BurmaNet News: August 2, 2001

[strider@xxxxxxxxxxx]

______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
        An on-line newspaper covering Burma 
           August 2, 2001   Issue # 1856
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________


INSIDE BURMA _______
*AFP: US officials meet Myanmar junta leaders 
*AP: Myanmar Govt. Rejects Criticisms
*BBC: Burma targets international image
*DVB : Interview with Daw Nge Ma Ma Than

MONEY _______
*Xinhua: Myanmar-ASEAN Members Trade Down Slightly in First Quarter

GUNS______
*The Nation: Abduction revives border tensions 

DRUGS______
*SHAN: Burmese killed by Wa during drug passage 

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*Radio Thailand: Thaksin Says Burma's Detention of Thai Officials Not To 
Affect Ties 

EDITORIALS/OPINION/PROPAGANDA________
*Bangkok Post: Just generals having a jaw
*AFL-CIO: John J. Sweeney President, AFL-CIO , Speech at the 
International Labour Organization 



					
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________



AFP: US officials meet Myanmar junta leaders 

BANGKOK, Aug 2 (AFP) - Senior US officials held talks in Yangon Thursday 
with Myanmar's military junta leaders, state-run media reported. 

 A delegation led by US deputy assistant secretary of state for East 
Asian and Pacific Affairs, Ralph L Boyce called on the junta's 
number-three Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, TV Myanmar said in a report 
monitored here. 

 Foreign Minister Win Aung and US charge d'affaires to Yangon Patricia 
Clapp attended the meeting, the report said without giving details of 
the discussion. 
 It was Boyce's second trip to Myanmar this year. His first took place 
in February, a month after President George W. Bush took office. 

 During that visit, Myanmar military authorities allowed him to meet 
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi at her compound, where she has been 
held under de facto house arrest since September last year. 

 The United States, which leads an informal international coalition 
which has imposed sanctions and investment restrictions on Myanmar, is a 
frequent critic of the generals, who respond by accusing Washington of 
interfering in its internal affairs. 





___________________________________________________



AP: Myanmar Govt. Rejects Criticisms

Bangkok Today: August 01, 2001 at 4:20:24 PDT 

A Myanmar government spokesman professed bewilderment Wednesday at 
charges by an international press freedom group that the country's 
military regime detains journalists in brutal conditions and tightly 
restricts freedom of information. 

In a report issued Tuesday, the Paris-based group Reporters Without 
Borders described Myanmar, also known as Burma, as "the largest prison 
for journalists in Asia." 

It urged that international sanctions be maintained against the military 
government until 18 jailed journalists are released and censorship is 
eliminated. 

Asked for comment, the Myanmar government spokesman said the government 
was "confused" by the charges because last year the group "stated that 
24 professional writers were behind bars but this time it is 18." 

In a faxed statement, the spokesman said "there are 84 journals and 141 
magazines published by the private sector regularly with over 400 
professional writers actively pursuing their profession." 

"Constructive criticism is welcomed and there are foreign and local 
organizations in the country exchanging views with government officials 
and also providing suggestions and advice on a regular basis which has 
been appreciated by the government," the spokesman said on customary 
condition of anonymity. 

Commenting on the group's charge that journalists are tortured in 
detention, the spokesman said the government is working "very closely 
and in full cooperation with the ICRC (International Committee of the 
Red Cross) which has been visiting the correctional facilities in the 
country." 

The press group's report, however, said Red Cross personnel do not have 
access to all of the country's 36 prisons and that three years after 
inspections resumed, "food, health care and sanitary conditions have not 
changed significantly." 




___________________________________________________



BBC: Burma targets international image


 Tuesday, 31 July, 2001, 15:25 GMT 16:25 UK 


Burma's military rulers have freed another four opposition politicians.  
 They are all members of the National League for Democracy (NLD), and 
were elected to parliament in 1990 when Aung San Suu Kyi's party 
convincingly won the polls.   A spokesman for the NLD said the MPs had 
been in detention since 1996.   So far this year the military 
authorities have released more than 150 dissidents.  

Secret talks 


This follows secret talks between the opposition leader, Aung San Suu 
Kyi, and the Burmese generals.   NLD offices throughout Rangoon have 
opened
 
The contacts, sponsored by the United Nations through its special envoy 
Razali Ismail, are aimed at paving the way for a full-scale dialogue of 
national reconciliation.  

Although both sides refuse to discuss the details of the talks publicly, 
opposition sources have long said the release of political prisoners was 
part of the trust-building measures that had been agreed on by the two 
sides.  

A senior NLD member told the BBC he thought the military authorities 
should now release all the remaining political prisoners.  

Amnesty International estimates there are nearly 2,000 political 
prisoners still being held in Burma's jails. But at present the generals 
appear happy to drag the process out.  

Diplomats in Rangoon believe the Burmese military authorities are 
releasing the political prisoners in drips-and-drabs in order to deflect 
international criticism of their human rights record, and are not ready 
to have the talks progress any further than the confidence-building 
stage.  

Signs of Change 

But there are other signs that the Burmese generals are trying to 
improve their international image.   The main objective of launching 
this channel is to let the outside world keep abreast of the situation 
and developments in Myanmar said a Senior official.   

The Ministry of Information in Rangoon has announced plans to launch a 
new English-language television channel which will also be broadcast 
internationally.   Government sources told the BBC the new station will 
be piloted early in August and is intended to give an informed version 
of developments in Burma.   Initially it will only broadcast three hours 
of news programmes. But it in the future is expected to included a range 
of programmes including cultural performances and sport.   Burma's 
generals are always complaining about what it regards as biased 
reporting in the foreign media.   


More releases expected 

Analysts believe that the launch of the new television station indicates 
that Burma's military leaders are preparing for possible change in the 
country in the coming months.   Diplomats believe the next few weeks are 
going to crucial to the dialogue process. The next step, they say, must 
be the release of the three senior NLD leaders from house arrest, 
including Aung San Suu Kyi.   This may well happen later this month in 
time for the UN envoy's return to Rangoon at the end of August.


___________________________________________________



DVB : Interview with Daw Nge Ma Ma Than


http://www.dvb.no/scoop/



Text of report by DVB on 28 July

DVB has already reported on the release Thursday 

[26 July] of National League for Democracy Leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's 
 cousin Daw Nge Ma Ma Than and her husband U Myint Swe by the SPDC.  Daw 
Nge Ma Ma Than together with her older brother U Cho Aung Than and her 
husband U Myint Swe were arrested in 1997.  The three were sentenced to 
10 years imprisonment each but Daw Nge Ma Ma  Than and her husband U 
Myint Swe were released by the SPDC under Section  401 of the Amnesty 
Law. DVB conducted an interview with Daw Nge Ma Ma Than. 

[Khin Hnin Htet] Since you were released only on Thursday,  can you tell 
us about your condition in jail especially your health  condition? 

[Nge Ma Ma Than] I have nothing much to say about the jail. They looked  
after me well because my health was not good. I am suffering from  
spondylitis in my neck and osteoarthritis in my feet so I was referred 
to  an orthopedist. 

[Khin Hnin Htet] What about your health condition now? 
[Nge Ma Ma Than] I have thought of getting a checkup. I have not done 
that  as yet but I plan to do a thorough checkup. 

[Khin Hnin Htet] Can you tell us whether you were kept in solitary  
confinement and how long were you in jail? 
[Nge Ma Ma Than] Yes, I was kept alone and I was incarcerated for over 
four  years - a total of four years, one month, and 13 days. 

[Khin Hnin Htet] Can you tell us about your daily life in prison?  [Nge 
Ma Ma Than] They gave me only one hour of walking time daily including  
morning and evening. That is the maximum sometimes it was lessen when  
officials visit the jail. I had to take a bath, walk, and wash clothes  
during that time. I was given sufficient amount of water though. I was  
allowed two big jars of water. Well, as for food I was given hospital 
diet.  All those jailed under Section 5-J [of the Emergency Provisions 
Law] were  given hospital diet. I do not know about the others. 

[Khin Hnin Htet] Is it true that you were allowed to leave the jail and  
attend certain occasions? 

[Nge Ma Ma Than] Yes, they allowed me to go out. I was allowed to go out 
 five times. Once when my older brother died. The next time was the 
merit  making ceremony on the seventh day of his death, my father's 
ninth death  anniversary merit making ceremony, my older brother's first 
death  anniversary merit making ceremony, and the fifth was to arrange 
for my  father's tomb. 

[Khin Hnin Htet] Then, can I say that the conditions inside the jail 
have  improved? 
[Nge Ma Ma Than] I have never been jailed before so I do not know and 
then  how can I know how they treat everybody. Isn't it? I cannot 
compare the  treatment they gave me with the others. 

[Khin Hnin Htet] There have been international criticisms that those  
currently released by the Burmese military junta should never have been  
arrested in the first place. Can you tell us how you were arrested and  
under which section you were charged? 

[Nge Ma Ma Than] At first I did not think I was being arrested. I 
thought  they came to search and confiscate the computers and stuff. I 
was arrested  at my home. We were arrested at different places - Cho 
Aung Than at his  home and U Myint Swe at his office. We were booked 
under Section 5-J and  Section 17-1. We were sentenced to 10 years - 
seven years under Section 5-J  and three years under Section 17-1. 

[Khin Hnin Htet] Were you able to meet with your husband and brother 
inside  the jail? 
[Nge Ma Ma Than] We were unable to meet at first. My husband was 
transferred  to a different jail. Then I was able to meet my older 
brother once a month  only in 1999 that is after two years. Then when my 
husband was transferred  back I met my husband and my brother 
alternately. We were allowed one  meeting a month. 

[Khin Hnin Htet] You were arrested together with your husband U Myint 
Swe  and your brother U Cho Aung Than. Now only you and your husband 
were  released. How do you feel about your brother? 

[Nge Ma Ma Than] Frankly, I felt sad about my brother. I wanted him to 
be  released too because the three of us were arrested together but only 
two  were released. I am still expecting my brother [to be released].  

[Khin Hnin Htet] Do you mean your brother's health is not good?  [Nge Ma 
Ma Than] It is not in that sense. He was doing his medical checkup  and 
was arrested before he could take any treatment. He was hospitalized  
once in jail because his blood pressure dropped very low. I am worried 
now  because he is all alone inside. I am not a healthy person and that 
is why I  am very health conscience and careful about myself. But my 
brother is  different he does not care about his health and that is what 
worry us most.  

Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 28 Jul 01 








______________________MONEY________________________



Xinhua: Myanmar-ASEAN Members Trade Down Slightly in First Quarter

YANGON, August 2 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's bilateral trade with five member 
countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- 
Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines -- totaled 
445.83 million U.S. dollars in the first quarter of this year, down 1.87 
percent from the same period of 2000. According to the latest figures 
published by Central Statistical Organization, the trade accounted for 
39.8 percent of Myanmar's total foreign trade during the three-month 
period with its import from these ASEAN members amounting to 292.14 
million dollars, its export, 153.69 million dollars. The trade deficit 
stood at 138.45 million dollars. Of Myanmar's bilateral trade with these 
ASEAN member states during the period, that with Singapore accounted for 
the highest volume with 203.98 million dollars or 18.2 percent of the 
country' s 1,117.79 million dollars' total foreign trade.

 It was followed by that with Thailand which took up 147.82 million 
dollars or 13.2 percent. That with Malaysia represented 56. 85 million 
dollars and that with Indonesia 34.28 million dollars. However, Myanmar 
imported nil from the Philippines during the period, but exported to 
that country with goods worth of only 2.9 million dollars. According to 
official statistics, in 2000, Myanmar's total foreign trade, including 
the border trade, totaled 4.086 billion dollars, of which its bilateral 
trade with the five other ASEAN members amounted to 1.651 billion 
dollars, accounting for 40.4 percent of the total. 





_______________________GUNS________________________




The Nation: Abduction revives border tensions 

August 01, 2001.

Don Pathan

Thai political leaders and top officials in Bangkok were tight-lipped as 
to how the kidnapping of seven Thai army and narcotics officers by a 
pro-Rangoon armed group could have occurred just weeks after the 
fence-mending visit by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Rangoon. 

Few were without an opinion as to how such an incident would affect the 
waxing and waning of Thai-Burmese relations. All agreed Burma's help was 
necessary for securing the release of the seven captives. 

Thai officers on the front lines along the border, on the other hand, 
were not so optimistic. Many see the incident as retaliation against the 
recent arrest of seven people, reportedly their associates, in 
connection with the smuggling of 74 kilograms of heroin and Bt90 million 
in cash. 

Moreover, they said the kidnapping incident had not only strained 
working relations at the local level but more importantly, it had 
exposed the flaws in what has been billed as recuperating bilateral ties 
between the two governments. 

Needless to say, the "flaw" in this case is the 20,000-strong United Wa 
State Army (UWSA), dubbed one of the world's largest armed 
narcotics-trafficking groups. The UWSA operate somewhat independently in 
an autonomous zone along Burma's northeastern frontier. 

At the height of the mudslinging that was kicked off by day-long 
cross-border shelling between the Thai and Burmese armies earlier this 
year, top brass from both sides were trading vicious accusations, saying 
their counterparts were taking kickbacks from drug traffickers. 

Although the war of words may have quietened down following Thaksin's 
visit to Rangoon, feelings among border units remain tense, officials 
said. Many said it would take more than a "kiss-and-make-up" session 
between Thaksin and the junta to improve the situation on the front 
lines. 

For years, Bangkok has consistently held Rangoon accountable for the 
Wa's illicit activities, despite acknowledging that the UWSA operate 
independently from Rangoon. This independence is illustrated by the fact 
that Burmese troops are required to disarm before entering Wa-controlled 
areas. 

Two years ago, Thailand declared war on the UWSA, accusing them of 
regularly flooding the country with millions of methamphetamine pills. 
Economic sanctions were imposed against the Wa and a border checkpoint 
leading to Mong Yawn, one of their strongholds near the Thai border, was 
ordered shut. 

According to the US State Department, Burma continues to be one of the 
world's largest producers of illicit opium, accounting for 80 per cent 
of the total production in Southeast Asia. A great deal of the drug 
activities there is controlled by the UWSA. The group entered a 
cease-fire agreement, but not a permanent peace deal, with the military 
government of Burma in 1989.





________________________DRUGS______________________



SHAN: Burmese killed by Wa during drug passage 



Drugs Brief

4 Burmese soldiers were killed on the night of 25 July as they tried to  
intercept a group of smugglers near Wanpong ferry, Monghpong, east of  
Tachilek.

It was discovered soon after that the smugglers were Wa and the police 
from  Monghpong with a shipment of "goods" bound for Laos across the 
Mekong. 

The source told S.H.A.N., "The fight ended right there and the 
authorities  issued orders to the villages in the vicinity to say 
nothing of the mishap  to outsiders."






___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
				





Radio Thailand: Thaksin Says Burma's Detention of Thai Officials Not To 
Affect Ties 

August 1, 2001

[Translation from Thai]

Prime Minister Thaksin Chinnawat believes the Burmese Government will 
not take too much time in interrogating the seven Thai officials of the 
Office of the Narcotics Control Board and the National Security Center, 
who were detained after they entered Burma. The prime minister said Thai 
authorities are closely coordinating with the Burmese Government to 
settle the problem. The seven Thai officials are safe. However, the 
details still could not be revealed right now. The Burmese authorities 
will investigate the seven Thai officials before releasing them. The 
prime minister reiterated that relations between Thailand and Burma are 
still good. The incident will have no impact on bilateral relations. 
Regarding the reasons why the Thai officials were arrested in Burma, the 
prime minister said they have to question the Thai officials when they 
return. He believed that Burma will not take too much time in 
interrogating the Thai officials. [Begin recording]

 [Thaksin] We have not yet interrogated the Thai officials on the 
reasons for their arrest. So, we can not make any conclusion at this 
moment. We have to wait for their return first. 

[Unidentified correspondent] Is the incident an embarrassment for us? 

[Thaksin] I want everybody to understand that relations between Thailand 
and Burma remain good. But, Burma has ethnic groups and it should have 
measures to handle them. When our officials entered the area controlled 
by the ethnic groups, the problem became complicated. However, I think 
that Burma will be able to talk to the ethnic groups and that the Thai 
and Burmese officials will be able to settle this problem. [end 
recording] 

The prime minister said Burma has many ethnic groups and it has to 
settle this problem. He admitted that it would be difficult for rescue 
efforts as the Thai officials entered the area controlled by ethnic 
groups. However, the Burmese Government will extend its assistance to 
settle this problem.









___________EDITORIALS/OPINION/PROPAGANDA__________




Bangkok Post: Just generals having a jaw

August 2, 2001

We can all sleep comfortably tonight safe in the knowledge that all our 
worst fears have been laid to rest. The man who would be foreign 
minister has had a heart to heart with a brother in arms. u At home, it 
appears the annual amusement of military musical chairs is almost a done 
thing, or so some would have us believe. u Don't be fooled by the 
titles-something about a hollow drum makes the most noise.

Candid talks in Rangoon last month between our defence minister cum 
deputy prime minister and the Burmese prime minister are being heralded 
by the former's unofficial public relations team as restoring mutual 
trust and confidence between our two countries and opening a new chapter 
in our relations.

"Open discussions between Gen Chavalit [Yongchaiyudh] and Gen Than Shwe 
on drugs and other border issues undoubtedly have dispelled any 
lingering mistrust," said one wide-eyed member of the Defence Ministry 
staff.

Gen Than Shwe is said to have asked his fellow general for understanding 
of Burma's position on the drug issue. He said the problem had been 
around for more than a decade and had begun with some former ethnic 
rebels who had used the money earned from drug trafficking to fight for 
independence from Rangoon.

The prime minister is said to have said the problem could be dealt with 
effectively through regional co-operation and he was confident his 
country would be drug free by 2014.

The Defence man said the two generals both were worried that lingering 
suspicions over the possible involvement of Rangoon in the drug trade 
needed to be addressed as this only added to misunderstandings between 
our two countries and was hurting any co-operation efforts along the 
border.

Gen Than Shwe is said to have told Gen Chavalit it was vital that our 
two countries trusted each other and were confident that each was 
working for the sake of regional prosperity, otherwise there would be 
clouds over any future collaboration.

"We have to build mutual understanding among our people and the 
military," Gen Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development 
Council, was quoted by the Defence man as saying.

The prime minister is said to have said Thailand should not suspect 
Burma of doing anything that might damage its neighbour and he was 
hopeful that Thailand, in return, would not do anything that might hurt 
Burma.

Gen Than Shwe is said to have encouraged Gen Chavalit to raise any 
suspicions that Thailand might have of Burma direct with Rangoon as this 
would minimise the danger of misunderstandings.

He also is said to have said that "suspicion and mistrust will not lead 
to a better relationship between our two countries".

Gen Chavalit is said to have said that members of the two countries' 
army engineering corps and medical units should join together to 
strengthen ties and understanding among people along the border.

Another Defence man said Gen Chavalit was surprised that Gen Than Shwe 
had proposed that Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, the State Peace and Development 
Council's first secretary, should head a delegation to Thailand soon to 
discuss co-operation on fishing concessions and the drawn-out question 
of border demarcation.

"He [Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt] rarely travels abroad," said one of Gen 
Chavalit's trusty lieutenants. "This clearly shows Burma has the strong 
determination to strengthen ties and understanding with our country."







___________________________________________________




AFL-CIO: John J. Sweeney President, AFL-CIO , Speech at the 
International Labour Organization  


June 15, 2001
  

 Director General Somavia, representatives, guests, it is my privilege 
to offer the perspective of the AFL-CIO, and the 40 million members of 
union households in the United States on the fundamental issues raised 
by the Global Report on Forced Labor. 

 I congratulate the Director General for the initiatives the ILO has 
taken in the last years. The 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental 
Principles and Rights at Work has underscored the global consensus on 
basic workers' rights. Now, this follow-up report focuses global 
attention on the shameful scourge of forced labor. 

 What does this report tell us? Forced labor is universally condemned - 
and yet again on the rise. Even as we celebrate the spread of democracy, 
we witness a revival of forced labor, debt bondage, even slavery. And as 
privatization of public services spreads even to the prisons, we witness 
an increase in the bartering of captive labor for private profit. 

 At the AFL-CIO, we support the ILO's efforts to enlist public and 
private support for the abolition of forced labor. We will work to 
expose this blight, to urge our employers and our government to act 
against it, and to rouse the outrage of working men and women against 
its indignities and oppressions. 

 But the ILO Declaration and Report puts us to the test. Will exposure, 
documentation, and condemnation lead to action? Will global corporations 
police their own practices and that of their subcontractors? Will 
countries hold their companies and executives responsible? Will citizens 
hold their countries accountable? Is there an international community 
willing to act in concert against this fundamental deprivation of human 
rights? 

 These are not abstract questions. As the Global Report notes, forced 
labor was central to the inquiry on Burma. As the most recent US State 
Department Human Rights report notes, in that country, unions are 
banned, and "forced labor, including forced child labor, remains a 
serious problem." Human Rights Watch reports that children from ethnic 
minorities are forced to work under inhumane conditions, without 
adequate medical care, mistreated, sometimes dying from beatings. 

 Last year, the Governing Body of the ILO judged that Burma had not 
taken effective action to deal with "widespread and systematic" use of 
forced labor in that country. For the first time in the history of the 
ILO, it called upon all ILO members to review their relations with the 
regime. Countries, companies and workers are enjoined to cease any 
action that might strengthen that repressive regime. 

 This surely is a test of our will, a measure of our commitment to our 
words. 

 With business and government leaders across the world arguing that the 
ILO should be the forum where basic worker rights are protected in the 
global economy, it is also a test of the global economic system itself. 

 To date, little progress has been made. Global corporations with 
international brand names import textiles from Burma. Multinationals 
continue to work with the military regime in building the pipelines that 
will bolster the junta. Few countries have done a formal review of their 
relations with the military junta. 

 My own country and U.S. based multinationals, I am sorry to say, have 
not acted effectively in response to the ILO mandate. The United States 
remains the leading importer of textiles made in Burma?many sold by 
brand-name American retailers. Imports rose 130 percent last year and 
have doubled in the first six months of this year, even in the face of 
the ILO's call for action. 

 The U.S. government has banned any further investment in Burma, but 
U.S. corporations continue to work on projects directly benefitting the 
regime. 

 I pledge to this body that the AFL-CIO will redouble its efforts to 
support the historic ILO initiative on Burma. Last month, Senator Tom 
Harkin reintroduced legislation to ban imports from Burma, legislation 
that has the support of both liberals and conservatives like Senator 
Jesse Helms, the former Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations 
Committee. 

 The AFL-CIO will continue to call upon U.S. corporations to fulfill the 
pledge to end any activity that might support the regime. We are 
introducing shareholder resolutions in four major multinational 
companies, calling upon them to desist. Our unions will raise these 
issues directly with management. And our members will continue to build 
the rising movements of students, citizens and consumers calling on 
companies to end forced labor and sweatshop practices. We will work to 
make action against forced labor - starting in Burma - not only a moral 
imperative, but a business investment . . . a question not only of an 
executive's conscience, but of a corporation's reputation and profit. 

 The ILO Report also calls our attention to the growing problem of 
prison labor - both for private profit and as State imposed punishment 
for anti-social acts. In the United States, prisoners exploited for 
private profit is a growing and fundamental problem. 

 This report reveals once again the gulf that lies between rights and 
reality in the global economy, the shadow between promise and 
performance. 

 Across the world, citizens, consumers, workers are mobilizing to 
reassert their fundamental rights, demanding an end to business as 
usual. This Report helps direct their concern, and calls us all to 
action. For that we salute the Director General, the staff, and the 
tripartite members of the ILO. 







________________


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