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BURMA RELATED NEWS - April 12,
2001.
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HEADLINES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- AP - Thailand Sends Fire Trucks To Quell
Blaze in Myanmar Town
Reuters - Korean ship
feared sunk off Japan, body found
Japan Times - Dance
show links artists from Japan and Myanmar
New Straits Times - Undercover
Anti-Smuggling Unit agents nabs 14 illegal aliens
The Nation - Thaksin
calls for unity in Asean
Xinhuanet - Myanmar's Foreign Trade Up
13.8 Percent in 2000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday April 12, 4:44 PM
Thailand Sends Fire Trucks To Quell
Blaze in Myanmar Town
MAE SOT, Thailand (AP)--Thailand sent fire trucks to quell a
nighttime blaze in a border town in neighboring Myanmar that left 100 people
homeless early Thursday, Thai officials said.
Myanmar officials ran across the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge seeking
help after the blaze broke out in Myawaddy, where local people and the town's
single fire engine could not bring it under control.
Five fire engines and two water trucks were dispatched from the Thai town
of Mae Sot, which lies opposite Myawaddy, and helped put out the blaze that
burned for more than two hours, said Samart Loifar, the Mae Sot district
governor.
Three brick buildings and 12 wooden homes were destroyed leaving about 100
Myawaddy residents homeless. They are now sheltered at a Buddhist temple in the
town, Myanmar vendors said.
There were no reported deaths or injuries.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WIRE: 04/12/2001 2:36 am ET
Korean ship feared sunk off Japan, body
found
TOKYO, April 12 (Reuters) -
Rescue officials found a body during a search for a Korean ship missing off
southwestern Japan, raising fears the cargo vessel foundered in heavy seas with
28 crew on board, Japan's coast guard said on Wednesday.
"Given the facts, we have to conclude that the ship has probably sunk," a
coast guard spokesman said.
The 22,725-tonne Korean-registered Honghae Sanyo vanished with a cargo of
gravel in heavy winds and high seas late on Tuesday after failing to pick up a
navigator en route to a port in Hyogo, some 700 km (432 miles) southwest of
Tokyo.
No distress signal was received.
A coast guard spokesman said that a body, believed to be that of a crew
member, was discovered late on Wednesday near Cape Muroto on Japan's smallest
main island of Shikoku during a search by planes and patrol boats.
Six empty lifeboats and rubber rafts, one with the name of the ship on its
side, have also been found, the spokesman said.
"But we have yet to discover any other members of the crew," he added. Six
were from Korea and 22 from Myanmar.
While the reason for the accident has not been determined, a strong wind
warning was in effect when the ship disappeared, indicating it may foundered in
high seas, the spokesman added.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Japan Times: Apr. 12,
2001
Dance show links artists from Japan and
Myanmar
YANGON (Kyodo) The first
cultural exchange dance show ever performed by both Japanese and Myanmarese
artists was staged at the National Theater here earlier this week.
The four-hour show was sponsored by the Myanmar-Japan Friendship
Association of Myanmar, in cooperation with the Japan-Myanmar Friendship
Association of Japan. The 54-member Japanese cultural delegation included 26
artists.
They performed songs and dances accompanied by drum, shamisen and flute.
Aikido and karate demonstrations drew long applause, while Myanmar artists
performed cultural dances and songs.
"The Cultural Exchange Variety Dance Show is the result of interrelations
and cooperation between Japan and Myanmar," said Col. Tin Hlaing, chairman of
the Myanmar-Japan Friendship Association, at the opening ceremony.
Japanese Ambassador Shigeru Tsumori said, "This cultural exchange dance
show will certainly deepen the already firm social, economic and cultural ties
that exist between the two nations."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Straits Times - April 12,
2001.
Undercover Anti-Smuggling Unit
agents nabs 14 illegal aliens
Agents masqueraded as tekong darat and duped aliens by Shahrum Sayuthi An ingenious tactic employed by Perlis Anti-Smuggling Unit officers landed
14 illegal immigrants at the Chuping police station today instead of a
construction site in Penang.
Two officers masquerading as "tekong darat" (land agents) told the group of
13 Myanmar nationals and a Thai that they were supposed to take the group to
their destination.
This occurred soon after the group had crossed the Thai-Malaysian border
wall at Kg Beluka Laga, Batu Betangkup and were awaiting their pick up.
Relating the incident, Chuping unit operations commander Chief Inspector
Morad Poro said a team of eight officers were despatched to the area at 10pm
last night after receiving a tip-off about a group of trying to gain entry into
the country.
He said the team waited in ambush the whole night but failed to detect the
illegal immigrants.
"The officers then decided to try another approach by disguising themselves
as "tekong darat" who normally pick-up illegal and take them to their
destination.
"Two of the officers then detected three of the illegal immigrants hiding
in a bush at 9am and convinced them that they were their agents.
"Believing that they were being picked up to be sent to Penang, the trio
fetched their friends who were hiding deeper in the bush and quickly jumped into
the unmarked van driven by the officers.
Morad was speaking to reporters at the State Anti-Smuggling Unit base in
Chuping where the illegal immigrants are being held.
He said the illegals, aged between 15 and 42 years, were believed to have
paid their agents about 1,000 Bhat (RM82) each for the trip.
Morad said the illegal immigrants would be sent to a detention centre and
charged for entering the country without proper travelling documents.
They would then be deported to their respective countries.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Nation - April 12,
2001.
Thaksin calls for unity in
Asean
PRIME Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday that Asean members should
be more united and sincere in addressing common problems amid the globally
volatile economic environment.
"The time has come when we have to unite to raise Asean's clout and abandon
any attempt to usurp one another," he said.
Thaksin, who leads the group's newest government, said he will discuss the
issue with Asean leaders at a meeting later this year.
"We cannot afford to be inward when we are poor, otherwise we will get
poorer," he said after a 25-minute meeting with Asean secretary-general Rodolfo
Severino.
Thaksin's call came amid the region's growing concern over the potential
for another financial crisis.
Severino arrived here Monday for a four-day visit to acquaint himself with
members of Thaksin's government involved with Asean affairs, including Foreign
Minister Surakiart Sathirathai.
Severino told The Nation that Thaksin placed emphasis on Asean's joint
efforts to stamp out drug trafficking and to promote tourism and the free flow
of goods and people.
He said Asean's cooperation in fighting narcotics problems is now limited
to law-enforcement training, education for youth and rehabilitation for addicts.
Asean needs enormous resources and cooperation from international
organisations and donor countries to deal with drug problems, he said.
Relations between Thailand and Burma have been rocked by squabbling over
the narcotics problem recently, as Thaksin has declared war against drugs, which
he considers the country's number-one security threat.
"If Asean wants to be strong, there needs to be sincerity in solving
problems together," Thaksin said. "If we have problems, we should talk and not
just blame each other."
"Drugs are not just a problem for Thailand, Burma or Malaysia. It's Asean's
problem. I believe everyone is concerned about it and we need more serious
discussions on the issue at the leadership level."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar's Foreign Trade Up 13.8
Percent in 2000
2001.04.12 10:04:06 YANGON, April 12 (Xinhuanet) --
Myanmar's foreign trade, including the border trade, totaled 4.086 billion U.S.
dollars in 2000, up 13.8 percent from 1999, according to the country's
Central Statistical Organization (CSO).
Of the total trade volume, imports were valued at 2.567 billion dollars,
increasing by 6.51 percent, while export amounted to 1. 519 billion dollars,
rising by 28.94 percent.
However, the trade deficit stood at 1.048 billion dollars, the CSO
said in its latest data released for 2000.
During the year, the import value of consumers goods, capital goods
and intermediate goods accounted for 44.2 percent, 28.2 percent and 27.6
percent of the total imports respectively.
Myanmar mainly exports agricultural products, timber and marine
products.
The figures also indicate that Myanmar's private sector is playing a
leading role in the country's foreign trade. During the year, the import
value of the private sector made up 76.8 percent of the total imports,
while its export value represented 68.5 percent of the total
exports.
The import and export value of the government sector during the year
accounted for only 23.2 percent and 31.5 percent respectively.
Myanmar's main foreign trading partners are Singapore, China,
Thailand and Japan.
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