Written by U Ne Oo on 2000-01-10
Dr U Ne Oo
18 Shannon Place
Adelaide SA 5000
January 10, 2000.
Hon. Alexander Downer
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canbarra ACT 2600
Facsimile:(+612)6273-4112
Dear Mr Downer:
Firstly, I like to recall the letter to you on August 29, 1999 regarding with unhindered access for humanitarian organs for humanitarian organisations into Burma. As of recent, there has been a formal request made by 10,000 Karen Refugees to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to assist in their return (news items enclosed). Earlier on November 1999, the Thai National Security Council had requested the UNHCR to mediate the problem of Burma's ethnic minority refugees in Thailand. Whereas these brave refugees are making initiative for UN monitored return to their own places, I believe the international community must not fail to facilitating thacilitating this request by arranging unhindered access to the area in Burma for the UN Refugee Agency. I appeal Australian Government and international community to help, with their utmost diplomatic efforts, at the United Nations in arranging the UNHCR and all international humanitarian organisations getting access to Burma.
Secondly, I should like to request Australian
government to impose
rule on Australian NGOs (either private or government funded
ones) regarding
with their operations in Burma. I appeal Australian Gl Australian Government
to request
all NGOs, in mandatory, to consult and report their
operations in
Burma to the Committee Representing the People's Parliament. As
a first
step towards this end, the Australian Parliament should give
formal recognition
to the Committee Representing the People's Parliament. In this
connection,
I like to inform your government that on the 12th of November
1999 the
54th Session of UN General Assembly
(draft) Resolution (A/C.3/54/L.76) in Operational Paragraph
(10) notes
the existence of Coexistence of Committee Representing the People's Parliament
in Burma.
Therefore, it is timely that Australian Federal House of
Representative
as well as Senate to formally recognise CRPP as the "legitimate
instrument
of the will of Burmese people".
On 10 December 1999, the AAP has reported Australian Government is considering to post the Federal Police Officer to Burma to assist in anti-narcotics efforts. I am supportive to this initiative and I hope to see a proper co-operation from the Burmese side of law enforcement agenciesement agencies on this matter. I enclosed my personal view that was broadcasted to internet lists. I believe the Australian Federal Police, with the diplomatic assistance by Australian Government and international community, should push the Burmese government to arrest and prosecute the suspected drug traffickers in Burma.
In closing, I thank you for your kind attention to this matter. We continue to appreciate Australian Government and your efforts to help solve problems in Burma. May you have a happy and prosperous new yearperous new year of 2000.
Yours respectfully,
U Ne Oo
Copy:
1. Ms Sadako Ogata, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
2. Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General.
3. Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State,US Department of
State.
Bangkok Post, January 4, 2000.
GROUP OF 10,000 KAREN REFUGEES WANT TO GO HOME
UN refugee agency urged to help
More than 10,000 Karen in Mae Hong Son are seeking help
from the
United Nations High Coted Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to repatriate
them with
support from the National Security Council.
NSC secretary-general Kachadpai Burusphat said more than
10,000 Karen
refugees at shelters in Ban Mae Kong Kha and Ban Tha Sala in Mae
Sariang
district, had asked UNHCR staff who visited the shelters two
months ago,
to push for their repatriation to Burma. But the UNHCR
representatives
had told them to wait.
The refugees claimed they should be allowed to be allowed to return home
as they
were not members of the anti-Rangoon Karen National Union (KNU),
he said.
"Now, the chief of the camp in Ban Mae Kong Kha is gathering
the signatures
of Karen war refugees who want to go home. The list will be
submitted to
the UNHCR for consideration.
"Most of these Karen fled fighting from areas opposite Ban
Sop Moei
and some from areas opposite Thong Pha Phum district,
Kanchanaburi. We
want to urge the UNHCR to take action swiftly as requested by
these people,"
Mr Kachadpai said.
He also said authorities concerned have been put on alert
for possible
spillover of fighting between Burmese troops and rebels and an
influx of
refugees along the northern border, as the annual dry-season
offensive
by Burmese troops approaches.
The NSC chief said both local administration officials and
military
officers have been instructed to provide protection to Thais
and, if necessary,
use drastic measures to push back foreign troops.
Mr Khachadpai .
Mr Khachadpai said narcotics trafficking and possible
incursions by
foreign troops in the upper north have eased, following
deployment of the
Pha Muang Task Force in Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son and Tak, which
is being
supervised by the Naresuan Task Force. He also said the Third
Army's psychological
warfare operation against narcotics in the border
areas was progressing well.
Mr Khachadpai said the narcotics suppression campaign would
be even
more effective once the new structural organisation of the
Internal SecurInternal Security
Operations Command (Isoc) is completed.
Bangkok post , Jan 05, 2000
REPATRIATION PLAN HIT SNAG FOR LACK OF CLEAR
DESTINATION:
UN agency has no access to target area
<
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees yesterday
said it
could not repatriate Karen refugees as it had no access to areas
in Burma
to which they would likely return.
"Access to returnees is a major criterion for voluntary
repatriation,
as is a second factor of safety, and with no access, at least
not at present,
UNHCR cannot determine whether current conditions meet
acceptable standards
of safety," it said. The UNHCR was responding to a report
that some
10,000 Karen in Mae Hong Son Mae Hong Son were seeking UNHCR help to
repatriate.
"Our staff in that province are looking into the situation
at Kong
Kha and Tha Sala camps but issues more fundamental than the
movement back
across the border are involved," it said.
"They include lack of UNHCR presence in areas of Burma to
which the
refugees would likely return," it added.
Kachadpai Burusphat, secretary-general of the National
Security Council,
earlier said more than 10,000 Karen refugees at the two camps
had askedcamps
had asked
UNHCR staff who visited them two months ago to push for their
repatriation.
But the UNHCR officials had told them to wait.
In yesterday's statement, the UNHCR said if refugees wishing
to return
submitted signed forms stating their willingness to do so, this
would
fulfil the criterion of voluntariness.
But the two other criteria, of access and safety, "would
also have
to be met for UNHCR to become involved".
AUSTRALIA AND BURMESE DRA AND BURMESE DRUGS
Posted 13 Dec 99; 6:00am to Internet Discussion Lists
On the news of Australian Federal Police officer to be stationed in Burma to suppress illicit drugs ( especially Amphetamines tablets) I am not quite alarmed as one of our friend in Paris. In contrast to the earlier Australian initiative on Burmese junta to set-up a humanset-up a human rights commission, I think this initiative makes a lot more sense. It will be helpful if we know a little more about what kind of co-operation Australian/Thai police are seeking from Burmese authorities in this particular case.
In talking about co-operations, if Australian/Thai police are only looking to provide training and drug-detection equipment to Burmese, then we might just call this operation an "Australian Federal Police's Picnic to Rangoon". That kind of limited involvement will not help improve situat improve situation at all.
What we would like to see in co-operation is those criminal elements, not necessarily of that higher-up echelons, to be arrested and prosecuted. I think the Thai Police already have the list of drug trafficking criminals from Burmese side. I suspect that the Thais have been pushing on this line all along since early this year. It looks like because of no apparent moves were made from the Burmese side, the Australian -- other international players perhaps -- have now been brought into the matter. < the matter.
It is worth noting that, although the media and the activist circle have often quite rightly charged Burmese government rank-and-file of complicity in illicit drug trade, we have never been quite close to eventually proving anything. International intelligence circle may already have had some substantial information on illicit drug trade (for example, early this year, one ANU Professor wrote detailed report on drug related corruption in Burmese government). The US Government put few million dollar price on somerice on some high profile drug traffickers. But Burmese junta noted it to be a little more than US publicity stunt. To get things done, one has to keep closer to the target probably the Thai and Australian police seems to be doing.
The Australian government and the Federal Police should seriously push the Burmese authorities arresting drug traffickers on Burmese side (the Australian Government and Police can be rather casual and slack in some way: it is my impression). Should this push been successful, i.e. Burmese, i.e. Burmese begin to arrest and prosecute real traffickers, it will no doubt beneficial to all of us. But( i.e. my feeling) it is more likely that the Burmese side will eventually cancel the operation when time has come to carry out serious tasks. Until that time, let us wish well to the Australian and Thai police in their jobs. -- Regards, U Ne Oo.]
BURMA-AFP AUST FEDERAL POLICE TO BE STATIONED IN BURMA
DATE:23:50 09-Dec-99
Aust Federal Police to be stationce to be stationed in Burma Burma
AFP
BANGKOK, Dec 9 AAP- Federal police will be based in Burma for the first time to gauge the threat of a future flood of amphetamines into Australia.
Australian Federal Police official Mick Keelty said approval to station a liaison officer in Rangoon from January for a six-month trial was expected this week.
"We've planned to expand a number of our overseas posts in strategic areas throughout the world, and the opportunity has arisen for us ... to trial the posting oa an off posting oa an officer in Rangooon," Mr Keelty, general manager, national operaitons, said.
He was attending a three-day conference in Bangkok of a regional meeting of a national drug law enforcement agencies in Asia and the Pacific.
Thailand has been a base for AFP officers, with responsibilities to cover Burma and the flow of narcotics, mostly heroin, to Australia from the notorious Golden Triangle region of Burma, Thailand and Laos.
But there has been an explosion of amphetamine-type drug production, with over 200 m, with over 200 million tablets flooding into neighbouring Thailand.
Mr Keelty said the officer's role "will be to facilitate inquiries on behalf of Australian police agencies in Burma and to also identify opportunities to cooperate more closely with the law enforcement agencies in Burma".
Australia is planning to assist the RAngoon government in training, education and equipment to gain greater cooperation "to facilitate enquiries for amphetamine type substances and heroin that is coming out of that part of the world," he said.
Burmese officials said the Rangoon government was determined "to fight against the drug without or with any assistance from international assistance abroad".
"If we receive any international assistance we would be more
successful
in suppressing drug production and heroin production, "the
official, speaking
on behalf of Police Brigadier General Hla Tun, said from the
central committee
for drug abuse control. AAP rec/rds/br
