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BURMA RELATED NEWS
- December 30, 2002.
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HEADLINES
------------------------------------------------------------------------ UN Wire - Washington Calls for U.N.
Probe of Rape Charges
Bkk Post - Chinese gain upper hand
with accords
Bkk Post - Burma agrees to exchange
warship visits
Bkk Post - Help sought in finding
drug plants
Bkk Post - Rangoon urges army to end
drills at border
Bkk Post - Red carpet ready for royal
visit
Bkk Post - Supplies sent to
minorities
The Nation - Drugs to top Thai-Burma
talks
The Nation - Door to shut on
refugees
The Nation - Asean needs to be
a more activist grouping
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UN Wire - Dec. 30,
2002
MYANMAR: Washington Calls for U.N. Probe of Rape Charges The United States has urged the United Nations to pursue a more extensive investigation of the alleged rapes of at least 625 ethnic Shan women and girls by Myanmar troops, after reports by Shan human rights groups were corroborated by the U.S. State Department. Myanmar has denied the allegations (Steven Weisman, New York Times, Dec. 27). U.N. rights rapporteur Paulo Sergio Pinheiro told the General Assembly last month Myanmar had given him "detailed briefings" on its own investigation of the rape charges, adding the military investigations "lacked the independence to be convincing and credible," and that an international probe was needed (Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, Dec. 26). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangkok Post - Monday
30 December 2002
Chinese gain upper hand with accords Supamart Kasem - Uttaradit Agreements reached by the Economic Cooperation in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (ECGMS) grouping may pave the way for Chinese investors to monopolise trade and tourism in other member countries, a recent seminar was told. The granting of visas on arrival to ECGMS nationals had led to an influx of Chinese businessmen, particularly from the province of Xishuangbanna, private-sector representatives from the North said at a meeting of the Joint Economic Quadrangle Chamber Committee (JEQC) last week in Uttaradit. Most Chinese who had set up businesses in the North hired only their compatriots as employees, they complained. ``If you visit Chiang Saen port in Chiang Rai, you will see many firms and shops run by Chinese from Xishuangbanna,'' said one. According to another, Chinese investors running a freight service at Chiang Saen port were collecting fees from trucks entering the port. JEQC chairman Rachan Veeraphan said many local businessmen had complained their livelihoods were being placed at risk, adding he would raise their grievances with immigration and customs officials. ECGMS groups Burma, China, Laos and Thailand. Also discussed at the JEQC meeting was China's plan to improve navigation of the Mekong river by blasting rocks, a project that had been opposed by several state agencies, as well as environmentalists and villagers. Opponents of the plan fear rock-blasting would have adverse effects on the river's fish population and increase bank erosion, ultimately impacting on many riverside communities. An environmental impact study had been carried out, but the results had not yet been made public. Transport ministers from the four ECGMS member states signed an agreement in April 2000 to improve navigation channels in the Mae Lan Chang and Mekong rivers. China would invest 220 million baht in improving navigation around 11 islets _ one in Thailand, nine in Laos, and another near the Sino-Burmese border. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangkok Post - Monday
30 December 2002
Burma agrees to exchange warship visits Thailand and Burma have agreed to exchange visits of warships to each other's naval bases for the first time, according to Lt-Gen Udomchai Ongkhasing, commander of the Third Army. The agreement was reached at a meeting of the bilateral Regional Border Committee in Moulmein on Dec 26-28. It was the first positive response from Burma to Thailand's long-standing request for such an exchange. As Burma has the tradition with China and India, Thailand will be its third partner to exchange such ship visits. The activity, for which the schedule has yet to be finalised, will see warships of Thailand and Burma entering each other's waters and naval ports. According to Lt-Gen Udomchai, who attended the border committee meeting, a warship from Rangoon will visit the naval base in Sattahip, Chon Buri, and a Thai warship from Sattahip will reciprocally visit the Burmese naval base in Rangoon. Although both sides had not agreed to conduct a joint naval patrol, the exchange of visits was a good sign of further naval cooperation, Lt-Gen Udomchai said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangkok Post - Monday
30 December 2002
Help sought in finding drug plants Soldiers also offer to fight illegal logging The Burmese military says it is willing to destroy drug production bases on its side of the border if Thai authorities point out the exact locations. It is also willing to help end the problem of timber smuggling. The offer of cooperation was confirmed during the meeting of the Thai-Burmese Regional Border Committee in Moulmein, Burma, on Dec 26-28. Third Army commander Lt-Gen Udomchai Ongkhasing co-chaired the session with Maj-Gen Thura Myint Aung, Burma's Southeast Army Region commander. Lt-Gen Udomchai said Burmese authorities were trying to show their sincerity in solving drug problems. Burma would also welcome Thai attempts to examine the location of suspected drug factories through the United Nations Drug Control Programme, which was working in Burma. Lt-Gen Udomchai also met Burmese army commander Gen Maung Aye in Rangoon. He said Gen Maung Aye promised full cooperation with Thailand in drug suppression. ``We must understand Burma. No country wants to be labelled a drug producer or distributor. Burma is lending a helping hand, but the matter will take some time,'' Lt-Gen Udomchai said. Rangoon confirmed it was still planning to move Wa people away from the border with Thailand, but it was a slow process because so many people were involved. Conflict between Wa leaders was also hampering the process because some wanted to stay in the new township of Mong Yawn, on the border. Burmese soldiers would eventually take over the border area near Thailand from the United Wa State Army, as Wa leader Pao Yu Xiang had announced an intention to end drug production in 2005. Lt-Gen Udomchai said the Burmese military would help block the trade in illegal logs from Thailand, which were being transported across the border, stamped in Burma and smuggled back to Thailand. The army would also do its part in stopping illegal logging of Thai forests. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangkok Post - Monday
30 December 2002
Rangoon urges army to end drills at border Junta asks for notice of military exercises Wassana Nanuam Burma has asked Thailand not to conduct military exercises near its border to prevent confusion and to maintain good relations. Third Army commander Lt-Gen Udomchai Ongkhasing said Burma made the request during the 20th Thai-Burmese Regional Border Committee meeting in Moulmein on Dec 26-28. ``Burma does not want us to conduct military exercises near its border again, and wants advance notice if Thailand does plan exercises.'' In May this year, the Third Army held a military exercise, code-named Surasee 143, involving about 20,000 soldiers, tanks and other weapons near the Burmese border in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son provinces. The situation became tense when Burma viewed it as a threat, claiming Thai soldiers had fired artillery rounds in support of the Shan State Army rebels fighting the Burmese soldiers. Then-defence minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh ordered the Third Army to cut short the exercise to reduce tension. Despite this, Burma still closed its borders with Thailand. A source said Burma had also expressed concern that the Thai-United States ``Cobra Gold 2003'' exercise would be held in the North, but it had been assured it would be held in central and eastern provinces. Earlier, Burma had also complained over possible cross-border operations by Task Force 399, which was trained by US army personnel for drug suppression, during the Balance Torch exercise in Chiang Mai's Mae Rim district. During the RBC meeting, the Thai delegation told Burma that Her Majesty the Queen would stay at the Phu Phing Ratchanives palace in Chiang Mai from January to March next year. While in the North, Her Majesty will visit border villages in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son. To prevent confusion or misunderstandings, Thailand had asked Burma not to launch military operations near the border during that period. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangkok Post - Monday
30 December 2002
Red carpet ready for royal visit Junta looking for Thai investment Burma is preparing a grand reception for the visit of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn in March, according to Third Army commander Lt-Gen Udomchai Onkhasing. ``Burma is very glad about the princess's trip because a member of the Thai royal family has not visited there for a long time,'' he said. Lt-Gen Udomchai said he had discussed the visit with Gen Maung Aye, the Burmese army commander, and Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the State Peace and Development Council. Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt had confirmed the Burmese government was ready to welcome the princess. Gen Maung Aye also confirmed the Burmese government was willing to do business. ``Burma has abundant natural resources and would like capable Thai people to invest and make use of them.'' Lt-Gen Udomchai said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was trying to improve Thai-Burmese relations for the sake of regional security. ``The prime minister had me tell the Burmese military leaders that wise people do business with neighbours,'' Lt-Gen Udomchai said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bangkok Post - Monday
30 December 2002
Supplies sent to minorities Illegal residents along the border are sending provisions to ethnic minorities in Burma, the military says. The Surasee Task Force, which overseas border security in Kanchanaburi, has warned them off but denies it resorted to violence. Maj-Gen Mana Prajakjit, task force commander, said 20 aliens were operating from Wia Ka Di village in Sangkhla Buri district. They were sending provisions to ethnic minority troops opposed to the Burmese government. Several groups had set up offices in Sangkhla Buri markets, he said. Troops had asked them to stop and to leave Thailand. He denied allegations his troops had demolished their houses. Troops would not resort to violence, but nor could they allow groups to carry out activities opposing the governments of neighbouring countries. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Nation
Drugs to top Thai-Burma talks Piyanart Srivalo Published on Dec 30, 2002 Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh will lead a delegation to Burma in January for a meeting with Rangoon on drug suppression, migrant labour and development projects in border areas. Another deputy premier, Korn Dabaransi, who oversees foreign affairs, will accompany the delegation during its one-day visit on January 27. Drug suppression will top discussions. Thailand and Burma have set an agenda to drastically curb the cross-border drug trade in the next two years, Chavalit said. "There are good signs that the countries will achieve this aim. Our officials are working very hard to suppress drugs. The war against illicit drugs will be waged around the clock from now on," he said. Illicit drugs, especially methamphetamines, are a major problem for Thailand. Bangkok has previously accused Rangoon of turning a blind eye to cross-border trafficking by ethnic minorities, notably the Wa. Burma rejected these allegations and called for constructive dialogue with Thailand to fight the problem. Migrant labour will also be a major discussion topic. Thailand has an estimated one million illegal workers, mostly from Burma, Chavalit said. National Security Council chief Winai Phattiyakul said several attempts to control the influx of illegal migrant workers had failed because of a lack of cooperation from local employers and neighbouring countries. The National Security Council commissioned the Thailand Development Research Institute to ascertain the numbers of foreign workers needed by Thailand to sustain the economy, he said. The study will give basic information on numbers and lead to discussions on labour management with neighbouring countries, Winai said. Thailand plans migrant-labour accords with Burma and Cambodia, having signed a pact with Laos in October. The accords will be implement to regulate the influx of labour from neighbouring countries, Winai said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Nation
Door to shut on refugees PIYANART SRIVALO Published on Dec 30, 2002 Thailand will end its role of sheltering and resettling refugees fleeing political conflicts, National Security Council chief Winai Phattiyakhul said yesterday. "It is a big burden for the country to shelter these refugees. We have to invest personnel and resources to help them, keep them safe and negotiate with numerous groups to send them to third countries," Winai said. Thailand also needed to confer with the governments from the refugees' home countries about repatriation if no other country offered to accept them, he said. "From now on, we will force them to go back to where they came from. Thailand will not welcome refugees from neighbouring countries anymore, otherwise we have to shelter them and look after them forever," he said. There were a number of refugees from Laos and Burma awaiting resettlement in third countries, Winai said. Nearly 30 years after the communist victory in Laos, Thailand still shelters 37 Hmong refugees in Nakhon Phanom. The refugees have refused to settle in a third country or return home. Exiled Burmese students who fled the military crackdown in 1988 still remain in Thailand, living refugee camps in Ratchaburi. The United States had offered to take the Burmese, but the process was taking a long time, Winai said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Nation
REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE: Asean
needs to be a more activist grouping
KAVI CHONGKITTAVORN Published on Dec 30, 2002 Asean should be more activist and more responsive to crises that occur in the region and break down barriers to economic cooperation and higher levels of competitiveness. That was how outgoing Asean secretary-general Rodolfo Severino responded when asked what he would like to see Asean doing. After five years at the helm of the grouping, he reiterated that Asean needed to be proactive and forward-looking to respond to a rapidly changing world and stay on top of the game. Severino took up the job when Asean was hardest hit by the economic crisis of 1997 and its reputation and economic performance had sunk to its lowest ebb. Countries that were used to the economic dynamism of Asean began to turn their faces away. In response, Severino worked incessantly to ensure that the grouping was not abandoned to oblivion. His was not an easy job. Asean has more than 520 million people with a rich tapestry of cultures and religions. Each member has a mind of its own. Expansion of Asean has not made things easier. If one member does not agree with him, his efforts get nowhere. In speech after speech, he sent out the same massage that Asean was here to stay. Given its solid framework of cooperation and peaceful relations among its members, the grouping will not disappear, he said: Asean might be down but not out. But intermittently he would urge Asean members to take more decisions to accelerate integration. In his recent speech at Harvard University, Severino was blunt, saying that closer regional integration would require stronger regional institutions with greater authority than the Asean Secretariat is currently allowed to wield. He added that Asean needed more-binding economic agreements, the standardisation of products and of safety and environmental requirements, the coordination of national policies, the authority to ensure compliance with such agreements and measures and the power to adjudicate disputes. "This would mean voluntarily ceding a measure of sovereignty for regional purposes," he said. If barriers are coming down quickly in Asean, this could serve as an incentive for more harmonisation of standards, which is not restricted to customs or economic matters. He said it could include other non-economic issues in the future. Most of all, it will make Asean more competitive vis-a-vis other economies, especially given the rapid rise of continent-sized economies like China and India. To do that, Severino reiterated that Asean would need bolder political decisions. The grouping must strengthen its protection of intellectual property and bring down the level of official and corporate corruption. Each member has to improve on areas related to the rule of law and other aspects of good governance. In addition, Asean has to take common positions if the grouping wants to become a player in time of crisis. Those who are familiar with Asean will immediately realise that Asean will take common positions on issues that do not affect it directly, such as the situation in Bosnia or the Middle East. But this hands-off pattern began to change following the September 11 attack, when Asean adopted a series of counter-terrorism measures. When asked to rate his performance, Severino smiled, saying that the work of Asean did not depend one person, for there were support staff and national secretariats in member countries. When it comes down to it, he said with a smile, they make all the decisions. The veteran diplomat is the second secretary-general since the restructuring in 1992 to make the organisation more efficient and give the secretary-general a higher profile. So, what are the things he wishes Asean can do? Severino wished that Asean could cooperate much more actively in environmental issues, HIV/Aids and other communicable diseases, trafficking in drugs and people and similar transnational crimes. He wished to see cooperation between Asean and regional civil-society organisations. He believes that such cooperation is necessary for the sake of strengthening the foundations for regionalism and cultivating the mutual trust necessary for further economic integration. After he leaves Asean this mid-week, Severino will be attached to the Manila-based Asian Institute of Management as associate professor to help the institute's programme on regionalisation and globalisation. He will spend the first six months of this coming year in Phnom Penh to help Cambodia prepare for the upcoming Asean ministerial meeting. As chair, Cambodia will host a series of meetings including the Asean Regional Forum and the Post-Ministerial Meeting. Throughout his tenure, he talked and wrote candidly about the grouping. At times, his remarks could be controversial but were always sincere. He is always accessible and friendly to the press. Severino would like to use the experience he gained from Asean to help the new members - Laos, Burma, Vietnam and Cambodia - to integrate further with the grouping. He said his new job would allow him to work closely with all aspects of these societies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |