[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
Selected article from DAWN July/Aug
Subject: Selected article from DAWN July/August
--=====================_842447754==_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
--=====================_842447754==_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="BABU1.TXT"
Forced Labor in Kawkayeik Township
Slorc has been using civilians in Kawkayeik Township, Karen State, as
forced laborers on the motor-road construction projects, for about nine
months. Currently, motor-roads are being built from Kyondoe to Nabu, from
Kawkayeik to Nabu and also from Dawnan to Nabu.
Each road is about fifteen miles long and all construction is being
monitored by Slorc LIBs 545, 546, 547, 548, and 549. Each village group is
assigned to dig the ground and build up the roadway. Each group is
responsible for a section of roadway 8 ft high, 60 ft wide and 1200 ft long.
All family members, with the sole exception of the person allowed to stay
and take care of the house, must report for work daily from the beginning
of construction. Failure to do so, results in a 1,200 kyat fine.
Every morning soldiers from the LIB come and order the villagers to go to
the worksite. "The soldiers always use very bad language and tell us we
should leave the country if we do not want to work," said one villager,
recently arrived at the Thai-Burma border.
There is no break in construction work even during the raining season.
Often, sections of newly constructed roadway collapse due to the heavy rains
while the work is still underway.
In addition to having to supply unpaid labor in motor-road construction,
residents also face having their land confiscated by the five newly arrived
battalions. By order of Col. Ye Htut, strategic commander, many plots of
land belonging of local people have already been confiscated without any
compensation whatsoever. Moreover, people are ordered to construct military
barracks, to make bricks for the military, as well as work on the
battalions' farms without any pay.
NMSP Gains Business Rights from Slorc
Slorc has given business privilege to the ethnic groups who have reached
cease-fire agreements with them.
The New Mon State Party (NMSP) which signed a cease-fire agreement on June
29, 1995 has been given Slorc's permission to run seventeen businesses
including contracts in offshore fishing in the name of NMSP.
To start the offshore fishing concession, ten high-tech fishing vessels
have arrived in Moulmein. This is the first group of a total of 25 vessels
purchased from Thailand. The new vessels are named Ramanya-1, Ramanya-2,
etc. and painted blue, according to merchants from Moulmein, Mon State, Burma.
Among the seventeen business contracts permitted the NMSP are logging,
offshore fishing, trade rights with Singapore and Malaysia, inland
transportation, gold mining, soft drink manufacturing, and trading natural
gas concessions. Local business people are greatly concerned by these
special privileges granted to the NMSP, according to local
merchants.
NMSP said that these business contracts with Slorc permission did not mean
their surrender to the military dictatorship and that they are only a tactic
to promote the well-being of Mon people. The actual policy of NMSP would be
clarified after their third conference to be held in this year, a source
from NMSP said.
Forced labor in the TOTAL's gas pipe project
Local people are conscripted and forced to work in virtual concentration
camps related to the ongoing construction of natural gas-pipe between Yadana
offshore natural gas field and Thailand, according to refugees who recently
fled to the Thai-Burmese border.
Ko Ngwe Win, a villager from Mintha villager in Yebyu township, Tennessarim
division, said one family member from each household in the village is
ordered to work every fifteen days at the Heize Boke island, 20 kilometer
southwest of Phaungdaw village. "Our village has 40 houses and that means 40
people have to work on the island every fifteen days without pay." he said.
If someone fails to go and work, the family is required to pay 2000 kyat to
the local military in fines.
Similar taxation is also levied on the local villagers for the construction
of new army barracks in the region. "Our village, which has forty houses,
has been levied a tax of 25,000 kyat at one time for this purpose," Ko Ngwe
Win said. Not a single village in the region is spared the taxation and
forced labor conscription. Although local people are subjected to unpaid
forced labor in the natural gas pipeline project, military troops
responsible for security on the gas pipeline are paid 200 kyat per day by
the French company TOTAL.
"People cannot endure the many forms of taxation and unpaid work such as
gas pipeline project, Ye-Tavoy railway project, porter fees, forced labor
fees and other unknown fees. "That's why my whole family decided to flee to
the refugee camp on the border," said Ko Ngwe Win surrounded by his
six-member family.
********
Open Market Merely for Slorc
Slorc is claiming that it has introduced an "Open Market " economic system
in Burma, and on the surface it is true, bringing apparent new prosperity
into the cities. But the army remains firmly in control of the economy so
that the open market system is merely for Slorc's senior members and their
immediate families. It certainly does not benefit ordinary Burmese people,
since all businesses and trades are being monopolized by the Slorc and army
officers. Ordinary people are suffering an even more miserable life than
ever before.
The army's holding company, Union of Myanmar Economic Holding is Burma's
largest firm. It was established on February 19, 1990 with the objective of
carrying on business internally and abroad and making investments "in the
interest of the state" which is none other than the Burmese army itself.
Its registered capital stands at ten billion kyats, or $1.4 billion at the
official exchange rate. Forty percent of the capital shares are to be
subscribed by the Ministry of Defence and 60% by the members of the armed
forces, either active or retired, and by regimental institutions and
organizations.
Many private companies are suffering various difficulties because of the
economic monopoly of the military-run Myanmar Economic Holding. It's also
the dominant player in the area of foreign investment, controlling 14 joint
ventures ranging from garment manufacturing to real estate. It also notably
manages the army's pension funds and owns Myawaddy Bank, giving it ready
sources of financing. In addition, Myawaddy Tour, one of the businesses run
by Umeh, is granted special privileges to run its tours in highly restricted
areas. For example, it won the exclusive contract for tours to Mogok, which
is off-limits to others due to security concerns but is famous as the land
of jade and sapphires.
Individual army officers are also enjoying special business privileges
and running lucrative businesses. The two- storey building which is an
office of the Press and Publishing Corporation, situated at the corner of
Merchant Street and Pansodan street in Rangoon was rented to Gen. Tun Kyi,
the Minister for Trade for 70,000 kyats per month. Gen. Tun Kyi then
converted the building's space into a number of small shops which he now
rents to other well - connected businessmen. From this one building alone,
he earns at least 500,000 kyats per month in rental fees. People in Rangoon
have now nicknamed the building "Tun Kyi's Department Store."
***********
New Artillery Battalion and Human Rights Violations
While the construction of barracks and facilities for No (20) new artillery
division near Kyauk Sit Pon village, Monywa township, Sagaing division is
underway, the land owned by local people is confiscated and people are being
used as forced laborers in the construction work.
Villagers from nearby villages are ordered to work every Saturday at the
construction site for the new battalion. Locally owned motorcycles are
comandeered for use by the army in rotatation without any money paid. Army
officers are making good money in this way by selling the battalion's quota
of gasoline on the black market.
A lot of land belonging to local villagers has been confiscated for the
construction without any compensation. In order to cultivate the land during
the cultivating season and postpone construction, landowners must pay 700
kyats per acre to Major Zaw Min, the commander of the battalion.
Similarly, large tracts of land of Thapyidaw, Kyi Padon, Palingone, Minte,
Kan O, Yinpan, Magyigone, Songone and Thegyigone villages that are affected
by the construction of 15-mile long motor-road between the Northwest
military command and new artillery battalion are also being taken without
compensation by the army.
****************
Religious Discrimination in Naga Hills Region
Not only Buddhism but also other religions in Burma have been persecuted
under the iron-grip reign of the Slorc. Burmese people can not enjoy the
freedom guaranteed under Article 18 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights
which clearly states the all have the right to practice according to their
own religious choice.
The mainly Christian Naga people in Layshe township, Sagaing division are
suffering racial and religious discrimination from Slorc troop in the
region. Local villagers in Layshe township have frequently been threatened
and coerced to convert to Buddhism whenever columns of LIB 222 and IB 369
come to their village.
Layyon, Pansut, Konkanlon, Sonmaya, Pontayet, Kuki and Mayeyon villages
primarily inhabited by Christian Nagas have repeatedly been the victims of
Slorc's religious persecution. In November of last year, a military column
led by division commander Capt. Myint Kyaw from LIB 369 came to the villages
and ordered the villagers to sign affidavits of conversion to Buddhism.
Many Christian villagers, fearing torture or execution, signed the affidavit.
After that, the same military column went to Sonmaya village and broke down
the door of the village church. After the soldiers made two Buddhist monks
sit on the preaching stage, they forced the Christian Naga villagers to
worship them
On December 20, a military platoon from IB. 222 arrived in Konkailon
village and ordered the Christian minister, U Maung Hlaing, to make the
Christian Naga convert to Buddhism. They also threatened to destroy the
Christian churches in the region and replace them with Buddhist temples. The
troop warned the villagers that there would be a big trouble if the
villagers did not convert into Buddhism when they came next time.
Similar actions are also taking place in some places of Karenni and Shan
States where majority of local residents are Christian. Regional Control
Military Strategic Headquarters in Loikaw, Karenni state ordered the
villagers to build one Buddhist monastery in every Christian village.
Slorc Orders to Hang its Chairman's Portrait
All village and ward Law and Order Restoration offices and governmental
offices in Tacheleik Township, Shan State were ordered to hang the portraits
of Senior General Than Shwe, Slorc's Chairman, according to an order issued
by Captain Win Aung, chairman of township lorcs.
The order, issued on June 24, 1996, said the portraits of Senior General
Than Shwe are on sale at the Tacheleik township Cooperative Ltd. One
portrait costs 140 baht and everybody is entitled to purchase it, the order
said.
In another letter dated July 4, 1996 to the members of lorc, it ordered
them to urge local people along the Thai-Burmese border to hang the portrait
of Slorc chairman at their home and other public places. The letter urged
the local people to demonstrate their patriotism by hanging the portrait of
the head of the state, instead of the hanging of his Majesty the King of
Thailand and other Thai leaders. It was the duty of the authorities to urge
the people to follow the order in a way of maintaining nationalism, the
letter said.
Other sources from Mandalay told that portraits of the Slorc chairman are
also hung along the stairs to Mandalay hill. However, the portraits are
frequently defaced and damaged with chewing gum by pilgrims, he said.
The source from Tacheleik said there are large numbers of the portrait of
the Slorc chairman still remaining in the shops as local people are not
following the order or purchasing the portraits.
Racial Discrimination and Religious Assault in Karenni
Since it took power in 1988, Slorc has been attempting to destroy many
historic and religious places across the countries. Many landmarks and
places of worship have been sealed off or destroyed.
There are four central wards in Shardaw town in Karenni State one of which
one is called " Mother Mary Ward". The name derives from the Roman Catholic
faith since the majority of the residents in the ward are Catholic. Slorc
has ordered the name of the ward changed to "Aung Chan Tha Ward" to the
distress of local Catholic residents.
Moreover, the Muslim cemetery in Loikaw was destroyed while the Catholic
cemetery in the same city was ordered closed and sealed off. Under the name
of beautification program for coming "Visit Myanmar Year 1996", many
historic and religious places are being destroyed across the country.
Slorc Torches Two Villages in Palaw
A military column of IB 103 and 433 led by Capt. Nyo Win torched Min Win
village and Shan Thay village in Palaw township, Tanessarim division on June
3, 1996. No notice or reason was given.
Altogether 22 houses and one primary school in the villages were burned
while soldiers looted villagers' property. Troops took more than a hundred
baskets of paddy and wantonly shot a number of cattle and buffaloes.
***********
SLORC EXPANDS MILITARY STRENGTH
Since the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) brutally seized
power in September 1988, the regime has built up its military strength
beyond any reasonable level.
Not only has the size of the army been dramatically increased, SLORC has
spent literally billions of dollars on new jet fighters, ground-attack
aircraft, transport and assault helicopters, armored vehicles, artillery,
trucks, communication equipment, naval patrol boats, frigates, assault
rifles and light machine guns.
SLORC has also tried to increase its ability to produce arms and ammunition.
After eight years, SLORC is on the verge of becoming one of the region's
largest military powers, despite being one of the poorest countries in
Southeast Asia.
Expansion of Infantry Forces
Over the past eight years, SLORC has increased the size of its ground attack
forces from 18,000 to 35,000. The arms and ammunition for these new soldiers
were mainly acquired from China. Burma has also imported arms, artillery and
ammunition from several other countries. SLORC also increased production of
semi-automatic carbines, assault rifles, light machine guns and ammunition
in their own "Defense Products Factories", known as " Ka Pa Sa".
China has played a major role in the rapid build-up of the Burma Army. A
SLORC delegation visited China's "North Industries Corporation" in August
1990 and agreed to buy US $ 1.4 million worth of military supplies. The deal
included F-7 jet aircraft, "Shanghai" or "Hainan " class patrol boats, tanks
(including T-63 and T-69), armoured personnel carriers, AK- 47 (M-22)
assault rifles, 37 mm twin-barrel and 57 mm single barrel anti-aircraft
guns, rocket launchers, ground-based radar and communication equipment.
Eight Chinese trucks delivered the first batch of arms and ammunition in
November, 1990, crossing the border to Lashio. China has made a number of
other deliveries of supplies between 1991 and 1994 including: thirty 107 mm
Type 63 multiple rocket launcher systems, US $ 5 million worth of radio
equipment, nine hundred 5-ton trucks, one hundred thirty army trucks heavily
laden with arms and ammunition, one hundred fifty Type 85 tracked armoured
personnel carriers, twenty Type 69 main battle tanks, twenty Type 63 light
amphibious tanks and three hundred trucks of varying sizes.
SLORC has purchased arms not only from China but also from several other
countries. Two hundred twenty-five truck loads of various unspecified arms,
84 mm Carl Gustaf rockets, mortars and ammunition arrived in Rangoon from
Singapore via the Five Star Line in October 1988. Unidentified arms were
shipped via the S'pore Senator and Five Star Line from Belgium in July 1989.
Several shipments of unidentified military supplies were carried on Five
Star Line in July 1989 from Britain, Germany, Holland, Italy and Yugoslavia.
Pakistan Ordnance Company transported machine guns, ammunition, five
thousand 120 mm mortars and shells to Rangoon in March 1989. Further
unidentified arms were sent via the Five Star Line from Singapore in August
1989.
In February 1990, US $ 3.2 million worth of equipment for the arms factories
were shipped from Fritz Werner Industries of Germany. Arms were also sent
from Sweden and Switzerland via the Five Star Line in 1990. SLORC also
purchased rocket launchers, mortars and rifles from Afghanistan through the
Pakistan Government in June 1991 in a deal worth US $ 20 million.
SLORC intends to increase the Burmese infantry forces to 500,000 personnel.
In the past eight years, SLORC has added two military Commands and two light
infantry Divisions, each containing 10 battalions.
Expansion of the Navy
The Burmese Navy has traditionally focused on two main tasks: patrol of
coastal waters and rivers in support of counter insurgency operations and
coastal surveillance and fisheries protection. The Navy has employed four
old corvettes with an average age of about 43 years ranging from 400 to 650
tons.
SLORC has stepped up the modernization of its Navy with the purchase from
China of twelve Hainan class coastal patrol vessels which are reportedly
capable of being equipped with surface to surface missiles. The Burmese Navy
also purchased three PB 90 Koncar class patrol craft in October 1990 from
the former Yugoslavia which were later equipped with 40 mm and 57 mm Bofors
from Sweden. These have strengthened coastal and inshore patrol capabilities
already undertaken by six ex-US PGM class boats built in 1959-61 and four
PGM type boats built in the early 1980s.
SLORC has also increased the number of navy personnel from 7,000 to 15,000
over the past eight years.
Modernization of naval infrastructure meanwhile includes the construction of
a new naval base on Hainggyi Island and the upgrading of facilities at Akyab
( Sittwe ) with Chinese support. China has also helped SLORC to upgrade its
naval signals and radar stations on the Coco Islands between the Andamans
and Orissa.
Expansion and Modernization of the Air Force
Burma has never been able to produce air craft or aircraft components and
has always been heavily dependent on foreign equipment, logistics and
expertise to keep its aircraft operational.
Burma's Air Force was formerly provided with PC-6 'Porter' aircraft, sixteen
PC-7 and six PC-9 from Switzerland, twenty Soko Galeb G-4 ground attack
aircraft from the former Yugoslavia.
During the past eight years, SLORC purchased new Rolls-Royce engines for
its G-4 aircraft, repaired PT 6 engines and Pratt and Whitney engines from
Australia and Canada for its Pilatus PC 7 and PC 9 aircraft.
The Air Force was also reinforced with the purchase of Chinese made jet
aircraft, helicopter gun ships and transport helicopters from Poland. Burma
took delivery of its first batch of twelve F-7 jet aircraft (China's
version of the MiG-21) in May 1991. A second squadron arrived in May 1993
and twelve more in 1994. China has also supplied the Burmese Air Force with
twenty four NAMC A-M 5 ground attack aircraft and two SACY-8 D medium-range
transport aircraft. SLORC also purchased ten Hoplite Mi 2 helicopter gun
ships and ten PZL Swidnik transport helicopters from Poland in June 1990 in
a deal worth US $ 41.3 million. Burma also sent its pilots to China and
Malaysia for training. Malaysia trained ten Burmese captains on C 130s in
1989 and 1990.
The latest deal for reinforcing the Air Force was with Russia. The SLORC
army commander Lt. Gen. Tin Oo made an unpublicized visit to Russia in
October 1995 where he reached an agreement for a number of Mil Mi 17 " Hip-H
" utility transport helicopters. Eight Mil Mi 17 have been reportedly
delivered to Burma. The deal included a training package for SLORC pilots.
The latest report said that Burma has also received MiG 17 supersonic jet
fighters from Russia. It is also reported that SLORC is also interested in
buying Mil Mi-24 assault helicopters and MiG 29 "Falcrum" fighters from Russia.
Increased Arms Production
While purchasing arms from foreign countries, SLORC has also developed its
ability to build arms on its own. Burma began to develop its own arms
industries in the early 1950s when a factory was built to produce small
arms, ammunition and BA 52 sub machine guns (Ne Win Sten, copy of Italian 9
mm TZ-45). Production began as soon as the factory was completed and the BA
52 became the standard submachine gun for the Burma Army in 1953.
The arms production sector was boosted by the 1957 agreement with the German
company, Fritz Werner, to build a factory in Rangoon to produce G-3
automatic rifles. A second arms factory was built near Prome to produce 7.62
mm ammunition for G-3 and G-4 rifles and 9 mm small arms ammunition for
BA-52 and 9 mm pistols. In the 1970s Fritz Werner, with the help of
engineers from the German Technical Co-operation Agency, built more arms
manufacturing facilities. In 1984, the Fritz Werner company entered into a
joint venture arrangement with Burma's State-owned Heavy Industrial
Corporation.
Now, Burma has built its own arms factories known by Burmese initials "Ka Pa
Sa". The main factory, Ka Pa Sa No.1, was built in Rangoon near Inya Lake
together with three other major Ka Pa Sa weapons and ammunition factories in
the Rangoon-Mingladon area. There are also ammunition factories at Htonebo
near Mandalay and at Sinde, Padaung and Ngyaung Chidauk near Pegu.
Fritz Werner resumed its exports of "Industrial Machinery" and other
materials to Burma in 1989 after a short hiatus following the crackdown of
the democratic movement while the German Government avoided direct support.
In 1990, a US $ 8 million joint venture called Myanmar Fritz Werner
Industries Ltd. was established, further strengthening SLORC's arms link
with Germany. Also a group of Singaporean companies- Shengli Holding, Allied
Ordinance, Chartered Industries and Hurper Co.- has stepped in to help
develop SLORC's arms industries.
China has also reportedly begun to play a role in strengthening SLORC's arms
industries . In 1991, a group of Chinese engineers inspected a site near
Margue to build a factory complex which could produce M-21 Semi-automatic
rifles, M-22 automatic assault rifles and M-23 light machine guns as well as
7.62 mm ammunition for these weapons. The establishment of SLORC-China joint
ventures for arsenal factories is not yet reported.
SLORC arms factories have reportedly produced prototypes of Type 56 and
Galil assault rifles. SLORC has also produced the 9 mm BA 94 ( Ne Win Uzi ),
a version of the Israeli 9 mm Uzi submachine gun. Burmese engineers are
experimenting on 5.56 m assault rifles, currently known as EMERK-1. The
prototype of these weapons have already been produced. SLORC also
manufactures its own mobile 81 mm artillery rocket launchers known as BA 84.
SLORC has also improved its capacity to produce ammunition. For some time,
Burma has had the ability to produce small calibre ammunition such as .303
British, 7.62 mm Nato and 9 mm Parabellum. Slorc also makes 51 mm (BA 78)
and 81 mm mortar bombs. It has replaced US and UK made Type 36 and BA 77
anti-personnel hand grenades with locally produced BA 88 ( offensive), BA 91
(defensive) and BA 109 (general-purpose) grenades. SLORC also has the
ability to produce 120 mm and 60 mm mortar bombs, 41 mm ( BA 92 ) and 51 mm
(BA 80) rifle grenades.
In addition to developing its ability to produce infantry weapons and
ammunition, SLORC has begun to manufacture its own reconnaissance vehicles
and light armoured cars. These cars seem to be based on Mazda and Hino
Technology and parts. SLORC has reportedly produced at least four kinds of
light armoured vehicles: BAAC-83, BAAC-84, BAAC-85 and BAAC-86. SLORC also
boosts an indigenous "Special Combat Vehicle" which is armed with 7.62 mm
MG-3 and 0.5 calibre Browning machine guns, a 60 mm or 81 mm mortar mounted
in the back and a 84 mm recoilless gun. These vehicles are also known as
"Bran Carriers".
SLORC has also attempted to boost its production of naval craft. Since 1988,
the Naval Engineering Depot and Myanmar Shipyard in Rangoon have produced
two coastal patrol boats and four river patrol craft. It has also completed
two newly designed fast-attack gunboats, to be powered by German Mercedes
diesel engines.
Although SLORC remains mainly dependent on foreign technology and logistics
in naval and aircraft components, it is obvious that SLORC has made
significant strides in developing its ability to produce its own arms.
Funding the Arms Build-up
There are twelve distinct "Defense Industries" that produce a variety of
goods ranging from weapons to sport balls. These twelve industries are
funded as part of the central government's budget and supervised by the
Defense Ministry's Directorate of Defense Industries (DDI). The Defense
Ministry owns several enterprises in Burma after the creation of a private
sector after 1988. Apart from DDI, the Defense Ministry also has another
economic department, Department of Defense Procurement (DDP), which imports
small arms. In July 1990, SLORC formed the Union of Myanmar Economic
Holdings Limited (UMEH) which is run by DDP.
The SLORC Defense Ministry cashes in on far more than just arms production:
it controls real estate enterprises, trading companies, and timber,
fisheries and mining concessions through Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings
Ltd. SLORC also takes a percentage of foreign investments and unofficial
jewelry trading to help finance its arms build-up.
SLORC also has hidden allocations from the public sector to the Defense
Ministry. The Ministry of Defense uses 16-18 % of Burma's generated
electricity without paying for it and buys fuel from the state petrochemical
monopoly at prices very far below market prices.
Conclusion
SLORC is dramatically enlarging and upgrading its military services by
increasing the size of their forces, purchasing arms and ammunition from
abroad and developing its capacity to make arms on its own. Now the SLORC
Army is well on its way to becoming the largest in Southeast Asia. Vietnam
has the only current standing army that is marginally larger. SLORC's
foreign trade and Investment policies, combined with ASEAN's constructive
engagement policy, is enhancing its ability to develop the strongest
military force in the region. Clearly, with this greatly expanded army,
SLORC can be expected to endanger regional security and stability.
--=====================_842447754==_--