BurmaNet News: November 6 2002

[editor at burmanet.org]

November 6 2002 Issue #2117

INSIDE BURMA

VOA: Red Cross investigates rape allegations in Burma’s Shan area
Myanmar Times: UN envoy says it’s ‘absurd’ to wait before helping Myanmar
DVB: Committee Representing People’s Parliament to include winning parties

GUNS

Reuters: Bosnian Serbs admit plans to sell arms to Burma

DRUGS

New Light of Myanmar: Tachilek District launches anti-drug billboards
campaign

REGIONAL

Mizzima: Burma’s state constitutions seminar in New Delhi
Xinhua: Anti-terror international conference to be held in Manila
Xinhua: Myanmar requests postponement of border meeting with Thailand

PRESS RELEASES

Burma Campaign UK: Lonely Planet targeted over new Burma guide

_____INSIDE BURMA_______

Voice of America
November 5 2002

Red Cross investigates rape allegations in Burma’s Shan area

By government invitation, a Red Cross delegation has gone to the
northeastern Shan area in Burma to investigate reports that the Burmese
army has used rape as a weapon of war against Shan rebels in the area.
A government statement said the delegation left Saturday to investigate
the rape allegations and the human rights situation in the area. The
Burmese government denies the rape allegations.
Last month while on a visit to Burma, United Nations special
representative to the Secretary General, Paolo Sergio Pinheiro, urged the
government to allow a Red Cross team to fully investigate conflict areas.
Mr. Pinheiro decided against a visit to the Shan state saying he did not
have enough time to conduct a thorough investigation.
The rape allegations came to light after two Thailand-based Shan women's
groups published reports in May documenting hundreds of cases of rape
against Shan and Burmese women. The report drew international outrage.
Aung Zaw, editor of the on-line Burma news magazine Irrawaddy, said he
felt it was doubtful the Red Cross team would be able to fully investigate
the human rights situation in the Shan State.
"The investigators, if they go there they might be able to meet and talk
to villagers, but the villagers will already be told, will be threatened
by the officials not to cooperate with the ICRC or just to give the
official line," he said.
Burma has a dismal human rights track record and has been ruled by the
military for more than four decades.
The government is known to use forced labor and children in the army. It
has been under international pressure to respect human rights and many
Western nations have placed economic sanctions against the country.
Mr. Aung Zuw said the military government is allowing the Red Cross to
conduct the investigation in order to win friends within the international
community. "The government wants to show that they really care (about) the
international image and also to show that they comply with the UN
mandate," he said. Rangoon has come under criticism recently after UNICEF
released a report last month saying it was using possibly as many as
70,000 child soldiers in the national army.
___________

Myanmar Times
November 4-10 2002

UN envoy says it’s ‘absurd’ to wait before helping Myanmar

THE United Nations human rights envoy, Mr Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, has
appealed to the international community to engage with Myanmar, saying it
would be "absurd" to wait until the political situation evolved. "I think
it is very important that the international community and international
bodies 
 do not wait until the end of the political transition to become
engaged. This is absurd," Mr Pinheiro said in Bangkok last Wednesday. The
human rights rapporteur on Myanmar said he knew of no democratic
transition in history where foreign governments waited for reforms before
engaging with a country’s people. "The population cannot be punished
because of problems in terms of, for instance, social policy," he said.
Countries in North America and Western Europe have sought the isolation of
Myanmar as part of a campaign aimed at pressuring the government to
introduce political reforms. Other nations such as Japan and Australia
have adopted a compromise position, involving engagement with Myan-mar,
which they say has a better chance of encouraging change in the country. 
Mr Pinheiro’s comments came two days after he completed an 11-day visit to
Myanmar. He told a media briefing in Yangon on October 28 ahead of his
departure that he had received full cooperation from the government during
his latest mission, his fourth since he was appointed to the UN post
nearly two years ago. The government had not denied access to any person
he wanted to meet or any place he wanted to visit, the human rights envoy
said.
One of the reasons behind the government’s decision to invite Mr Pinheiro
for the visit was to provide him with an opportunity to gather facts about
allegations of sexual assaults on Shan women by members of the army. Mr
Pinheiro said he had declined the government’s offer to travel to Shan
State because of time constraints. Rather than conducting a fact-finding
mission himself, Mr Pinheiro proposed that the International Committee of
the Red Cross be allowed a presence in Shan State and other places where
the government is fighting rebel groups. "The ICRC could then assess the
humanitarian situation on an on-going basis, report confidentially to the
authorities and work out with them appropriate measures to ensure the
security and protection of the civilian population wherever needed," Mr
Pinheiro said.  "It is not that I refused to accept my responsibility," Mr
Pinheiro said, adding that he would continue to liaise with the government
on his proposal for the ICRC to station personnel in areas where rebel
groups were active. The Brazilian academic said he expected to give the
government’s response to his proposal on November 6 when  he addresses the
UN General Assembly on the outcome of his latest visit, which included
visits to detention centers in Yangon and Bago divisions and Mon and Kayin
states. The conditions in many detention centers had improved, Mr Pinheiro
said.  His visit also included meetings with Secretary 1 of the State
Peace and Development Council, General Khin Nyunt, as well as senior
government ministers, judicial authorities, religious leaders, senior
diplomats and UN officials. He also met members of the National League for
Democracy, including its secretary-general, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who has
been involved in talks with the government on national reconciliation for
the past two years. Mr Pinheiro described the lifting of travel
restrictions on the NLD leader as an "outstanding" development, adding
that both sides have taken steps, which have paved the way for a more
substantive dialogue. Mr Pinheiro also welcomed the release of nearly 400
political detainees since January 2001. He called for the release of
remaining political detainees for the benefit of the dialogue process. He
said that in meetings with senior Myanmar leaders he had emphasised that
his top priority was the release of the political detainees.  "I received
indications by the SPDC that they will continue dealing with this issue
but I insisted on the need to consider their immediate release," Mr
Pinheiro said. The national reconciliation talks began at the
encouragement of the UN special envoy to Myanmar, Mr Razali Ismail, whom
Mr Pinheiro said was due to return on November 12 for his ninth mission.
________

Democratic Voice of Burma
November 4 2002

Committee Representing People's Parliament to include winning parties

According to CRPP Committee Representing People's Parliament Notification
No 2 issued on 30 October, the expansion of the CRPP will be carried out
within three months and relevant special affairs committees will be
reorganized. The notification also stated that National League for
Democracy, NLD Chairman U Aung Shwe and CRPP Secretary U Aye Tha Aung have
been chosen as CRPP spokespersons. In order to learn more about the
expansion of the CRPP and the policy to accept new members, DVB Democratic
Voice of Burma contacted CRPP Secretary U Aye Tha Aung.

U Aye Tha Aung We have already drawn up rules and regulations to accept
new members. The parties concerned or an independent should discuss and
read them carefully and if they want to join then they can come and talk
with us. According to the procedures they must first send a proposal to
us. Htet Aung Kyaw So, could you explain to us in general terms what
policy criteria should they meet to be accepted as new CRPP members?

U Aye Tha Aung CRPP has two main objectives. The first is to work for the
emergence of a parliament by implementing the result of the 1990
elections. The second is CRPP will act as a parliament in the mean time
until such a parliament emerges. They must strictly adhere to these two
objectives. Furthermore, they must also accept the resolutions adopted at
the CRPP meetings. Any political party that wishes to join the CRPP must
have won at least one seat at the 1990 elections. The elected
representatives MPs from the winning parties will then become CRPP
delegates. As an independent elected representative he must individually
sign and send a proposal to CRPP.

Htet Aung Kyaw Yes. If you belong to a party then you will be representing
the party but if you are an independent then you need to join the CRPP as
an individual preceding word rendered in English . Does CRPP have any
tentative plans to accept only a limited quantity?

U Aye Tha Aung There are no such plans. If the elected representatives
that either won the elections on a party platform or as an individual,
accept the rules and regulations, and also adhere to the CRPP's
objectives, then any party or individual could join the CRPP.

Htet Aung Kyaw Now we see only the NLD and the national races parties. If
the so-called pro-government NUP National Unity Party wants to join the
CRPP, do you think they could?

U Aye Tha Aung Yes, we would accept them. We welcome them.

Htet Aung Kyaw Now, let us talk about the reaction from the authorities on
the expansion of the CRPP. We have learned from the SPDC; State Peace and
Development Council press conference that they consider the expansion of
CRPP as a normal and routine matter. What response did you receive from
them?

U Aye Tha Aung Nothing so far. We have received practically no official
response and no official letter.

Htet Aung Kyaw Just like before, some say that the CRPP expansion is
linked to the delaying of the tripartite talks. Now that the CRPP has
expanded and it has engaged in more activities, what is your opinion about
the prevailing condition of the talks between NLD and the military
government?

U Aye Tha Aung The NLD and the national races parties are all prepared to
hold talks. Moreover, we believe that the SPDC authorities should hold
talks with all the democracy forces and the national races to tackle the
prevailing political, economic, social, education, and ethnic situations
in Burma. But, up till today the SPDC authorities has shown no sign of
holding tripartite talks.

Htet Aung Kyaw Yes. Another thing is the UN special human rights
rapporteur Mr Pinheiro has recently departed the country. We heard that UN
secretary-general's special envoy Mr Razali is coming this month. In the
meantime, the UN secretary-general has urged the SPDC to hold talks and
noted that the talks have lost its steam. What would be the CRPP's
response about international concern, especially the UN?

U Aye Tha Aung As for us, we feel the prevailing political, economic,
social, education, and the ethnic situations in Burma could worsen if they
take longer to hold talks and we are more concerned about that. We also
worry very much about the ramifications and the consequences. That is why
we have been urging the SPDC all the time to hold talks.

__GUNS____

Reuters
November 4, 2002

Bosnian Serbs admit plans to sell arms to Burma

BANJA LUKA, Nov. 4 (Reuters) - Bosnias Republika Srpska faced fresh
embarrassment over weapons trading after it admitted yesterday it was
negotiating a deal with Myanmar when a scandal over illegal exports to
Iraq broke out last month. There were attempts... to sell weapons, but
after learning that Burma (Myanmar) was under unilateral sanctions,
(although) not under UN sanctions, the agreement was put out of force,
Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic told a news conference.  Many Western
countries, including the US and the EU, have imposed political and
economic sanctions on Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, over its
human rights record.

_____DRUGS______

New Light of Myanmar
November 6 2002

Tachilek District launches anti-drug billboards campaign

Yangon, 5 November: As part of the pilot project to enable Tachilek
District to become the drug-free zone under the programme of eradication
of narcotic drugs in the border areas, the ceremony to open the anti-drug
billboards took place in front of the People's Hospital in Tachilek
yesterday afternoon, with an address by Chairman of the Central Committee
for Drug Abuse Control CCDAC Minister for Home Affairs Col Tin Hlaing.

Then, Chairman of the Central Supervisory Committee Minister for Labour U
Tin Winn formally opened the billboards. Next, Minister for Home Affairs
made a speech. He said that in accord with the guidance of head of state
Senior Gen Than Shwe priority is being given to eradication of narcotic
drugs in the border areas, adding efforts will have to be made phase by
phase in line with the eight characteristics to enable Tachilek District
to become the drug-free zone as pilot project. Nowadays, the Tachilek
District Anti-Narcotics Association has been formed and efforts are being
made together with the NGOs for narcotic drugs eradication. This being so,
the 10 anti-drug billboards were put up and opened in the strategic areas
in Tachilek District as part of the pilot project to enable Tachilek
District to become the drug-free zone. The minister called on the entire
people to make relentless and sustained efforts in the drive to enable the
district to become the drug-free zone. The CCDAC chairman and the Central
Supervisory Committee Chairman this morning met with members of
district/township Peace and Development Councils, NGOs and the local
people at Aung Myat Hall in Tachilek and gave instructions on the drug
eradication programme in the border areas and future tasks for enabling
the Tachilek District to become drug-free zone.

_____REGIONAL_______

Mizzima
November 6 2002

Burma's State Constitutions Seminar in New Delhi
By Zaceulian

The State Constitutions seminar under the title of "the Role of State
Constitutions in the Protection of Nationality and Minority Rights under
Federalism" was held from November 1 to 5 in New Delhi. The seminar, which
aims to help provide wide-ranging views on Arakanese and Chin nationals in
drafting their respective Constitutions for the future federal Union of
Burma, was organized by the Supporting Committee for State Constitutions
Seminar (SCSC) of the UNLD-NDF.
More than one hundred participants including 9th Chin Constitution
Drafting Committee members (CCDC) from different countries, Arakan
Constitution Drafting Committee members (ACDC), two representatives each
from India and Bangladesh-based Burma democracy organizations and
interested individuals participated in the seminar.
While the first two days of the Seminar are mainly for all nationalities
of Burma, the remaining three days were for the Chin participants.
At the end of the five day, a third initial draft of Chin Constitution for
future Chin land under Federalism with the leadership of Pu Lian Uk and
Salai Ngun Cung Lian in particular and its committee members was written
by the Chin Forum.
The invited speakers on Federalism for the first two days of seminar
includes Mr.  Yogendra Yadev (Center for Studies on Developing Societies)
from India, Prof. Cheryl Saunders (University of Melbourne) from Australia
and Shan scholar Dr. Choa Tzang Yawngwhe.
The resource person from India spoke on India's experience in managing
challenges of ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity -A review of
Constitutional language policies and protections for minorities and
marginalized groups while Australian speaker shares on Australia's Federal
experience & Review of some aspects of Federal-States relation in
protecting minority rights in Australia.
________

Xinhua News Agency
November 6 2002

Anti-terror international conference to be held in Manila

MANILA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Representatives and officials from 17 countries
will meet in Manila on Friday for a two-day conference on anti-terrorism
and tourism recovery.

Philippine National Security Adviser Roilo Golez, who is co- chairman of
the conference dubbed "International Conference on International Terrorism
and Tourism Recovery," said on Wednesday that the meeting was held in
response to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's directive that the
Philippines should take the lead in forging a common regional front
against terrorists. "This one is a very solid initiative (of the
Philippine government). This is quite comprehensive and focused on the
problem at hand," Golez told reporters.

He said participants will include representatives from Malaysia, Thailand,
Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, China, South Korea,
Canada and Australia.

Also attending will be heads of the Terrorism Directorate of the
International Police, and the Counter-terrorism Center of the US
Department of State, ambassador for International Counter- terrorism
Cooperation of Japan, and deputy chief of the Criminal Investigation
Division of the Indonesian National Police, which is in charge of the Bali
bombing case.

Golez will be the presiding officer in the session on international
terrorism at which participants will discuss the terrorism threats and
measures that can be taken by the participating countries.

Philippine Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon will be the presiding officer
in the session on tourism at which participants will discuss the effects
of terrorism on tourism.

Golez said the participants of the conference will learn from the
experience of countries particularly those who have been victimized by
terrorist attacks, and reach a common position on the threat of terrorism.

They will also forge cooperation among countries in the fight against
terrorism, including the drafting of a crisis plan, and identify doable
projects to fight against terrorism.
________

Xinhua News Agency
November 6 2002

Myanmar requests postponement of border meeting with Thailand

BANGKOK, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar side has requested that the
Thai-Myanmar Regional Border Committee meeting scheduled for this month be
postponed until next month or early January because it was not fully
prepared, the Bangkok Post reported Wednesday.

The report quoted an army source as saying that Myanmar's recently
appointed South East Area Commander Thura Myint Aung and Thailand's Third
Army Commander Udomchai Ongkhasing would attend the meeting. The source
also said Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra wanted the army to do its
best to nurture Thai-Myanmar ties as Myanmar had shown its sincerity in
cooperating on drug suppression by destroying a large amount of drugs in
La Shio, Shan state, on Oct. 25.

The report said the postponement followed the protest about Myanmar
accusing the Thai Army of killing two Myanmar soldiers recently.

The Third Army confirmed that the two Myanmar men shot dead by Thai border
patrol police in Chiang Rai, 900 kilometers from Bangkok, last week were
drug traffickers who tried to smuggle 10, 000 speed pills into Thailand.

____PRESS RELEASES______

Burma Campaign UK
November 6 2002

LONELY PLANET TARGETED OVER NEW BURMA GUIDE

Remembrance vigil for victims of tourism in Burma to be held outside
Lonely Planet HQ

On Friday 8th November, 8.30-10am Burma Campaign UK (BCUK) will hold a
remembrance vigil for those who have suffered as a direct result of
tourism to Burma. The vigil will coincide with the publication of a new
edition of Lonely Planet's guide to Burma. BCUK calls for a tourist
boycott of Burma, and for the tourism industry to stop promoting the
country as a holiday destination.

"Tourism provides a vital source of income for the military dictatorship
in Burma", says Yvette Mahon, Director of BCUK. "Lonely Planet's guide
encourages people to visit Burma, going against the wishes of the
democratic movement in Burma."

Burma's regime has forced thousands of men, women and children to labour
on roads, airports, hotels and other tourist sites under the harshest of
conditions and often at gunpoint. Thousands more have been forced from
their homes to make way for hotels, golf courses and other tourism related
projects. The communities of Than Daung Gyi in Taungoo - forced from their
homes in February 2000 to make way for a tourist hill resort, and the
people of Sittwe in Rakhine state forced to labour for four years on a
museum commonly called the 'museum of suffering' will be amongst those
remembered on Friday morning.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Burma's democratic
movement, has called on tourists not to visit Burma: "Burma will be here
for many years, so visit us later. Visiting now is tantamount to condoning
the regime. If tourists really want to find out what's happening in Burma
- it's better if they stay at home and read some of the many human rights
reports there are."

The multi-faith vigil on Friday will be conducted by U Uttara, a Buddhist
monk, and Father Dominic McKenna, a Catholic Priest.

"Lonely Planet likes to present itself as a responsible, socially
conscious company, but by publishing this guide it has shown profit is the
company's only motive, regardless of the consequences", says Yvette Mahon.
"Rough Guides, controlled by Financial Times owners Pearson, has taken a
principled stand not to produce a guide. Lonely Planet should do the same.
Until then the company is making money out of misery."

For more information and pictures of the vigil contact:

Yvette Mahon on 020 7281 7377, mobile 07957 301 346
Anna Roberts on 0207 281 7377, mobile 07950 849 529