WEEKLY NEWS PACKAGE
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ON THE BORDER
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Forced Labour in Arakan Capital
Increases Agony
Akyab, July 6 Narinjara
News: The existence of forced labour in Akyab, the capital city of
According to our informants, every Saturday the people of Akyab
have to work to clean the streets and drains around their houses.
Anyone who fails to do so is fined kyat 500 per house. Most of the city’s
dwellers have to work unwillingly for fear of the fine.
Boys and girls, irrespective of age, have to do this forced labour.
Government officials also have to participate every Saturday in cleaning around
their office premises. Failure to work results in salary cuts.
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Bangladeshi Delegation Wants to Increase Trade
Six members of the Chittagong Traders Union, led by Rijaul Hoque, arrived in Tripura in
Rijaul, the president of the trade group, said that despite the vast potential, neither Bangladeshi
nor Burmese governments have taken any steps to tap the potential of trade. ”We
need to expand our trade with
Though Burmese traders want to promote business with
Rijaul, who has been closely associated with trade in
Asked about the trade potential between
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Bangladeshi Law Minister Calls for Solution to Rohingya
Problem
He was addressing a seminar jointly organized by the Center for Development
Studies, the Bandhujana Lawyers Association and the
Human Rights Forum, and put forward recommendations based on the Amnesty
International report “Myanmar: Rohingya Minority
Fundamental Rights Denied,” as the chief guest at the National Press Club,
“It is not difficult to solve this great problem. The UNHCR is here to take
care of the refugees. We are hopeful that all Rohingya
refugees will be able to go back to their homeland.
“The constitution of
Prof. Dr. C. R. Abrar from the Department of
International Relations at
According to unofficial figures, tens of thousands of Rohingyas
are staying in
The speakers blamed the big powers and the international media for playing a
double standard role in raising their voices against human rights violations.
Special guest, Ambassador M. M. Rezaul Karim, who is advisor to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party
(BNP) chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia
said, “Mr. Abrar and I are signatories of a number of
conventions on human rights, and Mr. Abrar is
associated with the UNHCR. However, the Rohingya
refugees continue suffering. We can blame certain people for this situation,
but we cannot force the refugees to return.”
He also said that
Advocate Abdul Motin Khashru,
a former Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs said, “We know
very well about the anxiety of refugees because of our own experiences in 1971.
We have a sensitivity to the Rohingya
problem on the basis of national interest and we would like the organizers to
hold more seminars on the Rohingya issue, so as to
inform the international community of the situation”.
He also underscored the importance of international opinion on refugees across
the world, mentioning that when human rights were violated in
Prof. Asif Nazrul from the
Department of Law at
According to Advocate Kohinur of the Bangladesh
Supreme court, Bangladeshi people should take the initiative in providing an
education for Rohingya children and youth.
Abul Hasan Chawdhury, former State Minister for Foreign Affairs, said
that the government of
“We have to protest against the violation of human rights all over the world.
Without clear diplomacy,
In addition, some speakers stressed the grievances of Rohingya
refugees who have been forcibly repatriated without a permanent solution to the
problem. They appealed to the international community to take the necessary
steps to intervene in the crisis.
They also appealed to the UNHCR to enforce the UN mandate of settlement and
resettlement on humanitarian grounds when repatriation is over. They also
sought the cooperation of the government of
The Amnesty International report states that the Rohingyas’
freedom of movement is severely limited. They are also subjected to forced
eviction, land confiscation and various forms of extortion and arbitrary
taxation, including restriction on marriage. Rohingyas
continue to be used as forced laborers in the construction of roads and
military camps.
Commenting on the report, Mr. Iqbal, a former Upazila Chairman of Naikongchary
said, “We have eyewitness accounts of forced labor, forced relocation,
destruction of Mosques and new settlements of Bangladeshi Buddhists in the
*** *** ***
Teknaf, July 6 Kaladan
Press: Nasaka (Burmese Border Security Forces)
handed over six Bangladeshi detainees to the Bangladeshi Rifles (BDR) yesterday
morning at
On
The released fishermen are:- Noor Hossain,
son of late Nurul Islam, Ziaur
Rahman, son of Abdur Rahman, Altaf, son of Shuna Mia, Hasan, son of Rashid
Ahmed, Rahim, son of Mohd. Shafi and Sayed, son of Abdul Hakim. They hail from Mistri Para of Shafurir Dip, Teknaf.
On
Afterwards, Nasaka troops arrested them and kept them
in a detention cell in
Though Nasaka have handed over these six detainees,
the abduction of Bangladeshis continues. They
abducted two Bangladeshi fishermen on 2 July and three other Bangladeshi nationals
on
*** ** **** **
Burmese Nasaka Forces Create Border Tension for
Unknown Reasons
Cox’sbazar, July 6 Narinjara
News: The Nasaka (
Nasaka forces entered Bangladeshi waters on 4 July
and abducted three Bangladeshi nationals.
Nasaka also seized their boat from the
The abducted Bangladeshi nationals are Manir Ahmed,
20, Kader Hossain, 28, and Anwar Hossain, 22, all labourers from a shrimp project in Hoikong.
They were going to Teknaf, opposite the Burmese town
of
Eyewitnesses said a team of Nasaka agents intruded
into Bangladeshi territory by boat, shot several gunshots, picked up the three
at gunpoint and took them away to a Nasaka Camp in
Nasaka forces also abducted two Bangladeshi fishermen
on Friday.
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Oil to Double Gas Production with Burma’s Help
Guwahati, July 7, 2004 Mizzima
News: Oil India Limited (OIL) is expected to double its gas sales from North
East India with the proposed transnational pipeline that will ferry gas through
the region to mainland India from Burma.
The chairman-cum-managing director of the government-owned oil company, RK Dutta, disclosed the news on
the occasion of OIL being upgraded to a schedule ‘A’ company.
The first
“We hope to double our gas sales from North East India in the foreseeable
future. However, a bigger objective is to create a gas grid in the northeast.
This will eventually connect with the proposed transnational pipeline that will
ferry gas through the region to mainland
Mr Dutta highlighted the
achievements of the company in the financial year 2003-2004, and the presented
the new initiatives and challenges in the current financial year.
OIL is in the process of investing around Rs. 5000
million to expand its existing pipeline to transport surplus from the Assam
Accord Numaligarh Refinery in middle
It is also planning to lay a gas pipeline from Duliajan
to Guwahati in conjunction with Assam Gas Company. In
addition to supplying gas to the refineries in the region, additional gas
available in the line will also help other industries to develop in the region.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises of India has approved
the schedule ‘A’ status for OIL in recognition of its performance and various
growth initiatives taken. The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas of India
put up the proposal.
The energetic executive Mr Dutta
also said that the Assam-based company is in the process of replacing its
existing UHF communication system with an fibre-optic based communication system in its 1157 km-long
trunk pipeline route.
After meeting the in-house requirements, the fibre-optic
cable will have plenty of spare capacity, which can be leased to other telecom
service providers. OIL has confirmed to the government of
*** *** ****
Oxygen Cylinder Shortage at
Akyab, July 7 Narinjara
News: People are dying through lack of oxygen at the
Relatives of a female patient from Sabrain Village of
Pauk Taw Township claimed that she died in the hospital recently after doctors
disconnected the oxygen device which was attached to her breathing system to
give it to another patient.
“The woman was our relative. Doctors removed her oxygen device in our absence,
saying they needed the device for another emergency patient. She died as soon
as the device was removed” the distraught relatives told our reporter.
“The woman was poor and born in a rural area. Her device was disconnected to
give oxygen to another patient who is wealthy and from the city” they added.
With the situation being as it is, one patient always has to suffer, even die,
if two patients are in need of the oxygen device
at the same time. If this happens, the poor patients always suffer most.
Doctors at
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Internet Café too expensive for ordinary Akyabians
Akyab, July 8 Narinjara
News: Although the Burmese military junta claims to have made a great endeavor
to make Burma into a modern advanced nation; many ordinary people do not have
proper Internet access. In
This first and only Internet café is called the Informatics’ Center. It is a
subscriber to the Pagan Cyber Café. Pagan-net controls the flow of emails and
hence freedom of information and privacy are extremely limited.
The Informatics’ Center charges 1,500 kyat an hour, the equivalent of half of the
monthly minimum wage.
Due to its high price, even well-to-do people cannot use the Internet.
University students are not familiar with the Internet or email communication,
partly because of the price, but also because of severe restrictions on its use
imposed by the military junta. Of the four million people in
Even though Internet use is widely available throughout the world, the people
of Arakan have only one Internet café. One university
student from Akyab commented that he doubted that the SPDC is trying to turn
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18 Burmese Citizens Rescued from Traffickers
Police also arrested three alleged human traffickers who brought the Burmese
citizens to
According to our source, the Burmese citizens were taken to
All of them are Burmese Muslims known as Rohingyas
and they came to
The Bangladeshi police said they were brought to
The rescued people and children were identified as Abul
Kalam (40), Mohammad Rafiq(20),
Hossain Ahmad(20),Sultan Ahmad(30), Nur-e-Alam(40),Abul Hashem (26), Saanjida Begum(30), Sabu Alam(8), Shiri
Zahan (35), Nur Mohammad
(7), Shed Ullah (10), Humaiya
Beugm (5), Kawsar Bibi (4), Alam Rizan (35), Umme Kulsum (13), Saddam Hossain (7), Fatema Khaun (13), and Nurjahan (5).
*** *** ***
Moreh Trade Temporarily Suspended
Guwahati, July 10, 2004 Mizzima
News: No trade has been carried out through Moreh
(India's border town with Tamu of Burma) for the last
three days, causing a major problem for India-Burma border traders. The
cessation of trade was due to a huge tax imposed by insurgent groups in the
region.
Anti-government insurgent groups have long been imposing taxes on cross-border
traders and vehicle owners. But this time, the militants have increased their
demands, bringing trade to a grinding halt.
The traders told a Mizzima correspondent that the
insurgents are demanding exorbitant taxes from vehicle owners, hoteliers and
traders which cannot be met, forcing them to stop business. “Underground groups
now demand a Rs. 15,000 tax (nearly US$300) from
traders, vehicle owners and hoteliers and we cannot comply with their demands,”
traders said. Traders said that they have already reported the matter to the
Manipur government and have asked them to take urgent action.
Though several trade bodies have appealed to insurgents not to increase their
demands because of prevailing conditions, the insurgent groups have ignored
their request.
Moreh, one of the biggest trading points with
Trade at Moreh is a main source of income for both
Indian and Burmese traders, and is estimated to be worth about Rs 7-10 million per year. As the volume of trade has
increased, so has the number of traders, and now about 3000 Indian and Burmese
are directly or indirectly involved.
The Indo-Myanmar Traders Union has also expressed serious concern about the new
tax hikes and has demanded that the Manipur government take action to resolve thematter immediately. “Since livelihoods are at stake, the
Manipur government should take urgent steps about this situation,” the vice
president of the trade body, W N Singh, told our correspondent.
*** End ***
Burma News International is a network of seven
exiled media groups such as Mizzima News, Khonumthung News Group, Narinjara
News, Kaladan Press Network, Independent Mon News
Agency, Karenni Information Network Group and Network Media Group.
For more information, contact duty editor of BNI at:
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E-mail: [email protected]