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BURMA RELATED NEWS - September
27, 2001.
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HEADLINES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFP - Myanmar's NLD calls for Aung San Suu Kyi's
release at anniversary event
Reuters - Myanmar opposition tells military:
free Suu Kyi now
Reuters - Singapore and Malaysia pact seen
spurring ASEAN
BBC - UN drugs warning for Asia
BBC - Bin Laden - the Asia
connection
Bernama - Visiting Myanmar Leader Attends
Briefing On Langkawi's Development
Bernama - Syed Razak
Hosts Dinner For Myanmar Leader Than Shwe
Bernama - Source Food Imports From Myanmar
Xinhuanet - Myanmar Leader Ends Visit to
Malaysia
Xinhuanet - Myanmar Hosts Regional Meeting on
AIDS
NSTP - Myanmar’s offer to Malaysian
businessmen
FEER - INTELLIGENCE- Time Running Out for
Burma's Forests
Mizzima - Chin immigrants being evicted from
Mizoram
Mizzima - No where to go for 39 Burmese
fishermen
Mizzima - Activists pledge to integrate
women rights into mainstream human rights
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday September 27, 6:43 PM
Myanmar's NLD calls for Aung San Suu Kyi's release at anniversary event YANGON, Sept 27 (AFP) - The
opposition National League for Democracycalled for the unconditional release of
its leader Aung San Suu Kyi Thursday at a ceremony to mark the 13th anniversary
of its founding.
The military regime has held Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest at her
lakeside residence for the past year after she attempted to journey to the
northern city of Mandalay in defiance of a travel ban.
The pro-democracy party also demanded the release of an estimated 1,500
political prisoners still being held in Myanmar's jails, as part of a
three-point resolution unamimously adopted at the meeting.
Some 500 party members were joined by diplomats from the United States,
Britain, Australia, Japan and other nations, as well as veteran politicians from
other pro-democracy parties and the media at the ceremony.
The NLD called on all its members and elected MPs to "further consolidate
their strength and unity for renewed efforts to achieve the party's objective to
attain genuine democracy."
A final resolution proclaimed the members' "complete trust and confidence"
in the party's leaders to do "whatever was necessary through discussion,
negotiation or co-ordination" to achieve democracy.
Aung San Suu Kyi has spent the last 11 months in secret talks with junta
leaders, which observers hope will herald a fully-fledged reconciliation process
that could one day introduce democracy to military-ruled Myanmar.
At Thursday's ceremony, party chairman Aung Shwe, who was recently released
from house arrest in a goodwill gesture aimed at bolstering the talks, noted
that the current political climate was conducive to national
reconciliation.
And in an obvious reference to the ongoing dialogue, vice-chairman Tin Oo
said there was no such thing as "an eternal foe" or an "eternal friend".
"Time and circumstances always dictate changes," he said, going on to point
out that in any "fruitful negotiation" there had to be "give and take" and that
the end result should not be seen in terms of losers and winners.
In a sign of the political thaw initiated by the talks, the security
presence at the meeting was less obtrusive than in previous years when each
guest was photographed entering NLD headquarters.
On Thursday, no attempt was made to hinder party members or invited guests
who were allowed to enter the venue freely, and traffic on the busy road outside
was not affected.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday September 27, 7:04 PM
Myanmar opposition tells military: free Suu Kyi now By Aung Hla Tun YANGON, Sept 27 (Reuters) -
Myanmar's opposition on Thursday demanded the immediate and unconditional
release of pro-democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi, in its most strongly
worded statement since peace talks with the military began last year.
At a ceremony marking the 13th anniversary of the founding of the National
League for Democracy (NLD), which won Myanmar's last election in 1990 by a
landslide but was never allowed to govern, the party called for the release of
all political prisoners.
"We demand the unconditional and immediate release of our
secretary-general, Daw (Mrs) Aung San Suu Kyi, and all other political
prisoners," the NLD said in a statement read by a party representative from the
Karen ethnic group.
The party also reaffirmed the mandate of Suu Kyi and NLD Chairman Aung Shwe
to carry on their duties in working for the emergence of democracy in Myanmar.
The 56-year-old Suu Kyi, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, has been
held under de facto house arrest for more than a year, cut off from contact with
the outside world.
But since last October, the military government has been holding regular
meetings with her to discuss ending the political deadlock that has gripped
Myanmar for more than a decade.
The NLD and the government agreed to cease verbal attacks on each other
after the start of the talks, and the government has released more than 150
political prisoners.
MORE THAN 1,500 STILL IN JAIL
But according to Amnesty International, more than 1,500 political prisoners
remain in jail.
Around 400 people attended the ceremony at the NLD's central Yangon
headquarters, including senior party leaders, veteran politicians and diplomats
from the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Australia and South Korea.
A year ago, amid a military crackdown on the NLD, such a ceremony would
have been unthinkable. All senior NLD leaders were in forced confinement this
time last year, and the military government barred access to the NLD's
headquarters.
"It is pretty long since we held such a ceremony," said Hla Pe, a member of
the NLD's central executive committee who acted as chairman for the ceremony.
"It is a very auspicious day but we cannot feel complete happiness, as our
secretary-general, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, cannot attend this ceremony."
NLD Vice Chairman Tin Oo, recently released from de facto house arrest,
told NLD members they had to be flexible in their fight for democracy.
"There is no such thing as an enemy forever or a friend forever," he said
in an address to the ceremony.
"Of course, a noble friend is best. But a noble enemy is second best."
Few details of the talks between Suu Kyi and the military have emerged, and
the dialogue has not passed beyond the stage of confidence-building.
The start of dialogue was welcomed by the international community and by
representatives of Myanmar's many ethnic groups. But diplomats say the goodwill
will not last forever.
Opposition members and ethnic groups are pressing for more transparency and
for concrete signs of progress, to prove the dialogue is more than just a public
relations exercise.
The government insists it wants to move Myanmar towards democracy, but says
the country faces anarchy and disintegration if the process moves too
quickly.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday September 27, 1:38 PM
Singapore and Malaysia pact seen spurring ASEAN By Jacqueline Wong SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A
rekindling of ties between Singapore and Malaysia could breathe life into
flagging ASEAN nations if their recent accord on a number of issues including
water and airspace use is more than just a narrowing of differences.
Cooperation between the two, with a history of prickly relations, could
help speed up investment initiatives for the region hurt by political changes
and social unrest, analysts say.
Singapore's leaders in parliament on Tuesday hailed the accord as a
"psychological breakthrough" in bilateral talks even though some of the terms
were not in the city state's favour.
The global slowdown and grim prospects for an export-led recovery after the
terror attacks in the United States makes economic cooperation among ASEAN
members even more urgent.
Members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are
Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam,
Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
ASEAN members have been squabbling among themselves about the opening up of
their markets and on tariffs. Singapore's pursuit of free trade agreements with
outsiders, like the United States, has also divided the regional grouping at a
time when investment flows to Asia are steering towards China at ASEAN's
expense.
Industry leaders say the key to an ASEAN-wide initiative to draw
investments is to complete unfinished economic and financial sector reform and
work towards regional economic integration by successfully implementing the
ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.
Under AFTA, the six richer ASEAN states are committed to slashing tariffs
on such items as automobiles and parts.
EARLY DAYS YET
"The region as a whole lacks a bright spark and Singapore and Malaysia are
relatively decently equipped to be the bright spark," said Singapore nominated
member of parliament Simon Tay.
"Singapore and Malaysia could be part of the economic gel. It doesn't mean
we end competition, but how do we subsume that in the larger framework and
attitude of cooperation."
The deal brokered by Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew and
Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has yet to determine among other
issues, exact terms for water, which Singapore depends on peninsular Malaysia to
supply.
Many have asked if new twists and turns could foil the deal, which includes
the relocation of Malaysia's railway in the city state and use of Malaysian
airspace by Singapore's air force.
The test will come when officials from both sides meet to flesh out the
details of the bilateral pact.
"It should be followed through quickly -- there should be no gamesmanship,
no dilly-dallying, no resort to opaqueness," Singapore's Business Times said in
an editorial.
The two key trade and investment partners have seen high profile deals
crumble before, such as the 1990 agreement on railway land signed between
Malaysia's then finance minister Daim Zainuddin and Lee, just before he stepped
down as prime minister.
But with the blessings of veteran leaders Lee and Mahathir, hopes are high
that it would be different this time.
"Once the political leaders have been able to reach a broad brush
agreement, the nitty gritty of the agreement shouldn't have many problems
progressing further," said Michael Yeoh, chief executive of Malaysia's Asian
Strategy & Leadership Institute.
ASEAN IN ONE MIND
A week after brokering the deal to resolve thorny issues that irritated
ties between their nations for decades, ASEAN business leaders awarded Lee and
Mahathir a specially-minted medallion for creating vibrant and politically
stable economies.
The two outspoken leaders appeared happy to put aside their previous flare
ups for the sake of continuing economic progress.
Lee said economic ties with Malaysia were at their highest, with its
northern neighbour overtaking the United States as its largest trading partner.
The city state is also Malaysia's second largest export market and biggest ASEAN
investor.
"The linkages between the two countries are still very strong and large,
there are lots of opportunities for both countries to explore, especially as
competition heats up from China," said Paul Schymyck, economist at
IDEAglobal.com.
Singapore is bordered to the north by the city of Johor, while off its
southern shores is the Indonesian island of Batam, which has received a lot of
investment from the city state.
"It can probably kick start again the Growth Triangle that we had linking
up Singapore, Johor and Batam," he said.
ASEAN aside, most agree it is time to move on.
"We needed to have some resolution at the end of the day," Gillian Koh,
research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies in Singapore, said noting
that the to-ing and fro-ing on the long-standing issues had been a real bugbear
to relations.
"The alternative, a failed agreement and shattered hopes, is not an option.
It's high time both countries moved on this, so that they can tackle the real
challenges at hand," the Business Times editorial added.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBC - Wednesday, 26 September, 2001,
14:06 GMT 15:06 UK
UN drugs warning for Asia The United Nations has warned of an explosion in the drug trade in Southeast Asia now that Afghanistan's borders are closed. Officials say the border closure has effectively put an end to Afghanistan's status as the world's leading supplier of opium. The Reuters news agency quoted an official as saying the 'Golden Triangle'
of Burma, Thailand and Laos will now monopolise the Asian drugs trade.
The warning was delivered in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, by Sandro
Calvani, regional representative of the UN Drug Control and Crime Prevention
office.
Borders closed
"The borders are completely closed in Afghanistan so you can't do any
business, legal or illegal," Reuters quoted Calvani as saying.
"The Golden Triangle... is now moving all the drugs of Asia because
Afghanistan is out of business for illicit drugs," he said.
Afghanistan's ruling Taleban were demanding Western recognition of the
effectiveness of a ban last year on opium poppy cultivation, deemed to be
contrary to Islam.
But vast stocks of the drug continued to pour across its borders until the
latest crisis erupted following the suicide attacks two weeks in New York and
Washington.
Market testing
Mr Calvani warned that drug traffickers had been "market testing" new
smuggling routes through Cambodia to take advantage of the latest developments.
Authorities in the region have waged war for decades on the massive
narcotics trade that flows across the Golden Triangle's porous borders.
Earlier this year, Thailand launched a military campaign aimed at closing
down the trade along its border with Burma.
But Cambodia's underfunded law enforcement agencies and shaky legal system
have struggled to keep up with the traffickers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBC - Thursday, 27 September, 2001,
11:37 GMT 12:37 UK
Bin Laden - the Asia connection By BBC regional analyst Larry Jagan in Bangkok They seek him here, they seek him there, they seek the elusive Osama Bin
Laden everywhere. Even in east Asia, rumours abound as to his whereabouts.
First he was supposed to be in hiding in China, having fled across the
Pamir mountains into China's restive Xinjiang province - a suggestion
strenuously denied by the authorities in Beijing.
Although few took this very seriously - intelligence experts thought it
would be impossible for him to remain there undetected - the US embassy in
Beijing sent its foremost resident expert on the area to see for himself.
Then there were reports that Bin Laden's supporters and followers - from
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand - were meeting at the Indonesian
holiday resort of Batam, not far from Singapore.
Bin Laden's connection to Indonesia has long been rumoured. So the search
went on.
Planning meeting
The idea that the Bin Laden group was planning further attacks in the small
island resort seemed inconceivable.
In the midst of the few chalets, long sandy beach and imported rocks that make up this seaside location, a group of Muslim activists would not have remained incognito for very long. The Indonesian police and army chiefs both dismissed the report as totally
groundless.
A Thai military intelligence officer dealing with the Muslim movements in
southern Thailand dismissed the reports as totally unfounded.
While another insurgent expert said it was impossible that a series of
independent cells would be meeting, let alone discuss strategy or what to do
next.
Underground organisations like Bin Laden's depend on being completely
separate, with independent command structures.
The search for Bin Laden will go on. It will not be long before the
Philippines becomes the next hiding place.
Suspicions
After all, there have long been strong suspicions that Bin Laden is
involved with the shady Abu Sayyaf group, responsible for a series of
kidnappings over the last year or so.
What is clear is that there has been an Afghan connection throughout Asia with several Muslim groups. Certainly arms and explosives from Afghanistan have made their way into
Xinjiang and may well have involved in a series of bomb blasts that have
occurred there in the past few years.
And two Indonesians accused of involvement in the bombings of a Christian
church in 1999, according to the police, were trained in Afghanistan and were
members of the Afghan militia there in the early 1990s.
Chasing shadows
But rumours outweigh the reality by far.
The Burmese army - hoping the pro-democracy groups along the Thai-Burma
border might believe it - circulated their own rumour suggesting that the
Taleban were training a rebel ethnic group, the Shan State Army.
No one has taken that rumour seriously - although at least one news
organisation reported that the biggest Bin Laden organisation was based in
Burma.
So whether predominantly Buddhist or Muslim, most countries in Asia do not
seem to have dispelled the rumours that Bin Laden is taking refuge there.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Malaysian National News Agency
September 27 , 2001 12:55PM Visiting Myanmar Leader Attends Briefing On Langkawi's Development LANGKAWI, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Visiting Myanmar leader,
State Peace and Development Council Chairman Senior Gen Than Shwe and his
delegation Thursday attended a briefing on Langkawi's development.
The 30-minute briefing was given by Langkawi Development Authority (Lada)
general manager Datuk Zainal Karib Abdul Rahim at the Lada complex here.
Also present was Deputy Transport Minister Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib who is
minister-in-attendance.
Later, Than Shwe visited Galeria Perdana, a complex where souvenirs
received by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his overseas
trips are displayed.
Than Shwe spent about 30 minutes at the gallery which showcases more than
2,500 memorabilia including hand-made handicrafts, gold and silverware.
The Myanmar leader is scheduled to depart for Yangon in the afternoon.
Last night, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Syed Razak Syed Zain hosted a
dinner in honour of Than Shwe who arrived here yesterday.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Malaysian National News Agency
September 26 , 2001 23:26PM
Syed Razak Hosts Dinner For Myanmar
Leader Than Shwe
LANGKAWI, Sept 26 (Bernama) -- Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk
Seri Syed Razak Syed Zain hosted dinner for Myanmar leader Senior Gen Than Shwe
at the Andaman Hotel in Teluk Datai here Wednesday night.
The dinner was held in conjunction with the two-day visit by Than Shwe,
Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council Chairman, to the legendary island.
He was accompanied by his wife Daw Kyaing Kyaing and other members of his
delegation from Yangon.
Also present was Deputy Transport Minister Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib, who is
the minister-in-attendance.
Tomorrow, Than Shwe will be briefed on Langkawi's development at the
Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) complex in Kuah.
He is scheduled to visit Galeria Perdana, a complex where souvenirs
received by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his overseas
trips are displayed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Malaysian National News Agency
September 27 , 2001 16:10PM
Source Food Imports From Myanmar KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysian importers
were today urged to consider sourcing cheaper and competitive food supply from
Myanmar and pass the benefits on to the consumers.
In making the call, the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Tan
Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said his visit to the country last April convinced him that
Malaysia could source supply of fish and other sea food as well as poultry and
livestock products from Myanmar besides maize.
Presently a Malaysian company has been granted an area in Myanmar for
poultry farming but there was no taker yet for a proposed maize-cultivation
project there, he said.
Muhyiddin told reporters this when approached on an offer by Myanmar's
Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior General Than Shwe
yesterday that Malaysian investors cultivate farming land his country to meet
Malaysia's food needs.
Than Shwe, who is also the Myanmar prime minister said Malaysia could cut
down on its RM10-billion imported food bill by growing food in his country which
has 10.4 million ha of virgin and fallow land for cultivation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Leader Ends Visit to
Malaysia
Xinhuanet 2001.09.27 16:55:41 KUALA LUMPUR, September 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Chairman of the Myanmar State
Peace and Development Council Than Shwe left Northern Malaysia Thursday
afternoon after concluding the three-day visit to the country.
Before departure, Than Shwe visited Langkawi resort in Northern Malaysia,
where he attended a 30-minute briefing on Langkawi's development.
Later, Than Shwe visited Galeria Perdana, a complex where souvenirs
received by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during his overseas trips are
displayed.
During the visit, Than Shwe held an one-hour talks with his Malaysian
counterpart Mahathir Mohamad on bilateral and regional issues.
Malaysia is Myanmar's third largest trading partner after Thailand
and Singapore within ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
members. The volume of their bilateral trade amounted to some 300 million
U.S. dollars last year.
It is Than Shwe's second visit to Malaysia since 1996.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Hosts Regional Meeting on
AIDS
Xinhuanet 2001.09.27 15:12:27 YANGON, September 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The Ninth Meeting of Task
Force of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on AIDS is
being held here to enhance combat activities against the disease in the
region.
The three-day meeting of the task force on AIDS, which began on Wednesday
and is hosted by Myanmar for the first time, is attended by the Chairman of the
ASEAN Task Force, officials of the ASEAN Secretariat and delegates of the
ten ASEAN countries as well as representatives of U.N. agencies.
The meeting will discuss information exchange on AIDS among the member
states and cooperation in the sector and will work out a second plan on
HIV/AIDS to be adopted in the future as a follow up of the First ASEAN Regional
Program on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control (1995-2000).
At the national level, Myanmar has instituted proactive measures
against HIV/AIDS since a decade ago, forming a multi- sectoral National AIDS
Committee in 1989.
A master strategic plan for the upgraded and expanded response to
HIV/AIDS infection was then also developed with the objectives of
expanding the existing programs activities reaching all areas and
population groups of the country.
Myanmar has called on the ASEAN member states to strengthen ASEAN
spirit and to work unitedly in fight against HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS, a national concern in Myanmar, is recognized by the Myanmar
Ministry of Health as one of the three priority communicable diseases --
malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB).
Meanwhile, The UNAIDS has identified Myanmar along with Thailand and
Cambodia as the priority country in Southeast Asia region where urgent
action is called for to prevent the spread of the epidemic.
According to the latest report of the World Health Organization, 3,817 AIDS
cases were reported and 510,000 HIV infections estimated in Myanmar as of
December 2000 with 760 cases per 100, 000 population.
The combined budget of the Myanmar government, the U.N. system, local and
international non-governmental organizations was also estimated to amount
to about 3 million U.S. dollars annually.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The New Straits Times Press
27 September 2001 Myanmar’s offer to Malaysian businessmen THURS: OWNERS and operators of Malaysia-based labour-intensive industries
would do well to consider relocating operations to Myanmar, the country's State
Peace and Development Council chairman, Senior General Than Shwe said.
Such a move could be advantageous to everyone "as Myanmar labour has (the
ability) to absorb new technology and techniques rapidly besides (being paid)
competitive wages", Than Shwe said at a luncheon hosted by the National Chamber
of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM).
Than Shwe said Myanmar, with more than 10.4 million hectares of virgin and
fallow land available for agriculture, was particularly attractive for
investment in agricultural ventures.
"We believe Malaysia, instead of importing from distant destinations its
needs for sugar, onions, chillies and other foodstuff, could make use of
available land in Myanmar to meet these requirements." Last year the value of
merchandise trade between Malaysia and Myanmar totalled RM1.14 billion.
Malaysia's exports to Myanmar were worth RM880 million and its imports from the
Asean member country were valued at RM260 million.
Than Shwe, who arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, is on a threeday working
visit.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Far Eastern Economic Review
Issue cover-dated October 4, 2001 INTELLIGENCE- Time Running Out for Burma's Forests Western environmentalists warn that northernmost Burma's remaining forest
will all be gone within a few years if current rates of clear-cutting continue.
Unchecked logging could have severe long-term effects as the watersheds of two
of Burma's most important river systems--the Irrawaddy and the Chindwin--are
located in the far north. Over the past year, companies based in the adjacent
Chinese province of Yunnan have felled hundreds of thousands of logs in Burma's
Kachin state, and new roads have been built across the border to get the timber
out. Previously, logging was confined to border areas east of the Kachin capital
of Myitkyina, but the loggers have moved into the central part of the state and
concessions are being extended all the way to India in the west. According to
local Kachins, those involved in the clear-cutting include a Yunnan company, a
Beijing-based firm, a Malaysian-Chinese outfit and an Australian-listed mining
company. The companies have hired more than 1,000 local tribesmen--former
anti-government rebels--to cut the trees in what appears to be the most
extensive deforestation in Southeast Asia today.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chin immigrants being evicted from
Mizoram
Mizzima News New Delhi, Sept. 27: Thousands of Chin nationals who are living in Lunglei
District of Mizoram State are being asked to leave the place by the powerful
local Mizo body, according to some of them who fled from Mizoram to New Delhi.
A 48-year old Pu Pan Tu who arrived New Delhi this morning told Mizzima
News that he had to leave his house in Lunglei District after local branch of
Young Mizo Association (YMA) issued an eviction notice that all the "foreigners"
who are staying illegally in the area have to leave their houses. He had been
staying in Lunglei District for more than ten years.
In Lunglei district, five Quarters namely Ramthar Veng, Salem Veng,
Electric Veng, Chanmari Veng and Farm Veng house many of the Chin nationals from
Burma. Most of them survive on daily-wage odd jobs. Lunglei District is one of
the eight districts of Mizoram State, which has about 400 km long international
border with Burma.
On August 18 this year, Ramthar Veng Branch of the Young Mizo Association
made a wide spread circular announcing that all the foreigners and non-Mizo
living illegally in the locality have to leave their houses by the end of August
and action will be taken against even those who receive them secretly. Mr. K.
Lalhmingliana, secretary of the Ramthar Veng Branch of the YMA, signed the
circular.
Similar eviction announcements were made in other adjoining localities. On
September 8, Salem Branch of the Young Mizo Association made an announcement to
the effect that all the foreigners and non-Mizos in the area have to leave their
houses by September 15 and urged the house owners not to rent any one of those
"illegal foreigners". Mr. C. Lalrimawia, secretary of the YMA Salem Branch,
signed the announcement, which appeared on a daily newspaper, Lunglei Times.
"Following the announcement, some YMA members came into our house and broke
our dishes and threatened us not to dare to live anymore", recalled Pu Pan Tu
who lived in Ramthar Veng with his family of five. "The worst is that YMA even
does not allow us to bury those who died in the locality. We are forced to bury
the body in far away villages. For us, there is no place even to bury our body
after we die".
Pu Pan Tu, along with two closed friends, fled to New Delhi to seek support
from their fellow countrymen, non-governmental organizations of India and United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Office in New Delhi for the
plight of Chins in Mizoram. He worked as a joint secretary of National League
for Democracy (NLD) in his San Baung Quarter in Matupi township of Chin State
until March 1990 when he fled from the eminent arrest of the military
authorities for his political involvement.
According to local people, there are over 5,000 Chin nationals from Burma
living in Lunglei District alone and some NGOs estimates the total number of
Burma immigrants living in the entire state to be around fifty thousands
although the exact numbers are not available.
With the new drive against "foreigners" (Chins) in Lunglei District, some
families have already left their homes to the far away villages and border areas
in the past few days. Many of them rent new houses in villages, pretending to be
Mizo nationals.
These Burma nationals who are mostly from Chin State of Burma left their
native places due to deteriorating political and economic situation under the
military regime.
Mizoram government officials and YMA leaders said that the overwhelming
presence of the Chins in the state threatens the economic, political and
societal stability of Mizoram. And it had tried several times in the past to
deport these Chin immigrants to Burma but forced to stop deportation after
outcry from NGOs and human rights organizations in India and abroad.
In an interview in July this year, Mizoram Chief Minister Mr. Zoramthanga
once again expressed his worry over the presence of a large number of Chin
nationals who are staying illegally in the state. He wants the border with Burma
to be fenced to check further infiltration of immigrants into the State.
Moreover, Mizoram government claims that more than 75% of the crimes and
drug-related activities in the state are being committed by the people from
Burma.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- No where to go for 39 Burmese
fishermen
Mizzima News New Delhi, Sept. 26: The thirty-nine Burmese fishermen who were released
from a jail in Orissa State are struggling to survive with no assistance coming
from the Burmese embassy in India, according to a media report. An internet news
portal of India, rediff.com, reported on September 24 that the fishermen do not
have shelter and food after their release from a jail in Orissa State in
southern part of India and they survive mainly on some food provided by
sympathetic villagers nearby.
The fishermen who are currently reportedly camping at a temple in the state
are forced to look for even lizards and frogs to avoid starvation.
When contacted by phone, Mr. P. B Chowdhury who stays in Kolkata (Calcutta)
and works for the Burmese Embassy in India said that he is still trying to get
details of the fishermen. "They are out of the reach of Burmese embassy. I am
going there (Orissa State) to get details of their resume," said Mr. P. B.
Chowdhury who had handled similar cases of Burmese fishermen in India in the
past representing the Burmese embassy here.
"Indian government will feed them", said Mr. Chowdhury when asked how the
fishermen are surviving. "It is the normal course".
According to rediff.com news portal, the Burmese fishermen were caught
along with some Thai fishermen by the coast guard on January 21 this year while
fishing in Indian waters. They were booked for violating the Maritime Zone of
Indian Act by the local police and detained in the Alipingal sub-jail in
Jagatsinghpur district in Orissa.
All of them were released from jail early this month.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activists pledge to integrate
women rights into mainstream human rights
Mizzima News New Delhi, Sept. 25: A five-day intensive training on women rights for the exiled Burma women
activists ended this evening in India with the participants pledging to relay
their experiences to fellow women activists in their respective areas. The
training organized by Women's League of Burma (WLB) from September 21st to 25th
was held in Haryana State of India, a few kilometers away from New Delhi.
Total eighteen women activists who belong to various pro-democracy women
groups based in India and Bangladesh participated in the training. These women
participants were chosen from the two previous training held in July and August
this year on human rights and capacity building.
"This is a great opportunity for me to be with these women because I was
really pleased to see their active participation and their active learning for
women rights, human rights and also the skills of leadership. The skills they
learnt from this workshop will be very helpful for their practical life and also
to strengthen the unity and solidarity among women groups and individuals",
commented Aung Myo Min who is the instructor of the training.
Aung Myo Min who heads the Thailand-based Human Rights Education Institute
of Burma (HREIB) has been conducting a series of human rights education training
and workshops in the past two years for the Burma activists based in Thailand,
India and Bangladesh.
Women's leadership skills, child rights, international human rights
mechanism, international non-governmental organizations and "dealing with media"
are some of the main subjects of the training.
"We also had a very good discussion on how to integrate women rights into
the mainstream human rights in terms of how women can participate and how women
can integrate their rights into our Burmese struggle. And we found out a lot of
possibilities, very good references and recommendations on which way is the best
way and which are the possible ways to integrate women rights into the
mainstream human rights".
Aung Myo Min has received several human rights awards from universities and
rights groups honored for his work on human rights education in Burma.
At the closing of the training, the women participants said that they
intend to relay their knowledge to their fellow women activists who are based in
border areas of Burma. "We believe that the relay of training will be very
helpful for future Burma. The activists should know that women rights are human
rights and they know how to integrate women rights into human rights and how to
educate the people to understand what is the genuine meaning of women rights",
said a leader of WLB, which is an umbrella of eleven Burma women
organizations.
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