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BURMA RELATED NEWS - May 08,
2001.
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HEADLINES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reuters - Thailand, Ethnic Fighters Clash on
Myanmar Border
AP - Job
Losses,Myanmar Forced Labor Allegations Top ASEAN Mtg
AP - Peace Hopes Surround Massive Gas Pipeline
In SE Asia
AFP - Thailand launches military, diplomatic
anti-drugs offensive: report
BBC - Thailand to battle Burma drugs
trade
People's Daily - Consecration Ceremony for
Myanmar Jade Buddha Held in Beijing
The Star - Monk: Promote goodwill for a better
world
Bernama - Malaysia Wary Of Myanmar
Threat
The Daily Star - ASEAN
should pressure Myanmar on labour reform
The Nation - Thai villager
released by Karen group
The Nation - Drug
raids net four
Bkk Post - Army poised to strike Red
Wa
Bkk Post - Major drug talks begin today in
Rangoon
Bkk Post - Heroin trafficking feared making
comeback in North
SCMP - Showdown over heroin and speed
'factories'
SCMP - MALAYSIA - Jailed opposition leaders'
fight for freedom delayed
NSTP - 'Razali was not
denied permission'
NSTP - Asean Labour Ministers meeting joined by
China, Japan and Korea
NSTP - Ganad back on solid footing
Dow Jones - Thai-Myanmar Border Fighting Forces
1,000 To Seek Safety
UPI - Warning shots
fired as border tension rises
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday May 8 1:08 AM ET
Thailand, Ethnic Fighters Clash on Myanmar Border BANGKOK (Reuters) - The Thai
army shelled fighters from an ethnic militia allied to Myanmar's military rulers
on Tuesday after they crossed the border and set up an outpost in Thailand for
the second time in a week, the army said.
Thai heavy artillery targeted United Wa State Army positions on Thai soil
shortly after dawn, an army official told Reuters from the northern town of
Chiang Mai.
The southeast Asian neighbors have a history of disputes over their common
border and accuse each other of fostering a cross-border drugs trade. Thailand
accuses Myanmar of using the Wa as a proxy force to nibble away at Thai
territory.
Thai army spokeswoman Sunisa Paiboon told Reuters in Bangkok the army first
moved against the Wa fighters on May 1 when they tried to set up an outpost on a
hill. The army pushed the rebels back but the clashes killed three civilians and
wounded four.
``On May 7, 2001, 0900 hours, the Second Regiment Calvary Task Force found
the (Wa) armed forces had seized the area at Hua Loan hill again, showing their
intention to intrude on Thai sovereignty,'' the Thai Office of the Army
Secretary said in a statement late on Monday.
Sunisa said 30 Wa soldiers had set up a base 400 meters (yards) inside Thai
territory on Monday, but that the Thai army had so far been unable to drive them
back. The number of dead and wounded in Monday's fighting was not immediately
known, she said.
Several hundred Thai villagers have been evacuated from the area, according
to military and local media reports.
There was no immediate comment from Yangon on Tuesday, but state-run
newspapers on Monday accused Thailand of being ''jealous'' of the minority Wa's
economic prosperity.
``The Thai hate the Wa as Thai products can no longer penetrate the Myanmar
market because of the products by minority groups, including the Wa.''
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday May 8, 7:45 PM
Job Losses,Myanmar Forced Labor
Allegations Top ASEAN Mtg
KUALA LUMPUR (AP)--Fears about massive job losses as a result of the U.S. economic downturn and accusations of forced labor in Myanmar emerged Tuesday as central issues for a meeting of Southeast Asian labor ministers this week. Officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations opened talks
Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur to set the agenda for a meeting of labor ministers from
the 10-country grouping, as well as Japan, China and South Korea. The ministers
meet Thursday and Friday.
"The U.S. economic issue is the main problem, that will be a starting point
for the ministers to discuss," said Bounnhou Phommavongsa, the deputy
director-general of Laos' labor ministry.
Thousands of jobs have already been shed this year in export-dependent
Southeast Asia as the global slowdown begins to bite. Among the worst hit have
been countries such as Malaysia and Singapore, which rely on U.S. demand for
electronics components and products.
Syed Muhamad Abdul Kadir, the secretary-general of Malaysia's human
resources ministry, said urgent action was needed to curb layoffs.
"The important thing is to take immediate action to curb massive
retrenchments," Syed Muhamad said.
Officials also indicated that ministers would agree to a unified stand in
support of Myanmar's military government against persistent claims that forced
labor continues in the reclusive country, which is also known as Burma.
In November, the International Labor Organization recommended that its 175
member states, employers, workers and international organizations review their
dealings with Myanmar to make sure they are not abetting forced labor.
While Myanmar says it has outlawed the practice, human rights groups say
the ban is simply an attempt to deflect criticism and that abuses continue.
Sein Myint, deputy-director of Myanmar's labor department, said Tuesday
that the government would ask for ASEAN's support to arm itself against further
criticism expected at the ILO's next meeting in Geneva in June.
"We hope to have support from the ASEAN countries," Seine said. "We have no
doubt that we will have it."
Asked about the issue Tuesday, officials from Malaysia, Indonesia and
Vietnam indicated Myanmar would get ASEAN's support.
"We have called for cooperation between the ILO and the government of
Myanmar to address the issue," said Nguyen Manh Cuong, deputy director-general
of the Vietnam labor ministry's international relations department.
"We are against the application of any kind of sanctions or penalties to an
ASEAN member country," he said. "The victims of the sanctions would be the
people and the workers."
Describing Myanmar as a "close friend" of ASEAN, Syed Muhamad said the
grouping would strive for a common stance, "so when the topic is discussed in
June, at least ASEAN will have some stand."
On the job front, Bounnhou said the ministers would discuss how to fund
various worker skills development projects which were agreed to at their last
meeting in Manila.
ASEAN countries would seek funding for the programs from the three richer
Asian nations, and "we are hopeful that they will help us."
China, Japan and South Korea - which attend major ASEAN meetings as the
so-called plus three countries - are scheduled to take part in the labor talks
for the first time.
ASEAN has 10 members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday May 8, 8:49 AM
Peace Hopes Surround Massive Gas
Pipeline In SE Asia
SINGAPORE (AP)--Its supporters
say it has the potential to bring peace and stability to Southeast Asia, but
critics call it a pipe dream.
Over the next couple of decades, the state-owned oil companies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plan to link together thousands of kilometers of pipe - both underwater and on land - to form a massive natural gas pipeline. Backers hope the project will be a major boost to Asean integration and
eventually extend beyond Southeast Asia, possibly to China and India. While
requiring a huge amount of coordination to build, the pipeline would ensure a
constant supply of natural gas for the region.
But political unrest in Indonesia and border disputes between Thailand and
Myanmar threaten to derail the grand vision, and no one knows if the pan-Asian
pipeline will become a reality or remain in its current, fragmented state.
Much of the gas that will be tapped to feed the giant energy grid is in
Indonesia, where separatist rebel activity threatens the economic viability of
the project. On April 7 a grenade thrown by separatists exploded near a gas
extraction installation in Lhoksukon, about 1,750 kilometers northwest of
Jakarta, setting it on fire.
"Our own perception is that these political instabilities are just
ripples," said Guillermo Balce, the head of the Asean Center for Energy in
Indonesia. "The countries of Southeast Asia, politically, are in harmony because
they have to be, especially at the economic level."
Asean countries Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam have agreed to the project in
principle.
But there is no set timetable for its completion, and estimates on its cost
fluctuate between $15 billion and $30 billion.
About 2,540 kilometers of cross-border pipeline is already in place between
Malaysia and Singapore, Myanmar and Thailand, and Indonesia and Singapore.
The first gas to travel through a $1.5 billion, 640 kilometer pipeline went
from Indonesia to Singapore in January. Another pipeline from Indonesia to
Singapore is under construction at a cost of $1.2 billion.
The exact length of an eventual trans-Asean pipeline isn't known. And no
one has estimated how much extra pipe - feeding off the main line - will be
needed to service the domestic markets in each nation.
The current links, the beginning of the pipeline project, have evolved from
bilateral agreements, said Dr. Mohd Farid Mohd Amin from Malaysia's state-owned
Petronas Oil Company (P.PET).
"The future challenge will involve multilateral arrangements" that are far
more complicated because three or more nations have to agree, said Amin, who is
in charge of implementing the Asean project.
Amin and others believe a coordinated and constant gas supply will greatly
enhance security in Southeast Asia, but that there's a long way to go before the
dream becomes a reality.
"It's good from a world peace point-of-view, but it needs to be
economically viable," said John Vautrain, a U.S.-based energy consultant, adding
that such projects usually succeed only if private energy companies back them.
So far, none has.
There is talk that the pipeline will reach into India and China but Amin
said "the main priority is to try to get the gas to Asean nations first."
That might require a degree of political will that doesn't currently exist
in Southeast Asia.
"It's easy to agree on something that's not going to happen tomorrow and
that you don't have to do anything about today," Amin said.
And then there are the issues of control and sovereignty. Countries will
have to agree to play host for huge amounts of natural gas bound for somewhere
else - and many may seek to become centers of regional gas distribution.
"The biggest impediment is that everyone wants to be a hub," said energy
consultant Sharon Siddique. "That's the crux of the issue and not everybody is
going to be a hub."
Another problem, she said, is the issue of demand. Asia is currently facing
a power glut, unlike three years ago when the pipeline project first began to be
taken seriously.
Siddique said that in the past oil companies liked to believe they were
untouched by trouble in the region. But Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), citing security
concerns, recently had to stop production during uprisings in the Indonesian
province of Aceh.
Border tensions, especially between Myanmar and Thailand, need to be
quelled and the question of continuing sanctions against Myanmar for its human
rights record needs to be answered before the pipeline project can flourish,
Siddique said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday May 8, 1:33 PM
Thailand launches military, diplomatic
anti-drugs offensive: report
BANGKOK, May 7 (AFP) - Thailand
is launching military and diplomatic campaigns aimed at closing down the massive
narcotics trade which operates along its border with Myanmar, reports said
Tuesday.
Newspapers said the Thai army is planning an "all-out offensive" against
the United Wa State Army (UWSA) which has been described by the United States as
the world's "biggest gang of armed drug traffickers".
Fighters from the UWSA, also known as the "Red Wa", set up a position on
Thai territory Monday near the northern city of Chiang Mai, sparking an exchange
of fire as Thai troops tried to dislodge them.
The Bangkok Post said army chief Surayud Chulanont has ordered "drastic
measures" against the rebel militia, which became allied to Myanmar's military
regime after signing a ceasefire pact in 1989.
Army spokesman Somkhuan Saengpataranet said Thailand would do its best to
end the repeated intrusions, and that a new offensive against the Red Wa
position on Hua Lone hill, one kilometre from the border, had begun
Tuesday.
"We have done everything step by step -- starting with negotiations and
warnings, and then protesting against the intrusion" he told AFP, adding that it
was clear the Myanmar junta could not control the Wa.
However, Somkhuan declined to confirm reports that the military action was
the first salvo in a major offensive against the rebels, saying that its
operations remained confidential.
"We will do our best to solve this problem, to expel the intruders from
Thai soil" he said, adding that the army would take care not to inflame
relations with Myanmar which have deteriorated badly over the drugs issue.
In February fighting between the Red Wa and the rival Shan State Army,
which reputedly has the backing of the Thai military, set off the first clash in
years between the two national armies.
Over the following months the neighbours traded angry accusations over who
is responsible for the heroin and methamphetamines factories that flourish along
the rugged border region.
Thailand, backed by US intelligence reports, has accused the military junta
of turning a blind eye towards the Wa and other drug trafficking groups and
demanded its cooperation in closing down the trade.
The renewed skirmishes erupted on the eve of a UN-sponsored meeting on
anti-narcotics strategies which opened in Yangon Tuesday between Cambodia,
China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Senior officials from the six nations are to hold three days of talks
before their home ministers meet on Friday.
The Bangkok press has reported that Thailand will present to its neighbours
Myanmar and Laos an army intelligence report listing details of 32 drug
laboratories operating on their soil.
"The vast majority of the 32 labs, including those in Laos, are run by
Chinese drug lords and members of the UWSA," The Nation said Monday.
The report is also expected to reveal that Myanmar could soon overtake
Afghanistan as the world's leading producer of opium and heroin.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBC - Tuesday, 8 May, 2001, 10:51 GMT
11:51 UK
Thailand to battle Burma drugs trade Thailand will launch a military campaign aimed at closing down the massive
narcotics trade, which operates along its border with Burma, it has been
reported.
According to newspapers in Bangkok, the Thai army is planning an "all-out
offensive" against the United Wa State Army (UWSA), which has been described by
the United States as the world's "biggest gang of armed drug traffickers".
Fighters from the UWSA, also known as the Red Wa, set up a position on Thai
territory on Monday near the northern city of Chiang Mai, sparking an exchange
of fire as Thai troops tried to dislodge them.
In response Thailand's army chief Surayud Chulanont has reportedly ordered
"drastic measures" against the rebel militia, which became allied to Burma's
military regime after signing a ceasefire pact in 1989
Army spokesman Somkhuan Saengpataranet said Thailand would do its best to
end the repeated intrusions, and that a new offensive against the Red Wa
position on Hua Lone hill, one kilometre from the border, had already begun.
"We have done everything step by step, starting with negotiations and
warnings, and then protesting against the intrusion" he said, adding that it was
clear the Burmese junta could not control the Red Wa.
Confidential operations
However, Mr Somkhuan declined to confirm reports that the military action
was the first salvo in a major offensive against the rebels, saying that its
operations remained confidential.
"We will do our best to solve this problem, to expel the intruders from
Thai soil" he said, adding that the army would take care not to inflame
relations with Burma, which have deteriorated badly over the drugs issue.
The skirmishes have erupted on the eve of a UN-sponsored meeting on
anti-narcotics strategies, which has opened in Rangoon between Cambodia, China,
Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Senior officials from the six nations are to hold three days of talks
before their home ministers meet on Friday.
Army intelligence
The Bangkok press has reported that Thailand will present to its neighbours
Burma and Laos an army intelligence report listing details of 32 drug
laboratories operating on their soil.
"The vast majority of the 32 labs, including those in Laos, are run by
Chinese drug lords and members of the UWSA," the article in The Nation said.
In February fighting between the Red Wa and the rival Shan State Army,
which reputedly has the backing of the Thai military, set off the first clash in
years between the two national armies.
Over the following months the neighbours traded angry accusations over who
is responsible for the heroin and methamphetamines factories that flourish along
the rugged border region.
Thailand, backed by US intelligence reports, has accused the military junta
of turning a blind eye towards the Red Wa and other drug trafficking groups and
demanded its co-operation in closing down the trade.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- People's Daily
Tuesday, May 08, 2001, updated at
07:37(GMT+8)
Consecration Ceremony for Myanmar Jade
Buddha Held in Beijing
A consecration ceremony for a jade Buddha presented by the Myanmar
government was held Monday by the Chinese Buddhist Association in Beijing's
Lingguang Temple.
When visiting China last June, General Maung Aye, vice-chairman of the
Myanmar State Peace and Development Council, said that he would present a jade
Buddha to China on behalf of the Myanmar government to commemorate China's
senting of the tooth relic of Sakyamuni to Myanmar for enshrinement.
The tooth relic, still treasured in Lingguang Temple, has so far been sent
to Myanmar three times to be enshrined and worshipped there at the request of
the Myanmar side.
On a nine-inch pedestal, the 54-inch-tall jade Buddha was formally handed
over to China early this year, and will be enshrined in the Jade Buddha Hall of
Lingguang Temple.
The Chinese Buddhist Association made considerable preparations to welcome
the jade Buddha. For instance, it rebuilt and refurbished the old Buddhist hall
to enshrine the Buddha.
The ceremony was attended by officials from the Chinese State
Administration of Religious Affairs and the Chinese Buddhist Association as well
as hundreds of monks and laymen.
A Myanmar government delegation headed by Minister of Religious Affairs U
Aung Khin and some diplomats from the Myanmar Embassy in China also attended the
ceremony as honored guests.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Star
Tuesday, May 8, 2001
Monk: Promote goodwill for a better world PETALING JAYA: Buddhists should live a life of compassion, forgiveness and
wisdom to make the world a better place, Rev Sayadaw Ashim Rewata of the Subang
Jaya Buddhist Association said in his Wesak Day message to devotees yesterday.
He said that Wesak Day was a special occasion for Buddhists all over the
world because it commemorates three special events--the birth, enlightenment and
death of Lord Buddha.
"This Wesak day is the 2,544th year since the death of Lord Buddha.
Buddhism follows the teachings of Buddha to promote goodwill among the people,"
said the monk from Myanmar, who has resided in this country for five years.
Organising chairman James Khoo said he expected 7,000 to 8,000 people to
pay homage to the monk at the association before the day was over.
"There are also other activities like a blood donation campaign, eye pledge
campaign and free vegetarian lunch for five orphanages and old folks homes in
the Klang Valley," he said.
In addition, Khoo said the donations collected from devotees by the
association would be donated to the homes.
He said the blood donation campaign was open to all races and had collected
more than 180 pints of blood for the occasion every year.
Among those who attended the event include Subang MP Tan Sri K.S. Nijhar,
Subang Jaya assemblyman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng and Selangor state exco member Datuk
Tang See Hang.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Malaysia Wary Of Myanmar
Threat
KUALA TERENGGANU, May 7 (Bernama) -- Even though the focus on regaining sepak takraw supremacy at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in September is on Thailand, Malaysia are wary of the threat posed by dark horses Myanmar. National team manager Dr Mohammad Omar said the last time Myanmar were seen
in action in the international scene was at the Brunei SEA Games two years ago.
Then, the Malaysian national side were humbled by Myanmar 1-2.
"As there is only silence from them (Myanmar) all this while we suspect
that they are formulating strategies before meeting us (Malaysia) and Thailand
at the (SEA) Games.
"We are taking precautions as the focus all this while is on our
traditional rivals Thailand...Myanmar may spring a few surprises against us in
Kuala Lumpur," he told Bernama here on Monday.
Dr Mohamad said the Thais, during the Khon Kaen Cup tournament last month,
had also expressed concern over Myanmar's "secret" preparation.
He said the national squad had tried to arrange several friendly matches
with Myanmar but had received negative response.
"Malaysia cannot take Myanmar lightly as they almost upstaged Thailand in
the last SEA Games in Brunei.
"Their form in Brunei two years ago was simply brilliant apart from
puzzling as our boys had beaten them convincingly in the Bangkok Asian Games in
September a year before," he said.
Dr Mohammad said Myanmar's rapid rise could be attributed to their team
management, efficient training and players' tenacity.
"Their ability in turning the tables against us after only nine months and
using the same players is something which should be learnt by our national
squad," he said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Daily Star - May 08,
2001.
Malaysian opposition leader demands
ASEAN should pressure Myanmar on labour
reform
AP, Kuala Lumpur
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations should send a mission to Myanmar
to check on progress the country's military junta is making toward ending forced
labour, a Malaysian opposition leader said Monday.
Ahead of a meeting off labour ministers from the 10-nation grouping in
Kuala Lumpur May 10-11, Lim Kit Siang, chairman of Malaysia's Democratic Action
Party, urged ASEAN member countries to "pressure the Myanmese military junta to
end forced labour and repression of trade unionists" in Myanmar, also known as
Burma.
"The ASEAN labour ministers meeting should ask for a progress report by the
Myanmese Labour Minister on the decree issued by the (Myanmar junta) to abolish
forced labour, and should consider sending a fact-finding mission to Myanmar on
the forced labour question," Lim said in a statement.
Myanmar has long been assailed by the United Nations and Western countries
for suppression of democracy and its human rights record ( including use of
unpaid civilian labour on infrastructure projects.
Myanmar has said civilians contribute their labour voluntarily to promote
development of the nation. Last year, the government issued a decree making
forced labour illegal.
Human rights groups claim the decree was issued to avoid international
criticism and that forced labour continues to be used.
Malaysia is developing as a broker between the reclusive Myanmar government
and the international community. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad met with senior
generals when he visited Myanmar in January, and the UN's special envoy is a
Malaysian diplomat.
Lim said Malaysia should rally support among ASEAN for an International
Labour Organisation plan to apply economic sanctions against Myanmar because of
alleged forced labour practices.
ASEAN, which groups together Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam has a policy of
noninterference in the domestic issues of its members.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Nation
Thai villager released by Karen
group
TAK, May 8 (The Nation) - A Thai villager captured by armed members of the Democratic Karen Buddhism Army on Saturday was released after his relatives paid Bt5,000 in ransom, Tak police said. However, the officers said they did not believe that Shane Butrnamdee that
he entered Burma on a business trip and charged him with unauthorised leaving
the country.
Police said they suspected that the man may have contacted certain minority
groups to smuggle illegal drugs in Thailand but had no evidence to proceed legal
action against him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Nation - May 08,
2001.
Drug raids net
four
Police on Sunday seized 570,000 methamphetamine tablets and 24.5 kilograms
of heroin in separate raids, Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) commissioner
Lt-General Priawpan Damapong revealed yesterday.
Priawpan said four people had been arrested for drug trafficking in the two
cases, one of which occurred in Chiang Rai and the other in Kamphaeng Phet.
He said Ounkaew, or Yee Kamsaeng, 52, along with two Burmese men, Tid and
Chaiton, had been arrested at a restaurant in a petrol station in Chiang Rai
with 570,000 speed pills in their possession. Ounkaew, a Chiang Rai resident,
had reportedly ordered the drugs from Tid and Chaiton and planned to resell the
pills to drug users in the North.
In Kamphaeng Phet, Ching Chiang sae Wang, a 35-year-old Chinese Haw, was
intercepted carrying heroin at a police checkpoint while on his way from Chiang
Rai to Malaysia. The suspect said he had been paid Bt1million to deliver the
drugs.
"The heroin seized is worth about Bt8.7 million," Priawpan said.
The NSB chief said it would be difficult to bring the masterminds behind
these drug-trafficking attempts to justice as most of them were not Thai, and
gave their orders in Burma to subordinates who carried out the smuggling for
them.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - May 08,
2001.
Army poised to strike Red
Wa
Insurgents set up base on Thai soil Wassana Nanuam, Cheewin Sattha and Teerawat Khamthita
Army chief Surayud Chulanont has ordered "drastic measures" against
pro-Rangoon United Wa State Army troops who have set up an outpost on Thai
soil.
The Third Army and the Pha Muang task force, in charge of security along
the northern border, are preparing an offensive, army spokesman Col Somkhuan
Saengpataranet said.
At least 30 armed UWSA soldiers, or Red Wa, crossed into Thailand about 9am
yesterday and set up a position at Hua Lone hill, southeast of Hua Nok hill,
near Ban Norlae in Fang district of Chiang Mai, he said. The position is 400m
inside Thailand.
Last Friday Red Wa soldiers moved into the same area and refused to retreat
when ordered out. They finally withdrew on Sunday after the military fired eight
smoke shells to give a warning, followed by 10 high explosive rounds.
They returned yesterday. Warning shots were fired at them, but to no
effect.
Gen Surayud had instructed the 2nd Cavalry Regiment task force of the Third
Army to drive the intruders out, the spokesman said.
"In responding to the intrusion by the Red Wa, the army has tried to be
restrained and used only peaceful means for the sake of relations between the
two countries, but the violation has been repeated," Col Somkhuan said.
After the May 4 intrusion, the Thai township border committee sent a
protest note to the Burmese, but received no response.
Col Somkhuan said Gen Surayud had reported the intrusions to Defence
Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, and on the May 1 attack on a Thai military camp
at Ban Muen Ruechai in Tak Phop Phra district, where three civilians were killed
and a number of Thais wounded.
Gen Chavalit is reported to have a disagreement with Lt-Gen Wattanachai
Chaimuenwong, the Third Army commander, over policy towards Burma.
Gen Chavalit is said to favour a soft approach, while Lt-Gen Wattanachai
wants tough action taken.
Gen Chavalit yesterday denied any conflict, but admitted their working
styles may be different. As a politician, he was concerned about ties with
neighbouring countries.
The Red Wa are believed to be support forces for Burmese troops who
recaptured Takhi base, in Burma, from the Shan State Army last week.
The local township border committee in Chiang Rai has been asked by the
Third Army to send a protest note to their Burmese counterpart.
More than 600 Palaung tribespeople living at Ban Norlae were evacuated to
Ban Pang Khwai and Chao Mae Fa Luang Uppatham School yesterday. amid fears their
village would be attacked by the intruders.
A border source said the Red Wa were unlikely to pull out unless Thailand
takes tough action.
SSA troops were, meanwhile, poised north of Hua Lone hill for an attack on
the Burmese soldiers who had retaken Takhi base, the source said.
In Chiang Rai, cavalry troops were sent against an estimated 10 Burmese
soldiers who were spotted on a border road near Ban Pha Chang Moob in Mae Sai
district late on Sunday night.
After a three-hour standoff, the Burmese troops, who claimed Burma owned
parts of the road, retreated into Burma about 1am yesterday.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - May 08,
2001.
Major drug talks begin today in
Rangoon
Burma will be asked to act responsibly Ministers and senior law enforcement officials from six countries will
begin a four-day meeting on fighting the drug trade in Rangoon today, amid
continued disagreement on anti-trafficking policy between Thailand and
Burma.
The UN International Drug Control Programme, sponsor of the meeting, said
that the timing for the meeting was perfect. But others were openly sceptical.
The chief Thai delegate will be Thammarak Issarangkura na Ayutthaya, the PM's
Office minister in charge of drug suppression.
Gen Thammarak will ask Burma to appoint a minister to a similar position,
to indicate Rangoon is serious about fighting drugs.
The UNDCP hopes for concrete agreements on a wide range of issues, to help
Thailand and its five neighbours fight an ever increasing tide of
methamphetamines and heroin.
"Drugs can no longer be conceived as a mere national problem and solutions
can no longer be found by individual countries alone," a UNDCP statement said.
But that statement has long become a cliche. More important-and unanswered as
delegates arrived in Rangoon from Thailand, China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam-is
precisely what the countries plan to do about it.
Drug traffickers have set up a well-oiled, vertical enterprise that gathers
raw materials, makes drugs, moves them smoothly across international borders and
markets them to wholesalers and retailers.
By contrast, victim nations have been hard-pressed to launch an effective
defence. Last week, the Burmese media launched daily assaults on Thailand, even
as Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai was on an official visit there.
A report to be made public at this week's meeting will reveal figures that
show Burma is now the world's leading producer of opium and heroin. It gained
that position after last year's ban on poppy cultivation and heroin production
by the Taleban of Afghanistan.
Burma has responded badly and entirely defensively to recent criticism of
its anti-drug policies. Rangoon has recently defended the United Wa State Army
against evidence it is the world's largest producer of illicit methamphetamines.
It has also launched constant broadsides at Thailand for what it claims are Thai
attempts to make Burmese a scapegoat.
Today's meeting is the biennial revival of the Greater Mekong Sub-region
Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control, which was signed in 1993 with the
aim of co-operating on cross-border drug problems.
The six nations have endorsed several plans of action put forward by UN
authorities. But since the first memorandum, drug abuse, cross-border crime and
Aids/HIV all have become serious epidemics.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - May 08,
2001.
Heroin trafficking feared making
comeback in North
Four men nabbed in separate raids Anucha Charoenpo
Drug officials are concerned about a resurgence in the trafficking of
heroin from Burma through the North, following seizure of a 24.5kg consignment
on Sunday.
Chatchai Suthiklom, deputy secretary-general of the Narcotics Control
Board, said heroin trafficking through the North had diminished in the past two
years because traffickers were using new routes to the world market via
China.
Stricter measures in China could mean a return of heroin trafficking to
Thailand, where it flourished eight years ago.
"The seizure is a wake-up call for all drug agencies," he said.
Police had been keeping a close watch on a group of Chinese Haw people in
Thailand before the drug seizure.
They suspected the group was working closely with an international Chinese
syndicate, Pol Lt-Gen Priewphan Damaphong, commissioner of the Narcotics
Suppression Bureau, said.
A Haw man has been charged with trafficking. Zing Shiang sae Whang, 35, of
Mae Fah Luang district in Chiang Rai, confessed he was employed by Haw dealers
in Burma to deliver the heroin to a Taiwanese man in Malaysia, police
said.
He smuggled the 24.5kg of heroin across the Mae Sai river and was arrested
at a checkpoint in Kamphaeng Phet.
Pol Lt-Gen Priewphan said he suspected the heroin came from factories in
Shan state run by the United Wa State Army.
Meanwhile, three men have been charged with trafficking in 570,000
methamphetamine pills from Burma to Thailand. They were identified as Unkaew
Khamsaeng, 52, a Thai; Tid or Sai Pid, 38, and Chaithon, 38, both Burmese
nationals, surnames unknown.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- South China Morning Post
Tuesday, May 8, 2001
Showdown over heroin and speed
'factories'
Bangkok to confront Burma, Laos WILLIAM BARNES in Bangkok
Thailand is set to present neighbouring Burma and Laos with stark evidence
that they harbour heroin and amphetamine factories whose output is aimed
directly at the Thai market.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been shown a list of 32 drug plants - 26 in Burma and the remainder in Laos. The list is likely to be embarrassing for the authorities in Vientiane. The
Lao Government has hitherto managed to persuade the outside world that it is a
determined anti-drug fighter.
Most of the Burma facilities are controlled by the Wa hill tribe, or by
their Chinese business associates such as the notorious gangster Wei Hsueh-gang.
The Wa became allies of the Rangoon military junta after agreeing to a truce a
decade ago.
"We have very detailed intelligence on this. This is undeniable. We want to
see action from both countries," said an official in the premier's office.
Bangkok is particularly keen to see Vientiane do more to smash the drugs
rings that have shifted some of their operations out of Burma's Shan state and
around the border corner into the jungle valleys of northern Laos.
Laos' communist Government responded to a growing domestic drug emergency
last year by threatening stiff penalties on opium smoking for everyone except
"old addicts".
There have also been reports that the young Lao, perhaps aping their
wealthier cousins in Thailand, are taking amphetamines.
The enforcement of anti-drug laws in a desperately poor country riven with
official corruption is difficult, said a Western narcotics analyst. "If ever the
Burmese really cracked down in the Shan state, then Laos will suddenly become a
big problem. The Thais are keen to close off this potential weak link," the
analyst said.
The Thai minister at this week's Rangoon meeting, Thamarak Isarangura, who
works in the premier's own office, will have an even more prickly task in laying
out "evidence" that factories are happily pumping out drugs, often in close
proximity to Burmese troops, said the Thai official. Besides Thailand, Burma and
Laos, China and Cambodia will also be present at a meeting sponsored by the
United Nations' anti-drug agency.
Relations between Thailand and Burma have declined dramatically over the
past 12 months as the Thais have reacted with increasing severity to evidence
that Rangoon's friends are strengthening their drug activities near the border.
Mr Thaksin was initially fairly emollient over Burma when he was elected in
January, but changed his tune after seeing photos of the Mong Yawn valley "drug
city" at a high-powered Thai drug conference in March.
Rangoon has accused the Thai military of backing an ethnic Shan rebel group
that claims to be destroying drug factories.
The ceasefire deals that have brought the Wa and some 15 other groups into
what Rangoon likes to call "the legal fold" not only give the Burmese control of
most of the country, they also see drug money flow south to prop up a weak
economy.
The latest US State Department narcotics report claims that the local drug
lords are "largely immune from [Burmese] Government action".
Military spokesmen in Rangoon have repeatedly claimed that Thailand is
unfairly picking on Burma when its own dark entrepreneurs not only buy the
drugs, but also supply the producers with the chemicals needed to make
amphetamines.
Nevertheless, the Burmese have offered to shut down any drug factory that
Thailand can locate in its territory.
"We are taking them up on this offer. If they are really serious they will
act," said the Thai official.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- South China Morning Post
Tuesday, May 8, 2001
MALAYSIA - Jailed opposition
leaders' fight for freedom delayed
ASSOCIATED PRESS in Kuala Lumpur A last-minute bid by Malaysian government lawyers succeeded on Tuesday in
blocking two jailed opposition leaders from attending a court hearing to decide
whether they should be freed.
The successful appeal to the Federal Court, Malaysia's highest judicial body, also resulted in delaying their case against their detention without trial for allegedly plotting to topple Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. N Gobala Krishnan and Ghani Harun, both senior members of the National
Justice Party, or Keadilan, were scheduled to appear in the High Court on
Tuesday after scoring a victory last week in securing a judge's order that they
be present while their case is being argued.
But, as the men's families gathered outside the courthouse expecting to see
them for the first time since their arrest April 10-11, government lawyers
sought leave to appeal to the Federal Court to block the appearance.
After a two-hour closed-door meeting with lawyers on both sides, Judge
Abdul Malek Ahmad ruled that the Federal Court would begin hearing the appeal in
open court on Monday, and that all proceedings would be put on hold until
then.
The two detainees never made it to court.
Gobala and Ghani are two of 10 anti-government activists who were arrested
last month under Malaysia's Internal Security Act, which allows authorities to
detain people indefinitely without trial.
Police say the arrests were to protect national security; opposition
leaders say they were part of a government-ordered crackdown on dissent.
The detainees' lawyers say police have no evidence to back allegations that
they were plotting violent demonstrations to topple Dr Mahathir, and want the
arrests declared illegal.
Vasanthi Ramalingam, Gobala's wife, said that Tuesday's hearing would have
been the first chance she had to see him since his arrest on April 10.
''I blame [Dr] Mahathir for this,'' Ms Vasanthi said. ''He will do anything
for politics. My daughter has a fever and my son is crying for his father. What
kind of government is this?
''No matter what, they should at least allow us to see my husband.''
Sivarasa Rasiah, the detainees' lawyer, said he was ''not surprised'' at
the government's 11th-hour attempt to stop what would have been their first
sighting in public since their arrest.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The New Straits Times Press - May 07,
2001
'Razali was not denied permission'
KUALA LUMPUR, Mon. - The question of the Myanmar Government denying
permission to United Nations envoy Tan Sri Razali Ismail to visit Myanmar never
arose, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said today.
He said this was because the Myanmar Government, now in talks with
democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, had wanted the talks to be held in strict
secrecy.
"Since it (Myanmar Government) has said that it is in the midst of talks
and does not want the presence of other parties, let us wait and allow them to
get on with the process. So it is not a denial," he told reporters at Wisma
Belia.
He said that Razali, who is Malaysia's former permanent representative to
the world body, was awaiting the outcome of the talks before deciding on the
next course of action.
Razali, who was also president of the UN general assembly, has acted as a
catalyst for the dialogue between the Myanmar Government and Suu Kyi.
"The question of denying permission to Razali does not arise. Let's wait
until the dialogue is over and the issues concerning them have been resolved,"
Syed Hamid said.
Foreign media reports said the secret talks between the Government and Suu
Kyi were in jeopardy, claiming that the denial of permission for Razali to visit
Myanmar was the clearest indication that all was not well.
Asked to comment on the move by Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
leader Nur Misuari to declare Mindanao as the "Bangsamoro Republic" with him as
its first president, Syed Hamid said Malaysia was not supporting any declaration
of independence.
"We are not supporting any declaration of independence," he said.
Syed Hamid said he hoped problems between the Philippine Government and Nur
Misuari could be resolved at the negotiation table in the interest of the
republic and the region as a whole.
He said that Malaysia would not interfere in the internal affairs of the
Philippines as Malaysia recognises its integrity on the issue.
Recently, Kuala Lumpur hosted secret talks between representatives of the
Philippine Government and representatives of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
- Bernama
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The New Straits Times Press - May 08,
2001.
KUALA LUMPUR
Asean Labour Ministers meeting joined by China, Japan and Korea by Annie Freeda Cruez The 15th Asean Labour Ministers meeting, beginning Thursday, will for the
first time that the Plus Three nations - China, Japan and Korea - are taking
part.
This is because the three countries have indicated interest in promoting
human resources development in Asean.
Human Resources Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Syed Muhamad Syed Abdul
Kadir said Asean Labour Ministers had never before held talks with the three
countries on labour or human resources development issues.
The Asean countries are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.
Syed Muhamad chaired the Asean Sub-Committee on Labour Affairs meeting
today which, along with the Senior Labour officials meeting tomorrow, precedes
the Ministerial meeting.
The meetings today and tomorrow are to prepare the agenda for the
Ministers' meeting, which will focus on the progress made by the various
countries in projects identified in the last meeting in Manila.
The projects include Asean Occupational Safety and Health Network, Asean
Regional Project on Informal Sector Development, Asean Regional Project on Human
Resources Development Planning, Asean Programme on Industrial Relations and
Asean Skills Competition.
It will also see the Asean labour ministers formulating strategies to
mitigate the impact of the US economic slowdown on workers in the region.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad will open the meeting where
about 50 delegates are expected to participate.
Malaysia is expected to raise several issues concerning the US slowdown and
its impact on the Asean countries.
Syed Muhamad said another issue that would be discussed at the meeting was
the forced labour in Myanmar which was raised by International Labour
Organisation (ILO).
Asean will come up with a common stand on the issue because the matter is
to be discussed at the ILO conference in Geneva next month, he added.
The meeting was first held in Jakarta in 1975. It was initially held once
in every two years, but has become an annual event since the 12th meeting in
Hanoi.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The New Straits Times
Press
May 08, 2001.
Ganad back on solid footing
By Zuraimi Abdullah TUES: THE radical management changes embarked upon by Ganad Corporation
have paid off. The outdoor advertising heavyweight is now back on solid
footing.
Things have been picking up for Ganad since it "overhauled" its entire
management team in the middle of last year after several years of losses.
With founder Gan Kok Beng taking back the reins of day-today operations
since July 2000, Ganad expects to make a U-turn in the current financial year
ending May 31. Gan, the managing director, declined to give details.
"We had gone through some rough times in the past three years.
"We made losses over the period, but they were not so much because of the
crisis, but due to mismanagement.
"Last June, the company was managed by a totally new team ... the MD,
general manager, financial controller, accountants and account clerks, they all
were replaced by new people.
"And now we are on the turnaround track. Our third quarter figures
reflected the bullish prospects," Gan told NST Business in Kuala Lumpur
recently.
Ganad reduced substantially its pre-tax losses from RM14.77 million in 1999
to RM4.05 million last year. Group turnover, however, decreased to RM23.03
million in 2000 from RM24.83 million two years ago.
Helping Gan to drive the company's recovery programme are Tan Sri Abu Talib
Othman (chairman) and Sulaiman Hew Abdullah, appointed as directors last year in
place of Cho Sing Koo and Wong Chow Lan.
Domestic operations led by core subsidiary Ganad Media Sdn Bhd will
continue to be the number one profit and income generator, contributing over 70
per cent to each.
But Gan prefers to attribute Ganad's anticipated reversal in fortune this
year to the strong performance of its overseas ventures, particularly in Myanmar
and Thailand.
Still, he does not want to be overconfident.
Instead of bowing to the suggestion that the overseas ventures would
generate significant profits this year, Gan said they are expected "to yield
positive results.
"For the first time since we ventured abroad in 1994, the operations,
except for the one in China, will show a positive set of results in the current
financial year." The overseas companies are expected to boost significantly
Ganad's earnings base once the pace of its projected growth picks up in the near
future, he added.
In 1999, overseas activities accounted for RM6.71 million of Ganad's total
turnover of RM24.83 million and RM1.87 million of its pre-tax loss of RM14.77
million.
The following year, there was a dip in performance, with a RM5.99 million
revenue and pretax loss of RM3.17 million, no thanks to the poor performance of
the Shanghai subsidiary.
Ganad first ventured overseas seven years ago with associate company
Ganad-Thai Co Ltd. Then, it went to Myanmar and Cambodia. It later set up
operations in Shanghai in 1997.
It had earlier explored Vietnam in 1993, but found that the market was not
right. The company has wholly-owned subsidiaries in Cambodia and Myanmar through
Ganad-Khmer Advertising Co Ltd and Myanmar Ganad Advertising Co Ltd.
Myanmar Ganad, which is based in Yangon, had obtained a licence from the
Yangon City Development Committee to secure, construct and develop outdoor
advertising sites there.
The company is the only foreign-owned media company to have been granted
such a licence.
Myanmar Ganad offers and constructs state-of-the-art billboards in the form
of unipoles, map signs, overhead bridge advertising and bus-shelter advertising.
Gan revealed that the subsidiary signed a deal several weeks ago with the
Myanmar authorities for the rights to manage advertising at the country's two
international airports in Yangon and Mandalay.
Ganad-Khmer, meanwhile, has been granted outdoor advertising rights by the
Phnom Penh municipality for the entire city. With this, Ganad-Khmer is able to
control more than 50 per cent of the total outdoor advertising locations in the
city.
The subsidiary also provides advice and technical help to the city's
municipality to enhance the quality of outdoor advertising.
In China, Ganad has Shanghai Ganad Donghu Advertising Co Ltd, a joint
venture with Shanghai Donghu Advertising and Decorations Co Ltd, a subsidiary of
the Shanghai municipality. Overall, Gan said, Ganad expects to register
favourable growth in line with the performance of the domestic outdoor
advertising industry, whose annual value is estimated at RM80 million to RM100
million.
He pointed out that the current economic situation has not affected the
market. one of the most cost effective mediums.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, May 8 12:21 PM SGT
Thai-Myanmar Border Fighting Forces
1,000 To Seek Safety
BANGKOK (AP)--Thai forces and
ethnic Wa armed intruders from Myanmar exchanged heavy fire Tuesday at the
border, forcing 1,000
villagers to move to safer areas, Thai officials said Tuesday.
Late Monday, Thai forces fired warning shots, but between 30 and 60
intruders from the United Wa State Army occupying a hilltop about 500 meters
inside northern Thailand didn't withdraw, the Thai army said.
Early Tuesday, Thai army fired more than 100 artillery and mortar rounds at
the intruders, who fired back. There were no reported injuries or serious damage
on the Thai side.
The Myanmar government made no immediate comment about the incident.
As a safety precaution, the inhabitants of three hilltribe villages in Fang
district, Chiang Mai province, about 780 kilometers north of Bangkok, were
evacuated late Monday.
They are now sheltering 10 kilometers from the border, said Arthit
Thangchitwong, the local chief of civil defense.
The exchange of fire comes as Thai-Myanmar relations are at their lowest
point in years, following a direct armed confrontation in February and a spate
of border skirmishes in the past three months involving Myanmar ethnic armies.
The Wa army has reached a cease-fire agreement with Myanmar's military
government. It is widely recognized as being a major producer of
methamphetamines and heroin and Thailand says Myanmar is doing little to stop it
trafficking the drugs over the border.
Meanwhile, Myanmar accuses Thailand of helping other armies along the
border that are opposed to its rule.
Col. Somkuan Saengpattaranetr, the Thai army spokesman, said that Thailand
would take severe action to dislodge the intruders since they had ignored
warnings to move.
"The Myanmar troops in the area claim that they cannot control the Wa who
intrude into our territory. Now it is our duty to drive out the intruders who
have violated our territory," said Somkuan.
He said that a protest letter had been sent to Myanmar but so far there had
been no formal reply.
The 1,000 villagers had reoccupied their homes only two days ago, after
being moved out for two weeks during heavy fighting near the same spot between
anti-Yangon Shan rebels and Myanmar forces over control of a hilltop border
post.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- United Press
International
Warning shots fired as border tension
rises
Tuesday, 8 May 2001 3:03 (ET)
BANGKOK, Thailand, May 8 (UPI) -- Thai army troops fired warning rounds of artillery into Myanmar Tuesday in the latest flare of tensions along the volatile border. Thai officers said the morning salvo consisted of smoke rounds and
was intended as a warning to about 50 ethnic Wa troops, allied with Myanmar's
junta, who intruded into Thailand on Monday.
An army spokesman said that if the intruders from Myanmar failed to heed
the warning Thai troops would launch an assault on the position, which is about
400 yards inside Thailand, and force them to withdraw.
Thailand's Third Army has been beefing up its forces for the past few days
in preparation for an offensive, army spokesman Col. Somkhuan Saengpataranet
said.
"In response to the intrusion by the Red Wa, the army has tried to be
restrained and used only peaceful means for the sake of relations between the
two countries, but the violation has been repeated," he said.
Tension has been simmering along the border for more than a month, with
military officials from both sides claiming violations of the border.
On May 1 Wa troops attacked a Thai military camp at Ban Muen Ruechai in Tak
province, killing three Thai civilians and wounding several Thai troops and
civilians.
Thailand's outspoken Third Army Region commander, Lt. Gen. Wattanachai
Chaimuenwong, has accused Myanmar's military government of using the Wa ethnic
minority, specifically the United Wa State Army, or Red Wa, as surrogates to
attack Thailand.
He has also accused the Wa, with the tacit approval of Myanmar's
junta, of organizing the illegal drug trade along the border. Thai and U.S.
officials estimate that as many as 700 million methamphetamines, produced in
Wa-protected laboratories along the border, will flood the Thai black market
this year.
Gen. Wattanachai's accusations, and his advocacy of a tough line
against border incursions, have brought him into conflict with Defense Minister
and Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who favors a "soft" approach to
Myanmar's junta.
Critics have accused Chavalit of a conflict of interest due to his and his
wife's business interests in Myanmar, which are reported to include logging and
fishing concessions.
The UWSA is one of several ethnic minority groups that have signed
cease-fire agreements with Yangon in return for limited autonomy.
Anti-narcotics officials have charged that Myanmar's junta has sweetened
the deals by allowing the former rebels to run their illegal drug businesses in
return for kickbacks.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- |