Bangkok Post News (9-3-99)

[mandalay@xxxxxxxxxx]

<bold>war on drugs Rights groups protest at junta chief's visit

</bold>

Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and his Burmese counterpart Than Shwe
yesterday announced plans for a joint drug suppression effort, as human
rights groups turned out to protest against the visit of Gen Than Shwe.


In a joint communique, Mr Chuan and Gen Than Shwe announced the setting
up of a joint committee comprising anti-narcotics agencies, police and
possibly the military of both countries, in an effort to contain or
destroy drug production factories wherever the location.


However, the Burmese premier said the drug problem would take a long time
to resolve and spoke of his government's 15-year plan to eliminate
narcotics production. Mr Chuan expressed short-term concerns about
cooperation to eliminate factories along the border producing
amphetamines for the Thai drug market.


Regarding conflicts over border and territorial waters, the Regional
Border Committee of the two countries will soon discuss a joint patrol in
the Andaman Sea following recent naval clashes that have resulted in the
death of three Thais and a number of Burmese.


Mr Chuan also accepted an invitation from Burmese military strongman
Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the ruling State Peace and
Development Council, to visit Burma. No date has been set.


Meanwhile, human rights groups fiercely protested against the two-day
visit of Gen Than Shwe, who is chairman of the State Peace Development
Council, the military junta that has refused to hand over power to
elected civilians following the 1990 general election.


Forum-Asia, an umbrella organisation for 14 regional human rights and
development groups, called on the Chuan government to push for tripartite
negotiations between the ruling State Peace and Development Council, the
National League for Democracy of Aung San Suu Kyi and minority groups,
and a transfer of power from the SPDC to the NLD. It also urged the Chuan
government to take a tougher stand in support of democracy, human rights
and peace in Burma.


The group further called on the Thai government and its counterparts in
Asean to lead the Burmese leadership towards international practices in
human rights and democracy rather than let it use them as instruments for
enhancing its image and legitimacy.



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<bold>Protests over Than Shwe's visit swamp newspapers Rights groups
blast Chuan government

</bold>

Human rights groups and exiled Burmese students have been flooding the
newspapers with statements protesting against the Rangoon leader's
visit.


Forum-Asia, an umbrella organisation for 14 regional human rights and
development groups, blasted the Chuan government for keeping the
programme of Gen Than Shwe's visit under wraps.


The Chuan government should give the Thai public a chance to debate the
visit and be "open and transparent" in its policy towards Burma, it added
in a letter to the prime minister, copies of which were faxed to news
organisations. The letter was handed in at Government House.


The group called on the Chuan government to push for tripartite
negotiations between the ruling State Peace and Development Council, the
National League for Democracy of Aung San Suu Kyi and minority groups,
and a transfer of power from the SPDC to the NLD.


It urged the Chuan government to take a tougher stand in support of
democracy, human rights and peace in Burma.


The group called on the Thai government and its counterparts in Asean to
lead the Burmese leadership towards international practices in human
rights and democracy rather than let it use them as instruments for
enhancing its image and legitimacy.


The group denounced the Rangoon military junta on three counts:


<<Picture: *>involvement in the production and trafficking of drugs, and
protection of drug kingpin Khun Sa.



<<Picture: *>failure to respect Thai sovereignty through the use of
Buddhist Karens to attack refugee camps and Thai military outposts along
the border, causing loss of life.


<<Picture: *>inhumane treatment of Burmese people and minority groups
causing a million political and economic refugees to flee to Thailand.


Altsean-Burma, an alternative Asean network on Burma, said Gen Than
Shwe's visit was "pointless" because of the junta leader's failure to
enter into a dialogue with his fellow students.


Without a dialogue between the junta, the NLD and ethnic leaders, which
would be the first significant step to stability in Burma, "Thailand will
continue to have massive problems over territorial disputes, refugees and
drug production in Burma," the network said.


"The junta appears to have embarked on an exercise of changing its image
without changing the situation in Burma," said the network's co-ordinator
Debbie Stohard. "It would be like a serial murderer buying a new suit and
expecting the world to believe that he has stopped killing."


The Overseas National Students Organisation of Burma, and the All-Burma
Basic Education Students Union (Thailand), called on Prime Minister Chuan
to avoid cooperation with the military in the drug issue.


They urged him to reconsider boycotting the ministerial meeting of the
European Union and Asean set to take place in Berlin later this month
because of the EU's refusal to admit Burma to the gathering.


The EU strongly opposed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations'
admission of Burma in July 1997 because of the military leadership's poor

democracy and human rights record.


The Karen National Union called on Mr Chuan to press Gen Than Shwe for
progress in peace talks between Rangoon and the KNU.


KNU first general secretary Pado Mahn Sha called on the military junta to
stop human rights violations and Rangoon's attempt at "ethnic
destruction" against the Karens and other minority groups.


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<bold>Agreement to set up joint anti-narcotics committee Gen Than Shwe
tours Doi Tung project

</bold>

Saritdet Marukatat

Chiang Rai



Thailand and Burma yesterday agreed to set up a joint committee to
oversee stepped-up cooperation in the suppression of drug production and
trafficking along their common border.


Government spokesman Akkapol Sorasuchart announced the plan after talks
between Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and visiting Burmese counterpart Gen
Than Shwe at the Doi Tung Development Project in Chiang Rai.


In a joint-communique released in Bangkok last night, the two prime
ministers stated their governments' determination to "further enhance"
cooperation at all levels in the fight against narcotic drugs. Law
enforcement authorities also agreed to take concrete action against
precursor chemicals.


According to Mr Akkapol, senior Thai and Burmese officials will meet in
Burma soon to flesh out plans towards the setting up of the new joint
committee, which will bring together respective drug suppression
agencies, the police and possibly the military.


The committee's main duty will be "to very seriously contain or even
destroy the drug production factories wherever their location is", the
spokesman said.


Accompanied by about 50 officials from both sides, the two prime
ministers began talks about two hours after the Burmese party flew into
Chiang Rai from Rangoon. The discussions - which focussed on drug
suppression and border problems - continued for about two and a half
hours through a working lunch.


According to the spokesman, Gen Than Shwe noted that the drug problem
would take some time to solve, and spoke of Burma's 15-year plan to
eradicate narcotic drugs.


Prime Minister Chuan pledged to cooperate with this plan but emphasised
Thai concerns about short-term problems, in particular the need for
cooperation to stamp out factories along the border that were producing
amphetamines for shipment to Thailand. At the same time, he acknowledged
that the presence of minority groups in the border areas made access
difficult for the Burmese government.


Burma's eradication plan is for dealing with long-term problems, the
spokesman said. "We in Thailand are more concerned about the short-term
one that's really affecting the country and affecting the world," he
added.


Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said the two countries were well placed
to cooperate in drug suppression, with Thailand able to share its
experience and technology and Burma its resources.


He emphasised that bilateral cooperation remained necessary even though
the two countries were party to the United Nations International Drug
Control Programme also joined by Cambodia, China, Laos and Vietnam.



"Consultations at a summit level are necessary and will benefit such an
endeavour," Mr Surin added.


Win Aung, his Burmese counterpart, said Burma was taking time to
eradicate drugs because of the obstruction posed by minority groups. "We
try to solve the problem step by step, gradually declaring one after
another an opium-free zone."


Mr Win Aung did not rule out the possibility of amphetamines being
produced in Thailand, saying factories could be set up "anywhere on the
border". He also pointed out that Burma did not produce the necessary
precursor chemical ephedrine, and that "these chemicals are imported from
India, China or Thailand".


As for border problems, Mr Surin expressed confidence that the
summit-level talks would help keep them in check.


"I think that border problems will ease, that there will be a decline in
mistrust and closer links in several areas," he said, advocating more
consultations and exchanges at all levels through existing mechanisms.


The two prime ministers felt that security and stability along the border
were vital to the development of both sides, he added.


The two countries' Regional Border Committee will discuss the question of
launching a joint patrol in the Andaman Sea when it meets in Phuket in
the coming weeks. Three Thais and a number of Burmese have died in
clashes close to disputed waters over the past few months.