BurmaNet News: November 4, 2000

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______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
        An on-line newspaper covering Burma 
________November 4, 2000   Issue # 1655__________

INSIDE BURMA _______
*Radio Myanmar: ?deterrent and effective punishments in cases 
concerning... cases that disrupt national security...conducive to 
reduction of crimes?

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*AP: Border fighting between Myanmar troops, rebels enters third day 
*AFP: UN special rapporteur on Myanmar resigns citing lack of support 
*AP: Myanmarese fishermen to return home after 3 years in Indian jails
*Bangkok Post: Regional top brass to meet, Burmese, Lao army chiefs will 
stay away
*India News Abroad: Myanmar home minister arrives in India

ECONOMY/BUSINESS _______
*Bangkok Post: Promoters face struggle: But travel show helps raise 
awareness 


The BurmaNet News is viewable online at:
http://theburmanetnews.editthispage.com


__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
	


Radio Myanmar: ?deterrent and effective punishments in cases 
concerning... cases that disrupt national security...conducive to 
reduction of crimes?

Rangoon, in Burmese 1330 gmt 28 Oct 00 



Excerpts from report by Burmese radio on 28th October 

A coordination meeting on crime reduction and enforcement of traffic 
rules in Upper Myanmar Burma was held at the meeting hall of the Central 
Command in Mandalay at 1700 on 27th October. Lt-Gen Tin Oo, secretary-2 
of the State Peace and Development Council SPDC attended the meeting and 
delivered an address. 

He said Mandalay and Sagaing Divisions are the regions where the 
population is dense and development is gaining momentum... 

Tin Oo continued to explain that the meeting was to discuss the tasks in 
order to carry out the duties for crime reduction and prevention more 
extensively than before in Mandalay and Sagaing Divisions by following 
the example of Yangon Rangoon Division. 

He noted the success in crime reduction tasks is primarily based on the 
effective prevention, investigation, and education and information as 
well as on the respective courts' rulings. Especially, the courts' 
deterrent and effective punishments in cases concerning the lives, 
homes, and property of the people and cases that disrupt national 
security, stability, and development are conducive to reduction of 
crimes. He said that it is therefore essential to systematically carry 
out the tasks related to education, prevention, investigation, and 
penalties in accordance with the changing times and systems... 

Tin Oo added in keeping with the guidance of SPDC Chairman Sr Gen Than 
Shwe, all police personnel, investigators, judges, and law officers have 
to deal with the public respectfully with true goodwill so as to win 
their respect and trust... 

As regards to traffic rules enforcement tasks, SPDC Secretary-2 Tin Oo 
noted that since Mandalay and Sagaing Divisions have laid down and 
started action plans they only need to carry out the plans with 
increased momentum. He added the increasing number of vehicles in the 
country has resulted in the rising number of traffic violations. He 
noted it is found that the number of those killed in road accidents is 
much higher than those in homicide cases. Tin Oo attributed these 
accidents to reckless drivers, slow-moving vehicles, pedestrians, 
mechanical failures and bad roads with the majority of accidents caused 
by reckless driving and over speeding. He said severe action should be 
taken against traffic violators while drivers' licenses and motor 
vehicles' licenses should be issued only after careful scrutiny... 

Next, Maj-Gen Ye Myint, chairman of Mandalay Division Peace and 
Development Council and commander of Central Military Command, and 
Maj-Gen Soe Win, chairman of Sagaing Division Peace and Development 
Council and commander of Northwest Military Command, spoke of the tasks 
for crime reduction and traffic rules enforcement measures in Mandalay 
and Sagaing Divisions. 

Afterwards, Home Minister Col Tin Hlaing explained the plans for crime 
reduction, traffic rules enforcement, and police personnel to give up 
their bad colonial habits and work in the interest of the State and 
people. Deputy Home Minister Brig-Gen Thura Myint Maung shared his 
experiences as the chairman of the Crime Reduction and Information 
Committee... 

The meeting ended at 2030. 














___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
				

AFP: UN special rapporteur on Myanmar resigns citing lack of support 

GENEVA, Nov 3 (AFP) - The United Nation's special human rights 
rapporteur on Myanmar has resigned citing lack of support from the 
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights among his reasons. 

 Rajsoomer Lallah told AFP he relinquished the mandate he has held for 
just over four years on Thursday and had written a letter explaining his 
reasons to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson. 

 He said he did not feel he had "had the kind of logistical and 
administrative support" he needed and was told by the Office the 
problems were down to a lack of resources. 

 "If I don't have the support, I don't feel I can usefully contribute 
what I can," Lallah, a former chief justice of the supreme court in 
Mauritius, said. 

 "Maybe there are some resource difficulties, financial difficulties, 
maybe states of the UN should do more about financing," he said. 

 "All I know is that I don't get the kind of support that I need," he 
added. 

 Special rapporteurs are independent experts whose mandate is to present 
reports to the Geneva-based UN Commission on Human Rights which then 
decides whether to take further action. 

 UN Human Rights Commission spokesman Jose-Luis Diaz said the Office had 
done its best to support Lallah's mandate and added "we can understand 
some of his frustrations". 

 "In an administration such as ours which is so dependent on limited 
resources, sometimes we do have to juggle with personnel," he said. 

 But Diaz added the rapporteur had expressed other reasons to step down. 


 "We also understand Mr Lallah was frustrated with a lack of progress in 
relation to the situation he follows, and also concerns about his 
workload as he's also a member of the Human Rights Committee, plus his 
own responsibilities in his country," he said. 

 Lallah, who was formerly special rapporteur for Chile, has never been 
authorised by Myanmar's military regime to visit the country during his 
mandate. He said he was disappointed at the lack of progress in Myanmar 
despite his efforts. 

 "I see very little changing, year after year the General Assembly and 
the Commission pass resolutions, I feel rather disappointed," he added. 

 He said his decision was also motivated by a desire to have more time 
for his role on the Human Rights Committee, sessions having clashed with 
his presentation of reports to the Commission in the past. 



____________________________________________________


AP: Border fighting between Myanmar troops, rebels enters third day 

Nov 4, 2000

MAE SOT, Thailand (AP)  Fighting between Myanmar government forces and 
ethnic Karen rebels entered a third day Saturday as the government 
troops kept up attempts to seize a rebel base opposite the northern Thai 
province of Tak. 

 More than 400 soldiers belonging to the Myanmar army and their 
guerrilla allies in the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army have been 
attacking a stronghold of the Karen National Union since Thursday, but 
have failed to dislodge the defenders, said KNU officers and Thai 
officials. 

 There have been no reports of fatalities on either side. A KNU 
guerrilla injured by artillery shrapnel was evacuated for treatment to a 
Thai hospital on Friday. 			

 On Saturday the government forces brought in reinforcements in their 
attempt to seize the KNU's Wei Na Na Tha camp, opposite the Thai 
district of Phoppra, said a guerrilla spokesman on condition of 
anonymity. 

 Thai villagers getting ready to be evacuated from the area said the 
Myanmar government forces, using artillery and small arms, pressed their 
attack all night Friday until dawn, but without success. 

 The heavy fighting has led the Thai army to begin the evacuation of 
more than 100 Thai villagers in the area. On Friday, two artillery 
shells landed on Thai soil but caused no damage or injuries. 

 Thailand has sent army rangers and militia units to protect the border 
in Phoppra, about 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of Bangkok.
 
 The local Thai commander, Col. Phisanu Vacharophas, said his troops 
were prepared to defend Thai sovereignty and push back any foreign 
troops entering Thai territory. 

 The KNU has been fighting for regional autonomy since Myanmar's 
independence in 1948. It once controlled a large part of the country's 
eastern border region, but in recent years lost its last major enclaves 
along the border with Thailand. Its forces, thought to number 2,000 to 
3,000, now fight in mobile guerrilla units. 

 It is the only major ethnic army that has refused to sign a cease-fire 
with the military regime of Myanmar. The government has brokered deals 
with at least 15 other armies. 

 The KNU has said it will give up its armed struggle if its political 
rights are guaranteed. 



____________________________________________________


AP: Myanmarese fishermen to return home after 3 years in Indian jails 

CALCUTTA, India (AP)  The Myanmarese government has agreed to take back 
54 fishermen languishing in Indian prisons for three years, jail 
authorities said Friday. 
 The agreement for their repatriation came during the visit of 
Myanmarese Home Minister Tin Hlaing to India. 

 Hlaing met with Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh and Defense Minister 
George Fernandes in New Delhi Friday and discussed strengthening of 
mechanisms to check terrorism, gun and drug trafficking and illegal 
border crossings, the United News of India news agency reported. 

 The fishermen's repatriation was one of the issues Hlaing took up with 
India's foreign ministry. 

 ``The repatriation will take some time as various departments in our 
government will have to work together,'' Hlaing said. 

 The 54 Myanmarese fishermen were arrested by Indian coast guards in 
1997 after they were found in Indian territorial waters in the Bay of 
Bengal. They identified themselves as Thais. 


 Local courts in India's West Bengal state released the fishermen but 
the Myanmarese government refused to take them back because their 
nationalities were uncertain. 

 Last month, the fishermen went on a hunger strike demanding they be 
returned to Myanmar. They ended their agitation after the Myanmar 
embassy in New Delhi agreed to sympathetically view their demand. 

 Hlaing said the Myanmarese government was trying to locate the families 
of the fishermen so that they could be sent back. 

 Hlaing, who is on a nine-day visit to India, is accompanied by senior 
officials of the departments of police, foreign affairs and general 
administration. 

 His visit follows the recent killing of Indian soldiers by the 
Myanmarese army who mistook them for rebels. The government of Myanmar 
later apologized for the deaths. 



____________________________________________________

	

AP: 2 shells land in Thailand during Myanmar fighting 

MAE SOT, Thailand (AP) _ The Myanmar army attacked a rebel group's 
stronghold near the border with Thailand Friday, and two artillery 
shells landed on Thai soil during the fighting, officials and villagers 
said. 

 The Burmese army was assisted by ethnic guerrilla allies during the 
attack on the Karen National Union base, said the officials, speaking on 
condition of anonymity. 
 They said one KNU soldier was injured by splinters from a shell, and 
was taken to a hospital in Thailand. There were no other reports of 
casualties. 

 The Thai military sent army rangers and militia units to protect the 
border and evacuate about 100 villagers from the area in Phoppra 
district, about 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of Bangkok. 

 There were no injuries on the Thai side, said the officials. 

 The Burmese army and the allied Democratic Karen Buddhist Army had 
attacked the KNU base on Thursday as well, but had withdrawn after a 
brief skirmish. 

 The KNU has been fighting for regional autonomy since Myanmar's 
independence in 1947. It once controlled a huge part of the country's 
east, but in recent years lost its last enclaves along the border with 
Thailand. Its forces, thought to number 2,000 to 3,000, now fight in 
mobile guerrilla units. 

 It is the only major ethnic army that has refused to sign a cease-fire 
with the military regime of Myanmar. The government has brokered deals 
with at least 15 other armies. 

 The KNU has said it will give up its armed struggle if its political 
rights are guaranteed. 




____________________________________________________


Bangkok Post: Regional top brass to meet, Burmese, Lao army chiefs will 
stay away


Nov 3, 2000.

Wassana Nanuam
 
The army is hosting a meeting of Southeast Asian army chiefs this month 
but with the absence of Burmese and Laotian representatives.
 
An army source said drifting defence relations between Burma and 
Thailand were behind Gen Maung Aye's decision to snub the meeting. The 
Lao army chief has also turned down the invitation, citing an engagement 
in celebration of Lao National Day.
 
The absences leave the meeting-the first of its kind, to be held between 
Nov 21-23 at the Prachuap Khiri Khan infantry centre-to eight army 
chiefs from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, 
Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.
 
The source said the US army commander would be invited as guest speaker. 
Delegates would compete in the Asean Armies Rifle Meet.
 
Gen Maung Aye's refusal to take part had disappointed army chief Gen 
Surayud Chulanont, the source said.
 
There has been no exchange of top-level defence visits since the 
retirement of Gen Chetha Thanacharo, Gen Surayud's predecessor.
 
Gen Surayud prefers to leave all co-ordination efforts with Burma in the 
hands of the Foreign Ministry.


____________________________________________________


India News Abroad: Myanmar home minister arrives in India

Thursday November 2, 8:22 PM

By Rezaul H. Laskar, India Abroad News Service
 
New Delhi, Nov 2 - Myanmar Home Minister Colonel Tin Hlaing arrived here 
Thursday on an official visit at the invitation of his Indian 
counterpart, Lal Krishna Advani, reflecting the warming relations 
between the two countries.
 
Security concerns and the promotion of economic activity, particularly 
with the northeastern Indian states neighboring Myanmar, will be at the 
top of Hlaing's agenda during his nine-day visit. Hlaing, who is 
accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Kham Aung, director (International 
Relations), law enforcement department, will hold extensive discussions 
with Advani on "common security concerns," home ministry sources told 
IANS. 
 
Hlaing will meet External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and Defense 
Minister George Fernandes. He is also scheduled to visit several 
facilities run by the home ministry for specialized training of 
personnel engaged in anti-terrorism and narcotics operations. These 
include the Narcotics Training Centre at Faridabad in Haryana, the 
National Security Guard (NSG) training center on the outskirts of Delhi 
and the National Police Academy in Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.
 
"In recent years, India and Myanmar have forged close cooperation on 
matters of mutual interest, particularly those relating to our security 
concerns. The visit of the Myanmar home minister will further strengthen 
cooperation, which would ensure peace and tranquility in the border 
areas," a spokesman for the home ministry said.
 
There has been a subtle shift in India's policy towards Myanmar in 
recent years, with New Delhi becoming less vocal in its support for 
Myanmarese pro-democracy activists opposed to the ruling military junta. 
A visit to Myanmar in January this year by the former Indian Army chief, 
General V.P. Malik, led to increased cooperation between the armies of 
the two countries in countering the activities of anti-India guerrilla 
groups that have bases in Myanmar.
 
Among these guerrilla groups is the Khaplang faction of the National 
Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K), which has been fighting for the 
creation of an independent homeland for Naga tribals.
 
"We have not abandoned the Myanmarese pro-democracy activists, but we 
also have to keep in mind practical considerations and our security 
concerns," said a senior home ministry official. He said the improvement 
in ties with Yangon was also aimed at curbing China's growing influence 
in Myanmar. 
 
"China has been helping Myanmar in the construction of roads and other 
infrastructure and it has also provided the Myanmarese armed forces with 
military hardware. As a result, China has been able to establish bases 
in the Coco Islands in the Bay of Bengal," the official told IANS. 
 
"If we had not acted swiftly to improve ties with Myanmar, the Chinese 
threat along the borders of our northeastern states would have 
increased," he said.


Burmese general urges effective punishment in national security cases 


_______________ ECONOMY AND BUSINESS _______________
 

Bangkok Post: Promoters face struggle: But travel show helps raise 
awareness 

November 2, 2000 


The murky political situation and difficulties in obtaining tourist 
visas remain big obstacles to promoting tourism in Burma, according to 
presenters at the recent Myanmar Travel Show 2000 in Bangkok. 

"We do not expect more customers than last year. There are many reasons 
behind the falling figures, including politics and regulations to access 
the country," said Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, customer services manager of 
Diethelm Travel in Burma. 

Last year Diethelm handled 6,000 tourists visiting Burma. Phyoe Wai Yar 
Zar expects a smaller figure for this year and the high season extending 
into next year. Diethelm's main customer base for Burmese tours comes 
from the United States, Germany and France. Thailand remains only a 
small market for the company. 

Visas have long been a big stumbling block for tour operators. Burma 
does not have enough embassies and consular offices abroad to issue 
visas, while visas on arrival are issued on a case-by-case basis with 
inconsistent results. 

Some tour operators solve the problem by prearranging visa applications 
with the embassy in Bangkok. The process requires a few days to be 
completed, but it is better than leaving customers to wait without a 
clear answer. 

"Our passenger total doubled last season, but it has tended to drop this 
season," said Su Su Hlaing, manager for marketing and communications of 
Air Mandalay Ltd, surveying the quiet room at the Baiyoke Sky Hotel in 
Bangkok where the show took place. 

Many tourism people attended the show _ the third held in Thailand _ and 
surveyed its 20 booths on the opening day, Oct 17, but the hall was 
almost silent on the second day. 

At least the show might help create awareness of Burmese destinations 
and airlines, Ms Su said. "We just want people to know about our airline 
and our service to Chiang Mai." Between April 1998 and March 1999, Burma 
welcomed 478,099 foreign tourists. For the period ending in March this 
year, the figure fell slightly to 434,927. 

"It is my first time in Thailand. Indeed, I did not know how difficult 
it was to gain access to Burma," said U Maung Ngwe, branch manager of 
Golden Island Cottages at Inle Lake. 

Peerawat Jariyasombat 



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