BurmaNet News: May 21 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

May 21 2003 Issue #2241

INSIDE BURMA

AFP: Myanmar government, Aung San Suu Kyi may hold talks within weeks
DVB: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and team left Bhamaw for Shwegu
Irrawaddy: First internet cafes launched
Irrawaddy: Burmese Muslims await junta investigation

REGIONAL

Kaladan: Border talks with Burma begin
Kaladan: Rohingya refugee repatriation starts again
Xinhua: Myanmar stresses importance of ASEAN transport cooperation

INTERNATIONAL

AFP: UN envoy to Myanmar confident of national reconciliation

ON THE BORDER

AFP: Four killed as blasts rock Myanmar border town
Xinhua: Thai FM: border blasts not to affect Thai-Myanmar relations
Irrawaddy: KNU attacks to force talks
Straits Times: ‘Politician and drug lords’ want Thaksin dead

INSIDE BURMA

Agence France Presse May 21 2003

Myanmar government, Aung San Suu Kyi may hold talks within weeks

Myanmar's military government and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi may
hold a long-awaited political dialogue within "the next few weeks",
Thailand's foreign minister Surakiart Sathirathai said.
Surakiart met with Secretary One of the ruling State Peace and Development
Council (SPDC) General Khin Nyunt, the military regime's number three,
earlier this week following a ground-laying ceremony for the construction
of a second bridge linking the two countries.
The two discussed the issue of national reconciliation talks in Myanmar,
Surakiart told reporters at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand.
"I guess I can inform you also that I was very encouraged by the talks
because I have been informed that within only the next few weeks, there
will be another political dialogue between the leadership of the SPDC and
Aung San Suu Kyi," he said late Tuesday.
Talks began between the junta and the Nobel peace laureate from October
2000 and have so far focused on confidence-building measures.
The talks were widely expected to progress to a political dialogue
following Aung San Suu Kyi's release from 19 months of house arrest in May
2002, but last month the leader complained publicly about their lack of
progress.
"We have been forced to question the integrity of the SPDC and their
sincerity in achieving national reconciliation," she said.
U Lwin, spokesman of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy
(NLD) told AFP Wednesday that he had not heard of any new developments.
"There has been no discussion of meeting since October 2002, that I can
say definitely," he said.
UN special envoy Razali Ismail, who is credited with brokering the talks,
is due to make his 10th visit to Myanmar from June 6 to resume his task of
helping to revive the dialogue.
After Razali's last visit in November 2002, the envoy expressed
frustration with the pace of change in Myanmar.
Analysts believe his next visit will be a make-or-break attempt to move
the process along, with some optimistic of positive developments.
"Apart from the release of already-listed political prisoners, Razali will
likely go back home with something more significant this time," a
government official told AFP.
Several hundred political prisoners have been released by the junta as
part of the reconciliation process, but human rights groups say around
1,200 remain in jail.
Razali himself was quoted as saying he believed national reconciliation
was possible.
"I think the job can still be done and it is possible to bring about
national reconciliation in Myanmar as soon as possible," Razali was quoted
as saying by the Malaysia's official Bernama news agency.
Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD party won a landslide election victory in 1990 but
has never been permitted to rule.
___________

Democratic Voice of Burma May 20 2003

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and team left Bhamaw for Shwegu

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and team who went to Kachin State to rally the people
have today managed to raise the signboard of Bhamaw Township NLD office on
the 15th day of their trip. They were expected to be at Bhamaw at 5pm
yesterday but they only arrived at 5am this morning.

The reasons for the delay are due to frequent car breakdowns and the poor
road condition, said the NLD’s spokesman, U Lwin.

On her way to Bhamaw, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was offered extraordinary
security arrangements at some areas by the Kachin Independent Organisation
(KIO), said U Lwin as follows:

U Lwin : During the journey, what was extraordinary was – when the team
nearly reached their destination, the security staff of the KIO, the KIA
with the instruction from their leaders offered to take the responsibility
of the safety of the convoy. They treated her with civility and
friendliness. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi thanked them for discussing to arrange
security measures for the team and they took the responsibility for the
team’s security within the areas under their control from the beginning to
the end.

About 20,000 people attended the signboard raising ceremony for Bhamaw
Township NLD office at noon today, said U Lwin as follows:

U Lwin : They rested as soon as they reached Bhamaw. They were very tired
from the journey. They managed to raise the signboard for the township NLD
office at noon. There were about 20,000 people who attended the event.
After giving them a speech, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi greeted the people and
continued to Shwegu. They are likely to sleep in Shwegu tonight. They
might be able to raise the signboard at Shwegu tonight. But, they will go
on to Mabein tomorrow morning and they will continue to Mogok and Momeik
(Mong Mit).

The team encountered harassments from about 300 members of the USDA (Kyant
Phut) at the entrance of Bhamaw. A group of people armed with sticks and
machetes watched from not so far a distance. Members of the USDA blocked
the convoy of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and tried to snatch video and photo
cameras from the team, said U Lwin as
follows:

U Lwin : At about 3 miles from the entrance of Bhamaw, which is called
3-mile Village, about 300 members of the USDA blocked and hindered the
convoy. The harassments which occurred there were like the ones that
happened at the entrance of Myikyina. They switched on the headlights of
their cars and motorcycles and welcomed the team at the crack of dawn.
There were about 300 members in Myikyina but here at Bhamaw there were
more than 300 members, some armed with sticks and machetes. They shouted
slogans and protested. They also videotaped and photographed the team. As
the situation was thus, our people videotaped and photographed them back.
They tried to snatch the cameras from us. The team had to do a bit of
self-defending and they were unable to take anything from our people. As I
said earlier on, they encountered people armed with sticks and machetes.
They themselves didn’t stop the convoy but the people without weapons did
that. They raised their fists and tried to snatch the cameras. There were
some elements of security for our people, but some team members had to
avoid the flying fists as they were riding on the open body of Hilux
pick-up truck.

Members of the USDA banged the car ridden by U Tin Oo with their fists and
no responsible authorities came to stop them, added U
Lwin:

U Lwin : The car ridden by U Tin Oo was quite safe and secure. They were
not able to attack him through the car window. So, they banged the car
with their fists and the like. Then, they would shout the slogans and
disperse on their own. Members of the USDA were not only harassing the
team, they were armed with sticks and machetes. I don’t know whether there
were people who should be taking the responsibility for security. No one
came to stop the rowdy and threatening rabbles from behaving badly.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and team left Bhamaw today and continued to Shwegu
and they are expected to open an NLD office there. At Shwegu, the
authorities are already preparing to restrict and stop the activities of
the NLD members.
__________

Irrawaddy May 21 2003

First Internet Cafés Launched
By Naw Seng

May 21, 2003—Two public Internet cafés opened in Rangoon on May 10,
offering Burmese without personal computers their first opportunity to
access email and the World Wide Web.
Fortune International Group and May Hka Group both opened cybercafés at
different locations in Rangoon on the same day, said sources in the
capital.
An official from the Fortune International Group said anyone was welcome
to visit its café and surf the web. Servers were provided by Bagan
Cybertech, the largest provider of information technology in Burma after
the government’s own Myanmar Post and Telecommunications.
The Burmese government allowed limited email and Internet access for the
first time in 2001. One thousand people with their own computer and modem
technology bought government email accounts that year. Private companies,
such as Bagan Cybertech, were granted a government concession to sell
email accounts in 2002 and have to date sold more than 20,000 accounts,
ranging in price from 60,000 (US $60) to over 100,000 kyat for lifetime
access.
The new cybercafés are subject to government restrictions on Internet
usage. All Internet traffic in Burma passes through government servers,
which do not allow patrons to visit sites banned by regime’s censors. "You
can access around 10,000 web sites," said a visitor to one of the outlets,
who paid 1,000 kyat for one hour online.
"Our cybercafé does not allow to access free email accounts like Hotmail
and Yahoo!," said a Fortune official. Bagan Cybertech is planning to sell
personal email accounts at both the cafés in the near future. The accounts
will cost 10,000 kyat per year.
Some visitors have been annoyed by the registration system at the cafés.
"Every person has to register their name, identification number and
contact address," said one customer. Fortune International Group responded
by saying that customers only have to register on their first visit.
_______________

Irrawaddy May 21 2003

Burmese Muslims Await Junta Investigation
By Naw Seng

May 21, 2003—The Burmese Muslim community inside and outside Burma are
apprehensive about possible government action against Muslims, following
the arrest last Thursday of a Burmese man in Pakistan with suspected links
to al-Qaeda.
A Rohingya man living in Thailand said, "The SPDC will repress us more by
accusing us of being linked to al-Qaeda." The Burmese government has
highlighted possible links in the past, he added.
A statement released by the regime on Monday said "the government of
Myanmar [Burma] will investigate this allegation with utmost urgency once
it has the opportunity to review the information and materials obtained by
the Pakistani authorities." It also mentioned "terrorists operating along
Myanmar’s Western border
with connections to the Taliban and al-Qaeda,"
and said that the people in question were a Rohingya armed separatist
group. The regime aired similar claims of Rohingya-Taliban cooperation in
Aug 2002 which were met with angry denials from Burmese Muslim groups.
An official from the Myanmar Islamic Religious Council in Rangoon said
they have received no instructions from the Burmese authorities regarding
any investigation. Muslims in Burma say they are not concerned that a
Burmese Muslim man was arrested in Pakistan, he added. The official also
denied any links between Burmese Muslims and terrorist groups.
Rohingya groups have been waging war against the Burmese government for
years but deny being part of any pan-Islamic movement. Currently, the
Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) is fighting against the
central government from its base inside Burma, near the Bangladesh border.
The ARNO refused to comment on the recent developments in Pakistan and the
regime’s response. In a statement last August the group said, "The ARNO
has no link with the Taliban and is not supported by any terrorist group.
We are fighting on our own."
Many of the Burmese Muslims living in Pakistan left Burma years ago and
could personally associate themselves with al-Qaeda, said the Rohingya man
living in Thailand. These people would be of no concern to Muslims
fighting Burma’s military government, he added. He said the junta is quick
to connect the Rohingya outside the country with Burma in order to gain
international favor, but the Rohingya have never been formally recognized
as an ethnic group in Burma and are not considered by Rangoon to be
Burmese nationals.

REGIONAL

Kaladan Press May 21 2003

BORDER TALKS WITH BURMA BEGIN

A three-day Director General level meeting between Bangladesh and Burma
began at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Headquarters in Dhaka yesterday,
according to BSS.
A seven-member Burma delegation led by Burma Director General of
Immigration U Maung Htay arrived on 19th April 2003, to attend the
meeting. The team also brings together officials from Immigration,
Migration, Social-welfare and Relief Ministers, according to the Daily
Star. On the first day, both sides emphasized the need for holding regular
flag meeting between the Commanders of the two forces to discuss the
border problems, BDR sources said. Director General of BDR Maj. Gen. M.
Jahangir Alam Chaudhury led a twelve-member team, while Director General
of Immigration Headquarters of Burma U Maung Htay headed a seven-member
delegation. Issues relating to cross-border smuggling, problems faced by
Bangladeshi fishermen in the Bay of Bengal and matters of mutual interest
came up for discussion yesterday, the sources said.

A joint “Record of Discussion” will be signed by the both sides on May 22,
the sources further added.
__________

Kaladan Press May 21 2003

ROHINGYA REFUGEE REPATRIATION STARTS AGAIN

Chittagong, May 21: Repatriation of Rohingya refugees resumed Monday after
over a couple of years with the return of 123 refugees from 20 families to
their homeland, Arakan, Burma, according to the Daily Star.
Another 150 refugees are expected to return today. The Rohingya refugees
have been in Bangladesh for the last 12 years. They will be repatriated
twice a week--- on Mondays and Wednesdays. About 21,658 refugees are still
waiting for repatriation, said Bangladesh
officials. According to official estimates, 250,877 Rohingyas crossed
border and took refuge in Bangladesh between October 1991 and June 1992 to
escape persecution by Burma’s military junta. Since then, 233,727 refugees
have returned home.
After 1992, many more entered Bangladesh, but the government did not
recognize them as refugees. These people are now scattered over Teknaf,
Bandarband and Cox’s Bazar, sources said. The birth rate in the refugee
camps surpassed the repatriation rate, which increased the number of
Rohingyas sheltered in Bangladesh, the paper further said.
__________

Xinhua New Agency May 21 2003

Myanmar stresses importance of ASEAN transport cooperation

Myanmar Transport Minister Major-General Hla Myint Swe Tuesday afternoon
stressed the importance of cooperation among member countries of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the transport sector.

Hla Myint Swe made the remarks here at the opening of the 15th ASEAN
Senior Transport Officials (STO) Meeting.

He noted that the outcomes from the 8th ASEAN Summit and the Hanoi Plan of
Action for the period of 1999-2004 have made the transport meetings at
ministerial and senior officials level as well as the working groups work
more closely for the implementation of tasks and responsibilities laid
down by these important events.

He called for working hand in hand to materialize these tasks to integrate
the ASEAN transport links and facilitation which he said will lead to the
promotion of trade, investment and tourism sectors in the ASEAN region.

He said he hoped that the present ASEAN STO meeting will pave the way for
the signing of the ASEAN Transport Cooperation Agreement in the
forthcoming 9th ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting and 16th ASEAN STO
Meeting to be held in Myanmar.

He emphasized that the development in transport cooperation with ASEAN
dialogue partners --China, Japan, South Korea and India --at present will
play a vital role in the implementation of infrastructure development
projects, institution and capacity building measures and human resources
development needs of the sector leading to sustainable economic
development of the region.

He warned of some negative impact on the transport, trade and tourism
sectors in the ASEAN region due to the present global situation.

He urged the ASEAN member states to strive with strong will and
determination to overcome whatever the situation arises in the region.

The four-day ASEAN STO Meeting is being attended by representatives from
10 Southeast Asian nations and the ASEAN Secretariat.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

INTERNATIONAL

Agence France Presse May 21 2003

UN envoy to Myanmar confident of national reconciliation

United Nations' special envoy to Myanmar Razali Ismail is confident of
bringing about national reconciliation between the government, the
opposition and ethnic minorities in the military-ruled state.

"I think the job can still be done and it is possible to bring about
national reconciliation in Myanmar as soon as possible," Razali was quoted
as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

Razali will visit Yangon from June 6-10 in an attempt to start substantive
political dialogue between the country's generals and the opposition
National League for Democracy (NLD). Razali, whose latest trip to Yangon
was in November last year, is credited with brokering landmark secret
talks between the military and NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which began in
October 2000 and were aimed at promoting national reconciliation and
political reforms.

The talks have led to the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize
laureate, and some political prisoners, but otherwise have ground to a
halt.

Razali himself had expressed frustration with the pace of change in
Myanmar, admitting after his ninth mission to the country last November,
that he was disappointed at the lack of progress in reviving the dialogue.

Razali said the UN and he had been discussing ways to deal with the deadlock.

"We've come up with something by formulating new ideas and new
approaches," he said.

Razali said he would meet government officials as well as Aung San Suu
Kyi, during his tenth mission to the country.

He said the people of Myanmar "are really looking forward to a change" to
make the transition to a civil and democratic constitutional government.

Razali said he would also seek help from regional players, especially the
original Asean member countries, and Myanmar's allies like China, India
and Japan in his reconciliation efforts.

"In the context of Asean, we must begin to impose the norms and principles
that govern Asean countries. Otherwise, we will not be reflecting
regionally what are the principles that govern us as a region," he said.

ON THE BORDER

Agence France Presse May 21 2003

Four killed as blasts rock Myanmar border town

Four Myanmar nationals including two policemen were killed Wednesday in
separate blasts in a town near the border with Thailand, Myanmar's
military junta said.

The four bomb attacks in the Shan state town of Tachilek, opposite
Thailand's Mae Sai town, followed a visit to the area by top Myanmar and
Thai officials on Monday.

"On the 21st of May in Tachilek area, four bomb blasts occurred in four
different places, killing two civilians and two policeman," government
spokesman Colonel Hla Min said in a statement.

"The incidents are under investigation and the details will be given out
later when we have more information."

He added that "all fingers are pointing towards SURA" (Shan United
Revolutionary Army), an ethnic rebel force also known as the Shan State
Army (SSA) which is fighting against Yangon rule.

SSA leader Yord Serk later denied any involvement in the blasts, which a
Thai official said took place at a police station, petrol station, a
statue of a past Myanmar king and a power plant.

Yord Serk said the SSA was too busy celebrating the 45th anniversary of
Shan rebels' armed resistance to the Myanmar government to launch any
attacks.

"It is an auscipious day for us, we won't do any bad things today," he
told the Shan Herald News Network, an online news service which serves as
the insurgents' mouthpiece.

A Tachilek merchant said soldiers were patrolling the town, which he
described as tense but quiet with shops closed and business at a
standstill.

"I saw dozens and dozens of soldiers and police patrolling the town and
they are searching bodies and belongings of suspicious people on the
roads," he said.

"People are so scared. They are keeping their children at home because
they are afraid another blast will come," another resident, Than Htut,
told AFP.

The blasts follow a visit to Tachilek, about 600 kilometres (375 miles)
northeast of here, on Monday by General Khin Nyunt, Secretary One of
Myanmar's ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), along with
Myanmar's foreign minister Win Aung and his Thai counterpart Surakiart
Sathirathai.

The officials were in Tachilek to sign an agreement to build a second
bridge across the river dividing the two countries.

Surakiart blamed the blasts on rebels.

"I believe that they were the work of an ill-intentioned group of people
who wanted the incidents to cause misunderstanding, mistrust between
Thailand and Myanmar," he told reporters.

"Fortunately Myanmar and Thailand have very cordial ties and our foreign
ministry and military have clarified (with Myanmar) that it will not have
repercussions on our relationship," he said.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the incident was probably
caused by "minority groups."

"To my understanding it may have been caused by minority groups. I have
ordered a clear policy that the Thai government will have nothing to do
with Myanmar's internal affairs," Thaksin told reporters.

Mae Sai district chief Decha Satthaphol said the first of the blasts went
off at about 3:00 am (2000 GMT Tuesday), adding that Thai military
officials believed they were time bombs set to go off at intervals.

He said the Mae Sai-Tachilek border crossing had been closed briefly.

Relations between Thailand and Myanmar plummeted to a low shortly after
two similar attacks in the area last year, with Yangon accusing Thailand
of assisting the SSA during border clashes with Myanmar troops.

The two countries made official protests to each other and Myanmar barred
official visits and sealed border checkpoints until Surakiart made a
fence-mending visit to Yangon in August.
____________

Xinhua News Agency May 21 2003

Thai FM: Border blasts not to affect Thai-Myanmar relations

The latest explosions in Myanmar border town neighboring northern Thailand
won't affect the two countries' relations, Thailand's Foreign Minister
said Wednesday morning.

The incident was planned by people "with malicious intentions," Foreign
Minister Surakiat Sathirathai told local TV Channel 11.

He said the violence won't affect the relations between Thailand and Myanmar.

Thailand and Myanmar on Monday signed an agreement to build a second
"friendship bridge" across the Mae Sai River to facilitate trade and
tourism in the upper Mekong region.

Early Wednesday morning,  blasts rocked the Myanmar town of Tachilek,
opposite the Thai town of Mae Sai, about 750 kilometers north of Bangkok.

Two people died in the explosion, according to the report of Channel 11.
_______________

Irrawaddy May 21 2003

KNU Attacks to Force Talks
By Aung Su Shin/Mae Sot

A rebel ethnic group launched two separate attacks on the Burmese army
last week, seizing weaponry and killing ten junta soldiers, a high-ranking
Karen official said yesterday.
According to Padoh Mahn Nyein of the Karen National Union (KNU) Central
Committee, the KNU’s 17th Battalion under Division 6 attacked Burma’s
Light Infantry Battalion 583 near Dupaw village in Burma’s Karen State,
opposite Thailand’s Umphang district on Friday. Burmese battalion
commander Lt-Col Nyo Hmine and four others were reportedly killed in the
border clash.
The next day, the KNU Special Battalion of Division 6 attacked Light
Infantry Battalion 710 between Phalu and Kyauk Khet opposite Phoppra
District in Thailand. In that clash, five Burmese soldiers were reportedly
killed, including company commander Capt Zaw Hteik.
The KNU captured rifles, mortar rounds and other bullets from Burmese
soldiers in the two attacks. Mahn Nyein said one KNU soldier was killed in
one of the skirmishes.
Mahn Nyein claimed the attacks were part of a strategy to force the
Rangoon-based junta to talk. "When they lose many fights, they will come
to the table to talk peace," he said. "Otherwise, they will avoid talking
with us." Earlier this year, however, the junta said it was ready and
willing to speak to KNU leaders.
Others fear that Burmese troops will be pushed to retaliate if the KNU
continues to attack bases on the border. Burmese troops will torch
villages and torture villagers near areas where fighting took place, said
a Karen man who works with an NGO along the Thai-Burma border. He believes
that instead of considering talks, the Burmese army will accuse people in
Karen State of encouraging the KNU.
_________

Straits Times May 21 2003

'Politician and drug lords' want Thaksin dead
by Nirmal Ghosh

 BANGKOK - A leading businessman and politician, as well as drug lords
from Myanmar's ethnic Wa minority, may have put up money to have Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra assassinated, according to sources quoted in
local media.

 Intelligence sources indicated that drug lords based across the Myanmar
border had put up an 80 million baht fund (S$3.2 million) to have Mr
Thaksin eliminated, according to a local media report quoting Narcotics
Suppression Bureau chief Chalermdej Chompunuj.

 The cross-border drug trade between Thailand and Myanmar is run mainly by
the Wa clan under the protection of the United Wa State Army, which has a
peace agreement with the Myanmar junta.

 The Wa sends amphetamines into Thailand in the form of pills from
chemical labs in their territory but Bangkok's crackdown on the
amphetamine trade this year has significantly dented business.

 As the principal mover behind the crackdown, Mr Thaksin is seen as the
man responsible.

 But powerful interests in Thailand are also said to be targeting the
Prime Minister.

 The Nation newspaper, quoting an unnamed police source, reported
yesterday that a leading local businessman and politician was on a list
of more than 800 'mafia' figures being listed as targets in Mr Thaksin's
latest crackdown on organised crime.

 The businessman was suspected of masterminding a plot to kill the Prime
Minister. The paper also quoted a police source as saying a warrant for
the businessman's arrest was 'imminent'.

 On Monday, Defence Minister Thamarak Isarangura said drug lords and mafia
bosses were trying to kill the Prime Minister because of his 'all-out war
against drug dealers and the new campaign to crack down on organised
crime'.

 Yesterday, Mr Thaksin announced a blanket arms amnesty ahead of the fresh
crackdown on organised crime scheduled to begin on July 1, AFP reported.