BurmaNet News: May 22 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

May 22 2003 Issue #2242

INSIDE BURMA

Bangkok Post: Junta plans to resume talks with Suu Kyi
DVB: Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the generals to talk?
Xinhua: Myanmar calls for saving biological diversity

REGIONAL

Nation: Shan and UWSA deny planting Tachilek bombs
Irrawaddy: Convoy ambushed in Tachilek
Nation: Thai, Burmese officials say Shan State Army behind bombs
TV Myanmar: Malaysian air chief arrives in Burma on goodwill visit
BBC: Bangladesh send Burmese home

INTERNATIONAL

Irrawaddy: Australia to increase aid to Burma

STATEMENTS/EDITORIALS

Congress of the U.S. House of Representatives (The Hon. Michael E.
Capuano): Burma must stop its human rights violations immediately
NYT: Dancing with the devil

INSIDE BURMA

Bangkok Post May 22 2003

JUNTA PLANS TO RESUME TALKS WITH SUU KYI
By Achara Ashayaagachat

Reconciliation talks between the Burmese military junta and Aung San Suu
Kyi were likely to resume soon, Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai
said.

The State Peace and Development Council's first secretary General Khin
Nyunt told him on Monday the reconciliatory process would not let up. Mr
Surakiart said the move was encouraging.

Thailand had explained to other countries what was going on inside Burma
since Westerners might not understand, he said.

He also told Gen Khin Nyunt what French President Jacques Chirac and UN
special envoy Ismail Razali thought of Burma following recent meetings.

Khin Nyunt denied reports that Wa drug lords had threatened to kill the
Thai prime minister.

The Burmese and Thai leaders were friends, he said.

Mr Razali would make his next visit to Rangoon next month despite slow
progress in political reconciliation after 13 visits in the past two
years.
__________

Democratic Voice of Burma May 21 2003

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the generals to talk?

It is reported that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and top SPDC leaders are to meet
for talk soon. The news came out while many are criticising that talks
between the two sides are stalled and many were taken by surprise the
news. The person who leaked the news was the Thai Foreign Minister,
Surakiart Sathirathai and he said that he was told by the SPDC’s Sec-1,
General Khin Nyunt when he met him at Tachileik.

The Thai FM, Surakiart Sathirathai said during a news conference yesterday
that during his recent discussion with Sec-1 of the SPDC, he was informed
of piece of good news that there will be another political dialogue
between the top military leaders and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during the
coming weeks. He said that he is very glad to hear the news. The statement
of the Thai government is a piece of good news and what is more
interesting that the comment also coincides with the impending trip of the
UN Special Envoy Mr. Razali to Rangoon during the anniversary of the
election winning period.

But, there are very few people who believe the comment.

The NLD’s spokesman U Lwin said that it is too early to confirm the
news:

U Lwin : My reaction is, I have nothing new to say because 1, I am unable
to confirm the news. Other ministers of Thailand said the same thing
before what the Thai FM had just said. It didn’t happen as they said. It
became a tradition. Another thing, it is what the leaders of the two
countries said to each other. Leaders from this side told the other said
what they were going to do. The leaders here didn’t say anything to their
country. Therefore, it is more difficult to confirm the news. What I mean
is – what you have to understand is – I don’t know what to say what is
happening in this country. It is not like what is happening in the other
country. If you ask me the way other people ask us, I am not in a position
to be able to answer.

DVB : They are saying what they have been saying all along. You have
nothing more to say?

U Lwin : You can’t say that either. This problem is very difficult. Things
that should be done in the ‘global village’ are not happening. That is
true. The most important thing is – when the other country saying that
things should be done this and that way for the people of the country, the
leaders here should be telling the people here. If they don’t, what can we
say? It is not that we don’t want to talk, just that we don’t know what it
is. And you can’t say all what you know. On the other side, they have
accountability, transparency and the like, but we have to keep our mouths
shut for different reasons. But if we say very pragmatically, the matters
don’t stop there. But there are no improvements either. For example,
dialogue for reconciliation. As far as we understand, there is nothing
like this happening here. Even if we had the contact with them the contact
was cut off since the beginning of October 2002. But the contact is not
completely cut off either. If you talk about it, the communication
mechanism and the like are still here.

U Aung Moe Zaw, the Secretary of the exiled NCUB based in Thailand points
out that the comment is to alleviate the pressures on the SPDC inside and
outside Burma:

U Aung Moe Zaw : The first thing I want to say is the SPDC tends to do
that kind of thing quite often. In reality, many matters never
substantiate. The Thai leaders and ministers were outwitted two or three
times by the SPDC. Only the other day, sanctions on Burma was increased to
another year by USA. Before that, there have been criticisms and pressures
from the international community for the lack of efforts by the SPDC. Many
people including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi expressed the lack of efforts from
the SPDC to work for the continuation of political dialogue. That was why
they allowed Mr. Razali to come to Burma.

Mr. Razali, the UN’s special envy is expected to come to Burma soon amid
the news. When asked what kind of hope he keeps in Razali’s trip, U Lwin
answered as follows:

U Lwin : I can only say that only when I meet Mr. Razali. Mr. Razali said
that what he had said before are out of date. It has been more than six
months since we have seen and talked to him. Forget what he had said
before. It’s out of date as nothing had happened.

As for Mr. Razali, he said that when he comes to Burma, he will accelerate
the process on dialogues with new proposals and methods. Moreover, he
confirmed that the UN will contrive until there is a civilian government
in Burma based on the constitution from the military government.
________

Xinhua News Agency May 22 2003

Myanmar calls for saving biological diversity

Official newspaper The New Light of Myanmar called on its countrymen on
Thursday to do their utmost to save biological diversity and all life on
earth.

The call was made in an article on the occasion of the falling of the
World Biological Diversity Day on Thursday.

The article noted that global biodiversity is changing at an alarming rate
over the past three decades due to deforestation, over-hunting and
over-exploitation.

It warned that the loss of biodiversity has become a major environmental
issue in recent decades with detrimental impacts on all life-support
ecosystems.

Stressing the importance of the biodiversity which is a life-support
system for mankind and is linked with others' like air and water, the
article also warned that a breakdown of one system may eventually lead to
the collapse of the overall life-support system.

Myanmar has rich biodiversity and measures are being taken to protect and
prevent its loss by enacting laws to protect wildlife and wild plants, and
establishing new sanctuaries, national parks and protected areas.

According to official statistics, there have been 28 sanctuaries, eight
parks and two protected areas in Myanmar.

REGIONAL

Nation May 23 2003

Shan and UWSA deny planting Tachilek bombs
By Don Pathan, Supalak Ganjanadee

The recent bomb attacks in the Burmese border town of Tachilek and its
vicinity have sent Thai security agencies scrambling to identify those
responsible.
Although Tachilek is sovereign Burmese territory, the timing and location
of the attacks were too close for comfort.
The explosions took place following a visit to the area by Burma's
intelligence chief, General Khin Nyunt, and Foreign Minister Win Aung and
his Thai counterpart Surakiart Sathirathai.
During their meeting, the two sides signed a pact agreeing to build a
second bridge linking the Burmese border town with Chiang Rai's Mae Sai
township. It was a display of solidarity and a sign of the close relations
the Thaksin administration has worked so hard to build up, despite a
number of hiccups, including border clashes and cross-border shelling
incidents. Security officials based on the border consider Wednesday's
bombing a sign that Burma's internal problems are still very much alive.
Given that the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has so
many enemies, just about anybody could have been responsible for the
attacks. One thing that stood out was the speed with which both Rangoon
and the Thai Army apportioned blame for the attacks.
SPDC chief spokesman Colonel Hla Min blamed the Shan State Army (SSA), an
ethnic rebel army which broke from Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army (MTA) following
the drug lord's surrender to the Rangoon government in January 1996 in
return for an amnesty.
Thai military units on the border, as well as security agencies, were
quick to point the finger at the United Wa State Army (UWSA), a
pro-Rangoon outfit that Thailand says is the source of millions of
methamphetamines that flood into the kingdom on a weekly basis. A UWSA
official, speaking to The Nation from the group's headquarter in
Panghsang, bordering China's Yunnan province, dismissed suggestions his
group was behind the incident, saying it made no sense. At least one of
the targets was a Wa-owned business, he noted. He would not say whether
the "Wa-owned business" was the petrol station or the power plant, both of
which were targeted.
The spokesman also said the UWSA's leader, Chairman Bao Yu-xiang, would
neither confirm nor deny allegations by the Thai government that his group
was looking to assassinate Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Meanwhile, SSA leader Colonel Yawd Serk, speaking to reporters from his
Loi Tai Lang base camp opposite Mae Hong Son, dismissed Rangoon's
allegation that his outfit was responsible for the blasts.
He said there was nothing for the SSA to gain by carrying out the attack.
Border observers said the SSA had shown extreme caution following
Thailand's complaints that its battles with the Burmese had spilled over
onto Thai soil.
___________

Irrawaddy May 22 2003

Convoy Ambushed in Tachilek

A Burmese government vehicle convoy was ambushed this morning, local
sources say, after series of explosions hit the town of Tachilek on the
Thai-Burma border yesterday.

Trucks and oil tankers heading to Kengtung in Shan State were attacked by
an armed rebel group and residents in Tachilek say fire engines were sent
to the scene. There were also reports of gunfire being heard last night.
Security has been tightened in Tachilek since bombs exploded at a
government building and at a statue of King Bayinnaung on Wednesday
morning. According to the mayor of Mae Sai, Burmese authorities have asked
Thailand to step up security on the Thai side of the border.
The Mae Sai-Tachilek bridge between Thailand and Burma remains open but
Thai officials are worried that if attacks continue, Burmese authorities
will shut the border checkpoint.
Analysts on the border say there was no coincidence in the timing of
attacks this week, after a visit to Tachilek by Burma’s head of military
intelligence Gen Khin Nyunt and Foreign Minister Win Aung on Monday.
They say elements inside Shan State are trying to undermine the leadership
in Rangoon and Thai-Burma relations. "A bomb exploded after Khin Nyunt’s
visit, he has lost credibility," a Shan source told The Irrawaddy.
The delegation from Rangoon came to meet Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart
Sathirathai and to attend a ground-breaking ceremony for a new friendship
bridge between Mae Sai and Tachilek.
Shan rebel leaders were not available for comment today. Both Thai and
Burmese military sources say the Shan State Army (South) are to be blamed
for Wednesday’s blasts.
____________

Nation May 22 2003

Thai, Burmese officials say Shan State Army behind bombs
by Supalak Ganjanakhundee

Four bombs exploded in the Burmese border town of Tachilek yesterday,
killing four Burmese nationals, including two police officers. Burma's
ruling military junta was quick to lay blame on the Shan State Army (SSA),
with Thai officials echoing the sentiment.

The explosions occurred between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. in four separate
locations, including the base of a statue of King Bayintnaung and a power
plant, said a Thai official who monitors Thai-Burmese border affairs.

The statue of the king was damaged - an arm and leg were blown off - an
eyewitness said.

Burmese authorities in Tachilek ordered a brief border closure after the
last bomb exploded in the downtown area at about 6.45 a.m. The border gate
connecting Tachilek and Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district was reopened after
an hour.

The blasts followed a visit to Tachilek by Burmese intelligence chief Gen
Khin Nyunt on Monday.

Khin Nyunt travelled to the trading post to sign off on an agreement to
build a second "friendship bridge" across the Mae Sai river. The deal was
negotiated between Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai and his Burmese
counterpart Win Aung.

Burmese military intelligence officer Colonel Hla Min said SSA rebels were
suspected of being responsible for the bomb blast.

"All fingers are pointed towards SURA Shan United Revolutionary Army ," he
was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse, referring to the former name
of the SSA, which has fought against the junta since a split from retired
drug lord Khun Sa in 1996.

A Thai military source said the SSA's plan to detonate the bomb during
Khin Nyunt's visit had failed because of tight security imposed by Burmese
authorities after a tip-off from the Thai side of the border.

The rebels had not wished to harm the general, merely to show their
ability to challenge the junta's security apparatus, the source said. SSA
commander Yawd Serk rejected the allegation, saying the SSA had no time to
launch attacks because it was busy celebrating the 45th anniversary of
Shan resistance.

"Today (Wednesday) is our auspicious day. We wouldn't do such a bad thing.
One of their million enemies may attack Burmese generals at any time," he
was quoted as saying by local media Shan Herald Agency for News in a
telephone interview from Loi Tai Lang, where a ceremony marked the
anniversary. Surakiart said the incident had been plotted by "bad
elements", who wanted to compromise relations between Thailand and Burma.
____________

TV Myanmar May 21 2003

MALAYSIAN AIR CHIEF ARRIVES IN BURMA ON GOODWILL VISIT

A Malaysian delegation headed by Chief of Royal Malaysian Air Force Gen
Datuk Sri Abdullah bin Ahmad arrived in Yangon Rangoon by air on a
goodwill visit this morning at 1115.

The delegation was welcomed at Yangon International Airport by Commander
in Chief of Air Maj-Gen Myat Hein, senior military officers, and Malaysian
Military Attache to Myanmar Col Haji Harun bin Hitam.

At the airport Maj-Gen Myat Hein and Gen Datuk Sri Abdullah bin Ahmad took
salute of the Guard of Honour. The Malaysian delegation paid a visit to
the Memorial to Fallen Heroes on Arzani Road in Bahan Township at 1500.
Gen Datuk Sri Abdullah bin Ahmad and party paid tribute to the fallen
heroes, laid a wreath and signed in the visitors' book. They then left the
memorial.

At 1830, Commander in Chief of Air Maj-Gen Myat Hein hosted a dinner in
honour of the goodwill delegation at Mya Yeik Nyo Royal Hotel. Also
present at the dinner were Commander in Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Kyi
Min, Chief of Staff of Navy Rear Admiral Soe Thein, Vice Chief of Armed
Forces Training Maj-Gen Win Myint and senior military officers, Malaysian
Ambassador Dato Cheah Sam Kip and Military Attache Col Hj Harun bin Hitam.
Before the dinner, Maj-Gen Myat Hein and Gen Datuk Sri Abdullah bin Ahmad
exchanged souvenirs.

Commander-in-Chief of Air Maj-Gen Myat Hein received visiting Chief of
Royal Malaysian Air Force Gen Datuk Sri Abdullah bin Ahmad and party at
Zeyathiri Beikman on Konmyinttha in Yangon this afternoon at 1400.

Also present at the call were Commander of Mingaladon Air Force Base
Brig-Gen Thein Myint, Colonel General Staff, Air, Col Zin Yaw, Colonel
General Staff, Technical, Col Ye Chit Pe and Malaysian Military Attache to
Myanmar Col Haji Harun bin Hitam.
____________

BBC May 21 2003

Bangladesh sends Burmese home

Bangladeshi officials say they have speeded up the process of repatriating
thousands of Burmese Muslim refugees living in two camps in south-eastern
Bangladesh.
Under a new agreement reached between the Bangladeshi and Burmese
governments, a group of 150 refugees left the camps for Burma on
Wednesday.
Another group of 123 people returned to Burma on Monday.
Bangladeshi officials say that, before the agreement, Burma took back no
more than 10 refugees a week.
Nearly 250,000 Rohingya refugees crossed into Bangladesh in the early
1990s to escape alleged persecution from the Burmese military government.
Most of them later returned home after the intervention of the United
Nations.

INTERNATIONAL

Irrawaddy May 22 2003

Australia to Increase Aid to Burma
By Anthony Faraday

May 22, 2003—The Australian government has announced an increased aid
contribution to military-ruled Burma, while cutting back development
funding to several other Asian nations next year. The money is earmarked
for the expansion of Australia’s human rights training program and
humanitarian relief inside Burma.
The Australian government aid agency, AusAID, announced a 23.2 percent
increase in aid to Burma but reduced contributions to other Asian nations
including China, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Budget adjustments come after
increased government spending on military support for the US-led war on
Iraq and new security measures to combat terrorism.
Australia will provide US $5 million to address Burma’s dire humanitarian
crisis, particularly the health emergency that continues to engulf the
country, a statement from AusAID said.
Specifically, Australian aid will seek to ease Burma’s worsening HIV/AIDS
problems. It will also fund part of the second phase of Australia’s
controversial Human Rights Initiative for Burma, set to expand the program
for training judges and middle-ranking civil servants inside the country.
Observers have criticized Australia’s human rights training program for
avoiding the institutional problems within the military and for teaching
civil servants to take actions which would surely result in them being
reprimanded under existing laws.
Prof David Kinley, of the Melbourne-based Castan Center for Human Rights
Law which conducts the training, said the second phase of the program will
focus on the rights of women and children. He hopes that this time some of
Burma’s more senior generals and policymakers can take part.
The Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA), a Canberra-based umbrella
group of aid organizations, offered qualified support for the program but
is concerned with the lack of measurable results to prove whether the
training has been worthwhile.
Frank Thompson, an ACFOA policy officer, also said "Australia should step
up diplomatic pressure on the regime" and urged the government to advocate
strongly for real progress from Burma’s ruling State Peace and Development
Council.
Australia’s small bilateral aid program for Burma is representative of the
country’s policy of "limited engagement" with the military regime. The
approach has come under fire from many Burmese democracy campaigners who
say Canberra should be harder on Rangoon.
Officially, Australia neither encourages nor discourages trade with Burma,
and most government-sponsored links with the regime are based on
humanitarian assistance.

STATEMENTS/EDITORIALS

Congress of the United States House of Representatives Michael E. Capuano
May 21 2003

Burma must stop its human rights violations immediately

Mr. Michael E Capuano.
Mr. Speaker

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform my colleagues of the despicable attack
on a key democratic figure in Burma, Aung San Su Kyi, by Than Shwe and his
brutal military regime.

A few days ago, the political arm of Than Shwe’s regime, the Union
Solidarity and Development  Association (USDA), launched an attack against
Aung San Suu Kyi’s motorcade as she was traveling to give a speech about
freedom in Burma.  After stopping the motorcade and wielding machetes and
sticks, USDA members beat on the doors of the motorcade and attempted to
steal cameras and other items.

This is only one of the many recent occasions in which the USDA has
harassed and intimidated Aung San Suu Kyi, her political opposition group
called the National League for Democracy (NLD), and their supporters.  In
order to interfere with her efforts to speak about democratization in
Burma, the regime has threatened her supporters with water hoses on fire
trucks and blared loud music so that others cannot hear her speeches. 
Authorities have repeatedly deterred and prevented her supporters from
attending her speeches by threatening them with arrest, and have turned
back several busloads full of people.

I find it appalling that Than Shwe’s soldier would threaten one of the
world’s great freedom fighters with blunt weapons.  Aung San Suu Kyi and
the NLD are the legitimately elected leaders of their country—they won 82%
of the seats in parliament in an internationally recognized election, even
though the regime refuses to recognize the results.  As an elected
Representative of the citizens of Massachusetts, I simply cannot stand by
while men like Than Shwe so grossly violate the very principles upon which
this House was built.

Than Shwe continues to terrorize the population of Burma.  He and his
regime have forced much of the population into modern-day slave labor,
locked up about 1,400 political prisoners including students, monks, nuns,
and 18 members of parliament, and recruited an astounding 70,000 child
soldiers—far more than any other country in the world.  Perhaps the most
disturbing, our own State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Rights, and
Labor conducted an impressive investigation into rapes in Burma that
confirmed the regime is using rape as a weapon of war.  As we learned from
Bosnia, using rape as a weapon is a war crime, and Than Shwe and his
cronies should be brought to justice.

Most importantly, Burma’s regime has proven that its words cannot be taken
seriously.  It has denied the use of rape as a weapon, stated that it has
no child soldiers, and refuses to acknowledge the detention and torture of
political prisoners.  For this reason, it should not be surprising that
Than Shwe has ignored the promise he made over a year ago to enter into a
dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, facilitated by the United Nations, aimed
at a transition to freedom and democracy.  Instead, he has [flouted] the
good-faith efforts of the United Nations’ Special Envoy to Burma, Razali
Ismail, and by extension, the entire United Nations General Assembly.

I urge my colleagues to join me in condemning these recent attacks and
urge the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Rights, and Labor to
register our condemnation of the regime at the highest levels.  Thank you,
Mr. Speaker.
____________

New York Times May 22 2003

Dancing With the Devil
By BOB HERBERT

Let's see. Who's less patriotic, the Dixie Chicks or Dick Cheney's
long-term meal ticket, the Halliburton Company?
The Dixie Chicks were excoriated for simply exercising their
constitutional right to speak out. With an ugly backlash and plans for a
boycott growing, the group issued a humiliating public apology for
"disrespectful" anti-Bush remarks made by its lead singer, Natalie Maines.
The Chicks learned how dangerous it can be to criticize the chief of a
grand imperial power.
Halliburton, on the other hand, can do no wrong. Yes, it has a history of
ripping off the government. And, yes, it's made zillions doing business in
countries that sponsor terrorism, including members of the "axis of evil"
that is so despised by the president.
But the wrath of the White House has not come thundering down on
Halliburton for consorting with the enemy. And there's been very little
public criticism. This is not some hapless singing group we're talking
about. Halliburton is a court favorite. So instead of being punished for
its misdeeds, it's been handed a huge share of the riches to be reaped
from the reconstruction of Iraq and U.S. control of Iraqi oil.
A Democratic congressman, Henry Waxman of California, has raised pointed
questions about the propriety of rewarding Halliburton with lucrative
contracts as part of the U.S. war on terror when the company has gone out
of its way to do business in three nations that the U.S. has accused of
supporting terror: Iraq, Iran and Libya.
In an April 30 letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Mr. Waxman wrote:
"Since at least the 1980's, federal laws have prohibited U.S. companies
from doing business in one or more of these countries. Yet Halliburton
appears to have sought to circumvent these restrictions by setting up
subsidiaries in foreign countries and territories such as the Cayman
Islands. These actions started as early as 1984; they appear to have
continued during the period between 1995 and 2000, when Vice President
Cheney headed the company; and they are apparently ongoing even today."
According to Mr. Waxman, a subsidiary called Halliburton Products and
Services opened an office in Tehran, Iran, in February 2000, has done work
on offshore drilling projects and has asserted, "We are committed to
position ourselves in a market that offers huge growth potential."
Shareholder complaints since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, particularly
from the pension funds of the New York City Police and Fire Departments,
have prompted Halliburton officials to agree to reevaluate their
operations in Iran.
The federal government has been well aware of Halliburton's shenanigans.
In his letter to Secretary Rumsfeld, Mr. Waxman noted that "Halliburton
was fined $3.8 million in 1995 for re-exporting U.S. goods through a
foreign subsidiary to Libya in violation of U.S. sanctions."
The fine was not enough to stop the company from dancing with the devil.
It still has dealings in Libya.
Now, with the U.S. takeover of Iraq, Halliburton has hit the jackpot. It
has only recently been made clear that an "emergency" no-bid contract
given in March to the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root covers
far more than the limited task of fighting oil well fires. The company has
been given control of the Iraqi oil operations, including oil
distribution.
"It's remarkable there's been so little attention paid to the Halliburton
contracts," said Mr. Waxman. In addition to doing business in countries
that have sponsored terrorism, the congressman said, Halliburton has been
accused of overcharging the U.S. government for work it did in the 1990's.
And last year the company agreed to pay a $2 million settlement to ward
off possible criminal charges for price gouging.
"Their reward for that terrible record," said the congressman, "was a
secret no-bid contract, potentially worth billions, to run Iraq's oil
operations."
Halliburton and its subsidiaries are virtuosos at gaming the system. It's
a slithery enterprise with its rapacious tentacles in everybody's pockets.
It benefits from doing business with the enemy, from its relationship with
the U.S. military when the U.S. is at war with the enemy, and from
contracts to help rebuild the defeated enemy.
Meanwhile, the flag-waving yahoos are hyperventilating over nonissues like
the Dixie Chicks.