Date:
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1.Book Review: BMA publishes
"U-Dunn" No 2 (In Burmese)*
2.World Food Program food aid looted by robbers
in Arakan
3.Five million kyats per month demanded for
gas pipeline security fee
4.Farmers exultant over alien poppy strain
5.Army sergeant arrested for attempted rape
6.Muslims complain of military extortion during
religious festival in Arakan
7.Ethnic groups condemn junta's brutality
against religions
8.Religious riot in Arakan
State
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* For Burmese language stories please go
to the BNI site at www.bnionline.net
World Food Program food aid looted by robbers in Arakan
=======================================================
Narinjara News
Maungdaw, January 25
The World Food Program (WFP) has been robbed of a large amount of food
aid in
police sources. The goods were looted from a boat in the middle of the
night Jan. 19 while enroute to Krean Chaung village from Maung Daw.
The boat was loaded with 1,000 sacks of rice and 149 sacks of peas that
were intended for extremely poor people, under a rehabilitation program.
The robbers approached the WFP boat in their own motorboat and ordered
it to stop in the same manner as the Burmese soldiers. When the WFP
boatmen stopped the boat, the robbers tied the crew up at gunpoint.
The robbers then loaded the bags of rice and peas onto their boat and
proceeded to rob the boatmen of any currency they had, one of the
boatmen said.
However, the robbers were, unable to take all of the food on board as
their boat was much smaller than that of the WFP.
The director of WFP's food carrier, U Maung Maung, has reported the
event to the Maung Daw police station. A police source said the Burmese
authority is preparing a letter of complaint to the Bangladesh Rifle
(BDR) regarding the case. No information was currently available
regarding who was involved in the incident.
In Buthi Daung
and
disruptedsince a Nasaka force was dismissed from their duty by the local
SPDC authority, reported several local people.
++++
Five million kyats per month demanded for gas pipeline
security fee
===================================================================
Independent Mon News Agency
Villagers in southern
to pay about five million kyats per month for a Kanbauk-Myaingkalay gas
pipeline security fee to soldiers, and also forced to fence the gas
pipeline for security reasons, according to the Village Peace and
Development Council(VPDC) in the area.
Military officers from Burmese Army Infantry Battalion No.62, based in
Thanpyuzayat, collected 2,000 kyats for each house per month from seven
villages in the area, according to the VPDC.
Villagers are also forced to fill the ground along the gas pipeline
route where the pipes are above ground, additionally fencing the gas
pipeline where the gas pipe crosses the stream.
These villages are situated in southern Thanbyuzayat far from the town.
The villages which suffer payments and forced labor are Wae-kha-dard,
Sakharn, Chork-pa-line, Wae-kha-meat, Wae-toer, Kalaing-pa-taw and
Ywa-thar-aye.
IMNA has learned that Township SPDC authorities and the Burmese Army
forced not only of these villagers but those in other townships to pay
for the gas pipeline security service.
The government also forced villages to clear the bushes alongside the
gas pipeline route and also ordered orchid plantation owners close to
the route to clear the bushes in their plantations.
The villagers were regularly forced to work and received no payment for
their contribution or food costs while working there.
According to villagers along the gas pipeline, some villagers were also
beaten by soldiers who take gas pipeline security, and some villagers
who cross the pipeline route in the evening were also accused of being
rebels and inhumanely tortured. Local farmers and plantation personnel
near the gas-pipeline normally return home in the evening after
completing their work.
Kanbauk-Myaingkalay gas pipeline was built in 2000, relocating some Mon
villagers in
Farmers who lost their land and property did not receive any
compensation from the regime.
The approximately 150-mile-long gas pipeline brings gas from Yatana gas
field via Kanbauk gas station in Tenasserim Division and supplies energy
to a cement factory in Myaingkalay village in Pa-an Township,
The SPDC beefs up tight security forces along the gas pipeline.
++++++
Farmers exultant over alien poppy strain
========================================
S.H.A.N, King Cobra & Hawkeye
Poppy seeds believed to be of Indian strain have been making a strong
showing, say sources from the border. A 53-year-old northern Shan farmer
on the Loi Khilek range in Mongton township opposite Chiangmai, told
S.H.A.N:
"Everyone here who bought the seeds is jubilant. Just look at my field.
One part of it was sown with indigenous seeds, three milk cans of them,
and the other with the new seeds, just two milk cans full."
The comparative results were astounding, he exclaimed: While the
indigenous part yielded two and a half viss (1 viss = 1.6 kg) leaving
the pods shrunk and dry, the "foreign part" gave him four-and-a-half
viss and the pods are still producing sap.
The seeds were sold by Captain Han Sein of Infantry Battalion 65, who
retired on Dec. 4, for 100 kyats (10 U.S. cents) per condensed milkcan,
last August, which the villagers say was twice as much as the price of
the indigenous strain.
Already Kokang businessmen in the area have offered to buy the season's
harvest for 20,000 baht (U.S.$500). Last year, it was 350,000 kyat ($350).
The price hike appears to be the trend elsewhere as well. In southern
Shan State, across the
($390-400),while in the north, it is 800,000 - 1,000,000 kyats ($800
-1,000).
++++
Army sergeant arrested for attempted rape
=========================================
Narinjara News
Buthidaung, January 25
A newly arrived army sergeant from
attempting to rape a captain's wife in Buthidaung, 80 miles north of the
Arakan capital of Akyab, according to army sources. The sergeant was
identified as Aung Myo Oo from the Burma Military Government Army's
newly organized security organization.
The event allegedly occurred on Jan. 14, in the former Military
Intelligence (MI) Compound 18 of Buthidaung, when the army captain left
his wife alone in a room. As the sergeant went to the captain's house to
look for some cooking materials he saw her alone in the room. It was
then that the alleged attempted rape occurred.
Captain Htin Aung Naing, in charge of the compound, returned to the
scene as soon as he was informed of the event. He then arrested the
sergeant and handed him over to the Light Infantry Battalion 234 base in
Buthidaung.
The sergeant is currently detained in a cantonment of Light Infantry
Battalion 234, where he is being interrogated for his attempted rape of
the captain's wife. He had recently
arrived at Buthidaung from
proper with another 13 new army personnel to replace the recently ousted
MI Unit 18.
++++
Muslims complain of military extortion during
religious festival in Arakan
===================================================================
Kaladan Press Maungdaw, Jan-25:
Military personnel in northern
taxes from people who celebrated the Eid-ul-Adha(sacrificial festival),
the second largest Islamic festival of Muslims, reported a villager on
condition of anonymity for his security.
Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid-ul-Adha every year and
thousands of sheep, cows, goats, buffaloes and camels are sacrificed on
the 10th day of Zilhaj (Arabic month) in the name of eternal God to
remind them of the supreme sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim who was
about to slaughter his beloved son as ordained by eternal God in his dream.
The Muslim Rohingyas of northern Arakan celebrated Eid-ul-Adha on
different days, Friday Jan. 21 and Saturday Jan. 22, while they
slaughtered cattle and goats based on capacity. But military personnel
forcibly collected a 1,000-1,500 kyat tax and 10 kilograms of meat from
each of the cattle, while people were forced to sell all hides and skins
to the Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC)) office for the
lowest price. For each goat they had to give 300 kyats to the military,
he said.
After the removal of Military Intelligence (MI) and inactivation of
Nasaka forces, people felt great hope for peace and justice in the
region but now, the system of military personnel is worse than before.
All kinds ofactivities of Nasaka and MI are being revived by the
military and immigration taking serious initiatives against humanity,
the villager continued.
They imposed restrictions on worshiping at the prayer ground usually
used by Muslims for the two Eid days, Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha. But
the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)) imposed severe
restrictions for the two celebrations while SPDC authorities collected
money for Buddhist festivals, a Rohingya political leader said.
Most Muslims in Arakan are Rohingyas who offered their Eid prayer in
mosques because SPDC authorities warned Rohingyas not to pray at the
Eid-Ghah (open air prayer ground) with a large number of devotees' The
SPDC also restricted delivering contemporary Khutbah or religious
sermons in Mosques. So Rohingyas celebrated the Eid-ul-Adha in fear of
their lives and liberty, he added.
Muslim Rohingyas in Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Rathidaung and Akyab were
Warned in advance by SPDC authorities not to move from one place to
another in large numbers at the same time and not to stay long in a
place, even today, the Eid day. The SPDC is violating religious rights
of Rohingya by various means, said a religious leader from Maungdaw who
requested anonymity for his safety.
This restriction is not for the first time in Arakan, but has been
increasing year by year for many years, especially since the 1988
democracy uprising. Muslim Rohingyas were forced to donate and
contribute, and also encouraged to take part in the celebration of
Buddhist festivals, while non-Buddhists are prohibited and restricted in
their worship in the country, he added.
According to Muslim tradition, the celebration of Eid at Eid Ghah has
more virtue than at Mosques. So all Islamic believers (Muslims) try to
pray their Eid prayer at specific places of Eid Ghah. But Rohingyas in
Arakan are deprived of their freedom of worship and religion, as they
are accustomed by Islam to follow the true Islamic philosophy of the
Quran and Sunnah, while others believe in Buddhism, Hinduism,
Christianity or animism.
Similar restrictions and formalities were formatted for non-Buddhist
communities throughout
Pa-O, Palaung, Zumis and others also face problems in their worship and
forceful conversion to Buddhism
from other religions in
++++
Ethnic groups condemn junta's brutality against
religions
=========================================================
Kaladan Press,
Ethnic groups from
capital of
brutalities against minority
religions in
Burmese Embassy from
religious persecution against
Christianity in
Some Chin community leaders, Chin Christian pasters, Daw Maw Li of the
Burmese Women's Union (BWU) and Myint
Hla, a Muslim member of the
Lawyer's Council (BLC) delivered speeches at the rally.
According to Tin Soe, a Rohingya intern at the Human Rights Education
staged the rally at
opposing "Religious Persecution and Forced Conversion of Chins" in Chin
State.
They called on all
deliberate human rights abuses. They also urged an immediate end to SPDC
polices of religious persecution, forced conversion and desecration of
religious institutions and demanded they free all pastors, church
leaders, evangelists, missionaries and other religious leaders.
Ahh Me, a Chin, read a statement at the rally about human rights abuses
across
was based on the destruction Jan. 3 of a 50-foot-high cross which stood
for two decades on top of mount Boi, south of Mattupi Township in Chin
State.
The Christian religious symbol was destroyed at the command of Col. San
Aung of Military Infantry Battalion No.304 while several villagers were
subject to physical torture during the operation, according to protesters.
They said forcible conversion from Christianity to Buddhism, destruction
of places of worship and erecting Buddhist pagodas and monasteries is
increasing in
Respect human rights and redress violations and abuses, bring records
and take action against personnel of Battalion No. 304 who committed the
crimes in Matupi participants demanded at the rally. Many Chin ethnic
groups participated in the rally together with ethnic Shan and Rohingyas.
++++++
Religious riot in Arakan
State
==============================
Narinjara News
Maungdaw, January 25
A religious riot broke out in a town in Arakan on Jan. 20, leaving at
least three people dead, according to the All Arakan Students and Youths
Congress (AASYC). The three found dead were all Muslims, one a Muslim
religious teacher. The riot broke out near Naga Pariyeti Sathin Thik, a
Buddhist monastery in the district town of
State.
According to another source, the riot started after a young Muslim
sweeper from a local mosque insulted several Buddhist monks near the
monastery. The sweeper is said to be an informant for the local army
station at Kyauk Pru and was known to insult local Arakanese people,
said Ko Naing Naing of the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD), quoting
townspeople.
In response to the incident, the town authority cut off all telephone
lines in town for fear of information getting out regarding the riot.
The
Arakan, to Kyauk Pry to control the situation.
Arakan is considered a very
sensitive state in
riots took place in the area in in the last several years. In a riot in
Akyab in 2001, at least 30 people were killed and many properties destroyed.
***End***
__________________________________________________________________
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such as Mizzima News, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News Group,
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Independent Mon News Agency, Karenni Information
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