News in Brief

Hundreds flee Rangoon-SSA fighting

Nearly 500 members of  ethnic minorities from Burma, escorted by about 400 armed Shan State Army soldiers, fled to the Thai border to escape fighting between the State Peace and Development Council and SSA troops. The move followed a SSA offensive to seize former druglord Khun Sa’s stronghold Ho Mong from the SPDC in an effort to retrieve a large quantity of arms hidden in the town prior to Khun Sa’s surrender. The Thai government has refused to recognize the refugees, denying access to aid agencies trying to send food and medicine to their makeshift camps. The refugees now suffer from severe food and water shortages as well as acute diarrhea and malaria.

SPDC: Universities will reopen

After more than a year of closure, Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt has announced that the SPDC plans to reopen universities.The military government has said it will upgrade many colleges to university level in order to cope with the overflow of students. No date was given for the planned reopening.In a statement, the exiled All-Burma Federation of Students Union said it “doesn’t believe that the rights and needs of the students will be met when the universities are reopened,” and thus demanded the right to form student unions. It also called o­n the regime to release over 1,000 student activists detained since 1988.

SPDC arrests 40 suspected “terrorists”

The SPDC has arrested 40 people for their alleged involvement in a “conspiracy to sabotage the country”.
The detainees were accused of planning to launch bomb attacks o­n Asean embassies and public places as well as to assassinate ruling military leaders. The SPDC claimed the accused aimed to “undermine public confidence in the government and deceive the international community into believing that peace and stability was deteriorating in the Union by committing a series of terrorist acts.”
The All-Burma Students Democratic Front and the National League for Democracy, accused of masterminding the plot, vehemently denied the charges, calling them “totally groundless”.

Thailand to compromise with Burma

Stressing the need for compromise and flexibility, Thai Army chief Gen. Chettha Thanajaroj said he would seek to resolve border disputes through talks with Burmese authorities.

Chettha reiterated that Thailand no longer allows its borders to be used as a base for ethnic groups fighting against Rangoon and reaffirmed the Thai policy of noninterference in neighboring countries’ domestic affairs.

“We have to recognize those in control regardless of how they obtained it,” said Chettha.

UNHCR to assess dissident hijacker

San Naing, 32, convicted of hijacking a plane from Burma to Thailand in 1989 to demand the release of Burmese political prisoners, and later of possessing explosives and ammunition for automatic weapons in 1993, is currently being considered for “person of concern” status by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Bangkok.

Since his release from prison, San Naing has been held at an Immigration Detention Center in Thailand pending deportation unless he can find asylum in a third country.

The US, Canada and Australia have rejected his requests for refugee status because of his violent record. San Naing’s life is believed to be in grave danger if he is deported.

Poppy fields surveyed in Shan State

Joined by members of the US Department of Agriculture and the American embassy, Burmese officials flew to military command areas in Shan State to gather poppy samples and survey the opium plantations there.

This was said to be the fourth joint survey of opium cultivation in Burma.

Long-necked Karens returned to camp

A group of 33 long-necked Karen villagers, abducted two years ago and kept as tourist attractions in Chiang Mai, have been reunited with their families at a refugee camp in Mae Hong Son. Thai police are reportedly planning to take legal action against the perpetrators for illegal detention, and Thai immigration officials are expected to cooperate with provincial authorities in arranging the deportation of the villagers to Burma.

Suu Kyi expresses need for boycott

Aung San Suu Kyi, in conversation with a member of the Nobel Committee visiting Burma, has said that an international boycott remains the best instrument to exercise pressure o­n the military regime and solve the present political stalemate in Burma. She noted that since most Burmese are not connected to the official economy, a concerted boycott would be unlikely to further exacerbate the peoples’ livelihoods.