|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BURMA RELATED NEWS - MAY 01,
2002.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
HEADLINES
----------------------------------------------------------------- AFP - All eyes on Aung San Suu Kyi's house as release
awaited
AFP - Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi set to be
released
AFP - Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi to be released in next
few days: source
AFP - Yangon expects "significant" political
development in days: minister
Reuters - U.S. says any Suu Kyi release must be
unconditional
Reuters - Hopes high for Suu Kyi release in Myanmar
Reuters - Rights activists cautious on Myanmar release
Suu Kyi buzz
AP - Myanmar government silent on Suu Kyi as hopes of
her release mount
VOA News - Asia Pacific Speculation in Burma About Aung
San Suu Kyi's Freedom
The Nation - 1. Army
agrees to return three captured Wa soldiers
2.
Burmese form highest number
Bkk Post - Junta's claim rejected by army chief
Xinhuanet - Myanmar Leader Calls for National Development
ST - Police bust vehicle theft rings linked to Myanmar rebels
----------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday May 1, 1:04 PM
All eyes on Aung San Suu Kyi's house as release awaited (AFP) - All eyes were on the
lakeside residence of Aung San Suu Kyi, who is expected to emerge from house
arrest soon to what many hope will be a new era of democratic reform in
military-ruled Myanmar.
A delegation of foreign and local media was Wednesday gathered on the road
leading to the white-washed villa on University Drive, in anticipation that the
18-month-old restrictions will be lifted shortly.
A government source told AFP Tuesday that arrangements were being made for
the Nobel peace laureate to be freed "within a day or two".
United Nations envoy to Myanmar Razali Ismail, who made a four-day visit to
Myanmar last week, also hinted in Kuala Lumpur that Aung San Suu Kyi's release
could be imminent.
Since September 2000 the street that runs past the democracy leader's home
-- normally a busy thoroughfare -- has been closed off to traffic and
barbed-wire barricades erected to prevent unauthorised access.
But in recent days the neglected stretch of road has been a hive of
activity as municipal crews patched up potholes and swept away rubbish and
leaves, in apparent readiness for her to be freed.
In another indication of news in the offing, a high-ranking junta official,
Brigadier-General Than Tun who acts as the official liason with Aung San Suu
Kyi, made his first visit to the house in several months on Tuesday.
And plainclothes security officials outside the house said Wednesday they
had been told to be ready to lay on a motorcade for the democracy leader should
she call for transport.
Over the past few days the ruling State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC) has issued an unusual number of visas to the foreign media, who began to
descend on neatly ordered Yangon on Wednesday.
Journalist visas are normally difficult to obtain, but the Myanmar embassy
in Bangkok stayed open late on Tuesday to issue the permits before shutting for
the May Day holiday.
The United States said Tuesday it would welcome the release of the National
League for Democracy (NLD) leader but that her freedom must be
"unconditional".
"We hope the reports out of Rangoon (Yangon) indicate the Burmese regime is
serious about political reform and national reconciliation," said State
Department spokeswoman Julie Reside, using the country's former name.
Aung San Suu Kyi's release is likely to be only part of a much bigger
picture of historic change in Myanmar, which has been stuck in a political
deadlock since disallowed 1990 elections which the NLD won in a landslide.
Observers say her emergence from house arrest could signify that the secret
talks she began with the junta in October 2000, at the urging of the United
Nations and brokered by Razali, were finally yielding fruit.
"Her release on its own is a small but important step. It's very symbolic,
and it will have a very powerful effect both inside the country and outside,"
said one Yangon-based diplomat.
"But we'll really have to see exactly what they're prepared to do (in terms
of democratic reform)," he said. "In some ways it may not be obvious straight
away how significant it is."
The conditions under which Aung San Suu Kyi could operate as NLD leader in
the future would also come under close scrutiny.
She is known to be concerned that her release might return her to
conditions she endured since 1995 when she was freed from six years under house
arrest but forbidden to leave Yangon.
Her attempt to defy the ban and travel to the northern city of Mandalay in
September 2000 was the incident that prompted the junta to slap down the house
arrest restrictions once more.
Observers said Wednesday's May Day celebrations would be a logical choice
for a release as the city was quiet, with most residents enjoying the public
holiday in their homes and in public parks and shrines.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday May 1, 12:41 AM
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi set to be released (AFP) - Myanmar opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for the past 18 months,
will be released "within a day or two".
United Nations envoy to Myanmar Razali Ismail, who made a four-day visit to
Myanmar last week, hinted in Kuala Lumpur earlier Tuesday that Aung San Suu
Kyi's release could be imminent.
As a delegation of media and diplomats waited in anticipation outside her
house, the government source said the National League for Democracy (NLD) leader
would not be given her liberty on Tuesday.
"The NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi will not be released today. The government
is making arrangements to release her from house detention within a day or two,"
he told AFP Tuesday.
"If released from house detention, she will be able to go any place she
likes as before," he said, declining to elaborate.
However, Aung San Suu Kyi was in fact strictly forbidden to leave Yangon,
and the house arrest restrictions were laid down in September 2000 after she
attempted to defy the ban and travel to the northern city of Mandalay.
Diplomats and analysts believe a release this week would signal that the
junta and the opposition leader have forged an agreement on how Aung San Suu Kyi
will be permitted to operate as leader of the NLD.
"She has always asked that if she were to be released she doesn't go back
to her conditions between 1995 and 2000 when she didn't have the right to leave
Yangon," said one source.
"But this unlimited movement for her could happen gradually and it's very
possible she could use quite a lot of self-restraint."
Apart from the release, the international community is watching for a
highly anticipated statement on the progress and content of the secret national
reconciliation talks.
Aung San Suu Kyi's release, they believe, would signify that the process is
at a stage where both sides are confident it can withstand public scrutiny,
heightening the prospect of an end to four decades of military rule.
A release would be credited squarely to the efforts of Razali, who brokered
landmark talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta which began in October
2000 and are aimed at introducing democratic reforms.
"This would be a goodwill gesture for the international community. It's a
result of Razali's visit, and it's part of the continuum of the dialogue
process," the source said.
Myanmar observers spent Tuesday watching closely for signs of a release,
particularly as major announcements are typically made ahead of important
holidays, like Wednesday's May Day celebrations.
A high-ranking Myanmar junta official made a rare visit to Aung San Suu
Kyi's lakeside home Tuesday morning, heightening speculation she would soon be
freed.
Brigadier-General Than Tun, the official liaison officer between the
opposition leader and the regime, spent 10 minutes at the University Drive
residence, in his first visit for several months.
Than Tun, the head of the political department of the defence ministry,
does not see Aung San Suu Kyi on a regular basis, but typically only when there
is a matter that needs to be attended to.
The two are known to have a friendly working relationship, and for many
years he has been charged with acting as her official government escort at
important events and national celebrations.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday May 1, 3:37 AM
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi to be released in next few days: source (AFP) - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for the past 18 months, will be released "within a day or two", a government source said. United Nations envoy to Myanmar Razali Ismail, who made a four-day visit to
Myanmar last week, hinted in Kuala Lumpur earlier Tuesday that Aung San Suu
Kyi's release could be imminent.
As a delegation of media and diplomats waited in anticipation outside her
house, the government source said the National League for Democracy (NLD) leader
would not be given her liberty on Tuesday.
"The NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi will not be released today. The government
is making arrangements to release her from house detention within a day or two,"
he told AFP.
"If released from house detention, she will be able to go any place she
likes as before," he said, declining to elaborate.
However, Aung San Suu Kyi was in fact strictly forbidden to leave Yangon,
and the house arrest restrictions were laid down in September 2000 after she
attempted to defy the ban and travel to the northern city of Mandalay.
Diplomats and analysts believe a release this week would signal that the
junta and the opposition leader have forged an agreement on how Aung San Suu Kyi
will be permitted to operate as leader of the NLD.
"She has always asked that if she were to be released she doesn't go back
to her conditions between 1995 and 2000 when she didn't have the right to leave
Yangon," said one source.
"But this unlimited movement for her could happen gradually and it's very
possible she could use quite a lot of self-restraint."
Apart from the release, the international community is watching for a
highly anticipated statement on the progress and content of the secret national
reconciliation talks.
Aung San Suu Kyi's release, they believe, would signify that the process is
at a stage where both sides are confident it can withstand public scrutiny,
heightening the prospect of an end to four decades of military rule.
A release would be credited squarely to the efforts of Razali, who brokered
landmark talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the junta which began in October
2000 and are aimed at introducing democratic reforms.
"This would be a goodwill gesture for the international community. It's a
result of Razali's visit, and it's part of the continuum of the dialogue
process," the source said.
Myanmar observers spent Tuesday watching closely for signs of a release,
particularly as major announcements are typically made ahead of important
holidays, like Wednesday's May Day celebrations.
A high-ranking Myanmar junta official made a rare visit to Aung San Suu
Kyi's lakeside home Tuesday morning, heightening speculation she would soon be
freed.
Brigadier-General Than Tun, the official liaison officer between the
opposition leader and the regime, spent 10 minutes at the University Drive
residence, in his first visit for several months.
Than Tun, the head of the political department of the defence ministry,
does not see Aung San Suu Kyi on a regular basis, but typically only when there
is a matter that needs to be attended to.
The two are known to have a friendly working relationship, and for many
years he has been charged with acting as her official government escort at
important events and national celebrations.
Analysts say the notoriously secretive junta is likely to go to great
lengths to ensure a release remains low-key, as they are terrified adoring
crowds will rush to the lakeside villa to greet her.
Despite the regime's dogged efforts over the years to demonise and vilify
the democracy leader, she commands immense support and loyalty among ordinary
Myanmar citizens.
For the last 18 months the street that runs past her home -- normally a
busy thoroughfare -- has been closed off to traffic and barbed-wire barricades
erected to prevent unauthorised access.
However, on Tuesday road crews were seen patching up potholes and generally
neatening up the area, in apparent readiness for her to be freed.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday May 1, 6:34 PM
Yangon expects "significant" political development in days: minister (AFP) - A minister in Myanmar's
military government said the near future would yield "significant progress" in
the junta's political reconciliation with democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but
played down expectations that her release was imminent.
Labour Minister Tin Win implicitly discounted the possibility this week
would see the release of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been
under virtual house arrest for much of the past decade and all of the last 18
months.
The international community has been anxiously awaiting news out of Yangon
since UN envoy Razali made a key four-day visit to Myanmar ending Friday in
which he said important developments could happen "quite quickly."
Razali, a Malaysian diplomat, held a rare meeting Friday with the junta's
troika of top generals and said afterwards he felt the reconciliation process
was back on track.
The Sunday statements were the first official signs from the government
here that it shared in Razali's optimism over his trip.
While Tin Win's assessment deflated rapidly rising hopes of a quick release
of Aung San Suu Kyi, it also reflected the upbeat mood still shared by observers
and some government officials here.
Deputy foreign minister Khin Maung Win said he was "very happy" with the
visit, Razali's seventh since being appointed two years ago as special envoy of
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
"I share his assessment," Khin Maung Win told AFP regarding Razali's view
that new developments should be announced soon.
A well-placed Yangon resident concurred that a "breakthrough" was expected,
"unless things have gone terribly wrong in the past few days."
The talks, brokered by Razali since their inception in October 2000, have
proceeded at a painfully slow pace, yielding few tangible results to date except
for the release of some 250 political prisoners and the re-opening of several
offices of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).
Barring her outright release from house arrest, the release of a
substantial group of political prisoners would be seen as a significant goodwill
gesture by the junta to counter concern that political reconciliation had
stalled.
The European Union estimates there are over 1,000 political prisoners
languishing in Myanmar's jails, several of them NLD members.
The opposition NLD won a landslide victory in 1990 but was prevented from
taking power by the regime.
Earlier this month the NLD said it was hopeful the two sides would soon
conclude an initial "confidence-building" phase and start discussing a political
transition to end four decades of military rule.
The current batch of generals rose to power after a bloody crackdown on
pro-democracy demonstrators in 1988.
Despite optimism over Razali's mission, the United Nations has maintained
its pressure on Yangon.
On Thursday in Geneva the UN Commission on Human Rights adopted a European
Union-sponsored resolution condemning the junta for a "continuing pattern of
gross and systemic violations of human rights".
Yangon also faces crippling pressure from Washington, where legislation is
working its way through Congress which would ban imports from Myanmar worth some
500 million dollars a year.
----------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. says any Suu Kyi release must be
unconditional
Tue Apr 30, 4:16 PM ET By Elaine Monaghan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The
United States responded cautiously on Tuesday to speculation that Myanmar's
military rulers were about to free pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, saying
her release should be unconditional.
"We would welcome the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners inside Burma," a State Department spokesman said. "It is important that the release be unconditional and that Aung San Suu Kyi be afforded full freedom of movement and association." Human rights activists responded similarly to talk in Myanmar's capital
Yangon that the charismatic daughter of assassinated independence hero Aung San
was set to be freed from 18 months of house arrest after a deal with the ruling
junta.
"The international community shouldn't rush to declare victory simply
because she's released," said Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for
Human Rights Watch.
He said there were major questions to be considered, including whether the
junta was "expanding the cage or getting rid of the cage" imposed on the
56-year-old Nobel laureate.
"Will she have the freedom to travel throughout the country? Will her party
have freedom to operate as a legal political party?" he asked.
The State Department spokesman clearly shared his caution, saying, "We hope
the reports out of Rangoon indicate the Burmese regime is serious about
political reform and national reconciliation."
Suu Kyi was held under house arrest from 1989 to 1995. She was placed back
under house arrest in 2000 after she embarrassed the government with several
high-profile attempts to challenge travel restrictions that confined her to
Yangon.
Her National League for Democracy won Myanmar's last election in 1990 by a
landslide, but the military government refused to hand over power. Myanmar has
faced international isolation and economic sanctions over its human rights
record and its treatment of Suu Kyi and the NLD.
SANCTIONS TO BE LIFTED?
The State Department spokesman had no comment on the likelihood, if Suu Kyi
were freed from house arrest, of U.S. sanctions being lifted.
They include an arms embargo, investment ban, suspension of bilateral aid,
visa restrictions on top leaders and a freeze on new lending and grant programs
by international agencies.
The United States said in February that it would consider lifting sanctions
in return for what it called "significant progress" in talks with Suu Kyi,
including her release.
The State Department was critical of slow progress in the long-running
talks and held out the prospect of lifting sanctions for concrete measures by
the generals.
"Our goal in applying these sanctions is to encourage a transition to
democratic rule and greater respect for human rights," the report said.
"Should there be significant progress toward these goals, the United States
would look seriously at measures to support a process of constructive change."
Suu Kyi's release is widely regarded as the single most important step the
junta could take to show the increasingly impatient international community it
is considering political change. She has been kept confined to her lakeside
Yangon residence since September 2000.
A source close to the junta told Reuters in Yangon the government was set
to announce the release of Suu Kyi and a deal under which she would cooperate
with the junta in administering humanitarian work in fields such as health and
education.
Malinowski, who worked on U.S. policy toward Myanmar in the administration
of former President Bill Clinton, said developments must be "kept in
perspective" and that it was important to remember she had been arrested and
freed before.
"I think the key is what is the nature of the freedom that they give her if
indeed she is released," he said.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Hopes high for Suu Kyi release in
Myanmar
Wed May 1, 6:40 AM ET By Aung Hla Tun YANGON (Reuters) - Expectations
that Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will soon be released from
house arrest grew on Wednesday as the United States and human rights groups said
her freedom should be unconditional.
The 56-year-old Nobel peace laureate's lakeside compound in Yangon, where
she has been confined for more than 18 months, has become the focus of a flurry
of official and media activity, amid signs the junta is preparing to set her
free.
Suu Kyi's release is among the top demands of the international community
seeking movement in long-running reconciliation talks between the junta and
opposition aimed at bringing democracy to the impoverished Southeast Asian
nation.
She has been confined to her residence with her telephone line cut since
September 2000.
Suu Kyi's three top lieutenants -- National League for Democracy (NLD)
Chairman Aung Shwe, Vice-Chairman Tin Oo and Secretary U Lwin -- were seen
entering her compound late on Wednesday afternoon.
Foreign diplomats staking out Suu Kyi's home said a top military officer
liaising between her and the junta visited her home on Tuesday evening, for the
third time that day.
Sources close to the military and Suu Kyi's NLD said it was unusual for
Brigadier-General Than Tun to visit three times in one day.
"Anything could happen any time," an official from the government
spokesman's office told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "There is some
speculation about her (Suu Kyi's) release, but we have no comment at the
moment."
State media were silent on Suu Kyi's fate on Wednesday and a "No Entry"
sign and barrier remained at the entrance to the popular opposition leader's
home on University Avenue, guarded by plainclothes police.
Witnesses said municipal workers were cleaning the street and filling
potholes outside her home, the first such work since the busy street was closed
in 2000 and barricaded with barbed wire.
The government has also uncharacteristically granted entry visas to a slew
of foreign media organisations this week, a sign it may be seeking publicity for
a major gesture.
WARNING FROM WASHINGTON
Suu Kyi, the charismatic daughter of assassinated independence hero Aung
San, was held under house arrest from 1989 to 1995. She was put back under house
arrest about 18 months ago after defying orders not to travel outside the
capital.
The NLD won 1990 elections in Myanmar in a landslide but has been blocked
from taking power by the military.
The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it would welcome the release of
Suu Kyi, but warned the junta that any such move would not automatically result
in a lifting of sanctions.
"It is important that the release be unconditional and that Aung San Suu
Kyi be afforded full freedom of movement and association," a spokesman said.
Human rights activists responded similarly.
"The international community shouldn't rush to declare victory simply
because she's released," said Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for
Human Rights Watch.
A source close to the ruling junta told Reuters on Tuesday the government
was set to announce the release of Suu Kyi and a deal under which she would work
with the junta in administering humanitarian work in fields such as health and
education.
Such a deal would be a major policy change for Suu Kyi, who has refused to
work with the junta.
"It will be more than the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and some other
political prisoners. It will be a breakthrough in Myanmar politics," the source
said.
"SOMETHING BIG"
Without some kind of cooperation deal Suu Kyi's release would mean little,
one veteran politician said.
"The release of Aung San Suu Kyi...alone will not make much difference if
the NLD and the military do not reach any agreement on future cooperation," a
retired Myanmar politician told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Razali Ismail, the U.N. special envoy to Myanmar, ended a four-day visit to
the country last week saying he expected a breakthrough soon.
"The one (gesture) that everyone expects is the release of Aung San Suu
Kyi," the Malaysian diplomat said. "Be patient. I think something big will
happen," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
The government began secret talks with Suu Kyi in October 2000, a move
hailed as a breakthrough. But since then no concrete progress has been
announced.
The release of Suu Kyi is widely regarded as the single most important step
the junta could take to begin to show an impatient world it is serious about
political change.
The military has ruled Myanmar, also known as Burma, since 1962.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Rights activists cautious on
Myanmar release Suu Kyi buzz
Tue Apr 30, 2:15 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Human
rights activists reacted cautiously on Tuesday to speculation Myanmar's military
rulers might free pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi after 18
months under house arrest.
"The international community shouldn't rush to declare victory simply because she's released," said Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch. He said there were major questions to be considered, including whether the
junta in the capital. Yangon, was "expanding the cage or getting rid of the
cage" imposed on the 56-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, he said.
"Will she have the freedom to travel throughout the country? Will her party
have freedom to operate as a legal political party?"
Myanmar was abuzz with speculation on Tuesday that Suu Kyi, the charismatic
daughter of assassinated independence hero Aung San, was set to be freed
following a deal with the ruling junta.
Her release is widely regarded as the single most important step the junta
could take to show the increasingly impatient international community it is
considering political change. She has been kept confined to her lakeside Yangon
residence, with her telephone line cut, since September 2000.
A source close to the ruling junta told Reuters the government was set to
announce the release of Suu Kyi and a deal under which she would cooperate with
the junta in administering humanitarian work in fields such as health and
education.
Razali Ismail, the U.N. special envoy to Myanmar, ended a four-day visit to
the country on Friday, saying he expected a breakthrough soon in the peace
process.
On Tuesday, he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the expected major
announcement could include the release of political prisoners or further freedom
for political activities.
Malinowski, who worked on U.S. policy toward Myanmar in the administration
of former President Bill Clinton, said developments must be "kept in
perspective" and that it was important to remember that Suu Kyi had been
arrested and released before.
"I think the key is what is the nature of the freedom that they give her if
indeed she is released," he said.
Suu Kyi was held under house arrest from 1989 to 1995. She was placed back
under house arrest in 2000 after she embarrassed the government with several
high-profile attempts to challenge travel restrictions that confined her to
Yangon.
Her National League for Democracy won Myanmar's last election in 1990 by a
landslide, but the military government refused to hand over power. Myanmar has
faced international isolation and economic sanctions over its human rights
record and its treatment of Suu Kyi and the NLD.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar government silent on Suu
Kyi as hopes of her release mount
Wed May 1, 5:15 AM ET By AYE AYE WIN, Associated Press Writer YANGON, Myanmar - Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's aides said
Wednesday they were waiting to hear the fate of the Nobel Peace laureate amid
expectations that Myanmar's military rulers would free her after 19 months house
arrest.
Local newspapers, which act as government mouthpieces, maintained their
customary silence on the issue.
A U.S. State Department spokesman in Washington said Tuesday Suu Kyi should
be released unconditionally and "afforded full freedom of movement and
association."
"We hope ... the Burmese regime is serious about political reform and
national reconciliation," he said.
Fifty six-year-old Suu Kyi has been confined to her house since September
2000 after she tried to travel outside Yangon in defiance of a government
ban.
Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962. The
current junta took power in 1988 after crushing a nationwide uprising for
democracy and killing thousands of people.
The generals called elections in 1990 but refused to step down after Suu
Kyi's National League for Democracy party won. She was awarded the 1991 Nobel
Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to the country.
Special U.N. envoy Razali Ismail, who has been working for the last two
years to reconcile the junta and Suu Kyi, indicated Tuesday that major
developments would soon occur in Myanmar, after having visited the country last
week. However, he stopped short of saying whether he expected the regime to free
Suu Kyi.
On Tuesday, municipal workers cleaned the area around her lakeside
residence. Others painted a medium strip on the road, which had been left
untended for the last 19 months. The unusual activity bolstered hopes that Suu
Kyi's release was imminent.
"We are all waiting and hoping she will be released," Tin Oo, a top
assistant of Suu Kyi, told The Associated Press.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Asia Pacific Speculation in Burma
About Aung San Suu Kyi's Freedom
VOA News 30 Apr 2002 13:36 UTC Speculation is growing in Burma that the military government might soon
free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Rangoon-based diplomats say they expect an announcement within a day or
two. Reports from the scene say municipal workers with brooms have cleaned and
swept the area around Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi's lakeside home, where she has been
under virtual house arrest for the past 18 months.
The U.S. State Department said the United States would welcome the release
of Aung Sang Suu Kyi. It said her release should be unconditional, and that she
should be afforded full freedom of movement and association.
The United Nations envoy for Burma has indicated he expects the government
to soon make significant overtures to the pro-democracy opposition. Malaysian
diplomat Razali Ismail told reporters in Kuala Lumpur, Tuesday, that he expects
military leaders to do something big as part of their efforts to revive stalled
peace talks with the opposition.
Mr. Razali did not say whether he expects Aung San Suu Kyi to be released
from house arrest. The U.N. envoy made a four-day visit to Rangoon last
week.
Burma's labor minister, Tin Win, told a news conference last weekend that
the government would make a major announcement in a few days.
----------------------------------------------------------------- The Nation
IN BRIEF:
1. Army agrees to return three captured
Wa soldiers
2. Burmese form highest
number Published on May 1, 2002
The Army yesterday agreed to return three Wa soldiers detained after having
been captured on Thai territory, said Defence Minister General Chavalit
Yongchaiyudh.
The agreement was reached at a meeting of the Thai-Burma Township Border
Committee, he said.
The Army's detention of the three Wa has resulted in cross-border shelling
that has caused no Thai injuries but has panicked local residents. The
detentions have also led to a flurry of verbal attacks between the two
countries.
Thai authorities maintained the three detainees were spies attempting to
gather intelligence on Thai soil, while Burma has argued they were simply
looking for food in an ill-defined border area when they were arrested.
"The best way to prevent a reoccurrence of the incident is to have more
rapid contact when such a misunderstanding takes place," said Chavalit, also a
deputy premier.
Meanwhile Chavalit's deputy, General Yuttasak Sasiprapa, reiterated that
the three were on Thai soil gathering intelligence. He said Burma had also
detained a Thai soldier, and authorities were negotiating for his freedom. He
did not provide any further details.
Burmese form highest
number
Of foreign inmates now doing time in Thai prisons, Burmese form the highest
number, an Interior Ministry report said.
Of the total 7,378 foreign prisoners, 3,691 are Burmese, while Laotians
come second with 931, said Corrections Department director-general Siwa
Saengmanee.
The regional breakdown of inmates is: 6,506 Asians, 621 Africans, 182
Europeans, 50 Americans and 19 Australians.
As for categories of crimes, the breakdown is: 3,819 are serving time for
drug-related offences: 169 for weapons crimes: 719 for damaging property: 575
for crimes endangering life; 1,052 for immigration offences; 463 for forgery; 74
for sex crimes; 202 for forestry offences, and 305 for other offences.
Siwa said the agency had introduced humane measures such as making prison
work voluntary, ensuring water supplies for drinking and bathing, giving
Saturdays to inmates as time off for good behaviour. Foreign and Thai prisoners
are given equal treatment.
The inmates have access to reading, television and telephoning relatives,
he added.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - Wednesday 01 May 2002
Junta's claim rejected by army chief
No military moves to create border tension
Wassana Nanuam and Subin Khuenkaew
The army commander has strongly rejected claims by the Burmese military
junta that elements inside the Thai army are trying to stir up border
tension.
No Thai soldiers had any intention of causing trouble between Thailand and
Burma, Gen Surayud Chulanont said yesterday.
Rangoon has claimed elements in the Thai military do not want relations
between the two neighbours to improve and are trying to subvert the government's
policy to foster ties with Burma.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has asked the military to be lenient in
dealing with unintentional border crossings by Burmese troops and their allies,
except when it involves drug trafficking.
Gen Surayud yesterday insisted two United Wa State Army (UWSA) fighters
were arrested on Friday because they had crossed into Thailand illegally, not
because the military wanted to create conflict with Burma.
Army sources said earlier the two were Muser tribesmen and believed to be
scouts for Wa drug traffickers. One was the son of a senior Wa officer.
``An initial report confirmed that both Wa men entered Thai territory to
gather intelligence,'' Gen Surayud said. ``However, we still do not know what
they wanted to find out.''
All border encroachers, especially those bearing arms, must be held for
questioning under any circumstances, the army chief said.
Arrested suspects would be freed within 15 days if they had nothing to do
with drugs or other illegal activities.
He said the military had no option but to retaliate when about 10 armed
foreign troops demanded the return of the arrested Wa fighters and then injured
some Thai rangers.
Claims that the two Wa men had crossed into Thailand to get water from a
stream did not stand up because there were adequate water sources on the Burmese
side of the border.
Gen Surayud said the army had informed the Thai-Burmese Border Committee
the two Wa guerrillas would be held for questioning and released if they had not
violated any rules.
A defence source said Burmese military leader Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt had said in
a letter to Defence Minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh that the two Wa men were
collecting water near the border, but had not crossed into Thailand.
The Supreme Command had set up an inquiry, the source said.
A close aide to Wei Hsueh-ying, in charge of the UWSA's 171st division
controlled by his elder brother and drug kingpin Wei Hsueh-kang, said the
division sent six Wa soldiers to negotiate with Thai troops for the release of
the two arrested Wa men on Friday.
The aide, Ah Kuang, also denied the UWSA opened fire on a Thai military
base, claiming the attackers could have been from the Shan State Army, which had
a stronghold nearby.
He said UWSA troops withdrew from their base opposite Ban Pong Hai on the
order of Rangoon after a Thai air raid caused casualties and extensive
damage.
``Two Thai gunship helicopters took off and shot up our stronghold, killing
and injuring some people. We have not collected the bodies yet, but we have
taken out the injured,'' Ah Kuang said.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar Leader Calls for National
Development
Xinhuanet 2002-05-01 10:38:03 YANGON, May 1 (Xinhuanet) --
Myanmar top leader Senior-General Than Shwe Wednesday called on workers in his
country, both blue and white collar ones, to strive for national economic
development.
In his message on the International Workers' day, Than Shwe, Chairman of
the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council, recalled that Myanmar people
experienced the aggression of the colonialists and were enslaved for over 100
years.
He said although time is going on they will not be able to forget these
unfortunate and tragic historical events.
After regaining independence, the country was again deprived of stability,
peace and tranquillity due to multi-colored armed insurgency, he blamed.
He added that unity among workers and peasants, the important forces for
nation-building, collapsed due to "instigation" of various political
parties.
He pointed out that under the leadership of the present government, the
country has achieved success in the political, economic and social sectors,
especially in the implementation of the country's short-term economic
plans.
He urged workers to strive with a clear national outlook and from whatever role they are assigned to achieve success and work hard for the successful realization of the political, economic and social objectives. ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Straits Times - MAY 1, 2002
WED
Police bust vehicle theft rings linked to Myanmar rebels Thai police, working with the Malaysians, intercept at least 20 vehicles stolen in Malaysia en route to Myanmar CHIANG RAI (Thailand) - In their first operation in Thailand, Malaysian
police have helped to bust syndicates responsible for the thefts of hundreds of
Malaysian-registered vehicles earmarked for a Myanmar rebel group.
Surrounded by the stolen vehicles seized from gangs, Thai and Malaysian
officers discuss their first joint anti-smuggling operation in Thailand. -- THE
STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
The vehicles, mostly four-wheel-drives, are said to have been sold to Myanmar's United Wa Army, believed to be involved in smuggling drugs over the mountainous border into northern Thailand. Thai police, acting on information from their Malaysian counterparts, made
the discovery when they intercepted 45 suspicious vehicles in high-speed
pursuits.
Several suspects, including a number of Malaysians arrested by Chiang Rai
police, have jumped bail and are now being sought by both Malaysian and Thai
police.
Malaysian police confirmed that at least 20 of the 45 four-wheel-drive
vehicles, which are worth an estimated RM4 million (S$1.9 million), were
reported stolen in Malaysia.
The federal police's assistant director of the Criminal Investigation
Department, Mr Abu Bakar Mustaffa, said several cars even had gate passes in
their glove compartments, while one had Malaysian coins under the seats.
'Our forensics officers uncovered the actual engine and chassis numbers by
using special chemicals and equipment.
'They conducted four days of painstaking and round-the-clock investigations
here and also at the border town of Mae Sai to etch and uncover the chassis and
engine numbers.
'We hope to recover more stolen cars, especially now with both the Thai
police and us declaring an all-out war against the thieves,' he said.
The stolen vehicles were sold for between RM30,000 and RM50,000.
Police records show that last year alone, 1,014 four-wheel-drive vehicles
were reported stolen in Malaysia.
The Chiang Rai police chief, Major-General Wuthi Vititanon, said he had
directed his district police chiefs to step up enforcement against car thieves,
adding:
'We want to stress to our Malaysian counterparts that we are serious about
such matters and do not want them to think that the Thai police are assisting
car-theft syndicates to sell stolen cars.'
----------------------------------------------------------------- |