------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: June 18th 1995 Issue #186 BKK POST: RANGOON MAY BE PREPARING FOR FRESH ATTACKS AGAINST REBELS BKK POST: KARENS HELD FOR ROBBING THAI VILLAGERS NATION : KAREN REBELS SURRENDER TO GOVERNMENT TROOPS BKK POST: FORTY -SEVEN KAREN GUERRILLAS SURRENDER TO BURMESE JUNTA BKK POST: CHATICHAI WANTS GOVT REVIEW OF MAE SAI DECISION BKK POST: DEVELOPERS CHANGING THE FACE OF EXOTIC BURMESE CAPITAL THAILAND TIME: MILITARY MEN NAMED TO BURMESE CABINET NATION : ICRC TO CLOSE BURMA OFFICE OVER FREE ACCESS TO PRISONERS BKK POST: US LAWMAKERS EYE BURMA SANCTIONS NATION : SUU KYI TURNS 50 AS HOPES FOR FREEDOM FADE NATION : DETAINED MON INVALID MAKES PLEA TO GOVT FOR QUICK DECISION ON HIS FUTURE BKK POST: CHATICHAI WANTS GOVT REVIEW OF MAE SAI DECISION BKK POST: THERE'S DOLLARS IN THE EYES OF SOME IN BURMA BKK POST: PRESENT POLICIES NOT ENOUGH BKK POST: JAPANESE WWII CASH UNEARTHED BY KARENS ---------------------------------------------------------- o-------------------------------o The BurmaNet News is an | | electronic newspaper | Iti | covering Burma. 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Sutcliffe" World Wide Web: FreeBurma@POBox.com Volunteering: Dr. Christina Fink c/o burmanet@igc.apc.org [Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage] ---------------------------------------------------------- ===== item ===== RANGOON MAY BE PREPARING FOR FRESH ATTACKS AGAINST REBELS 17.6.95/Bangkok Post A Border report released recently has revealed the possibility that the Rangoon army is preparing to launch fresh air attacks against rebel minority groups including the Mong Tai Army[MTA]. The report has alerted the army and border patrol police units along the border in Chiang Rai , Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Song to the danger of possible incursions. The Third Army Region issued a warning on Monday to Naresuan Task Force and Border Patrol Police to keep a close watch on the border situation . A military base belonging to the MTA situated across from Mae Fah Luang District in this northern province is believed to be the target of the Rangoon army attack. It was reported on Wednesday that about 500 Rangoon army reinforcements were despatched to Ban Pang Ma O, about 20 kilometers south of the border town of Tachilek . Army sources said the Burmese army is planning to renew its suppression activities in a bid to drive out the MTA, which has established strongholds near Tachilek over the last few months. It is also to ensure that the border town, which has been shut for three months due to unrest along the border , can reopen for business without any fear of danger from the MTA. Tachilek has been closed temporarily following clashes between Rangoon's army and MTA forces. The Rangoon army reportedly burnt down more than 20 houses in the border town, which they believed had housed members of the MTA . Fighting in the border town has brought trading activities to a standstill. ===== item ===== KARENS HELD FOR ROBBING THAI VILLAGERS 17.6.95/Bangkok Post Police yesterday arrested six Karen tribesmen who they claimed had robbed Thai villagers along the Thai-Burmese border and seized five M-16 rifles, one AK-47 and a quantity of ammunition from them in Sob Moei District. The six -identified only as No Wa, 20, Jo Tho, 20 Pha Ahae, 24, Koso, 17 , Ajino, 17 , and Pan Nu ,20 -were arrested at Ban Huay Haeng in Tambon Sob Moei. Police said the six confessed to robbing Thai villagers along the border on many occasions. They also admitted to robbing cash and valuables worth more than 20,000 baht from the home of Insom Plianchai in Tha Song Yang District , Tak Province, on May 31 , police claimed. ===== item ===== KAREN REBELS SURRENDER TO GOVERNMENT TROOPS The Nation/17.6.95 Associated Press RANGOON- Nearly 50 guerrillas from the last major ethnic group fighting the Burmese junta have surrendered to government troops, a state-owned newspaper reported yesterday. The New Light Of Myanmar said the guerrillas were part of the Karen National Union, which has been fighting for autonomy from the government in Rangoon since 1948. They surrendered at a military camp on June 11 in Tarlay, in Karen State, near the Thai border with the Thailand, it said. Government troops captured the KNU's headquarters at Manerplaw on Jan 27, and the group's last major stronghold inside Burma at Kawmoora the following month. Since then the KNU has been operation from clandestine bases on both sides of the Thai-Burma border. Its forces are estimated at about 4,000 guerrillas. The newspaper claimed the troops surrendered because they refused to carry out orders given by Bo Mya, the leader of the KNU. ===== item ===== FORTY -SEVEN KAREN GUERRILLAS SURRENDER TO BURMESE JUNTA 17.6.95/Bangkok Post Forty-seven Karen guerrillas, ordered to assassinate the leader of a rival Karen faction , have surrendered to Burmese military authorities , Burma's state-run media reported yesterday. The group was part of a special unit ordered by Karen guerrilla leader Bo Mya in February to assassinate U Thuzana, head of a rival faction which broke away from the main Karen guerrilla force two months earlier, the report said. U Thuzana, whose splinter faction joined forces with the Burmese army to attack their former comrades, now lives in a government - controlled part of southeastern Burma. The 47 rebels " returned to the legal fold" on Sunday, the report said. The Burmese junta is about to finalise a ceasefire agreement with Mon rebels, one of the last two major ethnic -based guerrilla movements along the Thai-Burma border , a reliable source said here . Negotiators for the junta, officially known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council[SLORC] , and the New Mon State Party [NMSP] were currently meeting in Moulmein , the Mon state capital east of Rangoon , the source said. The ceasefire deal was expected to be concluded next week , making the NMSP the 15th armed group to have made peace with the SLORC . The only major anti-government group yet to respond to Rangoon's offers of development assistance in exchange for a ceasefire accord is the Karen National Union [KNU] . Forty -seven KNU members recently surrendered to the government , citing disillusionment with their leadership, official information indicated. In a major assault on KNU guerrilla bases along the Thai-Burma border , SLORC troops in cooperation with a Karen breakaway faction overran KNU positions earlier this year, sending thousands of refugees fleeing into Thailand and leaving the rebel group in disarray. ===== item ===== CHATICHAI WANTS GOVT REVIEW OF MAE SAI DECISION 17.6.95/Bangkok Post Chart Pattana leader Chatichai Choonhavan has urged the government to review a decision to close the Mae Sai checkpoint. Gen Chatichai said the closure on May 16 had adversely affected local residents who relied on trade between the two countries. The former premier , on the campaign trail in the province's Constituency 2, said the government might have acted on misinformation over the Burmese Government's closure of the Tachilek border, opposite Mae Sai , on security grounds. Direct talks with Rangoon would settle the matter quickly and prevent a strain on bilateral relations, he said. Gen Chatichai said the matter wouldn't have gone this far if he were premier. "I would fly to see them immediately , quickly resolving the dispute, " he said . Past misunderstandings should be buried and both countries should work together to develop the area, he said. " To live peacefully with economic growth is much more important than fighting each other," Gen Chatichai said. He told residents that a vote for Chart Pattana would see the region grow prosperous again . " The government should be decisive and if I was leading it I would not waste time over this issue of the border, " he said. Gen Chatichai yesterday started three days of campaigning in the upper North. He will be in Lampang today, leaving for Phayao Province tomorrow. He has pledged to push for a university in Chiang Rai if his party wins a place in government . He was confident that the region's economy would be boosted once an economic zone was established with Burma, Laos and China , he said. Three seats are up for grabs in Constituency 2 and Chart Pattana is eyeing two. Others in the running are former MP somboon Wanchaithanawong [Chart Thai], former MP Samrej Poonikom [Social Action], Buasorn Prachamon [Solidarity] and Amnart Sathaworarit [ Democrat]. ===== item ===== DEVELOPERS CHANGING THE FACE OF EXOTIC BURMESE CAPITAL 17.6.95/Bangkok Post With hammers and crowbars they're knocking down old, atmospheric Rangoon , one of Asia's last reminders of the past , to make way for high-rise hotels and shopping centres. The 20th century has finally caught up with Rangoon , where high- rise once meant the soaring spires of Buddhist pagodas and tree- lined avenues were flanked by probably the largest collection of British colonial buildings in the would. Now , big chunk of the uniform urbanscape are being ripped out of the heart of Rangoon, and the skyline has already been pierced by several buildings approaching 20 stories. Foreign investors are putting up office complexes, department stores and hotels that will cater to an expected tourist boom in this still exotic land . " Business is very good. The government really wants to change the economic policy . We will have many high -rises . In the next 10 years Rangoon will be like Bangkok," says real-estate developer Soe Myint referring to Thailand's capital , an urban nightmare which has bulldozed many vestiges of its past. Rangoon had been frozen in time because a socialist, xenophobic government kept out investment and all but ruined the domestic economy. Major construction was rare. The current military junta , which seized power after crushing a pro-democracy uprising in 1988 , has liberalised the economy, invited foreign investors and laid down modernisation plans. Irrevocable changes to Rangoon's character began about two years ago. The prospects for saving old Rangoon are not promising , although Lt Gen Kyaw Ba, minister of tourism , maintains that "some of Rangoon's antique colonial buildings must be preserved. The high- rises will be scattered." Leading the development are overseas Chinese entrepreneurs who have shown little mercy to architectural legacies elsewhere in Asia . For all parties involved , more money can usually be made by tearing down and building anew. There's also local lobby , public forum or foreign pressure group currently standing up for preservation. The military rules by decree, and also profits substantially from many foreign investment projects. " Nobody would dare oppose military plans to modernise the city," says one Western resident who requested anonymity. "From time to time you hear individuals grumble . There's a sigh and resignation that there goes another old building ." A 23-storey hotel is under construction on the northern end of Sule Pagoda Road, the main avenue laid down by the British in the mid -19th century where structures average four stories . Another hotel and a 25-floor Japanese office building will go up nearby . At the lower end of the avenue , little more than 100 metres from the Sule Pagoda, foundations are being laid for the French -owned Sofitel Hotel, which will dwarf the sacred , ancient epicentre of Rangoon with its twin towers and 22 floors. Last year, Kyaw Ba stressed there were regulations against building large structures near religious edifices. But in another interview recently the tourism minister argued that Sofitel could be built because the Sule Pagoda was already surrounded by other buildings which obstructed its viewing from farther away. The profit motive, however , is also protecting some of the dark red brickwork , the fanciful turrets and neo-Grecian columns of Imperial Britain . The Stand , one of the finest hotels in Asia when it was built in 1901 ,has been renovated and now charges $300 a night for a taste of bygone elegance. The Victorian head-quarters of the Burmese railway department will be converted into a 90 -room ,five star hotel. Unable to compete with foreign companies coming in to build megaroom hotels, Burmese businessman Khin Shwe says he has sought out old, unique properties for renovation. Last year he opened the 15 -room Mya Yeik Nyo Royal , the magnificent former mansion of Chartered Bank managers set atop Rangoon's second -highest hill. Staying there, or at one of several surrounding bunglows ,is truly a step back into the world of lawn parties, gin and tonics at sundown and stiff upper lips. But on the grounds ,Khin Shwe has had a large mural painted which showcases Burma's natural and man-made wonders, including, naturally, his own hotel. Rangoon itself is depicted as a phalanx of skyscrapers, and could easily be mistaken for Manhattan. ===== item ===== MILITARY MEN NAMED TO BURMESE CABINET Thailand Time/17.6.95 Bangkok: The Burmese junta has appointed six senior army commanders to cabinet posts in a move analysts said was designed to open up positions for a fresh crop of military leaders. The state- owned press in Rangoon carried front -page reports yesterday of the reshuffle , which moved the powerful commanders of four key army regions as well as the army operations commander and quartermaster into the cabinet . The reshuffle followed a pattern frequently seen in Burma, in that the ministers replaced by the army men were transferred to other positions in the government , although the scale of the transfers was larger than usual . Both the outgoing ministers and their successors could be considered to have been "kicked upstairs" to seemingly lesser jobs, analysts said. Diplomatic reached by the telephone in Rangoon tended to play down the political significance of the reshuffle, suggesting the transfers were primarily intended to make room for promotions within the Army. There was no immediate indication of who would take over the Army regional commands vacated by the new ministers. Another question mark was whether the reshuffle foretold changes in the ruling junta officially known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council(SLORC). Four of the outgoing ministers were military men, but two- construction minister Khin Maung Yin and industry minister Than Shwe- were technocrats who has risen through government ranks, the analysts said. In the reshuffle, Lieutenant-General Maung Hla, the army operation commander, was appointed to the newly-created immigration and population ministry, while the army quartermaster, Lieutenant-General Min Thein, was named a minister in the office of the SlORC chairman. The army's central region commander, Major-General Kyaw Than, was appointed to head the light industry ministry, while his eastern region counterpart, Major-General Saw Tin, was given the construction ministry. The northeastern region commander Major-General Kyaw Aye, was named information minister, and the southern commander, Major- General Soe Myint, was appointed to the social welfare, relief and resettlement ministry. Three of the outgoing ministers were assigned to the offices of the Slorc chairman(Brigadier-General Myo Thant, ex-information), the prime minister(Than Shwe, ex-industry) and the deputy premier(Khin Maung Yin, ex-construction). The outgoing minister of social welfare, relief and resettlement was named culture minister, while the culture minister was appointed to the security management committee. Meanwhile, 47 Karen Guerrillas, ordered to assassinate the leader of a rival Karen faction, have surrendered to Burmese military authorities, Burma's state-run radio reported yesterday. The groups was part of a special unit ordered by Karen guerrilla leader Bo Mya in February to assassinate U Thuzana, head of a rival faction which broke away from the main Karen guerrilla force two months earlier, the report said. U Thuzana whose splinter faction joined forces with the Burmese Burmese army to attack their former comrades, now lives in a government-controlled part of southeastern Burma. The 47 rebels "returned to the legle fold" on Sunday, the report said. ===== item ===== ICRC TO CLOSE BURMA OFFICE OVER FREE ACCESS TO PRISONERS YINDEE LERTCHAROENCHOK The Nation/18.6.95 The International Committee of the Red Cross will close its office in Burma next month following the ruling junta's about- face on its promise to allow the worldwide humanitarian organization free access to political prisoners, it was announced on Friday. A Statement issued by the ICRC head office in Geneva said the closure would occur "during the course of July". The statement said the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council(Slorc) had informed the ICRC on March 21 that "it took no account of the customary procedures for visit to places of detention followed by ICRC in all the countries where it conducts such activities". The institution therefore submitted a memorandum to the (Slorc) authorities on June 16, 1995 acknowledge the failure of negotiations and announcing that it would close its office in Yangon(Rangoon) during the course of July 1995, the statement said. There has been speculation about the ICRC's possible withdrawal from Burma has since early this year. The official decision was conveyed by an ICRC regional representative during a visit to Rangoon last week, according to a senior ICRC official. The ICRC has been involved in humanitarian activities in Burma since 1986. Although the committee's Rangoon office will close and its three expatriate staff would leave the country, links would not be entirely severed, the official said. Assistance to the Burmese Red Cross Program to identify war amputees in border areas and transport them to Mandalay and Rangoon for the fitting of artificial limbs would continue. However, the ICRC orthopedic programme to train Burmese technicians in military and civil hospitals to produce artificial limbs would be discontinued when the project term ends at the end of this month. The other ICRC programme - training and dissemination of international humanitarian law and the 1949 Geneva Conventions to Burmese military personnel- would continue, but did not require a full-time office, the official said. Three training sessions have been organized since August 1992, when the Burmese junta signed the four humanitarian Geneva Convention: the amelioration of the suffering of the wounded soldiers on battlegrounds and at sea, the treatment of prisoners of war, the protection of civilians during war, and the regulation of penal prosecutions of protected persons in enemy hands during an armed conflict. The ICRC acts as a custodian organization in upholding the principles of the convention. The ICRC officials, who requested anonymity, said his organization had since 1988 sought the Burmese junta's permission to visit political detainees in jails. The organization had tried to explain "extensively" to the Burmese authorities "how it works in these type of activities" and the procedures relating to the work, he said. The basic procedures, or principles, that the ICRC adhered to in its global humanitarian operations include obtaining permission from host countries to see all political detainees, to make repeat visits, to talk privately with detainees and have access to all information relating to individual prisoners. Serious negotiations for access to Burmese political prisoners, however, began only in 1993 when Slorc became more willing to listen to and to consider the ICRC request, he said. The progress was made when SLorc leaders informed United States Congressman Bill Richardson during his visit to Burma in February last year that Rangoon would comply with the request by the Swiss-based organization. Slorc commitment was also noted in the official report to the United Nations General Assembly last year by the UN special human rights envoy to Burma, Yozo Yokota. But Richardson made another visit to Burma last month and subsequently expressed his strong disappointment and frustration at "serious suppression, regression and retrenchment by the Slorc." He told a press conference in Bangkok after his brief two-day trip that Slorc, despite its earlier commitment, had not allow the ICRC access to jails and had instead imposed "unfair and unreasonable conditions" on Red Cross operations. The ICRC official said the change of heart took place in December when Slorc leader Lt Gen Khin Nyunt told a visiting ICRC chief delegate that Rangoon would reconsider the ICRC request. In January Slorc subsequently informed the Swiss agency that it would not allow some of the basic procedures relation to the ICRC operation in Burma, and therefore we(Red Cross Officials) will have to visit prisons under their(Slorc) terms ", the official said. The ICRC had applied the same practice, or criteria in every country in which it works, he said. In 1994, International Red Cross officials had access to 99,000 political prisoners in the 55 countries where it operates. All procedures are the same, whether in Indonesia, the Philippine or Srilanka....We have the same practice or procedures in every country and we can not change them, thus we have to depart from Burma," he added. Although the official declined to identify the point that the Junta has refused to meet, it is believed Slorc objected most to the demand that the ICRC be allowed to take in private with political prisoners. ===== item ===== US LAWMAKERS EYE BURMA SANCTIONS BKK Post/18.6.95 Agence France-Press, Washington US LEGISLATORS are pressing President Bill Clinton's administration to tighten sanctions against Burma as democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi prepares to begin her seventh year under house arrest. We need to consider a trade and investment US embargo against Burma in hope that will send a message that there's been a retrogression on human rights," representative Bill Richardson said on Friday. A spokesman for Senator Mitch McConnell also confirmed on Friday that the Republican from Kentucky was drafting sanctions legislation against Burma. Separately 60 members of the US House of Representatives sent a letter to Clinton urging them to tighten sanctions against the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council(SLorc) by discouraging new private US investment in Burma. The legislators cited reports by UN and US officials and human rights groups that torture, forced labour, and other human rights violations persist under the Slorc, adding that "there is no freedom of speech, association, (or) press in Burma. Richardson, a democratic from New Mexico who visited Burma in May, said Slorc intelligence Chief Gen Khin Nyunt was very negative about prospect for the imminent release of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Khin Nyunt said there would no further dialogue between Slorc and Aung San Suu Kyi on democratization and refused an entry visa for Aung San Suu Kyi's husband, who lives in the United States, Richardson said. Legislative efforts aimed at further isolating the Slorc will coincide with the sixth anniversary of her arrest. Richardson said he may introduce legislation enumerating a code of conduct for US companies operating in Burma and hope to find a channel through the Association of Southeasts Asian Nations(Asean) to raise human rights issue there. But Asean nations-notably Thailand and Singapore- maintain cordial relations with Burmese junta, and Japan remains a substantial investor in the country. Moreover, government sources said China, which has help upgrade the Burmese armed forces in recent years, has encouraged the junta to ignore US pressure to improve its human rights records and hand over power to a civilian government. July 11 should be a day for on which all nations, especially nation like Japan, wise up and raise the human rights issues and recognize that constructive engagement had failed," Richardson said. "Everything we've tried hasn't worked," he added. ===== item ===== SUU KYI TURNS 50 AS HOPES FOR FREEDOM FADE The Nation/20.6.95 Agence France-Press BURMA'S leading opposition figure, Aung San Suu Kyi, turns 50 today with flagging hopes of emerging in the near future from six years of house arrest. Frail-looking but strong-willed, Aung San Suu Kyi has refused to compromise with the ruling junta and thus looks set to begin her seventh year of house arrest on July 19. The legal basis for her continued detention is hazy, but informed observers say the junta is not particularly concerned about legal niceties when is come to dealing with a person they see as a threat to the nation's stability. And despite calls in the west for trade sanction, Rangoon is standing firm. As Burma's minister of national planning and development, David Abel, remarked during a Singapore visit on June 10, Southeast Asia is rushing to take up investment opportunity at the expense of the reluctant West. For a time last year, Burma-watchers were cautiously optimistic. The military rulers allowed two outsiders-- a Buddhist monk and a United states congressman- to visit Aung San Suu Kyi and twice held their own meetings with her. But the two sides reached no agreement, and the junta, known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc), rebuffed a subsequent attempt by Bill Richardson (Democrat-New Mexico) to see her again in May. Slorc also refused a request form her husband, British academic Michael Aris, for a visit after he carried a statement from Aung San Suu Kyi to Bangkok following his last visit at Christmas 1994. ===== item ===== DETAINED MON INVALID MAKES PLEA TO GOVT FOR QUICK DECISION ON HIS FUTURE YINDEE LERTCHAROENCHOK The Nation/20.6.95 LANGUISHING in his third month at the detention centre, a severely handicapped Mon refugee suffering with post-surgery infection has urged the Thai government to quickly prosecute him of send him to the Burmese safe camp at the border. Maung Kyan who lost his both arms and his eyesight due to a landmine explosion about 10 years ago, said his plea was made out of concern for the "adverse effects" of prolong imprisonment on his five-years-old daughter and one-year-old infant son, who along with their mother, have been confined with him in the Interior Ministry's Immigration Centre(IDC) in Bangkok. His daughter who suffers from a defective palate and requires special speech therapy, has not received her regular treatment in the Immigration cells. The four-member family and eight other Mon refugees were arrested when plain clothes police raided Wat Prok, a Buddhist Mon temple in Yannawa, on April 19 on charges of illegal Immigration. A native of Moulmein, Maung Kyan left the Thai-Burmese border in Kanchanaburi province late last year for Bangkok to received a cornea transplant, which give him a limited sight in one eye. He was still under medical treatment when the arrest took place and thus was prevented from receiving long term anti-reject medication. Mon relief officials said the arrest took place as they were requesting Handicapped International to provide and fit Maung Kyan, who is in his early 30s, with artificial arms which would restore some of his independence. They said poor conditions at the detention cell had adversely affected Maung Kyan's restored eyesight and infection had impaired his vision. Along with London-based Amnesty International, the Mon relief group said they were initially convinced that Maung Kyan would be transferred to Maneeloy student camp in Ratchaburi province after an international humanitarian campaign was launched on his behalf in April. Amnesty international has now learned that, almost two months later, Maung Kyan and his family remain in detention at the IDC in Bangkok... Maung Kyan has not been officially charged with "illegal immigration", said the human rights organization Amnesty International said the UN high Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which has recognized Maung Kyan as a "person of concern", has repeatedly requested the interior Ministry to transfer the Mon detainee urgently on humanitarian grounds to Maneeloy where he could receive the treatment he needs. But Thai authorities have rejected the transfer because he is not a student. Maung Kyan said he wanted either to be moved to the safe camp or for the Interior Ministry to inform him in writing of its refusal. He also requested that he be prosecuted in accordance with Thai law, which would thus require a specific length of imprisonment before deportation. In a released statement, Mon group said Thailand's refusal to transfer the Mon refugee only confirmed charges by American refugee workers and international rights groups that Thailand "is singling out the Mon refugees for harsh treatment as a means of forcing them to sign a peace accord" with the ruling Burmese junta as it is in need of the gas pipeline which would transport gas from Burma's Gulf of Martaban through the Mon State to feed Thai industrial needs. It said an American refugee organization plans "to ask the President of Georgetown University in Washington DC or the President of Johns Hopkins University to appeal to her majesty the Queen to intervene on behalf of the badly handicapped refugee on humanitarian grounds". Both Universities "recently honoured Her Majesty with honorary doctorate degrees for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of Thai people," the statement added. ===== item ===== CHATICHAI WANTS GOVT REVIEW OF MAE SAI DECISION 17 JUNE 1995 Chart Pattana leader Chatichai Choonhavan has urged the govern ment to review a decision to close the Mae Sai checkpoint. Gen Chatichai said the closure on Monday 16 had adversely af fected local residents who relied on trade between the two coun tries. The former premier, on the campaign trail in the province's Constituency 2, said the government might have acted on misinfor mation over the Burmese Government's closure of the Tachilek border, opposite Mae Sai, on security grounds. Direct talks with Rangoon would settle the matter quickly and prevent a strain on bilateral relations, he said. Gen Chatichai said the matter wouldn't have gone this far if he were premier. "I would fly to see them immediately, quickly resolving the dispute," he said. Past misunderstandings should be buried and both countries should work together to develop the area, he said. "To live peacefully with economic growth is much more important than fighting each other," Gen Chatichai said. he told residents that a vote for Chart Pattana would see the region grow prosperous again. "The government should be decisive and if I was leading it I would not waste time over this issue of the border," he said. Gen Chatichai yesterday started three days of campaigning in the upper North. He will be in Lampang today, leaving for Phayao Province tomorrow. He has pledged to push for a university in Chaing Rai if his party wins a place in government. He was confident that the region's economy would be boosted once an economic zone was established with Burma, Laos and China, he said. Three seats are up for grabs in Constituency 2 and Chart Pattana is eyeing two. Observers, however, believe that five-time MP Mongkol Chongsuthanamani is the only one certain of a seat. Others in the running are former MP Somboon Wanchaithanawong (Chart Thai), former MP Samrej Poonikom (Social Action), Buasorn Prachamon (Solidarity) and Amnart Sathaworarit (Democrat). (BP) ===== item ===== THERE'S DOLLARS IN THE EYES OF SOME IN BURMA 18 JUNE 1995 "Constructive Engagement" was a much-talked-about issue at a recently held conference, "Myanmar Towards the 21st Century, Dynamics of Continuity and Change" in Chiang Rai. Supra Janchitfah and Sylvia Samuel examine how it will affect the country in question. Those sympathetic towards the Burmese people hope the Association of Southeast Asian nations (Asean) will re-evaluate a policy of constructive engagement. But cravings for a large bite of the investment potential of Burma and now wanting to lose out in the "pressure cooker" global economic realities of the country as well as the nature of the Burmese military leaders. Gray Risser, a researcher from Institute of Asian studies, Chulalongkorn University, said the term "constructive engagement" was first used in South Africa and later adopted by Mr Arsa Sarasin, former foreign minister, to be used in diplomatic dealings with Burma. The term refers to a policy of influencing and exposing Burma through trade relations and soft diplomatic relations. This is an attempt to bring about change and reform in Burma and eventually promote political reform. The Asean community, which is spearheading this concept, is also adhering to a policy of non-intervention in the domestic policies of Burma. many participants at the seminar, however, believe the economic, social and political situation in Burma clearly shows "constructive engagement" only benefits a selected few specifically military leaders and those who have connections with them. Kiatichai Pongopanich, the editor of Khao Sod daily, who formerly worked with an international NGO in Burma for several years, said the process of drafting a constitution has been prolonged by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc). This only helps the military strengthen their hold on to power and draft a constitution better suited to themselves than the people. "It is a military constitution in every term of definition." Dr Chanvit Kasetsiri from Thammasat University said constructive engagement has led to an "economically destructive engagement" as this policy has allowed the ruling military junta to exploit rich natural resources without benefits filtering to the local population. According to Thailand's Office of Commercial Affairs in Rangoon, as of March 31, there were 107 foreign projects in Burma with a total investment of US$ 2.23 billion. One wonders how much of this sum benefits the people. There have changes to the terms of foreign direct investment promotions, banking deregulation and domestic price controls brought by the Slorc since 1988. But real GDP growth has fallen from 3.7 per cent in 1989 to 2.8 per cent in 1990, and 1.0 per cent in 1991 before recovering strongly to 10.9 per cent in 1992. In 1993 it dropped again to 5.8 per cent. The inflation rate is very high. The consumer price index had increased from 21.9 per cent in 1992 to 31.8 per cent in 1993. The government exchange rate is also drastically different from the black market rate. The government rate is 6.10 kyat per US dollar whereas the back market offers between 115-120 kyat. The Slorc now is confident it can get away with repression. This is not surprising as Slorc has reaped a sizeable amount of international economic support and state-of-the-art weaponry. "It is true that we sell arms to Burma. If we do not sell to them, others will do so. We sell the weapons to Burma to help them maintain law and order," said an academic from China. Slorc knows what motivates the international community. For as long as they open their economy and allow foreign investment to penetrate and flourish, the fraction of the international community that is largely motivated by dollar signs will conveniently close one eye to the repressive actions of the military junta. There are many countries which Burma can turn to. Wung Jung from China rates his country similar to Burma in many aspects. His definition of human rights is merely to fill "One's stomach". One wonders the kind of influence big neighbour China has on Burma. He added that political change cannot occur if people are living in proverty. China and Burma mutually reassures each other's actions. Their governing concepts and perspectives are very similar and their trade relations are ever-increasing. Sino-Burmese trade has increased from US$ 4.895 million in 1993 to US$ 5.29 million in 1994. Andrew Selth, from the Australian National University, explained the complex relationship that the "triangle" China, Burma and India have. Tension-plagued relations between India and Burma means minority and insurgent groups of both countries support each other. The Slorc turned to China in 1988 to ensure its immediate survival and help restore Burma's diplomatic and economic standing in world affairs. It is in the interest of the international community to watch close relations between China and Burma. China sees the potential of accessing the Indian Ocean through Burma and the latter benefits greatly from economic and arms trade with China. While the government of the West, Amnesty International and various other human rights watch groups have criticised Burma for their repressive actions towards the Burmese population, it has failed to make change. Slorc is already at a stage where it is immune to international condemnation. An attitude prevails: "So what if there is outside pressure. Business will continue to flock into Burma." According to "Burma, an Alternative Guide", published by Burma Action Group, Singaporeans top the list of hotel investors in Burma, with a total sum of US$290.2 million followed by Thailand (US$ 109.5 million). This is in conjunction with "Visit Myanmar Year, 1996". "We can't deny that many business groups from these countries continue to invest in Burma and build close relations with the Slorc government," said Dr Thanet Charoenmung from Chiang Mai University. Dr Thanet presented an alternative approach indealing with Burma. He said his view may not be acceptable, but he believes in the long run it would help the Burmese people. He said the world should strengthen its relationship with both the military junta and the Burmese population. Closer ties are not meant to consolidate and entrench the power of the existing regime. They are rather to enhance economic and cultural aspects of the country so it could open up more. When ties with the external world are closer, there will be increased interaction which will lead to an increase of information. According to Dr Thanet, this will serve as an important foundation for the building of a democratic Burma. he made a comparison with the democratic development in Thailand, which was brought about by more Thais being exposed to the outside world through education abroad prior to the 1932 revolution. But a conference participant from Australia said Thailand and Burma have different social and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, Dr Thanet's suggestion may not be applicable. Harn Yawngwhe, programme director and editor of Burma Alert from Canada, said some countries had used excuses for not dealing with the internal affairs of another country. He said countries which have not established relations with Burma say they are not in a position to do so. But countries actively involved in the economy of Burma do not want to put their economic interest at risk. Despite economic potential of Burma, the context for investment is not ideal. Inflation is soaring , contradictory exchange rates abound and corruption is rampant. And instead of creating employment for the masses through a series of infrastructure development projects, villagers are forced to provide voluntary labour. The international business community investing in Burma seem to have paid no attention to blatant injustices. The sacrifice of human lives is not part of their investment calculation cost as they look at Burma through rose-coloured glasses smeared with economic figures. However, amid shareholders' pressure and consumer boycotts, several companies have already pulled out of Burma. They are Eddie bauer, Amoco, Petro-Canada, Macy's, Levi-Strauss and Liz Clairborne. Coca Cola and Reebok have also refused to do business with the military. They vowed not to enter until there is a substantial improvement in human rights. Burma lacks a pool of qualified workers. A participant at the conference claimed that before Slorc took over, Burma had the highest level of literacy among Southeast Asian countries. But when universities were shut down after the 1988 riots, illiteracy climbed. Maureen Aung Thwin, from the Open Society Institute, New York, said there is a massive brain drain in Burma. Those who can leave the country will do so in search for work abroad. She proposed the idea of selective engagement. "We should politically isolate the Slorc government but engage them culturally. In this way, we will able to provide more education and expose Burmese to the world". There is a lack of a comprehensive investment strategy in Burma. The economic reforms undertaken by Slorc clearly show how little they know about the subject. It does not make economic sense nor reflect a government genuine about improving the quality of life for the Burmese people. When the business community seeks to extend beyond their its territorial shores, it should also arm itself with a sense of global responsibility. It is not in the interest of the international community to be merely ruled by economic gain. Social justice is just as important. All countries, not only Asean, should reconsider the policy of constructive engagement. (BP) ===== item ===== PRESENT POLICIES NOT ENOUGH 18 JUNE 1995 By Supara Janchitfah and Sylvia Samuel "Constructive engagement" policy is "a slap in the face for Thailand," said Mr Vitit Muntarbhorn at a recent seminar organised by the Action Committee for Democracy in Burma (ACDB) at Chulalongkorn University. The Chulalongkorn law professor warned that if Thailand's foreign policy towards Burma continues to be passive, it will have to face the consequences of an increasingly aggressive Burma. In past months, Thailand had to endure repeated incursions by Rangoon-backed renegade Karen soldiers of the break-away Democratic Karen Buddhist Army who attacked refugee villages on Thai soil. Rangoon has also suspended construction of the Thai-Burmese friendship bridge over the Moei River following the cross-border raids. This high-handed action displayed by the Burmese authorities towards Thailand reflects the country's "total disregard for the territorial sovereignty of Thailand", said Mr Vitit. Another panellist, Dr Chaichok Julsiriwong, added that "inconsistencies and contradictions in the description of the aims of "constructive engagement" questions the credibility of the Foreign Ministry. Dr Chaichok, from the Faculty of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University, said that during the Chatichai Choonhavan period, economics was the main thrust of Thailand's security. The political and territorial aspects were not taken into consideration. He said if Thailand continues to adopt a "policy of confusion" and practise "double standards", Burma will continue to exploit this passivity. Mr Vitit said it had also led to Thailand losing any leverage it could have over Burma. The blossoming Sino-Burmese relationship and the recent strengthening of Burma's economic ties with Indonesia and Singapore, as seen in a recent bilateral agreement signed to boost trade, does not benefit Thailand. He called for a democratically elected government to have a "foreign policy that is democratic" and pressed the need for a change in content in the way Thailand deals with and responds to Burma. Also addressing the Karen refugee issue, he urged the adoption of a humanitarian approach which would gear towards voluntary repatriation instead of the "push-back approach" or forceful repatriation. "It is a constant outflow of money to the local Thai economy," Ms Ratchada Chaisawat the Coordinator of Union for Civil Liberty said of her recent visit to Wangha refugee camp. "They have to pay 10 baht [unofficial] to leave the camp to go to Mae Sot town and have to pay rent for the 600 rai of land they live on if they want to grow their own food." It is a no-win situation for the Karen refugees. There is a need for a profound understanding of the complexity of the Burmese ethnic problems which is "deep-rooted from the colonial period," said Ms Pornpimol Prichork from the Asia Studies Institute, Chulalongkorn University. "It cannot just be explained away," she added. Though the United Nations Security Council has the authority to enforce sanctions, the Burmese question has never received priority in the eyes of the international community. Mr Vitit said it is therefore necessary to bring the Burmese junta and ethnic minorities together at multi-level forums such as Asean to "pitch the issue much higher" to gain world attention for a permanent solution of the problems. (BP) ===== item ===== JAPANESE WWII CASH UNEARTHED BY KARENS 19 June 1995 Karen villagers in Burma have unearthed a treasurechest of Imperial Japanese Army Occupation money dating back to WWII and have been smuggling it across the border into Thailand in the hope of selling it for a small fortune. A Thai villager acting as the agent for the Karen said the money was discovered by accident during the construction of a well. The Karen found "bags and bags" of the war-time currency and believe themselves to be millionaires because they have added up the face value of each bank note, he said. The Thai man, known simply as Lek, said the money was found buried about three metres underground at a site in Burma, opposite Kanchanaburi Province where the Death Railway built by Allied PoWs operated in WWII. He said the money is in good condition and was found wrapped in canvas inside a large air-tight metal chest, raising speculation it was an IJA payroll hidden by Japanese soldiers who planned to retrieve it after the war. The villager said the Karen who smuggled the bank notes across the border in haversacks wanted him to exchange the Occupation Money for Thai baht, or US dollars. But if this is not possible they want to sell it to World War II veterans, particularly Japanese on pilgrimages to the Bridge On the River Kwae which has come to symbolise the zenith of Japan's wartime empire. A Kanchanaburi restaurant operator, Kit Thepsuwan, 43, told the Bangkok Post he was approached by a Thai villager living near the border for a quote about the money's value. "The guy rang me asking me how much rupees are worth and if I wanted to buy or help sell any of the money. He then sent around some specimens, ten 100-rupee notes in mint condition," he said, adding the Karen are anxiously awaiting a buyer so they can begin a better life. A local currency dealer said if the bank notes are rare and in good condition they would fetch a handsome sum from collectors. Former Allied PoW Trevor Dakin, who survived the horror of the Death Railway and now lives in Kanchanaburi, confirmed the bank notes are Japanese occupation currency used in Burma from 1942-1945. He said the discovery gives credibility to legends and numerous newspaper reports over the past three decades about Japanese war booty plundered from Burma being buried in caves and caches along the Death Railway at the war's end. Bangkok Post archives dating back 30 years confirm that Imperial Japanese Army soldiers stashed war-booty in caves along the 415-km Death Railway. The railway linked Bangkok and Burma in WWII and was built at a cost of over 100,000 lives. the clippings say that many former Japanese soldiers and their families returned to the River Kwae with digging equipment and old maps to unearth the treasure which is believed to have been gold-bullion plundered from Southeast Asian countries occupied by Japan in WWII. According to the reports, the Imperial Japanese Army was transporting gold and crates of occupation money from Burma to Thailand over the Death Railway when word filtered through about Japan's surrender. Japanese troops unloaded the precious cargo and buried it in several deep caves, in the hope of returning years later to reclaim it for themselves. Many ex-Japanese soldiers reportedly came back to Kanchanaburi and after a few days digging speedily returned to Japan, ignoring all inquiries about what they had found. On August 20, 1977, the Bangkok Post reported that then Kanchanaburi governor Chamlong Pholdej complained that some tourists coming to the province, including Japanese and Westerners, would leave their hotels and disappear into the jungles for two to three days complete with food supplies and digging equipment. Governor Chamlong was quoted as saying that officials of the province followed some of the mysterious tourists and found them in the jungle and caves looking for treasure. The officials claimed some of the tourists were soldiers or relatives of soldiers who were stationed here during World War II and had returned to look for treasure and other valuables hidden away in caves, he said. Not a decade has passed without a report in local newspapers about eager treasure hunters in Kanchanaburi Province. On March 22, 1981, the Bangkok Post reported that a Japanese research team were searching for valuables buried near the Thai-Burmese border by Japanese soldiers at the end of WWII. Japanese troops were transporting about five truckloads of valuables across Burma when they heard of Japan's surrender and buried the haul near the Thai Border, said an informed source close to the team at the time. The haul was said to include a huge amount of plundered gold. The term reportedly had connections with a Japanese firm that recovered gold and platinum ingots from a Russian battleship sunk in the Sea of Japan in the 1905 Russo-Japanese war. There was no follow-up report and it may never be known if the Japanese found what they were looking for. Other newspaper clippings reported a plane crash at Thong Pa Phum in January 1943. The plane was carrying Lt-Gen Shimada Nobuo, commander of the 9th railway Regiment assigned the task of constructing the Death Railway, when it developed engine trouble and crashed in virgin jungle. Twelve of the 13 on board died in the crash, sparking speculation that the lone Japanese survivor had buried a fortune in gold bullion in the jungle before seeking help from Thai villagers. According to a newspaper story dated February 6, 1984, the Japanese Embassy in Bangkok sent two diplomats to investigate after receiving a report from a villager he found a coin at the crash site. The article said Yukinori Sato, counsellor and defence attache, and an embassy official, hiked an exhausting nine hours through impenetrable jungle to find the wreckage and retrieve war relics including the general's sword, several sub-machineguns and another coin. In 1974 a group of Australian treasure-hunters using a Japanese map found an abandoned steam locomotive in a cave near the Thai-Burmese border. Most of the steam trains that operated along the Death Railway were abandoned along the line at the war's end. 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