[burmanet2-l] Burma Related News - Jan 24, 2003.

["TIN KYI" <maungtinkyi@xxxxxxxxx>]

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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 iin 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. “Six Burmese
soldiers died in the fighting and two were reportedly injured,” 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, “in case any intruders violate Thai
Territory” and try to deter further shelling. � Agencies

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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 Association痴 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 Myanmar痴 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 -
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