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BURMA RELATED NEWS - October
20, 2001.
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HEADLINES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBC - Burma curfew amid rising religious
tensions
IT - Two earthquakes
rock Myanmar
Xinhuanet - Myanmar Holds ICT Forum
Xinhuanet - Myanmar Takes Measures in Tobacco
Use Control
FEER - Burma Refugees Swell Thai
Camps
NMG - Changes made in Director General Office of
Burmese Military Intelligence reported
Mizzima - India should develop for cross border
tourism with neighbors
SHAN - Border Pass reopened
SHAN - Villagers flees from death
threat
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBC -Friday, 19 October, 2001, 16:43
GMT 17:43 UK
Burma curfew amid rising religious tensions By BBC Burma analyst Larry Jagan The Burmese Government has imposed dusk-to-dawn curfews in several towns to
prevent violence between different religious communities.
There are signs that tension between Muslims and Buddhists is growing in
the wake of the attacks in New York and Washington and the US bombing of
Afghanistan.
In one incident last week, more than 40 Muslim shop owners had their
properties destroyed when some 200 visiting Buddhist monks went on a rampage, a
senior Burmese Islamic leader told the BBC.
The government says it is not going to tolerate ethnic violence and has
also begun to enforce travel restrictions on Muslims.
Extremely tense
Government spokesman, Hla Min, told the BBC the government had imposed the
curfew, as a precautionary measure.
He admitted that there had been some problems in the town of Prome but he
said the authorities had quickly restored order. A senior Muslim leader told the
BBC the military had indeed intervened, but not before 40 shops owned by Muslims
were destroyed.
Diplomatic sources say there is also an informal curfew operating in at
least two other towns where there has been unrest in the past.
International aid organisations with contacts in Rakhine state, where the
greatest concentration of Muslims are, say there is an extremely tense
atmosphere.
Travel restrictions
They say the government is so concerned about the situation getting out of
hand they have imposed travel restrictions on Muslims there.
Last week, without warning, the government limited the number of people
crossing the border between Burma and Bangladesh to 10 - usually hundreds cross
the border daily. Senior Islamic leaders say Muslims must apply for travel
permits to move outside their area of residence.
The official spokesman told the BBC these travel restrictions were being
enforced to prevent - as he put it - hate crimes and religious harassment of any
kind happening.
He also said the government was concerned to prevent illegal immigrants of
dubious background coming into the towns and cities and causing what he called
an unnecessary security problem.
Bin Laden ban
The Burmese Government is anxious prevent violence against Muslims erupting
at the moment. They fear it could lead to Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir
Mohammad being less supportive.
Burma's generals are so sensitive that Osama Bin Laden tee-shirts - mass
produced in neighbouring Thailand and sold extensively throughout Thailand and
Malaysia - are not on sale in Burma.
There is no actual ban on the product, a Burmese businessman told the BBC,
but cross-border traders would not dare try to import them for fear of the
authorities' reaction.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Times of India
October 20, 2001.
Two earthquakes rock Myanmar
BANGKOK: Two earthquakes, including a powerful one that registered 6.8 on
the Richter scale, shook Myanmar on Friday, the country's meteorological
department reported.
The TV Myanmar quoted the department as saying the first and strongest
quake began at 10:05 am (0905 IST) and its epicentre was about 3,324 km south of
the capital, Yangon.
Another tremor measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale struck Western Myanmar at
13:35 pm (1235 IST) with its epicentre about 477 km northwest of Yangon,
according to the report.
There was no mention of casualties or damage.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Holds ICT Forum
Xinhuanet 2001.10.20 13:44:19 YANGON, October 20 (Xinhuanet)
-- An information, communication and technology (ICT) forum was opened
here Saturday, aimed at meeting the challenges of the knowledge-based age
and raising public awareness of the value of ICT and its
development.
The forum, jointly conducted by the Myanmar Computer Scientists Association
and the Myanmar Computer Industry Association, will discuss opportunities
and issues for ICT applications and ICT industry development.
Meanwhile, a three-day ICT exhibition also began on Friday, which is
believed to reflect the current status of ICT in Myanmar as well as to
indicate the future trends of ICT.
At the exhibition, 35 companies and organizations are displaying
their computer products, related equipment and books on computer science.
In recent years, Myanmar made some achievements in the ICT sector. At
present, almost all basic education schools in Myanmar including the
primary level have already established or in the process of establishing
multi-media classrooms.
In addition, 20 computer colleges have also been set up across the
country.
Recently, an electronic-learning center was opened in Myanmar with
the assistance of Japan to train IT professionals.
Moreover, a consortium of private companies are building an ICT park in the
country which will be operational by the end of this year.
Myanmar is a signatory to e-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
Nations) Framework and an e-national task force has been formed to
implement the framework.
Meanwhile, efforts on development of e-commerce, e-government,
e-education, preparation of Cyber laws and improving the ICT
infrastructure by the e-national task force are in progress.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Takes Measures in Tobacco
Use Control
Xinhuanet 2001.10.20 09:15:26 YANGON, October 20 (Xinhuanet)
-- Among Myanmar's general population, the prevalence use of tobacco is 38
percent, of whom men account for 63 percent, according to official
statistics.
In the country's urban general population, 46.6 percent use tobacco.
Of students aged 10 to 20 years, 44.6 percent have experienced smoking.
Total tobacco consumption is in the range of 2,000 to 3,000 cigarettes per
adult per year.
Smoking not only constitutes a major threat to the health of human
being and an impact on social and economic development, but also brings
about pollution to the environment.
In face of the many dangers brought about through tobacco, the
Myanmar government is positively responding to the call by the World
Health Organization (WHO), taking control of the cultivation of tobacco and
production of cigarettes and working towards gradual realization of the
target of tobacco-free.
The Myanmar government has mainly taken the following measures in
tobacco control.
Firstly, disseminate health education messages via mass media as well
as exhibitions to promote the community awareness on tobacco control,
urging people to actively participate in the anti- tobacco activities.
Secondly, ban cigarette advertisements in the newspapers and TV and ban
sale of cigarettes near the environs of hospitals and schools.
Thirdly, designate no smoking areas. The Myanmar government bans
smoking in all hospitals, schools, cinema halls, factories and government
offices as well as buses, trains, boats, airplanes and at the
airport.
Fourthly, draw up and implement anti-tobacco plan of action and draft law
on smoking control. The Myanmar government introduced a plan of action in
July 2000 and is now in the process of implementation. In addition, an
expert committee has drafted a law on smoking control and is in the process of
scrutiny at the Ministry of Health.
According to the data published by the WHO, Myanmar has been
producing an average of 40,000 tons of unmanufactured tobacco annually
since 1990, equivalent to 0.5 percent of the world production. In
2000-01 fiscal year, Myanmar produced 2.521 billion cigarettes, taking up 0.1
percent of the world total.
Myanmar owns two tobacco manufacturing factories with a total of
88,400 people engaged in work related to tobacco.
Myanmar grows two types of tobacco -- Virginia and Myanmar tobacco.
In mid-1980s, Myanmar's total harvested area of tobacco reached up to
53,460 hectares.
At the end of the 20th century, Myanmar's total tobacco harvested
area declined to 36,045 hectares, accounting for only 0. 5 percent of the
country's arable land.
To realize as early as possible the target of a world tobacco- free, the
Myanmar government has called for enhancing of cooperation and
coordination among countries against tobacco, urging developed countries
to provide necessary aid to the developing countries.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Far Eastern Economic
Review
INTELLIGENCE Burma Refugees Swell Thai Camps Issue cover-dated October 25, 2001 Camps just inside Thailand are now holding more than 137,500
ethnic-minority refugees from Burma. Numbers are swelling by about 1,200 a month
as refugees flee stepped-up Burmese army operations in their areas, say aid
workers. This compares to about 500 per month two years ago. According to the
aid workers, Burmese troops are burning villages, forcing people to become
porters, and carrying out some executions.
The army is trying to take total control of the border areas and stamp out
ethnic-minority rebels. Most of the armed opposition is by the Shan State Army
and Karen National Union. More than 100,000 of the refugees are Karen, with
fewer ethnic Karenni and Mon. One of the reasons the camps hold so few Shan
refugees is because those that do cross the border are more easily absorbed into
Thai society.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Network Media Group
Changes made in Director General Office of Burmese Military Intelligence reported Tachilek, October 20 Officers from the Office of Strategic Study (OSS) were promoted and moved
to the office of Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI) and some of
the structure in the DGMI has been changed, reported by a reliable source.
Two departments namely Socio-economic department and Media department were
added to the structure of the office of DGMI. Brigadier General Than Tun will be
head of department in the newly formed Socio-economic department and Colonel Min
Thu will lead as head of department in Media department.
The substitutes as heads of department for the previously running
departments are Brigadier Kyaw Thein in Information Intelligence (SigInt)
department, Brigadier Myint Zaw in Planning and Security department and
Brigadier Thein Swe (Air Force) in Internal and External Information department.
Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt and Brigadier General Kyaw Win will stay in their old
positions as Director General and Deputy Director General of DGMI.
Lt. Col. San Pwint and Lt. Col. Hla Min were promoted and appointed as
General Staff Officer I (G-1) in Military Intelligence.
Burmese military regime didn't make any announcement although there was
news about dissolving the Office of the Strategic Study (OSS) in early last
month. A scholar watching the structure of Burmese military said that the news
could be correct due to the new structure of the DGMI.
Lt. Col Thet Tin Sein was appointed as director for the office of
DGMI.
The new structure of the office of DGMI obviously enforces on news,
information and media.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- India should develop for cross
border tourism with neighbors
Mizzima News New Delhi, Oct. 20: Mr. Vinod K. Duggal, Director General of the Ministry
of Tourism in India suggested that Indian tourism industry should develop
“focused cross border tourism” with neighboring countries including Burma
(Myanmar). He was speaking here today at the Second International Conference cum
Showcase, “India: Tourism and Heritage- Challenge 21”.
The 3-day international tourism conference, jointly organized by the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of
External Affairs and the Government of Uttaranchal, ends today in New Delhi.
About 300 delegates from India and abroad participated at the conference.
Mr. Vinod K Duggal, speaking at a session on "Partners in Progress", said
Indian tourism industry should develop for religious tourism with Burma,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc.
Hundreds of pilgrims from Burma visit the Buddhist sites in India such as
Bodh Gaya and Nalanda in Bihar every year. The pilgrimage starts from October.
At present, most of the pilgrims from Burma come to India via Calcutta by Indian
Airlines. There are some recommendations already made to implement the cross
border tourism for the Burmese pilgrims via Manipur State of India.
Mr. Vinod K Duggal also said that the “New National Tourism Policy” for
India would be announced before the end of the year. “This has been framed,
keeping in mind the importance of Tourism as an industry", he stated.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shan Herald Agency for
News
20 October 2001 No: 10 - 08: Border Pass reopened The border pass between a township in eastern Shan State and Chiangmai was
reopened yesterday (19 October) by the military authorities of Burma after being
closed for close to three months, said S.H.A.N. source from the border.
The weekly market at BP-1, between Mongton and Shan State, was full with
both visitors and traders from across the border who came in as many as 40
trucks, which is half the number of trucks that came to the market before 26
June, when it was ordered sealed.
The reason, the source believed, was due to the visit to Mongton by a top
official, presumably Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, 4 days earlier. "At 16:45, a helicopter
gunship arrived at Mongton. It stayed there for only 15-minutes. But soon
afterwards, an order went out to reopen all the checkpoints from Wanna (the
gateway to Mongton from Mongpan) to BP-1," he said.
On 17 October, a group of Thai businessmen had petitioned to Kosin
Katethong, Governor of Chiangmai, to designate BP-1 (Kiew Phawok) a permanent
border pass. The governor replied it would be up to the National Security
Council to decide.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shan Herald Agency for News
20 October 2001 No: 10 - 09: Villagers flees from death threat Shan villagers who arrived recently in Thailand's northern border reported
that they could stay no more in their ancestral land because of the threat to
the lives of their families, according to a report S.H.A.N. received
yesterday.
8 villagers together with their family members who sought sanctuary in
Fang, 160 km from Chiangmai, said they were from Naniu Village, Wanna Tract,
Mongton township, the seat of which is 83 km from the Thai border.
On 4 October, 17 of the villagers, that included themselves, received an
order from Captain Maung Shwe, Commander, Company 3, LIB 519 (Mongton) to build
fences and dig ditches around the company base camp. "One of us, Loong Kaw, 53,
was ill and, as a result, could work only very slowly and took too much rest.
The soldiers accused him of being lazy and kicked him until he became
unconscious. They then took a big stick and beat him at the nape of the neck
once and he fell down dead in the ditch," said one.
Maung Shwe then lined up the rest and warned them not to utter a word about
the incident because the alternative would be death to all of them and their
families.
The villagers also had another "bonus", said another source. They had to
pay for the transport of Loong Kaw's remains back to the village, K 3,000.
The incident occurred while the ILO investigation team was still in Burma.
The country, according to Rangoon authorities, had already banned forced labor
since 14 May 1999.
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