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BurmaNet News: September 10, 2001
- Subject: BurmaNet News: September 10, 2001
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 00:50:00
______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
An on-line newspaper covering Burma
September 10, 2001 Issue # 1881
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________
INSIDE BURMA _______
*The Myanmar Times: Malaysian defence minister in Burma says democracy
not the ultimate goal
*BMA: NLD reinforced with new releases from prison
*The International Herald Tribune: Rangoon: A Last Colonial-Era City
MONEY _______
*Bangkok Post: Local firms keen to invest if Rangoon peace effort
succeeds
GUNS______
*The Independent Bangladesh: Ethnic cleansing campaign in Myanmar
alleged
*DVB: Burmese air force reshuffle
*AP: Myanmar ethnic rebels cool to proposal that Thailand mediate peace
talks
*Bangkok Post: High hopes for Burma peace talks
DRUGS______
*AP: Myanmar-run methamphetamine lab found on Thai side of border
*Bangkok Post: Seven held in separate drug raids
*Bangkok Post: Speed pill dealers sentenced to death
*The Nation: Drug Fugitive: Regional Manhunt for Kingpin
REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*The Nation: Razali to brief Annan on talks
*Bangkok Post: Refugees want proof of peace
*Xinhua: Myanmar Agrees to Take Back Displaced Persons
*The Press Trust of India: 39 Myanmar nationals, 9 Thais in Orissa jail
*Norwegian Postal Services: New stamps with Nobel prize laureates
[including Aung San Suu Kyi]
OTHER______
*PD Burma: Calendar of events
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
The Myanmar Times: Malaysian defence minister in Burma says democracy
not the ultimate goal
Rangoon, September 7, p1.
[BurmaNet adds: Translation from Burmese language section of The
Myanmar Times. The Myanmar Times now prints some material in Burmese.
It is ostensibly a privately-owned newspaper but the weight of evidence
indicates it is owned and/or controlled by the the regime?s Directory of
Defence Services Intelligence (DDSI) headed by Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt.]
Text of report "Democracy is not a goal, merely the means towards
prosperity" by Burmese newspaper The Myanmar Times on 7 September
"I cannot support a concept that sets the establishment a democratic
system as the ultimate goal. But I do agree that it is the only way to
achieve prosperity," said the visiting Malaysia's defence minister in
Myanmar Burma .
The Malaysian minister, Sri Mohamed Najib Tun Razak, was speaking on
Monday 27 August at the opening session of the workshop: "New Thinking
in Regional Security" sponsored by the Myanmar Defence Ministry, the
Malaysian Strategic Research Centre, and the Sasakawa Peace Fund. The
four-day workshop was held at the Traders Hotel in Rangoon from 27 to 30
August and was attended, among others, by Foreign Minister U Win Aung;
Maj-Gen Kyaw Win, deputy director of Defence Services Intelligence,
Ministry of Defence; Brig-Gen Abel, minister attached to the Office of
the Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council; and Mr Shigeru
Tsumori, Japanese ambassador to Myanmar.
The workshop participated by professors and academics from universities
in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan made an overview of the difficulties
that Asia could face and ways to resolve those problems, and also
discussed social matters, security in ASEAN region, political and
economic development of nations, global changes and their impact on the
region.
The workshop was the second of its kind held by the Malaysian Strategic
Research Centre and the Myanmar Ministry of Defence. The first was held
at the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur in August
2000.
The visiting minister said that the first thing that a country needed
was political stability. It was not important what kind of governance
system was in place as long as that system served the majority of the
people, he added.
The visiting minister also noted the need to seek means to strengthen
security in the region. Some 50 years ago, Cold War strategists used the
methodology of western experts in their approaches to security. Whenever
there was a security issue, they merely decided which side to align
with. But, when conducting studies on security in the 1980s, alignment
was no longer the option and the root causes of the problems were
studied so that solutions could be found. Problems were no longer
contained but pursued until solutions were found, said the minister in
his opening address.
___________________________________________________
BMA: NLD reinforced with new releases from prison
[Abridged]
By Tin Maung Htoo
Burma Media Association (BMA)
September 6, 2001
According to a recent report from Burma, opposition party National
League for Democracy (NLD) rebuilds its mainstream Rangoon Division with
those who had been released from prisons, a significant step forward but
faced up with some differed views and voices on the notion of its
composition.
Sources familiar to inside party movements said the Rangoon Division
Organizing Committee consisting of 35 members and six different working
groups was reformed in recent weeks, reinforced with eight recently
released MPs. Among those recently released, Daw San San, Dr. Than Win
and U Hla Thein are included in the committee, along with two still
detainees, Dr. Than Nyein and U Soe Han.
However, there are also rumors of discontents particularly on the
minimum input of females and a youths on committee. Sources said there
are only 14% or five female members out of 35 were inserted in the
committee and there are no youth members on the committee.
Another factor aggravating some members is the reinstatement of the
committee chairman position to Thakin Soe Myint who is said to be now 80
years old, and it prompted some criticisms on his capacity to lead the
committee considering his age and health condition.
NLD Rangoon Division, according to a former Division organizer who stays
now in exile, is an important political stronghold of the NLD party, and
one of the main mechanisms for the party due to its important location,
role and accomplishment in the past.
___________________________________________________
The International Herald Tribune: Rangoon: A Last Colonial-Era City
Thomas Crampton
Friday, September 7, 2001
Tourists now reap the dividends of Burma's dictatorship. Decades of rule
by a harsh military junta have quashed political dissent, frightened
foreign investors and generally hampered the economy. Yet the stunning
lack of development in comparison to such prosperous neighbors as
Thailand and Malaysia has preserved Rangoon as Southeast Asia's last
untouched colonial-era capital. Walking from the tranquil grandeur of
the golden Shwedagon Pagoda to the British-built edifices along the
broad streets of downtown, foreign visitors can't help but notice the
World War II-era buses; men wearing the traditional Burmese sarong, the
longyi; relief from the chirp of mobile phones, and little multinational
advertising. Burma is one of the few countries on earth without a
McDonald's or Starbucks. Even Pepsi and Coke decline to bottle or
promote their products in Burma. Modern motorized traffic has increased
significantly over the past few years, but three-wheeled pedicabs still
ply the tree-lined streets. Lacquered leather sandals with velvet straps
are the preferred footwear, and chatting at sidewalk tea shops is a
popular pastime.
Thomas Crampton is the IHT's correspondent in Hong Kong and travels
frequently throughout Asia.
SHOULD YOU GO?
Ruled by a military government that is heavily criticized by human
rights groups, Burma is the target of numerous consumer boycotts and
investment sanctions. The leader of the opposition, the Nobel laureate
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, lives under house arrest and has warned
democracy-supporting foreigners to stay away and avoid enriching the
junta. Others argue that visiting Burma breaks the country's historic
pattern of self-imposed isolation. By staying in guest houses rather
than large hotels that are often government joint ventures, tourists can
ensure most of their money goes to individuals, not into the
government's coffers. As for the people of Burma, they are hungry for
contact with the outside world and almost always tell visitors they want
more tourism. Faced with the wrath of anti-tourism Burma activists,
Lonely Planet examined its moral responsibility in publishing a guide to
the country. Following a visit by the company's founders in January, the
company stepped up the pace of publication of its guide from once every
three years to every other year. It is a measure of the divisiveness
Burma engenders that nobody can even agree on what to call the place.
The government changed the country's name to Myanmar and the capital's
to Yangon; this newspaper and many other news organizations still refer
to Burma and Rangoon.
THE BUZZ
For months rumors have swirled through the Rangoon cocktail circuit
about the top secret talks between the government and Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy. Inquiring minds want
to know: Who does the Nobel Prize-winning democracy activist meet with?
Is she really under house arrest or has she voluntarily withdrawn from
public view? Will the government actually make any concessions toward
democracy? How long will other members of her party and other opposition
groups be willing to let the talks carry on in total secrecy?
HOTELS
Built in high colonial style along Rangoon's main street, the Strand
Hotel has a credible historic claim as one of Asia's great hotels.
Recently brought up to modern standards, the attraction of the venerable
façade wears thin when waiters serve up mediocre food followed by an
absurdly expensive bill. Drop by for afternoon tea, but sleep elsewhere.
The published price of a double room at the Strand, which is part
government-owned, is $350 a night, not including breakfast or tax. As at
most upscale hotels in Asia, however, prices can be negotiated: 92
Strand Road; tel: 951-243-377; fax: 951-289-880; e-mail:
strand.ygn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Although somewhat isolated, the Pan Sea is the most picturesque hotel in
the city. It is a tastefully refurbished teak mansion surrounded by
pools of water. Guests are welcomed with a glass of juice squeezed fresh
from mangos that drop from trees in the garden. The open-sided second
floor of the building is a nice place to sip a cocktail and recover from
the tropical heat or challenge fellow guests to a game of billiards.
Double rooms are officially priced at $150, not including breakfast or
tax, but prices drop for long stays or groups: 35 Taw Win Road, Dagon
Township; tel: 951-229-860; fax: 951-228-260; e-mail:
panseaygn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The May Shan is one of many independent guest
houses. Although the rooms are small and often windowless, the location
is central, the air conditioning is frosty, each room has satellite TV
and telephone, and the staff is exceptionally friendly. A double room
costs $15 a night: 115 Sule Pagoda Road; tel: 252-986/7; fax: 252-968.
DINING
For traditional Burmese fare at a pleasant out-of-the-way place, spend
an evening at the Green Elephant restaurant. Kicking off with a generous
rum sour cocktail, the meal of Burmese salads and curries that follows
will set you back less than $20 for two, a fraction of the price of a
meal in one of the city's five-star hotels: 519(A) Pyay Road,
Thirimingalar Lane; tel: 531-231; 721-721; fax: 533-706. The Traders
Hotel offers by far the best lunch buffet in town, ranging from Western
cuisine to Burmese specialties spread across a tennis court-size area. A
meal costs about $11 a person: 223 Sule Pagoda Road; tel: 242-828; fax:
242-800.
INTERNET
Burma is one of the last countries in the world to deny its citizen's
access to the World Wide Web. There are no independent service
providers, no Internet cafés and the few people who do have e-mail
addresses must send their messages through government-monitored servers.
Even travelers carrying their own laptops and who are willing to pay
exorbitant long-distance charges to log on overseas will face
difficulties. If Internet access is an absolute necessity, bring a
satellite phone with you.
MOBILE PHONES
Still considered sensitive military equipment, mobile phones are
extremely rare. Installation of an entirely new GSM network has been
completed in Rangoon, but the government has not approved operations.
Mobile phones can be rented at the Traders Hotel for $50 a day and 50
cents a call; tel: 95-1-242-828.
LAPTOP REPAIR
For minor problems, try Geocomp, one of the largest computer service
companies in Burma: 360 Pyay Road, Sanchuang; tel: 524-273; 526-615;
514-454; fax: 527-359.
NEWS
In country where censorship is strictly enforced, it can be hard to find
out what's going on. Hotels for foreigners usually have CNN, BBC and
censored editions of a handful of international publications (including
this newspaper). As for local papers, the New Light of Myanamar
(favorite topic: "Crush external elements") has a new competitor in the
flashier-looking Myanmar Times. Neither offers critical insight about
Burma, but the Times can tell you about any new restaurants in town. For
news on the Internet, look at www.myanmar.comfor the government's views;
or check out the excellent collection of news stories on Burma compiled
by the activists who run www.burmanet.org.
For letters to the IHT Travel Editor, Please email: travel@xxxxxxx
______________________MONEY________________________
Bangkok Post: Local firms keen to invest if Rangoon peace effort
succeeds
September 9, 2001
The Thai private sector is ready to invest in businesses along the
Thai-Burmese border once Rangoon is able to achieve national
reconciliation with minority groups.
This was concluded at a meeting last week in Tak between members of the
Thai Chamber of Commerce, provincial chambers of commerce and
entrepreneurs during the visit to Thailand of Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, first
secretary of Burma's State Peace and Development Council.
Niyom Wairatchapanich, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce's border
trade committee, said Thai and Burmese investors had long planned to
invest in various businesses along the border where land is fertile with
water resources, raw materials, labour and natural resources. In the
past, investments were mostly made in logging but they were hampered by
fighting between Rangoon and minority groups, particularly the Karen
National Union, Karenni National Progressive Party and Shan State Army.
Areas along the Burmese border are suitable for agro-industries and
tourism as they are rich in natural resources and culture, he said.
The private sector in Tak in 1994 tried to promote an air route between
Mae Sot and Moulmein in Burma and in 1999 a land route between Mae Sot
and Pegu. Efforts were hampered by fighting inside Burma.
Moulmein is 96km by air from Mae Sot. It is the second largest port town
in Burma and was a popular resort for Western travellers during British
rule.
Many locations along the road between Myawaddy, opposite Mae Sot, and
Rangoon have the potential to become tourist attractions. They include
Pa-an, the capital of Karen state, and Pegu, where the palace of the
late King Bayinnaung was located.
Panithi Tangpati, president of the Tak Chamber of Commerce, said the
checkpoint at Kiew Pha Wok in Chiang Dao district can be promoted as a
gateway to the middle of Shan state, where Mong Han and Mong Yawn are
located.
"If Burma's plan to eradicate drug production in Shan state is
accomplished by 2005, the area would be good for investments in
tourism-related businesses. They include river tours along the Salween
river from southern Shan state to Kayah state and Mae Hong Son," he
said.
Trade and tourism would also get a boost with the completion of a 196km
road from Kanchanaburi to Mergui and Tavoy, on the banks of the Andaman
sea, Mr Panithi said.
He said Thai traders also support plans by the government to repatriate
Burmese refugees.
Mr Panithi said about 5,000 Burmese refugees did not want to go back to
Thailand after they were provided adequate assistance on their return to
an area controlled by pro-Rangoon Democratic Karen Buddhist Army
soldiers.
The rest of the refugees were also likely to be quite satisfied if they
were given the same treatment, Mr Panithi said.
_______________________GUNS________________________
The Independent Bangladesh: Ethnic cleansing campaign in Myanmar alleged
Arakan Muslim leader seeks world help for asylum
by Abdur Rahman Khan
The President of the Arakan Muslim Development Foundation, M A Rahim, an
asylum-seeker in Bangladesh since February this year, is passing his
days in distress waiting for humanitarian assistance from the
international community.
Assisted by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust, a legal and human
rights organisation, MA Rahim has appealed to the international
community for asylum and action against "the tyranny of the Myanmar
military government."
Rahim, called U Mg Aung in Burmese, holds an L.L.B degree from Yangon
University and a B.Ed degree from the Institute of Education in Yangon.
He worked as an educationist in his home town Myauk-U.
He was arrested by Military Intelligence (MI-10) on November 23 last
year and held in confinement in Myauk-U for over a month. Rahim alleged
that while in custody he was routinely tortured by the army and police
men.
Continued torture resulted in the loss of all his teeth and severe
injuries to his eyes, he alleged adding "I am now a half-dead man".
Rahim was released following an order from an appeal judge?s court where
he was not proved guilty, he said.
No sooner had he been released from Sittwe prison than he and other
Muslim leaders were accused of setting fire to a mosque in Myaungbwe in
early February this year.
Actually, the MI-10, police and Maghs destroyed the mosque but they
implicated the Muslim leaders, Rahim alleged.
"As the commanding-in-chief Western sector ordered the officers of a
brigade to kill me and other Muslim leaders, I fled to Bangladesh
leaving behind all my property of about 20 million kyats and the beloved
members of my family", Rahim told this correspondent.
"I do not know what has happened to my wife, seven sons and one daughter
at my home", said Rahim in an emotion-choked voice.
Talking to The Independent U Mg Aung alleged that there is no rule of
law in Myanmar where the Arakanese Muslims were leading a deplorable
life due to torture, humiliation and killing.
The general people of Myanmar are provided with a pink card showing
their identity as a citizen while the Muslims are given temporary
non-citizenship immigration card in white subjecting them to
discrimination, he complained.
Alleging that there is a sustained ethnic cleansing operation against
the Muslims, U Mg Aung said 18 Muslim scholars along with their families
were drowned while trying to escape to Yangon from the state capital
Sittwe by a launch this year.
___________________________________________________
DVB: Burmese air force reshuffle
Text of report by DVB on 6 September
DVB has learned that many top air force officers from the Burma air
force were reshuffled last month. Lt-Col Ko Ko Maung, general staff
officer [GSO] from the Air Force Military Intelligence, was named as
military attache to Thailand, Col Thein Swe, GSO from the Air Force
Commander in Chief's Office [AFCICO], was named as chief of air force's
external intelligence, and GSO Lt-Col Sithu was transferred as deputy
chief of border security under air force's Intelligence Unit.
Furthermore, Col Mya Hein, commandant of Meiktila Airbase, was
transferred to the AFCICO while Col Khin Maung Tin from the AFCICO was
transferred as commandant of Meiktila Airbase. This reshuffle was made
after former Air Force Commander-in-Chief Lt-Gen Kyaw Than was replaced
with Brig-Gen Myint Swe.
According to DVB sources, Lt-Col Ko Ko Maung, the new military attache
to Thailand, is friendly with former Air Force Commander-in-Chief Lt-Gen
Kyaw Than. DVB correspondent Sai Tin Aye reported that the major cause
of the reshuffle still remains unclear.
Source: Democratic Voice of Burma, Oslo, in Burmese 1430 gmt 6 Sep 01
___________________________________________________
AP: Myanmar ethnic rebels cool to proposal that Thailand mediate peace
talks
September 7, 2001 Friday
SUTIN WANNABOVORN; Associated Press Writer
DBANGKOK, Thailand
Ethnic rebel groups reacted warily Friday to a proposal to have Thailand
act as a mediator in peace talks with Myanmar's military government.
The proposal was made by Myanmar military officers attending the
Thai-Myanmar Regional Border Committee, Col. Chucheep Srisomboon, a Thai
army officer attending the meeting, told The Associated Press.
During the two-day meeting, which began Thursday in the Thai seaside
resort of Pattaya, Myanmar Maj.-Gen. Thein Sein asked Thailand to
mediate with the Shan State Army, the Karen National Union, and the
Karenni National Progressive Party. The three ethnic guerrilla groups
remain in armed conflicts with the government, which in the past decade
has signed cease-fire pacts with more than a dozen other groups. Thein
Sein, chief of Myanmar's eastern military command along the border with
northern Thailand, could not be reached for comment. The rebel groups
are active in the area of his command.
Representatives of the Shan and Karen rebel groups - which have been
battling the central government of Myanmar, also known as Burma, for
autonomy for more than half a century - expressed little enthusiasm for
the mediation proposal.
"As long as Myanmar does not respect the Panglong Agreement, then we
think the talks will be fruitless," said Tern Serng, secretary-general
of Shan rebel group, speaking by telephone from the Thai-Myanmar border.
The 1947 Panglong Agreement united the ethnic minority groups and the
majority Burmese in the struggle for independence from Britain and
promised a federal state guaranteeing minority rights. But most of the
minority groups believe the government failed to live up to the terms of
the agreement after independence was obtained in 1948.
The Shan official also demanded that Myanmar troops withdraw from the
Shan's area before any talks.
The Karen National Union, or KNU, echoed the Shan's position.
"The KNU welcomes Myanmar's proposal to have Thailand mediate talks, but
Myanmar's earlier demand for the KNU to enter the legal fold and give up
armed struggle before talks is not acceptable," Mahn Sha, the group's
secretary-general, told The Associated Press by telephone.
"Entering the legal fold, meaning to be under the control of the Myanmar
military regime, is unacceptable by the KNU. We are demanding equality
for all ethnic nationalities. We demand the right of
self-determination," Mahn Sha said.
The KNU, regarded as the best organized and strongest of the ethnic
groups still fighting the government, held peace talks with Myanmar's
military regime in 1996 but with no success.
The Karenni National Progressive Party, which also carries out armed
struggle, could not be contacted for comment.
___________________________________________________
Bangkok Post: High hopes for Burma peace talks
September 9, 2001
Third Army commander Watananchai Chaimuenwong was optimistic that talks
between Rangoon and rebel groups would bear a positive outcome that
could lead to regional stability.
Lt-Gen Watanachai said he would try to arrange a meeting between Burma's
Triangle Region commander Thein Sein and Col Yord Serk, Shan State Army
leader. Rangoon had not set any precondition for the meeting, which was
a good sign, he said.
"At least they have a chance to meet each other and exchange ideas about
how to achieve national reconciliation. We should be optimistic," he
said.
During the 19th regional border meeting in Chon Buri, Maj-Gen Thein Sein
asked him to mediate with the groups to end the armed insurrection in
Burma.
"He personally wants me to arrange the meeting with the SSA first so I
will do my best," said Lt-Gen Watanachai.
He was confident about a new round of border co-operation between
Thailand and Burma.
"Burma and Thailand agreed that from now on any border area suspected by
either side of irregular activities could be jointly examined," he said.
Citing security reasons, Maj-Gen Thein Sein had proposed closure of the
Burmese border pass, BP1, opposite Giew Pha Woak checkpoint in Chiang
Mai's Mae Ai district. Rangoon wants to rearrange the border area after
SSA rebels increased activities.
________________________DRUGS______________________
AP: Myanmar-run methamphetamine lab found on Thai side of border
: MAE SOT, Thailand
September 9, 2001
Thai authorities Sunday raided a drug laboratory operated by Myanmar
smugglers on the Thai side of the border in an ongoing campaign against
drug trafficking from Myanmar.
A Myanmar woman, identified as Win Yee, 45, was arrested in the
operation in Mae Sot town in Tak province, 370 kilometers (230 miles)
northwest of Bangkok, officials said. Police found 200 methamphetamine
tablets, 3.6 kilograms (7.92 pounds) of powder, enough to make 42,500
more tablets, and a machine for making tablets.
They also seized Thai bank passbooks and a money transfer document for a
Myanmar bank in the names of three Myanmar men.
"We are going to find their links and other places where they are
producing methamphetamine," said Col. Inthawat Leejinda, deputy
commander of Thai Army Task Force 4, which was part of the
anti-smuggling operation.
The government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has made fight
against drugs one of its key policies. Officials say drugs are the
leading national security threat. Most drugs are thought to be smuggled
from Myanmar, the world's biggest producer of opium, the raw material of
heroin.
Thai law prescribes the death penalty for most serious drug trafficking
offenses.
___________________________________________________
Bangkok Post: Seven held in separate drug raids
September 9, 2001
Police arrested seven drug suspects in two separate raids on Friday and
seized 600,000 methamphetamine pills. Pol Lt-Gen Priewpan Damapong,
chief of Narcotics Suppression Bureau, said police in Nonthaburi first
arrested Manoon Inchan, 48, in Bang Yai district, and seized 100,000
speed pills.
About 500,000 speed pills were seized in Min Buri district, Bangkok, and
six suspects were arrested. They were Supin Saenset, 40, Nittayaporn
Kanthathong, 24, Banchong Temprom, 35, Yapa sae Thuen, 29, Ahle
Saenchai, 29, and Phon Ruankhom, 29.
Mrs Phon was known to be a major dealer who was supplied with drugs
directly from the Red Wa in Burma.
__________________________________________________
Bangkok Post: Speed pill dealers sentenced to death
Saturday 08 September 2001
Two Chinese Haw and a Burmese drug dealer were sentenced to death by the
Criminal Court yesterday.
A Thai woman, Prachak Saengpratheep, who bought some 64,000 speed pills
from them, was given a 50-year jail term.
Two of the three sentenced to death were Chinese Haw tribesmen Ar-hong
sae Soo, 27, and Ar-sing sae Lee, 28. The other was Ar-liang sae Chern,
28, a Burmese national. Initially, the court also gave Prachak a death
sentence but decided to reduce it to 50 years in jail because her
confession had led to the arrest of the foreign drug gang.
The three foreigners, charged with possessing 1,730,000 speed pills, had
sold some 64,000 tablets to Prachak, a garment trader, for 1.5 million
baht.
The woman was arrested in tambon Pratchathippatai, Thanyaburi district,
Pathum Thani, on Feb 10 by police officers posing as buyers.
She told police she had bought the drugs from Ar-sing and his gang.
Ar-sing was arrested in a restaurant in Huay Khwang on the same day.
Ar-hong and Ar-liang were later apprehended in the Charoenkrung area.
__________________________________________________
The Nation: Drug Fugitive: Regional Manhunt for Kingpin
Published on Sep 7, 2001
Thailand will ask China and Burma for help to locate Thai drug fugitive
Surachai Ngernthongfoo, or Bang Ron, allegedly leader of one of the
country?s largest amphetamine distribution networks, a senior source
from the Office of Narcotic Control Board (ONCB) said yesterday.
The request would be forwarded via existing channels for antidrug
cooperation that Thailand maintains with the two countries, the source
said.
?To ask China and Burma for help in finding Bang Ron does not mean that
we know for sure he is now taking shelter in either country,? the
source said. ?However we believe Surachai has connections with
drugtrafficking syndicates operating in those countries.?
The ONCB will send photographs of Bang Ron and arrest warrants to China
and Burma as part of its quest to locate and arrest the ring leader,
who escaped after a dramatic police raid on his home in 1998.
The ONCB will ask China for information about Burmese drug gangs
operating along its border that may be sheltering Bang Ron, the source
said.
>From Burma, Thailand will ask that the government recheck a report that
the fugitive stayed with a Wa ethnic gang that is a major producer of
drugs in the country.
Bang Ron is believed to have fled to Burma via Kanchanaburi province.
?According to our intelligence, we believe Bang Ron is not in Bangkok,
[because we are] still closely watching his family, relatives and close
aides,? the source said.
Surachai is suspected of being the ring leader of a wellorganised
drugtrafficking ring operating in Bangkok and the border province of
Kanchanaburi.
A police SWAT team swooped on his home in Nong Jok district in October
1998 but encountered a hail of bullets from guards stationed at the
house. But in the aftermath of the raid, police confiscated more than
758,000 amphetamine pills and uncovered Bt200,000 cash hidden inside
his luxury home.
Police said Surachai used to bury speed pills smuggled from Burma
beneath a bear?s cage at his home so, in the event of a raid, sniffer
dogs would be put off by the bear?s strong scent. They believe there
could still be as much as Bt100 million circulating within Surachai?s
drug network. Residents in the vicinity of his home said Surachai
frequently had drugs flown in from Burma, and that light planes used
nearby farmland as a clandestine landing strip.
He is believed to have close connections with senior Thai police and
army officers, and they are thought to have aided his escape. Initial
reports suggested Surachai had taken refuge with the Wa and then
underwent cosmetic surgery so he could return to Bangkok.
Marisa Chimprabha
___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
The Nation: Razali to brief Annan on talks
September 7, 2001, Friday
United Nations envoy Razali Ismail is going to New York next week to
brief UN secretary-general Kofi Annan personally on the outcome of his
visit to Burma last week.
Diplomats in Rangoon say opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi appears
relaxed and is confident that reconciliation talks are progressing well.
Talks between the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the countrys
military rulers could be on the verge of a major political breakthrough,
says an Asian diplomat based in Rangoon who didnt want to be identified.
Razali, though, is more subdued. He said his trip was very satisfactory,
and both sides were working towards national reconciliation. He declined
to give any further details.
The talks are secret and none of the parties is prepared to reveal the
substance of the discussions at this stage, said a senior member of Suu
Kyis party, the National League for Democracy (NLD).
Substantial movement towards breaking the countrys political deadlock
appears near. Everyone is being tight-lipped about the talks, says a
Rangoonbased journalist.
The Burmese official media didnt even report his visit. This is because
the talks have reached a particularly sensitive stage, he says.
Western diplomats in Rangoon say an air of expectation pervades the
capital. Sources in the UN say they expect further releases of political
prisoners as a result of Razalis current trip, probably by the end of
this week. How many, and who, will reflect how serious Burmas generals
are about the talks becoming more substantial, they said.
For now, the talks are still at the confidence-building stage, according
to a senior member of the NLD. But party leaders, including Suu Kyi, are
anxious to see the talks develop.
This can only happen if the military are prepared to release more
political prisoners, NLD spokesman U Lwin said.
He says the partys leaders understood they couldnt all be released
immediately, and had submitted a list of priorities. But the bottom
line, he says, is the release of all political prisoners within an
agreed timeframe.
Privately, NLD leaders say this means by the end of the year at the
latest. Human rights groups believe there are more than 1,500 political
prisoners in Burmas jails.
As pressure from the international community has brought the talks to
this point, its now time for them to think creatively about how to move
the process forward constructively, said a senior source at the UN who
spoke on condition of anonymity.
Most diplomats accept that the next stage must involve some discussion
about the resumption of international assistance to Burma. There is no
doubt that the international community has already begun to think along
those lines.
The Europeans and Japanese want to encourage the dialogue, but are
reluctant to take any action which might slow the pace of the talks.
Washington is increasingly concerned about Chinas growing influence in
Burma and feels that they must accommodate Burma if they are to
effectively counter Chinas domineering presence in the region.
Many observers still believe the military regime are only making the
minimum concessions necessary in order to deflect international
criticism of its conduct at international bodies such as the UN Human
Rights Commission and UN General Assembly.
But the NLD has also begun to discuss the need to allow what it calls
limited humanitarian assistance from the international community even
while the generals are still in power.
___________________________________________________
Bangkok Post: Refugees want proof of peace
September 8, 2001
The government must not repatriate Burmese refugees until there is firm
evidence peace and respect for human rights have returned to Burma, NGOs
said yesterday.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, 18 NGOs and
civic groups also called on the government to widen the conditions for
accepting refugees, from people who fled fighting to people who fled
persecution.
They asked for a role in the registration of refugees, as a partner of
the provincial admissions board, with government departments and the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. They asked that the UNHCR
be allowed full particiaption in refugee protection in the country.
The letter comes close on the heels of talks on repatriation between
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, first secretary
of Burma's ruling State Peace and Development Council.
Mr Thaksin raised the possibility of military measures but made clear
refugees would not be sent back against their will. He also advocated
the participation of the UNHCR and other international agencies in the
provision of vocational training for returnees in a safe area on the
Burmese side.
The NGOs asked the government to let them conduct capacity-building
programmes with refugees, including vocational training, higher
education and alternative education. They urged the government to set up
a national committee to study and recommend long- and short-term
policies on all displaced persons, including refugees and migrant
workers.
The panel should incorporate academics, NGOs, and relevant government
departments, with decision-making and implementation processes that are
"transparent and open for public participation".
"Durable solutions to refugee problems will require the Thai government
to deal with complicated issues according to the principles of human
rights, non-violence and the Thai constitution," they stressed.
Signatories of the letter included the Yuwathipat party, Chiang Mai
University, Project for Ecological Recovery Foundation, Community
Theatre, Foundation for Women, Campaign for Popular Democracy, Empower
Foundation, Centre for the Co-ordination of Non-Governmental Tribal
Organisations, Institute for the Development of Education for
Sustainable AgricultureOthers were the Centre for Ethnic Nationalities
Development, Community Forest Support Group, and Thai Volunteer Service.
___________________________________________________
Xinhua: Myanmar Agrees to Take Back Displaced Persons
BANGKOK, September 8
The 19th Regional Border Committee meeting, held between Thailand and
Myanmar in Thailand's eastern city of Chonburi, has agreed that Myanmar
displaced persons fled from their border fights into the Thai soil would
be taken home, the Thai News Agency(TNA) said Saturday.
Myanmar authorities said Friday that they would guarantee for the
refugees' homes, security and occupations but rejected to associate the
matter with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Chairman
of the Meeting and Thai Third Army Region Commander Wattanachai
Chaimuanwon was quoted as saying. Both sides also agreed not to increase
more forces at two stations namely Chiang Rai's Masai district and
Chiang Mai's Mae- eye district.
Another issue agreed upon was to assign Myanmar officials to be
stationed at the Marine Cooperation Center in Thailand's Ranong
province.
___________________________________________________
The Press Trust of India: 39 Myanmar nationals, 9 Thais in Orissa jail
September 8, 2001 Saturday
Kendrapara (Orissa), Sep 8
Thirty-nine Myanmar nationals, who were intercepted by the Indian coast
guard last year near Paradip, are still in jail even after Jagatsinghpur
court ordered their release, as officials of their embassy were yet to
come forward for their repatriation.
The Myanmarese, along with nine Thais, had trespassed into Indian waters
while on a fishing voyage and were taken into custody for violating the
legal provisions of the maritime zone of India Act, eastern Indian
state, Orissa's Jagatsinghpur District Collector, Sarbeswar Mohanty
said. Following a trial, the court of the sub-divisional magistrate,
Jagatsinghpur, convicted two Thai nationals while setting free the rest
on August two last.
The collector said the state government took up the matter immediately
with the concerned embassies for their repatriation. The matter was also
referred to the Federal Ministries of Home and External Affairs.
The Thai consulate at Indian eastern metropolis, Kolkata moved swiftly
and took custody of their seven countrymen. The Myanmar embassy
officials have promised to act within a week, he said.
The Myanmar fishermen are at present housed in a couple of special cells
at the Jagatsinghpur sub-jail, its Superintendent Rabindranath Behera
said.
The expenses towards their daily food was being borne by the district
Red Cross society as there was no government provision to provide food
to undertrials after their acquittal by court, he said.
___________________________________________________
Narinjara News: 23 Thai Nationals Released from Bangladesh Jail
9/9/2001
>From our Correspondent
DHAKA, Sept 9: Only 23 Thai citizens out of 104 detained in Bagerhat
jail near Dhaka were handed over to the authorities of the Thai Embassy
in Bangladesh on September 3.
The second secretary of the Thai Embassy received them at Bagerhat jail
and took them to Dhaka. The authorities of the Thai embassy did not
recognize 81 prisoners as the citizens of Thailand and as such their
return to their country has become uncertain.
Informed sources said the Navy personnel arrested a total of 104 Thai
fishermen in three phases for their illegal intrusion into the territory
of Bangladesh for fishing. The police identified all of them as Thai
citizens. They were sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment last
month and were sent to Bagherhat jail.
___________________________________________________
Norwegian Postal Services: New stamps with Nobel prize laureates
[including Aung San Suu Kyi]
www.posten.no
(Informal translation from Norwegian by Burma Support/Group/Norway;
bsg-board@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)
www.posten.no:
Written by Elisabeth H. Gjølme
The Norwegian Postal Services are contributing to the celebration of the
100th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize by producing a new series of
stamps featuring the portraits of Alfred Nobel and seven peace prize
recipients. The Nobel stamps will be on sale from September 14th. In
addition, the Postal Services are publishing one album, "The Nobel
collection of the Postal Services", while the Postal museum is
organising a thematic exhibition.
The selection of the eight motives for the stamps was made together with
the Norwegian Nobel Institute. In addition to Alfred Nobel, the seven
peace laureates are: Henry Dunant (first prize winner, 1901), Fridtjof
Nansen (1922), Martin Luther King jr. (1964), Mikhail Gorbatchev
(1980), Aung San Suu Kyi (1991), Rigoberta Menchú Tum (1992) and Nelson
Mandela (1993). The peace laureates represent different continents and
epochs, but the emphasis is on more recent winnners.
The stamps are produced by two of Norway's most important stamp artists,
the engraver Sverre Morken and the graphic designer Enzo Finger. For
one year, Morken has engraved the eight portraits, while Finger has
contributed by filling out with illustrations. The stamps have been
produced with a two-coloured steel print, and a six-coloured offset
print.
The stamps will be given values ranging from NOK 5,50 (domestic fee) to
NOK 10,00 (international fee).
Based on these stamps, the Postal Services are also issuing "The Postal
Services' Nobel Collection". The 64-page album is richly illustrated,
and provides an overview of the history of the peace prize. The album
includes a special print of pre-tests from three previous stages in the
work of Sverre Morken with the portrait of Fridtjof Nansen, as well as
eight stamps, a page of stamps in miniature, five first day letters, as
well as peace prize stamps from South Korea, USA and Sweden.
On September 14, Day of the Stamp, the Postal museum in Oslo opens its
thematic exhibition "The Nobel Peace Prize during 100 years - the
people, the art and the stamps".
(for a preview of the stamps, see the Postal Services Home page at
www.posten.no; click on "Nye frimerker 14.september, Nobels Fredspris
100 år", then on "Se frimerkene").
______________________OTHER______________________
PD Burma: Calendar of events
September 6, 2001
Aug. 31st- Sep.7th : World Conference against Racism and Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and related intolerance, South Africa
September : UN Special Rapporteur Paulo Sergio Pinheiro to visit Burma.
September : ILO Assessment Mission on forced labour to Burma.
September 1st : Burmas intelligence chief, Lt General Khin Nyunt, will
make an official visit to Bangkok.
September 12th : Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand:
Panel--Unraveling Burma's Crisis. Bangkok.
September 21-23rd : The Fifth Annual Working Conference of the Free
Burma Coalition American University. For More Information, Contact: Free
Burma Coalition at info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
December 1st : Worlds Aids Day
December 8th : World wide celebration for the Nobel Peace Prize for
Aung San Suu Kyi.
December 10th : 10th Year Anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize for
Aung San Suu Kyi.
February 2002 : The fourth Bangladesh, India, Burma, Sri Lanka and
Thailand-Economic Cooperation (BIMST- EC) meeting, Colombo.
________________
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