BurmaNet News, April 11, 2007

[Editor]

April 11, 2007 Issue # 3181

INSIDE BURMA
Reuters: Serial Myanmar car thief only after the fuel
Xinhua: Myanmar opens new international express mail service in new capital
Khonumthung: Three village chairmen killed by Burma Army, two others missing
Mizzima: Letters urge disarming of ceasefire groups

ON THE BORDER
Irrawaddy: Thailand denies Padaung resettlement rights: activist group
BBC Burmese Service: KNLA brigade 7 under seige
Mizzima: Burmese Army likely to attack KNU soon

BUSINESS / TRADE
Xinhua: Foreign investment in Myanmar hits 14.4 bln U.S. dollars in 19 years

HEALTH / AIDS
Khonumthung: AIDS on rise among Burmese workers in Mizoram

REGIONAL
Mizzima: Over 2,000 Burmese refugees and migrants detained in Malaysia

OPINION / OTHER
Irrawaddy: Thingyan time—When fun-loving Burmese douse their
disappointments - Yeni

____________________________________
INSIDE BURMA

April 11, Reuters
Serial Myanmar car thief only after the fuel

Yangon: A serial car thief in Myanmar who stole 11 vehicles in six months
was only after the fuel, which is severely rationed in the military-run
former Burma, a police source said on Tuesday.

Police caught Maung Myo Win red-handed last month as he was trying to
climb into a minivan in downtown Yangon, the semi-official
Myanmar-language Crime Journal reported.

Under questioning, it emerged he had been involved in at least 10 other
vehicle thefts in which the cars were left in another part of the capital
with empty fuel tanks.

'As far as I know, he just stole the petrol,' said a policeman, who
requested anonymity.

Private car owners in the southeast Asian nation, which has been under
military rule for 45 years, are allowed to buy 60 gallons of fuel a month
at 1,500 kyat ($1.22 at black market rates) per gallon from state-owned
filling stations.

If they need more, they have to resort to the black market, where petrol
is currently selling at about 4,200 kyat a gallon.

____________________________________

April 10, Narinjara News
Two customs officials sentenced to 21 years in prison

Two customs officials were sentenced to 21 years in jail and sent to the
notorious Insein prison last week for corruption, according to a report.

U Myo Thant and U Tin Myint Aung, senior customs officials, were arrested
last year on suspicion of corruption while they were working at a customs
office in the Rangoon harbour.

According to sources, their relatives gave over Kyat five million for each
to Burmese military officials in order to get their jail sentences
reduced.

Burmese military officials reportedly told family members that the
authorities could reduce the jail terms if they were able to fork out over
Kyat five million as compensation to the government.

Despite the large sum of money given by family members, the authorities
still sentenced the men to long jail terms.

At Rangoon's Insein jail there are over 60 customs officials who were
arrested last year in the anti-corruption crackdown conducted by the
government. Some are still awaiting trial on corruption charges.

____________________________________

April 11, Xinhua General News Service
Myanmar opens new international express mail service in new capital

Myanmar has opened a new international express mail service to link the
new capital of Nay Pyi Taw and the second largest city of Mandalay with
the outside world, said the local-language Myanmar Times pre-published on
Wednesday.

Articles and parcels from the two locations can be safely mailed to 102
countries in continents covering Europe, America, Australia, Asia and the
Middle East in a short duration of time depending on the distances between
the country of sender and that of receiver, the report said.

Service charges for the express mail service are to be paid in foreign
exchange, the report quoted the state-run Express Mail Services (EMS)
International as saying.

Articles such as explosive, pornographic matter, jewelry, narcotics,
censorless video feature, printed matter without scrutiny, consumers goods
banned by the customs, export commodities banned by the other countries,
animal and antique are prohibited for mailing, the report added.

According to the EMS International, which is under the Ministry of
Communications, Posts and Telegraphs, it has expanded its services to 32
more countries since July last year, bringing the total number of
countries to where the EMS International is accessible to 62.

The Myanmar EMS International handles prompt mailing of such parcels as
documents, business papers, samples and government- permitted goods.

Myanmar initiated the international express mail service with Singapore in
January 1995 and with Thailand in September 1996.

____________________________________

April 11, Khonumthung News
Three village chairmen killed by Burma Army, two others missing

The Burmese Army killed three Chairmen of Village Peace and Development
Council (VPDC) of Matupi and Mindat Townships , Southern Chin state, Burma
last February. They were accused of helping the Chin National Army (CNA).
Two others are still missing.

A border visitor said that Ting Co Chairman of Sanset village, Matupi
Township , Hung Ling of Ca Nam , and Maung Khe of Lungphanu village,
Mindat Township were killed by the Gangaw Light Infantry Battalion (50) in
Sanset village.

Two persons Khing Maung Oo and Tin Ceu, who were accused of being CNA
guides, are missing. They were arrested by the Burma Army after a fire
fight between the CNA and the army.

"Everyone is afraid to go to Sanset village. The arrested persons have
disappeared. We don't know whether they are dead," said a border visitor
to Khonumthung News.

The Chin National Army and the Burmese Army clashed near Ca Nam village,
Mindat Township . One soldier of the Burmese Army died and one CNA soldier
was wounded.
No details are available about the disappearance of Khing Maung Oo . He
was called to carry guns which were taken from civilians, and since then
he has disappeared. U Tin Ceu was also arrested for being a CNA guide and
did not come back to his family, said a local person.

Besides, the authorities accused the villagers of paying tax to the CNA,
and they called them to the new township of Rizua and punished them all
day long. It is learnt that the army took a list of all villagers who pay
taxes to CNA following the gun fight.

The spokesperson of the Chin National Front, Mr. Paul Sitha said, "It is
learnt that the Ca Nam village Chairman is dead and there was a clash
between CNA and the Burma Army."

After the fire fight the two sides held peace talks in Chin state. When
Khonumthung News asked about the meeting and its effect on the two groups,
Mr. Sitha said, "There is nothing concrete about the next round of peace
talks. If we meet we will shoot each other."

____________________________________

April 11, Mizzima News
Letters urge disarming of ceasefire groups - Myo Gyi

Letters urging that ceasefire groups be disarmed have been distributed by
an unknown group in Shan State early this month, according to residents.

The letters distributed in markets in Tantyam Township in northern Shan
State said "No more arms. We want peace. It has been 15 years since there
was ceasefire between armed groups and the Tatmadaw. Now they need to give
up their arms".

The timing of the letters distributed in the area controlled by the Shan
State Army (North), and the ethnic Shan group which has a ceasefire
agreement with the military junta, coincided with the meeting of the SSA
(North)'s central committee, according to a SSA source.

Moreover, the letters were distributed in an area close to the Pansang
headquarter of the United Wa State Army or UWSA.

Military observers in China-Burma border believe that the military junta
is masterminding the distribution of the letters and testing the ceasefire
groups.

The military junta is preparing to reconvene the National Convention, the
constitution drafting process, which is scheduled to conclude this year.

Meanwhile, more troops of the Burma Army have been stationed in Kachin
ceasefire group controlled areas and arms and ammunition is being supplied
to pro-junta local militias.

____________________________________
ON THE BORDER

April 11, Irrawaddy
Thailand denies Padaung resettlement rights: activist group - Shah Paung

Local Thai authorities routinely deny the Padaung or ‘long-necks’ who live
in three villages in Mae Hong Son province in northern Thailand the right
to resettle to third countries, according to a US-based activist group.

The Washington-based US Campaign for Burma on Wednesday released a
statement that claimed some Padaung who had already been accepted for
resettlement by Canada, New Zealand and Finland were denied the
opportunity to resettle by the local authorities.

The local Thai authorities say the Padaung do not have the right to apply
for resettlement, because they are not classified as refugees, according
to Targay Child, a Karenni journalist based in Mae Hong Song.

The USCB claimed that some Thai authorities may see the Padaung, or
so-called "long-necks" people who are originally from Burma, as a popular
tourist attraction who are frequently exploited by the Thai tourism
industry, both locally and nationally.

“Local Thai authorities have upped the ante of callousness and disregard
for human dignity by prohibiting the Kayan from seeking new lives through
resettlement in third countries, even when these countries have already
agreed to welcome the Kayan,” the campaign group said in a statement.

Dino, the headman of Padaung Nai Soi village northwest of Mae Hong Song,
said that many villagers want to resettle to third countries but face
problems from Thai officials.

The USCB said villagers in Nai Soi, Huay Pu Keng and Huay Sua Tao say they
are not allowed to work outside the villages, and their children are not
allowed to attend Thai school. Many children attend unofficial schools in
Karenni refugee camps near their village.

Targay Child said that at least 30 Padaung girls attend the school in
Karenni refugee camps. Some of his Padaung friends have taken off their
traditional neck rings, he said, because they want to blend in with other
people and apply for resettlement.

About 100 “long-neck” women and girls live in the three Padaung villages.
More Padaung people are located in a community called the “Union of Hill
Tribe Villages” in Chiang Rai Province.

According to the USCB, “Every day, anywhere from 50 to 500 tourists spend
between 250-500 Thai baht (US $7.72-15.45) for the opportunity to see
Kayan “long-neck” women.”

Tourism in the Padaung villages may reach into the millions of dollars,
including the money spent at local hotels, restaurants, bus companies and
tourist agencies, the group said.

The Padaung women who wear rings around their neck earn about 1,500 baht
($35) a month. The salary is administered by Thais, the USCB said.

In earlier February, Thai authorities held a meeting in Bangkok and
decided to combine two Padaung villages Huay Sua Tao and Nai Soi and to
relocate them near to Hyay Pu Keng.

But Dino said, “Many villagers do not want to move because they've lived
here for many years, and their children can go to school in the refugee
camp.”

____________________________________

April 11, BBC Burmese Service
KNLA brigade 7 under seige

The troops of DKBA, Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, have continued attacks
on KNU posts with the backing of Burmese military.

In the latest development, the headquarters of No. 7 Brigade of KNLA was
over-run by the DKBA troops and it is under seige.

U Win Min, a military analyst told the BBC that the latest attacks have
hurt the KNU but they will survive with the support of Karen people and
other ethnic groups that dislike Burmese army for human rights violations.

____________________________________

April 11, Mizzima News
Burmese Army likely to attack KNU soon - Than Htike Oo

Ethnic Karen ceasefire groups backed by the Burmese Army are gearing up to
launch a fresh offensive on their rival, the Karen National Union's
outposts, according to sources in KNU.

The outposts under battalions 201 and 103 of Brigade 6 of the Karen
National Liberation Army, the armed wing of KNU is based 30 kilometres
from Myawaddy, the eastern border town close to Thailand are the targets
of the allies - the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, former commander of
KNLA Brigade 7, Gen. Htay Maung led group and the government troops.

"They are marching to this (targeted area) with about 20 trucks since
April 9. They will combine forces and will clear the area but the action
is yet to start. Everything seems to be ready," said a KNU official on
condition of anonymity.

However, he told Mizzima that KNU will resist the attack.

KNU has been waging the longest war against successive governments for
self-determination since 1949. However, it has been facing pressure from
former colleagues and now ceasefire groups for territorial control.

In April 9, two outposts of the KNLA's Brigade 7 were seized by the joint
forces of government troops and Karen factions in a day's fighting.

After fresh fighting broke out, 800 Karen villagers fled to refugee camps
in neighbouring Thailand.

Meanwhile, Thailand has tightened security on the border apprehensive of
fresh clashes on the Burma side.

____________________________________
BUSINESS / TRADE

April 11, Xinhua General News Service
Foreign investment in Myanmar hits 14.4 bln U.S. dollars in 19 years

Contracted foreign investment in Myanmar has hit 14.4 billion U.S. dollars
since the country opened to such investment in late 1988, according to the
latest figures released by the Ministry of National Planning and Economic
Development.

The foreign investment, scattered in 408 projects, came from 28 countries
and regions, of which Thailand, Singapore, United Kingdom and Malaysia
were leading.

Myanmar absorbed the highest annual contracted foreign investment of 6.065
billion U.S. dollars in 2005-06 fiscal year which mainly came from
Thailand with 6.03 billion dollars in the 7, 110-megawatt Tar-hsan
hydropower project on the Thanlwin River in eastern Shan state's Tachilek.

Other investments during the fiscal year were from India with 30.575
million dollars in oil and gas, from Thailand with 4.4 million dollars
also in oil and gas and from China with 700,000 dollars in mining totaling
over 35 million dollars, the ministry's figures show.

Sectorally speaking, oil and gas accounted for 34 percent, manufacturing
20 percent, real estate 13.7 percent and hotels and tourism 13.3 percent.

Other sectors include mining, livestock and fisheries, transport
communication, industrial estate, construction and agriculture.

In the first half (April to September) of the fiscal year 2006- 07,
Myanmar brought in 33 million dollars contracted foreign investment from
Russia, according to the ministry. Russia's investment in the oil and gas
sector was the only foreign investment absorbed during the half-year
period.

Myanmar enacted the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Law in late 1988 when
it started to adopt a market-oriented economic policy and the energy
sector which comprises of oil and gas and hydropower is seen as the main
contributor to the increase in FDI in Myanmar in the future.

____________________________________
HEALTH / AIDS

April 11, Khonumthung News
AIDS on rise among Burmese workers in Mizoram

AIDS among Burmese workers in Aizawl, Indo-Myanmar border is on the rise.
Although last year's report of the Samaritan Society, following blood
tests, did not reveal the exact number of HIV positive people among 700
Burmese workers, the counselor of the society Mr. Zaw Thun said that the
ratio of infected HIV people was 1 in 100.

"The condition is not really unsafe and we check their blood regularly. In
2007 our society is preparing to have effective awareness programmes more
than before," he said.
There are more AIDS patients among traders and there are some AIDS
positive people among weavers and daily workers.

Although the detailed reports of blood tests did not show the exact number
of AIDS patients, but if one goes by percentage the situation could be
grave.

"We have no right to talk about the exact number of AIDS patients among
Burmese workers by just testing their blood. We can only say that there
are some HIV positive people in Burmese society. Therefore we have to pay
more attention and take care of them," said Mr. Zaw Thun.

Besides, a report said that at least two Burmese used to come for check
ups once in a week at the Clinic for AIDS patients in Durtlang Block,
Aizawl.

Ten Burmese workers have died of AIDS in Aizawl, Mizoram since 1996.

In 2006, the Samaritan Society tested the blood of 30,000 people in
Mizoram, they found that there are 2,000 AIDS patients and this includes a
number the Burmese workers.

The Aizawl based Samaritan Society started to work for Burmese workers
related to creating awareness in AIDS and distributing condoms as well as
checking blood free of cost from 2005.

_____________________________________
REGIONAL

April 11, Mizzima News
Over 2,000 Burmese refugees and migrants detained in Malaysia - Mungpi

Burmese refugees and migrant workers in Malaysia live in perpetual fear of
being arrested and deported. Over 2,000 Burmese have been arrested by
RELA, the peoples' volunteer corps, which conducted widespread raids.

Za Uk Ling in-charge of the Chin Human Rights Organisation (CHRO) in
Malaysia, said Burmese refugees are in constant fear of being arrested and
deported by the RELA, which has been bestowed with special powers to enter
premises without a warrant and make arrests.

Burmese refugees, even those with work permits or who have been recognized
as refugees by UNHCR, have been arrested and tortured by RELA, which takes
no excuses whatsoever, said Ling, who works as a refugee desk coordinator
for SUARAM, a human rights organisation in Malaysia.

Both SUARAM and CHRO have condemned the actions of RELA and called on the
Malaysian government to abolish it because it reportedly commits severe
human rights violations by assaulting, kicking and beating refugees and
migrants with batons while conducting raids.

RELA personnel, whose powers under the emergency act came into operation
in early 2005, have been given the right to carry and use firearms, stop,
search and demand documents, enter premises and arrest without a warrant.

"RELA itself does not have any mechanism of accountability and its
personnel do not have proper training of law enforcement. So these
baton-wielding volunteers are into rampant violation of human rights by
their actions," Ling said.

Moreover, since there have been too many arrests, the detention camps are
over crowded. Prison authorities instead of sanitizing the rooms continue
to torture and abuse the inmates, Ling said.

"About 400 people are accommodated in a congested room measuring 50 by 25
feet square," Ling added.

Malaysia is estimated to host more than 2.6 million migrant workers from
neighbouring Southeast Asian countries as well as others.

Earlier in March, the Malaysian Bar in its annual general meeting called
on the government to abolish the RELA and to provide humane treatment and
equal protection to all persons including refugees and migrants as per the
Malaysian Federal Constitution.

The Malaysian Bar also urged the government to ratify the International
Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and
Members of their Families and also the Convention against Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

However, the government has not come up with any response to the various
calls made by human rights groups, lawyers and political groups including
the Malaysian Parliamentary Caucus for Democracy in Burma, which has
called on the government to protect all Burmese children living in
Malaysia as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
the Child.

____________________________________
OPINION / OTHER

April 11, Irrawaddy
Thingyan time—When fun-loving Burmese douse their disappointments - Yeni

Historians suggest that the annual water festival now about to be
celebrated in many countries of Southeast Asia, including Burma, dates
back more than 900 years and is believed to be rooted in Hinduism. It
takes the form of New Year celebrations centering on the day of the full
moon of the 11th month of the Buddhist year, and is observed in Thailand,
Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Xishuangbanna, in China’s southern Yunnan
region.

Fittingly, it falls in the hottest month of the year, April, when the
countryside and the people are gasping for cooling water, the elixir of
life.

The Burmese New Year, Thingyan, starts on Friday, and for the first time
the Burmese government has designated a 10-day-long New Year holiday to
replace the traditional five-day break. It’s a time of fun, despite the
strict rules set by the military regime and the country’s economic
hardship.

Thingyan—which has long since evolved from a simple purification ceremony
into one of the world’s wildest annual events—has become increasingly
commercialized, with major companies sponsoring rock concerts, DJs’
dance-music events and water-throwing events.

The Thingyan programs severely test government attempts to keep the
festival within strict limits. The Ministry of Culture, for instance, is
urging revelers not to don “indecent” clothes, to refrain from shooting
water from powerful pumps, avoid alcohol and narcotics abuse—and to tone
down the chants and insults that are part of the fun.

All state-run newspapers are stressing that these guidelines have to be
followed if the festival is to be “perpetuated and glorious.”

For one popular rapper, the government’s interference with the fun of
Thingyan is too much to take. He has cancelled plans to appear with
friends at a music event in Rangoon’s Golden Valley area, a center of the
festivities. “I’ll stay at home and read and write,” he said. “The
atmosphere here doesn’t favor us.”

The general economic situation isn’t favorable, either. Chronic power
shortages are leaving cities shrouded in almost permanent blackout,
driving citizens to despair. “We've had only three or four hours of
electricity a day,” lamented a Rangoon resident. “Most of the time we have
no water. So how can we celebrate the water festival?”

Burma’s military leaders are already rolling up their sleeves to celebrate
their designated 10-day water festival. The government has ordered all
civil servants and military personnel in Naypyidaw to attend an official
celebration of Thingyan in the country’s new capital. “The generals are
trying to discourage us from returning to our families in Rangoon even on
this Thingyan holiday,” said one of those affected by the order.

There is more to Thingyan than throwing water and having fun, however. It
is a time for taking stock of the past year and making the most of the few
remaining days before the arrival of the new year, according to Burmese
tradition. Apart from the traditional water throwing festival, Burmese
people visit pagodas and monasteries to make merit and keep precepts, pay
respects to the elderly, and do charitable work. It’s also a time of rest
and recreation after the year’s labors.

Burmese abroad will also be celebrating, particularly in the US, Britain,
Australia, Japan and Singapore. Water festivals abroad are generally
community gatherings, featuring singing, dancing, and traditional food.
Burmese migrant workers along the Thai-Burma border will be celebrating in
their communities.

Thingyan is just one of many examples that go to prove what a fun-loving
people the Burmese are. There are several festivals like Thingyan
throughout the year, marking the full moon of each month. Outsiders ask
how the Burmese can be so cheerful in the face of so much
hardship—democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has one answer: “In spite, or
perhaps because, of the repression and injustices to which they are
subjected, the Burmese have a remarkable capacity for extracting the
maximum amount of fun from the opportunities offered to them during our
traditional festivals.”


Ed, BurmaNet News