BurmaNet News: May 3-5 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

May 3-5 2003 Issue #2229

INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Dr Salai Tun Than and Others Released
AP: Free Myanmar political prisoner still calling for elections
AP: A year after democracy leader Suu Kyi's release, Myanmar remains
deadlocked
DVB: Japanese official met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
DVB: CRPP held meeting

MONEY
Bangkok Post: Thailand to Unveil Hub Aim at Summit
Mizzima News: Banking crisis in Burma and NE India takes toll

REGIONAL
Xinhua: Myanmar top leader begins visit to Laos
Bangkok Post: Talks This Month on Labour Repatriation
Nation: 29 alien sex workers arrested in police raid
AP: Indian, US special forces complete joint jungle warfare exercises in
India's remote northeast
AFP: Too many East Asian states fail their children, UN report says

EDITORIAL
WSJ: Deadlock in Burm

OBITUARY
NYT: Michael Jendrzejczyk, 53, Advocate for Asians, Dies
WP: A Quiet Champion (Editorial)


INSIDE BURMA

The Irrawaddy   May 5 2003
Dr Salai Tun Than and Others Released
By Kyaw Zwa Moe

Burma’s military government released 18 political prisoners yesterday, two
days before the one-year anniversary of opposition leader Aung San Su Kyi
release from house arrest. Dr Salai Tun Than, a prominent retired
professor, was among those freed.

"Health and humanitarian concerns" governed the choice of who to set free,
according to a statement released by the regime. "The releases are the
latest in a series of efforts by the government to move Myanmar [Burma]
closer to multiparty democracy and national reconciliation," the statement
continued.

The Thai-based Assistance Association Political Prisoners (Burma) (AAPP)
expressed skepticism about the regime’s motives. In a statement released
today, the group said the junta "uses the release of political prisoners
as a bargaining tool for easing international pressure and delaying the
national reconciliation process".

Twelve of those released belong to the opposition National League for
Democracy. Thet Tun and Zaya, leaders of the Democratic Party for a New
Society, and Soe Moe Hlaing, from the All Burma Students’ Democratic
Front, were also released. The three had been detained since 1991 and were
originally due to be released in 2001.

Almost all released were told they were prohibited from engaging in any
future political activities. As a condition of their release, they are
held accountable under Section 401 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which
states they will be reincarcerated for the remainder of their sentences if
found to be involved in politics.

Seventy-five-year-old Dr Salai Tun Than arrived home yesterday from
Rangoon’s Insein Prison after serving only 18 months of a seven year
sentence. He was arrested in Nov 2001 for staging a solo protest in front
of Rangoon City Hall. Dr Salai Tun Than had recently gone on a hunger
strike to protest human rights and religious violations inside the prison,
including his inability to procure a Bible.

Dr Salai Tun Than told The Irrawaddy yesterday, "I staged a hunger strike
for two days. I stopped it because the prison authorities gave into some
of my demands. They promised not to investigate political prisoners who
were interviewed by international organizations in prisons. They also gave
me a Bible."

In addition, the authorities offered to be a conduit between Dr Salai Tun
Than and top government officials. "I think that my protest at City Hall
would not be necessary any more, because the authorities told me that if I
have something to talk to the government about, they will send it to
Sr-Gen Than Shwe," said the professor. "But at the moment I don’t have
anything to say."

As for future plans, he added, "I am not interested in politics. I want to
continue my work on the rural development project." Regarding Burma’s
political future, he commented, "I would like to see an elected
government—whether military or civil—but it must be elected."

Before his arrest, Dr Salai Tun Than, a retired agronomist, devoted
himself to rural development in the Ngaphe Township of Magwe Division. In
1993, he established the Myanmar Integrated Rural Development Association
(MIRDA), an NGO, with the assistance of the Myanmar Council of Churches
and the World Council of Churches. The group cultivated oranges, coffee
and tea for villages in the area. But the junta reportedly never allowed
MIRDA to officially operate in the country and MIRDA faced continual
disturbances from the junta.

Dr Salai Tun Than was released two days after a candlelight vigil "Free
Burma, Free Salai Tun Than" was held in San Francisco. His daughter, Mai
Theingi, and the US-based Free Burma Coalition organized the event.

Three political prisoners were also released last week after serving 14
years.
____________

The Associated Press   May 5 2003
Free Myanmar political prisoner still calling for elections
By Daniel Lovering, Associated Press Writer

BANGKOK: A 75-year-old U.S.-educated professor who was jailed for calling
for multiparty elections in military-ruled Myanmar said Monday after his
early release from prison that he still favored free polls.

Salai Tun Than, an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the
University of Georgia, also thanked students at those schools for
demonstrating for his release from Insein Prison on the outskirts of
Yangon.

Tun Than, a former rector of an agricultural college in central Myanmar,
was arrested Nov. 29, 2001 for handing out pro-democracy flyers in front
of City Hall in the capital Yangon. He was freed Sunday along with 17
other political prisoners.

His main demand had been that Myanmar's military government hold a free
multiparty election within one year.

For his one-man protest, he was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment.

Tun Than, who said he believed he was freed because he is "old and
harmless," was reluctant to discuss politics in a telephone interview
Monday. He said that he was released early on condition that if he is
convicted of another offense, he must also serve the remainder of the
sentence he received for his 2001 protest.

But echoing the call of the petition that led to his arrest, he said that
"The best thing when there is a political impasse is to hold multiparty
elections."

Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962. The current junta took
power in 1988 and called elections in 1990 but refused to honor the
results, which gave victory to the opposition National League for
Democracy.

Tun Than said that he was aware of appeals for his freedom, such as those
made by students from his old schools, U.S. lawmakers including Wisconsin
Sen. Russell Feingold and Georgia Rep. Max Burns, and human rights groups
including Amnesty International.

"I'm thankful to them," he said.

Last week U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell described Myanmar's
military government as a "despotic regime." As many as 1,400 other
political prisoners are believed to still be detained.
____________

Associated Press Worldstream   May 5 2003
A year after democracy leader Suu Kyi's release, Myanmar remains deadlocked
By Daniel Lovering

BANGKOK: Myanmar's military government touted opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi's release from house arrest as a "new page" in the country's
history. But a year later hopes for a political dialogue have dimmed and
Myanmar's economic plight is worse, Suu Kyi and analysts say.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi, freed after 19 months of confinement
on May 6, 2002, has been allowed to travel around the country, meeting
supporters and reopening offices of her National League for Democracy
party.

But Suu Kyi claims she and her followers have been obstructed and
intimidated, hampering efforts to revive the party, which won national
elections in 1990 but was never allowed to take power.

The military regime denies any deliberate effort "to interfere with her
travels or activities," and insists it's guiding the country through a
peaceful transition to democracy.

A few hundred other political prisoners have been released - including
some just days before Tuesday's anniversary - but more than 1,200 still
languish behind bars, according to London-based rights group Amnesty
International.

Talks between Suu Kyi and the ruling junta, aimed at reconciliation and
democratic reforms, were launched in October 2000 and brokered by a U.N.
envoy. But many say they've gone virtually nowhere.

"When I was released, it was agreed between the authorities and ourselves
that ... we should go on to a more advanced stage of our relationship,"
Suu Kyi said at a recent media briefing in the capital, Yangon.

"But I do not think there has been any progress. In fact, I think there
has been some kind of regression. I think we have been forced to question
the sincerity of the (government)."

On Sunday, the government released 18 political prisoners, including 12
members of Suu Kyi's party, and said it was moving the country - under
military rule for the past 41 years - toward democracy.

"The releases are the latest in a series of efforts by the government to
move Myanmar closer to multiparty democracy and national reconciliation,"
a government statement said.

The junta has strengthened trade and diplomatic ties with neighbors
including China, India and Thailand. But relations with many Western
nations, critical of Myanmar's political and human rights conditions,
remain tense.

Myanmar's already weak economy was plunged into crisis in February, when
panicked accountholders withdrew money from the country's 20 private banks
after the collapse of about a dozen private financial companies.

"If this was an example of a 'new page' which the military heralded last
May 6, very little has been inscribed on it," said Josef Silverstein, an
American political scientist who has studied Myanmar for half a century.

"There was not change in the internal political environment, no real
significant release of political prisoners, no restoration of any
political rights," Silverstein said by e-mail.

The international community has failed to effectively lobby for political
change in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, Silverstein added.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who condemned Myanmar's regime
before the Senate last week, said it would be difficult to crack the
junta's will, but that the United States would continue working with
allies to encourage change.

Silverstein said this policy was "hardly a new and daring approach, and in
light of the past not likely to bear fruit."

While Suu Kyi has maintained her longtime position of "cautious optimism,"
she's shown signs of dimming hopes.

"The evidence points heavily to the conclusion that the (government) is
not genuinely interested in national reconciliation," she said.
___________

Democratic Voice of Burma   May 2 2003
Japanese official met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

It is reported that a high-ranking official from the Japanese foreign
ministry who travelled with the Japanese ex-PM, Mr. Yoshiro Mori to Burma
met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi before leaving Rangoon.

He met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at her home yesterday and it is not possible
to say yet what they have discussed, said U Lwin, the spokesman for the
NLD.

But the Japanese government and its embassy are likely to issue statements
on giving aid to Burma, he added.

Mr. Mori and group met the SPDC’s chairman, Senior General Than Shwe and
top military leaders and had discussions with them and they left Rangoon
yesterday.

The Japanese government is the biggest donor to Burma and on the other
hand, it is pushing the military junta to urgently start economical
reforms and democratic change.

But the Japanese approaches are often criticised by Western nations and
they insist that the Japanese should not give aid until there are obvious
changes made by the junta.


MONEY

Bangkok Post   May 5 2003
Thailand to Unveil Hub Aim at Summit
By Chatrudee Theparat

Thailand is hoping to move a step closer to realising its ambition of
being the economic hub of its neighbours at a summit meeting expected to
be organised in the next three months.

Agendas are being prepared for the summit of leaders from Burma, Cambodia,
Laos and Thailand. Since Thailand has long sought to foster economic ties
with its neighbours by planning to undertake several development projects,
commitments from their leaders at the summit are essential.

At the summit, Thailand will propose to become the hub for economic
co-operation with its neighbours particularly in the areas to step up
border trade, establish special economic zones and develop tourism-related
networks.

National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB)'s deputy
secretary-general Pornchai Rujiprapa said Thailand was ready to extend
technical assistance and develop basic infrastructures to spur investment
and trade.

NESDB projected Thailand will need to invest about 6.7 billion baht in the
next five years to develop the infrastructures.

As Thailand has an continuing inflow of illegal Burmese workers, economic
ties with Burma is a priority, with a plan to establish economic zones in
Mae Sot, Tak and Mae Sai in Chiang Rai.

Once the zones are set up, about 400,000 of the workers will be pushed
back to work along the border.

Thailand will offer Burma to grow certain crops to supply raw materials to
factories to be located in the economic zones inside Thailand.

Investors within the planned zones will not only be assured of raw
material supplies but will also enjoy a low production cost due to close
proximity to the sources of raw materials.

Koh Kong and Poipet are considered ideal sites for economic zones in
Cambodia with similar facilities to be established in Chiang Kong, Chiang
Rai.
____________

Mizzima News   May 3 2003
Banking crisis in Burma and NE India takes toll

Guwahati: The ongoing bank crisis in Burma is likely to hit the
Indo-Burman trade strongly in the current financial year. The bank crisis
which started in February following the panicked withdrawal of funds from
leading banks is still on causing great concern after the Burmese junta
had closed some banks down. There is, so far, no sign of any improvement
in the situation.

The bank crisis has reduced the volume of trade between India and Burma as
Burmese exporters have not been able to clear their dues to Indian
traders.The North East of India, comprising seven states, depends on
Burmese goods for day-to-day life and has been hit badly by the prevailing
situation.

Although several trade organizations have taken up the matter with the
Indian Commerce Ministry no effort has been undertaken so far leading.
Reportedly, trade organizations in the North East of India have held three
rounds of discussions with the Burmese traders in a bid to restore trade.
But the Burmese traders are not in position comply with the demands by 
the Indian traders. The situation is getting more complicated by the day
as the Burmese junta has set out instructions regarding the withdrawal of
funds: each person can withdraw only 10 per cent of his deposited funds.

Trade organizations in both the countries have expressed concern over the
prevailing crisis, having already pumped large sums of money into the
export and the import market. Moreh, a focal point of trade between India
and Burma after the signing of the Indo-Burma tr