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-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BURMA RELATED NEWS - NOV - 23, 2000. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HEADLINE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reuters - Suu Kyi appoints lawyers to argue for
Yangon house
SMH - Exiled leader asks for sanctions to
fight forced labour
Reuters - Estrada
Flies to ASEAN Summit Despite Woes at Home
Reuters - Thai police kill Myanmar convicts in
shootout
AFP - Mounting concern in Laos over breakthrough
EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting
AP - Suu Kyi Hires Lawyers To Contest Suit For
House Ownership
Bkk Post - BORDER - Review of restrictions on
Burma casino visits urged
Bkk Post - Burmese killed in clash with
rangers
Kyodo News - Myanmar leader leaves for ASEAN
summit in Singapore
Bkk Post - Junta feels let down on ILO
vote
WIRE:11/23/2000 05:25:00 ET
Suu Kyi appoints lawyers to argue for Yangon house YANGON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi has appointed three lawyers and an agent to represent her in a court case
filed by her brother over the ownership of her lakeside Yangon home, lawyers
said on Thursday.
Suu Kyi"s lawyer, Kyi Win, told Reuters he met the 1991
Nobel Peace Prize winner twice this week at her residence where she is under
house arrest.
The pro-democracy campaigner failed to turn up for a
court hearing in Yangon on Tuesday despite promises by the military to allow her
to go to court.
Adjourning the hearing in her absence, Judge U Soe
Thein told a Yangon Sub-Division court the hearing would continue ex parte on
November 27. Suu Kyi, 55, is being sued by her estranged elder brother, Aung San
Oo, a U.S. citizen, for half the home in an elite residential area of the
Myanmar capital.
Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD)
have been locked in a battle for the hearts and minds of the Myanmar people for
more than a decade.
The NLD won the country"s last general election in 1990
by a landslide but has never been allowed to govern. The ruling generals say
Myanmar is not ready for democracy.
The legal action filed by her brother is convenient for
Myanmar"s military authorities which have been trying for several years without
success to get Suu Kyi to leave the country and give up her political struggle.
Real estate agents in Yangon estimate the value of her
estate, including the colonial style two-storey house where she has lived since
1988, at least $1 million.
The Sydney Morning Herald Exiled leader asks for sanctions to fight forced labour By Craig Skehan, Herald Correspondent in Bangkok Burma's democracy movement has called on the Australian Government as well
as trade unions and companies to implement economic sanctions against the ruling
military junta after a United Nations report condemned the widespread use of
forced labour.
"There is a lot Australia can do," said Sann Aung, a Bangkok-based minister
in Burma's government-in-exile.
"The Australian Government should shift its position and support the
imposition of internationally co-ordinated economic sanctions."
Sann Aung called on Australian unions to refuse to handle Burmese goods and
to cut electricity and water supplies to the regime's embassy in Canberra.
On September 16, the governing body of the UN's International Labour
Organisation (ILO) passed a resolution clearing the way for members to apply
sanctions over labour violations in Burma.
This followed the ILO's determination that the country's military rulers
had failed to end the practice of forcing tens of thousands of people to serve
as military porters or as labourers on infrastructure projects.
The resolution called for "appropriate measures" by governments, unions and
companies to ensure business, aid and other relationships with Burma did not
"perpetuate or extend" the system of forced labour.
The resolution, adopted despite strong opposition from Malaysia and a
number of other Asian countries, leaves it up to individual organisations and
governments to decide what punitive action to adopt.
The democracy movement believes virtually all co-operation with the
military regime assists in keeping the junta in power and therefore perpetuates
abuses such as forced labour.
Burmese leaders said the ILO resolution constituted "unjustified pressure
tactics" which did not take account of attempts by the central administration to
curtail forced labour in outlying areas.
A recent report by Burma's Federation of Trade Unions carried first-hand
accounts of villagers and prisoners forced to work as porters or labourers being
underfed, beaten and murdered. There were also descriptions of villagers
suffering hardship because the practice of forced labour had disrupted their
normal food production.
The Australian Government has during the past year substantially increased
its level of diplomatic engagement with the military regime in a bid to gain
influence.
The Australian Foreign Minister, Mr Downer, says sanctions have failed to
bring reform.
The United States and the European Union were strong supporters of the ILO
adopting the new resolution on forced labour.
Sann Aung said yesterday that it was only the US which had implemented
tough economic sanctions but, to be effective, there needed to be co-ordinated
international pressure on Burma.
Australian human rights seminars conducted for government officials in
Burma have been branded an exercise in propaganda by the democracy movement.
Melbourne's Monash University, which conducted the seminars with Australian
Government funding, is currently reviewing their effectiveness.
A spokeswoman for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs said
yesterday that the scope of a planned review of relations with Burma would be
discussed with the ILO. However, the imposition of sanctions was "not
envisaged".
Wednesday November 22 11:08 PM ET
Estrada Flies to ASEAN Summit Despite Woes at Home MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine
President Joseph Estrada (news - web sites) flew to Singapore on Thursday to
attend a Southeast Asian summit and said his trip should prove there was
political stability at home despite opposition threats to remove him from
power.
``Our participation in the Singapore summit is one way of showing to our
partners in Asia and other regions that despite some political problems we are
facing now, it is business as usual in our country,'' Estrada said in a
departure speech.
``This is because of our faith in the democratic processes as a means of
solving our national problems,'' he added.
He will attend a summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Estrada, who is scheduled to return to Manila on Saturday, said he had put
in place ``appropriate measures...to ensure that the government will continue to
discharge its functions during my absence.''
Estrada has set up an Executive Committee headed by his top aide,
Presidential Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora, to govern during his
absence.
The beleaguered former movie actor is facing an impeachment trial in the
Senate on charges of taking millions of dollars in bribes from illegal gambling
syndicates and funds from excise taxes intended for tobacco farmers.
He has denied the charges and said he would prove his innocence in the
trial expected to begin on December 7.
Zamora said on Wednesday that Estrada's lawyers would seek the dismissal of
the charges before the start of the impeachment hearings.
He said the president's lawyers would anchor their case on the fact that
the House of Representatives rushed its approval of the impeachment charges last
week without following procedure.
It was not immediately clear if the constitution would allow for the
dismissal of the charges without trial.
A two-thirds vote in the 22-member Senate -- or at least 15 -- is required
to convict and remove Estrada from office, while he needs eight votes to win
acquittal.
Seven senators have bolted Estrada's coalition while two took a leave of
absence from the alliance, reducing the number of pro-administration senators to
five and throwing the outcome of the trial wide open.
An alliance of various opposition groups which has called for Estrada's
resignation met on Thursday and announced they would intensify their campaign to
force him out of office by holding daily protest rallies later this month.
Estrada said on Wednesday he would stop making public comments about the
case and just await the outcome.
``I will just do my job...and wait for the trial. I will no longer make any
statements,'' Estrada told reporters.
WIRE:11/23/2000 01:51:00 ET
UPDATE 3-Thai police kill Myanmar convicts in shootout BANGKOK, Nov 23 (Reuters) -
Thai police marksmen shot and killed nine armed Myanmar convicts and rescued
their three hostages after a gun battle close to the Thai-Myanmar border, police
said on Thursday.
Police told Thai radio the convicts, who staged a dramatic jailbreak from a
Thai provincial prison with a group of Thai hostages on Wednesday, were killed
after police fired into a light pick-up truck they were using to escape.
The three hostages survived the shootout, but one of them, the governor of
the prison, Somwong Sirivecha, was in a coma after a gunshot wound to the head,
police said. Another hostage, Deputy Prison Governor Sema Kumpanant, escaped the
shootout with only minor bruises. The governor and deputy governor were removed
from the scene of the shootout by helicopter.
One police officer was injured in the gun battle about 30 km (20 miles)
east of the Myanmar border. A third hostage, also a prison official, was injured
and was being taken to hospital with knife wounds, police said. Police said a
Thai convict, who was forced by the Myanmar prisoners to join the escape, was
injured.
"We had given up hope of getting out of this alive," Sema told a radio
station. Police had said earlier that there were about eight escaping Myanmar
convicts.
PREMIER PRAISES POLICE
Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai praised the police action, saying it was
necessary after the convicts deliberately shot and killed a prison school
instructor at the start of the hostage drama on Wednesday. "It is good news that
the hostages are okay and that the culprits did not get away," he said. "(They)
had conspired to kill people and that is a crime punishable by execution. It is
good that none of them escaped." Chuan said an inquiry would try to find out how
the convicts obtained the weapons used in the jailbreak.
The early morning shootout started when a shot was apparently fired by the
convicts, prompting police snipers to return fire, a police officer told
reporters. "The convicts were asking for a new car after their getaway vehicle
had flat tyres. We didn"t know why they fired the first shot and we decided to
return fire, being concerned about the safety of the hostages," the officer
said.
Journalists at the shootout, which lasted several minutes, told the radio
station one of the dead convicts was found clutching a grenade in his hand. They
said two more grenades and an assortment of firearms and knives were found in
their vehicle.
The prisoners, all serving long sentences, were allowed to drive away from
Samut Sakorn prison, about 40 km (25 miles) southwest of Bangkok, on Wednesday
after they seized seven prison officials. Police ended the 21-hour hostage drama
in the Thai border province of Kanchanaburi, about 125 km (78 miles) west of
Bangkok, after an overnight high-speed chase through central Thailand.
The dramatic jailbreak was the third violent act staged by Myanmar
nationals in Thailand in 13 months. Ten ethnic Karen fighters seized a Thai
western provincial hospital last January and held several hundred Thai hostages
for 22 hours before they were overcome by Thai security forces. In October 1999,
five Karen guerrillas occupied the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok and held dozens of
people hostage for 25 hours. The guerrillas negotiated a getaway in a helicopter
in exchange for the safety of the hostages.
Thursday, November 23 6:16 PM SGT
Mounting concern in Laos over breakthrough EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting HANOI, Nov 23 (AFP) - Lao
authorities insisted Thursday that a planned meeting between ministers of the
European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next month in
Vientiane, had not been postponed.
However, they acknowledged it might not be the breakthrough ministerial
gathering they had hoped to host, as doubts remained about the level of
delegation EU member countries would send.
"Rumours in some foreign media that there would be a postponment are
totally groundless," the official KPL news agency quoted Foreign Minister and
Deputy Prime Minister Somsavath Lengsavad as saying in a report it carried on
Thursday.
But Somsavath also expressed less confidence than other Laotian officials
about the level of EU representation, saying only that he "hoped" the meeting
would go ahead as the first ministerial meeting between the EU and ASEAN since
Myanmar's admission to the southeast Asian grouping in 1997.
"The deputy prime minister said that his government and ASEAN attached
great importance to ASEAN-EU relations, and that the ASEAN side would be
represented at ministerial level," KPL said in its report on Tuesday's meeting
between Somsavath and French ambassador Renaud Levy, who represents the EU
presidency.
"He added that he hoped that the EU would also be represented on an equal
footing," but acknowledged that just 10 out of 15 member states had so far said
they expected to send "ministerial delegations."
Fears have been growing among ASEAN countries that the meeting will be
downgraded by the EU amid renewed concern about the human rights record of the
military junta in Mynamar as well as worries about security in the wake of a
spate of mystery bombings in the Laotian capital.
"This is a ministerial meeting, but if too many ministers are not able to
come and instead send their deputies or ambassadors, then it is no longer a
ministerial meeting," a Thai foreign ministry official told the Bangkok Post
last week.
On Thursday, Malaysia threatened to downgrade its own involvement in the
meeting if there was not a better showing by EU ministers.
"The meeting should be on an equal level," Malaysian delegate Zainal Abidin
Bakar told AFP in Singapore ahead of this weekend's ASEAN summit.
Other Laotian officials have revealed that so far just Belgium, Finland and
Germany plan to send their foreign ministers, with other EU delegations so far
notified being headed by deputy ministers or special envoys.
Thursday, November 23 6:35 PM SGT
Suu Kyi Hires Lawyers To Contest Suit For House Ownership YANGON (AP)--Myanmar
pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has hired a team of lawyers to contest a
suit brought by her brother over ownership of the house where she lives, one of
the lawyers said Thursday.
Suu Kyi, who has lived in the lakeside residence for 12 years and is
currently under virtual house arrest there, wasn't represented at the first
hearing of the case brought by her brother Aung San Oo in the Yangon Division
court Tuesday.
Myanmar's military regime had said beforehand that Suu Kyi would be allowed
to hire a lawyer and attend the hearing.
The lawsuit is a fresh headache for Suu Kyi, whose National League for
Democracy party is also facing eviction from its Yangon headquarters. The party
swept general elections in 1990 but was barred from taking power. Its members
face steady harassment.
Lawyer Kyi Win said he met Suu Kyi at her house in the capital Tuesday and
Wednesday and she had asked him and two other lawyers, Khin Maung Aye and Myint
Thaung to represent her.
"According to professional ethics we are to render our service to anyone
who needs help," Kyi Win told the Associated Press.
In the past he has taken on controversial cases including those of two
British activists, James Mawdsley and Rachel Goldwyn, jailed in Myanmar last
year for staging pro-democracy protests. Both were subsequently pardoned.
Aung San Oo, Suu Kyi's elder brother, is an American citizen living in the
U.S.. The two aren't close.
Under a 1987 law, foreigners are prohibited from purchasing or transferring
any immovable property in Myanmar but an exemption can be granted by the
government.
But according to Aung San Oo's lawyer Kyaw Zeya, the Home Affairs Ministry
granted such an exemption to his client July 28, 2000. Aung San Oo is claiming
ownership of half of the property.
"His interest isn't the possession of the property," Kyaw Zeya said. "As
the elder brother he wanted to fulfill his late mother's wish to turn the estate
into a foundation in his mother's name one day."
The contested 2 acre property was given to Suu Kyi's mother, Khin Kyi, by
the government of Myanmar, then known as Burma, after her husband, national hero
Gen. Aung San, was assassinated in July 1947.
Local real estate agents estimated it is worth approximately one million US
dollars.
Suu Kyi, who used to live in England with her husband and two sons,
returned to Myanmar in April 1988 to look after her ailing mother and has lived
in the house since then.
Later that year a popular uprising against the Myanmar military regime
catapulted her to the forefront of the pro-democracy movement.
At Tuesday's hearing, presiding judge Soe Thein heard that a summons for
Suu Kyi to attend had been posted on the house last week after she refused to
accept it. He said case would proceed ex parte - with just the plaintiff present
- Nov. 27.
But under Myanmar civil law, the defendant can still contest such a case if
they can give good reason why they didn't attend the previous hearing.
Suu Kyi has been confined to the house by authorities since Sept. 22 after
she was blocked from traveling to the northern city of Mandalay by train to meet
NLD members.
The regime heavily restricts Suu Kyi's movements. She spent six years under
house arrest at the residence from 1989 to 1995, held without trial on national
security charges.
Thursday, November 23 7:48 PM SGT
Asean Dilutes Trade Pact, But Reaches Out To China,Japan SINGAPORE (AP)--Southeast Asian
nations on Thursday diluted their free trade pact by allowing members to delay
tariff reductions, but endorsed greater trade with China and Japan.
The developments set the stage for a heads-of-government summit on Friday
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations amid political and economic woes
in the region.
Philippine President Joseph Estrada, facing an impeachment trial next
month, left Manila saying it was "business as usual" with his government.
Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, facing calls to step down for his
failure to control separatist and ethnic violence, arrived in Singapore with his
family and said: "I need to take a rest."
After decades of presenting a public face of unity, Asean is grappling with
internal differences, including how to deal with military-ruled Myanmar and
disputes over reducing trade barriers.
Earlier, the economic ministers of Asean signed a protocol to protect its
members' industries that face "real difficulties."
Malaysia's trade minister, Rafidah Aziz, dismissed concerns that the
agreement would torpedo the region's plan for the Asean Free Trade Area, or
AFTA, which envisages eliminating most regional tariffs by 2002.
The protocol has a "limited scope" and is "not all encompassing," she said.
"It is not like everything is going to be unraveled."
The agreement was first crafted in October to prevent commercial disputes
from flaring into open trade wars. It resulted from Malaysia's decision to delay
opening its automotive sector by two years. Thailand, which has the region's
biggest automotive industry, threatened to retaliate.
The protocol allows members to "temporarily delay" the lifting of tariffs
on products deemed to require protection from foreign competition.
But before using this privilege, members must write to the AFTA Council
giving their reasons and other details. They must also pay compensation to
members most affected by the extended tariffs.
If no accommodation is reached within 180 days, the affected country would
have the right to retaliate with similar tariffs on other products, according to
the protocol.
Malaysia says it needs to protect some crucial industries that still
haven't recovered from the impact of the 1997 financial crisis, which also drove
away foreign investors.
Asean still hasn't been able to draw all the investment back, and is
competing with Northeast Asia and China for the money.
Asean hopes to deal with competition by co-opting its competitors. Its
leaders will meet with the heads of governments of Japan, China and South Korea
over the weekend.
Some Asean members said they would welcome a reported initiative by China
to enter into a free-trade pact with the regional group.
"We welcome them and ... we look forward to developing closer economic
relations between Asean and China," said George Yeo, Singapore's trade minister.
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, who arrived in Singapore Thursday, said his
nation's expected entry into the World Trade Organization will not be a threat
to Southeast Asia.
"It will only bring good," he told reporters.
But Thai Deputy Prime Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi sounded a note of
caution.
He said the economic reality is that China competes directly with Southeast
Asia for foreign investment and draws more investment.
Meanwhile, a panel of Asean experts urged Japan to work harder to open up
its markets and form stronger and more equal ties with the region.
Asean is comprised of Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.
Bangkok Post - Nov 23,
2000.
BORDER - Review of restrictions on Burma casino visits urged Supamart Kasem Tak Local businesses are calling for a review of restrictions intended to
prevent Thais from visiting a casino in Burma's Myawaddy township.
They say the measures have failed to keep gamblers away from the River Side
Club casino, but border trade and tourism is being hurt.
The number of visitors to the province has dropped by 70% and jewellery
trade by 60% since the restrictions were introduced in October.
Thais from outside the area wishing to visit Burma must carry a passport
and get a permit from the provincial governor.
Border passes are being issued only to local people who have officially
resided in Tak for at least six months.
Police, immigration, customs and local administration officials have been
told to strictly enforce the new regulations.
The call for a review was made yesterday at a meeting organised by the Tak
Chamber of Commerce and a joint committee of the private and public
sectors.
Panithi Tangpati, chamber president, said 30-40 people were crossing to
gamble at the casino each day without any difficulty.
"The casino has set up an office in Mae Sot district. The customers are
taken to the casino in a van through the border checkpoint," he said.
Mr Panithi said the new regulations should be lifted before the New Year
festivities or Chinese New Year, which are the peak season for the
province.
Vijit na Ranong, chairman of the hoteliers committee, suggested tough
measures be imposed on tour agents who provide casino services.
Bangkok Post - Nov 23,
2000.
BORDER - Burmese killed in clash with rangers Aftermath of Shan raid on drug factory Subin Kheunkaew A Burmese soldier was killed and two Thai paramilitary rangers wounded in a
border clash in Mae Fah Luang district, Chiang Rai, yesterday.
The clash took place near an area where Shan rebels had attacked a drug
plant guarded by Burmese troops.
The Third Army's Pha Muang Task Force boosted security along the border
around Ban Pa-sang Na-ngern, opposite Ban Muser Abi, Burma, where 13 men,
including two Thais, and 100,000 methamphetamine pills were seized this week by
the Shan State Army.
Third Army commander Lt-Gen Wattanachai Chaimuenwong praised the Shan State
Army, led by Chao Yod Suek, for its anti-drug efforts.
Two rangers posted near Ban Pa-sang Na-ngern, 8-10km southwest of Mae Fah
Luang, were wounded after rocket-propelled grenades, believed to have come from
junta forces, exploded near the village, 1.5km from the border.
Lt-Gen Wattanachai said the clash might be the result of a
misunderstanding, with Burma suspecting that Thai soldiers were involved in
Shan-led assaults on Ban Muser Abi. "Thai soldiers won't do such things," he
said.
Among the people taken by the Shan were Burmese government troops and
soldiers from the United Wa State Army, the Shan's arch-rival.
"This shows Burmese soldiers were directly involved in the drug trade along
the border," said a security official.
"They were captured at the drug factory where the Shan State Army made its
assault." A pick-up truck with Thai plates and five motorcycles were
found.
The Shan handed over the drugs and the two Thais. Lt-Gen Wattanachai said
he ordered the task force to retaliate after Burmese forces shelled an area near
a military post.
Sources said 500 Burmese reinforcements were sent to the clash site. Ban
Pa-sang Na-ngern villagers were evacuated amid fears tensions would rise.
Myanmar leader leaves for ASEAN summit
in Singapore
YANGON, Nov. 23 (Kyodo) -- Gen.
Than Shwe, leader of Myanmar's ruling military junta, left Thursday morning for
Singapore to attend the informal summit of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN).
Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), will
meet leaders from the nine other ASEAN countries for the summit Friday, which
will be joined later in the day and Saturday by leaders from Japan, China and
South Korea.
Accompanying the chairman are SPDC First Secretary Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt,
Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win and Health Minister Kyaw Myint.
Foreign Minister Win Aung is already in Singapore to attend a preparatory
session of ASEAN foreign and economic ministers.
The other ASEAN countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Bangkok Post - Nov 23, 2000.
ASEAN - Junta feels let down on ILO vote Rangoon expected help from neighbour Anuraj Manibhandu Burma yesterday stopped short of criticising Thailand for refusing to join
other Asean countries in protecting the military junta from sanctions by the
International Labour Organisation aimed at ending forced labour.
But Burma did express disappointment, said Don Pramudwinai, the Foreign
Ministry spokesman.
The disclosure followed talks between Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan and
his Burmese counterpart Win Aung on the sidelines of preparatory talks for the
Asean summit opening tomorrow.
Win Aung said he "expected help from neighbours," but "understood that
Thailand has the right to decide which way to choose," Mr Don said.
Thailand stayed out of the move led by Malaysia and joined by the
Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam, which held that Burma had made progress in
complying with Convention 29 on forced labour in terms of legislation as well as
an "institutional mechanism".
But the ILO governing body on Nov 17 maintained there had not been
sufficient progress and invoked article 33 of the constitution to call on member
states to take "appropriate measures" to compel Burma to comply with the
convention which it ratified in 1955.
Mr Surin said he had pointed out there could not be an Asean consensus on
every issue. Thailand holds that forced labour and adverse economic and security
conditions are among factors that pushed a large number of refugees, and several
hundred thousand illegal workers across the border.
Mr Surin said he stressed that that no single issue should affect overall
relations, adding that Win Aung acknowledged the point.
The minister also secured "formal acceptance" from Mr Win Aung that Burma
would take back Burmese refugees at the points where they crossed the border.
They agreed on the need to ensure that the refugees return in safety. They,
however, decided against a "formal mechanism" as this would be tantamount to
admission of guilt on the part of the refugees.
Yesterday's discussions also covered the question of illegal Burmese
workers.
Mr Surin called on Burma to enter into a bilateral pact for the suppression
of drugs over and above the multilateral framework backed by the United Nations
Drug Control Programme. He cited Thailand's bilateral pact with China, and
secured Burma's promise to consider signing a memorandum of understanding on the
matter. |