Daily News- February 11 - 2003- Tuesday
  • Talks with junta fruitful, says Thai PM
  • Thai PM to play mediator
  • AI's mixed report on Burma
  • Cash incentives for Burmese drug busts
  • Single ASEAN member invests in Myanmar in first three quarters of 2002
  • Myanmar denies rumours that private banks are bankrupt
  • Burma looks forward to more "free dialogue" with Amnesty


    • Talks with junta fruitful, says Thai PM

    The Nation

    Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday hailed his one- day trip to Burma as a success, saying the two sides have agreed to work closely together to resolve outstanding bilateral problems and to improve their image internationally.

    "We had in-depth discussions about method and procedure but I cannot go into details," Thaksin said.

    The prime minister said government officials would periodically evaluate the outcome of bilateral cooperation in various areas, including trade and investment, tourism, illegal workers and narcotics, but did not give specific benchmarks or a timeframe.

    Thaksin said he had discussed Burmese migrant workers with his counterpart, General Than Shwe, and Rangoon had reassured him that it would take back its nationals who had entered Thailand illegally.Thai officials said at least half of the approximately one million Burmese nationals working in Thailand are illegal.Thaksin said Thailand would help the returnees with job creation through agriculture and animal husbandry projects whose products it would be willing to purchase.

    The premier said the talks also covered infrastructure development between the two countries, pointing to possible road and rail links from Thailand to India and Bangladesh through Burma.

    Thaksin said he had requested the extradition of suspected drug traffickers but did not name names.The premier vowed last year that he would track down "dead or alive" Wei Hsue-kang, a Burmese drug lord who was convicted in Thailand but jumped bail pending an appeal.

    Thaksin said the government would assist Rangoon's anti- narcotics efforts by sending satellite images of opium cultivation to the Burmese government on a regular basis.Burma remains one of the world's top producers of illicit drugs. The regime has been accused of turning a blind eye to the activity, as well as gross violation of human rights.

    Meanwhile, Rangoon announced yesterday that the government had arrested 12 opposition activists for plotting to create unrest in a further sign of deteriorating relations between the ruling generals and the pro-democracy movement.Military intelligence spokesman Than Tun said seven of those arrested were low-level members of opposition National League for Democracy (NLD), as well as Sai Nyunt Lwin, secretary-general of the Shan National League for Democracy (SNLD), which also performed strongly in the 1990 elections, winning more than a dozen seats.

    The arrests came one day after a report in a Rangoon newspaper that Japan's overseas aid agency plans to spend about US$20 million (Bt860 million) in the trouble-plagued country in the next fiscal year.Tokyo's representative in Rangoon, Takahiro Sasaki, said the Japan International Cooperation Agency had kept its allocation for Burma steady despite a reduction in its overall budget, the Myanmar Times reported.Japan is the biggest aid donor to Burma. It suspended all but a small amount of humanitarian aid in the aftermath of a 1988 military coup and crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, but the flow of funds resumed in 1994.

    Thai PM to play mediator

    The Bangkokpost

    Rangoon has agreed to let Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra help persuade its ethnic rebels to come to the negotiating table, defence sources said yesterday.A source close to Defence Minister Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayudhya said it was the prime minister's own initiative to help bring about national reconciliation in Burma, hoping it would help solve problems along Thailand's common border with Burma.

    Mr Thaksin was convinced that if Burmese ethnic rebels agreed to end their armed struggle as part of a national reconciliation process, law and order and prosperity would eventually come to Thai-Burmerse border areas, a security officer said.

    ``In the long run, that would help solve the problems of drug trafficking and illegal workers,'' he added. The officer said a panel woud be formed to work out details and help coordinate talks with leading ethnic rebels in Burma.

    On his return from Burma yesterday, Mr Thaksin said, ``Burma is pleased to let us play a supportive role (in bringing about national reconciliation)''.

    The premier said he raised the issue of ethnic rebels operating along the Thai- Burmese border for discussion with his Burmese counterpart, Senior General Than Shwe, during his two-day official visit to Burma.There are now five minority groups still fighting against Rangoon. Among them the Shan State Army, under Col Yawd Serk, and the Karen National Union, led by Gen Byo Mya, are regarded as the strongest.The three other groups are the Karenni National Progressive Party, the Arakan Liberation Party and the Kachin National Front.

    Col Yawd Serk once said truce talks with Rangoon were unlikely if Rangoon did not drop its demand that the SSA lay down its arms first.Mr Thaksin said Gen Thammarak would soon go to Burma to discuss ways to implement his proposal.

    During his visit, Mr Thaksin spent nearly 30 minutes talking in private with Gen Than Shwe and Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the ruling State Peace and Development Council.Gen Than Shwe reportedly told Mr Thaksin of Rangoon's wish to help Thailand fight drugs along their common border.

    ``The trip has helped strengthen confidence between our two countries,'' said a leading army officer in Mr Thaksin's delegation to Burma.

    Sunai Pasuk, a political analyst with the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, said Mr Thaksin's idea of playing a mediator had yet to be made concrete.Trust was required from both Rangoon and the ethnic groups. However, the Thaksin government's tough stance towards those ethnic groups made it doubtful they would be willing to deal with Thai mediators, Mr Sunai said.

    To The Top

    AI's mixed report on Burma

    Subhatra Bhumiprabhas
    THE NATIONThe human-rights situation in military-run Burma continues to "fall short of international law" but is steadily improving, Amnesty International (AI) said yesterday.

    In a press conference in Bangkok following their 10-day trip to Burma, a delegation of the London-based group said "policing, trial procedures and conditions of detention fall short of international law and standards".But prison conditions, on the other hand, had improved steadily.

    "Every single released prisoner we talked to said that conditions of detention had improved significantly since 1999," said Demelza Stubbings, AI's programme director for the Asia-Pacific region.However, the delegation found that over 1,000 political prisoners were still in detention after completing their prison terms.

    AI was permitted to enter the country for the first time since 1988, when it had initially made a request.The team discussed many issues with the government officials, including one minister, as well as pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

    To The Top

    Cash incentives for Burmese drug busts

    Temsak Traisophon
    The Bangkokpost

    Thailand is considering paying cash rewards to Burmese troops who help seize drugs from smugglers.Interior Minister Wan Muhamad Nor Matha said the idea was floated by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who returned yesterday from a visit to Burma.

    Police and informers in Thailand are already being offered three baht for each methamphetamine pill seized, up to one million baht. This could be extended to troops of neighbouring countries for suppression efforts which lead to the seizure of illicit drugs.

    In addition, a 30% share of the value of subsequently seized assets could also be offered, Mr Wan Nor said. He believed doing this would help in the war against drug trafficking.He said he would leave it to Mr Thaksin to explain the proposal. Mr Thaksin is expected to brief cabinet today on his weekend trip to Burma and talks with junta leaders.

    Senior interior officials and representatives from the Narcotics Control Board met yesterday to discuss anti-drug measures, Mr Wan Nor said.He expected the interior permanent secretary to provide a list tomorrow of the 10 provinces with the biggest number of drug traffickers, and the 10 provinces with the least.

    All provincial governors had also been instructed to report on the progress of the drug suppression campaign. Inspectors-general would be sent to check on progress.

    Prasart Pongsiwapai, deputy chief of the Local Administration Department, said 55 provinces had already filed reports. He was concerned over the lack of experience by some provinces in dealing with dealers and addicts who surrendered to authorities.It was also proposed that governors who performed well in drug suppression be paid a 150,000-baht reward, and outstanding district chiefs 100,000 baht each.

    To The Top

    Single ASEAN member invests in Myanmar in first three quarters of 2002

    YANGON, Feb 11, 2003 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Myanmar received contracted foreign investment from only a single member country of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)--Malaysia in the first three quarters of 2002, the latest data of the official Economic Indicators show.

    Malaysia's 44 million US dollars of investment were put into the country's oil and gas project.

    During the same period of 2001, there were four ASEAN members investing in the country -- Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.ASEAN members used to be Myanmar's largest foreign investors.

    Besides the sharp drop of the regional investment during the first three quarters of 2002, the same happened with that from other countries and regions with 1.52 million coming from China's Hong Kong only, making up a total of only 45.52 million of foreign investment brought about during the period, a drop of 10.7 percent from the corresponding period of the previous year.

    According to official statistics, since opening up to the outside world in late 1988, Myanmar had drawn 7,443.7 million dollars of contracted foreign investment in 374 projects as of September 2002, of which ASEAN took up 3,844 million or 51.64 percent.

    Out of 25 countries and regions investing in Myanmar, major investors were lined up as Singapore (1,507 million), the United Kingdom (1,401 million), Thailand (1,289 million) and Malaysia ( 639.5 million), taking up 20.24 percent, 18.82 percent, 17.31 percent and 8.59 percent of the total foreign investment respectively.

    Meanwhile, since March 2002, the Myanmar government introduced a new measure which restricted foreign investment by stopping issue of import and export permits to Myanmar-based wholly-owned foreign trading companies.

    To The Top

    Myanmar denies rumours that private banks are bankrupt

    The Star Online

    Yangon, Myanmar, (AP), Feb. 11: - In an apparent attempt to quash rumors that several of Myanmar's private banks are heading into bankruptcy, the central bank chairman said Monday that the country's properly registered private banks are on firm financial ground.

    "All 20 private banks established according to the Financial Institution laws have firm financial standing and have the backing of the Central Bank of Myanmar,'' Central Bank Chairman Kyaw Kyaw Maung said at the government's regularly scheduled press briefing.

    His announcement followed rumors in Myanmar that some local private banks are on the brink of bankruptcy. Many customers have withdrawn their savings in the past few days.

    "Banks are crowded and busy these days,'' said a teller at a private bank who asked not to be named. "Many customers have withdrawn their money in big amounts.''

    Kyaw Kyaw Maung suggested that public confidence might have been shaken by the collapse of about a dozen companies that had illegally sold shares to the public, offering greater returns than the interest given by banks.

    Although such share sales are illegal, the government has generally turned a blind eye to them, as it does with many black and gray market activities that help spur economic activity.

    Official reassurances of financial stability are typically interpreted to mean the opposite by a cynical Myanmar public, which over the years has seen the government make sudden and sometimes radical changes to the financial system.

    A 1987 demonetization led to anti-government demonstrations that deposed the long-running rule of Gen. Ne Win, who had imposed an idiosyncratic socialism on the country.The military rulers who eventually succeeded him liberalized the economy somewhat but have failed to restore it to a healthy state.

    In the mirror world of many Myanmar citizens, rumors of problems were strengthened Sunday when state-run newspapers reported a meeting of central bank officials with private bank operators where it was explained that they had the firm backing of the central bank in carrying out their business.

    Analysts here have suggested the root cause of any rush of withdrawals is a general lack of confidence in private banks and minimal interest rates in relation to inflation.

    Myanmar's economy is in a precarious state, and few outside economists believe it has strong foreign reserves.

    To The Top

    Burma looks forward to more "free dialogue" with Amnesty

    Rangoon, Feb 11 (AFP) - Burma said Tuesday it looked forward to continuing "free and open dialogue" with Amnesty International after the rights group made its first visit to the military-ruled country.

    "The trip was a positive step in developing constructive dialogue on human rights issues, and we look forward to studying Amnesty International's recommendations and observations," a government statement said.

    "Amnesty International's independence, honesty and integrity are well known throughout the world, and their visit to Myanmar will, we hope, result in deeper understanding of the issues facing our country.

    "Myanmar welcomes constructive commentary from the international community, and we look forward to continuing the free and open dialogue with Amnesty International that began with their visit."

    Amnesty said after its 10-day trip which ended on February 8 that it had been unhindered by authorities in Burma, with its two-person delegation able to meet a wide range of officials and prisoners, as well as pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

    It said it had several concerns about Burma's rights situation, with the visit focused on the plight of 1,200-1,300 political prisoners, whom it said should be released, and the administration of justice and policing.

    The group also expressed its aim to return to Burma, saying it viewed the visit as the start of a process.

    However hours after Amnesty's report back to journalists in Bangkok Monday, Burma announced it had arrested 12 people, mostly pro-democracy activists, for "anti-government activities", including the alleged possession of anti-government literature.

    Burma's government has long been criticised for its poor human rights record, which rights groups have said includes the detention of political prisoners, forced labour, censorship and violations of religious freedom.

    To The Top