[burmanet2-l] Burma Related News - April 09, 2002.

["TIN KYI" <tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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BURMA RELATED NEWS - April 09, 2002.
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HEADLINES
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TNA - India-Myanmar-Thailand agree to jointly construct regional highway
AFP - India, ASEAN should expand economic ties, fight terrorism: Vajpayee
Reuters - Single currency in Asia possible, but not in near future
Bernama - Thai, Myanmar Military Chiefs To Hold Talks
Bkk Post - Junta man due for tee talks
Xinhuanet - Myanmar Sets Free Five More Opposition Members
Xinhuanet - Decree on Drug Combat Issued in Myanmar's State
Xinhuanet - Thai Troops on Alert Along Thai-Myanmar Border

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Thai News Agency
India-Myanmar-Thailand agree to jointly construct regional highway

BANGKOK, April 8 (TNA) - India, Myanmar, and Thailand have agreed to jointly
construct a regional highway linking communications and trade between the
three neighbouring countries, according to radio news reports.

The landmark agreement was reached at a meeting of foreign ministers of the
three countries in Rangoon on Saturday, said the news reports of the Voice
of America (VOA) and Radio Nation.

The three ministers agreed that the 1,400-kilometre highway, dubbed the
"Highway of Opportunities", would be constructed over the next 18 and 24
months, stated the news reports.

It will link the Indian city of Mole in Manee Pura state with the ancient
Myanmar city of Phra Ko and Mae Sod district in Thailand's northwestern
province of Tak, according to the Radio Nation report.

The three countries would set up a joint panel to be in charge of seeking
financial assistance from international institutes, namely the World Bank
and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and even private investors to support
the construction of the new regional highway, said the radio news reports.

People in seven states in the Northeast of India, who have faced unrest
caused by attempts to separate the areas over the past decades, hailed the
decision to construct the "Highway of Opportunities", aimed to promote
regional trade and development, stated the Radio Nation news report.

The seven Indian states, which have abundant natural resources, have
reportedly become buffer areas between India and Southeast Asia so far.
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Tuesday April 9, 4:06 PM
India, ASEAN should expand economic ties, fight terrorism: Vajpayee

SINGAPORE, April 9 (AFP) - Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee vowed
here Tuesday to deepen his nation's economic ties with Southeast Asia and
urged closer regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

Vajpayee said the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s freed India and
members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from a
"straitjacket" of ideological differences to allow fully developed ties.

A first summit of the leaders of 10-nation ASEAN and India is planned for
Cambodia in November to lay the groundwork for broader links.

"This region is one of the focal points of India's foreign policy, strategic
concerns and economic interests," Vajpayee said, delivering the prestigious
annual Singapore Lecture to diplomats, academics and top government
officials.

With Singapore leading negotiations for free trade agreements in and outside
the Asia-Pacific region, Vajpayee said he wanted India to "mirror and
partner such growth opportunities in our Eastern neighbourhood."

He said India was in the "immediate neighbourhood of ASEAN," sharing land
and maritime borders with Myanmar, Indonesia and Thailand, and some of its
islands in the Bay of Bengal were closer to Southeast Asian states than the
Indian mainland.

However, India's ties with ASEAN -- which also includes Brunei, Cambodia,
Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam -- have lagged behind
those of the other Asian giant, China, and the world's second largest
economy, Japan.

ASEAN leaders regularly meet with their counterparts from China, Japan and
South Korea under a framework called ASEAN plus three.

China and ASEAN last year agreed to work out a free trade area of nearly two
billion people within the next decade, while Japan has offered a broader
economic partnership with the region.

Vajpayee, 77, said the economic downturn induced by a slowing of the giant
US economy should encourage countries in the region to explore avenues for
expanded trade to cushion the impact of shocks in the external markets.

"It is to promote such creative interlinkages that we believe a multilateral
dialogue at the summit level can be very effective," said Vajpayee, who
arrived here Sunday for a three-day visit.

"India looks forward to the India-ASEAN summit with this perspective," he
said, listing areas of cooperation in information technology as well as
developing road linkages with Southeast Asia.

Chia Siow Yue, director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies which
organised the annual Singapore Lecture, said ASEAN and India shared many
common interests "and there are immense opportunities for cooperation in
economies and in various aspects of comprehensive and human security."

"India's look-East policy is much welcome by Singapore and ASEAN as this
region seeks to develop cross-regional ties to complement the rising tide of
globalisation," she said.

Vajpayee called for ASEAN and India to also cooperate in the fight against
terrorism.

"We have to confront terrorism, which neither respects power, nor heeds
size," said the premier, whose country is waging a campaign against
Pakistan-based Islamic militants.

"We have crucial stakes in protecting our common commercial sea lanes,
combatting piracy, choking off narco-trade and curbing gun-running."

Vajpayee earlier met with Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Senior
Minister Lee Kuan Yew. He was to leave late Tuesday for Cambodia.

Singapore and India on Monday announced they were taking steps towards
closer economic ties which would allow New Delhi to reap benefits from the
city-state's aggressive moves into free trade pacts.
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Tuesday April 9, 6:05 PM
Single currency in Asia possible, but not in near future

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Southeast Asian countries and their northern
neighbours may one day have a single regional currency like the euro but not
any time soon, academics from both parts of the world said on Tuesday.

"I don't think it's an impossible dream," Mohamed Ariff, a leading Malaysian
economist told a round table session on regional economic and financial
integration.

"It's for the long term, it's not for the near or medium term," said Ariff,
executive director of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research.

His comments referred to a single currency between the Association of South
East Asian Nations (ASEAN) along with Japan, China and South Korea.

"It's going to be extremely difficult. Countries are not really ready for
that kind of thing.

"Once you have common currency, you are talking about sovereignty on
monetary issues, you have to have fiscal discipline," he said.

Alfred Steinherr, chief economist at the European Investment Bank, suggested
a more limited approach to ASEAN monetary union.

"I doubt if it's do-able except if it's the currency of a very reduced
number of strong countries," he said, suggesting Malaysia, Singapore and
possibly Thailand might think about pooling their monetary fortunes.

"But then the gain would be very much reduced. It's not a reasonable
short-term objective," he said.

"All these are developing countries at different levels of
development...there's a need for real exchange rate adjustments. That would
be an additional difficulty. It doesn't make sense," he said.

Twelve of the 15 European Union states ditched their national notes and
coins for the euro in January, leaving only Britain, Denmark and Sweden with
their own currencies.

ASEAN, which was set up in 1967 as a defence and security group, now
encompasses trade and economic cooperation between Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
and Vietnam.
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Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama)
April 09 , 2002 12:23PM
Thai, Myanmar Military Chiefs To Hold Talks

BANGKOK, April 9 (Oana-Xinhua) -- Thai Defence Minister Chavalit
Yongchaiyudh and Myanmar army chief Maung Aye will have "frank and direct
talks" while playing golf together in southern Thai resort of Phuket during
the latter's visit to Thailand scheduled between April 23 and 25, the
state-owned radio here reported today. Issues to be raised in the "golf
talks" include border disputes and other problems affecting bilateral
relations.

It was earlier reported that Thai military and narcotics officials also
wanted Chavalit to negotiate with Maung Aye for the arrest and extradition
to Thailand of two fugitive drug kingpins, who are said to be hiding in
Myanmar now.

During his visit, Maung Aye, the deputy chairman of Myanmar's State Peace
and Development Council (SPDC), will also meet Thai Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra and will be granted an audience with the King of Thailand.
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Bangkok Post - Tuesday 09 April 2002
Junta man due for tee talks
Wassana Nanuam

Defence Minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh will be frank and direct in talks
while golfing with Gen Maung Aye during the Burmese army chief's April 23-25
visit, his deputy Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa said.

Besides border disputes and drugs, there were several other issues that Gen
Chavalit would raise with Gen Maung Aye during their informal talks over a
game of golf in Phuket, Gen Yuthasak said.

It was earlier reported that the military and narcotics officials also
wanted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Gen Chavalit to negotiate with
Gen Maung Aye for the arrest and extradition to Thailand of two fugitive
drug kingpins _ Wei Hseuh-kang and Surachai, alias Bang Ron, Ngernthongfu.

Meanwhile, Burmese authorities have formally informed the defence minister's
chief adviser Gen Pat Akkanibutr of their decision to cancel this year's
plan for a joint Thai-Burmese Songkran celebration in Tak province, citing
Burma's internal problems as the reason.
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Myanmar Sets Free Five More Opposition Members
Xinhuanet 2002-04-09 19:26:51

YANGON, April 9 (Xinhuanet) -- The Myanmar government set free five more
members of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) here Tuesday,
an official Information Sheet said.

The five members, including a woman, were released from various"correctional
institutions".

The release has brought the total number of freed NLD members and its
activists to 249 since January 2001.

Meanwhile, the government has also been releasing criminal offenders on
humanitarian grounds since February 22 this year after United Nations Human
Rights Envoy to Myanmar Paulo Sergio Pinheiro paid a visit to the country to
look into its human rightssituation and the total number of such freed
female detainees, whoare either pregnant or with young children, has so far
come to 318.
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Decree on Drug Combat Issued in Myanmar's State
Xinhuanet 2002-04-09 12:07:47

YANGON, April 9 (Xinhuanet) -- The Administrative Committee of Kokang of
Myanmar, Shan State Special Region-1, has passed a decree, aimed at
effectively combating narcotic drugs, official newspaper The New Light of
Myanmar reported Tuesday.

Quoting March 28's notification of the administrative committee,signed by
its Chairman U Phon Kyar Shin, the paper said the decreewas passed as
narcotic drugs continue to threat the country and local national races at
present despite considerable achievements made in the region's over 10
years' fight against drugs.

The decree states that action will be taken against whoever engages in poppy
cultivation, narcotic drugs production, trafficking and drug abuse.

Punishments ranging from prison term, life imprisonment and death sentence
will be meted out to those guilty of producing and trafficking of narcotic
drugs, it said, adding that poppy fields shall be destroyed and legal action
be taken against the poppy growers who cannot be admonished not to grow
poppy.

The decree also said effective and deterrent action will be taken against
narcotic drug abusers.

In addition, the paper also carried a similar order issued on March 26 by
the state authorities of Wa, Shan State Special Region-2.

However, the order did not cover the range of punishment on various kinds of
drug offenders.

The two state authorities of Myanmar have declared target of total
elimination of poppy cultivation in the two regions by the year 2005.
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Thai Troops on Alert Along Thai-Myanmar Border
Xinhuanet 2002-04-08 23:46:53

BANGKOK, April 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Thai troops were put on high alertalong the
Thai-Myanmar border in Tak province, 450 kilometers northwest of Bangkok,
after three houses in Thai side were damagesby shells flying from the
Myanmar, the Thai News Agency reported Monday.

Col. Saksilp Klansanoh was quoted as saying that the Myanmar government
troops and Buddhist Karen Forces clashed with Karen National Union (KNU) on
Sunday and the shells flying across the border damages three Thai household.

However, no people were killed or injured in the incident, the report said.

Thai troops near the border had been instructed to be on high alert, Saksilp
said, adding that Thai soldiers also received the order to fire back if more
shells fell into the Thai soil, and more armor tanks had been deployed along
the border.
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