Daily News- August 12- 2002- Monday

  • Rape of Shan women a grave concern - Suu Kyi
  • Myanmar walks on its own way for goal: newspaper
  • More bodies found in sunken ship

    • Rape of Shan women a grave concern - Suu Kyi

    Thje Nation

    Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi responds to reports of alleged rapes by Burmese soldiers on young women in Shan state in an interview with The Nation.

    The recent report "License to Rape" extensively details rapes involving at least 625 girls and women by Burmese army soldiers in Shan state. Many governments and international organisations have responded with great concern. What is your response?

    I am also very concerned if such human rights violations are taking place. It should be a matter of grave concern for everybody who cares about the future of our country. Because after all, Burma is a union made up of many different ethnic groups and it is terrible that any of our people should feel that they are targeted as an ethnic group.

    Has the human rights situation improved in Burma? Has the situation for ethnic nationality groups improved?

    I do not know enough about what is going on to say if there has been real improvement. Real improvement means that there must be security and that people must feel free to go about their legitimate work without fear.

    I cannot say that this is the case now. I do not know if there are some areas in which people would claim that there has been progress. In order that I may know more about the situation, I think I would have to be allowed to look more closely into what is going on everywhere in this country.

    The authorities have recently invited the new UN Commissioner on Human Rights to visit Burma. How positive a development is this?

    I suppose it depends on what they wish this commissioner to do while in Burma.

    Are you optimistic about the visits of the UN special envoy, the Malaysian prime minister and the Japanese foreign minister?

    I've always said I'm a cautious optimist and I've never had any reason to change my mind about this. So, about these visits also, I'm cautiously optimistic.

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    Myanmar walks on its own way for goal: newspaper

    YANGON, Aug. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Official newspaper The New Light of Myanmar said on Monday that the country has walked on its own way under the present military government to reach its goal without relying on others and dancing to others' tune since it took officein 1988.

    The paper condemned some big nations in an article for exerting pressure on Myanmar and hurling slanderous accusations against the country by saying that Myanmar is oppressing its national races, neglecting crime of trafficking in women and children and practicing the forced labor.

    The paper said that "these conspiracies are launched in accord with the scheme of the nations which are harboring hatred for Myanmar, the insurgent groups abroad which are always opposing Myanmar and some foreign media."

    It said the Myanmar government has been ruling the nation in accord with the existing laws, regulations and principles, and has achieved progress.

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    More bodies found in sunken ship

    The Japan Times:

    SHIZUOKA (Kyodo) The death toll from a collision between Japanese and South Korean freighters earlier this week rose to six Saturday with the discovery of three bodies in the South Korean vessel.

    Two sailors from the 2,747-ton South Korean freighter Sun Trust remain missing. The ship collided Thursday night off Shizuoka Prefecture with the 462-ton sand transporter Koyo Maru No. 2.

    None of the Koyo Maru's crew of three was hurt. The Sun Trust's crew consisted of seven Koreans and six Myanmar nationals. Two of the Koreans were found in the sunken freighter Friday. The ship's captain, Jeong Dae Hyun, 59, was rescued following the 9:55 p.m. crash but died soon after.

    Five sailors from the Sun Trust were rescued. The collision occurred about 5.5 km southeast of the Omaezaki coast, according to Japan Coast Guard officials.

    The Koyo Maru, owned by Shizuoka-based shipping firm Koyo Kaiun, was heading to Kimitsu, Chiba Prefecture, from Aichi Prefecture. The Sun Trust was en route from Shizuoka to Pusan, South Korea, with a cargo of plaster stone.

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