BurmaNet News Jan 8-10, 2005

[Editor]

January 8-10, 2005, Issue # 2632

INSIDE BURMA
Xinhua: Tourism operation in Myanmar beach resorts remain normal
Narinjara: Arakan State's tsunami death toll rises to 96
BBC Monitor: Burma Burmese exile group refutes Rangoon's tsunami toll figures
Scoop: Myanmar - Tsunami Assistance Coordination Group

GUNS
Narinjara: Another Huge cache of arms recovered from Burma-Bangladesh border

BUSINESS / MONEY
Asia Pulse: GAIL India sees brighter prospects of sourcing gas from Myanmar
Mizzima: India to fill energy gap from Asean
Rigway: ONGC Videsh Strikes Gas in Second Well Offshore Myanmar

REGIONAL
Financial Times: Asian countries agree on early warning system for tsunamis
Xinhua: US to help set up tsunami early warning system in Indian Ocean
BBC Monitor: Thai authorities send unregistered Burmese migrants home

INTERNATIONAL
AFP: US groups highlight plight of Myanmar migrants in tsunami-hit Thailand

OPINION / OTHER
Sunday Times: The tribe that said go away

______________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

January 10, Xinhua
Tourism operation in Myanmar beach resorts remain normal

Tourism operation in major beach resorts in Myanmar remained normal
without being seriously affected by the recent tsunami that caused massive
destruction in coastal areas of other countries around the Indian Ocean,
the local Myanmar Times reported Monday.

Despite some cancellations of hotel booking with the Sandoway Resort at
the country's famous tourist site of Ngapali Beach after Dec. 26 tremor,
re-bookings are coming in and business there is resuming, the hotel
sources was quoted as saying.

Other beach resorts such as Chaungtha and Ngwehsaung are thronged with
vacationers including tourists, according to digital photos of the beach
resort status taken a few days after the shock which appeared on the hotel
website.

A tourism official said that continuous promotion will help the tourism
industry to overcome the situation.

According to official reports, the violent tsunami, triggered by a deadly
Indian Ocean earthquake on last Dec. 26, killed 64 people and injured 56
so far in Myanmar's coastal areas. The tidal wave destroyed over 600
houses in 29 villages, leaving 3,460 people homeless in some of the
regions in six divisions and states -- Tanintharyi, Yangon, Bago,
Ayeyawaddy, Rakhine and Shan (South). However, no casualty in the
southernmost Cocogyun island sharing border with the Bay of Bengal was
reported.

Rescue operation is underway by the government.

Meanwhile, the figures of the Central Statistical Organization show that
tourist arrivals in Myanmar rose by 8.7 percent to 620, 000 in the first
three quarters (April-December) of the present fiscal year 2004-05
compared with the same period of the previous year.

____________________________________

January 9, Narinjara
Arakan State's tsunami death toll rises to 96

The number killed in Burma's Arakan State by the tsunami waves has risen
to 96, stated a press release of the Arakan National Council, ANC, on
January 7.

According to the press release, 12 fishermen in Akyab, 80 people from Gwa
Township, and 4 from Rambree Township all perished in the recent natural
disaster.

30 people are still reported missing and 3 villages in Arakan State were
severely damaged, said the report.

The report stated that ANC collected it's information through telephone
interviews with residents in Arakan state.

ANC also believes that there are most likely more people dead in Arakan
State since it is fishing season in all of the state's coastal villages
and towns that are along the Bay of Bengal.

Burma's military government has so far only confirmed 58 deaths in Burma. 
ANC is a newly formed organization of Arakan groups and it has a number of
branch offices in neighboring countries of Burma.

____________________________________

January 9, BBC Monitor
Burmese exile group refutes Rangoon's tsunami toll figures

Source: Democratic Democratic Voice of Burma web site, Oslo, in Burmese
1430 gmt 8 Jan 05

It has been learned that two fishing boats from Kantame Village in Dedaye
Township, Irrawaddy Division, have been missing since the tsunamis struck
on 26 December 2004. Locals said each boat carried about 10 fishermen and
as they fish along the coast from Irrawaddy to Tenasserim, it is not clear
where they went missing. Dedaye Township elected representative Dr Myo
Nyunt said as the authorities have so far failed to launch any search and
rescue operation, they have no choice but to stay home and listen to the
news. passage omitted

Similarly, local people said more than 50 fishing boats from Pyapon and
Bogale are also reported to be missing. Deep sea and coastal fishing is a
major industry in Pyapon and Bogale townships and the townspeople said
they have not seen fishing boats returning to shore in recent days. When
DVB Democratic Voice of Burma contacted Pyapon Township PDC Peace and
Development Council Office, Chairman U Khin Maung Yi said only three boats
were lost and all the crew was saved. passage omitted

He said, he was not sure about the casualties in Labutta Township but
confirmed that eight people from Labutta have been taking treatment at
Kadongani hospital in his township. passage omitted

News have emerged that about 90 people died and 30 fishing boats
reportedly missing in Arakan State alone, especially at the coastal towns
of Sandoway, Gwa, and Ramree. When DVB contacted Sandoway District PDC,
the chairman said:

Begin chairman, recording Only nine died in the district - one in
Sandoway, four in Taungup, and four in Gwa. Everything is fine here. It
was ebb tide that day so the ebb tide and the tsunami met in the sea and
it did not affect us. Furthermore, we have inspected the hotels and they
are enjoying high occupancy rate. End of recording

When asked about the missing fishing boats, he replied:

Begin chairman, recording Nothing happened that night. We also have
confirmation from the Fisheries Department. We know that since it was a
full moon the boats did not go out to sea. End of recording

When asked about the damages caused by the tsunami, he answered:

Begin chairman, recording No villages were affected. Those killed were
children collecting seashells at the beach. We provided them with
necessary goods such as rice, cooking oil, and cash. Well, we can manage
ourselves we do not need any assistance. end recording

That was an interview with Sandoway District PDC chairman. Although the
authorities mentioned low casualties, the exiled Arakan National Council
ANC issued a statement today stating that 96 persons died in Arakan State
alone and 30 were reportedly missing. Locals said the situation was worst
at Akyab, Sandoway, Ramree, and Gwa and the casualty list issued by the
SPDC State Peace and Development Council authorities was half of the
actual number, the ANC statement claimed.

____________________________________

January 10, Democratic Scoop
Myanmar - Tsunami Assistance Coordination Group

Yangon, Myanmar -- The Tsunami Assistance Coordination Group met yesterday
to consolidate the findings of the different assessment and verification
missions undertaken throughout the affected areas of Myanmar. The
CoordinationGroup* was set up at the onset of the disaster and is chaired
by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC). The group concluded that Myanmar has been largely spared from the
destructive forces of the earthquake and subsequent Tsunami, and that the
initial emergency needs have been met by the Government and by the aid
community. The group’s assessment of the scale of impact is in line with
the Government’s own findings. The group confirms a death toll of 60-80,
and estimates the longer-term affected population at 10-15,000, of whom

5-7,000 are directly affected.

Reports indicate that the wave force reaching the coast of Myanmar (and
including some 60 km of the Thai coast) was already greatly reduced in
comparison with neighbouring countries, and the particular topography of
the southern and delta coastlines, as well as the rocky nature of the
islands, provided physical protection for the population. Over the course
of the last 10 days a series of assessment and verification missions were
undertaken by one or more of the partners already working in Myanmar - to
the Rakhine Coast, the Ayeyarwady Delta and the southern coast including
the most populated islands of the Myeik archipelago and the islands off
Kawthaung around Lampi Island.

The consolidated findings identified immediate needs in the following
sectors: shelter, safe drinking water, food, and non food items (blankets,
clothes, cooking sets, mosquito nets etc). Agencies are closely
coordinating their responses through the coordination group and are
largely using pre-positioned stocks and/or redirecting resources from
other areas of the country or through their regional mechanisms. Emergency
family kits have already been distributed in both the delta and southern
regions and further support is announced or planned for the next days.

Future coordination and planning will be ensured by a small liaison group
following up on a second assessment phase for mid- and longer-term needs
and support. Initial assessments point to a longer-term impact on
livelihoods and community coping mechanisms. The aid partners will ensure
particular attention will be paid to clean water sources, damage to soil
and crops, destruction or damage to houses, fishing boats and nets. They
will also pay attention to disease surveillance and response and access to
health care, education infrastructure and services, community services and
communications, and the needs of particularly vulnerable groups within the
affected population. The resources needed to cover replenishment costs of
the initial response as well as the financial requirements for the mid to
long term recovery will be made available as soon as the second round of
assessments are completed.

The group agreed to undertake an evaluation of the response and
coordination mechanisms as apparent in the emergency phase of the current
situation in Myanmar, with a view to improving future disaster
preparedness and response.

* Coordination Group participants: IFRC, ICRC, MRCS, UNRC, UNDP, WFP,
UNICEF, WHO, UNIC, UNHCR, MSF(CH), MSF(Holland), World Vision, CARE,
SCF(UK), PSI, ZOA, ADRA.

____________________________________
GUNS

January 10, Narinjara
Another Huge cache of arms recovered from Burma-Bangladesh border

Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) recovered a number of sophisticated arms and
ammunitions from the Burma-Bangladesh border on January 6, according to a
local news agency.

Among the confiscated weapons were 11 AK-47 rifles, 53 magazines, and 1506
bullets, all of which were discovered in an old insurgent camp.

The camp was said to be empathetic of people that are situated in the
Linmoesari, an area under the hill town of Nagkhonesari in Bangladesh,
which is opposite Burma's Maungdaw, 7 miles from the Burmese border.

Within the last one and half months the paramilitary force retrieved, in
the same area, a total of 26 AK-47s and two M-16 rifles, four mortars,
eight light machine guns, one rocket launcher and more than 14,000
bullets.

Bangladeshi authorities confirmed that the arms belonged to an arms
smuggling group who had apparently covered up the weapons, deep in the
forest.

However, some analysts living in the border area believe that the arms
actually belonged to Burmese insurgent groups as there was a group
sheltered in the area only a few months ago. The analysts refused,
however, to provide the name of the group.

Since the Bangladeshi authority began pressuring Burmese insurgent groups,
operating within Bangladeshi territory, to give up their armed struggle
against the Burmese military government, many insurgent groups have left
the area in order to avoid the Bangladeshi army.

The arms discovered by the Bangladeshi authority were all removed from an
area near the border with Burma, where they were found hidden in the deep
earth.

In Last year alone, the army and the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), together in
a joint drive, have recovered at least 40 sophisticated arms, including
AK-47 assault rifles, light machine guns (LMG), semi-machine guns (SMG),
foreign made 9mm pistols, 303 rifles, mortars and a large amount of
ammunitions and other equipment from different parts of the
Bangladesh-Burma border.

_____________________________________
BUSINESS / MONEY

January 10, Asia Pulse
GAIL India sees brighter prospects of sourcing gas from Myanmar

State-run GAIL (India) (BSE:GAIL) said the prospects of sourcing gas from
Myanmar have brightened by the success of the first appraisal well of the
Shwe gas field.

"The development enhances the possibility of commercial development of the
gas field significantly," a company press release said here Saturday.

Daewoo International of Korea has successfully drilled the first appraisal
well in Block A-1 in offshore Myanmar.

The well penetrated two gas reservoirs with a total thickness of 93
meter," it said adding the appraisal well was spud at the location 7.8 km
away from the first exploratory well. The exploratory well, which was
named Shew (meaning feet of gas reserves, translating into availability of
20-22 million standard cubic meters per day of gas over 20-25 years.

"Myanmar has given GAIL the status of the preferred buyer of the gas
produced from the A-1 Block," it said.

India's ONGC Videsh Ltd holds 20 per cent stake while GAIL (India) Ltd has
10 per cent interest in A-1 block.

Myanmar has also agreed to associate OVL and GAIL in the exploration and
production from A-3 block which is adjacent to A-1 Block.

"More appraisal wells will be drilled from mid-January until June this
year to estimate an accurate reserve and confirm commerciality of the
Block A-1. The consortium will also drill additional exploratory and
appraisal wells at the Shwe Phyu and Ngwe prospects from late January
using additional rig," it added.

_____________________________________

January 7, Mizzzima
India to fill energy gap from Asean

Launching its biggest ever oil diplomacy blitzkrieg, India today goaded
major Southeast Asian oil producers and consuming nations to develop an
Southeast Asian oil market and bring about long term and possibly cheaper
oil supplies as a means to stabilise the volatile market.

"For ASEAN to convert that underlying stability in production, and the
prognosis for production, into stability in oil markets, it is essential
that we develop a sophisticated ASEAN market for petroleum and petroleum
products," said Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar at the first ever
roundtable of Asian Ministers on Regional Cooperation in the Oil Economy.

Bringing together major oil producers - Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, UAE,
Oman and Qatar - and major consuming countries -China, Japan, Thailand,
Korea, Burma and Malaysia - New Delhi pitched its idea for a long-term
crude oil supply contract and mutual investments by consuming and
producing countries to enhance stability and security.

While total consumption in the region almost equals production, the
region, unlike North America and Europe, lacks a developed oil market. 
Energy-hungry India, which is hosting the roundtable to discuss stability,
security and sustainability of oil supplies, also sought mutual
cooperation in developing emergency response mechanisms by building
storages in large-demand countries to ensure that there is no shortage of
fuel even during disruptions.

Despite the size and importance of the ASEAN market, the pricing of oil in
the continent is dependent on less-than-satisfactory crude pricing
markets, namely Tapis, Minas and Dubai, making the market signals not very
efficient, Aiyar said.

There was an immediate need to develop the oil market so as to ensure
correct pricing of both crude and products, he said. Aiyar also said ASEAN
has little in terms of a global market crude oil "and even less in terms
of a well-prepared oil and oil products market".

"With a view to bringing about greater stability in Asian trade in
petroleum and petroleum products, can we think of an Asian market where
long-term contracts become longer, where price discovery through the
market is more transparent, where such transparency facilitates greater
stability in formulae for pricing in long term contract, where spot
purchases occupy a progressively larger share of market transaction, where
petroleum exchanges are established and used, where derivatives are
integrated into market practices, where, in short, an Asian market
emerges," he said.

_____________________________________

January 7, Rigway
ONGC Videsh Strikes Gas in Second Well Offshore Myanmar

ONGC Videsh Limited has announced gas in the first appraisal well in the
Shwe gas field in Block A-1, Myanmar, 7.8 kilometers away from the first
exploratory well, where the Consortium discovered gas in January last
year.

The Consortium consists of OVL with 20% share, Daewoo (the Operator) with
60% share & GAIL and KOGAS with 10% shares each.

The appraisal well was spudded in mid-November, penetrated the expected
gas reservoirs. The main Gas Horizon G5 was proved to be a much better
reservoir showing good reservoir characteristics.

Mr. Subir Raha, Chairman of OVL, said that this success has enhanced the
possibility of commercial development of the gas field significantly and
OVL is quite confident of the commercial success.

Mr. Raha said that the Consortium will drill a few more appraisal wells in
the first half of 2005 to have a better definition of the reservoir limit,
parameters and have a better estimate and confirm commerciality of the
Shwe gas field.

The Consortium will also drill additional exploratory and appraisal wells
at the Shwe Phyu and Ngwe prospects simultaneously using one more rig from
late January 2005 to assess the hydrocarbon potential of Block A-1.

_____________________________________
REGIONAL

January 10, Financial Times
Asian countries agree on early warning system for tsunamis

Thailand and other Asian countries have agreed to establish a regional
quake and tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean and the
Southeast Asian region.

The agreement was reached at the International Emergency Summit on
tsunamis, held in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on 6 January--just
less than two weeks after massive tsunamis, caused by a strongest
earthquake in Indonesia's Sumatra Island, struck several countries in Asia
and Africa, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, India,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Madacasca, Kenya, Somalia and
Tanzania, resulting in over 150,000 dead totally so far, while tens of
thousands more injured and thousands more still missing.

In Thailand, where the 26 December's giant waves unprecedentedly hit its
six southern Andaman provinces, including Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang,
Ranong and Satun, the official death toll has risen to nearly 5,300, with
nearly 10,000 injured and scores of others still missing.

In a joint declaration issued Thursday evening, leaders of over 20
countries and international organizations taking part in the one-day
summit have agreed that a regional action is needed to be taken to
strengthen emergency relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and prevention
of such the massive disaster in the future.

The three-point declaration, under the topic of emergency relief, stated
that the leaders had agreed to urgently mobilize further additional
resources to meet the emergency relief needs of victims in the affected
countries.

_____________________________________

January 9, Xinhua
US to help set up tsunami early warning system in Indian Ocean

The United States is keen to help set up an international tsunami early
warning system in the Indian Ocean where giant waves crushed coastlines
from Malaysia to Africa on Dec. 26, an official has said.

An international early warning system in the region would be more
effective than individual national systems in reducing the effects of
tsunamis on lives and properties, US Assistant Secretary of State for East
Asian and Pacific Affairs James A. Kelly told reporters after visiting
coastal villages in Kota Kuala Muda which were the hardest hit in Kedah
state by the tsunami. The tsunami on Dec. 26 last year was triggered by a
massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean off Aceh of Sumatra, Indonesia.

Kelly arrived in Malaysia Saturday after touring the affected areas in
Aceh. He is expected to meet Malaysian officials on Monday.

"It has to be international in the Indian Ocean. If each country tries to
do it, it is a help but it will be much better if this is worked on
internationally," he said.

A global donor conference in Jakarta last week agreed on the setting up of
an international early warning system.

Kelly said US agencies had started coordinating efforts among themselves
and international agencies to learn from the experiences of the recent
tsunamis and work towards building up an early warning system in the
Indian Ocean.

He said the United States would send a significant delegation to an
international conference on tsunami in Kobe, Japan, later this month.

"The force of nature is so great, but if we had had a warning system maybe
some lives could have been saved. Those areas further away from Aceh, like
Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and Myanmar could have done better,"
he said.

"But we learn from experience. We will try to minimize the effects of
tsunamis," he added.

_____________________________________

January 9, BBC Monitor
Thai authorities send unregistered Burmese migrants home

Source: Bangkok Post web site, Bangkok, in English 9 Jan 05
Text of report by Tul Pinkaew, published in English by Thai newspaper
Bangkok Post web site on 9 January

While Burma's reported death toll from the Asian tsunami might be less
than 100, it may have lost many more people off the beaches of Thailand
who have not been identified by relatives for fear of being deported, said
the Law Society of Thailand. "There are 60,000 registered Burmese workers
plying their trade in the six southern provinces hit by the destructive
tidal wave," said Surapong Kongchantuk, vice-chairman of the society's
Subcommittee on Human Rights, Ethnic Minorities, Stateless People, Migrant
Workers and Displaced Persons.

"Many have died in the natural disaster, but are still left lying in
Yanyao temple, a makeshift morgue, waiting for a relative or a friend to
take them home," he said. But that will not happen anytime soon because
most of those still alive are on the run from the authorities and have
taken refuge in the mountains behind the once picturesque Khao Lak beach,
Phangnga, said Mr Surapong.

Khao Lak beach, in Takua Pa District, was a thriving, new holiday town
before the tsunami devastation and is believed to have had many Burmese
migrant workers in the hotels and restaurants. With migrants on the run,
said Mr Surapong, it is more difficult for Thais to identify their loved
ones because both peoples look similar.

So far, 1,500 workers have been sent back to Burma. On Friday, another 500
were moved from Phangnga to Ranong, ready to be shipped off. The police
say the workers are the cause of thefts and break-ins at tsunami-damaged
hotels. Immigration police commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Ammarin Niamsakul,
however, said registered workers whose employers were killed in the
catastrophe would be helped.

"It is hard to tell who is legal or illegal as these people have lost
their belongings in the traumatic incident or their work permits were
taken to the grave with their employers," he said. Mr Surapong said the
crimes are mostly committed by Thais. Out of 27 recent arrests for theft
and break and entry, 20 were reportedly Thai nationals.

The government, said Mr Surapong, has a legal duty to provide care,
comfort and medical assistance to everyone, and not pick and choose for
marketing purposes or to cut costs. "Saving the life of a Burmese will not
bring in more tourists or earn worldwide admiration. You only get a sense
of pride and pleasure," he said. By sending these people back, said Mr
Surapong, employers will not have to pay them compensation or take care of
other social issues involving legal migrants. By applying this policy, the
state is actually forcing migrant workers to become criminals as another
means of survival.

_____________________________________
INTERNATIONAL

January 7, Agence France Presse
US groups highlight plight of Myanmar migrants in tsunami-hit Thailand

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Activist and welfare groups in the United States
launched an appeal for funds to help tsunami-hit Myanmar migrants and
refugees in Thailand.

"Many Burmese migrants in Thailand are ineligible for much of the official
aid due to their tenuous legal standing," the US Campaign for Burma (USCB)
said in a statement.

Burma is the previous name of military-ruled Myanmar, which borders
Thailand where more than 5,000 people have died from the December 26
tsunami.

As of Friday, a Thai-based group had documented 145 dead among Myanmar
migrants, said the USCB, which was organizing weekend fundraising events
at churches and Buddhist monasteries across the United States to help
victims.

Meanwhile the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) said it was
"extremely concerned" by reports that thousands of tsunami-hit Myanmar
refugees in Thailand were facing difficulty getting aid due to lack of
legal status.

According to a local human rights group, as many as 1,000 people from
Myanmar in southern Thailand were killed and a similar number are still
missing, the USCRI said.

The injured and homeless need assistance but reportedly are having
difficulty receiving it, the non-governmental group said.

An estimated 127,714 people from Myanmar lived in Thailand's five
tsunami-affected provinces, the USCRI said, describing them as refugees
from Yangon's military dictatorship.

Only 22,504 -- less than 18 percent -- were registered with Thai
authorities, it said.

_____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

January 9, Sunday Times
The tribe that said go away - Meenal Dubey

Not everyone caught up in the disaster wants help. When rescue teams
reached the remote island of Sentinel between India and Burma the local
tribesmen were on the beach ready to repel them, writes Meenal Dubey.

The tribe seemed to have emerged largely unscathed from the tsunami and as
helicopters dropped food parcels they threw spears and fired arrows into
the air.

A landing operation was abandoned.

Rahul Bhagat, who is helping organise the relief operation, said the 100
strong tribe survived thanks to skills at reading the natural environment.
"They knew immediately something was wrong," he said.

Hours before the quake struck some tribespeople were hunting in the forest
and others were scattered across shallow water looking for marine food.

Then streams of ants and other insects began pouring out of the ground and
heading uphill. Soon after that the sea receded.

Men, women and children are thought to have followed the ants' example and
were safe when the tsunami struck. "They sustained themselves on coconuts,
wild berries and small animals," said Samirendra Chattopadhyay of the
tribal affairs ministry.

Their refusal of help was a natural reaction. The Sentinelese are a closed
tribe whose roots go back to paleolithic times and they are thought to be
vulnerable to infections from the outside world.

Chattopadhyay said no further support would be provided to the tribe
without their request.