------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: November 10, 1997 Issue #864 Noted in Passing: The ... refusal of the Council to unblock avenues for peaceful self-expression is bottling up ... discontent that may soon ...burst violently across the land. -- former Philippine president Corazon Aquino [see IPS:NGOS URGE REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS- PRESSURE RANGOON] HEADLINES: ========== THE HINDU: INDIA OFFERS $10M CREDIT TO MYANMAR BKK POST: BURMA ASKS THAI ARMY TO STOP ANTI-SLORC GROUPS THE AUSTRALIAN: PACRIM PLANS $8M START ON BURMA OIL REUTERS: COMMENTARY CALLS SUU KYI PARTY ANARCHISTIC BKK POST: RANGOON TO RELEASE 99 PRISONERS DPNS: SLORC VIOLATE CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT, ATTACK KNLP KNU: PRESS RELEASE NO.63/97 IPS:NGOS URGE REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS- PRESSURE RANGOON ASIAN AGE: WORLD SOCIALIST MEET'S FOCUS ON GLOBALISATION THE TELEGRAPH: TRADE PARALYSED AT MOREH AFTER VIOLENCE THE TELEGRAPH: MOREH TRADERS HARD HIT BY EXTORTION XINHUA: MYANMAR STRIVES TO EXPORT MORE SHIPS BKK POST: POLICE CONFISCATE PROCESSED TEAK WOOD -------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE HINDU (NEW DELHI): INDIA OFFERS $10M CREDIT TO MYANMAR November 8, 1997 By V. Jayanth Singapore (Nov. 7) -- India today offered a $10 million line of credit to the Union of Myanmar, as a gesture of good will and to promote bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Inaugurating the second Indian Trade Exhibition in Yangon, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr. Saleem I. Shervani, said it would be a Government-to-Government credit, reflecting the commitment of the government of India to closer economic cooperation with Myanmar. Mr. Shervani said ties with Myanmar were going well beyond the bilateral level, with the eastern neighbour also joining the recently launched Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation (BISTEC) forum. He said Myanmar's entry into Asean could also make it India's gateway to the markets in South-East Asia. Speaking on the occasion, Myanmar's Minister for Commerce, Lt. Gen. Tun Kyi, invited Indian investors to take advantage of the opportunities offered by Myanmar, for investment and trade. This Indian exhibition is being organised jointly by the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and the Embassy of India. It is being held from November 7 to 13 at the famous Tatmadaw Hall in Yangon. According to Mr. Shyam Saran, India's Ambassador to Myanmar, over 50 Indian companies were participating in the exhibition with a wide range of products and technology on show. It covered engineering items, transport equipment, chemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, handicraft, household goods and leather products. The presence of a retinue of Myanmar Ministers and top military brass in the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) at the opening ceremony today was a clear [sign SLORC] valued such Ministerial visits from India, which has been rare. According to one source, the previous visit was by the then Commerce Minister, Mr. P. Chidambaram, who came to inaugurate the first exhibition in February, 1995. Among those present today were the Foreign Minister, Mr. Ohn Gyaw, the Transport Minister Lt. Gen. Thein Win, the Mayor of Yangon, Mr. Ko Lay, the Quarter Master General of the Armed forces, Lt. Gen. Tin Hla and the Minister in the office of the Chairman of SLORC, Lt. Gen. Min Thein. The exhibition is being organised as part of the Embassy's celebrations of the 50th anniversary of India's Independence. The ITPO and the Myanmar Investment Commission are holding a seminar on November 10 on 'India Myanmar Trade and Investment Cooperation in the context of Myanmar's entry into Asean'. Mr. Shervani, who is on a two-day visit to Myanmar, also called on Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, Secretary-1, SLORC, this morning. The Myanmar Foreign Minister, Mr. Ohn Gyaw, and the Indian Ambassador, Mr. Shyam Saran, were present on the occasion. Discussions centred on bilateral relations and the prospects for increasing trade and economic relations. The two sides traced the historic relations between the two countries and wanted the business community to take more steps to make better use of the border-trade agreement signed two years ago. The problem on the field, both in terms of infrastructure and the bottlenecks for enhanced border trade figured in the deliberations. Mr. Shervani left in the evening for New Delhi, obviously taking back some very serious suggestions from the military rulers in Myanmar. His visit was very well received by the generals, but also raised the basic and recurring question in bilateral ties with this neighbour - Should India set aside its inherent concerns about a military junta that wants to suppress a democratically elected political party and continue to do business? There are two sides to this coin. Myanmar is strategically too important for New Delhi to ignore just because there is a junta in power. The activities of some of the terrorist groups functioning in the North- eastern States, spilling over into the eastern neighbours like Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand has to be borne in mind, as also the thrust that China is making into Myanmar. Traditionally, Indians have supported the prodemocracy groups and the larger movement of the Myanmarese people. Many Myanmarese have fled to India since the crackdown on prodemocracy activists in 1988-89 and have been campaigning for increased support from India. Instead of putting Myanmar on the back burner till the third trade exhibition perhaps in the year 2000, it may be worthwhile for India to evolve a more effective policy for this neighbour. The posting of Mr. Shyam Saran, who was earlier in Mauritius, was considered the harbinger for such an approach to Myanmar and he has been able to put up this fair within the first few months of his functioning in Yangon. [related excerpts] --------------------------- BKK POST: INDIA LOOKS TO BURMA FOR ASEAN ENTREE November 7, 1997 Rangoon, AFP "Myanmar [Burma] has the potential to become a major platform for India both in terms of trade as well as investment," Ambassador Shyam Saran told reporters ahead of an Indian trade exhibition. "We are beginning to look at Myanmar not merely as a one-country market but also as a possible gateway into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations [Asean] ," he said. India is already a major trading partner for Burma, purchasing pulses and timber, and is also looking into buying energy resources, such as natural gas, Mr Saran said. "We are looking at the possibility of natural gas supply from Myanmar ... We have a shortage of natural gas in our country, particularly in the eastern region." he said. ---------------------------------- THE HINDU (NEW DELHI): SHERVANI IN MYANMAR November 7, 1997 By V. Jayanth Singapore, Nov, 6. Speaking to The Hindu from his Yangon hotel, Mr. Shervani said "There has been a tremendous response and we are looking towards a new dimension in our relationship. This visit is to reinforce our interest in Myanmar and I told them that though they are not part of SAARC, they are a very important neighbour and the Gujral doctrine includes them also." He said that during his meetings with the Myanmar Ministers, the question of Indian support to the pro- democracy movement was also raised. "I told them India is a vibrant democracy and we do not just preach freedom, but also practice it. But India will never allow itself to be used by anybody to destabilise another country." ************************************************** BKK POST: BURMA ASKS THAI ARMY TO STOP ANTI-SLORC GROUPS November 7, 1997 Wasana Nanuam - Rangoon Govt's opponents use Thailand as bases Burma has called on the Thai army to prevent Burmese minority groups from using Thai territory as support bases for their activities. Gen Chettha Thanajaro, the army chief, said he had agreed to ensure Thai forces would prevent Burmese minority groups, especially the Karen National Union, from using Thai soil as bases for their anti-Slorc moves as requested by first secretary of the State Law and Order Restoration Council Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt. Bangkok and the Thai army have a policy not to support any minority groups, he said after meeting Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt in Rangoon yesterday. Burmese officials did not find the Thai army's helicopter which went missing on August 28 in a border area between Umphang and Phop Phra districts of Tak but Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt said the search operations would continue, Gen Chettha added. The Slorc first secretary had also asked him and concerned Thai officials to closely monitor the future demarcation of the Thai-Burmese border, he said. According to Gen Chettha, commander of the Third Army Lt-Gen Thanom Watcharaput and Burma's southeast commander Maj-Gen Khet Sein reached an agreement in Myawaddy on Tuesday on the Thai and Burmese armies' cooperation in suppressing drugs in border areas. [related excerpts] ----------------------------------------------- BKK POST: BURMA APPEALS FOR SUPPORT FOR ITS INTERNAL REFORMS [abridged] November 7, 1997 Wasana Nanuam Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, said yesterday there would be major changes in Burma because the government was overhauling the political and economic system to restore peace in the country. "Our political and economic development is half-way through. Cooperation from other countries, especially Asian neighbours, would help us reach our goal. After political reform in my country is in shape, we will peacefully. It's the desire of Asians to see peace in the region," he said. The Slorc secretary also called on the media to present news about Thailand and Burma in a constructive manner. ****************************************************** THE AUSTRALIAN: PACRIM PLANS $8M START ON BURMA OIL November 4, 1997 Robin Bromby Brisbane based Pacrim Energy NL is gearing up for a start by April next year on drilling at two old Burmese oil and gas fields. The company is now reviewing all seismic data and expects to have its exploration planning finished by February. Pacrim has already signed production sharing contracts with the Myanmar Oil & Gas Enterprise, the Burmese government agency which controls all production. Block C-1, in the Chindwin Basin, covers 17,000sq km and was operated by the British owned Indo-Burman Oil Co. before World War 2. Until the 1920s, Burma was one of the main oil producers in the world. The field equipment was destroyed by the British forces during the war to deny oil to advancing Japanese armies and operations were not re-established after 1945 because of the post-colonial political uncertainties. Managing director Kerry Doble said Pacrim was hopeful the field would contain about 1 billion barrels of oil. "It's a giant field" he said. Pacrim has already sampled oil bleeding from shales on a 80km-long outcrop. Several small wells are operated along the Chindwin River, having been sunk by the villagers to the depths of between 30m and 60m into the shale. Oil and gas seeps occur elsewhere on the block. In 1991, the South Korean oil refiner Yukong drilled to 2900m but Mr. Doble believes the main oil reservoir lies at about 4580m. "We have learnt from Yukong's mistakes" he said. Pacrim is expecting to spend $8 million on its first exploration well. To the South , Pacrim is also working on Block RSF-9, which covers 2545sq km in the Central Basin, Burma's historical oil and gas producing area. Overall, the block has been only lightly explored. It contains the Pyalo gas field, which was suspended five years ago and which Pacrim is looking at reopening to supply gas to a nearby cement plant. The 50m million barrel Pyay oil field is also nearby. Pacrim is aiming at several known but unseated oil and gas reservoir formations. Pacrim exploration team includes former MOGE chief geologist U Gang Lyeng plus four MOGE staffers with knowledge of the fields and who have been seconded to the Australian company. ************************************************* REUTERS: FULL STORY BURMA COMMENTARY CALLS SUU KYI PARTY ANARCHISTIC November 7, 1997 RANGOON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party is a group of terrorists that creates anarchy and it should change to avoid a confrontation, a commentary in Burma's state-run media said on Friday. The commentary, published in all three of Burma's official newspapers, accused Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) of links with terrorists. ``It is creating instability in all walks of life,'' said the commentary. ``In reality the NLD never accepts democracy...it is democracy in name only. ``NLD has connections with terrorists and accommodates them. Some NLD members themselves are terrorists,'' it said without elaborating. The ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) has often accused the NLD of involvement with terrorists both inside and outside the country. Over the past few weeks the government has accused the NLD of trying to destabilise the country by holding unauthorised political gatherings. On at least two occasions the government forcibly prevented NLD meetings from taking place in townships outside Rangoon. Police, some equipped with clubs and shields, set up barricades and carted away supporters who gathered to meet Suu Kyi and top NLD leaders. At least eight senior NLD leaders were arrested last week in connection with the meetings. The SLORC has said four people were detained for questioning. The league lashed out at the government on Wednesday for restricting party activities and Suu Kyi's movements. A government statement said Suu Kyi and her party could hold meetings if they were held in the confines of her compound, which doubles as a party headquarters. ``The NLD has laid down a wrong strategy to create disturbances instead of setting up a new democracy nation,'' the commentary said. ``By doing so, the NLD is losing touch with the people. The NLD won more than 80 percent of the seats in a 1990 election, but the SLORC did not recognise the results. The commentary questioned whether the NLD was acting according to the wishes of the people who voted for it. ``People who voted for NLD cast their ballots with the belief that the NLD will uplift their social life and national peace and stability. They did not vote for NLD to create anarchy and to attack the State Law and Order Restoration Council,'' it said. ****************************************** BKK POST: RANGOON TO RELEASE 99 PRISONERS November 7, 1997 Wasana Nanuam - Rangoon Slorc will also open border for pipe work Rangoon has agreed to free 99 Thais from Insein prison on Tuesday, says Thailand's Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Chettha Thanaiaro. A C-130 helicopter will fly them home. Gen Chettha said he would inform their relatives of the release date and the venue where they can pick them up. He said the release of the inmates was top of the agenda during his visit to Burma yesterday and that he would try his best to negotiate the release of the remaining 86 inmates. The first group, 96 of them men, to be released includes the elderly and HIV-infected people, Gen Chettha said, adding that he would ask the Public Health Ministry to give assistance. He said another inmate identified as Klin Thongpachote could be released the same day if negotiations about the fine are settled prior to the release date. The man has been serving a prison term for breach of a fishery contract. The army chief also asked officials concerned to give necessary medicine and money totalling 26,750 baht to the inmates. The money and medicine were from their relatives. Gen Chettha yesterday met Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, for an hour. His last visit to Burma was in May when he accompanied Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. Rangoon also agreed to open a border pass in Ban-I-Tong of Kanchanaburi to facilitate the Petroleum Authority of Thailand's gas pipeline. Gen Chettha said Lt-Gen Nyunt had approved the PTT's proposal on the opening of a border pass in Ban-I-Tong so that the Yadana gas pipeline will be completed next July as scheduled. The Burmese government will also consider slashing the price of an additional 100 cubic metres of natural gas it will sell to Thailand per day. Earlier, Burma had agreed to sell 526 cubic metres of natural gas under the Yadana gas pipeline project to Thailand. Slorc had also agreed to cooperate with Thailand in constructing a land-bridge to link Bokpyin to Bang Saphan district of Prachuap Khiri Khan for the transport of goods and oil between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, Gen Chettha said. ****************************************************** DPNS: SLORC VIOLATE CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT AND ATTACK THE KNLP November 8, 1997 From: mingla@cm-sun.cm.ksc.co.th On 27 Oct 1997, King-light camp, one of the Kayan New Land Party (KNLP) camps, was attacked by the SLORC troops, LB No (85). The KNLP has been under a cease-fire agreement with the SLORC since 1994. This camp is situated in the middle of the Kayan area and it was under the control of KNLP for years before the cease-fired agreement. It is said that the attack broke out due to SLORC dissatisfaction with the KNLP because of (1) their participation in the Mae-Tha-Raw-Htar agreement, (2) the statement of KNLP in August refuting the release of incorrect news on the internet by the SLORC's people, using the names of cease-fire groups, and (3) the demand of KNLP, at the 33rd anniversary of Kayan National Resistance Day which falls on 4th June 1997, for tripartite dialogue. Recently, tension has emerged between the Shan Nationalities People's Liberation Organization (SNPLO) and SLORC because three SLORC's battalions surrounded the Headquarters of SNPLO. It is learnt that other cease-fire groups share similar concerns. ****************************************** KNU: PRESS RELEASE NO.63/97 November 8, 1997 From: OFFICE OF THE SUPREME HEADQUARTERS KAREN NATIONAL UNION KAWTHOOLEI Press Release No.63/97 Regarding the SLORC Offensive against the KNU November 8, 1997 Battle news for the months of September and October, 1997. Armed clashes which broke out between SLORC troops and KNLA in respective brigade areas for the period of 2 months are as follows: Thaton district, No.1 Brigade Area; 9 clashes broke out, with 5 dead and 7 wounded on SLORC's side. The KNLA suffered 4 dead 1 wounded. Toungoo and Pyinmana district, No. 2 Brigade Area; 25 clashes broke out, with 6 dead and 24 wounded on SLORC's side. The KNLA suffered 1 dead. Nyaung-lay-bin district. No.3 Brigade Area; 25 clashes broke out, with 6 dead and 24 wounded on SLORC's side. The KNLA suffered 1 wounded. Mergui/Tavoy district, No.4 Brigade Area; 60 clashes broke out, with 58 dead and 48 wounded on SLORC's side. The KNLA suffered 1 dead and 2 wounded. Papun district, No.5 Brigade Area; 53 clashes broke out, with 25 dead and 69 wounded on SLORC's side. The KNLA suffered no casualty. Duplaya district. No.6 Brigade Area; 16 clashes broke out, with 21 dead and 17 wounded on SLORC's side. The KNLA suffered no casualty. Pa-an district. No.7 Brigade Area; 15 clashes broke out, with 16 dead and 17 wounded on SLORC's side. The KNLA suffered 1 dead 4 wounded. 103 Battalion in No.6 Brigade Area; 11 clashes broke out, with 17 dead and 9 wounded on SLORC's side. The KNLA suffered 1 dead. Summing up, there had been 205 clashes broke out between SLORC's troops and KNLA with 161 dead and 206 wounded on SLORC's side, where as, the KNLA suffered 7 dead and 9 wounded. The KNLA is now waging a widespread defensive guerrilla warfare in it's base areas. Many P.O.Ws had been captured and some of the SLORC's soldiers have defected to join the ranks of the guerrillas. Some arms and ammunition were also captured. ******************************************** INTER PRESS SERVICE: NGOS URGE REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS TO PRESSURE RANGOON [slightly abridged] November 5, 1997 BANGKOK, (Nov. 4) IPS - Southeast Asian governments that have adopted a policy of "constructive engagement" with Rangoon's military regime are coming under renewed pressure from non-government groups determined to see democracy restored in Burma. Last week in Bangkok and over the weekend in Manila, pro-democracy campaigners held separate meetings demanding regional governments take a more aggressive stance against a Burmese military regime that has become ever more repressive in the past few weeks. In Manila on Nov. 2, former Philippine president Corazon Aquino joined about 100 pro-democracy activists from the region to urge Rangoon's military rulers to defuse the increasingly tense situation in Burma by holding talks with popular opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. "The stubborn refusal of the (ruling) Council to unblock avenues for peaceful self-expression is bottling up fumes of discontent that may soon turn noxious and burst violently across the land," said Aquino, who in 1986 was swept to power by a people's power movement that deposed former Philippine dictator, the late Ferdinand Marcos. She warned that regional governments should sit up and take notice of the outcry of the oppressed Burmese population rather than wait for a "violent revolution," against the regime which calls itself the State Law and Restoration Council (SLORC). Indonesia and Malaysia are keen to embrace the Rangoon regime's entry, but more recently, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore, have expressed reservations and this may in part be attributed to the pressure coming from pro-democracy groups. In Thailand in particular, dozens of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are actively engaged in relief work among Burmese refugees and have offered platforms for dissident political activists to publicly voice their opinions. "We should not leave matters totally in the hands of governments," says Dr. Gotham Arya, chairperson of the Program for the Promotion of Non-Violence in Thai Society. Last week, he joined with other Thai academics and politicians, Burmese citizens and activists in strongly condemning ASEAN's policy of constructive engagement with Burma and resolved to lobby against Rangoon's entry into the regional grouping. At a two-day "Alternative ASEAN Meeting on Burma," activists demanded the right to a say in ASEAN's engagements with Burma, and that they be allowed to help develop an alternative to the present policy. "Constructive engagement means that human rights can take a hike and that the ASEAN mafia is here to stay," said Augusto Miclat, Jr., Executive Director of the Philippines-based Initiative for International Dialogue. It is not new for pro-democracy groups in the more politically open countries like Thailand and Philippines to speak out against Burma's military rulers, however, human rights activists in the more controlled political climates of Indonesia and Malaysia, too have been speaking out against ASEAN's policy. In July this year, when riots broke out in Jakarta in support of ousted opposition figure Megawati Sukarnoputri, some protesters carried posters of Suu Kyi, apparently drawing comparisons between their struggles. And in September, when senior Burmese ministers visited Kuala Lumpur for talks with the Mahathir Mohamad government, they were greeted by hostile NGOs and a critical press. Even in Cambodia, which is yet to become a full fledged ASEAN member, the Burmese generals got a poor reception from activist groups. In mid-October in Phnom Penh demonstrators protested against a state visit to the country by Burmese military leader Than Shwe. Some of the placards at the demonstration read "Democracy in Cambodia and Burma" and "Suu Kyi, Model for Asia." "The people of Cambodia have had enough experiences of human rights violations and dictators. We neither need nor want such actions to occur among our neighbors," said Kem Sokha, Deputy Secretary-General of the Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party who attended the Bangkok meeting. Sokha, who is also Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of Cambodia's National Assembly, described the Cambodian government's hosting of Than Shwe's visit as shameful. It is significant that political opposition in countries around the region is showing solidarity with Nobel laureate Suu Kyi. Analysts say they identify Suu Kyi's struggles with their own efforts to democratically end what has effectively been decades of single-party rule in their countries. In Indonesia where the military is closely linked to the political leadership, Suharto has been president for 29 years and is expected to be elect for a seventh consecutive term in 1998. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has been led by the National Front coalition since independence in 1957. Mahathir Mohamad, head of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) that leads the Front, has been premier since 1981. In Singapore, it has been five years since Lee Kuan Yew turned over the premiership to Goh Chok Tong though he retains influence as senior minister. In any case, Goh also belongs to the People's Action Party, which has governed Singapore since 1959. Said a political activist from Indonesia now in Bangkok: "Burma is a rallying point for all of us to remind our own leaders how frighteningly similar they are to the generals in Rangoon." ********************************************** THE ASIAN AGE (NEW DELHI): WORLD SOCIALIST MEET'S FOCUS ON GLOBALISATION CHALLENGES November 8, 1997 New Delhi, Nov. 7: Land mines, international terrorism, human rights, peace process in West Asia, globalisation of economy and disarmament are some of the key issues to be discussed at the Socialist International Council meeting on Monday here. Leaders of Socialist, social democratic and labour parties from 339 member countries are attending the meeting at Vigyan Bhavan. The meeting is also, likely to discuss the crisis in Myanmar and Tibet. The two-day meeting, held in Asia for the first time, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister I.K. Gujral. Other senior leaders of Janata Dal, the only member party in India, are also participating in the meet. Veteran socialist George Femandes has been kept out of the meeting. Addressing a joint press conference with deputy chairman of Planning Commission Prof. Madhu Dandavate and information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy, secretary-general of the SIC Luis Ayala said on Friday the council would discuss new challenges thrown up by globalisation and the response of social democrats to the changes. Asked about the status of former Union minister and Samata Party president George Femandes, who was one of the pioneers of the socialist movement in India, Mr. Ayala said the organisation did not recognise any individual but only a political party. Moreover, the Samata Party's concept, policy and principles were not in consonance with the SI. The Janata Dal has been accorded the observer status, a rare honour which even the Congress during the Jawaharlal Nehru days was accorded, he said. The other dignitaries who would attend the meet included Palestine Liberation Organisation president Yasser Arafat and former Japanese Prime Minister Mureyama. Countries as varied as Mozambique, which has the lowest per capita income of $60 a year, and Norway, which has a per capita income of $30,000, will also be attending the meet. About countries still under dictatorships, the secretary-general said their struggle for democracy was still on and the meeting would also have delegates from Burma. ***************************************** THE TELEGRAPH (INDIA): TRADE PARALYSED AT MOREH AFTER VIOLENCE November 5, 1997 >From Oinam Sunil Moreh, Nov, 4: Trade and business in the border town of Moreh have been completely paralysed after the burning down of Myanmar's Namphalong market by unidentified persons on October 11. The Indo-Myanmar border has been sealed since the incident. The Kuki National Army (KNA), a militant outfit which is fighting the Myanmarese junta for a separate Kuki homeland inside Myanmar has already claimed responsibility for the arson. Myanmarese authorities have earlier alleged the involvement of Kuki militants and Tamil businessmen in the Namphalong raid. Explaining its action, the KNA accused Myanmar's Tamu town chairman, Mr. Koung Zan Oo, of making a huge profit by channelling the funds for Tamu to Namphalong market. The KNA said funds sanctioned by the Yangon government for the beautification of Tamu town were diverted to the construction of Namphalong market complex without any proper plan. The Kuki militant outfit has vowed to destroy the Namphalong market if it was reconstructed at its original place by the Tamu town authorities. The KNA also appealed to both Manipur and Union governments not to interfere in its activities, which it claimed was targeted against Myanmar's State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) regime. Terming the restriction of entry inside Myanmar to a particular community as a discrimination and partiality on the part of the Myanmar government, the KNA alleged the act as a violation of human rights. The KNA has rejected the Namphalong market and asked the people to stop shopping at the complex which is situated just across the Indian border Gate number 2. The outfit has made the claim in the Indian Press and its warning includes Indians. Though the KNA is fighting against the Myanmarese government, it mostly operates on Indian soil. The KNA came into prominence in Manipur after the Naga, Kuki clash broke out in 1992 at Moreh town. The outfit rose to safeguard the Kuki residing here. It also operated against the Nagas and started imposing illegal taxes on Indian traders and businessman at Moreh. Despite the KNA owning up, many, including the Myanmarese authorities, are still doubtful about the role of Tamil traders residing at Moreh. There are about 5,000 Tamils here. Mr N. Kumar, general secretary of Tamil Sangam, a voluntary organization of Tamils here, has denied the involvement of Tamils in the Namphalong incident. He said the Tamils were being blamed for no reason. He said Tamil traders were keen on improving trade ties with Myanmar and they have at least initiated three trade programmes this year. Mr Kumar, however, said the new Namphalong market should be at least one km away from the international border so that Myanmarese authorities can take up full security measures. On the sealing of the border, Mr Kumar said the Myanmarese were suffering more because of the move. He also countered the Myanmar authorities charge against his people saying, "Why did not they take up adequate security measures even after some miscreants tried to torch the market on September 20?" A Tamil youth, C. Karupayu, 33, was found dead near the border at Kannang Veng on the night of Namphalong incident. Though some said the youth was killed in exchange of fire, Mr Kumar said Kannang Veng, the place where the body was found, was at least three km away from gate number 2. He said Karupayu was picked up from his house by armed men at 7.30 pm on October 11 and killed later that night. The Tamil Sangam along with the Moreh Joint Action Committee have been demanding that the government identify the killers. **************************************************** THE TELEGRAPH (INDIA): MOREH TRADERS HARD HIT BY EXTORTION MENACE [slightly abridged] November 6, 1997 >From Oinam Sunil Moreh, Nov, 5: Extortion in the form of illegal taxes collected both by the Kuki militants and government agencies has become a major source of concern for the traders in Moreh. The Morning Bazaar, the town's main market, located near the border gate number 2, has been operating for many years while the Namphalong market in Myanmar just across the border started functioning in April this year. The distance between the two markets is hardly 300 meters. But, the prosperous Namphalong market is free of militants threat. Indian traders here find the Namphalong market much cheaper than the Morning Bazaar, where prices of goods are higher because of the illegal taxes imposed by the Kuki militants. The situation has been made worse by the government agencies, who also collect their dues from the market. Goods sold in the Morning Bazaar are mostly of foreign origin and do not figure in the list of Indo-Myanmar trade agreement. Nearly 4,000 people of the state benefit from this trade and it also solves unemployment problem to a great extent. According to the traders, the difference in prices of goods between Morning Bazaar and Namphalong market ranges from Rs. 10 to Rs. 15 per item. Businessmen at Morning Bazaar are forced to sell goods at high prices to pay the various rebel groups. This has resulted in huge losses for the country as trading has shifting to Namphalong since April, "Kuki militants collect Rs. 10,000 from each shopkeeper in Morning Bazaar every year as annual tax besides the regular monthly collection." says a trader. There are more than 100 shops in the market. Shopkeepers pay nearly Rs. 1,500 per month to various groups ranging from Kuki militants to Indian Customs and Police officials. At Namphalong Bazaar, which was recently gutted, a shop-keeper has to pay only a monthly rent of 70 Kyats to the Myanmarese authorities. The Morning Bazaar commanded brisk business when the Myanmarese trading centre was located at Tamu town. An Indian trader and to spent Rs. 32 as Indian police's gate pass, Rs. 10 to the Myanmarese immigration officials as entry fee and Rs. 20 as fare. Nearly 1,500 people cross the border every day from the Indian side. "Namphalong has given gain to traders in fare component and low prices of goods," says Mr Loitongbam Imobi Singh of Meitei Council, Moreh (MCM). But, it has affected the trading at Morning Bazaar. Mr Imobi said Manipuris wanted restoration of normal border trade. The border has been sealed since October 12 after the burning of the Namphalong market. He said his organization was ready to contribute Rs. 50,000 for the reconstruction of the Myanmarese market. The superintendent of police, Chandel, Mr. Manglemjao Singh, said the situation would be normal soon as his meeting with the Myanmarese authorities had been fruitful. **************************************************** XINHUA: MYANMAR STRIVES TO EXPORT MORE SHIPS November 5, 1997 YANGON (Nov. 6) XINHUA - Myanmar is making efforts to build more standardized ships for foreign countries to expand its ship building market in the region. The Myanmar Dockyard Enterprise (MDE), a state-run organization under the Ministry of Transport, has been building a number of freight vessels for companies in Southeast Asian countries in recent years. The MDE exported the first Myanmar-built ship, a 38-meter sea pollution control vessel, to Indonesia in August 1995, followed by the second one in January 1996 which was a 29-meter pusher tug. This year, the MDE is contracted to build eight vessels for Singapore and Chinese companies. According to official statistics, Myanmar has built 31 vessels by itself for cargo and passenger services while having imported 103 vessels in the past nine years to improve its inland water transport. The statistics also show that the country had 721 state-owned vessels for its inland water transport services and 23 ocean liners and vessels engaged in overseas and coastal shipping services in fiscal 1996-97 ending March. The cooperative and private sectors also ran inland and coastal transport services with a total of 4,440 vessels, of which 90 percent were operated by the private sector, it added. ********************************** BKK POST: POLICE CONFISCATE PROCESSED TEAK WOOD NEAR BORDER November 7, 1997 MAE HONG SON --Police seized four trucks carrying 2,800 cubic metres of processed teak wood while they were heading from the border to the provincial town and arrested the four drivers yesterday. The thousands of planks were being taken from Ho Mong in Shan State via Ban Ton Phuneng in Mae Hong Son's Muang district. Drivers Suvit and Adisak Phutasiri, Eknarong Prasertsri and Srinus Somkaew said the wood was being imported from Burma by SPA Richwood Co but it had no certificates of origin or other documents. There have been reports of trees being felled in Thailand and sent to Burma only to be 'exported' as Burmese logs or processed wood. ******************************************