KAOWAO NEWS NO.
83
-
Newsletter for social justice and freedom in Burma
January
28 - February 15, 2005
READERS’
FRONT
MUL
PUBLISHES LEADER’S BIO
UPCOMING
MON NATIONAL DAY
MON
CULTURE VCD IN THE MARKET
BURMA
’S LONGEST BRIDGE OPENS
GIRLS
RAPED AND BOYFRIEND MURDERED
Child
soldiers on frontline
SPDC
soldIer killed by KNU landmine
TSUNAMI
AND FORGOTTEN VICTIMS
DETAINED
SHAN LEADERS’ FATE STILL IN LIMBO
TOP
GENERALS LOCKED IN POWER STRUGGLE
READERS’
FRONT
Dear
Readers,
We
invite comments and suggestions on improvements to Kaowao newsletter.
With your help, we hope that Kaowao News will continue to grow to serve
better the needs of those seeking social justice in
Burma
. And we hope that it will become an important forum for discussion and
debate and help readers to keep abreast of issues and news. We
reserve the right to edit and reject articles without prior
notification. You can use a pseudonym but we encourage you to include
your full name and address.
Regards,
Editor
kaowao@hotmail.com,
kaowao_news@yahoo.ca
www.kaowao.org
______________________________________________
I am English, 88, living in
Queensland
,
Australia
, and went to work in
Burma
in 1937 (rpt 1937) employed as a forest assistant for an English company
and was responsible for the extraction of teak logs. I left the
country in 1948 having spent 3 years in the service operating behind the
Japanese lines. When the Japanese invaded I was in command
of an Animal Transport Company and had to take 50 mules to another army
unit based at Tavoy. I made this trip ON FOOT and so got to know
the country well. While in
Moulmein
I used to spend the weekends at Mudon where I had a small dug for use on
the beautiful lake.
En
route to Tavoy I swam across the river at Ye much to the concern of the
villagers who said there was a crocodile which had taken a horse only
the previous week; these days are 63 years ago.
In
1958 I returned to
Burma
and with the cooperation of the Burma Forest Department spent two years
carrying out what I called the Burma Wildlife Survey - and one part of
the project was to look for any suitable areas that might make Game
Reserves or even National Parks. Once again I returned to
southern
Burma
going as far as (then)
Victoria
Point
, now Kawthaung, where I spent several days in hospital with mumps!
I watched the collection of birds' nests for Birds' nest soup on the off
shore islands and spent time on the Maungmagan beach eating cashew nuts
and then another inland trek to the Thai border from Yapu village
and in the Heinze basin area. I saw many animals and recommended
the place be declared a Reserve. Those days are now 43 years past.
As
many of my experiences in those days are now unique, I am working on a
book of memoirs THEN and a final chapter on NOW. By
chance I found your web site and read your news letter 82 which I found
very helpful with forced labour but I want to find out more about
such subjects as - Destruction of forests and poaching of timber (going
to
Thailand
?); ethnic groups-if they are being forced to learn Burmese are they
forgetting their own language? Do they ever wear their national
dress or must they wear the longyi and Burmese style blouse? : .cost of
living - is the ordinary office worker able to save any money from
his/her pay after buying essential like cooking oil kerosene, transport
expenses, clothes, rent etc ? Mining activities in the
Tavoy area - still working with a profit? Bird nest collecting on
Mali
Don and other islands - all illegal work by Chinese?
This
is rather a long introductory e mail but I am trying to get as much
info; on the illegality of nearly everything that now takes place under
the military junta. I want the end chapter of the book to
bring all these facts to the readers (I realize I have to get the book
published first!) any photos are always useful.
Yours
sincerely
Oliver Milton
Queensland
,
Australia
Book
Review
-
MON
UNITY LEAGUE PUBLISHES LEADER’S BIO
-
(Kao
Wao, February 13, 2005)
Mon
Unity League has published the biography book of Nai Tun Thein, the Mon
national leader and President of Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF).
Nai
Sunthorn Sripanngern of MUL says this book is for those who would like
to learn about the life and activities of Nai Tun Thein, a person
devoted to peace and it’s a story of a man who has struggled for
freedom for his people, equality and self-determination. He has
dedicated his life to the freedom movement; the MUL would like to honor
him for his work for the Mon people in Monland despite his age of 88
years.
The
book is bilingual, 60 pages in Mon and 75 pages in Burmese. “We
encourage all Mon nationals, especially the younger generation to learn
about this man and in essence Mon political history since
Burma
gained its independence from
Britain
. Those who read it will have a solid understanding of what happened, to
learn what happened in the past, and in the end its up to them (younger
generation) to judge and work toward building the future.
Included
in the book are speeches and interviews by Nai Tun Thein.
Recently, he asked the cease-fire groups in the government sponsored
National Convention to unite firmly and demand greater rights for ethnic
nationalities. "They (the cease-fire groups) need to demand
full representation in a Federal Union; all the ethnic nationalities
must support this move. The cease-fire groups should not wait and
see what the government does; they should demand strongly what the
ethnic people really want.”
Nai
Tun Thein graduated from
Rangoon
University
in 1945 and led the Mon national movement as a senior leader of the Mon
Peoples Front for several years. In his long commitment for
democracy and human rights, he was arrested by the Revolutionary Council
in 1963 and detained in Moulmein Prison for 6 years. He co-founded
MNDF with other leaders and was elected as an MP of Thanbyu Zayat
Constituency in the 1990 General Election. He was arrested again
in 1990 and released in 1994.
Apart
form his busy life; he enjoys reading, writing and explaining the
history behind the ancient Mon stone inscription.
The
book contains introduction by the Secretary General of the New Mon State
Party, Nai Hongsar and General Secretary of Mon Unity League Nai
Sunthorn Sripanngern.
The
MUL has paid for the cost of publishing and has no intention of selling
it but welcome financial support by individuals or organizations to
recover the expenses. The MUL is planning to publish other
valuable books, useful for the Mon students.
For
those interested in this book, please contact; mul@anet.net.th
or
yekhak@hotmail.com
Tel: +
66 6 147 1474 or 66 2 428 6232 (Nai Sunthorn Sripanngern) + 66 1
561-0860 (Kun Yekha)
He
still takes the local bus to downtown crowded
Rangoon
. Although he sometimes says he is getting old, he never shows any sign
of giving up the struggle until his goals of equality, democracy, peace
and self-determination or his people have been reached.
-
Introduction
to Nai Tun Thein: a man dedicated to peace
-
(By
Kun Yekha)
Nai
Tun Thein is a Mon scholar and has been a respected leader in the Mon
national political movement for over 5 decades. He has committed his
life to Mon self-determination and has been actively involved in
promoting democracy for
Burma
for more than a half century. Before
Burma
gained independence in 1948, he worked with Nai Shwe Kyin, the leader of
the New Mon State Party; both became influential figures in their
respective party.
Nai
Tun Thein has been and continues to be an excellent role model for the
younger generation and has worked continuously for political
representation not only for the Mon but for all the nationalities in
Burma
. In a sense he epitomizes the movement by placing his work for Mon
self-determination before personal interest. He expresses his goodwill
to many and his kindness is immeasurable. By nature he is quiet and
unassuming, but is an active and vocal participate in promoting
democracy and participates at all levels in national and political
organizations. He went through a rough time and spent (10) years in
Burmese jungle outposts working with his friends and colleagues, but
remained closely connected to ordinary Mon people.
Widely
respected by all Mon for his honesty, keen sense of history, and open
mind, he is known for his dedication to Mon education. He loves
literature and has written several books and articles for the Mon and
other nationalities. In his free time, he enjoys teaching classic Mon
literature and describes in lively detail Mon stone inscriptions. Most
of his (88) years has been spent overcoming suffering, unfairness and
injustice. While he could retire anytime and live comfortably as he is
loved by many, he chooses to persist in struggling for Mon rights and
social justice.
He
still takes the local bus to downtown crowded
Rangoon
. Although he sometimes says he is getting old, he never shows any sign
of giving up the struggle until his goals of equality, democracy, peace
and self-determination for his people have been reached.
“I
pack my clothes in a bag, In case if they arrest me, I am ready to be
detained by the Military Intelligence (MI),” says Nai Tun Thein
whenever he leaves his home. His spirit has touched thousands and
has gained the respect he deserves as a leader and a teacher. Seen from
far away, the victory of national freedom is sometimes hazy and
sometimes not seen at all, but we can count on him to keep walking ahead
to achieve our dream.
-
UPCOMING
MON NATIONAL DAY
-
(Kao
Wao, February 14, 2005)
Mon
communities worldwide from the Nordic countries to
New Zealand
, from
Malaysia
to
Canada
are busy preparing for the upcoming Mon National Day in their respective
countries.
In
Thailand
, the biggest Mon migrant community in Maharchai, a port city and home
to several thousand Mon migrant workers who work in the fish processing
factories, are starting to rehearse for the big event. The planners are
organizing a number of cultural performances with dancers, singers, and
other live entertainment. However, the size of audience will depend upon
Thai security, which will keep the number of attendees under manageable
control, says a leader of MND Committee, Nai Htaw Ong.
In
Europe the event will be held in
UK
,
Norway
and the
Netherlands
. According to the EU Mon leader, Nai Bee Htaw, the Mon
Community in the Netherlands will celebrate the 58th
Anniversary of Mon National Day on Sunday, February 27th,
which will take place at the Nieuwgracht-32, 3512 LS, Utrecht from noon
to 5 p.m. with traditional dance and food. Those who want to
attend, please contact Mr. Seik Htaw (Tel +31, 515543358) for more
information on the program.
One
of the biggest Mon national day celebrations is in North America
organized by the Indiana based Monland Restoration Council, which
will
be held on Sunday, February 20, 2005 at South Side High School, Fort
Wayne, Indiana, USA. The committee member, Nai Lawee reported they
put up several posters at the worksites and local stores attracting
supporters and guests to join in the festivities and cultural event.
The Mon community of
North Carolina
and
Ohio
will also celebrate the events in their communities.
In
Canada
, the Mon Canadian Society in
Calgary
sent out invitation cards to friends and supporters around the city; the
event is scheduled for February 26th, 2005 (Saturday) at
Southview Community Association,
2020-33rd Street
S.E in
Calgary
,
Alberta
.
Mon
National Day falls on the first waning day of Maigh, the ninth month in
the Mon lunar calendar which honors the founding of the sovereign old
Monland Hongsawatoi or Pegu. The Mon has celebrated Mon National
Day since 1947 and nowadays celebrations
are held in many areas in
Mon
State
and around the world.
-
MON
CULTURE VCD IN THE MARKET
-
(Kaowao,
February 12, 2005)
The
second series of “Heritage of Mon Culture” karaoke CDs is being
distributed worldwide to the Mon community.
According
to the producer of Mon CDs, the main concern for them is the illegal
burning and downloading of the CD by many individuals who seek profit,
which will prevent the production team from recouping their costs into
making the CD which cost over 5 million Kyats to produce.
Directed
by Mehm Chan Mon (AMS) with six classical songs recorded by Mon
Literature and Culture Association in Monland, the second
series was co-sponsored by various cultural organizations with a total
investment of over 5 million Kyats (Burmese currency), 50 people had
spent over three months into making it.
The
CDs are on the way to the international Mon community; those who want to
order can contact local Mon communities to encourage the Mon Culture
Association in
Mon
State
.
In
North America
, please contact MRC (USA) and Mon Canadian Society for original copies.
In
Europe
please contact Nai Bee Htaw Monzel (+ 45 32 888 333) and Nai Saimon
Chittun of EU Mon Community (+ 358 50 468 2955) for further information.
The
source from
Mon
State
said the Mon Literature and Culture Association team is seeking
assistance to prevent their VCDs from being illegally copied and the
support from worldwide communities will be used for future literature
and culture activities.
-
BURMA
’S LONGEST BRIDGE OPENS
-
(Kaowao,
February 6, 2005)
An opening ceremony for the longest bridge in
Burma
was held yesterday morning in the capital of
Mon
State
amid strict security measures.
Senior
General Than Shwe, Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council,
attended the opening ceremony to inaugurate the 3,223-meter-long
Salween
River
Bridge
in
Moulmein
.
The
residents told Kaowao that the SPDC issued an order that only
Moulmein
residents were allowed to sleep overnight in the capital, outsiders such
as tourists and other people were restricted from entering for security
reasons.
One
resident said that the township authorities issued the order not to
accept outsiders; no one was allowed to have guests overnight. The
hotels were also ordered not to accept tourists for about one week since
the last week of January.
“There
are about 20 battalions under the Division 22 based in Pha-An, the
capital of
Karen
State
, who took charge of the security,” said Nai Ketu to Kaowao, a young
Mon community leader from Mudon township.
“A
battalion, as far as I know, such as LIB No. 209 took charge of the
security last month. The SPDC had planned to open the bridge at
the end of December, but cancelled it after a bomb exploded in the
capital of Karen state,” he added.
The
bridge, located between Mottama and Mawlamyine, about 160 kilometers
southeast of Yangon, is built over
Salween
(Thanlwin) River. The construction took nearly four and a half
years to complete.
According
to the Chairman of Mon National Democratic Front, Nai Tun Thein, in an
article he published six years ago, the first longest bridge in Burmese
history was built by a Mon General, Banyear Lagon Ein loyal to the
Burmese King, Tabinshweti (1531-1551) as part of a military operation
against Thailand over 400 years ago. The bridge was known as the boat-bridge
or the boats-joining bridges
used for transporting soldiers, elephants and horses while the Burmese
King invaded
Thailand
passing through
Mon
State
. The article was written by Nai Tun Thein after he heard the news
that the SPDC was planning to build their ‘longest bridge’.
Human
rights violation
-
GIRLS
RAPED AND BOYFRIEND MURDERED
-
(Reported
by Yin Sanaing, January 29, 2004)
Human
right violations by the Burma Army continue in southern Monland with the
tragedy of a young couple reported by eyewitnesses.
It
was a day of joy and excitement for the Mon people because it was the
full-moon day of Woh (October 28, 2004). Traditionally, older
people stay at the monasteries and Zob for meditation and religious
precepts while the young people cook for them and visit each other
during the special occasion of Buddhist Lent and the beginning of dry
season.
While
two girls, Ms. Mi Than Lay (17 years) and Ms. Mi Tu (19 years), were
walking to the pagoda, troops from Infantry Battalion No. (61) pointed
their guns and told them to walk ahead to the village’s cemetery
instead. Nine soldiers were waiting at the cemetery and accused the
girls of supporting Mon armed group led by Sok Gloin (long hair). The
girls were threatened and gang raped by the soldiers.
When
Mehm Kyu, (19 years) heard the soldiers were raping his girlfriend, he
rushed to the cemetery to rescue her. When he approached the scene he
was brutally shot dead by the soldiers in front of his girlfriend.
Even though villagers wanted to complain about the killing and rape,
nobody in the village dared to report about the crime convicted by the
Burma Army fearing torture or murder.
Ms.
Mi Kun Chan who reported to Kaowao could not identify the name of
soldiers who committed the crimes. She only knew they were the soldiers
from Ye based Infantry Battalion No. (61).
In
other case, Mi Hla Pwe, (35 years) was also gang raped by the soldiers
from Light Infantry Battalion No. 343 in Tao-Tak village of southern Ye
Township during Burma Army’s military offensive.
On
November 9, while her husband was staying at the monastery, she was
abducted by a soldier (named by villagers as Bo Maekhatoon) and taken to
his camp about 8 p.m local time. Bo Maekhatoon asked over and over
whether she loved or wanted to get married to him. When she refused, he
tied her hands and legs up with a rope and took off her dress. Mi Hla
Pwe stood was held and raped for three days. When she was released she
was sent to the clinic for medical treatment.
-
Child
soldiers on frontline
-
(Taramon,
January 29, 2005)
Sangkhlaburi
-- The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) uses child soldier in
frontline on the way to Karen state, an eyewitness told Kaowao recently.
“I
saw five child soldiers among 25 soldiers on January 25 at
Kyar-inn
Seik-kyi
Township
while traveling to the border. I think the boys were about 14 or
15 years old,” said U Ni Ni Maung.” He saw them in a small
military outpost near a Karen village along the motor road to Three
Pagodas Pass- Thanbyu Zayat. He counted them while they were preparing
to leave the base. The outpost was burnt down by the KNU or Karen
National Union troops 2 years ago because it was built too deep into
their area.
Even
though they were young, the child soldiers are carrying G-3 guns. “The
boys looked like they could just carry their guns and not anything
else,” he added.
The
troops had recently transferred to the eastern border from
Arakan
State
of western
Burma
. Five trucks were used to carry food, ammunition, bags of
supplies, and cooking material for the army.
-
SPDC
soldIer killed by KNU landmine
-
(Nai
Aie Ta Mai, Sangkhlaburi, January 24, 2005)
A
Burma Army soldier was killed and two were wounded today when their
truck run into a landmine along the Three Pagodas Pass-Thanbyu Zayat
motor road, about 20 k south of the border town Three pagodas Pass.
The
truck, carrying rations, drove on the land mine buried by KNU troop near
a small village controlled by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army about
3: 45 PM, a local man reported. The area is controlled by the DKBA and
clashes have occasionally occurred between the SPDC and KNU.
It
wasn’t clear how much the truck was damaged by the landmine and
whether the truck is a military truck or owned by civilian being
portered by the soldiers.
According
to another source from the area, the KNU have asked some food supply
from the local people for defensive purposes.
“The
KNU soldiers ask for rice from local Mon villages when the SPDC launches
its offensive in the area,” the source from the NMSP said. The local
Mon civilians are not happy with the KNU for breaking their agreement
not to ask support from the Mon villages.
-
TSUNAMI
AND FORGOTTEN VICTIMS
-
(By
Mr. Bee in
Thailand )
I've
been working in the South of Thailand helping the Tsunami
victims--mostly giving food to Mon and Burmese.
While
on retreat, I got an e-mail from a Mon Burmese who is working in a hotel
in Phangnga, a seaside area about 60 miles to the north of Phuket.
Phangnga, along with the neighboring fishing town of
Baan Nam Khem
, hardest hit by the Tsunami where thousands died. (For a number
of days after the Tsunami, I tried to call to Chan Mon to see if he
survived, but the phone lines were all down. The day I received
his e-mail, I had despaired of his still being alive--since he hadn’t
contacted me--and had prayed at mass for his soul. The internet had
indicated that very little in the area was still intact.)
Chan Mon explained in his e-mail that he had survived, as had most of
the guests in the hotel he manages, as they had managed to flee up the
hill from the wave. However, everything in his room was lost,
including our e-mail address. He finally found a Christmas e-mail
from a Maryknoll volunteer teacher in
New York
and contacted him for my e-mail address.
The
e-mail was disturbing to say the least it contradicted everything the
Thai Government was saying about help being extended to everyone in
need. Chan Mon reported that thousand of Burmese had perished in
the waves the actual number will never be known. Those who
survived were being harassed and deported by some of the police, even
though they had legal documents to work in
Thailand
. This had caused panic, and thousands of Burmese, Mon and Karen
survivors, many of them sick, had fled into the hills and surrounding
forest to hide. They were without food or shelter. He went
on to say that he had gone in search of his Mon people and had managed
to local nearly four hundred families of Burmese, Mon and Karen who were
in hiding, and who badly needed food supplies. He asked Maryknoll
to help.
That
same day the Thai newspapers began to break the news of the Burmese.
It was January 13th, and in an editorial commentary in the
Bangkok Post, Sanitsuda Enachai, Assistant Editor wrote a column, “Do
our prejudices know no bounds?”
To
quote her: “As we Thais celebrate the massive outpouring of our own
generosity for the tsunami victims particularly for the foreign
tourists, the country has totally ignored the plight of poor migrant
workers who, like us, lost family members and their source of income
when the killer waves hit the Andaman coast.”
“Like
us, their lives have been shattered. But we do not recognize their
deaths and their losses. We do not give them relief aid.
Worse, we punish those who survived the disaster by deporting them to a
precarious life back in
Burma
, which refuses to accept its own citizens.”
“What
has become of us?”
“There
were more than 120,000 registered manual labourers form Burma in the
fisheries, construction, rubber and other industries in Ranong,
Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Satun and Trang provinces. The real
number of migrant workers could be at least twice that figure.”
“Thousands of these people are believed to have perished when the
tidal waves hit those provinces. According to survivors accounts
least 1,000 are missing in Phangnga alone. (This is the area where
Chan Mon is, and where we went to give relief.)”
“The
survivors believe many of their loved ones are lying unattended at Wat
Yanyao (temple which is being used as a morgue) among the unidentified.
But they are too scared to go and check. And collect the bodies for fear
of being arrested and deported.
”Right
after the tsunami, an actor who served as a rescue volunteer told the
media he suspect a group of looters he saw were migrant Burmese workers.
The mere suspicion awakened the deep prejudice against the Burmese.”
“To
confirmed the suspicions, the police immediately arrested a group of
migrant workers accused of looting. (Actually, according the Burmese and
Mon, the migrants were searching to see if anything was left of their
clothing or possessions. After all, they too had lost everything to the
waves, and just as Thais went back to see if they could salvage anything
they owned, so did the Burmese who lived and worked in the area.)
The media proclaimed the Burmese were out to hit us again in our time of
tragedy.”
“Instead of sending the accused to court, as is their basic right, the
migrants were immediately deported. And then the authorities began
rounding up all migrants workers with the excuse that the crackdown was
necessary to prevent further crimes during the time of emergency.”
“Who
cares if these people are registered workers legally entitled to the
same assistance as all Thai workers? Who cares if deporting them
will aggravate their plight? Who cares if they will face danger in
Burma
, which was also ravaged by the tsunami?”
“According
to local NGOs, more than 1,000 migrant workers (actually, other sources
say it eventually amounted of over 2,500 being deported) have been
deported. When Koh Song in
Burma
refused to accept them, the officials reportedly left them to their own
devices on nearby islands.”
“To
avoid deportation, many survivors have fled to the mountains where they
are hungry, afraid and jobless. Is that why some have turned to
theft?
That
same day, other stories began to break. A World Vision Doctor and
two nurses, who were helping badly traumatized Burmese victims of the
Tsunami in the Phangnga area (where we went to work) find a way to go
home, were detained and placed in a cage by local villagers, who
objected that were the Burmese allowed to leave the area, they would be
a shortage of cheap laborers. Subsequently the police arrested the
doctor and two nurses and charged them with working outside the area of
with work permit they have visas and work permits to work in
Thailand
, but for another province.
BBC
press write then wrote from Khao Lak (where we went to work) a report on
“
Thailand
’s secret survivors” It was horrifying. It spoke of one
of the survivors, Nai Soe, and said he had been in hiding for the
past two weeks with his wife, childe and 17 other Burmese migrant
workers to avoid the regular sweeps by Thai immigration police along
Kaho Lak beach. With them are three orphans, age five, eleven and
six whose parents have been missing since26 December. They
have received no medical aid, and their only food and clean water
supplies are being provided by local volunteers. Reports of
how many are in hiding range from 3,000 to 30,000.
Here
are some other quotes from articles.
“More
that 120,000 Burmese workers are employed in the six southern provinces,
working on fishing boats and rubber plantations. About 10,000 of them
were directly affected by the disaster, said a social worker who
monitors migrant workers in
Thailand
.
“An
estimated 600 Burmese along working on fishing boasts in Ban Nam Khem
vanished in the killer tsunami, Said Pranom Somwong of Action Network
for Migrant.”
“Of
the 3,700 still unidentified corpses, about 1,000 are believed to be
Burmese, said Surapong Kongchantuk, from the Law Society.”
(Actually I hear figures closer to 2,000 dead Burmese, and up to 4,000
missing.)
“Immigration
police had sent back 1,500 Burmese workers in the first two weeks
following the tsunami, while about 500 Burmese were detained in Ranong
pending deportation, Surapoing said.
“It
is inhumane to send them back while they are suffering. They
should be given the basic necessities like other victims,” said
Surapong, who is the Law Society’s vice chairman of the human rights
sub-committee on ethnic migrants.”
And
from the Nation Newspaper: “The Ministry of Labour should
urgently intervene to help the thousands of migrant workers form
Burma
affected by the tsunami, the Asian Human Rights Commission has urged.”
The
second distribution of food was to 409 families in 12 sites (over two
days) and food was left to be given to another twenty or so families in
the Baan Nam Khem area.
“The
Hong Kong-based commission said in a statement on Thursday that the
organization was “disturbed’ to hear that Thai authorities were
forcibly deporting affected Burmese migrant workers in Phang Nga and
Phuket under the pretext of “cutting down” on post-tsunami crime.”
“Both
illegal workers and the legal workers who lost their legal documents due
to the tsunami have been deliberately arrested and deported by Thai
authorities without providing any compensation for their salary.
Due to these circumstances, the Burmese workers have gone into hiding in
the hills without any provisions,” it said, adding the group in hiding
could be about 3,000 strong.”
“The
commission estimated that about 2,000 migrant workers have been deported
in recent weeks while 2,300 died and 4,000 are missing in
Thailand
.”
“The
AHRC also accused the Thai government of maintaining a double standard
in relief efforts. While Thai citizens and foreign tourists
affected by the tsunami have received proper humanitarian aid, Burmese
migrant workers are ‘totally isolated and have received no assistance
“, it said. (The Burmese are now being helped by a number of
NGOs.)
“The
commission added that it is “extremely concerned” about the
situation and urged members of the public both inside Thailand and
abroad to pressure the government to properly respond because
non-government organizations are having a hard time accessing those in
need.”
So
those are some of the newspaper quotes. I believe the government
is now allowing help to the Burmese certainly we were not stopped from
doing so. It could be that the harassment was by local police
without authorization or knowledge of the government. I
believe personally that Prime Minister Taksin would like to see all
victims helped.
Having
gotten the e-mail from Nai Sun, I made immediate contact. He said he was
badly in need of help people were without food. Mike Bassano and I
went to Phuket and bought several thousand dollars worth of supplies.
We went up to Khao Lak, where Nai Sun and Nai Aung knew where many of
the families were hiding. He had a list of them. We bought
several thousand dollars of rice, oil and tinned fished, bagged it, and
drove out into the hills and woods. The night before Nai On had
gone out to alert families that we would give out food at a set time in
ten locations in the woods. We distributed rice, oil and tinned fish to
324 families in ten locations. And we gave money for milk to women
who were bottle-feeding babies. Some survivors were still sick from the
Tsunami, and many, many had lost several members of their families.
We saw a little 3 year old boy with a horrible double hare lip much of
the front of his face is missing. He lost his sister and bother to
the waves, but his mother and two other siblings survived. We will
try to get surgery for him.
Some
survivors needed hospitalization, and we’ve sent them to hospital.
If they have no papers, they will be deported when they are well.
The
other real hero is Nai Sun and Nai Aung they are the ones who, are great
risk to themselves of being deported, and that risk remains, went out
and scoured the hills to find their own people and get food and help to
them. It was hours upon hours of hard work, and facing tales of
great loss and hardship, of fear and of trauma. I can’t say
enough in terms of my admiration for them. We must be a
little sensitive to protect their identities, as the relief is ongoing
and they could be identified and deported.
We
are just back from a second trip to Phang Nga in the South of Thailand
to bring food relief to the Mon and Burmese--409 families at 12 sites,
and we left over twenty bags of supplies to be given to more families in
the Baan Nam Khen area. We located 409 families in hiding at 12
sites after having contact with Nai Sun.
Mr.
Bee
Bangkok
,
Thailand
Politics
-
DETAINED
SHAN LEADERS’ FATE STILL IN LIMBO
-
(Reported
by Hawkeye,
S.H.A.N: February 11, 2005)
The
fate of Shan party and ceasefire leaders taken into custody earlier this
week is still obscure, according to sources from the border.
"It
is still a mystery on whose order and why they were detained," said
a member of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy, the second
largest party in
Burma
after Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. "We are
deeply concerned about their safety and well-being".
He
was referring to the custody of Hkun Htoon Oo, the SNLD Chairman; Sai
Nood, its General Secretary; Maj-Gen Hsoten, Chairman of the Shan State
Peace Council (SSPC) and their colleagues between 7-9 February. Their
detention took place while the country has been gearing up to resume the
military-organized National Convention next Thursday, 17 February.
A
ceasefire source in northern
Shan
State
said two of the ceasefire officers, Maj Han Aung and Capt Oo Hseng, were
released yesterday evening. However other sources expressed skepticism
about it saying the two were still out of reach. "But we heard the
Eastern Region Commander (Maj-Gen Khin Maung Myint) meeting Sao Hsoten
yesterday before flying him off to
Rangoon
afterwards," said an SNLD source.
Meanwhile,
Sai Nood's home that also serves as the Zalatni printing press in
Rangoon
's Mayangon township was ransacked by the police.
"They
departed, apparently satisfied, after coming across copies of Hkun Htoon
Oo's prepared speech in English and Burmese for the Union Day's dinner
party," reported the source in eastern Shan State.
As
for the Shan State Army "North", a ceasefire member of the
SSPC, its earlier request to the National Convention Convening
Commission to replace some of its delegates, including Col Gaifah, its
former head of the delegation at the 17 May - 9 July session, has been
turned down. "They said they wanted everyone who participated in
the last round back at the Nyaunghnapin (where the Convention is to be
held)", said the source.
Rangoon
appears to be getting the jitters about activities and statements by the
ethnic parties and armed groups, especially Shans, coming ahead of the
Convention and wanted to avoid them, according to all the sources.
Analysis
/Inside Burma’s Junta
TOP
GENERALS LOCKED IN POWER STRUGGLE
As
much as the official organs try to cover it up, there appears a definite
rift in
Burma
's leadership
(By
Larry Jagan,
Bangkok
Post: February 14, 2005)
Burma
's military leaders have been at pains in recent weeks to prove they are
united and not in the midst of a power struggle.
Reports
of murder and mayhem have fuelled rumours and speculation of coups and
gun battles within the country's secretive military leadership. But over
the last two weeks since the rumours erupted, the state-run media have
been inundated with pictures of the top army commanders gathered
together and apparently at ease with each other.
Burma's
top general, Than Shwe, and Lieutenant-General Thein Sein, in charge of
the National Convention drafting a new constitution, have dominated the
press, although the number two general, Maung Aye, and the prime
minister, Soe Win, have been far less visible.
''The
situation in
Rangoon
is normal, if you ask me,'' the Burmese ambassador to
Thailand
, Myo Myint, told the Bangkok Post last week.
But
the situation in
Rangoon
is far from normal. The intense power struggle which led to the purge of
former prime minister Khin Nyunt four months ago is far from resolved.
Now it is a struggle for power between the top two generals, General
Than Shwe and General Maung Aye.
''It's
a struggle for supremacy,'' according to one Asian diplomat based in
Rangoon
.
In
recent months, Gen Than Shwe has been trying to sideline Gen Maung Aye.
Several key Than Shwe supporters in the ruling military council, the
State Peace and Development Council, or SPDC, have been reporting
directly to the senior general and not passing papers and reports to Gen
Maung Aye, the army commander-in-chief, according to diplomats in
Rangoon
. At the same time, Gen Maung Aye has been encroaching on the prime
minister's turf and taken on many of his responsibilities, said a
Burmese businessman.
At
present, the real battle involves a series of planned major changes to
the cabinet, the SPDC and the powerful regional commanders. ``Six
ministers including the prime minister have already been told that they
are to be replaced in the near future,'' according to a source in the
Burmese government.
The
expected changes are likely to mainly involve the economic ministries.
Some of the existing ministers are currently under investigation for
corruption, including the minister for post and telecommunications,
Brigadier-General Thein Zaw. He is now under scrutiny because of a
number of major contracts involving massive kickbacks. ``He has fallen
foul of the top because he has broken the unwritten law prohibiting
excessive corruption,'' according to one Burmese businessman.
One
of the contracts under review is a proposed deal with the major Chinese
mobile phone company, ZTE. Under this contract, the Chinese would
provide a $150 million (5.78 billion baht) loan for the infrastructure
to provide 300,000 phone lines. This is more than 10 times the real cost
of the project, according to industry experts. In a ZTE contract for a
million phone lines in another Southeast Asian country the cost was $30
million (1.16 billion baht).
''The
delay in any official announcements about the changes probably means
Than Shwe and Maung Aye cannot agree on who should get the key posts,''
said a senior Asian diplomat who has dealt with Burma for many years.
The
struggle between the two also involves changes to the SPDC and the
regional commanders. Many of the older generals are likely to be
retired. Key Than Shwe supporters, the four chiefs of the Bureau of
Special Operations _ Lieutenant-Generals Ye Myint, Aung Htwe, Khin Maung
Than and Maung Bo _ are expected to be replaced, according to a former
Asian military commander who knows the Burmese regime well.
''Maung
Aye does not want to openly confront the senior general, but does want
to reduce his power base,'' said a senior Southeast Asian diplomat who
closely follows events in
Rangoon
. When the changes are agreed, many Asian diplomats believe the balance
of power will have swung Gen Maung Aye's way, although not entirely.
Gen
Maung Aye is also anxious to have his people take control of what he
sees as the key regional commander posts:
Rangoon
and the southern, southwestern and southeastern commands. ``He will only
feel safe if his supporters are in place in and around the capital,''
said a former Thai military intelligence officer.
But
at the same time as the two top men struggle for control, a transfer of
power is also taking place within the military, with the next generation
of generals being given the reins. It is a slow and uncertain process
that began with former prime minister Khin Nyunt's arrest and the
dismantling of the former military intelligence branch.
Lieutenant-General
Thura Shwe Mann, the chief of staff, has taken a pivotal role in the new
emerging administrative and military structure. Previously he had been
seen as something of a recluse. But in recent months, especially since
General Khin Nyunt's fall from grace, Lt-Gen Thura Shwe Mann has taken
an active role in political matters. When Gen Than Shwe went to
India
, Lt-Gen Thura Shwe Mann and the new prime minister, Lieutenant-General
Soe Win, were left in control of the country.
It
was Lt-Gen Thura Shwe Mann with Lt-Gen Soe Win who warned
Burma
's businessmen not to be involved in corruption. He also gave them two
weeks to report any dealings they may have had with Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt.
He was reportedly furious when no one owned up. Since then he has been
meeting foreign diplomats in
Rangoon
, often in place of the new prime minister. ``He exudes extreme
confidence,'' said an Asian diplomat who met him recently in
Rangoon
.
The
key countries in the region which closely follow political developments
in Burma _ China, India, Japan and Thailand _ are all convinced Lt-Gen
Thura Shwe Mann is the man to watch. All these countries have been
working hard since Gen Khin Nyunt's removal to establish a strong
relationship with the army chief. ``He has clearly emerged as the new
number three,'' said one diplomat in
Rangoon
.
The
former
Rangoon
commander, Lieutenant-General Myint Swe, who has been appointed to form
the new intelligence branch under the direct control of the army, has
begun to emerge as fourth in the military hierarchy. He is known to be a
Than Shwe supporter.
Everything
now appears to be on hold until after the National Convention reconvenes
this Thursday. Much may depend on how smoothly the proceedings run. The
military leaders appear to be nervous. They have rounded up many of the
ethnic leaders in the days before the Convention is to open.
Gen
Than Shwe has now decided to draft the constitution as quickly as
possible, according to sources in
Rangoon
. The plan is to put it to a referendum before the end of the year, and
before the Asean leaders summit in
Kuala Lumpur
.
''Than
Shwe knows that to avoid Asean pressure for political reform, Rangoon
must offer some concession before the summit, otherwise Burma's
presidency of the organization in 2006 is going to be even more
contentious,'' said a senior European diplomat who has close ties to
Rangoon.
The
senior general may not yet have fully developed his strategy for Burma's
political future, but if there is a referendum on the constitution later
this year, Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the opposition National League
for Democracy, may be released from house arrest shortly afterwards and
elections held in 2006.
For
that to happen, the power struggle within the military would have to
finally be resolved and the transfer of power to the new military
leaders completed.
In
the meantime, the struggle for power and influence between the top two
generals will only increase uncertainty and tension in
Rangoon
.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/14Feb2005_news21.php
______________________________________
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0.1% (Statistic from Nedstat on February 14, 2005)
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