KAO WAO NEWS No. 20

An electronic newsletter for social justice and freedom in Burma

No. 20, June 4-14, 2002

READERS' FRONT

THE FALL OF MONLAND UNFORGOTTEN

POLITICAL REFUGEES FACE UNCERTAINITY

ARAKAN YOUTHS: FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS

OFFENSIVE COST JUNTA 300 KILLED AND WOUNDED

SPDC’S WAR OF WORDS A BLAST FROM THE PAST

ALL QUIET AT THREE PAGODAS PASS

CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN BANGKOK

HRP ATTACK MILITIA CAMP

NO TAX BREAK FOR CONFISCATED LAND

BOOK: THE GOLDEN SHELDRAKE SET TO FLY

KACHIN POST: A VOICE FOR TOP NORTH

READERS’ FRONT

Dear Readers,

We invite comments and suggestions on improvements to Kao-Wao newsletter. With your help, we hope that Kao-Wao News will continue to grow to serve better the needs of those seeking social justice in Burma and Thailand. And we hope that it will become an important forum for discussion and debate and help readers to keep abreast of issues and news. Above all, we hope the newsletter will be used as a vehicle for those who want to share their views and experiences.

We reserve the right to edit and reject articles without prior notification. You can use a pseudonym but we encourage you to include your full name and address.

Regards,

Editor

[email protected]

Dear Editor,

What can we do to protect the civilians along the gas pipeline route (Gas Pipeline Under Cover)? Now they are not just paying with their land and money but with their lives. Are the investors well informed about how the local people have suffered? In this country with the instability of civil war civilians become the victims of both sides.

Kay

(Canada)

THE FALL OF MONLAND UNFORGOTTEN

(Kao-Wao, June 4, 2002)

The Mons inside the refugee camps and overseas celebrated the 245th Anniversary of the Fall of Hongsawatoi Kingdom (Pegu), one of several kingdoms ruled by the Mon, which flourished in peace and prosperity for several centuries in lower Burma.

About a hundred refugees attended the 245th anniversary of the fall of Monland at Halockhanee refugee camp on June 3, 2002 in remembrance of the destruction wrought by annexation of the Burmese King Alaung Phaya, reported by IMNA from Thailand-Burma border.

The ceremony illustrated the end of a long reign of the Mon people over lower Burma but emphasized the endurance of Mon culture, especially that of literature and Buddhism. The ceremony compared the devastating occurrences then to the current situation of the Mon people now. "We are like the fish that live in a pool with no water, when our land is occupied by the other people,” said the abbot in his formal address to the community from the camp monastery. The current situation to the past on how the Mon kingdom lost its properties and valuable literature, with Mon communities dispersed and fleeing into exile to Thailand in the 18th century is similar to the situation of today. The ceremony concluded by donating alms to Buddhist monks, praying for peace and unity among the Mon people.

In the USA, the Mon community of Akron, Ohio, also celebrated the day and issued a statement on the present situation of the Mon and other ethnic nationalities in Burma. The teaching of Mon language is banned and the celebration of Mon National Day is restricted, with Burmese troops continually marching into the area and committing human rights violations, even after the cease-fire agreement was reached between the military regime and the New Mon State Party, as said in the statement.

The overseas Mon community appealed to Burma to legally recognize the Mon national schools and guarantee the free practice of culture and national heritage, and to recognize the results of 1990 general election and the Mon National Democratic Front, which is outlawed, with its leaders still remaining in prison in Burma.

Lives in Limbo

POLITICAL REFUGEES FACE UNCERTAINITY

(Reported by Gong Ong, June 9, 2002)

After the shooting incident on a school bus at Ban Kha, Ratchaburi Province, Burmese political refugees are fearful of being branded scapegoats.

The anonymous terrorist group who attacked the school bus, killing three students and injuring fourteen others on June 4, 2002 in Ratchaburi Province pressed Thai authorities to take the incident seriously. Speculation that Burmese refugees were responsible for the incident amid comments that Thai people wouldn’t do such an evil thing. Since the fugitives are still at large, suspicions are directed against refugees, migrant workers, student activists and ethnic insurgent groups. The latest border tension has alarmed political refugees who fear personal attacks and being wrongly accused by the Thai public and authorities.

In December 2001, Maneeloy Burmese Student Center, in Ratchburi was officially closed and all refugees were moved to a new site adjacent to a Karen refugee camp Tham Hin, ten kilometers from the Burmese border. The new camp is severely overcrowded with about 300 refugees and food rations limited to rice, oil, fish paste and yellow beans, with vegetables given only once a month. According to a Mon student who has resettled to Australia last month, there is limited drinking water and the local stream is thoroughly polluted and unfit even for bathing. There is no electricity, no postal facility and no telephone. Security is strict; visitors are not allowed entry.

The closure of the student camp has caused difficulty for refugees being categorized by the UNHCR office in Bangkok as "Persons of Concern," "Border Cases," and "Rejectees” and which has added increased insecurity to their future, said a social worker in Bangkok. According to the UNHCR source, those who were classified as "Border Cases" were already mandated as refugees by UNHCR. Meeting the criteria for "Refugees," they were also clearly qualified for resettlement since they cannot return to Burma because of their pro-democracy political activities and opposition to the military government.

About 900 to 1000 "Border Cases" refugees who were not in Maneeloy at the time of its closure (because they were never legally allowed to enter) were not allowed entry to the new camp and face uncertainty due to security reasons. “Whenever the Thai-Burma relation gets bad, we are targeted as scapegoats, sometimes we are accused as trouble makers and become the victims between the Burmese and Thai governments” said a student refugee from Moulmein who fled from Burma after being chased by the Military Intelligent Service (MIS) due to his democracy movement back home.

“My children lost two years of education. We are trying to resettle in any third country but no embassies will take our application since we are not allowed to enter the safe camp and we don’t have clear information from them (UNHCR office) that we are allowed to enter” reported to Kao-Wao by a political refugee family from Mudon, Mon State. “The money provided by the IRC office is just enough for basic survival and I and my wife sometimes work but it is very difficult for us since we have no legal status,” he added. They fled Burma due to human rights violation by the military junta and live in Thailand as illegal immigrants, despite being recognized as refugees by the UN.

In January about 30 Mon refugees including Buddhist monks have requested to enter the camp, with the new camp being closed to the Burma border to ensure their security and a chance to resettle in third countries. The refugees including Buddhist monks and students, categorized by the UNHCR Bangkok Office as “Border Cases”, are disturbed over the strained relationship between Thailand and Burma and the student bus shooting.

In the first week of June, the UNHCR office issued protection letters for refugees of Myanmar nationals to present to Thai authorities during their stay in the Kingdom that they must comply with Thai laws, rules and regulations. But due to the uncertain nature of Thai-Burma relationship and the Thai government’s policy not to encourage refugee flow from Burma, their future for resettlement to a third country is uncertain. Refugees are regarded under Thai policy as mere "illegal aliens" subject to arrest and forced deportation.

ARAKAN YOUTHS: FREE POLITICAL PRISONERS

(Kao-Wao June 7, 2002)

The Arakan League for Democracy (Exile) Youth urged the international community to continue to apply pressure to the military junta for the release of political prisoners and to support an engagement for a tri-partite dialogue in Burma toward the goal of reconciliation.

In their statement issued on June 7, 2002 from the liberated area, near Thailand Burma border, the ethnic youths said their leader was arrested and jailed on April 24, 2000, being accused of creating disunity among the ethnic nationalities. The statement marked the 2nd year of court penalty for U Aye Tha Aung who is serving a 21-year long-term sentence at Insein Prison due to his political position and belief in democracy as a member of CRPP, the Secretary General of the Arakan League for Democracy.

According to the DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma) Radio interview with his family members in April, U Aye Tha Aung’s health is deteriorating. Ethnic leaders of Mon, Chin and Arakanese are serving long prison terms, though some political prisoners have been released as a result of the talks between Aung San Suu Kyi and the military junta. The military junta however has publicly stated that there are no political prisoners left in Burma; the people left in prison are criminals and terrorists.

The Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) won 11 seats in the May 1990 general election and ranked third place followed by the National League for Democracy (NLD) and Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD).

Thai-Burma Border Tension

OFFENSIVE COST JUNTA OVER 300 KILLED AND WOUNDED

(Based on S.H.A.N, June 5, 2002)

The Burmese army has suffered more than 300 killed and wounded during their 17 days offensive to dislodge the Shan State Army’s stronghold on the Thai-Burma border, reports Freedom News, Shan State Army's bulletin today.

The report is supported by S.H.A.N. sources across the border; other journalists are denied access to combat zones. Both the dead and the wounded from three battlefields: Loi Taileng, Pang Maisoong and Loi Kawmoeng were being transported by trucks to Monghsat, about 110 miles from the Chiang Mai border, they said. "Some of the serious cases were in turn loaded into military transport planes probably to other places but not Tachilek," said one. The main reason, he said, was that it would be difficult to keep the casualty toll secret, as information spreads fast among people on both sides of the Mae Sai River who know each other.

The Burmese Army’s offensives to retake the Shan bases were successfully repulsed by the defending Shan State Army troops in early June. Rangoon has accused Thailand of backing the insurgents, an accusation the neighboring country has denied.

The Burmese junta launched their offensive on SSA position at Loi Kawmoeng opposite of Mae Fah Luang district, Chiang Rai province, with the ethnic Was and Musso as spearheads on June 4 and 5, 2002. Simultaneously, they also attacked Pang Maisoong-Pang Kamkaw areas that SSA overran on 20th May 2002 and on SSA camp at Loi Taileng, opposite of Mae Hongson Province.

After intense shelling with heavy artillery, the junta troops advanced to occupy these positions but met stiff resistance by the defending Shan guerrillas. The junta troops had withdrawn from the battlefields to regroup again. In all 3-battle fields, the junta lost more than 300 dead and wounded with SSA remaining in full control of their positions.

All these tragedies could have been avoided, had the junta accepted SSA's proposal to negotiate peacefully, reported the S.H.A.N. And despite SSA call for peace talks the Burmese military is planning another major offensive in the next few days against the SSA strongholds.

SPDC’S WAR OF WORDS A BLAST FROM THE PAST

(Based on NLM news and Bangkok Post, June 4-6, 2002)

The Burmese military junta launched its war of words over mounting border tension as the junta fired off name calling at Thailand, its military, government and people as “Yodaya” in reference to the former kingdom of Ayutthaya, which fell to the Burmese in 1767 amidst a bombardment of accusations that its neighbour is helping the minority groups.

According to New Light of Myanmar News paper, the junta’s mouthpiece, the Vice-Chief of Military Intelligence, Maj-Gen Kyaw Win held a press briefing on the military operations of the Burmese Army against the Shan State Army (SSA) in Yangon. Burmese senior military officers attended the press briefing, held at Tatmadaw Guest House on Inya Road, along with Military Attaches from Malaysia, Russia, Vietnam, Indonesia Korea, Japan, Pakistan, Thailand, China, Lao and United States of America.

Deputy Head of Department of the Ministry of Defense Lt-Col Si Thu explained upcoming offensives to be launched by the Tatmadaw (Burmese Army) to recapture their outposts and its militia camps, which were lost to SSA during the joint attack by the SSA and Yodaya (Thai) army. The NLM following the words of the general have repeatedly named the Shan guerrillas as a “drug-trafficking terrorist group” and Thai as “Yodayas” in its press releases, which are used to heighten Burmese patriotism, in line with the claim that the Yodayas have a history of supporting “insurgents”. To support their claims, the audience was shown the strongholds of SSA opium-trafficking terrorist insurgents being inside Thailand with KNU insurgents under the assumed protection of refugee camps and the camps of KNU and Yodaya (Thai) army.

Thailand finally hit back Burmese accusations with the Defense Ministry replying that Maj-Gen Kyaw Win, Burma’s deputy military intelligence chief, is sabotaging Thai-Burmese relations by referring to the Thai leadership as ‘bare-faced liars’ for denying allegations of supporting insurgents. Thai Lt-Gen Surapan said that Maj-Gen Kyaw Win is the reason behind the collapse of relations between the Thai and the Burmese, lashing back with, “Who does he think he is, he’s only a two star general…yapping on a daily basis.” Meanwhile academics are recommending both groups sit down to discuss each other grievances to solve the current situation with Burma providing hard evidence of Thai insurgent support.

ALL QUIET AT THREE PAGODAS PASS

(Reported by Nai Taw, June 14, 2002)

Since May, fearing unemployment and starvation in the western Thai Burma border area, over six hundred of Three Pagodas Pass residents left the once thriving border town after the Thai-Burma border closure, according to a source from Sangkhalaburi.

The closing of the border has left people jobless, who depend on cross border trade. Some residents face starvation because of no income and some have only boiled rice to eat, said one of the town residents. "Farmers, motorcycle taxi drivers, shop sellers and restaurants have been affected from the ongoing border tension,” said Nai Phat, a money exchanger who closed his business and returned to Moulmein due to the complete halt of trading.

The town authorities issued an order that if anyone is caught carrying goods from the Thai side to Burma side will be punished and sentenced to five-year jail terms, said a Mon motorist. However, local communities who live on the Thai side can cross the border by giving the Burmese authorities 20 to 40 Bahts. But strangers who have no relations with the authorities pay 100 Bahts to cross the border.

In late May, two residents were charged with illegal entry to Thailand and sentenced to jail for five years by the Burmese junta. Mr Thet Naing, 30 years, and Mr Ye Mon, 16 years were sent to jail for five years on charges of illegal entry to Thailand.

CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN BANGKOK

(Kao-Wao / Bangkok, June 10, 2002)

For the sake of better relationships and reciprocal understanding between the two countries, Thai NGOs organized a Thai-Burmese cultural exchange in Bangkok on June 9, 2002.

The gathering was held at the Student Christian Center from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm and offered participants the hospitality of Burmese culture and foods. There were over a hundred attendants including Shan, Karen, Mon, Thai-Mon, Burmese, several NGOs and Thai university students.

Dr. Chamwit Kasinsiri, Thai historian and Myanmar affair’s Academic of Dhamasat University, and Dr. Sunete Chutin Tharanon of Chulalongkorng University delivered speeches about the history of Thai-Myanmar relationship. “The misunderstandings and problems between the two countries were made by the kings themselves, when the relationship between them was good, they only (kings and leaders’ families) received benefits and earned profits. But the civilians on both sides only got the bad end of the deal and hated each other,” said Dr. Chamwit.

A teacher from Chulalongkorng University also delivered a speech about Burmese literature and language, and on how well related the two countries were with other peoples. She explained several interesting words borrowed from the Mon language such as Ngapi (in Burmese) and Kapi (in Thai) meaning “fish paste”. “It’s undoubted that both of us are very close with the Mon, at different points in our history we all, including Mon, Burmese, and Thai have had good relationships with each other in the past,” she said.

The ceremony closed with entertainment from the Burmese dancers with Hmone Shweyi, Thindaing, and the colorful and lively Karen Done group dance with men and women.

Information was provided on Burmese language teaching classes, which started five months ago with about twenty learners, including Thai journalists, NGOs and students. Thai language classes will also be opened at the end of June at the Student Christian Center. Women migrants will be allowed to entry to the class, (15) migrants have already enrolled to learn the Thai language.

Inside Mon State

NO TAX BREAK FOR CONFISCATED LAND

(Kao-Wao, Monland, June 8, 2002)

Farmers whose lands were confiscated for clearance to make way for a route of the gas pipeline were forced to fill their rice quota to the authorities in Mudon Township, Mon State.

About 80 of 2030 Acres of cultivating rice fields belonging to farmers from Kwan Hlar village were encroached upon for the gas pipeline route without compensation. Even though the farmers have not been able to grow rice, the SPDC included the quota to fill the targeted project. The local authorities comprised of Peace and Development Council, local Police Force and Militia (PyiThuSit) are teaming up to hound farmers to collect paddy from the farmers at a low price for export and distribution to the army and the civil servants.

A migrant worker from Mudon said farmers have to pay 12 baskets per acre in his village and those who fail to sell the rice are being fine. The disappointed farmers formed a Farmers Union at Kwan Hlar village and signed a petition letter in protest. But the village headmen, Nai Kyaung, was reluctant to pass their claims to the authorities and their appeal was turned back. “The government quota did not excuse over 900 baskets of paddy in the confiscated land and we are angry,” said a farmer from Mudon who signed a petition letter with other farmers.

SPDC built the Kanbauk-Myaingkalay gas pipeline that runs across Mon State from northern Tenasserim Division to Karen State, from Kanbauk an on-shore gas station to supply a cement factory in Pa-an Township in Karen State, several acres of land are confiscated for clearing the route.

HRP ATTACK MILITIA CAMP

(Kao-Wao, June 11, 2002)

The Hongsawatoi Restoration Party (HRP) attacked a military camp at Aleh Sakhan village, southern Ye Township, Mon State on June 11, 2002.

Nai Hloin, a regional commander of the Monland Restoration Army (MRA), led the surprised attack and the Burmese Army and militia suffered 3 dead leaving behind one M-16 according to the source from Ye, Mon State. The MRA is a military wing of the HRP led by Col. Pan Nyunt who split from the New Mon State Party last year.

The difficult situation on forced labour, land confiscation, and human rights violations forced the Mons to form armed groups after the New Mon State Party reached a cease-fire with the military junta in 1995. Nai Hloin, Nai Bin, and Nai JaiDike were united with Col. Pan Nyunt after his split from the NMSP and formed HRP with a national army inside Monland on November 29, 2001.

BOOK: THE GOLDEN SHELDRAKE SET TO FLY

(Kao-Wao, June 10, 2002)

A political history of the Mon people of lower Burma and Thailand, “The Golden Sheldrake” written by Ashley South will be available in July this year according to the author.

Charting Mon history from the earliest times to the present, the book describes the origins of Burma’s ethnic politics in the pre-colonial era and developments during the British (and Japanese) colonial periods. Following independence in 1948, Burma was plunged into a civil war, which still drags on today. 'The Golden Sheldrake' explores the background to and major episodes in the war, and compares the experiences of various parties to the conflict, including the Mon, Karen and Kachin ethnic communities and insurgent organisations. It describes the dynamics of armed conflict in Burma, and examines the controversial series of cease-fire agreements negotiated since 1989, between various insurgent armies and the military government. Exploring the relationship between the Burmese democracy movement led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the ethnic insurgents, international and local non-government organisations, and Burma’s one million-plus refugees, the book concludes by looking at the future of the ‘ethnic question’ in Burma.

'The Golden Sheldrake' will be of interest to students of Southeast Asian history and politics. Anthropologists will appreciate the sustained focus on issues of identity and assimilation, whilst the author’s first-hand accounts of the humanitarian crisis along the Thailand-Burma border are of particular relevance to the study of displacement and under-development.

Kao-Wao conducted an interview with the author in January of this year. Ashley South lived and worked with the Mons for seven years and is currently studying at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). “With one or two exceptions, Westerners writing about contemporary Burmese politics have tended to neglect the Mon and other ethnic minority groups, and down-play the significance of the cease-fire process in Burma. At the risk of over-emphasising the role of the former, and without necessarily endorsing the latter, the book is an attempt to redress the balance,” said the author during interview.

Those who are interested to view the book please do so to Curzon Press Ltd., 51a George Street, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1HJ, UK and email to [email protected].

KACHIN POST: A VOICE FOR TOP NORTH

(Kao-Wao, June 11, 2002)

The newly, self-funded monthly news report published by young Kachin journalists will bring information to people in the silent top north area, known as the “Land of Jade” in Burma.

The Kachin Post, published in the Jinghpaw language, is distributed from the liberated area of Burma border to readers inside Kachin State, overseas in India, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Europe and North America. The newspaper covers stories and news in Kachin State, regional, national and international affairs with articles, comic, and opinion on politics, environment, entertainment, and sports.

This is the second news paper in Kachin history, the first paper “Jinghpaw Times” (Jinghpaw Prat) was published from 1958 to 1962 during the time Burma enjoyed democracy and press freedom in the U Nu’s parliamentary government before the military coup by General New Win, said a young enthusiastic Editor of Kachin Post, Naw Seng.

Naw Seng, a self learned journalist, age 25 founded Kachin Post with his young friends started the newsgroup to keep informed the Kachin people who have no access to press freedom about democracy and other knowledge.

KAO WAO NEWS GROUP

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ABOUT US Kao-Wao Newsgroup is committed to social justice, peace, and democracy in Burma. We hope to be able to provide more of an in-depth analysis that will help to promote lasting peace and change within Burma. Editors, reporters, writers, and overseas volunteers are dedicated members of the Mon activist community based in Thailand. Our motto is working together for change.

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