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BurmaNet News: April 16, 2001
- Subject: BurmaNet News: April 16, 2001
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 06:40:00
______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
An on-line newspaper covering Burma
April 16, 2001 Issue # 1781
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________
INSIDE BURMA _______
*DVB: Talks including ethnic minorities "not far off"
*Karen National Union: Monthly Human Rights Situation Report
*Burma Courier: Defence Industries to Produce High-tech Weapons
*Mizzima: Na Sa Ka kidnapped Bangladesh villagers
*Karen Human Rights Group: Internally displaced villagers cornered by 40
SPDC Battalions
REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*Reuters: Pakistan's Musharraf to visit Myanmar and Vietnam
*Reuters: Burmese Seamen Feared Drowned off Japanese Coast
ECONOMY/BUSINESS _______
*AP: Thai authorities seize beef smuggled from Myanmar
*Free Burma Coalition: Activists Strike Suzuki at New York International
Auto Show
OTHER______
*BurmaNet: U Oung Myint Tun, Journalist, Democracy Advocate Dies
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
DVB: Talks including ethnic minorities "not far off"
Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 14 Apr 01
DVB Democratic Voice of Burma has reported that the SPDC State Peace and
Development Council has summoned the representatives of the six ethnic
minority groups, which have signed cease-fire agreements with them, to
Rangoon regarding the letter asking for holding tripartite talks.
In order to handle the call for tripartite talks better, Lt-Gen Khin
Nyunt, SPDC secretary-1 and chairman of the Work Committee for the
Development of Border Areas and Ethnic Minorities, went to the Kachin
region near the Burma-China border from 8-10 April and attended the 10th
anniversary peace ceremonies. This was carried in the SPDC news of 12
April.
Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt and party went to Panwa and Waingmaw regions in Kachin
State and held talks on regional development matters with ethnic race
leaders including U Lamong Tu Ja, the new chairman of the Kachin
Independence Organization, KIO. Although it has been only seven years
since the KIO signed the cease-fire with the SPDC, Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt
said in general terms that it has been 10 years since the military
government made peace with the ethnic minority groups that broke away
from the communists. He also noted it is evident that Kachin State has
developed since the Kachin, Kokang, Wa, Shan, Ahka as received , and
Pa-O ethnic minorities freed themselves from the domination of the
communists and joined hands with the SPDC. But the SPDC news failed to
report the fundamental objective of his visit on how to solve the
political proposition of the cease-fire groups.
Although Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt did not publicly and officially reveal the
political outcome of his talks there were reportedly some private
conversations. DVB correspondent Myint Maung Maung filed this report on
what the private conversations of SPDC Intelligence Chief Lt-Gen Khin
Nyunt were like.
Begin Myint Maung Maung recording At a private meeting Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt
said the call to include some ethnic minority groups, which have already
signed cease-fire agreements, in the ongoing talks between SPDC and NLD
National League for Democracy is premature. He said the outcome of the
meeting will be announced together with the SPDC's changing approach and
lifting of some restrictions. The views of the ethnic minorities on
these matters are warmly welcomed and they should be presented to the
Office of Strategic Studies. These reports will then be analysed and the
SPDC will use them to consider their participation for transformation to
democracy in the future Burma. The SPDC has implemented one fundamental
matter after another for the emergence of a long-lasting democracy
system suitable for Burma and in accordance with the law. At present,
the talks between the SPDC and the NLD are at a stage which would lay a
good groundwork for meeting with the NLD Party. Reliable sources said,
citing SPDC's Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, that the talks involving the ethnic
minorities is not far off.
___________________________________________________
Karen National Union: Monthly Human Rights Situation Report
March 2001
Mergui-Tavoy District
[Abridged]
According to a deserted porter, on 19 March, 2001, Burma army's Company
No.3 from Infantry Battalion 25 has shot dead two porters at LawAaw, in
the east of Tavoy, accused them of tried to escape. On March 24, 2001 a
troop of Burma army arrived to Htee Ler Hkee, a place where villagers
are hiding from Burma army in the jungle, in Tenasserim Riverside and
opened fire on the villagers. Naw Mu Sei, 17 years, daughter of Saw Beh
was killed, and Saw Be Nuh, 20 years, son of Saw Nya was wounded. Two
other villagers were missing.
On March 24, 2001, a troop of Burma army arrived to Htee Thee Hkee, a
place where villagers are hiding from Burma army in the jungle, in
Tenasserim Riverside and open fire on the villagers. Naw Ka Beh, 7 years
old, daughter of Saw Be Poh was killed, Pa Te Shwe Ta, 29 years, son of
Saw Po Kyaw was wounded, two women with their two children were captured
and taken away.
A group of 20 villagers returned to their village in Thayetchaung
township, Tavoy district after they have worked in a Thai village in
Tong Pha Phum district, Kanchanaburi province. When they arrived to a
Burma army border checkpoint at Thukat, they were checked by the
soldiers from Column No.2, Battalion 104 headed by Major Khin Maung
Twan. They had to pay 200 Thai Baht each for passage fees. After that
the officers told them that the situation was not normal, so his
soldiers would lead them to the Thukat checkpoint. Seven soldiers lead
the villagers as they set out but after about 3 miles the soldiers
stopped them and looted some of their belongings and the soldier took
one of the 18 years old woman to a nearby forest and gang raped her.
After that the soldiers let the villagers go.
Forced Portering
The Burma Army is still forced thousands of civilians to carry their
food supplies in order to stockpile six months supplies near their Thai
border outpost camps for the coming raining season.
In Tenasserim Township, southern Tenasserim division, the Burma Army has
forced thousands of local villagers to transport their food supplies to
Thai-Burma border camps opposite Thailand's Prachaua Khirichan province
according to our field reporter. To accomplish this plan Burma Army
forcibly demanded porters from villages in Tenasserim Township, Mergui
District. Villagers were forced to transport military food supplies to
two main military camps Mukopot and Ta Lwee Hkee on the border. Burma
Army's Infantry Battalion 262 and 288 are responsible for the stock
piling.
The Burma Army had planned to finish their food stockpile in February,
but did not finish implementing it. So they resumed in March. Started on
March 10, 2001, 361 villagers were forced to transported military food
supplies from Nawbwa to Mukopot. On March 12, 513 villagers were forced
to transport military food supplies form Thabuleik to Takwehke. The
villagers have to walk three days walk on jungle path.
According to our field reporter from February and up to this date, at
least one thousand villagers from seven village tracks in some parts of
Tenasserim Township were forced to serve as porter. The numbers of
villagers who were forced to be porters are;
1. Tagu village tract
319 persons
2. Ta Po village tract
297 persons
3. Pawat village tract
148 persons
4. Taket village tract
145 persons
5. Ban Law village tract 166
persons
6. Villagers living outside Tenasserim town 96 persons
7. Nyaungbingwin village tract 106
persons.
In total, 1277 persons were forced to carry military food supplies for
more than a month. The Burma Army forced at least 10,000 people as
porter every month in Tenasserim division. The porters have to carry
military food supplies and ammunition to frontline military camps in the
east, along Thai-Burma border and Tenasserim Riverside.
Without porters, the Burma Army cannot survive
.
___________________________________________________
Burma Courier: Defence Industries to Produce High-tech Weapons
Courier News Service (Thanks to NLM): April 9, 2001
PYIN-U-LWIN - Burma's secretive defence industries are to turn their
attention to producing high-tech weapons for use in electronic warfare,
the country's leading general says.
In a speech at the annual intake assembly of the Defence Services
Technological Academy here on Monday, Head of State Than Shwe said that
Burma's military government was planning to expand the country's defence
industries to include the manufacture of weapons with electronic
capability. He told his audience, which included senior officials of the
country's military establishment, as well as the military attaches of
several foreign nations with diplomatic representation in Rangoon, that
"the advantage of modern warfare is the use of electronic technology".
"Electronic war is to be waged through electronic counter-intelligence
and counter-sabotage," Than Shwe said. He urged engineer cadets to
learn to "work in co-operation" at the academy, so that Burma could
"produce modern military equipment without having to rely on others".
"Tatmadaw engineers need to be able to produce whatever others invent,"
the general said.
The DSTA is to upgrade its academic standards, General Than Shwe
announced. The first intake of master's candidates are presently
studying at the Academy and a doctoral program will be opened soon.
Burma's defence industries are centred in the industrial region around
Pye on the Irrawaddy, near the Airforce base at Meiktila and in Rangoon.
Up till now, they have concentrated mainly on the production of
weapons, ammunition, landmines and vehicles for small scale conventional
and guerilla warfare. China, Russia and Singapore have supplied much of
its more sophisticated military hardware.
Mizzima: Na Sa Ka kidnapped Bangladesh villagers
Na Sa Ka kidnapped Bangladesh villagers
Dhaka, April 16, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)
Eleven Bangladeshi villagers were kidnapped by the Burmese border
security personnel (Na Sa Ka) at Bangladesh-Burma border last week. At
night of 10th April, a group of Burmese Na Sa Ka entered into Bangladesh
side and kidnapped the villagers from Bashabari, Dainet and Yezoo
villages situated along the border.
The incident occurred following a joint attack of Arakan and Rohingya
rebels on a Na Sa Ka camp in the area early this month. A forty-members
strong group of Arakan Army (armed wing of National United Party of
Arakan) and Arakan Rohingya National Army (ARNA) attacked the Na Sa Ka
camp (Bandula Camp) situated between Border Pillar No. 50 and 51 in the
early morning of April 5. The Burmese camp, situated in northern
Maungdaw township in Arakan State, was attacked with motor launchers and
AK-47s. Six Na Sa Ka personnel were reportedly killed and at least 14
others were wounded during the 40-minute attack, sources in the border
said.
In retaliation, the Na Sa Ka kidnapped the Rakhine villagers in
Bangladesh to be used as guides to attack the rebel camps in the border.
In 1989, a similar incident happened when the Burmese troops attacked a
Bangladesh Defence Rifles (BDR) camp at Balukya and took away more than
50 weapons. Only after a year from the incident, the Burmese authorities
returned the weapons and said that they mistook the BDR camp as Arakan
rebels? camp.
Karen Human Rights Group: Internally displaced villagers cornered by 40
SPDC Battalions
[Abridged]
April 9, 2001
Papun and Nyaunglebin Districts:
Food shortages, disease, killings and life on the run
In the hills of northern Papun District and eastern Nyaunglebin District
in northern Karen State, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)
military junta began a campaign in 1997 to eliminate resistance activity
and gain control by wiping out the small Karen villages which dot the
remote hills.
Since the end of the rainy season in October 2000, the SPDC has
intensified its campaign to destroy once again any villages which have
been rebuilt and to hunt out the villagers in hiding. The columns look
for villagers harvesting rice, open fire on them and landmine their
fields or uproot their crops, and hunt out and destroy any hidden rice
supplies. There are at present approximately 40 SPDC Battalions
involved in this operation, making the food and security situation for
the villagers in hiding extremely desperate. It is extremely difficult
to place exact numbers on those internally displaced in these two
districts, but the number could now be 50,000 or even more.
Since the beginning of January 2001, over 2,000 villagers have fled
eastern Shwegyin township in Nyaunglebin Distict and crossed into Papun
District near the Bilin River, where they now live in the hill fields in
hiding.
Slightly further north in Kyauk Kyi township of Nyaunglebin District,
many villagers are always on the move. Villagers leave their homes for
periods of time ranging from hours to months, waiting for troops to
leave the area. One villager from eastern Kyauk Kyi township described
to a KHRG researcher the cat and mouse game they must play whenever SPDC
columns come into the region, fleeing from one hiding place to the next
in the forested hills carrying whatever they can and living off of
hidden food caches. Flight is not without risk, however.
On the western plains of Nyaunglebin District the official SPDC
relocation sites are expanding and multiplying, and many villages have
been forced to move to these places, particularly villages on the
eastern edge of the plains or those which are any great distance from
the nearest SPDC Army camp. In these areas, the Army orders people to
move to a relocation area within a specified timeframe. Villagers face
severe consequences if they do not comply.
In western Nyaunglebin District near the Sittaung River, KHRG has
previously documented the activities of the Sa Thon Lon "Guerrilla
Retaliation" SPDC execution squads, a specially trained unit which has
been roaming villages since 1998 and executing anyone suspected of
present or past ties to the Karen resistance. KHRG researchers report
that this unit continues to exist and to execute villagers on a regular
basis using brutal methods, but that they are not executing as many
people as when they first began operations and they are not doing it
quite as openly; they now reportedly take people off into the forest
never to be seen again, whereas before they sometimes went so far as to
impale villagers' heads on stakes as a warning to others. The decrease
in the number of people they are killing may not be due to any change in
their mission, it may simply result from the fact that they have already
killed most of the people they could identify, while many others have
already fled in fear even if they never had any real ties to the Karen
resistance. Villagers now avoid the Sa Thon Lon members at all cost, so
it may also be getting more difficult for the unit to get good
intelligence from those who are left.
While displaced people from Nyaunglebin District flee eastward into
northern Papun District, the situation in Papun District also continues
to worsen. In areas along the Bilin River west of Papun, some villagers
have managed to return and stay in and around their villages, but they
must live in constant fear of the approach of SPDC columns and flee into
the hills whenever they hear of troops coming near.
Slightly further down the Bilin River, SPDC Light Infantry Division #66
has been active since 1999 so most people in the area from Meh Gha Law
to Ker Kaw Law have fled their villages and have not been able to
return, heading further up the Bilin River out of the reach of Division
66 instead.
Northwest of Papun in northern Lu Thaw township, the Army has fortified
its new vehicle road from Kyauk Kyi (at the Sittaung River in Pegu
Division) to Saw Hta (on the Salween River at the Thai border) with at
least 7 army camps, fences protecting the road, and landmines laid along
the roadsides. The road itself is impassable to vehicles for much of the
year, so the SPDC columns still use large numbers of forced labour
porters to carry supplies to the camps along the route.
The SPDC uses camps along the new road to launch military operations to
secure the Salween River and the entire region. Along the 100-150
kilometre stretch of the Salween River which acts as the border with
Thailand there are now over 10 SPDC Army camps dotted at regular
intervals, including Saw Hta, Thee Mu Hta, Kyauk Nyat, Oo Da Hta, Meh Ka
Hta, Oo Thu Hta, Thaw Leh Hta, Meh Paw Mu Hta, and Thu Mweh Hta. The
troops at these camps attempt to shut down Karen National Liberation
Army (KNLA) supply lines, block the escape of refugees, and hunt down
people in hiding. The SPDC is now sending food and other supplies along
the new road to the Salween River for distribution to Army camps.
Hundreds of rice sacks line the Salween River next to SPDC strongholds
along this stretch of the Burma-Thai border.
___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
Reuters: Pakistan's Musharraf to visit Myanmar and Vietnam
ISLAMABAD, April 16 (Reuters) - Pakistan's military ruler General Pervez
Musharraf is planning to visit Myanmar and Vietnam in the first week of
May, a foreign ministry official said on Monday.
The programme was still being worked out, he said.
Musharraf, who took grabbed power in a bloodless coup in October 1999,
has vowed to respect a Supreme Court order to restore civilian rule by
October 2002.
___________________________________________________
Reuters: Burmese Seamen Feared Drowned off Japanese Coast
TOKYO, April 12 (Reuters) -- Rescue officials found a body during a
search for a Korean ship missing off southwestern Japan, raising fears
the cargo vessel foundered in heavy seas with 28 crew on board, Japan's
coast guard said on Wednesday. "Given the facts, we have to conclude
that the ship has probably sunk," a coast guard spokesman said.
The 22,725-tonne Korean-registered Honghae Sanyo vanished with a cargo
of gravel in heavy winds and high seas late on Tuesday after failing to
pick up a navigator en route to a port in Hyogo, some 700 km southwest
of Tokyo. No distress signal was received.
A coast guard spokesman said that a body, believed to be that of a crew
member, was discovered late on Wednesday near Cape Muroto on Japan's
smallest main island of Shikoku during a search by planes and patrol
boats.
Six empty lifeboats and rubber rafts, one with the name of the ship on
its side, have also been found, the spokesman said. "But we have yet to
discover any other members of the crew," he added. Six were from Korea
and 22 from Burma.
While the reason for the accident has not been determined, a strong wind
warning was in effect, indicating the vessel may have foundered in high
seas, the spokesman added.
_______________ ECONOMY AND BUSINESS _______________
AP: Thai authorities seize beef smuggled from Myanmar
April 16, 2001
MAE SOT, Thailand (AP) _ Thai authorities seized about five tons of beef
smuggled from Myanmar, and arrested one person near Thailand's western
border, officials said Sunday.
The seizure was made Saturday night near Wankeaw village in Mae Sot
province, 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of Bangkok, said police
Lt. Likiphong Siranarang.
A Thai citizen, Surachai Sansawan, who purchased the 4,800 kilograms
(10,560 pounds) of beef in Mon state in Myanmar and brought it across
the border was arrested.
Thailand banned import of cow, buffalo, goat and sheep meat from
neighboring Myanmar two months ago as a precautionary measure against
foot and mouth disease.
Beef in Thailand costs 100 baht (dlrs 2.2) per kilogram, or 1 dollar
per pound. In Myanmar, one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of beef is worth 20
baht (40 U.S. cents).
___________________________________________________
Free Burma Coalition: Activists Strike Suzuki at New York International
Auto Show
New York City, New York, April 15th, 2001
[Abridged]
Today the NY chapter of the Free Burma Coalition snuck into New York's
huge International Auto Show in order to protest Suzuki's involvement in
Burma. The International Auto Show, with 80 exhibits, is expected to
attract 1.2 million visitors during its 10 day run.
The activists began their parade at the Suzuki exhibit at 11th Avenue,
Manhattan, New York. They plastered themselves, front and back, with
"Boycott Suzuki, sidekick to oppression in Burma...." stickers. The
activists, united in their quest for democracy in Burma, represented
many different backrounds - Burmese (including a Buddhist monk), Pa-o
and American. From the first moment, prospective buyers were coming up
to the band to ask for more information. The group would pause for a
moment, explain Suzuki's partnership with Burma's brutal military
regime, and then continue to parade circles around the Suzuki vehicles.
Support from the auto show attendees were apparent as they asked for
(and applied) the boycott stickers, showed a fist in solidarity,
explained what the group was doing to their children and promised the
group not to buy Suzuki.
After about 45 minutes, as a small number of state troopers was starting
to congregate, one plain-clothes state trooper came to the group
requesting to speak to the leader. The dicussion between the troopers
and the leaders, Moe Chan and Zaw Win, attracted even more attention to
the protest. As the group was escorted to the door, they were asked not
to even tell anyone not to buy from Suzuki if they should re-enter the
show without the stickers and told they could continue demonstrating in
an almost isolated area across the street.
For the past four years, company after company has been pulling out of
Burma, including Pepsi, Heineken, Phillips, Apple Computers, Arco,
Texaco, and Ericsson-- the list goes on and on. Many companies that have
pulled out now claim that it is impossible to do business in Burma
without supporting the military regime. Upon leaving, Levis Strauss
stated "It is not possible to do business in [Burma] without directly
supporting the military government and its pervasive violations of human
rights." At a time when most foreign corporations are pulling out,
Suzuki plans to invest in Burma in October 1998 as the Joint Venture
with Myamar Automobile and Diesel Engine Industries (MADI) which is a
government entity.
The investement capital was with the ratio of 60% from Suzuki with the
investment of 6.7 million. MADI took a share of 30%, Serge Pun &
Associates(Myanmar) invested 5% and Tomen General Trading company 5%.
Although United States maintained sanction against military regime since
May 1997, Suzuki investors did not pay any attention on the
international cry for not investing with Burmese Military Regime.
Clearly, the government of Burma hopes to attract international
investors in order to line its own pockets. Unlike in many countries,
where multinational corporations can open a local subsidiary with an
independent businessperson, those doing business in Burma must work
through the regime and its cronies.
______________________OTHER______________________
BurmaNet: U Oung Myint Tun, Journalist, Democracy Advocate Dies
April 16, 2001
U Oung Myint Tun, former BBC-Burmese Service Deputy Chief and an
honorary member (Nayaka)of the Burma Media Association BMA, died
peacefully on April 4, 2001. U Oung Myint Tun was also an adviser to
the Open Society Institute?s Burma Project.
U Khin Maung Soe of Radio Free Asia wrote in an e-mail of Tun ?His
sudden departure is a great loss for his family, his audience and his
beloved profession - journalism. He was not only a successful and
outstanding radio journalist, but also a brilliant broadcaster and an
affectionate teacher in journalism. His name and his devotion for a
"free media in free Burma" will certainly be remained in our hearts for
many years to come.?
U Oung Myint Tun was also an occasional contributor to BurmaNet. He
closed a 1996 report carried by BurmaNet on pro-democracy demonstrations
in Europe this way:
?Some people would say that one drop of water does not make an ocean.
But, some others would say that an ocean is made up of those drops of
water! Things may seem hard to overcome. But in the end "the strength of
purpose and the political will of the people" shall prevail.?
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