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BURMA RELATED NEWS - February 05, 2003. -------------------------------------------------------------------- HEADLINES -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bkk Post - Dealers will have to run
forever, says PM
Bkk Post - IN BRIEF - Issues not
raised
Asian Tribune - Thai Human Rights
Commissioner on Burmese political activists.
Mizzima - Rice Bowl of Asia
faces rice shortage
Asian Tribune - War on
Drugs: Drug-runner killed and drugs Captured by Shan State
Army
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - Wednesday 05 February 2003 Dealers will have to run forever, says PM Police safety comes first in campaign Yuwadee Tunyasiri and Subin Khuenkaew Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has warned traffickers on the run from the government's war on drugs to think twice about returning to Thailand. Mr Thaksin said he was happy with the first three days of the campaign, with prominent drug dealers having been arrested while many others were being hunted down. Any drug dealers who had fled Thailand would be arrested if they came back, he said. ``They have to run for the rest of their lives and not come back because we have details about all the important dealers.'' Mr Thaksin said the drug clampdown would be evaluated constantly and improved after three months. The public need not worry about extra-judicial killings since police would do everything in accordance with the law. ``Do not put the safety of drug dealers above that of police. ``If police do not shoot when they fight, they will die. Do not care about drug dealers or they will sell drugs to your children _ look out,'' the prime minister said. The Northern Narcotics Control Centre in Chiang Mai said 100 of 300 blacklisted drug gangs in the North had fled the country. Pitthaya Jinawat, director of the centre, said each group included a network of about 200 small-scale dealers who would be tackled by local police. He and the Mae Hong Son governor would ask the military to crack down on blacklisted drug dealers, most of whom were local leaders and politicians. In Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, a border source said major drug dealers, including several village headmen, had gone into hiding in Burma. Police spokesman Pol Maj-Gen Pongsaphat Pongcharoen said police yesterday arrested 1,195 drug suspects, 16 of them major drug dealers, and seized 314,535 speed pills. In the first three days of the crackdown, which started at the weekend, police arrested 2,694 suspects, 80 of them major dealers, and seized 3.4 million methamphetamine pills. Four suspects were killed in shootouts. --------------------------------------------------------------------
Bangkok Post -
Wednesday 05 February 2003
IN BRIEF - Issues not raised Army chief Gen Somdhat Attanand did not raise a joint patrol proposal and border problems over Doi Lang in talks with Burmese leaders last week. On Jan 31 he had talks with Burmese Prime Minister Gen Than Shwe, army chief Gen Maung Aye and State Peace and Development Council first secretary Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt. Gen Somdhat said he decided not to raise problems for fear it would damage the friendly atmosphere at the meeting. PM's Burma agenda Anti-drug missions, tourism and labour issues will be on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's agenda for his visit to Burma on Feb 9-10. Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said the leaders of both countries would have in-depth discussions. Mr Thaksin will propose flights from Chiang Mai to Bagan, Mandalay and Putao in Kachin state, and discuss illegal immigration and repatriation. --------------------------------------------------------------------
Asian Tribune
Date : 2003-02-05 Thai Human Rights Commissioner on Burmese political activists. By ? K.T.Rajasingham Bangkok, Feb. 05: The Government is not interested in allowing Thailand to be used as base against Burma. The Army has insisted that it will not tolerate any foreign political activist to use of Thailand as a base for their political activities. Jaran Ditapichai explained this. In an exclusive interview with Asia Tribune, Jaran Ditapichai, Commissioner of National Human Rights Commission of Thailand told, ?The Army feels that Burmese opposition activists are making use of Thailand for their political activities against the government of Burma. Last week, I had a meeting with the Burmese supporting groups in Thailand. In the course of the discussion, they too expressed their concern and worry about the development in Thailand.? He added that, as a human right activists, he understand the ground situation, but things has to wait until interaction and goodwill is established. When asked why suddenly such strong measures are taken against Burmese activists functioning in Thailand, he said, ?No it is incorrect to say that the government has adopted this stance suddenly. This is the government?s position since the middle of last year. This all started due to Burmese militant activities unleashed within Thailand, which made the Thai people to resent them for their high-handed violent activities. When describing about the role of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, the Commissioner said that, The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) was established under the People?s Constitution of 1997, as a mechanism to observe the respect for human rights, according constitutional provisions 199 and 200. Subsequently, he added that the National Human Rights Commission Act of B.E. 2542 (1999), provided the statutory authority for the setting up of the Thai Human Rights Commission. Accordingly this is an autonomous body and was established in July 2000. When explaining the set-up of the Commission he told this writer that there are 11 Commissioners in the Commission, including him and Professor Saneh Chamark- the Chairperson of the Commission, with a six-year statutory term of office. The Commission is mandated to function with independence and impartiality, as follows: * To promote the respect for and the practice in compliance with human rights principles at domestic and international levels. * To examine and report the commission or omission acts which violate human rights or which do not comply with obligations under the international human rights treaties to which Thailand is a party. * To proposes policies and amendments of laws, rules and regulations for the promotion and protection of human rights. * To promote human rights education and research, including the dissemination of human rights information. * To promote coordination and cooperation with government agencies, non-government organizations and others in order to strengthen human rights in a society. * To prepare two annual reports on the human rights situation in the country and on the Commission?s annual performance. * To give opinions when the government considers being a party to human rights treaties. Commissioner Jaran Ditapichai was one of the popular student activists of Thammasat University Student Union from 1967 ? 70. Earlier, he was a member in several movements, including the proscribed Communist Party of Thailand. Because of his political activities, he was hiding in the jungle as guerilla and subsequently went as an exile to France. Assistant Professor Jaran Ditapichai, wrote ?French Revolution 1789,? ?The Rangoon 18? and ?Restructuring Thai Parliament? ? which is a research work. After his return to Thailand in 1990, he continued to be an active member in several non-government organization. Meanwhile, during that period, members of the then Sri Lankan insurgents organization, the Janata Vimukthi Perumuna (JVP) fled the country, after then Sri Lankan President R. Premadasa cracked down on them and caused the execution of their leader. Several hundreds of those from the hard core Sinhala insurgent organization fled Sri Lanka and many came over to Thailand. Jaran Ditapichai described in the interview with this writer that, he was assigned in those days to train those JVP members. He also recalled that in August 1988, he went as a member of the International Goodwill Mission to Burma, where he was detained and deported back by the military junta. The Commissioner told that after the inauguration, the Commission has received nearly 500 complaints. He said that the Commission would investigate alleged human rights violation cases which is not pending or judged in the court of law. He further added that out of those complaints they received 17 of them were from the Burmese nationalities. The Commissioner concluded by saying that the National Human Rights Act defines, ?Human Rights? as human dignity, rights, liberty and equality of people which are guaranteed or protected under the Constitution, Thai laws and treaties to which Thailand is a party. --------------------------------------------------------------------
Rice Bowl of Asia faces rice
shortage
By Htet Aung Kyaw Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com) 5 February 2003 Burma, once Asia's rice bowl, may now face rice shortage in the coming months, according to farmers and agricultural experts. "Rice production is lower than consumer demand and government buffer-stocks are depleted', claims Dr Khin Maung Kyi, a Singapore-based economic expert. Dr Khin Maung Kyi finds that the authorities sold 800,000 tons of rice last year to generate foreign income, a quantity, which had been kept as a buffer-stock during the last three decades. He estimates that Burma will produce about 12 million tons of rice in 2003, similar to the amounts produced in the last two years. But he points out that Burma?s population is rising by two percent each year and has now reached over 50 million people, leading to starkly rising demands. Moreover, farmers from the Irrawaddy Division and from Mon State said that they worry about rain during harvest time. "Until last week, the rain continued. We have already harvested the paddies but cannot collect it the harvest due to non-stop rain. The harvest has been exposed to rain for almost a month. And so much of it has sprouted'', said a farmer from Moulmein in a telephone conversation with the Oslo-based Democratic Voice of Burma radio in the second week of January. However, U Pyae Nyein, general manager of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, said that the rain in December would not affect the paddy harvest. "The damage to the newly harvested paddy was negligible and will not affect production this year", he told Myanmar Time, a pro-government weekly journal in Rangoon. The journal estimated losses of no more than about 4 pyis (18.4 pounds) to an acre's yield of about 65 baskets (2990 pounds, or 1.33 tones). But the pro-junta weekly fails to calculate how much these losses amount to across 15.86 million acres of paddy throughout the country. (4 Pyi multiplied by 15.86m acres equals 64 million Pyi, or 4 million baskets, about 2 million tons). Despite losses of 4 pyis per acre, officials of the Myanmar Agriculture Service have no plans of reducing the paddy-tax levied on farmers. "I was ordered to pay 16 baskets per acre to the government paddy-station. Even though they know about the rain damage in our fields, there is no tax reduction'', the Mon farmer lamented. The government station pays only 350kyat per basket whereas a basket fetches 2500 kyat in the open market. Farmers who harvest less than 16 baskets per acre are forced to buy paddy from the black market in order to pay off their dues with the government-station. "Failing to do so we would be faced with a six-months jail term'', the farmer said. "The government should change it policy on farmers like our rival neighbour Thailand has done. There is no more fixed pricing in Thailand, and it is becoming the biggest rice exporter'', comments Dr Khin Maung Kyi. Thailand changed its farming policy from fixed price to free market in 1960s while Burma was occupied with nationalization. Until the 1950s, Burma had been the biggest rice exporter, selling three million tons every year. But now, this country is able to export only 77,000 tons while Thailand exported 2.5 million tons in 2002. (7.5 million tons in 2001) Thai farmers produce about 80 baskets per acre (rai) while their Burmese counterparts manage only half that quantity. Thai farmers changed their farming system from manual to mechanized while the Burmese still employ traditional farming methods, using oxen and buffalos. "After paying the government tax, the oxen, labour and transplants, I am left with nothing. No farmer can be happy with this condition", the Mon farmer complained. His farm of ten acres produces about 400 baskets. But he has to pay 160 baskets in government tax, 120 baskets for the oxen, 100 for labor costs and some cash for transplants, harvesters and fertilizer. According to business sources in Rangoon, the rice price is now rising up from 450 kyat to 650 kyat per pyi (for good quality rice). Normally the rice price would fall in December when newly harvested rice reaches the market. But this year, nothing is normal, with rain spoiling the harvest and rumors of a rice crisis. Government officials, including Chairman Senior Gen Than Shwe, tour districts and tell local residents not to worry about the rice shortage. In the capital Rangoon, the authorities allocate two pyi weekly to each family at the official rate of 100 kyat. According to reports, rice looting has increased in central Burma, Arakan State and the Teneseriam division. Economic expert suggest that government's preparations are insufficient to solve the problem. "They need to apply a market-economy and free-trade policy in reality, not only on paper", argues Dr Kyi. "Without a change of economic policy, there is no way out of the rice shortage and the farmers? suffering". Htet Aung Kyaw is a correspondent for the Democratic Voice of Burma. --------------------------------------------------------------------
Asian Tribune
Date : 2003-02-05 War on Drugs: Drug-runner killed and drugs Captured by Shan State Army On 4th February 2003, at 08:20 hr, a clash broke out when Shan State Army (SSA) troops met with some drug runners at Ho Nam Toh; about 40 minutes walk from the SPDC's camp at San Su, opposite of Fang, Chiang Mai Province. SSA troops captured 1-drug runner, but dead and 280,000 tablets of amphetamine. Two other runners escaped, probably wounded. The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), political wing of the SSA, in its annual conference held at Loi Tai Leng from 25th to 29th December 2002, stated: " The war on drugs will continue as much as the condition and resources permits". The incidence also coincides with the Thai's anti-drugs campaign kicked started on the 1st of February, which is to last for three months. So far, twenty-three suspected drug traffickers have been killed since Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's most recent war on drugs got under way, according to the police in Thailand. - SHAN - --------------------------------------------------------------------
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