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BBC:
Analysis--Burma talks stalled
July 19, 2001
Aung San Suu Kyi normally does attend the
ceremony
By regional analyst Larry Jagan.
The failure of Burma's opposition leader Aung
San Suu Kyi to attend the Martyr's Day ceremony commemorating
the assassination of her father in 1947 is being seen as a clear
sign that the dialogue process has stalled again.
Aung San Suu Kyi has clearly rebuffed the
military authorities by not attending the Martyr's Day
event.
Secret talks between the military authorities and the opposition
leader have been going on for more than seven months. But the
talks appear to have produced few concrete results, despite the
release of more than 150 political prisoners since January.
Both Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's Generals are
anxious not to be seen as the side which ended this fragile
dialogue process.
Snub
Aung San Suu Kyi has clearly rebuffed the military authorities
by not attending the Martyr's Day event although she sent a
senior party representative in her place.
Aung San Suu Kyi is rarely seen in public
At the official ceremony, U Lwin said he was representing Aung
San Suu Kyi and her party the National League for Democracy (NLD)
on her instructions.
"It was her decision not to attend the
ceremony," U Lwin told party members.
Opposition sources told the BBC that they
believe she did not attend because the military authorities had
not done enough to meet the minimum goodwill gestures she had
requested in June through the UN envoy for Burma, the Malaysian
diplomat Razali Ismail.
These include the release of political prisoners
and the removal of restrictions on her and two other senior
party leaders.
The military insist that they are working on
building trust and have released many of the country's political
prisoners. More than 50 have been released since the UN envoy's
last visit to Burma at the beginning of June.
Key demand
Human rights groups estimate that there are still nearly 2,000
political prisoners still in Burmese jails. But the opposition
leader suggested to the military authorities that there are five
categories of prisoners that should be released as soon as
possible. According to diplomats in Rangoon, all of the top
category - people being detained in government guesthouses
without trial - have now been released.
So far the military have tried to take the
maximum credit for the minimum concessions to the NLD
They believe there are some 200 political
prisoners who fall into the other categories that the opposition
leader wants released before the end of July.
The most crucial demand though is probably the
removal of the restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi and two other
members of the NLD central executive, Tin U and Aung Shwe. They
have been held under virtual house arrest since last September
when they tried to leave Rangoon by train to attend a party
meeting in Mandalay.
A senior opposition source said he thought the
opposition leader was not prepared to go to the ceremony unless
she was unconditionally released from house arrest.
According to a Burmese Government source, the
generals were surprised by Aung San Suu Kyi's failure to attend
Thursday's ceremony, particularly as they had released 11
political prisoners day before, including Dr Aung Khin Zint who
is seen as a key member of the NLD and close to the opposition
leader and the writer Nway Nway San.
They will also see this as a clear message to
the international community that the talks have stalled again.
So far the military have tried to take the maximum credit for
the minimum concessions to the NLD.
As one western diplomat told the BBC: "The
Burmese military leaders will only do as much as is necessary to
deflect international criticism of their intransigence. They
want to drag the process out as long as possible."
The Burmese military will now have to prove that
they are really committed to the process of confidence-building
- something they have already privately assured the opposition
leader and the international community.
Already a return visit by the UN envoy is being
delayed. Rangoon has told Dr Razali that he cannot come before
the end of August now - having originally promised to allow him
to visit later this month.
Although no one believes the talks have
irretrievably broken down, most analysts believe they have
stalled again. This may also be because the talks are on the
verge of entering new phase.
Only more concessions by the military can keep
the talks from being derailed altogether.
Source:
Burmanet, 22 July 2001
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After
confidence building, what is next?
By Win Htein, July 20, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)
As a growing sign of having reached an “understanding”
between the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and
the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) out of the
nine-month old “secret talks”, the Burmese junta announced
last weekend that all elected Members of Parliament were
released from the so-called government guest houses.
A senior official of the NLD welcomed the recent political moves
as a sign of hope for future. “This probably shows that the
two sides have reached a step towards confidence-building
process (between the NLD and the junta). But 37 MPs and hundreds
of our members and supporters are still bein detained in
jail".
The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has welcomed these moves as
positive signs, saying, "There is no alternative, except
dialogue", while Australia, Japan and Britain recognize the
junta's new moves.
According to reliable sources, there are five stages to
release political prisoners as an “agreement” between
Lt.-Gen. Khin Nyunt and Aung San Suu Kyi. The release of all MPs
from the guest houses is the first step. The second is to
release sick and aging prisoners who are over 60-years. The
third is to release those whose prison terms are already served
but remain detained and the fourth is to release security-case
prisoners while the last is to release all.
Meanwhile, the international human rights groups like Amnesty
International claims that there are still more than
1,800-political prisoners in Burma's jails.
"We hope the first two steps will be completed by the time
UN Special Envoy Mr Razali is back to Rangoon", the source
added.
The Rangoon-based semi-official paper, “Myanmar Time” have
said that Mr. Razali will be back in Rangoon in late July to
talk with both sides. Many observers believe that it is the time
now to start a real dialogue for political changes in this
military-run country.
Meanwhile, the Karen National Union, an ethnic armed group based
in Thai-Burma border issued a statement that ethnic
representatives have to be involved in the present dialogue
process. "It is still necessary for dialogue ... into a
tripartite dialogue that will resolve all the basic political
problems."
Razali is believed to have pushed in recent months for the
ethnic minority groups to be drawn into the process. "But
he disappointed when he faced difficulty to find a spokesperson
for all ethnic groups," pointed a diplomatic source
in Bangkok.
There are three kinds of ethnic groups in Burma: the ethnic
political parties which won in the 1990-elections, the
cease-fire groups which joined with the junta in last decade and
the non-cease-fire groups such as KNU and Shan State Army.
Pado Man Shar, general secretary of the KNU, blames the Burmese
generals for the divisions. "This is due to the SPDC's
'divide and rule' policy practiced on us. If the junta stops
this act, we absolutely believe that we can stand united with a
common view. If the tripartite dialogue takes place now, we can
choose (our representative) anytime", he added.
Analysts say disunity is the problem not only in the ethnic
groups but also in exiled Burmese community.
Some experts on negotiation process say that the current talks
is just a beginning. "The military regime needs to stop all
military offensives in ethnic areas, repression on the NLD
members and their supporters before entering into the
dialogue".
But the junta continues its offensives against the ethnic armed
groups and suppression on the NLD and ordinary people although
it has recently released some MPs and allowed to reopen some NLD
offices.
Meanwhile, a rumor in Rangoon is widely spreading that Aung San
Suu Kyi did not attend Martyrs' Day ceremony yesterday on 19
July as to show that the talks is not progressing.
However, most observers believe that the current talks between
Brig. Gen. Kyaw Win (deputy of Khin Nyunt) and Aung San Suu Kyi
are still in good shape. They will start the next round
discussion soon.
The UN special envoy Razali is now preparing to be back in
Rangoon on his return from Tokyo. UN human rights Special
Rapporteur Paulo Pinheiro is also expected to be in Burma soon.
The ILO's high-level mission will go to this country in
September while the European Union (EU) is sending their
new Troika mission after the ILO’s visit.
Before the foreign missions reach to this “Golden Land”, the
next round of talks would be started, hopefully!
Win Htein is a correspondent for Democratic Voice of Burma.
Source: Mizzima News Agency, 20 July 2001
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Myanmar
Leader Skips Ceremony
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Pro-democracy leader Aung
San Suu Kyi, placed under house arrest by Myanmar's military
regime, did not appear Thursday at an annual ceremony she has
attended for the past six years.
Representatives of her National League for
Democracy paid tribute to her slain father, independence hero
Gen. Aung San, on the occasion of Martyr's Day.
Suu Kyi, Myanmar's most prominent dissident,
remained at her suburban home. She gave no immediate explanation
for skipping the ceremony, and there was no indication the
government had barred her from the event.
There had been speculation in recent days that
the Nobel Peace Prize winner was planning to snub the country's
rulers by not showing up. The opposing sides have been holding
talks in recent months and a no-show, the speculation went,
would indicate these weren't going well.
``This is her decision. She asked us to go
there,'' said NLD secretary Lwin. He refused to elaborate on her
decision.
Lwin was one of three party representative at
the ceremony. Under a monsoon downpour, they laid three baskets
filled with roses and other flowers at the mausoleum, located at
the foot of Yangon's soaring Shwedagon Pagoda.
Minister for Culture Win Sein represented the
military government at the ceremony, a solemn occasion held each
year to commemorate nine people assassinated on July 19, 1947.
Aung San, six of his cabinet members and two
others were gunned down while they were holding a meeting six
months before Myanmar's independence from Great Britain. Myanmar
is also known as Burma.
Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since Sept.
22, when she tried to travel outside Yangon in defiance of
official restrictions. Martyr's Day was the only official event
the regime allowed her to attend.
The NLD was planning to hold another, private
ceremony at the party headquarters later Thursday.
On Wednesday, the government released 11
political prisoners associated with the NLD, including four
elected members of parliament and a prominent woman writer. It
was the latest in a series of conciliatory moves by the junta
since it started negotiations with Suu Kyi last year.
The government has released more than 150 people
since January
Source: AP, 18 July 2001
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ROHINGYA
REFUGEES OBSERVED HUNGER STRIKE
Maungdaw (Arakan), 15th July 2001.
The Rohingya refugees in Nayapara Camp under
Teknaf Police Station, District Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh had
observed hunger strike for two days from 11-12 July 2001 reports
Arakan News Agency (ANA).
The refugees expressed their resentment over the
distribution of ration by the camp authorities. They complained
that two thirds of their quota have not been given to them which
caused their untold sufferings. Later on the categorical
assurance of the UNHCR staff stationed in Cox's Bazar, they have
broken their hunger strike.
Arakan News Agency is an independent News Agency
established by Arakanese people living along Burma-Bangladesh
border and is not affiliated with any political organization.
The ANA seeks to promote press freedom and access to unbiased
information.
Source: Arakan News Agency (ANA), 18 July 2001
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Muslim
Information Center of Burma: Brutal killings of Muslims in Burma
July 14, 2001
Anti-Muslim riots in Southern Burma
Taungoo, Pegu Division.
On May, 15, 2001, the ruling military junta,
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), instigated
anti-Muslim riots in Taungoo, Pegu division, resulting in the
deaths of about 200 Muslims, in the destruction of 11 mosques
and setting ablaze of over 400 houses. According to an
eye-witness (name withheld), over 2000 Military Intelligence
(MI) personnel and members of Union Solidarity and Development
Association (USDA), some of them in disguise of Buddhist monks
with pistols and walkie-talkies, implemented the riots there in
Taungoo. The hoodlums were led by Capt. Khin Maung Yin of MI No.
3 of Taungoo. USDA is a mass organization of the ruling junta.
Brutal killings
On May, 15, the first day of the anti-Muslim
uprisings, about 20 Muslims including 2 Imams of the mosques,
who were praying in the Han Tha mosque were killed and some were
beaten to death by the pro-junta forces, according to a Muslim
who escaped. Then the dead bodies were carried away by the junta
s military vehicles. Han Tha mosque was gifted to the Muslims in
seventh century A. D. by Great King Tabin Shwe Htee, a Mon King.
24 Muslims were burnt into ashes
In the same day in Taungoo town, the houses of
Haji U Soe Myint(70 years old) and his 6 family members, Haji U
Maung Sein (60 years old) and his 7 family members, 5 family
members of Moe Lin Food-shop (restaurant) and U Tin Maung and
his 3 family members tied up in their respective houses, were
burnt down into ashes, according to a relative of the deceased.
The houses of Haji U Soe Myint and Haji U Maung Sein were on the
Koon The Gyi Road and Moe Lin restaurant was beside Rangoon-Mandalay
highway, in Taungoo.
Bloodbath
On the following day, Saya Khalid and his 6
family members, Saya Amin s 5 family members, U Kyaw Kyaw and
his 6 family members, U Maung Tin Hla and his 4 family members
and Saya Anwar and his 5 family members were slaughtered when
some were beaten to death . The hoodlums firstly looted the
valuables, killed the Muslims and then set on fire their houses,
according to a Buddhist merchant from Taungoo. According to an
eye-witness, 21 other people including U Ahamad (45 years old),
a Store-shop owner, on Bo Mhu Poe Kwant street were slaughtered
in Taungoo main town. 8 mosques alone in Taungoo town, ( Taungoo
mosque, Swad mosque, Han Tha mosque, Wei Zan mosque, Kandaw
mosque, Ka Ka mosque, Pann-The mosque and Railway station
mosque) were destroyed or set on fire by the pro-ruling junta
forces. According to another Buddhist merchant, during the
anti-Muslim uprisings in Taungoo, all the expenses (for food,
travellings etc;) of the anti-Muslim elements, were borne by U
Sein Hlaing , Shwe Hnin Ze Burmese cheroots factory owner, a
staunch supporter of the ruling junta in Taungoo. SPDC Generals
inspection
On May, 17, 2001, according to a Buddhist
merchant, name withheld, Lt. General Win Myint, Secretary No.3
of the SPDC and deputy Home and Religious minister arrived and
curfew was imposed there in Taungoo until today, July, 12, 2001.
All communication lines remain disconnected.
On May, 18, however, Han Tha mosque and Taungoo
Railway station mosque were razed to ground by bulldozers owned
by the SPDC junta. Throughout the anti-Muslim uprisings, SPDC
security forces were with or beside the hoodlums, according to
eye-witnesses. Killings of Muslim Bus passengers
On 16, May, 2001, during anti-Muslim uprisings,
a group of hoodlums, among them some bogus monks, led by Capt.
Khin Maung Yin dragged out about 35 Muslim passengers from the
buses at Taungoo bus station. The anti-Muslim elements
slaughtered 7 of them when the rests could have fled the deaths,
according to a Buddhist merchant who sheltered some Muslims. On
May, 17, the anti-Muslim uprisings spread towards the rural
areas. The scene was very ugly and brutal as some 3 to 5
year-old children and pregnant women were slaughtered. In the
districts of Oaktwin, Thagaya , Pyu , Yedashe, Swa and Kyauktaga,
about 47 Muslims were killed and about 85 Muslim houses were set
on fire, according to a Muslim from the rural area. Train
passengers On May, 23, 2001, when Mandalay-Rangoon passenger
train stopped at the Lay Daung Kan station, about 40 miles away
from Rangoon, 4 bogus monks accompanied by about 15 security
forces, dragged out about 18 Muslim passengers and slaughtered 4
of them when the rests could have fled the deaths, according to
a Muslim who escaped. On May, 25, 2001, according to a relative
of a Muslim deceased who escaped, 13 Muslims, young and old,
from Taungoo, who fled the religious persecution in Taungoo,
were arrested and shot dead by the armed forces of Light
Infantry Battalion No.39, at a place about 20 miles from Taungoo
and about 30 miles away from Than Daung.
Source:
Burmanet, 16 July 2001
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Burma
ranks 118 in UN Human Development Report
July 12, 1001
Burma has moved up from low human development to medium human
development in four years and ranked at 118th on the Human Development
Index of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) out of 162
countries.
The Index, which measures the overall achievements of a country in
three basic dimensions of human development, is based on longevity,
educational attainment and ability to buy basic goods and services.
Burma, which is near the bottom of the Medium Human Development, is
above some of its Asian partners. Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan, which
fall in the low human development category, are slotted at 127, 129
and 130 respectively. However, Burma is far below that of other South
East Asian countries. Thailand is ranked at 66, Malaysia at 56,
Philippines at 70, Indonesia at 102 and Viet Nam at 101.
Norway leads the 162 countries on the index while Sierra Leone
languishes at the bottom of the index. It is a jump-up for Burma,
which was ranked 131 out of 175 countries and fell in the category of
"low human development" by the HDR report in 1997.
In the Human Poverty Index, Burma is ranked at 43 while Thailand at
21. Burma has Adult literacy rate of 84.4% while India has 56.5% and
Bangladesh 40.8%.
The Human Development report 2001 "Making New Technologies Work
for Human Development", released worldwide last Tuesday argues
that new technologies are a key to reducing world poverty and refutes
the view that technology is primarily a luxury for people in rich
countries. "Technology is like education – it enables people to
lift themselves out of poverty. Thus technology is a tool for, not
just a reward of, growth and development". However it cautions
that developing countries should not simply import and apply knowledge
from outside just by acquiring equipment, seeds and pills. "Not
every country needs to develop cutting-edge technologies, but every
country needs domestic capacity to identify technology's potential
benefits and to adapt new technology to its needs and
constraints."
However, Burma is no-where in the Technological Achievement Index,
which focus on "how well the country as a whole is participating
in creating and using technology". In the report, there are four
categories of the technological achievement index such as Leaders,
Potential Leaders, Dynamic Adopters and Marginalized. Burma is not in
any of the categories, placing as "no data available" while
its neighbor Thailand is in the category of Dynamic Adopters and
Malaysia is in the category of Potential Leaders.
Although the telephone has been around for more than a hundred years,
Burma has 6 telephones (mainland and cellular) per 1,000 people while
Thailand has 124 telephones per 1,000 people and Nepal has 12
telephones per 1,000 people, according to the report.
The military-run Burma restricts its citizens from accessing foreign
television networks. Internet services are not available to the
citizens. The people need prior permission to own fax machine and the
exorbitant charges are levied on fax transmissions.
However, Myanmar Posts and telecommunications, which is a sole
provider of telecommunication services in the whole country, claimed
that it intended to have the telephone density of the country as 12
per 1,000 inhabitants at the end of March 2000 and the number of
telephones as 650,000. It said it is now operating Internet E-mail
service initially with 160 leased line users and 1,540 dial up users
in the Capital. Cellular Mobile Telephone system was first started in
1993 in Burma. Source: Mizzima
News Group , 16 July 2001
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The
Nation: Missiles 'no threat' to regional stability
July 19, 2001
A senior air force officer yesterday dismissed
concerns that the procurement of eight Advanced Medium Range
Air-to-Air Missiles (Amraam) from the United States would
destabilise regional security, pointing to Singapore's plans to
acquire 100 of the missiles.
Air Force Chief-of-Staff Marshall Kongsak
Vattana was responding to fears that buying the missiles would
further strain ties with Burma, which recently reached a deal
with Russia to purchase 10 MiG jet fighters.
Kongsak's comment was also seen as an attempt to
counter an earlier comment by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra,
who suggested he might call off the deal.
Thaksin said on Tuesday the Amraam deal had been
reached by the previous administration, and he had yet to decide
whether approve it. However,the premier said yesterday he was
not aware the funds for the deal were already in place.
Kongsak said the missiles would be purchased
using funds "stranded" in the United States after the
previous government cancelled an order for a squadron of F-18
fighter jets.
"It's a very expensive system, but we can
initially afford to buy eight missiles," Kongsak said,
adding the acquisition was vital to national defence and was
part of the armed forces' modernisation programme.
Source: Burmanet, 18 July 2001
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Nine
Rohingya men released from Jessore jail
from Our Correspondent
JESSORE, June 29: Nine Rohingya men were
released from the Jessore central jail on June 17. The released
Rohingya men are Monu Miah (27), Abdur Rashid (26), Nur Basher
(36), Shamsu (30), Nur Hossain (22), Zahid (20), Jafor (22),
Ismail and Hossain Ahmed.
Earlier on January 1 of this year, Saviour
exerted its influence in getting 27 Rohingya men released from
the security cell of the Jessore central jail. The nine Rohingya
men released on June 17 are the relatives of 27 Rohingya men.
All of them were brought from Cox's Bazar by
some brokers to Jessore for sending them to India with a promise
of job.
The Jessore police rescued them from a den of
the brokers in Jessore town on March 23, 1998 and sent them to
the Jessore central jail.
Voluntary organisation Saviour fought legal
fight in favour of the Rohingya men in the court several times.
But for legal complexities the organisation could not manage
order from the court for their release. After long two years and
nine months, the executive director of Saviour Zahid Hossain
Tokan and Secretary of Human Rights Monitoring Cell and of
District Bar Association Advocate Saleha Begum fought for their
cause in the court and were able to get order from the court on
June 17 for the release of the held Rohingya men.
The Jessore central jail authority on production
of the court order released nine Rohingya men from the security
cell of the jail.
Another report adds: The smuggling of cattle
through border areas in the three districts of Jessore, Jhenidah
and Chuadanga has increased alarmingly causing revenue loss to
the government's exchequer.
The government earns only Tk 4.50 crore as VAT
(Value Added Tax) on import of cattle through the official
corridors of Navaron and Chowgacha in Jessore, Moheshkhali and
Jangannathpur in Jhenidah and Kathuli and Kusumpur borders in
Chuadanga districts.
The amount earned is only 11 per cent of the
total revenue collected from cattle brought through these
corridors. Similar practice is being adopted for smuggling
cattle through the north-western corridors of Kansat and
Bholahat in Rajshahi district.
About 1000 to 1500 cattle are smuggled into
Bangladesh every day through the western frontiers of Jessore,
Jhenidah and Chuadanga districts. A section of smugglers buys
cattle from the markets in the border areas with hundi and other
black money in Bangladesh currency.
The smugglers, in order to smuggle cattle
through border, manage release certificates from the BDR, police
and customs racket by bribing upto Tk 2500 for a truck loaded
with cattle. Minimum duty charged for a cow or buffalo is Tk
500, Tk 200 for a goat or sheep and Tk 6000 for a camel. The
smugglers pay Tk 2500 to the corrupt officials for procuring the
release certificates for a truck loaded with cattle and get easy
discharge from the borders. Besides, they give Tk 100 at each
check post for the same purpose.
Source: The Independent, 30 June 2001
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PHENSEDYL
: a problem for youths in Burma
July 5, 2001
While consignments of Burma's heroin are making their way from
the border areas of the country into the north-eastern states of
India, Phensedyl a legal cough syrup in India has been smuggled
through the same routes into Burma. Phensedyl has become a
problem for Burma since many youngsters in the country consume
it as drug. The youngsters particularly in the cities imbibe
Phensedyl to escape their sense of disillusionment and
frustration over the country's situation. Under the military
junta, which tightly controls the country and does not allow any
political organizational
activities, many university students and youth spend their time
at tea shops or isolated places to consume Phensedyl or other
psychotropic substances.
While a bottle of Phensedyl (which has 10% of Codeine) is sold
at 39 Indian rupee in the chemist's in Delhi, it is traded at
around 5,000 kyat when it reaches to the cities in Burma. That
is about 15 times of the price in Delhi. In fact, many
government servants from Tamu of Burma come to opposite Moreh
town in Manipur just to imbibe phensedyl, according to local
people.
Phensedyl is being smuggled across the Indo-Burma border areas
like Moreh in Manipur and Aizawl in Mizoram state. Moreover,
India's Phensedyl crosses to Bangladesh and then through the
Bangladesh-Burma border, it is smuggled into Burma's cities.
It is clear that several Burmese military officers, police and
custom personnel stationed along the borders are involved in
these smuggling rackets. One will have to pass through several
check-points of various security forces while traveling from the
country's border areas to the cities inside Burma.
The smugglers give "bribe" or "Line Kyay" (haftha
money) to the security personnel so that their contrabands are
not seized.
There are some cases when the Burmese security forces seized
Phensedyls and other drugs. But, most of them are small-scale
smugglers and the "big" smugglers are not caught. Even
if they are
caught (very rarely), they come back clean after paying heavy
bribe to concerned security persons.
And most of these big smugglers are in tow of military officers
in high places.
Nowadays, the youngsters in Burma are turning their eyes to
other Psychotropic substances such as diazepam, amphetamines,
nitrazepam and even the preparation Spasmo Proxyvon (which
contains dextropropoxyphene, a synthetic opioid used as an
analgesic). As Phensedyl is becoming expensive whereas other
drug-like tablets are easily available with cheaper price, many
youngsters in Burma start using the "tablets".
Phensedyl is the problem not only for Burma but also for Nepal,
Bangladesh and even north eastern states of India since
increasing number of students and youth in these countries are
consuming it as drug. The International Narcotics Control Board
in its latest report has pointed out that the abuse of
psychotropic substances has drastically increased in Asia in the
past few years. "In Bangladesh, the abuse of the
codeine-based cough syrup Phensedyl has continued and there has
been an alarming increase in the smuggling of Phensedyl from
India". "Illicit methamphetamine laboratories continue
to operate in the border areas between Myanmar (Burma) and
Thailand and between Myanmar and
China", said its report 2000.
Source: MN Group, 5 July 2001
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Tribal
separatists reject Myanmar’s truce offer
GAUHATI (India), July 4: A
tribal separatist group that operates along the India-Myanmar
frontier said Wednesday it has rejected a truce offer from the
military junta in Yangon, reports Reuters.
Myanmar asked for a truce after
the National Socialist Council of Nagaland entered into a
cease-fire with India in April, said an NSCN leader on condition
that he not be identified by name.
"We are against signing any
agreement with a military regime that does not favour
democracy," the rebel leader told the Associated Press by
telephone from a base in India's north-eastern Nagaland state.
The NSCN is divided into two
factions which have been fighting a 50-year-old bush war for an
independent homeland comprising Naga dominated areas in India
and Myanmar. Both factions have signed a truce with India.
However, Kitovi Zhimomi, general
secretary of the NSCN faction led by S.S.Khaplang, said in a
newspaper interview this week that his group's struggle against
the military junta in Myanmar would continue despite the
cease-fire with India.
Zhimomi told The Telegraph
newspaper that the Naga-inhabited areas in Myanmar were among
the most backward parts of the world, lacking medical facilities
and communications.
The Khaplang branch of the NSCN
has bases in several north-eastern Indian states as well as in
Myanmar. The group says there are approximately 1.3 million
Nagas in areas they control. More than 25,000 people have been
killed since the Naga insurrection began soon after India
attained independence from Britain in 1947.
The separatists say they are
alienated from the rest of India and neglected by the federal
government, and that their indigenous culture is under threat.
The Naga rebels have said they
will continue their campaign against Myanmar - also known as
Burma - until they reach an agreement with the military junta.
"There can be no rest till
all Naga inhabited areas are integrated under one administrative
umbrella," Zhimomi said in an interview in The Telegraph
newspaper.
Source: The Independent, 4 July 2001
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Refugee
Day observed
From Our Correspondent
Cox's Bazar, June 24: World
Refugee Day was observed in Cox's Bazar District in a befitting
manner on June 21.
An elaborate programme was
chalked out in observance of the day.
The programme included
discussion meting, colourful rally, display, painting
competition for school students inside refugee camps,
football competition and prizing giving ceremony.
To mark the day, a discussion
meeting was held at Kutupalong refugee camp community centre
with Helal Uddin, in-charge of the Kutupalong camp in the chair.
While SK Shahidullah, refugee,
relief and repatriation commissioner (Joint Secretary), Cox's
Bazar was present as chief guest. Ms. Dawaree Kanchanaphet, head
of Sub-office, UNHCR, Cox's Bazar read out the written speech of
Ruud Lubbers, High Commissioner, UNHCR, Geneva.
Source: The Independent,
25 June 2001
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Currency
dealer sentenced to 7 year-imprisonment under ESA
Rangoon, July 4, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)
The military government in Burma
has jailed a currency dealer in Rangoon for seven years
imprisonment under Emergency Security Act (ESA), which is
traditionally used against its political opponents. Ma Khin Aye,
who owns a store near Myaynigone Point in Rangoon, was recently
sentenced to seven years in jail for her alleged role in the
"currency slide" which the military-run Burma
witnessed two months ago.
Burma's currency, the kyat, fell to
lowest record in its exchange with foreign currencies in April
and May until the government cracked down on black-market
moneychangers in Rangoon and other cities. The kyat sank to
850-900 per US dollar in mid May as lowest ever-level while the
official exchange rate is pegged at six kyat a dollar.
The authorities had arrested
several dozens of moneychangers, including Ma Khin Aye, by the
end of May to prevent further currency drop. While many of them
have been reportedly released since then, Ma Khin Aye was
sentenced for seven years imprisonment under 5 J of the
Emergency Security Act (ESA) by a court in Rangoon last month.
"We are surprised that while
big moneychangers on Magol Street (Shwebontha Street) are
released, the authorities have jailed Ma Khin Aye",
commented a money dealer in Rangoon.
Ma Khin Aye, a not-very-big
currency dealer who also has a travel and tour business, had
worked as moneychanger since 1998.
At present, the kyat is being
traded at 560 per US dollar in Rangoon.
Source: Aung Naing Oo (The Irrawaddy), 4
July 2001
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Make
Minorities Part of the Solution
As Rangoon remains silent on calls for a "tripartite
dialogue", Burma’s ethnic minorities continue to push for
greater involvement in efforts to resolve the country’s
troubles.
Since October last year, the Burmese military junta has been
holding talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. As we all
know, however, other than occasional statements from visiting
foreign dignitaries and spokespersons from the junta and the
National League for Democracy (NLD), no tangible results have
been reported from this dialogue. Although no one could possibly
hope for a speedy settlement in a short period of time, the
near-total silence has created frustration and suspicion among
many political establishments, in particular those of the ethnic
nationalities.
The first to break the silence was the National Council of the
Union of Burma (NCUB), a loose umbrella organization comprising
ethnic and pro-democracy groups. They demanded an expansion of
the talks. Their call was politically correct yet realistically
untenable. The question therefore is: Will the military regime
broaden the talks any time soon? The answer is no. This may not
matter much for the exiled pro-democracy groups, with their
limited role and capabilities. But it does for ethnic
minorities. Because as much as the junta and the NLD, they are
part of the answer to the problems in Burma and they are being
left out of the loop.
Making things more difficult for the ethnic groups, the NLD is
said to have sidelined the importance of minority issues.
Although the party is well aware of the importance of ethnic
issues, it appears to consider them secondary to democracy. Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi often speaks out against injustices inflicted
on the ethnic peoples by the regime, and last year the party
even declared its intention to write a federal constitution that
would grant a greater degree of autonomy to ethnic minorities
such as the Karen. However, given the fact that the party is
dealing with a regime that does not favor ethnic minority
rights, it may have decided that it is too early to raise the
issue. Moreover, the NLD may believe that any effort to resolve
Burma’s complex and volatile ethnic conflicts under the
current circumstances would be futile, given the continued
dominance of the military. Considering the fact that nearly four
decades of military rule have served only to exacerbate the
country’s ethnic problems, there is a certain amount of truth
in their reasoning.
Ethnic political parties and armed groups have called for what
has been known as a "tripartite dialogue" between the
junta, pro-democracy organizations including the NLD, and ethnic
nationality representatives from both legal and armed groups
along the lines initiated by the opposition groups and in
accordance with United Nations resolutions. In a letter to the
Burmese junta in June 1998, four leading ethnic leaders
representing four ethnic parties echoed the call. They contended
that dialogue was the only way to overcome all problems facing
the country. Interestingly, however, prior to the first visit of
the UN envoy Mr. Razali Ismail last year, Khun Htun Oo, the
president of the Shan National League for Democracy, changed his
previous stance and said that he would endorse a bilateral
negotiation with the Burmese regime. This seems to be in
conflict with the policy of the armed organizations that have
adhered to the principle of a tripartite dialogue. Nonetheless,
a realistic reading of the situation in the country might have
triggered Khun Htun Oo’s apparent change of heart.
In general, the junta’s policies on the ethnic question are
known and it is abundantly clear where they stand. The generals
are anti-federalists and opposed to ethnic rights. The Tatmadaw
used the ethnic card to take over power in 1962. The creation of
seven states under the 1974 constitution was to give ethnic
nationalities a false sense of federalism. From their point of
view, army personnel have shed blood, fighting "ethnic
insurgents" for over half a century. The Tatmadaw is the
"father" who must watch over the "squabbling
(ethnic) siblings", lest the country disintegrate into
pieces. In short, the junta is not ready to acknowledge the role
of ethnic groups in Burmese politics.
Not surprisingly, foreign countries with a strong interest in
Burma are concerned that ethnic politics may disrupt the process
that seems so fragile and uncertain. Like other protagonists in
the drama, they have a valid point. But putting ethnic concerns
on ice will not solve the problems in Burma either.
It is unlikely that Daw Aung San Suu Kyu or the military junta
will be able to devise a formula that will give complete
satisfaction to the ethnic groups. Federalism may be acceptable
to everyone but neither democracy nor federalism will solve the
ethnic problem. Ethnic nationalism will always remain. Under the
present circumstances, however, ethnic groups may welcome a
conditional solution. In order to find that solution, it would
be wise for those involved in the talks in Rangoon to allow
ethnic groups to join in the discussions at the earliest date
possible. Their inclusion in the talks both in the current
dialogue and in the "new" National Convention is the
key to finding that solution. Although significant progress
cannot be guaranteed, the move will please the minorities
greatly and generate trust among the communities, which is
instrumental in the implementation of any outcome of the talks.
The ethnic problem is just as critical as the need for
democracy, perhaps even more so. Wars have been fought, and
precious resources and lives have been wasted in disputes over
ethnic rights and freedom. The military policy of "divide
and conquer" might have worked for a period of time. But
the Tatmadaw, the NLD or any other future Burman leadership will
always walk a fine line over this.
For the moment, silence in this dialogue may be golden, but that
may not be the case in the near future. Without any hint as to
where the talks are going, and above all, without any indication
of when ethnic nationalities can be included in the
negotiations, the ethnic groups’ suspicion will only grow as
to whether participants in the Rangoon talks are sincere or
simply seeking yet another "Burman solution." The NLD
and the junta must both be prepared to accept the fact that if
ethnic nationalities are considered to be part of the problem,
they must also be regarded as part of the solution.
Source: Aung Naing Oo (The Irrawaddy), 4 July 2001
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Dengue Fever Epidemic Hits Burma
By Maung Maung Oo
July 3, 2001—A dengue fever epidemic has been
spiraling out of control in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State,
Burma. During the months of April and May the epidemic
reportedly killed over one hundred people including forty-one
adults and eighty-eight children. The total death toll is
thought to be much higher, as many cases have gone unreported,
according to a source in Moulmein.
The source said that within this short period
over a thousand patients, including 620 children, have been
admitted to Moulmein Hospital. There is currently no end in
sight as the deadly virus continues to spread unabated
throughout the area.
The main cause of the outbreak and its continued
spread can be linked to Burma’s ongoing shortage of clean
drinking water. Residents of Moulmein receive sanitary drinking
water for just four hours a week. Less than half of the
population of Burma has access to regular supplies of safe
drinking water.
The shortage means that citizens are forced to
store drinking water in bowls and tanks throughout the week, and
the storage containers in turn become prime breeding grounds for
mosquitoes, which spread dengue and other diseases. Although the
state health department has warned people that this presents a
health risk, the authorities have yet to offer a solution to the
drinking water shortage
Burma’s ruling military regime allocates just
1.7 percent of the country’s GDP to the health sector, leaving
most hospitals without adequate supplies of proper medicines and
medical equipment. Medical schools in Burma have also not been
producing nearly enough doctors for the growing population. In
1997 roughly 650 doctors were trained in Burma, and only
one-third of them sought work at government hospitals.
Last June the World Health Organization (WHO)
ranked Burma second from last in its annual World Health Report,
which ranks the healthcare systems of nations around the world,
placing it just above war-torn Sierra Leone. The Burmese
Ministry of Health angrily denounced the WHO’s findings.
"That Myanmar’s health performance is assessed to be
worse than that of failed states is totally biased," read
an official press release.
Source: Aung Naing Oo (The Irrawaddy), 3
July 2001
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Malay-speaking Myanmar caught crossing border
with countrymen:He acted as illegal immigrant agent
By Shahrum Sayuthi
news@nstp.com.my
29 June 2001
A Myanmar, who himself is an illegal immigrant,
was caught acting as an illegal immigrant agent along with four
of his countrymen after they crossed the Thai-Malaysian border
near here yesterday.
Perlis Anti-Smuggling Unit commander for Chuping ASP Khamis
Hamzah said the illegal immigrants, aged between 22 and 48
years' old, were caught by his men and Rela members in the
vicinity of Kampung Batu Betangkup at about 7.30am.
He said the 24 year-old Myanmar, who could speak Malay, was a
construction worker in Penang. Initial investigations showed
that he had acted as the guide for the group.
"The group was caught after they wandered out of a
secondary forest area in search of food. We believed they had
been in the area for quite a while to wait for other 'tekong
darat' to pick them up.."
Khamis, who was speaking to reporters at the State
Anti-Smuggling Unit camp in Chuping today, said the illegal
immigrants were detained under Section 6(3) of the Immigration
Act 1959/63 for entering the country without proper travel
documents.
He said the illegal immigrants would be handed over to the
Immigration Department for further action.
Members of the Anti-Smuggling Unit had also foiled an attempt to
smuggle RM2,000 worth of goods after they stopped a lorry at
Batu Lapan, Beseri near here at 4pm yesterday.
The goods included rice, clothes, toys and a variety of snacks.
The driver of the lorry was released after paying a compound.
Khamis said the case had been refered to the Customs Department
in order to trace the owner of the lorry and the confiscated
goods.
Source: New Sunday Times, 29 June 2001
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Suu Kyi's Party Reopens Burma Branch
By AYE AYE WIN, Associated Press Writer
TAIKKYI, Myanmar (AP) - Nobel laureate Aung San
Suu Kyi's party reopened a branch office outside the capital
Thursday as the military junta freed nine more party members in
its latest concession to the pro-democracy opposition.
About 30 members and leaders of the National
League for Democracy attended a ceremony to fix a party
signboard on the rundown thatch and bamboo hut that will serve
as the party office in Taikkyi town.
It is the first party office allowed to be
reopened by the junta since a crackdown in 1998 closed many of
the 40 branches in and around the capital, Yangon.
``This is an auspicious moment, and the result
of the talks between the NLD and the military leaders,'' said
Soe Myint, a member of the party's Central Executive Committee.
The tin board is the same one that was removed
from the party office, then located in a different building,
during the 1998 crackdown. The party name was painted afresh on
the reverse side of the board.
For good luck, a bunch of euginia leaves was
tied to a pole atop which a faded party flag fluttered. About 15
plainclothes intelligence officers and police took photos and
video of the proceedings.
Soe Myint said another branch office is
scheduled to reopen Friday in Hmawbi, 15 miles from Yangon.
Taikkyi is about 40 miles north of Yangon.
The junta has been holding reconciliation talks
for the last 10 months with Suu Kyi while keeping her under
virtual detention in her house. Party chairman Aung Shwe and
vice chairman Tin Oo also remain under virtual house arrest.
Details of the talks have not emerged but the
junta appears to have been easing the restrictions in recent
months.
Nine elected representatives of the NLD who were
detained in government guests houses were allowed to leave
Thursday, an official statement said. ``They are in good
health,'' the statement said.
Thirteen more elected representatives were
released in two batches earlier this month, leaving 12 more in
detention. About 100 lower-raking members have also been freed
since January.
Authorities have also given the NLD permission
to reopen 18 branch offices around Yangon, out of which nine
will be allowed to put up party signboards.
The boards are the only visible symbol of the
opposition in a country that remains firmly in the grip of the
military, which has been in power since 1962.
The current group of generals came to power in
1988 after crushing a pro-democracy movement in which thousands
were killed. The junta called elections in 1990 but refused to
hand over power to the victorious NLD.
The party's call in mid-1998 to unilaterally
convene a parliament triggered the government crackdown.
Tin Shein, chairman of the Taikkyi office, said
the party will hold regular meetings but only after notifying
authorities
Source: AP,28 June 2001
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