BURMA NEWS INTERNATIONAL

Date: January 6, 2005

 

News

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(1)Three Indonesian journalists confirmed dead in Tsunami devastation

(In Burmese)

(2) Wa relocations have resumed

(3)Army confiscated more than 3,300 acres of people's land in 2004

(4) George Fernendes: Shame on India for its government policy on Burma

(5)Tsunami quake kills two in Shan State

(6)Wa reinforces border command

(7)Western Command tenders 12 shrimp farms to local businessmen

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Note For the Burmese Language News Please Read In The Webpage

www.bnionline.net

 

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Wa Relocations Have Resumed

===========================

 

SHAN

5 January 2005

 

As the total ban on poppies in the Wa region near the Chinese border is

drawing toward closure next June 26, the annual relocations to southern

areas along the Thai border have recommenced, King Cobra writes from the

Chiangmai border:

 

Some 2,000 people, most of whom speak only Chinese, were being resettled

in Mongton township, across from Chiangmai's Chiangdao district, between

Dec. 15 and Jan. 1.

 

Date of Arrival              Place of Arrival       # of 10-wheel trucks

15-22  December 2004            Mongjawd                        20

 

25-27 December 2004             Namyoom                         12

 

30 December 2004                west of Monghang                22

1 January 2005,                 Nawng Yahsai

        

                            Total                               54

 

 Each truck hauls approximately 35-40 passengers.

 

"The newcomers bring interpreters along when they come to buy things in

the village," a local shopkeeper explained . "We were told to expect

more of them coming in the next few months."  The settlers include both

elderly people and children as young as 2-3 months old.

 

According to Unsettling Moves, the Wa forced resettlement program in

Eastern Shan State (2002), the joint Rangoon-Panghsang program, has

already relocated more than 125,000 people along areas adjoining

Thailand since 1999.

 

Official figures indicate between 50,000 and 60,000 newcomers. The Wa

leadership has already announced the target figure is 100,000.

 

+++++++++++++++



Army Confiscated More Than 3,300 Acres Of People's Land In 2004

===============================================================

Independent Mon News Agency

January 5, 2005

 

The Burmese military government army has confiscated more than 3,300

acres of people's land for their army business and army based in

southern Burma, and the army paid no compensation to the people in 2004.

 

The army confiscated about 2,000 acres of land in Thanpyuzayart

Township, Mon state, for their newly based battalions' business and

about 700 acres of land for their dam built in Ye in mid-2004.

 

About 300 acres of land were confiscated in southern Ye in September

2004, and about 300 acres in Three Pagoda Township, Karen State, for an

army base. According to a source report, the army paid no compensation

to people for their lost land.

 

Most land confiscated was cultivated land, farmland that local people

relied on for their income and survival. After the land was confiscated,

landowners became jobless, some people went to Thailand seeking work and

some landowners fled into refugee camps.

 

"First, landowners face the problem of their livelihood. Second, they

have to find new land for living space for their families, but it is

difficult to get new space because the Burmese military government does

not allow villagers to stay in the jungle far from towns or villages.

Burmese soldiers launch military operations along the jungle so there is

no security. Third, they have to flee to neighbor countries to seek work

as illegal migrant workers," Nai Kasauh Mon, human rights director of

the Human Rights Foundation of Mon Land, said, explaining problems

landowners face after land confiscation.

 

"I don't think the people are going to get compensation without peace in

Burma and political change. The government already knew people rely on

farms to cultivate, but they did not care Although the New Mon State

Party, the Mon cease-fire group, requested the military regime, the

government did not care. And it is difficult have political change in

Burma without international pressure or the UN either to go inside and

solve it," Nai Kasauh Mon added.

 

According to the New Mon State Party (NMSP) leader, the NMSP has

requested many times by letter in meetings with the Burmese military

government to give compensation to landowners or give landspace. But no

compensation was given by the government.

 

According to the "No Land to Farm" report published in 2003, the

government confiscated more than 8,000 acres of land in 1998-2002 and

also paid no compensation. After the report came out, government

military authorities gathered landowners to give compensation. In the

beginning, authorities were going to gave it, but later stopped.

 

Before the cease-fire, many political leaders and Mon people believed

Human rights violations would decrease if the New Mon State Party made a

cease-fire agreement with the Burmese military regime.

 

But after the cease-fire human rights violations happened in Mon State

and southern Burma. Some human rights violations such as land

confiscation, rape cases and forced labor increased.

 

++++++++++++++++++++



George Fernendes: Shame on India for its government policy on Burma

===================================================================

Mung Pi

Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

January 4, 2005

 

Former Indian defense minister George Fernendes has condemned India's

ruling government for cooperating with the Burma military junta

whileoverlooking the suffering of its own people.

 

Addressing more than 200 protestors gathered at Teen Murti, New Delhi,

at a demonstration on the anniversary of Burma's Independence Day Jan.

4, Fernandes said, "General Aung San, the freedom fighter of Burma, used

to share an intimate relationship with Gandhiji and Pandit Nehru and

exchange views and ideas to obtain freedom. But today it's a shame that

the Indian government is cooperating with the military junta to suppress

the people of Burma."

 

Samata Party leader Fernendes also said that although Burma got

Independence for the last five decades, the country and its people never

obtained genuine freedom and are made prisoners in their own state by

the military dictators.

 

Holding banners that read "We express our solidarity with the people

Of Burma," and shouting "Free Aung San Suu Kyi," and "Military Down, Down,

"

Indian politicians, social activists, academicians and various Burmese

and ethnic pro-democracy groups marched for about two hours.

 

Some socialist leaders also told protestors of their support for the

democracy movement in Burma.

 

The protestors attmpted to submit a memorandum with their demands to the

Burmese Embassy, but the embassy responded by closing the gates and

declining to accept the letter. Protesters had to leave the papers

outside the gate.

 

"Since they did not accept (it) we have pushed it [the memorandum]

through the window. It only shows that the military dictators are scared

of anything that is democratic," said the outspoken Fernandes,

disappointed. The demonstration was a followup action to a convention

held in October for restoration of democracy in Burma.

 

The ruling United Progressive Alliance government led by the Congress

party, demanded the release of Suu Kyi while still applying the

so-called constructive engagement policy with Rangoon generals.

 

Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy

party held its Independence Day ceremony at its headquarter in Rangoon

without some detained key leaders while the military junta held a

separate ceremony.

 

NLD spokesperson U Lwin told the party to call for immediate release of

all political prisoners and to cancel the assurance of amnesty to

politicians. However, the junta has yet to respond to the call of the

NLD to start dialogue beginning first by discussing the issue of

"two-way forgiving."

 

Under the leadership of Gen. Aung San, father of  house-arrested Aung

San Suu Kyi, Burma gained independence from the British on the 4th of

January 1948.  The military dictators have ruled Burma under various

disguises since 1962

 

++++++++++++++




Tsunami quake kills two in Shan State

=====================================

 

SHAN

January 4, 2005

The earthquake in southern Shan State, 6.4 on the Richter scale, that

followed its devastating forerunner in Indonesia Dec. 26, was centered

in Namzang township where two people were reported killed when their

homes collapsed, said a Shan elder in Taunggyi this morning.

 

"It also tore down the umbrella from the town's pagoda," said the

58-year-old resident of the state capital, 62 miles west of the epicenter.

 

Meanwhile, some buildings were reported to have crumbled in Langkher,

57 miles south of Namzarng, but no deaths were announced. Strong tremors

were also recorded in Loilem and Panglong, 15 miles and 21 miles

respectively west of Namzang.

 

Details, however, are still absent on Burma's share in the suffering of

the world's most recent natural disaster that left more than 150,000

dead and millions homeless in 11 Asian and African countries.

 

+++++++++++++++++++



Wa reinforces border command

============================

 

SHAN

4 January 2005

 

More than a thousand fresh troops from the Chinese border have recently

arrived in Wa strongholds along the Thai-Burma border to pre-empt any

likely order from Rangoon to return to their original homeland in the

north, reports King Cobra from the Chiangmai border:

 

So far the arrivals are reported only in Mongton and Mongpiang townships:

 

Place of arrival                Date of arrival         # of troops

 

Namhu-Monghang,

Mongton township                26 December  2004               300

 

Hoyawd, Mongton township        29 December 2004                150

 

Hopang, Mongton township        29 December 2004                200

 

Namhukhun,

Poongpakhem sub-township,       31 December 2004                150

Mongton township        

 

Loi Kawngkha,

NE of Mongpu-awn,               2 January 2005                  200

Mongpiang township

        

Arrivals in nearby Monghsat Township, opposite Chiangrai province,

however, are yet to be reported. A Shan source close to the Wa said,

"One quarter of the newcomers are said to be ethnic Chinese." The

fighters, fully equipped, had marched all the way from Panghsang to the

south, a distance of 150-250 miles.

 

The 171st Military Region that stretches from Tachilek to near the Kayah

border, opposite Maehongson, Chiangmai and Chiangrai provinces, is

woefully short of manpower. "It has over 20 battalions," said the

informed source, "but each battalion barely manages 100 fighters."

 

The 171st is said to be under the command of Wei Hsuehkang, wanted both

by the United States and Thailand on drug charges. Both Rangoon and

Panghsang have publicly denied knowledge of his whereabouts. His command

has already been unofficially engaged in a few clashes with the Burmese

units since last month.

 

On Dec. 21, a Wa base in Namyoom, five miles north of the Chiangmai

border, and its neighboring Burma Army base  exchanged shellings for two

and a half hours (5:30-8 a.m.), said truck drivers coming to the border.

A non-commissioned officer later complained to a S.H.A.N. source that

the Wa started the fracas without provocation. "We suffered 13 dead," he

said.

 

"I was therefore taken aback when our commander ordered us to keep quiet

about the whole affair."

 

The Wa had felt let down by the surprise removal of Gen Khin Nyunt, in

whom they placed considerable trust, said a Thai border watcher in

Maesai. "To make things worse, a pro-Wa Lahu militia force of Panghai

(Mongpu-awn tract, Mongpiang township) commanded by I-shamuay (Samuel)

was disarmed by a Burma Army unit on Nov. 16," he said. "The Wa

naturally thought unless they were battle-ready at all times, they would

suffer the same fate."

 

Regarding the Burma Army's seeming forbearance toward recent clashes,

Unsettling Moves reports: the Wa forced resettlement program in eastern

Shan State, in a report by the Lahu National Development Organization,

says Rangoon wants to occupy the region along the Chinese border. By

dividing the Wa, it will make the task easier.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++



Western Command tenders 12 shrimp farms to local businessmen

============================================================

Narinjara News

4th January 2005

 

On Dec. 30, the military's western command tendered 12 shrimp farms for

the 2005 fiscial year to local businessmen in Maungdaw, Arakan.

 

A tender ceremony was held at the headquarters of Nasaka under

Supervision of the Deputy Commander of Western Command, at the border

security forces base in Ann Town in central Arakan state.

 

"There were a number of local businessmen attending the ceremony but

it was only for a few people," said a businessman from Maungdaw.

 

Twelve businessmen from around Maungdaw Township recieved the tender of

64.8 million kyats, all of whom are related to the SPDC government and

the Union Solidarity Development Association (USDA).

 

"The tender is impossible to get for ordinary people. The people who

were offered the tender are close to the SPDC authority. One

businessman, U Kyaw Yin, who received a tender of Kyi Kyunt island,

located on the Naff River, for 60 million kyat, is a leader of the USDA

of Maungdaw township," a businessman said.

 

Those people who want to get a tender usually give a bribe to the

Local authority for the shrimp farm and then another bribe for the

export of shrimp products to neighboring countries. In the past, Nasaka

intelligence officials proclaimed that funds earned from shrimp tender

were for the welfare of Nasaka and the intelligence unit, but in the end

most of the money was misappropriated by the officials.

 

The shrimp farms total over 6,400 acres which previously belonged to

Nasaka officials and the Maungdaw Intelligence Unit but the farms came

under the control of the Western Command after Nasaka intelligence

officials were dismissed from their posts.

 

Shrimp farming is a lucrative business in Arakan state, thus a number of

military personnel have illegally gotten involved in the business, added

the businessman.

 

**End**

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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

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