BurmaNet News, Dec 5, 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

Dec 5, 2003 Issue 2381

INSIDE BURMA
Xinhua: Myanmar gov't releases 16 opposition members
Xinhua: Myanmar scores achievements in TB treatment
Xinhua: Myanmar issues money laundering control rules

BUSINESS / MONEY
BP: Bank of Thailand Eases Foreign-Exchange Rules for Five Countries

REGIONAL
Nation: PM says junta ready for Burma 'road map' talks
BP: Birthday Speech. Thai King warns PM on arrogance
Narinjara: Outgoing Burma ambassador meets Bangladesh PM
Narinjara: Rice smuggled from Bangladesh

OPINION / OTHER
Nation: Hidden dangers in friendly loans
Irrawaddy: A Tale of Two Ladies


INSIDE BURMA
___________________________________

Dec 5, Xinhua

Myanmar gov't releases 16 opposition members

The Myanmar government has released 16 members of the opposition
National League for Democracy (NLD), who were detained since the May 30
incident, Government spokesman Brigadier-General Than Tun told a press
briefing here Friday.

The 16 detainees were freed on Wednesday from Khamti Prison in northern
Myanmar where they had been jailed following bloody clashes between
supporters of the government and supporters of the NLD when NLD leader
Aung San Suu Kyi was on a political trip.

The remaining 14 NLD detainees in Shwebo and Kalay prisons, including
NLD Vice-Chairman U Tin Oo, would also be freed soon, Than Tun said.

The government arrested a total of 136 involved in the violence.

In November, the government released five senior leaders of the NLD
nine-member Central Executive Committee from nearly six months of house
arrest after the incident.

However, NLD general secretary ASSK, Chairman U Aung Shwe and Secretary
U Lwin are still under detention.

The NLD overwhelmingly won the government-sponsored 1990 general
election with 392 parliamentary seats out of 485.
__________________________________

Dec 5, Xinhua

Myanmar scores achievements in TB treatment

Myanmar has made some achievements in treating tuberculosis (TB), the
second prioritized prevalent communicable disease of national concern
out of three listed in the country's national health plan after malaria.

The Ministry of Health said the country has scored major success in the
adoption of the Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) strategy
in treating TB which has been applied since 1997 under the
recommendation of the World Health Organization ( WHO).

The DOTS strategy has now covered 323 townships out of 324 in the
country, it said, attributing the achievements partly to the assistance
provided by the global Drug facility with TB medicines for three years
and that extended by the global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria for
five years worth of 17 million US dollars.

According to the ministry, 60 percent of the TB patients receive
treatment in Myanmar annually under the DOTS strategy and 82 percent of
them were cured, adding to about 100,000 cured TB patients as of the end
of 2002 ever since 1997.

Meanwhile, the WHO has set objectives to raise case detection and
treatment success rate from 70 percent to 85 percent in the country by
2005.

Myanmar formed the Central Supervisory Committee for Prevention and
Control of TB in 1993 and the health budget was raised from 464.10
million kyats (1.3 million US dollars) in 1998 to 10,509.80 million
kyats (10.5 million US dollars) in 2003.
______________________________

Dec 5, Xinhua

Myanmar issues money laundering control rules.

The Myanmar government issued on Friday rules under its Money laundering
Control Law enacted in June 2002.

The money laundering control rules were issued by the Ministry of Home
Affairs after the US Department of Treasury released a statement on Nov.
19 charging the Myanmar government with money laundering.

One of the 12-chapter rules states that the person, whose property has
been seized or the person having beneficial interest in the exhibit in
respect of the money and property obtained by illegal means, "shall be
exempted from action being taken any offense contained in the law, if
valid supporting evidence can be furnished that such money and property
were transferred by certain means with consideration and in good faith."

The US statement alleged that Myanmar and two Myanmar private banks are
of "primary money laundering concern" and proposed that counter-measures
be taken under the USA Patriot Act.

The US statement also accused Myanmar of taking no remedial action to
address deficiencies in anti-money laundering system.

However, Myanmar criticized the US charge as a spurious allegation,
noting that despite the economic sanctions and undue pressure imposed by
the United States and its partners, the country has already initiated
firm measures to overcome the twin problems of narcotic drugs and money
laundering.


BUSINESS / MONEY
__________________________

Dec 5, The Bangkok Post

Bank of Thailand Eases Foreign-Exchange Rules for Five Countries by
Darana Chudasri

The Bank of Thailand had eased the foreign-exchange controls on five
neighbouring countries in order to facilitate trade and investment in
the region.

The central bank said that transactions between local banks and their
branches located in Laos, Burma, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam would be
exempted from its recent measures enacted to curbing baht speculations.

The central bank had imposed a limit on local banks' short-term
borrowing with non-resident counterparties at 50 million baht per
transaction. In October, it had prohibited banks from depositing foreign
funds that had no underlying transactions in current and savings
accounts with a maturity of less than six months. As well, the total
outstanding must not exceed 300 million baht per non-resident account.

The central bank said local banks would be allowed to lend to branches
located in the five countries beyond the limit of 50 million baht if the
funds were used for the purpose of trade and investment in the region.

Lending to other non-resident banks having the purpose of supporting
trade and investment in the five countries would also be allowed beyond
the limit.

Commercial banks would be able to borrow in maturities of less than
three months from branches located in those countries, if they ensure
that the baht funds were raised from the branches located in the
permitted countries.

Local banks will also be allowed to conduct value-same-day or
value-tomorrow transactions within the permitted countries, but must
submit reports of transactions.

A central bank source said the eased regulation was in line with the
government's policy to promote economic co-operation within the region.


REGIONAL
____________________________

Dec 5, The Nation

PM says junta ready for Burma 'road map' talks. By Supalak Ganjanakhundee

The Burmese junta is ready to listen to suggestions from "like-minded"
countries when its representatives attend an international forum in
Bangkok this month to discuss a "road map" to democracy, Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday.

Sources said the forum, to be held at the Foreign Ministry on December
15, would be attended by representatives from Austria, China, France,
Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.

Thaksin said he would personally preside over the opening ceremony of
the meeting.

"We want all participants to have a constructive discussion, brainstorm
on a possible solution for Burma and also listen to Burma's ideas," he
said.

"Burma welcomes suggestions and is open to them."

Thailand proposed the ministerial-level meeting for the forum, but it
was not clear how many countries would send ministers.

Thaksin said the government would officially announce the forum and its
participants when the details are worked out.

Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai contacted his Chinese counterpart
Li Zhaoxing on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the coordination of the
meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

China has a close relationship with Burma, and Li advised Surakiart when
they met in October that China was willing to attend the forum.

A diplomat from one participating country said even if ministers
attended such a forum, they might not necessarily be able to push for
the implementation of the road map.

"It is easy for an international forum to suggest ideas, but the problem
is how to get the ideas implemented," the diplomat said on condition of
anonymity.

In August, Burmese Prime Minister Khin Nyunt announced a seven-point
road map that included free and fair elections as a way forward to
democracy and national reconciliation.

The plan did not mention the role of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi,
who was put under house arrest after violence in May. Thaksin said he
was preparing to have a separate meeting with Khin Nyunt later this
month.

He said there were "constructive regional political activities" he had
to keep Burma informed about. The two premiers last met in Burma early
in November.
____________________________

Dec 5, The Bangkok Post

Birthday Speech. Thai King warns PM on arrogance by Anjira Asavanonda

His Majesty the King has advised Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra not
to let success go to his head.

In his birthday speech, the King said he needed to say something to the
prime minister although he knew that Mr Thaksin would not appreciate
another person giving him a warning.

In delivering his message to Mr Thaksin, the King referred to Her Royal
Highness the Princess Mother's teachings when she was alive.

``When I was 40-50 years old, my mother told me sometimes that I was
great but she always added that I must not forget myself. She said I
must not float and that my name `Bhumibol' means that I had to keep my
feet on the ground.

``She said when I did something good, it's all right to know what I did
but I should not be too proud,'' said the King.

He urged the prime minister to be more careful about policies he had
implemented, particularly the war on drugs in which 2,500 people were
killed.

The King said he believed the real number was far beyond 2,500 deaths,
although the actual number killed by state officials might be small.

``People say the prime minister killed 2,500 people in his war on drugs,
so how can we take responsibility for this?'' His Majesty said.

He urged the government to verify the cause of those deaths, as some
people might have been killed by drug dealers rather than police.

The prime minister had left the matter to CEO ministers and government
officials, but nobody had taken responsibility, and the public had to
bear the results.

The King said since the prime minister was keen to take responsibility
for every matter, he needed to accept any criticism.

``As you're the only one who makes decisions, it's natural that you
alone should be pinpointed, but if you did good things, and everyone
benefitted, you would benefit also. So don't be angry, and be proud of
what you did,'' said the King.

Comparing the prime minister's position to his own, the King said he was
in a tighter spot because the constitution did not allow people to
criticise the King, so he did not know whether he did right or wrong.
``The only person I could listen to was my mother, who has gone
already,'' he said.

The King suggested that Mr Thaksin should listen to the media and allow
it freedom.

``You have to read newspapers ... and let them write,'' he said.

Mr Thaksin, in his birthday wish to the King, said drugs were the
country's major problem and the government's success in the crusade
against drugs showed its loyalty to the King.

His Majesty also commented on the child-centred education system
promoted by the government.

``The government has a `think new' concept which encourages students to
teach their teachers.

``This is impossible because children have just been born and seen the
world. How can they teach the teachers?'' said the King.

``It's true that some teachers cannot teach, but if they teach with the
right method, that will enable children to teach them back,'' he said.

The King said teachers also should listen to their students, and not get
angry when they express doubts.

Referring to the day the prime minister taught Mathayom 5 students at
Samsen school in September, the King said despite the child-centred
concept, Mr Thaksin did not allow the students to teach him.

In one part of his speech, the King mentioned rifts among people and
called on everyone to maintain harmony and unity.

``The worst rift of all is the rift among people, especially senior ones
and those in power, which is hard to heal.

``Don't let the rift happen, and do keep yourselves in harmony,'' he
said.

The King said his birthday wish was for people to listen to his words
and put them into practice.

``My voice has turned hoarse after this speech, and if people won't
listen it's their business. If you listen but don't follow my words then
you could get into trouble. But if you listen and think about it, that
would be good.''
_____________________________________

Dec 5, Narinjara News

Outgoing Burma ambassador meets Bangladesh PM

U Own Thwin, the Burmese outgoing ambassador, met Bangladesh Prime
Minister Khaleda Zia at her office yesterday.

It was a farewell courtesy call on Bangladesh PM before his departure
from Bangladesh, according to the local news agency BSS.

In the meeting, U Own Thwin disclosed that Burma would expedite the
construction of a bridge linking Burma and Bangladesh at Goung Doon, on
the Bangladesh side, and Taung Bro, Maung Daw Township, on the Burma
side.

He stressed that this Rangoon-Dhaka road via Goung Doon of Bangladesh
and Maung daw of Burma would enhance trade and commerce for both
countries and friendly relations among the peoples of both countries.

Repatriation of Burmese Muslim refugees will be expedited soon, the
outgoing ambassador assured the prime Minister of Bangladesh.

He also hoped bilateral relations would reach new highs in the future.

Bangladesh PM thanked envoy and sent an invitation to her counterpart in
Burma to visit Bangladesh.
_____________________________________

Dec 5, Narinjara News

Rice smuggled from Bangladesh

Since the rice price in Arakan is high, the northern villages in the
western border township of Maung Daw, have to survive on the rice
smuggled from Bangladesh.

Though, it is the time of rice cultivation, the rice price remains
especially high in the northern part of the township.  The reason has
been that the Burmese border security Nasaka is taxing 500 kyat per 50
kilos rice bag, at the Nasaka Three Mile Gate of Maung Daw, said a local
lorry driver.

Due to this taxing, it is more profitable to import rice across the
border than buying it from other places in the country.  In Krine Caung
and Nga Khu Ra village markets, the northern part of Maung Daw Township,
a lower class 50 kilos rice bag costs 11,000 kyat while in Bangladesh it
is only 7,500 kyat (500 taka).

Rice can be freely traded in other parts of Burma now, but its trade is
restricted in Buthe Daung and Maung Daw Townships.

A political commentator said that this restriction is due to political
manipulations by the junta, and it is meant to create hardship under the
Muslim populace of the townships in order to encourage them to migrate
to Bangladesh.

The two townships have a high population density and underdeveloped
roads and infrastructure; this further contributes to the townships
having the highest commodity prices in the whole of Burma.


OPINION / OTHER
_____________________________________

Dec 5, The Nation

Hidden dangers in friendly loans

Thailand risks a backlash if it funds projects in neighbouring countries
that are perceived to be of more benefit to itself

Lending our neighbours money to build roads is not exactly a lucrative
move - after all, the rewards are intended to be more political than
economic. Yet even that could easily backfire if truckloads of baht are
poured into projects without careful consideration of the historical
context and local conditions. Without proper planning, there is a very
real risk of aggravating anti-Thai sentiment in our poorer neighbours.
And so it is that the government has put itself into just such a
position with its latest development scheme involving its neighbours.
The so-called neighbour assistance fund to support infrastructure
projects in Burma, Cambodia and Laos was announced by Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra after a meeting with the leaders of the three
countries in Bagan last month. Thailand will allocate Bt10 billion a
year for the new scheme.

Hundreds of projects are being lined up to take advantage of the money.
Thailand has already extended over Bt2 billion in soft loans to projects
in Laos and Cambodia, including road construction and - the most recent
- Bt800 million for renovation of airports. Road projects in Burma and
Laos are also under consideration.

While these projects are being built in the three neighbours, it appears
that they will mostly serve Thai interests. The government set a strict
condition for the loan recipients to employ Thai firms and buy Thai
goods for projects financed by the Thai funds.

Further, the projects themselves will directly benefit Thailand in that
many cross-border roads and bridges will be built, facilitating the
transport of goods and tourists from here to their desired destinations.
A road that links Thailand's western Tak province with Burma actually
allows Thailand to access Burma's main port on the Andaman Sea. Another
road in northern Laos, for which Bangkok approved a Bt1.3-billion loan,
could enable the direct traffic of goods and passengers between Thailand
and South China, benefiting those countries rather than Laos, which will
have to shoulder the debt burden for at least 30 years.

The government has defended the scheme as being for the mutual benefit
of Thailand and its neighbours by generating economic activities that
will stem the influx of migrant workers into Thailand. Thaksin went
further with his new initiative, saying it could eventually bring not
only prosperity but peace and political stability to its conflict-torn
neighbours.

But he should not overlook the fact our neighbours harbour some painful
memories from their dealings with Thailand throughout their respective
histories. In ancient times the various kingdoms of old Siam were
involved in many conflicts, while in modern times there have been many
bloody incidents that remain fresh in peoples' minds. Thailand's
successful economic development in recent years has also given it a
superior air that makes its neighbours feel insecure. Greedy Thai
investors and traders have tended to exacerbate any ill feelings.

Of course it's only right to extend a helping hand to our poorer
neighbours so they can lift themselves out of the poverty trap, but any
assistance with a blatant self-serving agenda will breed negative
feelings and resentment. The torching of the Thai embassy and businesses
in Phnom Penh early this year proves that anti-Thai sentiment in
neighbouring countries does exist. The Thai government should pay more
attention to other elements, including social and cultural and
people-to-people ties rather than focusing on ill-conceived economic and
infrastructure projects.
______________________________

Dec 5, Irrawaddy

A Tale of Two Ladies By Aung Zaw

Burma’s two most famous women share much in common. Both live in large
lakeside villas, at opposite ends of the famous Inya Lake in Rangoon.
And both apparently share the same karma. Aung San Suu Kyi and Sandar
Win, you see, are both prisoners in their own homes.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize Winner and leader of Burma’s opposition
party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), has spend most of the
last 15 years under military guard in her colonial-style home, and she
is under house arrest today. World leaders praise her courage, and she
remains a living symbol of democracy in a country under military rule.

This is the third time under house arrest for Suu Kyi, now in her late
50s. UN envoys have visited her recently, but after six-months in
detention there is no sign that Suu Kyi, daughter of independence hero
Gen Aung San, will be released anytime soon.

Compared to Suu Kyi, Sandar Win has received little attention from the
press. Dr Daw Khin Sandar Win, as she prefers to be called, in her early
50s, is the daughter of the late Gen Ne Win, Burma’s longest serving
military dictator.

Ne Win married seven times. With his third wife, Khin May Than, Ne Win
had three children: Sandar Win, Kyemon Win and Phyoe Wai Win.

Sandar has always been considered Ne Win’s favorite child. She
accompanied her father on several overseas trips, including an official
visit to Pyongyang in the 1970s. As veteran Burma watcher Bertil Lintner
described in his book Outrage, Ne Win’s North Korean hosts referred to
Sandar as "the First Lady," a title that made her father proud.

During the 1988 uprising, Sandar gained notoriety throughout Burma. Many
believe she played a major role in the clampdown on pro-democracy
activists. During the most turbulent moments of 1988, Ne Win and his
closest generals planned ways to silence the students from his
well-guarded house on Inya Lake. Many activists who took part in the
demonstrations believe Sandar was at her father’s side when he was
making key decisions.

Sandar wielded great influence during the days of the Burmese Socialist
Program Party (BSPP) too, as a go-between for BSPP officials who wanted
to meet with Ne Win.

She served as a major in the Army and was trained as a physician. For a
time, she worked at the Army hospital in Rangoon. Her former associates
say she is sharp but calm, and not the kind of person to be crossed.

As Ne Win’s influence waned in the late 1990s, so too did Sandar’s. In
2000, the ruling generals Ne Win had handpicked before retiring turned
against him. They charged Ne Win, Sandar, her husband, Aye Zaw Win, and
her three sons with treason for allegedly plotting a coup attempt. While
Sandar and her father were put under house arrest, Sandar’s husband and
three of her sons were put in Insein Prison, where they remain. The four
men were handed death sentences.

Though Sandar Win and her father were initially accused of being
involved in the coup plot, they were never tried before a judge. The
military leaders didn’t want Ne Win to have his day in court, but placed
him under house arrest, where he died on Dec 5, 2002. Today marks the
one-year anniversary of Ne Win’s death.

Ne Win died with his favorite daughter at his bedside. Like her father,
Sandar never went to court. Analysts and sources close to government say
that Rangoon’s top leaders were reluctant to bring her before a judge,
fearing it could open a Pandora’s box of unsavory secrets.

In the past, Sandar enjoyed close connections with several top junta
leaders. Gen Khin Nyunt, who was appointed Prime Minister in August, was
long regarded as Ne Win’s protégé. While relations between Sandar and
Khin Nyunt were always cordial, no one can be sure what secrets Sandar
would reveal.

Even after Ne Win officially stepped down in 1988, Burma’s "first
family" remained tremendously powerful, and Sandar used her father’s
influence to sweeten business deals. Sandar ran several companies in
Rangoon with her husband, including the Nawarat Concorde Hotel. The
Nawarat was originally a government factory, but under Sandar’s
management, the hotel became the center for nightlife in Rangoon. The
Nawarat’s nightclub was well-known among local and foreign businessmen
as a place to pick up prostitutes.  Together, the two also served as
representatives for the Rangoon branch of the Thai-owned Bumrungrad
Hospital. They also managed Associated Business Consultancy Services
(ABCS), an investment consultancy firm that matched foreign investors
with local partners.

Sandar and her husband ran into trouble, however, when they tried to buy
into Burma’s first GSM mobile telephone network. They were major
shareholders of Myanmar Sky-Link, a local company linked to the Virgin
Islands-registered Sky-Link Communications. Their company was initially
awarded the contract to install the system, but it was later transferred
to the state-owned Myanmar Post and Telecommunications.

After a series of long delays and conflicts with shareholders, Sandar
and her husband reportedly sold the company to ethnic Wa businessmen. It
was one sign that Sandar’s golden days of benefiting from government
privileges were behind her.

It is believed that Sandar and her husband borrowed huge sums of money
from Yoma Bank. Since news of the private banking crisis emerged early
this year, lawyers and businesspeople in Rangoon have said that Yoma has
initiated legal procedures to order Sandar to repay her loans. Sandar’s
debts are so large that she may be forced to sell her property, informed
sources say.

After the arrest of Ne Win’s family members in 2000, government
spokesman Gen Kyaw Win said that Ne Win’s grandsons expressed their
displeasure with the ceasefire agreements forged between the military
and ethnic groups, and with the political dialogue between the generals
and Suu Kyi’s party.

While Inya Lake now stands between Sandar and Suu Kyi, Burma’s two
leading ladies have a great deal in common. For instance, they are both
interested in the arts; Suu Kyi plays piano, Sandar fancies herself a
painter, and has held exhibitions in Rangoon.   In Sandar’s first year
under house arrest, she was regularly spotted inside the compound
walking her dogs. One of them was known as Zeus. But these days she is
seldom seen. Her garden is wilting and her swimming pool, once the scene
of regular parties, hasn’t been cleaned in months. According to recent
news reports, Sandar has asked authorities to allow her sons to return
home. They refused, and Sandar now shares the manor with only her cook.

Three months before her arrest, Sandar and her husband threw an enormous
party to celebrate their wedding anniversary. All guests were required
to wear Western suits or dresses. During the trial of her family
members, government prosecutors played on the family’s "Western taste"
and accused them of being unpatriotic.

The junta has leveled similar accusations about Suu Kyi, who married a
British citizen. It has accused her of working for the CIA and has
derided her as a puppet for Western governments.

Both Suu Kyi and Sandar have had their share of family feuds. Sandar
never got along with her sister, Kyemon Win.

Suu Kyi’s elder brother, Aung San Oo, who now lives in the US, sued his
sister for a stake in the 54 University Avenue compound where she is
under house arrest. The lakeside villa is said to be worth more than US
$4 million. Aung San Oo, now in his late 50s, disagrees with many of Suu
Kyi’s political views. The siblings are not on speaking terms.

The Oxford-educated opposition leader reportedly spends her time in
detention meditating and reading. It is not known how Sandar passes the
time, but a well-placed source in Rangoon suggests that some time ago
Sandar was allowed out of her house to buy medication. It is difficult
to verify whether authorities have allowed her visitors.

Perhaps it is fitting that the two women, who represent the opposite
ends of Burma’s political spectrum, should both end up locked away at
opposite ends of Rangoon’s Inya Lake.