BurmaNet News: November 29, 2000

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______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
        An on-line newspaper covering Burma 
________November 29, 2000   Issue # 1671_________

INSIDE BURMA _______
*DVB: Junta's Khin Nyunt allows poppy farming 
*TV Myanmar: PLA Nanjing Commander Arrives in Rangoon 
*Rohingya Solidarity Organisation Arakan (Burma): [2 Burmese soldiers 
killed in RSO  ambush]

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*Bangkok Post: Burmese shoot into crowded market
*Jane's Intelligence Review: India and China vie for friends in Asia 
*International Herald Tribune: ASEAN Warns EU to Ease Burma Boycott

ECONOMY/BUSINESS _______
*AP Worldstream: Foreign businessmen in Myanmar protest ILO sanctions 
action 

OPINION/EDITORIALS _______
*Bangkok Post: Postbag--It's not true about Burmese generals
*AP Worldstream: Foreign businessmen in Myanmar protest ILO sanctions 
action 

OTHER _______
*Vancouver Burma Roundtable: Peace for Burma Concert


The BurmaNet News is viewable online at:
http://theburmanetnews.editthispage.com


__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
	


DVB: Junta's Khin Nyunt allows poppy farming 

Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1245 gmt 27 Nov 00 


Text of report by Burmese opposition radio on 27th November 

DVB Democratic Voice of Burma correspondent Maung Tu reported that 
Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, secretary-1 of the SPDC State Peace and Development 
Council , has permitted poppy cultivation in Pekon Township, Kayah State 
for three years. 

Maung Tu It has been learned that poppy is being double cropped in Pekon 
township. Poppy cultivated in August have already been sapped by the end 
of October, and poppy planted earlier this month will be harvested in 
January. A Pekon resident who recently arrived at the Thai-Burma border 
said: 

Unidentified Pekon resident Since the secretary-1 has permitted the 
cultivation of poppy, I have learned that the local people have started 
to double crop poppy as a cash crop. Previously those who are growing 
the usual crops are now converting to growing poppy. They are even 
cultivating fields next to the Buddhist monastery and Christian church. 
Poppy plantations have taken over the former maize and paddy fields. 

Maung Tu Although SPDC Secretary-1 Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt has allowed the 
cultivation of poppy for the next three years before it is completely 
banned, when I ask that will the region will drug free after three years 
he said: 

Unidentified Pekon resident I do not think so. I do not think drugs will 
be eradicated because they have just started to grow the crop. Some 
youths have already started to smoke opium. They will soon discover that 
it is a lucrative trade and then many will become addicted to drugs. 
Since the recent approval by Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt to allow poppy 
cultivation for three years, the people from the entire Kayan region are 
grateful to him. 

Maung Tu At present opium and stimulant tablets are becoming abundant in 
the Kayan region and the youths have all become drug addicts.






____________________________________________________


TV Myanmar: PLA Nanjing Commander Arrives in Rangoon 

SEP20001124000059 Rangoon TV Myanmar in Burmese 1330 GMT 23 Nov 00  

[FBIS Translated Text] 

    A Chinese goodwill delegation led by Political Commissar of Nanjing 
Military
Command General Fang Zuqi of the People's Liberation Army of the 
People's Republic of China arrived here by air at 0930 today.   The 
goodwill delegation was welcomed at Yangon [International] International 
Airport by Lt. Gen. Tin Oo, Secretary-2 of the State Peace and 
Development Council [SPDC Chief of the Bureau of Special Operations, and 
Army Chief of Staff;   Maj. Gen. Khin Maung Than, member of the SPDC and 
chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council; Chief of 
Staff of Navy Captain Soe Thein, Chief of Staff of Air Maj. Gen. Myint 
Swe, Chief of Armed Forces Training Maj. Gen. Win Myint, Director of 
Military Training Brig. Gen. Aung Kyi and senior military officers, PRC 
Ambassador Ling Dong, Military Attache Senior, PRC military attache 
Senior Colonel Xu Shulai and officials. 

    The Chinese goodwill delegation led by Gen. Fang Zuqi visited 
Defence Services Museum on Shwedagon Pagoda Road at 1115. They were 
welcomed by Director of Defense Services Museum and Historical Research 
Institute Col. Ye Htut and officials who gave the visitorss a tour of 
the museum.   Gen.   Fang Zuqi signed in the visitors' book at the 
museum.   The Chinese goodwill delegation then visited the Shwedagon 
Pagoda in the evening. 
    Lt. Gen. Tin Oo, SPDC secretary-2, Chief of the Bureau of Special 
Operations, and Army Chief of Staff, received the visiting Chinese 
goodwill delegation led by Political Commissar of Nanjing Military 
Command Gen. Fang Zuqi of People's Liberation Army of China at the guest 
house of the Ministry of Defense this afternoon.   

    Present together with Secretary-2 were member Maj. Gen. Khin Maung 
Than, an
SPDC member, chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council, 
and Yangon Commander;   Chief of Staff of Navy Captain Soe Thein, Chief 
of Staff of Air Maj. Gen. Myint Swe, Chief of Armed Forces Training Maj. 
Gen. Win Myint, Vice
Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Maung Nyo, Vice-Quartermaster General Brig. 
Gen. Kyaw Win, Director of Military Training Brig. Gen. Aung Kyi and 
senior military officers of the Ministry of Defense.   

    Present together with Chinese delegation were Chinese Ambassador to 
Myanmar
Liang Dong, Military Attache Senior Colonel Xu Shulai and officials. 
    Secretary-2 Lt. Gen.Tin Oo hosted a dinner in honor of the visiting 
Chinese goodwill delegation led by Political Commissar of Nanjing 
Military Command Gen. Fang Zuqi of the People's Liberation Army at 
Karaweik Royal Palace this evening.    

    The dinner was attended by Maj. Gen. Khin Maung Than, an SPDC 
member, chairman of Yangon Division Peace and Development Council, and 
Yangon Commander; Chief of Staff of Navy Captain Soe Thein, Chief of 
Staff of Air Maj. Gen.Myint Swe, Chief of Armed Forces Training Maj. 
Gen. Win Myint, Defense Services Inspector; General Maj. Gen. Lun Maung; 
Maj. Gen. Kyaw Win, deputy chief of the Office of Strategic Studies and 
deputy director of Defense Services Intelligence; senior military 
officers of the Ministry of Defense, PRC Ambassador Liang Dong, and 
Military Attache Senior Colonel Xu Shulai.


____________________________________________________


Rohingya Solidarity Organisation Arakan (Burma): [2 Burmese soldiers 
killed in RSO  ambush]


Dated: 16 November 2000

On 15.11.200, a patrol party of Burmese soldiers numbering about 14 from 
Tong Bazar cantonment was ambushed by Rohingya Solidarity Organisation 
(RSO) Mujahedeen near village Pansi, some 30 Km north Buthidaung 
township in Arakan state of Burma. 2 Burmese soldiers died and 5 others 
injured in the attack. The RSO Mujahedeen fled to the safe area quickly 
after attack. About an hour later a large force of Burmese Army arrived 
in the area in search of the RSO Mujahedeens.  

Recently the Burmese regime deployed more military forces in northern 
Arakan along the border with Bangladesh. Although the intention of the 
new deployment is yet to be determined it is presumed that the 
authorities would like to create another large scale Rohingya Refugee 
exodus from Arakan. In the meantime the newly deployed forces are 
creating havoc in the area by engaging hundreds of persons as porters, 
beating and detaining people and violations many Rohingya girls in 
remote border villages.  



___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
				

  
Bangkok Post: Burmese shoot into crowded market

Supamart Kasem

Nov. 29, 2000

Burmese troops yesterday fired shots from across the border into a Thai 
market, forcing hundreds of tourists, vendors and locals to flee for 
their lives.

No casualties were reported during the brief shooting, which followed 
yesterday's raid by a team of 50 Thai border patrol police and 
immigration officials on a gambling den located on a disputed islet in 
the Moei river.

Six gamblers-a Thai and five Burmese-were arrested. More than 10 other 
Burmese gamblers fled across the river to the Burmese border town of 
Myawaddy.

Police identified the six arrested as Somjit Khampor, Maung Suu, Arh 
Poe, Ta Huat, Thi Oo and Than Aung.

The shooting prompted the Fourth Infantry Regiment task force to send 
troops to safeguard the border.

Mae Sot district chief Samart Loy-fa defended the raid on the disputed 
islet, saying both Thai and Burmese authorities were allowed access to 
the area to suppress illegal activities.

Besides gambling, the islet has served as a rendezvous for contraband 
traders and drug dealers, Mr Samart said.

The Local Thai Border Committee has sought an explanation for the 
shooting from Burmese authorities



____________________________________________________

		
Jane's Intelligence Review: India and China vie for friends in Asia 

[Abridged] 

December 1, 2000 

Anthony Davis 


INDIA HAS reinforced its 'Look East' campaign, opened in the early 
1990s, with a new agreement with five Southeast Asian states. Officially 
termed the 'Vientiane Declaration of Mekong Ganga Co- operation', the 
pact was signed in the Lao capital, Vientiane, on 11 November between 
India and the five mainland states of the Association of Southeast Asian 
nations (ASEAN) - Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. 

  
Signed for Delhi by Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh, the agreement is 
primarily aimed at upgrading links in the fields of communication - 
notably road transport networks and air links - as well as tourism, 
cultural and religious contacts and information technology. 
  
India has recently completed construction of a road along the India- 
Myanmar border between the towns of Tamu in India and Kalemyo in 
northwestern Myanmar's Sagaing Division. However, east-west road links 
are still virtually non-existent, hindering the prospect of any 
significant expansion of trade between India and mainland Southeast Asia 
in the near future. 
  
The new agreement is also seen by analysts as part of India's interest 
in raising its profile in Southeast Asia while at the same time 
countering the increasing influence of China. 
  
The growth of Chinese geo-strategic sway in Myanmar during the past 
decade has alarmed Delhi, prompting a more pragmatic approach towards 
the Yangon military junta and a playing down of earlier support for the 
democracy movement in Myanmar. 
  
Early this year, India's then Chief of Army Staff Gen Ved Prakash Malik 
led a major military delegation to Myanmar for talks on border 
co-operation. India has also forged new defence ties with traditional 
Cold War friend Vietnam this year. 
  




____________________________________________________


International Herald Tribune: ASEAN Warns EU to Ease Burma Boycott

Nov. 29, 2000

SINGAPORE Southeast Asian countries have told the European Union they 
will abandon high-level talks with the EU if it continues to press for 
Burma's exclusion on human rights grounds.

Diplomats said during the weekend that the warning by the Association of 
South East Asian Nations would further sour the atmosphere between the 
two sides before a meeting next month in Vientiane, Laos.

The EU has boycotted ministerial meetings with ASEAN since Burma was 
admitted to the Southeast Asian group in 1997.

With senior Burmese officials banned from entering EU countries, ASEAN 
sought to revive the ministerial meetings by offering to hold the next 
one in Southeast Asia, instead of in Europe as scheduled.

But with Burma's military government under continuing international 
criticism for violating political and labor rights, four out of the 15 
EU countries have reportedly decided not to attend the meeting in 
Vientiane.

Most of the other countries will send only a deputy minister or an 
ambassadorial-level representative, rather than a minister.

Among those staying away are Foreign Secretary Robin Cook of Britain and 
his French counterpart, Hubert Vedrine, diplomats said.

ASEAN leaders discussed the issue at their annual summit meeting, which 
ended Saturday.

Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore, who lead the talks, said 
afterward that the group would deal only with the EU if it agreed to 
include Burma, also known as Myanmar.

"We would go so far as to say that if the EU wants to exclude Myanmar 
and the dialogue is going to be called off, then let it be called off," 
Mr. Goh said.

"We can't allow an external organization to dictate who should be in 
ASEAN when we have such a dialogue." Burma's military regime is shunned 
by many Western countries for its treatment of the opposition, which won 
elections in 1990 by a landslide but has never been allowed to govern. 


_______________ ECONOMY AND BUSINESS _______________
 

AP Worldstream: Foreign businessmen in Myanmar protest ILO sanctions 
action 


November 29, 2000; Wednesday 9:12 AM Eastern Time 



YANGON, Myanmar 

Foreign businessmen in Myanmar sent an open letter Wednesday to the 
International Labor Organization expressing disappointment with the 
organization's recent call for sanctions against Myanmar because it 
employs forced labor. 

The businessmen speaking as the International Business Community or IBC 
said they believed that ''any sanction resulting from the ruling is 
bound to bring destitution to millions of workers in lost employment, 
which will hurt the very people that the ILO seeks to protect.'' 

Earlier this month, the governing body of the ILO in Geneva voted 
overwhelmingly to urge all 174 member nations to impose sanctions. The 
ILO leaves it up to individual governments, organizations and labor 
unions to determine what they will do. 

An ILO delegation which visited Myanmar last month reported that the 
country had made progress in improving its laws on the issue, but it was 
unclear what is actually being done to stop the use of forced labor. 

The military government in the past denied the existence of forced 
labor, claiming that civilians contributed their labor voluntarily to 
promote the development of the nation. 

Claiming collectively to provide direct employment to more than half-a 
million Myanmar workers, the IBC represents a wide range of investors in 
such sectors as oil exploration, hotels, real estate and garment 
manufacturing. 

Its letter said that if sanctions were imposed, it was probable that 
many factories ''would not be able to export their products anymore, the 
hotels would not have enough visitors to remain viable and vast numbers 
of commercial enterprises would simply have to cease operation.'' 

''It would be much more constructive and meaningful for the ILO to 
constructively engage by recognizing the positive steps taken by the 
Myanmar government'' and reviewing compliance with the ILO's standards 
over the coming months, said the IBC's letter. 

It also urged Myanmar's government to maintain a positive dialogue with 
the ILO to resolve their differences. After the ILO vote, Myanmar 
announced that it would no longer cooperate with the group on the issue 
of forced labor, although it would continue to take measures to 
eliminate the practice. 

Myanmar has long been assailed by the United Nations and Western 
countries for suppression of democracy and its human rights record. The 
military has ruled the country since 1962. 

The current regime organized a general election in 1990 but refused to 
yield power to the victorious party of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu 
Kyi. Suu Kyi oppose foreign investment in Myanmar, claiming it helps 
prop up military rule. 



_________________OPINION/EDITORIALS________________



Bangkok Post: Postbag--It's not true about Burmese generals

November 29, 2000 

136 Na Ranong Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand - fax:2403666 - 
email:postbag@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

With reference to the crony capitalism article provided by the NY Times 
News Service and published in Outlook on Nov 23, I must make some 
comment. 

What a load of rubbish _ particularly the Burmese generals/golf slant. 
There have only been two new golf courses opened in Burma over the past 
five years and both have been developed by the private sector. 

I have just been the general manager of one of them and opened the club. 
Situated in Rangoon, it has been developed by a well-known Burmese 
family which is a major property developer and business house with huge 
interests throughout the world (including Thailand). There is no 
involvement by the generals. The Burmese government (Housing Department) 
holds a 30% share via a leasehold situation and has no executive powers. 


Generals have to pay to play and they choose not to do this as it is the 
most expensive golf course in Burma. They may be invited to play as a 
members' guests (membership is restricted to property owners) but the 
members choose not to do so. 

The average general is not as the article makes out. I personally 
changed the golf shoe spikes of two generals at a recent opening 
invitational tournament (the club does not allow metal spikes). The 
shoes were so decrepit that not even a Nakhon Sawan caddie would deem to 
wear them. The generals' clothes were of a similar ilk. They were 
apologetic for not having the right equipment and were like a pair of 
lambs. 

It is true that there are military courses dotted around the country, 
usually nine-holers built years ago by the British army. They are in 
terrible condition and hardly survive. 

The rest of the article was rubbish as well. 

Alastair McManus, Chiang Mai 



____________________________________________________


India Today: Burmese Days 

December 6, 2000 

[Abridged] 


Cosying up to the junta in Yangon is a realpolitik necessity 

The visit of the vice-president of myanmar to India has raised the 
hackles of many who feel that a democratic government should not be 
supping with representatives of a military junta. Although foreign 
policy is centred on the principle of self-interest, the critics of the 
new Myanmar policy feel that ethical norms should not be abandoned 
altogether. More so when India has been in the forefront of pressing for 
democracy in multilateral fora such as the Commonwealth. It is a 
troubling issue that needs to be addressed. Not least because the 
democracy issue is certain to crop up repeatedly in the troubled 
neighbourhood. 

To begin with, it is well worth noting that there is hardly any country 
that has allowed its avowed commitment to an ethical foreign policy to 
override its larger strategic goals. For many years, India maintained a 
certain frostiness towards the military rulers of Myanmar in the belief 
that it was only a matter of time before democracy prevailed. That 
didn't happen and Delhi's relative non-engagement left the field wide 
open for China to have its way in Myanmar. For India, the consequences 
were damaging because insurgent groups in the North-east took advantage 
of India's doctrinaire approach to strengthen their bases in Myanmar. It 
is only in the past five years that contacts with the junta have been 
established and it has resulted in the Myanmar authorities being very 
supportive of India's security needs. Having secured the destruction of 
many camps set up by Naga insurgents and ULFA, the Myanmar Government is 
right in expecting India to allow pragmatism to prevail. By 
reciprocating generously, India has fulfilled its primary foreign policy 
commitment-to itself. It may sound unduly harsh but, perhaps, there 
isn't enough justice to go round. 




______________________OTHER_____________________




Vancouver Burma Roundtable: Peace for Burma Concert

Nov. 28, 2000

[Abridged]

 ...for a land ravaged by dictatorship, fear, conflict and poverty ...a 
prayer for peace on human rights day

featuring local and ethnic bands, speakers, video presentation, student 
voices from the 1988 uprising, education tables, crafts

class 88
CARNIVAL BAND
lee sun
SHANGARA MARIMBA
tony and buddy
DAVE TWEET QUARTET
jim sands
ADUA DRUMMERS


SATURDAY DECEMBER 9, 2000
7:30 pm THE ANZA CLUB, 3 West 8th Avenue
(near Main and Broadway) tickets: $10

all proceeds in support of Burmese refugee camps
info: 602-1626; oxymonad@xxxxxxxxx

Supported by the Vancouver Burma Roundtable and the Simon Fraser 
University Public Interest Group, in alliance with the "No Blood for 
Oil" forum, SFU Harbour Centre, info: 274-1191

Burma is a Southeast Asian country that is ruled by one of the world's 
most repressive regimes, which has brutally forced more than a million 
people from their homes and subjected untold thousands to torture, 
slavery and death. The military seized power in 1988 by opening fire on 
peaceful demonstrations staged by hundreds of thousands of ordinary 
people who rose up to demand democracy and the end to military rule. Two 
years later they ignored the results of elections in which the National 
League for Democracy won 82% of the seats, renaming the country Myanmar. 
In Burma, basic rights to assembly speech and association are denied. 
Those who speak out against the regime are subject to multi-year jail 
terms. According to Amnesty, there are over 1,200 political prisoners in 
Burma, including leaders of the democracy party, elected officials, 
workers and civilians. Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the 
democracy party, has been repeatedly placed under house arrest. It is 
even unlawful to possess an unregistered fax.





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