BurmaNet News: November 20, 2003

[editor at burmanet.org]

November 20, 2003 Issue #2373

INSIDE BURMA
Xinhua: Myanmar to hold cooperative products exhibition
Irrawaddy: Amnesty to Make Second Burma Visit
Asian Tribune: Political Prisoners above 65 Yrs Still Under Burmese
Junta’s custody

DRUGS
SHAN: Wa disclaimer rejected

MONEY
AP: U.S. uses Patriot Act against two Myanmar banks suspected of drug links
Times News Network: Trade talks on with Myanmar: Thakur

INTERNATIONAL
Narinjara News: UNHCR cuts back on Burmese refugee student support


----INSIDE BURMA----

Xinhua, November 20
Myanmar to hold cooperative products exhibition

Myanmar will hold a cooperative products exhibition and market festival
here between Jan. 13-19 next year, the Ministry of Cooperatives said on
Thursday.

The week-long exhibition is organized by the cooperative department,
cottage industries department and central cooperative syndicate under the
Ministry of Coopeatives.

On display at the event will be consumers and household goods, clothes,
electronic devices, stationery, foodstuff, handicrafts, construction
materials, machinery, fertilizer and furniture as well as export and
import goods.

Myanmar has set up 18,041 cooperatives since 1992 when it promulgated the
Cooperative Society Law to help develop the country's economy. They
include 17,402 basic cooperative societies, 618 syndicates, 20 national
cooperative unions and one central cooperative.

The cooperatives in business operation mainly cover the sectors of
agricultural production, livestock breeding, fish and prawn breeding,
industrial production, and health care and trade.

The country's central cooperative society has been a member of the
103-member International Cooperative Alliance since 1993.

The cooperative sector contributes about 2.1 percent to Myanmar 's gross
domestic product.

___________________________________________

Irrawaddy, November 20, 2003
Amnesty to Make Second Burma Visit
By Naw Seng

Amnesty International has announced plans to dispatch its second mission
to Burma early next month.
In a statement released today, the UK-based human rights watchdog said a
two-person delegation will visit Burma from Dec 2-19.
"Our concerns in Myanmar [Burma] are wide-ranging," said a spokesperson
for Amnesty International. "We are planning to discuss with the SPDC [the
ruling State Peace and Development Council] the human rights situation in
the country, including the release of prisoners of conscience; the
administration of justice; and political imprisonment."
Magda Wendorff-Kowalczuk, Asia press officer at Amnesty International,
could not confirm whether talks with other parties in Burma would take
place. The organization is not offering any comment about the mission or
naming delegates at this time, she said. The group’s findings will be made
public after the visit.
Amnesty’s first visit to Burma took place from Jan 30-Feb 8 this year.
Delegates met with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and government
officials, plus seven prisoners and their families, and several recently
released political prisoners.
After the visit, Amnesty said it would seek medium and long-term changes
in Burma, including legal reform and improvements in the administration of
justice.
The two delegates for the first mission were Demelza Stubbings, Amnesty’s
program director for the Asia-Pacific region, and Donna Guest, its
researcher on Burma and Thailand.
___________________________________________

Asian Tribune, November 20, 2003
Political Prisoners above 65 Yrs Still Under Burmese Junta’s custody

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners- Burma (APP) - a
non-governmental watchdog organization that is involved with the welfare
of the Political Prisoners in Burma, has come up with a list of 33
political prisoners, who are above 65 years of age and languishing in the
Burmese prisons or in some cases under house arrests, well over a period
of 10 long torturous years.

A news agency news item under a Rangoon date line November 17, reported
Myanmar releases 58 prisoners “Myanmar’s military government said Tuesday
it had released 58 prisoners on humanitarian grounds, including nine
elderly inmates and 49 women who were either pregnant or had young
children.”

But APP in its news release stated “The junta in Burma announced that they
have released 58 prisoners including 9 persons over 65 years of age and 49
females either pregnant or with young children on November 17, 2003.

The App report added, “We could not confirm how many of these people are
in fact political prisoners.”

“ However,” APP pointed out “we have information that at least 33
political prisoners over 65 years of age are still in prison or under
house arrest. Many of them have been in prison for well over 10 years and
are suffering from serious illnesses. All together there are at least 1500
political prisoners in Burma.”

The list of 33 Burmese Prisoners still languishing under Burmese junta’s
custody according to APP are given below

1. Aung Shwe 85 Yrs. Date of Birth 19/7/1918, MP -Mayangon-1, Rangoon Div

2. Aung Thu 67yrs. PPP & Lawyer

3. Bar Bar 71 Yrs MP - Myinmu-1, Sagaing Div

4. Bo Zan 66 Yrs MP - Kyauk Padaung-1, Mandalay Div.

5. Hla Maung 68yrs MP - Kyar Inn Seikkyi, Karen State

6. Hla Pe 76 yrs Date of Birth: 19/1/1927 MP -Mawlamyine Gyun, Irrawaddy

7. Htwe Myint 70 Yrs Democracy Party

8. Kyaw Khin 65 Yrs. MP - NLD,Taunggyi1,Shan state

9. Kyaw San 71 Yrs Date of Birth: 17/6/1932 MP - NLD, Taze

10. Kyaw Than 70 Yrs NLD

11. Kyi Maung 83 Yrs MP -Bahan Tsp.-2, Rangoon Div

12. Lun Tin 82 Yrs Date of Birth: 22/9/1924 MP-Moulmein-1, Mon State, CEC

13. Lwin 79 Yrs Date of Birth: 22/9/1924 MP -Thongwa, Rangoon, NLD Treasurer

14. Maung Maung Kyaw, Dr 73Yrs Writer/lawyer

15. Naing Ngwe Thein 80Yrs Date of Birth: 19/3/1923 Vice-Chairperson MNLD
- H.Q

16. Nyunt Wai 77Yrs Date of Birth: 14/11/1926 MP - Taungoo-2, Pegu Div., CEC

17. Ohn maung 76Yrs MP - NLD Nyaung Lay Bin1, Pegu

18. Saw Aung 68Yrs MP - Monywa-2, Sagaing Div

19. Saw Bin Zin 70 Yrs. KNU

20. Saw Htay 69Yrs MP - Singu, Vice-Chairperson, NLD

21. Saw Nay Dun 76 Yrs. KNU

22. Sein Hla Oo, 65Yrs. Date of Birth: 17/11/1938 MP - NLD, Insein 2

23. Shein Tin 68Yrs. PPP

24. Soe Myint @Thakin Soe Myint 80Yrs DOB16/8/1923 MP - South Okkalapa,
Rangoon

25. Than Nyein, Dr. 65Yrs. MP – NLD

26. Than Tun 82 Yrs. MP - Taungtha-2, Mandalay Div.

27. Thar Ban 66Yrs Date of Birth: 25/2/1937 Lawyer

28. Thein Tun @ Maung Ye Pyar 66Yrs. PPP

29. Thu Wai 71Yrs. Democracy Party - Chair person

30. Tin Oo 76 Yrs. Vice-Chairperson –NLD, H.Q.

31. Tin Tun 69Yrs. NLD

32. Toe Po 65 Yrs. MP – NLD

33. Win Tin 73 Yrs. Writer & NLD


----DRUGS----

SHAN, November 20, 2003
Wa disclaimer rejected

Recent claim by a Wa chieftain that Mongyawn, opposite Chiangmai's Mae Ai
district, had been cleared of drug activities since the arrest of a
notorious Wa commander last year was promptly dismissed by veteran border
watchers.

According to Bangkok Post, 19 November issue, Bao Youri, elder brother of
top Wa leader Bao Youxiang, had maintained that the town was freed of drug
connections since Wai Hsaitang, former commander of the United Wa State
Army's Independent Regiment "Duli Tuan", the unit that ran the town as
well as the area around it, was arrested (in May 2002).

A Border Patrol Police officer in Mae Ai sneered upon the receipt of the
news. "So who did we capture dead in August?" he asked for effect. "From
whom did we seize the 500,000 yaba (methamphetamine) pills?"

On 20 August, Thai police seized half a million speed pills, 5 AK-47
assault rifles and 9 dead after a fight with an armed escort the Thais
claimed as fighters from Mongyawn's 2518th Brigade, the new label of the
Duli Tuan following its former boss's disgrace. The incident had led to an
outburst from Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who said, "If Burma has
no no time (to deal with the Wa), we'll do it for them".

Almost 3 weeks afterwards, Rangoon was able to come out with a name. On 9
September, junta spokesman Col San Pwint reported that Zhang Minliang
a.k.a Zhang Xiaoliang, a Chinese national from Sichuan had been arrested
by the Wa authorities, who, contrary to Thai media accusations, had always
cooperated with the military government in its anti-drug efforts.

Thai military officers were also found to be non-believers. One told
S.H.A.N. in October that Thai officials had been invited by Rangoon to
visit Mongyawn following the 20 August clash. Both the military and police
officers were in agreement that refineries in the area were ordered to
relocate elsewhere prior to the visit. "One in Nayoi and the other in
Hsarmsao (both nearby) were removed right after," said the Border Patrol
Police officer.

S.H.A.N. sources also reported in early September that Wa commander Wei
Hsuehkang's two factories in Wanhong and Hopang-Hoyawd, both near
Mongyawn, were dismantled and transferred on 25 August and 4 September
respectively.

"The whole thing is just an attempt to whilewash the Wa," said the police
officer, commenting on the tour conducted by Bao Youri.

Mongyawn has also been renamed Yong Pang, according to Bangkok Post
report, meaning prosperity.

The Thai delegation led by MR Disnadda Diskul, who oversees the Yawngkha
"drug free village" project in Monghsat township, opposite Chiangrai's Mae
Fa Luang district, arrived on 15 November, followed by his assistant and a
group of journalists two days later, said a military source to S.H.A.N..


----MONEY----

Associated Press, November 20, 2003
U.S. uses Patriot Act against two Myanmar banks suspected of drug links
By Grant Peck

The U.S. Treasury Department has designated Myanmar and two of its private
commercial banks as being of "primary money laundering concern," and said
it plans to prohibit U.S. financial institutions from doing business with
them.

The action against the Myanmar Mayflower Bank and the Asia Wealth Bank
represents the first time the Treasury Department has used a section of
the USA Patriot Act against specific foreign financial institutions, it
said.

The wide-ranging USA Patriot Act was passed to fight terrorism after the
Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. The two Myanmar banks,
however, are accused of having ties with narcotics traffickers rather than
terrorists.

Myanmar is also known as Burma, the name preferred by the U.S. government,
which is hostile to the country's military junta.

"The designation of Burma is the result of its failure to remedy serious
deficiencies in its anti-money laundering system," the Treasury Department
said in a statement issued Wednesday and seen in Bangkok Thursday.

The Treasury Department said it planned to require U.S. financial
institutions to terminate all correspondent accounts with the two banks.

It said it has information the banks "are controlled by and used to
facilitate money laundering for such groups as the United Wa State Army,
among the most notorious drug-trafficking organizations in Southeast
Asia."

It accused Myanmar's government of failing to take "any regulatory or
enforcement action against these financial institutions, despite their
well-known criminal links."

The Treasury Department said it also planned to impose a general ban on
correspondent accounts with all other Myanmar financial institutions
because of a lack of proper government oversight, but would allow
exemptions in certain cases.

It did not specify when the penalties might go into effect, but said they
were consistent with a call earlier this month by the Financial Action
Task Force, an international anti-money laundering organization, for its
members to take measures against Myanmar.

The penalties will be imposed under Section 311 of the Patriot Act, which
requires U.S. financial institutions to take certain "special measures"
against designated institutions ranging from "enhanced record-keeping or
reporting requirements to a requirement to terminate correspondent banking
relationships," it said.

"By employing the tough new tools of the Patriot Act against Burma, we
send a strong message around the world that the United States will
safeguard our own financial system from under-regulated banking systems
and financial institutions that facilitate criminal activity," it quoted
Treasury Secretary John W. Snow as saying.

The Treasury Department has previously employed Section 311 against two
countries, Ukraine and Nauru, but not against specific financial
institutions, it said.

It said the department will continue to work with Myanmar to help
implement an anti-money laundering system there.

A Myanmar government spokesman did not reply to faxed requests for
comment, but in the past has said the government is serious about fighting
drug smuggling and money laundering.

The Treasury Department statement acknowledged that Myanmar in June 2002
enacted an anti-money laundering law that "purportedly" addresses some of
the problems.

___________________________________________

Times News Network, November 20, 2003
Trade talks on with Myanmar: Thakur

PATNA : In order to boost the development of north-eastern region, the
Centre has initiated trade negotiations with Myanmar and Bangladesh .

Giving this information, minister for department of north-eastern region
Dr C P Thakur said that talks with the two countries were already on. Once
the trade relations with the two countries were established, swift
development of the north-eastern region of the country would take place,
the minister said.

Bamboo, fruits and organic agricultural products like garlic and turmeric
would be the main items to be exported from the region, the minister
added. Lack of transportation facilities proved to be a major deterrent in
the development of the region but with the commencement of border-trade
this hurdle too would be overcome, he hoped.

Thakur further said that the Centre was very much concerned about the
development of the region and had allocated Rs 10,000 crore for the
ongoing development schemes in the region.
It was unfortunate that though the north-eastern states got more fund for
development in terms of population than other states, the region remained
underdeveloped as money was siphoned off, Thakur lamented.
The minister said that incidents of violence in Assam and Bihar in which
people of the two states were attacked were quite unfortunate. Such
incidents are in fact engineered by militants and anti-social elements and
this must be stopped at once, the minister said, adding every citizen has
the right to take examinations anywhere in the country.
The turmoil in the two states over railway recruitment examinations was
being closely monitored by the Centre, Thakur said and added that deputy
prime minister L K Advani is also in touch with the Assam chief minister.
Violence in Assam and Bihar was triggered by attack on Bihari students by
some Assamese people during railway recruitment board examination on
November 9.

Centre is also considering pushing in CRPF battalion in Assam to control
the situation, he said.


----INTERNATIONAL----

Narinjara News, November 20, 2003
UNHCR cuts back on Burmese refugee student support

Dhaka, November 20:  The United Nations High Commissioner office in Dhaka,
Bangladesh, announced a policy change on education for Burmese Refugee
Students, on October 28th.

The new policy will see refugee students who are studying at English
Medium schools in Dhaka, under the supervision of the UNHCR, be
transferred to Bangladesh’s government schools as of January 2004.  This
change would mean that the students would be studying in Bengali rather
than English as they have, up until now.

A spokes person for the Refugee Counselling Service Unit (RCSU), the local
NGO, which is responsible for looking after the Burmese Refugees on behalf
of the UNHCR, claims that this policy change will be for the long-term
benefit of the Burmese students, since the UNHCR can only pay for “O”
level classes, because “A” level classes are too expensive.  According to
the spokes person, the new policy will provide continuous education for
the refugees.

A Burmese student said that they have been studying only in English and
changing to Bengali could be very difficult for them.  However, since
UNHCR is the sole provider of facilities and funding for them, they cannot
do anything about the change.

Since the educational aid for English Medium schools will be stopped, on
top of the cessation of monthly monetary help from UNHCR, the refugee
families are planning to move to the border areas where the cost of living
is less than in Dhaka.

There are about 80 Burmese refugees in Dhaka and 20 of them are students.