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BURMA RELATED NEWS - October
25, 2001.
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HEADLINES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFP - ASEAN to rationalise air routes as
passengers drop: official
ABC online - Burma's
leaders praise UN chief
Dawn - Sectarian violence erupts in Myanmar
Mizzima - Burmese authorities accused of
oppressing Muslims
NMG - Burma asks its western neighbors not
to accept opposition groups
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thursday October 25, 3:43 PM
ASEAN to rationalise air routes as passengers drop: official Malaysia (AFP) - Southeast
Asian countries are expected to rationalise airline routes because of the drop
in the number of people flying since the terror attacks on the United States, an
official said.
The comments came from Malaysia's Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik as he
opened an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) transport ministers
meeting in Seri Kembangan near here.
"The cold and terrifying act of crashing passenger planes is unprecedented
and will have a most damaging role on the travel and transport industry," he was
quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.
ASEAN governments expected closer cooperation among all member countries to
cope with the challenge facing the transport industry, he said.
They should become more focused on strategies and priorities and be
committed to working together. "But I believe that out of the crisis, we would
emerge stronger," Ling said.
He said security checks had to be upgraded and new equipment installed to
safeguard airlines and restore confidence in flying among passengers.
He said he expected the two-day meeting would also produce "agreements on
multimodal transport and on the facilitating of inter-state transport," as well
progress on three protocols to improve cooperation.
The protocols would cover the designation of transit routes and facilities,
railway border and interchange routes and the transport of dangerous
goods.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
October 25, 2001.
Burma's leaders praise UN chief
Burma's military leaders have congratulated U.N. Secretary General Kofi
Annan for winning this year's Nobel Peace prize and reaffirmed support for the
world body's efforts for a developed and peaceful world.
The ruling junta has been the frequent target of criticism from the United
Nations and its associated agencies, which have condemned it for human rights
abuses.
But the government recently has attempted to woo the international body,
allowing two U.N. investigative missions to visit the country in the past month.
A special U.N. representative late last year helped initiate a dialogue
between the military and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dawn
Sectarian violence erupts in Myanmar YANGON, Oct 24: Myanmar's military government has imposed a curfew in three
cities to deter clashes between Muslims and Buddhists, government officials said
on Wednesday.
"It is true that dusk to dawn curfew was imposed in Pyi, Bago, and Hinthada
recently to prevent religious riots after brawls between some Buddhist monks and
Muslims," a Myanmar government spokesman told Reuters.
"Local authorities and religious leaders have now straightened out the
problem and the situation has returned to normal, but the curfew is still on,"
the spokesman said.
Myanmar citizens living along the Thai-Myanmar border told Reuters on
Wednesday clashes between Muslims and Buddhists started in Pyi, some 290 kms
north of Yangon, on October 8 and spread to the nearby cities of Bago and
Hinthada.
They said more than 100 people were wounded and one killed in the clash in
Pyi, but officials declined to comment on figures.
They said authorities in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar had banned all
vehicles from entering Yangon after the riot in Hinthada on Sunday.
Sources in the towns said the riots were caused by a brawl between the
families of a Buddhist teenager and a Muslim man she eloped with.
Rivalry between Buddhists and Muslims, who make up almost four percent of
the country's 51 million people, is not uncommon in Myanmar.
The first clash this year was in February in Sittwe, capital of Rakhine
State, 490 kms northwest of Yangon. Another one took place in May in Taungoo, a
city in Bago Division, 265 kms north of Yangon.
Curfews were imposed for some time in both cities. Government and private
sources said the riots were sparked by religious differences.
Political analysts say Myanmar authorities have been taking special care to
prevent riots between Buddhists and Muslims since the suicide attacks on the
United States on September 11.-Reuters
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Burmese authorities accused of
oppressing Muslims
By our correspondent Mizzima News Chiangmai (Thailand), Oct. 25: The ruling Burmese military regime, State
Peace and Development Council (SPDC) confirmed persistent rumors of rioting and
clashes between Muslims and Buddhists in Prome (Pyi) in central Burma and
clamped down curfews in some cities in the country. The government’s
confirmation came only after several foreign news agencies reported on the
matter during the past week.
Hla Min, government spokesperson, confirmed only on 19 October that there
had been clashes along religious lines at Prome on 9 October. However, to date
no details on the clashes and rioting have been provided by the
government. “The state-run newspapers, radio and TV stations inside the
country did not carry reports of the religious clashes”, said a Rangoon
resident.
According to eyewitnesses, the situation had assumed grave dimensions.
"Nearly 50 Muslim shops were destroyed. One person was killed and over 100
people were wounded in Prome alone”, said a staff member in Prome Hospital.
As the clashes spread from Prome to Pegu Township, the authorities imposed
curfews in five townships in Pegu Division. In Taungoo Township, police and army
were stationed near the mosques.
Parallel to these activities, the government took “preventive measures”
such as imposing travel restrictions on Muslims, not allowing Muslims to attend
prayers in mosques and monitoring Muslim leaders’ activities. "In Tha Kay Ta
Quarter in Rangoon, people have not been allowed to pray in mosques since June”,
said a Rangoon resident. Muslims living in Tha Kay Ta Township are now
compelled to conduct their prayers in a mosque in Nwe Aye Ward, Daw Bon Town.
“It is now a common practice for mosque-attending Muslims to be watched
closely by military intelligence (MI). This is no longer a strange occurrence”,
commented a Muslim in Rangoon, adding that the practice affected Muslims not
only in Rangoon but also in Moulmein, Pegu, Pa-an (Karen State) and Bu Thi
Taung, Maung Daw, Kyauk Phyu (townships in Arakan State).
Another Muslim who recently arrived Rangoon after secretly traveling there
from Bu Thi Taung in Arakan State (which borders with Bangladesh) confirmed that
MI is watching Muslims in his township.
Moreover, authorities have also banned the building of new mosques and the
refurbishing of old ones across the country. “If you want to repair a
Mosque, you have to pay bribes of 200 to 300 thousands Kyats to local
authorities”. In Pa-an and Phapon townships in Karen State, the Burmese army not
only destroyed mosques but also whole villages inhabited by Muslims.
Recently, Buddhist monk leaders belonging to the Democratic Karen Buddhists
Army (DKBA) which is manipulated and controlled by the Burmese regime, warned
villagers in Pa-an Township (in Karen State) not to buy anything from Muslim
shops. The monks allege that anyone buying from Muslim shops is an
anti-national and a traitor. DKBA monks put up notices to this effect in shops
and on trees across the town.
"Muslim living in Arakan State are being oppressed severely by the
authorities", said a Burmese Muslim from Bu Thi Taung. "In Kyauk Phyu, Myay Pon,
Bu Thi Taung and Maung Taw towns (which are close to Bangladesh border), a
Muslim requires a visa from the immigration office to travel to other States and
Divisions, whether he or she has National Identity Card or not”, he said. “Two
acquaintances need to vouch for the traveler in order for him or her to get a
one-month visa. If the traveler does not come back, the two people having
vouched for him or her are liable to punishment of three months in jail term and
a fine of fifty thousand Kyats”.
Under these circumstances, many Muslims prefer to travel to Rangoon and
other cities secretly, bribing authorities along the journey. The unfortunate
ones are caught. U Kar Man (41) from Bu Thi Taung was sentenced to seven years
of imprisonment in August this year when he was intercepted by the Ward
authorities in Nwe Aye Ward, Daw Bon town, Rangoon, when traveling secretly from
Bu Thi Taung to Rangoon.
A spokesman from an exiled Muslim group alleged that Muslims in Burma have
been oppressed by the authorities since 1962.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Network Media Group
Burma asks its western neighbors not to accept opposition groups Chiang Mai, October 25, 2001 Burmese military regime asked India and Bangladesh not to accept the
opposition groups on their soil in recent border meetings, leaked meeting
reports mentioned.
On October 18, preliminary meeting for the 19th border meeting, which will
be held on November 23 between Burma and India, was held at the border town of
Tamu. During the meeting, Burmese commander of Light Infantry Battalion 87 Lt.
Col. Win Pe asked the India Rifle Brigade 7 commander Col. Khamna to clear up
the Burmese opposition armed groups mentioning the name of Chin National Front,
mentioned in the report.
Similarly, Regional commander level meeting of Burmese Army and Bangladesh
army held on October 17 at Maung Daw on Burma-Bangladesh border and Col. Aung
Ngwe, supervisor of border trade control committee (Maung Daw), asked his
Bangladesh counterpart not to accept Burmese armed opposition in Bangladesh.
During the meeting, Bangladesh delegation asked Burmese delegation to remove the
land mines on the border area.
"We are working to achieve democracy in Chin land and there are no armed
members in neighboring countries like India and Bangladesh. We follow the
regional laws of the neighboring countries whenever we take refuge there," said
Dr. Salai Sui Khar, Secretary of External Affairs of the CNF during interview
with NMG.
Chin, Arakan (Rakhing) and Muslims from Arakan State are operating along
the Burma western border, adjacent to India and Bangladesh, opposing against
Burmese military regime.
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