The BurmaNet News: July 30, 1999

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------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
 "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: July 30, 1999
Issue #1326

Noted in Passing: "We will set up (a [human rights] commission) when the
time is ripe. But is doesn't mean that Australia will come in to set up the
body for us. It would be an independent body like any other counter has." -
Burmese Foreign Minister U Win Aung (see THE NATION: SURIN CONFIDENT ON
RIGHTS PROGRESS)

HEADLINES:
==========
NATION: JUNTA RELEASES THREE-YEAR-OLD FROM DETENTION 
THE AGE: DOWNER PROPOSES SOLUTION TO BURMA'S STANDOFF 
NATION: SURIN CONFIDENT ON RIGHTS PROGRESS 
BKK POST: SNUGGLING UP TO THE WA 
FORUM ASIA: STATEMENT AGAINST REFOULEMENT OF REFUGEES 
NATION: BURMA APPEASEMENT HARMS NATIONAL SECURITY 
BKK POST: BURMESE ABORTIONS DRAIN MEDICAL BUDGET 
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THE NATION: JUNTA RELEASES THREE-YEAR-OLD FROM DETENTION 
30 July, 1999 

AGENCIES

BANGKOK -- Amnesty International said yesterday that a three-year-old girl
in Burma described as "the world's youngest prisoner of conscience" has
been released from detention.

The girl was one of 19 people detained by authorities to stop an
anti-government protest in the central city of Bago, also called Pegu,
according to Amnesty and an exile opposition group, the All Burma Students'
Democratic Front.

Eight of those detained were reportedly family members of one activist,
Kyaw Wunna, whom authorities had been unable to catch.  They reportedly
included his wife, Ma Khin Khin Leh, and their three-year-old daughter,
Thaint Wunna Khin.

"Amnesty welcomes the child's release but also asks that the others be
released, as they were not advocating violent behaviour," said Amnesty
researcher, Donna Guest.

There was no immediate comment from the government.

Earlier yesterday, Burma's government issued a statement calling many of
the reported details of the arrests "untrue" but appeared to stop short of
denying that the child had been detained.

"The Government categorically rejects the allegation that a three-year-old
child has been detained to force her father out of hiding," the statement
said.

The statement chided Amnesty for failing to try to verify the incident,
suggesting it had relied solely on reports from the All Burma Students'
Democratic Front (ABSDF).

The statement admitted, however, that people had been called in for
questioning after pamphlets belonging to ABSDF, a dissident student group
based along the Thai-Burma border, had been discovered in Kyaw Wunna's house.

Guest said the organisation does not reveal its sources, but that its
information did not come from the armed opposition group.

On Wednesday Amnesty released a statement under the caption "Burma: Fears
Grow for World's youngest Prisoner of Conscience," which said the regime
had arrested a three-year-old girl to force her father out of hiding.

Guest said that Amnesty learned late yesterday that the girl, after being
detained for five days, was released on July 23 and is now staying with
relatives.


Her mother remains in detention, as do the other people rounded up, while
Kyaw Wunna remains at large, Guest said.

Some of the detained relatives probably engaged in no opposition activity
at all, according to information received by Amnesty.

One was identified as the chairman of a ward level government organisation.
 Another detainee was reportedly a local executive of the
government-controlled Burma Maternal and Child Welfare Association.

The military has been harshly criticised by human rights groups and Western
countries for suppression of civil liberties and refusal to turn over power
to an elected government.

The government meanwhile announced that two jailed members of the National
League for Democracy, the political party led by Nobel Peace laureate Aung
San Suu Kyi, have been freed.

Kyaw Sein, 81, had been sentenced to five years in February, and was freed
out of consideration for his age, a statement said.  Thein Htun, 61, had
been serving a seven-year term since 1996.

Both had been convicted of violating the Emergency Provision Act, a
catchall used to curb political dissent.

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

THE AGE: DOWNER PROPOSES SOLUTION TO BURMA'S POLITICAL STANDOFF
25 July, 1999 by Craig Skehan

[The Age is a daily newspaper from Victoria State in Australia.]

Australia will intervene to help break the political stalemate in Burma
between the military regime and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 

The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, yesterday floated a series of
proposals during talks in Singapore with the US Secretary of State,
Madeleine Albright. He is to pursue the plan with the Burmese Foreign
Minister, Win Aung, when the pair meet on Wednesday. 

While Mr Downer declined to release details of the Australian initiative
before the meeting, sources said political progress in Burma could lead to
increased Australian development assistance. 

This follows overtures from the United Nations and hopes that holding out
World Bank funding for impoverished Burma would contribute to breaking the
decade-long deadlock. 

Burma's military regime, the State Law and Order Restoration Council,
refused to recognise 1990 elections won by Ms Suu Kyi's National League for
Democracy and has stated publicly that the country's sovereignty is ``not
for sale''. 

But the regime has not closed off scope for dialogue with the UN, the World
Bank and bilateral donors. 

Mr Downer told a media conference yesterday in Singapore, where the
Association of South-East Asian Nations is holding talks with neighboring
countries and major powers, that tactics to pressure Burma into political
reforms had so far failed. 

He said European sanctions had ``not worked all that well'', United States
investment and other restrictions had ``not borne fruit'' and the ASEAN
policy of so-called constructive engagement ``has not been terribly
successful''. 

``Anyway, everybody has got a slightly different policy and none of them
seem to have worked,'' Mr Downer said. 

He said ASEAN nations, although reluctant to publicly criticise Burma as a
member of the grouping, wanted to see the military regime ``moving
forward'' on issues such as adoption of a new constitution so new elections
could be held. 


``I think it must have been two years ago I said it was moving at the
speed of glue running up hill,'' Mr Downer said. ``This year I think I'll
use the word glacial. 

``Obviously that is a problem for Burma. And it is a problem other members
of ASEAN would like to feel could be fixed.'' 

He said he would be making a public statement on his proposals after
meeting the Burmese Foreign Minister.

[See next article for Mr. Downer's statement.]

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

THE NATION: SURIN CONFIDENT ON RIGHTS PROGRESS 
29 July, 1999 

SINGAPORE 

Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan, who will chair Asean for the next 12
months, said yesterday there was a positive trend in observing human rights
in the region. 

"I think there is a trend within the Asean community that each government
is establishing its own human rights mechanisms," Surin told reporters at
the end of the Asean annual meeting with their 20 dialogue countries from
the Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe. 

He said human rights standards would differ within the region, where
countries range from developed democracies like Thailand to military-run
Burma. 

This is an ongoing process, of course levels, standards, comprehensiveness
of each of these mechanisms is not the same," Surin said. "But definitely
these are issues that are taken into consideration." 

The issue of human rights in the region and elsewhere in the world has
divided top diplomats in the Singapore meeting that ended yesterday. The
United States, the European Union and Australia have reiterated their
criticism of Burma, which has been ruled by the military since 1962 and has
prevented the elected opposition from taking power. 

Still, no consensus was reached on Burma's poor human rights record during
the Asean Regional Forum. A communique issued on Monday does not include
language critical of any member state. 

The impasse over Burma has caused tensions in otherwise smooth relations
between Asean and the EU, which imposes economic and diplomatic sanction
against Burma. 

But in a move seen as an attempt to appease its Western critics, Burmese
Foreign Minister U Win Aung said yesterday his country had agreed to study
the setting up of an independent human rights commission. 

Win Aung told Kyodo News he had discussed the idea with Australian Foreign
Minister Alexander Downer in a meeting earlier in the day. "I told him that
we will consider and we will study establishing the body," he said. 

Downer told reporters after the meeting that Australia's Commissioner for
Human Rights, Chris Sidoti, would visit Burma next week for further
discussions with officials there about the role and possible guidelines for
a human rights commission. 

"They have a real interest in this particular proposal and I have no
illusions," said Sidoti. " It's a first step and it would be an incremental
process, but we want to do what we can to see an improvement in human
rights in Burma. 

Downer said the proposal was for Burma to create a human rights commission
along the lines of one established in Indonesia during the time of the
Suharto regime, which he said was allowed to operate independently. 


"It's one thing of course to criticise the government there, and we've
done a great deal of that. But we are also looking at other initiatives we
can take to help alleviate the plight of people in Burma, and we think that
this proposal is a constructive initiative in the cause of human rights,"
he said. 

He said it was a "useful step forward" that the Burmese junta "can see the
point in having such a body, though they have yet to make up their minds
about how it would work." 

Win Aung said Rangoon would need time to study the idea. "We will set up (a
commission) when the time is ripe. But is doesn't mean that Australia will
come in to set up the body for us. It would be an independent body like any
other counter has." 

He said Rangoon had sent a team to Australia last week to attend a meeting
on human rights. 

According to Surin, Asean might give more heed to human rights issues in
the future. "These are issues that will increasingly come up, that are
relevant, and within the Asean group we are aware of this," he said. 

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

THE BANGKOK POST: SNUGGLING UP TO THE WA 
29 July, 1999 

Rangoon's decision to confirm the United Wa State Army-run town of Mong
Yawn as a special administration zone for another five years goes a long
way to re-affirming the suspicions of our narcotics people that those in
control of our neighbouring country to the west are in bed with the UWSA,
the people making a fortune as the biggest drug traffickers in drug
trafficking-dependent Golden Triangle. 

" The extension is part of the whole organised plan to use the UWSA
administered area as a base for drug trafficking, especially for the
distribution of amphetamines into Thailand," said one operative with the
National Narcotics Operation Centre supervising the war on drugs countrywide. 

"Everyone knows full well that the USWA's main income comes directly from
the drugs trade. This (the extension) did not surprise us since we expected
Burma to make such a move." 

Mong Yawn, opposite San Ton Du in Chiang Mai's Mae Ai district, has been
undergoing a vast transformation since early this year at a minimum
estimated cost of one billion baht. 

The total refit is aimed at enabling the town, a former stronghold, of
ex-drugs warlord Khun Sa, to accommodate the 100,000 plus people expected
to settle in the town over the next five years. 

The military regime in Rangoon initially agreed in 1995 to allow the UWSA a
free hand at Mong Yawn for five years. 

This was part of an agreement forged after the UWSA broke with the Burmese
Communist Party in 1989 and then fought a successful battle with Khun Sa.

The Thai military expects border problems in the upper north, in particular
the trafficking of methamphetamines, to get much worse.

Recent developments in the UWSA-controlled area is causing Army
Commander-in-Chief Gen Surayud Chulanont some real concerns and he even
suggested at the weekend that there might be the possibility of our chaps
going to war against the UWSA if they continue to produce the drugs that
are causing so much destruction among our youth.


"The army chief is fully aware of what is going in the USWA area and the
army will not stand by idly and do nothing," said one solider. 

He said the army would soon mobilise its elite forces in the west and
northwest as a counter-threat force and to re-organise the border area. 

Recent reports suggesting that Wei Hsudh-kang, the most powerful drug
kingpin in the Golden Triangle, met Khun Sa in the Rangoon earlier this
year with the assistance of the military/government leadership raises real
doubts among our top drugs combatants that Rangoon is any way interested in
ending illicit drug production. 

The junta, of course, denied any involvement in the drug trade when this
was suggested by a senior staffer with the National Narcotics Operation
Centre, who said the Burmese military was involved directly in drug
trafficking through its tacit support for the USWA.

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

FORUM ASIA: JOINT STATEMENT AGAINST THE REFOULEMENT OF THE BURMESE REFUGEES 
23 July, 1999 from aurora@xxxxxxxxxx

ASIAN FORUM FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEVELOPMENT (FORUM-ASIA) 
109 Suthisarnwinichai, Huaykwang, Bangkok 10320, Thailand 
Tel : 662-276-9846-7, Fax : 662-6934939, E-mails : aurora@xxxxxxxxxx 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

JOINT STATEMENT AGAINST THE REFOULEMENT OF THE BURMESE REFUGEES 

We, the non-governmental organizations and civil groups named below, are
deeply concerned for the safety of the Burmese refugees and for Thailand's
international image, due to the Thai National Security Council's proposal
to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to repatriate
90,000 Burmese refugees within three years. The Thai NSC claimed that the
situation in Burma has returned to normal and that the Burmese government
has responded positively to the refugees' potential return.

We strongly insist that peace has not yet returned to Burma, that the
situation there is far from "normal", and therefore the refugees cannot yet
return home safely, There is strong credible evidence proving this,
including: 

1. There is a continuous influx of refugees to the present moment. Those
who were barred from crossing from Burma or were repatriated before
entering the border camps inside Thailand have become internally displaced
persons residing near the Thai-Burma border since they cannot safely return
to their homes. 

2. The internal war clearly continues inside Burma, especially in the
ethnic Karen and Shan areas. 

3. Reports on human rights violations in Burma from numerous international
non-governmental organizations, the United Nations Commissions on Human
Rights' Resolution 1999/17 in the 55th session, and the International
Labour Organization's resolution suspending Burma's membership due to the
massive use of forced labour, are clear evidence of the widespread
persecution of civilians even in the areas under cease-fire agreements. 

Since the Indo-Chinese war until today, people fleeing from persecution in
neighboring countries have received asylum on Thai soil, sheltering under
His Majesty the King of Thailand's compassion. Since then, the Thai
government has kindly been providing assistance on a humanitarian basis,
even though the country is not yet party to the 1951 Convention Related to
the Status of Refugees and its protocol. The Thai people's compassion and
humane heart have been evident to the eyes of the international community. 


On humanitarian grounds, and the principle of human rights according to
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 14 (1), which states
"Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from
persecution," we strongly insist that Thailand, which is a member of the
United Nations, must follow the international standards of Non-Refoulement,
which requires that refugees not be repatriated if they face persecution or
other dangers. 

We demand the Royal Thai government reconsider its proposal for
repatriation, and to allow the refugees from Burma to reside on Thai soil
until peace and stability return to their motherland. Any future
repatriation must be voluntary, and guarantee the safety and the dignity of
the refugees. The process must be done in transparency with the involvement
of all related parties, including non-governmental organizations and the
refugees themselves. 

This will confirm to the international community that Thailand is a country
that respects universal principle of human rights, and that Thai people
have compassion for the people who are suffering, always. 

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia) 
Union for Civil and Liberty (UCL) 
Amnesty International (Thailand) 
Child Workers in Asia (CWA) 
Foundation for Children's Development 
Foundation for Women (FOW) 
Empower Foundation (Chiang Mai) 
Migrant Assistance Program (MAP) 
Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB) 
Asian Culture Forum on Development (ACFOD)

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

THE NATION: BURMA APPEASEMENT HARMS NATIONAL SECURITY 
29 July, 1999 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Finally, a high-ranking Thai narcotics officer has admitted the truth.
Maybe he is sick of seeing the Thai people addicted to the Burmese army's
lifeline of amphetamine pills. Just this past week, Asean ministers
shielded the Burmese Junta from criticism by the world community. Shame on
them, every one of them. 

National security? What does it mean when you pair that with flexible
engagement? It's about time one decent officer comes clean. For the Thai
military and the Chuan government to accept trade over security is
detrimental to the Thai people and their country. 

Now I am sure the government spokesman will have a well-prepared text to
(spin) deliver to the Thai press. As usual, the Democrats have perfected
damage control to an art. How about the Thai people? When do they get the
security they deserve?

Observer

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

THE BANGKOK POST: BURMESE ABORTIONS DRAIN MEDICAL BUDGET 
29 July, 1999 by Supamart Kasem 

Ignorance about family planning has caused an increasing number of Burmese
immigrants to seek abortions. 

Dr Kanoknart Pisuthakul, director of Mae Sot Hospital, Tak, also said the
number of Burmese women suffering from abortion-related complications had
soared to 617 over the past six months. Last year, 539 Burmese immigrant
workers sought treatment from Mae Sot Hospital for abortion-related
conditions. 

Dr Kanoknart said the majority of women who had terminations were manual
workers and prostitutes. To increase awareness about safe sex and family
planning, Mae Sot Hospital has joined forces with the World Vision
Foundation and Medicine Sans Frontieres to launch an awareness campaign
that will be started this week. 


The increasing number of Burmese patients has also put pressure on the
budget that had been set aside to provide treatment for local, low-income
earners. 

Hospital figures estimate 134,911 Burmese immigrants work in Mae Sot, Mae
Ramat, Tha Song Yang and Umphang districts of Tak.

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