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BURMA RELATED NEWS - September
30, 2001.
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HEADLINES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kyodo News - Former
Myanmar strong man leaves for Singapore in poor health
Bernama - 406 illegals picked up in
mini-Jakarta
Mizzima - Tension in Bangladesh elections
SHAN - Crackdown on the Chinese border -
on motor vehicles
SHAN - Pop singer in
Chiangmai again
SHAN - Levying
teakwood in teakless area -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Former Myanmar strong man leaves for Singapore
in poor health
YANGON, Sept. 30 Kyodo - Former
President of Myanmar Gen. Ne Win, dubbed by foreign media as ''the strong man of
Burma,'' left for Singapore on Saturday for a medical checkup, sources close to
his family said Sunday. (22 :43)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------The New Straits Times Press
BUKIT MERTAJAM
406 illegals picked up in mini-Jakarta by M. Sivanantha Sharma Police picked up 406 illegal immigrants during a seven-hour operation at the notorious red-light area, otherwise known as mini-Jakarta or mini-Haadyai, in Taman Pelangi early this morning. The immigrants, who did not have valid travel documents, were among the
1,500 foreigners screened.
The operations, involving 250 personnel, was led by Second Battalion
General Operation Force deputy commanding officer Deputy Superintendent Megat
Abdul Malek Megat Abdul Hamid.
Megat Abdul Malek said those detained were from Indonesia, Bangladesh,
Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India, Africa and Thailand.
"Most of them did not have valid travel documents, work permits or had
overstayed in the country.
"This is one of the major operations conducted by us and we will do so from
time to time to wipe out illegal immigrants," he said.
He added that the foreigners would be sent to the Juru detention camp
pending deportation.
Megat Abdul Malek said the police had received many complaints from the
public on social problems caused by the foreigners.
Meanwhile, Taman Pelangi Surai committee chairman Mohd Yunus Yahaya, in
thanking the GOF for conducting the operation, urged the State Government to
look into making Taman Pelangi a better area to live in.
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Tension in Bangladesh elections
Mizzima News From our special correspondent Dhaka, Sept. 30: The parliamentary elections are to take place in
Bangladesh tomorrow. But nobody knows what will happen on the election day.
There have been reports of pre-poll violence: bomb explosions and attacks on
candidates and election camps. Security has been beefed up throughout the
country with the army tightening its patrolling on the streets. Vehicles except
those of election candidates, foreign observers and security forces are not
allowed to ply on the roads. Even the use of mobile phone is banned on the
election day. Government had declared national holiday for three days started
from yesterday.
The elections are being held under the caretaker government led by ex-chief
justice of Bangladesh. Foreign and local observers are allowed for a free and
fair election. Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is among other foreign
election observers apart from US-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) and
United Nations/ European Union (EU) observer missions.
One pro-democracy Burmese activist is among the 29 foreign observers of the
ANFREL and others are drawn from several Asian countries including Thailand,
Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Nepal. "We
always include leaders of Burma pro-democracy movement in our foreign observer
delegations for the election of various Asian countries. Because we believe that
one day there will be a democracy in Burma and they can utilize these
experiences in their country", said Ms. Somsri Berger who is the ANFERL election
monitoring coordinator.
"Our purpose is to strengthen democracy and independent institutions of
both government side and NGO side", said Ms. Somsri Berger. Chairperson of the
ANFREL is former Army supreme commander of Thailand, General Saiyud Kerdphol.
"Although he was an army general, he became a democrat and he works well
with the NGOs. This is the tendency in South East Asia where a kind of
reconciliation is taking place. If you look into the past, you will see that
democracy and military are in conflict in many Asian countries like in Burma.
But we are now trying to tell the military that they need to get back to their
barracks. And let the people and civil society grow up. If they want to join,
they can join but they should not use the gun", said Ms. Somsri Berger.
There are total 1935 candidates from 52 political parties contesting for
300 seats. The two main rival parties are the Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina
and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Begun Khaleda Zia. Though some
local people predicts that "this is BNP's time to rule", one cannot be sure who
will win as two parties have equal strength. There were two highly competitive
elections in 1991 and 1996. While BNP had won in 1991 election, the Awami League
succeeded in 1996.
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Shan Herald Agency for News
30 September 2001 No: 09 - 17: Briefs
Crackdown on the Chinese border - on motor vehicles On 22 September, Maj-Gen Tin Aung Myint Oo, Commander , Northeastern
Regional Command, arrived in Muse, opposite Ruili of Yunnan.
Following his orders, the local administration led by Captain Ant Maung,
Township Peace and Development Council Chairman, erected a checkpoint on
25 September in front of Yahtike Company building in Kawngmu Loi Quarters
stopping every vehicle that passed through.
Vehicles that failed to show ownership licences were confiscated and
motorists without driver's licences were fined K 10,000. Altogether more than 60
motorcycles were seized and sent down to Lashio, where General Tin Aung Myint Oo
head-quartered.
The reason for the unexpected action was not disclosed although Muse is
known to have a huge number of all kinds of motor
transports.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shan Herald Agency for
News
30 September 2001 Pop singer in Chiangmai again
Hsaimao the singer who had ignited the craze for Shan songs since 1970, is
now back in Chiangmai for the Awk-wa (Awk-phansa in Thai), the ceremony marking
the end of annual Buddhist Lent, from Tachilek.
He has already been performing at Papao Shan monastery for the past two
consecutive nights.
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Shan Herald Agency for
News
30 September 2001 Levying teakwood in teakless area
On 17 August Maj Tin Maung Htoo, Deputy Commander, LIB 516 (Namzang), led a
37-men strong patrol to Wanzing, a Kunhing Township, and demanded 3 tons of
teakwood from the villagers, reported sources from the area.
When the village elders informed him there were no teak trees in the area,
he insisted that they paid him K. 210,000 instead or face punishments. "he
prevailed, as usual," said the report.
The patrol also took 50 viss (1 viss=1.6 kg) of chicken, 5 pairs of canvas
shoes and 13 sacks of peanuts from the surrounding villages. A village woman,
Nang La, 26 (Parents: Htoon and Nang) with two children, was also reported
raped.
Another patrol from LIB 505 (Namlan) was also there, forcibly purchasing
520 viss of peanuts at K. 250 per viss.
The market price is K. 450.
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