BurmaNet News: March 20 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

March 20 2003 Issue #2198

INSIDE BURMA

Mizzima: Burmese toll bridges levying extravagant tax
BBC: [Broadcast by BBC Burmese Service]

DRUGS

Thai Press Reports: China supports Thailand’s drastic anti-drug campaign

MONEY

The Age: Burma’s banking meltdown goes unnoticed beyond its borders
Xinhua: Bangladeshi trade fair opens in Myanmar
TV Myanmar: Burma, Bangladesh sign Memorandums of Understanding on trade
Myanmar Times: China to provide technical, financial aid for GMO farming
Narinjara: Prime Minister of Bangladesh leaves for Rangoon today
Narinjara: Burma to lease out land to Bangladesh
Narinjara: Burmese refugees’ hunger strike intensifies

STATEMENTS

U.S. Dept of State: Daily Press Briefing (excerpt)

INSIDE BURMA

Mizzima March 20 2003

Burmese toll bridges levying extravagant tax

Toll collectors in the southern part of Burma, blessed only with meager
salary, are now levying unlawful taxes on vehicles passing through their
toll-gates in order to make a living which their salaries do not provide.
According to a local trader, tollgates on bridges at Jaing, Than Lwin, and
Sit Tawng along the Myawadi-Rangoon-Kaw Kareit motor are collecting
excessive tax beyond the official limits.
Although the official toll-rate at Sit Tawng Bridge is limited to a
maximum of 1500 Kyats per vehicle, drivers are asked for 3500 to 4000
Kyats in practice. Similarly, the official rate at Than Lwin and Jaing
toll bridges is 1500 Kyats per vehicle but lorries are made to pay 8000 to
15000 Kyats. In addition to this compulsory toll, drivers have to plus at
least 20,000 Kyats at the Thingann Nyi Naung Check Point payable to the
DKBA, the Burmese M.I, local army personnel, Burmese immigration officers,
forest authorities, the USDA, and fire brigade personnel. Other personnel
in charge at the Check Gates also ask for pocket-money to buy cigarettes,
tea, and other food stuff, according to a local trader. Reportedly, the
Myanmar Police Force is complaining about the unlawful tax levying at the
tollgates.
Due to the excessive tax levies at the gates,many car-drivers are upset
about not being allowed to travel freely and being delayed unnecessarily, 
says a trader frequently traveling on the route.
___________

BBC March 19 2003

[Broadcast by BBC Burmese Service]

(LEAD IN: The special rapporteur on human rights in Burma, Professor Paulo
Pinheiro has arrived in Rangoon at the start of his latest investigative
mission. During his week-long visit, he'll be meeting government
ministers, opposition leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi and
representatives of the ethnic groups. He's expected to visit prisons and
meet political prisoners. After this trip he'll be making a verbal
presentation to the UN human rights commission which is currently holding
its annual meeting in Geneva. His recently published report -- in which he
appealed for the international community NOT to isolate the military
regime -- has already provoked widespread criticism. From Bangkok, Larry
Jagan reports)

Professor Pinheiro believes he's a much misunderstood man. All he wants is
to help promote a situation in Burma which benefits the majority of the
people, according to UN officials, and protects them against unlawful
action by an authoritarian regime. The opposition National League for
Democracy and some of the ethnic leaders have been angered by the envoy's
reported remarks and certainly want to give him a piece of their mind. The
NLD spokesman ULwin told the BBC that they would be meeting Professor
Pinheiro and would leave him in doubt that they feel he must do far more
to ensure that the country's military leaders respect human rights and
resume releasing political prisoners. This is at the forefront of
Professor Pinheiro's concerns as well, senior UN officials told the BBC.
Professor Pinheiro told Burma's top Generals during his last visit to
Rangoon that they must unconditionally release all the political prisoners
as soon as possible. International human rights groups estimate that there
are still more than twelve hundred political prisoners in Burma's jails.
Very few of them have been released since the envoy's last visit, despite
concerted efforts by UN special envoy Razali Ismail as well to get the
regime to free them. The release of political prisoners was one of the few
concrete results of the dialogue process that started more two years ago.
The fact that a mere handful have been freed in the past four months also
reflects a more fundamental problem in the dialogue process -- the refusal
of senior General Than Shwe to start concrete political talks with the
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Mr Razali is also reportedly upset
with the approach Professor Pinheiro has taken in his report and feels it
is encroaching on his mandate as the UN Secretary General's special envoy
and the person who has been intimately involved in the dialogue process.
Many believe the UN rapporteur should have been confining his reports
solely to human rights issues. Last Professor Pinheiro strongly hinted hat
he would resign if the regime did not accept the main recommendations in
his last report and had started talking to the opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi. Without any major concession from the Generals, this may yet
prove to be Professor Pinheiro's last trip to Burma.

DRUGS

Thai Press Reports March 20 2003

CHINA SUPPORTS THAILAND'S DRASTIC ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN

Premier Zhu Rongji of the People's Republic of China has shown his support
to the Thai Government's policy on drastic suppression campaigns against
drug traffickers.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said that he and Mr. Zhu shared the view
during their talk in Beijing that drastic suppression was key to narcotics
solutions. He said the Chinese leader welcomed Thailand's proposal to
include India in narcotics cooperation that already involved Myanmar,
Laos, China and Thailand.

According to Prime Minister Thaksin, India had accepted Thailand's
approach to join in the quadri-lateral campaign. He said the Indian
participation would strengthen regional effort to make the region free
from narcotics.

Prime Minister Thaksin indicated that in his discussion with the Chinese
counterpart, China also agreed to waive tax on Thai fruit and vegetables.
The commerce ministers of both sides would meet to discuss details of the
cooperation that is expected to become concrete this April.

Prime Minister Thaksin welcomed the step, saying it would provide a head
way into free trade agreement between the two countries. He said he would
propose further tax reduction for other agricultural exports to the
consideration of the new Chinese leaders.

Meanwhile, Government Spokesperson Sita Divari said that during Prime
Minister Thaksin's meeting with President Jiang Zemin, China reaffirmed
continued support for Thailand, particularly the Asia Cooperation Dialogue
being pushed forward by the Thai Government. President Jiang also lauded
Prime Minister Thaksin's contribution to the increasingly tightened
Thai-Sino relations.

Prime Minister Thaksin, accompanied by a 33-member entourage, left China
for Bangkok on February 19 after a two-day official visit.

MONEY

The Age (Melbourne) March 20 2003

Burma's Banking Meltdown Goes Unnoticed Beyond Its Borders
By Michael Backman

The lack of coverage of the banking crisis gripping Burma shows the
effectiveness of the ruling party's media blackout.

Burma is in the midst of a crippling banking crisis. Yet, the crisis has
received almost no media coverage outside the country and practically none
inside due to a Government-imposed media ban. The lack of interest outside
shows the extent to which the country's ruling State Peace and Development
Council has isolated and helped to destroy what was once South-East Asia's
most promising economy.

The banking crisis started in February with the collapse of more than a
dozen deposit-taking companies. (None had licences to actually take
deposits.) Their owners had used depositors' funds to build up their own
diversified business interests. Depositors went unpaid and a panic ensued.

The panic spread. Soon runs by depositors were under way at most larger
private banks in Burma: the Asia Wealth Bank (the biggest), Yoma Bank,
Myanmar Mayflower Bank, Kanbawza Bank and Myanmar Oriental Bank.

Twenty local private banks are licensed to operate in Burma. Government
banks operate too, but about two-thirds of all deposits are held by the
private banks, even though they've been licensed to operate only since
1992.

So, what does a banking crisis in Burma look like? In the last month, Asia
Wealth Bank, Yoma Bank and Kanbawza Bank each suspended withdrawals and
payments on their credit cards until Burma's Central Bank printed more
kyat (pronounced chat) to pump into the private banks.

The blackmarket rate for kyat plunged to more than 1000 to the US dollar
as a consequence. (A year ago, the rate was around 750; the official rate
is a ridiculous 6.5 kyats to the dollar.) The operation of ATM machines
was suspended.

The Government imposed withdrawal caps of 100,000 kyats per person a week,
or less than $US100 ($A168) at the free market rate. But, in practice,
withdrawal rights have been even more limited. One bank is handing out 500
tokens each week to customers. The tokens give their holders the right to
withdraw up to 100,000 kyats. But depositors have to queue for a token and
then queue again to make a withdrawal. No token means no withdrawals of
any amount.

The Central Bank has asked the private banks to call in 20 per cent of
their loans, further exacerbating the pain for customers. In one
geographic division, borrowers for the purchase of new homes were given
just a few days notice to return 25 per cent of the value of their loans.
Most had spent the loan money and scrambled to redeem their deposits, only
to face the withdrawal caps.

The crisis has been devastating for many Burmese individuals and
companies. Strict banking laws prohibit Burmese citizens from depositing
money in foreign banks or borrowing from them. So, most are in the local
banking system. People now are hoarding cash and there isn't enough to go
around. The crisis has damaged business greatly. Very high levels of
transactions typically are done in cash and so now suppliers and
distributors are going unpaid. Many private companies have been unable to
access enough kyats to pay all the salaries of their staff.

The crisis caused SPDC head General Than Shwe to cancel his attendance at
last month's Non-Aligned Summit in Kuala Lumpur. A five-day
Government-sponsored livestock and fishery fair in Yangon also was called
off.

Part of the problem is that there is little banking expertise among the
bank owners. Connections are the main prerequisite. The owners also have
plenty of non-banking interests.

Then there are the inevitable rumours of drug links.

Former truck driver U Eike Htun runs the Asia Wealth Bank. An ethnic
Chinese, his name has been mentioned in the regional media in connection
with Burma's narcotics trade. Asia Wealth Bank receives considerable
support from Burma's sizable and wealthy ethnic Chinese business
community. The Olympic Construction Company is an affiliate company. It
has been awarded many construction projects in Yangon. U Eike Htun has
strong ties to Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, the SPDC's powerful
intelligence chief.

Yoma Bank is owned by Serge Pun. Pun is of ethnic Chinese descent. He
divides his time between Yangon and Hong Kong. Pun also has interests in
construction, real estate and a golf course.

Pun once told me that the senior SPDC were all avid golfers and that to do
business successfully in Burma you had to play golf. But golfing
facilities in Burma were poor. So, he built a golf course. He had Gary
Player design it and then he gave the SPDC equity in it. Business hasn't
looked back, until now.

U Aung Ko Win, a former school teacher, founded Kanbawza Bank. He is close
to General Maung Aye, a vice-chairman of the SPDC. He married the niece of
Secretary No. 3 of the SPDC, Lieutenant-General Win Myint. His other
interests include cement importing, cigarette distribution, agribusiness
and a hospital.

U Kyaw Win, an ethnic Chinese from northern Burma, owns Myanmar Mayflower
Bank. His other interests are in timber, plywood manufacturing, housing
development, and prawn farming. His name has been linked to former
drug-lord Khun Sa and to others who have been named by the United States
Drug Enforcement Agency in connection with the narcotics trade.

Burma has welcomed foreign investment since 1988. Approved investment
since that date has been $US7.4 billion across more than 370 projects.
About half the investment has come from other South-East Asian countries,
particularly Singapore. But, with scant profits and in the face of human
rights abuses, many have pulled out. The banking crisis might be the last
straw for those that remain. Several investors are believed to have
quietly closed up shop as of last week.
____________

Xinhua News Agency March 20 2003

Bangladeshi trade fair opens in Myanmar

The Fourth Bangladeshi Trade Fair opened Thursday at the Yangon Trade Center.

Over 60 companies participated in the three-day fair organized by the
Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau in cooperation with the Myanmar
Ministry of Commerce and the Bangladeshi embassy.

Leather, chemical, ceramics, plastic, pharmaceutical and textile goods are
on display at the fair.

Myanmar and Bangladesh have been working on to set up a joint trade
commission to discuss trade difficulties between the two nations and sign
an agreement on coastal shipping links.

According to Bangladeshi official statistics, bilateral trade between
Bangladesh and Myanmar amounted to only over 100 million US dollars
annually in the past few years.

REGIONAL

Kroongtep Toorakit Newspaper March 20 2003

Chinese interested in investing in 200 billion Baht Salween Dams Project
(translated by pai/SEARIN)

A big Chinese dam construction company met with Mr.Prommin Lertsuriyadet,
Thai Minister of Energy, on potential investment for Salween dams project.

The Minister revealed after the meeting with Mr. Reun Hongbin, the chair
of China National Machinery, yesterday that the company was interested in
cooperating with Thailand to build Salween dams, of which investment costs
200 billion Baht. The project is cooperated by Thai and Burmese
government. The company is well-known for its high capability in
dam-building in China.

The company has constructed Three Gorges Dam in China. As well, the
company will construct Jing Hong and Man Wan dams, of which 3,000 MW is to
be sold for Thailand as the MOU was signed. But the construction of Jing
Hong and Man Wan dams has not started yet since the agreement has not been
signed due to the current low demand on electricity of Thailand. The next
round of purchase of power from new power plants to operate power in grid
will be in 2009.

Mr. Sittiporn Rattanopas, EGAT chair, said the Prime Minister entirely
agreed with EGAT’s proposals, especially for 5,000 MW Salween Dams Project
which costs 370 billion Baht includes total investment and interest.

The project would reduce Thailand’s electricity price. EGAT guarantees
that if the project is implemented, electricity price for industrial
sector will be decreased to 4 cent per unit which is the same price as the
US. Currently Thailand’s electricity price is 5 cent per unit.

Electricity from Salween dams will supply all consumers in Thailand, which
demand is increasing continuously. The project consists of 5 power plants,
of which 2 power plants are on Thai-Burma border. EGAT will be the
investor while Thai-Burma joint company will operate these 2 dams. The
other 3 power plants, which EGAT is inviting Malaysia and Sighapore to
invest, will be in Burma.
__________

TV Myanmar March 20 2003

BURMA, BANGLADESH SIGN MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING ON TRADE

A ceremony to sign memorandums of understanding between the governments of
the Union of Myanmar Burma and the People's Republic of Bangladesh was
held at the Pyithu Hluttaw Building's Hall of Treaty at 1800 in Yangon
Rangoon today.

Present at the occasion were Sr Gen Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace
and Development Council SPDC and prime minister of the Union of Myanmar;
Vice Sr Gen Maung Aye, vice chairman of the SPDC; Gen Khin Nyunt,
secretary-1 of the SPDC; Lt-Gen Thura Shwe Mann, member of the SPDC;
cabinet ministers; the Deputy Foreign Minister; the Myanmar ambassador to
Bangladesh; departmental heads; Begum Khaleda Zia, prime minister of the
People's Republic of Bangladesh; the principal secretary to the Bangladesh
prime minister; the director-general of intelligence Bangladesh ; the
Bangladesh ambassador to Myanmar, and senior officials.

According to the agenda, the memorandum of understanding on the account
trade agreement and the memorandum of understanding on the establishment
of joint trade commission preceding 21 words in rendered English were
signed and exchanged by Brig-Gen Pyi Sone, commerce minister of the Union
of Myanmar, and Mr Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, commerce minister of the
People's Republic of Bangladesh.
__________

Myanmar Times March 17 2003

CHINA TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL, FINANCIAL AID FOR GMO FARMING

Genetically Modified Organisms GMO had the potential to sharply increase
farm sector output but needed to be treated with care, an agriculturalist
with Myanmar Burma Agriculture Services MAS , said last week. GMOs "could
be a tool for igniting a second revolution in agriculture", said Dr Khin
Maung Thet, after the "green revolution" in the 1960s which resulted in a
sharp increase in rice production in Asia through the development of new,
high-yielding varieties.

The MAS, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, was conducting
training courses for selected members of its staff to introduce them to
the technology involved in the development of GMOs. The courses, which
focused on the theoretical side of the technology, also covered the
advantages and disadvantages of using genetically-modified seeds and
plants, Dr Khin Maung Thet said.

He said China planned to provide technical and financial assistance to
Myanmar in GMO technology. Selected personnel from the ministry would
receive advanced training in China. It would be followed by training in
Myanmar by Chinese specialists in the techniques for developing GMO
technology.

Research programmes would initially focus on industrial crops such as
cotton and jute and ensure that they could be safely grown.
Comprehensively-trained personnel will be a paramount factor in this
technology," said Dr Khin Maung Thet. He said the food and agriculture
industries in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand were steadily expanding
their use of GMO technology following research projects which had shown
positive results.

One of the most outstanding success stories had been in the development of
genetically-modified cotton. One of the aims of the training programmes is
to provide Myanmar with the capacity to monitor imports of
genetically-modified seeds and plants to ensure that they do not have any
negative effects. "Careful consideration is needed to make sure GMOs crops
will not cause harm to humans, animals and the environment," said Dr Khin
Maung Thet. The agriculture sector is the backbone of the Myanmar economy,
contributing 34 per cent of gross domestic product, 23 per cent of total
export earnings and employing 63 per cent of the labour force.
__________

Narinjara News March 20 2003

Prime Minister of Bangladesh leaves for Rangoon today

Dhaka, 19th March 03:  The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia
is leaving Dhaka for Rangoon on a three-day state visit today on an
invitation from Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)
junta of Burma, senior general Than Shwe.  There will be a formal prime
minister level meeting between the two heads of state in the evening,
according to BSS.

Begum Khaleda Zia’s Burmese agenda is expected to include matters related
to bilateral issues, establishment of road links, trade expansion,
economic and cultural cooperation, besides signing agreements to introduce
“accounts trade” that would facilitate ‘shuttle’ transactions of goods
without exchanging cash payments.  Sources at the commerce ministry said
the two countries will also review and sign agreements to ban trading of
goods from third country origin. A coastal shipping deal is likely to be
signed that will link Chittagong, Cox’s Bazaar and Teknaf on Bangladesh
side with Maungdaw, Sittwe (Akyab) and Rangoon on the Burmese side.

It is expected that a couple of agreements, protocol and memorandum of
understanding on trade and economic cooperation will also be signed after
the formal round of talks.  The two countries will set up a joint trade
commission headed by commerce ministers of the two neighbours.  A foreign
ministerial joint commission will also be set up to oversee bilateral
relations.  The PM Khaleda Zia will be accompanied among others by Foreign
Minister M Morshed Khan, Communications Minister Najmul Huda, Commerce
Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, BNP joint general secretary Tarek
Rahman (PM’s son), his wife and daughter, Political Secretary  2 of the PM
 Mosaddeq Ali Falu and a high level 16 member business delegation,
including a cultural troupe.

The Prime Minister will attend a state dinner in Rangoon today.  Tomorrow
she will inaugurate the Bangladesh Trade Fair arranged by the Export
Promotion Bureau at the Rangoon Trade Centre.  Ninety stalls will showcase
36-category potential export products.  About two hundred businessmen from
Bangladesh have already gone to attend the fair.  Afterwards during the
lunch arranged by the Federations of Chamber and Commerce of the two
countries, she will address the members of the business community and
industrialists.  Dhaka is considering the visit of the Prime Minister as
very significant.  In the evening there will be a joint Burma  Bangladesh
cultural show at the Rangoon National Theatre.

Meanwhile, there have been preparations on both sides of the border for
setting up of a road link between Dhaka and Rangoon.  During the trip of
the Burmese foreign minister, U Win Aung, to Dhaka on 2nd March 03, the
two sides agreed in principle to form a taskforce on the issue.

Apart from strengthening economic cooperation, repatriation of Rohingya
refugees will also come up during the talks.  Foreign Minister M Morshed
Khan in this regard yesterday said, “We expect Myanmar to take its
nationals as soon as possible and this is also necessary to keep peace on
the border.”  Here ‘its nationals’ should read ‘Rohingya’ refugees in the
southeastern part of Bangladesh.  Though the foreign minister was highly
hopeful of resolving the crisis, Burma earlier said that the refugees
would be taken back only after a verification of their identity  a tactics
that has resulted in a very slow repatriation, our correspondent from
Cox’s Bazaar learnt.  By the process Burma takes back two or three
families back every week, putting the fate of the 20,000 stranded refugees
into jeopardy.

Meanwhile, unofficial import via Singapore runs at about 171 million US
dollars: in which the export from Bangladesh equals nearly 50 million
dollars.
___________

Narinjara News March 17 2003

Burma to lease out Land to Bangladesh!

Dhaka, 17th March 03:  The leader of a 16 member business delegation,
which will leave Dhaka on March 18, Rashed Maksud Khan, said to business
sources that, Burma is even ready to lease land for rice cultivation by
Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, quoted BSS.  But he did not mention how could
the deal be realized and whether the present system of extortion of the
Burmese farmers in the name of forced purchase of rice at deliberately
manipulated price and collection system  a longstanding practice by the
ruling SPDC Burmese junta - will also be subjected to the ‘entrepreneurs’
of Bangladesh who wish to take the lucrative opportunity especially when
the land in Bangladesh is shrinking very fast due to uncontrolled growth
in population, a Burmese lawyer in exile here said.

Rashed, a noted industrialist and president of Bangladesh  Myanmar
Business Council leaves Dhaka with his delegation preceding Prime Minister
Madame Khaleda’s departure for Rangoon on 19th March on a three-day
official visit.

Business sources in Dhaka hope that the entire Bangladesh  Burma trade
statistics is set to a wide-ranging change once the proposed bilateral
account trade and shipping services agreements are signed while the
Bangladesh premiere will be in Rangoon.

A business source in Dhaka told the news service that last year Burma’s
total export stood at US$ 171 million, while the official report has been
only US$ 16.94 million, as the Burmese export came via Singapore and
treated as import from Singapore by Bangladesh.  Export from Bangladesh at
the same time stood at over $50 million, while the official statistics
refer to only US$2.39 million.  In either case the export from Bangladesh
is less than one third of the export from Burma, which is not very rosy
and to be happy about though, said an importer available in Dhaka.

Though the trade sector may not be very wholesome, yet newer diplomatic
frontiers will open up the deals, he hoped, which will help Bangladesh
extend its business beyond Burma and to the Southeast Asian nations.  The
sources also said that the ‘Look east’ policy is set to bring newer
opportunities for trade and economic developments for Bangladeshs.  The
agreement on direct shipping services, which has recently been
inaugurated, will finally be extended to Thailand.  The source also added
that the revival of road links to Burma would ultimately connect the South
Asian country with Southeast Asia, through Thailand.

A business house in Chittagong recently exported its first consignment of
10,000 tons of RC coal to a buyer in Rangoon.  Burma imported the item
from Japan and Korea previously.  The stalls in the Bangladesh Fair at
Rangoon will showcase CR Coal items, toiletries, cables, ceramic products,
melamine goods, and software and garment accessories.  Burma’s potential
for export mostly contains agro-based products including rice, fish,
shrimps, timber and other industrial raw materials.

Rashed concluded that Burma was once the focal business point and Rangoon
was the business hub during the British period, and that ‘Bangladesh wants
to rediscover Rangoon’s business potential once again'.#
____________

Narinjara News March 18 2003

Burmese refugees’ hunger strike intensifies

 The hunger strike staged by Burmese refugees at the Refugees’ Counselling
Services Unit (RCSU) of Ahsania Mission, which facilitates refugee
services for the local UNHCR in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, has reached
its 11th day today.  Three of the one hundred non-Muslim Burmese refugees
who demanded the monthly subsistence allowance instead of the recent
distribution of small lump sum grants as seed money to start
self-employment initiated the strike.  On 13th two more Burmese refugees
joined the three hunger strikers.

On inquiry about the present stalemate, the chairman of the Committee for
Burmese Refugees (CBR) said that the Burmese refugees in Dhaka are facing
hardship without proper food and shelter.  The hunger strikers have also
been forced out of the RCSU office premises onto the streets.  There they
are exposed to rain and sun besides the bite of the swarms of mosquitoes
by night.

“Their physical condition of the strikers is deteriorating.  If the
problem should continue and any untoward accident should happen though
they have been given medical shots by the RCSU appointed doctor, we are
going for a bigger and serious confrontation,” said the chairman of CBR.

A refugee woman, Maik Maik San 22, ID 01099, a woman of Rakhine ethnicity,
hailing from Taung-bwe Village under Kyauktaw Township on the western bank
of the Kaladan River, has told Narinjara how she has been confronting
difficulty at home and outside it, till now.  In an informal conversation
she said that she had to leave Burma because her entire family had been
subjected to forced labour and treated as outcast because her father had
been an opposition activist whose whereabouts the family never knew.  The
members of the Burmese Army would come and ask for forced labour for days
end.  The army did neither give food or medicine to the labourers.  She
herself saw how the army personnel would come and demand girls from the
villages as ‘rice cooks’.  In an incident she could vividly recall her
elder sister one day brought a ‘small knife’ not fit for jungle clearing. 
It was because the family even could not afford to buy a knife big enough
for use in jungle clearing.  At that moment she said, ”a soldier
forcefully took the small knife from her and inflicted a deep cut on her
hand with the same, throwing the knife into the nearby Kaladan River.” 
For teenager girls there was always the danger of being ‘demanded’ from
respective guardians for ‘forcefully marrying’ the girls.  If rejected the
soldiers often raped the person.  One teenager, Miss U May Than 18, of the
same village was one day proposed to be given in marriage to a Burmese
soldier.  When the father of the girl rejected the proposal the soldier
instantly bound the man with ropes and mercilessly beat him up.  The
daughter fled the scene, and Maik Maik did not know where she had gone.

Shortly after the incident fourteen girls including Maik Maik left the
village with her uncle in the deep of the night, heading towards the
border.  Two days and three nights later they ended up at Parva   the
village in India where the borders of Burma, Bangladesh and India meet. 
On the way they crossed a number of villages and all the villagers helped
them by warning them where the Burmese army camps were.  There they stayed
by scrapping the jungles for anything to eat, including wild taros and
yams.  Many served as housemaids in the villagers’ households.  Slowly the
number of Burmese refugees rose to more than one hundred families.  As the
village could not offer the subsistence for them they were later forced to
leave and cross into Bangladesh.

While in Bangladesh they also faced the challenge of survival.  Though she
has been recognized as a legal Burmese refugee by the UNHCR, and she has
been given monthly subsistence allowance, at present she is facing another
problem: cut down of the subsistence allowance and offer of seed money in
the form of a lump sum grant to start a small business.  “Without proper
language skill, and a society not-so-friendly to women, it is impossible
for a woman to struggle for her subsistence in Bangladesh.  In this
situation there is no other way than transferring us to a friendly
democratic country in the free world where we can be given proper training
for earning a livelihood.  Without that I see no other solution,” she
said.

Worse are the newly arrived refugees who have to wait for months or years
to be recognized as Burmese refugees by the UNHCR.  Without proper
language skill and necessary papers they have to hide in the deep jungles
of the Chittagong Hills and the border areas.  “They even do not know that
there is a UNHCR that takes care of the illegal refugee issues,” she said.

There are now over one thousand old men, women, children and teenager
Rakhine Burmese refugees living in the border areas  forgotten by the
world at large and the country of exile.  “UNHCR has not either recognized
the newly arrived refugees or has taken up a protracted policy of
recognition  both of which have made the life of the Rakhine refugees
miserable,” said the chairman of CBR.

“The delay in the process of recognition is rather painful and the NGOs
and philanthropic bodies and Embassies of the free world should have
sympathy upon us.  We want to convey to all concerned people that we have
come here by escaping the wreath and inhuman violations of civil rights by
one of the cruelest juntas in the world  the State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC)”, concluded Paw Lin, chairman CBR.



STATEMENTS

U.S. Department of State
Daily Press Briefing
Richard Boucher, Spokesman
Washington, DC

March 19, 2003

Excerpt:

QUESTION:  In the -- the UN Human Rights Rapporteur for Myanmar, also
known as Burma, has caused a bit of a stir by saying that dialogue with
the junta was better than trying to isolate them.  Have you seen those? 
Do you have any comment --

MR. BOUCHER:  I haven't seen those comments.  I don't have to read
carefully what he said.  As you know, we have always supported the efforts
of dialogue that have been promoted by the UN Rapporteur.

QUESTION:  You would like international dialogue with him, right?

MR. BOUCHER:  We have always placed the emphasis on an internal dialogue,
because that's where the political troubles of Myanmar need to be
resolved.