KAO WAO NEWS No. 19

 

An electronic newsletter for social justice and freedom in Burma

No 19, May 22-June 4, 2002

 

 

READERS' FRONT

NO POLITICAL SOLUTION AFTER CEASE-FIRE

MONS URGE ARMIES TO RECONCILE

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

 

Dear Readers,

Thank you for supporting Kao-Wao. Since starting in November, the range and quality of news has gradually increased and more subscribers are emailing comments in on a regular basis.  We appreciate the feedback and encourage you to continue with supporting Kao Wao.

 

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 Burma and Thailand. And we hope that it will become an important forum for discussion and debate and help readers to keep abreast of issues and news. Above all, we hope the newsletter will be used as a vehicle for those who want to share their views and experiences.

 

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

 

 

Dear Editor,

It is sad to hear about the fight between the Mons.  MUL Negotiation Mission should investigate the cause and report to civilians about who is attacking who first.  Unity is very important at this crucial moment.

 

Mon Rot

(USA)

 

 

Dear Kaowao news teams,

I am interested in armies rampage to Taungbout village which killed 2 and some wounded. Unconfirmed news in Australia heard that SPDC army removed the corpse from the grave and took it away and returned it after a few days. SPDC Army leader also called the abbots from 4 Taungbout villages such as Kawdoonbarang, Kawpalort, Taungbout and Nongbareae. Can you confirm this news?

 

Could Kaowao provide an update on this news please? All of us in Australia appreciate Kaowao news.

 

Long live Kaowao.

 

Yours truly, Kwae Mon

(Australia)

 

 

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

(Bangkok)

 

 

NO POLITICAL SOLUTION AFTER CEASE-FIRE

(Based on DVB and Kao-Wao, May 30, 2002)

 

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 Moulmein, Mon State regarding the present political situation.  The founder of NMSP after the Mon Peoples Front laid down arms in exchange for democracy during U Nu government in 1958 and now the 89 year old Mon national leader revealed his views on the release of the opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as a good sign for eternal peace in Burma; but it will be a long way to go for the country to work for democracy and the ruling junta needs to show their good will and Federal Spirit to establish a future union.

 

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 Burma.

 

The NMSP reached a cease-fire agreement with the military in 1995 but there has been no political solution and the Burma army always watches the cease-fire groups’ political activities very closely, he added.  The NMSP approached SPDC for political negotiation but the reluctant SPDC avoids any discussion regarding politicians or politics, always stating that it is up to the next government, said the Mon leader.

 

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.

 

 

MONS URGE ARMIES TO RECONCILE

(Kao-Wao / Bangkok, May 24, 2002)

 

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 May 21, 2002.

 

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 May 21, 2002 in the evening.

 

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 Thailand and overseas with thousands of Mons closely following the news. Migrant workers in Thailand, overseas communities from Canada and US express concern over the renewed fighting between the two groups.  In interviews with Kao-Wao News Group, most expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing fighting between the NMSP and HRP, which has created insecure conditions in the cease-fire zone.  Mon communities have called on the Mon Negotiation Mission to continue pressuring the groups into agreeing to avoid conflict in the cease-fire zone.

 

 

GAS PIPELINE UNDER COVER

(Kao-Wao May 24, 2002)

 

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 April 30, 2002 at 10 PM local time in southern Mon State.  The Karen guerrillas approached the Kanbauk-Myaingkalay gas pipeline near Anin and Hnit-kayin villages between Thanbyuzayat and Ye Townships during the night collecting three Mon villagers along the way for look out. The 2 local villagers, recruited by the Burma military for surveillance were caught in the line of fire when the KNU soldiers fired off their rocket launcher from a distance, which blew up part of the pipeline that started a major fire that killed the two villagers on lookout. Another villager on duty barely escaped, reported a local villager from Anin, Thanbyuzayat Township.

 

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 May 3, 2002 in Karen State, but the details of the strike are not known.  Meanwhile the KNU (Karen National Union) has not come forward to claim responsibility for the attack.

 

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 Mudon Township to build three huts along the pipeline adjacent to 9 villages who have to watch the pipeline for 24 hours, according to IMNA news.  “3 villagers have to stay at one hut, as there are 3 huts they need 9 villagers to remain all day, every day." Reported a villager from Kwan-hlar, Mudon Township.

 

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 Mon State from northern Tenasserim Division to Karen State, built from Kanbauk on-shore gas station to supply a cement factory in Pa-an Township in Karen State.

 

The first explosion occurred this year on January 5, near a bridge between Chaktwe and Daymai Mon village in Mudon Township.

 

“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 6 PM or risk being shot ”, a village headman from Mudon who had to collect 50,000 Kyat for security fee of the militias (PyiThuSit) complained.

 

 

RECOGNIZE ELECTION RESULTS

(Kao-Wao, May 27, 2002)

 

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 May 27, 1990 general election at the party headquarters in Rangoon with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, party members and diplomats from Britain, France, Italy, Germany, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Australia.

 

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 Burma.

 

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 Burma, expressed its solidarity and cooperation with NLD on the occasion of the 12th year anniversary of general election in Burma.

 

 

BORDER CRISIS BECOMES A POLITICAL GAME

(Based on the Bangkok Post and BBC, June 4, 2002)

 

The Burmese military junta launched its wars of words and guns over mounting border tension and closed all border passes with Thailand.

 

The New Light of Myanmar News paper, mouthpiece of junta, accused Thailand of helping the Shan rebels. Some 20,000 people protested, organized by the government, on Saturday in a mass rally at Kengtung, eastern Shan State against alleged efforts by Thailand to destabilize the country.

 

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 Burma recently.

 

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 Thailand.  Other Burmese warships were patrolling an 80-square-kilometre area in the Andaman Sea, from Victoria Point to St Matthew naval base and these islands, the source said.

 

A local source from Sangkhalaburi reported the closure of the Thai-Burma border has affected local people and trading was very quiet at the Three Pagodas Pass, border town, opposite of Sangkhalaburi, Kanchanaburi Province in Thailand.  Burma army has deployed about 400 troops at the 3 Pagodas Pass areas in alert and all border gates are strictly closed.  "It is very difficult for us to cross the border and we are facing trouble to buy some goods from Thai site" a villager from Palaing Japan complained.

 

A source from Rangoon reported the SPDC's quarterly meeting, which was held from May 20, was postponed due to the border tension and regional commanders were ordered to return their bases and to stay on alert.  A merchant from Moulmein said the SPDC is trying to divert political developments after the release of Suu Kyi and people were making jokes of the army propaganda that quoted Burma will solve the tension through diplomatic means before other options.  The people in Rangoon know that the Burma army cannot fight the Thai because of its poor technology.

 

The passports for civil servants and students who are leaving to Thailand were ordered to return them to government officials, while news and articles about Thailand were being banned to publish in the Burmese magazines and journals.  The price of a bottle of cooking oil jumped up from 850 kyats to 1200, (about 1.2 US dollars) due to the closure.

 

 

INVESTIGATION AFTER RAMPANT SHOOTING

(Kao-Wao, June 2, 2002)

 

On May 16, 2002 the Burmese army came to Taung Pauk village, Kya-Inn Seikyi Township in Karen State and took the bodies of two victims they killed from their graves and arrested the family members of the victims.

 

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 May 12, 2002.  A crowd of villagers was fired upon at random by the Infantry Battalion No. 77 under Army Division 88 who intruded into the cease-fire zone of the New Mon State Party.  The shooting rampage committed by 100 Burmese troops killed two villagers, Nai Lao and Nai Lone and wounded three.

 

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, Mon State, stepped on a land mine on 26/4/2002.

 

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 US $) as compensation from the village headman. The villagers were not clear as to whether the amount of money given was by the headman or from the army battalion.

 

"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, May 24, 2002)

 

Two sexual assault incidents occurred in Maharchai, Thailand on 16/4/2002. Two new comers recently arrived from a village in Mon State, Burma one month ago, were cheated by a Thai man and targeted for sexual assault.

 

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 Thailand. The second women, like the first, fled from him in the same way by hiding in the forest and seeking out help from the same Thai woman who called the taxi.

 

 

MON REFUSES TO PAY CORRUPT POLICE

(Kao-Wao, June 4, 2002)

 

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 Mons and other NGOs.

 

On May 1, 2002, while Nai Lomyom Mon, a registered worker, was walking at Narommit, Maharchai, four Thai policemen came and asked him for work permit card.  After the police searched his purse, they saw (30,000) Bahts and one policeman took a small pill of Yaba (amphetamine) between his fingers and put it into his pocket for extortion.

 

 

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 Bangkok from Hat Yai, I witnessed a spectacular case of extortion of two Mon workers on the bus express trip from Hat Yai to Bangkok from the whole bus crew who work for the Komtar Gunung Raya Agency.

 

The employees on the bus route spotted the migrants when they asked to be dropped off at Maharchai, close to Bangkok; they knew from the accent they weren’t Thai. My friend and I by sheer chance were sitting across the aisle from a young Mon couple and were just starting up a conversation with them when an unpleasant individual walked to the back of the bus and leaned arrogantly over the migrants demanding their papers, identification and money or else be turned over to the border police.  As he was pointing his gold ringed fingers at them I asked what his problem was with these people. He turns his forefinger at me and points,  None of your business.” I continue, “Why are you so rude to these people and who are you, let’s see your PAPERS”.

 

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 Myanmar Times and Business Review: May 20, 2002)

 

YANGON -- The International Labour Organisation has appointed a Yangon-based expatriate as its interim liaison officer in Myanmar. Mr Leon de Riedmatten, a Swiss national, also is a Yangon representative of a Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.

 

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 Myanmar by the Geneva-based ILO. The appointment was recommended by a high level ILO team which visited Myanmar last year to evaluate government efforts to eradicate forced labour.

 

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, May 31, 2002)

 

Mon Youth Progressive Organization (MYPO) published its first issue of the Mon journal and widely distributed at the border and inside Mon State.

 

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 Thailand.  An anonymous young monk who came from Mon State said they had applied for permission of the Mon magazine to Scrutiny Board and did not get permission yet from the government (military junta).  Since the Burmese junta does not encourage the literature of Mon and other non-Burmans and is suppressed, ethnic groups publish these magazines and journals through the community network.