Daily News-December-08-Friday-2000

  • Clinton honours Suu Kyi in warning to Burma junta
  • Suu Kyi's defence granted document access
  • Ministers head to icebreaking EU-ASEAN meeting
  • EU to discuss Burma human rights with ASEAN
  • Villagers evicted for a new trade route on Indo-Burma border
  • Trade Between Burma, NEA Countries on Rise
  • Thai supreme commander Sampao wants junta to stem flow of drugs
  • Two Karen collaborators killed in ambush in Thailand
  • HIV Risk High Among Refugees in Burma, Thailand
  • Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's son arrived in Rangoon

    • Clinton honours Suu Kyi in warning to Burma junta
    source : SMH

    Washington: President Bill Clinton has conferred America's highest civilian honour on confined Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and pledged unending United States support for her quest for democracy.

    In a move sure to infuriate Burma's military rulers, Mr Clinton awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Ms Suu Kyi in absentia, warning the generals they would be outcasts until they ended tyranny and poverty in their "land of inherent promise".

    "She sits confined, as we speak here, in her home in Rangoon, unable to speak to her people or the world. But her struggle continues and her spirit still inspires us," Mr Clinton said.

    No-one had done more to teach that "the desire for liberty is universal," Mr Clinton said, as he gave the medal to one of Ms Suu Kyi's two sons, Alexander Aris.

    Ms Suu Kyi, 55, has been a high-profile irritant to Burma's military rulers for more than a decade, and has been back under house arrest in Rangoon for two months since her latest confrontation with the junta.

    Despite years confined to her home and constant harassment by the generals, she has remained the figurehead for her National League for Democracy, which won elections the military refused to honour in 1990.

    "America will also be a friend to freedom in Burma - a friend for as long as it takes to reach the goal for which she has sacrificed so very much," Mr Clinton said, at the ceremony marking Human Rights Day.

    The US is a damning critic of the Burmese junta, maintaining a punishing array of sanctions and investment restrictions against the country. However, Burma remains defiant, vilifying Ms Suu Kyi through the official press and painting her as an agent of foreign powers bent on colonialism.

    The Presidential Medal of Freedom, created by Harry Truman to honour noble service in times of war, was expanded by John Kennedy to include service in times of peace.
    Suu Kyi's defence granted document access
    source :South China Morning Post

    A judge on Thursday granted lawyers of Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi access to documents submitted by lawyers of her brother seeking partition of the property where she is currently under virtual house arrest.

    Ms Suu Kyi has been sued by her brother Aung San Oo, who is a US citizen, for half-ownership of the lakeside residential compound in Rangoon inherited from their mother, who died in December 1988.

    Ms Suu Kyi has lived there for the past 12 years.

    Though foreigners cannot buy or transfer property in Burma, Aung San Oo's lawyer says his client received an exemption from the government in July.

    Neither Ms Suu Kyi nor her brother were present at the Rangoon Division Court for Thursday's hearing, but were represented by their agents and lawyers.

    The hearing was adjourned until Friday when Ms Suu Kyi's lawyers will be permitted to copy the plaintiff's documents and written statements at the court.

    On Monday, Judge Soe Thein restored the right of defence to Ms Suu Kyi who was not represented at the first hearing of the case November 21.

    Ms Suu Kyi has been confined to the house by authorities since September 22, after she challenged restrictions on her movements by trying to travel to the provinces to visit members of her beleaguered National League for Democracy.

    The NLD is also facing eviction from its Rangoon headquarters. The party swept general elections in 1990 but was barred from taking power. Its members are subjected to steady harassment by the ruling military.

    In Washington, US President Bill Clinton on Wednesday granted Ms Suu Kyi the highest US civilian award, Presidential Medal of Freedom, for her peaceful struggle for democracy and human rights in Burma.

    A Burma government spokesman contacted from Bangkok refused to comment on the award.
    Ministers head to icebreaking EU-ASEAN meeting
    source :The Times of India - Dec 07, 2000.

    SINGAPORE: Amid threats of boycotts by his European counterparts, Singapore's foreign minister announced Wednesday that he will lead a delegation to a meeting of European Union and Southeast Asian ministers next week in Vientiane, Laos.

    Some EU ministers have threatened not to show up at the meeting if Myanmar was represented - in protest of the crackdown on pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

    Talks between the EU and Association of Southeast Asian Nations were suspended three years ago when military-ruled Myanmar was admitted to the Asian block organization. In a statement, Foreign Minister S Jayakumar said the meeting next Monday would strengthen links between ASEAN and Europe.

    "The leaders will discuss regional and global political-security issues, exchange views on the regional and international economic situation and review ASEAN-EU cooperation," said Jayakumar.

    During a recent ASEAN meeting in Singapore, the group held steadfast to its controversial doctrine of non-interference in members' domestic affairs and defended Myanmar against criticism from the EU.

    "If EU wants to exclude Myanmar and the dialogue is going to be called off, then let it be called off," Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said during the meeting. "We can't allow an external organization to dictate who should be in ASEAN."

    Suu Kyi, whose party won general elections in Myanmar in 1990 but was never allowed to take power, has been kept under virtual house arrest since Sept. 22 after she made her second bid in a month to travel outside Yangon on party business.

    Dozens of supporters of her National League for Democracy have been rounded up. NLD vice chairman Tin Oo is being detained at a state guest house and other party leaders are confined to their homes without diplomatic contact.

    These developments have drawn a barrage of international criticism and again led to a hardening of opinions in the EU, which had recently said it didn't want the Myanmar issue to hold relations with ASEAN "hostage." (AP)
    EU to discuss Burma human rights with ASEAN
    HANOI, Dec 7 (Reuters) - British Foreign Office Minister John Battle said on Thursday ASEAN"s position of non-interference in Myanmar"s affairs was unsustainable and warned Yangon"s generals they were accountable for rights violations.

    Battle told journalists during a visit to Vietnam that human rights in military-ruled Myanmar would top the agenda of a meeting of ministers from the European Union and the Association of South East Asian Nations in Laos next week.

    Battle, who will represent Britain at the December 11-12 meeting, said he would be looking for understanding among the 10 ASEAN members that Myanmar had become a regional problem they could no longer brush off as Yangon"s "internal affair." He said his aim would be "to see if we can dismantle a traditional response that is unsustainable."

    Battle said Myanmar"s "appalling" conditions were a regional problem due to large numbers of refugees fleeing repression and the threat of the spread of HIV/AIDS from the country. "There is a growing awareness that the ASEAN countries have of the problem and they are starting to speak out," he said.

    NEW APPROACH SOUGHT

    He said both the European Union and ASEAN were looking for a new approach and said the intention in Vientiane would not be "to simply turn up and blame Burma (Myanmar) and say we think you are a form of moral evil."

    He pointed to the example of Vietnam, saying there were similar prospects of economic aid and investment for Myanmar in the event of positive change. "What we need to see is an opening of Burma...so we"re trying to find ways to actually prise the situation open by using the political power that"s in the region -- they are a member of ASEAN."

    He warned Myanmar"s generals they could have to answer for their actions. "There"s no way this kind of action in any society can be unaccountable at the end of the day. The question is how many people have to suffer and die before accountability bites in. "I think we can do something together to point out that we are all politically, socially and economically accountable."

    Thailand said on Wednesday the Vientiane meeting, the first of its kind in three years, would be attended by 14 foreign ministers, but only four of them from Europe. Britain, Italy, Sweden, Portugal, Greece and Ireland will be represented by deputy foreign ministers and France and the Netherlands by other unidentified ministers.

    Political analysts have previously speculated that the meeting could be scrapped due to profound disagreements over the presence of Myanmar, which was admitted to ASEAN in 1997.

    The European Union considers Myanmar a rogue state and objects to its treatment of its pro-democracy opposition, led by detained 1991 Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. ASEAN has traditionally held to a policy of non-interference in what it calls the internal affairs of members, although some members, notably Thailand, have criticised this stance.
    Villagers evicted for a new trade route on Indo-Burma border
    source :Aizawl, December 7, 2000
    Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

    The authorities in Mizoram State evicted villagers staying on Indo-Burma border from their village for a new Indo-Burma border trade route. Some houses were bulldozed by the authorities as the owners refused to move to the government-allocated new site.

    Mizoram state government issued an order on October 20 for the villagers in and around Zo Khuttha village in Indo-Burma border to move to a new location by the end of November. The government has planned to rehabilitate the villagers in the new location, called “Phulmawi Village, which is about two furlong far from Zo Khuttha.

    However, most of the villagers refused to relocate themselves in the new village, alleging that the government is not providing necessary compensation and arrangement.

    Therefore, total 120 villagers of Zo Khuttha village recently filed a petition with the court and the Mizoram Bench of Guwahati High Court last week stayed the eviction of 104 Indian villagers for two weeks. Most of these villagers continue to stay in Zo Khuttha as they wait for the government’s response.

    The rest who ware not able to prove their identity as Indian citizens are, however, not included in the High Court stay order. Moreover, the stay order does not include the villagers staying on “no man land” situated between the border pillars of two countries. The state authorities bulldozed two houses in the area last Friday.

    The Mizoram State government, through Border Road Organization (BRO), is planning to start the construction of some buildings related to border trade in Zo Khuttha village. The new trade route, apart from current Tamu-Moreh border trade route, is to connect Rih in Chin State of Burma and Zo Khuttha in Mizoram, crossing Tio stream. The government of India has offered to construct a bridge across Tio stream for facilitating the border trade between India and Burma.
    Trade Between Burma, NEA Countries on Rise
    Source : XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

    Rangoon(Dec. 8) -- Bilateral trade between Burma and the three Northeast Asian (NEA) countries -- China, Japan and South Korea -- totaled 678.88 million U.S. dollars in the first eight months of this year, a year-on-year rise of 6.16 percent, the latest Economic Indicators issued by the government showed.

    Of the total, Burma's import from the three countries amounted to 516.54 million dollars, while its export to them was valued at 162.34 million dollars.

    The bilateral trade between Burma and the three NEA countries during the eight-month period accounted for 26 percent of Burma' s total foreign trade.

    Of this, trade with China represented the highest volume with 298.64 million dollars or 11.43 percent of Burma's total foreign trade, followed by that with Japan at 192.97 million dollars or 7. 39 percent and that with South Korea at 187.27 million dollars or 7.17 percent.

    Of the three NEA countries, China, which has border trade with Burma in addition to normal trade, stands as Burma's second largest trading partner after Singapore, while Japan and South Korea remain as the country's fourth and fifth largest trade partner, respectively. The third place belongs to Thailand.

    Meanwhile, the three NEA countries have so far injected a total of over 367 million dollars of investment in Burma with Japan taking the leading role (232.8 million), followed by South Korea ( 102.3 million) and China (31.9 million).

    Total investment from the three NEA countries takes up only 5 percent of Burma's foreign investment which stands at 7.234 billion dollars as of the end of June this year since late 1988.
    Thai supreme commander Sampao wants junta to stem flow of drugs
    Source : Bangkok Post

    The supreme commander will ask Burmese leaders during his two-day visit to Rangoon next week to help combat the spread of drugs.

    Gen Sampao Chusri said he will seek drug suppression co-operation by telling the military leaders that Thailand's neighbours, including Burma, cannot hope to save their own people from addiction if the spread of drugs continues at the present rate.

    He will raise the drug issues for discussion with Burmese Prime Minister Gen Tan Shwe and Burmese army chief Gen Maung Aye during his Dec 12-13 visit.

    "If we earnestly start co-operating from now, the spread of drugs will be less serious in the future," the supreme commander said.

    Gen Sampao said Burma should make clear its stance on an anti-narcotics drive. Rangoon's recent admission on its failure to combat drugs in minority-controlled areas of the country is not being taken too seriously.

    Gen Sampao said Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai. as defence minister, had approved a 19-million-baht fund for the Supreme Command to establish 30 drug rehabilitation centres nationwide to treat addicted soldiers and civilians. Meanwhile, Lt-Gen Pitsanu Ourailert, chief of the Supreme Command's Directorate of Civil Affairs, said the Supreme Command received 134 complaints last month on its special phone line and through Post Box 500 Lak Si about some soldiers, police officers and civilians for their alleged involvement in the drug trade.

    Lt-Gen Pitsanu said tension along the Thai-Burmese border has mounted as a result of Burma's crackdown on Burmese minorities opposite Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Tak and Kanchanaburi. Conditions along the Thai-Lao border remain serious and reinforcements of Lao troops have continued amid reports of possible sabotage activities in many areas following a spate of bomb attacks in Laos.
    Two Karen collaborators killed in ambush in Thailand
    Source : Bangkok Post

    Gunmen killed a Thai man and two Karen soldiers and wounded two other Karen in Phop Phra district on Wednesday.

    Police said four Karen National Union soldiers were riding in a four-wheel-drive vehicle driven by Somsak Khamhae, 24, when a group of gunmen in a van opened fire on them with M16 assault rifles.

    The Thai driver and two of his Karen passengers-Taw Soe and Maung Yu Win, both 20, were killed instantly.

    The other two Karen-Maw Tu, 22, and Ta Ja, 23, were seriously wounded. Mr Somsak was taking the four men, who belonged to the Karen sixth division, to the border when they were attacked near Ban Huay Mi-Muenluechai.

    Police said the attacked vehicle belonged to Lt-Col Jee Lay, commander of the 16th battalion in the sixth division.

    Sources said these Karen had collaborated with soldiers of the pro-Rangoon Democratic Karen Buddhist Army in the drugs trade.

    They had been warned to stop selling drugs by KNU military leader Gen Bo Mya, the sources said.
    HIV Risk High Among Refugees in Burma, Thailand
    Source : Reuters (Health)

    WASHINGTON--A survey of migrant workers living along the Thai/Burma border reveals ''major differences'' between that group and the ``much better publicized and better serviced refugee population'' that is officially recognized in border camps, according to Johns Hopkins University's Dr. Luke Mullany.

    About 1.2 million Burmese migrants live just inside the Thai border, the ``vast majority'' of whom fled the oppressive military regime that is based in Rangoon, Mullany told a conference here on reproductive health of refugees and displaced populations. However, because the Thai government recognizes these people as illegal economic migrants rather than refugees, they are not entitled to any social services, he said.

    As a result, ``virtually zero access has been extended to (international relief workers) trying to document health status or education in migrant worker factories,'' Mullany stated.

    In the survey, 233 men and 492 women were asked a variety of questions concerning prevention and transmission of the AIDS (news - web sites) virus. The responses showed ``significant'' gender differences, with men ``consistently'' scoring higher than women in terms of basic knowledge about the disease, according to Mullany.

    With regard to prevention, only 15% of women said they had ever seen a condom, and less than half of the women understood that birth control pills do not prevent infection. Fewer than 2% of the women reported using a condom at least once, as compared with nearly 13% of the men.

    The survey also exposed serious gaps in the workers' awareness of HIV that could put them at greater risk of infection. For example, 82% could identify the major risk factors for contracting HIV, but only 27% knew that they could learn their own HIV status with a blood test.

    Mullany called the refugee-run survey ``an important first step in drawing attention to the plight of migrant workers, not only within the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, but to their lack of (healthcare) services overall.''
    Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's son arrived in Rangoon
    Source : BBC

    The younger son of the Burmese opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has arrived in Rangoon to visit his mother who is under house arrest.

    The son, Kim Aris, is accompanied by his wife and their young son.

    They flew into Rangoon from Britain on board a Thai airlines flight.

    A statement by the Burmese military government wished the family an enjoyable time during their reunion.

    Meanwhile, in a legal case between Aung San Suu Kyi and her brother, Aung San Oo, a Rangoon court has ordered his lawyers to hand over a copy of the claim he has lodged for a half share in her house.

    Aung San Suu Kyi's team have two weeks to present a challenge to the claim.