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BURMA RELATED NEWS
- January 24, 2003.
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HEADLINES
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Reuters - Myanmar army overruns Karen
rebel camps, 15 dead
Reuters - Myanmar to join ASEAN-EU
meeting in Brussels
AP - Britain criticizes Myanmar's
treatment of Suu Kyi
AP - ASEAN tourism ministers meet to
promote region as a safe destination
AP - Karen rebels abandon outpost
attacked by Myanmar government troops
AFP - Myanmar to attend high-level
talks in Europe despite sanctions
The Daily Star - OEL announces feeder
service between Myanmar, Bangladesh, India
Bkk Post - NGOs urge humane handling
of exiles
Bkk Post - Shan army
denies ambushing junta troops
Bkk Post - Ranong port plans are all
at sea
BBC - Burma invites Amnesty to
visit
Asian Tribune - Karen - Burmese
Border Clash: 600 Tak villagers flee mortar shelling - 6 Burmese Soldiers
killed.
Asian Tribune - Myanmar to host
2004 Fourth World Buddhist Summit in accord with Theravada
traditions
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar army overruns Karen
rebel camps, 15 dead
MAE SOT, Thailand, Jan. 24 (Reuters) Myanmar troops seized two bases from ethnic minority Karen rebels near the Thai border on Friday in fighting that killed 15 and forced 700 villagers into Thailand, Thai army sources said. About 400 Myanmar soldiers overran two camps of the Karen National Union rebel group, which has been battling Yangon for more than half a century in pursuit of autonomy for the Karen people, in a dawn raid opposite the Thai town of Phop Phra, some 450 km (280 miles) northwest of Bangkok. Thai army intelligence sources said several hundred Karen troops abandoned the posts after the assault by government forces, who were backed by heavy artillery. Five KNU soldiers were killed while at least 10 soldiers were killed on the government side, they said. The attack marks the start of the annual dry-season offensive by Yangon on ethnic minority rebels along the border with Thailand. Thai soldiers said some 700 Karen villagers sought refuge on the Thai side of the border during the fighting. They are living in make-shift camps and will be sent home as soon as the situation is judged safe. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar to join ASEAN-EU
meeting in Brussels
MANILA, Jan. 24 (Reuters) - The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) said on Friday Myanmar will join a two-day meeting with the European Union in Brussels next week. The EU has been refusing to issue visas for Myanmar officials because of the country's poor human rights record. This year, the EU has eased pressure on Myanmar, allowing its participation in Belgium, the ASEAN Secretariat said. ''In Brussels, both sides will be giving their views. Myanmar will be expressing its considerations and concerns, and so will the EU,'' ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong said in a media release issued from Jakarta and emailed to Manila. ''We cannot expect everything to be resolved overnight. But if we make an effort to hear each other out, then hopefully, we'll have a chance to make some progress and we should be leaving Brussels in a better position than when we first started out.'' An official from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila told Reuters Myanmar's delegation would be headed by a senior official and not the foreign minister. Myanmar joined ASEAN in 1997. The previous ASEAN-EU ministerial meeting that had been scheduled in Europe was instead held in Laos in 2000, the ASEAN Secretariat said. The meeting of ASEAN and EU foreign ministers from Monday would discuss ways to step up cooperation in anti-terrorism and boost trade, it said. ASEAN also groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Britain criticizes Myanmar's
treatment of Suu Kyi
Thu Jan 23, 5:39 PM ET LONDON - (AP) A British official talked with opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar on Thursday, and criticized the country's military government for limiting her freedom to operate freely. The telephone conversation between Foreign Office Minister Mike O'Brien and Suu Kyi, their third in two months, was much shorter than normal because of constant interference and the cutting of the phone line, a Foreign Office spokesman said. It is not clear what caused the problems, but the ministry noted there have been reports of deliberate interference with her phone. Suu Kyi told O'Brien her National League for Democracy wants to work with citizens and the authorities for the sake of Myanmar, a country also known as Burma. She said urgent progress was needed and that the NLD did not want confrontation but it could result from continued harassment by authorities, the spokesman said. O'Brien told Suu Kyi that Britain was very concerned about the increasing restrictions being placed on her freedom to travel and operate freely, and that the disruptions of her recent meetings in Rakhine state were "symptomatic of the attitude of the Burmese regime," the spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity. Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department criticized what it called harassment of Suu Kyi by government-affiliated groups in Myanmar. Before the telephone link broke down, O'Brien said that if the limited political progress achieved to date in Myanmar was further eroded, Britain would be forced to consider tightening its policies toward the regime. The impoverished Southeast Asian country has been under military rule since 1962. The military held a general election in 1990, but refused to honor the results when Suu Kyi's NLD party won a landslide victory. The two sides have been holding reconciliation talks since late 2000, but no real progress has been made. European Union restrictions on Myanmar include an arms embargo; a ban on high-level visits, defense links and visas; and an asset freeze on senior regime and military members. The European Commission suspended Myanmar's trading privileges because of forced labor there. Britain also does not encourage trade, investment or tourism with Myanmar. -------------------------------------------------------------------- ASEAN tourism ministers meet
to promote region as a safe destination
Thu Jan 23, 9:56 PM ET PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Southeast Asian tourism ministers kicked off a four-day conference Friday aimed at drawing up plans to promote the region as a safe tourism destination. Regional tourism has taken a hit since October's terrorist attacks on the Indonesian island of Bali that killed nearly 200 people. In the attacks' aftermath, foreign governments, including the United States, Britain and Australia, issued travel advisories to the dismay of Southeast Asian nations who rely heavily on tourism revenues. Hoping to counteract negative foreign assessments, the ministers said they plan "to create a web site on tourism safety and security to provide precise and timely information for travelers, public, media as well as foreign governments in response to travelers' concern on safety and security." The plan was in a draft joint statement obtained by the Associated Press before its scheduled release later Friday, Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were participating in the conference. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. The ministers were scheduled to hold talks later Friday with counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Karen rebels abandon outpost
attacked by Myanmar government troops
Fri Jan 24, 6:59 PM ET YA PHAW, Thailand (AP) _ Ethnic Karen guerrillas besieged by Myanmar government troops abandoned their outpost near the Thai border on Friday without any casualties, an officer said. The post near Lay Khaw village belonging to the Karen National Union was attacked by Myanmar government forces Thursday morning. The fighting caused about 400 civilians to flee across the border into the Thai village of Ya Phaw for safety. A Karen officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the guerrilla group could not counterattack without risking a chance of the combat spilling over onto Thai soil, and so decided to withdraw its approximately 100 men from their position. The refugees who fled to Ya Phaw, 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of Bangkok, were under the protection of Thai soldiers at a Buddhist monastery there. ``If situation becomes normal, we will send all villagers back home, but we must wait and see for awhile,'' said Ya Phaw village headman Phadung. Thai residents of Ya Phaw were moved out of the area Thursday for their safety after several stray artillery shells fired by Myanmar government forces landed there. No casualties were reported among either Karen guerrillas or Thai villagers, and no information was available about the Myanmar government forces, believed to number several hundred. However, a 19-year-old Lay Khaw villager suffered leg injuries when he stepped on a land mine while crossing the creek separating Myanmar and Thailand. The Karen have been struggling for autonomy from the central government since Myanmar _ then called Burma _ gained independence in 1948. Myanmar's current military government has signed cease-fire agreements with more than a dozen other ethnic groups since 1988, but the Karen continue to fight. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Myanmar to attend high-level
talks in Europe despite sanctions
MANILA, Jan 24 (AFP) - Myanmar will for the first time be allowed to participate in an ASEAN-EU foreign ministers meeting in Europe next week despite sanctions imposed on the military-ruled state, ASEAN officials said Friday. "This is a big breakthrough," an official told AFP ahead of the two-day meeting from Monday between the 10 foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the 15-member European Union (EU). The EU has refused to hold high-level talks in Europe with ASEAN ever since Myanmar was admitted into ASEAN in 1997 due to that country's human rights record. The EU, together with the United States, has imposed sanctions on Myanmar in a bid to press the junta to initiate reform. They include an arms embargo and a travel ban on members of the Myanmar junta. A Western diplomat said the travel ban and other sanctions were still in place but an "exception" would be made for Myanmar's Foreign Minister Win Aung to travel to the Belgian capital for the talks. "In preparatory talks, I was informed the minister will be given a visa but there is no question of sanctions being withdrawn," he told AFP. This is the first time Myanmar will take part in such a high-level meeting in Europe since its admission into ASEAN, officials said, adding that it could mark a "new era" of ties between the two regions. "Having Myanmar together with the ASEAN ministers at the AEMM (ASEAN-EU Ministerial Meeting) in Brussels offers a good opportunity for Myanmar and EU to better understand each other's concerns," ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong told AFP. "I hope that this opportunity will not be missed," said Ong, who took over the helm at the Jakarta-based ASEAN secretariat on January 1. "The important thing is that we do not talk over each of our heads, but engage each other purposefully, sensitively and also specifically," he explained. Myanmar's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi's release in May from 19 months of house arrest as well as the subsequent release of more than 300 political prisoners had raised hopes of political reforms in the military-ruled state But EU officials had said recently that the release of political prisoners alone was not enough to lift the sanctions. Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won an overwhelming election victory in 1990 but the junta has never recognised the result. Aside from Myanmar, ASEAN comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Officials also said that terrorism would be a key topic at the ASEAN-EU foreign ministers meeting, with a joint statement on fighting the scourge expected to be adopted at the end of the talks. The ministers would also discuss steps to boost trade and economic cooperation, they said, noting that Europe was a key market for ASEAN exports -- the driver of economic growth in the region. Asked what would be the benefit of Myanmar's participation at the Brussels meeting, Ong said: "Everybody wishes to get something out of this dialogue, but we have to be realistic. "There is already a certain set of developments in Myanmar and it is important not to waste this opportunity. "It is important to listen to each other and perhaps from that process, we find that there is a common ground," he said. On whether Myanmar's participation would instead be a stumbling block to better ASEAN-EU relations, Ong said: "No, I think that it's good that we talk and explain. "Many of these impressions of something happening in Myanmar are based on certain information, so now you have the Myanmar minister there and European ministers there, let's have an adult exchange of views. "If we approach it with a desire to know more about the situation in reality, I think it's a step forward. To sit down and talk is better than not having a conversation at all." -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Daily Star - Fri.
January 24, 2003
OEL announces feeder service between Myanmar, Bangladesh, India Oriental Express Lines (OEL) has announced the commencement of a regular feeder service between India, Bangladesh and Myanmar with effect from yesterday in Bangladesh, says a press release. The service is known as IBM Service. OEL, one of the most aggressive feeder operators, has taken the lead in exploring this new route and starting such a service for the first time. Further, the regular service would also facilitate evacuation of empties from Chittagong Yangon into India. Additional tonnage would be deployed soon by OEL to enhance frequency and to cater to customer needs. Peninsular Services Limited is the exclusive of Agent of OEL in Bangladesh. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - Friday
24 January 2003
NGOs urge humane handling of exiles Expulsions splitting parents, children Achara Ashayagachat The government should respect international norms in sheltering peaceful dissidents from neighbouring countries, NGOs said yesterday. Humanitarian principles should be placed before business interests, they said. They called for the cancellation of the planned deportation of seven Burmese activists from Kanchanaburi, arguing it would needlessly split parents from their children. Somchai Homla-or, secretary-general of the Asian Forum on Human Rights and Development, said several thousand Burmese students had been allowed to shelter in Thailand for the last decade. On-going moves to deport them were simply an attempt by the state to please the junta in Rangoon. Thai-Burmese relations were improving, but this should not be at the cost of human rights and human dignity, Mr Somchai said. It was an international practice that displaced people should not be repatriated against their will to face possible arrest or threat to their life. This principle should be respected by the Thaksin government. The policy of not allowing anyone to use Thai soil to act against neighbouring regimes should also be more clearly defined. ``The dissidents should be allowed to conduct non-violent activities and disseminate pro-democracy information to the public. ``Former Thai activists have been given shelter in foreign countries and support for their fight against injustice,'' Mr Somchai said. He warned Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to place the public interest before business interests in dealing with Burma. Mr Thaksin is due to visit Rangoon on Feb 9-10. The government plans to deport seven Burmese dissidents. Four of them were convicted by Thong Pha Phum provincial court on Tuesday for illegal entry and overstaying. Police, acting in concert with the army's Division 9 and Infantry Task Force 19, recently closed down 10 anti-Rangoon ethnic group offices in Sangkhla Buri district in Kanchanaburi. The latest round of arrests included representatives of the Democratic Party for a New Society, the National League for Democracy-Liberated Area, the All Burma Students' Democratic Front, Dawei Women's Union and Myeik-Dawei United Front. ``These Burmese dissidents fled into Thailand in 1988 through Mae Sot in Tak province and have been living in Sangkhla for 6-7 years with children of their own,'' a lawyer activist said. The wife of one of the soon-to-be-deported was a Karen with a green-red highlander card who could not be deported since she had a kind of Thai citizenship status. She was sentenced for 48 days imprisonment for sheltering illegal immigrants, who in fact were her husband and his friends. ``It's against humanitarian principles for authorities to deport these people. It means splitting them from their families and their children,'' he said. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - Friday
24 January 2003
Shan army denies ambushing junta troops Subin Khuenkaew The Shan State Army denies its troops killed two Burmese soldiers and wounded five others in an ambush on Jan 17. Lt-Col Kon Juen, commander of the SSA's Kengtung military region, said his men had nothing to do with it. ``Rangoon should know who was actually responsible. At present Burmese troops are having a problem with Wa soldiers along the border opposite Laos,'' he said. Burma said yesterday that six soldiers from the SSA, dressed in the uniforms of the rival United Wa State Army, attacked soldiers from the Burmese army's 227th Battalion on Jan 17 in the eastern Shan State near the Thai border. After the attack the men fled into Thailand pursued by real UWSA troops. A Thai military source said the ambush took place while Burmese soldiers were patrolling near the Yongkha development project area opposite Mae Fa Luang district. Lt-Col Kon Juen also denied the Shan troops had been wearing UWSA uniforms. ``It is not necessary for SSA troops to put on UWSA uniforms. We have our own uniforms to wear,'' he said. More than seven battalions of Burmese soldiers had laid siege to Wa-controlled areas since the start of the year. They had been deployed from the mouth of Yong river about 50km north of Tachilek down to the mouth of Kai river. Burma had allowed the UWSA to set up villages in this area, where at least two Wa battalions and drug production plants were based. Tensions were rising here because Burma had confined Wa troops to the area. Wa soldiers had probably launched the ambush because of the blockade, said the SSA officer. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bangkok Post - Friday
24 January 2003
Ranong port plans are all at sea The boats come and go but they are laden with excited punters, not containers bound for foreign markets or bringing goods here to Thailand. The high hopes held for the newish port in the western coastal province of Ranong have been dashed. SARITDET MARUKATAT and AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK It's not containers and bulk cargo being loaded on to the vessels departing regularly from the port in Ranong. It's all punters with their passages booked for the casino just across the way on the Burmese island of Ko Son. And the Transport Ministry is now trying to do something about this sorry state of affairs. The port was built with the idea of pumping some life into the stagnating local economy, where most of the income was supplied by the fishery industry up until Burma declared its waters off limits to Thai trawlers. The Andaman seaside province is an ideal spot as an export base for products bound for markets in Burma, South Asia, the Middle East and even Europe. It was hoped the port would be just the incentive investors need to put up factories and warehouses in the province and nearby areas. The port falls under the National Economic and Social Development Board blueprint for the western areas of Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon and Ranong. These three provinces are rare inclusions on local and foreign investors' lists of locations for potential developments. But the NESDB believes the port in Ranong could prove important to long-term developments based on the Andaman. But there has not been the anticipated increase in transport and planning after the injection of almost 207 million baht and the port's opening in 1997. Port authorities are not rushed off their feet with the comings and goings of freight-laden vessels. In fact, the only boats regularly calling at the port are those carrying Thai punters to and from the casino on the nearby Burmese resort island of Ko Son. ``It is used for transporting gamblers,'' admitted a ministry official responsible for the project. ``That's clearly not in line with government policy. It was built as a multi-purpose port for tourism, trade and fisheries to stimulate the local economy.'' The project might not only be a waste of money, researchers and surveyors invested four years of their time selecting the site from a choice of three different locations, carrying out environment assessments and other studies into the port's impact, and all the other necessary works. The harbour they selected was thought to satisfy shipping lines' needs. A mountain on Thai soil and the Burmese topography help block the wind blowing across the harbour. Deep sea lanes are within reach able to serve ships with a capacity of up to 500 gross tonnes. Yet ships are bypassing the province because of the poor accompanying infrastructure. Everything needs improvement, from telephone services to electricity, running water and cranes. Even the access road is too steep for trucks to go in and out. Deputy Transport Minister Pichet Sathirachawal made a visit to the area two weeks ago to see the problems for himself and came back with even bigger aspirations. He wants to expand the capacity of the port 10-fold and make it so the port can serve ships of up to 8,000 gross tonnes. Mr Pichet's sudden interest in the port follows a visit by the prime minister to Bangladesh last July. Thaksin Shinawatra returned home with a keen interest to foster ties with Dhaka and other South Asian nations. The port at Ranong would be an ideal link between Thailand and Chittagong in Bangladesh as well as Tavoy and Maloumein of Burma. What is needed though is freight flowing through the port from nearby factories. More effort is required to convince exporters and importers to at least consider this area as an alternative to Laem Chabang port in Chon Buri and Klong Toey in Bangkok. ``There is no question about its potential,'' Mukda Ngamtaow, deputy chief of the Foreign Trade Office responsible for the southern region, said. It would serve exports from Thailand to markets to the west. ``Europe is more competitive and the country needs to penetrate new markets in South Asia. The port could serve this policy,'' Ms Mukda said. The Ranong port is not the only mistake on the books of the Transport Ministry. Another is the port in Songkhla, which is also on Mr Pichet's visit agenda. It was built to serve industries in the lower southern region and as part of a landbridge project linking Penang port in Malaysia under the Growth Triangle scheme, which drew together Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The landbridge proposal has since been scrapped _ if not officially at least in the eyes of business operators in Songkhla, who cast doubt on the project right from the outset. But the real problem is the port's location. The access sea lanes are too shallow and so deter ships from berthing. Shippers do not see it as commercially viable as long as ships call at the port laden with full containers and leave with them empty. ``That makes it costly if they want to use Songkhla,'' Boonchuay Changsirivathanathamrong, counsellor to the Songkhla Chamber of Commerce, said recently. The Songkhla port is a casualty of the failure to make the province an industrial centre. The port was supposed to serve exports from an industrial estate at Chalung in Hat Yai set up to welcome investors relocating from Penang because of the lower labour costs. But authorities are struggling to fill the estate as a result of infrastructure and land title disputes. Mr Pichet has said he would find a solution to the Songkhla port. But what he has to realise is that even the best, most modern port will remain idle while there is no supporting economic activity. -------------------------------------------------------------------- BBC - Friday, 24
January, 2003, 13:46 GMT
Burma invites Amnesty to visit By Larry Jagan BBC Burma analyst Human rights group Amnesty International has been invited to Burma to see current developments, according to Burmese government officials. Two Amnesty investigators will spend 10 days in Burma, meeting government officials and representatives of other relevant organisations. They are also expected to meet the leader of the opposition, Aung San Suu Kyi, and representatives of many of the country's ethnic groups. This is the first time the UK-based human rights organisation has been allowed into the country. Amnesty is wary of making public any of the details of the trip for fear it might jeopardise the success of the mission. For the Burmese military government, it is a major publicity coup. Amnesty International has been one of the staunchest critics of the military regime's human rights abuses ever since the army seized power more than 14 years ago. The Generals are hoping that by inviting Amnesty, they can convince the international community that they are serious about improving their human rights record and introducing democratic reform. Short visit But it will take more than a single mission to do that. Nevertheless, Rangoon's invitation to Amnesty is a significant gesture on the part of Burma's military rulers. Over the past few years bodies like the International Red Cross, the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Human Rights Commission have all engaged the regime on issues related to human rights. As a result some progress has indeed been made. But the Amnesty team cannot expect to achieve much on such a short visit, other than familiarise themselves with the situation first-hand and introduce themselves to key members of the government. Many democracy activists outside the country fear that Amnesty is being used to help deflect criticism of Burma's lack of progress on human rights at the annual UN hearings on human rights that begin in Geneva in a few months time. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Asian Tribune
Date : 2003-01-24 Karen - Burmese Border Clash: 600 Tak villagers flee mortar shelling - 6 Burmese Soldiers killed. Mae Sot, Jan. 24: ? At least six soldiers were killed yesterday in a clashes with ethnic Karen rebels as 1,000 villagers in Burma and Thailand fled the fighting and shelling, Thai military sources and eye witnesses revealed. An estimated 2,000 Burmese soldiers engaged in prolong firefight with 120 militants of the Karen National Union (KNU) from 9 am near a KNU base opposite Tak province, witnesses in Phop Phra district said. â??Six Burmese soldiers died in the fighting and two were reportedly injured,â?? a security sources attached to a Thai army border task force said. There were no reports of any KNU causalities he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Thai villagers reported hearing heavy automatic weapons and artillery fire for several hours along the border. Two villages in Phop Phra were bombarded by seven mortars launched during the battle, causing only minor damages to three homes but forced the evacuation of some 600 Thais into local government buildings. Schools near the border was also closed for the day, Thai military sources said. About 500 Karen villagers also fled across the border from Burma, witnesses said. Major Pongska Ma-In, in charge of the border area in Phop Phra, said the army was closely guarding the frontier, â??in case any intruders violate Thai Territoryâ?? and try to deter further shelling. ? Agencies -------------------------------------------------------------------- Asian Tribune
Date : 2003-01-24 Myanmar to host 2004 Fourth World Buddhist Summit in accord with Theravada traditions Yangon,Jan. 22: - Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council General Khin Nyunt took part in the discussions to host the Fourth World Buddhist Summit in Myanmar at International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University here this afternoon. He said the First World Buddhist Summit was held in Japan in 1998; the Second in Thailand in 2000; and the Third in Cambodia in 2002. Myanmar has agreed to the Japanese Buddhist Associationç?´ proposal to host the Fourth World Buddhist Summit in 2004. As Myanmar is a pure Theravada Buddhist country, it will host the Summit in accord with the traditions of the Theravada Buddhism. Collective efforts are required to hold discussions, which are solely centred on religious issues based on Theravada Buddhism in line with the aims of the Summit. The task to form the required committees and subcommittees and assignment of duties will have to be systematically carried out, programmes will have to be drawn, and cooperation will have to be made with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and other related ministries to hold the Summit on a grand scale in accord with the aims. Discussions should be centred on seeking means to host the Summit in conformity with the basic principles of the Theravada Buddhism, based on the previous conferences Myanmar had held. Minister for Religious Affairs U Aung Khin discussed matters relating to previous World Buddhist Summits and Myanmarç?´ participation at the meetings, and hosting of the Fourth Summit in Myanmar. Director-General of Religious Affairs Department Dr Myo Myint reported to the meeting on the aims of the Summit, formation of a body of Ovadacariya Sayadaws for the Summit, and other bodies including the leading committee, the working committee and the subcommittees, and work programmes, followed by a general round of discussions. Pro-Rector of the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University Dr Hla Pe recounted experiences at the Third Summit in Cambodia. General Khin Nyunt attended to the needs, and also gave suggestions on production of the Summit souvenirs. Also present were Yangon Division Peace and Development Council Chairman Commander Maj-Gen Myint Swe, ministers, deputy ministers, the Vice-Mayor, officials of the State Peace and Development Council Office and heads of department. - The New Light of Myanmar - -------------------------------------------------------------------- |