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NASAKA
PHOTOGRAPH MOSQUES IN MAUNGDAW
Maungdaw, 31 January 02: Nasaka Immigration and
Security forces have been busy taking photographs of mosques in
Maungdaw, the border township of Rakhine State in Myanmar.
From the first week of January 02,
the Nasaka troops have been taking photographs of all the
mosques in Maungdaw township as per order of Brigadier Aung Ngwe,
Nasaka-in-charge of Rakhine State, according to a government
official of the township.
The move has sent an alarm among the Muslim residents of the
township, and to an inquiry of a group of Muslim religious
leaders, the troops answered that they have been doing this as
per order from the higher authority and innocent people need not
get alarmed for this.
Source: Narinjara News
,January 31, 2002
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NASAKA
ARREST A LOCAL EMPLOYEE OF UNHCR
Maungdaw 30th January 02: A local employee of UNHCR
at Maungdaw in Rakhine State of Myanmar was arrested by the
Nasaka border immigration and security force, our correspondent
quoted an unnamed UNHCR official from Maungdaw.
Jafar Alam, 35, a Muslim Employee
of the UNHCR was found missing and absent from work since
the second week of January. When the local police could not tell
anything about the whereabouts of the missing man,
the Coordinator of UNHCR, Mr Narasimha Rao and the interpreter U
Kyaw Tin, went to Nasaka headquarters No. 2 at northern part of
Maungdaw on 18th January. The officer-in-charge of the
Nasaka No.2 headquarters refused to meet them. Instead U
Tin Aung, the second officer met and talked with them.
When asked about the whereabouts of Jafar Alam, whether he had
been taken into custody by the Nasaka, he confessed that the man
had been detained by them. To a question about the
charges brought against the man, he replied that he did not know
anything about the matter since he was newly transferred to the
Nasaka headquarters.
The UNHCR official told the Nasaka
official that, there was nothing to say if Jafar was arrested
for defying any of the law of Myanmar, or else UNHCR would not
be responsible for deliberate arrest of its employee without any
knowledge of the UNHCR authority, which can affect the prestige
of the Government of Myanmar.
Our correspondent added that, there
are 47 local employees working under UNHCR at Maungdaw township
of Rakhine State. Narinjara has not yet received any
report of either the release or the charges brought against
Jafar Alam.
UNOFFICIAL CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE AT MAUNGDAW as on
JAN 29
1 US dollar
= kyat 722.00
1 FEC
= kyat 680.00
1 Taka
= kyat 12.50
PRICES OF SOME COMMODITIES :
1 tical of 22 carat gold is selling
at
kyat 1,14,500
1 gallon of petrol (gasoline) is selling at
kyat
1,400
1 gallon of diesel fuel is selling
at
kyat 1,000
1 gallon of kerosene (paraffin) oil is
kyat 1,000
1 gallon of engine oil is selling
at
kyat 2,400
1 fifty kg bag of paddy is selling at
kyat
2,450
1 dozen of egg
kyat 420
1.6 litre of peanut oil
kyat 1,400
1.6 kg of onion
kyat 240
1.6 kg of garlic
kyat 770
1.6 kg of red chilli
kyat 1,650
1.6 kg sugar
kyat 400
1.6 kg salt
kyat 90
1 kg fine rice
kyat 160
Source: Narinjara News
,January 30, 2002
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41
Rohingyas Arrested in Rangoon
Yangon 29 January: : On 27 January 2002,
41 Rohingyas that included 2 women with 2 children of 11-12 year
old were arrested in Yangon (Rangoon) while many more have been
hunted down. The authorities are bringing a false charge of
“anti-state activities” against them and have been confined
in Insein Central Jail where
they are subjected to inhuman torture, concerned
sources said on condition of anonymity.
As agreed upon, a Chinese launch
driver had transported 105 Rohingyas from Akyab to
Rangoon. On reaching Rangoon on 27 January, through Pazuntaung
creek, by a large motor boat named “Aung May Ga” 64
passengers who had already made their payments were set free by
the launch driver while 41 others who had
not yet paid were temporarily kept in house to get payments.
Acting on information, the Myanmar Naval forces raided the house
and arrested all 41 Rohingya boat people or passengers, the
sources said.
On interrogation, the arrested people were
reported to
have told the authorities that they are living in Arakan and
wish to go to Rangoon. As Rohingyas are not allowed to travel to
Rangoon or Burma proper they had lastly taken this attempt with
an understanding with the Chinese launch driver. But the
security agents have alleged them to have carried with them
arms,
ammunition and explosive devices for terrorist
activities and are forcing them for a confessional statement.
The security personnel are also asking them under torture to
produce those alleged arms,
ammunition and explosive devices together with the
names of the people who are patronising them in Rangoon and
other places, the sources said.
While hunting down those 64 people who had
escaped
arrest, many Rohingya residents of Rangoon have been
unnecessarily harassed making everyone panic-stricken.It is
rumoured in Rangoon that the authorities, under the pretext of
looking for so-called anti-state
elements, will be launching an operation against the
Rohingyas particularly those living in Rangoon and its suburbs
with a view to causing great damages and injuries to them, the
sources said.
According to the source some of their
relatives living in Rangoon were also arrested when they were
trying to visit them (boat people) in the custody and
Hafiz Kyaw Myint was one of them. The names of the arrested
persons are still not available.
Editor
Kaladan Press Network
Source: Kaladan Press Network,
January 29, 2002
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TOURISTS
TO ANCIENT MRAUK-U : NO ; TO BAGAN IN BURMA : YES
Sittwe, 29th January 02: A newly set up Nasaka
immigration and security forces Camp No.25 at Ann pass has been
screening visitors to Rakhine State of Myanmar. A
large number of tourists have been turned down their requests
for entry into Rakhine State through the check point established
there, said a teacher who recently came from Yangon through the
point to our correspondent.
On 13th January 02, an American
citizen, Mr S. Peter Haywood (47), passport No. 01520094, was
stopped at the Nasaka camp No. 25. With him was a Buddhist monk,
Ashin Candana, 34, of Patiradana Thanti Thukha Buddhist
monastery of Thazi, Mandalay Division, and two other lay people
hailing from Yangon. They were taking a trip to Mrauk-u in
a Toyota Hilux No. 2A -9235 from Yangon, for a visit to the
ancient capital of Rakhine State. But he with his group
were turned down from the camp because, though he had visa
to Myanmar he did not have 'permission of the authority' to
visit Rakhine State. He came to Myanmar on January
3, and had a Myanmar visa till 31st of the same month.
He told the unnamed teacher who he met at Taungup where he
stopped for the night, about the ban on visits to Rakhine State
by foreign tourists as he said he was free to move anywhere in
proper Burma including Mandalay, Bagan and Nyaung-oo, while
Rakhine State was kept off limits to him which was not
understandable..
The tourist reached Ann at about 7 in the evening while he was
detained for three hours there and made to go back to Yangon
after 10. Being dissatisfied with the curt behaviour of
the guards posted at the camp and the 'authority' whoever it was
in control of the 'permission to enter Rakhine State' though the
Government of Myanmar issued tourist visa to him, the American
visitor told the teacher about the incidence including his
passport number. The teacher also told that, the
foreign tourists are at a loss as to why they are denied entry
to Rakhine State though they have visa of the Government of
Myanmar. In the past couple of months a number of
Japanese, Australian, Belgian, British and German tourists
have been reported to have been denied entry to Rakhine State
through Yangon Sittwe highway through Nasaka camp 25 point
at Ann, the headquarters of Western Command.
Source: Narinjara News
,January 29, 2002
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NASAKA
ISSUE ORDERS NOT TO ALLOW NGO'S TO WORK WITHOUT INFORMING LOCAL
AUTHORITIES
MAUNGDAW, 24th January 02: On December 20th, the Nasaka
border security and immigration headquarters at Kyi-gan-braung,
issued an official order not to allow NGOs working in the area
to work without informing and getting permission of the
Nasaka and local authorities, an unnamed source in the security
department told our correspondent.
The order came as a sequel to the
visit of three officials of the UNHCR led by Development
Officer, U Kyaw Kyaw, to Ngakhura village at northern part of
Maungdaw township. They invited 51 impoverished widows and
widowers of the village to a meeting at the Red Cross office in
the vicinity. The meeting was arranged without giving any
information to the Village authority. At the meeting the
widows were given financial support for rearing poultry, while
the widowers were left out. As a result the widowers went
to the village authority and informed the matter to the Nasaka
Area #5 headquarters. The village authorities, Rayaka (Yayaka),
also made allegations that, the UNHCR has been conducting
meetings without giving any prior information to them.
When the matter was brought to the
attention of the Nasaka headquarters the authority there
immediately issued an order disallowing NGOs to hold meetings or
conduct their programmes without giving information to the
local village authorities concerned. It is alleged
that, because of the operation and monitoring of NGOs the
military regime cannot act whimsically against the civilians in
the area, though they have been conducting repressions like
forced labour secretly.
So the Nasaka took the discontent
and objection of the village authority and the widowers to their
advantage and issued the new orders, it has been learnt.
Source: Narinjara News
,January 24, 2002
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MALARIA
AND DIARRHOEA BREAK OUT IN NORHTERN DISTRICT OF RAKHINE STATE
Maungdaw, 23rd January 02: Doctors from AZG, the Danish
Doctors without Boundaries, have been treating the patients of
recent outbreak of malaria and diarrhoea in the northern
Maungdaw township of the western Rakhine State of Myanmar since
December 23, an unnamed source in the township administration
confirmed. Since the second week of November last year, the
outbreak of malaria and diarrhoea in the district has taken an
alarming turn. Mr Hugh Price, a British doctor, and
the Project Coordinator of AZG Mr Stuart James Bell, an
American, led a medical team and treated patients at
Kha-maung-cheik village, where the outbreak has been the worst.
From January 3 the team treated
patients at Mrung-hlwett village in the southern part of
Maungdaw. With a large number of malarial patients,
many of who were suffering from drug-resistant type of malaria,
the team could hardly cope with the huge number of patients.
The group also found that, there was little or no medical
treatment available at the government hospitals and
dispensaries. As the government-owned Burma Pharmaceutical
Industry, the lone high-quality drug manufacturer in Myanmar can
not supply the adequate amount of medicine in the market, the
black market trade in smuggled medicine from India and
Bangladesh covers about 95% of the entire medicine market.
Even in the black market the medicines are scarce and the prices
exorbitant. A tablet of Paracetamol (an analgesic) sells
at kyat 25 in the black market while a day labourer is paid a
maximum of kyat 500 a day. Local people have also alleged
that this year there have been a number of deaths from malaria
and diarrhoea in the area. Though malaria is rampant in
the area the Myanmarese junta have never taken any steps to
either check the spread of the disease or treat the patients in
government hospitals and dispensaries in Rakhine State.
The drug-resistant type of malaria has now crossed the border
from Rakhine State to the nearby Chittagong Hills in the
south-eastern part of Bangladesh, it is also alleged.
Source: Narinjara News
,January 23, 2002
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NASAKA
IMMIGRATION CAMP #25: FOR CHECKING FOREIGN TOURISTS' ENTRY TO
RAKHINE STATE IN WESTERN MYANMAR
Ann, 22nd January 02: A Swiss tourist, Ms Alessandra Marie
Joelle, was interrogated for three hours at Ann at the Nasaka
(Security and Immigration) Camp #25 on January 3rd ,
2002, on her return from a visit to the historical sites in
Rakhine State, the western state of Myanmar, a higher official
in the State Agricultural Department who was on the spot told
our correspondent. The Swiss tourist was returning to Yangon by
road from Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State. When
Nasaka got clearance after three hours from the Western Command,
on the movement permit for the tourist within Rakhine State, she
was allowed to continue her trip to Yangon.
The Nasaka Security and Immigration
Camp #25 has been set up only to check the entry of foreigners
to Rakhine State through the Yangon Sittwe highway.
In recent months some foreigners have been disallowed to go to
Rakhine State through the Yangon Sittwe highway at the
Camp #25 at Ann.
Source: Narinjara News
,January 22, 2002
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MYANMAR
PUSH INDIAN FAMILY SUSPECTED OF ESPIONAGE TO BANGLADESH
Maungdaw, 22nd January 02: On December 24th 2001, an
Indian family suspected of espionage was arrested and pushed to
Bangladesh by the Myanmar Nasaka border security forces in
Maungdaw township, in the western part of Rakhine State,
according to a policeman who wanted to remain anonymous.. The
Indian family consisting of father, mother, four sons and a
daughter were arrested from Taungbro-ya village under Maungdaw
township and interrogated at Nasaka Area 3 headquarters.
On interrogation, they were found to hail from Nanmudi village
of Champakamundi town under Kegakhana district. The couple
had Indian national identity cards, numbered 731986 belonging to
Dashan, 35, and 6018747 belonging to his wife, Onmati, 30.
They also possessed Indian polling cards.
The other possessions of the family
included snares for catching wild animals and some
other household goods. They are thought to have come to
Bangladesh in October 2001 and from there they crossed into
Myanmar in December. The Nasaka forces without
handing over the Indian family to the Bangladesh authority, just
drove them into Bangladesh from a point close to Taungbro
Nasaka outpost on Myanmar side to Tumbro in Bangladesh side. The
Nasaka border security forces who interrogated the family were
of the opinion that, this was the first ever incidence for any
Indian national to cross the border and get into the Myanmar
territory. For this they suspected the family of espionage
for the Indian security forces.
It is usual for the Myanmar
authority to arrest and sentence any foreign nationals intruding
into its territory, but pushing the Indian family into
Bangladesh and not handing over them to the Indian authority, or
taking legal actions against them, has brought up many
unanswered questions.
Source: Narinjara News
,January 22, 2002
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TEKNAF
PORT OPENS TOMORROW TO BOOST TRADE WITH MYANMAR
COX'SBAZA, 21st JANUARY 02: Bangladesh will open a river
port at Teknaf tomorrow to boost trade with neighbouring
Myanmar. Shipping Minister Akbar Hussain and Commerce Minister
Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury will inaugurate the port to be
located on the banks of the Naaf river that separates the two
neighbours. It will act as a major hub for export and import
activities between two countries.
The Teknaf river port will provide
the shortest river line with Maungdaw on the other side of the
Naaf. Initially traditional water vessels will ferry cargo. The
port will act as a gateway for bulk export and import of
commodities. The two countries may consider setting up river
ferry services in future and even constructing a bridge. Plans
are also afoot to construct improved road to access the Teknaf
river port.
Myanmar and Bangladesh have a
border trade agreement in place for several years, but due to
lack of port and other infrastructure facilities, traders prefer
to smuggle goods across the border instead of using authorised
routes. To augment bulk cargo handling facilities, the port to
be supervised by the Bangladesh Inland Water Trade Authority
will make provisions for large-scale warehouse and customs
facilities.
Commerce Minister Amir Khasru told
the Daily Star that the port would boost the country's trade
with Myanmar. Both Bangladesh and Myanmar are working on a draft
agreement to establish a coastal shipping line shortly. The
coastal shipping line will provide sea links between Bangladesh
ports--- Chittagong, Coxs'bazar and Teknaf and Myanmar ones ---
Yangon, Akyab( Sittwe) and Maungdaw. Through these initiatives,
local exporters would be able to enter the Myanmar Market in a
bigger way with products ranging from cosmetics to toiletries,
from newsprint to fertilizer, policymakers believe. The
country's textile and pharmaceutical products also have a good
demand in Myanmar. There is also demand for cables and bottled
juice, ceramic items, leather goods and tobacco. On the other
hand, Bangladesh has a market for Myanmar timber, forest
products, bamboo, fresh vegetables, chillies, spices, betel
nuts, shrimp and livestock.
A single country Bangladesh export
fair will be held in Yangon shortly to explore market.
Source: Bangladesh Daily Star
,January 21, 2002
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UNHCR
OFFICIAL FINDS FORCED LABOUR EXTENSIVELY PRACTICED IN RAKHAING
STATE
Maungdaw, 21st January 02: Reports on forced labour being
practiced extensively across Rakhaing State, the western member
of Myanmar, have started to pour in to us through traders coming
to this border town, reports our correspondent at Maungdaw.
On December 20, 2001, a group of
Japanese officials of BAJ (an NGO) and Myanmarese government
executive engineer, U Aye Win, were supervising the roads and
bridges constructed in the northern part of Maungdaw township.
At that time the Assistant Planning Officer of UNHCR, U Min Thu,
followed them and discovered a group of about thirty Muslims
were walking to the Nasaka Area 2. On asking
where they were going, the Muslims replied that, they were from
Tamantha village and they were going on 'porter rounds'.
On further questioning about the wages, they replied that, they
were not paid anything for their work besides they had to bring
their own food and sometimes had to work for late into the night
without any food. They did not have clean drinking water,
too. U Min Thu hearing the report went to the Nasaka Areas #1
and #2 headquarters where he had a heated exchange with the
border security forces officials, and asked them to pay wages to
the forced labourers. He also assured that he would later
pay the Nasaka from the UNHCR fund. But the Nasaka
officials never bothered to pay the forced labourers and they
assured again and again that, these 'workers' were 'voluntary
employees' of the government. It is worth mentioning here
that, the forced labourers are now called as 'voluntary
employees' or 'wunthan' in Burmese as a new measure to cheat the
public eye according to the higher official commands.
A Nasaka constable in the area told
our correspondent that, the forced labourers had
to carry 29 cement bags to Ma-ji village from Mingalanyunt and
Minkhamong police stations, then 55 cement bags from Tamantha
village to Ma-ji village. They also had to carry 7,500
cubic feet of bricks and 7 cement bags to Nasaka Area No. 2.
Even in Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships where there are a
number of UN and International NGOs, the practice of forced
labour is rampant. In such circumstances the extant of the
use of forced labour in other parts of Rakhaing State where
there are hardly any international NGOs or UN bodies for
monitoring, can easily be imagined. A renowned businessman
from Sittwe who recently came to Maungdaw told our correspondent
that, villagers all over Rakhaing State have to go for
'voluntary service' to work for the military, cutting firewood,
collecting bamboo, constructing army barracks, roads and
bridges, and work in the confiscated lands and shrimp farms and
fruit orchards.
Source: Narinjara News ,January 21, 2002
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No
Marriage without paying to Na Sa Ka
Buthidaung January 18, 2002: The Rohingya
villagers
have to pay to the Na Sa Ka border security forces to get
permission for marriages causing great problems to them. The
amount is ranging from Kyat 10,000 to 200,000, said the
villagers.
An engaged couple, who are very poor, namely
Noor
Alam, son of Mokthul Hussain and Mumana Khatoon,daughter of
Tazawmuddin of Ponyalaik village (Pumali Para) under Na Sa Ka
Area No. 9/21 in Buthidaung township could not obtain permission
for their
marriage as they could not manage money to pay to Na Sa Ka.
Later the couple escaped away from their village and were
reported to have crossed over to Bangladesh on 7 January 2002
where they were married, said their relatives.
Earlier in the month of December 2001, another
couple
-- Syed Noor, son of Kaloo and Mamuna Khatoon, daughter of Syed
Noor -- of San Oo Pran village, under Na Sa Ka Area No.9 of
Buthhidaung township had married without taking permission from
Na Sa Ka forces as they
could not pay them (Na Sa Ka) Kyat 10,000. But they
had simply given information to the village PDC chairman Dil
Mohammed. A few days after the marriage the married couple and
the village chairman were summoned to the nearby Na Sa Ka camp
where they were
harassed and humiliated. On interrogation the
terror-stricken couple told that they were permitted to perform
the marriage by village PDC chairman whereupon Dil Mohammed was
arrested. While in
detention in Na Sa Ka camp the Na Sa Ka local
authorities had taken huge amount of money from the said village
chairman as bribe with promise to release him, a village elder
told Kaladan Press on condition of anonymity. Later he was
sentenced to 7 years
imprisonment by Buthidaung township court on December
27, 2001.
Kaladan Press" is an independent news group
disseminating and reporting news and information covering
western Burma in particular.
Source: The Kaladan press Network
,January 18, 2002
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WFP
appeals for $2.1m aid for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
January 17, 2002: The United Nations World
Food Programme (WFP) has launched a US dollars 2.1 million
appeal for some 21,500 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar whose
continued survival in two refugee camps in south-eastern
Bangladesh depends almost entirely on food aid, WFP sources said
here yesterday,reports BSS.
The refugees, who are confined to the camps and
have no access to
official
employment and domestic farming plots, have suffered from
chronic malnutrition
since they arrived as part of a wave of 2,50,000
people fleeing the North
Rakhine province of Myanmar in 1991-92.
The Rohingyas are due to be sent back to Myanmar
but remain in
Bangladesh
because of reluctance to leave on their part and a protracted
repatriation
clearance process by Myanmar authorities.
Surveys show that 56 per cent of the refugee
children under five years
of age are underweight and 52 per cent of the women have a
body-mass index indicating moderate malnutrition.
"The malnutrition rates in these camps are
unacceptably high," stated
Pieter Dijkhuizen, WFP Country Director for Bangladesh. "We
call on the international
community to support our new operation so that over the course
of the next
year we can bring this problem under control." The
operation runs from
January to December 2002.
Dijkhuizen said that the agencies involved in the camps have
forged a
"clear
and effective strategy to end malnutrition among these long-term
refugees.
We urge donors to give us the means to help this
group of
people for whom there is not yet a permanent political solution
in
sight."
Dijkhuizen noted that it is possible to make rapid improvement
in the
refugees'
health, citing a 40 per cent drop in the incidence of low
birth weight
in the camps. Birth weights rose significantly after
pregnant women were
given an extra 550 calories a day in the
form of a high-energy milk porridge.
Source: The Independent - Bangladesh
,January 17, 2002
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China
ships arms to Burma
December 26, 2001: China's military recently
sent an arms shipment
to Burma, highlighting
efforts by the People's Liberation Army to back the ruling
military
junta there. U.S. intelligence officials said the delivery was
detected
Dec. 15 as a 40-vehicle convoy that included artillery, gun
carriages and communication equipment. The goods were delivered
to the town of Lashio throughthe China- Burma border town
of Mu-se. The equipment includes a Chinese-built artillery
battery that is part of large shipments of military equipment to
the State Peace and Development
Council, as the ruling junta is called. Additional equipment
provided in
recent months includes more than 300 armored personnel carriers
that
were sent in August.
Eight truckloads of other military goods were
sent
in July. Last year,
Chinese military advisers took part in overseeing a
military exercises
by the Burmese forces in conducting combined land-air- sea
maneuvers. The
exercises also included Pakistani military
officers. The ties to Burma
are part of China's southeast Asian strategy
of developing ties to non-democratic,anti-Western nations along
its borders. Chinese military elements have
been linked to drug trafficking in Thailand through Beijing's
backing of
the 25,000- strong Wa tribal
army in Burma, which is a main supplier of
methamphetamines. One
intelligence official said Wa militants have been trafficking in
PLA
weapons to other tribal groups in the region. Burmese
intelligence chief
Gen. Khin Nyunt is said to be the key ally of Beijing within the
Burmese
junta. Nhunt is dependent on the Wa and the drug trade to fuel
his
campaign to succeed Gen. Tan Shwe as junta supreme leader
against rivals
who are not as close to Beijing or the Wa. In addition, the Wa
army,which was formerly the militant arm of the Beijing-backed
Burmese Communist
Party, has been commanded by Han Chinese PLA military officers
since the
1950s. Arms Trade Newswire
Source: Arms Trade Newswire,Burma net, Jan 14, 2002
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Burmese
junta to build new artillery, infantry battalions in north
January 11, 2002 : A military study team from
the SPDC [State Peace and Development
Council]
Defence Services toured places in Putao Township, Kachin State
on 7 January and chose sites for establishment of new artillery
and light infantry battalions.
The team was led by Maj-Gen Thura Shwe
Mann,joint chief of staff of army,navy, and air force; Maj-Gen
Kyaw Win,
chief of military artillery and infantry battalions while
a site near Lon San Village in Putao Township was selected for a
new light infantry battalion. After the dismissal of
top generals including SPDC Secretary-3 Lt-Gen Win Myint and the
reshuffling
of regional commanders in November 2001,the SPDC has so far
failed to
issue any official news report. According to news report
received by DVB
[Democratic Voice of Burma], all 10 new commanders have already
been appointed
and the 10 former commanders have been reassigned. DVB has
already reported about the 10 new commanders.
Of the 10 former commanders, the following
four have been appointed as
chiefs of Bureau of Special Operations.
1.
Maj-Gen Khin Maung Than
2. Maj-Gen Ye Myint
3. Maj-Gen Maung Bo
4. Maj-Gen
Aung Htwe
Of the remaining six, Maj-Gen Thura Shwe Mann
was appointed
as joint chief of staff of the army, navy,and air force; Maj-Gen
Soe Win
as
chief of staff of air defense, Maj-Gen Tin Aye as chief of
military
ordnance, Maj-Gen Kyaw Win as chief of military training, Maj-Gen
Thein
Sein as adjutant-general; and Maj-Gen Tin Aung Myint Oo as
quartermaster general. Since all the commanders' positions have
been substituted, it is evident that the SPDC Secretary-2 and
the SPDC Secretary-3 positions
will not be filled. Observers believe that the reins of the
current SPDC will be held by a troika of generals - [SPDC
Chairman] Sr Gen Than Shwe, [SPDC Vice-Chairman] Gen Maung Aye,
and [SPDC Secretary-1] Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt.They are also believed
to control the ongoing talks with the opposition.
Source: Democratic Voice of Burma
,Burma net, Jan 14, 2002
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RAKHINE
STATE NAVAL BASE MOVED TO KYAUKPYU
SITTWE, Jan 12 (Narinjara) -- The Dhanyawaddy
Naval Base has been moved to
Kyaukpyu from Sittwe,according to ourcorrespondent in Sittwe. At
present there are ten defence services headquarters in Rakhine
State. Among them, Dhanyawaddy is second in importance only
to the Western Command which was moved to Ann in the first
quarter of last year after the race riots in February. The
base at Kyaukpyu is of increasing importance as Chinese
engineers and technicians are currently engaged in building a
deep-sea submarine base there. It will be under the under
the control of the newly promoted rear admiral, Myat Swe.
Source:
BURMA COURIER No. 303,Jan 6 - 12, 2002
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Behind
The Military Shake-up
January 11, 2002—After more than five weeks of
mass
dismissals in Burma's ruling State Peace and Development
Council, ten Brigadier-Generals were appointed as new
regional commanders on December 18. There are still no plans
however, to fill the Secretary Two position that has been vacant
since Lt-Gen Tin Oo was killed in a helicopter crash last
February, and the position of Secretary Three,
which was formerly held by Lt-Gen Win Myint, who was
dismissed on November 9. The junta's spokesman Gen Kyaw
Win confirmed the new appointments but gave no further detail.
The roster of commanders transferred to their
new posts
includes: Brig-Gen Maung Oo, from Tavoy-based No-8 Military
Operation Management Command (MOMC) to Western commander;
Brig-Gen Chit Than, from Bokepyin-based No-13 MOMC to Triangle
commander;
Brig-Gen Ye Myint, from Light Infantry Division (LID) No-101 to
Central Commander; Brig-Gen Myint Swe, from Southeast
command to Rangoon commander; Brig-Gen Myint Hlaing,
from Thein-di-based No-16 MOMC to Northeast commander;
Brig-Gen Soe Naing, from Kalay-based No-10 MOMC to Northwest
commander; Brig-Gen Khin Maung Myint, from Moekaung-based No-3
MOMC to Eastern commander;
Brig-Gen Maung Maung Swe, from No-77 LID to Northern commander;
Brig-Gen Aung Min, from No-66 LID to Western commander; and
Brig-Gen Htay Oo, from No-99 LID to
Southwest commander. Additionally, Brig-Gen Thura Myint
Aung from No-22 LID was appointed Southeast commander, replacing
Brig-Gen Myint Swe, who was transferred to Rangoon. Only Gen Aye
Kywe retained his old position at the coastal command. Six of
the ten former commanders have become chief staff at the War
Office in Rangoon while the other four have been appointed as
chiefs in the Bureau of Special Operations.
Those four are: Lt-Gen Maung Bo, from Eastern command to Taungyi-based
No-1 BSO; Lt-Gen Ye Myint, from Central command to
Mandalay-based No-2 BSO; Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than, from Rangoon
command to Pegu-based No-3 BSO;
and Lt-Gen Aung Htwe, from Western command to Pathein-based No-4
BSO.
The BSO will run all 12 regional commands, the
seven states
and seven divisions. The BSO was formed in November,
shortly after the dismissals of Win Myint and other top
generals. The controversial revamping of the command
structure is reportedly causing confusion in military circles.
“The present military shuffle is unusual, different and
complicated. This scenario is unprecedented in Burmese military
history," said U Htay Aung, a Burmese defense
researcher in Thailand. "I feel the BSO is similar to the
Thai
military setup of armies under the Supreme Command." The
Thai Supreme Command aims to streamline and centralize control
thereby curbing the power of the commanders of each armed forces
branch.Similarly, the SPDC was eager to prevent the regional
commanders from becoming warlords in their respective areas
while at the same time drawing a clear distinction between the
regional and divisional
commanders that manage troops and the SPDC members
that hold the political
reins.
According to military researchers, the
current SPDC army
has about 350,000 active personnel. There are 329 Light Infantry
Battalions and 197 Infantry Battalions, and each battalion
consists of between 500 to 700 men. Furthermore,with the
inclusion of other support and logistic battalions—including
12 military intelligence battalions, 27
communications battalions, 55 artillery battalions, 55
engineering battalions, transport battalions, plus the Navy and
the Air Force—the total military strength could well exceed
400,000 men. They have reduced intelligence battalions from 27
to 12 in order to reduce possible tensions between Military
Intelligence Services headed by Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, and the army,
which is led by Gen Maung Aye. Now there will be one MI
battalion based in each army command.
"There could be political rationale
behind the new military shake-up," said a journalist in
exile. "But I'm not sure where
they are heading." U Htay Aung hoped that the military
shake-up would
spur progress in the15-month old dialogue between Khin Nyunt
and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. "In fact, there are
now only three top generals remaining in the SPDC who
participated in crushing the pro-democracy uprising of 8-8-88.
All new regional commanders and all the BSO chiefs are new
blood. So I hope this reshuffle will help the talks go
forward."
One source suggested the impetus behind the
reshuffle was
"to prepare the military to transfer power to a civilian
government, or to prepare the military to never transfer power
to a civilian government."
Source: The Irrawaddy, January 11, 2002( By Win Htein)
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MYANMAR
NAVY ENGAGED IN EXTORTION IN THE MAYU RIVER
Buthidaung, 7th January 02: Two Myanmar Naval guard
posts have been reported to be engaged in extorting money and
materials from all the civilian vessels passing them, according
to a businessman available at Buthidaung, a small township in
the western part of Myanmar.
One of the two naval guard posts is situated at
Ngalapra village under Rathedaung township, and the other at
The-kan Khwa-chung, Buthidaung both on the Mayu river. The
two guard posts are situated in strategically important spots
and all the vessels coming from across Rakhine state including
Minbra, Punnagyun, Sittwe, and Mrauk-u to Buthidaung must touch
the two places. Vessels carrying salt, agricultural
produce, earthenware, textile, and even fishing boats and
trawlers are not spared from extortion. All the
vessels including passenger carrying motorboats are
detained for long hours unless they agree to pay extortion money
in the plea of security check, or 'official order'.
Sometimes if the motor vessels cannot make their trip on time,
they have to strand for long hours waiting for the tide to come
back. The businessman added that, there would not be any
problem if it were a vessel carrying illegal smuggling items,
but for those who carry on legal business, the delay may cause
perishable goods and foods to rot and incur heavy losses.
Again if the illegal tolls are added to the cost of goods
transport the margin of profit would be very small or even incur
heavy losses.
In Rakhine State, a businessman has to pay
illegal tolls even for legal goods permissible under the law to
Village administration, Township administration, Military
Intelligence, Police, as well as to all the check posts along
the way for carrying his goods since he has to produce dozens of
'permissions' to authorities everywhere. For movement from one
place to another permissions from all the above
authorities have to be produced wherever he goes.
The businessman also lamented that, though there
is a need for all the papers for carrying legal trade and
business in the state, the smuggling boats are given free
passage as they do not need to touch the checkpoints or ever get
interfered.
Source: Narinjara News, January 7, 2002
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