KAOWAO NEWS NO. 81
An electronic newsletter for social justice and
freedom in
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TSUNAMI: WORLDWIDE CONCERN FOR
TIGHTENED SECURITY
AFTER EXPLOSION
PIPELINE SECURITY
ROUND UP PORTERS FOR OFFENSIVES
MALAYSIA CRACKDOWN DRIVES THOUSANDS HOME
Migrant Workers Conference Held in
SHAN DRAFT CHAPTER
PRESENTED FOR TEAM APPROVAL
THAI DEVOTEES HONOR
WAT PROK ABBOT
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TSUNAMI: WORLDWIDE CONCERN FOR
(Kaowao:
Burmese junta claim that under a hundred Burmese people perished
in the monster wave that struck coastlines around Indian Ocean, Andaman Sea,
and Somalia, Africa, the aftershock of a powerful earthquake on the seafloor in
the Indian Ocean between the Indian and Burman plates.
Remarkably, the junta claims that the tsunamis lost their
force after they struck the Andaman and
Experts from the United Nations, scientists and activists
from
According to Damien McElroy from the London Sunday
Telegraph who set off to investigate a mile-long stretch of estuary on the
Andaman Sea, Burmese fishermen up the coast from Thailand border’s at Kra Buri, not far from Phuket, say that many more, maybe thousands, have perished,
that there is “widespread devastation on the Coco Islands and the Mergui archipelago”. One fisherman reported that he saw
about 50 people being swept away from a bridge on a large island, Palao Ton Ton.
The junta sealed parts of
The Mon community in
No news from fishing community in
A
For those who want to make a donation to the Burmese
tsunami victims in the coastal community please go to: www.foundationburma.org
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(Kun Yekha:
A fire that spread from the
tiny home in Sarm Hle Mon
village in Pa-An township, Karen state burnt down (31) homes on December 17,
2004.
“It’s unthinkable how the
fire started in the first place, the home owners are in
The home was built of bamboo
staves and nipa palm leaf and went up in seconds, the
fire spread quickly to the surrounding (30) homes in Banya
Lagon Ein ward. Without a
fire emergency system or a fire brigade, the villagers from Sarm
Hle, Khayah and Takoh Yekha grabbed containers
and buckets; and from hand to hand threw water and sand on the burning homes.
The next day local authorities from Pa-An township, social workers from NGOs and some companies
visited the burnt out village to provide blankets, clothes and foods. The
authorities held a brief meeting with the villagers to learn what had happened
and to set up a fire-brigade system for future emergencies. As the dry season
nears village headmen instruct villagers to cook outside as a safety
precaution.
In southern
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(Taramon/Ong
Burma Army
while guarding Total’s gas pipeline in southern
The Second Commander of LIB
No. 273, Moe San Winn, demanded Kyats 200,000 from two villages, after granting
them permission to hold a Buddhist traditional festival last month, villagers
from the area talked to Kaowao yesterday.
Ohn Pin Kwin and Phaung
Daw villages are in the area of the Total gas station in
According to a headman who
spoke under condition of anonymity, the villagers were not allowed to celebrate
annual festival and theater performance without first paying money to the BA
Commander. The commander told them that he is responsible for the security of
the gas pipeline and it shouldn’t be interrupted because of the crowd in the
festival.
13 buffalos belong to
villagers were seized by the BA and the owners were brutally tortured being
accused of trying to transport them across the border to sell in
Civilians are prevented from
traveling outside the area. “We cannot travel or go back to our own
village even though we show recommendation letter from the New Mon State Party,”
said an elderly Mon woman who recently arrived to the border for her daughter’s
wedding to an NMSP soldier.
The Mon splinter group HRP
and KNU have operated guerilla warfare in the area. The ethnic
nationalities in this area, Mon and Karen set up bases in jungle hideouts to
fight the central government. The local people have usually supported the armed
resistance groups since 1948 after
The local Mon and Tavoyan have fled their villages due to hardship, poor
income opportunities, and human rights violations by the Burmese security
forces guarding the pipeline.
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TIGHTENED SECURITY
AFTER EXPLOSION
(Taing Taw,
Security has tightened in Mon and Karen states after a bomb
explosion in Pa-An, the capital of Karen sate.
“The authorities are checking travelers, I was thoroughly
checked by Burma Army soldiers,” a Mon political leader told Kaowao after arriving at the border recently. The
leader who spoke on condition of anonymity added that more restrictions have
been imposed since the MI was disbanded.
“They check every body who travel
to the cities and soldiers in charge of the checkpoints order people about in a
rude way,” complained a village woman who visited
“It’s very difficult to visit to the Thailand Burma border
and it’s frustrating to return and to live under the current SPDC regime”, the
Mon politician said. He added that it is difficult to deal with the new
SPDC leaders and do activities because of not knowing enough about the new
officials and authorities in charge.
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PIPELINE SECURITY
ROUND UP PORTERS FOR OFFENSIVES
(Independent Mon News Agency:
The Burma Army responsible for the Yadana
gas pipeline to
Until the 3rd week of December, the Light Infantry
Battalion No. 408 under the command of Major Aung Naing
Myint used villagers around the area of
They ordered a 60-year old man as porter who was later
taken to the hospital for treatment on the 16th of
December.
The Burma Army recruited porters twice a month from Lort-thaing, Kyauk-kadin, Alae-sakan, and Kwe-talin
villages during their offensive operation, the source added.
Tarkalaw, a Karen ethnic porter,
60 years old, told me that the soldiers used them for 5 days between December
12 and 16. They took them from Lort-thaing to Wae-peer village (local names of villages) into the jungle.
The porters told me that the soldiers also took them for two days on December 4th
to carry heavy supplies, the soldier’s food and ammunition for 30 miles
into the jungle, the source explained.
In early December, soldiers from LIB No. 408 conscripted
two villagers from Kwe-talin village: Nai Pyay (25) and Mehm Arholl (17) and two
villagers from Kyauk-din village and one villager
from Alae-sakan village. On the second occasion,
they took many villagers from Lort-thaing village,
which is a Karen ethnic village.
LIB No.408 is a battalion responsible for security of the Yadana Gas Pipeline that transports gas from the Kanpauk area, Tavoy district to
The Yadana gas pipeline was built
by the French oil and gas Company giant, Total, and since 1998 and has sold gas
to
Porters receive no payment for carrying the army’s food and
ammunition supplies. Portering is a widespread human
rights violation against the civilians of
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Migrant Watch
MALAYSIA CRACKDOWN DRIVES THOUSANDS HOME
(Kun Yekha,
While the Thai-Malaysia
border is busy with problems from the Tsunami crisis, many undocumented Burmese
migrant workers in
“We have to wait and see
before we can re-enter again,” said Win San a migrant worker from Belugyun,
“Many of us don't want
to leave, we want to earn more money and send it back to our family who are
having a difficult time in Burma,” said Ong Seik at Morchit Bus Terminal of
Bangkok, Thailand who was on his way back to Burma passing through Maesot- Myawaddy border.
Scores of migrant workers in
groups are passing through the Thai-Malaysia border with the help of brokers
(human traffickers) into
Those who don’t want to leave
had to quit their jobs to hide in the jungle area until things settle down. The
employers won’t accept undocumented workers fearing the government’s new policy
on alien workers. Many Burmese work on construction sites, restaurants,
agricultural plantations, and factories in low wages.
There are more than a
million; some say it could be as high as 2.5 million- undocumented migrant
workers in
The Malaysian government
granted an amnesty period for migrant workers without proper documents to leave
the country. By the end of December, all those remaining without valid papers
will be arrested and deported to their countries.
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Migrant Workers Conference Held in
(Mi Wossorn:
Organized by NGOs, ‘Future of
Migrant Workers in Thailand Conference’ was held on December 17, on the eve of
International Migration Day to improve lives of migrant workers in
The human rights of Burmese
migrant workers face serious challenges. As reported by Asian
Legal Resource Center 2003, “Burmese workers suffer extreme brutality in
In some cases when the
Burmese demand their rights they risk being tortured, murdered, or sent back to
At the Miracle Grand Hotel,
the conference focused on Trends, Health and Rights of migrant workers in
Thailand with participants from government agencies directly responsible for
developing and administering migrant policies, Public Health officials, NGOs
working on migrant issues, representatives of migrants, and academics.
“It’s good to hear the great
results from the conference that the government agencies plan to recognize the
legal status of migrant workers,” commented Nai Su Mit, a social worker from the Prevention of HIV/AIDS.
Among Migrant Workers in Thailand Project
(PHAMIT), a representative pointed out the difficulties of the registration
process, the working system and other social affairs. A Shan representative
talked about the difficulties of work permit registration, language barriers,
and the lack of general knowledge of living and working in
A Thai deputy minister said that his aim
was to improve next year’s registration process. A workshop focused on trends
of migration; migrant workers’ access to health services; and rights and
protection of migrant workers and their dependents.
On December 18th, a public
event was held in
In 1997, Filipino and other
Asian migrant organizations began celebrating and promoting the 18th of
December as the International Day of Solidarity with Migrants, the day the UN
adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all
Migrants Workers and Members of Their Families. Twenty-five countries have
signed, but as of yet
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Political
development
SHAN DRAFT CHAPTER
PRESENTED FOR TEAM APPROVAL
(Shan
Herald Agency for News:
A long wait after it was formed in the year 2000, the Shan Constitution
Drafting Commission in exile, has come up with its "bottom-up" first
draft to be debated and adopted prior to the release for public review, said
the Commission's chairman on Saturday, 18 December.
"The reason for the delay was that we were doing our best to make it a
document of the people that is written collectively by the people for the
people," declared Sao Seng Suk,
69, son of Hkun Kya Bu, a
signatory of the historic Panglong Agreement of 1947.
"The Commission, especially myself, is only
putting their wishes together."
The 106-page "outline" has 8 chapters (Characteristics, Bill of
Rights, Legislature, Legislative powers, National
Executive, Judiciary Power, General Provisions and Amendment of the
Constitution) 19 sections and 295 sub-sections.
Apart from being a bottom-up draft "made up of copious feedbacks from the
people inside", it also boasts of 4 other prominent features:
The
The people of
The
The role of local governments,
According to the resolutions of the 36th monthly meeting of
the SS-CDC on Saturday, the draft would be translated into Burmese before it
was considered by the 11-member Commission.
"I hope it will stir up constructive debates among all those concerned to
produce a draft agreed by all," Sao Seng Suk, who is concurrently President of the Shan Democratic
Union, said.
The SS-CDC was elected at a meeting attended by 50 representatives from various
organizations from
Among the seven non-Burman states of
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THAI DEVOTEES HONOR
WAT PROK ABBOT
(Gore Lawi, Dec 22)
About (700) Thai devotees celebrated an honoring ceremony
of Rev. Wicharn Jayaedhomore
(Ajar Wicharn) on
Ajar Wicharn Jayaedhomore,
the abbot of Wat Prok,
received an honoring certificate on December 17 from His Majesty King Bhumiphol of
“I’m pleased to have received the certificate recognized by
the king, I can do many things to improve Wat Prok and other Buddhist Sarsana
affairs,” said Ajar Wicharn.
The State Buddhist Sangha
Association produced the monk’s list and handed it to the Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The
certificate was signed by the king and Prime Minister and presented at Pra Pathom Jedi, Nakhom Pathom.
During the past 20 years, Ajar Wicharn
traveled around the world teaching the Buddhist religion in Sri Lanka, Nepal,
India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia, USA and (15) nations of Europe.
The Mon monks from (36) monasteries in
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Exile groups,
scientists question
(Paul Alexander,
Associated Press:
Even after looking at satellite photos of
Colin Powell said Tuesday he isn't sure what to make of
claims by the reclusive country's military junta that the Asian tsunami killed
only 59 people there.
"I don't know whether to believe or not to believe
them," he told a news conference during a brief visit to
Aid agencies have said at least 90 were killed along
The U.N. World Food Program says some 30,000 people need
help in
"In the first stage, the Burmese government thought
they could deal with the problem themselves, but they revised their position.
So our offer of service has been accepted," said Simon Pluess,
WFP'S Geneva-based spokesman.
Powell said the photos appear to show that
But the situation is much more unclear on the offshore
islands. No one outside
"One of the areas we are concerned about is ... the
archipelago to the west of the mainland coast," said Sean Healy, spokesman
for Medicins Sans Frontieres
(Doctors without Borders) in
"That is the worst-case scenario," he said.
"Until we go there, we’re not going to be sure."
The International Committee of the Red Cross and the
Myanmar Red Cross have hired boats and were to assess
the islands on Tuesday and Wednesday, ICRC spokesman Eros Bosisio
said.
Nearly 150
Former Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes,
who led the demonstration, accused the military regime of hiding tsunami damage.
"They can never be expected to tell the truth,"
he said.
Fernandes said he didn't know how
many people have died there, "but the figure is much more than what they
are saying."
Zin Linn, spokesman for National
Coalition Government of Union of Burma, the umbrella organization for
"The military government has deployed large numbers of
troops into the areas and is not allowing people to speak about the
damage," Zin Linn said.
So Myint, the New Delhi-based
editor of a Burmese pro-democracy Web site, said the total could be as high as
5,000.
"There is no news of casualties from
Exiled Burmese who live near the delta Irrawadi
township estimate 400-500
dead in five towns alone - Busshin, Laputta, Bogalay, Pharporn and Ngabudaw, and say
However, Kyaw Kyaw Khai, who works at the 70-room Chaung
Tha Bungalow beach resort in Irrawadi,
said everything was fine, with no dead or damage where he works.
"We only felt shaking. Water receded from the beach
for about one kilometer (more than a half mile), and 10 minutes later, the
water came up to the beach at the normal level," he told The Associated
Press by telephone, adding that he had no information about the towns that the
exile groups say were hit badly.
A computer model of the tsunami suggests
The model, however, has not been validated with real-world
measurements, he said.
Associated Press writers Sutin
Wannabovorn in Bangkok, Meraiah
Foley in Sydney, Elaine Ganley in Paris, Alexander G.
Higgins in Geneva, Michael McDonough in London, Tini
Tran in New Delhi and Matthew Fordahl in San Jose
contributed to this story.
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READERS’ FRONT
Dear Readers,
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of those seeking social justice in
Regards,
Editor
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