KAO WAO NEWS No. 17
An electronic
newsletter for social justice and freedom in
April 27-
READERS' FRONT
BURMAN STATE CONSTITUTION FORMED
CIVILIANS TO
SUU KYI RELEASE WIDELY WELCOMED
SUU KYI SAYS MINORITIES MUST JOIN IN
BURMESE KYAT REBOUNDS
GAS PIPE LINE EXPLODES FOR A SECOND TIME
RAMANYA BULLETTIN: FORCED DISTRIBUTION
___________________________________________________________________
READERS’ FRONT
Dear Readers,
We invite comments and suggestions on improvements to Kao-Wao newsletter. With your help, we hope that Kao-Wao News will continue to grow to serve better the needs of
those seeking social justice in
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Regards,
Editor
kaowao@hotmail.com
Dear Editor,
It is a great thing to see kaowao
news in my inbox. Could you please get some news about training and development
programs from joined or single party of SPDC and NMSP in
I would like to have adult education program such as nursing, horticulture or poultry etc. Could Kaowao propose to NMSP to conduct these kinds of training for Mon?
Nai Know Nothing
(
Dear Kao-Wao,
I have been reading your news with interest and so I would like to say thanks. I appreciate you including developments on our Mon Woman Organization, when I saw about MWO in your last edition, I was really glad to see it. Thank you again.
Wimon
BURMAN STATE CONSTITUTION FORMED
(Kaowao,
The eighteen member Study Group for
Burma Constitutional Commission was formed in a liberated area on
A group of Burmese democratic forces have gathered at the
Thai-Burma border to initiate the forming of a
U Than Htut, a leader from the exile National League for Democracy and the Coordinator of the commission told Kaowao that it was formed to express the collective will of members and will not represent their political parties, he is optimistic of the process, which aims to establish Federal States, to draft a Burmese State Constitution and to improve relations among all ethnic groups.
Even though the democratic movement has gained some level of
understanding with the ethnic peoples, forming a
(Kaowao / Karnchanaburi,
The Mon Unity League met for its annual meeting and strategy
planning session in a liberated area from April 30 to
Over thirty MUL representatives from
Opening remarks by Nai Khoon Lael, the Vice-President of
MUL, presented his views on the most important issue of Mon national unity to
members from Mon Women Organization, Thai Mons, Mon
Youth Community, Mon National Democratic Front (Liberated Area), Mon Youth
Liberty Organizations (MYLO), Buddhist Monks and other member
organizations. Senior leaders from both
the New Mon State Party and Hongsawatoi Restoration
Party listened intently to Nai Khoon
Lael’s challenge to continue to support national
reconciliation. The Mon movement has
experienced disunity in the past, which only served the
The vital topic on national unity on the agenda of MUL
Negotiation Mission was widely discussed after the annual report of MUL
Secretary General, Nai Sunthorn
Sripanngern and Working Committees. A matter of great
concern to the Mon delegates is education of its people with members
unanimously agreeing to promote the Mon education program to develop and found
a
Dr. Alan Smith from Friedrich Naumann
Foundation presented the delegates with an analysis of the Political, Economic
and Social Situation in
CIVILIANS TO
(Kaowao /
The
On
The Burma Infantry Battalion No. 61 entered the cease-fire
zone of the New Mon State Party controlled area in early April with two
bulldozers for construction of
The Army’s target is to connect this road to other roads
from
SUU KYI’S RELEASE WIDELY WELCOMED
(Kaowao,
The United Nationalities League for Democracy -Liberated
Area (UNLD-LA) also issued a statement after its meeting at Thai-Burma border
on
The UNLD was established in 1989 as an umbrella organization
for the non-Burman nationalities in
SUU KYI SAYS MINORITIES MUST JOIN IN
(Cited from The Nation,
Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says ethnic minority groups
seeking more autonomy must be included in the national reconciliation process
with
“I’m happy with the assurance by Daw Suu to let the ethnic
groups participate in the talks at an appropriate time,” he said, using the
honorific “Daw” to refer to the Nobel peace laureate. The issue of ethnic
autonomy is an added complication to the problem of restoring democracy in
Their insurgencies for political autonomy began after the
country’s independence from
Suu Kyi’s release has sparked hopes that the current junta, which has been in power since 1988, will loosen its hold power in the face of years of international pressure including sanctions and mediation by a UN special envoy since 2000. The junta refuses to honour the results of general elections it called in 1990, which the NLD won. It says bringing democracy too quickly will lead to the disintegration of the ethnically diverse country.
BURMESE KYAT REBOUNDS
(Reported by Gong Ong,
The announcement of
After the Songkran New Year, the
exchange rate was 1 Baht to 21 Kyat because border
trading was active and many migrant labourers buying Baht to return to their jobs in
“While watching the Burmese Kyat rise we weren’t able to
sell off Thai Baht because it was the long weekend,
the Thai Coronation holiday,” reported a money exchange trader from Phuket who works transferring money for migrants. Another independent money exchange worker,
Chan Ong, lost about 15,000 Baht
before transferring money to
“Today the Baht is valued at 16.50
Kyat and the market is quiet, nobody wants Thai currency,” said Nai Phet, a trader at
ENVIRONMENTAL
DISASTER
GAS PIPE LINE EXPLODES FOR A SECOND TIME
(Based on IMNA and Kaowao / 3 Pagodas
Pass,
A section of a gas pipeline exploded on
The explosion on the Kanbauk-Myaingkalay gas pipeline occurred near Anin and Hntit-kayin villages between Thanbyuzayat and Ye Townships. Soon after a conflagration was seen spreading along the pipeline and 4 miles of railway, reported local villagers. It took 5 days for several groups of people to put out the fire, which destroyed a bridge and the railroad. All Mawlamyaing-Ye trains have been cancelled as a result and authorities haven’t figured out what caused the explosion.
The Southeast Military Command, based in
Confirmed by the HRP (Hongsawatoi
Restoration Party) member, the Burma Army has tightened its security along the
road, some machinery and engineers were called in from
The first explosion occurred this year on January 5, near a
bridge between Chaktwe and Daymai
Mon village in
RAMANYA BULLETTIN: FORCED DISTRIBUTION
(Kao-Wao / Ye, May 4, 2002)
Ramanya (Rehmonya)
an ancient name of the Mon people and a symbolic name for Mon Nationality is
being used for a News Bulletin by the Burma Southeast Military Command and is
being widely distributed in
The Southeast Military Command uses the bulletin as a propaganda tool. Civil servant offices, local Peace and Development Council townships and villager offices are forced to sell the bulletin for 25 Kyat per copy.
All articles and news coverage is about the activities of the Generals and Commanders, the Editorial extols the Army as playing a major role in the development process of Burma, observed a village headman from Mudon Township who is forced to distribute issues to the villagers. “It was confusing as local Mons firstly believed it was an independent and free Newsletter,” but after browsing the paper and seeing Generals leading the pack, making merit and cutting ribbons, they found out it was just plain old propaganda, people were disappointed. “Ramanya” the good name for the Mon was being abused,” said a local newsreader from Ye who has to buy a copy at the village office.
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