ARAKAN IN JANUARY 2001

Myanmar reinforcing troops along border

Land mine blasts along Myanmar border continue 

Bangladesh Burma to resolve border tension

Myanmar massing troops along border

Bangladesh-Burma border clash

Arakan Killings Reported

Myanmar reinforcing troops along border

The tension in the country’s south eastern frontier is mounting as Myanmar has reinforced troops along its border with Bangladesh, BDR sources said last night.
The Bangladesh side is also well prepared to face any eventuality, the sources said, adding "BDR looks forward to holding another flag meeting with the border security force, Nasaka, of Myanmar within three days".
Myanmar has brought to the advanced positions its regular troops from its army base in Maungdou.
Our Bandarban correspondent reports, Myanmar has imposed a curfew along the border, close to the non man's land, and arms and ammunition as well as troops were being brought from the Akyab sea port through vessels.
Hundreds of people in frontier areas in Teknaf and Ukhiya of Cox’s Bazar district and Gundum and Naikhangchari of Bandarban district are fleeing their homes apprehending possible attacks from across the border.

DHAKA, INDEPENDENT NEWS, 13TH JANUARY 2001
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Land mine blasts along Myanmar border continue    

DHAKA, THE DAILY STAR, 13TH JANUARY 2001
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Bangladesh and Burma have agreed to defuse tension on their border, after an exchange of fire there on Monday.
Both countries had sent troop reinforcements to the border zone following reports last week that Burma has started building a long-disputed dam on the river Naaf.
The Bangladesh foreign minister, Abdus Samad Azad, told journalists today the two countries had pledged to abide by an agreement which prevents either of them from constructing dams on the river Naaf, which forms part of their border.
Bangladesh says the dam would flood or cause erosion in its territory and damage shrimp cultivation projects. Burma argued the construction work on the dam had been undertaken by local villagers and the government had nothing to do with it.

LONDON, BBC WORLD SERVICE NEWSROOM, 11TH JANUARY 2001
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Myanmar has started deploying regular troops along the southeastern border of Bangladesh since yesterday morning.
According to sources, Myanmar army have moved to forward positions within one and a half kilometers off the frontier on the river Naf, which separates the two countries.
Nasaka, border forces of the Myanmar who traded fire with BDR on Monday, have also called in reinforcement, the sources said.
Myanmar have deployed regular soldiers across Ulubonia, Palangkhali, Rejupara, Chakdala and Ashartali border outposts of BDR, it is learnt.
Deployment of troops within eight kilometers or five miles of the zero line is a violation of international border regulations.
Following movements across the border, BDR have called in additional reinforcements from Cox's Bazar, Bandarban and Rangamati. Bangladesh Army, however, have not made any move yet.
Tension hung heavy in the air near Palangkhali Border Out Post (BOP) in Ukhia thana, 48 kilometers off Cox's Bazar.

Our Cox's Bazar correspondent reported that some villagers of Ulobonia and Palangkhali areas already fled their homes following Monday's skirmishes that lasted for several hours.

A company-level flag meeting between BDR and Nasaka Monday evening led to a seven-day cease-fire and suspension of construction of an embankment.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is closely monitoring the situation along the southeastern border. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is learnt, is expecting a reply to the complaint it has lodged with Myanmar Ambassador U Ohn Thwin in Dhaka on Monday regarding construction of an embankment in violation of international law and a bilateral agreement on the river Naf.

Authorities concerned in Dhaka said that they were expecting assurance from the Myanmar authorities that they were not erecting any permanent embankment on the Naf river since it would lead to flooding, river erosion and loss of shrimp farming in Bangladesh territory.

Besides, it would be a flagrant violation of the maritime agreement signed between the two countries, they added.

The authorities pointed out that an agreement encompassing the demarcation across the Naf river was signed in 1966. In 1980, another agreement on land boundary demarcation was sealed between Dhaka and Yangon in which the 1966 agreement was also recognised.

Clause Five of the 1966 agreement on the Naf river says: "The contracting parties agree that after coming into force of the present agreement, neither party shall conduct river training, river training work or utilise the flow of the Naf river or its waters on its own side of the international boundary for industrial purpose, drainage, water conservancy, irrigation, generation of hydro-electric power and the like to such an extent as to prejudice the interest of the other party."

A high-ranking official of the Myanmar embassy, when asked about the deployment of troops across the border yesterday and the construction of embankment said. "We have received no feedback from our headquarters. Therefore, it is the embassy's view that the incident in the border is not a big deal, and it is a common event involving any international border."

"The incident which was reported to have taken place will be settled shortly and tension defused. The BDR and Nasaka will hopefully solve it by having more flag meetings," the official said.

DHAKA, THE DAILY STAR, 10TH JANUARY 2001
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Bangladesh and Burmese border guards have exchanged fire amid rising tension over a controversial dam project on the Naaf river.

The brief shooting appeared to take place as Burma began constructing an embankment on the river.

There are no reports of any casualties.

A senior Bangladesh official says Burma has now agreed to suspend the construction work on the project.

The Naaf river, situated in south-eastern Bangladesh, forms part of the 320 km border between the two countries.

A senior military official said soldiers from the Bangladesh Rifles fired up to 25 warning shots from a post in the frontier town of Teknaf.

"Our guards had fired several warning shots to stop the construction and in reply to one to two rounds fired from Myanmar's [Burma] side," Colonel Mohammad Rafique Rahman told the AFP news agency.

Envoy summoned

Earlier, in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, the Burmese ambassador was summoned to discuss concerns over the plan to dam the Naaf.

The ambassador, Tint Lwin, said that Burma was not responsible for the building of the dam.

He said local villagers had started construction and the Burmese authorities had nothing to do with it.

Both countries are reported to have deployed additional troops along the border in recent days.

Possible damage

Bangladesh says if the project goes ahead, it would flood or cause erosion in its territory and damage shrimp cultivation projects.

They say the construction would also violate a 1962 agreement between Dhaka and Rangoon not to build any dams to obstruct or divert the flow of the Naaf.

"We will resist the building of the dam on the Naaf river. We cannot allow this to go ahead," Reuters quoted an unnamed Bangladeshi border official as saying.

The Burmese authorities were not available for comment

LONDON, BBC WORLD SERVICE NEWSROOM, 8TH JANUARY 2001
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Twenty-five Muslims were killed by Burmese soldiers in Burma's Arakan State as people in the Muslim majority area of southwestern Burma were barred from offering prayers to mark the end of Ramadan, according to a statement issued by the Jamaat-e-Islami, a Bangladesh political party. The statement asked the United Nations and Muslim nations to pressure Burma's army junta to respect the rights of the country's Muslim minority

DHAKA, THE INDEPENDENCE, 1ST JANUARY 2001
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