BurmaNet News 11th May #170

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------------------------- BurmaNet ---------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: 11 May 1995
Issue #170
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Contents:

BKK POST: SUU KYI WINS PRESTIGIOUS INDIAN AWARD
BKK POST: THAILAND URGED TO MEET BURMESE OVER BORDER ROW
BKK POST: TWO THAI TRAWLERS SEIZED BY BURMESE
BKK POST: DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED
NATION:   BORDER TENSION NOT TO AFFECT THE ASEAN STATUS OF RANGOON

BKK POST: THAI TASK FORCE SEARCHES REFUGEE CAMPS, SEIZES MANY WAR WEAPONS
REUTER:   THAI FORCES SEIZE WEAPONS FROM KAREN REFUGEE CAMPS
REUTER:   TENSION ON THAI-BURMA BORDER AS NEW TROOPS MOVE IN
NATION:   MILITARY RAIDS KAREN CAMPS FOR WEAPONS TO COOL TENSIONS
NATION:   BORDER TENSION NOT TO AFFECT THE ASEAN STATUS OF RANGOON
NLM:      GOOD NEIGHBOUR 5
NLM:      GOOD NEIGHBOUR 6
TV/RADIO: PRESS CONFERENCE

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===== item =====

SUU KYI WINS PRESTIGIOUS INDIAN AWARD
11 May 1995

Burma's imprisoned pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has
been named for one of Indian's most prestigious awards for
promoting international understanding.

Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, was named for
the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for her struggle to bring peace and
democracy to Burma, a statement from the Indian Council of
Cultural Relations said.

It did not say when the award would be given or who would
receive it on behalf of Suu Kyi, who is spending her sixth
year under house arrest.

The jury that decide the award is headed by Indias
vice-president, K.R. Narayanan. The award was announced on
Monday and carries a cash prize of $48,300.

Previous recipients of the award, named after Indian's first
prime minister and independence leader, have included South
Africa's Nelson Mandela and Germany's Helmut Kohl. (BP)


===== item =====

THAILAND URGED TO MEET BURMESE OVER BORDER ROW
11May 1995

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Suthin Noppaket
yesterday called for anurgent meeting between Thailand and
Burma on the national level to settle the misunderstanding
along the common border otherwise the situation might
escalate.

Mr Suthin made the comment after Colonel Kyaw Win, Burma's
deputy military intelligence chief, early this week alleged
that Thailand had provided support to anti-Rangoon groups
operating along the common Thai-Burmese border. He urged Prime
Minister Chuan Leekpai to step in and help resolve the problem
which might turn explosive if left unattended.

Mr Suthin said he was concerned the border situation could
escalate because further attacks by the Thai military on
Burmese territory would be used as a pretext for similar
assaults by Rangoon troops.

"There is no doubt that Burma would use the same pretext for
an incursion into our territory," said the chairman. He said
the Burmese allegation was totally unfounded, adding that if
Burma continued to make unfounded accusations the Government
should toughen its stance and raise the problem on the
international stage.

In a related development, Army Spokesman Col Palangkul Klaharn
yesterday said Col Kyaw Win is now directly involved in the
border issue.

The army spokesman did not elaborate, but did say he was
well-informed on the issue and would give details to the
public in the near future.

Commenting on Col Kyaw Win's claim that Burmese villagers were
killed and six villagers' houses destroyed when the Thai
military launched a counter-attack, Government Spokesman
Akapol Sorasuchart yesterday said the Burmese Government
should submit a formal protest over the incident.

The spokesman said he disagreed with Mr Suthin's proposal,
noting that there was still no need for government leaders of
the two countries to hold talks on the issue. (BP)


===== item =====

TWO THAI TRAWLERS SEIZED BY BURMESE
11 May 1995

Two Thai trawlers were seized last Friday by a Burmese warship
southwest of Payam island in Ranong Province, Third Fleet
Commander Vice Admiral Sunan Pattanawong disclosed yesterday.
He said he ordered a patrol boat which was patrolling in the
area of Surin island to help the seized boats.

The Nidanavee was seized about three nautical miles from
Hallrassu island at 5 a.m. and an hour later the same warship
seized another Thai trawler some four nautical miles from
Sendor island. Both incidents occurred in Burmese territorial
waters.

The Third Fleet commander complained that the boat owners
always omitted facts or gave only sketchy reports about the
incidents to officials because most of their crewmen are
Burmese and sometimes they illegally fished in the waters of
neighbouring countries. (BP)


===== item =====

DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED
11May 1995

A Burmese husband and wife convicted of heroin trafficking
escaped the gallows on Tuesday when federal judges commuted
their death sentences to life imprisonment.

Mg Aye Wmdy, 51, and Mg Than Wmpy, 46, both Burmese, had been
sentenced to death in February 1991 for trafficking 1.04 kilos
of heroin in 1984 in Penang.

The three-judge Federal Court ruled that their charge of
trafficking should be downgraded to possession, which carries
the lesser sentence. The judges also ordered Than Wmpy to be
caned 10 times. Aye Wmdy will not be caned because it is
illegal to cane people older than 50.

Also Tuesday, the Federal Court commuted the death sentence of
a 28-year-old Malaysian convicted of heroin trafficking. The
prisoner, whose alias is Lee Ah Alick, was sentenced to life
imprisonment for a charge of possession, and was to be caned
10 times. (TN)


===== item =====

BORDER TENSION NOT TO AFFECT THE ASEAN STATUS OF RANGOON
11 May 1995

The tension created incidents along the Thai-Burmese border
will not affect the Asean decision to invite Rangoon to attend
its annual meeting in July, a senior Foreign Ministry official
said yesterday.

"The current row is a matter between Thailand and Burma, not
Asean, and we hope it is within our ability to settle it,"
Deputy Premanent Secretary Saroj Chavanavirat said. His
statement came as political pressure groups in and outside the
country mounted campaigns to internationalize the border
incidents.

"We do not want to see the kind of settlement that will give
birth to another Bosnia," said Saroj. The ministry was engaged
in high-level dialogue with Rangoon to try to bring about a
solution to the border problems. The Burmese Ambassador to
Thailand, U Tin Win, was summoned for discussions last
Tuesday, he said. It was the seventh round of talks since the
border issue flared last month.

Details of the talks were not revealed, but Saroj said
Thailand wanted national reconciliation in Burma through
peaceful negotiation.

He said the current developments should not be allowed to
undermine the government's long-term policy to see Burma as a
peaceful and prosperous neighbour. (TN)


===== item =====

THAI TASK FORCE SEARCHES REFUGEE CAMPS, SEIZES MANY WAR WEAPONS
11 May1995

About 400 members of a Thai border task force searched four
rebel Burmese refugee camps in Tha Song Yang District
yesterday and seized an array of was weapons.

The search came only a day after the Burmese Defence Ministry
claimed cooperation between the Thai military and Karen rebels
was behind tension at the border.

The task force comprising soldiers, Border Patrol policemen
and rangers with the support of armoured personnel carriers
and machinegun-mounted jeeps surrounded the refugee camps at
Huay Ma Noke, Sho Klo, Kler Kho and Mae La before conducting
the search.

Military sources said the task members seized 47 M 16 and Ak
47 assault rifles, several grenade-launchers and two mortars
along with 4,700 rounds of ammunition.

Third Army Commander Surachet Dechatiwong said the search had
been ordered following a tipoff that war weapons had been
hidden at the refugee camps not and it wad feared that they
would be used in illegal activities that will affect the lives
and property of Thai resident along the border Lt-Gen Surachet
told reporters he had never denied to existence of the weapons
on Thai side.

However, the Thai military would not be able to completely
stop the flow of war weapons from entering the country because
a large number of Karen National Union refugees had crossed
into Thailand.

"I am sure Burma will be happy with the action we took today
as it will help deter any attempt by anti-Rangoon elements
from using Thai soil to launch subversive activities in
Burma," Lt-Gen Surachet said.

The Third Army commander said the campaign to check war
weapons at refugee camps along the border would continue.
Lt-Gen Surachet insisted that Thai and Burmese military
leaders have maintained good relations and have closely
coordinated with one another on border problems.

Meanwhile, Assistant Police Chief Prasarn Wongyai, overseeing
the Sixth Region Provincial Police, said he has ordered the
closure of more than 30 border passes along the Thai-Burmese
border.

The closure was aimed at putting pressure on local Burmese
authorities to hand over six Burmese nationals who robbed Thai
residents and shot dead one health official in Mae Sot
District last week.

Local police will start arresting illegal Burmese immigrants
engaged in employment at the border town if the first measure
fails to force local Burmese authorities to hand over the six
robbers - one of whom is believed to be a soldier, he added.
(BP)


===== item =====

THAI FORCES SEIZE WEAPONS FROM KAREN REFUGE
MAE SOT, Thailand, May 10 (Reuter)

Thailand moved to defuse tension on its border with Burma by
sending troops on Wednesday to seize weapons belonging to
Burmese Karen refugees camped inside Thai territory.

Combined Thai forces launched a pre-dawn surprise search on
the refugee camps inside Thailand, seizing large numbers of
weapons hidden in the camps, officials said.

``The search is to reduce tension on the border and to
demonstrate to our Burmese counterparts that we are sincere
when we say we want to settle this problem,''
Lieutenant-General Surachet Dachatiwonge, the Thai army
commander responsible for the border region, told reporters.

He said the search would continue until the army was sure all
weapons had been removed from the camps.

More than 500 men were involved in the pre-dawn search on four
refugee camps where officials confiscated seven
rocket-propelled grenades, 16 M-16 rifles, 13 Kalishnikov
rifles, four M-79 rocket launchers, three M-79 bomb launchers
and 3,729 rounds of ammunition.

The searches came a day after Rangoon and a Karen splinter
group angrily accused Thailand of harboring Burmese
guerrillas.

``The problems that have occurred on the Thai-Myanmar (Burma)
border are a consequence of Thailand having harboured for
various reasons terrorists who seek to oppose Myanmar,'' the
Burmese embassy in Bangkok said late on Tuesday.

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), the Karen splinter
group which claimed responsibility for harrassing the 74,000
Karen refugees living in camps in Thailand in recent weeks,
also accused Thailand of sheltering guerrillas from the
Christian-led, anti-Rangoon Karen National Union (KNU).

In attempts to retrieve KNU weapons, the DKBA has raided and
burned down more than 1,000 refugees' houses in the past two
weeks, burning to death one refugee and injuring five.

``Tons of the weapons belonging to the KNU are hidden inside
the refugees camps inside Thailand. We wanted those weapons
and if the Thai army cannot give them to us we will go and get
them ourselves,'' U Yanika, a Buddhist monk who is deputy to
the DKBA's religious leader, told Reuters during a jungle camp
interview earlier this week.

``The KNU used 14 elephants to transport weapons from their
deserted camps to the refugees camps and hid them there. So
when we raid the refugees camps the DKBA only wants to get the
weapons and the guerrillas back to Burma,'' Toe Hlaing, the
regional DKBA commander, told Reuters.

The pro-Rangoon DKBA was formed in December by hundreds of
Buddhist Karen guerrillas who mutinied against their mainy
Christian leaders.

Toe Hlaing said his leader had ordered a temporary halt to
cross-border attacks to await the Thai reaction.

The DKBA raids angered Thailand and prompted an official
complaint to Burma's military ruling body. Thailand also moved
in more than 1,000 reinforcements and a formidable array of
military hardware to reinforce the frontier.

Thai helicopters attacked a DKBA camp in Burma late last week,
firing rockets into the rebel position on the northwestern
Thai border.

The KNU has been fighting since 1949 for autonomy from
Rangoon.


===== item =====

TENSION ON THAI-BURMA BORDER AS NEW TROOPS MOVE IN
BANGKOK, May 9 (Reuter)

Tension on the Thai-Burmese border has increased with hundreds
of Burmese government soldiers, who have threatened to shoot
down Thai aircraft, being sent to the frontier, Thai army
sources said on Tuesday.

Fresh Burmese troops, equipped with heavy weapons, have been
sent to various parts of Burma adjacent to the border with
Thailand.

``At least 68 military trucks fully loaded with soldiers and
equipment were sent north from Myawadi in the past few days,''
a Thai army source in Thailand's Tak province opposite the
Burmese bordertown of Myawadi told Reuters.

Late last month guerrillas backed by the Burmese government
launched several cross-border raids on Karen refugee camps in
Thailand, prompting Bangkok to send in more than 1,000
reinforcements.

Another Thai army source, based in Chiang Rai province in
northern Thailand opposite Burma's Shan state, said many
Burmese troops had recently been sent to areas captured from
guerrillas loyal to opium warlord Khun Sa.

``Their regional commanders have ordered them on 24-hour alert
and to shoot down any aircraft that violates their airspace,''
the Thai army source told Reuters.


===== item =====

MILITARY RAIDS KAREN CAMPS FOR WEAPONS TO COOL TENSIONS
11.5.95/ The Nation


SECURITY forces searched Karen refugee camps along the
Northwestern border with Burma yesterday, seizing a variety of
weapons in a move intended to ease tensions along the volatile
frontier.

The snap searches followed warnings from Rangoon that the
problems on the border were the consequence of Thailand having
harboured "for various reasons terrorists who seek to oppose
Myanmar[Burma]".

"Continued harbouring of such [anti-Slorc] elements will
continue to precipitate problems,"the Burmese Ministry of
Defence said in a statement issued in Bangkok by the Burmese
embassy.

The statement, quoting a press conference in Rangoon on
Tuesday, also accused Thai military helicopters of attacking a
monastery last Thursday and injuring innocent people.

"At 10.20 am on May 4 a military coloured helicopter from the
Thai side fired four rockets at the Thumwehta monastery and at
11 am another two military coloured choppers fired three
rockets at the monastery as the result of which 15 innocent
citizens were injured and six houses burned down, " it said.

The statement denied that Rangoon backed the renegade
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army [DKBA] .

" The government of Myanmar has at no time become involved in
these problems and has not, at any time, encourage any
organization to oppose any neighbour,"it said.


Yesterday's pre-dawn raids on four camps in Tak's Mae Sot
district unearthed a large cache of weapons, including rocket-
propelled grenades, machine guns and rifles, 3rd Army Region
Commander Lt Gen Surachet Dechatiwongse said .

" The search was intended to reduce tension on the border and
to demonstrate to our Burmese counterparts that we are sincere
when we say we want to settle this problem," Lt Gen Surachet
said at a press conference.

About 400 people from the police and Army searched Saikro,
Baan Huay ManoK, Baan Koekoe and Baan Ma Hla camps.

They confiscated five machine guns, four rocket launchers, 29
M-16 assault rifles, 18 other rifles, more than 3,000 rounds
of ammunition and four hand grenades.

Surachet said the snap searches would continue until the Army
was sure all weapons had  been removed from the camps.

The DKBA, a splinter group of the KNU, has claimed
responsibility for harassing the 74,0000 Karen refugees living
in camps in Thailand in recent weeks. It claimed KNU
sympathizers had smuggled in large numbers of weapons in the
camps. More than 1,000 bamboo and thatch refugee houses have
been burnt down in the past two weeks. One refugee was burned
to death and five others injured.

" Tonnes of weapons belonging to the KNU are hidden in the
refugee camps inside Thailand. We wanted those weapons and if
the Thai Army will not hand them over to us we will go and get
them ourselves," U Yanika, a Buddhist monk who is deputy to
the DKBA's religious leader, said during a jungle camp
interview .

The regional DKBA commander, Toe Hlaing, gave further details.

" The KNU used 14 elephants to transport weapons from their
deserted camps to the refugee camps and hid them there . So
when we raid the refugee camps the DKBA only wants to get the
weapons and the guerrillas back to Burma." he said.

The pro-Rangoon DKBA was formed in December by hundreds of
Buddhist Karen guerrillas who mutinied against the largely
Christian leadership of the KNU .

The DKBA raids angered the government, the military and the
people of Thailand and prompted an official complaint to
Burma's military ruling body, the State Law and Order
Restoration Council [Slorc].

The security forces moved in more than 1,000 reinforcements
and a formidable array of military hardware to the frontier.

Army has announced that helicopters attacked a DKBA camp in
Burma late last week , firing machine guns and rockets at the
rebel position from Thai air space.

Meanwhile, Karen refugees have begun moving farther into
Thailand, away from the tense border , where Thai and Burmese
troops remained on the alert, Agence France Press reported.

A border source said yesterday that more than 1,000 refugees,
fearing fresh raids, had shifted to Mae Lha camp, more than 10
km inland.

Tha Song Yang district chief Panlop Sipa said there had been
no official decision to relocate the refugees, but authorities
had channelled them to Mae Lha when they indicated they
intended to move anyway.

Civilian and military officials said there had been no
decision made on how to handle the refugees. They were
weighing two options put forward by Interior Minister Sanan
Kachornprasart.


===== item =====

BORDER TENSION NOT TO AFFECT THE ASEAN STATUS OF RANGOON
11.5.95/The Nation

The tension created by incidents along the Thai-Burmese border
will not affect the Asean decision to invite Rangoon to atten
its annual meeting in Judy, a senior Foreign Ministry official
said yesterday.

" The current row is a matter between Thailand and Burma, not
Asean, and we hope it is within our ability to settle it,"
Deputy permanent Secretary Saroj Chavanavirat said.

His statement came as political pressure groups in and outside
the country mounted campaigns to internationalize the border
incidents.

" We do not want to see the kind of settlement that will give
birth to another Bosnia," said Saroj.

The ministry was engaged in high-level dialogue with Rangoon
to try to bring about a solution to the Border problems.

The Burmese Ambassador to Thailand, U Tin Win, was summoned
for discussions last Tuesday ,he said. It was he seventh round
of talks since the border issue flared last month.

Details of the talks were not revealed, but Saroj said
Thailand wanted national reconciliation in Burma through
peaceful negotiation.

He said the current developments should not be allowed to
undermine the government's long-term policy to see Burma as a
peaceful and prosperous neighbour.


===== item =====

GOOD NEIGHBOUR 5
The New Light of Myanmar Newspaper 04 May 1995

The refugee camp dealt with earlier has a connotation
different from the real. It must be added here that in the
real sense a refugee camp means a safe haven into which the
KNU forces can move and seek sanctuary when they feel that
they could not stand the ground and must retreat in the face
of Tatmadaw offensives often launched. In those camps the KNU
brazenly sport their arms. However, the responsible Thai
Ministry of the Interior just looked the other way.

The KNU insurgents formed the Karen Refugee Committee through
which it sought assistance from humanitarian organizations in
Thailand.

According to the statement of the Thai Ministry of Interior in
1982, there then were 12 insurgent refugee camps, which later
swelled to 23.

Located in Thailand, they are known as Mae Ye Hta, U Da Hta,
Khlo Pa, Mae Sa Gupe, Mae Kong Kha, Huai Heng, Mae Ra Ma
Luang, Mae Ta Waw, Mae Salit, Shoklo, Klay Mo Hta, Kler Kho,
Kamaw Lay Kho, Mae La, Don Pa Kiang, Wangka, Mawker, Ta Per
Poo, Nong Luang, Noh Pa Htaw Wa, Meteroke, Hti Hla Baw and Nga
Pyaw Dor Village.

The organization giving the most aid to these camps is the
Consortium of Christian Agencies which includes 13 other
groups, namely the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT),
Thailand Baptist Missionary Fellowship (TBMF), Jesuit Refugee
Service (JRS), Inter Aid International (IA), International
Rescue Committee (IRC), ZOA Refugee Care Netherlands (ZOA),
Catholic Relief Service (CRS), World Vision Foundation of
Thailand (WVFT), Compassion International, Japan Sotushu
Relief Committee (JSRC), Committee Aid Abroad, Japan
International Volunteer Centre (JVC) and Food for the Hungry
International (FHI).

The majority of these organizations are religious, and they
belong to Britain, America, Japan, the Netherlands, France,
Monaco and Thailand. However, the funds, instead of going to
the civilian refugees, fall into the hands of the Karen
Refugee Committee. The assistance thus diverted meant aid for
the prolonging of the KNU insurgents tenure. It is learnt that
the assistance of the Consortium of Christian Agencies till
June 1992 amounted to over 1.9 million US dollars.

Now, to deal with some matters of current interest on the
border. In the so-called KNU refugee camps, the majority of
the Christian KNUs have been forcibly preventing the Buddhist
Kayin families from returning to Myanmar interior. So, when
the DKBO went to call their relatives, the families there to
return to areas where they would be safe to resettle, they
clash with the KNUs who are still armed, on Thai territory.

In a pamphlet issued on 26 April 1995, the KNU insurgents
maintained that those who came to the refugee camps and
attacked them were not only the DKBO but also included
Tatmadawmen. The KNU also said that on April 19,23,24 and 25,
forces including more Tatmadawmen and less DKBO entered the
KNU refugee camps in the other country and took away some
refugees. Based on those reports, Thai newspapers and external
media such as the BBC and VOA erroneously accused the Tatmadaw
of entering Thailand, attacking refugee camps and taking away
some people.

In its morning broadcast on Friday, 28 April, the VOA said:

"The Thais have demanded an explanation from the Myanmar
Government concerning repeated entry across Thai border and
attacking Myanmar refugee camps. Thai Foreign Minister Surin
said the Thai Government is trying to obtain a guarantee that
such acts would cease. Mr Surin said an official protest would
be made regarding an attack on a camp Tuesday".

According to a report in a Thai newspaper on 1 May, a DKBO
officer of captain rank, called Tu Na, told newsmen that DKBU
entry into Thailand and attack on the so-called refugee camp
as he saw it, is not an insult to Thailand. He said that as
the Christian KNU's could brandish their arms and go about in
Thailand, he as a Kayin, was only attacking those KNUs.

(Translation)


===== item =====

GOOD NEIGHBOUR 6
The New Light of Myanmar Newspaper 05 May 1995

What appeared in the 30 April 1995 issue of the Bangkok Post
was a statement by Thai Army Chief General Wimol Wongwanich.
He said the best solution to the problem surrounding Kayin
refugees along the border was to push them all back into
Myanmar.

Furthermore, he said: "If we were not afraid of being
criticized by the world community on humanitarian grounds and
if it would not give the country problems, then this Army
chief would take only one week to push them all out regardless
of how many hundreds of thousands of the Kayins were now in
the country". The Army chief also added that another way to
solve the problem would be to remove all the Kayin refugees
from various camps and put them together in one large camp
located deeper inside the country, with a fence of barbed wire
and landmines, again adding Interior Minister Sanan
Kachornprasart has voiced support for Gen Wimol's idea.

Myanmar Tatmadaw has said it had never made incursions into
the other country and that accusations to that effect were
false concoctions. As a matter of fact, they have accepted on
their territory those terrorists which have revolted against
and opposed all governments in succession in the so-called
refugee camps, allowed them to go about armed, and have
sought external assistance---acts we have ignored for over
half a century. Because of the forays they made from these
bases at random Myanmar nationals have had to suffer, hundreds
and thousands of Myanmar citizens losing life and limb. The
DKBO, which had split from the KNU have these days been going
to these camps to call members of their families, and when
they were stopped by the armed KNU, there were clashes. Now,
the Myanmar Government and the Tatmadaw, which have nothing
whatsoever to do with that, are being unjustly accused. As if
that were true, the external media have been going along,
making similar accusations. How disgusting.

More despicable is the incident on 20 March 1995 when thugs of
drug-trafficking terrorist Khun Sa entered Myanmar through
Mesai on the Thai side and attacked Tachilek. Repulsed by the
Tatmadaw and security personnel, the miscreants made hasty
retreat into Thailand. The Thai authorities were said to have
disarmed them and released them on humanitarian grounds.

Although the Myanmar side asked repeatedly that they be
returned, the authorities on the other side paid no attention
and released them.

In this connection, Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order
Restoration Council told the concluding session of Refresher
Course No 15 for Teachers that "Myanmar, in addition to
strictly adhering to the Five Principles of Peaceful
Coexistence and never sought to harm any neighbour. However,
looking at the Tachilek incident makes it difficult to gauge
the neighbour's attitude toward Myanmar".

Our State leaders are very magnanimous. In mentioning our
neighbour, due to deference for mutual friendship, they have
not used "Thailand", and instead referred to it as
"neighbouring country" or "the other country". Our leaders
have acted in accord with the Thingasa Sayadaw's exhortation
"Bingalawwada Hsonemasar" which concerns good friendship. They
have adhered to it and have been magnanimous.

The Thai Government has put up a farce concerning "refugees",
who are in fact resorting to all sorts of trouble-making for
our nation, terrorists and destructionists. It must here be
said that a review of Thai attittude toward such people is in
order. What merits saying here is that a considerate and
positive atitude should be present.

It is to be suggested that the entire situation be reassessed
for furtherance of mutual friendship and a decision be made on
a straight course to be set for the future.

In conclusion, a quotation of Nyaungbintha U Ponnya's
exhortation "Thutayadana Hsonemasar" on good friendship must
be heeded.

May they be worthy good neighbours.

(Translation)


===== item =====

PRESS CONFERENCE
Held at Myanma Television and Radio Department on 09 May 1995

The Myanmar-Thai border runs 2,096 kilometres, with a
formidable terrain and dense forest cover. Taking advantage of
this, many terrorist groups have, for many years, lived along
the border, with Thailand as their lifeline. Among those
organizations are Khun Sa's drug-trafficking terrorist Mong
Tai Army (MTA), active in the Shan State in Myanmar and along
the Thai border, as also the others based on the border like
the Karen National Union (KNU), the National Council of Union
of Burma (NCUB), the Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB), the
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB),
the National Democratic Front (NDF), the National League for
Democracy (Liberated Area) (NLD-LA), the All-Burma Students
Democratic Front (ABSDF), the All-Burma Muslim Union (ABMU),
the Muslim Liberation Organization (MLO), the Democratic
Patriotic Army (DPA), the New Mon State Party (NMSP), the
Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), among others, based on the Thai
border and engaged in opposition against the Myanmar
Government.

Likewise, there are those similarly engaged, such as the
Overseas National Students of Burma (ONSOB), the Alliance for
Democratic Solidarity Union of Burma (ADSB), the Committee for
Restoration of Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB), the
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB),
the National Democratic Front (NDF), the National League for
Democracy (Liberated Area) (NLD-LA), the All-Burma Students
Democratic Front (ABSDF), the All-Burma Muslim Union (ABMU),
the Muslim Liberation Organization (MLO), the Democratic
Patriotic Army (DPA), the New Mon State Party (NMSP), the
Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), among others, based on the Thai
border and engaged in opposition against the Myanmar
Government.

Just as terrorist organizations are based in camps small and
big on the Thai border, there are also over 30 so-called
refugee camps established by the terrorists within Thai
territory. There have been attacks by the Khun Sa
drug-trafficking terrorists like the one launched through
Maesai, Thailand, on Tachilek on 20 March 1995. When our
Tatmadaw launched offensives against the drug-traffickers
posing danger to the entire humanity, such as in Mongkyawt,
Mongtaw Monghta, and Pattumein, Baja, Loilang Kaungmu areas
west of Tachilek, the terrorists, with refuge in Thailand,
brought in reinforcements of manpower and material to Homein
and Loilam through the Maesareng and Hintek routes in
Thailand.

With regard to the DKBO, they are the former KNU members, they
are the group that split from the KNU due to Bo Mya's mistakes
in leadership and his extremist and shortsighted acts which
they as Buddhists found unbearable. The DKBO still have not
returned to the legal fold. They are attacking the KNU camps
in Thailand and bringing their relatives back from there
(NCUB), the Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB), the National
Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), the
National Democratic Front (NDF), the National League for
Democracy (Liberated Area) (NLD-LA), the All-Burma Students
Democratic Front (ABSDF), the All-Burma Muslim Union (ABMU),
the Muslim Liberation Organization (MLO), the Democratic
Patriotic Army (DPA), the New Mon State Party (NMSP), the
Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), among others, based on the Thai
border and engaged in opposition against the Myanmar
Government.

Likewise, there are those similarly engaged, such as the
Overseas National Students of Burma (ONSOB), the Alliance for
Democratic Solidarity Union of Burma (ADSB), the Committee for
Restoration of Democracy in Burma (CRDB), and others based in
Bangkok and Chiangmai and are engaged in opposition
activities, bent on subversion, with Thailand as their
lifeline.

Just as terrorist organizations are based in camps small and
big on the Thai border, there are also over 30 so-called
refugee camps established by the terrorists within Thai
territory. There have been attacks by the Khun Sa
drug-trafficking terrorists like the one launched through
Maesai, Thailand, on Tachilek on 20 March 1995. When our
Tatmadaw launched offensives against the drug-traffickers
posing danger to the entire humanity, such as in Mongkyawt,
Mongtaw Monghta, and Pattumein, Baja, Loilang Kaungmu areas
west of Tachilek, the terrorists, with refuge in Thailand,
brought in reinforcements of manpower and material to Homein
and Loilam through the Maesareng and Hintek routes in
Thailand.

With regard to the DKBO, they are the former KNU members, they
are the group that split from the KNU due to Bo Mya's mistakes
in leadership and his extremist and shortsighted acts which
they as Buddhists found unbearable. The DKBO still have not
returned to the legal fold. They are attacking the KNU camps
in Thailand and bringing their relatives back from there to
Myainggyingu. Altogether over 10,000 members of families of
the DKBO have settled in the interior of Myanmar, having
returned from the so-called refugee camps after having stayed
there. Bo Mya does not favour the return of these DKBO
families to their own country.

As he could not fight the DKBO and win, he is giving the
families trouble, stopping them in collusion with the people
in charge of the camps from returning peacefully to their
country. The DKBO tried to see to their relatives being
allowed to go in peace, reasoning with those in charge.

Since Bo Mya was adamant in keeping those who might return in
peace and resorted to force, the DKBO, it is known, employed
guerilla tactics and entered the camps and took away some of
the KNU leaders. These problems have occurred as a result of
the disintegration of the KNU. It is known that some radio
stations reported on the clashes that have occurred as a
consequence of the problems, between the DKBO and armed Thais.

On May 1, 1995, 24 82mm shells were directed at Manerplaw in
Myanmar from Hwebalu village in Thailand. At 1020 hours on 04
May, a military coloured helicopter from the Thai side fired
four rockets at the Thumwehta monastery, and at 1100 hours
another two military coloured choppers fired three rockets at
the monastery, as a result of which 15 innocent citizens were
injured and six houses burned down. In fact the problems that
arose were the consequence of differences among the KNU who
resided on the Thai side for many years.

The Government of Myanmar had at no time become involved in
these problems and had not, at any time, encouraged any
organization to oppose any neighbour.

Myanmar has strictly adhered to the Five Principles of
Peaceful Coexistence, which are (1) mutual respect for
territorial integrity and sovereignty, (2) non-aggression, (3)
non-interference in another's internal affairs, (4) equality,
and (5) peaceful coexistence.

The problems that have occurred on the Thai-Myanmar border are
a consequence of Thailand having harboured for various reasons
terrorists who seek to oppose Myanmar.

Continued harbouring of such elements will continue to
precipitate similar problems. In dealing with other countries
Myanmar has sought to forget events of history and has always
respected and abided by the saying "Prolong amity and diminish
enmity" and if Thailand would act similarly, no problem would
arise. The Myanmar and Thai Armed Forces have been working
amicably based on mutual respect and understanding.

In conclusion, it is to be said that the DKBO problems that
have cropped up on the Thai border are a consequence of
harbouring insurgents who split due to differences among
themselves. Myanmar continues to adhere to the Five Principles
of Peaceful Coexistence agreed in Bandong and desires eternal
Thai-Myanmar amity.

Press conference held at
Myanma Television and Radio
Department on 09 May 1995

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