KAO WAO NEWS No. 19
An electronic
newsletter for social justice and freedom in
No 19, May 22-
READERS' FRONT
NO POLITICAL SOLUTION AFTER CEASE-FIRE
GAS PIPELINE UNDER COVER
RECOGNIZE ELECTION RESULT
BORDER CRISIS BECOMES A POLITICAL GAME
INVESTIGATION AFTER RAMPANT SHOOTING
ONE LEG VALUED AT TEN DOLLARS
WOMEN MIGRANTS TARGETS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
MON REFUSES TO PAY CORRUPT POLICE
MONOPOLY ON THE POOR
SWISS NATIONAL APPOINTED AS INTERIM OFFICER TO ILO
MYPO AND THE FUTURE OF MON MAGAZINE
___________________________________________________________________
READERS’ FRONT
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Regards,
Editor
kaowao@hotmail.com
Dear Editor,
It is sad to hear about the fight between the
Mon Rot
(
Dear Kaowao news teams,
I am interested in armies rampage
to Taungbout village which killed 2 and some wounded.
Unconfirmed news in
Could Kaowao provide an update on
this news please? All of us in
Long live Kaowao.
Yours truly, Kwae Mon
(
Dear Kao-Wao,
Daw Suu Kyi has been released from her house arrest. Is there any other change? Why has the junta not released Mon political leaders, Nai Ngwe Thein, Dr. Kyi Win and Dr. Min Soe Lin?
Regards,
Mehm MonSai
(
NO POLITICAL SOLUTION AFTER CEASE-FIRE
(Based on DVB and Kao-Wao,
Nai Shwe Kyin, the leader of the New Mon State Party said there has been no political development after seven years of the cease-fire agreement with the ruling military junta.
The Democratic Voice of Burma conducted an interview with
the President of the New Mon State Party who is living in
He also urged Suu Kyi to actively continue her support to
the ethic nationality issues based from the Manerplaw agreement, which Nai Shwe Kyin co-signed with
other democratic and ethnic leaders. He
also urged for a tripartite dialogue in
The NMSP reached a cease-fire agreement with the military in
1995 but there has been no political solution and the
Meanwhile the NMSP is holding its Central Committee meeting headed by the Vice-President Nai Htin at BeeRee Headquarters to discuss the current political situation and the internal affairs of the party.
(Kao-Wao /
Mon communities are urging the Mon Negotiation Mission to lobby
another round of peace talks between the New Mon State Party and the Hongsawatoi Restoration Party after the clash on
More fighting has 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
A series of skirmishes lasted for two hours; HRP retreated after suffering causalities and losing one RPG (Rocket Propeller Grenade). The militant HRP led by Nai Bin suffered one dead leaving behind the dead soldier and two wounded in the clash with the New Mon State Party. No villagers were hurt during the fighting but the local authorities stopped refugees with their belongings who tried to cross into Thai soil.
After the fighting, the Mon Negotiation Mission member and Secretary of MUL, Nai Sunthorn visited the battleground and discussed with both commanders of HRP and NMSP to reconcile. The mission reported the HRP is not been sincere by allowing its troops to enter the refugee camp to approach NMSP's military base.
Emotion surfaced in
GAS PIPELINE UNDER COVER
(Kao-Wao
Villagers living along the Kanbauk-Myaingkalay gas pipeline who provide security as watch outs for the pipeline are now ordered to dig and cover it with soil to protect it from sabotage following a hit and run attack by insurgents, reported a confirmed source from Ye Township, Mon State.
According to a local reporter, the KNU (Karen National
Union) insurgents blew up part of the gas pipeline on
The explosion caused a fire, which took over two days to put
out, it had spread rapidly causing a lot of damage that destroyed a bridge and
disrupted train service on the Mawlamyaing-Ye
railroad route. Another source reported
another attack on the gas pipeline, which took place on
Following the incident, the Burma Army tightened security
along the road ordering local village headmen along the area to conceal
150-mile pipeline with soil. The
Southeast Military Command, based in Moulmein,
ordered Infantry Battalions No. 61, No 31 and No 32 to force villagers along
the gas-pipeline to enclose the pipeline over with a fence. The order also commanded villagers in
The commanders instructed those who failed to report suspicious individuals immediately, such as troops, rebels, or strangers will be fined severely. Soldiers from the battalions and local militias are also ordered to patrol along the pipeline to monitor the presence of civilians.
SPDC's Ministry of Construction that built the Kanbauk-Myaingkalay pipeline in early 2001 in cooperation
with security from the Southeast Military Command took seven months to
complete. The pipeline runs across
The first explosion occurred this year on January 5, near a
bridge between Chaktwe and Daymai
Mon village in
“We don’t know what the benefit of the gas pipeline is but
we became victims between the government and the insurgents. The army orders us not to travel after
RECOGNIZE ELECTION
RESULTS
(Kao-Wao,
Democratic forces have issued statements today calling for the ruling military junta to recognize the National League for Democracy's landslide victory in the 1990 general election.
The NLD commemorated the 12th year anniversary of the
The NLD won 392 seats out of 485 seats in the election, but
the military has never allowed parliament to convene. After Aung San Suu Kyi was freed from 19
months of house arrest on May 6, there had been speculation that the NLD might
soften its position on the election as part of dialogue with the junta for
political reconciliation in
A genuine democratic Union of Burma cannot be built without the participation of the ethnic nationalities stressed in the statement and it emphasized the existence of the CRPP (Committee for Representing the Peoples Parliament), recognizing the results of the 1990 election and the prevailing political, economic, social, health and educational through dialogue.
The NCGUB (National Coalition Government of the Union of
Burma) also issued a statement supporting the NLD in recognizing the election
result while the UNLD-LA (United Nationalities League for Democracy-Liberated
Area) called to release all political prisoners, to give political freedom and
a national wide cease-fire. The UNLD,
which was established in 1989 as an umbrella organization for the non-Burman
nationalities in
BORDER CRISIS BECOMES A POLITICAL GAME
(Based on the
The Burmese military junta launched its wars of words and
guns over mounting border tension and closed all border passes with
The New Light of Myanmar News paper, mouthpiece of junta,
accused
According to BBC correspondent, the rally is the latest sign
of worsening relations and increased tension between the two neighbors,
following a series of military skirmishes along the border. 500 Thai workers working at a border club and
coal mine have been expelled from
A Thai navy source said the Burmese junta had sent three
Chinese-made corvettes armed with missiles, three patrol vessels and five armed
fishing boats in the water site of outstanding border disputes with
A local source from Sangkhalaburi
reported the closure of the Thai-Burma border has affected local people and
trading was very quiet at the
A source from
The passports for civil servants and students who are
leaving to
INVESTIGATION AFTER
RAMPANT SHOOTING
(Kao-Wao,
On
The Infantry Battalion No. 77 of Burma Army marched into Mon
village and opened fire on a group of innocent civilians who had gathered to
build a house on
Nai Lone (30 years old), son of Nai Kaing Ong and Mi Shein, who was killed by Burmese army leaving his wife, Mi Ngwe and four children behind. The army for investigation took Nai Lone’s mother Mi Shein and his elder brother Nai Ong Main while seven other villagers were forced to carry the corpses. The area is controlled by the New Mon State Party and is under the cease-fire zone reached in 1995.
ONE LEG VALUED AT TEN
DOLLARS
(Kao-Wao / Ye, May 22, 2002)
A villager forced to work on the project at Southern Ye,
The Burma Army LIB No. 299 conscripted local villagers of Magyi, Danikyar, Mi-TawHlarDut, Mi-TawHlarGyi, 4 villages in Southern Ye Township comprised of approximately 200 people to build a 6 mile long road, which includes the construction of a bridge for 3 weeks starting from April 24, 2002.
Villagers were forced to work on the 40 ft long bridge construction west of their village, while others were ordered by the headman to find food to feed the villagers working on the bridge construction.
Four villagers ordered to gather food were walking along
east of their village to collect vegetables when one of them, a 34-year old man
from Mi-TawHlar village, stepped on a landmine at
about (8:00) a.m. in the morning. His
leg was blown off and was sent to the Ye public hospital on that day. He later
received 10,000 Kyats (11
"Currently while LIB No. 299 is taking responsibility to build 6 miles long Magyi - Danikyar rough motor road, the soldiers round up the villagers from 4 Mon villages to clear the route and to build the bridge which will take over 3 weeks to do," said an escaped villager.
Migrant Watch
WOMEN MIGRANTS TARGETS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
Kao-Wao / Samutsakhorn,
Two sexual assault incidents occurred in
A Thai man about 60 years age, claiming to be a manager of a company looking for woman workers for his company told the two young women he would hire them even if they were unregistered women workers. Two women from Mudon Township, who were jobless, decided to check out the company, one planned to go along with him in his car to see the workplace.
Instead of going to the company he drove down a road, which led into the dense jungle. The women asked the man where the place is, but he did not reply and stopped the car instead and started to grab her. He threatened that she was in an illegal situation, being an undocumented worker. The lady realized, uneasily, to solve the problem by starting to talk to him politely, telling him she had to go to the toilet, once in the forest she hid until the man gave up his search for her.
After the man disappeared, she entered a house and asked for a motorbike taxi, which took her safely back to her place at Khong Banyah, Maharchai.
The man not easily rebuffed returned and picked up the other
women saying that her friend had liked the workplace and to come along with
him. When they left the first woman returned to discover her friend gone with
the rogue, she worried about her friend, as she cannot speak Thai and it being
her first time in
MON REFUSES TO PAY CORRUPT POLICE
(Kao-Wao,
Nai Lomyom Mon, a migrant worker and community leader of the Mon fishing workers, who had refused to pay corrupt police 30,000 Baht for his release remains in jail charged with possession of Yaba.
Nai Lomyom
was a victim of police corruption who slipped an amphetamine pill into his coat
pocket accusing him of possession then demanding payment for his release. He is
waiting for his release and, for community support from the
On
MONOPOLY ON THE POOR
(By Lita Davidson, May 29, 2002)
I understand why Thailand was recently ranked second in
corruption in Asian countries followed by Indonesia and so it is a start in the
right direction that Kriridiat Pipatserithama,
a member of the National Counter Corruption Commission, told a panel of
teachers that it is important to teach students to bypass corruption and uphold
the attributes of integrity, honestly, and moral purity. While on my way back to
The employees on the bus route spotted the migrants when
they asked to be dropped off at Maharchai, close to
Gold-finger was taken aback as to why Farangs (Thai word for westerners) were defending poor migrants. Clearly caught in the act and looking like an actor that forgot his lines in a play he asked us who we were. I replied, “Who are YOU”. Not sure what to do he turned his attention from the migrants to examine us with sharp consternation. He retreated but ordered the Mon down below out of sight of other passengers to negotiate a deal. I followed shortly after and saw gold-finger gesture for money by poking his finger at the Mon with the whole crew, bus driver, attendants and luggage handlers, who were obviously amused and in on it, looking on. They were even more amused when I butted in and took the Mon back to his seat. The young couple frightened by the ordeal asked me to please hold on to their cash or else the whole crew will take it. As it turned out the Mon lost 500 Baht to the crew but were happy to arrive safely in Maharchai 12 hrs later.
SWISS NATIONAL APPOINTED AS INTERIM OFFICER TO ILO
(Cited from
Mr de Riedmatten said he accepted the appointment of interim liaison officer because of a request from the ILO, which was agreed to by the government. The ILO is expected to appoint the liaison officer in early July. Mr de Riedmatten said the main task of the liaison officer would be to "help the government to eradicate forced labour," adding that the appointee would be an ILO employee from an Asian country.
An agreement on the appointment of the liaison officer was
reached in March as a first step towards the establishment of a permanent
presence in
Mr de Riedmatten said the ILO liaison officer would have "complete freedom of movement and freedom of contact" as UN representatives enjoy in carrying out the role. He said the government had displayed a "pragmatic approach" in agreeing to the appointment of a liaison officer ahead of the establishment of a permanent presence. "Let us do things one by one," Mr de Riedmatten said.
"Soon the ILO will become one of the UN agencies working according to the criteria and the conditions of the country," Mr de Riedmatten said. He is due to submit a report on his activities as interim liaison officer to an ILO conference in June, a statement released by the organisation said.
Mr de Riedmatten predicted that the lifting of restrictions on the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would make the ILO's work in assisting the government to eradicate forced labour easier. "As the process of national reconciliation is moving forward it will be easier than what we thought a few months ago," he said.
MYPO AND THE FUTURE OF MON MAGAZINE
(Kao-Wao / Sangkhalaburi,
Mon Youth Progressive Organization (MYPO) published its
first issue of the Mon journal and widely distributed at the border and inside
The fifty pages journal contains articles on the issues of youth, nationalism and political development written in Mon and Burmese, from the liberated area. MYPO was formed after a gathering of Mon youths at Sangkhalaburi border town, Karnchanaburi Province of Thailand last year in November to coordinate activities among the different youth groups to support the national movement.
The Mon Young Monks in Monland is
finally going ahead with publishing the “Future of Mon” magazine in Mon
language. MYM gave up waiting for the government authorization to publish and
began distribution illegally in Monland and in