INDEPENDENT MON NEWS
AGENCY (IMNA)
Fortnightly News Update
Contents:
Editorial: Increase pressure for
tri-partite talks
News:
Special Report:
Contact: [email protected]
Editorial:
Increase pressure for tri-partite talks
UN General Assembly has adopted resolutions
to
However, the Burmese military regime, SPDC,
had not accepted to talk even with NLD and the democratic leader Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi initially. But the international pressure has intensified and at the
end SPDC accepted for an ordinary talk with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD. Both
sides declared they could build confidence among each other.
After confidence building talks, there must
be political talks. But it took too much time even in the first process of
ordinary talks. Political talks have not started yet.
Even though Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD
want other ethnic nationality leaders to involve in political talks, however,
the regime is quiet to talk with ethnic political leaders. Therefore, the
pressure to the regime to accept all ethnic representatives in the negotiation
table is important.
News:
‘I would die in jail’ said MNDF’s
General Secretary
Mon National Democratic Front’s General
Secretary, Dr. Min Soe Lin, is suffered with serious tuberculosis and said the
treatment and medicines provided by prison doctor is not enough and he could
die in jail.
Although prison doctor treated him regularly
and provide medicines, he felt his health condition is not improve
as he is also a medical doctor. He also ordered medicines from his wife to
bring but it could be delayed because jail authorities allowed meeting with
their families only one time in one week.
“I will die in jail like this. I don’t have
chance to work for my people. There are plenty of work for Mon people we have
to work” said by Dr. Min Soe Lin to his friend who met him.
He felt his health condition has been worst
and worst since last year and tried to get the medicines. However, the medical
doctor in prison provided only irrelevant and insufficient medicines. He could
not select the medicines as he liked.
The worst prison condition also made his
health condition to be serious. Most prisoners did not receive mosquito nets,
good bed and pure water for them.
Although he asked to get permission for
treatment in
Similarly to Dr. Min Soe Lin, the other two
Mon political prisoners, Nai Ngwe Thein and Dr. Min Kyi Win
also suffered from hypertension and gastric.
With great concern to the health of these
Mon political prisoners, Mon National Council, also wrote a letter and informed
UN Human Rights Commission for the urgent release of Mon leaders.
In 2002, because of international
community’s pressure, although SPDC released about 300 political prisoners,
most of them are from NLD. But they excluded to release these Mon leaders.
MNDF won 5 seats in 1990 elections, but the
party was banned in 1992. In 1998, when 1990 Elections elected members of
parliament led by NLD called to convene people parliament, these leaders
strongly supported. Because of their support, two MPs and one senior leader of
MNDF were arrested and imprisoned by the regime.
Authorities
closed down drug and other stores in southern part of Ye Township
In late February 2003, Burmese Army in the
southern part of Ye Township ordered the village headmen to close down all drug
stores because they believe the rebel Mon army could get drugs for their use
for those stores.
They also ordered the small grocery shops in
the area to not sell touch light and batteries with the similar reason to cut
these supplies to the rebel Mon soldiers. If some shop sold these things, the
shop owner must be arrested accordingly to the order.
Closing down the small drug stores also made
big affects to the local community who have totally
relied on medicines from these stores because they could not get access to
clinics and hospital in the area.
A rebel armed group led by Nai Hlein and Nai
Bin, which is known as Mon National Warrior Army (MNWA), have launched the
military activities in the area and the fighting with Burmese Army have
regularly happened.
Ye Township authorities and Burmese Army
also checked passengers who left from Ye Town to villages and confiscated drug,
batteries, touch lights and other materials that could be used by rebels.
The authorities and army also made movement
restriction against the civilians and do not allow them to walk on the main
between
MNWA has acted a local militia armed group
and protect their area. But they did not found the political organization. They
also did not involve in fighting against NMSP and MNLA and launches separate
military activities in southern part of Ye Township and
LIB
No. 282 commander banned Mon Karaok Songs
In early February 2003, a commander of LIB
No. 282, Maj. Win Aung ordered the Mon villagers in Yebyu Township to not sing
Karaok songs which contains some songs praising of a Mon revolutionary soldier
who scarified his life about 10 years.
A famous Mon Artist, ‘Zahan Mon’ produced a Karaok
song CD with the sponsorship of NMSP in name ‘Pathont Gune Jarai’ and CD
contains about a soldier who died in Gyaing river, a conflict area in Karen
State, while he and friends were fighting against Burmese Army. CD also
contains the activity of Mon revolutionary, MNLA soldiers, and how that Mon
soldier was killed in battle fields, how he inform to his girl-friend, etc.
One month of selling of that CD Karaok, it
became the best selling one in
In most restaurants, there are Karaok theater and the owners get a lot of money for allowing
singing songs with payment with TV display and CD player. Most Mon families in
rural villages and small towns do not belong any CD
player.
Many young Mon people like to sing this song
and ‘we also lost some income after it is banned by that commander’ said a
theater owner in Yapu village.
According to a young Mon, Maj. Win Aung
learnt the meaning of that song and later when understood that that is
nationalistic song, he ordered to ban the CD in
The
local authorities ordered to remove Mon National Day poster
On day after the cerebration of Mon National
Day (MND), on February 18, the SPDC’s Minister of Home Affairs, Brigadier Tin
Hlaing, ordered Mudon Township authorities to remove all MND posters in Mudon
Township area immediately.
After his return from Kyaikamee, a beach
town nearby, he found many MND poster with big picture
of Mon queen, Mi Jao Puu (Banya Htao), along the Thanbyuzayat – Mudon motor
road and asked the local authorities what the posters for. After he knew the
MND poster, he ordered to
As a main logo of 56th MND in
MND in many Townships in
In
Training
how to lie ILO Regarding Order No. 1/99
Since before the end of January 2003,
‘In the training, they taught how to lie foreigner to say no forced labour if they come’ said an
unnamed village headman who attended the training.
SPDC has issued an Order No. 1/99 since 1999
due to instruction by ILO to eradicate all forms of forced labour taken place
for several decades in
In March 2002, ILO appointed permanent
Liaison Officer in
While the village headmen were attending
forced labour training, many villagers in Mudon and
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SPECIAL REPORT:
A dirty politics of
Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA) in Mon State
I. INTRODUCTION:
Independent Mon News Agency has covered news
and information that occured in
As we have described “A dirty politics of
Union Solidarity and Development Association” for the title of this report,
there are various activities that conducted by USDA’s members in the country
regardless any other partr’s interest for its political motivation. This
special report is only provided for a brief memos that released by the association.
II. A MINUTE OF USDA AT KYEIK MA YAW
TWONSHIP
11 May 02 Meeting
Addressed by U Min Ye Htut at Kyeik Ma
“USDA is not an association for formation of
the government. It is a National Political Association. Members of party (BSPP)
have left the power in 1988 and the army still controled the power to present
days. And then, the country will be opened up as multi-party system. The
Association has formed on
“Members are urged to campaign local farmers
for saling paddy to the government in each township. – Deputy Minister for Home
Affairs Thura Myint Aung has ordered to grow in a smaller fram but increase
more paddy production. Minister for Forestry also has inspected the task force
for “Ba La Nga Tan- Five National Strengths” recently and we have reported to
the top office about out task force.
Addressed by U Min Ye Htut at Kyeik Ma
Addressed by Dr Aung Kyaw Tun at Kyeik Ma
Addressed by Major General Own Myint
For example, Gray
areas – it is absolutely impossible to campaign,
Yellow Areas-
fairly able to campaign
Green Areas- fully
able to campaign
Addressed by Major General Theik Tun
“explained to the meeting with full map and signs of campaign.
The green area is the best area for campaign while the gray area is fairly able
to do the campaign. But the black area is not able to increase its membership.
Every organization has its own objectives
and it also is being meadured what are advantages and dsiadvantages. It is all
for the sake of the nation but if an organization is not for the nation or
againsts the welfare of the nation, we will put them
on the “Terrorist Group”.
Addressed by Major General
Own Myint
“Public is USDA. We have to have similar
objective. We have to explain them we we are doing. The government still is
receiving Karen National Union (KNU) for cease-fire talk. We ought to explain
to make public have a clear idea what we are doing.
Daw Suu Kyi arrived to Kyeik Ma Maw on
Addressed by General Maung Bo
“We have solved the problems that the state
faced with a support of USDA. Therefore, we have to attempt to win the
political game. Leader of NLD is only educated person. She is doing some things
under other persons who spoil her to do so. The problems have araised becuase
it does not match the pian and taballet.
Addressed by Dr. Aung Kyaw
Tun
“The formation of the association is not
turns to nine years. You have to review increasing nembers of member and their
motivation in the activities. You also need to report what you have done for
developmnet project for local people. You are urged to hold at least meeting at
local village everyt month. You then must report to the head office after the
meeting.
Addressed by Township Secretary
“We have faced a great lost after heavy
flood in our twonship. You are urged to campaign for growing paddy that are damaged in the flood. You have to go the the paddy
fields and do fact finding for destroyed farms. When you have done the fact
finding and reported to the district and head offices, they will allocate for
assistances for you.
When you have done that you then also
receive a great support from a farmer’s force. If there is no suport from the
pepole, you may find that there is nothing can be achieved. Therefore, the head
office has provided 12 rackages of rice and over 90 kilos potato for farmers.
You are urged to extend formation of USDA team in other small villages and do
one thnigs for at least for the village development. So, we can tackle five
objectives for village developments.
Your are urged to open local library under self-help program
and you can ask asistances from township offices. USDA of township also can
help you for matreials”.
Addressed by U Khon Soe Lwin
“We have established “People Trafficking
Taskforce” and offer them full power to tackle the problems with the support of
local UNDA members from villages. Local team leaders
are urged to cooperate with the taskforce in order to prohibit local farmers
for not going to other countries. You are urged to explain them that there is
an abuse or discrimination aginst alien workers both by the owners and the
authority. You have to watch out any activities of people trafickers. You can
report to the heaf office If you find some things
strange or possibility of traficking business. You can help members of USDA for
not illegally going to other countries for employment. We could grow seasonaly
paddy in summer fo
Addressed by U Min Lwin Aung
“You are urged to build a
strength in your organization. Let get our members not to decrease
current figures if we could not increase it. We ought to act by taskforce to
tackle and prohibit people tracficking. You are urged to report to the office
soon after you have learned the story. We have not a good communication some
vilages, so we have to rely on local team leaders. All local team leaders must
do at least one thing for village development for the general public. The
township and state office acknowledge the works of local team leaders after
they have read the report. It is a mark system and you have to promply report
Local team leaders report:
“There is a misunderstading between USDA and
VPDC while they have lack of communication. Member of VPDC members assume that
they have full power and ignored any activities of USDA members. As a few
member of USDA have lack of visions, there were a clash
between two party.
Resolutions
CONCLUSION:
Union Solidarity and Development Association
is formed only a sole purpose for political motivation
of the State Peace and Development Council led by Senior General Than Shwe. As
the memos described in various terms in languages, the organization is planned
to tranformed as a “political party” in the future. Under a multi-party
political system, indeed the organization has an opportunity to register as a
political party under the exisitng Election Commission’s regulations. Hundreads
of thousands of retired military personals still play a key role in the organization
with moral support by the SPDC top officials.
After National Unity Party has defeated in
general election 1990, ex-army personals find a third force
to replace the party in the next election. The NUP is formed under former
Burmese Socialist Programme Party. The SPDC top brass has strategically
tranformed a third force to back up its political motivation. It is cleared
that the SPDC and its afficliated organizations will not hand over state power
to civilian government whos are elected in general election in 1990.
Confidence building measure is over but
nation building has yet finished. The USDA alone simply could not tackle
current huge social and political crisis that plunged the country under
developed country.