The SPDC [State Peace and Development Council] Foreign
Ministry has issued a secret White Paper to defend the action by
the International Labour Organization, ILO, over the SPDC's use
of forced labour and its ramifications. The White Paper includes
detailed plans to entice and organize the domestic workforce and
to export Burmese products through Malaysia and Singapore when
international sanctions come into effect.
The White Paper was submitted to top SPDC leaders at the end
of last year and DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] has obtained a
copy of the White Paper.
The White Paper forewarned the SPDC leaders that Western
nations and private organizations fully exploiting the ILO's
resolution will categorically impose sanctions against Burma.
The Foreign Ministry also recommended that Burma should take
appropriate measures domestically to withstand and retaliate
such actions.
The first recommendation is that although the Burmese
government has tuned down relations with the ILO, the Burmese
government delegation should continue attending the ILO meetings
otherwise the exiled Burmese group FTUB [Federation of Trade
Unions, Burma] will take its place.
According to the second recommendation, if international
economic sanctions are imposed Burmese produce should be
exported to third countries via Singapore and Malaysia. At the
same time, it is recommended that border trade should be
extended from now as international port workers could call a
strike anytime and refuse to handle any freight concerning
Burmese exports. Therefore Burmese export products should be
properly packed into containers so that stevedore independent
mechanized freight handling systems could be utilized. It is
also recommended that the trading companies should be given the
responsibility to pack the produce into containers by including
it in the trade agreement.
Last year, the Indian Workers Union members staged a strike
and refused to unload the cargo from the SPDC's Burma Five Star
Line freighter so the ship was held up at the Indian port for
more than 24 hours. To avoid such incidents in the future the
paper suggested that Burma should woo port workers from India,
Japan, Bangladesh and South Korea where Burmese products are
regularly exported.
The ILO passed a resolution condemning Burma's use of forced
labour and urged member countries to review its policy towards
Burma. The UN Economic and Social Council will discuss the ILO
sanction at its July Conference. If the case is discussed at the
meeting then the SPDC's forced labour issue will become a focal
point not only of ILO but the UN as well. Thus, in its fourth
recommendation the paper suggested that Burma should approach
the 54 member nations of the UN Economic and Social Council.
In its recommendation to entice and organize the domestic
workforce, the paper cited that the ILO sanctions against Burma
was because of anti-government organizations' propaganda. It
said if international sanctions are imposed the workers will
become jobless and the people will suffer and the blame should
fall on anti-government groups.
Moreover, workers should be persuaded to sign protest letters
against the ILO sanctions and the letters should be forwarded to
the ILO Headquarters in Geneva.
The SPDC government did not mention that the ILO sanction was
because of its use of forced labour but cited it as an attempt
by the ILO to exert political pressure on Burma by not following
the meeting procedures. The White Paper finally urged the need
for Burma to stop the use of forced labour in accord with the
ILO's resolution.
Burma Project, Bangkok,
Associated Press,
08 March 2001
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Junta
Drugs Blacklist
Burma's army junta reacted angrily to a US Government report
condemning the country for its continued massive production of
opium, heroin and methamphetamines, stating that the report was
based on "political reason rather than the actual
facts." Burma is the world's second-largest producer of
opium and heroin after Afghanistan, which was also placed on the
US drugs blacklist for failing to cooperate to reduce drug
production. The report said that opium growing had decreased in
Burma, but that the junta remains unwilling or unable to force
armed ethnic groups, with which it enjoys ceasefires, to end
their involvement in drugs production.
Burma Project, Bangkok,
Associated Press,
02 March2001
TOP
Myanmar
drug production set to explode
By Trirath Puttachanyawong
CHIANG RAI, Thailand (Reuters) - The tide of methamphetamines
flowing into Thailand is set to increase by 40 percent this year
as production in Myanmar is stepped up, the Thai army said on
Sunday.
"We estimate that this year's production will increase
to 700 million pills from 500 million last year," Thai Army
Chief of Staff General Boonrawd Somtas, told reporters on the
sidelines of a conference on Thailand's drug problem.
Boonrawd said drug production was expected to grow in Myanmar
in order to sustain a larger population in drug-producing areas
near the border with Thailand.
The Myanmar government and its Wa ethnic minority militia
allies have undertaken the large-scale relocation of Wa people
from areas near the border with China, south to areas near the
Thai border.
"The Wa aim to complete the relocation of 200,000 people
to the Thai-Burmese border area this year," he said.
"This will result in an increase of drug production."
He said since 1999, some 50,000 ethnic Wa had been moved, and
methamphetamine production had risen by 400 percent.
Thai army sources say the relocation of Wa people is aimed at
boosting the strength of the United Wa State Army (UWSA), an
ethnic Wa militia group which controls most of Myanmar's drug
production and is allied with the Myanmar army.
The Myanmar army and the UWSA are a battling separatist Shan
guerrillas in northeastern Myanmar's Shan State.
Boonrawd said Thai authorities were having only limited
success in intercepting drug consignments entering Thailand
across its porous borders with Myanmar and Laos.
"At least 85 percent of this production gets through to
addicts - about 2 million throughout the country," he said.
The street value of methamphetamines - stimulants which
affect the central nervous system - is around 50 baht ($1.14) a
pill.
STUNNED PRIME MINISTER
Newly elected Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told
reporters he was stunned by photographs shown at the conference
of a prosperous and growing drug-producing town in Myanmar.
He said Thailand wanted "sincere" discussions with
Myanmar on the drug issue.
"We need a decisive response from Myanmar to help solve
this problem," he said.
Thaksin did not say when he or other ministers would meet
their Myanmar counterparts.
The conference, attended by Thai government, police and army
officials, focused on the flood of methamphetamines from the
"Golden Triangle" - the region where the borders of
Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet.
The Golden Triangle has long been notorious as one of the
world's main opium-growing regions -- heroin is refined from
opium -- but the drug gangs in recent years have been
diversifying into methamphetamine production.
In recent weeks fighting between the Myanmar army and its
UWSA allies, and ethnic Shan rebels has simmered along the
Thai-Myanmar border, with skirmishes occasionally spilling over
onto Thai territory.
Thai army sources have said the fighting is linked to control
of the drugs trade.
Yahoo News Asia, March 11, 2001
TOP
Burma
Violates Own Ban in Use of Forced Labor
(New York, March 7, 2001)
Human Rights Watch said today
that it had clear evidence that forced labor in Burma was
continuing, despite a government decree issued last October to
abolish the practice.
It called on the ruling State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC) to take steps immediately to enforce the order and grant
access to independent observers to monitor compliance.
The governing body of the International Labour Organization (ILO)
will be meeting in Geneva next week to review Burma's progress
toward eradicating a practice that is in clear violation of
international human rights standards.
In November 2000, the ILO governing body adopted a resolution
urging international organizations and governments to
"reassess" their relationship with the SPDC to avoid
contributing to the use of forced labor. While the resolution
was vaguely worded, many interpreted it as a call to stiffen
sanctions against Burma. The ILO action came just days after the
SPDC's October 27, 2000 decree instructing all local officials
to stop using forced labor except in public emergencies. The
order states explicitly that violators will be penalized under
Section 374 of the Burmese penal code, which provides for the
punishment of anyone found to be compelling others to work
against their will.
"Either the Burmese government thought it could avoid
international pressure by a sham decree or it just has made no
effort to enforce the ban," said Sidney Jones, Asia
director for Human Rights Watch. "Neither of these
interpretations shows the government in a very good light."
In interviews conducted in Thailand's Chiang Mai province in
late February, Human Rights Watch talked with a number of
Burmese who had been recently subjected to forced labor. One
ethnic Shan farmer said that in January 2001, a local unit of
the Burmese military had forced him to dig trenches and
fence-post holes for a military base in Ton Hu in Shan State's
Nam Zarng Township. The farmer and some twenty other villagers
had to travel to the site five times during the month for two to
three days at a time. Villagers had to bring their own food,
sleep at the work site and were not compensated in any way for
their labor. Of a dozen Shan villagers interviewed by Human
Rights Watch, eleven said that either they or a family member
had been subjected to forced labor since the government ban was
declared. Reports from many other states in Burma suggest that
forced labor continues to varying degrees.
The SPDC claimed to have
circulated the order to local level civil and military
authorities, and Human Rights Watch said its interviews
indicated that indeed, the order had been widely circulated to
village headmen. Burmese villagers interviewed in Thailand two
weeks ago were also aware of the order.
"Since the directive was
clearly circulated, the Burmese government has to explain why
the practice is continuing," said Jones. "We also need
to know how widespread the practice continues to be, and that is
only going to be possible through systematic monitoring."
For many years the Burmese government, especially the army,
has requisitioned village labor to build roads and dams,
maintain army bases, construct temples, guard villages, and
porter for military patrols. Villagers receive no pay, must
supply their own food, and have been threatened with
imprisonment should they refuse to participate. Porters have
been beaten and killed when they tire under their heavy burdens.
For more information on the situation in Burma, please see:
EU-ASEAN Summit: Action
Needed on Human Rights in Burma (HRW Press Release, Dec. 12,
2000) at http://www.hrw.org/press/2000/12/burmaeuasean.htm
Burma's Political Crackdown:
Action Urged (HRW Press Release, September 22, 2000) at http://www.hrw.org/press/2000/09/burma.htm
Burma: ASEAN Should Help End
Standoff (HRW Press Release, August 30, 2000) at http://www.hrw.org/press/2000/08/burmapr0830.htm
Human Right Watch,
March 3, 2001
TOP
Present
Human rights situation of Rohingyas in Arakan
by Kamal
Institute of Arakan studies
Rohingyas are an unfortunate people. Although they are one of
the indigenous nationals of Burma and have been living in Arakan
State for more than one thousand years, they have been
persistently subjected to persecution by the successive Burmese
regimes. Contrary to Burmese laws, the Burmese Constitution and
International laws, these ill-fated people have been
discriminated because of their race, religion and culture. They
are not equal before the law.
The modern concept of human rights which propounded the theory
of natural law under which man as a human being was said to have
some universal rights wherever an in whatever condition he may
be culminated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by
the United Nations (UN) in 1948.
The provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were
transformed into International Conventional Law in the
International Covenants adopted by the General Assembly of UNO
on December 16, 1966. Almost all the members countries of UN are
signatory to the UN Declaration and related covenants of which
Burma is one of them.
The UN Declaration and related covenants provide all human
beings the following basic rights under all circumstances:-
Rights to life, right to property, right to protection of honour,
right to privacy, right to protect freedom, right to protect
against tyranny, right to freedom of expression, right to
freedom of religious, right to freedom of association, right to
freedom of movement, right to equality, right to justice and
right to basic necessity of life.
Different countries of the world increasingly respect rights of
human beings, especially after the failure of Communism and
autocracy. Certain countries have fixed human rights standards
on which they base their dealings with other countries.
The United Nations has also undertaken a series of measures to
implement the observance of human rights, which include the
right of the individuals claiming to be the victims of violation
to communicate their grievances to the Human Rights Committee.
The committee on finding the communication fit for consideration
brings it to the attention to the state concerned. The state on
its part undertakes to provide the Committee with a written
explanation of the matter and the remedy, if any, that it might
have taken. The Committee after considering the complaint in the
light of the information, provided by the parties forwards its
views to the General Assembly, a summary of its activities under
the protocol, which, in turn, takes necessary action against the
concerned state.
Even after all these measure, many countries of the world is
found today continuously violating human rights on political,
economic, racial and religious grounds. Burma is one of the
worst violators of Human Rights. The nature of Human Rights
violation against Rohingya Muslim minorities has no parallel in
the world. The Burmese authorities, having different religion
from Rohingyas and with well-calculated political motive, have
subjected the Rohingyas to most inhuman and barbaric torture
carried out with hatred and contempt.
Rohingya Muslim issue is one of the longest lingering Muslim
minority problems being faced by the Ummah today. Ironically, it
is also one of the modern world's most unreported human
tragedies. The Nobel Peace prize winner humanitarian aid
organisation, Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF), during its long
time operation in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh and
later in Arakan commented about Rohingya as "one of the ten
world populations in danger of existence and survival". The
Rohingyas are not only annihilated en-masse in Arakan but also
those who left the country to escape persecution have become
unwanted burden in the countries of their refuge on account of
their large numerical numbers. About 1.5 million Rohingyas have
so far been evicted from Arakan by various Burmese regimes since
1942 bulk of whom are living in Bangladesh, Pakistan,Saudi
Arabia, U.A.E and Malaysia.
Under the military regime, the persecution of the Muslims takes
a new turn. Particularly the Rohingyas have become largest
target of the SLORC/SPDC. The military, the worst being the
present State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), with its
top-brass is dubbing the ethnic Rohingya Arakanese as
"foreigners" and "illegal Bangladeshis"
conveniently forgetting their aggression and illegal occupation
of Arakan. The Rohingyas are today between deep sea and devil.
Under Burma's 1982 Citizenship Law, which was promulgated by the
military shortly after Rohingya refugees returned from the 1978
exodus to Bangladesh and was designed specially to deny them
citizenship, the Rohingyas have been thus reduced to the status
of "stateless". This law violates several fundamental
principles of customary international law standard. In
particular, the law violates the 1961 Convention on the
Reduction of Stateless, the International Covenant of Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR) and the convention on the Right of
Child. It is only Rohingya whose nationality have been arbitrary
revoked. It is only Rohingya who are unable to move freely even
from one village to another. It is only the Rohingya area of
North Arakan where food embargo has been imposed. It is only
Rohingya who have to surrender a sizeable quantity of their
agricultural produce to the junta in the name of tax. It is only
Rohingya whose lands are being confiscated and distributed to
Buddhist settlers. It is only Rohingya who are forcibly married
and subjected to marriage restrictions and contraception. It is
only Rohingya and Muslims whose mosques and places of worship
are attacked, ransacked and demolished. It is only Rohingya who
are subjected to widespread ethnic cleansing and eviction. Other
abuses like forced labour, rape, extra-judicial execution,
forced relocation, arrest and torture, although commonly found
in all part of Burma, the cruelty with which it is applied to
Rohingya is uncommon in other areas. Human Rights Watch Asia in
its previous finding has already admitted that the abuses
against the Rohingya are racially and religiously prejudiced.
According to recent report of Amnesty International torture has
become an institution in Burma used throughout the country on a
regular basis. Police and the army continue to use torture to
extract information, punish, humiliate and control the
population.
Let us examine the violation
of human rights by the Burmese regime one by one.
Right to life:- There is no security of life of the Rohingya
Muslims in Arakan. A Rohingya can be at any time killed
arbitrarily either by Burmese military, paramilitary or other
law enforcing agencies without any possibility of facing
prosecution. Hundreds of Muslims are being killed every year for
whom there is no recourse to law.
Right to property:- Muslims owned land, shrimps dams, food-grain
stocks and business installations are confiscated unlawfully.
Centuries old Muslim settlements are being uprooted whereon new
Buddhist villages are established by the regime. The military
forces routinely confiscate property, cash, food and use
coercive and abusive recruitment methods to procure porters.
Right to protection of honour:- There is no security and
protection of honour of the Muslims in Arakan. No matter how
high be the status of a Muslims by virtue of his education,
character, religious status, etc. his honour and dignity has
been thrown at the mercy of the Burmese authorities. People are
whimsically beater up like beasts, hauled up and tamed in groups
to slave labour sites, beards of religious ulema (scholar)
burned, womenfolk are molested and raped without least fear of
the culprits being brought to book.
Right to privacy:- At anytime, either in broad day-light or in
the dead hours of the night Burmese security forces often enter
into houses of the Muslims with foul intentions. They either
indulge in looting or dishonouring the womenfolk or take away
the household items. There are many reports that soldiers raped
women. Sometimes, Muslim women are carried away to the army
camps under the pretext of inquiries. The Rohingyas particularly
their young men are often subjected to arrest, torture and
killing on factitious and imaginary charges.
Right to personal freedom:- Thousands of Rohingyas are subjected
to arbitrary arrest every year without assigning any reasons or
any formal charge. There are such people who have been arrested
decade ago without any trial and are still languishing in jails.
Moreover, the Rohingyas are subjected to the worst kind of slave
labour unknown in the modern world. People are hauled away from
their houses and forced to work for days together without any
wage or food. Rather they have to bring food from their own
houses to save their lives. Moreover, they are forced to provide
foodstuffs and construction material to the security forces.
Right to protest against tyranny:- There are no Law Courts or
any other avenue where one can protest against injustices and
tyranny. Law enforcing agencies are specially directed to
discriminate and oppress the Muslims. When an aggrieved Muslim
lodges a complaint in the police station, he is given a good
beating there for daring to take such a step and he may be
indicated with a false case.
Right to freedom of expression:- The Rohingya Muslims Arakan
have been totally banned from making any public gathering and
express their views. No publications are also allowed to them.
They can neither express their situation to international news
media which is completely banned to enter Arakan.
Right to freedom of religion:- The Rohingya Muslims are deprived
of their fundamental religious duties. Haj (annual pilgrimage to
Makkah) and sacrifice of animals are restricted. Religious
preaching is totally banned. Government service holders are
forced to bow before the state flag which is contrary to the
religion. If someone fails to comply he is dismissed from the
job. Hundreds of mosques have been demolished and locked up.
Religious schools are occupied and turned into army barracks and
Buddhist temples. Filth and stones are thrown at the mosques
while prayers are going on. Garbage are dumped on the gate of
mosques. Waqf property (endowments) of mosques and religious
schools are confiscated and distributed among Buddhists.
Soldiers often enter into mosques with shoes on and enjoy
drinking bouts therein. Religious dignitaries are whimsically
beaten up and engaged in salve labour. Beards of such people are
plucked, shaved or burned.
The military is dotting the whole Rohingya homeland,
particularly the two bordering townships of Maungdaw and
Buthidaung where 95% to 97% Muslims inhabit, with hundreds of
pagodas, monasteries and Buddhist temples followed by planned
settlements, with a view to changing the age-old features of the
Muslims Arakan and to making a clean sweep of the Rohingya
population. The whole Rohingya villages have been emptied and
have been driven by the army from their homes, occupation and
turned into either refugees in Bangladesh or internally
displaced. The Rohingya land have been confiscated and
distribute to the settlers. The Muslims have been forced to
provide everything free to those hostile settlers, from
construction of houses, roads, pagodas, temples, giving away
agricultural lands and cattle to all other needs and essentials.
These settlements are being erected surrounding the Muslims
villages in all strategic places. On the other hand, the
military seriously restrict the Muslims to renovate, repair and
maintain the existing mosques, religious schools and Muslim
relics, Muslim archaeological remains and historical places
while disallowing them to built anything Islamic or Muslim's
with permanent structures. Many mosques and religious centres
have been destroyed and closed down.
Right to freedom of Association:- Since 1962 all Rohingya
social, cultural and political organisations were banned. They
can't even form their own religious organisations as they are
denied of the necessary permission to form such organisations.
Right to freedom of movement:- Since 1962 Muslims of Arakan were
restricted in movement within the country. Very few people can
move from one place to another as they need permission from the
authorities. But after 1988, military take-over, no Muslim from
Arakan can travel to Rangoon or other parts of the country. No
air ticket was sold to the Muslims. The Muslims of Arakan who
had been residing in other parts of the country are forced to
return to Arakan.
The travel restriction on the Muslims of Arakan has been further
tightened. Rohingyas are not allowed to travel anywhere beyond
their village boundaries without getting prior permission.
Request to travel must be made to the village council, which
then passes on the request to the nearest NaSaKa (border
security forces) base. Here, the IMPD (Immigration and Manpower
Department), police, riot police, military intelligence and
customs all have to agree to the request. Intricate questions
are asked at the time of interview for travel pass, which are
usually not possible to answer. Once that happens, a permit must
be purchased. In most cases passes are only given for a
twelve-hour round trip to nearby village in exceptional cases
are Muslims permitted to stay overnight. To travel further, for
instance to the township at Maungdaw or Buthidaung or provincial
capital Akyab (Sittwe), is virtually impossible. Being unable to
travel, even within Arakan, makes it extremely difficult for
landless Rohingya to find work during the dry season, when there
is very little agricultural work available. It is torturing that
they are virtually living like in a concentration camp with no
access to work, no scope to engage in trade and business and no
opportunity to continue studies.
Right to equality:- Although the Burmese Government has no
expressed apartheid policy, it has clearly instructed the
authorities not to treat the Rohingya Muslims equally. They are
not equal before the law. They are discriminated in all spheres
of life, nay they are treated worse than slaves.
Right to justice:- Even crimes like murder, rape, looting are
freely committed without bringing the culprits to book. The
official policy of the regime is not to give justice to the
Rohingyas.
Right to basic necessities of life:- The Rohingya Muslims of
Arakan are deliberately deprived of basic necessities of life
like food, clothing, health care, education, etc. as they are
subjected to serious discrimination. Taxation is notoriously
arbitrary. Usually, a percentage or quota of the harvest that
the farmers must sell to the government at a price fixed by the
government. In Arakan the rice tax is calculated as a percentage
of the land acreage available to the farmers, rather than on the
basic of yield of the land. The calculation has a discriminatory
impact on Rohingyas, who for the most part have access to only
the poorest quality land where yield are much less than for good
land. Yet the authorities imposed a very high rate of taxation
on the Rohingya farmers which they are unable to meet. Their
food grains and farmlands, including Waqf properties, have been
seldom seized for distribution among the hostile new Buddhist
settlers. In addition, Rohingyas have also been subjected to
increasing new forms of taxation since 1992.
The human rights situation in Arakan is such that there remain
no security of life, property, honour and dignity of the
Rohingyas. According to Amnesty International report, the
repression of Rohingya Muslim in Arakan State is part of the
gross and consistent pattern of human rights violation committed
by the SLORC/SPDC regime against all forms of political
opposition and dissent. The repression is also against
vulnerable and weak sectors of the country's population, such as
ethnic minorities, who the military authorities suspect, may not
support its national ideology. All the available evidence
indicates that the Rohingya Muslims are targeted for repression
by the Burmese security forces simply because they belong to a
particular religious minority, some members of which seek
greater autonomy from the control of Central Burmese Government.
Moreover life became so miserable, because of official policy of
starving the populace, that they have no alternative but to
leave Arakan which the Burmese regime wants to happen. As a
result of continuous unabated oppression more than1.5 million
Rohingya people were forced to leave Arakan since 1948.
Recently, the UN Human Rights Commission at Geneva condemned
Burma for widespread violation of human rights and large-scale
displacement and mistreatment of the some of ethnic groups. The
report stated that Burma's ethnic and religious minorities such
as the Karen, Karenni, Shan and Rohingyas continued to suffer
severe abuses including arbitrary arrest, killings, forced
labour in the army and trfficing in women. The policy of
large-scale displacement of certain ethnic groups, the continued
practice of forced labour for military camp work and portering
and related human rights violations remain the main causes of
refugee movements. The report added there was nothing to suggest
that the situation had improve in Arakan and Burma during the
two intervening years.
While about 21,000 Rohingya refugees are still awaiting
voluntary repatriation from Bangladesh, fresh sporadic influxes
of Rohingyas into Bangladesh is again taking place. It is irony
that Bangladesh authorities are branding them as economic
migrants only without realising their unbearable plights. Never
the less, we urge upon the government of Bangladesh to
appreciate fully the Rohingya problem and play a "key
role" for a permanent solution to this problem of
international concern. We also feel that the Islamic States have
special obligation to look into the sufferings of their minority
brethren in faith and should take urgent steps to mitigate their
sufferings and find out ways and means for a permanent just and
lasting solution.
Institute of Arakan studies,Dhaka , Bangkadesh, March 3, 2001
TOP
DVB:
Grenade explosion cause of Rangoon Junta Tin Oo's helicopter
[Corrected version: editorial notes
describe differences from initial FBIS version] [FBIS Translated Text]
DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] has
learned that the helicopter crash that killed Lt Gen Tin Oo, secretary-2
of the State Peace and Development Council [SPDC], was not because of bad
weather or mechanical failure but due to shooting on board the helicopter.
There were 29 people on board including Lt Gen Tin Oo, Brig Gen Lun Maung,
Minister of Prime Minister's Office; and Maj Gen Thura Thiha Thura Sit
Maung, commander of Southeast Military Command. Cpl Htein Lin Aung
[changing name from "Htein Win Maung" to "Htein Lin Aung]
and Cpl Thein Tun were from the support troop. The helicopter departed
Moulmein for Pa-an to inspect the Pa-an bridge construction works.
Military officers in charge of the weather from the No 22 Light Infantry
Division [LID] and Southeast Military Command reported that the weather
was fine and suitable for a helicopter landing. It was known that the
weather report received during the flight also confirmed that the weather
was fine.
When the helicopter reached Tayokhla
Village near the Salween River, Cpl Htein Lin Aung, who came along as a
support trooper, attempted to shoot SPDC Secretary-2 Lt Gen Tin Oo with
the gun that he was carrying, while Cpl Thein Tun, attempted to shoot
Police Director Maj Soe Naing. Furthermore, it was learned that Cpl Thein
Tun tried to blow up the helicopter with a hand grenade. Then, Maj Aung
Phone Naing [changing name from "Aung Phone Maung" to "Aung
Phone Naing"], personal assistant to SPDC Secretary-2 Lt Gen Tin Oo,
Commander Maj Gen Thura Thiha Thura Sit Maung, and his personal assistant
Maj Khin Maung Kyaw began shooting Cpls Htein Lin Aung and Thein Tun with
their service pistols. According to confirmed sources, in the ensuing
shootout Cpl Htein Lin Aung was shot in the head and died instantly while
Commander Maj Gen Sit Maung was wounded.
During the commotion on the helicopter,
the grenade in Cpl Thein Tun's hand exploded and the helicopter became
unmanageable and crashed into the Salween River. The LID 22 immediately
sent a rescue mission. The rescue mission first found the bodies of Lt Gen
Tin Oo and his personal assistant Maj Aung Phone Naing and then sent the
14 injured to Pa-an hospital. In the same afternoon, they found the body
of Cpl Htein Lin Aung with a gunshot wound in his head. The LID 22
reported to Rangoon War Office that Cpl Htein Lin Aung died of a gunshot
wound and not because of the helicopter crash. The Military Intelligence
[MI] immediately came to Tayokhla Village and opened a base camp to search
for the bodies. They also transferred the 14 wounded military officers
from Pa-an hospital to Rangoon.
The pieces of the helicopter wreckage
were also sent to the LID 22 sports ground. Officials from LID 22 were
ordered not to let anyone into the sports ground except the MI personnel.
The MI also threatened the Pa-an hospital staff not to tell anything to
anyone about the wounded from the helicopter crash. Maj Aung Zaw Tun was
the only one among the survivors that was unscathed. According to sources
DVB has learned that a total of 11 bodies were recovered--Lt Gen Tin Oo,
his personal assistant Maj Aung Phone Naing, Prime Minister's Office
Minister Brig Gen Lun Maung, Col Win Hlaing [changing name from "Win
Naing" to "Win Hlaing"], assistant director from the
armored battalion, Maj Khin Maung Kyaw, personal assistant to Maj Gen Sit
Maung, Police Director Maj Soe Naing, Assistant Police Director Capt Ne
Min Aung [changing name from "Ne Lin Aung" to "Ne Min Aung"],
Lt Col Hla Paing from the Office of the Defense Services Commander in
Chief, Cpls Htein Lin Aung and Thein Tun, and another support trooper Cpl
Kyaw Swe.
The bodies of Commander Maj. Gen. Sit
Maung, Col Tin Win, Col Kyaw Tin Hla, and Maj Aung Maw Thet are still
missing. According to confirmed sources, DVB has also learned that the War
Office in Rangoon has issued an order to all military command commanders,
tactical commanders, and battalion commanders that if they want to appoint
any personal assistant or support staff they must first obtain a
confirmation from the Directorate of Defense Services Intelligence after
filling in their full particulars in the personal forms. [Description of
Source: Description of Source: Oslo Democratic Voice of Burma in Burmese
-- anti-government radio run by the National Coalition Government of the
Union of Burma]
Source: Burmanet, March 1, 2001
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Govt.
of Italy: Italy's stand against forced labour in Burma
Press Release - Ministry of Labour Rome: 22/02/2001
Subject: Italy's stand against forced labour in Burma
The Labour minister, Cesare Salvi, and
under-secretary for labour Raffaele Morese, met today with Dr.Sein Win,
Prime minister in exile of Burma, and his delegation.
During the meeting Minister Salvi
reaffirmed the concern of the Italian Government over the continued
violations of fundamental political freedom, human and labour rights by
the military junta and expressed their hopes of a rapid restoration of
democracy and democratic institutions in Burma.
Furthermore, the Minister re-iterated
the opposition of the Italian government and its officials to the
widespread and systematic violation of the 29th International Convention
of the ILO on forced and compulsory labour in Burma.
He affirmed the Italian Government's
active commitment to the future implementation of the ILO resolution
against forced labour in Burma.
The minister reaffirmed the commitment to the immediate
adoption of the most appropriate measures to be taken by Italy and Europe,
to ensure the military junta's rapid introduction of legislation which
will ensure a complete ban on compulsory and forced labour throughout the
country.
The Minister also informed the Burmese
Prime minister in exile, Dr. Sein Win, that, with the co-operation of the
Ministry of Foreign affairs, he intends to instigate research in order to
establish the types and levels of import/export trade between Burma and
Italy and of any Italian investment in Burma.
Finally, Minister Salvi has promised to
request the Council of the European Union at the meeting on March 6 for
Employment and Social Policy, to take further steps to urge the Burmese
military junta to enforce the ILO resolution against forced and compulsory
labour in Burma.
Rome, 22 February 2001
Source: Burmanet, March 1, 2001
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