BurmaNet News: September 5, 2001

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______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
        An on-line newspaper covering Burma 
           September 5, 2001   Issue # 1878
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________


INSIDE BURMA _______
*National Post (Canada) Myanmar junta's airport a great white 
elephant--Mandalay International
*The Irrawaddy: Junta Prepares for ILO Visit
*DVB : Ethnic groups "trust" Suu Kyi but seek to solve their own 
problems

MONEY _______
*AFP: US underwear firm halts Myanmar production 
*Xinhua: Myanmar Produces Less Crude Oil in First Four Months

DRUGS______
*AP: Thailand will host the first drug summit by the end of the year 
*Deutsche Presse-Agentur : Thailand offers Myanmar assistance for 
suppressing drug production 
*South China Morning Post: Junta leader accepts smuggling intolerable 

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*BBC: Burma and Thailand seek closer ties
*AP: Myanmar No. 3 general visits Thaksin's satellite station 
*Bangkok Post: Old foes now best of  friends - Khin Nyunt feted on board 
luxury boat 
*The Irrawaddy: S1 Comes to Bangkok

EDITORIALS/OPINION/PROPAGANDA________
*Going Places: Myanmar
*Letter to the Editor, Going Places--?support for one of the world's 
most cruel and illegitimate governments is indefensible


					
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________




National Post (Canada) Myanmar junta's airport a great white 
elephant--Mandalay International

September 4, 2001

Nicole Veash
National Post
 
The new, state-of-the-art Mandalay International Airport has everything 
an airport needs, except business.

 
MANDALAY, Myanmar - When Rudyard Kipling wrote about the "road to 
Mandalay," he conjured up an exotic land of pagodas and temple wind 
chimes. Today, travellers are greeted by an altogether more surreal 
sight.

In a desolate landscape of parched farmland, under the intense Burmese 
sun, stands a gleaming state-of-the-art airport that puts stylish, 
modern terminals in the developed world to shame.

However, Mandalay International Airport has encountered a few unforeseen 
hiccups: a bumpy runway, few passengers and no foreign flights.

This great white elephant of an airport is the latest vanity project 
undertaken by Myanmar's ruling military junta.

The unelected government-- an international pariah because of its 
appalling human rights record and refusal to recognize democracy leader 
Aung San Suu Kyi -- has sunk US$150-million into building the airport, 
which it had hoped to recuperate by attracting hordes of foreign 
visitors.

The only trouble is that the airport is a no-go zone for large airplanes 
such as 747s, used to fly internationally, because the runway is not 
flat enough for the jets to land safely.

Even if they could, it is doubtful whether tourists would be queuing up 
to go to Myanmar anyway.

Conscientious travellers have voted with their feet not to visit the 
beautiful Golden Land, as it is known. They are unwilling to contribute 
to the junta's coffers by providing it with hard currency -- on arrival, 
visitors have to change a mandatory US$200 into "tourist money," known 
as Foreign Exchange Certificates. Last year, just 240,000 tourists 
visited Myanmar, a drop of 14% from 1999.

This boycott poses a problem for Mandalay International Airport. More 
than an hour's drive from the historic city in northern Myanmar, it is 
standing empty apart from about three domestic flights each day.

It has everything an international airport requires. A spacious parking 
lot, landscaped grounds, clocks showing time zones across the world and 
stacks of baggage trolleys.

But it is deserted. The check-in desks are closed and as pristine as the 
day they were installed, as are the six baggage conveyor belts. The 
security guards sit around twiddling their thumbs because no one is 
going through the X-ray machines and staff in Café Kipling have no 
customers to serve their dry-as-cardboard snacks.

Apart from the problems with the runway, the level of engineering used 
to build this startlingly modern airport is quite something. Built 
around a central glass atrium, the airport is light, airy and 
architecturally appealing.

Its designers have avoided the blandness that afflicts many airports 
around the world by building the roof in the style of a typical Burmese 
pagoda.

Leading up to this airport in the middle of nowhere is a new but 
deserted two-lane highway. Newly tarmacked, it stretches for kilometres 
and rarely sees traffic, let alone jams.

"[Myanmar's] junta is still hoping that jumbo jets full of big-spending 
tourists and businessmen are going to be winging their way into Mandalay 
airport from Europe and Japan," said Anthony Davis, a regional analyst 
who has spent 20 years writing on Asia for publications such as Jane's 
Intelligence. "The only thing to say about this is, 'Dream on, 
generals,' because it ain't going to happen."

The junta's attempts to attract more foreign visitors with such 
megaprojects as Mandalay airport are due in part to its mismanagement of 
the country's economy.

Myanmar is facing its biggest financial crisis in recent years, with 
inflation rising sharply and the prices of some consumer goods 
increasing 100% in the past few months.

A British colony until 1948, resource-rich Myanmar was once among the 
most developed countries in the region. Before the Second World War, it 
was the world's biggest rice supplier.

However, after the assassination of independence leader General Aung 
San, father of Ms. Suu Kyi, in 1947, the country has effectively been 
ruled by an unelected military junta.





___________________________________________________





The Irrawaddy: Junta Prepares for ILO Visit

By Maung Maung Oo

September 4, 2001Burmas military government has ordered administrative 
bodies throughout the country to take steps to ensure that an upcoming 
inspection visit by International Labor Organization (ILO) 
representatives yields positive results, according to sources inside 
Burma. The four-member team led by Sir Ninian Stephen, a former chief 
justice of the High Court of Australia, is expected to arrive in 
mid-September to investigate the alleged continued use of forced labor 
in the country.

Burmas Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered all township- and 
division-level administrative offices to speed up an "awareness 
campaign" in rural areas to prepare area residents for the visit of the 
ILO inspection team. The visit marks the fourth time the ILO has come to 
Burma to investigate the use of forced labor.


The campaign aims to educate local people about Bill 1/99, an order 
issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 14, 1999 that bans the use 
of forced labor. Villagers will also be informed about a supplementary 
bill issued in October 2000 that allows the government to call on 
citizens to work for the country under certain circumstances, such as 
during national security emergencies or natural disasters. The campaign 
also seeks to instruct individuals on how they should respond to 
questions from the ILO team, according to the source.

The government has also been circulating petitions in villages where the 
ILO team is scheduled to visit. Each village has been instructed to have 
at least eighty signatures on the petition, which states that the 
villagers have never been forced to work against their will or without 
pay. 

"I dont really understand the meaning of forced labor, but whenever our 
village headman asks us to work on army projects, we have to go and 
work. I signed the sheet because they (village officials) told me I had 
to sign it," said a villager in Bokpyin Township, Tenasserim Division.

Although the regime has been more circumspect about forcing civilians to 
work on infrastructure projects or as military porters since the ILO 
first warned it to end the practice in June 2000, reliable reports of 
forced labor in remote areas continue to come out of the country. 

In the Tenasserim Division townships of Ye and Bokpyin, for instance, 
forced labor continues to be used in military construction projects and 
land reclamation schemes, according to local residents.

"Every three months the military troops change their position and the 
government catches people in Kawthaung and forces them to porter 
supplies to the new positions," said a resident of Kawthaung, a port 
city in southern Burma. 

In preparation for the ILO visit, military forces in the Tenasserim 
Division have been ordered not to use forced labor until after the team 
has completed its inspection tour, according to local sources.

Meanwhile, in Rangoon the government has ordered textile companies to 
fully cooperate with the ILO team in hopes of convincing the United 
States to discard a Senate Bill that calls for new sanctions against 
Burma. Garment exports to the US, last year valued at US$454 million, or 
28.5% of all Burmese exports, would be hardest hit by Senate Bill 926, 
which seeks to ban all US imports from Burma.

The regime also circulated petitions to be signed by garment workers, 
asking the US government to rethink its proposed ban. An estimated 
300,000 workers have signed the petitions.


	





___________________________________________________




DVB : Ethnic groups "trust" Suu Kyi but seek to solve their own problems

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

September 5, 2001


U Khun Tun Oo, chairman of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy 
(SNLD), has said that his group could not give National League for 
Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi full authority to negotiate on its 
behalf because she would not have an in-depth understanding of its 
situation. He said national race groups should be allowed to meet to 
agree on a coordinated stance for negotiations as this would save time. 
He added that the negotiating process seemed to be "on track" but urged 
patience.  

The following is an excerpt from report by DVB on 2 September. 

DVB has learned that UN Special Envoy Mr Razali Ismail visited Rangoon 
last week and remarked on talks between the SPDC and Daw Aung San Suu 
Kyi. There were also views of diplomats, comments by observers, and 
opinions from the opposition. It is a good sign that people are taking 
an interest and talking about it since the talks will decide the future 
of Burma. However, the voices of the real actors on the stage should be 
well noted. DVB contacted one such person, U Khun Tun Oo, chairman of 
the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy [SNLD], and interviewed him. 
He is the leader of SNLD, the party that won the second highest number 
of elected representatives, and has frequently met foreign diplomats, 
including UN Special Envoy Mr Razali. DVB will now give a report of the 
interview concerning the current talks, national races affairs, and the 
future of the party.  

[Ko Moe Aye] Just a day before Mr Razali arrived NLD Chairman U Aung 
Shwe and Vice-Chairman U Tin Oo were released and later the NLD issued a 
statement noting their complete trust in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi [NLD 
general secretary] concerning the talks. What about the view of the 
national race groups?  

[Khun Tun Oo] Yes. We have absolutely no doubts. But then again, trust 
and rights are two different things. We trust her but we cannot grant 
her full authority because she might not know the real problems of the 
national races. She will not understand their inner feelings, their 
innermost thoughts, and their miseries. Only the national races know 
their own problems because they have suffered and endured for so long. 
As for us we would like to discuss our own affairs by ourselves and we 
will strive to achieve that. We accept what Daw Suu has been doing and 
we have no doubts whatsoever.  

[Ko Moe Aye] Were the representatives of the national races allowed a 
chance to discuss with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as the talks progress?  

[Khun Tun Oo] Well, frankly speaking, I ask Mr Razali for advice and he 
said we should meet and discuss with the NLD and among ourselves so that 
we will be prepared for any tripartite talks. I think the SPDC will be 
more lenient and less restrictive of our goings and comings, meetings 
among the national races, and meetings with the NLD.  

[Ko Moe Aye] Do you mean there are restrictions on the national race 
groups in meeting and holding talks with the NLD?  

[Khun Tun Oo] There are no severe restrictions. Even if we cannot go 
full-fledged we can at least send a representative from each party. Of 
course at present we are unable to hold Central Executive Committee 
[CEC]-level meetings. 

[Ko Moe Aye] Are the national groups such as the Shan, Mon, and others 
able freely to meet and discuss with each other?  

[Khun Tun Oo] Yes. Our five groups always meet. That is the Shan, Mon, 
Arakan, Chin, and Karen groups. We meet when the need arises, when there 
are important matters, when foreign visitors come, and when matters 
warrant...  

[Ko Moe Aye] Recently the national race groups held a meeting on the 
Thai-Burmese border. What about that situation?  

[Khun Tun Oo] The national races issue is very important. There are many 
categories of national race groups at present. There are national race 
groups legally attending the National Convention; others like the Mon, 
Arakan, and Chin groups that won seats in the election but where the 
parties were later deregistered; the national races that have signed 
cease-fire agreements with the government; there are national race 
groups engaged in armed struggle; and then those that are on the other 
side and active in the border areas. I think all the national race 
groups should be given the opportunity to meet and hold talks among 
themselves freely because when the time comes for a tripartite meeting 
rather than all the groups saying all sort of different things at the 
same time, they should find a common ground and act on a single 
principle. It will not only shorten the time but there will be less to 
talk about. There must also be proper means for the national groups to 
select and send the delegation of their choice. That will speed up the 
process... 

[Ko Moe Aye] Some are commenting that many prominent political prisoners 
still in prison like U Win Tin and Min Ko Naing, the student leader from 
1988 mass demonstration, should be released. What is your opinion of 
that?  

[Khun Tun Oo] It is a very wide scope that we are looking at. Moreover, 
the NLD is like our brother party and has the mandate so I think the NLD 
will take the leading role regarding the political prisoners. Mr Razali 
was informed that two or three from the MNDF [Mon National Democratic 
Front] and U Aye Tha Aung and Ko Tha Ban from the Arakan party are 
currently detained and to mediate for their release. I feel he will tell 
that to the SPDC. We did ask for the release of political prisoners from 
the national groups.  

[Ko Moe Aye] Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's party also requested the freeing of 
women and nationalities political prisoners first.  

[Khun Tun Oo] That is good. 

[Ko Moe Aye] Regarding the prevailing situation - the ongoing talks, 
national reconciliation matters, to bring about tripartite talks, and to 
hope for the success of the bipartite talks - and as a leader of a 
national group, can you tell us about your resolution if there is any.  

[Khun Tun Oo] In my view, everyone should be broadminded and should 
proceed with patience. You cannot push it because the country's more 
than four-decade-old problems will not be solved overnight. Furthermore, 
the good thing I noticed is the gradual phasing-out process. The 
prisoners are released on one side while the other side is reviewing the 
economic sanctions and selective embargos. And then there is the 
resumption of humanitarian assistance and others planned by UN and 
UNICEF. Both sides are now in a give-and-take situation and I feel they 
have started building confidence. If you noticed, plans to reconvene the 
National Convention and calls for convening a People's Assembly have 
become things of the past. By looking at the current situation you can 
say that the process seems to be on track. Please be tolerant and 
patient, and criticize with a constructive approach. That's all.  

Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 2 Sep 01 

__________________________________________________





______________________MONEY________________________



AFP: US underwear firm halts Myanmar production 

WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (AFP) - Activists claimed a new victory in their 
battle with Myanmar's generals on Tuesday, after a leader US vendor of 
underwear pledged to halt production in the military-ruled country. 

 "Sara Lee's Hanes licencees were caught with their pants down," said 
Jeremy Woodrum, of the Free Burma Coalition. 

 "But we commend Sara Lee for ending its support for Burma's military 
regime by stopping its licencees from producing in Burma," he said, 
using Myanmar's former name. 

 Sara Lee Corporation, which makes underwear under various brands, is 
the latest in a string of companies to pull out of Myanmar, which is 
reviled by western governments for its suppression of a democracy 
movement and its human rights record. 

 FBC posted a condemnation of the firm on its website, after an 
investigation found that some items manufactured under the Hanes Her Way 
and Hanes University brands were made in Myanmar. 

 In a letter released by FBC, company vice president and Chief Counsel 
Melvin Ortner said the company probed the claims and found two licencees 
were using Myanmar factories in direct violation of their contracts. 

 "We have taken immediate steps with both licencees to confirm that 
neither will make our product in Burma again," Ortner said. 

 "Sara Lee looks forward to a time when positive political and human 
rights changes in Burma allow us to reconsider our policy and provide 
opportunities for Burmese citizens." 

 The decision came three weeks after FBC posted information about Sara 
Lee's imports on its website, and follows the decision of 15 other 
US-based corporations including Wal-Mart and Costco to quit Myanmar. 

 Myanmar's junta has been locked in a long battle with pro-democracy 
activists and refused to recognise the sweeping 1990 election victory of 
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 


___________________________________________________




Xinhua: Myanmar Produces Less Crude Oil in First Four Months

YANGON, September 4 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar produced a total of 1. 083 
million barrels of crude oil in the first four months of this year, 
11.95 percent less than the same period of 2000, according to the latest 
data issued by the country's Central Statistical Organization. During 
the four-month period, the country yielded 459.41 million cubic-meters 
of natural gas, also falling by 10.3 percent from the corresponding 
period of 2000. In 2000, the country produced 3.538 million barrels of 
crude oil and 1.538 billion cubic-meters of natural gas. 

Since Myanmar opened to foreign investment in late 1988, such investment 
in the oil and gas sector coming from oil companies of Australia, 
Britain, France, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and the United States has 
reached 2.355 billion dollars in 51 projects, taking up 32.2 percent of 
the country's total contracted foreign investment by sector. So far, 
Myanmar's petroleum and its products are insufficient to meet the demand 
and the country still has to import over 2 million barrels of crude oil 
along with a lot of petrol and diesel oil annually. 









________________________DRUGS______________________





AP: Thailand will host the first drug summit by the end of the year 

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ Thailand will host the first drug summit along 
with China, Myanmar and Laos this year to plan for a joint war against 
drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle. 

 The summit will be held before the end of the year and will be attended 
by the prime ministers of the four countries, Foreign Minister Surakiart 
Sathirathai said. 
 He was speaking to reporters after meeting with Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, 
the visiting No. 3 general in Myanmar's ruling junta. 

 Surakiart said Khin Nyunt reiterated Myanmar's commitment to help 
Thailand in fighting the drug scourge. Also, China has urged the summit 
be held as soon as possible, he said. 

 ``It is time to make the idea (of the summit) a reality,'' he said. 
 He said Khin Nyunt's comments show Myanmar's ``genuine efforts'' to 
maintain friendly ties with Thailand. 

 Thailand has long accused Myanmar of turning a blind eye to its drug 
barons producing methamphetamines in autonomous areas near the border. 
Much of the drugs comes into Thailand, which has declared 
methamphetamines as public enemy No. 1. 
 Disagreements between Thailand and Myanmar over drugs and other issues 
including border disputes and illegal migrants led to brief clashes 
between the armed forces of the two countries in February. 

 But relations have warmed since a visit by Prime Minister Thaksin 
Shinawatra to Myanmar in June, the first by a Thai government leader to 
the military state in four years. 

 Earlier Tuesday, Khin Nyunt visited _ amid tight security _ a satellite 
station operated by Thaksin's telecommunications company, Shin Corp. 

 Last month, Myanmar launched an English-language television channel 
MRTV3 to present a ``true image'' of the country overseas, using 
Thaicom-3, a satellite owned by Shin Corp. 

 The media in Myanmar, also known as Burma, are either controlled or 
censored by the government, which often complains that it gets biased 
coverage from the foreign press by focusing on its political problems 
and human rights record. 

 On Monday, Defense Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, a former army chief 
with long-standing links to the Myanmar regime, hosted a three-hour 
dinner cruise on Bangkok's Chao Phraya river for Khin Nyunt and his 
32-member delegation. 
 Thai and Myanmar officials enjoyed drinking whisky together and singing 
songs, although Khin Nyunt appeared a reserved man, focused on his work, 
a Thai official present at the dinner said. He spoke on condition of 
anonymity. 
 Myanmar delegates advised their Thai hosts that he does not drink 
alcohol or play golf, but enjoys reading. 

 Little is known about Khin Nyunt, the chief of military intelligence, 
who has held the post of Secretary One in Myanmar's State Peace and 
Development Council since it took power after a bloody crackdown against 
a democracy uprising in 1988. 
 Khin Nyunt, who arrived Monday, is scheduled to return on Wednesday. 








__________________________________________________



  
Deutsche Presse-Agentur : Thailand offers Myanmar assistance for 
suppressing drug production 

Bangkok 

September 4



Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has offered technical assistance 
in the field of drug suppression to Myanmar (Burma), Thai Foreign 
Minister Surakiat Sathirathai said on Tuesday. 

"Last night during dinner, Thaksin told Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt 
that Thailand will provide technical assistance worth about 20 million 
baht (440,000 dollars) for the suppression of drug production in 
Myanmar," Surakiat said. Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, chief of the 
Myanmar junta's intelligence apparatus, arrived in Thailand on Monday 
for three days of talks centred on drug suppression, trade and other 
issues. 

In talks Monday afternoon, Khin Nyunt said the United Wa State Army, an 
ethnic minority-based guerrilla force blamed for much of the region's 
illicit amphetamine production, had promised the Myanmar government to 
cease making drugs by 2005. 

The Thai prime minister had offered preferential trade privileges for 
agricultural products grown in the Shan state, a region that is known to 
be Myanmar's main drug production area. 

Khin Nyunt, Myanmar's third-highest-ranking junta leader, is chief of a 
37-strong delegation visiting Thailand until Wednesday. Although this 
marks Khin Nyunt's third official visit to Thailand, it is his first as 
chief of delegation and may be indicative of rising status within the 
junta.




___________________________________________________



  
South China Morning Post: Junta leader accepts smuggling intolerable 


September 5, 2001 



William Barnes in Bangkok 




Thai officials said yesterday they had finally "got through" to the 
military regime in Myanmar, which they have long accused of being soft 
on the drug trade. 

Yangon's powerful First Secretary and intelligence chief, 
Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt and his 37-strong entourage, who are 
visiting the Thai capital, had accepted that the drug trade on the 
border was intolerable, said a senior Thai official. 

"The thrust of our complaints appears to have struck home. I think they 
know we have a strong case - that we can't allow this flood (of drugs) 
to continue," he said. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra claimed after 
meeting General Khin Nyunt on Monday that the ethnic Wa - allies of the 
regime - would shun the drug trade "in a few short years". Thai security 
officials more cautiously described this as a "target" yesterday and 
pointed out that most observers understood the central Government could 
not influence the entire Myanmar drug industry. 

Thailand and Myanmar have traded insults and accusations for years about 
responsibility for the massive drug industry in Myanmar's Shan state, 
from where heroin and amphetamine-type drugs pour over the border. 

Growing frustration over the trade in amphetamines has resulted in 
increasingly blunt accusations by Thai officials that Yangon is 
complicit in the industry. 

General Khin Nyunt's visit - his third to Thailand - is important 
because he has been responsible for cementing, and monitoring, nearly 20 
ceasefire deals with Myanmar's ethnic minorities in the past decade, 
including key drug -producing groups such as the Wa. 

"He deals directly with these people. No one has influence on them like 
he has. He may be the best friend they (groups like the Wa) have," said 
a Thai narcotics agent in Chiang Mai. 

Mr Thaksin said shortly after his January election victory that his 
administration would swiftly solve all problems with Myanmar by personal 
diplomacy. "We cannot but deal with these people. We can help them and 
they can help us. Hostility must be a thing of the past," Mr Thaksin 
said. 

He made a rare visit by a Thai premier to Yangon in May. Mr Thaksin's 
predecessor, Chuan Leekpai, refused to visit. Mr Chuan's foreign 
minister, Surin Pitsuwan, attempted to introduce the concept of 
"flexible engagement" into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' 
agenda so that Myanmar could be criticised. 

Although many observers have been sceptical of what some see as Mr 
Thaksin's efforts to overturn centuries of mutual hostility, Yangon 
appears prepared to play along. 

Analysts note that it may not have much choice, since China - the 
regime's closest ally - has been increasingly vocal about the dangers 
posed by drug production in the Golden Triangle near its southwestern 
border area. 

Following a recent meeting hosted by China and involving Myanmar, 
Thailand and Laos, leaders of the four nations will hold the first of 
their agreed regular summits on tackling the drug problem later this 
year in Thailand, Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said 
yesterday. 

The ruling generals might also be co-operating because they wanted to 
shore up their legitimacy in negotiations under way with opposition 
leader Aung San Suu Kyi, said one observer. 

"If there is ever to be some kind of settlement in Burma (Myanmar) that 
leaves the military with a share of power, then they have to pose as 
selfless patriots. They need to distance themselves from the drug 
trade," he said. 








___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
				

 

BBC: Burma and Thailand seek closer ties

Sept 4 2001

 

By regional analyst Larry Jagan in Bangkok 

The trip to Thailand by one of Burma's most senior military leaders is 
aimed at soothing tensions over drug smuggling and a simmering border 
row. 

The two sides will also be talking business - Burma is anxious to get 
access to Thai capital to help sustain its crumbling economy. 

Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, Burma's head of military intelligence, 
was given a welcome usually reserved for heads of state. 

That is how important Bangkok sees this visit. 

But for Rangoon the trip is equally important. It is the first major 
bilateral visit to Thailand by the military intelligence chief for 
several years. 

Border trouble 

That is because the previous Thai Government led by Chuan Leekpai 
pursued a policy that it called "flexible engagement". 



Khin Nyunt is being treated like a head of state
 
This meant that they were often critical of the Burmese, and did not 
always support them in international forums like the United Nations or 
the Internation Labour Organisation. As a result the exchange visits of 
senior leaders were in effect suspended. 

When Thaksin Shinawatra was elected Prime Minster earlier this year he 
and his Defence Minister Chaovalit Yongchaiyut had expected to 
immediately improve relations with Rangoon. But cross border incursions 
by Burmese troops and the rebel Wa - who are regarded as responsible for 
most of the drug production in Burma's Golden triangle - put paid to 
that. 



Mr Thaksin's government has spent much of the last six months trying to 
convince Rangoon that they really wanted to enter a new relationship
 
 For several weeks there were heavy exchanges of fire across the border. 
Several Thais and Burmese refugees were killed. According to Burmese 
military sources, several hundred Burmese soldiers also died in the 
fighting. 

Both sides blamed each other, saying the other was supporting ethnic 
groups involved in drug production. The Thais said the Burmese were 
supporting the Wa, while Rangoon blamed Bangkok for supporting the Shan. 


Diplomatic moves 

Mr Thaksin's government has spent much of the last six months trying to 
convince Rangoon that it really did want to enter a new relationship. A 
Rangoon-based Asian diplomat told the BBC that Mr Thaksin's visit to 
Burma in June was the turning point. 



Drug smuggling is an area of tension
 
"Now with Khin Nyunt visiting Bangkok, they'll be able to get down to 
business on fighting drug-trafficking and improving bilateral relations 
generally," he said. 

Combating the drugs trade has already dominated the bilateral 
discussions. 

"We need cooperation from all sides to effectively suppress drug 
trafficking," the deputy head of Thailand's anti-drug force, Chatchai 
Suthiklom told journalists. 

Prime Minister Thaksin has also reportedly told Khin Nyunt that Thailand 
was prepared to help Burma's efforts to suppress the trade with 
technical assistance and know-how. There were also offers to support 
Burmese crop substitution programmes financially in the Wa area, and 
import the produce at preferential rates. 

However US drug experts remain sceptical that the Burmese and Wa will 
deliver on this promise. 

Khin Nyunt for his part told the Thais that the Wa - who have a 
ceasefire agreement with the Burmese army - have agreed to make the 
region a drug-free zone by 2005. 

It is this news, Thai Foreign Minister Surakiat Sathirathai told 
journalists, that has prompted the government's offer of financial 
support. 

Road project 

But both sides have also been discussing other business projects. Mr 
Thaksin's government is committed to expanding the country's economy, 
and part of that involves strengthening bilateral ties. Burma is a high 
priority for these sorts of schemes. 

Already there are plans to transfer sugar cane plantations along the 
border in western Thailand across the border into Burma to utilise the 
cheaper labour force that is available there. The Thai Prime Minister 
signed a contract on his June visit to Rangoon which provides funds for 
a major access road from Thai border town of Kanchanaburi to the Burmese 
port town of Tavoy. 

The Tavoy project, as it is called, is now to be replicated further 
south. The Burmese for their part have promised Thailand priority in the 
offer of fishing concessions in the Andaman sea. 

Predictably there is opposition in Thailand to this proposed close 
economic relationship with Burma. 

Opposition MP Kraisak Choonhavan - who is also chairman of the Thai 
Senate's Foreign Affairs Committee - told the BBC that the previous Thai 
policy of flexible engagement had failed. 

"Something new should be tried," he said. "But Thaksin government's 
'forward engagement' only means business engagement which benefited 
Thaksin's cronies






___________________________________________________




AP: Myanmar No. 3 general visits Thaksin's satellite station 


BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ Amid tight security, Myanmar's No. 3 general on 
Tuesday visited a satellite station operated by Prime Minister Thaksin 
Shinawatra's telecommunications company. 

 Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt's rare official visit to Thailand is the latest 
effort to patch up ties between the two uneasy neighbors, whose armies 
clashed earlier this year at their common border. 

 Thai Defense Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh told reporters that Khin 
Nyunt was visiting the ThaiCom satellite station to see the progress of 
Thailand's high-tech communications industry, ``as a model for 
development in his own country.'' 

 On Monday, Chavalit, a former army chief with long-standing links to 
the Myanmar regime, hosted a three-hour dinner cruise on Bangkok's Chao 
Phraya river for Khin Nyunt and his 32-member delegation. 
 Thai and Myanmar officials enjoyed drinking whisky together and singing 
songs, although Khin Nyunt appeared a reserved man, focused on his work, 
a Thai official present at the dinner said. He spoke on condition of 
anonymity. 

 Myanmar delegates advised their Thai hosts that he does not drink 
alcohol or play golf, but enjoys reading. 

 Little is known about Khin Nyunt, the chief of military intelligence, 
who has held the post of Secretary One in Myanmar's State Peace and 
Development Council since it took power after a bloody crackdown against 
a democracy uprising in 1988. 

 Officials said that a Thai security team with bomb detectors combed the 
area near the satellite station in Prathum Thani province on the 
outskirts of Bangkok before Khin Nyunt arrived in a bulletproof 
motorcade. 
 Last month, Myanmar launched an English-language television channel 
MRTV3 to present a ``true image'' of the country overseas, using 
Thaicom-3, a satellite owned by Thaksin's Shin Corp. 

 The media in Myanmar, also known as Burma, are either controlled or 
censored by the government, which often complains that it gets biased 
coverage from the foreign press by focusing on its political problems 
and human rights record. 

 Thai democracy activists on Monday staged a small protest against Khin 
Nyunt's visit. They say a democracy like Thailand should not entertain 
the representative of a regime that has oppressed its opposition led by 
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi for more than a decade and has never 
honored her party's 1990 general election victory. 

 Khin Nyunt was scheduled to have a working lunch with the Thai foreign 
minister later Tuesday, before traveling to the southern beach resort of 
Hua Hin for an audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Khin Nyunt is 
scheduled to return on Wednesday. 

 Soon after he arrived on Monday, Khin Nyunt met with Thaksin, and 
reaffirmed his government's commitment to renew economic cooperation in 
fishing, trade, investments and joint ventures, and to step up the fight 
on drugs, a divisive issue between the two countries, Thai officials 
said.
 
 Thailand faces a tide of methamphetamines being smuggled from Myanmar 
where they are produced by local drug barons in autonomous areas. 
Thailand says Myanmar is not doing enough to stop the drug trade, a 
charge Myanmar denies. 

 In February, Thai and Myanmar forces clashed briefly at the border but 
relations have warmed since a visit by Thaksin to Myanmar in June, the 
first by a Thai prime minister to the military state in four years. 




___________________________________________________






			
Bangkok Post: Old foes now best of  friends - Khin Nyunt feted on board 
luxury boat 

Wednesday 05 September 2001 

By Wassana Nanuam 

Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh hailed Burma as Thailand's best 
friend after security talks with Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, first secretary of 
the Rangoon junta.

On Monday night, Gen Chavalit threw a dinner party for the visiting 
Burmese intelligence chief on board the luxury river boat Oriental 
Queen.

The defence minister said the function on the boat was reminiscent of a 
similar gathering a decade ago when former Burmese leader Gen Saw Maung 
visited Thailand along with Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, then a colonel.

``We went so far to search for a good friend. In fact, a very good 
friend is near,'' Gen Chavalit said. ``I would like to repeat what I 
said 10 years ago that our best friend is our neighbour. I have proven 
this.

``We could reach agreement on 10 issues in only about an hour, since we 
are friends.''

Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt promised Burma would be Thailand's best friend in 
every aspect.

``Coming to Thailand this time, I feel so good because of the warm 
welcome from Gen Chavalit. I respect him as my big brother since he is 
70,'' he said.

The atmosphere during the party was lively with the Burmese leader and 
some Burmese cabinet members going on stage to sing a Burmese Songkran 
festival song.

A source said Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt agreed to free 64 Thais imprisoned in 
Burma, while the Thai military promised to help Burma build a road 
linking Three-Pagoda checkpoint in Kanchanaburi to Tavoy in lower Burma, 
and a road linking Myawaddy to Pa-an in Burma's Karen state.

Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt also referred to peace talks between Rangoon and 
National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which has led to 
the release of 179 political prisoners from the NLD.

He said the junta was also seeking to negotiate with the anti-Rangoon 
Karen National Union.

A Defence Ministry source said Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt had asked for the use 
of an air force C130 aircraft instead of a helicopter to take him to 
Klaikangwon Palace in Hua Hin where he had an an audience with His 
Majesty the King at 5pm yesterday.

Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt and his team were to attend a farewell at the army's 
guesthouse in Pran Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, last night before leaving 
Bangkok for Burma at 9.30am today on a Burmese plane.





			

The Irrawaddy: S1 Comes to Bangkok

By Ko Thet & John S. Moncreif

September 4, 2001Thai officials gave a warm welcome to Secretary One 
Lt-Gen Khin Nyint of Burmas State Peace and Development Council, who 
arrived in Bangkok on Monday afternoon for a three-day visit to shore up 
relations between the two countries.
 
Despite troubled relations between the two governments over the past 
eight months, Thai officials appear to be trying to patch things up with 
their neighbors. Defense Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudt, who is 
considered be on very close terms with Burmas ruling generals, welcomed 
Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt to Bangkok with a hug and a red-carpet reception that 
included the honor guard. 

Earlier this year bilateral relations reached their nadir, as Thai and 
Burmese troops clashed on the border over the flow of amphetamines from 
Burma to Thailand. In recent months, however, tensions have eased, 
following a series of high-profile state visits to Rangoon by Thai 
leaders. 

"Im surprised to see such a friendly reception by Thai officials, given 
the problems on the border," said one Rangoon-based businessman. "But we 
were happy to see Thai students protesting the visit," he added.

Soon after his arrival, Khin Nyunt met with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin 
Shinawatra to discuss a number of proposals to improve relations between 
the two countries, including cooperation in efforts to stem the flow of 
drugs. The Thai government proposed a plan to offer favorable access to 
Thai markets for fruit and other produce from border areas controlled by 
the United Wa State Army (UWSA), which has been accused of being the 
regions major drug producer.

There were also reliable reports that Khin Nyunt planned to meet with 
representatives of PM Thaksins Shinawatra Telecom Co. to negotiate a 
deal to buy more satellite time for the broadcast of MRTV-3. At present, 
MRTV-3, an English-language satellite TV station inaugurated last month 
as part of the Rangoon regimes efforts to improve its international 
image, broadcasts just three hours a day. It was unclear, however, if 
the meeting would go ahead as planned, as Thai officials were reportedly 
concerned that the public might perceive it as an attempt by the Prime 
Minister to personally profit from relations with Rangoon. 

Meanwhile, as the Burmese general received VIP treatment in Bangkok, 
Thai military officials deployed along the northern border between the 
two countries maintained a tough stance towards the Burmese, according 
to senior Bangkok-based journalist Don Pathan. A proposal by Defense 
Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudt to include representatives of the UWSA at 
border meetings has reportedly upset some Thai military officers, who 
say it would give the group too much bargaining power. 

Security surrounding Khin Nyunts visit has been tight, as demonstrators 
have protested the junta members presence. A statement issued by Thai 
and Burmese student democratic organizations demanded that the Thai 
government reconsider its relationship with Burma until democracy is 
restored to the military-ruled nation.

Khin Nyunt is scheduled to have an audience with HM King Bhumipol 
Aduluyadej. This meeting comes four months after government-controlled 
newspapers in Burma ran a series of articles critical of previous Thai 
monarchs. 







___________EDITORIALS/OPINION/PROPAGANDA__________



Going Places: Myanmar

[BurmaNet adds--Going Places is a magazine/brochure published for the 
members of the American Automobile Association, a tourism and travel 
organization.]

September-October 2001

Story and Photos By Ginger Dingus 

At sunset, when the radiant red glow of the tropical sun begins to melt 
behind the shimmering golden spires of Shwedagon Pagoda, it?s easy to 
picture just how glorious Burma, in its heyday, must have been.

Fortunately, you don?t have to stretch your imagination very far. 
Virtually closed to the outside world until a decade ago, Burma, now 
officially called Myanmar, remains remarkably untouched by modern ways. 
It is one of Southeast Asia?s most intriguing destinations.

Hundreds of ancient temples dot a landscape little changed in centuries. 
Towering structures built to honor Buddha come fashioned of brick, 
painted in cool pastels or covered in layers of delicate gold leaf. 
Precious gemstones adorn the most sacred spires, as do offerings of 
incense and flowers.

Silent, serene images of Buddha in varying size, shape and material fill 
every available temple nook. Equally numerous are the throngs of 
red-robed monks who, surprisingly, are as likely to be precocious 
children as wise old men. Serving as a monk is a normal part of a boy?s 
education. Novice monks may enter the monastery school at age five, but 
only the most devout continue their religious studies for more than a 
few months.

>From laughing child monks to hard-working mothers selling goods in 
crowded markets, the people of Myanmar rate among the friendliest you?re 
likely to meet. Wander past the bustling fruit and vegetable stalls, and 
you?re greeted by genuine smiles at every turn. Taking photos of 
beautiful faces painted with yellow thanaka, a natural sun block made of 
ground tree bark, is a snap.

We begin our journey in the capital city of Yangon, formerly Rangoon, 
once a thriving port. Today, Yangon offers travelers a choice of modern 
accommodations, many built for the government?s 1996 ?Visit Myanmar? 
promotion. Traders Hotel, the city?s tallest building, features 
commanding views overlooking tree-lined avenues, stately Victorian 
buildings, the Yangon River and fabulous Shwedagon Pagoda.

No trip to Myanmar would be complete without a visit to the Shwedagon. 
According to legend, the original hilltop pagoda was constructed more 
than 2,500 years ago to enshrine eight sacred hairs of Lord Buddha. The 
present pagoda dates from 1769 and consists of spire upon gold-sheathed 
spire. The site attracts colorfully dressed families, novice monks and 
camera-toting tourists, giving it the festive air of a Sunday outing in 
the park. As in all Buddhist shrines throughout the country, shoes must 
be removed at the entrance. Only bare feet may touch the white marble 
terrace, always circling the stupas (summit) in a clockwise direction.

At Scott Market, a cavernous covered bazaar a block?s walk from Traders 
Hotel, enterprising shopkeepers vie for attention. They offer exquisite 
(and inexpensive) lacquerware, sandalwood figures, embroidery, silk, 
puppets and silver jewelry. Bargaining and the U.S. dollar are widely 
accepted. Remember to bring plenty of small bills.

Leaving Yangon, our adventure leads to Mandalay, Burma?s last royal 
capital before the country was annexed to Britain in 1886. Here, the 
lovely riverboat The Road to Mandalay, awaits. With few paved roads and 
fewer tourist-class hotels, travel by riverboat is the most pleasurable 
way to explore the countryside. It is also the most fitting. 
Historically, the Ayeyarwady River served as the main road to Mandalay, 
a water highway for paddle-wheelers carrying passengers and cargo alike.

The Road to Mandalay plies the Ayeyarwady between Mandalay and Bagan, a 
120-mile, four-to five-day voyage. The beautifully refurbished river 
vessel transports just 126 passengers in the style one would expect of 
its owner, Orient-Express. Guests gather for cocktails around the top 
deck swimming pool, enjoy international cuisine in an elegantly 
furnished dining room and sleep in handsome, air-conditioned cabins.

Highlights along the river include a tour of Mandalay. We stop to see 
stonecutters chiseling Buddha figures from marble slabs, then pause to 
photograph the moat-surrounded Royal Palace and a gilded replica of the 
King?s royal barge. The day draws to a close as we watch a stunning 
sunset from U Bein Bridge. Built entirely of teak in the late 1700s, the 
three-quarter-mile footbridge spans a shallow lake stretching between 
Amarapura and the neighboring monastery. At dusk, the plank pathway 
perched on stilts comes alive. Young couples walk hand-in-hand. Groups 
of chattering teenage monks head home after their daily rounds. Slender 
ladies balance broad baskets brimming with fruit on their heads, and 
small children push their bicycles. There are no protective handrails, 
so the pace is a delightfully leisurely one.

The following morning, we arise with the sun and stroll into the village 
of Shwe Kyet Yet to witness the daily ritual of alms collecting. 
Two-dozen barefoot monks of all ages gather in front of the monastery, 
each draped in a red robe and clutching an empty black lacquer bowl. 
Soon, they form a single line, the oldest monk at the head of the 
procession. Tiny, giggling five year olds bring up the rear. As the 
monks walk through the dusty streets, local women emerge from woven 
bamboo houses to spoon steamy rice (the alms) into the outstretched 
lacquer bowls.

At mid-morning, The Road to Mandalay departs from its namesake city for 
a scenic cruise downriver. As we near Bagan, dozens of red brick temples 
can be seen rising from the arid landscape like so many sandcastles. In 
fact, Bagan boasts more than 2,000 temples adorned with images of 
Buddha, fading murals, gold and tinkling bells. No two are alike.

When the intrepid traveler Marco Polo reached Bagan in the 13th century, 
he found more than 13,000 temples and pagodas, each erected by a wealthy 
individual in hopes of gaining merit for the next life. Remarkably, 
Marco Polo?s description of the city in its prosperous gilded age still 
rings true. ?These temples?, he wrote, ?form one of the finest sights in 
the world; so exquisitely finished are they, so splendid. And when they 
are lighted up by the sun, they shine most brilliantly.? Watch a fiery 
sunrise or sunset, and you?re bound to agree. Myanmar?s ancient wonders 
are indeed timeless. 



___________________________________________________





Letter to the Editor, Going Places--?support for one of the world's most 
cruel and illegitimate governments is indefensible?



To Whom It May Concern:
 
As a former official in a US Embassy in Southeast Asia, I am outraged 
that AAA would publish a cover article in Going Places that promotes 
visits to "Myanmar" (Burma).  While your naive author, Ginger Dingus, 
may consider Burma to be a "quaint" place to visit, her implicit support 
for one of the world's most cruel and illegitimate governments is 
indefensible.  She makes no mention of the fact that the military 
leaders now ruling Burma seized power in a bloody coup that overturned 
an election victory by Aung San Suu Kyi, subsequently a Nobel Peace 
Prize winner, who is kept under virtual house arrest. The military 
regime that rules Burma with an iron fist depends on foreign income (and 
drug money) for its survival - now promoted by AAA in the form of 
tourist dollars that will be used to prop up the regime.   

The author's inane commentary cites "laughing child monks" and "giggling 
five year olds" while totally ignoring the suffering of the people of 
Burma under military rule. I seriously doubt that your author met many 
giggling adults while on her "adventure."  The vast majority of the 
Burmese people are suffering, both in economic and political terms, 
while AAA promotes more tourist dollars for the coffers of Burma's 
military leaders.  Many Western democracies (including the US) have 
economic embargoes in-place against Burma and discourage their citizens 
from visiting the country, because unlike your author, they realize that 
most foreign income is directed to Burma's military budget.   

You have done a serious disservice to the vast majority of the Burmese 
people who support the pro-democracy movement and oppose any support, 
including tourism, for the ruling military regime in Burma.  Even use of 
the term "Myanmar" (instead of Burma), a term concocted by the military 
regime, is not recognized by many foreign governments (including the 
US).  AAA owes its readers balanced reporting and a sense of social 
responsibility when it promotes tourist destinations in its bimonthly 
journal for AAA members.  In this case, you have failed miserably.  

Edward J. Corcoran
St. Augustine, FL 
 
[BurmaNet adds-- Edward Corcoran is the former US Army attache to 
Thailand]
 
 
 






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