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BURMA RELATED NEWS - October
21, 2001.
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HEADLINES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sunnex - Davao: Malaria afflicts 50T Pinoys; WHO
rings alarm
Bkk Post - Army counts on helpful neighbours
The Nation - Sacked
iTV staff record their fight in a book
Xinhuanet - Myanmar Has Over 270,000 Telephones
Mizzima - Security tightened along
international border
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sun.Star Network Exchange
(Sunnex)
Sunday October 21, 12:00 AM Davao: Malaria afflicts 50T Pinoys; WHO rings alarm A rapid increase of malaria cases has been observed in war-affected provinces of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Basilan in Mindanao as the continued conflict there makes it difficult for heath authorities to fight the disease, according to a consultant of the Worth Health Organization (WHO). About 25 to 30 percent of the 50,000 cases in the country were reportedly
documented in the three island provinces.
WHO consultant Dr. Isabelo Dulay warned that the number could even increase
if armed conflict continues.
But Dulay said that the Philippines is better off than the neighboring
countries of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
"But because of the problems of armed conflict, addressing the malaria
problem, especially here in Mindanao, would be more difficult than in the
neighboring countries," Dulay said.
He said the information on the number of malaria afflicted persons from the
affected areas of Tawi-tawi, Sulu and Basilan were generated through reports
from municipal health workers.
But he stressed that the number of malaria cases may be underreported
because many areas affected by armed conflict could not be reached by government
health workers.
Dulay said malaria cases are also high in the hinterland areas of the
Caraga region and in Southern Mindanao where armed encounters between the
military and the New People's Army frequently take place.
He said about 10 percent, or some 5,000 cases, have been monitored last
year in Caraga and about 12 to 15 percent, accounting for 6,000 to 8,000 cases,
were found in Southern Mindanao.
But Dulay said that the high number of cases in Southern Mindanao may be
due to better health infrastructure and system of reporting, as compared to the
provinces with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and in Central
Mindanao.
Various villages in the ARMM and Central Mindanao have also been directly
affected by the war between government forces and the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front last year. Health offices in these areas, however, do not have good enough
data yet that would give them the true picture of the malaria condition
there.
Hundreds of thousands of people were reportedly displaced from their homes
in the towns of Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, North Cotabato and
in Sultan Kudarat at the height of the war last year.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - October 21,
2001.
DRUGS - Army counts on helpful
neighbours
Security stepped up on trafficking routes
Subin Khuenkaew Shinawat Singha
The Third Army commander hopes to stamp out drug trafficking with the
co-operation of three neighbouring countries.
Lt-Gen Udomchai Ongkhasingh said the anti-drug drive could get a boost from
joint patrol operations along the Mekong river by Thailand, China, Burma and
Laos.
The idea was raised at a recent meeting in Beijing between the
countries.
``It is being considered by the Foreign Ministry. Personally, I believe it
would benefit us all. I hope to use such operations in suppressing drugs,'' he
said.
Lt-Gen Udomchai was happy to hear that drug manufacturing plants on the
Burmese border were moving further inland.
Some were reportedly moved along the Burmese-Lao border close to the Mekong
river.
The commander said security would be stepped up in areas thought to serve
as trafficking routes.
``The Mekong river is likely to be used to smuggle drugs,'' said Lt-Gen
Udomchai.
Special Task Force 399 had been deployed along the Burmese border in Tak's
Phrop Phra district.
The task force is an elite unit, well-equipped and specially trained for
ground operations at night.
Lt-Gen Udomchai believed Burma was sincere in its efforts to solve border
problems, especially trafficking.
He said booby traps which injured four Thai soldiers on a patrol mission in
Mae Hong Son's Pang Ma Pha district were not planted by drug traffickers.
The traps might have been planted by Burmese ethnic rebels to guard against
attacks by Rangoon troops, he said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Nation
Sacked iTV staff record their fight in a
book
Pennapa Hongthong and Aekkarat Boonoon
Published on Oct 21, 2001
Former rebel staffers of iTV have recorded what they called the overriding
of editorial independence by the station's major shareholder - in a book.
Launched last week, "Testimony of the Rebels: Former iTV News Staff," tells
of how 23 ex-iTV employees who were sacked earlier this year fought against
management interference in the news.
It compiles the writings of all the sacked members, who clearly reported
how Shin Corporation, a major shareholder of the station, overrode editorial
independence during last year's election campaign.
The station's management dismissed the 23 staffers, including both
reporters and producers, in February, citing reasons that ranged from necessary
cost-cutting to allegations that some had violated company regulations.
The ex-workers, however, believed they were dismissed because they were
protesting against an effort by the management to interfere in news coverage,
and their attempts to establish a labour union.
They claimed the management wanted to remove all staffers involved in the
fight for an independent news policy after finding that one of them was the wife
of a leading protester.
Former news anchor Wisarn Dilokwanit said the 222-page book aims to reveal
the truth about interference by administrators and the news staff's struggle
against it.
"We don't want to condemn or defame anyone. We want the new generation of
media people to learn from our experience and become stronger than us to defend
the profession from unjust powers," said Wisarn, who now works as a freelance
radio host and a special lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of
Communication Arts.
The book disclosed many of the tactics that were used by administrators to
interfere with editorial content.
They included the withdrawal of "Sai Trong iTV," a news programme in which
the anchorman summarised newspaper reports for the audience. The move came just
as news of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's alleged concealment of assets
made the headlines of many newspapers.
Thaksin is also the head of Shin Corp.
In another case, the administrators refused to allow editors to cover an
election rally held by the Democrat Party, the chief rival of Thaksin's Thai Rak
Thai Party, said Wisarn.
Citing yet another example, Cherdchai Makbamrung, another sacked reporter,
recalled the time the station allowed its live-broadcast OB van to be used for
political purposes by Thai Rak Thai, instead of using it to cover the National
Corruption Counter Commission's decision on Thaksin's case.
One female staffer reported in the book she was put on probation for
refusing to cover the release of a new album of songs by Thaksin's niece.
A suit filed by the ex-staffers against Shin Corp is still in the labour
courts. Members of the group are going about their lives in different ways. Some
are furthering their educations, while others have found jobs at other
stations.
Some others - Yuwadee Techapaitoon, Kaewta Priswong, Chompoonuth Kongmont
and Orapin Lilitvisitwong - became orange-juice vendors at Chatuchak market.
"Pure orange juice without 'interference' from syrup" is their business
concept.
All 23 sacked workers agree on one thing - they are not sorry for what they
did.
"I won't bow to unjust powers. How can I sleep if I lose my pride in my
profession [by allowing the media to serve an unjust power]," Cherdchai wrote in
the book.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Has Over 270,000
Telephones
Xinhuanet 2001.10.21 13:37:07 YANGON, October 21 (Xinhuanet)
-- There are 277,807 telephones in Myanmar with 563 telephone exchanges,
440 telegraph offices and 1, 294 post offices, according to the latest
statistics of the country's Ministry of Communications, Posts and
Telegraphs.
The statistics shows that in 1988, there were only 67,016 telephones,
245 telephone exchanges, 310 telegraph offices and 1, 115 post offices in the
country.
There are also 165 digital microwave stations and 40 analogue
microwave stations in Myanmar for local communications.
For the overseas communications, there were only 63 overseas
communication lines and one satellite communication station (B level) in
1979, and now Thanlyin Satellite Station (A level) has been linked with
many nations through Intelsat satellite and Thaicom satellite. Fax
services are also available in 88 towns in the whole country, it
showed.
Not only regular overseas postal services with 31 nations, but also
Yangon-Singapore, Yangon-Bangkok and South Korea-Yangon expedite mail
services are being provided in Myanmar.
In addition, Myanmar DHL Ltd, in cooperation with DHL World- wide Express
BV Company of the Netherlands, is providing international expedite mail
services between Yangon and 227 nations, it also indicated.
In order to promote communication modernization, new auto- telephone
exchange projects, local satellite communication projects, microwave link
extension projects, overseas auto- exchange and satellite ground station
projects and Asian-Europe Submarine Cable Project are being implemented in
the country.
The Myanmar Ministry of Communications, Posts and Telegraphs was set
up in 1992.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Security tightened along
international border
By our correspondent Mizzima News Guwahati, Oct. 21: The security forces engaged in counter insurgency
operations have stepped up vigilance along the international border in view of
spurting activities of Muslim fundamentalists. After the US attack on
Afghanistan, a new militant group- Islamic Security Force of India (ISFI) - has
expanded its activities in Assam, Tripura and Manipur with active support from
the neighboring countries posing a serious threat to the region.
The activities of the militant group came to light following recovery of
vital documents from a remote area along the Indo-Bhutan border .The ISFI was
constituted in Mumbai last year with the help of Al-Qaeda headed by Osama Bin
Laden and now it has expanded the network in the North East India with active
support of a section of Muslim to launch a Jehad against the Indian government.
What is more alarming is that the militant group has close links with the Hizbul
Mujahideen, Laskar -E-Toiba, and Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF)
through which it has been abetting terrorism in the country.
All these militant groups have been providing financial assistance and arms
and ammunition to the ISFI for expanding ISLAMISM in the region .The self-
styled General Secretary of the outfit Mustafa Mutwaqil is maintaining a cordial
relation with the fundamentalist of both Bangladesh and Pakistan to launch a
Jehad against the Indian government, the evidence of which was found in the
documents recovered from the area recently.
It is pertinent to mention that the North East region has been a hotbed of
the Muslim Fundamentalists due to its population structure, which has become a
matter of concern. Taking advantage of porous international border, the Muslim
fundamentalists have been spurring militancy leading to a major problem for the
security forces.
Highly placed security forces sources monitoring the situation in the North
East admitted that it would create a serious problem if timely actions are not
initiated. They however said that some pockets of the region have been
identified as sensitive in the context of stepped up activities of the militant
groups and more companies have been deployed accordingly to foil the evil design
of the militant groups. "We have divided the region into four parts in view of
the growing activities of the Muslim Fundamentalists in the aftermath of the
ongoing war in Afghanistan”, sources said. Moreover, security sources further
revealed that the ISFI has started recruiting Muslim youths from the Char areas
taking advantage of their illiteracy. Meanwhile the Unified Command Operations,
which have been going on for the last 7 years, have decided to review their
operations to contain the activities of the fundamentalists.
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