BurmaNet News: January 23 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

January 23 2003 Issue #2162

INSIDE BURMA

DVB: Japan Deputy FM met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
DVB: Forced soldier returned home, blind
Myanmar Times: ‘No credible evidence’ to back child soldier claim

ON THE BORDER

AFP: Myanmar dissidents living in fear under Thai crackdown
AFP: Six Myanmar troops killed in clash with ethnic rebels: Thai military
AP: Myanmar villagers flee after government attack on ethnic rebels
DPA: Shan rebels accused of stirring up trouble on Thai border

INTERNATIONAL

Xinhua: Japan extends over 18 mln USD aid to Myanmar in FY 2001-2992
Xinhua: Myanmar to host world Buddhist summit

OPINION

Myanmar Times: Bonds of friendship with China strengthened

INSIDE BURMA

Democratic Voice of Burma January 22 2003

Japan Deputy FM met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

The Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday
and he also met General Khin Nyunt on Tuesday. He explained to her that
the Japanese government’s washing off the debts of Burma is not to oblige
the military government, but the decision of Japan to the least developed
nations. U Lwin, the NLD’s spokesman told the DVB that the minister paid a
visit to her as a friend and they did not discuss anything in particular
about the politics or economy of Burma:
U Lwin : They did not discuss anything in particular. He dropped in Burma
on his tour to foreign countries and talked to her as a friend. He is not
particularly important person. She has met the Foreign Minister and she
only met the Deputy FM now. He came to Burma on his way around SE Asia.
DVB : According to the news, he explained to both the military junta and
the opposition that the Japanese government’s policy on Burma hasn’t
changed.
U Lwin : That is true. These are the usual terminologies used in these
situations. Nothing new.
DVB : They didn’t manage to discuss political and economical matters?
U Lwin : Nothing special. Like before, we said what we needed to say.
There was no new topic to be discussed.
DVB : The news also said that he urged the SPDC to meet the NLD as soon as
possible and have a dialogue. What is your view on that?
U Lwin : If they said that they said that. I don’t know what they have
discussed on that side.
When asked about the rumour that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is visiting the
Tenesserim Division for rallying purpose soon, U Lwin replied that she has
no plan to visit the region yet. He also said that the NLD offices in
Tenesserim are not able to organise and rally freely. They have to survive
day by day and there are not many townships in the division and the
transportation is extremely difficult. All the NLD offices in the two
districts of Tavoy and Myeik are said to be not opened officially yet.
There are four townships in Tavoy District and six in Myeik, ten in all.
_________

Democratic Voice of Burma January 22 2003

Forced soldier returned home, blind

A 15 year-old youth from Yenangchaung, central Burma was forced to join
the army and sent home after he became blind. Maung Aung Myo Thant of
Sipintha Ward, Yenangchaung was kidnapped last July by the soldiers at
Zawbwagyi Kone Bus Station on his way home from work in Rangoon. He was
locked up in a room for two days at family quarters of Danyin Kone Soldier
Recruitment Camp, according to a close friend of his family.

He was then transferred to Taungdwinggyi Soldiers Training School. He
attended the basic military trainings at the school led by Colonel Thein
Lwin and he became ill. He was given the wrong injection and was blinded
as a result. An army officer took him back to his home in Yenangyaung on
the 3rd of December and local people tried to treat him with an eye
specialist in Minbu but it is too late for him to see.

Children from outer regions of Burma as young as 11 who are working in
Rangoon are being kidnapped by the soldiers at ports, bus terminals and
train stations. Maung Kyaw Thet Lwin, the 15 year-old son of U Soe Myint
from Yenangyang was forced to join the army last month. He is being
trained in Phaunggyi Training School and his parents found out about it
only recently and they are not allowed to see him.
_________

Myanmar Times January 23 2003

No credible evidence’ to back child soldier claim
By Diplomatic Editor Thet Khaing

MYANMAR has denied the allegations by the United Nations that its armed
forces had forcibly recruited child soldiers. In a report to the UN
Security Council last month, Secretary General Kofi Annan indicated
Myanmar as one of the countries where "children are recruited and used as
combatants".  Myanmar’s permanent representative to the UN U Kyaw Tint Swe
in his response said Mr Annan’s report "departed from its mandate" under
the Security Council’s Resolution 1379, to investigate the abuse of
children in conflict zones on the council’s agenda. "There is no credible
evidence of recruitment of child soldiers," U Kyaw Tint Swe told the UN
Security Council at its debate on the issue last Tuesday. "The situation
in Myanmar is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a threat to
international peace and security," he said. He told the council that
Myanmar’s armed forces is an all-volunteer army and those entering the
military services do so of their own free will. "Under Myanmar’s laws, a
person could not enlist in armed forces until he has attained the age of
18," U Kyaw Tint Swe said, adding that the allegation against Myanmar was
based on information provided by insurgents in a neighbouring country. In
a list attached to his report, Mr Annan also named 23 parties on the
council’s agenda, which "continue to recruit and use child soldiers".

The list included both the Governments and insurgents in the conflicts in
Afghanistan, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Somalia. 
During the debate on the issue several speakers, the United States
representative at the debate Mr Richard Williamson and the British
Ambassador to the UN Mr Jeremy Greenstock has called the Security Council
to include more countries on its agenda. Among the speakers was the
executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund Ms Carol Bellamy
who said naming of the parties involved in recruiting child soldiers would
help to establish "a culture of accountability, one that could prevent
such abuses from occurring in the future". "The list can be used not only
to pressure those who violated the children’s rights, but also to support
and encourage progress," Ms Bellamy said.

ON THE BORDER

Agence France-Presse January 23 2003

Myanmar dissidents living in fear under Thai crackdown

By SON MOE WAI

Anti-Yangon activists are living in fear for their lives amid a border
crackdown by Thailand on illegal immigrants which comes ahead of a visit
to Myanmar by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra next month.

The Thai army began rounding up illegal immigrants -- including political
activists -- in the town of Sangkhlaburi in western Kanchanaburi province
late last month.

On Monday, a senior district official told AFP a joint government-army
operation had begun an intensive five-day operation aimed at sending
illegal immigrants back over the border, netting seven dissidents so far.

Press reports said a court had ordered their deportation. For their
Thai-based political work, the activists risk arbitrary arrest,
ill-treatment and imprisonment by Myanmar's ruling military junta, human
rights watchdog Amnesty International has said.

"We ordered them to close down their offices and leave the country within
48 hours. They left peacefully," a military officer in Sangkhlaburi said
of the activists sent back last month.

"They were activists, but according to government policy we have to send
back all illegal immigrants or anyone who doesn't have work permits or
identification cards," the officer said speaking on condition of
anonymity.

Shortly after the repatriations, army spokesman Somkhuan Saengpattaranate
said the military would not tolerate foreign groups using Thailand as a
base for activities against a neighbouring state -- a frequent refrain of
the Thai government.

Somkhuan said the move was not done to appease Myanmar's junta -- as had
been speculated in the local press and by dissidents -- but was merely
enforcement of Thai immigration law.

Yet the visit to Yangon by Thaksin February 9-10 is likely a factor in the
crackdown. The prime minister's trip will be the first by a Thai leader
since relations between the historic enemies hit a dangerous low in May
following clashes along the border.

The army did not disclose how many people were recently repatriated, but
Kyaw Kyaw Htet, chairman of the People's Democratic Front dissident group,
said around 60 activists of the 100 living in Sanghlaburi were forced
back.

Several dozen ethnic Mon and Karen who were illegally in Thailand seeking
work were also pushed back, the dissident said, adding that the activists
were now sheltering in homes of ethnic Mon people or makeshift camps.

The dissidents say that although similar crackdowns have occasionally
occurred in the past, the intervention of human rights groups has allowed
them to stay in Thailand. This time the authorities are not listening.

"Our sleepless nights began the last week of December," said 23-year-old
activist Min Zaw, who has since left the border area.

"I'm sure that we will face death or be put in jail for decades if
Thailand forces us to be repatriated."

Some of the activists have lived in the kingdom for as long as 13 years,
arriving here shortly after Myanmar's military brutally crushed a
student-led democracy movement in 1988, killing hundreds and perhaps
thousands.

"We have never made a secret of ourselves in Thailand. The local
authorities took our photographs and all our personal data years ago,"
Kyaw Kyaw Htet said.

Ten offices from which the activists continued their campaign against the
Myanmar military have been shut, with their contents and the personal
belongings of the activists confiscated, Kyaw Kyaw Htet said.

The Sanghkhlaburi-based military official acknowledged the activists were
not causing trouble in Thailand.

"It is true that they are staying without any problem in Sangkhlaburi...
but they have no identification cards or work permits, so we had to send
them back," he said.

Dissidents remaining in Sangkhlaburi and other border towns remain on edge.

"We don't know when and what other kind of pressure is coming, but we have
decided to live with a low profile and call for the international
community and human rights organisations to look into our situation," said
Aung Moe Zaw, secretary general of the National Council of the Union of
Burma (NCUB).

Ko Kaung Zan, another NCUB member, said he viewed the crackdown as a
direct attempt to stifle their democracy movement.

"I think the Thai government is attempting to cut the hands and legs of
our movement fighting against Myanmar military rulers for democracy," he
said.

The activists say this is not the way to boost stability along the frontier.

"If Thailand wants to see real peace in Myanmar, it should not pressure us
but the military regime to re-start national reconciliation dialogue with
Aung San Suu Kyi," Kyaw Kyaw Htet said, referring to Myanmar's
pro-democracy leader.
_________

Agence France-Presse January 23 2003

Six Myanmar troops killed in clash with ethnic rebels: Thai military

At least six Myanmar soldiers were killed Thursday in clashes with ethnic
Karen rebels as 1,000 villagers in Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand fled
the fighting and shelling, Thai military sources and witnesses said.

An estimated 2,000 Myanmar soldiers engaged in a prolonged firefight with
120 militants of the Karen National Union (KNU) from 9:00 a.m. (0200 GMT)
near a KNU base opposite Thailand's Tak province, witnesses in Phob Phra
district said.

"Six Myanmar soldiers died in the fighting and two were reportedly
injured," a security source attached to a Thai army border task force told
AFP. There were no reports of any KNU casualties, he said, speaking on
condition of anonymity.

Thai villagers reported hearing heavy automatic weapons and artillery fire
for several hours along the border.

Two Thai villages in Phob Phra were bombarded by seven mortars launched
during the battle, causing only minor damage to three homes but forcing
the evacuation of some 600 Thais into local government buildings. Schools
near the border were also closed for the day, the Thai military said.

About 500 Karen villagers also fled across the border from Myanmar,
witnesses said.

Thai Major Pongsak Ma-In, in charge of the border area in Phob Phra, said
the Thai army was closely guarding the frontier "in case any intruders
violate Thai territory" and to try to deter further shelling.

"The Thai army has not fired back yet after the seven mortars fell in some
Thai villages. Any quick reaction might hurt relations (with Myanmar), but
if another series of shells falls, we will fire warning shots."

Skirmishes are common along the border and often involve ethnic rebel
groups such as the KNU who oppose Yangon's military rule, or ethnic
militias aligned with the junta and who stand accused of trafficking drugs
along the porous border.

Officials of the KNU have said that Myanmar troops often fire rockets into
Thailand to create misunderstandings between Thai authorities and ethnic
groups.
_________

Associated Press January 23 2003

Myanmar villagers flee after government attack on ethnic rebels

About 400 villagers in neighboring Myanmar fled into Thailand on Thursday
to escape fighting between government troops and ethnic Karen guerrillas,
witnesses said.

Hundreds of Myanmar soldiers used small arms and mortars to attack the
Karen guerrilla outpost at Law Kahw, across the border from the Thai
village of Ya Phaw, 370 kilometers (230 miles) northwest of Bangkok, said
the refugees. The five-hour skirmish began at 8 a.m. (0100 GMT) and was
continuing five hours later with an estimated 100 Karen National Union
guerrillas holding their position, refugees said.

Half a dozen shells fired by Myanmar government soldiers had fallen on
Thai soil but caused no casualties, said the refugees, who were sheltering
in a Buddhist monastery in Ya Phaw.

The Thai residents of Ya Phaw were moved farther from the border for their
safety, while Thai troops guarded the refugees.

The Karen have been fighting for autonomy from the central government
since Myanmar - then called Burma - gained independence in 1948.

Myanmar's current military government has signed cease-fire agreements
with more than a dozen other ethnic groups since 1988, but the Karen
continue to fight.

There are more than 100,000 Myanmar refugees in Thai camps along the
border, most of them Karen. Many return to their homes as soon as fighting
dies down.
__________

Deutsche Presse-Agentur January 23 2003

Shan rebels accused of stirring up trouble on Thai border

Military authorities in Myanmar (Burma) Thursday accused ethnic Shan
rebels of donning the uniforms of a rival group and then attacking
government troops in an attempt to stir up trouble along the tense border
with Thailand.

A government statement said six soldiers of the Shan United Revolutionary
Army (SURA), dressed in the uniforms of the rival United Wa State Army
(UWSA) attacked soldiers from the Myanmar army's 227th Battalion on
January 17 in the eastern Shan State near the Thai border.

After the attack, the six attackers fled into Thailand pursued by real
UWSA troops, said the statement. "According to the information gathered
later from the local villagers in the area, the Shan United Revolutionary
Army has been recently stepping up activities in the area and those six
intruders did not speak or look like Wa to them," said the statement.

"Myanmar officials have informed the responsible Thai officials of this
incident in order to prevent misunderstanding deliberately being created
by the SURA along the border between Thailand and Myanmar."

The statement did not disclose casualties resulting from the attack, but a
Shan rebel spokesman on the border said two Myanmar government soldiers
had been killed and five others wounded. There were no Shan casualties.

The spokesman said the attack took place more than 40 kilometres from the
Thai border, contradicting the Myanmar government claim that the attack
had happened only four kilometres from the boundary.

The spokesman also denied the Shan troops had been wearing UWSA uniforms.

"We have our own uniforms," said the spokesman in a telephone interview
Thursday. "We don't need to put on Wa uniforms. And we can control our own
area."

The rebel Shans identify themselves as the Shan State Army, while Myanmar
military leaders refer to them as the SURA.

Tension has been high along the Myanmar-Thai border for more than a year,
with military authorities from both countries accusing the other of using
rival Wa and Shan armies as surrogates.

The Shan, who are related ethnically to the Thai, have been fighting for
independence from Yangon (Rangoon) for more than 50 years.

The UWSA made peace with the present junta ruling Yangon in return for a
measure of autonomy and military support against other armed groups in the
area.

The UWSA is accused by Thai and Western anti-narcotics officials of
operating the region's biggest illegal drug production and distribution
network.


INTERNATIONAL

Xinhua News Agency January 23 2003

Japan extends over 18 mln USD aid to Myanmar in FY 2001-02

Japan extended 18.33 million US dollars of conventional grant assistance
to Myanmar in the fiscal year 2001-02, the local weekly Myanmar Times
reported in its latest issue.

Quoting Japanese Ambassador to Myanmar Yuji Miyamoto, the report said the
aid did not include the debt relief, and the basic human needs assistance
to the country for 2003 will probably be increased. The ambassador
attributed the provision of Japanese aid to a special relationship between
Japan and Myanmar, saying that Myanmar's economic development is very
important to Japan.

He reiterated that Japan's policy toward Myanmar is consistent no matter
how the political climate prevails, stressing that the Japanese aid to
Myanmar is all about basic human needs.

Japan is known as Myanmar's biggest donor country. It suspended its
Official Development Assistance (ODA) along with humanitarian aid in 1988
but resumed in March 2001 its ODA to the country, while its humanitarian
aid was resumed earlier in 1995.

Meanwhile, up to 2001, Japan had provided aid for debt relief to Myanmar
for 20 times including that of 3.594 billion yens ( about 29.22 million
dollars) during 2001.
__________

Xinhua News Agency January 23 2003

Myanmar to host world Buddhist summit

Myanmar is making preparations for the fourth world Buddhist summit in 2004.

The hosting of the summit was agreed upon by Myanmar after the Japanese
Buddhist Association made this proposal, according to the Myanmar Ministry
of Religious Affairs on Thursday. The first world Buddhist summit was held
in Japan in 1998, the second in Thailand in 2000 and the third in Cambodia
in 2002.

Myanmar is a country with a majority of its population (about 80 percent)
believing in Buddhism. It is estimated that there are more than 400,000
monks and nuns in Myanmar. For nearly 1,000 years, the country has kept
Theravada (Little Vehicle) Buddhism pure and intact. It established
Buddhist scripture learning centers and other monastic education schools
long ago.

Aimed at promoting the genuine Theravada Buddhism throughout the world and
the study and comprehension of the canonical texts of Buddhism, Myanmar
opened an International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University in Yangon
in December 1998, the country's first permanent center of higher learning
of the Buddhism in various languages.

MONEY

Myanmar Times January 23 2003

Monywa mining project delayed
By Myo Lwin

IVANHOE Mining’s president, Mr Daniel Kunz said last week that the company
still has strong interest from several major trading firms to help finance
the Monywa copper mining project. The Canada-based mining company formed a
joint venture with the Ministry of Mines in 1996 as equal partners in the
production of high quality copper from Sabetaung and Kyisintaung deposits
in Monywa which started two years later as the first phase of the project.
However, the JV has not been able to start the second phase expansion
project for production of copper from Letpadaung deposits.  The expansion
project would require a $400 million investment and 70 megawatts of power,
as it is five times bigger than the present project, under which 27,500
tonnes of Grade A copper has been produced and exported every year. He
added that the first phase project continues to operate well and is
producing according to plan but they have had to keep its costs low in the
current weak copper market. "Regarding the global copper market prices, we
are now seeing an improvement to about US$0.75 per pound which helps, but
we are anticipating more than $0.8 per pound based upon earlier price
forecasts made by experts," he said in a message sent to Myanmar Times.
Regarding power for the expansion project, Mr Kunz said that there were a
number of alternatives still under review with the possibility of
including a coal-fired power plant in the project. He said the joint
venture is currently studying a modified expansion plan that would involve
several stages of expansion rather than one single stage, to lower initial
investment costs and power requirements. He added that a technical study
would be complete within the first quarter of this year. Last year, copper
from Monywa got the grade A certification from London Metals Exchange and
has since been fetching the best copper price in the world market where
the metal was trading at $1612 a tonne last week. Employing more than 600
local workers and technicians, the Monywa mine is environmentally friendly
and accident free.

OPINION

Myanmar Times January 23 2003

Bonds of friendship with China strengthened

Myanmar shares common borders with China, India, Thailand, Bangla-desh and
Laos and she has always made every effort to maintain and enhance good
neighborly relations with all the countries concerned. The Myanmar
Government has never failed in assuming responsibilities for peace and
stability in the region as well as for promoting regional development.
Accordingly Head of State, Chairman of the State Peace and Development
Council Senior General Than Shwe has always been receptive to exchange of
mutual visits with heads of State and Government of neighbouring countries
and countries in the region and thus keep up good inter-personal relations
for the enhancement of bilateral relations. It was thus only over a month
ago that Senior General Than Shwe and entourage paid a visit to Bangladesh
to cement existing ties of friendship.
Likewise, Senior General Than Shwe accompanied by Secretary 1 of the State
Peace and Development Council General Khin Nyunt, Foreign Minister U Win
Aung and other high-ranking officers of Government made his first foreign
relations venture for the Year 2003 with a six-day visit to the Republic
of China at the invitation of President Jiang Zemin on 6th January.
This is the Chairman’s second visit since 1996. President Jiang Zemin has
also paid a return visit to Myanmar during which he and his entourage
toured the ancient city of Bagan and Mandalay, and therefore getting a
closer look at the country and the people and the progress that the
Myanmar government had made.
Myanmar and China have enjoyed close fraternal relations known in both
countries as "Paukphaw" since ancient times and they share cultural
affinities especially in the codes of moral conduct, such as respect for
parents, teachers and elders. And since the establishment of diplomatic
relations in 1950, friendly ties had been established based on the Five
Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, which have gone from strength to
strength. The two countries have lent support and cooperation in
international affairs and in the economic, trade and social sectors to the
mutual benefit of both countries. These friendly relations reached a new
high since the tenure of the present Myanmar Government. This present
visit of Senior General Than Shwe to China was hence another significant
milestone in Myanmar-China relations.
During this historic visit, Senior General Than Shwe held talks with
President Jiang Zemin in the Great Hall of the People on January 7 during
which the Chinese President made an offer of 200 million US dollars in
preferential loans to Myanmar to aid its economic development as a mark of
good will. Moreover, during the talks President Jiang expressed the hope
for not only strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries
but also for expanding collaboration in science, technology, culture,
sports, public health and tourism. He also said that Myanmar and China
should continue to work in accord and continue to cooperate on regional
and international issues within the framework of multilateral mechanisms
such as the United Nations and the ASEAN Regional Forum.
Senior General Than Shwe in his turn expressed his satisfaction with the
progress that had been made by the two countries in agriculture,
exploration of human and natural resources and the construction of
necessary infrastructure. He also gave assurance that Myanmar as a member
of the ASEAN was prepared to help China to strengthen its relations with
ASEAN.
Both Heads of State then attended the signing ceremony for three
agreements on economic and technological cooperation and cooperation in
public health and sports respectively.
Chairman Senior General Than Shwe also held talks with Vice-President Hu
Jintao, top legislator Li Peng and Premier Zhu Rongji.
Vice-President Hu Jintao stated that Myanmar-China relations based on the
Five Principles of Co-existence had withstood the test of international
and internal changes and had made steady but dynamic progress. He also
expressed his appreciation of the Myanmar Government’s staunch one-
China policy. Senior General Than Shwe in response to Vice-President Hu
Jintao said that Myanmar held China’s friendship in high esteem and
regarded China as one of its most steadfast and dependable friends and
that the torch of bilateral friendship would be handed down to future
generations.
In the meeting with Premier Zhu Rongji, at the Zhongnanhai, headquarters
of the Chinese Government on January 8, the Chinese Premier said that
China and Myanmar had geographical advantages and thus shared great
potential for cooperation in such fields as agriculture, forestry, fishing
and development of resources and infrastructure. He also remarked on the
accord reached by the two leaders -with regard to the development of
bilateral ties during their fruitful talks on Tuesday.
Senior General Than Shwe in reply stated that he welcomed China’s economic
cooperation and expressed his appreciation of China’s contribution to the
general development of the ASEAN and believed that it would in future play
a more active and important role in regional and international affairs.
During the visit of the Myanmar delegation. Secretary 1 of the State Peace
and Development Council General Khin Nyunt also called on State Councillor
Luo Gan on Wednesday, 8th January. Mr. Luo Gan said that China was keen to
boost cooperation with Myanmar especially in areas such as the fight
against narcotic drugs and expressed the hope that government departments
concerned in both China and Myanmar would soon step up contacts and
coordination.
General Khin Nyunt affirmed the fact that Myanmar highly valued the
friendship between the two countries and he said that it would uphold this
friendship and goodwill for the long term by passing on this legacy to
future generations, and that Myanmar also desired to increase efforts to
enhance trade and border cooperation. General Khin Nyunt praised the
agreement on border management and cooperation signed in 1997 by the two
countries for he said it had done much to maintain border stability and
had promoted trade and economic cooperation in the border areas. He also
alluded to the progress made in border area development, which he said was
the result of action programmes implemented by the Myanmar Government to
eliminate narcotic drugs. He further said that Myanmar hoped to increase
cooperation with Yunnan Province, which borders Myamnar in the fight
against narcotic drugs, as well as with other provinces and regions in
China.
There is no doubt that the visit was a great success and was satisfactory
to both parties concerned. China is a country many times larger than
Myanmar with a population density that is also much greater. Nevertheless,
there is mutual understanding and esteem, which is essential for countries
that live side by side, whether large or small to live in peace and amity.
Each must respect the other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Only
then will there be mutual benefit, and only then can peace and stability
also prevail in the region. But this again depends on the integrity,
sincerity and goodwill of the leaders; on leaders who are willing to meet
and exchange views and ideas and meet each other half way in the interest
of its peoples. That the leaders of both Myanmar and China have made every
endeavour to strengthen bonds of friendship, understanding and goodwill
that exist between Myanmar and China is thus obvious and should be an
object lesson to other countries in the region. Myan-mar on her part is
always ready to extend her hand in friendship to neighbours and to all
other countries in the world.