BurmaNet News: February 1, 2001

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______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
        An on-line newspaper covering Burma 
         February 1, 2001   Issue # 1724
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________

INSIDE BURMA _______
*AFP : EU team says Myanmar talks most significant development in a 
decade
*Shan Human Rights Foundation:  Monthly Report Excerpt

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*Los Angeles Times : Powell Wants Time Out on Sanctions
*The Independent (Bangladesh): Dam construction: Dhaka, Yangon to 
conduct joint survey of site February 2
*Bangkok Post: Surin urges official line with Burma
*BBC: 'Burmese refugees smuggling arms'
*Church World Service: Ecumenical Group Secures the Release of Asylum  
Seekers from Burma

ECONOMY/BUSINESS _______
*The Nation.: Burma, Laos, China Trade up

OTHER______
*PD Burma:  Calendar of events with regard to Burma



__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________



AFP : EU team says Myanmar talks most significant development in a 
decade

BANGKOK, Jan 31 (AFP) - Talks between opposition leader Aung Sang Suu 
Kyi and the junta are the most significant development in Myanmar for a 
decade, a European delegation said Wednesday after a three-day mission 
to Yangon. The five-member European Union team said signs of a thaw in 
the military-run country were "promising but yet not irreversible". 
"We had the impression that the contacts were the most interesting thing 
to happen since (elections in) 1990," said Borje Ljunggren, representing 
the EU presidency.

The EU team met with Aung San Suu Kyi for more than two hours Tuesday at 
her home where she has been confined by the military regime since 
September 22.
It also held talks with the junta's number-three Lieutenant-General Khin 
Nyunt who has met with the opposition leader at least twice over the 
last few months.

Ljunggren, the head of the Asia Department in Sweden's Foreign Affairs 
ministry, told reporters at Bangkok airport that Aung San Suu Kyi was 
"in a very good mood and well in all respects".

He confirmed that the Nobel peace laureate was "cautiously optimistic" 
about the developments and hopeful they would lead to a more substantial 
dialogue.

However, both sides maintained strict confidentiality on the content of 
the talks. "We respect their decision," he said.

Ljunggren said the team made its three-day visit to Yangon at "an 
interesting but delicate moment."

After extensive meetings with government ministers, opposition National 
League for Democracy leaders and ethnic minority groups, they formed a 
positive view about the future of the process.

"The discussions were frank but held in a good atmosphere, helped by 
recent developments," he said, referring to the release of dozens of 
political prisoners last week.

"Both sides seem to want to pursue them ... but you need something more 
substantial to consider them irreversible," he said, adding that the 
contacts were "still at an early stage".

"We expressed the hope the contacts would develop further, broadening 
and deepening so as to promote national reconciliation, democracy and 
human rights," he said.

The delegation will now report back to the EU, which by the end of April 
will carry out its regular review of sanctions against Myanmar. Aung San 
Suu Kyi's meeting with the European officials was her first confirmed 
contact with foreign diplomats since UN envoy Razali Ismail visited her 
twice earlier this month.

Razali later revealed that the Nobel peace laureate had held secret 
talks with Khin Nyunt and that the opposition and the junta were edging 
towards their first dialogue since 1994.

A diplomatic source in the Myanmar capital Yangon said Wednesday that 
Khin Nyunt briefed the EU officials on the military's recent efforts to 
bolster trust and confidence between the two sides.

More concessions were in the offing after the release last week of 
dozens of opposition prisoners including National League for Democracy 
(NLD) vice-chairman Tin Oo, the general told the team.

Khin Nyunt reiterated during the meeting that neither the junta nor the 
opposition would reveal the "nature and content" of the ongoing talks 
until a "proper climate" was created, the diplomat said.

Sources in Yangon said while the content of the visiting officials' 
talks was limited, the fact they enjoyed such free access to both sides 
on Myanmar's political divide was extremely significant.

"Having these discussions is already a huge thing because these sorts of 
meetings were completely blocked only two years ago," one diplomat said. 
Although progress towards a dialogue has been surprisingly fast, most 
commentators believe any major developments, like a decision to hold 
fresh elections, will be years in the making.

The phrase "cautious optimism" is frequently used by those involved with 
the talks, who are excited about the process but acutely aware that the 
junta holds all the cards and will be loath to relinquish its grip on 
power. 



___________________________________________________






___________________________________________________


Shan Human Rights Foundation:  Monthly Report Excerpt

January  2001



GRUESOME TORTURE AND KILLING IN LOI-LEM

         On 20.11.00, 2 displaced Shan farmers were brutally tortured 
and killed by SPDC troops from LIB513, led by commander Maung Swe, who 
cut the ears, lips and tongues of their victims with knives and beat 
their eyes with sticks until their eyes popped out and after about 2-3 
hours beat them to death, at a place about 5-6 miles from Pang Long town 
relocation site in Loi-Lem township.         

The 2 farmers, Zaai Zaw Zing (m), aged 25 and Zaai Mint Zo (m), aged 27, 
were originally from Kun Khaa village, Huay Waan tract, that had been 
forcibly relocated to Paang Long town relocation site, Loi-Lem township, 
by SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council = the name of the 
ruling military junta from 1988 to 1997) troops in August 1997.         
These 2 farmers had grown rice at their farms at a place 10 miles from 
Paang Long town with the permission from LIB513 in the form of a pass 
issued by the military authorities, and had been transporting the 
harvested rice back to Paang Long on horsebacks.         

On the day of the incident, the 2 farmers were going to their farms with 
their horses, taking with them a small amount of husked rice and some 
pickled soya bean and salt for their families who were working at the 
farms. When they had gone about 5-6 miles on the way, they ran into a 
patrol of 50 SPDC troops from Company No.4 of LIB513 with some civilian 
porters, led by commander Maung Swe.        

 The troops stopped them and, on seeing about 1 Pyi of rice, arrested 
them and interrogated them. The SPDC troops accused the farmers of 
carrying the food with the intention to feed the Shan soldiers and asked 
them the whereabouts of the Shan soldiers.         After the farmers 
explained that they were only going to get their rice from their farms 
and the food was only for their families who were taking care of the 
rice at their farms and kept denying the accusation, saying that they 
did not know any Shan soldiers, for some time, the SPDC troops started 
to torture them.         

The troops beat the farmers for a while, but they kept denying the 
charge and said they did not know any rebels. The troops then seized 
Zaai Mint Zo and cut his ears slowly one after another with a knife 
while forcing Zaai Zaw Zing to watch the gruesome sight.          When 
the farmers still could not answer their questions, the troops continued 
to cut the lips and tongue of Zaai Mint Zo and beat his eyes with a 
stick until they popped out of their sockets, and threatened Zaai Zaw 
Zing that they would do the same to him if he did not tell them where 
the Shan soldiers were.        

 When Zaai Zaw Zing said he could not tell them anything because he did 
not know, the SPDC troops did the same to him as they interrogated him.  
      

 The 2 farmers were left to suffer for 2-3 hours and eventually beaten 
to death.         

These acts of brutality were deliberately done in front of all the 
civilian porters. 






___________________________________________________







___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
				

Los Angeles Times : Powell Wants Time Out on Sanctions 

By GEORGE GEDDA, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON--Economic sanctions have been seen for years as a useful tool 
for dealing with wayward nations, sort of a halfway point between doing 
nothing and sending in the Marines.  

Sanctions have been losing their cachet of late, with business interests 
complaining that sanctions seldom work and cost American business 
exports worth billions of dollars.  

The anti-sanctions movement now has a formidable ally: Secretary of 
State Colin Powell. The Clinton administration questioned the utility of 
sanctions but not to the degree that Powell did when he testified before 
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee two weeks ago.  

He practically pleaded with senators to knock it off. 


"I would encourage the Congress to stop for a while. I mean stop, look 
and listen before you impose a sanction," he said. "I mean, they just 
keep coming, and I think I've seen about half a dozen new ones ... in 
the last couple of weeks.  

"I would encourage self-discipline on the part of the Congress; that 
when you're mad about something, or when there is a particular 
constituent interest, please stop, count to 10, call me, let me come up, 
let's talk about it before you slap another bureaucratic process on me." 
 

He said he plans a review of all current sanctions to determine whether 
they should be removed.  

President Bush said Wednesday he will support a continuation of U.N. 
sanctions against Libya until that country accepts responsibility for 
the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. Bush 
commented after a Scottish court convicted a Libyan intelligence officer 
of murder in the bombing, which claimed 270 lives, mostly Americans.  

Aryeh Neier, president of the Open Society Institute and veteran human 
rights advocate, hopes Powell does not act too precipitously.  

"It would be a mistake to abandon sanctions in situations where there 
are no ready substitutes, as in the promotion of international human 
rights," Neier says, writing in The New York Times.  

Neier cites the example of Myanmar, also known as Burma, where a 
military dictatorship has ruled harshly for more than a decade. The 
United States signaled its opposition to the junta years ago by banning 
new investments and stripping U.S. visas from leading members of the 
government.  

Neier believes the sanctions are finally having an effect, pointing out 
that the government has opened negotiations with Aung San Suu Kyi, the 
Nobel Prize-winning leader of Myanmar's democratic opposition.  

He also says that sanctions were instrumental in inducing South Africa's 
apartheid government to open the way to a transition to democracy.  

Powell said that in preparing for his new role, he was astonished to 
find the number of countries subject to sanctions. It's a situation, he 
said, that makes it "a little difficult for the administration to 
conduct foreign policy as effectively as we might."  

A 1997 report by the President's Export Council found 73 countries 
targeted by unilateral sanctions.  

Leading the fight against sanctions is USA Engage, a corporate group 
which maintains that sanctions cost the U.S. economy $19 billion 
annually.  

The group's research found there are or have been sanctions against 
South Korea and Saudi Arabia over labor rights; India and Pakistan for 
nuclear testing; Colombia for narcotics; and China for human rights 
abuses and environmental worries.  

Citizens of Canada and Israel were sanctioned for doing business in 
Cuba. Egypt and Germany were threatened with sanctions because of 
objections to alleged religious persecution, as were companies in 
Russia, Malaysia and France for investing in Iran's petroleum sector.  

Two countries under sanctions now, Powell believes, should remain under 
sanctions: Iraq, which has been under U.N. Security Council sanctions 
for more than 10 years, and Cuba, target of unilateral U.S. sanctions.  

Powell said the United States must make clear to the Iraqis that the 
sanctions must be kept in place and ensure that funds earned through 
Iraq's oil-for-food program are not used to develop weapons of mass 
destruction.  

As for Cuba, Powell said President Fidel Castro is "an aging starlet, 
who will not change in this lifetime. ... It is President Bush's 
intention to keep the sanctions in place." 


___________________________________________________



The Independent (Bangladesh): Dam construction: Dhaka, Yangon to conduct 
joint survey of site February 2

January 31, 2001.
by Staff Reporter 

Senior officials of Bangladesh and Myanmar are expected to conduct on 
February 2, a joint survey of the site in the Naf river, where Myanmars 
border security force, Nasaka, began construction of a cross dam in 
violation of the border treaty and international rules.  

Nasaka had to stop the construction on January 8, the day they started 
building the dam with a motive to divert the course of the river, 
flowing between the two countries, in the face of objections by the 
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR). 

The planned joint survey will take place as per the proposal of Myanmar. 
The Myanmar authorities made the proposal on January 16, amidst 
tensions, following illegal activities of the Myanmar border troops.  

An official source said yesterday that an 11-member Bangladesh team and 
a 14-member delegation from Myanmar will jointly inspect the site, which 
has already been identified as the Bangladesh territory in a map 
released by an international agency.  

The Bangladesh team will comprise officials from the ministries of the 
Home Affairs, the Foreign Affairs, the Land and the Water Resources and 
BDR. 



___________________________________________________


Bangkok Post: Surin urges official line with Burma 

January 31, 2001.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS

'Realistic policy' is best way forward
Achara Ashayagachat

Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan insisted formal dialogue was the best 
way to deal with Burma but agreed personal connections might "open the 
door" to warmer ties. 
"We all have our own key to open the door and if it clicks it should be 
transformed into the formal channel of communications so the key or 
connection will not be exploited for individual or group benefits," he 
said. 

"During the last three years, I've tried to minimise the use of personal 
relations and formalise foreign affairs contacts as a permanent path."Mr 
Surin could not explain Thai Rak Thai's confidence in its ability to 
solve fishing disputes with Burma and was not aware of an agreement 
between the party and Rangoon. He reminded the in-coming government 
dialogue with Burma over drugs and border disputes were also important. 

"It would certainly be a good thing if they succeeded in paving the way 
to a breakthrough on the fishing problem," he said. 

The Democrat-led government strived to sustain a "realistic policy" with 
Burma, Mr Surin said. 

"We have to look at the overall picture. The first two years [of 
bilateral relations] seemed smooth but then there were several violent 
incidents.. which caused relations to deteriorate in other aspects."He 
said the nation regained the confidence of the international community 
and pointed out the importance of transparency and mutual understanding 
among agencies involved in foreign affairs. The minister also urged 
further support for the Team Thailand approach to inter-agency work 
overseas. 

"It should be worked out in a more efficient manner if human resources 
are developed." 


___________________________________________________



BBC: 'Burmese refugees smuggling arms'

 - Wednesday, 31 January, 2001, 14:51 GMT 

By Zubair Ahmed in Dhaka 

Bangladesh has accused Burma's Rohingya refugees of smuggling arms and 
drugs into their country.  

Police say senior Rohingya militant leaders arrested in Bangladesh last 
week had links with armed militant groups in several countries.  

The bulk of the illegal trade in arms and drugs passes through Teknaf, a 
busy town on the Bangla-Burma border, where most of an estimated 50,000 
illegal Rohingya immigrants live.  

Police say members of the Rohingya community, on either side of the 
border, are conduits for the supply of arms and drugs to militant groups 
in Bangladesh and India.  

Crackdown 

The refugees, who live in two camps near Teknaf, are said to have links 
with the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation, an alliance of 
separatist militant groups campaigning for the Arakan region's 
independence from Burma.  

Last week, police arrested the group's self-styled army chief, 
Salimullah, along with two other alleged Rohingya militants.  

Police say the arrests were proof that many other Arakan separatist 
militants had 
operated from Bangladesh for years.  

But the Rohingyas deny any links with militant organisations and 
complain of constant police harassment.  

A spokesman for the Burmese embassy in Dhaka declined to comment on the 
arrests but said they were studying the situation. 


___________________________________________________





Church World Service: Ecumenical Group Secures the Release of Asylum  
Seekers from Burma

January 30, 2001, NEW YORK CITY - An ecumenical group composed of staff 
from  the Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program, Lutheran 
 Immigration and Refugee Service, the Southern Baptist Convention, and 
the  Chin Freedom Coalition traveled to Guam the week of January 15 to 
advocate  for the release of 39 asylum seekers from Burma detained by 
the Immigration  and Naturalization Service (INS).  The ecumenical group 
worked with the  Governor of Guam, the INS and churches already 
supporting the asylum seekers  from Burma to secure their release, which 
began Monday, January 29. 

The 39 asylum seekers of Chin ethnicity fled their country to escape  
religious persecution and ethnic cleansing by the military regime of 
Myanmar  (also known as Burma). For the past six months, they have been 
detained by  the Department of Corrections since their arrival in Guam. 
ôThe compelling nature of their claims is what brought me here,ö 
explained  Matt Wilch director for immigration and asylum concerns at 
Lutheran  Immigration and Refugee Service. ôSo far, the grant rate of 
this group is  95%. These are people fleeing torture, rape, and scorched 
earth tactics  against their communities all because they insist on 
practicing their  Christian faith and promoting democratic ideals. They 
deserve our protection  and quick relief.ö

The ecumenical group toured the prison where the 39 asylum seekers were  
detained, made pastoral visits to their quarters, visited other asylum  
seekers living on the island and met with ethnic organizations working 
for  the release of the detainees.  ôWe feel that these refugees face 
unnecessary  hurdles in the asylum process,ö remarked Rev. Joan 
Maruskin, Washington  Representative for Church World Service.  ôThey 
live in terribly cramped  conditions and wait for months to have their 
claims adjudicated by the INS.   We want to bring these problems to 
light and help the refugees find  solutions which will lead to their 
safety and ability to reestablish their  lives.ö

The delegation began its efforts on Guam by meeting with the church 
groups  who support the more than 800 asylum seekers from Burma already 
living on  the island while they await the adjudication of their claims. 
 Only two  lawyers are available to process the claims of asylum seekers 
on Guam, so  the wait is long.  A coalition of Protestant and Catholic 
groups has  provided the refugees with food, shelter, clothing and other 
assistance as  they go through the asylum process.

Delegates met with the Governor of Guam, Mr. Carl T.C. Gutierrez, on 
January  18 to enlist his support for the refugeesÆ release.  The 
Governor commended  the groupÆs efforts and the efforts of GuamÆs church 
groups to support the  refugees.  He then sent a letter to the U.S. 
Immigration and Naturalization  Service headquarters to ask for the 
groupÆs release to the community and  quick adjudication of their asylum 
claims.

The ecumenical delegation included Rev. Maruskin, Helen Morris and 
Adijatu  Abiose, Esq. of Church World Service; Matt Wilch  of Lutheran 
Immigration  and Refugee Service; Zo T. Hmung of Chin Freedom Coalition; 
and Dr. Donoso  Escobar of the Southern Baptist Convention; and Rev. 
Euford from the Hawaii  Pacific Baptist Convention.



_______________ ECONOMY AND BUSINESS _______________
 


The Nation.: Burma, Laos, China Trade up

Wednesday, January 31, 2001


THE value of trade with three of Thailand's closest neighbours - Burma, 
Laos and China- jumped 34.1 per cent during the first 10 months of last 
year compared with the same period a year earlier, reaching a combined 
total of Bt8.06 billion. 
Burma is still the major cross-border trading partner out of the three, 
as total trade with the western neighbour was more than triple the value 
of trade with Laos and China combined. 

Total trade with Burma rose 25.73 per cent to Bt6.35 billion compared 
with Bt4.72 billion in the same period of 1999. Of the total, exports 
were valued at Bt5.63 billion, up 30.16 per cent, while imports dropped 
8.09 per cent. 

Karun Kittisathaporn, director general of the Foreign Trade Department, 
said overall export value has increased since September last year as a 
result of a higher demand for vegetable oil, palm oil, electric 
appliances, motorcycles and spare parts, truck tires and passenger cars, 
apparel and other miscellaneous products purchased by the Burmese 
government. 



______________________OTHER______________________


PD Burma:  Calendar of events with regard to Burma

Feb. 1, 2001



╖          January 29-31st    : The EU troika to visit Burma 
╖     February 5-6th        : Meeting of Solidarity Groups, 
Brussels  

╖         February 5th     : James Mawdsley to address the 
European Parliament, Brussels  
╖              February 11th   : "Burma- The long road towards 
democracy", Seminar, Lund, Sweden.   

╖              February 15th   : Conference on Burma, Stockholm, 
Oluf Palme International Center and Swedish NGO Foundation for Human 
Rights 

╖         February 15-16th : Burma Donor Meeting, Sweden 


╖              February (end)    : International trade union 
conference on ôSolidarity with Burmaö, Tokyo  

╖              March 8th             : Next session of the 
Governing Body of the ILO. Forced labour in Burma to be discussed 

╖         April                      : EU Common Position Review 

╖              April                      : Inter-Parliamentary 
Conference, Cuba 

╖         March/April           : UN Human Rights Commission, 
Geneva 

╖         May 13-20th           : UN LDC III, UN conference on the 
LDC-countries, Brussels 

╖         May 27th                 : 11th Anniversary of the 1990 
elected.  

╖         May                         : ARF Senior Official 
Meeting, Hanoi  

╖              June                         : Meeting in the 
Governing Body of the ILO 

╖              June 19th                  : Aung San Suu Kyi 
birthday party and Burmese Women's Day 

╖         July                            : Belgium takes over EU 
Presidency 

╖         July                            : 8th RFA Ministerial 
Meeting, Hanoi  

╖         July                            : 34th ASEAN Ministerial 
Meeting and Post-Ministerial Conference  

╖         July                            : ASEAN Summit


╖         Aug. 31st- Sep.7th         : World Conference against 
Racism and Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and related intolerance, 
South Africa  

╖         December 1st               : Worlds Aids Day


╖         December 10th                  : 10th Year Anniversary 
of the Nobel Peace Prize for Aung San Suu Kyi,  
      





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