Minister for Labor U Tin Win address the opening speech.
| A Press Conference Held |
Responses made concerning
allegations that members of
Myanmar Tatmadaw have molested women of Shan nationality
The Situation of the SURASI (143) Military Exercise of the
Yodaya Armed Forces.
[
12th July, 2002 ]
Minister for Labor
U Tin Win address the opening speech.
A press conference attended by local and foreign news correspondents was held at the Armed Forces Guest House on Inya Road at 9.30 am today.
Minister for labor U Tin Win, Vice Chief of the Defence Services Military Intelligence Headquarters Maj. Gen. Kyaw Win, Deputy Minister for Information Brig-Gen. Aung Thein, Police Brig-Gen Zaw Win, high-ranking military and government department officials, responsible officials of the News and Periodicals Department of the Ministry of Information, correspondent of Kyodo News Agency U Sein Win, Patron of the Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club U Hla Htwe and member correspondents were all present on the occasion.
U Tin Win, Minister for Labor address the opening speech and U Thaung Tun, Director General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Responses made concerning allegations that members of Myanmar Tatmadaw have molested women of Shan nationality.
It
has come to our attention that last month two entities calling themselves
Shan Human Rights Foundation and Shan Women's Action Network
published a report in which allegations are made that the Myanmar Government is
oppressing the Shan Nationality in Myanmar and that members of Myanmar Tatmadaw
are molesting Shan women.
The report alleges that Shan women are being raped by Myanmar Tatmadaw.
It has also come to our attention that referring to this report, two American Congresswomen, Ms. Illeana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida), Chairman of the International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee, and Ms. Cynthis McKinney (D-Georgia), Ranking Minority Member of the Subcommittee, said on 21st and 27th June respectively that those acts violated the Geneva Convention and were tantamount to committing war crimes. They urged that measures should be taken against and pressure should be brought to bear on the Myanmar Government as it has condoned or encouraged those offences.
The publication of such fabricated allegations as a report is an attempt on the part of the insurgents to launch a political attack against the Government of Myanmar.
It is an attempt by the armed drug-trafficking insurgent group SURA to win the sympathies of those who are unfamiliar with the situation in Myanmar in the hope that the pressure and intensity of the military campaign against them will be lessened as they now face defeat under the Tatmadaw's offensive.
The following facts expose the allegations in the report as completely groundless and false.
· The Myanmar Government has never adopted such oppressive and unjust policies as those mentioned in the report toward any indigenous groups, and will never adopt such policies.
· Myanmar enjoys the rule of law. Clear criminal legislation exists against rape and molestation of women. Strict punishment is meted out to rapists and molesters according to criminal law.
· Myanmar Tatmadaw is well-organized armed forces with a tradition of strict discipline. Severe punishment is always handed down to any member of the armed forces who rape women, be they officers or other ranks or privates. The rules and regulations of the Myanmar Tatmadaw are even more stringent than the legislation for civilians. Far from being above the law or being exempt from it, a Tatmadawman found guilty of an offence receives a double punishment, both under the armed forces laws and under the civilian laws. In the entire history of Myanmar Tatmadaw, there has never been any accusation of the Tatmadaw committing or condoning such offences.
· It is well known in the international community that Buddhism is the religion of the majority in Myanmar. People in Myanmar follow Buddhist teachings that reflect a very high level of decency and culture. For a Buddhist, rape is a very serious offence and the guilty conscience and mental agony that the perpetrator has to suffer is considered to be even greater than the legal penalties.
· The Myanmar society upholds very high standards of decency and culture under the all-encompassing fold of Buddhist teachings. Offenders of such nature are invariably abhorred and become objects of repugnance in the community.
· Moreover, Myanmar steadfastly complies with international conventions, and has signed the UN Human Rights Convention, Convention on the Rights of the Child, Convention on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.
· Women are the leading participants in the community affairs all over Myanmar, and enjoy a vital role in maintaining the discipline, decency and culture of the Myanmar society.
· A national committee has been formed in Myanmar for prevention of violence against women, protection of women against violence, and rehabilitation of women. Work groups have been also been formed at the regional, township, ward and village level for the protection of women's rights, providing assistance upon request and handling complaints in women's affairs.
· At present, the people of Myanmar are enjoying the fruits of peace. The scourge of insurgency that has existed for nearly 40 years is almost at an end, with only a handful of SURA and KNU insurgents operating in the remote areas and in the neighbouring country.
· In Shan State in Myanmar, it is not statewide military campaigns against the insurgents that are being launched by the government. There are only clashes between the Tatmadaw and a small number of SURA drug-trafficking terrorist insurgents in border areas.
· At a time when the Myanmar Government is carrying out the three main causes of non-disintegration of the Union, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty, the priority concerns are to preserve the union, to preserve national unity and to foster a keen union spirit.
· Acts likely to affect adversely unity among the national groups are simply not encouraged. It is not only groundless but simply inconceivable that the Government organized such an act as systematic raping of Shan women as a weapon against insurgents knowing that it would be an obvious hindrance to the achievement of national objectives. The Government of the Union of Myanmar opposes such acts as those mentioned in the allegations, and affirm that such has never been and never will be the policy of the Government.
· In order to accomplish the three main national causes, the Government has formulated long-term plans for the development of national groups and the population residing in border areas, and is addressing their economic, social, educational and health affairs as a priority.
Unable to withstand the Tatmadaw's offensives, and desperate in the face of the imminent demise of their drug trafficking and terrorist insurgent businesses, the SURA drug-trafficking terrorist insurgents are clearly resorting to fabrications as a political ploy in their attempt to complain to, win the sympathies of and make use of those unfamiliar with the situation in Myanmar in their bid to create misunderstanding against the Myanmar Government in the international community.
We are going to explain and discuss exactly and vividly to all press representatives and journalists against the accusation heap upon on us by the report that had been released by US State Department on 5 June 2002 .
Our Myanmar Police Force had drawn a plan to talk legal action against illegal on 3rd September 2001 . The plan aim at total eradication of illegal immigration into Thailand from Myanmar . In method we roughly plan to implement through five components as follows-
(a) Establishing control and command group.
(b) Designation duty and function.
(c) Supervision.
(d) Educative programme.
(e) Effective counter measure and deterrent punishment.
In process of supervision, central supervision committee had been formed and headed by Police Director General as chairman. In State, Divisions and Sub-Divisions supervision committee are formed and chaired by respective States and Divisions General Administrative Officers are chairman of these supervision committees. In townships this committee is chaired by township General Administrative Officer. The supervision Committee are at these four levels and their responsibilities and duties are designated.
In educative programme activities involve are holding discussion with school children, having educative talk with mass community about the real instances of woman and children trafficking delivering booklet and brochure to local people up to villages and wards levels. In addition we advertise poster at cinema and video shows so that community may not be deceived by perpetrators. The present plan is concerning with illegal migrant and woman and children trafficking. Although Myanmar Police Force is focal point for this plan of law enforcement, it is seeking advice and suggestion from repartment such as Attorney General Office, Immigration and Man Power Department and Myanmar National Woman Affairs Committee through closed discussion and cooperation by holding conference on 26-1-2002 and arrangements are under way to revise this plan in order to update. Moreover wards and village officials and member of the Myanmar National Woman Affairs Committee are being instructed to cooperate in giving educative talk on how victims were treated badly by people of destine countries. To take affective action and pass deterrent punishment the Criminal Section 363 to 373 has been applied . If anybody was found guilty of abducting a person out of
Myanmar should be taken legal action under the Criminal Section of 363. If anybody is found guilty abducting or stealing a preson to slay or kill should be taken legal action under the Criminal Section of 364.If anybody is found guilty of to confine secretly in illegal way should be taken legal action under the Criminal Section of 365.If anybody is found guilty of acting under as sex broker victimizing minor girl should be taken action under the Criminal Section of 366-A.
Anybody is found guilty of stealing a preson in order to make slave or inflict grevieous hurt or should be taken action under the Criminal Section of 367. Anybody found guilty of illegal confinement to abducted person should be taken action under the Criminal Section of 368. If anybody was found guilty buying person to make slave or to manage ae slave should be taken action under the Criminal Section of 370.If anybody found guilty of selling minor girl for prostitution should be taken action under the Criminal Section of 372. If anybody found guilty of buying minor girl for prostitution should be taken action under the Criminal Section of 373.
The punishment for the above criminal acts involves 10 years imprisonment for Section 364 and the Section 371 , 372 and 373 have punishment of imprisonment for 10 years and fine of both.
In our country this law is very effective and there has been no instances of large scale trend of woman and children trafficking, so the requirement for adopting specific law is out of necessary. We think that due to much accusation of other country and opposing insurgent organizations United State may have been accusing Myanmar in improper way of though. Since before we have never accept woman and children of our nation to be trafficked to other countries. We have endeavouring to combat and prevent woman and children trafficking which had been steered and fueled by other country and insurgent organization through brokers who led the woman and children into a life of law social as prostitutes.
To protect and prevent the naive woman and children of cross border areas from being lured by brokers and trafficking . We have been launching educative programme 10822 times in this areas from 1999 to 2000 June through cooperation local authority and member of the Myanmar National Woman Affairs Committee. Educative Talks are focussing on preventing against trafficker, HIV, AIDS a forced prostitution and unity of other country. Myanmar National Woman Affairs Committee is cooperating with UNIAP(United Nations Inter Agency Project) and arranging to hold discussion from district to village and ward leveled.
Although we are endeavouring to educate the local people there has been instances of 4519 victim who had been rescued by our authorities at 23 check points at which Myanmar Police Force, Immigration and Custom personnel on duty. These victims were educated and send back to their respective home.
The constant surveillance is made in order to check the number of cases. The number of cases that had been booked 9 cases in 1999. In this cases 48 women and one child were found to be as victims. 11 traffickers received imprisonment terns of 7 years and 10 years. In year 2000 the cases occurred were 19 and there were 39 women 10 children were victimized. Effective punishment were passed to traffickers. In 2001 there were 18 cases in which the victims were 42 women and 7 children 27 brokers were severely punished. There were 18 cases up to June of 2002 and 46 women were victimized and 34 brokers were taken effective action from 1999 to June 2002 there are total 64 cases in which 170 women and 19 children had fallen as victims and 104 brokers are effectively dealt with legal action.
May I explain the effectiveness counter measure with some examples-
The case occurred in northern Shan State on 16 October 2000 while Daw Kine Li Phane was out on shopping her daughter Ma Win Kyi was abducted by Ma Aye Mya, Maung Than Htite Soe, Maung Saw Naing and Ma Than Than and sold her in China with one Lakh kyats. This case was recorded in Muse Township Police Force and send for trail under the Section of 363 and 366. Three accused Ma Aye Mya, Than Htite Soe and Saw Naing passed sentences of 7 years imprisonment for Section 363 and 7 Years imprisonment for Section 367 separately to serve in prison for total of 14 years of them convert Ma Than Than was absconding.
The couple residing in Latha township by the name Sine Ywet Saw and his wife Nane Sait Hsai were found guilty of selling young Myanmar National woman to maccao in China for prostitution in 1999 December and received imprisonment of 10 years by the court on May 16 of 2000.
In 2001 May 13 granddaughter of Daw Ngwe by name Ma Saw Yi Thant was abducted from No.4 Ward, Myawaddy by Mya Thaung and Ma Moe to Thailand and sold her with Baht 8,000 as prostitute. This case hah been trial by the court and the two perpetrators were sentenced imprisonment of 7 years each so, accusation of United States is false and our courts been able to pass serve and deterrent penalties regarding with women and children trafficking cases.
May I present the participation of Myanmar four Police Senior Official in International Conference on women and children trafficking in this way.
When innocent and native young women were deceived and lured by greedy brokers and traffickers, on their return to Myanmar from Thailand They have been treated humanly with union spirit and reintegrate to community and offer warm welcome by departmental officials and members of the Women Association.
Although we have not sign the extradition treaties, we are accomplishing mutual cooperation with international countries by repatriating 8 wanted drugs traffickers to China and one drugs trafficker to Thailand as our gesture to show Law Enforcement cooperation.
To study the women and children trafficking, a Task Force had been formed firstly in 1998. The chairman of Task Force is Woman Affairs Work Committee member Daw Htay Htay in its secretary is deputy director of Social Welfare Department, U Myint Thein, the personnel of relevant department and its members. This task force is propaggating educative talk taking preventive measure assisting the relevant departmental official when incident occurs and cooperating with international organization and agencies in order to protect and prevent women and children trafficking.
Finally may I present that the Government of Union of Myanmar is implementing to raise and flourish union spirit and patriotic by laying down the Social Objectives. Thus, the State peace and Development Council Government is under no circumstances shall accept occurrence of woman and children being trafficking into other country from mother land and the administrative mechanism involving down to State, Division, Township, Wards and Village Peace and Development Council at various levels, Attorney General Offices, Supreme Court, General Administration Department, Myanmar Police Force and Immigration and Man Power Department and Women Affairs Work Committee are cooperating and preventing trafficking with great momentum.
Daw Khin Aye Win concluded by saying that not only as a Myanmar woman but also on behalf of the world's women, she deplores the brutal beating of Myanmar national Ma Su by a factory owner in Lok Buri in central Yodaya and his attempt to murder her.
According to Yodaya military propaganda, the goal of the military exercise was merely an experimental military maneuver of its armed forces and heavy strategic weapons to fulfill its mission for the eradication of narcotic drugs. It stated further that the exercise was in the interest of national security and not a show of strength to its neighbouring countries. In actual fact however the entire military exercise was confined to one purpose only and directed at Myanmar as its enemy. For at the commencement of the exercise, although it did not specifically mention Myanmar as the enemy target it clearly referred to the target as "the next-door enemy" and "the next-door force." The lower echelons of the Yodaya forces had no clear knowledge of the purpose of the exercise, but the higher levels of command conducted the maneuvers in accordance with the policy of "training to fight" and "fighting to train" the troops. They thus not only gave support but also cooperated with Yawd Serk's SURA insurgent group who were in the vanguard against the attack on the 'Wa' outposts in Special Region 2 on the Myanmar side of the Myanmar-Thai border. No such large- scale military exercise had been conducted for about 10 years, so the lower echelons of the military simply assumed it was a regular training exercise. It was, in fact the top-ranking military leadership who secretly planned and supervised the military exercise to suit their hidden agenda.
Nominally the commander in charge of SURASI (143) was Commander of No.3 Military Command Lt. Gen. Udomchai Ongkasingha. But it was the office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Yodaya Armed Forces that issued direct orders and was in actual charge for the conduct of the exercise. It scheduled the attack on the 'Wa' outposts to coincide with the SURASI (143) Military exercise of the Yodaya armed forces by specifying the 'Wa' outposts as targets for the exercise. In intruding on Myanmar territory and attacking the 'Wa' outposts as well as the Myanmar Army outposts, the Yodaya troops involved were outfitted in the uniforms of the SURA. They used the SURA troops to show the way, but the majority of the troops that attacked the outposts were Yodaya soldiers. The Far Eastern Economic Review in its 11 July issue also reported that there were a few American soldiers involved in the attacks.
The same issue of the FEER also stated that the US had formed Special Unit 399 with Yodaya soldiers supposedly for the purpose of combating narcotic drugs but had equipped them with modern weapons and equipment to carry out this attack. It went on to report that 3 American soldiers were wounded in this attack in the border regions and that a group of western diplomats who had visited the site of the battle had been eyewitness to the three American soldiers wounded in the battle at Mae Phalong in Chiangrai District. If this report should happen to be true, said the FEER magazine, then the United States had infringed its own law which prohibits the dispatch if its soldiers to participate in battles between other foreign countries. To rebut the accusation that it had infringed its own laws on American diplomat stated that the American soldiers concerned were merely instructors of the Thai Special Force 399.
In summary, it can be said that although the Yodaya SURASI (143) military exercise had not specifically named the targeted enemy, there is incontestable evidence that the exercise was aimed at Myanmar as its enemy. The principal objective of their military exercise was to keep their troops combat ready at the border and using eradication of narcotic drugs as a pretext, had timed the military exercise with their military intrusion into Myanmar sovereign territory to attack Myanmar army outposts.
In our view the SURASI (143) military exercise conducted with its secret agenda has had an adverse effect on the friendly relations between the two countries. Moreover, it has created misunderstanding between the Yodaya Government and its Armed Forces.
Blacklisting of 15 Yodaya Columnists : Furthermore it has been brought to our notice that because one of our Myanmar historians Dr. Ma Tin Win has been writing articles to reveal the truth about Myanmar -Yodaya history , she has been blacklisted by Yodaya. So, we also declare the blacklisting of 15 Yodaya columnists who have been writing articles with intent to sow discord between the leaders of our country; between our people and our Armed Forces; to destroy the unity between the Government and the national groups who have made peace, and who have been meddling in our country's internal affairs with falsehoods and rumours.
Myanmar Citizens Tortured : At about 12 noon on 8 July 2002, one Pho Lin, age 28 years (son of U Ko Thein) was returning from the distillery plant of Par Hut Ward in Mae Sai where he worked when he was accosted by a Yodaya soldier in camouflage uniform when he arrived at the jetty in Hsan Hsaing Ward of Mae Sai which is opposite to Pa Hlyan jetty on the Myanmar side of the common border, approximately (0 900784). The soldier asked him whether he was a Bama or a spy dispatched by the Myanmar Army. He replied that he was a Bama but not a spy for the army. Nevertheless the Yodaya soldier bound him with ropes, hit him with the butt of his rifle and also slashed him repeatedly with a knife on his body, left cheek, right arm, chest, the top of his head, his eyebrows, lips and back. He has now been hospitalized at Tachilek Hospital and is being treated for his injuries.
The next case concerns one Ma Su age 18 years, who worked as domestic help in the house of a rich factory owner in Lopburi District in Central Yodaya. On 10 July 2002 Ma Su was unjustly accused of stealing a gold chain and was cruelly beaten by her employer. He then ordered three Yodaya men to bum her to death. Fortunately for the girl one of the three men was kindhearted enough to put out the flames, take her home and treat her bums. Then following his employer's instructions he took her to U Htani District, about 120 miles away from Bangkok and abandoned her at the roadside. According to testimony given by doctors she has serious bums on 54 percent of her body including her chest, back, and both hands. It is said that part of her hands may have to be amputated. These two incidents have been cited to show how much some Yodaya members of the Armed Forces and Yodaya citizens nurse hatred and hold grudges against the Myanmar people.
Moreover, we wish our people to know that the thousands of illegal immigrant Myanmar workers who work in Yodaya are not only, not paid full and adequate but that they are also frequently beaten and mistreated.
Whenever the Chief of Defence Services tours the states and divisions to inspect Tatmadaw units, attention is paid to verifying the Tatmadawmen's familiarity with the soldier's ethics as set out in the booklet. Especially the ethics of Tatmadawmen to be observed in dealing with the people are to be memorized and put into practice. Some of these are:
Show respect and loyalty to the people.
Safeguard the life and property of the people.
Be polite to the people. Be pleasant, soothing and cool like the water and the moon.
Uphold the interests of the people at all times.
Personally we have served in various light infantry and infantry regiments for long periods over many years, but have never had or heard of any cases of a Tatmadawman molesting any girl or woman. Official procedures also exist for violators of military discipline. All Tatmadawmen of all ranks have to attend training courses where military discipline is stressed.
Such licentious behaviour is common among mercenaries and insurgents. There have been many instances of insurgents finding sanctuary in border areas who live recklessly, bully the local populace and molest women without any thought of how they themselves might feel if their own kin had been victims. It is clear that the SURA drug-trafficking subversive insurgents themselves have molested or raped women of Shan Nationality and that faced with defeat and unable to find a way out, they are resorting to blaming their own misdeeds on the Tatmadawmen. The two American Congresswomen have made their ill-advised statements, based on the insurgents' false allegations and fabricated propaganda. Maj-Gen Kyaw Win then firmly reiterated that the Tatmadaw is the patriotic Armed Forces that would never hesitate to lay down their lives in the service of the nation and the people.
Minister for labor U Tin Win, Maj-Gen Kyaw Win, Police Brig-Gen Zaw Win and Daw Khin Aye Win replied to queries raised by the journalists. The press conference concluded at 10.45 am.
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