Daily News-March-13- 2001- Tuesday

  • UNESCO honors detained journalist Win Tin
  • Human rights day ceremony on hold
  • Time for Burma's junta to fight the Wa drug machine
  • Hundreds wait in vain as Burma shuts crossing
  • Premier Oil in the black
  • Thai Govt Blames Predecessor For Bad Ties With Burma
  • Thaksin tries to soothe Burma rift after drugs crisis row
  • Talks with Burma in April to ease tension

    • UNESCO honors detained journalist Win Tin

    PARIS, March 12 (Reuters) - The United Nations cultural organisation UNESCO saidon Monday it had awarded its annual World Press Freedom Prize to jailed Myanmar journalist U Win Tin.

    Win Tin, a former editor of the Hanthawati newspaper and a founder member of theopposition National League for Democracy, was jailed by the military government in 1989 on charges of belonging to the banned Communist Party.

    He was moved to hospital in 1997, where UNESCO said he is reported to be seriously ill.

    "His prison sentence will only end in July 2008 unless he renounces all political activities, which he refuses to do," UNESCO said in a statement announcing the award. It said it hoped steps would be taken to secure Win Tin's release.

    UNESCO also expressed concern for the fate of the recipient of last year's award, jailed Syrian journalist and human rights activist Nizar Nayyouf.The statement said Nayyouf, editor of Sawt al-Democratiyya, or Voice of Democracy, was reported to be seriously ill and to have been deprived of medicaltreatment.It said the jury, which recommends who should win the press freedom prize, had asked UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura to continue efforts with the Syrian authorities to win Nayyouf's release on humanitarian grounds.
    Human rights day ceremony on hold

    source : The Irrawaddy news magazine

    March 12, 2001--The National League for Democracy (NLD) is not going to hold its annual Burmese Human Rights Day ceremony on March 13, according to inside sources. The ceremony, which commemorates the day in 1988 that student activist Phone Maw became the first victim of a crackdown on pro-democracy protests, will be suspended this year to avoid upsetting the NLD's ongoing dialogue with the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

    Thirteen years ago, riot police shot and killed Phone Maw of the Rangoon Institute of Technology during a small student protest, immediately igniting a nationwide popular uprising for democracy. The NLD has held Human Rights Day ceremonies for the past three years in order to put pressure on the regime by highlighting widespread human rights violations in Burma.

    "Since the junta has stopped demonizing Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD since late last year as a conciliatory gesture, we should also stay away from holding ceremonies that make the military feel uncomfortable," said a senior NLD member who requested anonymity. Instead, he said, the NLD will be holding a literary discussion on the subject of human rights. This gesture on the part of the NLD seems to confirm reports that the talks, which began last October and were revealed in late December, are still on track.

    However, some student activists in Rangoon have begun to suggest that the reports of political progress have been greatly exaggerated. They point out that NLD Vice Chairman U Tin Oo, who was released from detention earlier this year, has not been allowed to receive visitors or resume regular party duties.

    "He is still under virtual house arrest," noted one student activist in Rangoon. "He should be allowed to meet and consult with Suu Kyi."

    The status of NLD Chairman U Aung Shwe is also uncertain, as he has been incommunicado since he was put under detention last September.So far, only NLD Secretary U Lwin has had access to Suu Kyi on a regular basis.

    All inside NLD members contacted by The Irrawaddy have expressed a willingness to accept U Lwin's affirmations that the talks are making real progress, as well as his warnings that the situation remains very delicate. But other observers in Rangoon have complained that U Lwin's vague and cautious statements suggest that the NLD may be yielding too much.

    Meanwhile, there have been persistent rumors in Rangoon that Suu Kyi may be released before March 27, which marks the beginning of the Burmese resistance against the fascist Japanese occupation during the Second World War. The occasion is commemorated as Resistance Day by the democratic opposition and as Tatmadaw (Armed Forces) Day by the SPDC.
    Time for Burma's junta to fight the Wa drug machine

    source : The Nation
    BY MARISA CHIMPRABHA and VORAPUN SRIVORANART

    THE weekend's drug conference in the northern tip of the country has dramatically changed Thailand and Burma's relationship. Burma may now be compelled to practise what it always preaches: "good neighbourliness".

    Though the conference stopped short of directly condemning Rangoon, perhaps in a bid to allow the ruling military junta to save face, much of the evidence produced about where the drugs originated pointed a finger directly at the United Wa State Army (UWSA).

    The junta now needs to produce credible counter evidence to clear its name.This is no time for Rangoon to resort to its customary incoherent excuse or thinly veiled retaliatory moves, such as bans on Thai products.

    The conference for the first time has put Burma firmly on the defensive as far as bilateral relations are concerned. It is now time for Burma to realise the gravity of the drug problem and begin to sincerely cooperate with its neighbour.

    Former foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan is, however, unconvinced of the effectiveness of the new government's tactics.He said the conference had churned out a confusing signal, on one hand the prime minister was criticising the junta, and on the other the foreign minister was expounding an "Asian" solution to the problem, being non-confrontational.

    Tackling the drug problems has always been high on the agenda of successive Thai governments, according to a Burma watcher.But this administration has been much tougher than its predecessors in sending a serious signal to Burma and putting the junta on the spot, said a source who did not wish to be named.

    "The presentation of Mong Yawn [as a 'drug city'] per se is embarrassing for Rangoon," he said. Thai-Burma ties could not become any worse, they were already at their lowest ebb, he said.

    Burmese expert Sunait Chutintaranond said the authorities once again seemed to be serious in creating a "national immunity" against the spectre of cross border drug trade, referring to a nation-wide plan to fight drugs and a strengthening of border towns.

    In the past ethnic minority armies have proven an effective buffer to the drug trade, but they have been substantially weakened. Sunait said in the past, "our immunity derived from the buffer, that was subsequently demolished, but now we are constructing it anew from inside". The scheme represented a new dimension in the battle against drugs that needed further support.

    Sunait warned any dialogue with Burma concerning narcotics must take into account three crucial elements: the willingness of the Burmese authorities to take on the UWSA; the capability of the regime to do so; and the potential consequences for Burmese national security. He said, an "exit strategy" had to be prepared for Rangoon, if Bangkok was ever to gain its support in taking on the UWSA.In this case Thaksin, as the nation's leader, should not rush to Rangoon before mutual concessions had been achieved through whatever channels necessary, be they formal or informal, said Sunait.

    Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman Kraisak Choonhavan said international support should be more aggressively mobilised, especially from Asean and Burma's powerful neighbours like China and India.Thailand is starting to clean its house, and a good neighbour should turn its attention to its own.
    Hundreds wait in vain as Burma shuts crossing

    source : The Times of India

    MAE SAI, Thailand: Myanmar on Monday failed to open a major border crossing with Thailand even after the Thai side reopened its gates in a bid to end month long tensions over fighting between their armies.

    Hundreds of disappointed people waited in rain near the Thai checkpoint at the foot of a bridge over a canal that separates Mae Sai town in northern Thailand with Tachilek in Myanmar.

    A Myanmar government spokesman did not immediately respond to faxed questions on the border reopening. Thailand opened three other crossings in Mae Sai district, but "the other side does not seem to have responded well to our attempts to ease tensions," Ronarong Sukthavorn, the chief customs official in Mae Sai, told The Associated Press.

    "Myanmar procedure is usually slow. But they might open soon, I hope," he said. Mae Sai is 720 kilometres (445 miles) north of Bangkok.

    Thailand had closed the border after heavy fighting on February 11 between Myanmar troops and ethnic Shan rebels seeking independence when several shells landed on Mae Sai town from Myanmar, killing two civilians. Thai troops later fought with Myanmar soldiers, accusing them of intruding into Thai soil, a charge Myanmar denied.

    Maj. Domsak Khamsijam, who held talks with a Myanmar border committee to ease tensions, said he had informed his counterpart about the planned reopening or the border Monday. In response, Myanmar said it had never shut the border in the first place, Domsak said. "But when we opened the border, they closed their gate. When we asked why, they said they have to consult their supervisors," he said.

    Among those waiting was Chinda Nanthapao, a 42-year-old Thai woman who owns a shop in Tachilek selling watches, calculators and transistor radios."If Myanmar does not opens the border soon, the ones to be affected the most will by Thai people who have invested in Tachilek," she said.She said 80 percent of shops in Tachilek are owned by Thais. "During one month of the closure we have lost a lot of money," she said.

    The closure also has affected business in Mae Sai, where tourists stop on their way to Myanmar. Food vendors, who said they made 3,000 baht ($70) a day during normal times, have been earning only 200 baht ($5) a day.

    Myanmar and Thailand have had uneasy relations over several disputes. Yangon accuses Bangkok of providing sanctuaries to anti-government ethnic rebels. Bangkok denies the charge, and complains that Yangon turns a blind eye to drug lords who operate amphetamine factories in Myanmar and smuggle them into Thailand. (AP)
    Premier Oil in the black

    www.thisislondon.co.uk

    PREMIER Oil's focus on exploration in Burma paid off today as the group reported upbeat earnings figures that put it in the black for the first full year since 1997.

    The group rejected British Government calls to leave military-run Burma, and its Yetagun gas project is now its most valuable asset.

    Pre-tax profits in the year to 31 December were £17 million against a £16.7 million loss in the previous year. Turnover was £115.7 million against £89.5 million before. High levels of debt mean no dividend.
    Thai Govt Blames Predecessor For Bad Ties With Burma

    BANGKOK (AP)--Thailand's new government on Tuesday blamed its predecessor for unfriendly relations with Burma, and expressed the hope that an upcoming bilateral meeting would help mend fences.

    Thailand and Burma have been exchanging hot words during the last month after their troops clashed at the border. The verbal war has grown with Thailand's protests that Burma is doing little to stop ethnic drug armies in its territory from flooding Thailand with methamphetamine drugs.

    Defense Minster Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said age-old rivalries between Thailand and Burma increased after the previous government of Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai criticized Burma's ruling military junta for suppressing democracy.

    Chavalit, known to be close to Burma's generals, said relations remained sour because of the "policy of not talking" adopted by Chuan's government.

    "Myanmar had invited Chuan to talk, but he turned it down," Chavalit said. "I don't know the reason ... but the attitude added to the problems, which resulted in deterioration of relations," Chavalit said.

    The new government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra took office last month after defeating Chuan's party in the Jan. 6 elections.

    Thailand reopened its northern border with Burma Monday after a monthlong closure following border clashes, but Burma kept its gates closed in an apparent rebuff to the Thai olive branch.

    Chavalit said he hoped that a meeting of their regional border committees scheduled for April would help improve ties. The talks have been suspended since 1998 when Burma refused to participate.

    Chavalit said Burma has confirmed that it will host the meeting this year in Kentung town.

    The border disputes are only part of the problems between the two countries. Thailand's main frustration is over the rising use of methamphetamines, which officials say are largely being produced by the United Wa State Army.

    A former Burma rebel group, the Wa army signed a cease-fire with Rangoon in exchange for virtual autonomy in a border area with Thailand where it is known to operate amphetamine laboratories.

    Thai and U.S. narcotics officials say Burmese authorities are turning a blind eye to the United Wa State Army.

    On Monday, the Burma junta said Thailand was making the Wa army a "scapegoat" for its problems and asked it to clean its own house first by cracking down on crime syndicates that buy the drugs.

    Thaksin said in response Tuesday: "We are sweeping our own house but our effort must be harder because the dust keeps coming from our neighbor."
    Thaksin tries to soothe Burma rift after drugs crisis row

    BANGKOK, March 13 (AFP)

    Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Tuesday attempted to play down a growing rift with Burma after the junta angrily accused Thailand of making it a "scapegoat" for the drugs crisis.

    Thaksin declared a "war on drugs" last weekend at an unprecedented meeting of top officials charged with thrashing out a coordinated strategy to close down the narcotics trade.

    The premier said he would demand explanations from Burma's generals over the deadly flow of methamphetamines, made in jungle refineries operated by Rangoon-allied ethnic druglords, which threaten to destroy Thai society.

    But Burma lashed out at the tough new approach, saying Thailand should put its own house in order before trying to dump the blame for its drugs problems onto border militias like the United Wa State Army, also known as the Red Wa.

    "Putting all the blame on a neighbouring country for everything that goes wrong in Thailand is not the way to solve any problems and any issues," a government spokesman said.

    Crime bosses and big-time drug dealers were "surviving and thriving" in Thailand where their illicit activities were being protected, he said.

    Thaksin Tuesday attempted to turn the war of words down a notch, saying relations on a national level were "good".

    "However, there are some problems on the local level relating to the Red Wa," he said.

    "We don't blame the Yangon government ... but we want Myanmar to understand that we have evidence of these activities. We are concerned and we want to know how they will cooperate with us."

    Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh called for cross border talks to resolve differences.

    "The two countries have had problems for a long time, but the best way to ease the tension is to hold a meeting. It takes time to create confidence in each other," he said.

    But he also got in a dig over Burma's refusal to open its side of a strategic border crossing which was closed a month ago in the wake of clashes between the two armies.

    "They are sulking because we won't open the door for all products when we re-open the checkpoint, but we can talk about this issue," he said.

    Thailand Monday reopened its side of the Mae Sai-Tachilek crossing but said the Burma end of the bridge that links the frontier towns remained closed.

    The action appears to be in retaliation for Thailand's insistence that the passage of military supplies including rice, fuel and medicine will still be banned when the checkpoint reopens.

    In a tit-for-tat response, Burma on Sunday announced a ban on imports of Thai-made energy drinks and goods containing the flavour enhancer MSG.
    Talks with Burma in April to ease tension

    Source : Bangkok Post

    Regional-level talks to be held early next month in Burma will help ease border disputes between Thailand and Burma, according to Lt-Gen Pisnu Urailert, chief of the Supreme Command's Directorate of Civil Affairs.

    Lt-Gen Pisnu said the 18th meeting of the Thai-Burmese Regional Border Committee (RBC) in early April in Burma's Keng Tung-to be chaired by Thailand's Third Army commander Lt-Gen Watthanachai Chaimuenwong and Burma's Southwest Army chief Maj-Gen Khet Sein-is expected to lessen tension on the border.

    During these talks Thai authorities will propose that the border in the Phuteng Nayong area in Chiang Rai be demarcated and that Burmese troops no longer be permitted to let artillery shells land on Thai soil, he said.

    Lt-Gen Pisnu said the Thai military wants the area to be declared a no-man's land pending border demarcation.

    A sub-committee chaired by Maj-Gen Prasart Luewattananon, director of the Supreme Command's Joint Operation Centre 103, will draft issues to be put on the agenda of next month's RBC meeting.

    Lt-Gen Pisnu said the Thai armed forces have reiterated they will not support any anti-Rangoon minority groups, nor will they withdraw Thai soldiers from the border in Chiang Rai until the situation improves.

    Meanwhile, army spokesman Col Somkhuan Saengpattaranate said Burma yesterday did not open its gate at the Tachilek checkpoint while the Thai side reopened its gate at the Mae Sai checkpoint in Chiang Rai for cross-border trade, despite a previous agreement.

    "We opened Mae Sai checkpoint because we are sympathetic with the Burmese who face a shortage of food and goods, though Thais are not in trouble.

    "We want the border trade to resume and believe that the border situation has improved since there will be an RBC meeting soon," he added.