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HEADLINE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reuters-Thailand to raise drugs issue at ASEAN
meeting
NSTP - National: September trial for five
charged with kidnapping
People Daily - Business - Chinese Companies to Build Textile, Pulp Mills in
Myanmar
Inside China - China
and Myanmar Sign Cooperation Pacts
People Daily - PD - Communist Chinese Vice President Meets Fascist Myanmar SPDC
Chairman
CNN - Amnesty: Shan civilians suffer most from
Myanmar anti-rebel tactics
The Nation - Rights group highlights Shan plight
WIRE:07/17/2000 07:28:00 ET
Thailand to raise drugs issue at ASEAN meeting BANGKOK, July 17 (Reuters) -
Thailand wants cross-border trafficking in drugs and people to be high on the
agenda at next week"s meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, Thai Foreign Ministry
spokesman Don Pramudwinai said on Monday. Thailand, host to the 33rd annual
meeting of the 10-country Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), will
also push for earlier implementation of the bloc"s pledge to become a drug-free
zone by 2020, Don told Reuters. Thailand, which borders fellow ASEAN members
Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia as well having as its own extensive
coastline, has long been plagued by the drugs trade. Myanmar is the world"s
second largest producer of opium and its derivative heroin, as well as a major
source of amphetamines. "We would like to address the drug issue at the ASEAN
meeting. It is a very serious problem not only between Thailand and Myanmar --
it is also a very serious problem for the whole region," Don said. ASEAN
countries have pledged to free themselves of drugs by 2020 but Don said the
problem was so widespread and rampant it needed tackling sooner. Last week, Thai
border officials said Myanmar"s military government had allowed an allied ethnic
army to repair a road along the border with Thailand, raising fears of increased
drug smuggling. Don said Thailand would also raise the issues of human
trafficking and trans-national crime at the two-day meeting, which starts on
July 24. "Human traffickers use Thailand as an origin country, a transit country
and as a destination for their business," he said. Also on the table will be a
proposal to set up a regional human rights commission and a Thai plan to create
an ASEAN "troika," comprising three ASEAN members who would act on the group"s
behalf. ASEAN officials hope a troika would be able to speed up the bloc"s
usually sluggish response to economic or political crises. The five other ASEAN
members are Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.
New Straits Times
Tuesday, July 18 6:30 PM SGT
National: September trial for five
charged with kidnapping
KUALA LUMPUR, Mon. - The Sessions Court fixed five days in September to
hear the case of three Pakistanis, an Indian and a Myanmar citizen charged with
kidnapping a 51-year-old credit analyst after one of the two lawyers
representing them today withdrew himself.
Lawyers Bhagwan Singh and Shyamala Alagendra addressed the Sessions Court today as representing Pakistanis Sikandar Ali, 28, Muhammad Asghar, 26, and Raja Muhamad Ishhaq Ali Akbar Khan, 28, Myanmar national Muhamad Amir Iskandar, 25, and Indian Jagjeet Singh s/o Bhupiender Singh, 24. Bhagwan said he was retained by the five last Friday while Shyamala said
her firm was engaged to represent all five.
Akhtar then adjourned the court to give the two lawyers time to sort things
out. When court resumed Bhagwan said he was withdrawing himself from the
case.
Akhtar then postponed the hearing to Sept 25.
The five claimed trial on March 29 to kidnapping Chow Thim Kwong between
Jan 29 and Feb 4.
The People Daily
Monday, July 17, 2000, updated at 14:56(GMT+8)
Business - Chinese Companies to
Build Textile, Pulp Mills in Myanmar
Two Chinese companies have respectively reached contracts with the Myanmar
government to build a textile mill and a pulp factory in the country.
According to Monday's official newspaper The New Light of Myanmar, the
contract for building the Pwintbyu textile mill in Myanmar's central Magway
division was signed here on Sunday between the Tianjin Machinery Import and
Export Corporation (Group) of China and the Myanma Textile Industries of the
Ministry of Industry-1.
The other contract for building the Thabaung pulp factory in the country's
southwestern Ayeyawaddy division was signed on the same day between the China
Metallurgical Construction (Group) and the Myanma Paper and Chemical Industries
of the same ministry. The factory
In the wake of enhanced economic cooperation between China and Myanmar,
Chinese companies have initiated a number of contracted projects in this country
with some in the form of wholly Chinese investment or joint venture. So far,
more than 10 Chinese enterprises have already been set up in Myanmar.
Inside China
China and Myanmar Sign Cooperation
Pacts
YANGON, Jul 17, 2000 -- (Reuters) Myanmar and China signed
cooperation agreements on economics, tourism and, science and technology during
a visit by Chinese Vice President Hu Jintao to the military-ruled country,
official newspapers said on Monday.
The newspapers gave no details of the agreements.
A source close to the Chinese embassy said the two sides were also due to
sign two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to build a cement factory and
another to build a pulp factory.
The MOUs would involve an interest-free yuan loan equivalent to about $120
million and a second, soft loan in yuan equivalent to $50 million, the source
said.
Hu Jintao said in a statement released on his arrival on Sunday that smooth
bilateral relations aided regional stability.
"As proven by past experience, to maintain the friendly contacts and
mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries not only serves the
fundamental interests of the two peoples but also contributes to stability and
cooperation in the region," he said.
Hu Jintao's three-day visit to Myanmar is the second by a senior Chinese
leader in two months. Chinese State Councillor Ismail Amat led a delegation to
Yangon in early June.
The two countries have had diplomatic relations since 1950.
Beijing has ignored efforts by Western countries in recent years to isolate
Yangon over what they see as its poor human rights record and for its treatment
of Myanmar's pro-democracy opposition, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San
Suu Kyi.
Hu Jintao's delegation, which includes Deputy Foreign Minister Yang Guangya
and Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Chen Xinhua, is
due to head for Thailand on Tuesday.
People Daily
Tuesday, July 18, 2000, updated at 12:15(GMT+8)
World Chinese Vice President Meets Myanmar SPDC Chairman -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vice-President Hu Jintao, who is paying an official visit to Myanmar, met with Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Senior- General Than Shwe at the Pyithuluttaw (People's Parliament) Hall Monday and they chatted in a friendly atmosphere. Hu first conveyed the cordial greetings and good wishes of President Jiang
Zemin and Premier Zhu Rongji to chairman Than Shwe and the Myanmar people.
He said, "The aim of my Myanmar visit on the occasion of the 50th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and
Myanmar is to enhance the 'paukphaw' (fraternal) friendship and to deepen the
two countries' cooperation so as to ceaselessly develop the Sino-Myanmar
friendly cause initiated by leaders of elder generations of the two countries."
China and Myanmar are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers and
Myanmar is one of the earliest countries that recognized the People's Republic
of China after New China was founded, Hu noted, recalling that Myanmar had
firmly supported China in resuming its legal seat in the United Nations.
In the past half century, no matter how the international situation
changed, Sino-Myanmar ties have been consistently maintained and steadily
developed, he pointed out, attributing this to the joint efforts made by
successive leaders of the two countries and the two peoples.
He expressed willingness to strive with the Myanmar side and actively
implement the contents contained in the China-Myanmar Joint Statement, and
deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation of the two nations in each sector so
that the bilateral ties would sustainably and steadily develop in the new
century.
He appraised and thanked Myanmar government for its consistent abidance by
the "One China" policy which says Myanmar would never establish official ties
with Taiwan in any form.
He also said in recent years, under the leadership of the Myanmar SPDC
headed by chairman Than Shwe, Myanmar government and people have gained
important achievements in bringing about political stability, national
reconciliation, economic development and in foreign relations.
"For these, we, as a friendly neighbor, are heartily delighted, " he said,
expressing the belief that with Myanmar possessing rich natural resources and
its people's diligence, Myanmar government and people are bound to overcome
various difficulties and will score greater achievements on its road forward and
build its own country even better.
At the meeting, Chairman Than Shwe requested Vice-President Hu Jintao to
convey his cordial greetings and good wishes to the Chinese leaders and the
Chinese people.
Than Shwe said the visit of Vice-President Hu on the occasion of the 50th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Myanmar and
China has important significance in continuously pushing ahead the development
of the two countries' ties.
He briefed Hu on Myanmar's domestic political and economic situation,
saying that Myanmar government and people will never forget the Chinese
government and people for their true and valuable support for Myanmar's national
cause of construction.
He hoped that China, as a big developing nation, would play a greater role
in international and regional affairs in a bid to safeguard the interests of the
broad developing countries, build up a more reasonable and new international
order and make greater contribution to the cause of peace and development in
Asia and the world over.
He also said that Myanmar will consistently abide by the "One China"
policy, wishing heartily that China's reunification cause will be realized at an
early date.
In the afternoon, Vice-President Hu Jintao and his entourage visited the
Maha Bandoola Bridge and the Yangon-Thanlyin Bridge.
In the evening, Hu will call on Chinese embassy staff and meet with
representatives of Myanmar-Chinese and Chinese residents in the country.
CNN
Amnesty: Shan civilians suffer most from Myanmar anti-rebel tactics July 18, 2000 Web posted at: 10:44 a.m. HKT (0244 GMT) BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Over
the past four years, more than 100,000 Shan villagers have fled to Thailand
because of mass relocations, forced labor and extrajudicial killings in eastern
Myanmar, Amnesty International said Monday.
Civilians have borne the brunt of the Myanmar military's counterinsurgency
tactics and the exodus to Thailand has continued this year with thousands
escaping over the border as fighting rumbles on, the London-based human rights
watchdog said in a report.
"Regretfully, despite extensive documentation of abuses and widespread
calls from the international community, no improvements in the Shan State or in
any other area of Myanmar are apparent," Amnesty said in a new report.
Amnesty urged members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to
raise the "ongoing human rights crisis" with Myanmar, also an ASEAN member, at
its annual ministerial meeting in Bangkok on July 24-27.
During the first five months of this year, more than 5,300 Shan civilians
fled to one area of Thailand alone, Amnesty said.
Thailand shelters around 120,000 refugees who have fled fighting in
Myanmar, but Thai authorities do not recognize the displaced Shans as refugees.
They live in Thailand illegally and seek low paying jobs at the risk of being
deported.
Since 1996 over 300,000 civilians in Shan State have been displaced by the
army in an effort to break up any alleged links with the rebel Shan State
Army-South, depriving them of their livelihoods.
They risk being shot on sight if they try to return and farm their land,
Amnesty said.
One woman told the human rights group about the killings in January of a
40-year-old man, his 11-year-old son and his 18-year-old daughter from her
village in Nanzing township. She said the three were shot dead by Myanmar
military after sneaking back to grow rice.
All refugees from central Shan State interviewed by Amnesty in Thailand
earlier this year had been forced to work for the army without pay. Many of them
had worked alongside children as young as 10 years old on road-building
projects.
Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been governed by its military for the
past 38 years. It has been widely accused of human rights abuses against its
citizens, particularly in ethnic minority areas where there has been fighting
between rebels and government forces.
For more than 50 years ethnic insurgencies have fought against central rule
by Yangon. Most groups have reached cease-fires, but three fight on, including
the Shan State Army-South.
The Nation - July 18, 2000.
Rights group highlights Shan plight MORE than 300,000 ethnic Shan people have been displaced from their homes
over the past four years to escape civil war, mass relocations, forced labour
and extrajudicial killings by Burmese government troops, according to a report
obtained from the Amnesty International yesterday.
The London-based human rights group also called on Asean to take up the
"ongoing human rights crisis" in Burma at the upcoming annual Asean ministerial
meeting from July 24-27.
"Regretfully, despite extensive documentation of abuses and widespread
calls from the international community, no improvements in the Shan state or in
any other area of Burma are apparent," Amnesty International said in its report.
More than 100,000 Burmese refugees are living in border camps in the
Northwest.
But unlike other ethnic minority groups who have fled into Thailand, the
displaced Shan are not recognised as refugees and are not placed in camps.
Col Yawd Serk, leader of the Shan State Army, one of the few remaining
armed groups fighting the military junta, has consistently urged the
international community to set up refugee camps to assist the displaced Shan.
The absence of refugee camps to assist the Shan means many have no choice
but to take up low-paid jobs at the risk of being deported, editor of the Shan
Herald Agency for News Kernsai Jaiyen said.
Many have become pawns in the hands of the local authorities and
businessmen who exploit them for cheap labour, aid workers said.
Shan soldiers and human rights organisations accused the Rangoon government
of displacing the villagers so opposition forces do not get any possible
assistance.
According to the human rights group, ethnic minorities in Burma suffer
greater risk of abuse.
"They are frequently seized for forced labour, and those living in areas of
armed conflicts are at risk of extrajudicial killings and torture by the Burmese
army, who suspect them of supporting armed opposition groups," the Amnesty
International report said.
All refugees from central Shan state interviewed by Amnesty international
in Thailand earlier this year had been forced to work for the army without pay.
Many of them had worked alongside children as young as 10 years old on
road-building projects.
Burma has been ruled by the military for the past 38 years.
It has been widely accused of human rights abuse against its citizens,
particularly in ethnic minority areas where there has been armed resistance
between rebels and government forces.
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