APRIL 1997
Volume 8, No.4
ATTENTION
The April issue of the `BURMA ALERT' is late due to
a re-organization. In the future, the `ALERT' will be published in cooperation
with the yet to be established Euro-Burma Office in Brussels. The Editor will
re-locate to belgium in the summer and a Sub-editor will be engaged in Canada.
Apologies for the delays and inconveniences - Ed.
BURMA FAX
For your faxing pleasure, the following is an update of fax numbers in Burma.
The country code for Burma is 95:
Due to the late publication of the ``BURMA ALERT'', significant news items
will be presented in chronological order in this issue - Ed.
News Chronology
SLORC BASE AT MANERPLAW
SLORC has stationed three regiments and is building a military airport at
Manerplaw with aid from China. Four small patrolling aircraft and six
helicopters use Manerplaw as a base. Larger aircraft are expected after the
airfield is completed. The base could provide close support to SLORC troops
engaged in military offensives in Karen and Karenni States. Manerplaw was the
headquarters of the KNU until it fell to SLORC in 1994 [DVB970312].
SLORC'S KAREN OFFENSIVE
From 14 Mar to 31 Mar the SLORC offensive against the KNU continued in the
3rd, 5th and 7th Brigade areas. Fighting took place in Thaton, Kyauk Kyi and
Bawgahta [KNU970409].
33 MOSQUES DESTROYED
Between 16 and 28 Mar, 33 mosques in Mandalay, Rangoon, Pegu and Prome and
other townships in central Burma were destroyed in riots. At 6 pm on 16 Mar,
100-200 people in Buddhist monks' robes attacked mosques, muslim shops and
houses in Mandalay. A few days later, a Rangoon mosque frequented by
Indonesian embassy officials was attacked by 50 people in monks' robes who
were released after a brief detention. At Rangoon's Kanbe mosque, riot
police reportedly stood by while demonstrators attacked with sticks and stones.
Lieut-Gen Myo Nyunt, Minister for Religious Affairs, reportedly met with
muslim leaders in Rangoon and said, ``Let them destroy it - don't resist them,
the army will compensate you for everything.'' Meanwhile Mandalay and Rangoon
residents claimed that some of the monks carried pistols and walkie-talkies,
fuelling suspicion that they were SLORC personnel in disguise [IS970328,
N970328, NCUB/ABSDF970324].
MARTIAL LAW IN MANDALAY
On 18 Mar, martial law was declared and a curfew imposed in five Mandalay
townships after demonstrations by Buddhist monks and riots in which two mosques
were attacked. Residents said the main market was closed and barricades were
erected in the streets. The All Burma Young Monks Union said the monks had
been demonstrating to protest the recent deaths of 16 monks who had been
beaten, disrobed and sent to do hard labor, and not because of an alleged rape
of a Buddhist girl by muslims. Mandalay residents confirmed that the alleged
rape case had been resolved before 15 Mar. The Mandalay monks were also
protesting the forcible disrobing, and the continued detention of about 100
prominent abbots and senior monks since 1988. They were also angry over
SLORC's faulty repair of the Maha Myat Muni Buddha. It is cracked and the
Padamya Myetshin ruby, believed to bring victory to its owner, is missing
[ABYMU970318, Reu/AP970321].
News Chronology:
THAIS BLOCK REFUGEES
Relief workers reported that on 19 Mar, the Thai Army prevented about 1,000
Karen refugees from crossing the border into Thailand's Ratchburi province.
The refugees were fleeing mortar attacks from SLORC's 77th Light Infantry
Division, in the area of Huay Tha Ma Piew, Huay Khi Ma and Huay Tha Ma Muang,
about 6 miles from the border. A spokesman for the Thai Army's 9th Division
said Karens were `being asked' not to cross to Thailand unless they were in
great danger [AP970320].
GERMANS MEET KHIN NYUNT
On 21 Mar, a delegation from Germany's lower house of Parliament headed by
Williams Winner, a senior member of the lower house's Committee for Foreign
Affairs, met Lieut-Gen Khin Nyunt and National Planning and Economic
Development Minister Brigadier-General David Abel [AFP970326].
EUROPE CANCELS GSP PRIVILEGES
On 24 Mar, Ministers from the 15 European Union nations approved without
debate, the removal of trade privileges for SLORC under the Generalized System
of Preferences. A British EU official explained, ``We believe this is an
appropriate response to human rights violations in Myanmar and the use of
forced labour in the country.'' A quarter of the US\$66.5 million/year
EU-Myanmar trade enjoyed lucrative GSP tariff breaks [BT970319, AP970324,
ST970406].
REFUGEES - WE WON'T GO BACK
In an open letter to Colonel Manat of the Thai 9th Army Division on 29 Mar,
Karen refugees in Pu Muang camp, Kanchanaburi, said they would not go back to
Burma for fear of human rights abuses by the SLORC army. Thai aid workers
reported this week that 1,700 of the 2,700 refugees at Pu Muang camp were
suffering from diarrhoea, flu and malaria. An estimated 15 to 20,000 refugees
have fled Burma in the past six weeks due to the SLORC offensive against the
KNU [N970324].
THAI CHIEF FORBIDS U.N. AID
On 25 Mar, General Chettha Tanajaro, Commander-In-Chief of the Thai Army,
stated that the Government does not have a policy to allow the United
Nations High Commission for Refugees to provide aid to the Karen fleeing the
fighting in Burma [B970326].
CHINA-BURMA BORDER DEAL
On 25 Mar, China and SLORC signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in
border trade and management. The two parties agreed to add entry and exit
ports and to cooperate in suppressing the drug trade [X970326].
DRUG SUSPECT IN RANGOON
On 26 Mar, a Thai intelligence source reported that Li-Yun Chung, accused by US
courts of importing 486 kg of heroin, was in Rangoon after jumping his 30-day
bail. Li was indicted for the shipment of the heroin into Hayward, California
in 1991, and was arrested on July 23 by Thai authorities at the request of the
US government. A Burmese military source said on Mar 30 that, ``The
allegations (about Li) are so ridiculous that Myanmar does not think it is
worth refuting'' [B970327].
ANTI-MUSLIM UNREST SPREADS
On 29 Mar, a curfew was imposed in Toungoo, 200 km north of Rangoon, after
attacks on mosques and muslim property. A few days later, 50 monks in Kalemyo
threw stones and attempted to destroy a mosque. When the news spread,
villagers from Myauksi, Hsadaw, and Letpanchaung,
marched towards Kalemyo shouting slogans. Col Sein Kyawt, tactical commander
of Northwest Military Command, personally asked them to go home. A night
curfew was imposed and gatherings of more than 5 people were prohibited
effective 1 Apr [AA970331, DVB970406].
REFUGEES RETURN TO BURMA
On 29 Mar, about 1,500 Karen refugees in the Umphang district of Thailand's
Tak province, returned to Burma. The refugees, from Ban Nu Pho
camp, were mostly women and children. They are reported to be family members
of soldiers of the KNU 16th Battalion who surrendered to SLORC in Feb.97
[TT970330].
News Chronology:
N.L.D. AND MONKS HELD
On 1 Apr, U Htin Gyaw, a National League for Democracy organizer in east
Mandalay and nine other were arrested in the wake of anti-moslem disturbances.
150 monks have been disrobed by SLORC since 15 Mar [AFP970401].
DR THAN NYEIN RELEASED
On 1 Apr, Dr Than Nyein, NLD member and brother-in-law of Lieut-Gen Khin Nyunt,
was released from prison. He had been detained in Feb for seeing patients
in a private clinic without having filed a photograph of the consultation room.
He was released after the payment of a Kyat 1000 (US\$170) fine [Net970404].
NATIONAL CONVENTION - K.N.U.
On 1 Apr, Lieut-Col Tamuhae, who surrendered along with troops from KNU's 16th
battalion in February, was reported to have been appointed to the SLORC's
National Convention as the representative for Karen state [TT970402].
WA TAKE OVER HEROIN FACTORIES
According to a drug enforcement officer with the US Embassy in Bangkok, the
United Wa State Army (UWSA) has taken over most of the drug production from
Khun Sa. A Thai narcotics officer also said that the heroin refineries at Doi
Lang and Huay Maekham are now under control of the Wa. Wei Siao Gang,
commander of the UWSA, and his brother Wei Siao Long, ``are the new drug kings
in the Golden Triangle,'' he said. The monthly output of these factories is
140 kgs of heroin. Khun Sa surrendered to SLORC in Jan'96 [N970404].
NEWS SOURCES:
BOMB KILLS TIN OO'S DAUGHTER
On Sunday 6 Apr at 8 pm, a bomb exploded at the home of General Tin Oo,
killing his daughter Cho Lei Oo, 34. Cho, a mother of two, reportedly received
a phone call asking if she had received mail from Japan. When she opened the
parcel, the bomb exploded. Tin Oo, Secretary-2 of the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC) and Chief-of-Staff of the Burma Army, was in the
house at the time but was uninjured. SLORC said the parcel was sent by
airmail from Japan. On 9 Apr, SLORC blamed ``anti-Myanmar government groups
within Japan'' for the explosion and asked Japan to help its investigations.
A recent visitor who arrived in Bangkok on 10 Apr from Rangoon, discounted
the allegation because all mail in and out of Burma is closely checked.
Rangoon residents say the bomb was planted in front of the residence gate and
exploded as Cho Lei Oo drove out. An unidentified guard at the gate was also
reportedly killed. Tin Oo's home was not damaged by the blast lending
credibility to the reports [N970409].
KAREN, ABSDF DENY INVOLVEMENT
On 7 Apr, the KNU denied any responsibility in the Tin Oo bombing. Mansha,
Joint Secretary of the KNU, said, ``This situation does not concern the KNU.
It concerns the SLORC...they're having more and more power struggles.'' He
denied that the KNU had the technical means or motivation to carry out the
bombing. The All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF) also stated that
they ``had no involvement whatsoever'' in the bombing and that they do not
believe `terrorist acts' will bring about lasting solutions to Burma's
problems [AFP/ABSDF970407].
TEXACO HIRES MERCENARIES
Texaco, which is laying a second natural gas pipeline in Burma from the Yetagun
field in the Andaman Sea to Thailand, has hired Ordsafe, a US company,
to control security for its operations. At least half a dozen members of the
20-plus Ordsafe team are former members of the South African military. It was
reported in Dec.95 that Total SA hired French mercenaries to provide security
for its joint venture operation with Unocal [A970411].
End