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The BurmaNet News: February 22, 1996
Issue #348

HEADLINES:
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THE NATION: KAREN REBELS LEAVE KEY BASE ON THE BORDER
BKK POST: BURMA REBEL GROUPS MEET ON RIGHTS OF MINORITIES
BKK POST: REOPENING OF BORDER CROSSING VITAL TO ECONOMY
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THE NATION: KAREN REBELS LEAVE KEY BASE ON THE BORDER

February 22, 1996

SOMCHIT RUNGCHAMRATRASMEE

The Nation

MAE SOT - Renegade Karen Buddhist forces who have for the
past several months intruded violently into refugee camps in
one of their key bases on the border with Thailand,
according to Thai and Karen sources.

Thai officers in Mae Sot district said the armed troops of
the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) have also stopped
crossing the Moei River into Thailand, probably because Thai
authorities begun talks with them on Feb 14.

The officers believed that a delegation of the Karen
National Union (KNU), which is in Moulmein for the second
round of ceasefire talks with the Burmese junta, had also
requested Rangoon to persuade the DKBA to stop its violent
harassment and kidnapping of Karen refugees in Thailand.

The Slorc "must have promised the KNU delegation that they
would help the talks with the DKBA", said one officer.

The DKBA was set up towards the end of 1994 by a group of
young turks who accused KNU leaders, most of whom are
Christian, of practising religious discrimination against
Buddhist members.

KNU sources said their team, led by Padoh Mansha, left on
Feb 14 for a ceasefire meeting in Moulmein with a Slorc
delegation led by Southern Commander Lt Gen Ket Sein.

They added that the Karen delegates must have also asked Ket
Sein to help resolve the DKBA matter.

Thai officers said they detected that DKBA forces had on
Monday withdrawn from the Kawmoora camp, which is opposite
Baan Wang Pa in Mae Sot, and returned to their headquarters
at Myainyingoo temple.

The order for the withdrawal must have come from DKBA leader
and Buddhist monk U Thuzana, they added. The DKBA captured
Kawmoora from the KNU on Feb 19 a year ago.

Tha Song Yang district chief Pallop Sripa said yesterday he
had received no report of DKBA intrusions into camps in Tha
Song Yang since he crossed the Moei River to talk with the
armed Karen group on Feb 14.

He said the DKBA had  been "unusually quiet" for the past
few days and that he had requested local Thai officers to
investigate the situation.

Pallop said Tha Song Yang authorities and army troops
deployed in the area since the DKBA intrusions began would
continue their 24-hour surveillance f the border as the
intruders could return. (TN)

-******************

BKK POST: BURMA REBEL GROUPS MEET ON RIGHTS OF MINORITIES
February 22, 1996

Representatives of 11 Burmese organisations opposed to
Rangoon met yesterday to map out ways to help ethnic
minority groups whose human rights have been violated by the
military junta, said a senior Thai authority here.

About 40 participants were reported to have taken part in a
two-day seminar, which ended yesterday. The seminar,
entitled The State Law and Order Restoration Council and
Human Rights Violations, was attended by representatives
from the Karenni National Progress Party, Karen National
Union, All Burma Students’ Democratic Front, Pa-o National
Organisation, Muslim Liberation Organisation of Burma, the
Kayan group, Palaung State Liberation Party, Wa National
organisation, All Burma Muslim Union and non-governmental
organisations.

They claimed the Slorc had abused human rights of its
minority groups, which have been fighting Rangoon for
greater autonomy. It was resolved that the Slorc’s
violations would be unmasked and that the organisations will
seek help from foreign organisations in Europe and America
to support the minorities. (BP)

***************

BKK POST: REOPENING OF BORDER CROSSING VITAL TO ECONOMY
February 22, 1996

The Thai-Burmese border crossing points in Mae Hong Son
should be reopened to improve the province’s gloomy economy,
according to the provincial Chamber of Commerce deputy
chairman.

Som Chai Sitthisantikul said his agency it waiting for the
authorities to reply to its request to reopen the border
crossings at Ban Nai Soi and Ban Huay Pueng in Maung
District.

The reopening is expected to boost the province’s economy
which has been seriously affected since the Third Army
Region demanded the closure in July 1994.

Mae Hong Son’s trade volume dropped from 10.76 billion in
1994 to 9.21 billion baht in 1995 after closure of the
checkpoints. In addition, the value of jewellery imports
decreased by 200% and cattle trade by 60% he said.

Following the closure, there have been reports of increased
smuggling across the border and of government officials
extorting money from Thai and Burmese smugglers.

National Security Council deputy secretary-general
Khachadpai Burusapatana said during a recent inspection tour
to Mae Hong Son that there is no evidence to prove that some
officials had benefited from closure of the Thai-Burmese
border. However, he supported the reopening of the Mae Sai-
Tachilek checkpoint in Chiang Rai and the Mae Sot-Myawaddy
checkpoints in Tak because the agency had been frequently
informed about illegal Burmese immigrants and smuggled
Burmese natural resources.

In response to reports about corruption among Thai border
officials caused by closure of the checkpoints, the Naresuan
Task Force recently urged agencies responsible for Ban Huay
Pueng crossing point in Muang Mae Hong Son to explain the
accusations.

Ban Huay Pueng checkpoint officials allegedly took bribes in
exchange for allowing Thai and Burmese traders to transport
merchandise such as cattle and logs across the border. The
officers were also accused of collecting 3,500 baht from
each motorist and 500 baht from every motorcyclist wanting
to pass the checkpoint. (BP)

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