BurmaNet News: August 6 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

August 6 2003 Issue #2300

INSIDE BURMA
Irrawaddy: Hunger Strike Over Reading Ban
Xinhua: Myanmar prepares for launching e-government system
Mizzima: Villagers Forced Into Fire Safety Training
DVB: Conditions of the political prisoners in Monywa military hospital

MONEY
BP: Burma’s 2nd ICT Park to Open Next Week
AFX: Singapore's TT Intl says not affected by US penalties to Myanmar

INTERNATIONAL
AFP: US Senators turn up heat on Thailand over Myanmar links

EDITORIALS
The Statesman: Crisis in Myanmar


INSIDE BURMA

The Irrrawaddy   August 06, 2003
Hunger Strike Over Reading Ban
By Naw Seng

Around twenty political prisoners in Burma’s Mandalay Prison began a
hunger strike last month, according to a statement released today by the
Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS).

Reports say the prisoners, including three females, continue to refuse
food as a protest against a ban on reading books and periodicals. Earlier
this year, authorities installed televisions in several prisons and
granted some political prisoners permission to read books and magazines.

The three female prisoners, Zin Mar Aung, Ohmar and Ma Ni, were detained
after a 1996 student demonstration.

DPNS Sec-Gen Zaw Nai Oo said his group received word of the hunger strike
at the end of July from recently released prisoners and the detainee’s
relatives who had visited the prison. The strikers are demanding "basic
human rights of every prisoner," he said in the statement released today.
"The State Peace and Development Council needs to follow their demands
immediately."

The Thai-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)
(AAPP) was not able to confirm reports of the protest. Bo Kyi, joint
secretary of AAPP, said the group was aware of reports of the strike and
the DPNS statement but had not yet received satisfactory confirmation.

According to the DPNS, the situation for prisoners in Burma has
deteriorated since the May 30 violence in Depayin. Hundreds of Burmese,
including pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, were detained in the
crackdown which followed the clash.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement
released yesterday that it would offer financial assistance to the
families of people detained since May 30.

The ICRC has made over 230 visits to 80 different prisons in Burma and
registered some 5,800 detainees.
__________

Xinhua News Agency   August 6, 2003
Myanmar prepares for launching e-government system

YANGON, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) --Myanmar is making preparations for launching
e-government system with seven pilot projects of information and
communication technology (ICT) being planned in this regard, the local
Myanmar Times reported in this week's issue.

The projects are e-passport, e-visa, e-procurement, e-certification
authority, smart card, smart school and trade e-data interchange,
Myanmar's e-National Task Force (NTF) was quoted as saying.

Of the pilot projects, the e-passport and smart school programs have been
launched with e-passports already issued to more than 2, 500 people, the
sources said, adding that projects to issue on-line visas is about 90
percent complete, expected to be introduced from October.

Myanmar attaches importance to developing human resources to computerize
government activities. Besides having some trained IT experts to work in
e-government projects, the country is also receiving assistance under
e-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) programs.

Being one of the signatories to the e-ASEAN Framework Agreement initiated
at the ASEAN Summit in Singapore in 2000, Myanmar has formed the e-NTF to
support the IT development.

With the aim of boosting the country's software industry, the first ever
Myanmar ICT Park in Yangon was established in January 2002 with the second
ICT park being planned in the second largest city of Mandalay.

Meanwhile, Myanmar signed a series of memorandums of understanding in
January this year with companies from Malaysia and Thailand and an ASEAN
organization on ICT development.

The government is also giving encouragement and incentives to investment
in the field, especially in education and human resources development for
the IT.
__________

Mizzima News   August 05, 2003
Villagers Forced Into Fire Safety Training: Kan Min

Villagers from Sakhangyi village, Chanthargyi village and Nanpaho village
of Kalemyo Township have been given fire safety training by officials
under the command of Lt.Col. Hla Moe of Central Training 10.

The one-month training program has been made compulsory for all farmers
since July 21st. This is despite the current monsoon season being one of
the most important and vital farming times of the year.

"I had just completed sowing my field when the village chairman U khin
Muang Yin told me I must attend the training or pay a penalty. So I paid
him 400 kyats", said a villager from Sakhangyi who had recently come to
the border region.

The first batch to go through the fire safety course consisted of 50
trainees. It has been announced that the trainings shall be held according
to convenience. Quite whose convenience, the farmers or the officials, is
unclear.

Villagers have been forced to donate 400 kyats per household for the
training, although Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) members
are exempted. This kind of revenue raising is a common occurance, as the
Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) Chairman Lt.Col. Hla Moe and
village Chairman U Khin Muang Yin regularly impose a range of taxes for
the villagers to pay.

The Sakhangyi community is suspicious of the motives behind U Khin Muang
Yin and Lt. Col. Hla Moe ordering the the fire safety training, as there
are no similar programs being performed in any other villages in Kalemyo
township during the all-important monsoon season. Many of the farmers
believe that the training is nothing more than a method for the TPDC and
VPDC chairmen to illegally earn extra money for themselves.

In April this year U Khin Muang Yin and an official from the Agriculture
Department, U Nyo Win, received a three million Kyat contract from the
central government to build a maternity hospital in Sakhangyi village.
However, the two men forced villagers to bring stones for the building and
made them construct drainage on the site without any payment.

The hospital was contructed within three months but the carpenters and
workers have been left unpaid. Head carpentar, U Kyin, and the brick
supplier, U Kyaw Hla, lodged complaints against the authorities about
their unwillingness to make payments, but as yet they have heard nothing
in response.
____________

Democratic Voice of Burma   August 6, 2003
Conditions of the political prisoners in Monywa military hospital

According to family members of the political prisoners, among the 40
prisoners seen to by the ICRC on the 31st of July, 28 are political
prisoners who were arrested during the May 30 Dipeyin incident.

The ICRC has been delivering letters written by the prisoners to their
respective families. Among the recipients of the letters are families of
the chairman of Amarapura Township NLD, U Hla Myint and the MP of Myinmu
Township, U Bar Bar.

U Hla Myint’s daughter told the DVB that she got her father’s letter
yesterday and her mother went to see him at the prison today:

U Hla Myint’s daughter : The ICRC delivered the letter to us. He says that
he is well and he is requesting food from home. My mother got the ICRC’s
permission yesterday and she went to see him today at Shwebo. She hasn’t
returned yet. Ko Zaw Lay (her brother) is in the military hospital. He is
feeling better and resting, they said


According to her, although she got the letter from her father, she still
hasn’t got any contact with her brother Ko Zaw Lay. In the letter, her
father enquired about his son, Ko Zaw Lay and it is sure that they haven’t
seen each other even if they were arrested together on the 30th of May,
said the daughter.

The younger sister of Daw Win Mya Mya, a Mandalay Division NLD Women
member who is being treated at Monywa military hospital said that Daw Win
Mya Mya and Ko Zaw Lay and four other people are still being treated in
Monywa military hospital. Although prisoners in Shwebo are being allowed
to see the ICRC and their family members, the people who are being treated
in the military hospital are allowed to see anyone, she said as follows:

Daw Win Mya Mya’s sister : Daw Win Mya Mya is at the stage of taking
exercises. They have taken off her bandages. I asked about their health
from the people who were released on the 25th of July. They told us that
they have taken off bandages from her and she is taking exercises. One
person’s hand was pierced, they said. They just treated him normally but
they latter plastered his hand after he complained. He had to wear the
plaster for 15 days. I was told that they are going to take off the
plaster off his hand on the 3rd of August. That’s all I know about their
health. On the 21st of July, we went to see them with food and clothing
for them. We were told that there was no base commander and they didn’t
know where the prisoners are kept and the the like


20 political prisoners in Mandalay Prison who were arrested for several
reasons before the Dipeyin incident have been staging hunger strikes since
the 21st of July because of the increasing oppressions in the prison.
Among them are three women political prisoners and they took the action
because they prison authorities withdrew their rights to read, according
to a news statement issued by the Democratic Party for New Society (DPNS)
which is based on the Thai- Burma border.

Six people in Monywa military hospital
-Daw Win Mya Mya
-Ko Zaw Lay
-Ko Than Win
-Ko Aung Kyaw Soe (Ahlone)
-U Bo Nyunt (Butalin)
-Ko Win Ko Naing (Mandalay)


MONEY

Bangkok Post   August 6, 2003
Burma’s 2nd ICT Park to Open Next Week
By: Karnjana Karnjanatawe

Burma will open its second Myanmar ICT Park in Mandalay next week
following the success of its first MICT Park at Yangon University.

In an interview with Database, Vice President of Myanmar Computer
Scientists Association U Thien Htut said the new park would house 30 IT
companies. Around US $ 2 million was spent in building up infrastructure
and facilities including a broadband Internet connection and an office
facility. Mandalay is our old capital. It will serve businesses in the
North while the MICT Park in Rangoon is a centre for the southern part,''
he noted.

He said after the establishment of the first software park in the year
2001, Burma's software industry has grown around 20%.

Currently, there are 40 companies located in the first software park. The
first park will soon be listed on the local stock market to raise more
investment and let people to get involved, he noted.

The government expects that the two parks will help the industry to grow
at a rate of 20-30% annually.

In the period from 1998 to 1999, it was difficult to promote the IT sector
because Burma did not have the proper infrastructure nor know-how. But
after 2000, things had been going very fast, especially after the MICT
Park had been established, he said.

Although the current political situation might impact some business
sectors, it would not impact the IT industry, he said, noting that some
local offices had already received outsourcing work from abroad.

We believe that we have advantages in cheap labour cost when compared to
India. We also have good human resources,'' he noted.

Mr Htut said the government was also planning a one-stop service centre to
facilitate skilled workers who wanted to do business in Burma as well as
to develop a 22-storey building as a technology mall in the next couple of
years.

Under Burma's Investment law, the government offers a three-year tax
exemption as well as the ability to import machines tax-free and no taxes
on income from exports.

In addition, two IT universities, the University of Computer Studies in
Rangoon and University of Computer Studies in Mandalay, will produce 5,000
IT professionals in 2004.

In addition, Burma has also upgraded its 800 high-school students to have
both technology and English language skills through a language lab, CAI
(Computer Aided Instruction) lab and a computer application lab.

At present, 103 schools already have an Internet connection while Burma's
Defence Ministry will censor web sites as it considers appropriate.

According to Myanmar ICT Development Corp Chairman Thein Swe, who is a
former minister of defence, although Burma did not yeet have an ICT
Ministry, it had an e-National Task force to draft its IT plan and
direction.

The work also covered drafting cyber laws as well as forming action plans
such as e-government implementations in order to be in accordance with the
directions of e-Asean task force, he said.

He said that during the past two years, some e-projects had been
implemented such as e-passport and e-visa and travel agents would be
invited to join these projects in the future, he noted.

Burma is also the second Southeast Asian country to implement an
e-passport project after Malaysia.

The e-passport project, which uses an RF ID tag, was introduced at Rangoon
airport in last October with the help of the Malaysian company Image
Retrieval Identification System (IRIS).

The system takes only eight seconds to verify a person to see whether
pictures and information matches our central database,'' he said.
__________

AFX – Asia   August 6, 2003
Singapore's TT Intl says not affected by US penalties to Myanmar

TT International Ltd, a distributor of consumer electronics products, said
it is not affected by the recent economic penalties imposed by the US on
Myanmar.

"The group's business transactions in Myanmar are primarily in the
processing and onward export of seafood products and the import of
consumer electronics products," the company said in a statement to the
Singapore Exchange.

"These transactions are done on counter trade basis, which serves as an
effective buffer against any adverse impact arising from the fluctuations
in foreign exchange rates," the company said.

"As the sanctions do not apply to any business transactions, remittance
and foreign exchange transactions between Singapore and Myanmar, they do
not affect the financial performance of the group at all," it added.


INTERNATIONAL

Agence France Presse   August 6, 2003
US Senators turn up heat on Thailand over Myanmar links
By: STEPHEN COLLINSON

Political heavyweights in the US Senate are turning up the heat on
Thailand, accusing it of deserting and suppressing democrats from
military-rule Myanmar, and warning they expect more from a long-time US
ally.

Rising opposition in Congress to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's
stance towards Thailand's neighbor, viewed in Washington as a pariah
state, has prompted some Senators to threaten US financial aid to Thailand
next year.

And criticism is expected to mount as President George W. Bush prepares to
travel to Bangkok for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum
in October, congressional sources said.

Arizona Senator John McCain is leading the charge, after firing off a
letter to Thaksin, dated August 1. "As a friend of Thailand, I write to
express my deep concern over recent actions by Thai authorities along your
border with Burma," McCain wrote in the letter, obtained by AFP.

He cited "credible, first-hand reports" that the Thai government had taken
steps to curtail activities of Myanmar democracy activists in border
areas.

The reports also suggested the Thais were hampering assistance to refugees
from Myanmar, and intimidating members of ethnic groups opposed to the
military regime in Yangon, McCain wrote.

He also alleged that Thailand had taken steps to silence Myanmar democracy
activists on its territory, and imposed pressure on ethnic Karen, Karenni,
and Shan groups to sign peace agreements with the Yangon junta.

McCain said several humanitarian organisations had reported that Thai
authorities had tried to restrict food and medicine supplies to ethnic
refugees fleeing oppression within Myanmar.

"Thailand has been an ally of the United States for decades," McCain
wrote. "We are fellow democracies, and our cooperation in many areas
remains strong.

"But the actions of Thai authorities against Burmese refugees, political
exiles and ethnic groups raises serious questions about your government's
commitment to the values that serve as the underpinning of any democracy."

Myanmar exile groups claim that Thailand has in recent weeks closed
offices of dissident groups, arrested activists and prepared a plan to
repatriate Myanmar refugees into the hands of the Myanmar military.

The criticism comes two months after Thaksin visited Bush at the White
House -- for talks both men used to express concern over Yangon's
treatment of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, arrested on May 30.

But McCain's Republican colleague Mitch McConnell warned last month in a
Senate floor speech that Thailand appeared to be wavering in support of
the Nobel laureate.

"The Thai Prime Minister should have departed the United States with a
firm understanding that protection of freedom in Burma was a top priority
for both Congress and the administration," he said.

"Unfortunately, I don't think he got the message," said McConnell, who has
tried to pile pressure on both Myanmar, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun
Sen in recent months.

In the same debate, McCain, who has maintained an interest in Southeast
Asia since serving in the Vietnam War, warned "we expect more in
particular from our ally Thailand."

Their comments were endorsed by fellow Republican Sam Brownback, another
key voice on Asia issues.

Thailand has in recent weeks pushed its "roadmap" for democracy in
Myanmar, a fellow member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The plan contains steps intended to secure the release of Aung San Suu Kyi
and movement towards political reform.

But Thaksin's opponents here have blasted the roadmap as a ruse to ease
fierce international pressure on the junta over the issue.

So far, however, the US government, which recently stiffened sanctions
against Myanmar, has been accepting of the initiative, though hardly vocal
in support.

"We welcome all efforts by the Thai government to secure the prompt
release of Aung San Suu Kyi and support democractic change in Burma," a
State Department official said on condition of anonymity Tuesday.

That's not enough for Thailand's critics in Congress, who have inserted a
threat to Thailand's assistance from the United States in 2004 draft
spending bills.

The stipulation, if passed into law, would require the US Secretary of
State to certify that Thailand supports democracy in Myanmar, is "taking
action to sanction" the regime in Yangon, is not hampering the delivery of
humanitarian assistance to people in Thailand who have fled Myanmar, nor
is it forcibly repatriating refugees.

US assistance to Thailand requested in fiscal year 2003 spending bills,
though low-level, still numbered 10.75 million dollars, mainly contained
in anti-drugs aid, military training programs and development aid.


EDITORIALS

The Statesman    August 6, 2003
Crisis in Myanmar!

It has been fifteen years since 8/8/88 when the military junta broke up a
movement for free institutions and democracy in the erstwhile Burma, now
Myanmar, and over ten years since Aung San Suu Kyi was denied the mandate
she won to lead her nation. She has been imprisoned, her movements
restricted, brother encouraged to contest her title to their father’s
house to dispossess her and other manifestations of a caring and
considerate bunch of colonels and generals; caring and considerate only to
their own ambitions. Yet her experience has not embittered her as those
few who have been able to visit her have testified. Not even when her
husband died in Britain and she dared not leave her country to say her
last goodbye for fear that the frightened men in uniform would not let her
return to her people.

Very little is known in the past decade about her and her League for
Democracy except that they function in a hostile environment but function
they do, much to the chagrin of the junta who must hope that they would
just fade away. Things have periodically come to a head but have cooled
somewhat as the cowardly men who hold her in thrall hesitate to go too
far. The events of 30th May have been worse than in the past and have set
alarm bells ringing wherever democracy dwells and also in capitals where
it is not as firmly rooted as it might be – such is the power of ideas and
ideals. On that day the junta lost patience. Her convoy was set upon as
she was travelling outside the capital to visit outposts of her party
organisation. Goons acting for the junta pounced on her and her people –
even the official version notes four dead and 50 injured. Informed sources
place the toll at between 70 and 80 dead. It is put out that Suu Kyi has
been taken into protective custody; those who need protection are not Suu
Kyi and her loyal band but the colonels who dare not speak their mind in
public and content themselves with official handouts. Offices of the
League for Democracy have been shut down and opposition leaders detained.
Nothing is known about the Vice-Chairman of the League who was travelling
with her, Tin Oo, is he alive or dead?

The UN special envoy, Razali Ismail, on a five-day visit demanded that Suu
Kyi be released forthwith; he had to threaten to cut short his visit if he
could not see her. He was able to meet her for a few minutes at the last
moment. Razali was told Suu Kyi would be released perhaps in two weeks.
This was on 10th June and we are now in August. Even Asean, which makes
such a fetish of not interfering in the internal affairs of member states,
felt obliged to call for her release but took a lot away by adding the
next day that the organisation does not pressure member states. The
American Secretary of State, Colin Powell, took a separate press
conference at the end of the Asian Regional Forum meeting to urge the
international community to stand together. He said and his words cannot be
bettered – The brutal rulers of Myanmar need to understand that the only
acceptable way forward is to release Aung San Suu Kyi and her supporters
and resume dialogue with her and her party. It is necessary to add that
Colin Powell’s words would have carried more conviction if President Bush
and his Administration had behaved less cynically and more responsibly in
Iraq.

Nevertheless I must record with approval that America and Japan have
imposed significant sanctions on Myanmar. Other countries must do the
same. The Security Council might take a view making it easier for
individual states. On 2nd July the Thai Prime Minister announced that
Myanmar’s special envoy had assured him that Suu Kyi was not being held in
the notorious Insein prison but the jury is out on the question of what
reliance can be placed on the word of a representative of the junta which
has repeatedly broken some promises and forgotten to implement others.

Mahatma Gandhi used to say – turn the searchlight inwards! When I do that
on this issue I am dismayed. Delhi has maintained a sphinx-like silence.
The excuse is two-fold. One that Myanmar is sheltering assorted insurgent
groups from the Manipuris and the Nagas to the Ulfa and we do not want to
antagonise them further. The other is that China has made inroads into
Myanmar by befriending the colonels and if we open our mouths it will be
worse for us. The explanations are an exercise in appeasement and an
example of cowardice. We ought to remember that one reason why there is so
much evil in the world is that enough good men do nothing. I say that our
weak-kneed attitude has encouraged the junta to accommodate more insurgent
groups and left the Chinese a free hand.

If we aspire to a permanent seat in the Security Council, we must do more
to deserve it.