BurmaNet News August 26, 2004

[Editor]

August 26, 2004, Issue # 2547

INSIDE BURMA
Cultural Survival: No peace for indigenous peoples in Burma
DVB: Burma junta uses ex-student activists to undermine NLD
Kaladan Press: Forced labor for model village

ON THE BORDER
Bangkok Post: No backing for rebels, PM tells junta
Kaladan Press: Bangladeshi woodcutters snatched by Burmese Border Security
Force

BUSINESS / MONEY
Earth Island Institute: China sends out for Burmese logs

REGIONAL
The Nation: Senate panel to summon Exim, ShinSat

INTERNATIONAL
AFX: ASEM Oct summit should go ahead despite Myanmar issue - Dutch FM
Citywire: Rolls attacked over Burmese connection

OPINION / OTHER
The Nation: Any financial support for the junta is bad


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INSIDE BURMA

August 20, Cultural Survival
No peace for indigenous peoples in Burma – Karin Oman

The United Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) reported on August 5
that killings, torture, sexual harassment, and other human rights
violations against indigenous people in Burma have continued, despite
recent peace negotiations with insurgent groups.

The Karen National Union (KNU), the Karenni National Progressive Party
(KNPP), the Shan State Army-South (SSA-South), and small armed opposition
groups in the Mon State are actively opposing the Burmese government’s
policies against indigenous peoples. In December, the KNU and the KNPP
entered into a cease-fire, but fighting continues throughout the country
due to the longstanding history of mistrust between the Burmese government
and its indigenous people. For some indigenous groups, the only form of
outside contact has been through violent interactions with the Burmese
military.

"The country has been terrorized by the Burmese junta for more than four
decades and the people have, time and again, tried to get rid of this
tyrannical regime without success," said Sai Myo Win, general secretary of
the Shan Democratic Union and ambassador of the Shan States. "Many lives
have been sacrificed but still the military regime is intact."

Burma’s government is headed by the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC), a military junta that largely focuses its energies on controlling
opposition groups by destroying civilians' ability to support the groups
with food, money, and intelligence. According to Win, the Shan, Mon, and
Karen Karenni, who live in the eastern and southeastern part of Burma, are
the worst hit due to the ongoing armed resistance against the occupying
Burma army.

Win said the Shan State Army-South is well supported by the greater Shan
population. The movement stands for the restoration of self-determination,
equality, and democracy within the Shan State.

Yet indigenous civilians often find themselves caught between insurgents,
who may be relatives or friends, and the Burmese Army, which accuses them
of being rebel supporters. The Kao Wao news group reported on August 3
that the SPDC killed two Mon village headmen in Mon State. The two leaders
were accused of supporting Mon insurgents.

As reported by several news and human rights organizations, including the
Kao Wao news group and Amnesty International, rape and sexual harassment
are also tactics that Burmese Army soldiers use against indigenous
civilians. Soldiers target young girls and women in ethnic areas and
threaten young single men in the villages. Nai Soe, a Mon civilian from
southern Mon State seeking refuge at a camp on the Thailand border, told
the Kao Wao news group that "The SPDC soldiers also threaten and
intimidate young single men by pointing guns at them, after, they
routinely search and stay at the houses of beautiful women." Many women
and girls have been raped and some have fled their communities to seek
refuge in Thailand due to shame and fear.

A SPDC policy known as four cuts aims to deprive militant groups of four
things: money, food, recruits, and intelligence. The SPDC implements the
cuts by means of forced civilian relocations. After a relocation deadline
has passed, the army usually sends out patrols to destroy the villages and
food supplies. A Christian Aid report from May 2004 states: "SPDC patrols
hunt them, trying to force all civilians into army-controlled villages
where everyone is used as forced labor, maintaining military access roads
and portering supplies to outlying army camps. In the SPDC-controlled
villages even food supplies are tightly controlled; rice cannot be bought
without army permission, and farmers must hand over all food crops to
soldiers, who eat most of it and hand back only a tiny and insufficient
ration."

The United States Department of State 2004 country report for Burma cites
estimates that say more than 2,500 villages have been destroyed or
forcibly relocated by government forces since 1996, displacing more than
600,000 citizens. Win estimates that this "unimaginable human tragedy" has
created more than 1 million internally displaced peoples and half a
million refugees in neighboring countries.

"It should be clear that the people of Burma need help the way the German
people needed to free themselves from the Nazi rule," Win said. "The same
situation is also true with Burma; if the international stakeholders will
continue to be indifferent and refuse to come to the rescue, it will
become a failed state and meet the fate of a slow death much sooner than
we expect."

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August 25, Democratic Voice of Burma
Burma junta uses ex-student activists to undermine NLD

The military junta of Burma, State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)
has been employing former student activists who got involved in 1988
nationwide uprising and later surrendered, to undermine and hamper the
efforts for the emergence of democracy in Burma.

These surrenders are given privileges by the junta so that they could
harass other pro-democracy activists in Burma.

Ko Aye Lwin, a former student activist from Rangoon Institute of
Technology (RIT) formed a group called ‘21st Century Youth’ and his
members have been sending threatening letters to members of National
League for Democracy (NLD).

Ko Min Naing of exiled All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) said
that the junta has been using people such as Ko Aye Lwin to confuse and
confound the international community and Burmese activists.

After surrendering to the junta, Ko Aye Lwin set up ‘pleasure’ rooms eat
Hledan area in Rangoon with the help of military intelligence agents and
has been reporting on the activities of his former comrades and betraying
the cause for democracy.

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August 26, Kaladan Press
Forced labor for model village

Maungdaw: Nasaka forces are taking forced labor for construction of model
villages from Rohingya villagers of Maungdaw Township in Arakan State,
western Burma, according to our correspondent inside Arakan.

Since June 10, 2004, the Nasak (Burmese- Border Security Force) has been
taking forced labor from the Rohingya villagers of Maungdaw Township for
constructing 120 houses at Wabag village nearby Nasaka Headquarters of
Maungdaw Township, our correspondent further added.

The villagers of Wabag (Myaw Taung), Maung Hna Ma, Thet Kai Pyin (Nanda
Khali), Zambonnya (Zinbaingya) of Maungdaw north have to pay forced labor
daily for construction of houses for newcomers, said a villager who came
in Bangladesh for medical treatment.

All the houses are to be built at the measurements of 18 feet by 15 feet
per each, roofed with tin-sheets and would be finished by the end of
August 2004. The Nasaka authority is only providing tin-sheets for roofing
and the villagers have to provide all other house building materials, he
further said.

New settlers will come from Burma proper and they are mostly jailers, drug
addicts. They have no experience to cultivate the land and to grow paddy
and other seasonal vegetables. Therefore, the new settlers have to let
somebody borrow again their provided farmlands to the Rohingya villagers
or the villagers have to grow their crops by the order of Nasaka with
forced labor. Nasaka confiscated arable landsfrom Rohingya villages to
provide the new settlers. In brief, Rohingya villagers have to pay forced
labor, farmlands and house building materials to the new comers, said
another villager.

For the new settlers, the concerned Nasaka authorities have already
confiscated 100 acres of farmlands from nearby Rohingya villages to
distribute to the new settlers, said a farmer whose lands were
confiscated.

Similarly, Nasaka authorities have taken measurement of some farmlands of
Rohingya villagers from Ba Gone Nah village tract of Maungdaw south for
Nasaka families or new comers, it is still not known to villagers, he
further added.

Since 1988, The SPDC authorities have been very busy for construction of
model villages for the new Buddhist settlers. This is nothing but an
attempt to destroy the economic bases and uprooting of the age-old
establishments of the Rohingya people. The so-called Natala villages
(model villages) are dotted with continued erecting of pagodas,
monasteries, and community centers built with forced labor, said a
schoolteacher.

As a results, more and more Rohingyas are becoming landless, internal
refugees or internal displaced persons after their land properties being
confiscated and theirs homes uprooted.


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ON THE BORDER

August 26, Bangkok Post
No backing for rebels, PM tells junta – Pradit Ruangdit

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has assured Rangoon that his government
will not support Burma's ethnic minority rebels along the common border.

Mr Thaksin gave the assurance to Gen Thura Shwe Mann, Burma's armed forces
chief-of-staff, who called on him yesterday, said government spokesman
Jakrapob Penkair.

Thailand adhered to its policy of working directly with the Burmese
government, the spokesman said.

Gen Shwe Mann, Burma's No. 4 leader, also conveyed a message from Burmese
Prime Minister Khin Nyunt inviting Mr Thaksin to attend the World Buddhism
Summit in Rangoon on Dec 9.

Mr Jakrapob said a satellite concession deal was not raised for discussion
during their meeting.

Meanwhile, Thailand and Burma have agreed to set up a joint venture for
the construction of five hydro-powered dams in the Salween river basin,
beginning with Tha Sang dam.

The agreement was reached during the Aug 16-17 visit to Rangoon by a Thai
delegation led by Wiset Jupibal, assistant to the energy minister, who
held talks with the Ministry of Electricity of Burma.

The Energy Ministry yesterday reported the development to cabinet, saying
both countries would step up cooperation to develop five hydro-powered
electricity generating projects.

They included the Tha Sang dam for a 7,000-megawatt power plant in the
upper Salween, and two 600MW power plants at Hajji and Tanaosi.

The ministry will work with Thai public and private firms that are
interested in investing in the projects.

Thailand and Burma believe that Tha Sang dam is most ready for the
development since studies have already been made on its location and
design.

Authorities of both countries will meet again next month on details of the
dam.

A joint Thai-Burmese cooperation committee has been set up to push for
implementation of the dam projects.

Also, a joint Thai-Burmese venture will be set up as soon as possible to
study further joint investment projects.

_____________________________________

August 25, Kaladan Press
Two Bangladeshi woodcutters snatched by Burmese Border Security Force

Cox’s Bazar, August 25:Nasaka (Burmese Border Security Force) abducted two
Bangladesh nationals from inside Bangladesh land territorial boundary,
according to our correspondent from border area.

On August 16, 2004, the Nasaka members entered the Bangladesh land
territory and kidnapped two Bangladeshi woodcutters into Burma, reported
by Ajker Desh Bidesh on 20th August 2004.

The two Bangladeshi woodcutters are Abdul Meah, 25, son of Kala Meah and
Sayed Alam, 25, son of Ghura Meah from Thaipalong village of Ukhia Union
under the Cox’s Bazar district, according to our sources.

Armed Nasaka arrested them while they reached nearby Reju-Amtoli border of
no man’s land for firewood in Bangladesh side and took away to Burma, said
a relative of woodcutters to our sources.

The woodcutters’ failure to come home in time, some of the relatives went
to the border Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) camp to query information about the
woodcutters. After getting information from BDR that the Burmese Nasaka
has abducted the said woodcutters, the relatives returned home, villagers
said to our correspondent.

According to the villagers, Burmese Nasaka frequently entered Bangladesh
land territory and took away Bangladeshi woodcutters and put in the
Burmese prisons for a long time without any trial.

It is reported that there are more than 70 Bangladeshi in prisons of
Sittwe (Akyab), Buthidaung and Maungdaw. Some of them have been launching
in these prisons for more than 10 years.

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BUSINESS / MONEY

Issue cover dated Sept 22, Earth Island Institute
China sends out for Burmese logs - Sara Knight

As the world's fastest-growing market for tropical timber, China has made
efforts to protect its own endangered forests by imposing a nationwide ban
on logging in 1998. But there is mounting evidence that China has merely
exported this problem to other Asian countries, where escalating Chinese
demand has resulted in excessive and illegal logging.

It seems Myanmar may have suffered the heaviest damage to old-growth
forests. "It's the biggest mistake we've made," says Bao Youxiang, head of
the United Wa State Army, a former guerilla group that has become a
regional authority in northeastern Myanmar. "We've destroyed our
environment."

China's timber imports from Myanmar surged 40 percent last year. Those
old-growth forests, which covered 60 percent of Myanmar as recently as
1960, now cover less than 30 percent. And the percentage is falling fast.

According to a Global Witness report, "The local population has benefited
very little in economic terms, but the rich [drug lords and military
authorities] have enriched themselves."

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REGIONAL

August 26,The Nation
Senate panel to summon Exim, ShinSat

The Senate committee on foreign affairs will summon representatives from
the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (Exim) and Shin Satellite to explain
the Bt600-million soft loan to fund Burma’s broadband Internet project.

The panel needs clarification of the details of the loan from both
parties, its chairman Kraisak Chonhavan said yesterday.

It is not yet clear when testimonies will be heard, because the committee
has not yet sent requests to either the bank or the company.

Exim approved the Bt600-million loan for the broadband project on August
9, after Shin Satellite had been selected by Burma’s Ministry of
Communications, Post and Telegraph Union as the only eligible Thai
supplier for the project.

The foreign affairs committee’s call for an explanation was among a series
of demands for the disclosure of the loan’s details. Opposition MPs are
set to call for clarification about the loan from Exim during its
mandatory annual report to Parliament today.

Somkiart Tangkitvanich, a telecommunications researcher at the Thailand
Development Research Institute, called on the prime minister to instruct
the Exim bank to disclose full details of the contract to show his
sincerity.

He said the government, as the loan provider, had the authority to impose
conditions on recipients to ensure transparency.

The Exim bank earlier said it could not impose any guidelines on Rangoon
regarding procurement, saying it was an internal matter.

“This is not a normal business deal as it involves public policy. The Thai
government needs to be accountable to taxpayers,” he said.

He added that other Thai firms, such as True Corp and Ucom, had
fibre-optic capabilities and the government should allow all Thai
suppliers to engage in competitive bidding.

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INTERNATIONAL

August 26, AFX
ASEM Oct summit should go ahead despite Myanmar issue - Dutch FM

The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit scheduled for October in Vietnam
should go ahead despite a dispute over Myanmar's participation, Dutch
Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said here.

The biennial summit was put at risk after the EU insisted that Myanmar
cannot take part because of the military-run state's poor human rights
record.

"We believe that this meeting should take place in Hanoi," Bot, whose
country holds the rotating presidency of the EU, told reporters after a
meeting with Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda.

"As the president of the European Union we intend to organize together
this Hanoi summit in a constructive manner. We will discuss outstanding
issues this evening," he said.

Wirayuda expressed confidence that the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) and the EU will be able to see eye-to-eye on the Myanmar
issue.

"I believe it is in the strong interest of both the Asian side as well as
the European side that we should be able to settle the issue that we have
on ASEM's upcoming summit, in particular the question of participation, in
a satisfactory manner," he said.

The EU, which has put in place tough political sanctions against Myanmar,
is demanding the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house
arrest and the start of democratic reforms.

ASEAN, however, insists that Myanmar and its other new members, Cambodia
and Laos, take part unconditionally in the summit in return for the
participation of the 10 states that joined the EU in May.

It says that if Myanmar cannot attend, neither can the new EU members.

An ASEM finance ministers' meeting scheduled for last month and a
September gathering of the group's economy ministers have already been
cancelled.

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August 26, Citywire
Rolls attacked over Burmese connection

The Burma Campaign UK, which protests against human rights abuses by the
Burmese government, has branded Rolls Royce a 'dirty' company for doing
business with a Burmese airline.

The campaign aims to encourage UK businesses to sever ties with Burma and
claims to have been instrumental in prompting Premier Oil and British
American Tobacco's exit from the country.

The campaign aims to increase economic pressure on what it describes as
one of the most brutal military dictatorships in the world, which has been
charged by the United Nations with a crime against humanity for its
systematic abuses of human rights, by discouraging investment and tourism.

Rolls Royce (RR.) shares fell 1.5p yesterday to 232p following its
appearance on the 'dirty' list.

According to the list: 'Through its Singaporean subsidiary Rolls-Royce has
a contract to supply and service aircraft engines for at least one Burmese
airline. All airlines in Burma are owned by the regime or their cronies.'
We could not reach anyone from Rolls Royce to comment.

Major shareholders in Rolls Royce include Jupiter Asset Management with
15% and US investor Franklin Resources, which owns just less than 10%.

Popular £1.3 billion investment trust Witan also has a 1.6 million-share
holding. Marketing director James Budden told Citywire: 'It is the kind of
thing which would effect the way our fund managers look at the company but
[the investment decisions] are up to them.'

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OPINION / OTHER

August 26, The Nation
Any financial support |for the junta is bad - Don Sambandaraksa

The media seem to be making a great deal of fuss about the approval of the
Exim Bank's loan of some Bt600 million to the Burmese government for them
to purchase satellite services from Shin Satellite. Whether the loan is
appropriate or not is indeed a matter for Thailand and for our Exim bank
in particular.

Exim bureaucrats just follow the policy laid down by our government. Many
have disagreed with their conclusions and have voiced their concerns.

However, the real damage lies in supporting a military junta which,
according to a recent article by the BBC, is one of the most brutal in the
world and stands accused of torture of detainees and the use of forced
child labour.

Even if the recipient of the Bt600 million were someone other than
ShinSat, the outcome would be the same. The government is giving a fresh
lease on life to a regime that most of the developed nations in the world
have decided firmly to boycott, just for the sake of some short-term
monetary and economic gain.

Prime Minister Thaksin wants to bring Thailand into the first world. He
should do so looking at the long term and focusing on restoring democracy
and the rights of the citizens of Burma. Being part of the first world
involves more than GDP and money - it takes respect, which is hard to earn
and easily damaged.