Daily News-November-29-Wednesday-2000

  • ILO to send over 200 request letters for Burma sanctions
  • Two imprisoned Burmese journalists have been awarded an annual press award
  • ASEAN Warns EU to Ease Its Burma Boycott
  • Wa Taking Over Junta Offensive Against Shans
  • Burmese troops shoot into crowded market in Thailand

    • ILO to send over 200 request letters for Burma sanctions
    source : kyodonews

    The International Labor Organization (ILO) will send more than 200 letters to its member governments and U.N. agencies in early December to request help in implementing sanctions against Myanmar over its forced labor, an ILO official said Monday.

    The letter will be the initial and specific step by the world labor body in implementing the organization's first sanction measures.
    Two imprisoned Burmese journalists have been awarded an annual press award
    source . BBC

    The French-based World Association of Newspapers said that San San Nweh and U Win Tin had been given the Golden Pen of Freedom award because of their outstanding contribution to the cause of press freedom.

    San San Weh was the editor of several women's magazines, and a member of the National League for Democracy.

    She was sentenced in 1994 to ten years in prison for publishing information harmful to the state.

    U Win Tin was the editor of a daily newspaper Hanthawati; he was sentenced in 1989 to fourteen years in prison for allegedly being a member of the banned Communist party. His sentence was extended by five years for smuggling letters out of his prison cell.

    The association said both editors are in poor health.
    ASEAN Warns EU to Ease Its Burma Boycott
    Source : International Herald Tribune

    SINGAPORE Southeast Asian countries have told the European Union they will abandon high-level talks with the EU if it continues to press for Burma's exclusion on human rights grounds.

    Diplomats said during the weekend that the warning by the Association of South East Asian Nations would further sour the atmosphere between the two sides before a meeting next month in Vientiane, Laos.

    The EU has boycotted ministerial meetings with ASEAN since Burma was admitted to the Southeast Asian group in 1997.

    With senior Burmese officials banned from entering EU countries, ASEAN sought to revive the ministerial meetings by offering to hold the next one in Southeast Asia, instead of in Europe as scheduled.

    But with Burma's military government under continuing international criticism for violating political and labor rights, four out of the 15 EU countries have reportedly decided not to attend the meeting in Vientiane.

    Most of the other countries will send only a deputy minister or an ambassadorial-level representative, rather than a minister.

    Among those staying away are Foreign Secretary Robin Cook of Britain and his French counterpart, Hubert Vedrine, diplomats said.

    ASEAN leaders discussed the issue at their annual summit meeting, which ended Saturday.

    Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore, who lead the talks, said afterward that the group would deal only with the EU if it agreed to include Burma, also known as Myanmar.

    "We would go so far as to say that if the EU wants to exclude Myanmar and the dialogue is going to be called off, then let it be called off," Mr. Goh said.

    "We can't allow an external organization to dictate who should be in ASEAN when we have such a dialogue." Burma's military regime is shunned by many Western countries for its treatment of the opposition, which won elections in 1990 by a landslide but has never been allowed to govern.
    Wa Taking Over Junta Offensive Against Shans
    Source : Shan Herald Agency

    An insider source reported S.H.A.N. today that the first wave troops from the United Wa State Army have arrived in the area once known as the Free Territory of Shan State.

    The source told S.H.A.N. news reports about Light Infantry Divisions to take over the offensive against Yawdserk's Shan State Army were just red herrings. "This is the real thing", he said. "The first wave of the 5 battalions from Wei Xiaokang's 171st Division are arriving in the Mongtaw-Monghta area (west of Mongton-Poongpakhem road), and 7 more are still waiting for movement orders".

    He said he did not know whether the local Burmese units would be withdrawn, but only that the Wa have been given a free hand. Col. Win Kyi, until lately the area military operations commander (MOC), has been dismissed after a series of counter attacks by the SSA followed the Burmese assault on Loilam (Doidam in Thai) opposite Wianghaeng District, Chiangmai Province, on 5-6 November. Another officer, Lt-Col. Chit Hla, commander of LIB 225 (Mongton), due to rotate back to Mongton, was instead ordered to launch a search-and-destroy operation as punishment. His replacement, Lt-Col. Aye Kyaw, commander, IB 43 (Mongpiang), has already arrived in Pang Maisoong HQ a week ago.

    (A 5,000 baht compensation for 2 assault rifles lost to the SSA on 17 November was imposed on the villagers, reported Saeng Khao Haeng.)

    The source, highly reliable so far, said: "The Wa shall be waging a three-month long '4-cuts' campaign in the area east fo the Maekun (a Salween tributary further west) just like the Burmese have been doing in Central and Southern Shan State. There will be no quarter for anybody suspected of connection with the SSA. Already more than 20-suspects from Nakawngmu, Huey Aw and Poonpakhem have been arrested by the Wa."

    The reason for the Wa presence, he said, was Rangoon knew too well to what extent it would cause international outrage if the junta forces themselves were to involve in the operation "So they are handing over to the Wa to do the dirty job".

    The only silver lining in the cloud, he said, is that 6-SSA men captured by the Wa in September are still alive and well-fed in Mongyawn. "It is a signal to Yawdserk that they're still open to initiative for negotiations from him".
    Burmese troops shoot into crowded market in Thailand
    Source : Bangkok Post

    Burmese troops yesterday fired shots from across the border into a Thai market, forcing hundreds of tourists, vendors and locals to flee for their lives.

    No casualties were reported during the brief shooting, which followed yesterday's raid by a team of 50 Thai border patrol police and immigration officials on a gambling den located on a disputed islet in the Moei river.

    Six gamblers--a Thai and five Burmese--were arrested. More than 10 other Burmese gamblers fled across the river to the Burmese border town of Myawaddy.

    Police identified the six arrested as Somjit Khampor, Maung Suu, Arh Poe, Ta Huat, Thi Oo and Than Aung.

    The shooting prompted the Fourth Infantry Regiment task force to send troops to safeguard the border.

    Mae Sot district chief Samart Loy-fa defended the raid on the disputed islet, saying both Thai and Burmese authorities were allowed access to the area to suppress illegal activities.

    Besides gambling, the islet has served as a rendezvous for contraband traders and drug dealers, Mr Samart said.

    The Local Thai Border Committee has sought an explanation for the shooting from Burmese authorities.