EBO “Burma News” 20 August 2003

News Summary:

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1. China denounces sanctions against Myanmar

2. Thai PM declares war on Myanmar drug traffickers

3. Firms urged to pull out of Burma

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China denounces sanctions against Myanmar

 

BEIJING, Aug 20 (AFP) - China Wednesday denounced sanctions against

Myanmar, just days before aggressive new US trade restrictions take effect,

state media said.

 

The stance was taken by State Councilor Tang Jaixuan at a meeting with

Deputy Senior General Maung Aye, the junta's visiting number-two leader, the

Xinhua news agency reported.

 

"The current domestic situation in Myanmar is the country's internal

affairs, and China will not agree to foreign interference or to sanctions and

isolation," Xinhua said, quoting Tang, a former foreign minister.

 

The people of Myanmar are "intelligent and capable" enough to handle the

relevant issues and push forward its internal preace process, Tang said.

 

Myanmar is resisting an intense international push to release opposition

leader Aung San Suu Kyi who was detained on May 30 following clashes between

her supporters and a junta-backed mob.

 

China has repeatedly refused to apply pressure on its neighbour, prompting

sharp criticism from the United States.

 

China is one of the few countries which maintains political ties with

Myanmar and has recently boosted its economic influence in the country.

 

The Chinese government sees friendship with Myanmar as an important

strategic asset, offering the country its only direct access to the Indian

Ocean.

 

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Thai PM declares war on Myanmar drug traffickers

 

Bangkok, (Reuters), Aug. 20: Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose

bloody domestic war on drugs caused an outcry from human rights groups, ordered

Thai soldiers on Wednesday to kill Myanmar traffickers bringing drugs into Thailand.

Thaksin's remarks came a few hours after Thai troops killed seven and wounded

11 armed drug traffickers believed to be from the United Wa State Army -- an ally

of the Myanmar junta -- in clashes along the Thai-Myanmar border, officials said.

 

Thai soldiers said they seized one million methamphetamine pills, but made

no arrests as the wounded traffickers managed to cross the border into Myanmar.

 

Thaksin said the incident demonstrated that the Wa were still in the trafficking

business despite Thailand's pleas to Yangon to rein them in.

 

"From now on if their trafficking caravan enters our soil, we won't waste our time

arresting them, but will simply kill them," Thaksin told reporters.

 

"I instructed the Foreign Ministry again to liaise with the Myanmar government

to regulate the Wa. But if they are too busy or don't have time, we will handle

it ourselves," he said. The United States has put a $2 million dollar bounty

on the head of Wa leader Wei Hsueh-Kang.

 

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Firms urged to pull out of Burma

BBC world News

20 August 2003

 

Human rights activists have added 11 large companies to their "dirty list"

of firms doing business in Burma.

 

In total the UK campaigners now name and shame 79 multinationals,

demanding that they should pull out of Burma.

 

One firm on the list, P&O Cruises, has now confirmed it is reconsidering whether

any of its cruise liners should continue visits there.

 

Advertising giant WPP has also said it is close to closing its offices in the country,

which it acquired following its recent takeover of Cordiant.

 

And accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers are also reported to be rethinking

their position on the issue.

 

Burma Campaign UK says its list "exposes companies who are directly or indirectly

helping to finance one of the most brutal regimes in the world".

 

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Burma News

 

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