------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: March 11, 1997 Issue #663 Noted in passing: "I believe that deep inside Burma, tens of thousands of Karens are quietly living a life of freedom in a simple lifestyle. They do not care for liberation." Maj. Gen. Thawip, commanding general of the Ninth Infantry (see 'No Forced Repatriation'-Bkk Post) HEADLINES: ========== KNU: BORDER SITUATION UPDATE REUTER: SUU KYI URGES COMPASSION, HELP FOR KAREN BKK POST: CLERIC SAYS MOSQUES AND SCHOOLS TORCHED S.H.A.N.: CURRENT SITUATION IN SHAN STATE REUTER: SHAN GUERRILLAS VOW TO END ARMED STRUGGLE REUTER:TOP AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN SAY NO TO SANCTIONS BKK POST: 'NO FORCED REPATRIATION' BKK POST: KACHADPAI: RECOGNISE THAI AID FOR REFUGEES THE NATION: RANGOON RESTARTS PROJECT AP:THAI MEDIA CRITICIZE MANDELA FOR IGNORING ABUSES BKK POST: AN OPEN LETTER TO PM CHAVALIT KYODO: TWENTY SEVEN BURMESE CREW MEMBERS JUMP SHIP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KNU: BORDER SITUATION UPDATE March 10, 1997 From: So_Nou@sala.icn.net (So Nou) KNU No. 6 Brigade area It has been reported that approximately 500 villagers (men, women and children) fleeing the approaching Slorc army are currently trapped in the Three Pagodas Pass area. The Thai army presently manning the border has refused entry for these refugees into Thailand. Nor will they provide a temporary safe area. These refugees are stranded. A few refugees who have escaped have confirmed movement of the Slorc towards this area with ten empty trucks in tow. These empty trucks are believed to be used by the Slorc to forcibly remove these refugees from the border and to relocate them to a guarded encampment. This will provide the Slorc with additional forced labor. Previously returned refugees who managed to escape back to a safe area stated the establishment of guarded, enclosed camps in which the Slorc forced refugees to remain, and used these jailed refugees as forced labor. KNU Information Center ********************** REUTER: SUU KYI URGES COMPASSION, HELP FOR KAREN REFUGEES March 10, 1997 By Deborah Charles BANGKOK, March 10 (Reuter) - Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday urged compassion and help for ethnic Karen refugees who have fled to Thailand in face of attacks by Burmese troops. "The plight of our Karen refugees should appeal to the compassion of all right-thinking people all over the world," Suu Kyi said in a videotaped message smuggled out of Burma and obtained by Reuters on Monday. Thousands of Karen refugees fled to Thailand last month after Burmese troops destroyed bases of the Karen National Union (KNU) guerrilla organisation. which is fighting for autonomy from Rangoon. The United States and refugee organisations have accused the Thais of forcing some Karen refugees back into Burma. Thai military officials have denied the charges. They said they have disarmed fighters and asked them to return voluntarily to Burma, but have allowed family members into Thailand and ensured they were housed away from fighting at the border. Dressed in a traditional multi-coloured Karen outfit and seated in front of a large Karen flag, Suu Kyi called on all Burma's ethnic groups to work together to end divisiveness. "We would like to appeal to all the nations and all the ethnic nationalities of Burma to join us in our endeavours to bring an end to the hatred and animosity that is decimating our nation." More than 70,000 Karen refugees have been living in camps inside Thailand since the 1980s. "It is not simply that they have been forced to flee from their homes to escape the ravages of armed conflict," Suu Kyi said. "Many of our refugees will never be able to go back to their homes... because these homes have been destroyed. We cannot tell how long our Karen brothers and sisters will be forced to remain in a state of uncertainty and impotence." The KNU, formed in 1948, has rejected several peace overtures from Burma's military government. It is one of a handful of guerrilla groups still fighting the Rangoon central government. Suu Kyi has said she would join forces with ethnic groups to bring democracy back to Burma, but she told reporters last week she has not spoken with anyone from the KNU. "Their troubles will not come to an end until a political solution has been found that will heal the deep wounds that are lacerating Burma," she said. "The aim of all of us working for democracy and human rights is to make Burma a safe and happy home for all the children of its soil." ************************* BKK POST: CLERIC SAYS MOSQUES AND SCHOOLS TORCHED March 10, 1997 Forced relocation of villagers reported Supamart Kasem, Tak Burmese troops torched mosques and several Muslim religious schools during their dry-season offensive against rebels last month, a Burmese Muslim leader said. All Burma Muslim Union (ABMU) vice-chairman Hajji Abdul Malik, who was in Kyaikdon village opposite Tak's Umphang district when it came under attack by Burmese troops on February 13, told the Bangkok Post that the troops set fire to a mosque and a religious school in his community. Several other mosques were torched elsewhere, he said. Hajji Malik who escaped to the mountain before slipping across the border into Thailand also claimed that the Burmese troops plundered valuables and destroyed crops in the field. He said about 4,000 Muslims in Kyaikdon, Pa Klaw Nee, Mae Ha Htee Hta and Sakhantit villages were forcibly moved by Burmese troops to a new settlement at Patein in Kya-in Seikkyi district where there are virtually no basic utilities such as water. Hajji Malik is among some 2,000 Burmese Muslim refugees who had sheltered in the forest villages of Ban Klaw Thor, Nong Nok Ped, Nupho and Teechorsee along the Umphang-Perngklerng Road in Umphang district since mid-February. They, along with about 8,000 other Karens, were moved to a new refugee camp at Ban Nu Pho last Friday. ABMU secretary-general Mohammad Hussein charged that the Burmese military junta had discriminated against Muslims by registering them in a documentation form as "Muslim" while labelling Burmese Buddhists as "Burmese". He also alleged that some 40,000 Muslims who used to live along the Moulmein-Kyaikmaraw region in Mon state were evicted to a new settlement some seven miles away to pave the way for the building of a new prison. The old prison was demolished and the land leased to a foreign company, he said, adding that, as a result four mosques and Muslim graveyards were also demolished. Mrs Naw Plaw Mue, of the Muslim refugees from Ban Perngklerng, said she and her four children, all under 10, escaped to Thailand on February 12. She said her husband was forced by Burmese troops to work as a porter. ABMU chairman Dr Abdul Razzak said there was little chance of Burmese Muslims in Thailand returning to their native homes because the military junta in Rangoon won't let them back. He estimated that the number of Burmese Muslims in Thailand, including those in refugee camps along the border and those working legally and illegally, could exceed 100,000. Umphang district officer Charoen Singhayakul said yesterday that 400 rai of land in what used to be fertile forest in Ban Nu Pho has been set aside to house some 10,000 refugees. The camp is divided into four zones each with a committee to coordinate with government officials and non-governmental organisations involved in relief efforts. It will be guarded round the clock to monitor entry and exit from the camp. He said a field hospital has been set up in the camp for which staff and equipment will be drawn from Umphang district hospital. With the field hospital, he noted, sick refugees would not have to travel 50 km to receive medical service. There are still about 2,000 refugees in Ta Per Poo who will be moved to the new camp on Wednesday after which the camps at Noh Ka Thaw Wah, No Pa Do and Ta Per Poo will be closed down, said Mr Charoen. The district chief, however, maintained that the refugees' stay in the camp would be temporary and once the situation in Burma returns to normal they would have to return home. Besides, he said, the refugees can't use the camp to store arms or to recruit men for the rebels. It was disclosed that the provincial administration also plans to move some 3,000 refugees from Sho Klo camp to join 25,000 other refugees in Mae La camp in Tha Song Yang district, and transfer some 3,000 refugees from Don Pa Kiang camp in Mae Ramat district to Huay Kalok camp in Mae Sot district. Both Sho Klo and Don Pa Kiang camps will then be closed. (BP) ***************************************************** S.H.A.N.: CURRENT SITUATION IN SHAN STATE March 4, 1997 (received) From: taiboy@geocities.com Since early January, townspeople of Larngkhur have to split rocks to pave the motor road to Wan Hart, even civil servants are not spared. Each person has to finish 7 "gin" (enough to pave 10 foot-square area) and anyone who could not go has to pay 300 Kyat for a "gin". Once, rocks were mistakenly broken into 3 inch gravel instead of the demanded one and a half inch. 60 people were forced to break them again and were able to finish only 3 "gin" the whole day. People have to stay overnight and work at the sites until they finish their quotas. Villagers of Wan Wawng Long have to provide 2 bicycles and a tape-recorder to the troops overseeing the work sites. When the Burmese army has a contract to build road, it always forces the civilian population to do most of the work without pay, and it officials, pocket the money meant for hired laborers daily wages. Villagers around Siseng town have to send 2 tholagyi - (mini tractors) loads of water to the military base there every day. People have to take turns to fetch water to fill the loads. The villagers and the tractor owners get nothing in return. Gambling is strictly banned at all fairs and religious celebrations etc. in the city of Mandalay, the second capital of Burma proper, while all sorts of gambling are encouraged and even initiated by Slorc officials at Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State. Arbitrary punishment - Sign-boards along the roads in Sipaw area northern Shan State read "3 years imprisonment for any tree felled", but in Larngkhur, central Shan State, they say "7 years imprisonment for any tree felled or de-barked." The prices of some consumer goods in Shan State have increased as follows: 1 viss of pork 400 Kyat 1 viss of small fish 480 Kyat 1 viss of big fish 400 Kyat 1 viss of chicken 400 Kyat 1 viss of garlic 200 Kyat 1 small sack of good quality rice 2,150 Kyat (1 viss is roughly 1.6 Kg) Most nurses and teachers are drawing only 1,200 Kyat salary. Government school teachers are not allowed to give private tuition. 1 gallon of gasoline = 370 - 400 Kyat in the black-market. Though the price is much cheaper at the government owned pumps, only those who have a written permit can buy there, an they can only get 2 gallons for one car for one month! More than 300 military trucks brought in from China are being kept at a place near Aung Thapyay on the Mandalay - Taunggyi road. They never use them. Instead, they sell the gasoline in the black market and force civilian cars to serve almost all military purposes. Most people -- car owners, merchants etc. -- are not satisfied with the 12% income tax because mostly they only make 5% actual profits. To avoid having to fulfill the remaining percentage people usually bribe the concerned officials at least enough to buy a table of good dinner -- usually 3,000 Kyat.;. "One table" has become a code word used by the officials when they ask for a bribe at their work tables usually in front of the official motto "Bribery is our enemy". Just recently, a Palawng tribal headman in Namzarng township was asked by Slorc troops to provide a woman for the night. When the Palawng headman refused, saying that it was against their culture, the Burmese soldiers threatened to shoot him and take his wife so that finally he had to find another woman in his village for them. //End// ******************* REUTER: BURMA'S SHAN GUERRILLAS VOW TO END ARMED STRUGGLE March 10, 1997 BANGKOK, March 10 (Reuter) - Thousands of Burma's ethnic Shan guerrillas who broke away from opium warlord Khun Sa nearly two years ago with a vow to continue fighting Rangoon have agreed to end their armed struggle, Shan sources said on Monday. A joint statement by the Shan State Peace Keeping Committee (SSPC) and the Shan National Liberation Democratic (SNLD) group said that instead of waging armed struggle, the guerrillas would cooperate with Burma's military government. "To settle the overall problems in Shan state... the SSPC and SNLD have agreed to send representatives to participate in drafting the constitution through the National Convention," said the statement, signed by Kan Yord and Pe Thien, and obtained by Reuters on Monday. The National Convention, which is trying to draft guidelines for a new constitution, has met intermittently since early 1993. It is made up of hundreds of delegates, most of them handpicked by the government. Fifteen rebel organisations have already signed ceasefire agreements with Burma's government. The Shan statement was dated in early February and was said to have been distributed among the guerrillas in the central Shan State. It said the SSPC and SNLD had already ordered their troops to halt their armed struggle. Kan Yord, a former officer of Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army (MTA), accused the opium warlord of paying more attention to heroin trafficking than the fight for Shan State's independence. He led about 7,000 guerrillas to break away from the Khun Sa-controlled MTA in late 1995 and vowed to fight for greater autonomy from Rangoon. Khun Sa, who is half-Shan and half Chinese, was accused by international drug agencies for using the 20,000-strong MTA as his personal army to protect his heroin business. Khun Sa surrendered to Burmese troops in January 1996 and has been said to be living a life of luxury in Rangoon. A veteran Shan guerrilla leader said Burma's ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) was trying to buy off the Shan guerrillas in order focus on its dealings with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. "Those people decided to halt the fight against the Burmese after the SLORC bought them off," Shan leader Khun Thaw Da told Reuters. Suu Kyi on Monday called for compassion and help for ethnic Karen refugees who have fled to Thailand in face of attacks by Burmese troops. Thousands of Karen refugees fled to Thailand last month after Burmese troops destroyed bases of the Karen National Union (KNU) guerrilla organisation, which is fighting for autonomy from Rangoon. ************************* REUTER:TOP AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN SAY NO TO BURMA SANCTIONS March 10, 1997 By Chris Johnson SINGAPORE, March 10 (Reuter) - Top American businessmen said on Monday they opposed sanctions against military-ruled Burma and called the Southeast Asian policy of "constructive engagement" the right way to push Rangoon towards democracy. United Technologies Corp chief George David said the Americans and their Southeast Asian counterparts agreed after a one-day meeting that unilateral sanctions on Burma would be wrong. Most of the Americans, including heads of some of the country's biggest corporations, said the idea of sanctions should be shunted aside in favour of pressing Burma towards democracy from the inside. "We feel that the policy of engagement is a better way to produce change. We're better off having engagement, participation and investments," David told reporters, who asked whether profit was the only motive. "I would certainly reject that," said David, chairman of the U.S./ASEAN Business Council that brought some 50 top American executives to Singapore. "We believe the way you induce changes is by participation and by engagement, not by punishment or sanctions," he said. David said he expected Burma, along with Laos and Cambodia, to join ASEAN this year. "We think that would be terrific," he said. ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It has agreed Burma should join at the same time as Laos and Cambodia, resisting Western pressure to keep Rangoon at arm's length. It says "constructive engagement" -- maintaining normal ties while pushing for change -- is the correct approach. American executives who spoke to reporters all endorsed that policy. "I think a constructive engagement is much more important for the U.S. We shouldn't lose what little influence we do have by pulling out," said former treasury secretary Lloyd Bentsen. He called Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has called repeatedly for sanctions on Rangoon, a remarkable person, but said he did not agree with her. "I sympathise with her problem. However, we are a nation and we can't govern by the ideas and the recommendations of one person. I don't agree with her," Bentsen said. "We have to look to see what we can do to liberalise the situation in Burma and protect people like her," he added. Walter Shorenstein, chairman of the Shorenstein Company, one of the largest privately held U.S. real estate firms, said engagement made good sense. "It is necessary for us to know more about each other." Former secretary of state Alexander Haig was trenchant in his opposition to sanctions of any kind, calling them a "very short-sighted approach". "It's arrogant, it's wrong-headed and it misreads the lessons of history," Haig, president of consultants Worldwide Associates Inc, told a news conference. "Every analysis I have seen suggests that not only do sanctions not work, but they frequently, especially in democratic societies, create obstacles for the incumbent leaders of those societies to make the changes we want," he said. Haig told a news conference some of the international pressure for sanctions against Burma was the result of "knee-jerk populism". "The real issue is how do you make the situation better, not how do you feel good at home or how do you keep the press happy," he said. ************************ BKK POST: 'NO FORCED REPATRIATION' March 9, 1997 Supradit Kanwanich Interview: After recent press reports and an ensuing international outcry that Thailand forced back refugees at the border, the commanding general of the Ninth Infantry tells his side of the story. Several human rights and relief organisation working with the Karen and Burmese refugees claim the RTA (Royal Thai Army) forcibly repatriated refugees fleeing from the Burmese conflict. These refugees fled from Burmese Army attacks against the KNU, a minority group in Burma. The KNU's struggle for autonomy started after World War Two. The refugees were reportedly forced back to Burma by Ninth Infantry Division areas between Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi. The commanding general of the ninth Infantry Division, Maj. Gen Thawip Suwansing denied these allegations. Maj. Gen Thawip Suwansing explained to Sunday Perspective that KNU members requested "voluntary repatriation" for their family to safe areas so that they could go fighting. Following are experts from an interview with Maj. Thawip Suwansing. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: In general practice, what is the primary responsibility of the Ninth Division, as assigned by the RTA? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: Our basic assignments are :(1) to monitor internal and external activities along the border; (2) to defend the country; (3) to enforce the rules and regulations along the border; (4) to improve internal security and ; (5) to maintain good relationships with neighbouring countries. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: What is the your procedure action in dealing with the refugees who are running from the fighting in our neighbouring countries? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: The Division provides convenience for them. This includes safe areas for temporary stay, and facilitating evacuation procedures when they return home after the situation in their country has normalised. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: What about those who are directly involved in the conflict? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: We disarm fighters or soldiers, and request them to return voluntarily. We apply this same procedure to armed civilians. However, the media inaccurately reported that the Division forced the refugee back into the hands of Burmese authorities. The facts is, when Army Commander-in-chief Gen Chetta Thanajaro knew the Burmese refugees were crossing the border, he ordered the Division to provide them with temporary shelter in a safe area away from the border until the situation returns to normal. I even asked him what to do if they wanted to go to some other areas in Burma. The general advised me that evacuation must be done openly and witnessed by the media. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: How many of the KNU people have crossed into Thailand? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: Over 800 children women and old people crossed into Thailand, with about 180 whom we later knew as fighters and supporters. All wanted to go back to Burma, provided that their families are safe. I can guarantee there are no armed KNU soldiers on Thai soil. However, their family members voluntarily returned unarmed, although some were still in uniform. In fact, KNU forces came to see their families off at the Thai border at Huay Mong in Tambon Bongti, Saiyok district, in Kanchanaburi. Our troops told them that they could not be sheltered at Huay Mong border. When fighting drew closer to that area, we suggested that they move to Baan Tha Ma Priew in the Suan Phung district of Ratchaburi. There is another Karen community at the border there. They then agreed to move there. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: Is Baan Tha Ma Priew safe from the fighting? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: The locals and the new refugees are living comfortably there. It is quite far away from the Burmese offensive. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: How did allegations of "forced repatriation" by the RTA begin? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: It could possibly be a KNU political ploy so that Thailand will take care of their families. It could also be a way of getting food and aid from relief organisation. As we are know, a large number of Karens rely on rice provided by relief organisations. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: Could it be that the KNU is trying to attract the attention of communities around the world? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: Yes, that could be true. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: What did you do after you learned of the allegations? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: I reported the full facts to my superiors: (1) that the KNU force requested to return to Burma but; (2) their families requested to be evacuated to the safe area at Ban Tha Ma Priew and; (3) we told the family leaders that they can meet their family members there. The evacuation process was not hasty. It took place two days after their arrival. They now stay together with more than, 1,000 Karens in Ban Tha Ma Priew village. The Karens there take good care of them. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: What's your reaction to the international concerns for the safety of Karen refugees, of those who have voluntarily returned to Burma and those who are in temporary refugee camps at the border? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: We have security forces along the border to prevent possible intrusions. We have to take military action in the event of any incursion. But that's not to protect the Karen refugees; that's to protect our sovereignty and the Thai people who live along the border. We have informed both sides of this, and the border boundaries are well-marked. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: What countermeasures are you taking towards possible incursions and cross-border shelling? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: We can negotiate or conduct dialogues. We can retaliate mildly or severely - we can shell them or fire smoke rounds of heavy weapons, and we can shell them intensively with highly explosive ammunition. We have our forces all along the border SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: Will you continue explaining, to those who remain unconvinced, that the army is providing the refugees with safety and shelter? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: No, I will not explain again. It's all clear. but if any one is still in doubt, come to me. I will not take any press tours or appear on television and say the same things all over again. That would be the reaction of someone who has been accused. Everything we have done are based on facts that have proof. Whatever will be, will be. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: What's the real story about the refugees who came to Thailand via the border at Ban Phu Nam Rawn in Muang district of Kanchanaburi? Did they come in earlier than those who have been voluntary repatriated? MAJ. GEN THAWIP: They are also family if they volunteer to return; my superiors are worried that the feedback will be the same as in the case of those who returned to Bann Tha Ma Priew. If they intended to return home, they have to inform the UNHCR or any other UN agency early; we want to prevent allegations of forced repatriation again. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: Why is it that the Division did not provide food for the Karen families who are either being repatriated or held in temporary refugee camps? MAJ GEN THAWIP: The 9th Division has no such budget and it's not our responsibility. That's the responsibility of the Interior Ministry. We only organise and smooth the process. The refugees themselves have food reserves enough for a month. They are aware of the impending evacuation after the recent fourth KNU-Slorc negotiation failed. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: Why is it that the Division did not allow the refugees to remain at PHu Nam Rawn as they wished? MAJ GEN THAWIP: We had to move them down south. Their camp was very near the KNU's Fourth Brigade Headquarters, that has now been overtaken by Burmese troops. I go everywhere along the border areas under the responsibility of the Ninth Division. I know well what areas are safe and what areas are not safe. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: How do you feel about the allegations that the Thai army is forcibly repatriating refugees or violating basic human rights? MAJ GEN THAWIP: We have done our best for the refugees. The blame should be on the KNU. They used the fleeing children and women as a tool in their campaign for autonomy. I cannot do something like that to my children. I cannot leave my family behind. They can move their families to safe areas using trails inside Burma, but that's no news. Why do it in Thailand? To get world attention? I believe that deep inside Burma, tens of thousands of Karens are quietly living a life of freedom in a simple lifestyle. They do not care for liberation. But to return to the real situation: How we can allow the refugees to stay along the border when troops from either side could clash at any moment? If they are hurt in the conflict, Thailand will be held responsible. Talking about human rights violations: who really violated the rights of the young boys when the KNU recruited 13-year-olds and above into the fighting force? SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: Are there casualties among Karen rebels and Slorc troops during the recent Burmese offensive? MAJ GEN THAWIP: I don't know about the Burmese, but no KNU casualties were reported at all in our areas of Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi and Prachuab Khiri Khan. Normally, wounded KNU soldiers are sent to Thai hospitals. We have to treat them for humanitarian reasons. They couldn't go anywhere else. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: Is there any official refugee assistance from human rights groups or NGOs? MAJ GEN THAWIP: No one contacted us officially. Some came to observe and coordinated with the Division. However, they first have to go through Interior Ministry procedures for permission. You should know that when the Karen and Burmese refugees arrived, they were given food by the local villagers and also by the local charity groups who took pity on them. We are wasting time over this nonsense. We provided the refugees with what we can give them, but we are being blamed. And I have yet to see assistance from those who are complaining. Aside from the refugees, we also have a problem with illegal immigrants from Burma. In their case, we have a different procedure. We have to take legal action but that is impratical. The police do not have enough detention space and food for them. The practical option is to take them back to where they crossed the border. SUNDAY PERSPECTIVE: What happened during the meeting between you, senior officers of the Division, and the staff of the US embassy last Friday? MAJ GEN THAWIP: They came to inquire about the alleged army action against the refugees. They understood our explanations. But the world communities do not understand yet, and they remain worried about the safety of the refugees. However, we know very well what places are safe and which ones are unsafe for them. (BP) ***************************************************** BKK POST: KACHADPAI: RECOGNISE THAI AID FOR REFUGEES March 9, 1997 Security chief rejects global criticism Yuwadee Tunyasiri National Security Council deputy chief Kachadpai Buruspattana said yesterday that the international community should stop criticising Thailand over its handling of Karen refugees and instead appreciate its effort to care for refugees over the past 13 years. He added that Thailand deserved this since it has looked after hundreds of thousands of Indochinese refugees for over a decade. "We have always used humanitarian considerations and given food and shelter to refugees. "The international organisations and human rights groups should not be attacking us. We deserve some praise," Mr Kachadpai said. His comments followed allegations that Thai forces had pushed back Karen refugees into Burma following Rangoon's military offensive against Karen rebels in the border area. Mr Kachadpai and the Thai army had denied that they had done so. However, the deputy NSC chief said that Thailand cannot allow armed rebels to enter Thai territory. "They have to disarm if they want to come in. But for the wounded we do give them medical treatment. We do not, however, just push them back to face their death," Mr Kachadpai added. He appealed to critics to understand Thailand's situation. Refugees present problems of safety for Thai villagers in the border area because foreign forces can pursue them into Thailand and some of the armed rebels often rob Thai villagers. He pointed out that unarmed Karen civilians have been taken in by Thailand and taken to a refugee camp deeper inside Thailand so that their safety can be ensured. In the past Karen refugee camps were only a few kilometres away from the border and were repeatedly raided by the Rangoon-backed Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). Some Thai villagers have been killed during such raids. "We have to consider both the safety of the refugees and the safety of Thai citizens," Mr Kachadpai said. On calls from Thai and internal relief organisations to grant the Karens refugee status, he said that officially they are regarded as "displaced persons." Mr Kachadpai said Thailand will not allow any more refugee camps to be set up and there will only be temporary shelters. Once fighting inside Burma ends the Karens will be sent back home, he said. Representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have asked to visit the Karen refugees and Mr Kachadpai said he would facilitate this. However, at present there are enough NGOs taking care of them and this was enough. Asked about criticisms by the United States of Thai handling of the Karen refugees, the deputy NSC chief said they might not understand the situation and had received the wrong information. "I repeat that we did not push the Karen civilians back to their death. If the US has any questions they should ask us. They shouldn't simply go with the flow. We always adhere to humanitarian principles," Mr Kachadpai added. (BP) ***************************************************** THE NATION: RANGOON RESTARTS PROJECT March 9, 1997 Reuter Rangoon - Burma has resumed the extensions of the Rangoon International Airport that was suspended in 1988 after Japan stopped providing financial aid for the project, a government official said yesterday. "The airport extension project, originally to be carried out with the Japanese government's OECF loan, was resumed recently without any foreign assistance," Transport Minister Lt Gen Thein Win said. "The ministries of transport and communication commenced the airport extension project without any foreign assistance according to the original Japanese design," he told a ceremony to officially begin work on the runway extension project. The project will cost 200 million kyat and is targeted to be finished within 18 months, said Director General Tin Aye of Civil Aviation. On the black market, about 160 kyat buy US$1 (Bt26) while the official exchange rate is about six to the dollar. The existing airport runway will be extended by 3,000 1,000 metres to enable 747 jumbo jets to land, Tin Aye said. Japan reached agreement with the former socialist government of Burma in 1987 on a loan to extend the runway. The project began in February 1987 but was suspended after Tokyo stopped aid to Burma when the military seized power in 1988 and quashed pro-democracy street demonstrations. (TN) ***************************************************** AP:THAI MEDIA CRITICIZE MANDELA FOR IGNORING BURMA ABUSES March 9, 1997 BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) _ Freed from 27 years in prison thanks in part to international pressure, President Nelson Mandela of South Africa was roundly criticized in newspaper editorials Sunday for refusing to help lean on Burma's military regime. Mandela, 78, elected South Africa's first black president in 1994, has been touring Southeast Asia to drum up foreign investment his country desperately needs to raise the living standards of the impoverished black majority. The South African leader refused to challenge the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' plan to admit Burma as a member, despite the military government's repression of pro-democracy forces led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. Mandela, a Nobel winner himself, was released from prison in 1990 after years of international sanctions against South Africa's white minority regime _ but he refused to take a lead in speaking out for Suu Kyi's efforts to drum up similar pressure. ``We are willing to deal with any region irrespective of the internal policies of those regions,'' Mandela said in Singapore last week. ``Why should we let ourselves depart from what international organizations are doing?'' Bangkok newspapers Sunday denounced Mandela for failing to speak out against ASEAN's policy of ``constructive engagement'' toward Burma _ the hope the country will become more democratic if it receives more foreign investment. Similar arguments were once made by supporters of South Africa's apartheid regime and spurned by Mandela's African National Congress. ``Mr. Mandela might yet be sitting in jail, his aged features still hidden and anonymous, if the global community had decided that it was best to let South Africa tend to its own internal affairs,'' the Bangkok Post said. The Post called him ``a lame duck leader, with little more left to offer his countrymen and now, with such laissez-faire posturing on Burma, only a fatigued and mercenary resignation to share with the world.'' The Nation was even more critical, saying Mandela had ``bitten the hand that liberated, fed and nurtured him.'' ``Mandela is indeed a disappointment, and it will come as no surprise, in the near future, if he also says Tibet is a part of China, judging from the way South Africa is veering toward Beijing,'' The Nation said. Since her release [from house arrest] in 1995, Suu Kyi has sought the kind of dialogue toward a political compromise that Mandela enjoyed with South Africa's last white president, F.W. de Klerk. The regime has spurned her appeals, refuses to allow her to speak to crowds, and has jailed hundreds of her supporters. ******************************** BKK POST: AN OPEN LETTER TO PM CHAVALIT March 9, 1997 The Kingdom of Thailand has long been recognized as an extraordinary nation which has in times of crisis extended its welcome to people fleeing from great oppression. Although Thailand is not a signatory to the Convention and Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, nonetheless your country has shown great compassion towards the plight of such peoples. Recent developments along your border with Burma are of the gravest concern to the American people and their government. The Slorc offensive against the Karen people is, of itself, distressing. The Burmese military's standard operating practices include forced labour, forcible relocations, and rape. Slorc's logic that an attack is justified by a failure to reach a peace agreement is, at best, ludicrous. Further, its recent incursions with the Democratic Karen Buddhist Association to torch refugee camps in Thailand is a significant violation of Thai sovereignty. Our particular concern is with issues related to forcible repatriation of refugees to Burma. Evidence clearly indicates that this is occurring with the assistance of the Thai Army. The forcible return of men and boys to Burma, instructed to either fight or surrender, is against international law and internationally-accepted humanitarian standards, as is the repatriation of women and children fleeing the path of the war. Additionally, soldiers at the checkpoint near Phu Nam Rawn have refused United States embassy officials access to visit the refugees. This fact severely troubles us. We would request, at the very least, that the Kingdom of Thailand cooperate with United States officials in independent fact-finding research on this important issue. Your cooperation with United States embassy personnel and with non-governmental agencies seeking to provide relief to the refugees would be very much appreciated. We must encourage your government to demonstrate its wisdom through substantive acknowledgment of the refugees' basic human rights. The democratic Kingdom of Thailand serves as a beacon of hope and support for oppressed people throughout Southeast Asia. We know that Thailand has borne more than its share of refugees from turmoil in Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Vietnam and we are confident that the Karen people will experience the same great compassion and generosity. Benjamin A. Gilman Chairman, US Congress Committee on International Relations Christopher Smith, Chairman, Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights Dana Rohrabacher Following is the text of the letter of appreciation read and delivered to Democrat MP Suravoj Phalang of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on March 4, 1997 at the Phu Nam Rawn refugee camp in Kanchanaburi province. ------------------------------------ BKK POST: THANKS FOR THE SYMPATHY AN OPEN LETTER TO PM CHAVALIT March 9, 1997 We are very pleased to receive your visit to Phu Nam Rawn refugee camp. We respect and recognise the sympathy of the Thai people to us, Karen refugees. We will never forget our gratitude to the Royal Thai Government which has granted shelter to refugees along the Thai-Burma border for a long time. Due to the Slorc's heavy military offensive, many villagers in Burma lost their homes, their land, their heritage and their lives. We see Thailand as a democratic and active protector of human rights. We believe and trust the Royal Thai Government's heartiest effort for our future. We are expecting to find a place free from tension. We hope the proposal to move to a new location, which depends on the kindness of the authorities, will bring us a peaceful and secure life. We heartiestly (sic) would like to express our thanks to all authorities who are organising our moving. We give our highest regards to your sympathy and hospitality. Refugees in Phu Nam Rawn ***************************************************** KYODO: TWENTY SEVEN BURMESE CREW MEMBERS JUMP SHIP IN TOKYO March 4, 1997 Yokohama, March 4 Kyodo -- Twenty-seven crew members from Myanmar [Burma] disappeared from a Singapore-registered luxury cruise ship after the vessel anchored in Tokyo port last weekend, immigration authorities said Tuesday. The crew members, who went ashore on an authorized outing around 11 A.M. Saturday, did not to return to the 28,078-ton Superstar Capricorn when it set sail for Yokohama south of Tokyo on Monday. They also failed to show up before the luxury liner left Yokohama port Tuesday, immigration officials said. The Myanmarese hold temporary permits of stay valid through March 11. Immigration authorities are trying to determine their whereabouts since they will be considered illegal aliens once the permits expire. The Superstar Capricorn can accommodate 1,375 passengers, but is currently touring Japanese ports with only its 641 crew aboard to promote the newly launched Taiwan-Okinawa route. It will return to Taiwan on March 13 after calling at several ports in Japan. ****************************