Burmanet News: October 19-21 2002

[editor at burmanet.org]

October 19-21 2002 Issue #2108

INSIDE BURMA

AFP: Myanmar activists welcome UN envoy’s decision to scrap Shan visit
DVB: UN special envoy meets representatives of Burmese ethnic groups

MONEY

Myanmar Times: Bank boss welcomes overseas exposure

INTERNATIONAL

Reuters: Time says al Qaeda in Bangladesh; untrue, says Dhaka
Independent Online: Embassy lied about girl's age, say police
AFP: Denmark warns of terror threat in southeast Asia

OPINIONS

Christian Science Monitor: Why stop with Iraq?

___INSIDE BURMA_____

Agence France-Presse
October 21 2002

Myanmar activists welcome UN envoy's decision to scrap Shan visit

Myanmar activists on Monday welcomed UN human rights envoy Paulo Sergio
Pinheiro's decision to scrap a visit to the country's Shan state, where he
was to investigate allegations of systematic rape by the military.

The claims that rape was being used as a weapon of war, detailed in a July
report released by two Thai-based organisations representing the Shan
ethnic minority, has drawn angry denials from the Myanmar junta.

Pinheiro had been scheduled to visit Shan state from Tuesday to Thursday
at the invitation of the regime as part of an 11-day mission to Myanmar,
but over the weekend he said he would forego the trip. The Thai-based Shan
Women's Action Network (SWAN), one of the groups which compiled the rape
report, commended Pinheiro's decision to instead investigate the claims
from across the border in Thailand.

"I think he did not trust the arrangements made by the military regime,"
said SWAN spokeswoman Hseng Noung. "We do not believe that he could have
had the chance to see the right people."

SWAN has said that according to its sources in Shan state, Myanmar
authorities have already taken steps to cover up the truth in many areas
where major human rights and sexual abuses were taking place.

Forced relocations of villagers in affected regions had taken place and
residents were forced to sign documents saying that people in the area had
experienced no problems with local authorities or soldiers, it said.

Aye Mar from Social Action for Women, a leading Myanmar women's rights
group, said Pinheiro's trip would have been a "mission impossible" that
could never have properly examined the report which documented the rape of
625 women and girls in Shan State.

Debbie Stothard, coordinator of activist umbrella group Altsean-Burma,
said that Pinheiro was "preserving the integrity of his position" by
refusing to go along with a stage-managed trip designed only to clear the
junta of blame.

"Professor Pinheiro is finally wising up to the tactics of the military
regime," she told AFP.

"If he had gone there and didn't find evidence of rape, which would
probably have been the case, he would have been used by the military
regime to justify their claims of innocence."

However leading dissident Aung Zaw, editor of the Thailand-based magazine
Irrawaddy, said Pinheiro should have pushed for a proper investigation
instead of just cancelling his trip.

"The UN should find a new person to replace Pinheiro. He has been too
soft," he said.

"He should insist he wants to conduct an in-depth monitoring in Shan
state. It's his job to insist, to challenge, to demand that his trips be
transparent and accountable."

Pinheiro's trip which began last Thursday comes amid rising criticism of
the ruling junta and accusations of gross human rights violations.

He is due to see pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi before
his October 28 departure, but no date has been set for the meeting.
________

Democratic Voice of Burma
October 19 2002

UN special envoy meets representatives of Burmese ethnic groups

It has been learned that United Nations special envoy for human rights Mr
Pinheiro, who is currently in Rangoon, met with Gen Khin Nyunt,
Secretary-1 of the State Peace and Development Council [SPDC], this
evening. Both sides have declined to give the details of the meeting. At
1400 [local time], Mr Pinheiro met for about two hours with the UNA,
United Nationalities Alliance.
The seven organizations that attended the meeting were U Khun Tun Oo from
Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, [SNLD], U Saw Mra Aung and U Aye
Tha Aung from Arakan League for Democracy, U Cing Shin Htang from Zomi
National Congress, Salai Lian Mung from Chin National League for
Democracy, Mahn Peter Kyaw Yin from Karen National Congress for Democracy,
and the representatives from Kachin State National Congress for Democracy
and Mon National Democratic Front.
The nationalities delegates presented three main points to Mr Pinheiro who
promised he would try his best to fulfil the requirements. But the
nationalities delegates told DVB [Democratic Voice of Burma] that Mr
Pinheiro might cancel his [fact-finding] trip to the Shan State because he
was not allowed to go to the regions he wanted to go.
DVB correspondent Htet Aung Kyaw contacted U Khun Tun Oo, Salai Lian Mung,
and Mahn Peter Kyaw Yin to learn more about the meeting.
[Htet Aung Kyaw] Yes. U Khun Tun Oo, you have met Mr Pinheiro a few times.
What do you think is the difference between this meeting and the previous
ones?
[U Khun Tun Oo] Well there are three points raised at this meeting. The
first is, he said he would not go on a fact-finding trip to Shan State
because he said he did not have enough facts. He also remarked that his
trip would be futile because the victims of the abuses will no longer be
in the country, they would have fled to Thailand. He said he would try to
obtain the facts from the Thai side. He asked whether the nationalities'
parties have gained permission to engage in political activities and I
answered not yet. He promised he would try to request the authorities to
grant permission. The third point is that he would strive for the early
holding of the tripartite talks. He said it would affect his reputation if
he just come and go without achieving anything. He said he met Mr Razali
[UN secretary general's special envoy] three times before he came.
[Salai Lian Mung] Another matter is the release of all political prisoners.
[Htet Aung Kyaw] What did Mr Pinheiro say?
[Salai Lian Mung] He said he would urge the release of all political
prisoners and the holding of tripartite talks between the SPDC military
government, the NLD, and the national races.
[Mahn Peter Kyaw Yin] For national races like us the holding of tripartite
talks is our hope [for the future]. As we live within the framework of the
law and adhere to the existing laws our objective has become the
tripartite talks. That is why we vehemently urged Mr Pinheiro for the
emergence of the tripartite talks. We can only afford to do that because
we have no other alternative.
[Htet Aung Kyaw] Well, there are still over 1,000 political prisoners that
remain incarcerated. How many national races are still detained?
[Salai Lian Mung] There are still seven detained national race political
prisoners...
[Htet Aung Kyaw] What political activity is the national race parties
currently engaged in?
[Mahn Peter Kyaw Yin] Our political parties currently do not have an
official status. Our parties have been deregistered for some time so we
cannot perform any official political activity.
[Salai Lian Mung] Of the eight political parties currently in the United
Nationalities Alliance, UNA, only the SNLD is officially recognized. The
remaining seven parties have been deregistered. Since the SPDC military
government said that a new page has been opened in the political chapter
of the country and that every citizen could freely engage in any political
activity, we formed the alliance with the hope of preparing for the
tripartite talks.
[Htet Aung Kyaw] Yes. After meeting with Mr Pinheiro, what is the
difference of this trip compared to the previous ones?
[Salai Lian Mung] We think there is a certain degree of improvement. In
light of the prevailing situation of our country, the least thing that we
need is the tripartite talks. He gave more preference to the tripartite
talks this time and we on our part presented to him what should be
presented. We feel there is going to be some positive change. [End of
recording]
It has been learned that Mr Pinheiro is expected to meet tomorrow with the
veteran politicians group led by Bohmu Aung who participated in the
struggle for Burma's independence. Thakhin Thein Pe said the following.
[Thakhin Thein Pe] He said he would not be going to the Shan State so he
can spare more time in Rangoon. That is why he said he will meet with
other political groups in Rangoon. It has not been officially confirmed
but he is supposed to have told the UNA members.
[Htet Aung Kyaw] Yes. This could be your first meeting isn't it because
you haven't met before?
[Thakhin Thein Pe] We have officially asked for a meeting the last time.
We asked for the formation of a consultative board. After that, the board
should convene parliament and form a coalition government. Then the
coalition government formed with parliamentary approval will become a de
jure government. The government will then, according to what we propose,
hold elections.
[Htet Aung Kyaw] Right, will you discuss the same topic when you meet with
Mr Pinheiro tomorrow?
[Thakhin Thein Pe] Yes, we will present the proposal.

____MONEY_____

Myanmar Times
October 14-20 2002

Bank boss welcomes overseas exposure

The head of one of Myan-mar’s biggest private banks says the ideas and
knowledge he gains at international meetings are enabling him to
contribute to the further development of the nation’s banking system. U
Aung Ko Win, the chairman of Kanbawza Bank, cited as an example the
"useful and valuable" discussions he held during the annual meetings of
the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in the United States
late last month. U Aung Ko Win was speaking to Myanmar Times after his
return to Yangon on October 2. He was among an eight-member Myanmar
delegation, headed by the Finance Minister, U Khin Maung Thein, which
attended the meetings in Washington from September 27 to 29. U Aung Ko Win
said the government had asked him to join the delegation because it wanted
him to have opportunities to exchange views with other bankers and to
broaden his exposure to the international banking sector. U Aung Ko Win
has been attending meetings of international banking institutions since
the Kan-bawza Bank was set up in 2000. He was a Myanmar delegation member
at Asian Development Bank meetings held in the Philippines and Thailand in
2000. In 2001, he attended World Bank meetings held in Hawaii in the US
and in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. He attended an ADB 
meeting in Shanghai earlier this year. U Aung Ko Win said the Kanbawza
Bank was established with the legal proceeds of his other business
activities, which include mining jade and precious gems. He said the bank
is preparing for the introduction of more technological advancements in
the country’s banking system.

___INTERNATIONAL___

Reuters
October 20 2002

Time says Qaeda in Bangladesh; untrue, says Dhaka

Al Qaeda militants fled to Bangladesh from Afghanistan late last year,
U.S. magazine Time reported on the weekend, drawing strong denials from
officials in Dhaka.

A ship had carried 150 Taliban and al Queda fighters and a huge supply of
arms and ammunition from Afghanistan on December 21, 2001, to Bangladesh's
southeastern Chittagong port, Time reported.

Later some of the militants had been transported to Kashmir, it said.

''The arrival of a large al Qaeda group...raises pressing concerns that
Bangladesh may have become a dangerous new front in America's war on
terror,'' the magazine said.

''Indeed, one Bangladeshi newspaper last month even quoted an unnamed
foreign embassy in Dhaka as saying Osama bin Laden's number two, Egyptian
Ayman al-Zawahiri, had been hiding out in the country for months after
arriving in Chittagong.'' Bangladesh's government and the country's
biggest Islamic group both said the report, in the Time issue dated
October 21, was baseless, fabricated and part of an attempt to portray
Bangladesh as a fundamentalist country.

Time quoted an unnamed Bangladesh military intelligence agency official as
saying ''al-Zawahiri is believed to have left Bangladesh in summer,
crossing over the eastern border into Burma with Rohingya (Myanmar Muslim)
rebels.'' U.S. intelligence, however, had no evidence that that report was
true, it said.
_____

Independent Online
October 18 2002

Embassy lied about girl's age, say police
By Peter Fabricius

Police are still investigating charges that a young Asian girl was
assaulted while working at the embassy of Myanmar (formerly Burma) in
Pretoria. They are declining comment on news reports that she was also
sexually abused.

Police said this week that a medical examination had established that the
girl was only 15 and not 21 as the embassy had claimed in their
application for her diplomatic visa to enter South Africa.

The girl has been held in protective custody by the Child Protection Unit
for over a month while police investigate her claims.

Police are investigating charges of fraud and assault with the intent to
do grievous body harm, Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht said
this week.

However, she added that no-one had been formally charged yet. She said the
assault charges arose from claims that the girl had been assaulted while
working at the embassy.

Also, the fraud charge was initiated by South Africa authorities and
involves the application which the embassy made for a visa for the child
to enter South Africa. It includes the discrepancy about her age.

Martins-Engelbrecht said she could not divulge whether or not the police
medical examination of the girl had also confirmed that she had been
sexually abused. According to reports in the Mail & Guardian newspaper a
leaked police report said the Pretoria district surgeon who examined the
girl found that she had been "sexually abused and possibly been misused
for the purpose of prostitution".

The embassy could not be reached on Friday for comment

_________

Agence France-Presse
October 21 2002

Denmark warns of terror threat in southeast Asia

Denmark warned its citizens Monday to take extreme care in southeast Asia,
which it considers to be at risk of extremist attacks, a week after a bomb
in Bali killed more than 180 people.

"Danish citizens must exercise the greatest vigilance and show prudence
when in public places, near religious sites, restaurants and other
entertainment venues frequented by large numbers of foreigners" the
foreign ministry said in a statement. The warning also advises Danish
companies operating in Southeast Asia to work with local authorities to
review their security arrangements and warns people to take "particular
care around British and international schools."

The statement names Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and
Thailand as being places of heightened risk.

The ministry has already advised Danish citizens to leave Indonesia where
it considers there to be "a high level threat against Western targets."

The warning follows an attack in Bali on October 12, in which more than
180 people, mostly Westerners were killed when a car bomb exploded outside
a nightclub.

Three Danes are among those still listed as missing in the explosion.


___OPINIONS/STATEMENTS___

Christian Science Monitor
October 21 2002
Why stop with Iraq?
By Robert I. Rotberg
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - If the US persists in enforcing regime change in Iraq,
why not do so in every country where the ruler is odious and grossly
mistreats his or her people?
Among the many possible candidates for regime change are the cruel despots
of Belarus, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, North
Korea, the Sudan, and Zimbabwe. If intervening in Iraq might take a few
weeks and 400,000 troops, ousting some of these less formidable oppressors
might need as little as a lunch hour and a small detachment of marines.
Admittedly, Iraq is in a category of its own. Intelligence suggests that
it possesses biological and chemical weapons capacity, and, once it
secures fissile material, might be able to construct a nuclear device.
Aside from North Korea, none of these other places harbors weapons of mass
destruction.
Yet, in each case, these rulers possess and have used weapons of
destruction against their own people, causing the immiseration of
millions. President Charles Taylor in Liberia, for example, has long
embroiled his country and neighboring Guinea and Sierra Leone in crippling
wars. The military rulers of Burma have insistently employed forced labor
to build pipelines and roads, greatly impoverished their people, and
refused to abide by the prodemocratic results of the 1990 election. The
Sudanese government bombs its own (rebellious) citizens in the south, and
has done so systematically for 19 years.
Several if not all of the other places hold their own people in as much or
more contempt than Saddam Hussein does his citizens. President Robert
Mugabe in Zimbabwe, for example, is now letting about half his population
– a full six million people – starve.
According to a UN special rapporteur's account in late September,
standards of living in Iraq have recently improved; the quality of life in
Iraq appears much better than in most of the other countries on our
possible hit list.
But in Zimbabwe, in North Korea, and in almost all of the other places,
living conditions remain exceedingly difficult.
If Washington is truly prepared to play policeman of the world on behalf
of human rights concerns, and to prevent rulers from repressing their own
citizens, we need a new political doctrine and a carefully enunciated set
of criteria for action. If the US is truly ready to contravene
international law and the UN charter, we need to decide whether it is only
resource-rich states that are subject to attack, or if poorer autocracies
also receive close American attention.
Alternatively, if preemptive strikes are to be launched only when rogue
states possess weapons of mass destruction and are prepared to use them
against the US or its allies, then we need a different doctrine, a method
of ascertaining sure intent, and a means of ensuring ourselves that the
weapons are armed and poised. Under this last rubric, Washington might be
compelled to act against Pakistan or India, or both.
Clearly there is dissonance. Washington can only justify attacking Iraq
and not Zimbabwe because of weapons of mass destruction, possible links to
Al Qaeda, oil, and politics. Yet Zimbabwe (and Burma, Liberia, the Sudan,
etc.) are the clearer cases and, in some ways, the easier cases.
Whereas Mr. Hussein used poison gas against the Kurds more than a decade
ago, and started the foolish assault on Kuwait in 1990, Mr. Mugabe is
torturing opponents now, depriving literally millions of food, and
destroying his country's entire capacity to prosper.
Whereas Iraq's GDP per capita is growing, Zimbabwe's has fallen by about
20 percent in two years. Liberia is a failed state where the people
continue to suffer from Taylor's greed and constant warfare. All of the
new oil wealth of Equatorial Guinea is going into the hands of President
General Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Alexander Lukashenko, in Belarus, behaves
arbitrarily, like Mugabe, but with fewer convenient scapegoats. Hun Sen
runs a punishing operation in Cambodia, as the military junta does in
battered Burma.
Each of these hapless and abysmally run countries merits intervention. Why
not remove their rulers, and demonstrate to the world that the US means
business?
It may be much more salutary to bully with a broad, all-encompassing sweep
than to focus only on the Middle Eastern country with the most oil, a
legacy of having survived Desert Storm, and a ruler who has thumbed his
nose at Washington and its presidents.
• Robert I. Rotberg is director of Harvard University's Program on
Intrastate Conflict at the Kennedy School and president of the World Peace
Foundation.