Weekly News Package:
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On the Border
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International
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Burmese Now Need Sponsor to Enter Mizoram
New
In a bid to impose an inner-line permit on Burmese nationals, the Mizoram government now requires Burmese to pay Rs.100, plus
an additional Rs.20 for the permission form, to stay up to 30 days in the
State. To extend the permit, they are required to pay an extra Rs.100 (Rs. 43 is equal to 1
"So far as I know, no one has applied for the permit yet. But weaving
enterprise owners have told their workers that they will sponsor them,"
said Nupuii, a Mizo
resident close to owners of weaving businesses and their Burmese workers. Many
Burmese are working in handloom industry in Mizoram.
"I believe that the introduction of this permit is aimed at controlling
the Young Mizo Association's (YMA) plan to drive out
Burmese from Mizoram by legalizing migrants'
stay," she added.
In order to issue the permit, a permanent resident of
These new regulations were drawn up after the powerful youth organization, the
YMA, called for Burmese nationals to leave the state before April 7. Many believe
that the new regulations were introduced to reduce tensions in the state. There
was significant public commotion in July and August of last year when Burmese
nationals were forcibly evicted by the YMA.
Zokhawthar, Lungbun and Phura are the three entry gates located along the Mizoram-Burma border that issue the permit. While the Zokhawthar gate in Champhai
district started issuing permits last Saturday, the Lungbun
and Phura gates, located in the Saiha
district, had not reported any entries so far.
Mizoram, in the northeast of
Moreover, there has been an understanding between the two countries since 1968
that inhabitants residing within a 40-kilometer zone either side of the border
are permitted to move freely across the border.
Many locals in Mizoram believe a large number of
people from
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Thai labor office orders factory to pay 16
million Baht to Burmese workers
April 4 (NMG): On March 25, the Labor Protection and Welfare Office
in Thailand’s Tak District ordered a Thai factory
owner to pay 16 million Baht in compensation to a group of 257 Burmese workers
from Nasawat Apparel Co. factory, Ko
Moe Swe from the Young Chi Oo Worker’s Association said.
This case has been the biggest ever in regard to the number of Burmese workers
complaining about Thai employers, as well as the highest in terms of the amount
of the claim, which was 109 million baht.
Last December, Burmese workers demanded their full wages from the Thai employer
at Nasawat Apparel Co. factory. However, their
demands were turned down and the factory owner fired all these workers. Later
these Burmese workers were arrested and deported to
Moe Swe said “Workers asked for a lump sum equal to two years’ wages through
legal channels. After the labor office had carefully scrutinized the case, they
ordered the factory owner to pay the designated amount to the workers. This
compensation will have to be given within 15 days and the office will be responsible
for distribution to the workers.”
If the employer is not satisfied with the decision of the labor office, he can
appeal to the court. But, the workers are 70 per cent sure to win the case due
to the decision of the labor office, Ko Moe Swe said.
The employer has not yet made a statement on the matter.
In a similar scenario last year, 34 Burmese workers claimed 4.6 million Baht
wages from their employer at the Nut Knitting Partnership. Though the Labor
Office ruled that the employer should give the requested amount as compensation
to the workers, the factory was closed down after rejecting the Labor Office
decision. The case has still not been resolved.
Though the labor office has been protecting the rights of workers, their
efforts have been ignored by employers in many cases. However, some Burmese
workers have expressed that they are satisfied with the decision of the labor
office.
“I was really delighted when I heard this decision because we all were hoping
for such an order from the Labor Office. Some of us were curious to know
whether the office would support us or go against us. When I heard that the
decision was in our favor, I was really pleased with it,” a Burmese worker
named A-Pho-Gyi said.
Ko Moe Swe also added that the lawyers are analyzing
the difference between the amount of money claimed for compensation (109
million Baht) and the actual amount awarded (16 million Baht).
“The workers’ lawyers are calculating again the amount of money in detail to
find out why the amount has been cur down so much. Some workers had been
working in that factory for 3 years, some for 6
years. When we added up all these wages, the amount is 109 million Baht. But
the labor office decided on only 16 million and there is huge difference, but
some workers are satisfied with this decision anyway,” Ko
Moe Swe said.
The MAP Foundation, dealing with the rights of migrant workers in
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New teaching methods for border teachers:
Thirty Teachers from several ethnic groups attend training on Thai-Burma
border
April 3 (NMG): Teaching techniques that are new to Burma have been
introduced in teacher training sessions for the second time, as thirty teachers
from various ethnic groups have been attending the course on the Thai-Burma
border since March 26.
Several ethnic groups such as Shan, Karen, Karenni, Tavoy,
Mon and Burmese from the Thai-Burma border and Arakan,
Chin and Kachin ethnics from western border of Burma
are attending a nine-month long training program, said Dr Thein
Lwin, the director of Teacher Training for Burmese
Teachers.
Dr Thein Lwin said “Our
teaching techniques never victimize school children in order to support any
government. We are now training children to be self-motivated to give them hope
for the future. That’s the main objective of this training.”
The new teaching techniques aim to make students competent, while encouraging
them to participate and think analytically, Dr Thein Lwin explained.
It is the very first time that a ‘multicultural education system’ has been
introduced to trainees in
“We call it multicultural education. Students’ backgrounds in ethnicity,
religion, mother tongue and history are different from each other. That’s why
these new teaching techniques encourage every student to respect each other’s
differences from when they are young,” Dr Thein Lwin explained.
Because of this education system, it is hoped that future generations will be
able to learn how to live together in peaceful co-existence.
Nyein Chan, a teacher from the Child Development
Centre in Mae Tao village near Mae Sod on the Thai-Burma border, who took part
in previous 6-month training, expressed his thoughts on how children react to
this new teaching method.
“Children have improved when compared with the previous situation because
children learn by themselves while the role of teacher is a supporting one.
Students think for and rely on themselves and that encourages interest in their
lessons,” Nyein Chan said.
He added that his colleagues who do not have chance to attend the training are
also keen to join such programs where they can share the knowledge of the
training.
Dr Thein Lwin also pointed
out that education policy in
Though the previous training lasted only six months, this training will run for
nine months so that the trainees will have more time to practice on computers,
collecting relevant information, knowledge of English language and skills in
intellectual writing.
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Two Burmese nationals sentenced to 25 years
imprisonment in Bangladesh
Cox’sBazar, April 5 Narinjara
News: The district court judge at Cox’s Bazar
sentenced two Burmese nationals to 25 years imprisonment last week.
The two sentenced are Moe Gro,45 and San Hla Aung,36. They are members of the Arankan
Army, the armed wing of the National United Party of Arakan
(NUPA), fighting for the freedom of Arakan.
They were arrested in
After 4 years in custody they were sentenced to 25 years in prison on 25th
March.
In the past there have been many arrests of Arankan
revolutionaries with arms and ammunitions but the charge and punishment has
never been as severe as this one. One local resident said that this sentence of
25 years imprisonment for the Arakanese
revolutionaries is the heaviest punishment in the history of the Bangladeshi
court.
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Dhaka Rangoon Highway Foundation Stone Laid
in Ramu
Chittagong, April 7, 2004 Kaladan News: On 5 April, Bangkladeshi
Communications Minister Nazamal Huda
and Burmese Transport Minister Major General Hla Myint Swe laid the foundation stone for the 133-km highway
that is expected to be completed in a year and a half, according to our
correspondent.
The friendship highway, which would subsequently link to the
The cost of the road is estimated at Taka 605 crore
(US$10.083 crore), and
Government officials said
General Khin Nyunt, who was also present, visited the Rakhaing
temple in Cox’s Bazar and talked to monks and Rakhaing leaders. He also flew to Bandarban
early on 5 April from
On 6 April, the last day of his three-day tour of
General Khin Nyunt visited the
In the afternoon, General Khin Nyunt left
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Rohingyas Cast Doubt on SPDC National Convention
Chittagong, April 7 KALADAN NEWS: In a
press release issued on 6 April, the Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) expressed its concern
over the SPDC sponsored National Convention scheduled to be held on 17th May
2004 to draft a state constitution.
The statement is reported verbatim: “ Without free and
fair participation and representation of the NLD, other political parties and
ethnic nationalities, including the Rohingyas of Arakan, the convention lacks credibility and as such the
people of
The SPDC’s Roadmap has yet to be manifested by real
and tangible changes on the ground towards a genuinely free, transparent, and
an inclusive process involving all political parties, ethnic nationalities and
elements of civil society.
The news that NLD leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would be freed soon and that she
would be allowed to participate at the National Convention shows a positive
sign, but it cannot be believed until it is done because of the regime’s
repetitive failures in its previous commitments. Now the common question among
the Burmese people is ‘When will Daw Aung San Suu Kyi be arrested again?’.
There are an estimated 1300 to 1400 political prisoners in various jails in
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Logging Business On Increase in Karen State
April 8, 2004 Independent Mon News Agency: In the
Three Pagodas logging zone in Karen State, Southern Burma, ethnic armed groups,
which made a cease-fire agreement with the government, and private businesspeople
have increased logging this year.
On
The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), other ethnic armed groups and
private logging businesses in co-operation with the government authorities in
this area have been logging this area for a long time.
This year has produced more logs than last year from the logging zone, which is
about 30 miles from the
Last year, only about eight thousand tons of logs were brought and sold in
Three Pagodas. For the coming year “about ten thousand tons has been brought to
the
Three Pagodas for sale,” said Nai Tun
Tun, a log seller.
Four years ago, most of the logs produced from this zone were brought to Three
Pagodas and sold to
There is a new logging site close to this logging zone where a new road has
been built for the logging business operated by
businessmen with the agreement of government authorities.
Many new businessmen have invested to cut logs in the new area and thousands of
tons of logs have been taken from the new site.
Because of the increase in logging, the forest has been depleted in this area.
Before, the government only allowed loggers to cut logs over six feet in
circumference. However, there are no such large logs in that area and currently
the businessmen are cutting logs just two to
three feet in circumference.
In
According to logging businessmen in Tanintharyi
division, if they pay between 36 % and 40% of their profits from logging to the
government, the company can be registered and can export logs to foreign
countries.
In
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International
Burmese PM’s visit to Bangladesh
gets under way
Dhaka, April 5 Narinjara News: Prime Minister of
Burma, General Khin Nyunt, arrived in Dhaka at 11:30 a.m. yesterday for his
three-day official visit to Bangladesh.
He was received by Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda
Zia and her cabinet colleagues with a 19-gun salute
and a red carpet treatment.
Later the Burmese PM called on Begum Khaleda Zia at her office and exchanged views on bilateral and
international issues.
On the eve of his visit three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs)
were signed by both sides. The MoUs concern
cooperation in the farming sector, the construction of a link road between
The talks include taking steps to get in line with the 1994 agreement on
narcotics control to combat drug trafficking, hold quarterly consultations to
sort out borders irritants, check cross border crimes and the exchange of
prisoners in both countries’ jails.
On the second day of his visit, Khin Nyunt left
He also plans to watch the foundation stone laying ceremony for the
construction of the link road at Ramu township on the way to
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