KAO WAO NEWS No. 18
An electronic
newsletter for social justice and freedom in
No 18,
READERS' FRONT
PEACE STALEMATE
PEACE BREAKS DOWN BETWEEN
YABA IN THE HANDS OF THAI POLICE ACCUSE MIGRANTS
VILLAGERS ORDERED TO FORM DRUG COMMITTEES
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A GENERAL
OPPOSITION CAMPS UNDER
ETHNIC GROUPS URGE TRIPARTITE DIALOGUE
FLEXIBILITY: THE WAY OF EDUCATION IN
BURMESE APPOINTED UN SECURITY COORDINATOR
IN DEFENSE OF THE ARMED STRUGGLE : BY DAVID O’HANLON
THE MILITARY’S HUMAN RIGHT’S RECORD
__________________________________________________________________
READERS’ FRONT
Dear Readers,
The rainy season is upon us and the rivers and streets will be overflowing, so batten down the hatches and get ready for the next show.
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Regards,
Editor
kaowao@hotmail.com
Dear Editor,
Burmese refers to ALL people within the
political/geographical boundaries of
U Kyaw Win "Bukit Tinggi" in the
Dear Kaowao team
I have to say no other than the word long live Kaowao. Kaowao is the only messenger to the
Well done.
Kwae Mon
(
Dear Kao Wao
It is encouraging to know that Mon will promote A National University. To be candid, Mon culture is unique and Mon literature is rich. Every civilised society should have a university of its own to promote and maintain their culture as well as to par with the modern world. Creating new idea is not easy but interesting. Patience, Perseverance, Perfection and Persistency will lead you to success.
Aunty Rose
(U of M,
Dear Editor,
Congratulation to the
Mehm SaiMon
PEACE STALEMATE
(MUL
Mon Unity League issued its report to fellow members on the process of the Negotiation Mission between the New Mon State Party and Hongsawatoi Restoration Party.
The report stated that although tensions have eased,
reconciliation between the two-armed groups is not possible at this time as
each group has opposing strategies toward the military regime. HRP led by Col Pan Nyunt intends to continue
the armed struggle against SPDC while the NMSP is willing to deal with the
regime through political dialogue in
On
In early November 2001 and February 2002 HRP and New Mon State Party were involved in a few skirmishes that resulted in deaths and causalities on both sides and each group counter-ordering villagers to cut off contact. The fighting caused instability in areas close to villagers and the Halockhanee refugee camp.
The Mon Unity League (MUL) formed a negotiation mission in November 2001 including senior monks, to lobby between the two parties to prevent further armed confrontation. Nai Sunthorn Sripanngern, a member of Negotiation Mission said, “both parties have their own ideas and it is difficult to forge unity between them”. HRP wants to fight SPDC for its human rights violations which occur on a regular basis inside Mon state; while NMSP being granted a certain degree of autonomy from SPDC in the ceasefire agreement, accepts that political problems need to be solved through political and peaceful means as the majority of the Mon people want tripartite dialogue, as outlined in its political mandate.
PEACE BREAKS DOWN
BETWEEN
(Kao-Wao/
Fighting broke out between the New Mon State Party and the Hongsawatoi Restoration Party in the evening on
The fighting occurred near Halockhanee
Mon refugee camp after the HRP entered the village and approached the base of
the NMSP at Bleh Doonphite,
2 kilometers from Halockhanee. According to a local
source, the Mon breakaway group entered the refugee camp on May 19 and moved
into the NMSP fort at Baleh Doonphite
on
Refugees from Baleh Doonphite and Halockhanee hid in
their trenches under their houses.
Liaison officer of the NMSP informed Kao-Wao
that the fighting continued until
Prior to the fighting, the Mon Negotiation Mission talked to Nai Ong Hmein, a senior leader of the break away group, to reconsider its deployment at the refugee camp
Migrant Watch
YABA IN THE HANDS OF THAI POLICE ACCUSE MIGRANTS
(Kao-Wao / Samutsakhorn,
Migrants fall prey to new method of extortion when four Thai
policemen accused and arrested migrant workers of using Yaba
(amphetamine) drug at Mahachai, fishing community in
While Nai Lomyom Mon was walking at Narommit minding his own business, four Thai policemen came and asked him for work permit card. He showed his card, registered at Suthip Seafood Factory, Mahachai Navit. After the police searched his purse, they saw (30,000) bahts and decided to rob him.
One policeman without hesitation took a small pill of Yaba (amphetamine) between his fingers and put it into Nai Lomyom Mon’s pocket. Nai Lomyom seeing this couldn’t say anything about this blatant act of intimidation. The other officer took the pill from his pocket and showed his colleague, “Look at this, he’s guilty”. For Yaba, the policemen negotiated, “give me the (30,000) bahts cash, if you agree we will release you and not press charges”. Nai Lomyom Mon refused to do so.
After unsuccessful negotiation with Nai Lomyom Mon, the policemen seized all his money, arrested him and sent him to Mahachai Police Station for three days. After interrogation they put him into the Wat Tuk prison in Mahachai for an unspecified amount of time.
“He is an honest and innocent guy. We are surprised that the police made this kind of deception to arrest him as a drug user. I also heard about (9) workers who were arrested at Kokark and Talatkoon areas in the same way. This is a new method to extort the alien workers,” said a social worker from Mahachai.
In another case, Nai Lunn, a Krena (Tarana) villager from
The police asked him for (50,000) bahts
to release him. Nai Lunn
who supports his wife and three children back in
VILLAGERS ORDERED TO FORM DRUG COMMITTEES
(Kao-Wao,
Local villagers are ordered by the
Warrant Officer of the Peoples Police Force, Ye Lwin came to
Kwan-Hlar and Kamar-Wark
villages in
Nai Mit, a businessman from Moulmein said the junta ‘was paranoid’ about the possibility of foreign invasion after US branded the UWSA (United Wa State Army) as a terrorist organization and are concerned about the international community imposing more restrictions on Burma. The order followed after Khin Nyunt, the First Secretary of the State Peace and Development Council told “minority groups” at Lashio, Shan State in March that drug trafficking would no longer be tolerated. He briefed the minority groups before issuing instructions and warned that drug crimes will no longer be tolerated and punishment would range from life imprisonment to death.
Another local source from the Thai-Burma border reported
that the junta also ordered the closure of cease-fire groups' offices in
southern
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A GENERAL
(Based on the Nation,
Hundreds of Thai troops have been mobilized along
According to news sources the Thai and
The Thai and Burma forces have centuries of fighting behind them and are more than pleased to demonstrate their show of force which is no big deal, in line with other annual military exercises being conducted in Thailand like the international Cobra Gold in partnership with 12,000 US troops.
The
OPPOSITION CAMPS
UNDER
(ABSDF,
The ABSDF reported that the Burmese military continues its offensive against the All Burma Students' Democratic Front and the Karen National Union this week.
On
During the offensive, the Burmese troops burnt down villages nearby resulting 500 Karen villagers crossing into Thai border.
The chairperson of the ABSDF, Than Khe,
said "The Burmese military has attacked our camps almost every year, but
this time it surprises us because of the current situation inside
ETHNIC GROUPS URGE TRIPARTITE DIALOGUE
(KaoWao,
Following the release of Aung San Suu Kyi
Inspiration has grown after the opposition leader said upon
her release that ethnic minority groups seeking more autonomy must be included
in the national reconciliation process with
The Rangoon based 5 ethnic nationality parties, Arakan League for Democracy, Karen National Democratic Congress, Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF), Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), and Zomi National Congress, jointly issued a statement on May 15, 2002 urging tripartite dialogue and three-way negotiation.
The United Nationalities League for Democracy (Liberated
Area) called for Tripartite Dialogue in its statement issued on
The UNLD (LA) sees the need for a nation-wide conference of all Ethnic Nationalities leaders and forces, and a United Nations sponsored international conference on national reconciliation in preparation for the tripartite dialogue and a smooth transition.
Overseas Mon Organization of Denmark, Mon National Community
of Norway and Association of Finn-Mon Community, also issued a joint statement
on
The
FLEXIBLILTIY, THE WAY
OF EDUCATION IN
(Reported by Nai Taw,
Students in
All elementary and middle school students at Asin district, Ye township passed their exams without a hitch. Some students who had taken the exam with two or three subjects and some students who had not taken the exam passed the test. "My daughter took the exam with two subjects but she passed it and her friend who was sick also passed it," said Daw Khin Nyo.
“My niece who can not afford to pay money to the teacher also was allowed to take the exam and passed it,” said one surprised San Pya villager from Ye Township. "I have worried about my daughter for her future education because she does not know how to read, write and understand," added Daw Khin Nyo. "I am very happy to see the results because I cannot answer the questions very well, I am now very happy," said another student from the elementary school.
According to the new education system, the Middle School
students can easily pass the exam without taking a final test like in the
past. Students can gain their credits by
joining activities of the government organized USDA (Union Solidarity and
Development Association). But the
students later face difficulty when they reach high school. Grade 10 students pay from 350,000 to 450,000
Kyat at private hostels in
“During the past year, the government ordered the schools to
set up one computer at every high school in
BURMESE APPOINTED UN SECURITY COORDINATOR
(Cited from M2 PRESSWIRE,
UN Secretary-General appoints Tun Myat of Myanmar as new United Nations Security Coordinator.
The Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Mr.
Tun Myat of
As the senior United Nations official resident in
Opinion:
IN DEFENSE OF THE ARMED STRUGGLE
(By David O’Hanlon)
Often you will hear or read of combatants in one or other
world’s trouble spots being referred to with exacerbation. They are referred to
as moral equivalents, each as bad as the other, like naughty, warmongering little
boys while at the same time the political rational behind the conflict is
dismissed as being too complex and deeply mired in local history for outside
comprehension. What is required it is argued, is for outside (re: usually
western) intervention in the form of peacekeeping and or aid. Sadly as in the Balkans conflict continues
until a political, rather than an aid solution is found. This is also true for
Ironically the armed opposition groups have been forced by
circumstances to adopt a military strategy in order to fight militarism.
Unfortunately the situation in the country is still such that they judge the
retention of arms to be necessary. The State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC) has built the Burmese Army to over 400,000 men
under arms. This massive force has only one possible function and that is the
suppression of the all the people of
The Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB) is an openly armed
struggle grouping and has been since the day it was founded and publicly states
that it will remain so until genuine democracy is restored to
Many senior figures in armed struggle groups complain of how
armed struggle has been marginalised and stigmatised. “Foreigners do not understand or like our
armed struggle but we will never give up for our country” commented one front
line ABSDF commander in
This pacifist mind set is however not just a western cultural perspective but arguably part of a broader movement on behalf of the NGO community to distance themselves from opposition groups generally and to reposition themselves to take advantage of the expected coming aid bonanza when Burma finally opens its doors to foreign assistance. The border represents a very mature aid market and in world terms not a very “sexy” one at that.
In conventional military terms the insurgencies have not been successful of late. This however is missing the point. Like all insurgencies that are organic outgrowths of their communities they can be beaten back but never actually eradicated. They have the capacity to endure indefinitely and to flare up when the opportunity presents itself. Their mere existence means that the military regime can never fully escape a condition of permanent crisis. The armed struggle is a dagger pointed at the heart of tyranny.
Oppressed people throughout history have always had both the
right and the duty to resist their oppression. Nelson Mandela himself stood
unwaveringly by this principle refusing to renounce the armed struggle of the
ANC through over three decades of imprisonment.
Surely though none has been fetishized as much as Che Guevera who although not a democrat, did genuinely believe himself to be a liberator of the oppressed and stayed loyal to the fight against military dictatorship and exploitation until death. His death in the jungle was foreshadowed by that of Saw Ba U Gyi. A lawyer more inclined to battle in the courtroom he nonetheless believed it impossible for the Karen people to survive without armed resistance in the face of implacable state violence and chauvinism.
Likewise the death of
This is not the same as glorifying or relishing violence.
The DAB’s members have made it repeatedly plain that
dialogue remains their preferred medium of political expression. Likewise its’ members
have always opposed terrorism and have denounced the antics of God’s Army and
their allies. If the 1988 massacres had not occurred or indeed if at anytime in
the past 54 years the military had ceased its oppression of
The SPDC is simply not offering cease-fires under the same
terms of the early nineties. Even under these arrangements, the Tatmadaw
occupation of ethnic land has intensified while the cease-fire leadership
elites have profited from a myriad of cozy deals that include selling vast
swaths of forest and narcotics. Under the SPDC Burma’s Shan state has become a
world-leading exporter of amphetamines and opium. The business tie-ins with the
generals are so systematic that
Interestingly many grassroots members of these organisations
can often be heard espousing complete independence. “I think
However if the cease-fire groups cannot even take the field against a military dictatorship just how, it must be asked, do they imagine they will be able to take on a future democracy? The cease-fires have dissipated their strength and fostered a culture of cynicism and corruption inimical to the self-sacrifice required for such a struggle.
The exclusion of non-cease-fire groups from the political
process is surely a recipe for further strife if ever there was one. The
consensus of respected writers seems to be that the ethnic people are central
to
Yes, the generals have both freed Aung San Suu Kyi and the
NLD and this is a positive step forward. Meanwhile however, along
THE MILITARY’S HUMAN
RIGHT’S RECORD
(Based on IMNA and Kao-Wao)
On
On
On
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