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The BurmaNet News: June 8, 1999



------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
 "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
----------------------------------------------------------

The BurmaNet News: June 8, 1999
Issue #1288

HEADLINES:
==========
AFP: JUNTA SAYS ASSK IS LYING OVER JAIL TRANSFER 
KYODO: WIN AUNG SKEPTICAL ABOUT NEW FLEXIBILITY 
BOSTON GLOBE: MANN AWARD GOES TO REFUGEE
SHAN: THE DAY THAT TOPPLED KHUN SA
XINHUA: CHINESE, MYANMESE OFFICIALS HOLD TALKS 
THE NATION: RFD SACKS 5 OFFICIALS 
REUTERS: THAI POLICE KILL 6 DRUG SUSPECTS 
XINHUA: OVER 400,000 MOTOR VEHICLES OPERATING 
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AFP: JUNTA SAYS SUU KYI IS LYING OVER JAIL INMATES' TRANSFER
7 June, 1999 

Burma's military rulers on Sunday denied what they called an "appalling" claim
by Ms Aung San Suu Kyi that hundreds of prisoners had been transferred from a
notorious jail before a Red Cross visit.

The Opposition leaders said last week that imprisoned members of her party had
been banished to provincial jails before a pioneering visit by delegates of
the
International Committee of the Red Cross last month. Without mentioning Ms
Aung
San Suu Kyi by name, a government statement sent to an AFP condemned her
comments as "counter-productive" for prisoners and their families. The
statement said it was "appalling but unfortunate that irresponsible statements
and groundless allegations have been launched from certain quarters to attack
and belittle the cooperation between the Burmese government and the ICRC."

Red Cross delegates had been allowed into Insein prison in Rangoon "purely on
humanitarian grounds" as part of a joint effort to promote better conditions,
the statement said.

Many prisoners in Insein jail have emerged with grisly tales of appalling
conditions and said they were tortured or held in solitary confinement.

Ms Aung San Suu Kyi said in an interview published in the financial Times on
Thursday that hundreds of prisoners had been shipped out of Insein to
provincial jails far from their families before the Red Cross inspection on
May
6.

She also criticized the ICRC for not consulting her before accepting a
government offers to visit Burma jails for the first time. "This created
tremendous hardship"; she was quoted as saying, adding that many prisoners
depended on family visits for food and medicines. "This kind of transfer is a
matter of life and death for our party members. The ICRC said on Thursday that
consulting Aung San Suu Kyi would have drawn it into Burma's political battle.

A spokesman for the Geneva-based body said the government had given it
permission to visit all detention centers in the country after it opened an
office in the capital last October. Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy
party won an overwhelming victory in Burma's 1990 elections but the junta has
refused to relinquish power and has imprisoned hundreds of party members. 

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KYODO: WIN AUNG SKEPTICAL ABOUT SUU KYI'S NEW FLEXIBILITY
5 June, 1999 

Myanmar's Foreign Minister Win Aung expressed skepticism Saturday about an
apparent turnaround in democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's attitude to the
junta in Yangon, saying she continues to denounce the military government.

Win Aung, attending a symposium in Tokyo on his first visit to Japan, told
Kyodo News the junta had doubts Suu Kyi was sincere when she offered in an
interview with the Hong Kong-based Asiaweek magazine to hold ''lower level''
dialogue with junta officials.

****************************************************************

BOSTON GLOBE: MANN AWARD GOES TO REFUGEE
7 June, 1999 by Richard A. Knox, Globe Staff

Doctor honored for tending fellow Karens, driven from Burma

A 39-year-old doctor who ministers to 20,000 refugees fleeing Burma's version
of ethnic cleansing is the first recipient of the Jonathan Mann Award, which
commemorates a humanitarian physician and AIDS activist killed last September
in the crash of Swissair Flight 111 off Newfoundland.

But because Dr. Cynthia Maung is a refugee herself, without passport or
citizenship papers, she may not be able to travel to Washington this month to
receive the $25,000 Mann Award from former president Jimmy Carter.

While US officials have said Maung could be admitted to this country, she
might
not be able to return to Thailand, where she runs a system of health clinics
near the border of her native Burma.

''She is a person without any official identity. She left Burma in 1988 with
the clothes on her back and no papers of any sort,'' said Nils Daulaire,
president of the Global Health Council. ''Thailand does not recognize people
who are refugees as having official status, so we haven't come up with a
way to
get her back into Thailand.''

Maung is known widely in Southeast Asia as ''Dr. Cynthia,'' he said.

''She has literally put her life on the line for the protection of both health
and human rights for the refugees for whom she cares,'' Daulaire said. Maung
and her fellow refugees are Karens - an ethnic group numbering around 12
million people who lived in eastern Burma ''until they were pretty brutally
uprooted, not unlike the situation in Kosovo,'' Daulaire said.

In 1989, Maung founded the Mae Tao Clinic, a bamboo-and-brick compound in the
jungle of northwestern Thailand. The clinic provides free medical services,
food for children, mobile medical teams, shelter for orphans, and
income-generating programs for refugees.

Maung takes no salary, and her family lives in poverty, according to the
Global
Health Council.

The Global Health Council, based in Vermont and Washington, is sponsoring the
Mann Award with the Swiss-based Association Francois-Xavier Bagnoud and two
New
York groups, Doctors of the World and Human Rights Watch. Carter is scheduled
to present the prize at the Global Health Council's annual meeting in
Washington on June 22.

Maung was chosen as the first Mann Award recipient from 50 individuals and
organizations working in the realm of public health and human rights.

Mann, a former Harvard professor, championed human rights as an essential
element of public health. He was the first director of the World Health
Organization's Global Program on AIDS and was founding director of the
Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard.

Daulaire said the groups hope to raise $5 million to increase the Mann Award's
value to six figures. ''Depending on how fast we can do that, we may go
back to
Dr. Cynthia with some additional money,'' he said.

****************************************************************

SHAN HERALD AGENCY FOR NEWS: THE DAY THAT TOPPLED KHUN SA
6 June, 1999 

Editorial

The world may remember the sixth day of June "forever" as D-day, the day that
Allied Forces invaded France to end Hitler's Third Reich in 1944. However,
many
Shans are going to remember it as the day that marked the beginning of the end
for Khun Sa.

The New Year of 1995 found Khun Sa riding high as the leader of the biggest
rebel army in the whole of Burma. Only a few areas in the Shan State remained
which was not operated by his forces. His dramatic attack of Tachilek, a
bustling border town opposite Chiangrai of Thailand, shattered the junta
troops' morale and immensely boosted that of the opposition in general.
Despite
his world image as a druglord, he seemed set to become a national leader and
savior.

However, behind the curtains, things were working rapidly for his downfall.
His
handpicked commanders, unfortunately of Chinese descent mostly, were so unruly
that both the fighters and people were getting impatient. Hopes of Khun Sa
succeeding the late Gornzoeng as the "heart and soul" of Shan resistance were
wearing thin. They were only waiting for an excuse to blow their tops. And
Khun
Sa unintentionally supplied them with all that they needed.

The first excuse was the summary execution in late 1994 of Lt. Ternyai, a
well-known fighting officer of Maj. Gunyawd's 16th Brigade by Ltc. Yape-moeng,
a Chinese commander of the 8th Brigade, for his criticism of the latter's
excesses. Homoeng's overruling in favor of Yape-moeng left Gunyawd and other
fighter bitter and savage.

The next was the mysterious death on 7 January 1995 of Sao Sai Lek, leader of
the Shan State Army who had just joined Khun Sa in Homoeng on 5 December 1994.
Although authorities tried to explain that the popular Shan leader died of
blood poison, many believed that the poison was furnished and administered by
Khun Sa's doctors who were caring him.

The outcome was the defection of Maj. Ngo-harn, Sailek's longtime follower, to
the SSA's ceasefire faction. The affair, as could be expected, did not help
much with the growing lack of faith in Khun Sa's leadership.

As if this were not enough, Homoeng then delivered a coup de grace. Gunyawd,
who was something of a politician-diplomat, was directed to sign a pact with
some of the commanders from the ceasefire group, and after it was done, a
contradictory order was given to ambush their unsuspecting allies. To which
Gunyawd refused and demanded an explanation. A secret order in Chinese was
then
reportedly given to arrest and execute him. Fortunately, the secret leaked out
giving enough time for Gunyawd to defend himself and resist Homoeng.

News of Gunyawd's mutiny at once spread like wildfire throughout the MTA and
the people. The flock to his camp was almost a stampede which left Khun Sa
thoroughly routed.

Having lost the moral support of the Shan people, Khun Sa, who could not
escape
to any other country without facing arrest and trial, had only one choice: to
come to terms with the junta. Hence, his surrender on 7 January 1996, a year
after Sai Lek's death and six months after Gunyawd's revolt.

Taking stock, nobody will know for sure whether Khun Sa might have won freedom
for the Shan people were it not for the mutiny. But today's leaders say with
confidence that, with Khun Sa's departure from the scene, the Shan people have
a better chance of realizing their dream. SHAN wishes them all the best there
is.

****************************************************************

XINHUA: CHINESE, MYANMESE OFFICIALS HOLD TALKS 
7 June, 1999 

BEIJING (June 7) XINHUA - Chinese State Councilor Luo Gan said today that
China
is pleased to see Myanmar's membership of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN).

Luo made the remark in talks with Khin Nyunt, the first secretary of Myanmar's
State Peace and Development Council, who arrived on a five day official visit
to China earlier today.

"China appreciates Myanmar's independent foreign policy of peace, and holds
that Myanmar, as a sovereign state, has the right to choose the social system
and development path of its own suited to its national conditions," he said.

"We sincerely hope that Myanmar will enjoy political stability, economic
growth
and the improvement of people's standard of living, " Luo said.

Khin Nyunt reiterated that the Myanmese government observes the "one China"
policy, and it also recognizes that Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese
territory, stressing that Myanmar will not develop any forms of official
relations with Taiwan.

Luo expressed his appreciation for those remarks. The Chinese state councillor
said that China highly values Sino- Myanmese friendship, and is fully prepared
to further exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation based on the Five
Principles of Peaceful Co-existence with Myanmar, so as to bring about a long
term, good neighborly and cooperative relations of mutual trust.

Luo noted that China and Myanmar are good neighbors, and that the people of
the
two countries have sympathized with and supported each other in the past and
established a deep friendship.


He said that bilateral relations have been developing steadily since the
forging of diplomatic relations nearly a half of century ago, adding that
Sino-Myanmese economic and trade cooperation has been expanded, and cultural,
educational and sports exchanges have been frequent in recent years.

"The border areas between the two countries have long been peaceful and
stable," Luo said, adding that China is satisfied with the smooth growth of
bilateral ties.

Khin Nyunt said that the Myanmese government and people are delighted with the
remarkable achievements scored by the brotherly Chinese people under the
leadership of the Communist Party of China.

He added that bilateral relations have seen remarkable development in the past
decade, which is in the fundamental interests of the people of the two
countries.

Myanmar is determined to work with China to promote brotherly Sino-Myanmese
friendship in the years to come.

He also briefed Luo on the situation in Myanmar, saying that the Myanmese
government and people will try their best to overcome difficulties, and to
make
new progress in safeguarding sovereignty and developing the economy.

Luo and Khin Nyunt also discussed border management and anti- drug
cooperation.

After the talks, they attended a signing ceremony of an agreement on economic
and technical cooperation.

****************************************************************

THE NATION: RFD SACKS 5 OFFICIALS FOR ROLE IN BURMESE LOGS SCAM
5 June, 1999 

FIVE forestry officials have been sacked following allegations of abusing
their
power to help the illegal import of Burmese timber for a company in Tak's Ban
Tak district.

Royal Forestry Department (RFD) director general Plodprasop Suraswadi
yesterday
authorised the discharge of the five officials.

The five allegedly provided false documents to facilitate the import of a
massive amount of Burmese timber through the Salween forest area for the 2499
Sahawanakit company which is located in Tak's Ban Tak district.

The five are Direk Yoosabai of Lampang's Sob Prab district, Prawut
Tanthanapala
of Phetchabun's Wang Pong district, Montri Dejboriboon of Tak's Muang Tak
district, Sithichai Somjit of Tak's Sam Ngao district and Uthai Chaisiri of
Mae
Hong Son's Mae Sariang district.

Plodprasop said the officials were in charge of forestry districts which
covered the Salween area. He said they provided false permits to allow the
timber to be transported from the border to the company's site in Tak.

''The company benefitted from this huge amount of illegal timber and created a
loss for the government in the process. The case clearly involves disciplinary
violations,'' he said.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry's Office of the Permanent Secretary
released a
press statement clarifying the role of the ministry in the controversial
Salweeen border reopening issue.

The statement said the ministry had not yet approved of the reopening of the
border. But it admitted that four logging companies had submitted requests to
the customs office in Mae Hong Son. The requests remain under
consideration, it
said.

''The reopening of the border is not the same issue as timber importation. If
the imports are approved, the consignments should use the existing border pass
instead of opening a new one. We have never opened any pass in Mae Hong Son
yet,'' the press release said.

Yesterday, officials in Mae Sariang district seized illegal timber in the area
but the origin of the wood remains in doubt. It may be illegal or merely old
timber from local residents homes, sources suggested.

****************************************************************

REUTERS: THAI POLICE KILL 6 DRUG SUSPECTS IN JUNGLE BATTLE
7 June, 1999 

BANGKOK, June 7 (Reuters) - Thai border police shot dead at least six
suspected
amphetamine traffickers in a jungle battle close to the Myanmar border
early on
Monday, a police spokesman said.

The shootout in Chiang Rai province, in the Thai part of the notorious Golden
Triangle narcotics producing region, involved a unit of 36 border patrol
police
assigned to crackdown on amphetamine trafficking, the spokesman said.

``Initial reports show all the dead men were members of a hill tribe drug gang
and police have seized a large amount of amphetamines,'' he said, adding that
another suspect was wounded.

The Golden Triangle is formed by the intersection of the Myanmar, Lao and Thai
borders and is one of the world's main sources of opium and its derivative
heroin.

In recent years its drug gangs have diversified into production of
amphetamines, huge quantities of which have flooded across the border into
Thailand from Myanmar, where most Golden Triangle drugs are produced.

Monday's police operation follows a raid on a village in the neighbouring
province of Chiang Mai in early April in which nine villagers were killed.

Police said that raid, apparently the result of a drugs dispute, was carried
out by members of the United Wa State Army an ethnic force which controls
Myanmar's main opium growing area.

****************************************************************

XINHUA: OVER 400,000 MOTOR VEHICLES OPERATING IN MYANMAR
4 June, 1999 

YANGON (June 4) XINHUA - The number of motor vehicles of various types
operating in Myanmar totaled 403,677 at the end of February this year, an
increase of 25,889 as compared with a year earlier, according to the latest
Economic Indicators issued by the Central Statistical Organization.

Of these, passenger cars accounted for 177,786, trucks 52,568, buses 17, 018,
motorcycles 149,224 and others 7,081.

With the rising number of motor vehicles, the Myanmar road transport
authorities have called for effective enforcement of traffic rules to reduce
road accidents, especially in the capital city Yangon.

There are between 800 and 1,000 motor vehicles reportedly involved in traffic
rule violations daily in the capital.

The capital's Traffic Rules Enforcement Supervisory Committee is striving to
bring down the number of traffic accidents by reinforcing its traffic police
force on the roads.

Meanwhile, the authorities have also banned the use of stickers to cover
glass-windows of the cars for effective prevention of crimes eventually
committed therein.
****************************************************************