BURMA NEWS INTERNATIONAL


19 November 2004

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(1) Entrepreneurs welcome border trade initiative

(2) Trade Seminar to Held at Mandalay along Rally

(3) Feature) The Opposite Side of Border Fence

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Entrepreneurs welcome border trade initiative

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Nava Thakuria/Mizzima News

November 19, 2004

 

Guwahati: Northeast India-based entrepreneurs have welcomed the recent

initiative of the union government of India to emphasise border trade

with Burma. The Indian Commerce Ministry recently approved 17 million

rupees to develop the Indo-Burma trading point at Longwa, Nagaland, to

boost cross-border trade between the two neighboring countries.

 

"We welcomed the decision of the Commerce Ministry. This kind of

initiative will definitely  encourage traders of the northeastern

region. It will also be helpful for the common people, as the funds

allocated will be spent for development of townships and improvement

of existing roads in the locality," said Subhash Agarwal, president

of  the Federation of Industries and Commerce for the North Eastern

Region (FINER).

 

Meanwhile, focus has been put on reopening the 2nd World War highway,

Stilwell Road or Burma Road, to enable  boosting  trade and business

between India and Burma. Constructed during the war, the 1,727 km.

highway  from Assam, Northeast India, to Kunming in Yunnan province,

China, passes through Myitkyina and Bhamo in Burma. Named after Major-

General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, who headed US forces in China,

Burma and India during the war, the road was meant for supplies from

eastern India to the beleaguered Chinese. Stilwell Road is expected to

connect  Northeast India with Burma, China, Laos and Thailand.

 

The Nagaland government was also demanding declaration of Longwa as a

trading point to increase legal trade with Burma. The Commerce

Ministry approved the funds following a feasibility report by the

Customs and Foreign Trade departments in 2003. The traders of both

countries have used the prescribed trading point at Longwa for several

decades.

 

After Morey, Manipur, the Indian government has approved the second

trading point with Burma at  ZokhawatharMizoram,  and lately at

Longwa.

 

"The sustainable cross-border trade will change the economy of

Northeastern India. The Commerce Ministry is keen to open even more

trading points in the region with it's neighboring countries like

Burma and Bangladesh and Tibet," said joint foreign trade director MK

Mero. Though covered by four  important countries, Northeast India has

only 12 trading points functioning at the moment.

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Trade Seminar to Held at Mandalay along Rally

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Surajit Khaund/Mizzima News

November 19, 2004

 

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Myanmar Chamber of

Commerce and Industry are organizing a seminar in Mandalay Nov. 25 in

connection with the India-ASEAN car rally, which will halt for the day

in Mandalay as the one-day seminar provides a series of presentations

on the future prospects and difficulties of ongoing trade.

 

The seminar will be inaugurated by Burmese  Minister of Commerce

Brigadier-Gen. Tin Naing Thein and  Sports Minister Brigadier General

Thura Aye Myint will also attend the event.

 

A senior member of the CII, Abhijit Barooah, said the seminar is aimed

at strengthening trade ties between India and Burma. "Several senior

officials of Indian companies, including NICCO, are participating in

the seminar,"  he added. R.K. Bhatia, Indian Ambassador to Burma, will

deliver a speech.

 

Meanwhile, trade bodies of  Northeastern India embarked on a series of

plans to make the rally a grand success. Indo-Myanmar Traders Union

president W.N. Singh said the trade body has engaged over 500

volunteers to welcome the Burma delegation. Similarly, a senior Burma

minister will escort the rally from Moreh, a major trading point in

Northeast India, Singh said while describing preparations on the eve

of the rally.

 

The trade seminar was organized in Mandalay to bring India and Burma

closer and boost trade in coming days. According to official

statistics, present trade between India and Burma stands at Rupees

5000 million (about US 116 million) , and both countries have agreed

to enhance the volume of trade up to US$1 billion by 2006.

 

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(Feature) The Opposite Side of Border Fence

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Surajit Khaund

Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

November 18, 2004

 

Lian comes to Champhai early in the morning from Burma and returns in

the evening to earn 50 to 100 rupees ( 43 rupees equals one US dollar).

The 15-year-old school dropout, a Chin ethnic girl, lives in a village

just opposite Champhai, but she comes regularly by walking and works

as a sex worker.

"I have been in this profession for the last two years to support my

family. I got this connection from one of my friends who is also a sex

worker," said Lian (her actual name is concealed).

Lian is not alone. There are hundreds of Burmese sex workers in

Champhai and Zokhathar , small bordering towns of northeast India,

becoming attracted to that business. They come to nearby areas early

in the morning in quest of customers.

Hundreds of Burmese girls living in bordering areas of the country

have resorted to the path of the flesh trade for their livelihood,

leading to serious health problems among them. The problem has reached

such a magnitude that more and more girls are involved in that

business, ignoring the AIDS threat .

 

What is more alarming is that girls aged 13 to 15 have taken this path

even though they are aware of the AIDS threat. Though this has been

going on for the past several years, the authorities concerned seem

aloof, failing to take any positive action in this regard.

"We have to run this business so our parents can feed us properly,"

Zina, a thin school-age girl, said softly while her two friends were

talking to customers.

 

Despite repeated pleas, the girls refused to disclose their identity,

saying they have been in this profession to maintain their family

members. The girls have to enter India defying all odds to earn money.

Sometimes they get stranded in the forest due to gearup operations by

security forces on both sides of the border.

Although the Mizoram government has already asked police to gear up

operations, fearing the spread of AIDS, the move has very little

impact among the sex workers.

 

The girls also made a startling revelation, saying customers can

manage everything by paying money, and some don't want to use a condom.

Champhai police said the problem is due to economic disparity and the

poor financial position of the Burmese people. "The problem is serious

and we are trying to create awareness among the Chin girls involved in

the flesh trade," he said.

 

The problem is also taking a serious turn in Moreh, India, said to be

a major trading points between India and Burma. Girls come to the

border town from Tamu, Kabaw Valley and Namphalang in Burma to have

sex with Indians. About 100 to 200 Burmese girls come to India

depending on demand. Bur during the festive season, more girls come to

the Moreh area, a resident said.

 

Chitra Anthem, who runs Manipur Positive, an NGO, observed that the

flesh trade has become a serious problem in bordering areas of

India. "According to our estimate, there are 1,000 sex workers in

Moreh, but this is a rough estimate for which a proper survey is

required," she said. The current population of Moreh is 15,800

according to official statistics.

 

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Burma News International is a network of nine exiled media groups

such as Mizzima News, Shan Herald Agency for News, Kao Wao News Group,

Khonumthung News Group, Narinjara News, Kaladan Press Network,

Independent Mon News Agency, Karenni Information

Network Group and Network Media Group.

 

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