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Academics tell government to inspir

Subject: Academics tell government to inspire change in Burma

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<font size=5><b>Academics tell government to inspire change in 
Burma<br>
</font><font size=3>Anucha Charoenpo<br>
</font><font size=5>U</font></b><font size=3>niversity academics and
human rights advocates strongly oppose the government's decision to
encourage resettlement of Burmese students in third countries, after the
embassy takeover.<br>
They have urged the government to instead concentrate more on helping
resolve political problems in Burma.<br>
It was not possible for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
to find countries willing to give political asylum to all Burmese
students at refugee and holding camps, Witthaya Sutjaritthanarak, former
director of Chulalongkorn University's Institute of Asian Studies, told a
Bangkok seminar yesterday.<br>
&quot;The resettlement policy was a reaction to the Burmese embassy
siege,&quot; said Sunai Phasuk, a researcher at the institute. He said
Thailand was insincere in its efforts to help Burmese students' bid for
democracy. On Saturday the government sent the five dissidents, who
occupied the embassy, safely to the border and later became determined to
push all Burmese students out of the country. What is happening?&quot; he
said. Mark Tamthai, a Chulalongkorn lecturer, said Thailand should not
overlook political problems in Burma.Thailand was widely thought by other
countries to have great potential to help the cause of democracy, he
said.<br>
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</font><font size=5><b>Fishing industry hit hard as Rangoon closes its
waters<br>
</font><font size=4><i>Damage so far up to B1,000m and rising<br>
</font></i><font size=3>Wanchai Wachirasasithorn and Wut Nontharit<br>
</font><font size=5>B</font></b><font size=3>urma's closure of its waters
to Thai fishing boats with concession rights since Wednesday has already
caused considerable damage to the Thai fishing industry, top fishery
officials said yesterday.<br>
Thammarong Prakobboon, director-general of the Fisheries Department,
believed the damage has so far reached 1,000 million baht and will become
bigger by the day.<br>
He was uncertain whether the suspension would become permanent and called
for the Foreign Ministry to urgently seek negotiations with Burma.<br>
A Rangoon military spokesman has reportedly confirmed the fishing
concessions granted to Thais have been &quot;suspended for the time being
for security reasons&quot;.<br>
Thai boats with fishing concession rights were told by Burmese
authorities on Wednesday to stop fishing, report to a Burmese warship in
each fishing zone by 8pm before leaving the Burmese waters in five
days.<br>
Ruangrit Busayarat, managing director of SB &amp; S International Co, a
fishing concessionaire in Ranong, said about 70 boats returned to Ranong
on Wednesday and 150 others arrived back yesterday.<br>
He expected all the fishing boats of his and other companies to return by
Sunday.<br>
Ranong lies on the coast of the Andaman Sea and is a crossing point
between Thailand and Burma. It is the main port for Thai fishermen
operating in Burmese waters.<br>
Burma's suspension order followed the closure of checkpoints on its
2,100km land border with Thailand over the weekend, after five armed
anti-Rangoon rebels stormed the Burmese embassy in Bangkok and took 38
hostages.<br>
Thousands of Burmese working on Thai fishing boats have subsequently lost
their jobs.<br>
A source at the Thai-Burmese fishing co-ordination centre said Burma has
closed its territorial waters because it wants to revoke the existing
concession system and introduce a new one. Burma is obliged to reimburse
payments for the fishing concession rights.</font>
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