------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------ "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" ---------------------------------------------------------- The BurmaNet News: November 28, 1997 Issue #879 HEADLINES: ========== THE HINDU: SUU KYI MAY AGREE TO ASEAN MEDIATION AWSJ: OSLO URGED NORWEGAIN COMPANIES TO BOYCOTT BURMA AP: BURMA OPPOSITION ACCUSE GOVERNMENT INDEPENDENT REPORT: HIV SPREADS IN INSEIN PRISON INDEPENDENT REPORT: ECONOMIC PROGRESS OF BURMA UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR REPORT: CITIZENSHIP REUTERS: KHUN SA GANGSTERS AMBUSH THAI POLICE, KILL THREE BKK POST: ALARMING INFECTION RATE AMONG ALIENS BKK POST: MILLION ALIENS SHOULD BE REPATRIATED, SAYS PANEL BKK POST: RANGERS TO PROTECT SEIZED LOGS SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: LONG-NECK REFUGEES SOLD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- THE HINDU: SUU KYI MAY AGREE TO ASEAN MEDIATION November 27, 1997 By V. Jayanth SINGAPORE, Nov.26: Officials is Manila said Nobel laureate, during her meeting last month with the Phillippine Foreign Secretary, Mr. Domingo Siazon, agreed to AEAN arranging a meeting between her and the military leadership in Yangon. Since her release in July 1995, Ms. Suu Kyi has been saying she is for a dialogue with the junta. This year representatives of the junta had meetings with functionaries of her National League for Democracy (NLD). Though both sides have not revealed the contents of these meetings, Ms. Suu Kyi has said the Generals cannot succeed in driving a wedge between her and other NLD leaders. She has made it clear that the party will not abandon her just to get ahead with the dialogue process. The recent change of name of the apex governing body in Myanmar, from the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) to the State Peace and Development Council (SPCC) provides an opportunity for the ruling junta to open a genuine dialogue with the pro-democracy opposition parties. According to sources in Yangon, the dissension and the extent of corruption in the erst-while SLORC have come out in the open now. Not only have a majority of the old ministers been eased out, at least three have been placed under house arrest. A detailed enquiry is reported to have been ordered into charges of corruption and irregularites against these Ministers and the Government agencies that functioned under them. In particular, the Trade and Agriculture Ministers have been grilled and so also their children on certain deals and transactions. Many of the trading houses in Singapore, reportedly used the children of Generals as conduits in their transactions with the junta. Analysts believe that the inquiry and house arrests have served to expose the differences among the ruling Generals and that this could provide an ideal opening for the SPDC to initiate a dialogue with the opposition for national reconciliation, "Considering the embarrassment Myanmar has caused ASEAN and its Western dialogue partners, notably the EU, it is time for the generals to realise that the credibility if ASEAN is at stake in this process. Unless the grouping is able to persuade the generals to open the door for political reforms, ASEAN may lose ground in the international fora. It is imperative for both to effect some perceptible changes in Yangon to convince the world that constructive engagement is indeed the right policy", sources at the Institute of South-east Asian Studies here said. Without offering any solutions ASEAN can serve as a meeting ground for the SPDC and the NLD to agree on an agenda for talks. But till now, there is no indication from the junta on its accepting a role for ASEAN. But analysts consider the visit of the Philippine President, Mr. Fideal Ramos and his Foreign Secretary, Mr. Siazon's meeting with Ms. Suu Kyi, as an indication of the junta's willingness, Since the Philippines chairs the ASEAN Standing Committee this year and will host the annual ASEAN Ministerial meeting in 1998, it should take the lead in brokering a negotiate. settlement. Sources say that ASEAN will surely want to show progress on Myanmar before the 1998 meetings in Manila when its dialogue partners will meet again with Myanmar. If there is no progress, some of them might abstain. But before that, even the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) hangs in the balance, as Malaysia insists on Myanmar's acceptance into the forum while the EU is opposed to it. ************************************************************ AWSJ: OSLO URGED NORWEGAIN COMPANIES TO BOYCOTT BURMA November 27, 1997 Oslo urged Norwegian companies to boycott Burma because of human rights violations by its military government. Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said Oslo would consider stronger measures if companies didn't respect the request. ******************************************************* AP: BURMA OPPOSITION ACCUSE GOVERNMENT November 27, 1997 RANGOON, Burma (AP) - Burma's main opposition party accused the military government today of a heightened campaign of persecution and harassment. The National League for Democracy cited in particular the transfer to distant posts of civil servants related to party members. The military has ruled Burma for nine years, insisting all along that it would one day establish civilian rule. But it recently hardened its stance against pro-democracy leaders, particularly 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the National League leader. Earlier this month, Burma's four top generals consolidated their power in the form of new ruling council, promoting several younger leaders and pushing rivals into mainly ceremonial posts. The National League accused the reshuffled government of a campaign to disrupt the social, as well as political, activities of NLD members with the ``sole reason that such activities threatened peace and stability.'' Yet, the party said in a statement, ``there has been no instance where community peace and stability were disrupted by such NLD activities.'' The party also accused the government of a policy of requiring party members who want to become Buddhist monks to get permission from local authorities. The party said the policy amounts to violation of the United Nations Human Rights Convention, to which Burma is a signatory. *********************************************************** INDEPENDENT REPORT: HIV SPREADS IN INSEIN PRISON November 24, 1997 From: mingla@cm-sun.cm.ksc.co.th (from a political prisoner who was in Insein from 1990-2 and is now in exile) The Medical Care system that failed to prevent HIV spreads in Insein Prison ======================================================== 1. The Medical Care System in Insein Prison ========================================== There is only one approximately 100 bed hospital in Insein Prison for ten thousand prisoners. The hospital is governed by Dr. Soe Kyi, the officer in-charge of the prison hospital and the two assistant surgeons, Dr. Tun Tun and Dr. Aung Than Myint, who are under his supervision. Dr. Soe Kyi was honored by the military junta with the title of Kyaw Thura for his approval signature on the death certificate of (41) demonstrators who suffocated to death in a prison van on the way to the prison in March, 1988. The prison hospital is governed directly by the prison department of the Home Ministry. The out-patient clinic is only open one a day for the prisoners in each prison hall (different days for different halls). The procedure to get a medical check up is lengthy because of the bureaucratic red tape system inside the prison. The ill prisoner must present himself first to the A Khan Lu Gyi ( the head prisoner of the cell who is selected by the warden to monitor regulations), then if he approves the need for a medical check up, he must next present himself to Tan Si (a long-term serving head prisoner who is selected to monitor the prison regulations for a whole building- 8 cells or 16 cells). Then another approval from the assistant warden and the warden is needed for registration on the list of out-patients, who have the right to receive medical check up on the assigned day of the week. Most of the prisoners failed to receive proper medical treatment during the lengthy process of the prison system. Usually the out-patients only received drugs like Asprin, Paracetamol, Buspro, and Sodamint without properly treating their underlying illness. The prison doctors give prescriptions and medics usually follow with injections and medications later. Most of the medics do not have background medical knowledge and are selected and appointed from the criminals who are jailed for drug abuse. They have tacit license to keep a syringe. Fourth-fifths of the in-patients who are admitted to the jail hospital are not really ill patients, but they have paid a bribe to the medical officers so as to enjoy special favors granted by the authorities and to be free from having to do hard labor. Some drug-addicted criminals pay money to the prison doctors to stay in the hospitals so that they can have access to needles and syringes and use drugs freely. Prison medical care system that drives the spread of AIDS ====================================================== The medics use the same needle to inject several patients. One of my own experiences is that, in late July 1990, because I was seriously ill, I lied down on a thin sheet in my prison Block for 4 or 5 days. I didn't have any proper medical treatment during those days. Although my fellow political prisoners reported my illness to the authorities, later I had to go through many different authorities to get permission to be admitted to the hospital, even though I blacked out frequently. The next morning after I arrived at the hospital, Dr. Soe Kyi and two other criminal medics came and examined me. They gave me some medicine such as Tetracycline, Paracetamol and Burmeton. After the doctor checked me, a drug-addicted medic came to me with a syringe filled with some sort of liquid medicine. Then he asked my name and he said he had to give me an injection. Being injected by a fellow prisoner is an ordinary prison routine, and I didn't want to make any complaint, but I wondered what kind of medicine I was going to receive, so I asked him. He replied " Are you a doctor or a patient? If you are a patient, you must follow the doctor's prescription. You don't need to ask anything at all. Otherwise you don't need to come here and you can get out of here! " The medic who I met was a criminal who had been sentenced to a five-year term in prison, and he bribed Dr. Soe Kyi to let him stay in the hospital to avoid hard labor in outside camps. He could use drugs freely. (1. HOW DO YOU KNOW HE WAS A DRUG ADDICT? DID YOU SEE HIM USING DRUGS?) Although his words made me very angry, my 104' F temperature kept me quiet. He tapped my hip three times and poked the needle-point into my flesh. Later he pulled it out and fixed the tube of the syringe and called another patient to inject him with the same needle. When I asked the person in the bed beside me about this, he replied " this is the routine since a long time ago in prison". The ill prisoners have no other choice. They know the risk of becoming infected with HIV from injections is great, but if they don't get an injection, they might die from their illness. So first and foremost is to overcome their illness. Two weeks later when I was at the hospital, the medic attempted to inject me again. There was a quarrel between him and me. Then Dr. Soe Kyi arrived and asked us what had happened. When I explained to him what was going on, he replied to me rudely that "this is a jail hospital, we can't use a disposable needle. If you want to be injected by your own single-use needle, you can do whatever you want when you are outside jail ( when you are released). But this is jail and you must accept our rules, whatever they are." He turned his head to the medic and gave the order " Don't give him any more injections". Blood transfusions in a jail hospital are rare though minor surgery for boils and skin infections are common and the practice is also very risky for the transmission of HIV because the same instruments are used without enough disinfection first. HIV IN INSEIN PRISON Drugs in Prison In the cell blocks, prison halls, and prison hospital, drug use is rampant. Drugs can be found in the halls for detainees who are under trial and the halls for prisoners who have been sentenced, especially hall #5. It is easy to buy heroin, sedatives, marijuana, and opium in Insein Prison. There are three ways to smuggle drugs into Insein: first with the warders, second prisoners who go to trial and come back can carry drugs with them, and third hidden in the food sent by visitors. The drugs which are smuggled into Insein are then used by the recipients or sold to other prisoners. >From 1990 to 1992 when I was in prison, the main drug dealers were Maung Maung Gyi, Thein Htun, Clark, Soe Soe in Hall #1, and Ko Thein and Raju in Hall #5. The prisoners who were imprisoned for drug abuse always continued to use drugs. These prisoners bribed the doctor in the prison hospital so that they were able to stay in the prison hospital. They tried to get needles and syringes in the hospital. Some prisoners sold these needles and syringes to the prisoners in other cell blocks and halls. Sometimes they made their own syringes. If the needle points got dull, they sharpened them on the floor and used them again, up to 70 times. In mid 1991, two criminal prisoners, Nga Shin and Kyaw Thu, overdosed from their own drug injections. Nga Shin died. Although Kyaw Thu recovered, he wasn't punished at all. Homosexuals in Prison In Insein Prison, some criminal prisoners try to rape other prisoners by using force and threats. Many of most senior prisoners in each cell or hall try to persuade or threaten young and good-looking prisoners to have homosexual relations with them. This includes children under 14. The cell leaders even dare to rape other men in the daytime. For example, Aung Htun, the hall leader in Hall #5, coerced a fourteen year old boy into having sex with him every night. That boy was sentenced to three years in prison for stealing his parents' belongings. Some prisoners reported to the prison authorities what the hall leader had done, but they didn't do anything about it. Mya Maung, hall leader in Hall #4, raped a child, and told the child not to talk to any other prisoners. One day, Nga Shin and Moe Thu were talking to that boy, and after that Mya Maung killed them (because of jealousy). Soe Myat, the hall leader of Hall #1, threatened a political prisoner with a knife and tried to rape him. Kyaw Thu interfered to stop the rape, and then Soe Myat quarrelled with him. Clark, from one of the dog cells, threatened another political prisoner with a knife and tried to rape him, but other political prisoners got angry and stopped him. No Education about STDs including AIDS transmission ============================================= No education about sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS, and the negligence of the prison authorities has caused HIV infection in Insein Prison to become widespread. Tattooing, having limited access to shaving materials, and genital reshaping (inserting metal balls) by illegal minor surgery are also common causes for HIV transmission. ******************************************************* INDEPENDENT REPORT: ECONOMIC PROGRESS OF BURMA UNDER SLORC RULE November 27, 1997 From: ktint@earthlink.net Please allow me to share part of an unofficial report on the Burmese economy by the former chairman of the Bank of Burma. This was first reported at a local economic seminar in Rangoon in English. - Kyaw Tint --------------------------------- ECONOMIC PROGRESS OF BURMA UNDER SLORC RULE By U Maung Maung Hla, Ex Chairman of the Union of Burma Bank (Reported on September 9, 1997) " ... economic progress (under SLORC regime) has been somewhat mixed, and it has been accompanied by High Inflation in the transformation process. It would seem (obviously) that further deregulation and reform measures, particularly in the trade and exchange sectors, would be needed to remove existing Price Distortion, and for economic progress to gain (real) momentum." "Although GDP has grown at an average of 8 percent during the past four years (1992-1995), aggregate demand as indicated by the expansion of broad money (M2) has grown much more rapidly (average 31%) during the same period whereas the aggregate supply or real output is only 8%. As a result, the inflation rate as indicated by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has averaged 22% to 33% in the past four year." TABLE: GDP and Agricultural Output (in Billion Kyats) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 ============================================== GDP 50.3 49.9 54.8 58.0 62.4 68.5 (% increase) 2.8 -0.6 9.7 6.0 7.5 9.8 Agri-output 19.5 18.7 21.0 22.0 23.5 26.2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The table shown below shows that currency in circulation grew by more that 10 times for 1985-1996 period and the CPI or inflation also grew by _more than_ 8 times in the same period, while real output (aggregate supply) increased by only one fifth." TABLE: Inflation Indicators, (based on 1985 index point as 100) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 ======================================== Demand Indicator Currency Circulation 287.0 380.5 521.8 597.7 844.1 1062.5 Supply Indicator GDP Real Output 89.8 89.2 97.6 103.37 115.5 122.4 Price Indicator CPI 258.5 333.9 409.4 545.5 668.0 813.9 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The main cause of excess expenditure and monetary expansion is the high budget deficits over the past five years. These deficits have been largely financed by borrowing from the Central Bank of Myanmar." TABLE: Budget Deficits, Bank Financing, and Money Supply Changes (in Billion Kyats) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 ================================================ Budget Deficit -11.5 -12.9 -13.1 -15.5 -25.8 Bank Financing 10.8 12.7 12.9 14.9 14.0 Narrow Money (M1) 13.6 13.4 18.1 14.0 19.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "It can be seen from the table above that there is a high degree of correlation between budget deficits, Central Bank financing, and monetary expansion (M1). Again, the rate of expansion of narrow money or currency in circulation is highly associated with the rate of increase in the CPI." "We can therefore deduce that high budget deficits have contributed to High Inflation, accompanied by Sluggish output, high cost of energy and transportation, and Shortage of Foreign Exchange leading to parallel market rates." *********************************************************** UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR REPORT: CITIZENSHIP Fall 1997 (excerpts) C. The issue of citizenship 119. In his report to the General Assembly (A/51/466) the Special Rapporteur made some observations on the issue of citizenship. It would be useful to examine the legislation governing citizenship, if only summarily, in the light of the information that is available, as such examination may raise questions concerning its consistency with internationally recognized norms. The Special Rapporteur notes that he has not had the benefit of discussion with the Myanmar authorities on this issue and that he proposes to do so when he is authorized to visit the country. 1. The different types of citizenship 120. Under the 1982 citizenship law there are three types of citizens: full, associate and naturalized. 121. A full citizen must be able to prove his birthplace and the nationality of his ancestors prior to the first British annexation in 1823, and they must have belonged to an ethnic group settled on the territory before that year. 122. An associate citizen is a person one of whose grandparents was a citizen of another country. Associate citizenship is thus reserved for former foreign citizens or Stateless persons. One must note, however, that, in accordance with decree No. 3 relating to the citizenship law, the deadline for submission of applications for associate citizenship expired on 15 October 1982, and foreigners and Stateless persons can thus no longer apply for associate citizenship. 2. Obtaining citizenship 125. Regarding applications for citizenship, the only provision still enabling applications is section 8(a) of the 1982 citizenship law, which gives the authorities the possibility to confer in the interest of the State, on any person, citizenship or associate or naturalized citizenship. The decision would thus seem to be completely within the discretion of the authorities, as there is no clear legal right to obtain citizenship upon fulfilling certain criteria. 133. Although not precluded by the citizenship law, an associate citizen cannot in practice own land or fixed property, be educated as a doctor or an engineer or work as a private teacher or for a foreign firm, United Nations agency or foreign embassy or stand for any elected post. 1. Citizenship identity cards 135. The identity cards are coloured differently according to the type of citizenship one possesses. The cards must be produced to enjoy a number of basic rights and services: to vote, to buy travel tickets, to stay outside one's ward of residence with friends or family or in hostels, to receive health services or to attend high school or university. Identity cards are routinely checked by the police and the army. The card number is noted in connection with the smallest transaction and is sent to the relevant authorities. In 1990 the identity cards were changed, and now also include mention of ethnic origin and religion. The necessity of mentioning a person's ethnicity and religion in this way remains open to question. 136. The confiscation of identity cards has also been used by the authorities as a means of harassment of recognized citizens. 137. On 26 January 1997 two NLD executives, who were staying in the Tawwin guest house in Myaungmya township were searched and had their citizen identity cards confiscated by local authorities. The cards were returned only after they had signed a pledge to return immediately to Yangon. Their meeting with the Chairman of the NLD Irrawaddy Divisional Organizing Committee was thus prevented. 138. The lack of proof of citizenship in the form of identity cards affects numerous aspects of life of those concerned. First, the right to freedom of movement is restricted. Not only are these persons prevented from travelling abroad, but they cannot even travel outside their ward of residence, as an identity card is needed to register as an overnight guest. The lack of an identity card in addition precludes access to health services and prevents young people from attending high school or university. 2. Groups particularly affected 139. Many persons belonging to ethnic minorities have no identity cards, even if they would be entitled to full citizenship under the citizenship law. Proving entitlement to citizenship is made difficult by lack of access to written records and the difficulty of travelling to government- controlled areas for registration. Furthermore, government officials are said to be generally unwilling to register persons belonging to minorities. 140. It is almost impossible for the Rakhine Muslims, or Rohingya, to become registered citizens, in particular children born in refugee camps. Following the promulgation of the 1982 citizenship law, all citizens were obliged to register for new identity cards. By December 1992, only 845,000 out of 1,200,000 inhabitants of Rakhine State had applied, the lowest percentage in the country. About 30 per cent of the relatively few applications made in Rakhine State were either rejected or are still awaiting a decision. Still, none of the returnees from Bangladesh is said to have received identity cards classifying them as any form of citizen. In fact, the Government of Myanmar refers to the returnees as Bangladeshi citizens. The army was said to have taken away the old identity cards from the 1950s and 1960s from many Muslims as they left the country. The only identity documents owned by many Rakhine Muslims are thus allegedly copies of so-called family lists, or lists of household members that are kept by local villages or township authorities as proof of residence. In July 1995 the Government issued new temporary registration certificates, intended for foreign residents or Stateless persons, to the population of northern Rakhine State, at least in theory both to returnees and to persons who never left. The cards were issued not on the basis of the 1982 citizenship law but on the basis of the 1949 Residents of Burma Registration Act and the 1951 Residents of Burma Registration Rules, both reintroduced solely for the purpose of registering the Rohingya. No figures as to the number of Rohingya who have in fact received the cards are available. 141. Most of the Muslim population of Rakhine State have not been issued citizenship cards under the existing naturalization regulations, and indeed most of them are not even considered so-called foreign residents. 142. The 1982 citizenship law would in fact seem to be intended to prevent the Rakhine Muslims from being recognized as citizens, as the majority of the group settled in Myanmar after 1823. The law is, however, not always applied, and the Rohingya were permitted to vote and to form political parties during the 1990 elections, which must be seen as a de facto recognition of the status of the Rohingya by the Government. ************************************ REUTERS: KHUN SA GANGSTERS AMBUSH THAI POLICE, KILL THREE November 27, 1997 (abridged) MAE HONG SON, Thailand, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Gangsters linked to the son of former opium warlord Khun Sa ambushed a group of Thai narcotics police in northern Thai jungles, killing three policemen and wounding six, officials said on Thursday. ``An informant told us that gangsters loyal to Khun Sa's son were responsible for the attack on the Thai police,'' a police spokesman told reporters. The shoot-out took place late on Wednesday in the Golden Triangle region after 40 policemen raided a heroin factory in the mountainous district of Pangmapha, near Khun Sa's former stronghold in Burma's Shan State. One official said two of Khun Sa's sons were now cooperating with the UWSA in the heroin business. The UWSA is a former rebel group from Burma that struck a cease-fire with Burma's military government in the early 1990s. A former rival to Khun Sa and his men, it has controlled opium growing and heroin production in the Golden Triangle since Khun Sa surrendered to Burmese troops in January, 1996. The unclear border demarcation has often caused disputes between Thailand and Burma over whether the heroin factories raided by Thai narcotics police were on Thai or Burmese soil. The heroin factory raided on Wednesday was in Thailand, about 200 metres from the border. The Golden Triangle region, where Thailand, Burma and Laos meet, produces about 70 percent of all heroin sold in the United States, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says. The Thai military launched a month-long campaign this week to destroy opium fields in northern Thailand, vowing to eradicate about 80 percent of this year's crop. ***************************************************** BKK POST: ALARMING INFECTION RATE AMONG ALIENS November 28, 1997 (abridged) PHUKET 12 IN EVERY 100 OF THEM TESTED POSITIVE Health authorities have voiced concern over the rate of Aids virus infections among alien workers with a report of 12 in every 100 of them testing positive. The provincial health office findings show the incidence of HIV infection among alien workers is much higher than that of Thai people, said Boonriang Chuchaisaengrat, a health of official. He said that while 12 per cent of immigrant workers are tested positive for the deadly virus, only two in a hundred Thais test positive. He said the state has to take responsibility for new-born babies whose mothers die of the Aids virus. "According to records of state hospitals here, three out of 10 women in labour are Burmese workers," he said. Mr Boonriang said the situation would worsen if officials do not take immediate action on the spread of HIV among alien workers. ***************************************************************** BKK POST: MILLION ALIENS SHOULD BE REPATRIATED, SAYS PANEL November 28, 1997 About one million illegal alien workers must be repatriated to prevent them competing with Thais for jobs, a House labour and social welfare committee said yesterday. Chairman Somboon Wanchaithanawong yesterday said the committee had decided to push non-registered alien workers back home to help jobless Thais. "The influx of alien workers has posed a threat to national security as well as to Thai workers who could lose their jobs to these immigrants. If they are not sent back home, Thai workers will suffer. Concerned agencies must launch drastic crackdowns on illegal immigrants. They must be arrested and sent back home," he said. "Of all alien workers working legally or illegally in our country, Burmese rank first. In Samut Prakan, there are 300,000 Burmese, mostly non-registered workers. We must urgently push these workers back home as their presence here would cause social problems. Besides the Burmese Laotian, Cambodian, Bangladeshi and Indian workers must go also,' said Mr Samret. According to a law on immigrant workers, people who hire or give shelter to them are liable to imprisonment of between 5-10 years and a fine of between 50,000-100,000 baht. ******************************************************* BKK POST: RANGERS TO PROTECT SEIZED LOGS November 27, 1997 SUPAMART KASEM in Tak Province RESERVES THREATENED BY FOREIGN SOLDIERS Rangers have been deployed in Tha Song Yang forest reserves to prevent encroachment by foreign troops and to protect more than 500 seized logs, border authorities said. Troops of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army are allegedly responsible for illegal logging in Tha Song Yang forest reserves. Another 500 logs are believed to have been smuggled into Burma's Manerplaw. Thai investors are said to be funding illegal logging activities. Processed wood is then smuggled into the country via Mae Sariang and Sob Moei districts of Mae Hong Son. Thanee Wiriyaratanaporn, a provincial forestry official, said the encroached forests are close to the border and therefore vulnerable to encroachment by foreign troops including Karen rebels. ----------------------------------------- in a related story about the situation in Mae Hong Son Province: BKK POST: EXTRA VIGILANCE TO HALT ILLEGAL LOGGING November 27, 1997, by Chakrit Ridmontri The Forestry Department will tighten security at border checkpoints in Mae Hong Son suspected of having facilitated illegal logging in the Salween national park and wildlife sanctuary, forestry chief Sathit Sawintara said yesterday. More than 3,000 illegal logs have been seized in the park and sanctuary this year following the opening of the checkpoints by the Interior Ministry upon the request of four Thai companies which haul logs in from Burma. Illegal logs would be hauled across the Salween River into Burma and then stamped with official seals to show they originated from that country, he added. "Some checkpoints will be closed down, and forest rangers will step up patrol on log-hauling routes," he said. In addition to these measures, Mr Sathit said, the department was collaborating with other agencies to relocate about 20,.000 Karen refugees who had occupied the park.'and sanctuary. Agriculture Minister Pongpol Adireksarn said yesterday he would ask the National Security Council and the Interior Ministry to join forces in relocating the refugees to less fertile areas. He said the Karens had felled trees in protected areas and sold them to Thai logging companies with concessions in Burma. (A) source charged that forestry officials in Mae Hong Son were in collusion with the companies involved in illegal logging in the park and the sanctuary. ************************************************* SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: LONG-NECK REFUGEES SOLD INTO 'HUMAN ZOO' November 22 1997 ANDREW DRUMMOND in Thaton, northern Thailand Villagers of a remote Burmese hill tribe who fled to Thailand to escape their nation's military junta have been found in a "human zoo". So far three have died, it is claimed, after being deprived of medical attention. The villagers, from Kayah state, went missing a year ago. They were kidnapped by Thai businessmen and placed on land controlled by the Thai Army. Tourists, who have been paying 250 baht (HK$50) each to look at the women at the Pakphongchai camp in Thaton are told by guides that the families are living free under the care of the Thai military, which has generously given them the land to live on. But the families say they have been sold into slavery. They are paid only HK$36 a month per family to look their best for tourists at the behest of an "influential" Thai businessman with connections to the Thai military. The businessmen sell them make-up, which they insist the women wear. The discovery of the labour camp comes as Thailand promotes the women of the tribe, known for their long necks, as a tourist attraction for an internationally publicised "Amazing Thailand Year". The women told The Times they had been beaten regularly and their husbands had been forced to work for the Thai Army. The group from the Padaung tribe, originally 34 in strength, fled Burma for a village run by the Karenni Refugee Committee. But only a few kilometres short of their destination, the group was put on minibuses and driven away. Karenni intelligence sources later learned that their guide had sold the villagers to the Thai businessmen. "We sent our troops after him but they got the news six hours too late," said Aung Myat, deputy chairman of the refugee committee. Committee officials realised the group's plight when a tourist delivered a tape on behalf of the refugees. The tape started with the sound of women singing, then one pleading for help. "Please come now. Things cannot be any worse," she said. "We would rather die than live here." For 30 minutes a succession of men and women poured out complaints in their native Padaung. "We are beaten when they see us writing or trying to talk to tourists secretly," said one. Another complained: "They won't let us leave. They guard us with guns." Zaw Thet, a member of the committee, was sent to investigate. "When I got there, there were 40 armed men at the gates", he said. "They had M16s, and machine-guns. They pointed their guns at me and refused me entrance." Despite the pleas by refugee officials, and the Mae Hong Son Chamber of Commerce, the only action taken by the authorities in Chiang Mai province was to arrest some of the Padaung women and charge them with working illegally. A Thai businessman, Thana Nakluang, was charged with using illegal labour. Nakluang posted bail on the spot and sent the women back to work. ***************************************************