite repeated calls by the NLD to start a substantive dialogue on the future of the country. Speaking on the 14th anniversary of the founding of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, Aung San Suu Kyi said she would not hesitate to cooperate with the junta's generals. "We will never hesitate to cooperate with the armed forces, based on sincere goodwill," the Nobel Peace laureate told 400 party members and diplomats gathered at her headquarters. "It is high time we all worked for the country holding hands together." Apart from releasing Suu Kyi from 19 months of house arrest and freeing some political dissidents, the junta has made no other concessions. It has given no indication that it wants to hold a dialogue with Suu Kyi. Meanwhile, the international community including the UN has also been calling for such a dialogue between the government and the opposition to bring about national reconciliation in the country as early as possible. Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi urged the international community to help the country's efforts toward democracy at the opening ceremony of the second Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies (CD) held at the COEX Center in southern Seoul on 11 November 2002. Suu Kyi addressed in a videotape "I would like to call upon all our friends to help us speed up the process of democratic change. Our people have waited long... there is no more time left for us to wait. Some of us will never see democracy although they have worked long and hard for it." Question: Why you all have not thought of having a facilitator? What about having: (1) India (2) Thailand or (3) Norway as the facilitator for the talks. I think the talks have to be done properly. There should be a committee appointed on both sides for talks and the talks have to be facilitated by a third party. It is nearly 13 years now since you had the parliamentary general elections and it is dragging on for such a long time. I do not think that there is any urgency for the junta leave their authority and power to the democratic forces. Answer: We would like to welcome your suggestion that there should be a committee appointed on both sides for talks and the talks have to facilitated by a third party. We are interested in your suggestion that we should try to have India or Thailand or Norway as our facilitator. Question: As far as my observation, I find that the democratic forces have failed to give that amount of pressure to the junta. You must negotiate with the ethnic groups also and try to win a unanimous support from them and they must come forward to say that they wanted NLD to be their sole representatives in the negotiation. Answer: We agree with your last opinion that NLD must try to win a unanimous support from the ethnic groups and they must come forward to say that they wanted NLD to be their sole representatives in the negotiation. We are working so hard to fulfill that goal. Thank you very much for your enthusiasm in Burma Issue. We welcome your assistance and opinions in raising the meaningful political dialogue between the SPDC and the NLD. --------------------------------------------------------------------
Burma: Rangoon announces
increase in petrol ration, price said to quadruple
Text of report by Burmese opposition radio on 10 January It has been learned that the SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] announced today that the fuel ration for private cars and taxis in Rangoon will be increased. Previously, private cars and taxis were rationed two gallons of petrol a day, equivalent to 60 gallons per month, with the price of petrol at 180 kyat a gallon. The increment will mean that taxis will receive 60 gallons more than their monthly quota while all private cars will receive 10 gallons extra. A taxi driver told DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] that the price of petrol will be raised to 700 kyat from 180 kyat and that the increase has been posted at all the government petrol stations in Rangoon. Although the fuel ration for taxis and private vehicles will be increased, the government petrol stations failed to announce any increment for commuter buses which are used by the majority of the public. The price of one gallon of petrol is over 1,000 kyat in the black market in Rangoon while it costs well above 1,500 kyat in the districts. The same taxi driver said because the authorities have imposed restrictions on the sale of petrol, queuing for petrol to sell in the black market has slowly become a visible regular trade. A Rangoon commuter told DVB that the bus fare, currently stable at 20 kyat a trip, is likely to be raised to 50 kyat in the following days. Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 10 Jan 03 --------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese-made military
equipment said heading towards Meiktila Air Base
Text of report by Burmese opposition radio on 10 January At a time when the SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] chairman, Sr Gen Than Shwe, and party have been visiting China, it has been learned that Chinese made military equipment for the air force has begun arriving in Burma through the Burma-China border. Border observers told DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] that three fully covered military trucks, thought to be carrying military equipment for the air force, passed the Burma-China border from (?Kye Gong) to Mu-se yesterday morning and were seen heading towards Meiktila Air Base. The military equipments, which consist mainly of fighter jet spare parts, will be received directly by the Meiktila Aircraft Maintenance Base, it is learnt. Similarly, military equipments were purchased from China in September and November 2002 and included over 200 Chinese made Dongfeng six-wheel military trucks capable of towing 20 ton artillery pieces. During 2001, over 40 such military trucks and more than 300 Chinese made FAW brand military personnel carriers were delivered through the border. It is not clear whether these military equipments were purchased during SPDC Chairman Sr Gen Than Shwe's current trip or whether they were part of the billion dollar arms deal with China. According to latest reports received by DVB, many Chinese military engineers have arrived at Burmese military installations along with the Chinese military equipment and have been conducting training course on new communications and radar systems. Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 10 Jan 03 --------------------------------------------------------------------
Indian- Burmese people
friendship through marketing
12 January, 2003 (Mizzima News) ( Guwahati ) : It is a market which symbolises the unity and itegrity among the people of India and Burma .The PangshauPass market , located at the "Zero Point " along the Indo-Burma border ,has been helping the people of Burma and India to live together keeping aside their hatred . The market was set up by the Indian authorities at the "zero point " along the international border 10 years back following request of the Burmese Junta to exchange their goods through barter system . Since then the market has been running without any hinderence . Though the market area is located at difficult terrain ( near Kachin ) ,dominated by the underground organisations yet it has been going smoothly ,probably due to poor economic condition of the people. " We exchange our village produced and rice to the Indian people inreturn we take salt and kerosene from them" ,a Burmese girl said .The girl who comes to the market regularly to sell rice and other products covering a stretch of 15 KM from her village to take salt and kerosene which are very scarce in Burma . Despite the problem ,the Burmese Junta seems indifferent about the plight of the people ." We come to the market by organising a group comprising 10 to 15 girls because the area is very dangerous any thing can happen during our market journey ",the girl said . The PangsahuPass market, situated on the border of Naga hills in Burma and Arunachal Pradesh State in India, is famous for dry fish and chicken which are generally exchanged through barter system. What is more interesting is that the Burmese soldiers come to the market to buy their essential commodities from the market escorted by the Indian security forces to avoid any clash with the militant groups. The market is held twice in a month as per demand of the people .During rainy season ,people have to face severe problem in view of prevailing ,but that does not affect the spirit of the people ." We go to the market with 15 to 20 kg of rice on our back defying all-odds as there is no other market facility in our soil .Moreover ,We have to buy our essential commodities so we do not care any adverse situation " a group of Burmese women said. The Indian people also enjoy the marketing in the PangshauPass market . " We ahve been exchanging our products with Burmese people for the last couple of years which has developed a new relation among us .Even Burmese people invite us when any festival is organised in their territory", said Nahar Bora an Indian villager .He further siad that The Burmese people have to face a lot of difficulties in thier respective villages as there is no proper facility ." It is quite impossible how they are living in a difficult condition there is no doctor . They come to our area to take treatment from our doctors and we help them " the Indian villager said . Supporting the view ,Manohar,Rubul and Jibon advocated that the Burmese government should take an urgent step to help the villagers living the area . The Burmese are suppressed and opressed and considering the gravity of the situation the Junta should come forward to rescue them . Despite Inummerable problem ,the Burmese people living in the area are still optimistic that the good days would prevail soon . -------------------------------------------------------------------- |