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(1) 95 Percent Rohingya
Refugees Repatriated
(2) Two villagers escape from police camp in Chin
state (In Burmese)
(3) Law still free, alive and kicking
(4) Burmese Foreign Minister Will Visit
(5) Exiled Shans demand
release of leaders
(6) New spy machine starting from scratch
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Note: For Burmese story please read in the web: www.bnionline.net
95 Percent Rohingya Refugees Repatriated
========================================
Cox’s Bazar February 19: So far,
95 percent of Rohingya refugees have
been repatriated to their homeland
and everything is being done for the
repatriation of the remaining
refugees, according to FM of Bangladesh in
parliament on
Some 20,197 Rohingya
refugees from
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) have been instructed not to allow
any more
Rohingya refugees into
Lutfozzaman Babar in parliament.
No Rohingya refugee has applied to
the government seeking the
citizenship of
Meanwhile, FM of Bangladesh told the House that according to
the
international norms of refugee
repatriation, the government is
conducting Rohingya
refugee repatriation program through bilateral
dialogue with UNHCR and the Burmese
government.
Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan
mentioned that a secretary level
committee has been formed with
representatives from the ministries of
foreign affairs, Home affairs, and
Food and Disaster Management. At
present the committee is working to
expedite the repatriation of
remaining Rohingya
refugees, he said.
Nearly 300,000 Rohingya refugees
from
+++++++++
Law still free, alive
and kicking
==================================
S.H.A.N
February 18
Former druglord Law Hsinghan and his son, contrary to stories saying
they have been detained, not only
remain unfettered but are expanding
their business, according to
sources.
The fact is substantiated by The Voice weekly, which
reported in its
Feb. 14 issue that his Asia World Port Management Co. Ltd.
is embarking
on the fourth phase of an
extension at
(Thanlyin) within the year, quoting
Daw Kyi Kyi Han,
Terminal's woman executive director.
The extension at Syriam's Thilawa port will cover 14 acres (56,700
Square meters) of land. This is in
addition to the first port he built
at
"The port located at Ahlone
township is Burmese citizen owned and the
first
port constructed by a private
firm," boasts the article.
As for Law's erstwhile rival and now friend Khun Sa, he is still living
at Ye Kyi Aing,
the former Military Intelligence bastion north of
resident concurs. "We
sometimes see him coming downtown to have a
hamburger," he says.
Law Hsinghan, a native of Kokang, became known as the "King of Opium"
in the early 1970's until he was
jailed for "rebellion against the
state" by
succession to Khun
Sa, Lin Mingxian and now Wei
Hsuehkang.
++++++++
Burmese Foreign
Minister Will Visit
===============================================================
Kaladan,
Win will go to
endorsement for a proposed road
link between
according to a report. He will also
lay the foundation stone for a
bridge at Taungbro
in Cox's Bazaar District on the Bangladesh-Burma
border Feb. 25, sources said.
Nyan Win will hold meetings with
the
Other high officials on various bilateral
issues. The issue of exporting
gas from
the discussion..
Communication Minister Nazmul Huda and other high officials of his
Ministry held a meeting yesterday to discuss necessary
preparations for
the laying of the foundation stone
by the Burmese foreign minister at
Taungbro. The
bridge as part of its assistance to
its next door neighbor in building
the 20-kilometer highway.
This is the first time that
country with its own resources.
During his visit to
year, then
the foundation stone for the road
at Gundum in the Bangladesh- Burma
border area.
The direct road link between
to establish road communications
with
is also expected to strengthen the
government's "Look East" foreign policy.
++++++++++
Exiled Shans demand release of leaders
======================================
S.H.A.N, February 17
Shans meeting on the border with Chiangmai yesterday called on
to release their leaders arrested
last week, and condemned
military leadership as violators of
human rights and even of their own
trademark slogans
"Non-disintegration of the
"Non-disintegration of the Nation Unity" by
arresting Hkun Htun Oo,
chairman of the Shan
Nationalities League for Democracy, Sao Hso Ten,
chairman of the Shan State Peace
Council and their associates.
Representatives from 14 groups including the Shan Democratic
Union,
Restoration Council of
others demanded that "The
military authorities must release the leaders
of
"Our demand may well likely fall on deaf ears,"
said a representative
from the Shan Women's Action
Network, who was proposing a draft
resolution. "But we want the
world to know all of us are one and the
same with those unjustly
imprisoned."
A participant from the Shan Relief and
active in Southern Shan State, also
expressed fear over the fate of
those detained. "They had
poisoned the Prince of Yawnghwe (Sao Shwe
first president) to death," he said. "Who can guarantee
the same thing
won't happen again?"
Sao Shwe Thaike, father of the
Brussels-based Euro-Burma Office's Harn
Yawnghwe, died under mysterious
circumstances in 1962, eight months
after his imprisonment following
Gen. Ne Win's coup in March of that year.
Another participant, from the Fang-based
questioned whether the UN-supported
call for tripartite dialogue(between
the military, democratic opposition
and ethnic opposition) was still
feasible. The ensuing debate resulted
in a consensus that a
multi-pronged strategy should be
employed in accordance with the late
Chao Tzang
Yawnghwe's tireless exhortation for "Common
Goals, Diverse
Actions."
"The arrests of our leaders will not spell the end of
the Shan
struggle," Wansai,
general secretary of the Shan Democratic Union, later
told S.H.A.N..
1947, to form today's Union of Burma on the basic principles
of Full
Autonomy, Human Rights and Democracy.
The country has been at full-blown
war with itself since the 1962 coup
and abrogation of the 1947 union
constitution.
The military authorities must release the leaders of
immediately and unconditionally. The
Burma Army itself is the saboteur
of the
The Shan community is totally against the Burma Army's
violations of
Human Rights. The military
authorities must accept full responsibly for
all the unpleasant consequences
arising from the imprisonment of
leaders.
++++++++++
New spy machine
starting from scratch
=====================================
The Office of the Military Affairs Security (OMAS), the
successor to The
dissolved Military Intelligence, is
starting almost everything from the
bottom, as most of the former
intelligence officers have been purged,
according to sources from the
Sino-Burma border:
Before
ousted, the whole Lashio-based Northeastern Region that stood guard over
24 townships was policed by the
Military Intelligence Battalion #2.
Under it were MI-9 in Lashio,
MI-23 in Kutkhai and MI-29 in Laogai
(Laukkai).
However, the total OMAS manpower as of New Year's day was only 14,
Commanded by Lt-Col Nyi Nyi Thein Myint and his deputies Maj Htun Nay
Lin and Maj. Min Htut,
who is responsible for the security of Lashio.
Their plan is to establish four intelligence platoons during
the year
in the whole Northeastern Region,
according to sources close to the
military: Platoon 1 for Kuthkai, Hsenwi, Namkham, Muse and Panghsai
townships; Platoon 2 for Laogai, Kunlong, Chin Shwehaw, Mongmai, Pangwai
and Hopang
townships; Platoon 3 for Kyaukme, Hsipaw,
Namlan, Nawngkhio,
Mongmit and Manpiang
townships; and Platoon 4 for Tangyan, Mongyai,
Namtu, Manhpang, Pangyang
and Nahparn townships.
The description of their jobs includes keeping under
surveillance not
Only dissident groups but also ceasefire
groups and former MI members.
At present, some of the OMAS burdens are being shared by the
police,
said one. "But it still has a
long way to go," he confided. "So if the
activists are up to something, the
time to do it is now."
The new OMAS director is Maj-Gen Myint Swe, reportedly a nephew of Daw
***End***
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groups
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Network,
Independent Mon News Agency, Karenni Information
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