KAO WAO NEWS No. 61
An
electronic newsletter for social justice and freedom in
January
23 –
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READER’S
FRONT
BURMESE
ARMY PERPETUATES RAPE
57TH
MON NATIONAL DAY WORLDWIDE
HR
GROUP BLAMES ARMY OFFENSIVE
FARMERS
FED UP WITH JUNTA
THIRD
ETHNIC NATIONALITY SEMINAR HELD
THE MILITARY’S ‘ROADMAP’ AS A CATALYST
ON
DIVIDE AND RULE POLICY: BY BASAW KHIN
A
NONVIOLENT YOKE
JUNTA
SACKS CABINET MINISTER
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READERS'
FRONT
Dear Readers,
We invite comments and suggestions on
improvements to Kao-Wao newsletter. With your help, we hope that Kao-Wao News
will continue to grow to serve better the needs of those seeking social justice
in
Regards,
Editor
kaowao@hotmail.com, kaowao@shaw.ca
__________________________________
Dear editor,
Regarding your article "Army opens fire
on Karen New Year Festival" (Kao Wao No. 59), 40, 000 people at a KNU
sponsored event sounds unlikely - even though there was supposed to be an
informal ceasefire in place. Was it 4,000 perhaps?
Thanks,
Duncan McArthur
Burmese Border Consortium
______________________________
Warm
greetings from the
Congratulations
to your sustained transmission of news and comments from and about
A
question: in your assessment of the year 2003, has human rights in
Max (The
_____________________________
On
"Junta's Divide and Rule Policy" by Kambawza
Win
Dear
Editor,
Regarding
feedback on Dr. Kanbawza Win’s opinions, I forward to
his analysis on the situation in
Ms.
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Rape
used as weapon of war
BURMESE ARMY PERPETUATES RAPE
(By Kao Wao:
The Burmese Army continues to
torment women and use rape as a weapon of war during its offensive against the
Mon guerrillas in southern Mon state.
According to a local source, Mi Choma (age 19) was raped by Battalion No (28) while in
military custody at a detention center near her own village at Southern Ye
Township this month.
“The soldiers arrested Choma and her parents.
On the final day of their ten-day detention, they separated her from
them (parents) and she was raped”, said the uncle of the victim.
Choma, the daughter of Nai Kmao Done and Mi Pu, was later moved from her native Mi Tawhlar
village to a safe place to avoid the military offensive while her parents
stayed on at the village. Her uncle Nai Halaer said she was so
ashamed to face the other villagers after being raped by the soldiers.
Independent Mon News Agency
reported that another girl Mi Aye (20 years old) from Kaw
Hlaing village was also arrested by the BA IB 586 and
raped by the army.
Mi Aye and her father Nai Win were accused of having contact with the Mon
guerrilla group and were taken away to stay with the troops of Captain Hla Khaing during the military
operation in their area. They were
arrested for two months and forced to stay at the base where the BA gang raped
the Mon girl.
Mi San Myint,
a married woman from Krane Kanya
village, said that she was raped twice while in the military base outside of
her village. She added that women from
six villages in the area were hand picked because of their beauty and forced to
participate at a model show at the main military base where some were later
raped. If they survive the ordeal they are waved on to go about their daily
business as if nothing happened.
According to villagers who fled
to the Halockhanee refugee camp, women from villages
in the offensive areas who are sexually abused and raped find it difficult to
name those who assault them. Rape brings shame to the family and the women are
frightened and reluctant to tell what happened to them.
The
BA has launched a major offensive against the Hongsawatoi
Restoration Party, the Mon guerrilla group that operates in the area. The BA adds rape to its arsenal of weapons in
its war against civilians during its military operations to wipe out Mon
guerrillas in southern Ye,
***********************************************
57th MON NATIONAL DAY WORLDWIDE
(Kao
Wao:
The
57th anniversary of Mon National Day celebration was celebrated in
many locales around the world in family homes and at various venues.
Mon National Day celebrations were held at
several places in
The
The New Mon State Party organized main national
celebration at 3 locations: Palaing
Several placards and boards of two Mon brothers, Tahputa and Bumleca were
displayed on the main roads, in towns and villages in
The
celebration was held on
Nai Kwae Mon, the event organizer and
leader of the Australia Mon Association reported, the MND ceremony was opened
by Australian and Mon National Anthems, followed by speeches and messages from
community leaders Nai Than Tin, Nai
Shwe Lwin, Senator Hon. Gary Humpries,
Professor Desmond Balls, Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister and Ms.
Vicky Dunne, a Member for Legislative Assembly.
The
The
57th anniversary of MND was held at
Statements
were read, messages from various community leaders and speeches from Keneth A. Rogers, Associate Dean and Director of
International Service of Bloomington University, Tommy Shupe,
a Representative of Congressman Mark Souder were delivered at the event.
The
majority of the Mon migrant
communities took a day off and celebrated the event near their work sites and
temples.
Thai
Mon Community cheerfully celebrated the auspicious event on February 1 at Wat Thongbor, Ayudhaya
province where over a hundred households of Thai Mon people live and who still
preserve the Mon culture and identity near the old capital of
In
Mahachai, several migrant workers enjoyed listening
to an outdoor music band with many partaking in the traditional Mon cultural
performance attended by the MND celebration. Organizer Nai
Phong distributed about 500 copies of the MND’s joint statement about the Mon history and future.
In
Bangkok, the Overseas Mon National Students Organization (OMNSO) held a modest
gathering at a Buddhist temple on February 6 amid the Thai’s tough security on
the migrant community, in which a large percentage of are Mon.
According
to MUL General Secretary, “The celebrations are always a happy affair with no
trouble whatsoever and which are well organized and well attended; they start
around
Senior
monks dressed in their saffron robes attended and chanted Buddhist verse at the
celebration, Mon historical and cultural information in the form of CDs were
distributed. There was also classical
entertainment of the Mon traditional dance given by beautifully and modestly
dressed
“Many
celebrations were held at various places, in
In
Chiang Mai, reported by Nai Yeup,
the MND celebration was organized by young Mon students and about 60 ethnic
nationalities including Burmese attended the event where the MND presented
their joint statement with messages from the NCGUB and MUL to the audience.
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Human Rights
HR
GROUP BLAME MILITARY OFFENSIVE
(Kao Wao:
Human Rights Foundation of Monland issued a report on January 15, 2004 stating that the Burmese Army based in southern Ye, Mon State
continues with its human rights atrocities of raping local women, beating and
abusing Buddhist monks, performing extra judicial killings of villagers,
restricting the movement of local farmers and selecting them as porters for the
front-line, and collecting money from poor villagers for military expenses and
personal income throughout late 2003 and early 2004.
According to the statement, the civilians in the area have faced
various hardships for survival, population displacement, and food-shortage.
Over 100 families have fled to border areas and other jungle locations for
safety.
The BA’s Light Infantry
Division No. 22 and Light Infantry Battalion No. 299, LIB 282, Infantry
Battalion No. 61, and No. 343 have committed serious human rights violations
against Mon civilians in villages situated in the southern part of Ye Township
during an intensified military offensive against a Mon rebel group in late
December 2003 and earlier January 2004.
LID No. 22 troops are led by
Col. Nyi Nyi Swe; the other
battalions are under the direct control of South East Military Command based in
Both married and unmarried women from 9 Mon
villages near the patrolled areas of LIB No. 299 in southern Ye Township have
been forced by commanders to cook during the day and to sleep with them at
night according to local sources. The
troops take 3 women per day to stay at their bases around the clock.
The Mon villagers are often
accused as rebel-supporters, because an active Mon armed group patrols in the
region. However, there is no hard evidence that they are guilty of the
accusations.
The Thai-Burma border based
Human Rights group urged the
Mon villages in Southern Ye Township, Win-kyan
village with approximately 70 households; Win-pop with approximately 80
households; Day Boung Village with approximately 150
households, were ordered to relocate immediately in the first week of January,
2004. About 30 households in the
outskirts of Mi-htaw-hlar-gyi village were ordered
into the middle part of the village in late December to prevent the sheltering
of rebels.
3 Mon Buddhists monks from Khaw-zar, Mi-htaw-hla-kalay and Kyone-kanya,
were arrested and accused of supporting rebels and were seriously tortured in
late December 2003. According to
witnesses, the monks’ hands were tied and the soldiers beat them cruelly all
over the body, burnt them, and then put them under the hot sun for several
hours.
From mid-December until mid January, the troops of LIB No. 22 killed 6
men after accusing them as rebels because they were not holding the proper
documents outside their villages. The BA has launched several military
operations in an area with over 20 Mon villages with a population of about
30,000 people.
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Life in
FARMERS FED UP WITH JUNTA
(Kao
Wao:
Farmers
in
The letter
included 6 demands including the freedom to cultivate any crop, freedom to mill
and sell the produce, the cessation of forced rice purchases at the lowest
price by the junta, the cancellation of export tax on rice and the possession
of farmlands by farmers.
Copies of the letter were sent to SPDC Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt and
the chairman of
Recently,
farmers from Rangoon Division also sent letters to SPDC’s
Secretary-1 Lieutenant-General Soe Win. In an effort
to prevent an uprising by disgruntled farmers, the general announced last year
that the control of rice quota system has been lifted and that rice could now
be freely exported.
Nevertheless,
the junta later told farmers to sell their produce to selected rice traders but
traders were afraid to do this transaction because they foresaw that the junta
might later force them to sell the milled paddy rice at a lower price.
The
junta later suspended rice exports for six months from early January without
warning. The regime is afraid that the shortage of rice might trigger political
upheavals in the country.
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THIRD
ETHNIC NATIONALITY SEMINAR HELD
(Kao Wao:
The Third Ethnic Nationality Seminar,
organized by the Ethnic Nationalities Solidarity and Cooperation Committee was
held from January 28 to
Sixty-one
delegates from 25 ethnic nationality groups, including two groups that have
entered into cease-fire agreements with the Burmese military regime, attended
the six-day seminar reported from the Thai-Burma border. The delegates from various groups
participated in free and frank discussions at Law-hkee-la
Camp in Kawthoolei.
In
a statement, seminar participants said, "The seminar observed that the
regime's 7-stage 'road map' and the attempt to reconvene its national
convention, temporarily suspended in 1996, would not lead to democratization
and establishment of a federal union but only sustain a military dictatorship
in the country."
The Seminar agreed to firmly uphold the
agreement reached at the First Ethnic Nationality Seminar at “Mae-the-raw-ta” in 1997, being the resolution of political problems of
the Union of Burma through tripartite dialogue and the establishment of a true
Federal Union.
The ENSCC submitted its report covering two
years of activities and the various organizations submitted papers expressing
views on the Tripartite Dialogue and the Solidarity among the ethnic
nationalities.
The existence of the ENSCC was supported and
the “Ethnic Nationalities Council,” was formed during the meeting. The Seminar called upon the SPDC to cease all
military offensives against the ethnic nationalities, declare a nationwide
cease-fire, release all political prisoners, and hold tripartite dialogue at
the earliest date.
The gathering also decided to launch for a
forming of the interim government comprising of representatives from the SPDC,
the NLD and other ethnic nationalities; various commissions with approval of
the National Convention; and to draft constitutions of the Federal Union and
the constituent States.
The source said that the seminar supported
efforts by the Thai government for national reconciliation in
A
United States-based activist group, the US Campaign for
"The
message from the seminar should be a wake-up call for the international
community and the United Nations, especially UN special envoy Razali
Ismail," says Aung Din, policy director of US Campaign for
********************************************
THE
MILITARY’S ‘ROADMAP’ AS A CATALYST
(NewsDesk:
Help comes from unexpected quarters. As the
Burmese saying goes, "A yay jee
yin thway see", unity comes in time of need.
The
State Peace and Development Council announced a "seven-point future policy
program" or a seven-phase roadmap on 30 June. It came at a time when the
international community was strongly condemning the military for the brutal
crackdown and massacre of members of the National League for Democracy near Tabayin on 30 May. Nevertheless, the knee-jerk reaction
paid off and pressure eased on the generals who promised to the world,
particularly neighboring and regional countries, that they were bringing
democracy to
The generals previously had also tried to impose military
domination over Burma's political future with its version of "disciplined
democracy" through constitutional principles drafted by a National
Convention attended by delegates of its own picking but the process was
suspended in 1996 when the NLD demanded that the National Convention be more
democratic and representative and decided to stay away from it unless its
demands were met. That convention which dismissed the NLD had already
prescribed what is known as the "104 principles" which were to be
used in drafting a constitution that would legitimize military rule in
The generals' pledge once again to steer Burma
to "disciplined democracy" under the same "104 principles"
naturally became a cause for concern to all legal political parties, and ethnic
nationality and democratic forces. Even the ceasefire groups, which, under
intense pressure from the generals, have pledged support for the National
Convention, are saying they want to see reforms in the process.
All
political parties, organizations, and politicians that have legal standing
inside
Unifying the Visions
The Third Ethnic Nationalities Seminar, which was held recently
(from 28 January to 2 February) at the Burma border and attended by 61
delegates and observers from the ethnic nationality alliances, parties, and
organizations, agreed that the resolution of political problems in Burma must
be through a "tripartite dialogue" and the establishment of a true
Federal Union. The participants said the "road map" and "the
attempt to reconvene its National Convention would not lead to democratization
and establishment of a federal union but only sustain a military dictatorship
in the country."
They said, "tripartite dialogue, as called for by the UN
resolutions annually since 1994", must be held "at the earliest
date" to form "an interim government" comprising of
representatives, proportionally, of the SPDC, the NLD and other political
parties victorious in the 1990 elections, and the ethnic nationalities, based
on the agreement arrived at the tripartite dialogue." They believe that
that interim government should convene a legitimate National Convention.
The Seminar also called upon the junta "to
unconditionally cease all military offensives against the ethnic nationalities,
declare a nationwide cease-fire, release all political prisoners, including Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi."
The ethnic nationality leaders expressed their
conviction that constitutions of the Federal Union and the constituent States
must be drafted by commissions formed "with the approval of the National
Convention" and these constitutions must be adopted through "national
referenda" held in various constituent States before elections can be held
to form Federal and state parliaments which then would elect Federal and state
governments.
A
major accomplishment of the Third Ethnic Nationalities Seminar is that all the
organizations were able to agree on a single plan involving different phases in
particular order that
Another important achievement is the decision to
form an "Ethnic Nationalities Council" which will no doubt contribute
greatly in helping resolve the nagging question of who will represent the
ethnic nationalities in the "Tripartite Dialogue" given the diverse
cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and political leanings of different
ethnic nationality forces.
The results of the Third Ethnic Nationalities
Seminar also put to rest all speculations that ethnic and democratic forces are
at odds over the military's roadmap. Like all struggles, anomalies are bound to
emerge from time to time, but the main goal remains as clear as ever for the democratic
and ethnic forces.
Bringing Ethnic Rights to the Fore
In
fact, the concept of "tripartite dialogue" first appeared in the
United Nations resolution on
The
ultimate objective of all political organizations in the ethnic and democracy
movements, including the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma,
has always been the establishment of a democratic federal union that would
guarantee democratic and equal rights to all nationalities in
Hence, the clarion call made by the Third Ethnic
Nationalities Seminar on the democratic and ethnic forces, at home and abroad,
to unanimously support and make concerted efforts to realize the aspirations of
the people of the Union of Burma is bound to be answered with a resounding yes.
The united front of the
ethnic and democratic movements of
(NewsDesk is
published by the National Coalition Government of the
*************************************
Discussion on Kanbawza
Win’s Junta’s Divide and Rule Policy
ON DIVIDE AND RULE POLICY
(By
BaSaw Khin)
Occasionally, those frequenting the Internet
would be treated to the opinion and writing of some highfalutin types which may
leave them wondering whether these reasonably good correspondents do this for
amusement or mere entertainment, or really think that by doing so they are
contributing to a good cause. In this case, the cause comprises part of the
various efforts to restore
Apparently,
the same self-styled pundit penned an article early this month (
So
what is the point of mentioning this banal term which, in effect, has been
employed since time immemorial by rulers of all sorts, if only to perpetuate
themselves. And when the SPDC generals happen to adjust their focus of
governing the country that at this point may be loosely interpreted as applying
this divide and rule procedure, it may sound condescending to say that the
"Burma Thugs Have Become A Little Educated." Granted, perhaps
not all the junta generals and their second echelon officers have formal
college degrees. This does not mean that they do not have some innate
intelligence, without which all of them would be out of power by now. To
wit, all indications are that the dictatorship in
The
marginalization of Daw ASSK is not a recent happening, nor is it going to be
the perceived result of the current round of KNU-SPDC peace negotiation. She, along with a host of the NLD leading
members, has been detained from the very beginning, even before the 1990
general election. And as far as diminishing her influence is concerned,
it is quite logical to assume that had they really wanted to do so, the
generals could have easily annihilated her at the Depayin
ambush/ massacre. Let us be generous and peg this one on a modicum of
compassion plus a smidgen of sophistication on the part of the junta. It
would also seem possible, tenuous though that may be, that the generals could
recognize the power of nonviolence resistance, while, at the same time, taking
heed of global opinion.
As
for the KNU General Bo Mya, it is true that he is
getting old, now a mid-septuagenarian, has never had much formal education,
somewhat enervated by poor health, and may even come close to being a
"warlord" as Kambawza W. alluded (as are
most of the SPDC regional commanders of general ranking), but senile? not hardly (to quote the late actor John Wayne) - not in the
foreseeable future anyway. Bo Mya has recently
written an autobiography, the English translation of which leaves a bit to be
desired, and while not quite an outstanding literary piece, one can yet see in
it a simple but honest and relatively intelligent person, not to mention his
physical prowess. This may be a hill Karen leader who never deigned to learn
the English language, and, for the moment, may have returned from the Khin
Nyunt meeting seemingly empty handed, which does not mean that they would not
strive further for a formal cease-fire agreement, as a first step.
At
this point, it would be presumptuous to dismiss this martial personage as a
washed-up nonentity. Comparing Bo Mya to the Biblical Moses, who never resisted the Pharaoh,
but actually fled from him, does take some imagination, if not a ridiculous
correlation. One thing that can be said
about this KNU VP and KNLA C-in-C is that, having led this armed resistance for
over 50 years with no end in sight, if he deems it appropriate to communicate
with a much stronger adversary, if only to bring about a breathing spell for
his people, he does have the prerogative to do so. And at the same time,
he certainly will attempt to pave the way to a more normal condition for the
entire country, and it has to be to his credit that he is able to change and
adjust to what he may happen to consider a propitious time.
After
all being over 65 is not necessarily on the wrong side. Winston Churchill was well over that age when
he led
As
a final note, more of a triviality, in the second paragraph of Kanbawza Win's Jan 24 missive, it is a little bewildering
that the junta "still continues to embark upon its scotch earth policy
---." Discounting the word scotch, which means a different thing
altogether, the Scotch or Scottish blokes seemed never to have an 'earth policy'.
Of course, there is the scorched-earth policy, a military policy of devastating
all --- so as to leave nothing salvageable to the enemy. Also, the usage
for Kleptocrats elsewhere in the same article may
have stretched or misrepresented the actual meaning of this recently concocted
word.
Well,
to each his own, as the saying goes. Meanwhile, we definitely do not have any ill
regard to Mr. K. Win who, with his palpable erudition, may obviously believe
that his contributions are constructive to the endeavors of many, who sincerely
wish for an end to the myriad problems that beset that beautiful land of
pagodas.
BaSaw Khin
************************************************
Opinion
A NON-VIOLENT YOKE
(By
Lawi Weng)
"Science of war
leads one to dictatorship pure and simple. Science of non-violence can alone
lead one to pure democracy.” said Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi fought the British
government with non-violence, which means "Civil Disobedience." He
decided to disobey the Salt Laws, which forbade Indians from making their own
salt. He initiated a nation-wide campaign of non-cooperation with the British
government, which for the native peasant population meant non payment of taxes
and not buying liquor which the government gained revenue from.
Today it seems that
using a pacifist approach is too soft a tool to fight and remove existing
regimes. Yet, there are still two people
in
The first person is
the Dalai Lama who has struggled for independence for
His tactic to oppose
the Chinese military is based on non- violence and compassion. He was awarded
the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1989. He has been opposing
His trips have made
more people aware of the situation of the Tibetan people who are having their
human rights abused while living under the oppressive control of
Another
pro-democracy leader who believes in non violent opposition is Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi's and her struggle against the Burmese junta.
When she was released from detention, it seemed that her strength could blow
the regime out of power. She believes non-violence can rid
Her struggle depends
on the Burmese regime. When the regime initially released her from house
arrest, she seemed to have more strength to resist them. But when the regime
realized her strength could be used to intimidate them, they sent her to
detention again. She has been put under house arrest many times. She was
released again in May 2002 and she had the chance to travel outside
In an effort to free
her, the international community including the U.S and the EU, has put more
pressure on
The regime has
invited all the ethnic cease-fire groups to attend the national convention.
They are going to play a cunning game to grab power from the cease-fire groups.
No one knows yet whether the opposition party, Daw Aung Sun Sui
Kyi's NLD (National League for Democracy) will be
invited or not. It seems that the time is not for the NLD. The regime continues
to have a monopoly on power in the country while hiding behind the facade of giving
the ceasefire groups power.
In the current
political situation in
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JUNTA SACKS CABINET MINISTER
(AP:
Minister
in the Office of the Prime Minister Ko Lay was
``permitted to retire,'' said a brief official announcement by Secretary One of
the State Peace and Development Council, Lt. Gen. Soe
Win, and read by newscasters. Ko Lay, a retired army colonel, was said to be close to
Gen. Than Shwe,
Soe Win said Ko Lay
was ``permitted to retire'', a euphemism often used to describe a dismissal. No
explanation for Ko Lay's departure was given.
Ko Lay had served as mayor of the capital,
*************************************************
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