[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index
][Thread Index
]
BurmaNet News: February 1, 2001
- Subject: BurmaNet News: February 1, 2001
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 10:36:00
______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
An on-line newspaper covering Burma
February 1, 2001 Issue # 1724
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________
INSIDE BURMA _______
*AFP : EU team says Myanmar talks most significant development in a
decade
*Shan Human Rights Foundation: Monthly Report Excerpt
REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*Los Angeles Times : Powell Wants Time Out on Sanctions
*The Independent (Bangladesh): Dam construction: Dhaka, Yangon to
conduct joint survey of site February 2
*Bangkok Post: Surin urges official line with Burma
*BBC: 'Burmese refugees smuggling arms'
*Church World Service: Ecumenical Group Secures the Release of Asylum
Seekers from Burma
ECONOMY/BUSINESS _______
*The Nation.: Burma, Laos, China Trade up
OTHER______
*PD Burma: Calendar of events with regard to Burma
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
AFP : EU team says Myanmar talks most significant development in a
decade
BANGKOK, Jan 31 (AFP) - Talks between opposition leader Aung Sang Suu
Kyi and the junta are the most significant development in Myanmar for a
decade, a European delegation said Wednesday after a three-day mission
to Yangon. The five-member European Union team said signs of a thaw in
the military-run country were "promising but yet not irreversible".
"We had the impression that the contacts were the most interesting thing
to happen since (elections in) 1990," said Borje Ljunggren, representing
the EU presidency.
The EU team met with Aung San Suu Kyi for more than two hours Tuesday at
her home where she has been confined by the military regime since
September 22.
It also held talks with the junta's number-three Lieutenant-General Khin
Nyunt who has met with the opposition leader at least twice over the
last few months.
Ljunggren, the head of the Asia Department in Sweden's Foreign Affairs
ministry, told reporters at Bangkok airport that Aung San Suu Kyi was
"in a very good mood and well in all respects".
He confirmed that the Nobel peace laureate was "cautiously optimistic"
about the developments and hopeful they would lead to a more substantial
dialogue.
However, both sides maintained strict confidentiality on the content of
the talks. "We respect their decision," he said.
Ljunggren said the team made its three-day visit to Yangon at "an
interesting but delicate moment."
After extensive meetings with government ministers, opposition National
League for Democracy leaders and ethnic minority groups, they formed a
positive view about the future of the process.
"The discussions were frank but held in a good atmosphere, helped by
recent developments," he said, referring to the release of dozens of
political prisoners last week.
"Both sides seem to want to pursue them ... but you need something more
substantial to consider them irreversible," he said, adding that the
contacts were "still at an early stage".
"We expressed the hope the contacts would develop further, broadening
and deepening so as to promote national reconciliation, democracy and
human rights," he said.
The delegation will now report back to the EU, which by the end of April
will carry out its regular review of sanctions against Myanmar. Aung San
Suu Kyi's meeting with the European officials was her first confirmed
contact with foreign diplomats since UN envoy Razali Ismail visited her
twice earlier this month.
Razali later revealed that the Nobel peace laureate had held secret
talks with Khin Nyunt and that the opposition and the junta were edging
towards their first dialogue since 1994.
A diplomatic source in the Myanmar capital Yangon said Wednesday that
Khin Nyunt briefed the EU officials on the military's recent efforts to
bolster trust and confidence between the two sides.
More concessions were in the offing after the release last week of
dozens of opposition prisoners including National League for Democracy
(NLD) vice-chairman Tin Oo, the general told the team.
Khin Nyunt reiterated during the meeting that neither the junta nor the
opposition would reveal the "nature and content" of the ongoing talks
until a "proper climate" was created, the diplomat said.
Sources in Yangon said while the content of the visiting officials'
talks was limited, the fact they enjoyed such free access to both sides
on Myanmar's political divide was extremely significant.
"Having these discussions is already a huge thing because these sorts of
meetings were completely blocked only two years ago," one diplomat said.
Although progress towards a dialogue has been surprisingly fast, most
commentators believe any major developments, like a decision to hold
fresh elections, will be years in the making.
The phrase "cautious optimism" is frequently used by those involved with
the talks, who are excited about the process but acutely aware that the
junta holds all the cards and will be loath to relinquish its grip on
power.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Shan Human Rights Foundation: Monthly Report Excerpt
January 2001
GRUESOME TORTURE AND KILLING IN LOI-LEM
On 20.11.00, 2 displaced Shan farmers were brutally tortured
and killed by SPDC troops from LIB513, led by commander Maung Swe, who
cut the ears, lips and tongues of their victims with knives and beat
their eyes with sticks until their eyes popped out and after about 2-3
hours beat them to death, at a place about 5-6 miles from Pang Long town
relocation site in Loi-Lem township.
The 2 farmers, Zaai Zaw Zing (m), aged 25 and Zaai Mint Zo (m), aged 27,
were originally from Kun Khaa village, Huay Waan tract, that had been
forcibly relocated to Paang Long town relocation site, Loi-Lem township,
by SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council = the name of the
ruling military junta from 1988 to 1997) troops in August 1997.
These 2 farmers had grown rice at their farms at a place 10 miles from
Paang Long town with the permission from LIB513 in the form of a pass
issued by the military authorities, and had been transporting the
harvested rice back to Paang Long on horsebacks.
On the day of the incident, the 2 farmers were going to their farms with
their horses, taking with them a small amount of husked rice and some
pickled soya bean and salt for their families who were working at the
farms. When they had gone about 5-6 miles on the way, they ran into a
patrol of 50 SPDC troops from Company No.4 of LIB513 with some civilian
porters, led by commander Maung Swe.
The troops stopped them and, on seeing about 1 Pyi of rice, arrested
them and interrogated them. The SPDC troops accused the farmers of
carrying the food with the intention to feed the Shan soldiers and asked
them the whereabouts of the Shan soldiers. After the farmers
explained that they were only going to get their rice from their farms
and the food was only for their families who were taking care of the
rice at their farms and kept denying the accusation, saying that they
did not know any Shan soldiers, for some time, the SPDC troops started
to torture them.
The troops beat the farmers for a while, but they kept denying the
charge and said they did not know any rebels. The troops then seized
Zaai Mint Zo and cut his ears slowly one after another with a knife
while forcing Zaai Zaw Zing to watch the gruesome sight. When
the farmers still could not answer their questions, the troops continued
to cut the lips and tongue of Zaai Mint Zo and beat his eyes with a
stick until they popped out of their sockets, and threatened Zaai Zaw
Zing that they would do the same to him if he did not tell them where
the Shan soldiers were.
When Zaai Zaw Zing said he could not tell them anything because he did
not know, the SPDC troops did the same to him as they interrogated him.
The 2 farmers were left to suffer for 2-3 hours and eventually beaten
to death.
These acts of brutality were deliberately done in front of all the
civilian porters.
___________________________________________________
___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
Los Angeles Times : Powell Wants Time Out on Sanctions
By GEORGE GEDDA, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON--Economic sanctions have been seen for years as a useful tool
for dealing with wayward nations, sort of a halfway point between doing
nothing and sending in the Marines.
Sanctions have been losing their cachet of late, with business interests
complaining that sanctions seldom work and cost American business
exports worth billions of dollars.
The anti-sanctions movement now has a formidable ally: Secretary of
State Colin Powell. The Clinton administration questioned the utility of
sanctions but not to the degree that Powell did when he testified before
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee two weeks ago.
He practically pleaded with senators to knock it off.
"I would encourage the Congress to stop for a while. I mean stop, look
and listen before you impose a sanction," he said. "I mean, they just
keep coming, and I think I've seen about half a dozen new ones ... in
the last couple of weeks.
"I would encourage self-discipline on the part of the Congress; that
when you're mad about something, or when there is a particular
constituent interest, please stop, count to 10, call me, let me come up,
let's talk about it before you slap another bureaucratic process on me."
He said he plans a review of all current sanctions to determine whether
they should be removed.
President Bush said Wednesday he will support a continuation of U.N.
sanctions against Libya until that country accepts responsibility for
the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. Bush
commented after a Scottish court convicted a Libyan intelligence officer
of murder in the bombing, which claimed 270 lives, mostly Americans.
Aryeh Neier, president of the Open Society Institute and veteran human
rights advocate, hopes Powell does not act too precipitously.
"It would be a mistake to abandon sanctions in situations where there
are no ready substitutes, as in the promotion of international human
rights," Neier says, writing in The New York Times.
Neier cites the example of Myanmar, also known as Burma, where a
military dictatorship has ruled harshly for more than a decade. The
United States signaled its opposition to the junta years ago by banning
new investments and stripping U.S. visas from leading members of the
government.
Neier believes the sanctions are finally having an effect, pointing out
that the government has opened negotiations with Aung San Suu Kyi, the
Nobel Prize-winning leader of Myanmar's democratic opposition.
He also says that sanctions were instrumental in inducing South Africa's
apartheid government to open the way to a transition to democracy.
Powell said that in preparing for his new role, he was astonished to
find the number of countries subject to sanctions. It's a situation, he
said, that makes it "a little difficult for the administration to
conduct foreign policy as effectively as we might."
A 1997 report by the President's Export Council found 73 countries
targeted by unilateral sanctions.
Leading the fight against sanctions is USA Engage, a corporate group
which maintains that sanctions cost the U.S. economy $19 billion
annually.
The group's research found there are or have been sanctions against
South Korea and Saudi Arabia over labor rights; India and Pakistan for
nuclear testing; Colombia for narcotics; and China for human rights
abuses and environmental worries.
Citizens of Canada and Israel were sanctioned for doing business in
Cuba. Egypt and Germany were threatened with sanctions because of
objections to alleged religious persecution, as were companies in
Russia, Malaysia and France for investing in Iran's petroleum sector.
Two countries under sanctions now, Powell believes, should remain under
sanctions: Iraq, which has been under U.N. Security Council sanctions
for more than 10 years, and Cuba, target of unilateral U.S. sanctions.
Powell said the United States must make clear to the Iraqis that the
sanctions must be kept in place and ensure that funds earned through
Iraq's oil-for-food program are not used to develop weapons of mass
destruction.
As for Cuba, Powell said President Fidel Castro is "an aging starlet,
who will not change in this lifetime. ... It is President Bush's
intention to keep the sanctions in place."
___________________________________________________
The Independent (Bangladesh): Dam construction: Dhaka, Yangon to conduct
joint survey of site February 2
January 31, 2001.
by Staff Reporter
Senior officials of Bangladesh and Myanmar are expected to conduct on
February 2, a joint survey of the site in the Naf river, where Myanmars
border security force, Nasaka, began construction of a cross dam in
violation of the border treaty and international rules.
Nasaka had to stop the construction on January 8, the day they started
building the dam with a motive to divert the course of the river,
flowing between the two countries, in the face of objections by the
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).
The planned joint survey will take place as per the proposal of Myanmar.
The Myanmar authorities made the proposal on January 16, amidst
tensions, following illegal activities of the Myanmar border troops.
An official source said yesterday that an 11-member Bangladesh team and
a 14-member delegation from Myanmar will jointly inspect the site, which
has already been identified as the Bangladesh territory in a map
released by an international agency.
The Bangladesh team will comprise officials from the ministries of the
Home Affairs, the Foreign Affairs, the Land and the Water Resources and
BDR.
___________________________________________________
Bangkok Post: Surin urges official line with Burma
January 31, 2001.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
'Realistic policy' is best way forward
Achara Ashayagachat
Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan insisted formal dialogue was the best
way to deal with Burma but agreed personal connections might "open the
door" to warmer ties.
"We all have our own key to open the door and if it clicks it should be
transformed into the formal channel of communications so the key or
connection will not be exploited for individual or group benefits," he
said.
"During the last three years, I've tried to minimise the use of personal
relations and formalise foreign affairs contacts as a permanent path."Mr
Surin could not explain Thai Rak Thai's confidence in its ability to
solve fishing disputes with Burma and was not aware of an agreement
between the party and Rangoon. He reminded the in-coming government
dialogue with Burma over drugs and border disputes were also important.
"It would certainly be a good thing if they succeeded in paving the way
to a breakthrough on the fishing problem," he said.
The Democrat-led government strived to sustain a "realistic policy" with
Burma, Mr Surin said.
"We have to look at the overall picture. The first two years [of
bilateral relations] seemed smooth but then there were several violent
incidents.. which caused relations to deteriorate in other aspects."He
said the nation regained the confidence of the international community
and pointed out the importance of transparency and mutual understanding
among agencies involved in foreign affairs. The minister also urged
further support for the Team Thailand approach to inter-agency work
overseas.
"It should be worked out in a more efficient manner if human resources
are developed."
___________________________________________________
BBC: 'Burmese refugees smuggling arms'
- Wednesday, 31 January, 2001, 14:51 GMT
By Zubair Ahmed in Dhaka
Bangladesh has accused Burma's Rohingya refugees of smuggling arms and
drugs into their country.
Police say senior Rohingya militant leaders arrested in Bangladesh last
week had links with armed militant groups in several countries.
The bulk of the illegal trade in arms and drugs passes through Teknaf, a
busy town on the Bangla-Burma border, where most of an estimated 50,000
illegal Rohingya immigrants live.
Police say members of the Rohingya community, on either side of the
border, are conduits for the supply of arms and drugs to militant groups
in Bangladesh and India.
Crackdown
The refugees, who live in two camps near Teknaf, are said to have links
with the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation, an alliance of
separatist militant groups campaigning for the Arakan region's
independence from Burma.
Last week, police arrested the group's self-styled army chief,
Salimullah, along with two other alleged Rohingya militants.
Police say the arrests were proof that many other Arakan separatist
militants had
operated from Bangladesh for years.
But the Rohingyas deny any links with militant organisations and
complain of constant police harassment.
A spokesman for the Burmese embassy in Dhaka declined to comment on the
arrests but said they were studying the situation.
___________________________________________________
Church World Service: Ecumenical Group Secures the Release of Asylum
Seekers from Burma
January 30, 2001, NEW YORK CITY - An ecumenical group composed of staff
from the Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program, Lutheran
Immigration and Refugee Service, the Southern Baptist Convention, and
the Chin Freedom Coalition traveled to Guam the week of January 15 to
advocate for the release of 39 asylum seekers from Burma detained by
the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The ecumenical group
worked with the Governor of Guam, the INS and churches already
supporting the asylum seekers from Burma to secure their release, which
began Monday, January 29.
The 39 asylum seekers of Chin ethnicity fled their country to escape
religious persecution and ethnic cleansing by the military regime of
Myanmar (also known as Burma). For the past six months, they have been
detained by the Department of Corrections since their arrival in Guam.
ôThe compelling nature of their claims is what brought me here,ö
explained Matt Wilch director for immigration and asylum concerns at
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. ôSo far, the grant rate of
this group is 95%. These are people fleeing torture, rape, and scorched
earth tactics against their communities all because they insist on
practicing their Christian faith and promoting democratic ideals. They
deserve our protection and quick relief.ö
The ecumenical group toured the prison where the 39 asylum seekers were
detained, made pastoral visits to their quarters, visited other asylum
seekers living on the island and met with ethnic organizations working
for the release of the detainees. ôWe feel that these refugees face
unnecessary hurdles in the asylum process,ö remarked Rev. Joan
Maruskin, Washington Representative for Church World Service. ôThey
live in terribly cramped conditions and wait for months to have their
claims adjudicated by the INS. We want to bring these problems to
light and help the refugees find solutions which will lead to their
safety and ability to reestablish their lives.ö
The delegation began its efforts on Guam by meeting with the church
groups who support the more than 800 asylum seekers from Burma already
living on the island while they await the adjudication of their claims.
Only two lawyers are available to process the claims of asylum seekers
on Guam, so the wait is long. A coalition of Protestant and Catholic
groups has provided the refugees with food, shelter, clothing and other
assistance as they go through the asylum process.
Delegates met with the Governor of Guam, Mr. Carl T.C. Gutierrez, on
January 18 to enlist his support for the refugeesÆ release. The
Governor commended the groupÆs efforts and the efforts of GuamÆs church
groups to support the refugees. He then sent a letter to the U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization Service headquarters to ask for the
groupÆs release to the community and quick adjudication of their asylum
claims.
The ecumenical delegation included Rev. Maruskin, Helen Morris and
Adijatu Abiose, Esq. of Church World Service; Matt Wilch of Lutheran
Immigration and Refugee Service; Zo T. Hmung of Chin Freedom Coalition;
and Dr. Donoso Escobar of the Southern Baptist Convention; and Rev.
Euford from the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention.
_______________ ECONOMY AND BUSINESS _______________
The Nation.: Burma, Laos, China Trade up
Wednesday, January 31, 2001
THE value of trade with three of Thailand's closest neighbours - Burma,
Laos and China- jumped 34.1 per cent during the first 10 months of last
year compared with the same period a year earlier, reaching a combined
total of Bt8.06 billion.
Burma is still the major cross-border trading partner out of the three,
as total trade with the western neighbour was more than triple the value
of trade with Laos and China combined.
Total trade with Burma rose 25.73 per cent to Bt6.35 billion compared
with Bt4.72 billion in the same period of 1999. Of the total, exports
were valued at Bt5.63 billion, up 30.16 per cent, while imports dropped
8.09 per cent.
Karun Kittisathaporn, director general of the Foreign Trade Department,
said overall export value has increased since September last year as a
result of a higher demand for vegetable oil, palm oil, electric
appliances, motorcycles and spare parts, truck tires and passenger cars,
apparel and other miscellaneous products purchased by the Burmese
government.
______________________OTHER______________________
PD Burma: Calendar of events with regard to Burma
Feb. 1, 2001
╖ January 29-31st : The EU troika to visit Burma
╖ February 5-6th : Meeting of Solidarity Groups,
Brussels
╖ February 5th : James Mawdsley to address the
European Parliament, Brussels
╖ February 11th : "Burma- The long road towards
democracy", Seminar, Lund, Sweden.
╖ February 15th : Conference on Burma, Stockholm,
Oluf Palme International Center and Swedish NGO Foundation for Human
Rights
╖ February 15-16th : Burma Donor Meeting, Sweden
╖ February (end) : International trade union
conference on ôSolidarity with Burmaö, Tokyo
╖ March 8th : Next session of the
Governing Body of the ILO. Forced labour in Burma to be discussed
╖ April : EU Common Position Review
╖ April : Inter-Parliamentary
Conference, Cuba
╖ March/April : UN Human Rights Commission,
Geneva
╖ May 13-20th : UN LDC III, UN conference on the
LDC-countries, Brussels
╖ May 27th : 11th Anniversary of the 1990
elected.
╖ May : ARF Senior Official
Meeting, Hanoi
╖ June : Meeting in the
Governing Body of the ILO
╖ June 19th : Aung San Suu Kyi
birthday party and Burmese Women's Day
╖ July : Belgium takes over EU
Presidency
╖ July : 8th RFA Ministerial
Meeting, Hanoi
╖ July : 34th ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting and Post-Ministerial Conference
╖ July : ASEAN Summit
╖ Aug. 31st- Sep.7th : World Conference against
Racism and Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and related intolerance,
South Africa
╖ December 1st : Worlds Aids Day
╖ December 10th : 10th Year Anniversary
of the Nobel Peace Prize for Aung San Suu Kyi,
________________
The BurmaNet News is an Internet newspaper providing comprehensive
coverage of news and opinion on Burma (Myanmar) from around the world.
If you see something on Burma, you can bring it to our attention by
emailing it to strider@xxxxxxx
To automatically subscribe to Burma's only free daily newspaper in
English, send an email to:
burmanet-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To subscribe to The BurmaNet News in Burmese, send an email to:
burmanetburmese-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You can also contact BurmaNet by phone or fax:
Voice mail or fax (US) +1(202) 318-1261
You will be prompted to press 1 for a voice message or 2 to send a fax.
If you do neither, a fax tone will begin automatically.
Fax (Japan) +81 (3) 4512-8143
________________
Burma News Summaries available by email or the web
There are three Burma news digest services available via either email or
the web.
Burma News Update
Frequency: Biweekly
Availability: By fax or the web.
Viewable online at http://www.soros.org/burma/burmanewsupdate/index.html
Cost: Free
Published by: Open Society Institute, Burma Project
The Burma Courier
Frequency: Weekly
Availability: E-mail, fax or post. To subscribe or unsubscribe by email
celsus@xxxxxxxxxxx
Viewable on line at: http://www.egroups.com/group/BurmaCourier
Cost: Free
Note: News sources are cited at the beginning of an article.
Interpretive comments and background
details are often added.
Burma Today
Frequency: Weekly
Availability: E-mail
Viewable online at http://www.worldviewrights.org/pdburma/today.html
To subscribe, write to pdburma@xxxxxxxxx
Cost: Free
Published by: PD Burma (The International Network of Political Leaders
Promoting Democracy in Burma)
________________
____________________________________________________________
T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less.
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose.
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01