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Bangkok Post - June 1,
2000.
Inbrief
Seminar arrests
Chiang Mai-Police charged 10 Burmese tribespeople
with illegal entry at a seminar of minority groups and deported them
yesterday. Organisers called off the five-day seminar, which started in Mae Taeng
district on May 29 and included 40 representatives from Burmese minorities and
dissident students. The All Burma Students' Democratic Front, one of the organisers, said the
seminar was part of a campaign to urge Rangoon to provide minorities with
educational opportunities.
Andaman Club Co denied yesterday that its hotel
and casino were a transit point for methamphetamines from Burma. Vikrom Aisiri, the chairman, was responding to report
linking the seizure of 4.3 million pills from a pick-up truck in Prachuap Khiri
Khan. A small plastic bag bearing his hotel's logo and containing paracetamol
pills was found on the driver's seat. Mr Vikrom said the driver might have gone to the hotel on Thatay Khun island,
off Ranong, to ask hotel staff for analgesics. The hotel had nothing to do with
the speed pills found in the truck. The businessman, who has good connections with the Rangoon junta, said
further that his request for Thai authorities to extend the 6am-6 pm border
opening hours was intended to facilitate the travel of his 700 Thaistaff. Because of limited accommodation in the hotel, most workers have to go to
their homes in Ranong after finishing work around midnight, Mr Vikrom
added. A close watch is being kept on Tamil rebels who have moved their operating
base from Burma to Phuket, the army chief said yesterday.
Gen Surayud Chulanont declined to discuss their activities in detail.
Sources said earlier agents of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
movement were running guns to separatist forces in Sri Lanka and making the
transfers in international waters off Phuket.
Gen Surayud said the army did not want shipments of illegal arms being made
from Thai territory.
"The army wants to reiterate that we have not supported and don't want to
see the illegal trade of war weapons in our country," he said.
The army had exchanged information with the Sri Lankan government about
Tiger activities in Thailand.
Gen Surayud said army photographs of weapons transfers being made off Koh
Racha, 15km off Phuket, referred to in news reports, were taken quite some time
ago, not recently.
Gen Sanan Kachornklam, defence spokesman, denied Prime Minister Chuan
Leekpai, also defence minister, had ordered the army commander not to report on
the Tamil rebels' activities in the South for fear of retaliation.
"Such a report could mislead some foreign countries into thinking that we
want to cover up the report," he said.
The prime minister had not issued any such order to the army commander.
"That is an issue that the army must handle itself," said Gen Sanan.
The Nation - June 1, 2000. Army, Karen force in tense stand-off
THAI soldiers and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) were involved in a tense stand-off across the Moei River yesterday shortly after members from the pro-Rangoon rebel force fired five shots at the Thai troops. Thai soldiers had been chasing after a stolen truck that had crashed through a border guard-post moments earlier. Both sides glared at each other across the river, the natural boundary between Thailand and Burma, unable to decide what to do with the 10-wheel truck stuck in the middle of the river. Police said two men stole the truck from Mae Sot yesterday afternoon and sped towards the DKBA-controlled area on the Burmese side of the Moei River. About 20 armed men from the Karen force were waiting for them on the bank as they plunged into river in an attempt to drive across the frontier. Officials said the water was flowing too quickly because of heavy rain in recent weeks and the two men decided to jump out and swim to the other side. Thai Border Police unit 346 has reported the incident to the Thai-Burma Joint Border Committee in Myawaddy, just across from Tak's Mae Sot district. Authorities said a total of 10 trucks have been stolen from Thai villages in the recent months. They believed DKBA was responsible for the thefts. Meanwhile, authorities detained a Thai and two Burmese nationals in Ranong yesterday for listening to unauthorised frequencies. Somchai Prasarnyudh, the Thai national, admitted to being hired by Thai fishing companies to monitor Burmese and Thai government frequencies. The Nation The Japan Times: June 1, 2000 Myanmar family sues to stay
here The family is among 21 people who overstayed their visas who publicly approached immigration authorities in September for residential status. They claimed they have settled in Japan but were unable to receive medical insurance and other benefits because of their illegal status. In February, 16 of the 21 were permitted to stay. It was the first time the government had issued permits to those who have overstayed their visa and who do not have Japanese relatives. The Justice Ministry reportedly took into account that the kids are too old to return to their home countries. But Maung Myint Swe 44, and his wife, Ma San Yu Tun 35, and daughter, Ma Yu Yu Swe, 2, did not receive the permission and were ordered to leave Japan. The couple have lived in Japan for nearly 10 years. Sources said the ministry considered the child young enough to adjust to the couple's home country. Maung Myint Swe is being detained at Higashi-nihon Immigration Center in Ibaraki Prefecture, and lawyers are asking for his provisional release so the family can proceed with the trial with him present in court. Lawyers of the family said they hope to clarify why the family was unable to receive permission to stay in Japan.
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