BurmaNet News: June 12 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

June 12 2003 Issue #2259

INSIDE BURMA

AP: Myanmar ignores criticism of detention
Bangkok Post: Junta power struggle holds Suu Kyi hostage
Xinhua: Myanmar government pledges commitment to reconciliation process
Narinjara: New body to control rice sales and production?

ON THE BORDER

AP: Hill tribe girls flood sex trade
Muslim Information Center: SPDC soldiers defect from Burma Army

REGIONAL

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: [Chinese spokesman says Aung San Suu Kyi
issue Burma’s internal affair]
Economic Times: Govt plans fencing of Indo-Myanmar border
AFP: Mekong River faces ‘over-use’ in rush for development: commission
Kyodo: ASEAN ministers to call for Suu Kyi’s release
NMG: Burma’s problem is Thai’s problem, too
NMG: India urged to stop supporting SPDC

INTERNATIONAL

Channel News Asia: US report slams 15 countries for failure to fight human
trafficking
Channel News Asia: White house backs free trade pact with Thailand in
return for backing of tough line over Suu Kyi
Irrawaddy: Thaksin, Bush call for Suu Kyi’s release
San Francisco Chronicle: Congress set to order sanctions on Burma

STATEMENTS/EDITORIALS

WSJ: It’s time to turn the tables on Burma’s thugs
FBC: US HIRC green-lights new sanctions against Burma’s regime

INSIDE BURMA

Associated Press June 12 2003

Myanmar Ignores Criticism of Detention
By AYE AYE WIN

Myanmar's military government on Thursday ignored international criticism
of its detention of Aung San Suu Kyi, blaming her opposition party for the
nation's political deadlock.
The United Nations and many world leaders have urged the release the Nobel
Peace Prize laureate. But China and Malaysia, two of the military regime's
closest allies, cautioned against pressuring the junta.
Suu Kyi was whisked away nearly two weeks ago after a clash between her
supporters and a pro-government mob in northern Myanmar. At least four
people were killed.
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved economic penalties
against Myanmar. The same day President Bush joined Thai Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra in calling for ``an immediate substantive political
dialogue'' in the country, also known as Burma.
The junta said it ``fully appreciates the suggestion'' from the two
leaders and shares their view that a democratic and prosperous Myanmar is
important to the stability of Southeast Asia.
``That's why the government's two main goals have been the transition to a
market economy, and the transition to multiparty democracy,'' the
government said in a statement.
It made no reference to Suu Kyi's detention since May 30 and the breakdown
in its 2 year-old U.N.-sponsored reconciliation dialogue with the Nobel
laureate.
Instead, the junta criticized Suu Kyi's party for its 1995 withdrawal from
a national convention to draft a constitution that democracy activists
labeled a sham because most delegates were hand-picked by the military.
``The government is fully committed to the national reconciliation process
and to work together with all the political forces in its effort for
national reconciliation and democratization,'' the junta said.
Suu Kyi has spent many of the years since 1989 under house arrest for her
nonviolent struggle for democracy. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said the process to restore democracy in
the country clearly was failing, referring to the junta as the ``thugs who
run the Burmese government.''
``It is time for the United States to reassess its policy toward a
military dictatorship that has repeatedly attacked democracy and jailed
its heroes,'' Powell said in an editorial in Thursday's Wall Street
Journal.
China, Myanmar's most important ally, reiterated its long-standing policy
of nonintervention.
``We believe this is something between the Myanmar government and the
opposition and an internal affair of Myanmar,'' Chinese foreign ministry
spokesman Kong Quan said at a regularly scheduled news briefing in
Beijing.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, meanwhile, warned that putting
too much international pressure on Myanmar's military junta could be
``unproductive.''
The military seized power in 1988 and has defied international demands to
hand power to Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, which won
general elections in 1990.
____________

Bangkok Post June 12 2003

Junta power struggle holds Suu Kyi hostage
The UN envoy suspects Burma's generals will need to work out their
differences before the dialogue with Suu Kyi can move ahead.
By LARRY JAGAN

Razali Ismail, the United Nations' envoy to Burma, may have rescued the
fragile dialogue between that country's military rulers and opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

``"Now there is a very real possibility of serious political talks between
the two sides starting some time in the future,'' a UN official said.
``But like everything in Burma, it is by no means certain. It depends on
developments in Rangoon.''

After five days of protracted negotiations with Burma's military rulers,
Mr Razali was finally allowed to see Suu Kyi on Tuesday. ``She's in high
spirits, looks well and uninjured _ not even a scratch on her face,'' he
said after the meeting, said to be at a defence ministry guesthouse.

For the UN envoy, gaining access to the opposition leader was the primary
aim of his latest mission to Burma. At least now the international
community knows for certain that Suu Kyi is safe and unharmed after what
western diplomats are calling a premeditated and organised assault on her
motorcade and her supporters by government-sponsored thugs on May 30.

``As usual, the junta has given the minimum at the very last minute,''
said a western diplomat who declined to be identified. ``But what we need
above all else is Aung San Suu Kyi's account of what happened, a
definitive account of the violent events on Black Friday [May 30],'' she
said.

Apart from gaining access to the opposition leader, Mr Razali seems to
have come away with little else. Suu Kyi remains in ``protective
custody'', the whereabouts of her trusted second lieutenant Tin U remains
a mystery, the other leaders of the National League for Democracy are
still under house arrest, and most of their main party offices remain
shut.

The envoy though remains confident that Suu Kyi will actually be released
in the near future. ``I urged them to release her, even begged them, and
was told she would be freed soon,'' Mr Razali said. Diplomats in Rangoon
believe she might be released some time in the next few weeks.

Whether this happens _ and when _ depends largely on what is happening
within the military hierarchy. For some time now there has been growing
evidence that there was a rift within the top ranks of the army over what
to do with Suu Kyi and whether to start direct talks with the opposition
leader.

The country's top general, Than Shwe, clearly feels there is no need to
negotiate with the opposition and the hard-liners who share his view have
led the campaign against Suu Kyi as she travelled around the country. It
is this faction which was certainly responsible for the attack on her
convoy and supporters on May 30.

But not everyone within Burma's ruling military council, or State Peace
and Development Council (SPDC), seems to share this approach. The
pragmatists _ believed to be centred around the military intelligence
chief General Khin Nyunt _ are prepared to talk to Suu Kyi and at the same
time are keen to engage the international community on political and
economic reform in the country. They are clearly embarrassed by what went
on up-country before Suu Kyi was detained.

``It is highly significant that General Than Shwe was out of town during
most of Ambassador Razali's visit,'' a senior Asian diplomat in Rangoon
said. ``He appears to have gone to a seaside resort shortly after the
envoy's arrival and returned just before Ambassador Razali left for Kuala
Lumpur.''

This has raised crucial questions about the senior general's position and
authority. Diplomats are curious about the fact that there has been no
photos of Gen Than Shwe in the state media since the violent attack
against the opposition leader. This is more than curious as the media
usually follow and document his every move _ especially when he leaves the
capital and when he returns, say diplomats.

It is unclear whether Gen Than Shwe is simply distancing himself from the
violent events in the north of the country _ which were clearly
orchestrated by his followers and supporters _ or whether his two
immediate subordinates have moved against him in some way.

`There are signs of a power struggle going on in Rangoon,'' said a retired
senior Asian diplomat who has close ties with Burma but did not wish to be
identified. ``There are few public manifestations of this but, in the next
few months, there is likely to be a major shake up of the top brass _
similar to what happened some 10 years ago when General Saw Maung was
pushed out.''

There is no doubt that there was an intense debate within Burma's top
military leadership _ possibly confined to the triumvirate of Generals
Than Shwe, Maung Aye and Khin Nyunt _ over whether to allow Mr Razali to
see Suu Kyi. Even though the envoy met Gen Khin Nyunt on the second day of
his visit, it was only when he met Gen Maung Aye _ the day before he was
scheduled to leave _ that he was virtually guaranteed access to the
opposition leader.

``What is now clear is that Gen Maung Aye is exercising power _ even in
the national reconciliation process, which he had kept well away from
since it started,'' a Rangoon-based western diplomat said. ``And this may
now signal the turning point in the dialogue.''

In the past three years during his frequent trips to Rangoon, Mr Razali
had not met Gen Maung Aye _ except when he met all three of the top
leaders, on which occasion Gen Khin Nyunt took the lead.

But the dialogue process which Mr Razali helped broker between the Burmese
generals and the opposition leader while she was under house arrest is
obviously in trouble. Even UN officials associated with the envoy say
``there is no real process at present''.

The latest crisis though may provide an opportunity to revive the whole
dialogue process and get substantive talks started between the two sides.

Mr Razali remains upbeat. ``I tried to convince both sides that this was
an opportunity to move forward,'' he said. ``There is a need to stop this
show of strength; the time has come to sit down and discuss what is the
future ahead.'' Mr Razali believes both sides now understand that and are
willing to take the next step.

It is now up to Burma's military rulers to make the first move. ``They
have to let her out if they want to continue with national
reconciliation,'' Mr Razali. said. ``You can't do it with one party locked
up.''

Two of Burma's top three generals have assured the envoy that this will
happen soon. But that will not be sufficient for the envoy or the
international community. ``They must do something now to indicate they are
serious about moving quickly to discussing things with her,'' he said, ``a
point I also made to them after meeting her.''

Senior Asian diplomats believe Suu Kyi may even be released within days,
just before or during next week's Asean meetings in Phnom Penh. But a UN
source close to the national reconciliation process said: ``It is unlikely
to happen as quickly as that. There are many issues that need to be
resolved in Rangoon before the authorities will feel it's safe to free
her.''

In the space of two weeks, the pendulum may be swinging back in favour of
the pragmatists _ those who want to talk to Suu Kyi and realise they must
implement political and economic reform. Diplomats and UN officials feel
that Burma's leaders were worried by the prospect of the country's
political problems being discussed at next week's Asean meeting and by the
UN Security Council.

Aung San Suu Kyi is only likely to be released after the current political
struggle within Burma's military leadership is resolved.
_________

Xinhua News Agency June 12 2003

Myanmar government pledges commitment to reconciliation process

The Myanmar government pledged on Thursday its full commitment to the
national reconciliation process, saying that it will work together with
all the political forces in the reconciliation and democratization
process.

In a statement released here Thursday evening, the government said it
shares the same view stated in June 11 declaration by US President Bush
and Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra that "a democratic and
prosperous Myanmar is important to stability and prosperity of Southeast
Asia."

The government statement maintained that the remarks of the two leaders of
the United States and Thailand also reflect Myanmar's two main goals
--transition to a market economy and a democratic country.

To attain these goals, the statement said, the government has sought
constructive contribution from all interested countries including the
United States and Thailand for development of Myanmar.

The Myanmar military government, after taking over the power of state on
Sept. 18, 1988, sponsored a multi-party general election on May 27, 1990.

The National League for Democracy (NLD), which won 392 parliamentary seats
out of 485 in the election, complained that although it has been 13 years
after the end of the election, the government has not yet transferred
power to the winning party.

Meanwhile, the government claims that it is a care-taker or transitional
one with no intention to hold on to power indefinitely.

To realize Myanmar's national reconciliation as early as possible, the
international community is urging the Myanmar military government to
immediately release detained NLD General Secretary Aung San Suu Kyi and
start substantive dialogue with the NLD.
_________

Narinjara News June 12 2003

New Body to control rice sales and production?


The recent formation of a powerful Rice Control Committee in Burma has
raised high concern among the rice growers in Rakhine State in the western
part of Burma.

The Committee, led by the General Secretary  2 of the State Peace and
Development Council junta of Burma, is composed of Minister  1 of the
Ministry of Industries, State Minister of Trade and Commerce, Minister of
Agriculture and Irrigation, two representatives from the Association of
the Owners of Business Houses, two representatives from the Merchants
Association, and two representatives from the Rice Mill Owners
Association, according to sources in the agricultural department.

Considered as the central committee for control and manipulation of the
dealings in rice including export, the newly formed Rice Control Committee
has already been dubbed as the ‘newer version of the old rice procurement
committees’ by the growers of rice in the state.

Across Rakhine State members of the now defunct ‘Rice Procurement
Committees’ have been reported to explain the duties and responsibilities
of the newly formed Rice Control Committee among the villagers and farmers
in the state, beginning from Buthidaung and Maungdaw Townships recently.

According to a reliable source the cause behind the scrapping up of the
Rice Procurement Committee lies in the fact that last year due to forced
purchase of rice from the growers that led to an artificial-famine like
situation, the farmers in Rakhine State, Irrawaddy Division and Mon State
went to the point of raising a revolt against the ruling SPDC junta’s rice
procurement policies.

The price of one hundred tinns (bushels) of rice stood at least kyat
150,000 in the open market while the junta paid only kyat 30,000 for
purchasing the same amount that led to large-scale discontent among the
farmers.  The price given was not even enough to cover the production
costs, a farmer said. Added to it were the burdens of repayment of
forcefully given agricultural loans, interests involved in it, and
occasional demand for more rice for the Army Families’ Welfare
Association.

ON THE BORDER


Associated Press June 12 2003

Hill tribe girls flood sex trade

NEW YORK (AP) -- Thirty years ago, virtually no women from Thailand's hill
tribes were snared in the country's thriving sex trade. Now they are
flooding the brothels and sex-karaoke bars.
Anthropologist and filmmaker David Feingold set out to determine why about
one in three Thai sex workers comes from the highlands -- despite
development projects, anti-narcotics campaigns and efforts to fight sex
trafficking.
His five-year investigation became the documentary film "Trading Women,"
now reaching U.S. audiences through public television. It has been
screened at the United Nations and will be shown June 20 to the National
Press Club in Washington.
His film quietly interviews hill tribe girls in brothels, in karaoke bars
where sex with customers is optional, and in their home villages. It also
seeks the views of brothel owners, U.S. politicians, Thai police, and
health officials who take an annual census of sex workers.
He listed a number of problems that have led highland women to leave the
countryside and migrate to the sex trade: drug eradication programs with
too little emphasis on alternative crops; population pressures; loss of
land to other Thais, and conflict in neighboring Myanmar.
But the greatest risk factor is the women's precarious legal status:
Minority groups have enormous difficulties obtaining Thai citizenship and
therefore have few economic opportunities.
In addition, discrimination against women intensifies their economic
desperation, said LaShawn Jefferson, head of the women's rights division
of Human Rights Watch.
International conferences tend to globalize the issue, as if Eastern
European and Thai women had the same needs, he said, while U.S.
policy-makers sometimes overemphasize law enforcement.
The State Department released its third annual "Trafficking in Persons"
report Wednesday, which says Thailand is striving to meet minimum
standards for eliminating human trafficking.
It says Thailand should intensify law enforcement at home together with
neighboring countries, and it notes that "many of the victims are from
stateless ethnic tribes in northern Thailand."
The report is the first to recommend sanctions against countries that
don't fight trafficking. However, a department official, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said the emphasis is not on punishment but on
funding local efforts.
Thai officials estimate 200,000 women work in Thailand's sex industry, not
the 2 million sometimes claimed.
Feingold found that most hill tribe girls serve the domestic sex market --
not the sex tourism and export market for which Thailand became notorious.
Girls fleeing strife-torn Myanmar, known as Burma, also have fallen prey
to sexual exploitation.
Feingold hopes drawing American attention to the problem will lead to
lasting solutions.
"Trading Women" has been shown on public TV in New York, Boston and San
Francisco, said Arthur Ellis of Philadelphia's WHYY, the first to show it.
Miami will see it in July and Philadelphia will have another airing later
this month.
_______

Muslim Information Center June 12 2003

SPDC soldiers defect from Burma Army

Two ruling State Peace and development Council (SPDC) soldiers defected
from their Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 424, led by Battalion
Commander Kyi Tun according to our Reporter from along the Thai Burma
border.

The two defectors left their Battalion, based in Si Saing Myo of Shan
State, because they said they were frequently exploited in
ration-distribution and other cases by their superiors in the army.
Moreover, they said they were not happy in the army as the majority
Burmese people hate it (the Burmese Army), the Reporter said.

They reached Rangoon on May, 20, 03, and then they immediately left it and
then they reached Mae Sot via Mya Waddy on June, 8, 2003, the Reporter
said.  The two defectors were Maung Zaw Htoo(Ka-14977) ( 20 years old),
and Maung Kyaw Yin (Ka-14951) (21 years old),the Reporter said.

REGIONAL

Ministry of Foreign Affairs website June 12 2003

CHINESE SPOKESMAN SAYS AUNG SAN SUU KYI ISSUE BURMA'S INTERNAL AFFAIR

China has said that in the final analysis the issue of the detained
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suun Kyi is between the Burmese
government and the opposition, and is therefore Burma's internal affair. A
spokesman said that China believed that the Burmese people were capable of
dealing with the problem, and Beijing hoped that social stability and
economic development would be maintained in Burma. China was concerned
over developments in Burma, because Burma is a friendly neighbour, the
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said.
_________

Economic Times June 12 2003

GOVT PLANS FENCING OF INDO-MYANMAR BORDER

The government, in a bid to cut off supply channels of north-eastern
insurgent groups from across the eastern border, is considering fencing of
the Indo-Myanmar border.

This was disclosed by Union minister of state for home, Mr I D Swami, in
Imphal today at the end of his two-day trip to Manipur. The fencing
proposal is aimed at tackling cross-border insurgency, being perpetrated
by groups such as Nagaland-based NSCN(I-M) and NSCN(Khaplang) which are
known to train their cadres in camps based in Myanmar, as well as the
smuggling of arms and narcotics from the "porous" Indo-Myanmar border.

Intelligence reports have not only established the existence of training
camps of insurgent outfits like the NSCN and Ulfa across the Myanmarese
border, but also that these groups are sourcing a majority of their arms
from contacts in Myanmar. Apart form the illegal arms trafficking, the
flourishing narcotics trade from Myanmarese territory is a major source of
funds for the north-eastern insurgent groups.

The fencing of the Indo-Myanmar border, which may be followed by
deployment of security forces such as the SSB - which incidentally, will
also man the Indo-Bhutan border - is expected to step up vigil against the
supply lines of north-eastern militant outfits. Speaking to reporters
before leaving Imphal for New Delhi, Mr Swami said even as fencing of the
Indo-Myanmar border was under consideration, fencing and lighting work
along the Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangla border was progressing well.

On involving more north-eastern insurgent groups in peace talks, Mr Swami
reiterated the Centre's stand that it was willing to enter into a dialogue
with all outfits willing to shun the path of violence and come to the
negotiating table without any precondition. Besides, he added, the
dialogue would have be within the framework of the Constitution.
_________

Agence France Presse June 12 2003

Mekong River faces "over-use" in rush for development: commission

The Mekong River, seen as Southeast Asia's largest single natural
resource, is under threat of over-use as the six nations it passes through
scramble to boost socio-economic development, a conference here heard
Thursday.

Chief executive of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Joern Kristensen said
the greater Mekong subregion, home to some 250 million people, faces
potentially devastating social upheaval should calls for sustainable
development go unheeded.

"While wise use of its resources in a sustainable manner can certainly
lead to improved living standards for millions, attempts of indiscriminate
use to 'get hold of tomorrow's money today' could lead to serious problems
for the people most depending on the river and its resource base," he
said.

"A negative social spill-over effect on the entire region (could result),"
he told a conference addressing opportunities and challenges facing the
subregion.

"The key to sustainable developement is to use, not over-use, to meet the
needs and at the same time to keep the balance."

The 4,000-kilometre (2,400-mile) Mekong River traverses China, Myanmar,
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, but only the latter four are members
of the MRC, created in 1957.

Kristensen said he hoped to eventually see upstream nations China and
Myanmar become members so all six countries could adopt standard
guidelines for the river's usage and protection.

The conference gathers days after the Asian Development Bank made a bid to
convince foreign investors that the region was economically and
politically sound enough to invest in.

ADB Mekong Department director general Rajat Nag conceded, however, that
the bank's plan to attract 14 billion dollars to economically integrate
the region by 2010 was off to a slow start.

Less than one billion dollars has been committed by the private sector to
projects in areas such as telecommunications, energy, transport, and
tourism.

The Mekong is considered to have one of the largest undeveloped
hydroelectric potentials of any river basin in the world, but rights
campaigners have long asserted that infrastructure mega-projects along the
Mekong would lead to dire environmental and social impacts.
________

Kyodo News Service June 12 2003

ASEAN ministers to call for Suu Kyi's release

Foreign ministers from Southeast Asia are expected to 'subtly pressure'
Myanmar to release pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during their
meeting next week, the New Straits Times reported in its on-line edition
Thursday.

Quoting unidentified senior officials from a member country of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the newspaper said the
ministers are expected to raise the issue during their informal sessions.

'The other nine ASEAN countries are generally of the opinion that Suu Kyi
should be released immediately,' a senior official was quoted as saying.

According to the daily, while minding the ASEAN policy of
non-interference, the ministers are 'compelled' to 'subtly pressure' the
junta to release Suu Kyi as the United States and the European Union are
considering tightening trade and investment sanctions against Myanmar.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said this week, 'Whether we
like it or not, it is an internal affair of Myanmar but it (Suu Kyi's
detention) has implications for the region.'

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had also joined the world chorus
in calling for Suu Kyi's release.

ASEAN has often come under criticism for turning a blind eye to human
rights violations that plague some of its members.

The junta took Suu Kyi into what it called 'protective custody' during a
trip to northern Myanmar on May 30 following a violent clash between her
supporters and pro-junta demonstrators.

Foreign ministers from all 10 ASEAN member nations will begin their
two-day meeting Monday in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

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

Network Media Group June 12 2003

Burma's problem is Thai's problem too

June 11 (NMG) - In a briefing session on Burma’s current situation at
Women Study Center of Chiang Mai University, a spokesperson from the Women
League of Burma (WLB) urged Thailand to help Burma’s political problem as
their own because the number of refugees and migrant workers in Thailand
will be increased unless this on-going problem in Burma solved properly.

Several groups on human rights and women rights from Thailand along with
Thai university students attended the briefing session regarding May 30th
brutal attack on opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her convey by
government-affiliated thugs.

Three panelists Khin Ohmar from WLB, Virada Somswadi from Women Study
Center and non-violence advocate Ouyporn Khuankaew led the afternoon
discussion at Chiang Mai University.

“"If this situation inside Burma continues, if there are more protest in
the country because of the another complication of May 30th, if the NLD
member are crashed more and more, there is no doubt that more people will
flee into Thailand, there is no doubt that the number of refugees will
increase in Thailand. ”, Khin Ohmar predicted in the briefing.

Ms Budsakorn Kardmanee, a graduate of Women Study Center from Chaing Mai
University said “"We live near each other. The others problem is also our
problem, too. Burmese problem is the problem for Burmese people and also
it is our problem, too. Sometimes it is hard to separate that this is your
problem and that is my problem because we live in a nation in the whole
world. ”

The discussion was continued on the forthcoming peaceful prayer event on
19th June birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi -- for “Free Aung Sann Suu Kyi and
Democracy in Burma” at Thaphae Gate of Chiang Mai.
_________

Network Media Group June 12 2003

India urged to stop supporting SPDC

June 12 (NMG) - Rights activists from all over the world, who were
attending human rights conference, yesterday submitted a petition letter
to India Consulate office in Chiang Mai by appealing India government not
to support Burmese military regime.

In yesterday afternoon around 11 am, more than 40 activists from India,
Mongolia, Belgium, Philippines, Australia, Fiji, Canada, Indonesia, Japan
and Malaysia marched up to India consulate by shouting slogans against
India’s stance on Burma, submitted a five-points appeal letter to Chiang
Mai councilor M J Abraham.

Ms Bee, a right activist from Thailand who submitted an appeal letter said
“We went to the Indian Consulate because we have seen India and China keep
silent (on) what happened (in Burma) and we need them to pay more roles in
Asean for condemnation of the SPDC's action (and) to push Burma and
current political crisis as a priority agenda at the upcoming Asean
Regional Forum.”

Among the activists, three of demonstrators from Thai, Burma and Indonesia
-- were allowed to meet the Councilor Abraham and urged to forward this
memorandum to India government. They were again appointed to meet the
officer on 12 June.

The demonstration was organized by Friends of Burma Coalition (Thai-Burma
border) that is comprising of several organizations namely, Forum Asia,
Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (TACDB), The Coordinating
Committee of Human Rights of Thailand, NGO coordinating Committee on
Development, Chantana Banpasirichota Peace Way Foundation, Peace Camp-
Philippines, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, Women's Solidarity
for Human Rights- Indonesia along with interested individuals.

The activists are again planning to hold such action in front of Chinese
Consulate on coming Frinday June 13, activists said.

INTERNATIONAL

Channel News Asia June 12 2003

US report slams 15 countries for failure to fight human trafficking

Fifteen countries have made no significant efforts to stop human
trafficking, the US State Department said in its latest report issued on
Wednesday.

Secretary of State Colin Powell warned these countries, which included
Cuba, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Korea, to take prompt action to
improve their policies or possibly face US sanctions.

"Countries can avoid sanctions by working with us and taking prompt action
to improve their policies and practices," said Mr Powell.

The third annual "Trafficking in Persons" report aims to shine a spotlight
on the 800,000 to 900,000 people the US estimates are trafficked across
international borders each year.

Nearly 20,000 people are smuggled in the United States.

In Europe, a major problem is the trafficking of young women from Eastern
European countries for the growing sex industry.

Experts say in many cases, the governments involved turn a blind eye to
the problem while corrupt officials benefit from the trade.

The report names the 15 countries as Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba,
the Dominican Republic, Georgia, Greece, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Liberia,
Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan, Suriname, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

Despite the disclosure, the State Department report received criticisms
from the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, which said it
failed to meaningfully evaluate governments' efforts to combat human
trafficking.

"For the third consecutive year, the State Department report fails to give
hard figures on the number of people being trafficked," said executive
director LaShawn Jefferson.

"The report gives undue credit for minimal effort and ignores government
practices, such as summary deportation and incarceration that effectively
punish trafficking victims."
___________

Channel News Asia June 12 2003

White House backs free trade pact with Thailand in return for backing of
tough line over Suu Kyi

Free trade and the political future of Myanmar topped the agenda during a
visit to Washington by Thailand's Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.

After a meeting at the White House, the Thai leader and President Bush
called for the "immediate release" of Aung Sang Suu Kyi, the opposition
leader who remains in what the military government of Myanmar calls
"protective custody".

The two men also agreed to advance conversations aimed at signing a Free
Trade Agreement between the USA and Thailand.

The Thai Prime Minister had sought high-level meetings in Washington for a
while and that he got them, is testament in part to Thailand's support for
America's "war on terror".

Since the attacks of September 11, Thailand's relationship with the United
States has found a new dynamic although with the meeting coming amid
uncertainty over the future of Aung Sang Suu Kyi.

Some here urged the White House to pressure the Thais to abandon their
support for the military rulers of Myanmar.

At a dinner hosted by the US-ASEAN Business Council, the Prime Minister
made no mention of events on the other side of his country's border with
Myanmar, choosing to focus instead on the Thai economy.

He characterised his talks with President Bush this way: "It was frank,
warm, cordial and visionary. Despite being a courtesy call, we managed to
cover such a wide range of topics and the joint statement represents the
views that we both shared".

The Oval Office meeting was closed to television cameras though still
pictures were distributed.

In a statement, the two men called for the immediate release of Aung San
Suu Kyi and expressed deep concern over recent developments in a country
the United States still pointedly calls Burma.

State Department Spokesman Philip Reeker said: "I think we are seeing that
the Burmese regime's continued detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and that of
other members of her party is outrageous, it's shameful, it's
unacceptable.

"And they should be released immediately -- all of those individuals and
any others detained for peaceful expression of their views in Burma. So we
welcome the news that Aung San Suu Kyi has not been injured, but clearly
the clock of Burma's progress toward democracy has effectively been turned
back".

In exchange for Thai support of that tough line over Aung San Suu Kyi, the
White House offered its backing for further talks on a possible free trade
pact with Thailand.

That evidently delighted the Thai Prime Minister who also met the US Trade
Representative Robert Zoellick.

The Thai leader becomes the latest foreign dignitary in a long line of
those who supported the Bush administration's war on terror to start
reaping the diplomatic benefits.
___________

Irrawaddy June 12 2003

Thaksin, Bush Call for Suu Kyi’s Release
By Chris O'Connell

In a joint statement issued Wednesday, the United States President and
Thai Prime Minister both called for the immediate release of Aung San Suu
Kyi and other National League for Democracy leaders being held in Burma.
President George W Bush and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra expressed
concern over recent events, most notably the May 30 attack on opposition
leader Suu Kyi and her supporters in Upper Burma. Suu Kyi has been held
since the attacks in a military guest house on the outskirts of Rangoon.
The leaders called for, "an immediate substantive political dialogue
between Rangoon and all domestic political elements." Such talks, they
said, should be, "consistent with the regime’s stated commitment to a
peaceful transition to democracy."
There had been much speculation about whether the Bush Administration
would pressure Thaksin to take a harder line with the military junta that
rules Burma, which shares a 1,500 mile border with Thailand. Both
countries also have close military and economic ties. But publicly, at
least, Bush and Thaksin maintained a unified front on Burma.
The US Senate vote on a bill that would ban all Burmese imports to the US,
however, showed that Thailand and the US are taking different tacks on
dealing with Rangoon. The bill, which also included provisions to freeze
Burmese assets in US banks, and require the Bush administration to oppose
international loans to the country, passed 97 to 1. A similar measure is
likely to breeze through the House and become law. If the bill becomes
law, it will amount to the strongest stance the US has ever taken against
the military rulers of Burma.
Thaksin stopped short of even mentioning sanctions in Washington, but
affirmed his government’s, "readiness to do whatever possible to
facilitate Burmese national reconciliation and the return to democracy."
Thailand maintains that sanctions are not an acceptable way to bring
democratic rule to its neighbor.
"Thailand's position would be that we have to have relations with Burma
and we can't cut off relations with Burma because it's a neighboring
country," said Kraisak Choonhavan, head of Thailand’s Senate Committee on
Foreign Affairs.
Thaksin faced a barrage of criticism in Washington for his
administration’s close ties with Rangoon. In a speech on the Senate floor
Tuesday, Senator John McCain lambasted the Prime Minister saying he has
encouraged a "policy of cooperation and conciliation with a regime that is
opposed by the vast majority of its people and known to much of the world
as an outlaw."
_________

San Francisco Chronicle June 12 2003

Congress set to order sanctions on Burma
By Edward Epstein

Congress is poised to quickly pass legislation pushed by two key Bay Area
members to impose tough economic sanctions on Burma's military junta for
again detaining pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and allegedly
killing scores of her supporters.

The Senate on Wednesday passed the bill co-sponsored by Sen. Dianne
Feinstein, D-Calif. The House may act next week on the sanctions measure,
sponsored by Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo.

The Bush administration endorsed many points in the legislation Wednesday,
increasing pressure on the Burmese government to finally start moving
toward democracy. The administration said it might go even further than
the trade ban called for in the bill by invoking a ban on travel to Burma,
an increasingly popular low-cost tourist destination for Americans.

The international community, which has long pressured the military regime
to improve its human rights record, has roundly assailed the junta in
recent days for detaining Suu Kyi on May 30 and holding the 1991 Nobel
Peace Prize winner at an undisclosed location.

Suu Kyi's arrest came after clashes between her supporters and military
backers that reportedly killed at least 70 people. The regime used those
clashes to announce a new crackdown on the National League for Democracy,
Suu Kyi's political party that won a sweeping victory in 1990 elections,
but which the military prevented from taking office.

She subsequently spent six years under house arrest, until 1996, then was
held again for 19 months before being freed a year ago.

"The Rangoon regime has sunk to new lows and secured its place among the
world's rogues gallery of chronic human rights abusers, which includes
North Korea and Iran," said Lantos, the ranking Democrat on the House
International Relations Committee and co-chairman of the Congressional
Human Rights Caucus. The full committee is expected to pass the bill
today.

Sanctions included in the bill prohibit all imports into the United States
of articles from Burma. The United States accounts for about 25 percent of
Burma's exports.

President Bush could lift the ban once several human rights, democracy and
counternarcotics requirements have been met.

The bill also freezes the Burmese regime's assets in the United States and
reiterates U.S. policy to oppose loans to Burma from such international
institutions as the World Bank. It also bans Burmese government officials
from getting U.S. visas.

In the Senate, Feinstein introduced identical legislation with Sen. Mitch
McConnell, R-Ky., the Senate majority whip. The measure was approved 97-1
Wednesday.

Feinstein, who is generally skeptical about trade sanctions, said, "The
attacks demand a forceful and substantive response." She said she hoped
other nations would follow suit.

The Bush administration has been blistering in its criticism of the
Burmese regime over the past week.

"I think we're seeing that the Burmese regime's continued detention of
Aung San Suu Kyi and that of other members of her party is outrageous,
it's shameful, it's unacceptable, and they should be released
immediately," State Department spokesman Philip Reeker told reporters.

He said the administration welcomed word that a U.N. envoy had been
allowed to visit Suu Kyi, if only for 15 minutes, and that the envoy
reported she was unhurt in the latest violence. The U.N. envoy also said
he was told Suu Kyi would be released soon.

"But clearly, the clock of Burma's progress toward democracy has
effectively been turned back," Reeker added.

STATEMENTS/EDITORIALS

Wall Street Journal June 12 2003

It's Time to Turn the Tables On Burma's Thugs
By COLIN L. POWELL

WASHINGTON -- United Nations Special Envoy Razali Ismail has just visited
Burma and was able to bring us news that Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace
Prize winner and the leader of a peaceful democratic party known as the
National League for Democracy, is well and unharmed. The thoughts and
prayers of free people everywhere have been with her these past two weeks.
Our fears for her current state of health are now somewhat Lessened.

On May 30, her motorcade was attacked by thugs, and then the thugs who run
the Burmese government placed her under "protective custody." We can take
comfort in the fact that she is well. Unfortunately, the larger process
that Ambassador Razali and Aung San Suu Kyi have been pursuing -- to
restore democracy in Burma -- is failing
despite their good will and sincere efforts. It is time to reassess our
policy toward a military dictatorship that has repeatedly attacked
democracy and jailed its heroes.
* * *
There is little doubt on the facts. Aung San Suu Kyi's party won an
election in 1990 and since then has been denied its place in Burmese
politics. Her party has continued to pursue a peaceful path, despite
personal hardships and lengthy periods of house arrest or imprisonment for
her and her followers. Hundreds of her supporters remain in prison,
despite some initial releases and promises by the junta to release more.
The party's Offices have been closed and their supporters persecuted.
Ambassador Razali has pursued every possible opening and worked earnestly
to help Burma make a peaceful transition to democracy. Despite initial
statements last year, the junta -- which shamelessly calls itself the
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) -- has now refused his efforts
and betrayed its own promises.

At the end of last month, this rejection manifested itself in violence.
After the May 30 attack on Aung San Suu Kyi's convoy, we sent U.S. Embassy
officers to the scene to gather information. They reported back that the
attack was planned in advance. A series of trucks followed her convoy to a
remote location, blocked it and then unloaded thugs to swarm with fury
over the cars of democracy supporters. The attackers were brutal and
organized; the victims were peaceful and defenseless. The explanation by
the Burmese military junta of what happened doesn't hold water. The SPDC
has not made a credible report of how many people were killed and injured.
It was clear to our embassy officers that the members of the junta were
responsible for directing and producing this staged riot.

We have called for a full accounting of what happened that day. We have
called for Aung San Suu Kyi to be released from confinement of any kind.
We have called for the release of the other leaders of the National League
for Democracy who were jailed by the SPDC
before and after the attack. We have called for the offices of the
National League for Democracy to be allowed to reopen. We are in touch
with other governments who are Concerned about the fate of democracy's
leader and the fate of democracy in Burma to
encourage them, too, to pressure the SPDC.

The Bush administration agrees with members of Congress, including Sen.
Mitch McConnell, who has been a leading advocate of democracy in Burma,
that the time has come to turn up the pressure on the SPDC.

Here's what we've done so far. The State Department has already extended
our visa restrictions to include all officials of an organization related
to the junta -- the Union Solidarity and Development Association -- and
the managers of state-run enterprises so that they and their families can
be banned as well.

The United States already uses our voice and our vote against loans to
Burma from the World Bank and other international financial institutions.
The State Department reports honestly and frankly on the crimes of the
SPDC in our reports on Human Rights, Trafficking in Persons, Drugs,
andInternational Religious Freedom. In all these areas, the junta gets a
failing grade. We also speak out frequently and strongly in favor of the
National League for Democracy, and against the SPDC. I will press the case
in Cambodia next week when I meet with the leaders of Southeast Asia,
despite their traditional reticence to confront a member and neighbor of
their association, known as Asean.
Mr. McConnell has introduced the Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act in the
Senate; Reps. Henry Hyde and Tom Lantos have introduced a similar bill in
the House. We support the goals and intent of the bills and are working
with the sponsors on an appropriate set of new steps. Those who follow
this issue will know that our support for legislation is in fact a change
in the position of this administration and previous ones as well. Simply
put, the attack on Ms. Suu Kyi's convoy and the utter failure of the junta
to accept efforts at peaceful change cannot be the last word on the
matter. The junta that oppresses democracy inside Burma must find that its
actions will not be allowed to stand.
* * *
There are a number of measures that should now be taken, many of them in
the proposed legislation. It's time to freeze the financial assets of the
SPDC. It's time to ban remittances to Burma so that the SPDC cannot
benefit from the foreign exchange. With legislation, we can, and should,
place restrictions on travel-related transactions that benefit the SPDC
and its supporters. We also should further limit commerce with Burma that
enriches the junta's generals. Of course, we would need to ensure
consistency with our World Trade Organization and other international
obligations. Any legislation will need to be carefully crafted to take
into account our WTO obligations and the president's need for waiver
authority, but we should act now.

By attacking Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters, the Burmese junta has
finally and definitively rejected the efforts of the outside world to
bring Burma back into the international community. Indeed, their refusal
of the work of Ambassador Razali and of the rights of Aung San Suu Kyi and
her supporters could not be clearer. Our response must be equally clear if
the thugs who now rule Burma are to understand that their failure to
restore democracy will only bring more and more pressure against them and
their supporters.

Mr. Powell is the secretary of state of the United States.
___________

F R E E   B U R M A   C O A L I T I O N

P R E S S          R E L E A S E:
_______________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 12, 2003
Contact: Jeremy Woodrum, 202-547-5985, Aung Din, 301-602-0077 (cell)

U.S. HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE GREEN-LIGHTS NEW SANCTIONS
AGAINST BURMA'S REGIME

Move Follows Near Unanimous Senate Vote to Begin "Effort to Squeeze
Military Regime"

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House International Relations Committee today
unanimously passed a bill that will expand U.S. sanctions against Burma's
military regime. The vote comes less than a day after the Senate passed
almost identical legislation in a nearly undivided vote. The bill, called
the "Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act of 2003" (HR 2330), will ban all
U.S. imports from Burma, freeze the regime's assets, and effectively deny
IMF or World Bank loans to the brutal military regime of General Than
Shwe. The legislation has received overwhelming bipartisan support,
garnering dozens of Congressional co-sponsors. The legislation will become
law once it passes in the full House of Representatives and is signed by
the President.

"This bill represents the strongest action that any actor in the
international community is taking so far against Than Shwe's regime during
this time of political crisis," said Aung Din, Director of Policy for the
Free Burma Coalition. "The Committee and the U.S. Senators are right to
push other countries to follow suit and to pursue additional pressure for
regime change in Burma."

Representative Tom Lantos (D-CA), who introduced the legislation, slammed
Burma's regime yesterday, saying, "The Rangoon regime has sunk to new lows
and secured its place among the world's rogues gallery of chronic human
rights abusers, which includes North Korea and Iran." Rhetoric from the
bill 's supporters in the committee echoed that of Senators who see the
new sanctions as the first step towards regime change in Burma.

Before the extraordinary 97 to one vote in the Senate, Senators including
McConnell (R-KY) and Feinstein (D-CA), McCain (R-AZ), Biden (D-DE), and
Leahy (D-VT) derided Burma's regime in an hour of condemnation. Senator
John McCain harshly criticized the governments of Japan, Thailand, and
China for continuing to support Than Shwe's regime politically and
economically, and stated that Secretary of State Colin Powell should
boycott both the ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Post-Ministerial
Conference meetings in Phnom Penh next week if the crisis in Burma does
not top the agenda for the meetings. Such a nearly unanimous Senate vote
is extremely rare, underlying
the strong opposition to Burma's regime in the U.S. Government.

"These sanctions will hurt Burma's regime, but this is only a first step,"
Aung Din said. "The U.S. is pressuring Asian countries to act on Burma,
and is raising the issue with members of the U.N. Security Council to seek
an end to Than Shwe's tyranny."

The U.S. imported $356 million worth of goods from Burma last year, mostly
apparel and textiles, but exported only about $10 million to Burma.
Burma's regime completely controls the garment sector and derives
considerable revenue through its exports, including a 10% export tax.