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Subject: [theburmanetnews] BurmaNet News: April 21, 2000
______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
An on-line newspaper covering Burma
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________
April 21, 2000
Issue # 1514
This edition of The BurmaNet News is viewable online
at:
http://theburmanetnews.editthispage.com/stories/storyReader$339
*Inside Burma
THE IRRAWADDY: WHAT IS TORTURE?
MTBR: MAYFLOWER BANK OPENS SHAN BRANCH
NLM: MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION RECEIVES
JAPANESE VISITORS
*International
SHAN: JAPAN TO CHANNEL SALWEEN DAM FUNDS THROUGH CHINA
KYODO: CAMBODIA SENTENCES 2 MYANMARS TO JAIL FOR ILLEGAL
ENTRY
REUTERS: MYANMAR TO HOST ASEAN ECONOMIC MEETING
FBC: MINNEAPOLIS TO VOTE ON "FREE BURMA" RESOLUTION
AP: COOK VISITS MYANMAR REFUGEE CAMP
*Opinion/Editorials
ERI: EARTH DAY STATEMENT ON YADANA PIPELINE
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
THE IRRAWADDY: WHAT IS TORTURE?
Vol.8 No.3, March 2000
ARTICLE
Bo Kyi recalls and explains his experiences in Burma's
prison.
Torture: The deliberate, systematic or wanton
infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or
more persons acting alone or in order of any
authority, to force another person to yield
information, to make a confession or for any other reason.
- The Tokyo Declaration on Torture, October 1975
One of the greatest obstacles to assisting victims of
torture and ending this abhorrent practice is public
ignorance about the nature of the problem. Few people
really understand what torture is. Since a greater
awareness is essential for the prevention of future
torture, I would like to explain what torture is, as
well as its aims, methods and effects, drawing in
particular upon the experiences of torture victims in
Burma.
The Tokyo Declaration on Torture, cited above,
provides a basic definition of torture. Concerning
the aims of torture, however, it mentions only the
immediate reasons for inflicting torture and not the
underlying purpose, which is to effectively destroy
the soul of a human being. Torture is designed to
break down the identity of a strong man or woman,
turning a union leader, a politician, a student
leader, a journalist, or a leader of an ethnic
minority group into a non-entity with no connection to
the world outside of their torture chamber.
The process begins with arrest, usually at night. In
Burma, however, sometimes this process starts in
broad daylight in public places. This was the case
with the arrest of Min Ko Naing, one of the most
prominent student leaders of the 1988 pro-democracy
uprising. Min Ko Naing, now 38 years old, is the
chairman of the All Burma Federation Of Student
Unions (ABFSU). He and I were arrested in front of
many people by a group of men in civilian clothes on
the afternoon of March 23, 1989. Our arrest was
violentthree policemen pulled our necks very roughly,
as if we were dangerous criminals. Then we were
turned over to agents of the Military Intelligence
Services (MIS). The MIS men put handcuffs on Min Ko
Naing and pulled a dirty hood over his head before
taking him away in a truck. I and several other people
witnessed the vicious beating he received as he was
being dragged away to the truck. The MIS agents
kicked and punched him all over his body, then took
him away to a secret destination where he was kept
for several weeks and brutally tortured. His family
was not permitted to visit him for nearly three years.
They saw at once that he was suffering from physical
and psychological trauma. Now, 11 years after his
arrest, Min Ko Naing still languishes in Sittawe
prison, far from his family in Rangoon.
In Burma, under the present military regime, various
physical torture methods are being used, including
systematic beatings (aimed at inflicting permanent
injury), unsystematic beatings (using rifle butts,
truncheons, etc.), electric torture (applying
electrodes to sensitive parts of the body, such as the
gums, ears, fingertips, and sexual organs) and "moe
dewa", or water torture (drops of water fall onto the
victim's head until, after a number of hours, they
feel like a pounding hammer). Another common
practice is burning victims with cigarettes.
In the case of unsystematic beating, permanent damage
may occur, even if that was not the intention. Thura
Soe, a former political prisoner who was released in
1999, described being kicked and beaten by a group of
men while being held at an interrogation center. The
beatings started even before he was asked any
questions. Both of his ears were hit during this
indiscriminate beating, leaving his hearing
permanently damaged. Later, his right leg, which had
not healed from a previous injury, was repeatedly
jumped on.
Moe Aye, another former Burmese student political
prisoner, described his experience of systematic
torture in his book, Ten Years On:
"'Sit down,' MIS ordered, 'and stretch out your legs.'
"Then one of my legs was pulled up, and I felt
terrified. Both of my legs were placed on a piece of
hard wood, and I then felt something like another
piece of wood being placed on top and I heard the
sound of iron chains. It was extremely painful and I
cried out loud."
After being brutally tortured, the tissue damage and
structural and functional consequences are the same
as after assaults, accidents and sports injuries. In
other cases, victims suspended by their wrists and
with their arms above their heads, a common posture
during interrogation by MIS agents, complain of long-
term joint pain, and some have difficulty standing or
sitting for long periods of time.
The physical forms of torture are very severe, but the
worst form of torture is psychological. Mostly,
psychological torture starts upon arrest. As soon as
one is arrested, a dirty hood is placed over the
head. One immediately looses all contact with
the outside world. Then one is put into isolation in a
small cell, which is kept either very dark or very
bright. While under interrogation, one is not allowed
to sleep, eat or drink for at least 36 hours. The
victim loses all sense of time. Torture victims are
not allowed to bathe for many days and are kept in
very unsanitary conditions. When the detainee
requests a visit to the toilet, the authorities turn a
deaf ear.
Under such circumstances, the torture victim may
become abnormal, sometimes resulting in suicide. Tin
Tin Nyo, 26, a well-known female student leader, was
detained and interrogated by MIS in 1990. While she
was in the interrogation center, she was kicked in
her supra pubic region by MIS agents wearing jungle
boots. Further details of her torture are not known,
because she refused to discuss them with anyone.
Finally, on December 31, 1993, she succeeded in
killing herself.
Physical and psychological forms of torture are often
closely linked, leaving scars that are difficult to
detect. Many victims will not dare to reveal their
experiences of having their sexual organs violated as
it is closely linked to shame and guilt and the fear
of social stigma when they are released.
Many victims suffer from insomnia and nightmares long
after experiencing torture. Severe depression is
another common problem, often so debilitating that it
becomes extremely difficult for the victim to return
to normal life.
Public awareness can help prevent the future torture
of unfortunate victims, as well as the nearly 2,500
political prisoners still inside Burmese prisons.
Let's think how we can help the torture victims.
Bo Kyi, a former student activist now living in exile,
contributed this article to The Irrawaddy.
____________________________________________________
MTBR: MAYFLOWER BANK OPENS SHAN BRANCH
THE MYANMAR TIMES & BUSINESS REVIEW
April 10 - 23 ,2000
Volume 1, No.6 & 7
BRIEFS
Mayflower bank opens Shan branch
MYANMAR Mayflower Bank Ltd opened a branch in Kengtung,
northern Shan State, at a ceremony held at the bank on 3
April.. SPDC Member Commander of Triangle Region Command
Maj-Gen Thein Sein, Minister for Finance and Revenue U
Khin Maung Thein and MMFB Chairman U Kyaw Win spoke on the
occasion. MMFB has now opened 21 branches. Altogether 1162
people opened accounts amounting to K5m at the branch on
its first day.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
NLM: MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION RECEIVES
JAPANESE VISITORS
New Light of Myanmar
YANGON, 20 April- Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation
Maj-Gen Nyunt Tin received Director-General of Policy
Research Council Liberal Democratic Party of Japan Mr
Tomomitsu Iwakura and Director Mr Akira Karasawa of
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock of Japan
at his office at 4 pm today. They discussed matters
related to economic and technical cooperation in the
agriculture sector between Myanmar and Japan.
__________________ INTERNATIONAL ___________________
SHAN: JAPAN TO CHANNEL SALWEEN DAM FUNDS THROUGH CHINA
21 April 2000
No: 4 - 6
The Salween Dam
Source: Japan To Channel Funds Through China
An informed source from Rangoon told S.H.A.N. recently
that an agreement had been made to channel Japanese
financial assistance for the forthcoming
construction of the Salween dam to Burma through a Chinese
bank.
The source, who requested withholding of her identity,
said as it was difficult for Japan to hand out funds
straight to Rangoon, due to the situation in Burma as
well as the strong opposition of the west with regards to
aiding the junta, it was agreed that the money would be
deposited at the Bank of Shanghai that has a branch in
Rangoon.
The Chinese condition was that the bulk of the equipment
needed for the construction be purchased from China, she
said.
Kendo, a Japanese construction company in Rangoon, was one
of those that had been lobbying the Japanese financial
sector for support for the dam project.
The projected dam site, near Tasarng, between Mongpan and
Mongton of Shan State, is currently under final study by
GMS Power, a Thai company.
The project is being opposed by Shans, Karens, Karennis
and Mons who live along the Salween basin.
///END\\\
For further information, please contact S.H.A.N. at:
Shan Herald Agency for News. P.O. Box. 15, Nonghoi P.O.,
50007, Chiangmai, Thailand
e-mail: <shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
S.H.A.N. is a non-profit, independent Shan media group. It
is not affiliated to any political or armed organization.
____________________________________________________
KYODO: CAMBODIA SENTENCES 2 MYANMARS TO JAIL FOR ILLEGAL
ENTRY
PHNOM PENH, April 20 (Kyodo) - A Cambodian military court
on Thursday sentenced two Myanmar immigrants to three
months and eight days in prison for entering the country
earlier this year without proper travel documents.
During the hearing, Moth Sayhamsamay, 45, and Kao Saknoun
Chhai, 26, identified themselves as members of the
Rehmanya Restoration Army resistance movement, which is
fighting the Myanmar junta.
The pair entered Cambodia on Jan. 7 and were arrested five
days later in the northwest province Battambang, according
to court documents.
The men face extradition to Myanmar after serving their
prison terms.
Defense lawyer Puth Theavy said he was trying to contact
international human rights organizations, including the
office in Cambodia of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights,
in an attempt to ensure the pair's safety after they
return to Myanmar.
____________________________________________________
REUTERS: MYANMAR TO HOST ASEAN ECONOMIC MEETING
2000-04-21
BANGKOK, April 21 (Reuters) - Myanmar will host a
meeting of economic and trade ministers of the
10-member Association of South East Asian Nations
(ASEAN), China, Japan and South Korea next month,
officials said on Friday.
The meeting in Yangon, the capital of Myanmar, will
start with an informal gathering of ASEAN ministers on
May 1, Thai officials told Reuters. The Southeast
Asian ministers would then meet their North Asian
counterparts on May 2. An official in Yangon confirmed
the dates but gave no further details.
A spokeswoman for the Thai Commerce Minister said
Deputy Prime Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi, who is
also trade minister, would represent Thailand at the
meeting. Thai sources said it would be the first time
military-ruled Myanmar had hosted such an event since
joining the regional grouping in 1997.
ASEAN comprises Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia,
Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos,
Cambodia and Brunei. Myanmar is subject to U.S.
sanctions because of its human rights records, while
the European Union bars senior officials of the
government from its borders. Japan has taken a softer
line.
The EU froze aid to Myanmar after troops there killed
thousands to crush a pro-democracy uprising in 1988
but resumed some humanitarian assistance after
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released from
six years house arrest in 1995.
In November, then Japanese Premier Keizo Obuchi
offered help to Myanmar should it seriously take up
economic structural reform.
Obuchi stressed it would be easier to provide aid if
Myanmar was more democratic, but analysts say Tokyo's
principal concern appears to be losing business and
political influence to China.
____________________________________________________
FBC: MINNEAPOLIS TO VOTE ON "FREE BURMA" RESOLUTION
Contact:
612-874-7899
BurmaNow@xxxxxxxxx
Minneapolis To Vote On 'Free Burma' Resolution
Proposed "Selective Purchasing Agreement" Will Cut
Business Ties with Burma's Military
Friday, April 21 at 9:30 a.m.
City Hall, Room 317
Minneapolis, MN--A two-year long effort to enact a human
rights policy regarding Burma in the City Council of
Minneapolis will be decided at the full Council meeting on
Friday. The "Burma Selective Purchasing Agreement"
directs the city to avoid purchasing products or
contracting with companies that do business with the
draconian military controlling Burma (a country in SE
Asia). If approved, Minneapolis will be joining some 25
cities and states across the US that have placed such
policies into action since 1995, including Los Angeles,
New York, and Massachusetts. The Council vote is
scheduled for the 9:30 a.m. meeting at City Hall, Room 317
The Selective Purchasing Agreement was introduced by 6th
Ward Council Member Jim Niland in 1998 and has been
through the legislative mill in several committees. This
final version of Selective Purchasing has picked up a co-
sponsor as well, 8th Ward Council Member Brian Herron.
The resolution, which is based on the Anti-Apartheid
resolutions of a decade ago, establishes a protocol
against purchasing or accepting contract bids from
companies that have ties to the military in Burma,
wherever possible. ìThe measure has no impact on city
operations.
"Minneapolis can easily find other companies or, in a rare
case, opt out of the measure if no other company provides
a vital service. This is a no-brainer for the Council to
enact," explains Mick Schommer of the Free Burma
Coalition, the human rights group sponsoring the
resolution.
With Council Members largely split on the resolution, it
is not certain how close the vote will be. "Clearly, the
City has the ability and right to make this work if they
have the courage and decency. It's upsetting that we
haven't had unanimous consent from the very
beginning," said Patti Hurd, a volunteer who works with
the local Burmese community in the Twin Cities. Pro-
business interests and jurisdiction questions brought up
by opponents have obstructed the vote until now. Yet,
Selective Purchasing has enjoyed wide endorsements,
from the DFL party, the Central Labor Committee, local
human right organizations, and Senator Paul Wellstone.
Burma is one of the most severe military states, where
forced labor of some 5 million people (including
children), torture, rape, executions, and massacres of
ethnic minorities are financed by Western investment
and even, some allege, directly encouraged by corporate
heads. In addition, the regime facilitates over 60% of
the heroin trade to the US, including Minnesota where
heroin continues to be the most prevalent street drug.
"It's bloody business. Minneapolis must not help kill my
friends and family back home," said Aung Koe, a recent
refugee from Burma.
____________________________________________________
AP: COOK VISITS MYANMAR REFUGEE CAMP
Thu 20 Apr 2000
THAM HIN TEMPORARY SHELTER, Thailand (AP) British Foreign
Secretary Robin Cook visited a camp for refugees from Myanmar today
and left buoyed in the belief that his government should pressure
the nation's military regime for political change.
Cook's visit highlights British concerns over the poor human rights
record in Myanmar, also known as Burma, and the regime's failure to
turn over power to a democratically elected government.
Britain ``is happy to work with Burma as a partner but with a
different government which represents the people,'' Cook said after a
two-hour tour of the camp housing almost 8,000 refugees.
Thailand avoids public criticism of its neighbor's political
system, but is concerned about the many refugees it has to host and
the large amount of illegal drugs it says originate there.
The Tham Hin camp, about nine miles from the border, covers 16
acres and houses refugees from Myanmar's Karen ethnic minority, a
group that has been at odds with the central government since the
country obtained independence from Britain in 1948.
Most of those at the camp came during fighting between government
forces and Karen guerrillas in 1997.
Daniel Zu, a camp leader, told Cook of the residents' desire that
Britain keep pressuring the military regime in Yangon to move toward
peace and democracy.
Britain has given $395,000 for non-governmental organizations to
assist people in the refugee camps, and Cook said he would make a
case when he got home for continued financial support.
He also said Britain would stand firm in keeping the pressure on
the regime, both by itself and in coordination with other European
Union countries.
Myanmar dissidents had earlier appealed to Cook to keep up the
pressure on the military regime.
A letter from the National Council of the Union of Burma, a
coalition of dissident Myanmar groups, said today that Cook's visit
``comes at a crucial time in our struggle for freedom,
human rights and democracy for Burma.''
The NCUB and other exile opposition groups support the main legal
opposition party, the National League for Democracy, which is led by
1991 Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. The party won a
landslide victory in a 1990 general election, but the military
refused to hand over power.
_________________OPINION/EDITORIALS_________________
ERI: EARTH DAY STATEMENT ON YADANA PIPELINE
Earth Rights International
For the Indigenous Solidarity Statement speakers
from one country from every inhabited continent
speaks out on the issue of oil and gas in their
lands. Burma was the country chosen for Earth Day
2000 from Asia to highlight the negative impacts
of the Yadana Pipeline project in Burma. Below is
Ka Hsaw Wa's statement to a press conference on
Tuesday April 18 in Washington DC, given in
conjunction with Oronto Douglas, Indigenous leader
of the Ijaw People in Nigeria.
------------------------------------
Statement of Ka Hsaw Wa for Earth Day 2000 Press
Conference (Launching Indigenous Solidarity
Statement for Earth Day 2000)
Thank you very much for coming today. I am very
happy to be representing my people of Burma in
this Earth Day event. It is important that
indigenous people from all over the world stand
together in solidarity, to let the world know
about the reality of oil, gas and mining in our
lands.
It is also important for me to be able to talk to
you here. As you know, my people are silenced in
Burma by the military dictatorship that rules
there. People in Burma cannot participate in any
Earth Day celebrations. Even though most of the
people in my country rely on a healthy environment
for their survival, they cannot openly stand with
the rest of the world to celebrate and protect
that environment. The military will not let them.
For the people in Burma, Earth Day''s call for
clean energy means two things. It means energy
that does not pollute our land, our water, our
forests. But in the land of Unocal''s Yadana gas
pipeline, my people want a different kind of clean
energy. They want energy that is not polluted with
their blood, their sweat or their tears. Clean
energy means energy that does not destroy our
lives.
The reality for the Karen, Mon and Tavoyan people
who are forced to live with Unocal''s pipeline is
this: Forced labor, torture, rape, killing, forced
relocation of villages. This is what happened in
my country when Unocal hired the SLORC to secure
their pipeline. This is what continues today in
the pipeline region as I speak to you now.
The pipeline construction is complete. Yet the
forced labor and the violence continue. And it
will continue as long as western oil companies
like Unocal and Total send in the Burmese army to
protect their pipelines. If these companies really
care about the earth and its people like they say
they do, they will get out of Burma.
Clean energy, for us, means that the oil companies
will stop supporting the military dictatorship
that oppresses us daily. They will leave us alone,
to live in peace and freedom, without their
pipelines and the suffering that they bring.
Thank you.
________________
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