BURMA NEWS INTERNATIONAL

 

Date: January 6, 2005

 

News

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(1) Another Two Bombs Explosion in Kachin

(2) 18 Mon women raped by Burmese Army troops in 2004

(3) NE trade body to have office in Mandalay

(4) Suu Kyi Party calls for Unconditional Release of All Political    

    Prisoners

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Another Two Bombs Explosion in Kachin

 

Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

January 6, 2005

 

Two bombs blew up again this morning in Myitkyina, Kachin state, in

northern Burma.  The explosion occurred at Myoma block, near a station

and a muslin pali, at about 6 a.m. No one yet claims responsibility.

 

"It was in front of an ice factory behind the pali in Myoma block, but I

don't know details. Yes, it is confirmed," said Major Khun Mau, second

secretary and central committee member of the Kachin Independence

Organization (KIO), adding that that many KIO officers are in

Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, to celebrate the harvest festival.

 

It was the first bomb blast in 2005. Last year, three bomb attacks

occurred in the Kachin ethnic dominated area, particularly assassination

attempts on the leaders, but there was no clear information about the

culprits.

 

Observers believe there is deep conflict between rival Kachin armed

groups, and that Rangoon's generals have been manipulating the dividing

forces.

 

Reportedly, there have been disputes between Kachin army leaders and a

group of mainly Chinese businessmen regarding the sharing of business

interests such as gold and gem mining, and the forest.

 

However, there was speculation too that all assassination attempts may

be the start of the power struggle. An unsuccessful coup took place in

January 2004 at the KIO headquartersat Liaison Bum.

 

On Feb, 26, 2004, Col. Lazing Bawk, deputy chief of Staff of the KIA,

was killed by a bomb blast in the bathroom of his house in Laiza, a town

adjacent to the Chinese border.

 

On Sept. 15, Bawmwang Hsinwa Naw, a member of another cease-fire group,

New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K), and a brother of Bawmwang La Raw,

and Chairman of Pan Kachin Development which ran several education and

health-care projects in Kachin State, was killed by a bomb blast.

 

On Dec. 10, NDA-K leader Zahkung Ting Ying's vehicle was was hit by a

bomb and he narrowly escaped an explosion because he shrewdly traveled

in the next car.

 

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18 Mon women raped by Burmese Army troops in 2004

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Independent Mon News Agency

January 6, 2005

 

Witnesses from local villages reported that about 18 Mon women were

raped by Burmese Army commanders and soldiers during their launch of

military operations against a Mon splinter group active in southern

Burma ­ southern Mon State and northern Tennaserim division.

 

Most women victims were family members or relatives of soldiers in the

splinter group, as some women were raped at their houses after threats

of killing by the soldiers, while others were raped during forced labor

in the military camps.

 

Mi Aye Lwin, 20, a pregnant woman, was gang-raped by Burmese Army

Light Infantry battalion No. 586 soldiers, and she delivered her baby in

the military camp in February 2004. She was arrested by the soldiers

after her father was accused of being a rebel-supporter.

 

"Rape or sexual violations against Mon women they (Burmese soldiers)

believe are rebels is a serious punishment of the Burmese Army.  They

have not only punished Mon women in the rural community where war is

happening, but also raped many women in other ethnic areas.  Very

sorrowfully, very few Burman people in cities and in Central Burma knew

how terrible Burmese soldiers are toward ethnic people," said Nai Kasauh

Mon, director of  the Human Rights Foundation of Monland, which has

documented rape cases on a regular basis in their monthly reports.

 

During a year of military operations against Mon splinter groups,

Burmese soldiers did not undertake many operations in the jungles where

Mon rebel soldiers were taking bases. But they were just based inside

villages and restricted villagers from leaving.  They also forced young

women to walk as model girls to entertain them in their military camps

in the villages.

 

"We have difficulty complaining about rape. To whom can we complain?

The military was the most powerful in the regime. These cases were

violations by soldiers. So if we complained to a higher rank, we were

always denied," said a village community leader.

 

Many young women in the village were sent to town by their parents to

free them from rape and sexual harassment. Many young women, including

the rape victims, have migrated to Thailand to escape from the abuses

and seek work to support their families who remained in the village in

various difficult situations surrounded by the Burmese Army.

 

The villagers were restricted from going to work in the farms, gardens

and plantations.  The Burmese Army gathered in the main villages

everyday in the base for registration to report they were still in

village. Men who were late  gathering in the group faced beatings and

other serious torture. On some days, soldiers put these men in the sun heat.

 

According to the Human Rights Foundation of Monland, more than 10

villagers were killed on accusation of supporting rebels from December

2003 to March 2004. About 50 were arrested and seriously tortured on

similar accusations.

 

Local Burmese Army commanders often tried to close Mon National Schools

in the area and forced Mon teachers to resign from the schools. Some

schools were already shifted from Mon Schools to Government Schools by

the Burmese Army commanders.

 

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NE trade body to have office in Mandalay

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Surajit Khaund (India):

Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

January 5, 2005

 

In a rare gesture, the Indo-Myanmar Traders Union, one of the leading

trade bodies in northeast India, will soon have an office in Mandalay,

Burma. The trade body, engaged in promoting trade with Burma , received

consent from the Mandalay Industrial Zone Corporation to open an office

in Mandalay.

 

"We have got a response from U Maung, chairman of the Mandalay

Industrial Zone Development Corporation to open the office, and our

organization will submit a proposal in this regard soon,"  W.N, Singh,

vice president of Indo-Myanmar Traders Union ,told this correspondent

today. He said the office would be set up very soon as' Myanmar is now

very positive to enhance trade with India. "

 

"We also want to reciprocate our proposal by openingan office in  Imphal

by the junta," he said. "Northeast India has not been able to enhance

trade with Burma in spite of having vast scope. The new office would

solve problem of traders while exporting and importing. Besides, it will

strengthen bilateral relations between the countries," he added.

 

After the ASEAN rally, the Indian Commerce Ministry took a series of

measures to increase volume of trade with Burma and other ASEAN

countries, for which it offered incentives to traders in the region.

Similarly, the junta is also seeking help from Indian companies to

invest in the country to improve the economy.

 

Expressing satisfaction with the gesture of the junta, Singh, who is

also involved in export and import with Burma , said the Burmese

government has softened its stand on  trade with India , so traders are

now willing to boost export with Burma. "I am optimistic that both India

and Burma will be able to increase the volume of trade in years to come.

But at the same time Burmese traders should come forward to strengthen

trade with this region," he said

 

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Suu Kyi Party calls for Unconditional Release of All Political Prisoners

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Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

January 5, 2005

 

The National League for Democracy has demanded the unconditional release

of all political prisoners including those under house arrest and

abandoning surety for amnestied political prisoners in a statement

released today.

 

The NLD held its 57th Anniversary Independence Day ceremony at its

Shwegondaing Road headquarters in Rangoon and demanded five points in a

statement, including canceling inappropriate orders and decrees such as

the 1975 State Protection Law; Articles 5e and 5j of the 1950 Emergency

Provisions Act, to allow the NLD to open branch offices.

 

The ceremony was attended by NLD Central Executive Committee members,

delegates from states and divisions, representatives of national race

political parties, veteran politicians and others who participated in

Burma's independence struggle, and diplomats and diplomats.

NLD spokesperson U Lwin told Mizzima that the guests numbered about 500.

The ruling military junta also held a separate Independence Day ceremony.

 

Burma gained independence from Great Britain in 1948. Aung San, father

of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi led the resistance that ended

colonial rule.

 

NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 59, and party vice chairman U Tin Oo have

been detained under house arrest since last year and party founder Win

Tin, a 74-year-old writer, is still in prison.

According to an Amnesty International report in 2003, Burma's jail

Shold more than 1,350 political prisoners.

 

Despite the military junta's recent release of about 22,000 prisoners

Whom state-owned media say were wrongly charged by the former National

Intelligence Bureau, only about 70 political prisoners were freed.

 

**End**

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