From editor@burmanet.org Fri Nov 8 21:22:54 2002 From: editor@burmanet.org (editor@burmanet.org) Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2002 16:22:54 -0500 (EST) Subject: BurmaNet News: November 8 2002 Message-ID: <53889.207.10.94.131.1036790574.squirrel@webmail.pair.com> November 8 2002 Issue #2119 INSIDE BURMA DVB: We are not investigating says ICRC DVB: Ex-Burmese leader Ne Win’s relatives appeal case 12 November Irrawaddy: No fanfare preceding Razali visit IMNA A man is killed in Mudon police station Kaladan: 13 families of new settlers brought to Maungdaw MONEY DPA: Protesters urge pension fund to drop firms that operate in Myanmar DRUGS AFP: Hong Kongers face execution in cross-border drug trafficking REGIONAL Xinhua: Thai, Indian PMs discuss transport, tourism cooperation PRESS RELEASE SWAN: Press Release NCGUB: NCGUB condemns mockery of justice in Burma ___INSIDE BURMA____ Democratic Voice of Burma November 6 2002 We Are Not Investigating Says ICRC The ICRC stated today that it is not true that the SPDC has invited the ICRC to investigate the allegations of rape of Shan women by the SPDC army. SPDC spokesman Colonel Hla Minn said yesterday that the SPDC had invited the ICRC to investigate the allegations as the result of advice given by the UN Human Rights special envoy, Mr Pinheiro. When the DVB asked the Geneva-based ICRC, spokesman Mr Roland Sitler told the following: ICRC : We would like to be quite clear that we are not conducting any investigations. Our discussions with the authorities focus on gaining access to this area in order to evaluate activities that we usually are doing concerning humanitarian problems. Then, he outlined the activities of the ICRC in Shan State thus: ICRC : For the moment we already have activities in these areas concerning drinking water and the medical aspect. What we would like is of course to be able to access a deeper and wider area than the one we have so far. When asked if the SPDC had asked the ICRC to investigate the allegations, he replied: ICRC : No. Not so far. If the subject comes up, I must say that it is not our aim to conduct an investigation. There are other organisations that are in charge of doing this kind of work, not the ICRC. _______ Democratic Voice of Burma November 8 2002 EX-BURMESE LEADER NE WIN'S RELATIVES APPEAL CASE 12 NOVEMBER Democratic Voice of Burma DVB has learned that an appeal case against the death sentence for high treason handed down to U Aye Zaw Win, and his three sons Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win, and Zwe Ne Win , is to be heard on Tuesday 12 November . Insein jail special tribunal announced the death sentences against Aye Zaw Win, and his three sons - Aye Ne Win, Kyaw Ne Win and Zwe Ne Win - on 26 September. Earlier in October, their lawyer U Tun Shein, had lodged an appeal against death sentences at the Central Court. It is learned from Rangoon lawyers circles that the appeal will be submitted on coming Tuesday. How the appeal will be decided is not exactly known. Some political observers told DVB that they expect the verdict to drag on. Some observers said that even if the court of appeal would continue to give them the capital punishment, it would not be carried out in reality. Burma has not executed those sentenced to hang for over 20 years. _______ Irrawaddy November 8 2002 No Fanfare Preceding Razali Visit By Aung Zaw November 08, 2002—As UN special envoy to Burma Razali Ismail prepares for his record ninth trip to Rangoon next week, the celebratory zeal and enthusiasm that preceded prior visits has all but evaporated as Rangoon’s recalcitrant generals appear unwilling to take the most basic steps needed to get Burma’s reconciliation process back on track. "Very few people are interested in his visit," said a senior journalist in Rangoon. Unconfirmed reports have been surfacing inside and outside Burma that this may in fact be Razali’s last mission to Burma, since taking the post over two years ago, if the regime cannot show any desire to change. Razali’s agenda consists of the usual suspects including—diplomats, UN officials, top ranking military officers as well as opposition party members. However, opposition leaders say they have yet to be officially informed of the upcoming visit. National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesperson U Lwin continues to retain hope for an eventual dialogue with the military regime, while trying to remain optimistic that Razali has what it takes to influence the junta to change. But the veteran opposition leader is less sanguine this time around than he has been in the past. "We are always hopeful," said U Lwin to The Irrawaddy yesterday. However, even over the phone he was unable to hide his feelings of disappointment in the country’s stalled reconciliation process. U Lwin said that everyone has witnessed the past visits and the lack of developments that have followed. Indeed, signs of frustration are obvious. Ethnic leaders, who say Razali has never done his homework concerning ethnic issues, continue to remain unimpressed with the former Malaysian diplomat’s successes in Burma. Even sources close to Razali, who is known for his optimism, say he has expressed frustration over the continuing political impasse in Burma. Previously, military leaders, the opposition and the international community praised Razali’s efforts in bringing the two sides to the negotiating table. But lately, sources say the generals are keeping their distance from Razali. While observers fear that this may be a sign that Rangoon is losing interest in maintaining a dialogue of any sort with the NLD. However, according to NLD sources, Razali was able to establish warm relations with NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was reportedly quite cold with the Razali at the on set of the "secret talks" that began in Rangoon two years ago. Although these friendly relations may be a point of contention with the generals, say Burmese analysts. Aung Naing Oo, an exiled political analyst, says that before Razali’s appointment, many influential political figures, including monks, had asked the regime to seek a political dialogue with the opposition. "But they never listened," says Aung Naing Oo. He also says that with no tangible results having occurred after two years of continual attempts, Razali may be looking for a way out. Chao Tzang Yawnghwe, a veteran Shan scholar and political observer based in Canada, says the international community can now see that the junta was never serious about any type of reform. "We now can see their true color," Chao Tzang Yawnghwe told The Irrawaddy. "It’s up to the international community what to do next," adds Chao Tzang, who also feels Razali should not quit, but instead continue pressing the regime. Razali, chairman of Iris Technologies, continues to come under fire for business deals that Iris entered into with the regime during his tenure as special envoy. And as a result, he appeared eager to show that he was able to bring the two sides together after completing his last visit in August. During his August visit, junta leaders, Sr-Gen Than Shwe and Gen Khin Nyunt, promised him they would resume political dialogue in the near-term, however, it is becoming increasingly clear that they had no intentions of keeping those promises. Observers now say that Sr-Gen Than Shwe is calling all the shots, while seeming reluctant to move forward. "If he moves, the rest will follow him," says a well-informed Rangoon journalist. "He is in the driver’s seat, but the car is in auto pilot," joked a Burmese scholar in exile, in regards to the country’s continuing economic and social ills. In preparation for the visit, veteran analysts say, aside from the regime’s releasing of political prisoners to coincide with Razali’s arrival, that they may indeed have a surprise or two in order to keep the envoy from jumping ship and to ease international criticism. But without an international support base that can aid Razali in pressuring the regime into change or a strong UN mechanism allowing for effective checks and balances over the government, it is unlikely that the generals will muster the energy to come to the table. "This deadlock cannot go on forever," says one journalist. Nor can Razali be UN special envoy forever. ________ Independent Mon News Agency November 7 2002 A MAN IS KILLED IN MUDON POLICE STATION Police beaten and killed a Mon man in Mudon Police Station during investigation with an accusation of rubbing an actress on November 4, In Mudon Township, a local Mon reporter reported. Nai Mya Han, 45 a villager from Ma Pa Rang [Kuan Brot] village of Kya Inn Seik Kyi Township was arrested on October 29 with an accusation of rubbing and attacking Nan Dar Hlaing, a popular actress from Mon State during her trip to Let Tet village for entertainment on October 25. Mr Han was beaten several times in Mudon Police station during questioning him and he was unconsciousness for many hours then death in the cell, a close relative said. Police force of the Mudon Station arrested him and other hundred villagers who had history of criminal [rubbery] including thirty people form Kyeik Roy village in the past for questioning. He was libeled of rubbing to the actress at the main entrance into Kyiek Roy village of Mudon Township, in Mon Township. Miss Hlaing was travelling with Rev Kesara, a chief of monk of Kyeik Ta Lone Hill who has managed for an event of opening festival of new pagoda construction. Local armed gang arrested the actress and released the monks but the armed gang took all her personal wearing. She then released after the monk. It is no clear evidence whether Mr Han is a rubber for this attack because the armed gang used modern armed guns-fire during the attack, local source added. ________ Kaladan Press November 8 2002 13 FAMILIES OF NEW SETTLERS BROUGHT TO MAUNGDAW By Our Correspondent Maungdaw, 8th November: 13 families of new settlers were brought to Maungdaw north, Arakan State from Rangoon for settlement on 22nd October, according to our source. The settlers were shifted into Baruwa Khata villag of Ngarang Chaung village tract, a place 38 miles north of Maungdaw under the Nasaka area No.2. This village is placed nearly 2 miles from Bangladesh border. The members of the settlers were looked like very gentle. Some of them were hanging gold chains to their necks, source further added. Since August 2002, the authorities have been very busy construction of aforesaid model village for the new settlers. In addition, some acres of Rohingya lands were seized within a short time for these settlers. The houses were built with forced labor of Rohingya villagers though there is no forced labor in Burma, declared by SPDC authorities. All these houses were built with wood and looked very fine, said a ex-village chairman. About the construction of this Natala village (model village), a problem was occurred among the model, Nasaka, the Secretary and a special intelligent branch for cutting wood and bamboos. For this reason, Salay Ahamed, 35, the present Village Peace and Development Council Secretary Furkhan’s younger brother was dead in last September while he was going to appear before the special intelligent branch that came from Rangoon. In this connection, the Secretary to the special intelligent branch had paid Kyats 12,00,000/-, said a villager to our source. _____MONEY______ Deutsche Presse-Agentur November 8 2002 Protesters urge pension fund to drop firms that operate in Myanmar Human rights protesters on Thursday urged a leading U.S. pension fund for teachers and academics to drop shares of companies that work with the military regime in Myanmar (Burma). Three dozen activists and Burmese exiles rallied outside the New York headquarters of TIAA-CREF, a 260-billion-dollar pension fund, which was holding its annual shareholders meeting in North Carolina. The Free Burma Coalition said the fund holds shares by U.S. oil company Unocal, which operates in Myanmar, and Singapore Technologies, a subsidiary of which supplies arms to the junta. "Most people who have money in TIAA-CREF would be shocked if they knew that their money was being used to make guns for Burma's military," said Zaw Win of the New York Free Burma Coalition. More than 100 shareholders, including many academics, also wrote an open protest letter to TIAA-CREF, the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association College Retirement Equities Fund. They charged they had been made "inadvertent supporters of the forced labour, forced relocation, rape, torture and murder of people living in the Southeast Asian country". _____DRUGS______ Agence France-Presse November 8 2002 Hong Kongers face execution in cross-border drug trafficking Seven people from Hong Kong were facing execution in the largest-ever cross-border drug trafficking in southwestern China's Yunnan province, local media reported Friday. The seven were convicted of concealing 672 kilograms (1,478.4 pounds) of heroin inside tree trunks, the Chinese-language Oriental Daily News reported. The seven men from Hong Kong and six of their mainland accomplices from Guangdong province, aged between 30-47, could face death sentences after a court in Qujing city found them guilty of trafficking 300 million Hong Kong dollars (38.5 million US) of heroin from neighbouring Myanmar last year. The Hong Kong men all had prior convictions for drug trafficking as well as illegal gambling, the daily said, before being convicted in what was the largest cross-border drug smuggling ever in Asia. Yunnan borders the "golden triangle" of Laos, Myanmar (formally Burma) and northern Thailand, a poppy-growing region that has become one of the world's largest producers of heroin. _____REGIONAL_______ Xinhua News Agency November 8 2002 Thai, Indian PMs discuss transport, tourism cooperation BANGKOK, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) --Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra met with visiting Indian counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee here Friday, focusing on ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the transport and tourism fields. Thai government spokesman Sitha Thiwaree told reporters after the meeting that the two sides agreed on a highway project linking Thailand and India via Myanmar. A meeting attended by the three countries will discuss details of the plan later next month in Myanmar. Thaksin said the Thai government will provide loans for constructing the Myanmar part of the road. The two leaders also agreed to strengthen linkage between key seaports of the two countries. Thaksin also invited the Indian side to join a proposed regional tourism air route plan which links the region's top tourist spots with northern Thai resort of Chiang Mai as the hub. Vajpayee, who is making a one-day stopover here after attending the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN) in Cambodia and visiting Laos, said Indian interior minister will soon visit Thailand to settle a bilateral pact on extradition of criminals. Thaksin thanked his Indian counterpart for supporting the Asian Cooperation Dialogue and the International Rice Trade Conference, two meetings held here earlier this year initiated by Thailand. Arriving here Friday morning, Vajpayee will return to India later Friday. ____PRESS RELEASE_______ Shan Women’s Action Network November 7 2002 New German Website launched in support of the Shan For the first time, German speaking internet users can learn and read in their own language about the plight of the Shan people and their fight for freedom and justice. Until now, there was hardly any information about the Shan available in German language. Not even the SWAN Report 'License to Rape' has found any notable media coverage in Germany. The newly launched website www.friends-of-shan.de (also reachable under the German address www.freunde-der-shan.de) aims at changing this state of ignorance and lack of information. The new website has been set up by a small team of German and Thai online journalists and web designers based in Germany. One of their main activities is the publication of the website www.thailife.de which is an online magazine focussing on the Thai-German community and on Thai culture in Germany and on social projects in Thailand. The group, which is not affiliated to any political party or tendency is also sponsoring websites for some of these relief projects and supports their work. Some examples are www.depdc.org , www.childlife-maesai.org or www.duang-prateep.de. 'It is only a short time ago, that I learned about the Shan people and their fate after the fighting in the Shan State broke out earlier this year', said Mr. John Pohl who started the new website. 'That time I began to read and research about the Shan and their history and culture.' 'I was very much shocked when I read the SWAN Report and learned about the massive crimes and abuses in the Shan State. I thought that something had to be done in order to raise awareness here in Germany about the atrocities committed by the Burmese regime against the Shan.' 'With the help of some friends we translated the SWAN Report into German. For all of us it was a painful experience having to translate all those detailed descriptions of so many acts of violence, torture and killings against defenceless women and girls.' The first version of the website has been set up in a hurry in order to make the SWAN Report available to the German public as soon as possible. More background information and articles about the Shan and about the human rights situation in Shan State are planned to be published. A printed German language version of the SWAN report will also follow soon. 'Our resources are limited and we could not yet do as much as we would have liked to do', said Mr. Pohl. 'But we hope that with the help of the new website we will manage to win more support in the future'. Frankfurt, Germany November 7, 2002 _________ National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma November 7 2002 NCGUB Condemns Mockery of Justice in Burma The National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) strongly condemns the harsh sentence of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) to a student for 14 years imprisonment just for a peaceful protest. Thet Naung Soe, a final-year law student was arrested while staging a solo protest on August 18, 2002 in front of the Rangoon city hall and demanding the release of all political prisoners. We have come to understand that senior lawyers from the National League for Democracy (NLD) tried to meet him and Khin Maung Win, another law student, who was arrested the same day as Thet Naung Soe for distributing pro-democracy leaflets in the university campus, to legally represent them, but they were barred from entering the courtroom. Later when they were permitted to enter the court premises, they were confined to a reception area for guests only. Khin Maung Win is also facing trial and will be charged soon, according to the NLD. Prime Minister Dr. Sein Win expressed his grave concerns over the quality of justice and the fairness of trials in Burma. He said, “This incidence shows obviously that military tribunals in Burma are a mockery of justice. It is also ridiculous and contradictory to their own statement that all Burmese citizens will be allowed to freely participate in the political process”. The NCGUB lauds the courage and integrity of students like Thet Naung Soe and Khin Maung Win, who came out to the forefront to make a statement despite knowing the consequences of their actions. The NCGUB firmly believes that as long as the SPDC ignores the fundamental rights of the citizens of Burma, peace, democracy, and most importantly, national reconciliation could not be achieved in the country. We call on governments, international institutions, and human rights organizations to condemn the SPDC for continued human rights abuses.