[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
Wired News on Feb. 1 & 2, '95
- Subject: Wired News on Feb. 1 & 2, '95
- From: FreeBurma@xxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 02 Feb 1995 08:14:00
Attn: Burma Newsreaders
Re: Wired News on February 1 & 2, 1995
--------------------------------------------------------------
Thai energy group signs pact to buy Burmese gas
By Cecilia Siow
BANGKOK, Feb 2 (Reuter) - Thailand's state petroleum authority on
Thursday signed an agreement to import natural gas from Burma via a pipeline
that Burmese rebel groups have threatened to destroy.
Under the 30-year pact, signed at a glittering ceremony presided over by
Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT)
will buy natural gas from Burma's offshore Yadana Field starting in 1998.
The project, at a total cost of between $1 billion and $1.3 billion,
includes sending gas via a 400-km (250-mile) pipeline from the Gulf of
Martaban overland to the Thai border, through territory where ethnic Mon and
Karen guerrillas operate.
There was no mention of the Burmese army's lightning thrust against
guerrillas of the Karen National Union last week at the signing ceremony
involving Thai energy officials and the operators of the Yadana Field.
``This is the start of more cooperation between the two countries,''
Chuan said. ``The excellent atmosphere is conducive to further agreements
between the two countries.''
PTT signed the agreement with an operating consortium of PTT's
exploratory arm, PTT Exploration & Production (PTTE), France's Total, Unocal
of the United States and Burma's state-run Myanmar Oil & Gas Enterprise.
PTT will initially buy 525 million cubic feet per day of natural gas
worth 10 billion baht ($400 million) per year from Yadana, Burma's largest
known offshore gas field.
A second, 300-km (185-mile) pipeline will be built by PTT from the Thai
border to the delivery point in Thailand, costing around $400 million.
The consortium will foot the bill of $600 million for the Burmese section
of the pipeline and wells and platforms in the gulf.
Ethnic minority Karen and Mon guerrillas, fighting for greater autonomy,
oppose the gas project as providing revenue for Rangoon's military rulers and
have threatened to turn the pipeline into ``a snake of fire.''
PTT Governor Luen Krisnakri, asked at the signing ceremony whether the
authority might have difficulty financing the project in view of security
concerns, told Reuters: ``It's a good project. If there is a market and the
price is right, there's nothing more important for a business deal.''
``After that to acquire the loan is not difficult. If the banks don't
want to give, PTT will go ahead on its own,'' he said, adding that separately
listed PTTE would do the same.
Total holds 36.75 percent of the operating consortium, while Unocal has
33.25 percent and PTTE 30 percent.
The Myanmar Oil & Gas Enterprise can take a 15 percent stake within six
months.
J.M. Beuque of Total said: ``I am confident the project will go smoothly
in time. No problems with financing. We have not finalised on internal or
external financing.
``This is a day of celebration. Not a time to talk politics.''
Indicating market confidence in the project, Luen said investors had
snapped up PTTE's 50 million share offering at 130 baht last year, which
raised 6.5 billion baht ($260 million).
Thailand's natural-gas demand is estimated to grow by 150 percent to 2.4
billion cubic feet per day by 1999 from 1994.
Yadana's reserves of 5.7 trillion cubic feet are PTT's single largest
reserve of natural gas.
PTT said the Burma gas sale, which followed a memorandum of understanding
between the two governments, may be followed by gas supply deals with
Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam.
REUTER
Transmitted: 95-02-02 08:21:25 EST
*************
Burma says it helped Karen Buddhist army fight KNU
By Aung Hla Tun
RANGOON, Feb 1 (Reuter) - A senior Burmese general has said that
government troops helped breakaway Karen rebels capture the Karen National
Union's Manerplaw headquarters, newspapers reported on Wednesday.
The statement by Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, Secretary One of the
ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), was the first
detailed official account of Rangoon's role in the fighting which culminated
in the sacking of Manerplaw on Friday.
Speaking at Pa-an, capital of Karen state in southeast Burma on Tuesday,
Khin Nyunt said the breakaway Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DBKA) believed
the Karen National Union (KNU) was not sincerely seeking peace and had asked
for help from the Tatmadaw, the country's armed forces.
``So, for the sake of peace and tranquillity in Kayin State and security
of life of the people, the Tatmadaw provided necessary assistance to the DKBA
group,'' the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper quoted him as saying.
Khin Nyunt did not say what kind of help the armed forces had given the
DKBA, the military wing of the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Organisation (DKBO)
which split from the Christian-led KNU in December over religious
differences.
He said 13 underground armed groups had now accepted government offers of
a ceasefire, and recalled that he invited groups in Karen state in November,
1993, to do likewise.
Referring to the KNU's leader Bo Mya and his headquarters at Manerplaw
near the Thai border, Khin Nyunt said that ``whenever he got into a tight
spot due to offensives he fled into the other country and came back when
things calmed down.''
The SLORC general accused Bo Mya and other KNU leaders of living in
luxury and said they were continually inventing excuses not to discuss peace
terms, in order not to lose power.
``Base-level youths and middling members of the KNU underground armed
group realized this and they wanted peace,'' said Khin Nyunt, adding that in
1994 armed clashes broke out between the DKBA and KNU.
``Finally, the KNU Headquarters at Manerplaw was attacked and captured by
the DKBA group which broke away from the KNU group,'' he was quoted as
saying.
The SLORC had helped the Buddhist Karen group because its ``attitude and
concept'' were in accordance with its own.
Army commander-in-chief General Maung Aye, who also spoke at the meeting
in Pa-an, urged local officials and people of the region to join hands with
the armed forces to develop Karen State in peace and tranquillity.
REUTER
Transmitted: 95-02-01 13:49:50 EST
**************
Karen commander vows to defend last base to end
MAE SOT, Thailand, Feb 1 (Reuter) - The commander of the Karen National
Union's (KNU) last stronghold at Kaw Moo Ra, now under Burmese artillery fire
has vowed to defend it with his life, a KNU officer said on Wednesday.
According to KNU intelligence, about 300 fighters of the breakaway
Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA) have joined 1,500 Burmese government
troop reinforcements sent to Kaw Moo Ra, the officer told Reuters.
``General Htaw Hla told us that he will hold this camp with his life and
he will never order the camp to be abandoned,'' the officer added.
Burmese gunners maintained their mortar and artillery bombardment of Kaw
Moo Ra on the west bank of the Moei river in southeastern Burma, but Thai
army officers at the scene said the pressure appeared to have eased.
``Late last night there were about 20 artillery shells fired into Kaw Moo
Ra, but that was unusually light compared with the hundreds they fired in the
past week,'' said a Thai army officer standing near the river which marks the
border line between Thailand and Burma.
DKBA is the military wing of the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Organisation
(DKBO) which was formed last month by a breakaway group of Karen Buddhist
guerrillas after they mutinied against the Christian-dominated KNU
leadership.
Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, Burma's military intelligence chief, said
on Tuesday that Burmese government troops had helped the DKBA in last week's
successful attack against the KNU main base of Manerplaw.
In 1992, Burma's military-led government, the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC), unilaterally declared a suspension of military
operations against ethnic minority rebels who have been fighting for autonomy
since Burma gained independence from Britain in 1948.
Thirteen ethnic guerrilla armies have since signed ceasefire agreements
with the SLORC.
The KNU said last year it also planned to hold peace talks, but became
preoccupied by the rank and file mutiny in early December. It later accused
the SLORC of fomenting the unrest by infiltrating agents among the Karen.
``With the help of the DKBA, many of them familiar with the KNU camps, we
expect the Burmese will launch an all-out attack against Kaw Moo Ra in a
matter of days,'' the Karen officer said.
About 1,000 Karen guerrillas and 100 Burmese militia dissident students
are defending Kaw Moo Ra, a base almost encircled by the Moei river, located
about 120 km (75 miles) south of Manerplaw, source said.
REUTER
Transmitted: 95-02-01 07:00:30 EST
*************
Burma says it helped Karen Buddhist army fight KNU
By Aung Hla Tun
RANGOON, Feb 1 (Reuter) - A senior Burmese general has said that
government troops helped breakaway Karen rebels capture the Karen National
Union's Manerplaw headquarters, newspapers reported on Wednesday.
The statement by Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, Secretary One of the
ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), was the first
detailed official account of Rangoon's role in the fighting which culminated
in the sacking of Manerplaw on Friday.
Speaking at Pa-an, capital of Karen state in southeast Burma on Tuesday,
Khin Nyunt said the breakaway Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DBKA) believed
the Karen National Union (KNU) was not sincerely seeking peace and had asked
for help from the Tatmadaw, the country's armed forces.
``So, for the sake of peace and tranquillity in Kayin State and security
of life of the people, the Tatmadaw provided necessary assistance to the DKBA
group,'' the official New Light of Myanmar newspaper quoted him as saying.
Khin Nyunt did not say what kind of help the armed forces had given the
DKBA, the military wing of the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Organisation (DKBO)
which split from the Christian-led KNU in December over religious
differences.
He said 13 underground armed groups had now accepted government offers of
a ceasefire, and recalled that he invited groups in Karen state in November,
1993, to do likewise.
Referring to the KNU's leader Bo Mya and his headquarters at Manerplaw
near the Thai border, Khin Nyunt said that ``whenever he got into a tight
spot due to offensives he fled into the other country and came back when
things calmed down.''
The SLORC general accused Bo Mya and other KNU leaders of living in
luxury and said they were continually inventing excuses not to discuss peace
terms, in order not to lose power.
``Base-level youths and middling members of the KNU underground armed
group realized this and they wanted peace,'' said Khin Nyunt, adding that in
1994 armed clashes broke out between the DKBA and KNU.
``Finally, the KNU Headquarters at Manerplaw was attacked and captured by
the DKBA group which broke away from the KNU group,'' he was quoted as
saying.
The SLORC had helped the Buddhist Karen group because its ``attitude and
concept'' were in accordance with its own.
Army commander-in-chief General Maung Aye, who also spoke at the meeting
in Pa-an, urged local officials and people of the region to join hands with
the armed forces to develop Karen State in peace and tranquillity.
REUTER
Transmitted: 95-02-01 13:49:50 EST
***************
Former Australia premier Hawke defends Burma visit
SYDNEY, Feb 1 (Reuter) - Former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke,
under fire over his recent business trip to Burma, on Wednesday defended his
failure to discuss human rights in meetings with leaders of the country's
ruling junta.
Confronted by a small group of protesters on his return to Sydney, Hawke
said his record on human rights was virtually without peer in Australia.
Telling one shouting protester to ``be quiet,'' an irritated Hawke said:
``My record is as good as, or better, than just about anyone in this country
on this issue.''
The Australia-based Committee for Democracy in Burma condemned Hawke's
visit, during which he met Burma's senior military intelligence chief and
transport minister.
Canberra has criticised the visit, with Foreign Affairs Minister Gareth
Evans expressing disappointment on Tuesday that Hawke did not raise the issue
of human rights.
``I have conveyed to Mr Hawke ...my disappointment, both at the missed
opportunity to reinforce the views of the whole world community, and the
significance likely to be attributed by the regime to the issue not being
raised,'' he told parliament.
Hawke was in the Burmese capital Rangoon last week as part of a business
delegation.
The end of his visit coincided with a military-assisted capture of a
Karen rebel base near the Thai border by breakaway guerrillas.
The Manerplaw base was the headquarters of the rebel Karen ethnic
minority.
Transmitted: 95-02-01 05:17:09 EST
****************
-------------------------------------------------------END.
Fm:Zz