Daily News-June 29 - 2001- Friday


  • Burma frees more political prisoners
  • Bomb scare at Burmese Embassy
  • "Traitor journalists" leveled by pro-military columnist
  • Burmese prisoner tells all
  • It's not all media's fault
  • Burma Highly Appreciates Thaksin's Visit
  • Malaysia's UMW Hldgs Closes Burma Operations
  • China to Help Burma, Laos Dredge Mekong River
  • Myanmar Discloses GDP Target for 2001-02
  • 53 Fires Occur in Burma in May


  • Burma frees more political prisoners

    source : BBC
    By Jonathan Head in Bangkok

    Long way to go before opposition demands are met

    Burma's government has released another nine opposition prisoners from detention, bringing the total freed this year to more than 120.

    The nine were members of parliament for the National League for Democracy (NLD) party, led by the Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. No reason has been given for the releases. But they are believed to be the result of the secret dialogue, begun in August last year, between Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's military leaders.

    Getting her party members released has been one of the key demands of Aung San Suu Kyi. The military now seems prepared to meet that demand. Twenty three people have been freed this month from detention in government 'guest houses'. It is believed that only around a dozen NLD members, detained during the military crackdown over the past three years, now remain in custody.

    Branches reopen

    The authorities have also allowed the party to reopen some of its local branches, closed down in 1998. The next significant step for the military to take would be to ease the restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi, who is confined to her home in Rangoon.

    But beyond these gestures of goodwill, it is not clear whether the dialogue is making progress on substantive issues, in particular over any form of power sharing between the generals and the opposition.Neither side will say anything about the talks, except to describe them as very delicate.

    It is believed that a significant number of the military commanders who now rule Burma oppose making any concessions to the NLD. They fear popular retribution if they relax their hold on power.
    Bomb scare at Burmese Embassy

    source : The Nation

    Police were given another scare yesterday as a suitcase suspected of containing a bomb was found in front of the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok only a week after two bombs were thrown into the Vietnamese Embassy.

    After being alerted by the embassy yesterday evening, police cordoned off the area around the compound while three bomb disposal experts were despatched to the scene.However, the large black suitcase was later found to contain only clothes.

    Pol Col Sanan Imchai said a preliminary investigation indicated that the luggage belonged to a Burmese citizen who visited the embassy and left in a hurry.

    Meanwhile, in Kanchanaburi, provincial governor Kampol Wanapittayut called a meeting to prepare a plan to prevent sabotage by disgruntled Burmese dissidents during the long weekend next week.
    "Traitor journalists" leveled by pro-military columnist

    By Tin Maung Htoo (Canada)
    Burma Media Association
    June 27, 2001

    In the second series of a contentious commentary "Media" on the government's mouthpiece today's newspaper New Light of Myanmar, the columnist named himself as Tekkoatho Myo Thu tries to portray pro-democracy journalists as the "traitor journalists" under the colonialists' influence and trying to destroy the nation.

    The columnist especially resentful with award-winning journalists also criticizes world media and press organizations for the lack of recognition for patriotic media persons.

    "No western media organization has ever supported the patriotic media persons trying to resist the colonialist attacks, instead they are honoring and presenting prizes to only the national traitor journalists under the colonialists' influence who are making attempts to destroy the nation concerned." But the columnist does not single out the name of the journalists that he tends to tarnish their images.

    In recent months, two prominent journalists, U Win Tin and Daw San San Nweh who have been in prison for years were awarded several international press freedom prizes by world media and media-watched associations in recognition of their commitment for freedom of press and Democracy in Burma. It is believed that the columnist especially intends to attack these two imprisoned journalists.

    However, the columnist got stuck with backfire with his unbalance and bizarre two commentaries. In the first commentary published on June 26, he stated that "...one has no right to defame other persons. No one has the right to level groundless accusations at others," but he apparently did in the second commentary, bluntly and badly accusing hundreds of journalists who morally or physically support the cause of Democracy and press freedom in Burma.

    Moreover, the columnist criticizes the practice and ethic of western media in the first commentary, saying, "some media (especially the western media) do not report authentic news. They distort news and publish false news, insulting news and accusations. They do not take responsibility for their news report."

    Ironically, a western trainer and professor from a well known news agency revealed in recent that a spokesman (omitted the name) of Burmese military government asked him to train and upgrade for Burmese media style to become more attractive and sophisticated like a now popular Chinese news agency Xinhua. A high-ranking Burmese diplomat also admitted the style and news are boring and said required to renovate it.

    "The aggressive, precipitant and endless government-supporting-written style are only to diminish the quality and stand of media, and it's the sign and evidence of how Burmese media under the military rule is moving backward from modern media age into darkness age," said a veteran Burmese journalist who lives in exile.

    BMA is an international Burmese Media association consists with exiled Burmese journalists, reporters and writers residing in over 20 countries to practice and advocate for media freedom in Burma. More about BMA can be seen on its web site at www.bma-online.net)
    Burmese prisoner tells all

    Kenilworth Online

    Freedom fighter James Mawdesley is visiting Kenilworth to talk about his experiences in a Burmese jail. Mr Mawdesley, who was sentenced to 17 years for handing out pro-democracy leaflets, will speak at Kenilworth Methodist Church on July 1.

    The 28-year-old will give a detailed account of how he was made to stand for 14 hours at a time, beaten with bamboo poles and finally released in October after the Foreign Office fought his case.

    During his 416 days in solitary confinement in prison in Keng Tung, 400 miles from the capital Rangoon, he had been severely beaten by guards for writing the word 'peace' on the wall of his rat-infested cell.

    He became involved in the fight for democracy in Burma as a backpacker in New Zealand, when he first heard of the rape and killings taking place. Ethnic minorities,including Christians were being tortured and killed. He decided to travel to Burma, where he began by teaching English, but was later arrested for promoting democracy in the street.

    Mr Mawdesley will arrive in Kenilworth on Saturday June 30 to stay at St Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic church, before giving a talk at the Methodist church at10am the next day.

    Parishioner Alice Shaw, who organised the visit, said: "James Mawdesley is a hero who risked his life to help another country. "We are very pleased he is able to come to our church and talk about his experiences."Everyone is invited to come along, and all the churches are involved. We are expecting up to 300 people."

    The service will be led by the rev Andy Hardwick but ministers from other churches in the town will also be present. There will be a special reception at the church hall at noon, following the service. Anyone wishing to find out more about the event can call Mrs Shaw on 779362.
    It's not all media's fault

    Bangkok Post - Thailand; Jun 28, 2001
    Editorial from Khao Sod

    When things go wrong, blame the media. So it came as no surprise when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra asked the media to exercise caution in presenting news about the conflict between Thailand and Burma.

    The prime minister's concerns cannot be ignored. Media coverage has drawn attention to the conflict, and some reports have been laced with sensationalism. But the media were only doing their job. They would not have spent days and weeks looking into the problem if it was not real.

    The media did not make up the stories. Problems along the Burmese border are real and well documented. They are rooted in a lack of understanding between the two countries. Media reports about the development of Mong Yawn, the Wa-controlled township inside Burma, have been based on military documents. These were made public at a drug conference chaired by Mr Thaksin in Chiang Rai two months ago. Reporters were allowed to see and record a slide show of Mong Yawn.

    Private media organisations have their own news sources, both in civilian and military organisations. The state-run media also have their sources. It is fine for the government to seek the "co-operation" of private news organisations, but there also must be cohesion between government units dealing with Thai-Burmese issues.

    There is bound to be problems when the defence minister and the commander of the Third Army are saying different things.Mr Thaksin must promote cohesion among the foreign and defence ministers and the supreme commander of the armed forces, the army commander-in-chief and the Third Army commander who oversees the Thai-Burmese border. Without cohesion among these policy-makers, it will be difficult to develop peace and friendship with our neighbour.
    Burma Highly Appreciates Thaksin's Visit

    YANGON, June 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U Khin Maung Win said Wednesday that his country highly appreciated Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's recent visit to Myanmar, describing it as a significant and successful one with tangible results.

    Meeting with the press at the guest house of the Defence Ministry here, U Khin Maung Win noted that Thaksin's visit has brought about the normalization of the two countries' spoiled ties due to border clashes over the past four months since February.

    He pointed out that a follow-up visit of Myanmar Foreign Minister U Win Aung to Thailand 48 hours after the end of Thaksin' s to Myanmar has further brought about an agreement between the two countries to maintain and promote the momentum of understanding derived through Thaksin's visit.He disclosed that the Myanmar side had already formally reopened on June 24 its Tachilek border point connecting Thailand' s Maesai to normalize the border crossing and trade. The Tachilek point was closed since February out of the border clashes.

    Thaksin paid a two-day official visit to Myanmar on June 19-20, which was the first Thai prime minister's visit to Yangon in more than three years and also Thaksin's first visit to the country since he became the prime minister early this year.During the trip, Myanmar and Thailand reached a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals control.

    At the end of Thaksin's tour, the two countries also issued a joint communique, pledging to further enhance the traditional friendship and cooperation between two countries in the spirit of goodwill, friendship and mutual understanding, guided by the principles of mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity and the settlement of disputes by peaceful means.
    Malaysia's UMW Hldgs Closes Burma Operations

    KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Malaysian automotive group UMW Holdings Bhd. (P.UMW) Wednesday said it has closed its operations in Yangon, Myanmar to save on maintenance and other administrative costs.

    In a statement, UMW Holdings said it has appointed a liquidator to oversee the closure. The company said there were no losses incurred with the closure and that the move won't have any effect on UMW Holdings' net tangible assets and earnings per share.UMW Holdings didn't say if there were any layoffs.

    The company said its businesses in Myanmar will now be handled completely by units UMW Engineering Services Ltd. and UMW Machinery Ltd. Shares of UMW Holdings closed flat at 5.05 ringgit ($1=MYR3.80) Wednesday.
    China to Help Burma, Laos Dredge Mekong River

    KUNMING, June 28 (Xinhua)--The Chinese government will invest more than 42 million yuan (5.06 million U.S. dollars) to help Myanmar and Laos dredge a navigation section on the Mekong River, sources with the Yunnan Provincial Navigation Administration said.

    The 331-kilometer-long section to be dredged runs from the No.243 demarcation stone between China and Myanmar to Houayxay in Laos. The project is expected to start in December this year after approval by the governments of China, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, according to sources. The section to be dredged, a border river between Myanmar and Laos, is part of the Lancang-Mekong River course which opened to commercial navigation in China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand Tuesday.

    Shipping vehicles now can navigate unrestricted on the waterway from Simao Port in Yunnan Province, southwest China, to Louang Prabang Port in Laos with a total length of 886 kilometers. Experts from the four countries have carried out a series of on-the-spot investigations at the Myanmar-Laos border river and the river course is expected to allow passage of 100-ton ships all the year round upon completion of the dredging project, said Liu Daqing, a leading technician in charge of the project.

    By 2007, 300-ton ships are expected to pass through the section even in dry seasons with further improvement to the course of the river in the coming years. Currently, the annual navigation capacity of the Lancang-Mekong River is 4 million tons and it is expected to reach 10 million tons by 2007.
    Myanmar Discloses GDP Target for 2001-02

    YANGON, June 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Myanmar's gross domestic product ( GDP) for the present fiscal year 2001-02 which began in April is targeted at 1,001.43 billion Kyats (about 2.86 billion U.S. dollars), official newspaper The New Light of Myanmar quoted the country's leader Senior-General Than Shwe as disclosing Thursday.

    At an opening ceremony here on Wednesday of a Myanmar and international studies course conducted by the Union Solidarity Development Association, Than Shwe, who is chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council, also disclosed that the country's GDP reached 899.52 billion Kyats (2.57 billion dollars) in the last fiscal year of 2000-01.

    He noted that Myanmar has been able to implement economic enterprises since 1992, before which priority was given to ensure national peace and stability.The end of the domestic armed conflicts has resulted in winning back national consolidation, leading to restoration of peace in the respective regions, he said.

    He concluded that such a favorable situation has contributed towards the emergence of national development tasks nationwide and success of the economic enterprises.
    53 Fires Occur in Burma in May

    YANGON, June 28 (Xinhuanet) -- A total of 53 fires broke out in Myanmar in May this year, causing a loss of 32.6 million Kyats ( about 93,140 U.S. dollars) worth of property, according to the country's Fire Department Thursday.

    Of the fire cases in the month, 32 were due to negligence, eight to electrical faults, 11 to arson, one to forest fire and one to spontaneity. Of the fires, 20 broke out in Yangon division, the sources said, declining however to disclose the casualties in the fire.

    In April, 131 fires occurred in the country, causing a loss of 197.47 million Kyats (about 564,200 dollars) worth of property.Most of the fire cases in Myanmar were generally due to negligence, accounting for 60.38 percent.

    Although the rainy season has set in all over the country which will last until the beginning of October, the Myanmar authorities are urging the people to continue to take fire prevention measures and to have buildings, factories, warehouses and hospitals well inspected and get fire equipment ready.

    Myanmar's fire prevention services are carried out through over 540 fire stations and by over 71,300 firemen, according to the department.