BurmaNet News, July 14, 2006

[Editor]

July 14, 2006 Issue # 3004

INSIDE BURMA
DVB: It never rains: downpours kill two in upper Burma
DVB: Loss of Buddha statues sparks off dispute in Burma
DVB: Barking up the wrong tree: Burma junta accuses opposition groups again
IMNA: Seizure of unlicensed vehicles stepped up
Xinhua: First S. Korean film festival to be launched in Myanmar

ON THE BORDER
Bangkok Post: KNU demands Thais halt construction of road
Thai Press: Thailand troops sent to Thai-Myanmar (Burma) border
Mizzima: India-Burma border shuts down after shooting

BUSINESS / TRADE
Xinhua: Myanmar to set up border trade zone with Bangladesh
Narinjara: Police owned timber seized by police

HEALTH / AIDS
Narinjara: No treatment for AIDS patients in Arakan

ASEAN
The Jakarta Post: ASEAN meet to discuss Myanmar, N Korean

REGIONAL
Bangkok Post: Apology for attack on helicopter
BBC Burmese Service: Burmese meet in academic forum

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INSIDE BURMA

July 13, Democratic Voice of Burma
It never rains: downpours kill two in upper Burma

Due to flooding caused by continuous heavy monsoon downpours, two people
drowned as a result at Kawlin, Sagaing Division in upper Burma on 26 June,
according to local residents.

Moreover, local residents are facing many kinds of problems because the
authorities let open the floodgates of reservoirs during the night.

Similarly, a local resident of Tavoy (Dawei) told DVB that continuing
heavy rains in Tennesserim Division in southern Burma destroyed homes,
paddy fields, roads, brides and railway tracks, cutting off communication
lines, and some schools had to be shut down.

____________________________________

July 13, Democratic Voice of Burma
Loss of Buddha statues sparks off dispute in Burma

The villagers of Rangoon Division Hmawbi Township’s Lower Thehkone and the
abbot of their village monastery, are having a dispute over the loss of
two ancient Buddha statues.

The twin statues, said to be more than 250 years old, are said to be two
feet tall, and they disappeared from the monastery just before the Burmese
New Year, Thingyan Festival in mid April this year. The villagers alleged
that their disappearance is to do with the abbot Reverend U Uttama and the
religious committee, but the abbot denied the accusation.

The villagers alleged that the statues were transferred into the
possession of Kyaing Kyaing, the wife of Than Shwe, chairman of Burma’s
military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the
statues are said to be currently kept at Pa-le New Town, Rangoon. They
also claimed that the monastery received 276m Kyats for the ‘sale’ of the
statues.

The villagers also believe that the statues possess extraordinary powers.

____________________________________

July 13, Democratic Voice of Burma
Barking up the wrong tree: Burma junta accuses opposition groups again

Newspapers controlled by Burma’s military junta, the State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC), claimed that ‘a major political party’ inside
the country and those who experienced the 1988 nationwide uprising, are
planning to incite the public to rise up on the 59th anniversary of
Martyrs’ Day, 19 July.

Although the papers didn’t say what they meant by the ‘party’ or specify
‘those who involved in the 1988 uprising’, political observers believe
that accusation is aimed at the election winning National League for
Democracy (NLD) led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and 88 Generation
Students led by renowned Min Ko Naing.

The papers added exiled pro-democracy groups have been sending people and
documents to capital Rangoon, and that they have been holding discussions
on the matter in the neighbouring countries. The NLD spokesman Nyan Win
denied the accusation but insisted that the party will go ahead with the
planned memorial ceremonies for Burma’s national heroes.

At the same time, the 88 Generation student leaders said that the
accusation is groundless and they have no reason to react to it. Moreover,
they added that there could be some hidden agendas of the military
government in an effort to create deliberate problems.

“The military government has many reasons to be afraid of (the people)
within its own circle due to the ongoing economic, political and social
difficulties, more than the incitement for public upheaval from outside,”
said Htay Aung, an exiled expert on Burma army. “There are so many ongoing
problems. As you know, there are arrests at Mu-se border trade zone and at
Customs (office) in Rangoon. There are prosecutions of high-ranking
customs official and the arrests of merchants. All these cases involve
military leaders one way or another. Another thing, within the military
government, they are becoming more careful about their safety after they
took action on military intelligence agents. They moved to Kyappyay (the
new administrative capital near Pyinmana in central Burma) out of worries.
In my view, although the junta accuses the organisations on this side
(outside Burma) and parties within the country, what it is mainly worried
about is the conflicts within their army and fights (power struggles)
among the cliques (within the army).”

____________________________________

July 14, Independent Mon News Agency
Seizure of unlicensed vehicles stepped up

Homes of residents are being surrounded by authorities in Moulmein, Mon
State to seize unlicensed vehicles.

They encircled houses in San Pja Aye quarter in Moulmein and seized about
16 motorcycles, a local trader said.

The order to seize unlicensed vehicles and motorcycles came from the
Southeast Command yesterday, said a person close to Command officials.

According to the local trader, “It was decided at the township meeting
that the Village Peace and Development Councils would also help when the
authorities seize vehicles without license.” Those instructed to raid
premises for unlicensed vehicles include policemen, traffic policemen, and
officials of the Firemen Forced, Customs, and the Army.

They also invited brokers to the meeting to facilitate seizure of vehicles
and motorcycles. The authorities in Thanbyuzayart Township held a meeting
on July 12, the local trader added.

According to the local trader, if the authorities find vehicles and
motorcycles without a license, they seize it and the owners are sent to
jail for about three months.

Motorcycle owners without license are so scared that they are not being
seen with their motorbikes on the road. Unlicensed vehicles and
motorcycles are rarely seen on the road now, residents said.

However, the residents said that the motorcycles are seen as usual in
Lamine sub-Township despite the order for seizure.

The New Mon State Party has also been warned by the Southern Command last
month not to drive vehicles without a license.

The traffic policemen compiled a list of motorcycles without license in
the last week of June in Mudon Township.

In March 2004, the military authorities seized more than 10,000 vehicles.

 ____________________________________

July 14, Xinhua General News Service
First S. Korean film festival to be launched in Myanmar

A South Korean film festival will be launched in Myanmar in October to
introduce Korean feature films to the Myanmar audiences, sources with the
film circle said on Friday.

At the festival, 10 selected Korean feature films with Myanmar sub-titles
will be screened at the famous Thamada (President) Cinema in Yangon, said
officials of the Korean M G International Co Ltd, the sponsor of the
festival.

Attached with the film show, noted Korean vocalists and actresses Ttutti
twin sisters will entertain the audiences, the sources said.

Korean TV series were first telecast by the Myawaddy TV of Myanmar in 2002
and since then Korean artists have become popular in Myanmar.

In July 2005, a week-long Myanmar-Korean contemporary art show took place
here to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between Myanmar and South Korea, displaying classical and modern
works of artists of the two countries with different views based on
Eastern culture. The Myanmar side exhibits 23 works of artists, while the
Korean side 52.

In September the same year, South Korean stars including Kim Jae Won and
involving three Korean singing star groups -- the Cross, Baby Vox and Wawa
-- gave performances in Yangon as part of their ASEAN tour to mark the
15th anniversary of Korea-ASEAN dialogue partnership..

Both of the activities provided opportunities for Myanmar audience to have
direct access to Korean artists, thus creating better understanding
between the peoples of the two countries and enhanced bilateral
friendship, local artists said.

Myanmar and South Korea share a common experience in nurturing a
distinctive culture on the basis of tradition and creative adoption and
digestion of foreign cultural influences, the artists noted.

Myanmar and South Korea forged diplomatic links in 1975 and the two
countries have maintained continued cooperative relations in various areas
including cultural, economic, technical cooperation.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

July 14, Bangkok Post
KNU demands Thais halt construction of road - Suparmat Kasem

Construction of a road near the border in Burma, opposite Tak's Mae Sot
district, is facing strong resistance from the Karen National Union (KNU).
Wachara Taengcham, chief of Tak's Second Tak Highway Office, said a group
claiming to be part of the KNU has demanded that Thai workers and
engineers halt construction for their own safety.

''The rebel group claimed the road link would aggravate the suppression of
Karen minorities along the border,'' he said.

A request from Bangkok to the Burmese government to provide security for
the workers was met with silence, he said.

Thailand has already financed the 118.2-million-baht construction of the
17.35km Myawaddy-Tingganyinaung road, which was opened in May. The route
forms part of the East-West Corridor Development Programme.

It has also provided a 500-million-baht grant to extend the route by 40km
from Tingganyinaung to Kawkareik, to serve increasing border trade,
tourism and industry in both countries. The new route would replace an old
road which cuts through the Dawna mountain. It is being surveyed by CVS
1995 Consultant.

Mr Wachara said the second phase of the project will join a 182km road to
be built by Burma linking Kawkareik and Pa-an, the Karen state capital,
and Thaton district, and connecting with the Moulmein-Pegu route that
leads to Rangoon. Burma is seeking a two-billion-baht loan from the Asian
Development Bank for its construction.

KNU general-secretary Mahn Shar Laphan insisted that work on the new
section should be halted until a cease-fire is reached with the Burmese
government.

The road would encourage forest encroachment and make it easier for
government forces to abuse the Karen minority, he said.

____________________________________

July 14, Thai Press Reports
Thailand troops sent to Thai-Myanmar (Burma) border

A unit of 80 soldiers was dispatched yesterday to a secure a border area
where an army helicopter was strafed with gunfire at the weekend, The
Nation reports.

Senior officials are now waiting for a Burmese response to their complaint
about the incident.

Soldiers from the Mae Hong Son-based Infantry Taskforce 7 were sent to
Pang Mapha District's Tambon Na Pukom, where unidentified gunmen attacked
the helicopter on Sunday.

Colonel Somsak Nilbhanjerdkul, commander of the Chiang Mai-based Pha Muang
Taskforce, would not confirm the mobilisation or whether he was trying to
send a message to the attackers.

Although he stopped short of accusing Burmese troops of shooting at the
helicopter, he said he was waiting for a reply from the pariah state's
authorities.

Somsak suggested the matter should discussed by the Thai-Burmese border
committee, which was established to alleviate grievances at a local level.

He said the chopper had been forced to make an emergency landing after
several rounds hit its exhaust.

Relations with Burma have hit a low because of border clashes, usually
between Thai soldiers and pro-Burmese ethnic militias that rely heavily on
the trade of opium and other illicit drugs to maintain their militias.

Armed clashes between Thais and trespassing ethnic armies often drew
Burmese government soldiers into the action, resulting in political
deadlock between Bangkok and Rangoon.

____________________________________

July 14, Mizzima News
India-Burma border shuts down after shooting - Gyodu

The India-Burma border was closed yesterday after an unidentified man shot
an Assam Rifles officer in Moreh, the capital of the northeastern Indian
state of Manipur.

Junior Commissioned Officer Subedar TB Pun died instantly.

An eyewitness to the shooting told Mizzima, “Yesterday, at about 2 pm, a
man came in from [border] gate 2 and shot at the Assam Rifles officer, who
was strolling near the check gate, where the AR has been posting for
border security”.

Following the shooting, a brief exchange of fire occurred between the
gunman and Assam Rifles personnel. Tashi Bibi, the wife of a local
hardware store owner, was injured after being caught in the cross fire.

The gunman then escaped back across the border into Burma still carrying
what witnesses described as a nine millimeter pistol. According to the
Manipuri daily newspaper, The Sangai Express, the militant United National
Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the killing but no independent
confirmation could be made.

Since the attack, trade across the India-Burma border has come to a
standstill and all checkpoints, roads and trade posts in the area have
been temporarily closed.

Several militant Indian separatist groups operate along the border, which
has been closed a number of times in the past year after bomb blasts and
attempted shootings.

In January, two bombs exploded at the Nanpharlone border trade point,
killing at least one and injuring two.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

July 14, Xinhua General News Service
Myanmar to set up border trade zone with Bangladesh

Myanmar is planning to set up a border trade zone with Bangladesh in a bid
to promote such trade with that country, the local Khit Myanmar Weekly
reported Friday.

The border trade zone will be established at Maungtaw which will become
another one of its kind similar to that in Muse called the 105 Mile Zone
linking China's Ruili.

In September 1995, Myanmar and Bangladesh initiated formal border trade at
Maungtaw of Myanmar and Teknaf of Bangladesh. Although the border trade
agreement between the two neighbors has been in place for several years,
due to the lack of infrastructural facilities, bilateral trade was not as
boosted as expected, merchants said.

Until January 2002, Bangladesh opened a river port at Teknaf in the
southernmost of the country, providing the shortest river link with
Maungtaw of Myanmar thus facilitating their bilateral trade.

Currently, Myanmar and Bangladesh are engaged more in border trade than
normal trade. Myanmar's exports to Bangladesh cover marine products, beans
and pulses and kitchen crops, while its imports from Bangladesh include
pharmaceuticals, ceramic, cotton fabric, raw jute, kitchenware, cosmetic.

According to local reports, bilateral trade between Myanmar and Bangladesh
reached over 60 million U.S. dollars in the fiscal year 2005-06 which
ended in March, up 20 percent from 2000-01's 50 million dollars. Of the
total, Myanmar's export to Bangladesh stood 55 million dollars, favoring
Myanmar.

The two countries are striving to increase their bilateral trade to 100
million dollars, said the Ministry of Commerce.

Besides border trade, Myanmar and Bangladesh also placed emphasis on
maritime trade, signing in Yangon a technical protocol on coastal
sea-borne trade between the two countries in July 2004.

Meanwhile, aimed at facilitating trade ties, Myanmar and Bangladesh have
also planned to build a cross-border highway later this year to link
western Myanmar's Rakhine state and Bangladesh's Chittagong province. The
memorandum of understanding to build the proposed 133-kilometer highway to
link Buthidaung in the Rakhine state and Ramu in the Chittagong province
was signed in April 2004.

____________________________________

July 14, Narinjara News
Police owned timber seized by police

In a dog eat dog situation, a police officer of one area seized a huge
quantity of timber belonging to another.

A police team led by U Kyaw Than, in charge of the Mraybon police station,
seized a large amount of timber owned by U Thein Naing, the inspector in
charge of Ma Ei Myo Thit police station in Ann Township. The haul was made
while the timber was being transported to Mrauk U by machine boat during
the last week of June.

The timber, weighing 10 tons and worth about Kyat 15 million, was being
brought from Ann Township with the permission of the Ma Ei police station,
a source said.

However, when the boat with the timber arrived in Mraybon Township the
police team led by U Kyaw Than promptly seized it.

A source close to timber merchants said that timber trade in the area is
run as a co-business between inspector U Thein Naing and local timber
merchants. Traders must provide 15 percent of their profits from timber to
the Ma Ei police station for permission to transport their goods.

Many in the police and army are now involved in the timber trade in Ann
Township. They despatch the timber to the northern towns of Arakan because
the price of timber is much higher in these areas.

Local authorities in Arakan are dealing in a variety of hard timber
products from Ann Township, including teak and ironwood.

____________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

July 14, Narinjara News
No treatment for AIDS patients in Arakan

A couple from Mrauk U, the ancient city of Arakan, died of AIDS
complications recently in their home after the Akyab hospital authorities
refused to treat them, as they had no AIDS related medicine available,
said a source close to family of the deceased.

The couple has been identified as Win Thu (38) and his wife Ma Nge, (32)
from Aung Mingla ward in Mrauk U.  The two died on different dates. 
According to the source, Ma Nge died three months before Win Thu.

Win Thu began to show symptoms of AIDS after his wife passed away. He was
admitted to Akyab General Hospital but was not treated as the hospital did
not have appropriate medicines.

In Arakan State, there are a number of AIDS and HIV patients, but they are
not admitted to the hospitals as the authorities do not wish to treat AIDS
patients as they would other patients, said a townsperson from Akyab.

A source said that there is a rumour in vogue that AIDS patients admitted
to the hospital would die, as the authorities somehow kill the AIDS
patients.  Because of this rumour, many AIDS patients are unwilling to go
to the hospitals for treatment out of fear for their lives.

According to a government report, before 1990 there were no AIDS related
patients in Arakan, but the current rates of AIDS and HIV infections in
the state are increasing by the day.

____________________________________
ASEAN

July 14, The Jakarta Post
ASEAN meet to discuss Myanmar, N Korean

Foreign ministers of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) will discuss and pass resolutions on the issues of Myanmar, the
North Korean missile row and the Palestine-Israel conflict when they meet
during the upcoming ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and ASEAN Regional
Forum (ARF) meetings in Kuala Lumpur later this month

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said Thursday that he and his
counterparts from the nine other ASEAN member countries would talk about
ways to push Myanmar toward democratization and discuss several global
issues, including how to reach a peaceful solution in the Korean Peninsula
and the Middle East

"I can assure you that we will discuss the three issues as they affect our
region. We will issue joint declarations to express our stand on the
issues," he said after giving a speech at a seminar in Jakarta

Foreign ministers from Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar hold
an annual meeting called AMM to discuss several important regional issues.
ARF, which includes Japan, China, the European Union, India, Pakistan and
the U.S., will focus on regional as well as global issues

The ARF meeting will be held immediately after the AMM. This year, Kuala
Lumpur will host both meetings from July 24 to 28

Although ASEAN will discuss the progress of the ASEAN Charter and the
follow up on the ASEAN Security Community, many say that the problem of
ASEAN's incapability to act on Myanmar will dominate both meetings while
the North Korea missile row will dominate the ARF meeting

Although many countries have expressed disappointment with Myanmar, it
looks like Indonesia will not propose any sanctions against the military
junta

"Sanctions will not resolve the problem but Indonesia will propose no less
than the sternest resolution ASEAN has ever produced," Foreign Ministry
spokesman Desra Percaya said

The military, which has ruled Myanmar since 1962, crushed a pro- democracy
demonstration in 1988 and two years later rejected the result of national
elections won by the Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD)

It has spelled out a "road map" for democracy, including talks on a new
constitution, but NLD has boycotted the process

The junta again suspended constitutional talks in January after just two
months of deliberation, deepening international frustration over the lack
of reform

Myanmar, which joined ASEAN in 1997, continues to detain Nobel Prize
winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who had spent most of the last 16 years in prison
or under house arrest. Recently, they extended her detention despite huge
pressure from the international community

The ASEAN Ministerial Retreat Meeting in Bali last month also failed to
punish Myanmar for not pursuing democratic reforms

ASEAN lawmakers have proposed that the organization suspend Myanmar from
ASEAN and send an open letter to the UN Security Council to issue a
binding resolution on Myanmar

Meanwhile, ARF, which will be attended by U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, will be overshadowed by the North Korean nuclear row

____________________________________
REGIONAL

July 14, Bangkok Post
Apology for attack on helicopter - Subin Kheunkaew

The Burmese military has apologised for firing on an army supply
helicopter flying over Thai soil in Mae Hong Son border province. Col
Suthat Jarumanee, special force commander of the 7th Infantry Regiment
based in Mae Hong Son, said Col Mya Han, Tachilek military commander, told
him Monday's attack was unintentional.

Col Mya Han promised to tell the Burmese government about its obligation
to compensate Thailand for damage to the helicopter.

He was told the helicopter was fired at six times by a young Burmese
private. He was at his post when he saw the aircraft passing by and fired
out of panic.

No one was injured and pilots were able to maintain control of the
helicopter and land safely.

''Col Mya Han said the private was too young to assess the situation
before firing his weapon,'' said Col Suthat, adding Col Mya Han had
punished the private and his supervisor.

The incident triggered fears of a border clash. About 80 Thai troops were
sent to secure the area where the attack occurred.

____________________________________

July 14, BBC Burmese Service
Burmese meet in academic forum

About thirty Burmese academics and experts from wide range of areas are
attending a conference in Singapore, jointly organised by The Asia
Research Institute and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

This is the first time ever for experts from inside of the country to have
the chance to meet with Burmese expatriates and exchange views.

The panels discuss on multiple subjects about Burma ranging from History
and Anthropology to Economics and Politics.

Dr Kyaw Yin Hlaing, one of organizers, said "People would understand
better on the complexity of the issues related to Burma when they have
chance to discuss."