Burmanet March 25 2004

[Editor]

A listserv covering Burma
March 25, 2004 Issue # 2443
www.burmanet.org

INSIDE BURMA
DVB: CNF vows to fight on for democracy in Burma
Mizzima: Opium cultivation continues in Shan state

ON THE BORDER
Mizzima: India To Build One More Road in Burma

REGIONAL
Daily Times: Thailand to host more Myanmar talks in April
Narinjara: Burma PM due on 4th April in Dhaka

ENVIRONMENT
Mizzima: Wildlife Trade

OPINION / OTHER
Kanbawza Win: The Battle for Burma will be fought in Washington DC
-------------------------------------------------------

INSIDE BURMA
March 25, DVB

Chin National Front (CNF) an armed ethnic national group still fighting
the military junta of Burma, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) on
20 March urged all pro-democracy and human rights activists to continue
pressurising the junta for the emergence of a tripartite talk.

The statement was issued on the 16th anniversary of the Chin Revolution
Day and it added that it’s time all pro-democracy groups become more
united among themselves.

The CNF said it will continue to watch the political developments in Burma
constantly while the junta is preparing to hold a so-called ‘national
convention’ and it also vows to fight on hand in hand with its allies for
the end of military dictatorship and the emergence of a true federal union
in the country.
------------------------------------------------------
March 25, Mizzima
Opium cultivation continues in Shan state

Opium cultivation still continues in the Nan Kham township of Shan state
of Burma, according to a local trader. Although the military acts to
restrict opium cultivation this year, locals said that people close to the
local military authorities continue cultivating opium. Most of the opium
cultivation occurs in villages like Pan Say and Kyan Kar where ethnic
Chinese live.

Some plantations are large enough to extract opium resin while others are
still small, said a local trader.Currently 1.35  kilogram of opium fetch
around 3,00,000 Kyats to 4,00,000 Kyats. According to local testimony,
most buyers are Chinese nationals.

According to a trader from Pan Say village, U Kyaw Myint, who is a Chinese
national and a village elder, is the largest cultivator of opium in the
region. He allegedly has a close relationship with Gen. Khin Nyunt. “Pan
Say Kyaw Myint” has not been subjected to restrictions on
cultivating opium in the past.

By Tun Naing


REGIONAL
_____________________________________

March 25, The Daily Times
Thailand to host more Myanmar talks in April

Thailand will host a second round of international talks on military-ruled
Myanmar’s progress towards democracy next month, Foreign Minister
Surakiart Sathirathai said on Tuesday.

“We are working on a date,” Surakiart told reporters, but he did not say
whether Thailand’s condition for a second session — that the military
government come up with a timetable for promised moves towards democracy —
had been met. Nor did he say whether opposition leader leader Aung San Suu
Kyi, detained since last May, would be freed ahead of the talks, although
experts on Myanmar say it would be impossible to make progress until she
is freed from confinement at her Yangon home.

At the first Bangkok 12-nation conference in December, Myanmar pledged to
embark on a “road map to democracy” this year by reconvening a
long-suspended constitutional convention. It has not announced a date for
the convention, suspended since 1996 when Suu Kyi’s National League for
Democracy (NLD) party walked out accusing the military of manipulating the
meeting.

Critics have dismissed the “road map” as a ploy by the military - which
has ruled the former Burma since 1962 - to stay in power. However, U.N.
special envoy Razali Ismail, who visited Yangon earlier this month for
talks with the government and Suu Kyi, has said he expected the Nobel
Peace prize winner to be freed by the Myanmar new year in mid-April.
—Reuter
-------------------------------------------------------------

March 25, Narinjara News
Burma PM due on 4th April in Dhaka

Dhaka, March 25: Burma Prime Minister Khin Nyunt arrives in Dhaka on April
4 on a three-days official visit to Bangladesh aimed at improving ties
with the two countries, foreign office sources said yesterday.

During the visit the two Prime Minister will hold official talks covering
the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and
international issues of common concern.

Matters relating to expansion of trade and economic cooperation between
the two countries are expected to figure prominently in the discussion, as
will be the ongoing repatriation of Burmese Muslim refugees.

The two leaders are likely to review the proposal for Bangladesh-Burma
highway and take concrete steps towards implementation of the project.

The relation between Bangladesh and Burma has been improving since Khaleda
Zia's government comes to power in Bangladesh.

It is Khin Nyunt's first visit to Bangladesh after he became prime minister.

ON THE BORDER
--------------------------------------------------------------
March 25, Mizzima
India To Build One More Road in Burma

India is upbeat by the growing response from the Burmese government. The
Indian Home Ministry has decided to construct a 70 km road in the
bordering areas of Burma. The 70-km road is divided into two parts and the
survey has been completed to carry forward the construction of the road.

Highly placed officials in the Mizoram government told Mizzima
correspondent that a 35-km stretch covering Champhai (Mizoram of India) to
Tiddim (Chin State of Burma) would be completed in the first phase, while
the construction work of the second phase from Champhai to Falam (in
Burma) would commence right after the completion of the first phase.

Tiddim and Falam fall within Burma’s borders and the Chin people inhabit
these areas. The Chin community of Burma has good relations with the Mizo
people.  To keep the relations intact, the Mizoram government has been
demanding that the Indian government carries out developmental activities
in the bordering areas of Mizoram, so that the Chin people can take
advantage of it.

”The survey on the road, carried out by the Indian engineers, has been
completed in the last month and construction will be taken up very soon”,
the sources said.

It may be recalled that the Indian government has given priority on the
construction along the international border in order to develop the border
township between the countries, and to uplift the people living along the
border. Another aspect of the road is the growing drug trafficking along
the international border and with the current poor road conditions it has
affected the anti-drug operation along the border.

The sources further stated that once the road is completed, the border
trade between the two countries would be increased to a large volume.
“India and Burma have taken a lot of initiatives to increase the volume of
trade through Champhai border and hence this road is likely to play a key
role in near future”, they added.

The Indian government had earlier constructed a road from Moreh (Manipur
State of India) to Tamu (Sagaing Division of Burma), which has been
helping Burma in removing the communication bottleneck.

ENVIRONMENT
--------------------------------------------------------------

March, 25 Mizzima
Wildlife Trade

For decades, Burma most likely has been the resource to the live wildlife
trade port to China.

In accordance with a survey called,  “The Status on Live Wildlife Trade
Near the Port Areas in Yunnan”, 900 individual specimens were imported
from Burma to the Yunnan Province.  Three Chinese academics from the
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden - Chinese Academy of Sciences did
the survey in 17 Hunnan ports in China.

Each year, about 2,500 tonnes of Burmese snakes were imported to Ruili,
according to 1996-1999 statistics of the survey. As well as, several
thousands of rare lizards and tortoises were smuggled across the
China-Burma border.

Saw Soe Soe, a Burmese journalist, who has lived in Ruili for 10 years,
said that he often saw live wildlife trade, such as snakes, lizards,
tortoises and monkeys.

“They (animal smugglers) bring the animals by packing them in big bags or
boxes and transport them through Mandalay – Larshow - Musae, the road from
Burma to China, then it reaches it’s final destination - Ruili.
Frequently, I have seen on Ruili Community television, police catching
these wildlife smugglers around the border area,” said Saw Soe Soe.

Consumption of 'wild food' in China has also increased.  People are using
wild animals for food, for traditional Chinese medicine and even just
keeping them as pets.  “There are many wild life restaurants in Ruili. 
Chinese love to drink snake immersed alcohol.  They cut the head off the
live snake and drink the blood, as they believe this is very
medicinal,” Saw Soe Soe added.

A former Chinese wildlife trader, who doesn’t want his name mentioned,
said that just last year he had been to a wild life restaurant in a
village called Tha Yat Taw, just outside of Mandalay on the way to Lashow.
 ‘They kept live animals at the restaurant and the customer could point
out what they wanted to eat.’  He used to trade tiger skin and body parts
from Burma to Taiwan and now he has been working on endangered animal
trade for the last 10 years.

Burmese authorities have raided four wildlife restaurants in Rangoon in
the last year, but some animal parts like tiger bone, skin, and elephant
tusk can still be found in Terchilake, a Thai-Burma border town.

Even though authorities enacted the Wildlife Protection Act in 1994, the
animal black markets around the Burma border areas are still trading.

OPINION / OTHER
_____________________________________

March 25, Kanbawza Win
The Battle for Burma will be fought in Washington DC

April, a time of water festival in Burma is also a month for the Congress
to take stock of the American policy towards Burma. After one and half
decades of the pro democratic struggle, Burma, still in the quagmire
indicates that this is a unique case which cannot be categorize as any
other banana republic. The fact that the Junta have successfully
penetrated the think thanks groups of Europe (like the ICG that equate the
morality of the democratic struggle with that of dictatorship) and America
(the National Bureau of Asian Research, a Seattle-based think-tank whose
carefully chosen pro junta scholars has lobbied for engagement rather than
sanctions) proves that the Burmese Generals are very resourceful. All
these writings tend to weigh on the American economic, strategic interests
rather than the well-being and freedom of the people of Burma. The Junta
that has cajoled the people of Burma lied to its Asian counterparts and is
now endeavoring to trick and influence the American Congress. The Junta
could easily penetrated the exile opposition, and with the help of those
anti-sanction groups, are making strategic plans to influence the US
Senate and Congress at Johns Hopkins, Strategies Studies center SAIS in
the last week of March to synchronize with the release of Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi with the aim of lifting sanctions on Burma.
 But the bare fact that Daw Suu is under house arrest and up to this day
is "unable to participate in public, political life," stood as an
authentic proof of the continuity of the Burmese general’s 'theocracy'.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell declared on March 10 that the US would
continue to apply pressure, for her release even though he will be
looking at the sanctions very carefully." Two days later, President
George W. Bush hailed the Burmese opposition leader as “a courageous
reformer”. The President signed an import ban against Rangoon into law
last July 28, just two months after a violent attack against Daw Suu and
her followers in Depayin (northern Burma). No matter what the rhetoric or
the conclusions and recommendations of these scholars for actions speak
louder than words.
The American sanctions together with the EU help by the global financial
downturn have worked admirably that compelled the Junta to agree to
“dialogue” with Daw Suu and the NLD about a year ago. Sanctions offer
economic, but also moral pressure, which is crucial for the Burmese
generals to know that the world is on the side of righteousness. After the
massacre of thousands of democracy demonstrators during the 1998
uprising—and after the massacre at Depayin, the Burmese people needs to
know that they are not abandoned by the world community and tangible
demonstrations of strong external moral outrage to overcome the
understandable fear of their military rulers and to inspire pressure for
democratic transition from within the country.
In order to foster a regime change, the international community must
acknowledge the root cause of Burma’s misery—it is the rule of military
generals who have stolen an election and whose only goal is to remain in
power no matter what the human, social and economic costs. The world
community must realize this fact rather than settling for appeasement
based on a misguided sense of realpolitik, or the fantasy notion that
dictators can be sweet-talked into handing the power they so crave over to
a country’s democratically elected government. The Burmese Junta should no
longer be allowed to pretend to the world that it is interested in
national reconciliation. The simple logic being, how can there be
reconciliation without a dialogue with the democratic forces led by Daw
Suu?
Do sanctions hurt the Burmese populace more than the Junta?  Military rule
has killed tens of thousands of Burma’s citizens and ethnic nationalities,
the Junta is regularly condemned as one of the most egregious violators of
human rights in the world ranking with the likes of North Korea. The
Burmese army has used rape as a weapon of war in its ethnic cleansing
policy and dragoons children into the army for wars against fellow
citizens. Any discomfort induced by sanctions pales in comparison to these
horrors. No doubt, sanctions will affect the populace, but Burma’s
informal sector (parallel “shadow” economy) is so massive that the
majority of the population is not part of the Junta’s universe—are
cushioned from the impact of sanctions.  The 75 percent of Burmese from
the rural sector, who contribute 47 percent of the country’s GDP are
certainly poor, but are not as affected by the Western sanctions as the
business interests owned and run by the Burmese army and their
cronies—which in Burma means the rest of the economy.
The Junta’s degradation of the environment and exploitation of the rich
resources that belong to all the people of Burma should also be stopped.
The logging trade inextricably linked to forced labour, drug trafficking,
money laundering and cross border conflict should be checked. A smart
sanctions policy on Burmese timber can help mitigate against these
violations while working to preserve Burma’s quickly disappearing natural
wealth, the most bio-diverse countries in mainland Southeast Asia. Smart
sanctions also indicate that it has to be implemented with the consensus
of the corporate. It should be remembered that UNOCAL was brought to court
to face the charges of human rights violations for the first time in
entire American history. The Congress will not be influence by this NBR
scholars who all refuse to mention the positive changes in the plethora of
papers published by Department of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala
University.
The West feels, that an Asian government cannot be made to conform to
Western standards and ideals. This can be viewed as a leftover from the
period of empires, a reversal of the old superiority complex. Madeline
Drohan (2003) in her book Making a Killing: How and Why Corporations Use
Armed Forces for Profit discusses the long historical precedent for the
development of partnerships between corporations and militia governments.
Companies might have justified force to advance goals of colonialism in
days of British Empire or to combat Communist rivals in Cold War days. Now
companies, like UNOCAL and TOTAL (France) operate in a world that
champions 'free' markets. Large companies now align themselves with
military governments to 'protect their rights' of economic development.
The reason that Western Governments have not addressed the human rights
abuses of corporations is due to a lack of political will to create
legislative tools for that purpose.
	As the political situation inside Burma continues to deteriorate
especially the systematic rape, forced relocation, land confiscation,
forced labour and portering, taxation, loss of livelihood etc one of the
few options left for people is to flee the country.  While there are
currently over half a million refugees and asylum seekers in neighbouring
countries, these numbers do not accurately reflect the degree of
displacement resulting from the brutal policies. As many as 800,000 to
one and a half million people are believed to be internally displaced
inside Burma while an estimated two million people have crossed the
border into Thailand where they are "economic migrants." With no legal
status or protections, these individuals are vulnerable to intimidation,
exploitation and deportation. Now the Thai government is deporting these
workers for the Junta to use as forced labour in Burma.
Burma has long been an enigma and recent history proves it is no less
opaque now than it was by the fact that Razali Ismail, the UN
representative has to bow to the Junta’s whims while Special Rapporteur
Paulo Sergio Pinherio of the UN Human Rights Commission was not allowed to
come into the country because he wrote the truth. This undoubtedly proves
that the Generals hated anything in the light that is transparent and is
desirous of making shadowy deals under the table. Since General Ne Win
ended civilian rule in 1962, the various permutations of military
generals, continue to ignore the will of the people while insisting that
they are not a government, but only an “interim power” that actually
believes in human rights and democracy. Such lies had been made bare by
their actions. The regime’s near total grip on the economy and the
country’s vast natural resources enables it to continue to wage war
against its own citizens, sustain the Burmese army, and perpetuate its
rule.
Burma’s neighbours rarely acknowledge the pressing problems caused by
military rule in Burma, and have never publicly admonished the Burmese
regime.  China, India and Thailand all share porous borders with Burma and
have the most leverage with its military regime. However, they also have
an enormous financial interest not only in Burma’s vast natural and human
wealth, which is easier to exploit via an authoritarian government ruling
over a silenced populace. US Senator Mitch McConnell's has even accused
saying that Thailand's policy towards Burma was shaped by Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra's family business in Burma. Current military regime
prides itself on having brokered ceasefires with most of the ethnic armies
including the KNU (Karen National Union) the largest among the resistance
group but the reality on the ground is much different. The United Wa State
Army (UWSA) the narcotic kingpin, governed as though it is a separate
country. The Junta troops need permission to visit.  Chins, who are
predominantly Christian, are fleeing religious persecution in their state.
Burma’s youth have paid an incalculable price to accommodate and sustain
the Burmese military machine. Only about one third of Burmese school
children make it all the way through primary school, most dropping out to
work. With only 1.1% of Burma’s GDP committed to education, the cost of
education in Burma is borne by parents, mostly in the form of indirect
taxes and donations paid to the education department, the teachers and the
school. Assurance of good grades, entry to a particular school, a teaching
position, or surmounting onerous red tape usually requires joining the
ubiquitous USDA.
Hence sanctioning the Burmese regime is morally and politically the right
thing to do, it represents only one part of what should be a coordinated
two-pronged strategy.
It is also crucial for the international community, especially policy
makers, to know about Burmese democracy movement. It is more than just its
leader, Daw Suu.  It is millions of people who share the same desire to be
free from terror and live in openness that cherishes democracy and human
rights. Burma’s jails are filled with the prisoners of conscience who are
committed to non-violent opposition to the regime. When discussing Burma
it is too easy to get caught up in the statistics of the thousands killed
or jailed by the military regime. Min Ko Naing was arrested in 1989 for
his political organizing work. He was sentenced by a military court to 20
years in solitary confinement and has been brutally tortured. The Junta
has told Min Ko Naing that he is free to leave jail and solitary
confinement if he signs a document forgoing all political activity when he
leaves prison. He has refused. For all the beating and mental torture he
is subjected to, he refuses to give up his right to fight for a free
Burma. These individuals are just one of thousands of Burmese engaged in
the struggle to rid their country of a brutal, illegitimate regime.
Rangoon regime is NOT a government, either the Western or in the Asian
sense. They do not govern except by force of arms and does not have the
title of government by any standards. Not by Western ethical standards,
(which the NBR scholars are afraid to speak) nor by the Asian standards.
It is far below the Asian ethical, historical, spiritual or economic
standards.  It is well neigh impossible to engage a group of rogue
soldiers, under whatever guise they use, who are not the government of
Burma. It is a fundamental error to imagine they constitute a government.
        	In the world there are many traditions of legitimate governments,
involve in what may be called benign dictatorships. There are
various sorts of benign monarchies that in some ways resemble
democracy but all of them have a social contract. But when that
social contract is broken, legitimacy is lost. The Burmese
Generals are more than rogue governments as it has broken several
social contracts of which Depayin massacre is just one example.
The Confucian form of government plays a role throughout Asia.
Singapore is still in part a Confucian state. The Confucian ideal
of government is one of Jen, or to say a government that so cares
for the basic needs of its people that it does not have to use
coercion to maintain control and order. What is happening in
Burma is tyranny. It has nothing to do with Buddhism as used by
the military. Sulak Sivaraksa, the Thai social critique/
philosopher said that Buddhism is neither anti social nor
restricted to personal salvation. Daw Suu suggests Buddhism
involves a questioning of everything and it is a process of
social engagement. The Burmese Generals has all along urge people
to embrace Buddhism and to let the regime run the country.
The Burmese people are not asking for military intervention on their
behalf. They are able and willing to fight their own battles to win their
freedom. What they asking the International community are not to sustain
this regime with trade and under different guise. Let me quote Archbishop
Desmond Tutu: “We urge freedom- loving governments everywhere to impose
sanctions on this illegitimate regime. They worked for us in South Africa.
If applied conscientiously, they will work in Burma too.”

Professor Win is the former Foreign Affairs Secretary to the Prime
Minister of Socialist Burma, worked as a Professor at the University of
Winnipeg and a Senior Research Fellow at the European Institute of Asian
Studies in Brussels. He is now the Dean of AEIOU at Chiangmai in Thailand.