KAO WAO NEWS No. 5

December 15-24

READER'S FRONT

ONLY ROAD TO MONLAND CLOSED

HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUED AT MANEELOY CAMP

ETHNIC NATIONALITIES STUDY FEDERALISM IN GERMANY

SHAN WELCOME 2096 NEW YEAR

PROTEST AT RANGOON UNIVERSITY

REGISTERED WORKERS DEPORTED

BURMA JUNTA GOES ALL OUT IN FESTIVITIES

YOUTH EXCHANGE AT SANGKHALA

READER'S FRONT

Dear readers,

We invite comments and suggestions on improvements to Kao Wao newsletter. With your help, we hope that KaoWao News will continue to grow to serve better the needs of those seeking social justice in Burma and Thailand. And we hope that it will become an important forum for discussion and debate and help readers to keep abreast of issues and news. Above all, we hope the newsletter will be used as a vehicle for those want to share their views and experiences.

We reserve the right to edit and reject articles without prior notification. You can use a pseudonym but we encourage you to include your full name and address.

BEST WISHES FOR A MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2002

Regards,

Editor kaowao@hotmail.com

Dear Kao Wao News,

I appreciate all of you so much for your hard working and founding of this news group. Without the genuine effort of presenting these incredible news, I wouldn't be able to know what have been happening to Mons. I am expecting to read more news from your group whenever it is possible. In fact, I am eager to cooperate with the Kao Wao to reinforce its activities. Would you please let me know if I could do something for you?

I wish the Kao Wao for a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. Keep in touch,

Chit (Calgary, Canada) 14/12/01

Dear editor,

I am very please to read your information from Mon State. I am also proud of your hard job and strongly believe your job will surely benefit to our Mon nation.

Yours sincerely,

Banya Mon Foreign Affairs Training 15/12/01

ONLY ROAD TO MONLAND CLOSED

(Sangkhalaburi, December 16, 2001)

The New Mon State Party held ad hoc meeting on December 13, 2001, in the liberated area near Thai- Burma border. The meeting was headed by Nai Htin, Vice President of the New Mon State Party and attended by leading Central Committee members. It is believed that the meeting was held to discuss the announcement of the splinter group Col. Pan Nyunt who has planned to close the Halockhanee-Halarn road on December 15, 2001. Reported from the border, the Moulmein and Thaton District Battalions of the cease-fire Mon Army will deploy near the area to maintain the opening of the road.

After the group leader publicly announced his aim on resuming the fight against the military regime, five Battalions of the Burma army launched an operation in search of the splinter group since November. The Independent Mon News Agency, from the Thai Burma border, reported two young soldiers from SPDC’s IB No. 106 fled from the frontline into Thailand on December 2. The young Burmese soldiers, forcibly recruited at mostly from 13 to 16 years, were beaten and kicked by their commander and could not have enough sleep at nights during the offensive. Battalion commander Col. Thant Zin, Maj. Aung Thu and Maj. Myint Naing were in charge of the joint operation against Karen guerrilla KNLA and Mon splinter group led by Col. Pan Nyunt.

In response to the operation of the Burmese Army, Col. Pan Nyunt has challenged that he will close down Halockhanee-Halarn motor road due come December 15. A migrant worker protested, "This is the only road for local people and migrant workers to cross the border without passing the Burma army check points and we will have difficulty dealing with the Burmese Army if road is closed," said the newly arrived migrant from Sangkha border. Fighting has broken out near Rafore of Zobbu (ThanByu Zayat) Township, Mon State, between the splinter group and the Burma army while the splinter group was on its way into Mon State on December 15, 2001.

HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUED AT MANEELOY CAMP

(Based on special reporter and Bangkok Post, December 22, 2001)

About four dozen asylum seekers in the safe area of Maneeloy camp have held a hunger strike since December 11 and seven refugees were sent to Pak Thor local hospital, Ratchaburi Province due to poor health conditions. Reporting from the restricted camp, those taken to the hospital included Htwe Aung (UNHCR NI No. 11353), Myo Myint Aung (NI. 13721), Khin Khin Hla (NI. 12963), Thuza Naing (NI. 12683), and May Si Than (NI. 13510). Banya Htow, a leader of Overseas Mon National Students Organization (OMNSO) is reportedly missing with another friend, they tried to sneak out from the camp and are assumed to have been arrested for illegal entry, according to a Mon student from the camp.

Bangkok Post on December 15 reported that Thai Interior Minister Purachai Piumsombun has stated that the Maneeloy holding centre for exiled Burmese students will remain open until December 27, longer than expected, and definitely will be closed down at that date. Burmese exiles have demanded the authorities to ensure protection. More than 1,600 refugees at the centre have been resettled in third countries since October 1999. The Maneeloy centre was set up in 1993 to accommodate students from Burma fleeing brutal suppression in their home country.

According to the Thai authorities, there are 497 inmates in the camp; 197 are dissident former students, 170 have been granted protection as ``Persons of Concern'' by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the remaining 130 are considered to be illegal immigrants. The illegal immigrants will be sent to immigration police to be charged with illegal entry and might be sent back to Burma at a later date, said Interior Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary, Pairote Promsan. He said the student dissidents and the ``Persons of Concern'' would be transferred to a new camp.

Four NGOs will be dealing with UNHCR, Ministry of Interior and Burma Students Association for negotiation. Bangkok based, Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma and Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia) issued a statement regarding the camp closure. In the joint statement, the NGOs suggested the Thai Government prolong the deadline of closing the Maneeloy camp until the public gets the right information on the location with the proper consideration of their safety. It also suggested the government give enough information on the proposed plans which includes the students, asylum seekers and migrant workers who seek refuge in Thai territory. For the good image and reputation of Thai government, in the statement, it also urged they support the UNCHR standards in treating refugees, asylum seekers and all those who need similar humanitarian help and respect for the rights of those who have well-founded fears or reprisals from the Burmese military.

ETHNIC NATIONALITIES STUDY FEDERALISM IN GERMANY

(Berlin, December 16, 2001)

Representatives of the State Constitution Drafting Committees from ethnic nationalities' states in Burma namely Arakan, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni Shan, Mon State and the Drafting Committee of Federal Constitution gathered in Germany for two weeks to study the Federal and State Constitutions of the Federal Republic of Germany. The studying tour was sponsored by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and Nai Sunthorn Sripanngern, General Secretary of the Mon Unity League, participated with other national leaders on behalf of the Mon State Constitution Drafting Committee.

Dr. Holger Borner of the President of FES, Burma Project Berlin and Burma Bureau presented welcoming remarks at the opening in Berlin on December 7, 2001. The participants joined the "Federalism: A Germany-Burmese Dialogue" Conference for two days in Berlin, and toured around Germany and Belgium. Other key leaders of the Burmese government in exile including Prime Minister, Dr. Sein Win, gave presentations on current human rights, political situation and the role of the UN and EU dealing with the ruling State Peace and Development Council of Burma respectively.

During the conference, Prof. Werner pfennig, Prof. Christian Wagner, and Dr. Roland Feicht shared their experiences in founding the Federal Republic of Germany. Comments on the Burma draft federal constitution proposed by the Burma Lawyer Council were made during the seminar. The scholars pointed out the advantage and drawbacks of minority federalism, the BLC draft constitution as mostly agreeable and positive but need to discuss on the problematical aspects on some articles which needed to describe more details. Some items needed to be covered in regulating the rights of minorities in individual member states, provision for national election commission, procedure describing how tax revenues are distributed between the Federal and State governments are discussed. Burmese delegation is suggested to take some advantages from the neighbouring country such as India, the most successful one in terms of political and Federal background. All representatives from ethnic nationalities of Burma briefed their country reports and process of drafting state constitutions.

On Saturday 8 December, the delegation participated in the Honorary Celebration for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the winner of the Nobel Peace Laureate co-organized by Asienhaus Essen and Burmese communities in Germany. The delegation traveled to Lower Saxony, Rhineland Palatinate, Landtag, Landrat and visited the Institute for Research on Federal Constitution at Hannover University as a study tour. The group met with well known Professor Dr. Hans Peter Schneider and Dr. Jutta Kramer who explained about the institute and how the German Federalism proceeded in comparison with US, Russia and Swiss Federal Constitutions. The team visited the head office of Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Bonn and the Parliament of Rhineland Palatinate State in Mainz. The delegation was able to meet with members of Burma Bureau in Kolon and discussed on the issue of the national reconciliation for peaceful federal union Burma. On Friday 14 December, the delegates went to Brussels and toured around EU Parliament and Belgium Parliament.

SHAN WELCOMES 2096 NEW YEAR

(Shan State, December 17, 2001)

The Shan celebrate 2096th anniversary of New Year on 16th December, 2001, which is the New Years day celebration according to Shan lunar year calendar. The festivities have largely taken place in Shan State and other communities where Shan migrants live in Thailand, Mae Hongson, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, who have carried on the tradition of their national festivals by joining with others back home. In Shan State, the people gathered at monasteries for donation and offering foods to friends, neighbours, relatives and olders while the season coincide with new crops and blossom of cherry flowers. Thousands flocked to the celebration compound in Chiang Mai, the second capital of Thailand, where celebrities from Shan State entertained the jovial crowd with pop songs for a 3 night long festival from December 14th to 16th. Sky balloons and fire works were part of the festivities that charged a fee of 50 Baht that will go toward funds for orphaned students. Environmental awareness in Shan State were displayed by Shan Environment Organization and Shan Women Action Network (SWAN) also cooperated the joyful festival for fund raising of children education program. Shan books, foods, and popular tapes including Karaoke CD's were sold from stalls set up along the length of the night bazaar around the compound.

According to the workshop paper, which was recently held in Oslo Norway, the Shan people make up about 60% of the population in Shan State. Other groups include Kachin, Pa-O, Palaung, Wa, Lahu, Lisu, Akha, Kayan, Padaung, Intha, Danu, all together accounts for about 20% of the total population in Burma and Shan State covers roughly 23% of the total area. Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) won 23 seats in the 1990 general election. Following the Karenni and Mon, Shan became a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), the international alliance organization in 1997. Shan State Army North (SSA-N) and Shan State Army (SSA) had reached a cease-fire agreement with the Burma SPDC, but the Southern Shan Army (SSA-S), led by Sao Yord Suk, has vowed to continue resistance under an anti-drug campaign since 1998 along the Thai Burma border.

PROTEST AT RANGOON UNIVERSITY

(Rangoon, December 14, 2001)

According to Mon community sources in Rangoon, on December 7, 2001, five medical students in Rangoon held a demonstration insisting on residence in the boarding house. The students demanded they be allowed to stay inside the campus of the Yangon Medical University No. (1) as it is a more suitable place. They set a week deadline giving the authorities time to respond and to make a decision. If the authorities fail to arrange accommodation for them, they will continue to demonstrate, said a Mon student in Rangoon. There have been no arrests as of yet since the protest began.

BURMA JUNTA GOES ALL OUT IN FESTIVITIES

(Cited from The Nation, December 17, 2001)

In stark contract to what is happening across Burma, where over 120 battalions are destroying villages of ethnic communities, the organizing committee of the junta is planning a rare and upbeat festival gathering of 1200 ethnic dancers to be held in Kachin State from December 26 to January 2 at a cost of 500 million Kyat (30 million Baht). The organizing committee in praising ethnic diversity is optimistic that the festival will attract about 350,000 visitors including tourists and have now arranged to erect 40,000 temporary bamboo huts for the hordes of people expected to partake. Indeed, the dancers to perform form a colorful blend of ethnic groups comprised of the Kachin, or Wunpawng, Zaiwa, Rawang, Lachid, Lisu, Lhaova and Jinghpaw. Other activities include games, sporting events and a trade fair exhibiting products from Kachin State and other area.

Migrant Watch

REGISTERED WORKERS DEPORTED

(Samutsakhon, December 19, 2001)

11 workers who led the protest at fish processing Thailand Company at Na Rommit, Maharchai were arrested and deported to Burma according to Kao Wao reporter from Samutsakhorn. The registered workers held protest in demand to keep their worker identification cards on December 6, 2001. As many owners, the boss of this 1000 workers have kept the cards of alien workers and they are not permitted to hold cards under any circumstances, making it difficult for them to move around, even to visit the clinic and to show them for rent. Workers were later granted to retain their worker identity cards on December 8, 2001 after some NGOs and reporter came to the site.

But the Thai supervisor called the police and arrested demonstration leaders on December 17, 2001. According to a wife of arrested workers, the group was locked up at Maharchai Police Station and later on sent to the border and deported to Burma. These workers have already paid the registration fees to the Labour Ministry but the owner still abuse them and there is no information where about these workers have been deported said a member of the Mon Workers Union.

YOUTH EXCHANGE AT SANGKHALA

(Sangkhalaburi, December 17, 2001)

A youth exchange meeting at Sangkhlaburi, Karnchanaburi Province was attended by Mon youths on the afternoon of December 16, 2001. The gathering was intended to share and exchange the experience, to build understanding and unity, to promote future activities and to express youth outlook freely among each other. 25 youth participants attended the meeting and the topic "Youth Communication" was chosen to discuss. The participants have decided to hold monthly meeting and "Youths and Education" was chosen for the next meeting during January 2002. Ideas and suggestions from other Mons in the third countries are also needed to promote youth issues said a participant who joined the gathering.

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