BurmaNet News: February 6 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

February 6 2003 Issue #2171

INSIDE BURMA

DPA: Suu Kyi wins award for advocating democracy in Myanmar
Reuters: U.S. foundation $1 mln to Myanmar’s Suu Kyi
Narinjara: Rice collection from non-cultivators of rice—Burmese junta’s
new tricks to squeeze people dry

GUNS

Myanmar Times: Burmese authorities reject conditional surrender offer of
Shan rebel group

DRUGS

Nation: Shan army intercepts drugs shipment headed for Thailand

REGIONAL

Bangkok Post: PM to raise drugs issue with Burma

STATEMENTS

Freedom Forum: Freedom Forum announces 2002 Al Neuharth Free Spirit of the
year: Nobel Peace Laureate to receive $1 million

INSIDE BURMA

Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Suu Kyi wins award for advocating democracy in Myanmar

Aung San Suu Kyi, who has led the struggle to end the military junta in
Myanmar (Burma), was named Thursday as the recipient of the annual "Al
Neuharth Free Spirit of the Year Award" from a U.S. organization which
promotes democracy and freedom of speech around the world.

The Freedom Forum, based in Alexandria, Virginia, said in a ceremony in
Washington that Suu Kyi, 57, was receiving the award for "her spirited,
non violent struggle for human rights and democracy".

The award, named for the publisher of USA Today and founder of Freedom
Forum, carries a prize of 1 million dollars. Suu Kyi was released in May
after 20 months of house arrest for organizing the resistance the military
junta, which reneged on promises to establish civilian rule. Previously,
she has spent six years under house arrest for leading the struggle.

She would not be able to attend the ceremonies connected with the award
because she feared if she left the country the government would prevent
her from returning, said Charles Overby, the chairman and chief executive
officer of Freedom Forum.

He likened Suu Kyi to Nelson Mandela and Vaclav Havel and hoped the award
would shed light on what she is doing for Myanmar.

In taped comments played at the event, Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace
Prize in 1991, said she appreciated the award but does not look upon
herself as someone famous.

"I always see a very ordinary person," she said. "I've always been
surprised people look upon me as somebody famous."

She described a recent trip to Arakan state as showing her the movement to
oust the regime was solid.

"The people were able to demonstrate very clearly that they would continue
to support us in spite of all the difficulties, in spite of the oppression
and the intimidation."

Neuharth had previously travelled to Myanmar to tell Suu Kyi of the award,
and her son, who lives outside the country, is expected to receive the
prize on her behalf during a ceremony in Washington next month.
___________

Reuters February 3 2003

U.S . Foundation Awards $1 Mln to Myanmar's Suu Kyi

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-based Freedom Forum foundation said on
Thursday it had awarded a $1 million "Free Spirit" prize to Nobel peace
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi for her advocacy of democracy in military-ruled
Myanmar.
Charles Overby, chairman of the foundation, said it was the first time the
full $1 million available for the annual prize, awarded since 1992, would
be given to a single person.
"This is a personal gift to her," Overby told a Washington news
conference. "She is free to use the money as she sees fit and in any way
she wants to."
Overby and Al Neuharth, founder of the Forum, traveled to Yangon, capital
of the country formerly known as Burma, to tell Suu Kyi of the award.
Neither Overby nor Neuharth would discuss details of how they were able to
visit Suu Kyi, an opposition leader released only in May 2002 from 19
months of house arrest.
They also would not say how they would transfer the money to her. "But I
assure you that it will happen," Neuharth said. They did not know how she
would use the money and said she did not expect it would prompt government
retaliation.
The award will be formally presented on March 20. Suu Kyi's son, Alexander
Aris, who lives outside of Myanmar, will represent her. Suu Kyi refuses to
leave the country until she is assured she will be allowed to return.
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy swept to a landslide election win
in 1990, but has never been allowed to rule by the military, which has
been in power for over four decades. She was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace
Prize.
Eager to end its economic and political isolation, Myanmar has softened
its stance on human rights in the past two years. Representatives from
human rights watchdog Amnesty International were allowed to enter the
country for the first time and meet with Suu Kyi late last month.
Suu Kyi has been able to travel around the countryside since her house
arrest was lifted.
The news conference included a videotaped statement in which she described
a visit outside the capital, in which she climbed on top of a fire truck
she said was sent to intimidate her supporters.
"I tried to speak to the people who were in charge of the fire engine to
ask them to remove the engines and not to intimidate the people, but since
they did not remove the engine, I thought I might as well get on top of it
to address the people," she said.
Overby said Suu Kyi said 25,000 gathered for her visit.
_________

Narinjara News February 6 2003

Rice collection from non-cultivators of rice – Burmese junta’s new tricks
to squeeze people dry

The Burmese SPDC junta have issued directives to fully realize the quota
of rice collection set for the year 2002 – 03, from the farmers in Rakhine
State, in western Burma, according to our correspondent.
According to the directive, the related members of state agencies engaged
in the rice collection drive including the armed forces have been ordered
to help achieve the target of rice collection.   In Thandway District
alone the target set for this year’s rice collection has been 1.9 million
tinns (bushels), while the amount ‘agreed’ in deals with the rice growers
is said to be 1.855 million bushels.  Till now the junta have bought rice
to the tune of about 1.34 million bushels by making deliberate
underpayment to the farmers.  The amount of unrealized rice purchase is,
therefore, about 0.515 million bushels, sources said.
Sensing that the collection of 12 bushels of rice from each acre of rice
paddy in Thandaway district alone cannot meet this year’s target, the
junta officials have issued orders to collect rice from non-growers of
rice like shrimp farmers, orchard owners, fish farm and salt field owners
at the rate of 10 bushels per acre.
The fixed rate given by the junta officials is kyat 300 for each bushel of
rice, but while realizing the rice tolls, they charge as high as kyat
1,500 for each bushel of rice from the growers, and now even non-growers. 
Those who cannot meet the demand of the Burmese junta officials have to
face arrest and imprisonment, sources said.
Though the price of rice at Thandway is kyat 1500 a bushel, the junta pay
only kyat 300.  At Buthidaung Township, close to Bangladesh, the same is
about kyat 2000, sources said.  The yield per acre of rice stands at 25
bushels in the best paddy fields of the district.  Last year only the
rice-growers had to sell 12 bushels of rice to the rice collectors of the
Burmese junta, but this year the non-growers have also been included.
Besides that many of the low-level military officials come for extra rice
collection for their own consumption from the local farmers, a village
councillor said.  Last year the junta officials collected 1.7 million
bushels of rice from Thandway district which is comprised of Thandway,
Taungup and Gwa Townships.


GUNS

Myanmar Times February 3-9 2003

Burmese authorities reject conditional surrender offer of Shan rebel group
by Thet Khaing

The government has rejected conditions attached to a surrender offer from
the Shan United Revolutionary Army rebel group. In a statement faxed to
Myanmar Times on 21 January, a spokesperson said the government would only
accept the "unconditional" surrender of the group. In an offer made the
previous day, the SURA leader, Yawd Serk, said the group was prepared to
surrender under United Nations protection. The group is based in Thailand,
from where the offer was reported by AFP. Yawd Serk also said he was
willing to testify in an international court that SURA was not involved in
the drug trade, as accused by the Myanmar Burmese government.

The spokesperson described Yawd Serk's offer as a gesture aimed mainly at
winning support from the international community. Yawd Serk's tactics to
"make himself and his narco-traffickers look like Shan ethnic freedom
fighters to get sympathy from the international community is nothing new,"
he said. Former Mong Tai Army MTA leader Khun Sa had unsuccessfully
adopted similar tactics before his surrender to the authorities in 1996,
the spokesperson said. He said Yawd Serk was a former member of the MTA
who had surrendered along with Khun Sa but returned to the insurgency in
breach of the surrender agreement.

"The Government of Myanmar Burma has very explicitly stated that SURA,
being the remnant of the former drug warlord Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army, will
have to surrender unconditionally and abide by the rules and regulations
stipulated by the government if they wish to sincerely give up
narco-terrorism," the spokesperson said.

DRUGS

Nation February 6 2003

Shan Army intercepts drugs shipment headed for Thailand

by Wiwatchai Somkam

A Shan rebel leader said yesterday that his troops have seized 280,000
methamphetamine pills destined for the streets of Thailand's major cities
after a major clash with drug traffickers on the Thai-Burmese border.

One ethnic Lisu was killed and three other traffickers injured during the
three-hour clash, Colonel Yawd Serk, commander of the Shan State Army
(SSA), said in an interview with The Nation at one of his border base
camps. The seized methamphetamine was made by the United Wa State Army
(UWSA), a pro-Rangoon outfit, in their clandestine labs in Thai and
Chinese border areas, he claimed.

The SSA commander, once labelled by the US as a major drug trafficker,
said his group had adopted an anti-drug policy to help Thailand's fight
against narcotics.

This was to show gratitude for the shelter provided by Thailand to ethnic
Shan, thousands of whom have been displaced by fighting inside Burma. Many
have taken refuge in makeshift camps along the Thai border and live on
handouts from relief organizations.

The Thaksin government has launched an all-out offensive on drug
trafficking, domestically and along the country's borders, through which
huge numbers of methamphetamine pills are said to enter the Kingdom.

Yawd Serk estimated the Thai government crackdown had delayed the transfer
of more than 60m speed pills from refineries along the Burmese border
across from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son provinces.



REGIONAL

Bangkok Post February 6 2003

PM TO RAISE DRUGS ISSUE WITH BURMA
By Wassana Nanuam and Mongkol Kannikar

Joint measures with Burma to fight drug trafficking along the Thai-Burmese
border will be highlighted during Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's
visit to Rangoon next week.

I will discuss the drugs issue with the Burmese to work out joint measures
against drug trafficking along the border,'' Mr Thaksin said during
yesterday's visit to the army headquarters, where he told a gathering of
army officers of the government's determination to root out the drugs
problem. We will have to be specific so that joint solutions could be
found to snuff out the problem,'' said the prime minister who is due to
visit Burma on Feb 9-10.

Mr Thaksin said he appreciated the military's opening of its barracks
countrywide for use as drugs rehabilitation centres. The government would
continue giving financial support to the programme, he added.

Meanwhile, Nong Khai provincial authorities have struck a cooperation deal
with Vientiane to combat drug trafficking along the Thai-Lao border.

Agreement was reached during a courtesy visit by Nong Khai governor
Wongsak Sawasdipanich to Thongsing Thammawong, the mayor of Vientiane, on
Tuesday.

Mr Thongsing pledged his full cooperation, a source said. Vientiane was
also committed to a swift drug suppression policy.

As part of the campaign, a Nong Khai-Vientiane bicycle rally carrying
anti-drug messages was planned for March.

An estimated 500,000 methamphetamine pills were being smuggled through
Nong Khai from Laos each month, the source said. The province has a 330km
border with Laos.

Steps to stem the flow of illicit drugs and curtail their distribution
include more frequent border patrols, closer intelligence news gathering,
and more drug factory raids.

STATEMENTS

Freedom Forum February 6 2003

Freedom Forum Announces 2002 Al Neuharth Free Spirit of the Year
Nobel Peace Laureate to Receive $1 Million Award

Washington, D.C.—Aung San Suu Kyi, dedicated advocate of democracy for the
48 million people of Burma who are ruled by a military dictatorship, has
been selected by the Freedom Forum to receive the 2002 Al Neuharth Free
Spirit of the Year Award.  The 2002 award carries a $1 million prize.

Charles L. Overby, chairman and chief executive officer of the Freedom
Forum, announced the award today at the National Press Club.

Aung San Suu Kyi was selected to receive the 2002 award for her
free-spirited, non-violent struggle for human rights and democracy.  Her
release from house arrest in May 2002 brought renewed world attention to
her heroic efforts to bring freedom to Burma.

Al Neuharth Free Spirit Award is given annually by the Freedom Forum to a
person in the news who has stirred the public’s hearts and souls by
demonstrating the human capacity to dream, dare and do.  The award carries
a prize that can be as high as $1 million.  This marks the first time that
one individual has received the full $1 million prize.  The award was
named for Neuharth, founder of the Freedom Forum, upon his retirement from
the board of the Freedom Forum.

Overby said that he and Neuharth traveled recently to Burma and met with
Aung San Suu Kyi to tell her of the award.  Pulitzer Prize-winning
photographer Eddie Adams accompanied them.  During the meeting in Rangoon,
Aung San Suu Kyi made remarks that were videotaped as part of her
acceptance of the award.

The remarks, relating to freedom and her continuing fight for democracy in
Burma, were released at a press conference here Thursday.

The videotaped comments of Aung San Suu Kyi are extremely rare due to
restrictions imposed on foreign journalists who wish to interview her. 
Her comments also will be used at an awards ceremony on March 20 in
Washington, D.C.

Aung San Suu Kyi cannot attend the March ceremony to accept the award
because she will not leave the country.  Her son, Alexander Aris, who
lives outside of Burma, will represent her at the event.

“I will never leave Burma until I can return to this country freely,” she
said.

Aung San Suu Kyi has written an essay on what freedom means to her and her
people, which will be published in the March 9 issue of PARADE magazine.

Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, she was put under house arrest by
the military in 1989.  In 1990 her party, the National League for
Democracy, won an overwhelming election victory, but the military junta
refused to recognize the results.  Throughout the 1990s, Aung San Suu Kyi
was sporadically held under house arrest, the last period from September
2000 to May 2002.  She was released from formal house arrest on May 6,
2002, after intense international pressure.  Since then, she has resumed
her efforts to rally Burmese for democracy.

In her taped comments to Neuharth and Overby, she said that during her
most recent trip to the countryside, the military government attempted to
disrupt her meeting with fire trucks.

“One of the most interesting points of the trip was when the authorities
tried to intimidate the public by bringing in fire engines,” she said.  “I
suppose they meant the people to understand that if they didn’t disperse,
they would be hosed down.  I tried to speak to the people who were in
charge of the fire engine to ask them to remove the engines and not to
intimidate the people.  But since they did not remove the engine, I
thought I might as well get on top of it to address the people,”

She said government officials moved the truck when she got on top of it,
and she was able to speak to the crowd.

“There were many, many problems, but because of the very problems, my trip
there was a greater success than any of my previous trips because the
people were able to demonstrate very clearly that they would continue to
support us in spite of all the difficulties, in spite of the oppression,
and the intimidation,” she said.

“Because international journalists are restricted from traveling to Burma,
the activities and comments of Aung San Suu Kyi are rarely reported,”
Overby said.  “It’s a shame more people around the world do not know of
her courageous activities on behalf of freedom.  She is the Nelson Mandela
and Vaclav Havel of Asia.”

In making then private presentation to Aung San Suu Kyi, Neuharth said the
Free Spirit award recognizes “the spirit that has carried you through all
that you have done and because you’re such an inspiration to the young
people of your country and of the world.”

“We want to emphasize that this is a personal award to you,” Neuharth told
her. “We are a non-political foundation and this is in recognition of your
personal free spirit, and we congratulate you on that and all that you
have achieved.”

Overby said the $1 million award is a personal gift to Aung San Suu Kyi
and is not directed to any institution or political party.

“She is a beacon of free spirit for the world,” Neuharth said.

Aung San Suu Kyi was selected for her award from among more than 100
nominees by a committee of nationally prominent educators and business
people.

The Freedom Forum, based in Arlington, VA, is a nonpartisan foundation
dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people.  The
foundation focuses on three priorities: the Newseum, First Amendment and
newsroom diversity.

The Freedom Forum funds the Newseum, an interactive museum of news under
development in Washington, DC; the First Amendment Center; and the
Diversity Institute.  The First Amendment Center and the Diversity
Institute are housed in the John Seigenthaler Center at Vanderbilt
University in Nashville, Tenn.  The First Amendment Center also has
offices in Arlington.

The Freedom Forum was established in 1991 under the direction of Founder
Allen H. Neuharth as successor to a foundation started in 1935 by
newspaper publisher Frank E. Gannett.  The Freedom Forum is not affiliated
with Gannett Co.  its work is supported by income from an endowment of
diversified assets.