Date:
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1. Rich Sedona Feeling Poorly
2. Five Refugees Jailed For Refusal Of
Forced Repatriation
3. Regimes' Troops Fighting Karinni
Inside (In Burmese)*
4. Riots Spread Near Kyauk Pru As Army Besieges Three Buddhist Monasteries In Arakan
5. 2,000 Bags Of Urea
Fertilizer Seized By
6. Tsunami Mon Victims Likely To Increase
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* For Burmese language stories, please
go to the BNI site at www.bnionline.net
Rich Sedona feeling poorly
==========================
Ai Zai, S.H.A.N
For years,
rooms, has been finding a hard time trying to make ends meet,
according to sources coming from the capital.
The number of guest has been below expectations, resulting in $ 7.962
millions in expenditure against $ 3.9 millions in earnings for the
2002-2003 fiscal year alone.
In addition, the hotel is required to pay 5% of its annual income to
the military government for the rent of land. "It has already
accumulated $ 1.625 millions in debt to the government," according to
an insider source, "which includes $ 0.28 million for 2002-2003 fiscal
year and $ 0.37 million for the 2003-2004 fiscal year."
At present, the hotel has been trying to make up for its losses by
renting out its rooms for meetings, lowering its rates and even
doubling as a nightclub as well.
The $ 103.27 million Sedona was inaugurated on
8th anniversary of the military takeover and heralding the Visit
and
++++
Five Refugees Jailed for Refusal of Forced
Repatriation
=======================================================
Kaladan News, January 28
Five refugees were arrested and sent to jail by police for refusal of
forced repatriation in
on condition of anonymity.
The victims were identified as Du Du Meah son of Hussain Ahamed, 35,
Shed No.2, B. Block, Room 1, Nayapara Camp No.1, Mobibul Mostafa, 30,
B. Block, Shed No1, Room No.1, Mohamed Hussain, 40, son of Habib, B.
Block, Shed No.2, and Room No.3, Sayed Alam, 36, son of Mohamed
Sultan, Shed No. 9, and Room No. 5, Boshir Ahamed, 60, son of Abdul
Zabar, Block No.1, Shed No.17 and Room No.6. The all victims are
belonging to Nayapara Refugee camp, he further added.
Some victims were arrested on 23rd of January and some were arrested
on 27th of January 2005 by police because of negative response of
forced repatriation. Afterwards, they were sent to Cox’s Bazar jail,
said another refugee leader who declined to mention his name.
But, representative of UNHCR here Christopher BC Lee has lauded the
efforts of the
refugees in
The appreciation came when Lee called on Food and Disaster Chowdhury
Kamal Ibne Yusuf at his Secretariat office here on 26th of January.
Secretary of the ministry Siddiqur Rahman Chowdhury was present. They
exchanged views on matters of mutual interests, said an official
handout.
The minister apprised the UNHCR representative of various pragmatic
steps taken by the government for repatriation of the Burmese refugees
to their homeland.
The UNHCR representative appreciated the government steps for ensuring
law and order and discipline in the refugee camps as well as overall
welfare of the Rohingya
refugees in
Lee told the minister that UNHCR has been negotiating with the Burmese
government for the repatriation of the refugees.” If our negotiation
yields positive results, the process of repatriation will start soon,”
lee said.
At present, about 20,000 Rohingya refugees are taking shelter in two
refugee camps of Kutupalong and Nayapara, officials said.
++++++
Burmese Army burns down three Mon villages
==========================================
Nai Non Htaw, IMNA
Burmese Army troops have burned three villages in southern Ye Township
and in northern
About 100 houses in the villages have been burned. Hundreds of
villagers have escaped.
offenders in the world. Claims of progress by the military have been
merely cosmetic, followed by a new wave of brutal repression.
South-East Command No. 3 Tactical Command No.3 has been burning
civilians' houses in Wae-kwao Paukpingwin, Magyi, and Dani-kyar, all
Mon villages with 100-300 households per village.
Burmese soldiers burned houses Mon soldiers from splinter groups or
the New Mon State Party used as temporary shelters. According to
villagers, the Burmese soldiers have been investigating which houses
were used by Mon soldiers as shelters and burning them. About 40
houses were already burned in Paukpingwin village and about 60 in
another two villages.
"Before they burned down my house, they told me to collect our
property in the house; then they burned it down. But in some houses,
before owners completed collecting property they burned them down,"
said a villager whose house was also burned ,
The villagers told IMNA that soldiers normally burn houses after
dark. After their houses were burned, the owners and neighbors were
forced to clean up the damage. When villagers came to the house in
the morning they didn't know what was happening to the house. Some
good wooden houses were destroyed and all timber and other poles
Were taken by Burmese soldiers.
About 70 homeless families fled to a Mon village in Tavoy district
controlled by the New Mon State Party. Some homeless villagers left
the village to stay with relatives in another village. "If Burmese
soldiers continue to burn down houses and torture villagers, nobody
will dare live in the villages. The villages will be empty soon."
Paukpinkwin, Magyi and Dani-kyar villages were recently used as bases
by a Mon splinter group which already left the area. Burmese military
have launched military offensives against Mon rebels since the end of
2003. During the military operation, more than 20 women were raped,
more than 10 people killed and hundreds of villagers were tortured by
Burmese soldiers.
Because of intensive military offensives, the Mon rebels withdrew from
the area and moved to border areas. Although Mon rebels withdrew,
Burmese soldiers still commit human rights violations such as
conscription of porters, forced labor; taxation and looting;
confiscation of land and properties and confiscations from local
civilians.
+++++
Riots spread near Kyauk Pru as army besieges three Buddhist
monasteries in Arakan
===========================================================
Narinjara News, January 27
Religious rioting has spread to a town near Kyauk Pru and three
monasteries have been besieged by army personnel, according to a a
Buddhist monk. "The monks are not allowed by authorities to offer food
from outside and the army has now besieged three monasteries in Kyauk
Pru," said U Shet Kinda from a monastery in Akyah via a telephone
interview.
Five students were also arrested for their involvement in the riot in
Kyauk Pru, the monk added.
Army personnel from LIB 34 besieged Naga Pariyeti Satin Thike, Bura
Gri and Yet Thi, three monasteries in Kyauk Pruthe, a district town
of Arakan, hoping to prevent the riot from spreading.
However, the religious riot has now spread near to the town of
Rambree. Both Kyauk Pru
and Rambree are on
riot at Rambree.
The riot began on Jan. 20, before the Muslim religious festival, Eid-
ul-Azha, after a clash between several monks and a Muslim sweeper in
Kyauk Pru. A video shows destroyed houses. So far three people were
reportedly killed in the riot.
Burmese authorities have prohibited any Muslims from traveling in all
townships of
dominant areas, security has been heavily tightened and Muslims are
not allowed to visit between villages.
+++++
2,000 bags of urea fertilizer seized by
=======================================================
Narinjara News, January 27
On Jan. 20, the Bangladesh Navy ship SR Amin seized 2,000 bags of urea
fertilizer worth about three million taka (45 million Burmese kyats)
from a smuggling boat near
report.
Eight crew members were also arrested with the boat MB Mayer Doa,
near
mouth of the
The fertilizers were expected to be exported to
syndicate of Bangladeshis that had collaborated with several Burmese
businessmen. The navy seized the fertilizer during routine anti-
smuggling and anti-piracy duties in
the coastal area near
fulfill a domestic shortage, said a businessman from Taknef, a
fertilizers from
cannot satisfy their demand for fertilizer.
Last November, Bangladesh Navy personnel seized 23,530 bags of
fertilizer worth about 280 million taka from five mechanized boats in
a similar anti-smuggling bust.
+++++++++
TSUNAMI MON VICTIMS
LIKELY TO INCREASE
======================================
(Kaowao:
The death toll of Mon migrant workers is unknown with sources
believing that hundreds of Mon migrant workers have been unaccounted
since many of the victims had no status and their family members
remain in hiding to avoid arrest from the Thai authorities.
Despite getting help, many workers were deported after losing their
work permit cards when the wave struck, with many being accused as
thieves by the Thai who wished to target them as looters even if they
are innocent.
“Many migrant workers are unsure about their future and continue to
hide in areas close to where they work around construction sites in
Phang Nga and Phuket” said Nai Sumit, a social worker of PHAMIT based
in southern
“I had witnessed the suffering of my friend, his wife is missing after
the giant wave struck their place, he was then arrested and deported
back because he wasn’t able to present a document (medical test
paper) which was lost,” said Aung Win, a coworker at a construction
site in Phang Nga.
After the disaster, the Thai police accused some Burmese migrant
workers as looters as an excuse to get rid of potential thieves. Both
illegal and legal workers who lost their labor registration cards due
to the tsunami have been arrested and deported by Thai authorities
without being questioned. Many fled to hiding places and dared not
identify themselves as victims for humanitarian assistances fearing
arrest and deportation.
Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB) estimated that there
were about 2500 to 3000 Burmese killed, lost at sea or thrown onto the
beach from the killer wave, most of
whom were
fishermen from southern
According to Pattanarak Foundation, a Thai NGO based in Sangkhlaburi
of Thai Burma border, there were between 700 and 1000 Mon migrant
workers, especially fishermen, killed by the December 26th tsunami
that struck coastlines along the
Foundation, staffed by some Mon, assist Mon migrants in the border
area and publishes Mon and Thai languages newsletters for migrants and
the Mon community for 2 years.
About 60,000 Burmese workers in six southern provinces (Ranong,
Phuket, Phang-Nga, Trang, Satun and Krabi) are officially registered
while the number of illegal workers is unknown. The Asian Human
Rights Commission estimated that about 2,000 migrant workers have been
deported in recent weeks while 2,300 died and 4,000 are missing. Many
rights groups are concerned about the situation of Burmese workers who
are isolated and received no assistance.
Inside
were not severely affected by the tsunami; however families of Mon
fishermen have not heard from their men who were out at sea fishing.
Many fishermen will remain at sea for months to catch fish and will be
unable to contact their family. So families wonder whether their men
are dead or alive, some have decided to do merit deeds according to
traditional Buddhism, the source from Monland reported.
***End***
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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.
.........................
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