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Bangkok Post - Saturday 02 August 2003
Neighbours receive aid boost
PM concerned over widening
GDP gaps
Bhanravee Tansubhapol
The foreign
ministers of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Burma agreed yesterday on more
cooperation in trade, agriculture, transportation, tourism and human resources
development.
Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said the aim was to
build competitiveness, promote sustainable economic development and eradicate
poverty in Thailand's three neighbours.
The other countries' foreign
ministers joined Mr Surakiart in a three-hour meeting yesterday before calling
on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra at Government House.
Thailand has
helped its three neighbours in various projects, and assistance has been given
through reduced tariffs or shifting production bases there.
Under the
latest agreement, Thailand would be more flexible in assisting in the five
fields, said deputy secretary-general of the National Economic and Social
Development Board, Somchet Taeracoop.
To facilitate economic integration,
the four countries also agreed on the twin cities concept. This will lead to the
declaration of Trat, Mukdahan and Mae Sot being sister cities to Koh Kong in
Cambodia, Suvannakhet in Laos and Myawaddy in Burma respectively.
The
concept will make the promotion of investments more effective.
Trat and
Koh Kong will be the pilot project in the sister-city link.
Mr Somchet
said Thailand had allocated 10 million baht to conduct a feasibility study on
industrial estate development in Koh Kong.
Mr Surakiart quoted Mr Thaksin
as saying that Thailand was ready to open its market for agricultural goods from
neighboring countries without tariffs.
Bigger quotas would be given for
goods imported from the neighbouring countries.
Thailand would also help
export their goods to other countries, including those with which the kingdom
had free trade agreements like India, China and Bahrain.
``We have to
help increase the GDP in our neighboring countries. Thailand's GDP is rising
steadily. Without any assistance the gap will continue to widen over the next
five years,'' Mr Thaksin told the foreign ministers.
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The Nation
Killer Mountain?s warning
Published on Aug 2, 2003
Hidden behind breathtaking
beauty, Burma?s Snow Mountain can also kill... or so legends have it
In
the Himalayas of northern Burma, towering above all things in the world, are
interwoven into a complex bio-diversity. This is home to the last and only
virgin mountain rainforests on the planet.
It is indeed the end of the
earth ? teeming with life of unimagined variety before the great crossing into a
vast, inhospitable hinterland of ice and snow as far as the eye can see.
The remoteness and geopolitics of the region have kept the Snow Mountain
of Burma well hidden, defying explorers since the beginning of time. At 5,850
metres, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia has been called the Ghost
Mountain, and because of its vulnerability to avalanches ? the Killer Mountain.
Conversely, however, it is a sanctuary for many rare and near-extinct
animals and plants, and the last refuge of the fast-disappearing Taron tribe.
With an average height of 110 centimetres, these people are known as the pygmies
of Myanmar.
On a clear day, the plain of Putao?s alluring beauty never
fails to capture the imagination and challenge all those who wish to enter a
world of myths and legends.
Two scientists ? one a physicist from
Thailand, another a Burmese geologist ? have been watching these mountains for
some time now.
After a long wait, tough negotiations, endless treks and
many sleepless nights, we arrive in sleepy Putao town, a place with a sad
destiny. It was here that the mass exodus of the ethnic Tai began, the long
migration to Assam in India, ultimately a great untold tragedy. It was the
metamorphosis from a proud Tai kingdom to the lowest caste of India?s
population.
As we wade across small streams, the origins of the great
Irrawadee River, the water gurgles over the stones and the moon rises over the
Snow Mountain, spreading a faint opaline light across the vast plain. It?s a
romantic and picturesque panorama framing our base camp below the beautiful but
fearsome mountain.
Beneath the moonlit sky, in the only restaurant in
Putao, the Tai owner laments. ?A long, long time ago, young people went over the
mountain to search for new lives in Assam and they never returned,? he says.
?Time has erased all the trails, but not the memories.?
A young Kachin
nearby joins in. ?Kublai Khan brought us here to fight a long time ago. We have
forgotten how to return home.?
For a moment the atmosphere is
overwhelmed by a melancholic silence. Then, a loud laugh from a corner of the
room reveals a small, 60-year-old man sitting by himself.
?I, Ah-Jong, a
Kachin who roamed the forest for the government, never talk cheap. These
mountains are not for the faint-hearted. You ain?t seen nothing so mean.
?You must be able to eat rough, sleep rough, withstand terrifying
rainstorms, scorching sun, wailing winds and avalanche snow ? all in the spread
of a few days.? With an enigmatic smile, he continues: ?In the caves there are
old bones, in creeks there are jade, ruby and gold.
?People call it
Ghost Mountain or Killer Mountain, but I ain?t saw no ghost and ain?t died yet.?
I stare at this strange mystical character who stands tall amid
superstitious society, fearing neither God nor ghost, transcending time, love
and death. He is just the man for our expedition.
The candles burn late
into the night. My partner, the geologist Gee Soe, is fast asleep, having
thanked me repeatedly for bringing the project so close to reality ? a project I
am not so sure about myself.
Sang Gong is the last village before a
steep climb up the mountain. We visit a derelict Christian church with two
tombstones standing out on a lonely hill. A dozen children are in the church?s
care, and I feel obliged to make a donation and share some biscuits.
A
Kachin nun reaches out to me, her hands trembling, her eyes wet with tears. Her
face is beautiful but sad and pale. She whispers in perfect English: ?Thank you.
May God be with you.?
Stunned by such real-life drama. I stand numbed
for a few seconds, then utter without thinking: ?My thanks for your kind and
noble heart.?
It?s hard to say goodbye. I turn around and head for the
mountain. Feeling moistness in my eyes, I clench my lips tight, glance over my
shoulder to see a little girl running after me ? for the last time.
As
the sun descends on the horizon, a thick mist wafts gently over the mountain
from India, hastening night?s arrival. At 2,500 metres, the temperature drops
quickly. We try to get warm in the cottage, but a gust of icy wind blasts
against my face.
Silence is broken by the loudest thunder ever, then a
series of lightning bolts strike all around our cottage. Terrifying echoes
ricochet back and forth across the vast wilderness. The deafening rain is
unending. The expedition seems doomed.
As coldness penetrates deep into
the bones, I pick up a bottle of whisky, take a big sip and try to duck from the
rain leaking from the roof of dried grass.
The earth shakes violently
every time lightning strikes. Trembling with cold or fear or both, I cower in
front of mighty nature, trapped within the mercy of the Killer Mountain.
Suddenly a stream of water seeps through the floor and soaks our
sleeping bags. The cottage, our refuge, begins to tilt and slowly breaks
apart...
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The Nation
Rangoon wary on road map
Rungrawee C Pinyorat
Supalak Ganjanakhundee
Published on Aug 2, 2003
Burmese Foreign
Minister Win Aung yesterday expressed appreciation for Thailand's initiative to
organise a forum to draw up a road map for peace and national reconciliation in
his country - but refused to say if Burma would attend.
Speaking to
reporters yesterday following his bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister
Surakiart Sathirathai, Win Aung said he would take the suggestions back to
Rangoon for consideration, adding such a complicated matter could not be
concluded in an hour.
The Burmese minister declined to comment on
details of the Thai-proposed road map.
Surakiart said he "felt
encouraged" and "satisfied" with yesterday's meeting, adding that he would
consult with Razali Ismail, the UN special envoy to Burma, who will be invited
to Bangkok in the coming weeks to discuss the road map.
When asked if
there was a need to propose the idea directly to Burma leader Than Shwe,
Surakiart said this was a sensitive issue and there was a need to proceed with
care. He said "like-minded" countries he was preparing to invite to the Burma
forum included China, Britain, Australia, Austria, Japan and the United States,
adding that the meeting would be a "brain-storming" session for the road map.
Surakiart also stated that the first step in the road map would include
the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under
"protective custody" since the violent May 30 clash between her supporters and a
group backed by the junta.
Surakiart said the road map would not be made
public until the Burmese leaders had seen it, as its disclosure would be
"diplomatically inappropriate". The Thai-proposed road map, he added, would not
overlap with Indonesia's initiative to dispatch a high-level mission to Rangoon
to expedite the process of national reconciliation and political reform in the
Burma.
Win Aung said the political situation in Burma was "hot" and that
Rangoon was waiting for a "cooling-down period" before Suu Kyi could be
released.
"The heat comes from inside and outside. . . everything needs
to cool down for both inside and outside," he said. adding that the only concern
for Burma was not to allow the country to collapse. "We are trying to prevent
the country from going into anarchy," he said.
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The Nation
Four nations in economic dialogue
Rungrawee C Pinyorat
Published on Aug 2,
2003
Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Burma yesterday kicked off
their economic-cooperation project in five key areas in a bid to bridge economic
gaps and reduce poverty, Foreign Affairs Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said.
The cooperation includes trade and investment promotion, agricultural
and industrial development, transportation links, tourism and human-resources
development, he said.
The meeting on Economic Cooperation Strategy (ECS)
was co-chaired by Laos' Foreign Minister Somsavad Lengsavat, Cambodia's Foreign
Minister Hor Nam Hong and Burma's Foreign Minister Win Aung.
Surakiart
said that five key areas would be given priority so the results of the
cooperation could be seen quickly. On trade promotion, Thailand intends to buy
more goods from neighbouring countries and also provide technical assistance to
make goods prices more competitive. In addition, customs regulations and
inspections needed to be improved and streamlined to facilitate and increase
cross-border trade.
Thailand will consider relocating enterprises to
neighbouring countries where production costs are lower.
On the tourism
front, Surakiart said the four countries would consider marketing the whole
region as a single tourist destination through projects such as
joint-destination packages and aviation links.
He said the National
Economic and Social Development Board had proposed the development of special
border economic zones.
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02/08/2003 14:50:49 | ABC Radio Australia
News
Aung San Suu Kyi isolated in Burma
Burma's Foreign Minister, Win Aung says opposition leader Aung
San Suu Kyi is being isolated to prevent political anarchy which could destroy
the country.
She has been kept at a secret location since a clash between
her supporters and pro-government youths in May.
Win Aung says Burma's
military rulers will free Ms Suu Kyi when the situation cools.
But he's
refused to give a timetable for her release.
You know everything depends
upon the development in our country and the development means, when it doesn't
go down into the drain, when it is stable, then you know we can move forward to
normalisation.
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02/08/2003 12:23:25 | ABC Radio Australia News
Burma
says Suu Kyi is being held to prevent anarchy
Burma's
Foreign Minister, Win Aung says opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is being
isolated to prevent political anarchy which could destroy the country.
He
says Burma's military rulers will free Ms Suu Kyi when the situation
cools.
Win Aung was speaking on the sidelines of a regional foreign
ministers meeting in Bangkok.
He gave no timetable for the release of the
pro-democracy leader who has been kept at a secret location since a clash on May
30th between her supporters and pro-government youths.
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The Star Online
Waiter slashed for not
serving roti canai on time
Saturday, August 02,
2003
KLANG: For being served his favourite roti canai 25 minutes
late, a Myanmar national allegedly slashed the Bangladeshi waiter with a meat
cleaver before fleeing.
Mohammad Sakel Yusof Ali, 29, who works at
a stall at the Jalan Batu Empat, Kampong Jawa here is in stable condition at the
Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital at press time.
Restaurant owner
Mohd Hossain Syed Ali said an argument broke out between the Myanmar national
and Mohammad Sakel because he did not serve on time.
The Myanmar
man allegedly slapped Mohammad Sakel before walking out from the shop and
returning with two others, armed with a metal pipe and a cleaver.
The
trio allegedly chased Mohammad Sakel, 29, to the kitchen.
?When I went into the kitchen I found Sakel lying on the floor and
bleeding from his neck,? he said, adding that all his customers ran
off.
Police went to a nearby squatter area where the three
men lived but they escaped on seeing the police van.
OCPD Asst
Comm A. Paramasivam confirmed the incident.
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The Straits Times
Hit despots with 'smart
sanctions'
By JEFFREY
SACHS
AUG 2, 2003 SAT
THE United States
Congress has voted almost unanimously - 418 to 2 in the House of Representatives
and 94 to 1 in the Senate - to tighten trade and financial sanctions against
Myanmar, whose despotic regime harasses and repeatedly imprisons the country's
rightful leader, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi.
Her party won the country's
elections in 1990 but the military prevented her from taking power.
But
sanctions are the wrong approach, for international marginalisation hurts
ordinary citizens far more than it hurts dictatorial regimes. It is time to
curtail the use of economic sanctions and to make them better targeted at
despots.
The most famous sanctions in recent history were those imposed
on South Africa during the apartheid era. Much of the world community stopped
trading with South Africa and stopped making investments in South African-based
enterprises. Those sanctions did, it seems, help speed the demise of that
barbaric system.
But one great success does not negate the many
failures.
Moreover, the world community could have supported the
overthrow of apartheid in other ways.
Of course, sanctions can be
effective in hurting the economy of the target country. Economic development in
today's global economy depends on each country being integrated into the
worldwide network of production, trade and investment. A national economy that
is excluded by sanctions is likely to stagnate or even collapse.
Thus,
the South African economy experienced an absolute decline in per capita output
during the years of widespread sanctions. However, sanctions were not the only
reason for decline. Political unrest also devastated the economy, as did a fall
in world gold prices that coincided with the anti-apartheid movement in the
final years.
Still, South Africa was hurt badly by sanctions and the same
can be said for many other countries.
Cuba bears a heavy economic burden
today, not only as a result of its own internal economic mistakes but also
because of the barriers to trade and investment imposed by the US since the
1960s. Haiti went into an economic tailspin when America imposed sanctions in
the 1990s, ostensibly to re-establish democracy.
Even today, the US
blocks aid for Haiti because some right-wing US congressmen are intent on
toppling President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, whom they abhor.
Iraq and
North Korea have likewise been battered by sanctions. In Iraq during the 1990s,
millions of children suffered repeated illnesses and vast numbers died because
international sanctions contributed to ruining the country's economy. North
Korea's economy utterly collapsed in the 1990s, leading to widespread famine.
Once again, this resulted from a combination of North Korea's political
despotism, its atrocious economic policy and international sanctions.
Myanmar has already paid an extremely high price for its isolation.
International organisations have cut back or eliminated their work in the
country and much bilateral foreign aid has been eliminated. One result is that
the Aids virus has run rampant and the country has received almost no help in
getting the epidemic under control. Myanmar's Aids crisis is now by far
South-east Asia's worst.
How often have sanctions achieved the desired
goal? In Myanmar, Iraq, North Korea and Cuba, despotic regimes not only survived
the imposition of sanctions, but also became more despotic. These regimes were
able to blame foreigners for domestic hardship, even when it was their own
policy mistakes and human rights abuses that caused the crises.
Indeed,
sanctions weaken an economy and public health, but do not necessarily make it
more likely that a despotic regime will collapse. Sanctions purportedly
undermine the regime by causing widespread unrest and by reducing the
government's power base and tax collections. But sanctions also weaken the
ability of the private sector to finance an opposition, tend to cut off the
domestic opposition from international sources of support, and reduce, rather
than increase, international awareness of the abuses taking place.
Some
additional effects are even more pernicious. When legal means of business are
outlawed, illegal means become more attractive. Many countries under sanctions,
such as Myanmar, become part of the worldwide illegal trafficking of drugs and
arms, money laundering and forced labour. Drug trafficking and other illegal
activities can overtake the whole government, turning it from despotism to
international organised crime.
FOCUSED
MEASURES
DOES this mean that the world should do nothing about
despotic regimes?
There is no easy answer, but if it is possible to
weaken a government without weakening an economy, such steps should be taken -
for example, so-called 'smart sanctions' that focus more narrowly on the
political leadership.
Smart sanctions include denial of international
travel privileges to despots and their families and subjecting those despots to
the risk of international prosecution. Leaders can thus be made prisoners in
their own countries. Smart sanctions can also target the trade in military
goods, cutting off supplies to despotic regimes' armed forces. Moreover, foreign
aid can be shifted away from government towards non-governmental organisations,
strengthening the civil societies in such countries.
It is easy to vote
against Myanmar's government, but it is harder to foster political change.
Starving Myanmar's economy is unlikely to help, but it is certain to deepen the
suffering of its people. Of course, countries that embrace the use of sanctions
do not intend this, but that does not lessen their responsibility for the
outcome.
The writer is professor of economics and director of the Earth
Institute at Columbia University.
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2003
THE TIMES OF
INDIA
China, US get vital clues on drug cartel
activities
NIRMALYA BANERJEE
TIMES
NEWS NETWORK[ SATURDAY, AUGUST 02, 2003 01:14:44 AM ]
KOLKATA:
Chinese and US investigators on the international drug trail discovered at Salt
Lake in Kolkata recently have found some vital clues.
The 12-member team
would be back in New Delhi on Saturday.
On Friday they interrogated the
Chinese and Myanmar nationals arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau from the
house of former CBI additional director general Upen Biswas at Salt Lake on May
18.
According to NCB director-general M.K. Singh, ?We have been able to
learn about their background and activities. A complete picture has emerged
following the team?s visit to Kolkata.?
It was revealed that Lal
Sanga, one of the five arrested foreign nationals, is a key member of the drug
cartel. He had faked his identity and told NCB sleuths that he was from Myanmar.
But, on interrogation Baikha Kima revealed that Lal Sanga is actually Chinese,
said Singh. In fact, he is a cousin of Wang De Long, a Chinese member of the
drug cartel. He used to shuttle between Myanmar, Kolkata and China. He also
smuggled drugs including ATS and heroin. Wang alias NG had already served four
years in a New York prison for drug-related charges.
Earlier, it was
thought that S.N. Thanga, who was absconding, was a prime member of the 125 drug
cartel. But, now it seems that he was only their local contact man in Kolkata
and helped them in renting the Salt Lake house.
Kenny Mah Wah Wong, son
of ring leader of the international 125 drug cartel Kin Cheung Wong, had come to
Kolkata on April 16. He was accompanied by Wah Wing Chan.
They had
chosen Salt Lake because it would give them anonymity. Moreover, due its
proximity to Kolkata it was ideal for smuggling ATS to Thailand and from there
to Europe.
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