------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News:August 23, 1995 HEADLINES: ========== THE NATION: SUPATRA FAILS TO GET SUU KYI ON VIDEO AS BURMA STALLS ON VISA BKK POST: NARCOTICS KINGPIN KHUN SA CLAIMS HE'S READY TO RETIRE BKK POST: PROBE SQUAD TO VISIT BURMA OVER MURDERS BKK POST: RANGOON SOLDIERS ADVANCE TOWARD KARENNI POSITIONS ---------------------------------------------------------- Produced with the support of the Burma Information Group (B.I.G). The BurmaNet News is an electronic newspaper covering Burma. Articles from newspapers, magazines, newsletters, the wire services and the Internet as well as original material are published. 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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 ===== NARCOTICS KINGPIN KHUN SA CLAIMS HE'S READY TO RETIRE 23 AUGUST 1995, Bangkok Post By Subin Kheunkaew Opium warlord Khun Sa has announced he would give up the narcotics trade and his leadership in the rebel army in return for being allowed peaceful retirement. He said he would quit all important positions in the Mong Tai Army (MTA) and was willing to give his full consent to world organisations to manage areas currently under his army's domain without condition except that he be allowed to lead a peaceful life after "retirement". The MTA leader told the Bangkok Post in an exclusive interview that he wanted to retire and step down as head of the MTA for a number of reasons. He made it clear he was prepared to order his military personnel to put their guns down to allow a UN development organisation or the European Union to develop MTA controlled areas in Shan State. "I hereby declare our willingness to drop our weapons and hand over the area we now control to one of the international organisations, either the UN or EU. "I trust the organisations' capability in resolving problems in Shan State," said the 62 year-old Khun Sa through an interpreter. He decided against asking for help from Asean countries, citing their high investment interests and political ties with the Rangoon regime as the reason. The MTA chief harboured doubts whether Asean would be sincere in assisting the development plan. The proposal to unconditionally cease all military activities would benefit people in the MTA domain and the military personnel, said Khun Sa adding that international organisations have what people of Shan State lack_ the ability to improve the quality of life and tackle problems regarding basic human rights. "We are ready to cooperate [with international organisations] in upgrading the quality of life for the people. I believe if the people can be assured of their safety, the worldwide attempt to end the spread of illicit drugs would be a great success. Widespread poppy plantations [in Shan State] would soon be wiped out," said Khun Sa. "We need sincere and devoted people. If they are able to show their true commitment to contribute to the improvement of people's lives, who knows, maybe they will receive the Nobel Peace Prize?" he said. For many decades, Khun Sa, or Chang Si Fu, has gained worldwide notoriety as an opium warlord responsible for producing and distributing a vast amount of heroin to many countries. But the drug warlord title is not welcomed by Khun Sa, who has been trying to shrug off the tag all these years. Khun Sa conceded his many attempts to clarify his position in the drug trade with international organisations including the UN and the EU have been to no avail. The organisations, he said, have paid little attention to the drug problem. "The organisations never give us a chance to explain ourselves. Instead, they accuse us of producing and being involved in the illicit drug trade. I'm beginning to believe the drug issue has been turned into a political ploy," said Khun Sa. The deployment of drug suppression drives in the past was proven ineffective due to the lack of understanding on the steps required in manufacturing and trading the drug. The complexity of political problems in Burma also stood in the way of drug suppression operations, he said. The drug warlord was confident of transforming his controlled area into a narcotic free zone, but could not give his personal assurance he could not give his personal assurance he could do the same for the whole of Shan State. Khun Sa has flatly refused to hold talks with the Burmese Government over the drug problem, saying the Shan State's ongoing struggle to free itself from Burma's rule has made any negotiations impossible. I don't want to talk with Burma [government] because it never takes the drug problem seriously. Burma still insists Shan State is part of its territory. There is no way we will agree to that," said Khun Sa. To permanently end the drug problem in Burma, cooperation from him and the now-defunct Revolutionary Council leader Gen Ne Win must hand democracy back to the people and allow him [Khun Sa] to live a peaceful life after his "retirement". This way the drug problem would be eradicated once and for all, Khun Sa added. According to a source at the MTA, Khun Sa has begun to feel mounting pressure from within the force, following the pullout of about 500 military personnel loyal to Lt Kanyod, an influential figure in the MTA. The rebel army was reportedly dissatisfied with Khun Sa, accusing him of being unfair in promoting only his loyal followers. Angry with the favouritism, the breakaway troops led by Lt Kanyod later withdrew from the MTA and headed to the north of Shan State. In a bid to remedy the rift in the army, most felt there should be a major shakeup of MTA high-level administrators and Khun Sa may be the first to go, according to the source. A group of key MTA administrators and Shan State National Congress President Kan Chet have appointed a 10-member committee to take over the MTA. Kan Chet is tipped to succeed Khun Sa. Committee Secretary-General Khwan Mong said Khun Sa's name was excluded from the list of committee members. "The majority [of MTA personnel] think he deserves to rest now," he said. (BP) PROBE SQUAD TO VISIT BURMA OVER MURDERS 23 AUGUST 1995, Bangkok Post A Thai fact-finding committee will go to Burma next week to interrogate Burmese seamen as part of its investigation into the murder of four Burmese seamen allegedly killed by Thai fishermen. A group of at least 11 Thai fishermen allegedly killed four Burmese workers on board a vessel owned by the Narong Canning Company early this month. The incident prompted Burmese authorities to suspend traffic between Ranong Province and Victoria Point. The Interior Ministry set up the fact-finding committee to probe the murder. The committee is chaired by ministry deputy permanent secretary Damri Watanasingha. Mr Damri said yesterday that the committee will go to Victoria Point next week to question Burmese seamen involved in the incident. Up to this point, the fact-finding committee is of the opinion that only two Burmese were killed as there is no evidence to prove that the others still missing are dead, he said. Thai police have arrested two of 11 Thai suspects and the captain of the vessel, the JV 44, is among the nine suspects still at large. The Local Administration Department has been asked to provide information on residences of the suspects. They will be prosecuted by Thai authorities as the incident occurred on a Thai boat. (BP) SUPATRA FAILS TO GET SUU KYI ON VIDEO AS BURMA STALLS ON VISA 23 August 1995, The Nation DEMOCRATIC MP Supatra masdit yesterday failed to videotape an address by Burmese opposition leader Suu Kyi, which was to be played to the Bejing non- governmental forum on women, after the Burmese Embassy continued to stall on issuing her an entry visa. Khunying Supatra, a convenor of the Bejing conference, told the The Nation yesterday she had been informed by the embassy on Friday that her visa application would need approval from Rangoon. Until yesterday, she had not received any response from the Burmese mission. Supatra travelled to Rangoon on August 7 and met Suu Kyi the next day when she extend an invitation to the Burmese pro-democracy leader to attend the Bejing women's gathering. Since Suu Kyi has declined all invitations to travel abroad, she agreed to send a videotaped message to the conference. Supatra sough a Burmese visa to personally videotape Suu Kyi's 20 minute speech to be broadcast during the Aug 30- Sep 8 meeting of private women's groups that will take place simultaneously with the United Nations Fourth International Conference on Women. A Kyodo report from Rangoon yesterday quoted local diplomatic sources as saying Burmese authorities had refused to grant Supatra visa. A Foreign Ministry official in Rangoon said: "Miss Supatra Masdit arrived in Rangoon by Burma Airways on Aug 7. On her arrival card, she gave her occupation as a businesswomen and her guarantor in Rangoon as the United Nations Development Programme. That is the only record we have. "I do not know about the current refusal of a visa in Bangkok. All Burmese mission abroad are authorized to use their discretion in issuing visas," said the official who asked to remain anonymous. A team of Nation reporters and a video cameramen who were to accompany Supatra on the mission were rejected visas last Friday. Another Nation reporter was also dropped from the list of Tai reporters who are to accompany Defence Minister Gen Chavalit during his official two-day visit to Burma between Sep 1-2. A Defence Ministry officer, who organized Chavalit's Burmese trip, quoted the BUrmese Embassy as requesting the dropping of any Nation reporters from the Thai-language newspaper Krungthep Thurakij, the sister paper of Nation, was also dropped from the entourage. A Thai political analyst suspected the Burmese refusal to let Supatra in the country stemmed from fears that Suu Kyi's video-taped speech would give her the first public exposure to a big international gathering since her release on July 10 from nearly six years of house arrest. The conference is expected to attract some 40,000 participants. Suu Kyi's speech on women's role in politic is considered a "political message" which the Slorc may find too sensitive, said the analyst who requested not to be named. (TN) ====item==== RANGOON SOLDIERS ADVANCE TOWARD KARENNI POSITIONS August 23 1995, The Nation FRESH Burmese government troops are advancing into the mountains of eastern Kayah state to try to crush once and for all a small but stubborn force of ethnic rebels who have been fighting for independence for generations, rebel sources said yesterday. Karenni guerrillas, while ceasefire with the government collapsed in June, said about 50000 Burmese reinforcements were on their way towards their remote region up against the border with Thailand in an attempt to finish them off. "They want to eliminate us completely r make us surrender," an official from the rebel KNPP said. "We must try to protest ourselves. We're willing to make a ceasefire but we can't just surrender, just lay down our arms," said the official by telephone from the Thai- Burmese border. "We will not give up but the situation is getting worse and worse every day," the rebel official said. A Thai security source monitoring developments along the frontier said clashes between the several thousand strong band of rag-tag were increasing. "The fighting has intensified, more than expected," said the source, who declined to be identified. "They don't have any permanent fixe positions. they're running around, playing for time, refusing to surrender. (TN)