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Kyodo News
NARITA, Japan, June 6 Estrada, other Asian leaders
arrive for Obuchi funeral
Philippine President Joseph Estrada and other
Asian leaders arrived at Narita airport Tuesday to attend the official funeral
Thursday of former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. Among the leaders was Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, secretary of Myanmar's ruling State Peace and Development Council, Japanese officials said. The Times of India - June 6,
2000.
Ties with Myanmar junta yield dividends
NEW DELHI: India's decision to improve ties with the military regime in
Yangon has yielded rich dividends for its counter-insurgency operations in the
northeastern states bordering Myanmar, official sources said.
The Myanmar Army has been cracking down on camps operated by outlawed
northeastern insurgent groups in the Naga-inhabited areas of the neighbouring
country, forcing hundreds of tribal guerrillas on the run, a senior Home
Ministry official said.
"The crackdown began after new measures to curb cross-border terrorism and
to improve border security were put in place after a meeting between the chiefs
of the Armies of the two countries in January this year," the official
said.
Four of the seven states in the insurgency-affected northeast -- Mizoram,
Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh -- share a boundary with Myanmar.
Among the insurgent groups which had established camps in Myanmar are the
Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) and the
United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), which is also under pressure from
authorities in Bhutan to wind up its camps in the mountain kingdom.
The NSCN-K has already declared a unilateral cease-fire and its leadership
is now holding talks with the Indian Army to frame ground rules for a formal
cessation of hostilities, the official said.
Under New Delhi's policy of "constructive engagement" of Myanmar's junta,
several measures have already been initiated to improve trade and economic ties
with Yangon.
India's Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is constructing a Rs 1 billion
four-lane highway connecting the trading town of Moreh in Manipur with Tamu and
Kaleymo in Myanmar, the Home Ministry official said.
The Cabinet recently cleared the import of 50,000 tonnes of rice from
Myanmar for the northeastern states while a team of officials from the Union
Power Ministry recently visited Myanmar to conduct a techno-economic survey for
a proposed joint venture power project to be constructed in Myanmarese territory
adjacent to Manipur's Ukhrul district, the official said.
"In fact, when the highway project is completed in September or October, a
senior Indian leader will inaugurate it as a signal of the upturn in
Indo-Myanmar ties," the official said.
Much of the groundwork for this recent improvement in Indo-Myanmar ties was
laid during Indian Army chief V.P. Malik's two-day visit to Myanmar in January
this year.
Malik, who was accompanied by senior officers from the three services, held
wide-ranging discussions with his counterpart, Gen. Maung Aye, on increasing
cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries.
Maung Aye, who is vice-chairman of Myanmar's ruling State Peace and
Development Council and also heads several important trade and industry bodies,
made a return visit to Shillong the same month.
A high-level Indian team comprising Commerce and Industry Minister Murasoli
Maran, Power Minister R. Kumaramangalam and senior officials from the defence,
home, commerce and external affairs ministries was rushed to Shillong for "an
informal, wide-ranging exchange of views on matters of mutual interest."
An influential section of officials in the Home Ministry and the
intelligence agencies believe India should continue engaging Myanmar's military
junta for "immediate strategic requirements."
"While we should remain sympathetic to the pro-democracy movement, we
cannot ignore the fact that the Myanmar Army is in control at the moment," the
Home Ministry official said.
This recent improvement in the ties between the two countries, however, has
its share of critics among pro-democracy activists in Myanmar.
"Many countries see only their so-called national interest. I strongly
argue that India needs to review her policy towards Myanmar, which is a close
neighbour," Tint Swe, a leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) which
swept the 1990 elections in Myanmar, said in a recent interview. (India Abroad
News Service) WIRE:06/06/2000 06:26:00 ET
UPDATE 1-Billiton secures 65 percent of China zinc project LONDON, June 6 (Reuters) -
International metals and mining company Billiton Plc said on Tuesday it
had signed a deal giving it a 65 percent stake in a joint venture company
formed to develop the LanPing zinc deposit in China.
The agreement with the LanPing Nonferrous Metals Co represents the
first commercial joint venture between the Chinese authorities and an
international mining company.
The LanPing deposit in the western Yunnan province, near the border
with Myanmar, is the largest zinc-lead deposit in Asia, outside Australia,
and is expected to support annual production of 200-250,000 tonnes of zinc
metal.
World zinc consumption is some eight million tonnes a year.
A pre-feasibility programme, costing around $4 million, is halfway
complete and a full feasibility study is expected to commence next year
and be completed by the end of 2001.
It would then take around three years to bring the zinc mine and
accompanying metal production facility into full production, at a cost of
around $500 million.
"LanPing has the potential to become one of the largest and most
efficient zinc operations in the world," said Billiton Chairman and Chief
Executive Brian Gilbertson.
"Today's development thus marks a significant new growth opportunity
for our base metals unit and provides an excellent platform from which to
participate in other prospective projects in China."
BIOLEACHING
Gilbertson told Reuters by telephone from China that Billiton planned
to use its patented BioZINC biotechnology process to extract metal for the
LanPing orebody.
"We certainly hope to use BioZINC. However, it's a complex ore and
until we have done further testing we do not know that for certain," he
said.
BioZINC is one of a family of bioleaching processes developed by
Billiton which use specially selected bacteria to dissolve metal from
ores. Metal ingots would are produced on-site via
electro-winning.
Billiton announced the prefeasibility study into the LanPing resource
in December last year.
"The significance of the signature today is that the exploration rights now vest in a company in which we will own 65 percent," Gilbertson said. Billiton shares, which have underperformed the overall London market by 30 percent this year in line with a weak mining sector, gained 2.4 percent to 250 pence by 1000 GMT. Tuesday, June 6 8:38 PM SGT
China and Myanmar agree to economic and environmental cooperationBEIJING, June 6 (AFP) -China and Myanmar on Tuesday agreed to further strengthen their 50 years of close ties by stepping up cooperation on a wide-range of areas, including tourism and environmental protection, state media said. The agreement was reached during an official goodwill visit to China by the vice-chairman of Myanmar's military junta General Maung Aye. Although the visit was aimed at boosting military ties, neither side revealed any details about plans for military cooperation. The two states signed a framework for bilateral relations in the 21st century, pledging to increase economic and diplomatic ties, according to the official Xinhua news agency. The two countries agreed to step up cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, fishery, forestry and tourism as well as stepping up efforts to crack down on cross-border drug trafficking and smuggling. China also agreed to allow its citizens to visit Myanmar as a tourist destination. Both agreed to permit companies to hire contract labor from each other, Xinhua reported. In addition, Myanmar reaffirmed its support for the "One China" policy, which recognizes the Communist-ruled China as the sole government of China with Taiwan an inalienable part of the country. "We appreciate Myanmar's continued support for the 'One China' principle and China's great cause of reunification," Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao said after meeting with Maung. Maung said his government would not develop official links with Taiwan in any form and echoed Hu's satisfaction with bilateral relations. "Faced with the new century, Myanmar government is willing to push for the continuing progress of bilateral relations," Maung said. Both governments will encourage enterprises and agencies to conduct joint projects in agro-technique, farm produce processing, prevention of animal diseases as well as aquatic cultivation, Xinhua said. Cultural, education, health, sports and religious exchanges also will be increased through exchanges and visits, Xinhua said. The visit was planned to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Myanmar. China, the first country to recognise Myanmar's military regime after it seized power in a bloody coup in September 1988, is the junta's main arms supplier. Since coming to power, senior Myanmar generals have made frequent visits to China and several high-ranking Chinese officials have travelled to Yangon. The People's Daily
Monday, June 05, 2000, updated at 11:09(GMT+8) World Myanmar Leader Leaves for China
Visit
Vice-Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)
General Maung Aye left Monday for a week-long goodwill visit to China at the
invitation of Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao.
Maung Aye's main entourage includes Myanmar SPDC Third Secretary
Lieutenant-General Win Myint, Deputy Prime Minister Lieutenant-General Tin Hla,
Foreign Minister U Win Aung and eight other ministers of Agriculture and
Irrigation, Industry-1, Industry-2, Livestock and Fisheries, Science and
Technology, Electric Power, Information, Telecommunication, Posts and
Telegraphs.
Seeing off Maung Aye at the Yangon International Airport were Myanmar SPDC
Chairman and Prime Minister Senior-General Than Shwe, SPDC First Secretary
Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, Second Secretary Lieutenant-General Tin Oo,
Deputy Prime Ministers Vice-Admiral Maung Maung Khin and Lieutenant-General Tin
Tun and other government officials. Chinese ambassador Liang Dong was also
present.
China and Myanmar are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers and
the two peoples enjoy traditional "paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship.
China and Myanmar jointly advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful
Coexistence, based on which the two countries' friendly and cooperative ties
have continuously consolidated and developed.
In recent years, there have been frequent exchanges of visits by leaders of
the two countries. Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference National Committee Li Ruihuan, Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo, State
Councilors Luo Gan and Ismail Amat have visited Myanmar, while Myanmar SPDC
Chairman and Prime Minister Than Shwe, SPDC First Secretary Khin Nyunt and
Foreign Minister U Win Aung have also travelled to China for visits.
These visits have pushed ahead the development of the two countries'
bilateral ties.
Bangkok Post - June 6,
2000.
NARCOTICS Wa 'seeking alternative to drug trade' Experimenting with mining, cultivation
Nusara Thaitawat
The United Wa State Army, the biggest drug trafficking organisation in
Southeast Asia, has since early this year initiated gold and silver mining in
its southern military command with the help of Chinese experts.
A source with ties on both sides of the Thai-Burmese border, said heavy
machinery had been used to drill through mountains near Mong Yawn, opposite Ban
San Ton Du in Mae Ai district, Chiang Mai. But he could not confirm any findings
so far.
He said mining and vast agricultural projects in Mong Yawn and surrounding
areas were being presented as part of the Wa's effort to find an alternative to
drug trafficking.
The Wa army's political arm, the United Wa State Party, had already
announced it would stop involvement in drugs by 2005. The party has its
headquarters at Pangsanh, in Burma's Shan state.
The source estimated some 120,000 Wa soldiers, their dependents and other
civilians had been relocated from various areas to newly-developed settlements
opposite Mae Ai district.
Some 90,000 people were reported to be in Mong Yawn and surrounding areas
under the leadership of Wei Xai-tang. The rest were reportedly in Ban Hong,
opposite Ban San Maked, Mae Fah Luang district of Chiang Rai, under Wei
Hsueh-kang, who is wanted by Thailand and the United States on drug trafficking
charges.
The source said most new settlers under Wei Xai-tang were ethnic Wa, while
those under Wei Hsueh-kang were largely ethnic Chinese from mainland China as
well as from the Shan state and other regions of Burma.
He said Wa leaders in both Mong Yawn and Ban Hong had started huge
agricultural projects "a few years ago", including rice cultivation and fruit
orchards which were getting labour from new settlers.
Early experiments with rice cultivation were unsuccessful because of a
large population of rats in Mong Yawn, the source said.
"Most of the rice fields and orchards are owned by the leaders in both
settlements. Some orchards have up to 30,000 trees," he said. "Part of the
harvest goes to feed the army."New settlers were guaranteed one year's supply of
rice and every adult received a monthly allowance of 50 baht, the source
said.
"Drug trafficking will certainly go on until at least 2005," he said,
adding it was difficult to absorb all the new settlers and to build a
self-sufficient community from largely uneducated soldiers.
Thai authorities are keeping a close watch on developments in Wa-controlled
areas.
BBC-Tuesday, 6 June, 2000, 14:20 GMT
15:20 UK
China and Burma sign deal The vice-chairman of Burma's military government, General Maung Aye, has
concluded an agreement with the Chinese government to tackle drug trafficking
and other crimes across their shared border.
The agreement was announced in Beijing during a visit by by General Maung
Aye to mark the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two
countries.
In a joint statement, the two countries also agreed to explore new channels
for developing trade, investment, agriculture, fishery and tourism.
China was the first country to recognise Burma's military regime after it
seized power in 1988, and correspondents say it is now the country's main arms
supplier.
From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
BBC-Tuesday, 6 June, 2000, 12:30 GMT
13:30 UK
Burma's powerful drug industry Opium production is rife in idyllic northern
Burma
By the BBC's Kieran Cooke
In the global drugs production league, Burma has long been one of the world's top producers of opium, the base ingredient for heroin. US drug enforcement agencies estimate opium production in Burma last year
to have been about 1,200 tons. Only Afghanistan produced more of the drug.
It's estimated that less than 1% of Burma's annual opium production is
intercepted by the authorities - the rest is smuggled out through China or
Thailand onto the world market.
Earlier this year a group of Western journalists was ferried by the Burmese
military to the hills in the north of the country, close to the border with
China.
Here they watched soldiers and local tribespeople destroy fields of
opium-producing poppies. In all more than 200 acres of poppy crop - worth, when
processed, hundreds of thousands of dollars - was cut down and burned.
Officials want to eradicate the heroin trade by 2005
Burma's military regime and local chiefs had a clear message for the
outside world: Burma was determined to eradicate opium production.
The government in Rangoon, trying hard to improve its international image,
said that by 2005 no more opium would be produced within the country's borders.
Officials implicated
The international drug enforcement agencies are not celebrating yet.
Though UN drug experts say Burma does seem intent on cutting back on its
opium production, over the years there have been persistent reports that senior
officials of the military regime are involved in the drugs trade, and that funds
from the drugs business still find their way into government coffers.
Government forces cannot destroy every Opium crop
The other critical factor is that the government in Rangoon is both
militarily and financially unable to tackle the power of the country's drug
barons.
Opium production takes place mainly in the hilly country near Burma's
border with China.
It is a beautiful, remote region of mist-shrouded peaks and jungle valleys.
For years Rangoon has been fighting a series of seccessionist battles in these
territories.
Chronically overstretched and underarmed, the Burmese military has sought
to either play one insurgent group off against another or do
peacemaking deals with various rebel factions. Among a series of such deals agreed in the late 1980's, Rangoon granted
autonomy to the Wa - an insurgent rebel group living in the opium growing area
near the Chinese border.
'A state within a state'
Since that time the Wa, led by remnants of Burma's old communist party and
known for its ferocity in combat, has built a formidable state within a state,
complete with its own army, on the profits of the drugs trade.
Rangoon, extremely reluctant to provoke any conflict with the Wa, is
virtually powerless to tackle the region's drug trade.
The Wa, led by a number of powerful and ruthless families with worldwide
contacts, have been able to build up a highly-organised and sophisticated drugs
business.
They have even spent millions of dollars employing engineers and
technicians from Thailand and elsewhere to build modern townships on their
territory.
Like any global corporation, the Wa use their enormous financial clout to
invest in ever more advanced technical equipment and change their marketing
strategies.
Drug producers diversify
In recent years, as worldwide pressure to erradicate opium production has
grown, the Wa have invested heavily in the production of methamphetamines or
speed.
Laboratories in Wa territory now turn out hundreds of thousands of these
tablets each day. Drug officials say much of the raw material is purchased in
China.
A single methamphetamine tablet costs about 8 US cents to produce in Burma
- by the time it reaches Bangkok it sells for more than US$3.
Thai officials say the country is now facing an epidemic of the drug - in
Thai called Yaba or the mad drug - and have called on Rangoon to take urgent
action.
So far there is little sign that the Wa are curbing their activities.
Western drug officials say the whole local economy in the Wa controlled region
now revolves round the drug trade.
They point out that poor farmers need help to turn to other crops besides
the opium poppy, yet western governments are reluctant to give Burma any aid.
The west is also deeply opposed to giving Rangoon military help. Without
it, it seems likely the Wa and others will continue to make millions from their
lethal trade.
BBC-Tuesday, 6 June, 2000, 13:07 GMT
14:07 UK
China-India highway plan China has proposed building a highway to India via Burma to boost trade and
tourism.
It has also suggested starting direct flights between the two countries. The idea was discussed during a six-day trip to China by Indian President
KR Narayanan.
Manohar Joshi, India's Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises,
said: "The Chinese want the signing of an agreement for constructing a highway
running through China, Myanmar [Burma] and India.
"Tourism and trade cannot develop without such a link, the Chinese feel."
China had expressed interest in Indian machinery, automobile components,
software, gems and jewellery, marine products, chemicals and herbs, Mr Joshi
said.
India, in turn, could import coal, pre-fabricated housing, technology,
electronic components, silk processing technology, ceramics and underground
mining equipment.
Trade between India and China currently totals $2bn a year.
Security
But former Indian foreign secretary MK Rasgotra said India would have to
look very carefully at any road proposal because of the security implications.
He pointed out that China and India had still not agreed on a line of
control along their border and Beijing had helped Pakistan "a self-confessed
enemy of India" increase its nuclear capability.
"This highway will have to go through some of our very sensitive areas, and
I don't see how much trade it's going to promote," Mr Rasgotra told the BBC.
Flights
The two countries are now considering setting up an expert committee to
look at routes for the proposed highway.
They will also look at the possibility of introducing direct flights.
A memorandum of understanding for commercial air services between China and
India was signed in 1997.
But it never began because of uncertainty over commercial viability.
Mr Joshi, who was part of the Indian delegation to visit China, said the
south-west city of Kunming had also shown interest in establishing a sister city
relationship with either Bombay or Calcutta.
INSIDE CHINA
High-Ranking Myanmar Military Leader Departs For China BANGKOK, Jun 6, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse) The vice-chairman of
Myanmar's military junta General Maung Aye left Yangon on Monday for an official
goodwill visit to China, state-run media reported.
Maung Aye, who headed the high-level delegation, was invited by Chinese
Vice President Hu Jintao in an attempt to strengthen military ties between the
two states, TV Myanmar said in a dispatch monitored here.
The delegation included the junta's general secretary Lieutenant General
Win Myint, Vice Premier and Military Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Tin
Hla, Foreign Minister Win Aung and other leading cabinet ministers, it
said.
Official sources in Yangon said the visit would celebrate the fiftieth
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and
Myanmar.
During Maung Aye's visit, China and Myanmar are expected to sign a "broad
framework on bilateral cooperation in the 21st century," the officials
said.
China, the first country to recognize Myanmar's military regime after it
seized power in a bloody coup in September 1988, is the junta's main arms
supplier.
Since coming to power, senior Myanmar generals have made frequent visits to
China and several high-ranking Chinese officials have traveled to Yangon.
This visit will be Maung Aye's third trip to China since 1991. Aye is also
the deputy commander-in-chief of Myanmar armed forces.
According to a senior official in Yangon, the junta'a army chief of staff,
Lieutenant General Tin Oo, made an unpublicized trip to China on May 23,
allegedly to make new arms purchases. ((c) 2000 Agence France Presse)
People Daily
Tuesday, June 06, 2000, updated at 22:09(GMT+8) China China, Myanmar Issue Joint
Statement
Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and visiting Myanmar Foreign Minister U Win
Aung signed Tuesday on behalf of their respective governments a joint statement
on the framework of future bilateral relations and cooperation.
Following is the full text of the statement:
Joint Statement of the People's Republic of China and the Union of Myanmar
on the Framework of Future Bilateral Relations and Cooperation
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's
Republic of China and the Union of Myanmar (hereinafter referred to as "the two
sides") on 8 June 1950, bilateral cooperation in the political, economic,
military, cultural, education and other fields has been developing steadily on
the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence jointly initiated by
the two sides. To further consolidate and develop their friendly relations not
only conforms to the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples, but
also serves peace, stability and development in the region.
At the beginning of the new century, the two sides agree on the need to
build on the existing friendly relations and further develop into long-term
stable good-neighborly relations of friendship and cooperation so that the
"paukphaw" friendship between the two peoples will be carried forward from
generation to generation. To this end, the two sides state the following as the
framework and guiding principles for future bilateral relations and cooperation.
1. The two sides affirm that the purposes and principles of the UN Charter,
the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the principles established in the
Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and the universally
acknowledged principles of international law constitute the basic norms
governing the relations between the two countries.
2. The two sides will continue to maintain frequent contacts and exchanges
between top leaders of the two countries and actively carry out exchange of
visits and interflow between their government departments, non-governmental
organizations and various circles, with a view to enhancing mutual understanding
and friendship and furthering bilateral cooperation.
3. The two sides agree to maintain multi-level consultations and exchanges
between the two foreign ministries, conduct timely exchange of views on
bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual interest and
keep frequent communication and coordination on various occasions.
4. The two sides agree to step up cooperation in trade, investment,
agriculture, fishery, forestry and tourism and other areas on the basis of
equality and mutual benefit, emphasis on concrete results and complementing each
other's advantages. (1) The two sides will, by giving full play to the role of
the Joint Working Committee on Economic, Trade and Technical Cooperation,
actively explore new ideas of and new channels for developing mutually
beneficial economic cooperation and trade. The competent departments of the two
sides will further strengthen guidance and coordination in this respect,
continue to improve the relevant laws and regulations and regulate enterprise
behavior so as to create favorable conditions and provide necessary facility for
economic and trading activities by companies, enterprises and various agencies
of the two sides, protect their lawful rights and interests and foster a sound
climate for economic cooperation and trade between the two sides. When
conditions are ripe, the two sides will sign an agreement on investment
protection through consultations.
(2) The two sides will work to expand bilateral trade, increase trade in
bulk commodities by fully tapping the potentials, strengthen and standardize
border trade in accordance with the Memorandum of the Understanding between the
Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Union of
Myanmar on Border Trade, and promote the sustained, steady and healthy growth of
bilateral trade in a spirit of mutual benefit and reciprocity and exchange of
needed goods and services.
(3) Each side will encourage and support its enterprises to invest in the
other side and honor obligations under the bilateral investment agreement in
earnest so as to facilitate the smooth progress of investment cooperation
projects.
(4) The two sides will provide facility for their enterprises to undertake
various projects and cooperation in contract labor.
(5) The two sides will step up cooperation in agriculture and fishery and,
by taking full advantage of their rich natural resources and the strong
complementarity of the two economies, encourage and support their relevant
enterprises and agencies to conduct mutually beneficial cooperation in
agro-technique, farm produce processing, prevention, treatment and monitoring of
animal diseases, marine fishing and aquatic cultivation.
(6) The two sides will boost bilateral cooperation in forestry and
encourage cooperation in the prevention of forest fires in border areas, forest
management, resources development, protection of wild animals, development of
forestry industries, forestry product processing, forestry machinery,
eco-tourism, and education and training in forestry.
(7) The two sides will further expand bilateral cooperation in tourism. The
Chinese side agrees to have Myanmar designated as a destination for outbound
Chinese tourists. The two sides will finalize through discussion concrete
measures for implementation. 5. The two sides will increase exchanges and
cooperation in such fields as culture, education, health, sports and religion
and further enhance, through exchange of visits by delegations, cultural troupes
and experts, and exhibitions, mutual understanding and friendship between the
two peoples.
6. The two sides agree to draw up concrete implementation regulations as
early as possible on the basis of the Agreement between the Government of the
People's Republic of China and the Government of the Union of Myanmar on
China-Myanmar Border Areas Management and Cooperation and work together to
promote stability, tranquillity and development in the border areas.
7. The two sides will intensify judicial cooperation and sharing of
information and jointly crack down on trans-boundary crimes, drug trafficking,
smuggling, aliens smuggling and other criminal offenses.
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