Burma News International

 

Date: January 18, 2005

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) Khin Nyunt still towers in Panghsang

(2) Motorbike price jumps up after SPDC announces cleanup of illegal cars

(3) Bangladesh wants direct return on Burma gas pipeline project

(4) Price Hike on Kerosene, Petrol This Year in Arakan State

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Khin Nyunt still towers in Panghsang

====================================

S.H.A.N

January 18, 2005

 

The ousted Gen Khin Nyunt is still holding hands with the Wa supremo Bao

Youxiang at his Panghsang headquarters, said sources from the Chinese

border:

 

The billboard that was taken down soon after the dismissal of the

Burmese general who had befriended the Wa and other ceasefire groups had

been replaced upon Bao Youxiang's return from China where he had been

receiving treatment from an unspecified illness. "We had been good

friends", he was reported as saying. "His quarrel was with his own

people, not with us."

 

Representatives from other organization who were in Panghsang yesterday

to attend the funeral of Li Ziru, the Wa second-in-command who passed

away on 9 January, were surprised to see the billboard standing at the

People's Square where a public ceremony in his honor was held.

 

The funeral processions will be on Saturday, 22 January. Letters of

condolences were read out by a Kokang representative and Gen Hsoten of

Shan State Peace Council, among otehrs.

 

+++++++++++++++

 

Motorbike price jumps up after SPDC announces cleanup of illegal cars

=====================================================================

Independent Mon News Agency

January 18, 2005

 

Motorbike prices have jumped up after the recent announcement of a

Burmese military government cleanup of illegal (unlicensed) cars

imported from neighboring countries, so they cost almost the same price

as illegal cars did: two million Kyats for a motorbike made in 2004 that

has a Ma La Ma license, and one.million Kyats for a motorbike made in

2004 that does not have a license.

 

 “The government's announcement that they are going to seize illegal

cars after the end of the coming March made the motorbike price

increase. People afraid of having illegal cars and motorbikes tried to

get legal ones. That is why the price of a car or motorcycle with a

license jumped up,” said Nai Chan, a motorbike and car trader from Mon

state.

 

 “Traffic police again created a rumor that the government was really

going to seize motorbikes. That has made the motorbike price increase

everyday,” he added.

 

According to illegal motorbike trading groups, they hope the motorbike

price can increase more in the coming month.

 

Prices of motorbikes:

 

 Kinds---------------------------------Year Made--------        Price

 

 Wave & Dream (brand) with license --- 2004 -------- 2,000,000 Kyats

 Wave & Dream without license ---      2004--------  1,000,000 Kyats

 Wave & Dream with license ---         2003--------  1,800,000 Kyats

 Wave & Dream without license ---      2003--------    900,000 Kyats

 Wave & Dream with license ---         2002--------  1,300,000 Kyats

 Wave & Dream without license ----     2002--------    700,000 Kyats

 Wave & Dream with license ---         2001--------  1,200,000 Kyats

 Wave & Dream without license ---      2001--------    600,000 Kyats

 Wave & Dream with license ---         2000--------  1,000,000 Kyats

 Wave & Dream without license ---      2004---------   500,000 Kyats

 Super Cup (from China) with license--  ----       --- 700,000 Kyats

 Super Cup (from China) without license----  ---       500,000 Kyats

 

Most of the motorbikes were imported from Thailand and China and most

were imported illegally. The Burmese government tries to control import

of illegal motorbikes into Burma, but the government cannot control and

open a way for people to register their illegal bikes to become legal.

 

Most illegal motorbike traders joined with cease-fire groups to import

into Burma.

In 2004 the Burmese government stopped cease-fire groups from supporting

people regarding illegal motorbike. Illegal Motorbike owners also hope

they can avoid trouble if cease-fire groups resume fighting.

 

++++++++++++++++++

 

Bangladesh wants direct return on Burma gas pipeline project

============================================================

Mizzima, Nava Thakuria

January 16, 2005

 

Guwahati: The Bangladesh government wants a direct return from India

before approving a tri-national gas pipeline from Burma to India through

its territory. Otherwise Dhaka will not sign the trans-boundary gas

pipeline deal, State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources AKM

Mosharraf said Jan. 15.

 

Addressing journalists in Dhaka,  Hossain, who  held talks with his

counterparts from India and Burma , made it clear that Prime Minister

Begum Khaleda Zia's government would not sign the deal with India and

Burma  unless it includes a bilateral agreement with India.

 

“We’ll not sign the tripartite deal without the bilateral one with

India,” said Hossain, who had discussed the issue with Prime Minister

Khaleda Zia.  Bangladesh is pursuing a trade route to Nepal and Bhutan

through India. After tri-nation talks ended on a positive note on Jan.

13 in Rangoon to resolve the issue of a gas pipeline through Bangladesh,

the government in Dhaka wants final agreement for the deal with India to

have a transmition facility  for

hydroelectricity generated in Nepal and Bhutan in addition to supplying

commodities to

and from the two Himalayan Kingdoms through India.

 

Bangladesh has long argued for facilities though India which earlier did

not respond positively. But after the initial agreement to lay a 290-km

pipeline from gas fields in Burma to India through Bangladesh, Dhaka

demanded it as a return of the gas pipeline project. The gas pipeline

from Arakan province in Burma, will enter the Northeast Indian states of

Mizoram and Tripura. It will penetrate Bangladesh through the

Brahmanbaria area and run to Rajshahi border to reach Kolkata in India.  

 

Taking advantage of the need for natural gas for India, the  Bangladesh

government also argued for decreasing trade imbalances between the two

countries. India imports around  $100 million worth of products from

Bangladesh, whereas they imports over $1,400 million from China, their

giant neighbour.

 

Prior to the trilateral agreement, the government in Dhaka wants a

bilateral agreement with New Delhi to  enable Bangladesh to increase

trade with Bhutan and Nepal. “They (India and Burma) want to do it (the

gas pipeline project) immediately, but we’re not  in a hurry. Our point

is to get the bilateral one first,” Hossain affirmed.

 

+++++++++++++



Price Hike on Kerosene, Petrol This Year in Arakan State

========================================================

 

Kaladan Press

 

Buthidaung, January 16: Increased kerosene and petrol prices in Arakan

State, Burma,  at the beginning of 2005 have hampered mostly farmers,

according to sources. Kerosene is now being sold for 2,600 Kyats per

gallon that was sold for 2,200 Kyats per gallon the previous month.

Petrol is also sold at 2,100 Kyat that was sold for 2, 000 Kyats per

gallon at the end of 2004, said a trader selling kerosene and petrol in

a shop.

 

The price hike greatly affected farmers as they largely depend on

kerosene and petrol for irrigation and other purposes. It also increased

transport costs and food prices leading to higher inflation, he added,

quoting intellectuals.

 

Economists believe that the price hike will have a serious negative

impact on the economy and the poor, he added.

 

Rural people consume most of the kerosene and petrol, both largely for

the agriculture and transport sectors and a major cost factor in food

production and transportation, said an intellectual who preferred not to

give his name.

 

Burma already faces a high inflation rate. Economists fear a petrol and

kerosene price hike will further increase the inflation rate, the

intellectual added.

 

An expert in economics said, “It will also add to inflation. In such a

context, the increase of kerosene and petrol prices, and the cost of

transportation and irrigation will increase. Most people in Arakan State

are dependent on kerosene and petrol, so the price hike will affect

farmers seriously.”

 

***End***

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Burma News International is a network of nine exiled media groups

such as Mizzima News, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News Group,

Khonumthung News Group, Narinjara News, Kaladan Press Network,

Independent Mon News Agency, Karenni Information

Network Group and Network Media Group.

 

WWW.BNIONLINE.NET

.........................

Burma News International

Contact: Duty Editor

       +66 9 54 94 296

[email protected]