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BURMA RELATED NEWS - April 10,
2002.
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HEADLINES
----------------------------------------------------------------- Reuters - Vajpayee says India seeks closer ties
with ASEAN
Dow Jones - Malaysia Genting Seeks Invest In N
Amer, Europe Pete E&P
AP - Myanmar says former dictator Ne Win in good
health despite coma rumors
BBC - Burmese migrants face HIV
test
VOA News - Burmese Official: Ne Win Not in
Coma
TI - Myanmar junta releases 5 democracy
activists
Bkk Post - Junta
orders end to drug trafficking
ST - Thailand to test Myanmar illegals for
Aids
----------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday April 10, 12:26 PM
Vajpayee says India seeks closer ties with ASEAN SINGAPORE (Reuters) - India is seeking to develop closer economic, political and security ties with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said on Tuesday. "This region is one of the focal points of India's foreign policy,
strategic concerns and economic interests," Vajpayee said in a public lecture on
the last day of a visit to the city state.
Vajpayee left Singapore on Tuesday along with a delegation of ministers and
businessmen on his way to Cambodia.
The prime minister said India was currently seeking to intensify its
engagement with the region by developing what he called "an India-ASEAN Vision
2020 road map" to identify mutually desired objectives.
ASEAN groups Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos Myanmar, Vietnam,
Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
Vajpayee said he was looking forward to meeting ASEAN leaders in Cambodia
at a summit later this year, which could help promote creative economic links.
"The current global economic slowdown should also exhort us to more
actively explore avenues for generating and meeting demand on a regional basis,
so that we are cushioned against the impact of saturation of external markets,"
he said.
The Prime Minister said ethnic, nationalist violence and terrorism in Asia
prevented closer relations.
"We grapple with a bewildering array of security threats, of which
international terrorism has recently thrust itself dramatically into our
consciousness," he said.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday April 10, 10:28 AM
Malaysia Genting Seeks Invest In N Amer, Europe Pete E&P (Dow Jones) "We're still
looking at Asia, but not as aggressively," he said on the sidelines of the Asia
Upstream conference.
"We're waiting for a sea change in fiscal and contract terms before we can explore in this region," he said. Genting is looking to invest in oil and gas blocks in North America and
Europe as the company's executives already have experience in the upstream
sectors in those regions, he added.
"We were previously Asian centered, but now we're willing to broaden our
horizons," said Collins.
He declined to comment on the location and size of prospects that Genting
was considering in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
Collins said he had reviewed about 70 potential prospects in Asia in the
last 12 months and determined that they weren't suitable for investment due to
several reasons, including "prohibitive costs" and the "uneven playing field
with state oil companies" in the region.
"They, the state oil companies, have demonstrated a willingness to pay
strategic premiums for producing assets above and beyond what the industry
considers a fair market price," he said.
Genting's oil and gas operations include the Zhuangxi field in China, which
currently has production of 3,500 barrels of oil a day. Collins said the company
is drilling in the field and aims to expand production.
The company also has a 100% interest in Block WA-274-P located in the North
West Shelf of Australia, which is still in the exploration stages. Genting is
looking for investors to join its Australian exploration project in the block,
Collins said.
The company abandoned exploration of its two blocks in Myanmar as they
weren't commercially viable.
In July, Genting sold its shares in a private company with interests in
Indonesia's Tangguh liquefied natural gas project in Irian Jaya. It sold its
stake in Cairns Ltd. to U.K. oil giant BP PLC (BP) for $106.8 million in cash,
plus a percentage of future profits from the Tangguh LNG project. Cairns holds a
9.7% stake in the Tangguh project.
Genting, one of Malaysia's biggest blue-chip companies, is the flagship of
ethnic Chinese tycoon Lim Goh Tong. It has interests in leisure and hospitality,
plantations, property, paper, power and oil and gas.
The company operates Malaysia's only casino in Genting Highlands in
neighboring Pahang state through its 55%-owned unit, Resorts World Bhd.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar says former dictator Ne
Win in good health despite coma rumors
Wed Apr 10, 3:09 AM ET YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - The
military government Wednesday denied that former dictator Ne Win had fallen into
a coma while under virtual house arrest in the wake of an alleged coup attempt
by some of his relatives.
The denial followed speculation that his daughter, Sandar Win, has sought
official permission to take the 91-year-old former autocrat to Singapore for
medical treatment.
"Rumors that Ne Win was in coma are not true," a military official told The
Associated Press, on condition of anonymity. "He is in good health. The news
that Ne Win and Sandar Win plan to travel to Singapore is only a rumor."
Ne Win was ordered not to leave his home after his son-in-law, Aye Zaw Win,
and his grandsons, Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win, were arrested March 7
on accusations they were plotting to overthrow the government.
Since then, the government has severely restricted access to Ne Win's home.
However, it has denied that he is under formal house arrest.
A Singapore Embassy official had no information about possible plans by Ne
Win to travel to the city-state.
Ne Win came to power in Myanmar, former Burma, in a 1962 coup and stepped
down in 1988 in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations that were quashed by
the military.
In recent times, Ne Win has frequently visited Singapore for medical
treatment. He had a pacemaker implanted in a hospital there last month.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, 9 April, 2002, 20:31 GMT 21:31 UK
Burmese migrants face HIV test By Larry Jagan
BBC's Burma analyst in Rangoon Burma and Thailand have agreed on a plan to repatriate more than 500,000
Burmese illegal immigrants currently resident in Thailand.
As part of the deal, Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai told the
BBC, the Burmese workers will be screened for HIV. Those testing positive will
be separated from the other workers being repatriated.
The agreement was reached in a bilateral meeting between the two countries
in Rangoon, when both countries were attending a tripartite summit with India.
This is part of the Thai Government's efforts under Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra to improve relations with Burma.
Thailand has been anxious to get Rangoon to agree to take back more than
500,000 illegal Burmese believed to be living in Thailand.
To achieve this, the Thai Government has bent over backwards to accommodate
Rangoon.
Engagement policy
Now the policy of renewed engagement is producing results, Mr Surakiart
said.
The two countries have now ironed out most of the obstacles which had
prevented the repatriation scheme from starting.
The Burmese Government asked Thailand to screen all returning refugees for
HIV Aids and Thailand agreed.
This is likely to anger many human rights groups, who have already accused
the Thai Government of violating the workers' human rights by insisting on a
medical examination before they are registered or re-registered.
Workers separated
Mr Surakiart said those workers who were diagnosed as HIV positive would be
separated from the other illegal immigrants and would be treated as part of a
special repatriation scheme.
The modalities of the illegal workers' return are still being worked out
and should be completed when the joint task force meets again in the next few
weeks.
Mr Surakiart confidently predicted the return of the refugees later this
month.
However, other Thai Government officials admit this is an optimistic
estimate and that even if the repatriation scheme starts this month, it will
take months rather than weeks before any appreciable number of workers return to
Burma.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Asia Pacific Burmese Official: Ne
Win Not in Coma
VOA News 10 Apr 2002 08:41 UTC An official with Burma's military government is denying speculation that former dictator Ne Win fell into a coma while under virtual house arrest. The official told the Associated Press that Ne Win, who is in his 90's, is
in good health and that rumors to the contrary are simply not true.
The Associated Press says there had been speculation that Ne Win's
daughter, Sandar Win, sought official permission to take her father to Singapore
for medical treatment.
Ne Win and his daughter have been confined to their home since last month,
when four relatives of the former dictator were arrested for allegedly plotting
a coup.
----------------------------------------------------------------- The Times of India
Myanmar junta releases 5 democracy
activists
AFP [ TUESDAY, APRIL 09, 2002 11:22:14 AM ]
YANGON: Myanmar's military junta said Tuesday it had released from prison five members of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), bringing to 38 the number freed since mid-February. "Today five NLD members were being released from various correctional
institutions," a government spokesman said in a statement.
"They are in good health and reunited with their respective families," he
said, identifying those released as Sein Myint, Tin Hlaing, Khin Maung Oo, Aye
Win and Khin Htar.
More than 250 political prisoners have been released by the junta since it
embarked on landmark talks with NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi in October
2000.
The secret talks with Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under virtual house
arrest in her Yangon home since a month before the contacts began, have raised
hopes of democratic reforms in the military-ruled state.
United Nations envoy Razali Ismail, who brokered the dialogue that began in
October 2000, is due to visit Yangon on April 22.
His trip to Myanmar was originally set for last month but was postponed by
the junta after they announced they had snuffed out a coup attempt by relatives
of former dictator Ne Win.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - Wednesday 10 April 2002
Junta orders end to drug trafficking
Bid to improve image overseas
Subin Khuenkaew
In a bid to improve the way it is viewed overseas, the Burmese military
junta has told minority groups that drug trafficking will no longer be tolerated
by Rangoon.
State Peace and Development Council first secretary Khin Nyunt had briefed
minority groups thought to be involved in drugs before issuing the instruction
on March 22 in Lashio, a source said.
The intelligence chief was quoted as saying that drug crimes _ including
production of heroin and methamphetamine, trafficking, possession of precursor
chemicals and drug paraphernalia, and poppy cultivation _ would no longer be
tolerated.
Punishment would range from life imprisonment to death.
The United Wa State Army, widely regarded as the biggest drug traffickers
in the region, had been told about the order.
The UWSA, in turn, had told its forces not to get involved in drugs. ``No
organisation nor individual shall refine heroin and manufacture stimulant
tablets in the Wa region.''
Trafficking was also prohibited. The UWSA would send inspection teams to
areas it controlled to see whether the policy had been put into effect.
Meanwhile, Rangoon is cracking down on illicit businesses in Tachilek,
opposite Mae Sai. It has closed buildings thought to have ties to drug
traffickers.
Firms affected included the Hong Pang Group of drug kingpin Wei Hsueh-kang,
and the Golden Star Group of influential figure Jai Lin and two hilltribe
groups. Buildings owned by Kan Yod from the Shan State Army had also been
closed, the source said.
Several Thai businessmen, however, doubted that the clampdown was
serious.
Butham Thipprasong from the border traders' association of Mae Sai district
said most of the lucrative businesses in Burma were controlled by the Wei-led
Hong Pang Group.
The group had monopolised imports via Mae Sai-Tachilek checkpoint and
demanded protection fees from small-scale Thai merchants wanting to export
goods, he said.
``I wonder if this very powerful group will so easily agree with this, ''
Mr Butham said.
----------------------------------------------------------------- The Straits Times - APRIL 10, 2002
WED
Thailand to test Myanmar illegals for Aids BANGKOK - Thailand will screen illegal workers from Myanmar for HIV and
Aids before they are deported home to help curb the spread of the fatal
disease.
Myanmar's security chief Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt made the request
during a private meeting, Foreign Affairs Minister Surakiert Sathirathai told
reporters over the weekend.
The Thai minister said Myanmar would also help look after the welfare of
Thais but did not elaborate on the measures that Yangon would take.
The Brussel-based International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a recent report
that cases of HIV and Aids in Myanmar were rising rapidly and that the
government was not equipped to tackle the problem.
Drug abuse has also contributed greatly to the rise of the disease that
attacks the immune system.
Thailand recently produced one of the cheapest anti-Aids cocktail drugs in
the world and Myanmar has shown an interest in buying the medicine.
About one million Myanmar nationals are estimated to be working in Thailand
now. Many are not documented and most take up unskilled jobs.
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