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News, February 1, 1995





Exiled Sein Win condemns Slorc's attack on KNU
1, February 1995

Dr Sein Win exiled prime minister of the parallel Burmese gov-
ernment, on Monday condemned from Washington the attack on
Manerplaw, headquarters of the KNU and the Burmese democracy
movement.
Expressing outrage at the "unprovoked" attack, he said: "By
attacking Manerplaw, Slorc has shown it was deliberately mis-
leading the international community. This is the beginning of
real problems for Slorc."
Sein Win is the cousin of Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi and prime min-
ister of the National Coalition Government of the Union of
Burma which was formed in late 1990 at the karen headquarters.
He was elected to Parliament in the May elections the same
year, and after fled to the border with other MPs of the Na-
tional League for Democracy after the Slorc negated the elec-
tion results.
Expression confidence in the indigenous Karen people, Sein Win
said: "They have been fighting injustice for the last 45 years
and will continue until democracy had been restored in Burma
although we have lost Manerplaw."
Sein Win also voiced frustration over the lack of internation-
al action against the Burmese junta. "We have repeatedly told
the world community that Slorc is not any way sincere about
national reconciliation, peace and democracy," he said.
"It is only interested in clinging on to power. Various gov-
ernments have tried 'constructive engagement', 'benchmark',
and 'critical dialogue' to persuade Slorc to change."
He also called on the Thai government to give asylum to refu-
gees fleeing the current fighting. "It will not be in Thailan-
d's favour to turn back the refugees. When democracy is
restored in Burma, we will remember who our friends are," he
said.
On Sunday, Burmese democracy activists in Japan rallied in
Nara for a "fax-in demonstration" to protest the attack on
Manerplaw and to urge Thai acceptance of Burmese refugees and
asylum seekers.
Members and supporters of the Burmese Relief Centre in japan
sent urgent messages by fax and e-mail to world leaders,
government representatives and influential newspapers, calling
for condemnation of the Slorc takeover.
Participants also called upon Japan to re-examine its recent
decision to resume official development assistance to the
Burmese dictatorship which pushes at least half the money it
receives directly into the military. (BP)


Signing of Burma gas accord set for tomorrow
1. February 1995

The petroleum Authority of Thailand is to conclude a final
agreement for the long-term import of natural gas to be
developed from Burma's Yadand offshore gas field in Bangkok
tomorrow.
The morning signing at Government House comes after a two-week
delay which PTT officials attributed simply to timing problems
for parties.
Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai will preside over the signing
ceremony of the accord which will signal the goahead of the US
$1-billion development plan.
PTT will sign the accord with the Yadana contractor group
which includes the French oil firm Total, the US energy firm
Unocal Corp, PTT Exploration & Production Plc, and Myanmar Oil
& Gas Enterprise, Burma's state oil company.
The scheduled conclusion of the agreement following the sign-
ing last September of a memorandum of understanding for Thai-
land to import natural gas from the field.
The accord calls for the consortium to supply 130 million cu-
bic feet per day (MMcfd) of Yadana gas to PTT by mid-1998, and
to increase the delivery to more than 525 MMcfd within 15
months thereafter. (BP)


Australia joins protest against Burma offensive
1, February 1995

Australia joined a chorus of international protest yesterday
against the attack by Burma's military on a rebellious ethnic
minority living on the border with Thailand.
The ongoing offensive, which has sent thousands of karen refu-
gees fleeing into Thailand, has dealt a blow to Burma's emerg-
ing peace process and cast serious doubts over the
government's intentions, Australia Foreign Minister Gareth
Evans said.
The United States and human rights groups have also expressed
serious concern at the offensive.
Evans used his attack on Burma's Slorc to express
disappointment that former Australian prime minister Bob
Hawke, who visited Burma recently as a businessman, failed to
raise human rights issues.
 "I have conveyed to Mr Hawke...my disappointment, both at the
missed opportunity to reinforce the views of the whole
community, and the significance like to be attributed by the
regime to the issues not being raised," Evans told parliament.
Hawke's visit, during which he met Burma's senior military
intelligence chief and transport minister, has been condemned
by a Burmese pro-democracy group in Australia.
While Hawke was in the Burmese capital of Rangoon last week,
troops launched their attack on the Karen guerrilla
headquarters of Manerplaw, sending rebels fleeing into
Thailand and prompting Thailand to send troops to seal the
border.
Burma's embassy in Jakarta on Monday denied the government
troops were involved in the assault, saying they had merely
provided logistical support for an attack by a splinter
faction from the Karen minority.
In a statement the military-led government said the attack was
launched by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Organization 
(DKBO), a splinter group of the karen National Union (KNU).
"It is obvious that only those within that defence perimeter
would be able to launch such a rapid and successful attack.
(TN)


DAB plans meet on strategy to fight back
1, February 1995

The Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB) is to call an urgent
meeting in the next few days for all the democratic fronts to
try and find strategies to improve the situation in the
aftermath of the fall of the karen stronghold at Manerplaw.
According to the DAB's vice chairman Tin Maung Win, the
meeting is expected to be held somewhere near the Thai-Burmese
border.
"This (the fall of Manerplaw) is only a temporary set back in
our democratic struggle. It is not the end of the world," Mr
Tin Maung Win said at a senior on the "Human rights situation
in Burma following the fall of Manerplaw' organized by Asia
Forum, a non-government organization concerned with human
rights in Asia. The seminar was an attempt to find
explanations for the fall of Manerplaw.
Assoc Prof Chaichike Chullasiriwong of Chulalongkorn
university's Faculty of Political Science said there are
conflicts among Burma's military leader in the Slorc. The
incident at Manerplaw, he said, was a show of power by those
losing control in the military junta, so they can gain
recognition and the right to be maintained as the country's
rulers.
Secretary One Lt-Gen khin Nyunt is seen as the Slorc's key
leader, although it is said he does not have direct control
over the country's military forces. Gen Maung Aye is the one
who controls Burma's military forces, Prof Chaichoke said.
Dr Gothom Areeya, secretary of the Campaign for Popular
Democracy in Thailand, said it was no coincidence that the
Burmese launched an offensive against the kNU, as UN
representatives are so to visit the country.
He noted that the Burmese military cracked down on the Mon
rebels in Halockani camp, opposite Kanchanaburi Province, at
the same time that Bangkok was hosting ASEANS's annual
ministerial meeting in July last year.
Mr Tin Maung Win said that the Slorc has broken its word
concerning ceasefire agreements with all the ethnic
minorities.
A Swedish journalist for the Far Eastern Economic Review said
the reason the Slorc launched attacks on the karen base in
Manerplaw was to secure the border area with Thailand for the
Salween dam projects. (BP)


Govt army sets sights on last KNU rebel base
 1 february 1995
The Burmese army is shelling at regular intervals round the
clock the last major Karen guerilla base on the Thai-Burmese
frontier, trying to exhaust its beseiged defenders before a
final assult, Thia army officers said yesterday.
The well-fortified Karen base of Kawmooa will be difficult to
capture unless Bumese forces attack it from the rear by
crossing onto the Thai side of the border, but Thailand is
determined to keep the fighting off its soil, the officers
said.
With the capture of  the Karens' Manerplaw headquarters late
last week, Kawmoora, on a loop in the Moei River which forms
the border with Thailand, is the last of what only a few years
ago was a series of guerilla strongholds along the frontier.
The base, about 15km north of the Thai town of Mae Sot, is
being bombarded heavily at regular intervals, day and night.
"They're shelling them when they are preparing food, when they
are sleeping. They're not letting them rest, trying to wear
them down," one Thai officer reinforcing the frontier told
Reuters yesterday.
With the Moei River crawling around the south, east and north
of the camp there is just a thin neck of land several hundred
metres across linking it to Burma.
The neck is mined and boobie-trapped by the guerillas and
overlooked by their heavily-reinforced bunkers and machine gun
positions.
The Karen called the strip of land "the killing zone".
Hundreds of government troops have died over recent years
rushing the rebel defenses in futile human-wave attacks.
The Karen leaders say Kawmoora has little atrategic value but
is an important and highly visible symbol of their 46-year
fight for greater  automony in a federal Burma.
The Burmese appear determined to capture it. Government
reinforcements have been brought in and hundreds of porters
rounded up to carry ammunition up two hills overlooking the
base from where Burmese gunners unleash massive artillery
attacks.
During the barrages the guerillas take cover in a honeycomb of
deep bunkers and say they usually suffer minimum if any
casualties.
Several years ago Burmese troops slipped across the Moei and
tried to attack Kawmoora from Thai soil to the east.
They were finally pushed back after Karen troops crossed over
as well and fought them on the Thai side.
A Thai market village on the east side of the Moei was
destroyed during the battle and the Thai army now appears
determined to prevent anything similar happening.
"We don't care if the Burmese and the Karen want to fight on
that side but we are not going to let them cross over," said a
Thai officer at a defensive position several hundred metres
from the Moei. 
Burmese gunners pounded Kawmoora in the early hours of
yesterday but by dawn it was quiet.
Karen soldiers ambled down to the river to collect water while
others chopped wood and cooked their breakfast over fires.
A rifle shot in the distance sent people darting towards
bunkers but this time it turned out to be a false alarm, not
the beginning of another barrage.
Australia joined a chorus of international protest yesterday
against the attack by Burma's military on a rebellious ethnic
minority living on the border with Thailand.
the ongoing offensive, which has sent thousands of Karen
refugees fleeing into Thailand, has dealt a blow to Burma's
emerging peace process and cast serious doubts over the
government's intentions, Australian Foreign Minister Gareth
Evans said. 
The United States and human rights groups have also expressed
serious concern at the offensive.
Evans used his attack on Buma's ruling State Law and Order
Restoration Council to express disappointment that former
Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who visited Burma
recently as a businessman, failed to raise human rights issue.
"I have conveyed to Mr Hawke... my disappointment, both at the
missed opportunity to reinforce the views of the whole world
community, and the significance likely to be attributed by the
regime tothe issue not being raised," Evans told parliament.
Haawke's visit, during which he met Burma's senior military
intelligence chief and transport minister, has been condemned
by a Burmese pro-democracy group in Australia.
While Hawke was in the Burmese capital of Rangoon last week,
troops launced their atack on the Karen guerilla headquarters
of Manerplaw, sending rebels fleeing into Thailand and
prompting Thailand to send troops to seal the border.
Burma's embassy in Jakarta on Monday deny that government
troops were involved in the assult, saying that they had
merely provided logistical support for an attack by a splinter
faction from the Karen minority.
 a statement the military led government said the attack was
launched by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Organization (DKBO),
a splinter group of the Karen National Union (KNU). 
"It is obvious that only those within the defense perimeter
would be able to launch such a rapid and successful attack. No
government troops were involved in the attack only logistical
suppport was given to the DKBO," it said.
Evans yesterday called for Burma to call off the offenssive
and negotiate a settlement with the Karen National Union and
other dissident groups.(BP)

Thailand grants temporary shelter to KNU chief and fleeing
refugees
1 February 1995
Karen National Union President Bo Mya and other refugees from
Burma will be granted temporary shelter in Thailand on
humanitarian grounds, it was announced yesterday.
But National Security Council secretary-General Charan
Kullavanigaya said it was still unclear whether General Bo Mya
had already taken refuge on Thai soil. 
"To my mind, it is possible he could come and go because there
is no fence along the Thai border," said the NSC chief.
General Charun said everyone who escaped the war in Burma
would be treated as refugees, although not political refugees.

"We never push out people who escaped to seek refuge. We ahve
sympathy for our fellow humans; we want them to survive."
He said the government's position was to see an end to
fighting in Burma and he hoped the combat would not escalate.
But Thai security officials believe Rangoon will continue its
attacks on the remaining KNU bases, according to government
spokesman Akkapol Sorasuhart.
He said the cabinet was briefed yesterday on the fighting and
latest developments involving the KNU by Defense Minister
Vijit Sookmark and Deputy Foreign Minister Soorin Pitsuwan.
The cabinet was told the defection of the Buddhist Karens, who
comprised the bulk of the KNU's fighting force, led the fall
of the KNU headquarters at Manerplaw.
The cabinet was also told that over 6,000 Karen and Burmese
refugees had taken refuge on Thai soil since Friday.
Karen rebels are prepared to withdraw from their camp across
from Kanchanaburi and resort to guerilla warfare if they come
under heavy attack from Burmese forces, a high-ranking KNU
officer said yesterday.
the camp, Mae Thami, is home to the KNU's fourth Brigade and
is regarded as the second strongest next to Manerplaw, which
fell to Rangoon and renegade Buddhist Karen forces last
Friday.
"We are ready to change our tactics from defending our base to
guerilla activities by splitting into small mobile units which
will launch attacks in Burma's interior such as Mergui and
Tavoy," said the officer.
The officer said the Burmese troops had never been able to
reach the camp which is locate din rugged terrain, although a
forward camp, about 25km from Mae Thami, which is defended by
the 10th Battalion came under surprise attack by Burmese
forces on Sunday.
The surprise blitz forced about 1,200 Karen civilians to flee
across the border into Saiyok district of Kanchanaburi. Tha
Burmese troops later pulled out after overrunning the base.
One of the refugees, Saw Win Hlaing, a school teacher, said
they will return to Burma once they fell it is safe enough.
Another refugee predicted that the Burmese troops would return
again to wipe out the rebels so the laying of a gas pipeline
could proceed.
Saiyok district officials said there was enough food to feed
the refugees for a week, but they would be asked to return
home as soon as the situation returns to normal.
Tak Governer Kasam Narkrat said Buddhist Karens had begun
leaving refugee camps in the province for Burma since last
Wednesday after they were told they would be welcomed back by
Rangoon.
He did not give the number of departures, but an official with
the Karen Refugee Comittee said he had asked the Buddhist
Karns to think first before returning to Burma.
In Mae Hong Son province, officials expressed concern about
possible outbreaks of disease among Karen refugees.
About 1,500 refugees, mostly women and children, have been
taking refuge at Ban Tawla in Sob Moei district since their
arrival from Manerplaw.
Governer Sonjet Viriyadamrong and provincial health officials
yesterday visited the refugees to observe the health
conditions.
It is estimated that  more than 10,000 Karen and burmese
refugees have taken refuge in border areas of Tak and Mae Hong
Son provinces since the fall of Manerplaw.

Foreign Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ruled out the possibility
Monday that the fighting in Burma would lead to a change in
Asean's constructive engagement policy toward Rangoon. 
The policy opposed the isolation of the military government.
He also said the foreign ministry would not change its policy
toward Burma for the time being and has its own criteria in
evaluating policy.
The minister said it was too soon to conclude whether the
policy had been a success or failure, but the isolation policy
used by Western countries has not been fruitful.
Mr Thaksin made it clear that Thailand would not offer any
special treatment to Bo Mya and would grant him temporary
shelter just like other refugees for humanitarian reasons.
Bo Mya will be treated as a soldier who escaped the war into
Thailand, he said, but he must disarm before entering the
country and return to Burma when the situation improves.
Deputy Supreme Commander General Supit Vora-uthai said Karen
rebels would not be allowed to use Thai soil tolaunch attacks
against Rangoon forces.
Any armed Karns will be disarmed, detained and sent back once
the situation in Burma is safe for their return. (BP)   

Fleeing Karen refugees to be sent back without waiting for a
lull in fighting
1 February 1995
About 10,000 Karen refugees forced into Thailand by recent
Burmese army attacks "will be pushed back" into Burma "without
having to wait for fighting to cease", Interior Minister Sanan
Kachornprasart said yesterday.
Sanan's statement confirmed fears of private aid agencies who
have expressed strong opposition to any forced repatriation of
refugees before the Burmese offensive against armed ethnic
groups dies down.
He said he considered the latest Burmese military operation
against the Karen guerillas an internal  affair of Burma and
"not a political matter", so "we (Thailand) can push the
refugees out any time".
Thailand, he sdded, "will assist only those who are wounded or
sick, and send them back immediately when they are well enough
to travel, without waiting until the fighting stops."
"My understanding is that it is a military, not a political,
matter. If it was a political matter we would give them
protection...but I want to stress that we will certainly push
them back, we cannot let them stay here for years," he said.
The interior minister said Thailand would arrest Karen leader
Gen Bo Mya if he was found to be taking refuge in the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Karen guerillas are preparing for a possible major
Burmese offensive against the area under the Karen National
Union 4th Brigade in the southern Tenasserim division, after
their outpost in the area was attacked last Saturday.
Preparations are being made in response to Burmese army
movements and reinforcements in the Mergui and Tavoy
districts, where KNU forces are active.
A senior KNU leader from the area, whil acknowledging that the
situation has been calm since the clashes last Saturday,
predicted that an imminent major offensive against the KNU's
4th Brigade would take place "soon".
Saturday's attack on a KNU frontline outpost at Kawmawhaw,
which is under the control of the KNU's 10th Batallion, forced
about 1,200 refugees to take refuge in Thailand's Bong Ti Pass
in Sai Yok district of Kanchanaburi province. The assult was
conducted by about 100 Burmese troops from the 25th Batallion.
Kwee Htoo Win, KNU governerof Mergui and Tavoy district, said
in an interview yesterday that he believes the offensive is
aimed at smashing the KNU's southern strongholds and
facilitating the passage of a gas pipeline which will run
through the 4th Brigade's area.
He said the Karen had never been consulted by either Thailand,
or US or French oil firms - Unocal and Total - which are
partners with the Burmese junta in a multi-billion dollar
project to extract natural gas from the Gulf of Martaban and
transport it for sale in Thailand.
"We have tried to contact the (US and French) companies but we
have heard nothing from them in response," Kwee Htoo Win said.
He did not state clearly whether the KNU would obstruct the
projected gasline but said, "everything that benefits SLORC,
we will destroy".
The Burmese and Karen troops who engaged in clashes last
weekend are currently confronting eachother on opposite banks
of the Tenasserin River, which runs parallel to the Thai
frontier and is between 15 and 40kms away.  
A senior Thai official in Bangkok said yesterday that local
Thai security officers in the region had not allowed Burmese
troops entering into Thailand to attack the Karen from the
rear, as Thailand will not tolerate territorial violations by
either side in the conflict.
The official said after the clash, Thai border patrol police
and rangers had been sent to strengthen the border area to
prevent any forces from trespassing onto Thai soil.
The KNU governer predicted thatbetween 7,000-10,000 people
living close to the area of confrontation and the 4th Brigade
headquarters at Minthamee could be affected if the Burmese
offensive starts. Minthamee is about 20kms south of Kawmawhaw.
The whole population of 50,000 people who live along the river
could pour into Thailand if the Burmese army stages an allout
offensive to wipe out the 4th Brigade's controlled area. (TN)




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