EU to bar 140 junta officials from entry
Achara
Asyagachat The European Union will
soon announce a blacklist of 140 Burmese officials barred from entry into their
member countries as part of stronger sanctions against the military
regime. A French Foreign Ministry source said the list included members
of the ruling State Peace and Development Council in Rangoon, Foreign Minister
Win Aung, and other senior military and civilian officials. EU foreign ministers last month also slapped a ban on the export
of weapons to Burma, and agreed to freeze funds held abroad by members of the
regime. "These measures are to strengthen pressure against the core
military people, and will help to not isolate all Burmese people in general,"
the French Foreign Ministry source said. But the EU had not neglected Burmese people, she stressed,
adding that humanitarian aid to the country had been increased last July but
through unofficial channels, including non-governmental organisations.
Thai officials expressed concern that the release of a blacklist
could pose problems for the meeting of senior Asean and EU officials that
Portugal is due to host next month. The meeting would pave the way for the resumption of a
ministerial dialogue, disrupted since Burma joined Asean in July 1997, later
this year during France's presidency of the EU. Germany had to call off a planned ministerial meeting when it
held the EU presidency during the first half of last year because of a visa ban
against Burmese officials.. The French source emphasised the importance the EU attached to
its relations with Asean. But she declined further details about the ministerial
meeting. "Everything has just become clearer. It's too early to talk
about the modalities or agenda for the ministerial talks. Earlier we did not
even think a meeting of senior officials could be held," she said. Jacques Faure, director of European Co-operation at the French
Foreign Ministry, said the ministerial meeting was expected to take place
back-to-back with the Asia-Europe Summit in Seoul in October. He said EU and Asean counterparts had expressed eagerness to
resume the political dialogue. "Under the French presidency of the EU, we would like to talk
with Asean on financial matters, new economic challenges like the internet,
among other global and regional concerns," he said. Asia Pulse Monday, May 8 10:18 AM SGT
NEW DELHI, May 8 Asia Pulse - The Indian Cabinet has decided to import 50,000
tonnes of rice from Myanmar for distribution in the northeastern part of the
country through Public Distribution System (PDS). The decision to import rice from Myanmar has been taken since the net landing
price in North East from that country would be same as that of landing cost of
rice from northern state of Punjab or southern state of Andhra Pradesh, federal
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan, said.
He said the decision is expected to boost bilateral relations between the
countries. Monday, May 8 1:57 PM SGT HANOI (AP)--Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai will visit Thailand,
Myanmar and Laos this week to boost ties with the country's Southeast Asian
neighbors, the Prime Minister's office said Monday. Khai will hold talks with Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai Tuesday on the
first leg, a three-day visit to Thailand. The two sides are expected to sign
agreements on visa exemptions and on sports cooperation.
The exemption agreement, which would allow citizens to travel for a month in
the other country without a visa, is hoped to boost tourism. Vietnam currently
has a similar agreement with the Philippines.
Khai is due to meet Thai businessmen and bankers in Bangkok, and visit a
former residence in northeastern Thailand of communist Vietnam's revolutionary
hero Ho Chi Minh, before touring an agricultural project in northern Chiang Mai
province.
He will fly directly to Yangon Friday for a three-day visit, including talks
with Myanmar leaders including chairman of the ruling military council Gen. Than
Shwe, who is also prime minister.
Khai departs May 15 for Laos, Vietnam's communist neighbor, where he will
meet with Laotian Prime Minister Sisavat Keobounphanh. Khai returns to Vietnam
next Wednesday.
This is Khai's first official visit to the three countries since taking
office in 1997. Vietnam has been steadily building regional ties since it was
admitted to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 1995. Supamart
Kasem A special police unit has been set
up to combat the smuggling of illegal Burmese workers. It follows complaints that Burmese are being brought across the border and
then on to Bangkok and other provinces along the Mae Sot-Tak and Mae Ramat-Ban
Tak highways. Some of them have walked overland from the Mae Sot-Tak highway to Khlong Lan
district in Kamphaeng Phet. An immigration police report said the smuggling ring comprised traders,
police, teachers, local administration officials and Burmese nationals. In the past two months, immigration, provincial and border patrol police and
territorial defence volunteers arrested at least 20 smugglers with nearly 1,000
illegal Burmese workers. Most were drivers of trucks and attendants. They were paid 5,000-6,000 baht
for each illegal worker delivered. "These people worked with agents in Myawaddy to send workers across the
border to a rendezvous. From there a truck would take them to various
destinations. Some of the truck drivers tried to bribe authorities at
checkpoints," an immigration police officer said. The special force, comprising three units of five men each, was set up late
last week by Pol Maj-Gen Sompong Chalermwan, the provincial police chief. They
would patrol roads and search trucks suspected of carrying workers. Information had been compiled on places suspected of sheltering illegal
Burmese workers. Panithi Tangphati, chairman of the Tak Chamber of Commerce, said employers
still require foreign workers to fill vacancies in 18 industries where there are
no Thai replacements. National Security Council chief Kachadpai Burusphat said factories needing
foreign labour should relocate to the Burmese side of the border. The Nation - May 8,
2000. Burmese leaders on EU blacklist
PARIS -- European Union countries will publish a blacklist of Burmese leaders
banned from entering the region as part of a move to strengthen sanctions
previously issued against the junta-led country.
The move, expected to be released via an EU communique within the week is an
explicit demonstration of the region's drive against dictatorship and
human-rights violations in Burma, a senior EU source said.
When the sanction was originally issued two years ago it stated only that
"Burmese leaders" were banned from entering EU member countries. "Now we will go
beyond that to publish all the names included in the ban," said the source.
The list will comprise 140 names, including chairman of Burma's State Peace
and Development Council (SPDC) General Than Shwe, his deputy General Khin Nyunt
and other SPDC members. All Cabinet members and senior officials in all
ministries will be included in the ban, including Foreign Minister Win Aung.
"This is what we call the strengthening of our sanction against Burma," the
source said.
Other sanctions against Burmese leaders will remain in place, including the
freezing of their assets in EU countries and discouraging any EU companies from
investing in Burma.
In what is seen as an EU compromise, the community recently announced the
extension of sanctions on Burma for another six months but said it would agree
to Burma's participation in the Asean-EU ministerial meeting if it took place in
an Asian country.
The union's sanctions on Burma have affected Asean-EU relations, especially
since Burma was admitted as an Asean member in 1997.
The Asean-EU ministerial meeting was suspended when the EU broke off contact
with Burma. Asean insists that Burma, as one of its members, has a right to
attend the meeting.
The source said a meeting of senior officials from Asean and the EU was
expected to be held in Lisbon in June and the ministerial meeting could probably
be held in October in Seoul.
The announcement of the Burma blacklist will not affect either meeting since
the Burmese are not banned from the joint meeting.
The source said EU countries wanted to reactivate the meetings to resume
cooperation between the two regions on economic and non-economic issues.
BY MARISA CHIMPRABHA
The Nation
Paris
India to Import 50,000 Tonnes of Rice From
Myanmar
Vietnamese PM To Visit Thailand, Myanmar, Laos
This Week
Smugglers on the run as Burmese
illegals pour in
Police unit
set up to catch traffickers
BURMA
ASSOCIATED PRESS in Rangoon
Southeast Asian police chiefs began a two-day
conference in Burma on Monday focused on increasing cooperation against
transnational crimes such as drug trafficking, the flesh trade and
cybercrime.
''The problem of the 21st century is organised crimes committed
across national boundaries,'' Burma's Home Minister Colonel Tin Hlaing said in
his opening address at 20th annual gathering of police chiefs from the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations.