KAO WAO NEWS No. 5
December 15-24
READER'S FRONT
ONLY ROAD TO MONLAND CLOSED
HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUED AT MANEELOY CAMP
ETHNIC NATIONALITIES STUDY FEDERALISM IN GERMANY
SHAN WELCOME 2096 NEW YEAR
PROTEST AT RANGOON
UNIVERSITY
REGISTERED WORKERS DEPORTED
BURMA
JUNTA GOES ALL OUT IN FESTIVITIES
YOUTH EXCHANGE AT SANGKHALA
READER'S FRONT
Dear readers,
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BEST WISHES FOR A MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPY NEW YEAR
2002
Regards,
Editor kaowao@hotmail.com
Dear Kao Wao News,
I appreciate all of you so much for your hard working and
founding of this news group. Without the genuine effort of presenting these incredible news, I wouldn't be able to know what have
been happening to Mons.
I am expecting to read more news from your group whenever it is possible. In
fact, I am eager to cooperate with the Kao Wao to
reinforce its activities. Would you please let me know if I could do something
for you?
I wish the Kao Wao for a Merry
Xmas and Happy New Year. Keep in touch,
Chit
(Calgary, Canada)
14/12/01
Dear editor,
I am very please to read your information from Mon
State. I am also proud of your hard
job and strongly believe your job will surely benefit to our Mon nation.
Yours sincerely,
Banya Mon Foreign Affairs Training
15/12/01
ONLY ROAD TO MONLAND
CLOSED
(Sangkhalaburi, December 16, 2001)
The New Mon State Party held ad hoc meeting on December 13, 2001, in the liberated
area near Thai- Burma
border. The meeting was headed by Nai Htin, Vice President of the New Mon State Party and
attended by leading Central Committee members. It is believed that the meeting
was held to discuss the announcement of the splinter group Col. Pan Nyunt who
has planned to close the Halockhanee-Halarn road on December 15, 2001. Reported from the
border, the Moulmein
and Thaton District Battalions of the cease-fire Mon
Army will deploy near the area to maintain the opening of the road.
After the group leader publicly announced his aim on
resuming the fight against the military regime, five Battalions of the Burma
army launched an operation in search of the splinter group since November. The
Independent Mon News Agency, from the Thai Burma border, reported two young
soldiers from SPDC’s IB No. 106 fled from
the frontline into Thailand
on December 2. The young Burmese soldiers, forcibly recruited at mostly from 13
to 16 years, were beaten and kicked by their commander and could not have
enough sleep at nights during the offensive.
Battalion commander Col. Thant Zin, Maj. Aung
Thu and Maj. Myint Naing were in charge of the joint
operation against Karen guerrilla KNLA and Mon splinter group led by Col. Pan
Nyunt.
In response to the operation of the Burmese Army, Col. Pan
Nyunt has challenged that he will close down Halockhanee-Halarn
motor road due come December 15. A migrant worker protested, "This is the
only road for local people and migrant workers to cross the border without
passing the Burma army check points and we will have difficulty dealing with
the Burmese Army if road is closed," said the newly arrived migrant from Sangkha border. Fighting has broken out near Rafore of Zobbu (ThanByu Zayat) Township, Mon
State, between the splinter group
and the Burma
army while the splinter group was on its way into Mon
State on December 15, 2001.
HUNGER STRIKE
CONTINUED AT MANEELOY CAMP
(Based on special reporter and Bangkok Post, December 22, 2001)
About four dozen asylum seekers in the safe area of Maneeloy camp have held a hunger strike since December 11
and seven refugees were sent to Pak Thor local hospital, Ratchaburi
Province due to poor health
conditions. Reporting from the restricted camp, those taken to the hospital
included Htwe Aung (UNHCR NI No. 11353), Myo Myint Aung (NI. 13721), Khin Khin Hla (NI. 12963), Thuza Naing (NI. 12683), and May Si
Than (NI. 13510). Banya Htow,
a leader of Overseas Mon National Students Organization (OMNSO) is reportedly
missing with another friend, they tried to sneak out
from the camp and are assumed to have been arrested for illegal entry,
according to a Mon student from the camp.
Bangkok Post on December 15 reported that Thai Interior
Minister Purachai Piumsombun
has stated that the Maneeloy holding centre for
exiled Burmese students will remain open until December 27, longer than
expected, and definitely will be closed down at that date. Burmese exiles have
demanded the authorities to ensure protection.
More than 1,600 refugees at the centre have been resettled in third
countries since October 1999. The Maneeloy centre was
set up in 1993 to accommodate students from Burma
fleeing brutal suppression in their home country.
According to the Thai authorities, there are 497 inmates in
the camp; 197 are dissident former students, 170 have been granted protection
as ``Persons of Concern'' by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees, and the remaining 130 are considered to be illegal immigrants.
The illegal immigrants will be sent to immigration police to be charged with
illegal entry and might be sent back to Burma
at a later date, said Interior Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary, Pairote Promsan. He said the
student dissidents and the ``Persons of Concern'' would be transferred to a new
camp.
Four NGOs will be dealing with UNHCR, Ministry of Interior
and Burma Students Association for negotiation. Bangkok
based, Thai Action Committee for Democracy in Burma
and Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia) issued a
statement regarding the camp closure. In the joint statement, the NGOs
suggested the Thai Government prolong the deadline of closing the Maneeloy camp until the public gets the right information
on the location with the proper consideration of their safety. It also
suggested the government give enough information on the proposed plans which
includes the students, asylum seekers and migrant workers who seek refuge in
Thai territory. For the good image and reputation of Thai government, in the
statement, it also urged they support the UNCHR standards in treating refugees,
asylum seekers and all those who need similar humanitarian help and respect for
the rights of those who have well-founded fears or reprisals from the Burmese
military.
ETHNIC NATIONALITIES
STUDY FEDERALISM IN GERMANY
(Berlin, December 16, 2001)
Representatives of the State Constitution Drafting
Committees from ethnic nationalities' states in Burma
namely Arakan, Chin, Kachin, Karen, Karenni Shan, Mon
State and the Drafting Committee of
Federal Constitution gathered in Germany
for two weeks to study the Federal and State Constitutions of the Federal
Republic of Germany. The studying tour was sponsored by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) and Nai Sunthorn Sripanngern, General Secretary
of the Mon Unity League, participated with other national leaders on behalf of
the Mon State Constitution Drafting Committee.
Dr. Holger Borner
of the President of FES, Burma Project Berlin
and Burma Bureau presented welcoming remarks at the opening in Berlin
on December 7, 2001. The participants joined the "Federalism:
A Germany-Burmese Dialogue" Conference for two days in Berlin,
and toured around Germany
and Belgium.
Other key leaders of the Burmese government in exile including Prime Minister,
Dr. Sein Win, gave presentations on current human rights, political situation
and the role of the UN and EU dealing with the ruling State Peace and
Development Council of Burma respectively.
During the conference, Prof. Werner pfennig,
Prof. Christian Wagner, and Dr. Roland Feicht shared
their experiences in founding the Federal Republic of Germany. Comments on the Burma
draft federal constitution proposed by the Burma Lawyer Council were made
during the seminar. The scholars pointed
out the advantage and drawbacks of minority federalism, the BLC draft
constitution as mostly agreeable and positive but need to discuss on the
problematical aspects on some articles which needed to describe more
details. Some items needed to be covered
in regulating the rights of minorities in individual member states, provision
for national election commission, procedure describing how tax revenues are
distributed between the Federal and State governments are discussed. Burmese delegation is suggested to take some
advantages from the neighbouring country such as India,
the most successful one in terms of political and Federal background. All
representatives from ethnic nationalities of Burma
briefed their country reports and process of drafting state constitutions.
On Saturday 8 December, the delegation participated in the
Honorary Celebration for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the winner of the Nobel Peace
Laureate co-organized by Asienhaus Essen and Burmese communities in Germany. The delegation traveled to Lower
Saxony, Rhineland Palatinate, Landtag, Landrat and visited the Institute
for Research on Federal Constitution at Hannover University
as a study tour. The group met with well
known Professor Dr. Hans Peter Schneider and Dr. Jutta
Kramer who explained about the institute and how the German Federalism
proceeded in comparison with US, Russia
and Swiss Federal Constitutions. The team visited the head office of Friedrich
Ebert Foundation in Bonn and the
Parliament of Rhineland Palatinate State in Mainz. The delegation was able to meet with members
of Burma Bureau in Kolon and discussed on the issue
of the national reconciliation for peaceful federal union Burma. On Friday 14 December, the delegates went to Brussels
and toured around EU Parliament and Belgium Parliament.
SHAN WELCOMES 2096
NEW YEAR
(Shan State,
December 17, 2001)
The Shan celebrate 2096th anniversary of New Year on 16th December, 2001, which is the
New Years day celebration according to Shan lunar year calendar. The
festivities have largely taken place in Shan
State and other communities where
Shan migrants live in Thailand,
Mae Hongson, Bangkok
and Chiang Mai, who have carried on the tradition of their national festivals
by joining with others back home. In Shan State, the people gathered at
monasteries for donation and offering foods to friends, neighbours, relatives
and olders while the season coincide with new crops
and blossom of cherry flowers. Thousands
flocked to the celebration compound in Chiang Mai, the second capital of Thailand,
where celebrities from Shan State
entertained the jovial crowd with pop songs for a 3 night long festival from
December 14th to 16th. Sky balloons and fire works were part of the festivities
that charged a fee of 50 Baht that will go toward
funds for orphaned students. Environmental awareness in Shan
State were
displayed by Shan Environment Organization and Shan Women Action Network (SWAN)
also cooperated the joyful festival for fund raising of children education
program. Shan books, foods, and popular
tapes including Karaoke CD's were sold from stalls set up along the length of the
night bazaar around the compound.
According to the workshop paper, which was recently held in Oslo
Norway, the
Shan people make up about 60% of the population in Shan
State. Other groups include Kachin,
Pa-O, Palaung, Wa,
Lahu, Lisu, Akha, Kayan, Padaung,
Intha, Danu, all together
accounts for about 20% of the total population in Burma
and Shan State
covers roughly 23% of the total area. Shan Nationalities League for Democracy
(SNLD) won 23 seats in the 1990 general election. Following the Karenni and
Mon, Shan became a member of the Unrepresented
Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), the international alliance
organization in 1997. Shan State Army
North (SSA-N) and Shan State Army (SSA) had reached a cease-fire agreement with
the Burma SPDC, but the Southern Shan Army (SSA-S), led by Sao Yord Suk, has vowed to continue
resistance under an anti-drug campaign since 1998 along the Thai Burma border.
PROTEST AT RANGOON UNIVERSITY
(Rangoon, December 14, 2001)
According to Mon community sources in Rangoon,
on December 7, 2001, five
medical students in Rangoon held a
demonstration insisting on residence in the boarding house. The students
demanded they be allowed to stay inside the campus of the Yangon Medical
University No. (1) as it is a more suitable place. They set a week
deadline giving the authorities time to respond and to make a decision. If the
authorities fail to arrange accommodation for them, they will continue to
demonstrate, said a Mon student in Rangoon.
There have been no arrests as of yet since the protest began.
BURMA JUNTA GOES ALL OUT IN FESTIVITIES
(Cited from The Nation, December 17, 2001)
In stark contract to what is happening across Burma,
where over 120 battalions are destroying villages of ethnic communities, the organizing committee
of the junta is planning a rare and upbeat festival gathering of 1200 ethnic
dancers to be held in Kachin State
from December 26 to January 2 at a cost of 500 million Kyat (30 million Baht). The organizing committee in praising ethnic
diversity is optimistic that the festival will attract about 350,000 visitors
including tourists and have now arranged to erect 40,000 temporary bamboo huts
for the hordes of people expected to partake. Indeed, the dancers to perform
form a colorful blend of ethnic groups comprised of the Kachin, or Wunpawng, Zaiwa, Rawang, Lachid, Lisu, Lhaova and Jinghpaw. Other activities include games, sporting events
and a trade fair exhibiting products from Kachin
State and other area.
Migrant Watch
REGISTERED WORKERS
DEPORTED
(Samutsakhon, December 19, 2001)
11 workers who led the protest at fish processing Thailand
Company at Na Rommit, Maharchai
were arrested and deported to Burma
according to Kao Wao reporter from Samutsakhorn. The
registered workers held protest in demand to keep their worker identification
cards on December 6, 2001.
As many owners, the boss of this 1000 workers have kept the cards of alien
workers and they are not permitted to hold cards under any circumstances,
making it difficult for them to move around, even to visit the clinic and to
show them for rent. Workers were later
granted to retain their worker identity cards on December 8, 2001 after some NGOs and reporter came to the
site.
But the Thai supervisor called the police and arrested
demonstration leaders on December 17,
2001. According to a wife of
arrested workers, the group was locked up at Maharchai
Police Station and later on sent to the border and deported to Burma.
These workers have already paid the registration fees to the Labour Ministry
but the owner still abuse them and there is no information where about these
workers have been deported said a member of the Mon Workers Union.
YOUTH EXCHANGE AT
SANGKHALA
(Sangkhalaburi, December 17, 2001)
A youth exchange meeting at Sangkhlaburi,
Karnchanaburi
Province was attended by Mon youths
on the afternoon of December 16, 2001. The gathering was intended to share and
exchange the experience, to build understanding and unity, to promote future
activities and to express youth outlook freely among each other. 25 youth participants attended the meeting
and the topic "Youth Communication" was chosen to discuss. The participants have decided to hold monthly
meeting and "Youths and Education" was chosen for the next meeting
during January 2002. Ideas and
suggestions from other Mons
in the third countries are also needed to promote youth issues said a
participant who joined the gathering.
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