--------------------------------------------------------------------
Bangkok Post - Wednesday 26 February
2003
BURMA ECONOMY - Traders worried as banks impose limit
Withdrawals cut to 100,000 kyat a week
Supamart
Kasem
Local entrepreneurs met last night to discuss the
impact on crossborder trade after five Burmese commercial banks put restrictions
on money withdrawals.
Banpot Korkiatcharoen, deputy chairman of
Tak's Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber would call a meeting of crossborder
traders in Tak on Tuesday night to survey effects from five Burmese banks' new
limit for customers to withdraw no more than 100,000 kyat instead of 500,000
kyat per person per week.
The change led to a 30%-40% decline in
trade along the border of Tak and worse in Ranong in the past week since most
crossborder traders paid and accepted only cash, he
added.
According to him, the measure took effect mid-February after
many people flocked to withdraw money from banks amid rumours that the banks'
major debtors, especially auto and property business operators, turned
bankrupt.
Crossborder trade was also badly affected by low currency
exchange rates which were between 3.8-4 satang per kyat.
However,
Mr Banpot believed Burmese authorities would be able to put the situation under
control soon.
Panithi Tangphati, a local businessman, agreed with
Mr Banpot, saying it was not beyond Rangoon's ability to solve the problem as
the five banks' reserve cash totalled only about 300 billion kyat. However,
several Burmese merchants who came to buy goods in Tak's Mae Sot district said
Burma's economic problems would intensify due to low money circulation if cash
withdrawal limits continued for a long time.
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Bangkok Post - Wednesday 26 February 2003
14
accused of B1m extortion
Burmese victims had very high
connection
Fourteen local officials stand accused
of extorting more than one million baht from three Burmese men, one of whom is
said to be a friend of Burmese army chief Gen Maung Aye's son.
The
three Burmese crossed the border at the Mae Sai checkpoint about five days ago
and went to Ban Ko Sai, a source said.
They were initially
suspected of trafficking in methamphetamines and detained at the border patrol
police headquarters in Mae Sai.
They were searched. No drugs were
found and they were freed.
The Burmese proceeded to an adjoining
area of Chiang Saen and Mae Sai district. They were followed by a group of 14
officials _ five Mae Sai district policemen, six border patrol policemen, an
immigration police officer, a tourist police officer and a customs official _
and re-arrested. This time 200 speed pills were allegedly found on
them.
The 14 allegedly demanded six million baht from the three
Burmese in return for their freedom.
Two were released to fetch
the money from Tachilek. After negotiations, the Thais allegedly agreed to take
one million baht, and freed the third man after taking 60,000 baht and a gold
necklace off him.
The source said one of the three men happened to
be a friend of a son of Gen Maung Aye.
The Thai embassy in Rangoon
took up the case with the 14 officials' commanders, the source
said.
An arrangement was subsequently made for the return of the
money and necklace.
The six border patrol policemen had already
been transferred out of Mae Sai, the source said.
Chiang Rai police
chief Pol Maj-Gen Wut Vithitanont said an inquiry was underway.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Nation
Waiting for the next step
Published on Feb 26, 2003
Maneeloy Village had
long had its name overshadowed by a refugee centre of the same name, which is
now vacant following the evacuation of Burmese exiles to a new camp
elsewhere.
After the official closing of Maneeloy Holding Centre in
December 2001, Maneeloy villagers have been grappling with what is
left.
"We now want the government to create activities at the
deserted centre for the benefit of villagers here," said La Sukwong, headman of
Maneeloy village.
Ratchaburi Governor Komes Daengthongdee also felt
it was time that Maneeloy villagers were well taken care of.
"The
local people's area had been used during a time when serious diseases like Aids
and leprosy flooded in. So, now it is the turn of relevant agencies to take care
of Maneeloy villagers," he said. Burmese exiles had stayed at the refugee camp
since December 1992.
The provincial governor also promised to
listen to local people's opinions when it came to projects being launched in
Maneeloy.
Komes said one of his main ideas is to turn the former
refugee camp into a vocational training centre and he has already received a
welcome response from the Labour Skills Development
Department.
"The department has agreed to station its officials
here," he added.
But as the former Maneeloy Holding Centre covered
around 200 rai, Komes believed he would need to invite more government agencies.
He targeted those in areas of agriculture, industry and
commerce.
"We are contacting more agencies," he
added.
Aside from these measures, Komes revealed that his
provincial government would ask for assistance from the United Nations High
Refugee Commissioner as well because it had made use of the area for a long time
and thus should take part in rehabilitating it.
"We need helps in
turning the former holding centre into a centre for the benefit of local
people," he said.
Boonma Bua-khao, a 43-year-old defence volunteer
who was assigned to take charge of the now deserted Maneeloy Holding Centre,
threw his support behind a plan to get government units into the vast
area.
"It will be really good because only three volunteers are now
taking turns patrolling the place and it's impossible for us to keep an eye on
this whole vast area," he said.
He revealed that some villagers
broke into the centre and damaged the properties. "It's a great shame," Boonma
said.
Maneeloy Village Headman La Sukwong, 53, said peace and
security in life as well as property had returned now that the Burmese exiles
have moved out. Yet the villagers were still hoping for more. They wanted
"secure jobs".
"If the government can help the local people, it
will be good," he said.
La said local people here went through
years of quarrelling with Burmese exiles at the Maneeloy Centre. Moreover, they
had objected to the government's plan to set up the holding centre
here.
"There were different opinions and quarrels arose," La said.
"There were good exiles but some others didn't seem to respect Thai laws at all
and stolen villagers' belongings."
La urged the government to spend
a development budget in his village now. "Please give us something good," he
added.
Wittaya Noonpakdee, a 50-year-old storeowner whose location
was right in front of the Maneeloy Holding Centre, said his business shrank
following the closing of the centre because there were now fewer people in the
village.
"I once had six shop-houses for my business but now I
needed only two," he complained.
Asked what he wanted, Wittaya said
he hoped that the government could boost local villagers'
incomes.
Lamyong Damwan, a food vendor, said it was so lonely after
the Maneeloy Holding Centre had closed down because not only Burmese but also a
large number of officials had disappeared.
"There used to be a lot
of people all around but there's no more," she said but she quickly added that
many problems and violent incidents had also disappeared.
Anan
Paengnoy
THE
NATION
----------------------------------------
Gifts
of liquor and cigarettes open the gates for refugees
There is no
denying the existence of illegal migrant workers in different sectors of the
Thai economy. Many sneaked onto Thai soil through border routes; others are from
shelters for displaced persons along the frontier.
Although it is
debatable whether people displaced from their native land should be deprived
from taking up employment in order to make ends meet, Thai law does not allow
residents of such shelters to work as paid workers in this country.
The story of ethnic people living in the Baan Tham Hin Camp for
Displaced Persons in Ratchaburi's Suan Phung district, therefore, involves
escape, bribery, corruption, and abuse of authority.
Baan Tham Hin
Camp accommodates about 8,000 displaced Burmese. Some have been relocated from
Maneeloy Holding Centre, the shelter for Burmese student asylum seekers that has
been closed down.
The camp is located in the middle of a mountain
valley, 18 kilometres away from the nearest main road. The facility is equipped
with all public utilities, an English school, and sport grounds. Inside, the
camp space was divided into small hamlets according to residents'
ethnicity.
The general public is not allowed to enter the camp.
Individuals who want to make a visit must seek permission from the Suan Phung
district government. Those who want to visit the centre as a group must seek
permission from either the Ratchaburi governor or the interior
minister.
The camp's security measures seem to be strict. But in
reality, as The Nation found out in its field investigation, several residents
of the centre sneak in and out of the facility on a daily basis to take up
various kinds of employment in Ratchaburi, Bangkok and other major cities. These
escapes, more importantly, have been witnessed and facilitated by certain
officials in the camp.
Those running away were persuaded to do so
by friends or relatives who had sneaked out earlier. Usually, they ran away as a
group of between 10 and 20 people at a time.
The escape route
regularly used by the camp's residents is said to be on the southwest side. The
paths are quite rough. The escapees have to spend about two hours walking down a
stream and cutting through a jungle to reach a paved road. Then they will head
to a nearby eggplant farm or a fruit orchard that is set to be the point where
their "employment agents" come to pick them up.
The camp's
residents that sneak in and out on a daily basis are those who work in
Ratchaburi. They leave in the morning and return at night. To convince the
camp's officials to turn a blind eye, they will buy the camp staff a bottle of
liquor and a pack of cigarettes every week.
Many of the escapees,
however, do not return to the camp often as they have been working in other
provinces. Some have even managed to obtain work permits from the Labour
Ministry.
Thap, a 26-year-old Karen, a former camp resident who now
has a work permit, said it was very easy to sneak back into the camp. Thap said
to return to the camp, he drove a motorcycle from Suan Phung district and parked
it at the eggplant plantation. The plantation owner charged him a fee of Bt20.
He then walked through the same escape route back to the camp.
"In
fact, people who don't want to walk through the escape route can just tell the
camp's officials that they knew somebody inside and want to visit that person,"
he said. "Officials will ask you how many hours you want to spend in the camp.
They will ask for your ID and keep it while you are inside. Then, when you are
leaving the camp, you are supposed to give them some gift before getting your ID
back."
Thap said the usual gift was a bottle of liquor. With such a
gift, a visitor did not need a permission document from Suan Phung district
office, he said.
A local government source said more than 1,000
residents of the camp have run away to work in other areas. Most young people
who ran away work as housemaids and unskilled workers in food shops and
factories.
Some staff-members of the camp have also abused their
authority and exploited the situation, said the source. Sometimes residents
sneak out to pick up wild produce from the forest, but when they return, certain
officials would just seize the food and sell it to restaurants
downtown.
Some officials had even allegedly sexually harassed the
escapees, said the source.
High level officials are well aware of
this situation at Baan Tham Hin. In the middle of January, General Winai
Phatriyakul, secretary general of the National Security Council, visited the
camp and ordered the camp staff and relevant officials to revamp their
operations.
Komet Daengthongdee, Ratchaburi governor, expressed his
concern about the effect of Baan Tham Him Camp on local
residents.
"The UNHCR [the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees] has encouraged us to expand the camp to accommodate more [displaced]
people. The question is about the province's capacity to manage the camp and its
related problems," said the governor.
Anan
Paengnoy
THE
NATION
----------------------------------------
Guns
and orchids
For years the rugged border with Burma has been a wild
and dangerous place. Being especially long and porous, it has allowed groups -
deadly and otherwise - to cross freely.
But there are always ways
to turn a disadvantage into an advantage, and this is precisely what Ratchaburi
Governor Komes Daengthongdee has done. Today, the province is host to adventure
and eco tourists wanting to experience one of the world's wildest
regions.
"Let's create a tourist attraction on borderline," Komes
said one day while contemplating ways to improve the western
province.
The Ratchaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation
sprang into action and set about improving the old cart road leading to Chong
Krachom, which was once considered an important strategic location for border
control.
"Adventurous travellers should love this site," Suan Phung
District Chief Atthanont Bosuwan said.
At over 1,000 metres above
sea level, the site promises a panoramic view and cool weather. One of the most
exhilarating experiences is to camp on border patrol police grounds overlooking
Burma and gaze down on the deserted base of God's Army, the extraordinary
mishmash of kids and students who faced down the Burmese military and then lead
deadly raids into Thailand.
"The scenery is particularly beautiful
at sunset," Atthanont said.
He said all travellers wanting to visit
the site must first contact either Suan Phung district office or Border Police
Unit 137 before entering the area, which is under the close supervision of the
border police.
"After that, you will be accompanied by border
police officers," he added.
From Baan Huay Nam Sai, border police
officers will guide visitors along a 190-kilometre long stretch of border
flanked by lush forest.
"You will get some rare experiences here,
and there are many must-see spots I can recommend," Narin Ngarmyingyuad, a
45-year-old local resident, said.
Narin is especially keen to show
visitors Pha Daeng Waterfall and viewpoints at Chong Krachom and Khao Khad where
giant frogs can be found.
"And along the way, you will see an
abundance of floral species. Some wild orchids blossom so splendidly in winter,"
he added.
Police Sgt-Major Amporn Krongkaew gave an assurance that
all travellers would be safe because border police would be on guard all the
time. Amporn said he felt encouraged when there were tourists
around.
"Their presence cheers us up," he said.
More
and more tourists have visited the site since it began to be promoted as an
attraction a few months ago. "We open the site to tourist on weekends and it
receives an overwhelming number of visitors," he added,
On St
Valentine's Day this year, there was a special promotional event on Chong
Krachom when Suan Phung District Office organised a marriage registration
ceremony for 20 couples.
Anan Paengnoy
THE
NATION
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Asian Tribune
Date : 2003-02-26
Emergency Meeting of the Five Burmese Ethnic Military Alliance
held.
Bangkok, Feb. 26: An emergency meeting of
Military Alliance belonging to the Burmese ethnic nationalities, namely The
Arakan Liberation Party, The Chin National Front, The Karenni National
Progressive Party, The Restoration Council of Shan State, and The Karen National
Union, which was attended by 17 representatives was held on 24 February, in a
liberated area successfully.
According to the news monitored in
Bangko, at this emergency meeting , all parties reached an agreement that they
all warmly welcome the offer of the Royal Thai Government to act as a mediator
between the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the Ethnic
Nationalities Forces, for national reconciliation.
Furthermore,
they also came up with a view that, if there is to be a dialogue between the
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) tghe Burmese military junta and the
Military Alliance, the venue should be neutral and all members of the military
alliance should participate collectively in one voice.
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Asian Tribune
Date : 2003-02-26
Norway Burmese Supporting Groups flays
Thailand.
Oslo, Feb. 26: Norwegian groups that are
supporting the pro-democratic and ethnic organizations of Burma, have politely
but firmly pointed out, that since of late, Thailandç?´ sudden slide towards the
Burmese junta at the cost of the Burmese opposition groups in
Thailand.
ç??t appears that Thailandç?´ crackdown on the pro-democracy
movement is an attempt to ameliorate the Thai-Burma relations, which seems to
have been intensified in anticipation of the Prime Ministerç?´ visit to Burma in
February,ã?»was clearly stated in a letter written to Prime Minister Thakshin
Shinawatara of Thailand and a copy of which Asian Tribune received yesterday
from Oslo, Norway.
Harald Bøckman, Chairman of the Norwegian Burma
Committee, Camilla Buzzi of the Burma Support Group and Marit Arnstad,
Chairperson of Norway PD Burma, have jointly appeal to the Thai Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatara by a letter dated 10 February 2003.
In the
letter addressed to the Thai Prime Minister, they have raised their concern
regarding Thai Governmentç?´ decision to do away with the entry visa to Burmese
passports holders. They have further pointed out that the Thai Government has
instructed the Thai embassies in the neighboring countries to refuse the issue
of visas to Burmese nationals �殿ccording to recent reports, Thai embassies in
neighbouring countries have received orders to refuse to grant visas to Burmese
applicants, who are told to apply in Rangoon.ã?»br>
Furthermore, the
Norwegian Burmese supporting organizations castigated the Thai government for
treating harshly the Burmese longstanding residents in Thailand. In the letter
they have expressed their concern ��hai Government is carrying out a massive
crackdown on Burmese dissidents and ethnic leaders based in Thailand. Burmese
opposition groups have been forced to close their offices. Burmese refugees, who
have been living in Thailand for years, have been forced to leave their
homes.ã?»br>
The Norwegian groups have sent the copies of their letter
written to the Thai Prime Minister to:
1. The Royal Thai Embassy
in Norway,
2. The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Thailand,
3. Jan Petersen,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway - and to
4. Kjell Magne Bondevik, Prime
Minister of Norway.
The purpose of sending the copies of these
letters was not stated in the letter. The full text of the letter is given
below:
Oslo, February 10 2003
Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra
Office of the Prime Minister,
Government House, Dusit,
Bangkok 10300
Thailand
Dear Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra,
The Norwegian Burma Committee, the Burma Support
Group/Norway and PD Burma have learnt that the Thai Government is carrying out a
massive crackdown on Burmese dissidents and ethnic leaders based in Thailand.
Burmese opposition groups have been forced to close their offices. Burmese
refugees, who have been living in Thailand for years, have been forced to leave
their homes. Both groups are being deported back to Burma, in spite of the fact
that they risk both arrest and their lives if sent back to the regime they have
fled from.
The undersigned organisations have received information
that there has been an intensified campaign the last months against Burmese
opposition groups operating in Sangklaburi and Mae Hong Son. Some of these
groups receive funding from the Norwegian Government. On December 20 Thai
authorities ordered the following groups operating in Sangklaburi to close their
offices and to leave the country within two days: Democratic Party for a New
Society (DPNS), National League for Democracy-Liberated Area (NLD-LA), All Burma
Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF), Federation of Trade Unions ã?»Burma (FTUB),
and Myeik-Dawei United Front (MDUF). This is not the first time Burmese
dissidents in Sangklaburi have faced pressure from the Thai Government. Last
August their offices were raided, documents confiscated, and members
arrested.
We are also informed that Thailand is restricting its
visa policy for Burmese passport holders, which can have no other aim than to
weaken the Burmese democracy movement operating in Thailand. 29 December 2003
Thailand, for the first time, decided to remove Burma from the list of countries
for which no visa is required to enter the Kingdom for 30 days. This means that
Burmese democracy activists no longer can receive visa at the border
checkpoints, and must therefore travel to a neighbouring country in order to
apply for a visa at a Thai embassy. However, according to recent reports, Thai
embassies in neighbouring countries have received orders to refuse to grant
visas to Burmese applicants, who are told to apply in Rangoon. Again, the
undersigned would here like to reiterate that pro-democracy activists risk their
lives if forced to return to Rangoon.
We are deeply concerned about
the latest news. It appears that Thailandç?´ crackdown on the pro-democracy
movement is an attempt to ameliorate the Thai-Burma relations, which seems to
have been intensified in anticipation of the Prime Ministerç?´ visit to Burma in
February. Members of the Burmese opposition groups fear that the Thai
Government, in an effort to appease the Burmese military regime, intends to
cripple the Burmese democracy movement operating from Thailand. This would have
dramatic consequences for the ongoing movement to promote democracy in
Burma.
We strongly urge the Thai Government to continue to provide
shelter and support for Burmese dissidents fleeing from repression in Burma.
Thailandç?´ acceptance of Burmese activists in Thailand is vital for the ongoing
democratisation process in Burma. Restrictions imposed on the Burmese democracy
movement and the human rights groups working peacefully from Thailand could be
devastating for the struggle for democracy in Burma and for regional stability.
We call for:
- An immediate end to the Thai Governmentç?´ campaign
against the Burmese democracy organisations operating on the Thai-Burma border;
- Assurances that Thailand will not put the new visa restrictions
for Burmese citizens into effect;
- An immediate review of
Thailandç?´ current refugee determination procedure, which today allows for both
the arrest and deportation of Burmese citizens fleeing an oppressive military
regime.
Thailand has been highly regarded for its humanitarian
principles and known as a sanctuary for Burmese dissidents, where they have been
allowed to operate peacefully. We urge the Thai Government to not put its good
humanitarian reputation at risk by securing economic interests before human
lives.
Yours sincerely,
1. Harald
Bøckman
Chairman, Norwegian Burma Committee Norway
2. Camilla
Buzzi
Burma Support Group
3. Marit Arnstad
Chairperson
PD
Burma
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Malaysian National News Agency
February 26 ,
2003 18:45PM
Malaysia Might Supply Palm Oil
To Gujarat At Concessional Price
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb
26 (Bernama) -- Malaysia might work out a mechanism to supply palm oil at
concessional price to the state of Gujarat in India which had suffered several
natural disasters, Minister of PrimaryIndustries, Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik
said.
"A team will be sent to the state to discuss this matter
further," the minister said in a statement here today, after having returned
from a nine-day working visit to India, Bangladesh and Myanmar from February 17
to 25.
On another note, Dr Lim said that although the consumption
of palm oil in the three countries was high, Malaysia's share of the market had
been limited due to competition from cheaper Indonesian palm oil.
In view of this, Malaysia might review its supply of palm oil to
the Indian sub continent and Myanmar especially crude palm oil and also its Palm
Oil Credit Payment Arrangement (POCPA) scheme as a marketingmechanism.
He said this would be related to the local exporters.
In his visit to New Delhi, India he met the Minister of Commerce
Arun Jaitley, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Yadab
Sharab and Minister of Agriculture Ajit Singh.
In Dhaka,
Bangladesh he called on Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and Minister
of Industries MK Anwar.
He also met Minister of Commerce Amir
Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury with the view of enhancing trade between the two
countries including the proposal for duty free access into Malaysia for certain
Bangladesh products and the holding of "Bangladesh Week" in Kuala Lumpur to
promote their products.
On Malaysia's offer of a credit of RM38
million (US$10 million) to the country under POCPA, he said Bangladesh had
indicated that it would like to utilise the credit within framework of a counter
trade arrangement.
Meanwhile, in Yangon, Myanmar, Dr Lim met
Secretary 1 of the Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Gen.
Khin Nyut, Minister of Commerce Brig. Gen. Pyi Sone, Minister of National
Planning and Economic Development U Soe Thar, Minister of Labour U Tin Winn and
Minister of Forestry Aung Phone.
During the meetings with them, Dr
Lim stressed the need to increase cooperation between Malaysia and Myanmar
within the framework of Asean and South-South coopration in the fields of
economic, trade and investment especially with regard to the commodities sector
and their related downstream processing.
He said discussions were
also held on how best to to further facilitate the recruitment of Myanmarese
workers into Malaysia to work in the plantation and manufacturing sectors.
On Malaysia's offer of RM76 million (US$20 million) credit to the
country under the POCPA scheme, Dr Lim said Myanmar had expressed its interest
to utilise the credit and would finalise the necessary documentation as soon as
possible. -- BERNAMA
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Asian countries set to agree on nurturing Asia's bond
markets
TOKYO, Feb. 26, Kyodo - Senior officials of Southeast Asian
countries as well as Japan, China and South Korea are set to agree in talks
later this week to nurture the region's bond markets as part of efforts to
prevent financial crises and promote economic growth, sources close to the talks
said Wednesday.
The agreement is likely to be reached in an
informal gathering of senior government and central bank officials of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Plus-Three framework to be held
in Tokyo on Friday, the sources said.
By promoting the issuance of
Asian currency-denominated bonds, the countries hope investors in the region
will be able to raise funds free from exchange risks between local currencies
and the U.S. dollar.
They also hope the move will promote the
funneling of funds in the region to investments in the area, the sources
said.
Proponents of the plan also say the plan could serve as one
of the first stepping stones for a future single Asian currency, like Europe's
euro, as well as the establishment of an Asian economic and monetary
union.
The ASEAN-Plus-Three framework links 10 ASEAN members --
Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- with Japan, South Korea and
China.
In the meeting on Friday, the senior officials plan to
establish a working group on the technical aspects of the plan, the sources
said.
The topic of fostering Asian bond markets is also expected to
be discussed in a meeting of deputies of ASEAN-Plus-Three finance ministers and
central bankers to be held in April in Manila.
Specifics of the
plan are likely to be compiled at a gathering of ASEAN-Plus-Three finance
ministers in Istanbul in May. If all goes well, the first bonds under the plan
could be issued as early as by the end of the year.
According to
international financial sources, among the plans being considered is to issue
Asian currency-denominated bonds that combine corporate bonds for small and
midsize firms in the region that are unable to issue bonds on their
own.
Another plan under consideration is for international
institutions including the Asian Development Bank to issue Asian
currency-denominated bonds. Yet another plan is to introduce foreign exchange
swaps among bonds in different currencies in the region to avert risks of
fluctuations in exchange rates.
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