[burmanet2-l] Burma Related News - Dec 29, 2002.

["TIN KYI" <tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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BURMA RELATED NEWS - December  29, 2002.
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HEADLINES
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AFP - Thailand deports Myanmar dissidents
VOA News - How Useful Are Sanctions in Pressing Burma to Change?
Xinhuanet - Chinese enterprises aid Myanmar orphans
The Dawn - Pakistan boxers to compete in Yangon
ABC Online - Thailand deports Burmese dissidents
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Sunday December 29, 2:29 PM
Thailand deports Myanmar dissidents

BANGKOK, Dec 29 (AFP) - The Thai military said Sunday it had rounded up two
batches of Myanmar dissidents illegally based along the border over the past
week and deported them, realising fears voiced earlier by human rights
groups.

Army spokesman Somkhuan Saengpattaranate told AFP that two groups of Myanmar
dissidents illegally living in Thailand were deported Wednesday and Friday
from western Kanchanaburi province, but he did not specify numbers.

Local media have reported that 65 Karen villagers were sent back.

"After the Surasi Task Force inspected the border area, we found that these
people had set up their own office on Thailand's soil," Somkhuan said,
adding that the army would not permit foreign groups to use Thailand as a
base for activities against a neighbouring government.

The Surasi Task Force is charged with overseeing security along Thailand's
western border with Myanmar.

"Those who illegally entered or were without identification cards were sent
back to Myanmar," he added.

The spokesman said the move was not done to appease Myanmar's ruling
military junta, but was merely the enforcement of Thai immigration law.

Rights groups last week raised the alarm over the possibility of dissidents
being repatriated to Myanmar after they reported that six Mon political
activists were arrested and then released on the border on December 20.

According to Amnesty International, their offices were shut down and other
dissident offices were also told to close.

"Amnesty International fears that in the following days Myanmar political
activists in Thailand are at grave risk of being sent across the border by
Thai security forces," the group said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Many of these asylum-seekers would face human rights violations if returned
to Myanmar, including arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment and imprisonment."

Rights watchdog Forum Asia also reported on the Mon arrests and said it
feared further crackdowns by Thai authorities.

In June this year Thailand's National Security Council vowed to clamp down
on dissident groups from Myanmar, including refugee students who oppose the
junta in Yangon.

It also accused the dissidents then of being intent on using Thai territory
as a springboard to carry out attacks.
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VOA News - How Useful Are Sanctions in Pressing Burma to Change?
Scott Bobb
Rangoon, Burma
28 Dec 2002, 13:10 UTC

In the last two years, Burma's military government has engaged in
U.N.-sponsored dialogue with the democratic opposition, easing tensions and
some restrictions on political dissent. While there has been no real
progress on political reform, the fact that there is dialogue has prompted
the international community to re-examine the policy of sanctions as a means
to foster democratic transition. Some activists say isolating Burma is
making it more difficult to address humanitarian issues - and international
drug trafficking.

In the remote green hills of northern Burma, along the border with China,
Laos and Thailand, farmers were busy preparing for the opium harvest in late
January. The rains have ended, and the poppies are opening their purple and
white blossoms.

Last year, Burma produced more than 800 tons of opium, but experts say that
was 25 percent less than the crop the year before.

Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung said his government is working to
eliminate illegal drugs in 11 years. "We have a very firm determination and
political will to totally eradicate the poppy plantations and narcotics
program, eradicate this from our soil," he said.

The government is working with local authorities of Burma's autonomous Wa
State to eliminate poppy in three years, by reducing a chronic food shortage
that is the main reason peasants grow opium.

Authorities are introducing high-yield crops, building irrigation canals,
and teaching vegetable gardening. They are also building schools, health
clinics and roads. But the efforts are being almost entirely financed by the
Burmese government, one of the poorest in the region.

The international community, led by Europe and the United States, has
imposed economic sanctions to pressure the military to end 40 years of
dictatorship, and improve human rights. As a result, the amount of anti-drug
aid for Burma is less than 10 percent of that provided to neighboring
countries.

The head of Burma's drug control agency, Colonel Hkam Aung, says the lack of
foreign aid is slowing drug eradication efforts. "[For] a lot of the donor
countries that wish to work with us," he said, "there are political factors
that they always attach when they propose this sort of thing. That is very
unfortunate."

Given that Burma has made some progress in reducing illegal drug production,
foreign embassies and aid agencies are now debating whether to increase
collaboration with the Burmese government, despite the lack of concrete
political reform. Engagement would focus on crucial issues, such as drug
trafficking, that are of international concern. The director of the United
Nations drug control agency in Burma, Jean-Luc Lemahieu, said the policy of
isolation is counter-productive, at least in the war on drugs. "The lack of
assistance is impeding the political transition, is creating political
regional insecurity, instability," he said, "and the price is being paid now
by the international community because of the heroin exports."

Burma scholar Morton Pedersen of Australia's National University said the
lack of progress on political reform has led many to wonder whether
engagement would be a more effective way to press for democratic reforms.
"The main concern of most players, certainly in the West, and including the
opposition inside the country, has been to get regime change," said Mr.
Pedersen. "They have been focusing on this essentially political issue at
the expense of a range of policy issues that they could have chosen to focus
on, including improvement in human rights, improvements in economic policy,
economic development, that kind of thing."

Sanctions and the policy of isolation have long been backed by Burma's
suppressed opposition party, the National League for Democracy, led by Nobel
Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The NLD won elections in 1990, but has never been
allowed to take power.

Two years ago, the United Nations initiated closed-door talks between the
NLD and the military. The result has been that hundreds of political
prisoners have been released, and the NLD has been allowed to reopen some
offices and hold meetings.

This has prompted new debate on sanctions versus engagement. But the
opposition says until true political transition begins, the economic
pressure is crucial, although it accepts an increased need for humanitarian
aid.

The United States, a major force behind the sanctions, does not seem
inclined at this point to increase the level of cooperation, although it
does help fund a small U.N. opium eradication program in northern Burma.
"The question some have raised of removing Burma from what's called the
'Majors List' is not under discussion, and it's not being recommended or
looked at," said State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher, "Also, we're
not considering any bilateral narcotics assistance for Burma."

But Burma's neighbors, particular China, Malaysia and Thailand, back
engagement. They say working with Burma, particularly in the commercial
sector, can show its leaders the benefits of opening up society and
politics.

There is a sense of urgency in some quarters. The heads of eight U.N.
agencies in Burma have written a letter warning of a looming humanitarian
disaster, because of poverty, drugs and the spread of AIDS.

Burma scholar Morton Pedersen, noting that annual inflation is expected to
surpass 100 percent next year, said the humanitarian situation is
deteriorating. "We have to accept that not everything in this country is
political, and there are certain things that you can do, aside from the
political process, and certainly aid is a key issue," he said. "Burma does
need aid, and there are important things you can do here with aid."

Experts warn, however, that Burma does not have the capacity to distribute
massive amounts of foreign aid, and the government is highly sensitive to
perceptions of outside interference. As a result, they say, any increase of
aid must be gradual and carefully planned, because in any case political
change, if it does come, will also come slowly.

Part three of a three-part series
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Chinese enterprises aid Myanmar orphans
Xinhuanet 2002-12-29 11:26:17

YANGON, Dec. 29 (Xinhuanet) -- The Chinese Enterprises Chamber (CEC) in
Myanmar donated two million Kyats (about 300,000 US dollars) in cash to the
Myanmar Orphanage here Saturday.

Chairman of the CEC said to enhance the friendship between the two peoples
and help poor Myanmar orphans, the CEC would like to extend its love to the
children of the Myanmar orphanage.

>From now on, he pledged, the CEC will continue to support Myanmar's charity
undertakings.

A ranking Myanmar government official noted that the money willbe
effectively used for the purpose of education, nutrition and health program
for about 300 orphans of the Yangon Kaba Aye (WorldPeace) Youth Training
School.

The CEC was established in Yangon on March 16, 2002 with more than 80
Chinese enterprises as members.
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The Dawn
29 December 2002 Sunday 24 Shawwal 1423
Pakistan boxers to compete in Yangon

KARACHI, Dec 28: Federal Ministry of Sports has received an invitation from
Manyamar Government through Pakistan embassy in Yangon, inviting Pakistan
boxers to participate in a five nation tournament next year.

The Sports ministry has forwarded the invitation to Pakistan Amateur Boxing
Federation (PABF) with directives to ensure Pakistan's participation in the
competition scheduled to be held in Yangon from Feb 5-10.

President, PABF Professor Anwer Choudhry informed PPI that the tournament
would be held in seven weight categories from 45 Kg to 64 Kg. Besides
Manyamar, South Korea, Malaysia, Laos and Pakistan are to compete. PABF
President said the Cuban coach Renaldo Alvariz would select the Pakistan
team.

Performance of the boxers during the 27th National boxing championship to be
held in Lahore from Jan 13 to 16, 2003 would also be considered for
selection of the squad.-PPI
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Thailand deports Burmese dissidents
29/12/2002 20:40:35 | ABC Radio Australia News

The Thai military has rounded up two batches of Burmese dissidents it says
were illegally based along the border and deported them.

An army spokesman says two groups of Burmese dissidents were deported this
week from western Kanchanaburi province but did not say how many.

Thai media have reported that 65 Karen Burmese villagers were sent back.

The Thai military has said it would not permit foreign groups to use
Thailand as a base for activities against a neighbouring government.

Human rights groups last week raised the alarm of dissidents being forced
back to Burma, after the arrest and deportation of six Mon political
activists.

Amnesty International says the activists will face human rights abuses if
forced back to Burma, including arbitrary arrest, ill-treatment and
imprisonment.
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