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BurmaNet News: January 11, 2000
- Subject: BurmaNet News: January 11, 2000
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 11:01:00
---------------- The BurmaNet News ----------------
January 11, 2000
Issue # 1437
----------------------------------------------------
Noted in passing: "Even animals are starving" See NLD: VILLAGERS LAND
GIVEN BY REGIME TO PRIVATE COMPANY
==========
HEADLINES:
==========
Inside Burma-
KNU: BURMA ARMY KILLED MORE THAN 105 KAREN IN 1999
NLD: REGIME CLOSES RICE MILLS, DEMANDS PAYMENT TO REOPEN
NLD: VILLAGERS LAND GIVEN BY REGIME TO PRIVATE COMPANY
NLD: EDICTS TO CLOSE PARTY OFFICES CONTRADICT BURMA LAW
RADIO MYANMAR: FISHING BOATS WARNED TO STAY AWAY FROM TOTAL DRILLING
SITE
MIC: NLD MEMBER RELEASED
INDIA TIMES: MYANMAR RELEASES PRO-DEMOCRACY ECONOMIST
International-
REUTERS: HONG KONG AND S'PORE ECONOMIES MOST FREE, MYANMAR LEAST FREE
***********************************************
KNU: BURMA ARMY KILLED MORE THAN 105 KAREN IN 1999
KNU Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department
(10 January 2000)
Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department
Karen National Union
10 January 2000
Kaw La Lu (Mergui-Tavoy District): Burma Army has killed more than 105
villagers, tortured 25, raped 6 women in 1999, in Tenasserim Division,
Southern Burma, recorded Mergui-Tavoy District Information Department.
81 males, 24 females Karen villagers were killed by Burma Army (knows as
the Tatmadaw). They were shot on sight, some were captured and beaten to
death, stabbed to dead, tortured and shot to dead later. One of them
among who were tortured and killed, both of his wrist and all his toes
were cut off before he was shot to dead.
21 males, 4 females, were accused by Burma Army of supporting Karen
resistance in Burma Army controlled area and in defined gray area (he
area that neither full control of any group, neither the Burma's Army
nor Karen resistance). They were beaten, covered plastic on their head,
been keep in the rain and under sun for a long period, kicked, struck,
poured hot chili water on the face.
Burma Army's troop from IB 280 and 101 raped four Karen women and two
Burmese women. Except the Burmese women, all Karen women were gang raped
and shot dead afterward, one of them was a 9 year old girl.
Burma Army's troops that involved the killing, tortured and rape are:
Infantry Battalion 285, 101, 280, 543, 103, 267, 534 and Light Infantry
Battalion 559, 560, 557, 380, 373, 342, 76, 288 and Burma Army formed
People Militia (Pyi Thu Sit), under the Coastal Region Military Command,
and other Burma Army's Division Command which occupied Tenasserim
riverside.
Burma Army's Infantry Battalion 101 is a troop that committed a massive
killing. They have killed more than 46 Karen villagers mostly in raining
season this year when operated to search the hiding villagers. Lt. Col.
Soe Win (Now, Aung Kyaw Lat) is the Battalion Commander of IB 101.
According to the field information, the officials who involved in the
killing are Captain Moe Kyaw, Kan Htain, Lt. Aung Kyaw Than, and Aung
Kyaw Lat. It base in Kyweku in Mergui Township.
The second battalion who committed the massive killing is IB 285. They
have killed more than 17 Karen villagers. Head by Battalion Commander
Lt. Col. Soe Myint Aung. According to the field information the official
who involved in killing are Aung Shan U, and Khin Maung Than. It based
in Palaw Township.
Both of the Battalions are local battalion, which under controlled of
Costal Region Military Command.
Most killings occurred in Burma Army controlled area and in the jungle
where many of villagers have fled the Burma Army's Forced Relocation
Program and hiding in the jungle. The Burma Army accused them of
collaborating with the Karen resistance movement and recognized them as
enemies. [Karen resistance movement that gives their name Karen National
Union is the major ethnic group, which fight against Burma government
since 1949, demanded the ethnic equal rights and freedom.]
In 1997, Burma Army has launched a major offensive against the Karen
National Union, Mergui-Tavoy District (Tenasserim Division) and captured
the District HQ Meithame Kee, which located on Thai-Burma Border, in
short time. Most annalists found that the objective of this offensive
was to secure the Yanana gas pipeline.
The human rights abuses are worsen since the increased deployment of
Battalions and one Military Command in 1996. More battalions were sent
to the Yadana gas pipeline area. Now there were 50 Burma Army 's
Battalions in Tenasserim Division.
The Burma Army suppression of Karen resistance in this area and their
main target is to control the whole Karen population.
In order to bring the whole Karen population under their control, the
Burma Army troops have forcibly relocated all the Karen villages in
their control area.
Villagers who do not moved to the relocation site and fled to the jungle
and hiding behind their villages, the Burma Army defined them as enemy
and killed everyone has found or captured. They search and destroy paddy
fields and everything from hiding villagers.
Villages in relocation sites have to pay money in various forms demanded
by the troops, and forced laborers and were often accused of having
contact with Karen resistance and been killed.
Burma Army is the arm force of Burma that forced to ruled the country
since 1962 to now and committed massive human rights abuses against the
minorities and its civilians and the suppressions of democracy movement
in the country.
***********************************************
NLD: REGIME CLOSES RICE MILLS, DEMANDS PAYMENT TO REOPEN
National League for Democracy
No: (97/B), West Shwegonedine Road
Bahan Township, Rangoon
Statement 176 (12/99) (translation)
1. For the purchase and for obtaining the entire paddy crop in the
De-pai-yin township, the Secretary of the SPDC (Shwebo district, Sagaing
Division) issued oral instructions for the closure of all rice mills
operating in the region on 14 November 1999. Our information is that
all the mills even those operating in the small villages had to close
down immediately.
2 The cost of one basket of paddy had dropped from Kyats 2400 to 2000
because of the large supply which delighted the people but when the
mills had to suspend operations the price of one pyi soared to Kyats
120/-
3. On the 20 November, 1990 the township and village authorities said
that the mills could re-open on payment of Kyats 5000 to 7000
depending on the size of the mills. Though all the money had been
collected by the 25th November, permission to mill has not been given to
date.
4. Also, since the 19th November, a Security outpost has been installed
outside the telephone office in Saing-pyin village where payment is
demanded from all big and small vehicles transporting rice. Right
through from Monywa, Butalin, De-pai-yin,Ye-U, Kan-ba-loo, road blocks
are set up and money is demanded in a variety of ways.
5. Though "open market" is the declared policy, the farmers are
aggrieved because they are compelled to sell their paddy at fixed
prices. Currently the rate is 15 baskets per acre. For less productive
regions it is 12 baskets per acre. The selling price of one basket is
350 kyats while outside the price is double. In addition there is a
compulsory quota of one basket per acre each for the township SPDC, USDA
and the bureaucrats of trade and agriculture. Wet grain is given as
another excuse for demanding extra quantities. Because of the dishonest
practices of the officials who weigh and count, the poor and simple
farmer has to take along 25 baskets extra for every 100 baskets.
6. The cultivators and farmers are suffering so much because of the use
of force by the dishonest authorities. We request that the matter be
inquired into and the suffering of the farmers be alleviated. We
seriously denouncethese illegal and unjust activities.
Central Executive Committee
National League for Democracy
Rangoon
21 December 1999.
***********************************************
NLD: VILLAGERS LAND GIVEN BY REGIME TO PRIVATE COMPANY
National League for Democracy
No: (97/B), West Shwegonedine Road
Bahan Township, Rangoon
Statement 177 (12/99) (translation)
1. The Myanma-Asia Company with the cooperation of the military and the
regional authorities have started a cooking sugar-cane plantation in the
village tracts of Wa-sone and Kan-gyi-gone village groups in
Hte-Kan-Taik region, Prome township, Pegu Division.
2. Lands that cannot be cultivated and lands that have been cultivated
are ruthlessly cut down and cleared, then ploughed with machines leaving
no grazing ground for the cattle. This has left the villagers with no
land for cultivation and the lands where they had grown some crops were
forcefully cleared and ploughed. Survival has become extremely
difficult. Even animals are starving. A very pathetic state of affairs.
3. The remaining cultivators of the region have been forbidden to sell
their sugar-cane crop to any other person apart from the individual
authorised by them who is none other than the Superintendent of Police
in charge of the Prome district. No individuals are allowed to process
the cane sugar into Kyan-tha-ga. Members of the police force have been
threatening to take action if any rising smoke is seen.
4. One ton of sugar-cane fetches kyats 2500. Cost of labour and
transportation has to be born by the cultivator, which nets him Kyats
2000 only. One ton of kyan-ta-ga fetches kyats 10000. By forbidding the
cultivator to process his own crop into kyan-ta-ga he is considerably
disadvantaged.
5. This state of affairs leaves the cultivator a coolie at the mercy of
the entrepreneur. Therefore we seriously condemn the authorities that
are creating opportunities to bring about such unenviable conditions for
the poor cultivators.
Central Executive Committee
National League for Democracy
Rangoon
23 December 1999
***********************************************
NLD: EDICTS TO CLOSE PARTY OFFICES CONTRADICT BURMA LAW
National League for Democracy
No: (97/B), West Shwegonedine Road
Bahan Township, Rangoon
Statement 178 (12/99) (translation)
1. National political parties have been registered as such under the
Political Parties Registration Law 4/88 promulgated by the then SLORC
now
SPDC.
2. (1) Under the heading "Name and definitions" in Section 2 of Part (1)
of that law the following definitions have been stated.
(a) "Political party" means an organisation that adheres to and
practices genuine multi-party democracy.
2. (2) "Registration of political parties" in Chapter 2 states that the
reasons why registration will be refused are set out in detail in
Section 1.
3. Starting from September 1988 many political parties were registered.
Furthermore, Section 4 stipulates that only duly registered parties have
the right to participate in the elections.
4. The parties contesting the 1990 May multi-party general elections
did so under these provisions of law.
5. The military dictators using any pretext disqualified some political
parties despite the fact that they were legally registered and dissolved
them after the elections. Some political parties were forced to enter
candidates in at least three constituencies by the military authorities.
Even though the candidates of certain parties were successful in the
elections the military authorities giving all sorts of reasons dissolved
their parties. These parties had all been legally registered as they
had complied with the provisions of Section 3 of Chapter 2 of the
Political Parties Registration Law. No political party should be
dissolved or de-registered unless they violate the provisions of law.
All the political parties that were dissolved (with the exception some
on their own volition), had not violated any provisions of the law.
6. The political parties acted in accordance with the provisions of the
Political Parties Registration law but it was the authorities that
failed in their obligations to act in accordance with the law.
Example:- With reference to the registration of political parties the
Multi-party General Elections Commission issued the following notices:-
(1) 12- ya ka pa/1/pa ma ya dated 23/5/91
(2) 2/ya ka pa/ka ma ya dated 17/7/91
(3) 18/ya ka pa/1/2/ ka ma ya dated 22/8/91
7. The gist of those notices were:-
(1) The commission would recognize only the Central Executive Committee
members of the parties as at the time of registration. No new executive
members could be substituted for reasons of resignation, death or
expulsion.
(2) Membership numbers of organising committees at all levels (State,
Division, Township, Ward and village) must remain the same as at 26
April 1991. If for any reason whatsoever, the number was reduced to
less than 5 the committee would be dissolved.
8. The stipulations in the above notices were not contained in the
Political Parties Registration Law. They are ultra vires the law and
even made to have retrospective effect. They have no legal sanction
and are improper. Those notices were dated 23/3.91, 17/7/91 and 22/8/91
but were to have retrospective effect from 26/4/91.
9. (a) The said notices were published by the Elections Commission and
back dated 22/3/89 .
Some of their published statements are:
" xxxx The formation of the registered political parties have not been
supervised by us. They have been formed according to the desire of the
membership with a constitution, president and executive committee
elected by
them. xxx "
(b) On 24/12/91, SLORC Secretary (1) gave notice that
"xxxxx expulsion from parties is not our business. I desire to say that
it is an internal party affair. xxxxx".
(c) These utterances and statements contradict the requirements of
the notices issued by the Elections Commission. Their animosity for the
political parties is very obvious. The multi-party general elections
commission should be an independent body not bound by any orders from
the authorities. Its actions should be confined to what is prescribed
in the Political Parties Registration Law. All this is contrary to the
Rule of Law.
Long after the elections which gave the National League for Democracy
a resounding victory these notices are still being applied and issued.
(d) The township elections commissions are telling the township
organising committees such illegalities as
" Township organising committees with less than 5 executive members will
be dissolved and not recognized. Members who have resigned cannot be
included in the executive. Committees that include resigned members will
be invalid and not legal."
10. The above facts emphasizes that
"h Action taken by the authorities contradicts the original law.
"h Political parties have not contravened the law and are not liable to
any action.
"h Steps must be taken for conformity with proper provisions of law in
the future.
Central Executive Committee
National League for Democracy
Rangoon
23 December 1999.
***********************************************
RADIO MYANMAR: FISHING BOATS WARNED TO STAY AWAY FROM TOTAL DRILLING
SITE
Rangoon, in Burmese 1330 gmt 10 Jan 00
Text of report by Burmese radio on 10th January
The Total Myanmar [Burma] Oil Exploration Company is engaged in offshore
oil exploration activities at Block M-8. The drilling ship Energy
Searcher will begin drilling M-8A1 test well from 15th January to 15th
March 2000.
In order to prevent untoward incidents the Fisheries Department has
issued a mariner's notice warning all fishing trawlers and maritime
vessels to avoid the oil drilling zone.
***********************************************
MIC: NLD MEMBER RELEASED
SOURCE: Information Sheet No.B-1214 (I) 10th January 2000
MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE, YANGON
Government of Myanmar Releases An Expelled-NLD Member
The Government is pleased to announce that U Moe Thu
(a) U Sein Myint, a member of the National League for
Democracy Party , who was expelled from the NLD with a
charge of misconduct , was released under a clemency
granted him by the Government . U Moe Thu , (62)
years, was arrested on June 18, 1996 for rallying
crowds in the name of NLD without the prior permission
from the concerned and also conducting ceremonies
and gatherings without prior permission from the
authorities concerned , breaching the section 10(A)
of the ''Law Protecting The State From Destructive
Elements''.
An application was submitted by U Moe Thu for his
release on humanitarian grounds of the demise of his
wife on December 13, 1999 and having been left of
three children unattended by the family. Upon
consideration of the applicant's humanitarian factors
the Government granted a clemency to U Moe Thu on
January 3, 2000 and extended all possible assistance
to the family.
***********************************************
INDIA TIMES: MYANMAR RELEASES PRO-DEMOCRACY ECONOMIST
YANGON: Myanmar's military government has released from prison a noted
economics writer, a former senior member of the pro-democracy party of
Aung San Suu Kyi.
A Myanmar government statement on Monday said Moe Thu, 62, also known as
Sein Myint, the former editor of the popular economics magazine Danna,
was freed from Yangon's Insein Jail on January 3 on humanitarian grounds
following the death of his wife. He was jailed for rallying crowds
without permission in June 1996 in the name of Suu Kyi's National League
for Democracy, it said, without mentioning the duration of his sentence.
A friend who saw him after his release last week said Moe Thu was in
good health. Also Monday, the All Burma Federation of Student Unions -
an underground movement that has been a driving force behind
anti-military protests - reported that more than 20 democracy advocates
were imprisoned for terms of 25 years or more on December 3.
The military government did not immediately comment on the report of the
sentences. In a statement received in Bangkok, the federation said the
activists were jailed for pro-democracy activities that included
agitating for protests on September 9, 1999. The date had been seen as
auspicious by dissidents but few if any demonstrations took place.
The federation named four students and teachers from Bago, a city 80
kilometers northeast of Yangon, whom it said were tortured during
interrogation and jailed for life. It did not identify any of the other
activists.
Also known as a film director, Moe Thu had been a senior member of Suu
Kyi's National League for Democracy, but apparently fell out of favor
for his left-wing views and was expelled from the party.
Hundreds of party activists and other political opponents of the
military regime have been jailed or forced into exile. The regime brooks
no opposition and has refused to recognize the party's sweeping victory
in elections in 1990.
***********************************************
REUTERS: HONG KONG AND S'PORE ECONOMIES MOST FREE, MYANMAR LEAST FREE
January 10, 2000
WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Hong Kong and Singapore have the most
free
economies in the world, according to a ranking of 123 countries
published on
Monday.
The study by the Washington-based Cato Institute and Canada's Frasier
Institute said the two Asian economies shared the number one ranking,
followed in descending order by New Zealand, the United States and
Britain.
Other economies ranked near the top included Ireland in sixth position,
Canada and Australia sharing the seventh position and the Netherlands,
Luxembourg and Switzerland sharing the ninth position.
At the bottom of the table stood Myanmar, formerly known as Burma,
ranked in the 123rd position.
The economies are ranked according to seven categories which include
size of government, structure of the economy, monetary policy and price
stability, freedom to use alternative currencies, security of private
ownership, freedom of trade and freedom of capital markets.
***END***********************
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