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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BURMA RELATED NEWS - SEP 30, 2000. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HEADLINE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NSTP - National: Myanmar fisherman freed of
dadah trafficking charge
BKK POST - Support for Razali's mission to
Rangoon
BKK POST - BORDER - New travel bans in 7
provinces
The Nation - US army to help in fight
against drugs
SCMP - Junta warns students about Suu
Kyi
New Straits Times Press (Malaysia)
Friday, September 29 6:32 PM SGT
National: Myanmar fisherman freed of
dadah trafficking charge
PENANG, Thurs. - A 35-year-old Myanmar fisherman accused of dadah
trafficking was today freed by the High Court.
Kyaw Nya Than's freedom was however shortlived as he was immediately re-arrested outside the courthouse pending deportation to his country. Judge Raus Md Sharif, in freeing Kyaw without calling for his defence, said
he found that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against
him.
Kyaw, who worked as a fisherman in Teluk Intan, Perak until his arrest, was
charged with trafficking in 17.13 gm of heroin in the Tun Uda Jetty area in
Georgetown at 10.50am on Aug 26, 1998.
Raus said he concurred with defence counsel S.P. Raman's submission that
there were contradictions in the evidence given by the raiding party led by
Inspector Noordin Ibrahim of the State police narcotics unit.
He said they had contradicted themselves on the place of arrest and the
spot from which the raiding party observed the accused.
He also said the prosecution failed to produce another Myanmar national who
was arrested together with Kyaw to testify to bolster their case.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muzalni Soid prosecuted.
Bangkok Post - Sep 30, 2000.
BURMA / UNITED NATIONS Support for Razali's mission to Rangoon Surin stresses need to exercise patience Bhanravee Tansubhapol Thailand has lent full support to the UN special representative's bid to
improve conditions in Burma in his second trip to the country next month.
Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan conveyed Thailand's support to Razali
Ismail during talks on Thursday.
The minister showed appreciation for the difficulty of Mr Razali's mission
but stressed the need for patience as the Burmese problem was a delicate one,
said Surapong Jayanama, head of the East Asian Affairs Department.
The minister noted it would be difficult for Mr Razali to make headway if
he could not secure the co-operation of the Burmese government or the
opposition.
Mr Razali, who introduced himself to the Burmese government and the
opposition during his first trip in June, plans to go to Burma again in the
second week of this month.
On this trip, Mr Razali would try to persuade the two sides to see the
benefit of and urgent need for dialogue, Mr Surapong said. A meeting between
them, and a stating of respective positions would start the process towards
national reconciliation.
"Both the government and opposition must be flexible towards each other,
exercise reason, give and take, and find a way to compromise on the basis of the
national interest of Burma," Mr Surapong said. The ultimate benefit would be
national reconciliation, he added.
Mr Surin stressed that Thailand, as a neighbour, wants to see improvements
in the economic and political situation in Burma.
He was quoted as saying the achievement of peace, national reconciliation
and well-being in Burma would "help reduce the burden and repercussions that
Thailand has had to shoulder for a long time" in terms of ethnic minority
problems, drugs, and illegal labour, the roots of which lie in political
instability in Burma.
The minister and Mr Razali agreed that the prevailing conditions in Burma
benefited neither the government nor the opposition. Without positive
developments, he said, a further deterioration in conditions there could be
expected.
This would have far-reaching repercussions inside Burma as well as the
region as a whole because Burma is a member of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations.
Mr Surapong said Mr Razali did not speak of expectations. Just to open a
dialogue between the two sides, an event desired by the United Nations, Thailand
and Asean, would be an achievement, he said.
Mr Razali came to Thailand after visiting Japan, which plays an important
role in Burma and has had a long-standing relationship with that country.
Mr Razali's mandate is to look at the human rights situation in Burma and
see to a return to democracy in the country.
Bangkok Post - Sep 30,
2000.
BORDER - New travel bans in 7 provinces Restrictions aimed at Thai gamblers Temsak Traisophon Tighter regulations and travel bans are being imposed at temporary
international checkpoints in seven border provinces.
The move is intended to block gamblers from crossing to casinos in
neighbouring countries. Provinces affected are Chiang Rai, Tak, Ranong, Surin,
Sa Kaew, Chanthaburi and Trat-which adjoin areas in either Burma or Cambodia
where there are concentrations of casinos and entertainment complexes.
An Interior Ministry source said border passes will only be issued to
residents of districts where temporary crossings are located.
This effectively restricts cross-border movement by non-residents. In
Surin, passage through temporary crossings to Cambodia will be off-limits to
passport holders. Opening hours are also being reduced.
In nearby Sa Kaew, passage by passport holders is being banned at all times
and there will be absolutely no crossing outside normal office hours.
In Chanthaburi, similar prohibition applies to passport holders and
operating hours at temporary points will be limited.
In Trat, the same restriction will be observed. Thais and foreigners
without passports will not be allowed on excursion or education tours beyond
kilometre marker 73. No passage is permitted after office hours.
In Chiang Rai, tourists no longer have access to the Ban Sobruak-Tachilek
pass into Burma. Chiang Saen authorities will work with Harbour Department
officials on regulating ferry services linking Burma.
The number of private ferry landings will be reduced and tourists actively
discouraged from crossing to Burmese casinos.
In Tak and Ranong, people resident outside the district will not be given
border travel documents, unless by special approval of the governor.
The restriction on crossing operating hours, however, must not interfere
with or hinder local trade.
The Nation - Sep 30,
2000.
US army to help in fight against drugs THAILAND and the United States are working on an agreement that will pave
the way for the two countries to cooperate on the suppression of drug
trafficking along the Thai-Burmese border, a senior US commander said yesterday.
Admiral Dennis Blair, commander-in-chief of the US Pacific Command, told
reporters yesterday that both countries are working out details of this
far-reaching cooperation, which will include training, the provision of
equipment and the sharing of intelligence.
It will be the first time that the Kingdom and the US army will work
together to combat the drug scourge, which both countries view as a security
threat.
Thailand is also hosting an international drug conference in mid-October to
boost international cooperation on narcotics suppression.
In a meeting with senior Thai leaders, Blair discussed US assistance for
Thailand in the form of training and equipment as well as providing
intelligence.
He said the cooperation would involve the army, police and intelligence
agencies in an endeavour to intercept the flow of drugs including
methamphetamine tablets into Thailand.
Blair also met with outgoing Supreme Commander Gen Mongkol Amphornpisit and
welcomed newly appointed Supreme Commander Sampao Chusri.
He said he was optimistic that the recent US proposal on multilateral
security cooperation among nations in the region would receive support. He had
already sounded out regional countries on the idea and received a positive
response.
Blair expressed the hope that China would send a bigger contingent of
officials to observe or participate in next year's Cobra Gold exercises.
The commander stressed that the US plan is not an exclusive concept but
aimed at mobilising regional efforts to face future challenges that would come
with peacekeeping operations and humanitarian assistance.
US Defence Secretary William Cohen had said recently in Bangkok that
Washington wanted to see the creation of multilateral military cooperation in
the area, together with its bilateral cooperation with regional allies.
South China Morning Post
Saturday, September 30, 2000 BURMA - Junta warns students about Suu Kyi REUTERS in Rangoon A government newspaper on Saturday cautioned students that ''egoistic''
elements are using them as stepping stones for personal gain, mounting a new
personal attack on pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
''Students should not be utilised by a person or a party to fulfill their political ambitions,'' a commentary in the Burma-language Myanma Alin said. The commentary showed the military junta's doggedness in sustaining its
tirade after imposing severe security restrictions on Ms Suu Kyi and her
National League for Democracy.
''Students ought to be farsighted and not become stepping stones of these
people,'' the commentary said.
''This is the time when classes are full of students pursuing their studies
happily. This is also the time students should be aware of and protect
themselves from some egoistic, disruptive elements who are trying to disrupt the
prevailing peace and stability,'' it said.
Burma's military junta has refused to hand over power to the NLD, which
swept the 1990 general elections, and has heavily restricted Ms Suu Kyi's
movements besides jailing hundreds of her followers.
Ms Suu Kyi, a 1991 Nobel peace prize laureate, and other NLD leaders have
been under virtual house arrest since September 22 after her second attempt in
one month to travel outside Rangoon was blocked by authorities. The regime's
actions drew renewed international criticism.
Burma's universities and colleges have long been hotbeds of anti-government
dissent.
They were fully opened in July after 3 1/2 years of closure, but the NLD
rejects the reopening as a surface job, citing the undertaking that students
have to sign that they would not indulge in political or anti-government
activities.
Universities and colleges had also been closed once before for years after
the military crackdown on nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988 that
led to the birth of the NLD.
The Myanma Alin article said political activity on campus is a ''national
danger - a danger that will harm the future generation of youths and jeopardise
the future of the country''.
''Thus all should join hands to [block] disruptive elements as a national
cause,'' the article said.
The United Nations is planning to send a special envoy to Burma, Razali
Ismail of Malaysia, in the second week of October in a bid to break the
political deadlock in Burma.
Mr Razali's predecessor, Alvaro de Soto, visited Burma six times but made
no headway.
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