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BurmaNet News: November 12, 1994




************************** BurmaNet ************************** 
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
************************************************************** 
BurmaNet News: Saturday, November 12, 1994
Issue #61

************************************************************** 
Contents:

NATION: LETTERS--RESISTANCE READY TO STRIKE A DEAL
BURMANET: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (x2)
BURMANET: SLORC ON SUU KYI MEETING
BURMANET: EMIGRATION POLICY FOR BURMESE STUDENTS CHANGED
BURMANET: CAMPAIGN INFORMATION PACKS AVAILABLE
S.C.B.: OF RHETORICS AND REALITIES
NATION: JAPAN TO RESUME AID TO BURMA
BKK POST: JAPAN SAID TO RESUME BURMA AID
JAPAN TIMES: POLITICIANS' GROUP SEEKS RELEASE OF SUU KYI
BKK POST: TRAIN TRIP FROM HELL
THE AUSTRALIAN: BURMA GRABS TIGER'S TAIL OF DEMOCRACY

************************************************************** 
NATION: LETTERS--RESISTANCE READY TO STRIKE A DEAL
Saturday, November 12, 1994

SLORC is engaged in delaying tactics and cosmetic posturings. In
October 1994, SLORC Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw met twice with the
UN Under Secretary-General Marrack Goulding. In the first week of
November, a senior American delegation visited Burma. On both these
occasions SLORC refused to give a commitment to restore democracy
and respect human rights in Burma.

SLORC's National Convention is an absolute farce. If 25 per cent
military representation in both houses of parliament is the only
obstacle, we may be able to negotiate an agreement. However, SLORC
also wants exclude educated people from becoming the president of
Burma. A presidential candidate must have lived continuously in
Burma for 20 years. Many people in Burma received their advanced
education overseas in their 30s and 40s. Many of these educated
people are excluded from the political process. This and many other
exclusionary regulations makes SLORC's constitution as absolute
farce. Not only does SLORC want 25 per cent military
representation,
they also want the remainder to be puppets of SLORC.

The Asian Development Bank states that "the government of Burma
has expressed its intention of liberalizing the economy and giving
a
bigger role to the private sector ... but significant progress
along these
lines has yet to be made. The Economy, remains highly regulated."
The IMF staff report last year stated that Burma is merely making
a
tentative start to market orientated policies and has avoided the
major
reforms that are sorely needed. Apart from the generals and their
families getting rich in corrupt deals, SLORC's economic reforms
have
not benefited the general populace.

It is becoming clear that unless SLORC is removed there will be no
freedom, democracy or economic development in Burma. Given this
hard reality the Burmese Resistance is willing to negotiate the
following if the American government will help restore freedom and
democracy in Burma:

(1) Provide the US a naval base in the Coco Islands. Subic Bay-type
facilities will be provided to the US Armed Forces under a 30-year
lease in return for foreign aid of $300 million per year.

(2) Full and complete co-operation in drug eradication activities
including the stationing of an airborne cavalry regiment with
attack
helicopters to monitor drug activities in Burma.

Myint Thein
Senior advisor to the Burmese Resistance
Dallas, Texas, USA


************************************************************** 
BURMANET: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (x2)
November 12, 1994

As Burma's military attache in Bangkok, Col. Thein Swe's duties
include maintaining contacts with Thai security officials as well
as keeping an eye on the numerous Burmese exiles in Thailand.  His
opponents amongst the pro-democracy exiles regard him as a
competent, if less than loveable intelligence operative.  It now
appears that some Thai security officials view him similarly.

BurmaNet has a report that Col. Thein Swe was initially declared
persona non grata in December 1993, for his efforts to penetrate
the Thai Supreme Command.  Being declared persona non grata would
have resulted in his expulsion from Thailand.  According to the
information BurmaNet has, the Thai authorities reversed their
initial decision, preferring to avoid a direct conflict with an
ally.  Instead, Thai counter-intelligence officers began following
Col. Swe in an effort to gather information which could be used as
leverage against him.  What they quickly found was that the Colonel
has certain exotic tastes.

In what is surely a case of sending sand to the seashore, Bangkok
has experienced an influx of Russian prostitutes since the
disintigration of the Soviet Union.  It seems that the Thais
photographed Col. Swe with two of these young Russian women at the
Amari Airport hotel, which is adjacent to Bangkok's Don Muang
Airport.

If the photos can be obtained, they will be digitized and posted to
the alt.binaries.pictures.erotica newsgroups in the JPEG format
with instructions for retrieval cross-posted to soc.culture.burma.

Earlier this year, BurmaNet reported an incident at a diplomatic
function in Bangkok in which Col. Thein Swe was quoted as
disparaging Aung San Suu Kyi.  Responding to a question about when
she would be released, Col. Swe, who had been drinking, was
reported to have said that "the bitch will die where she is." Col.
Swe has denied making that comment.


************************************************************** 
************************************************************** 
BURMANET: SLORC ON SUU KYI MEETING
November 13, 1994

[The following article is extracted from Burma's state-run English-
language newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar.  Beginning this week,
BurmaNet will begin publishing articles from NLM.  Selected
articles, along with occasional reports from TV Myanmar and Radio
Rangoon will be compiled for weekly distribution in BurmaNet's
"Voice of SLORC." --Editor]


NEW LIGHT OF MYANMER: CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE LAW AND ORDER
RESTORATION COUNCIL AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE SERVICES
SENIOR GENERAL THAN SHWE MEETS DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI
Wednesday, September 21, 1994 (2nd Waning of Tawthalin, 1356
ME
MNA

[Photo caption #1: Chairman of the State Law and Order
Restoration Council Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services
Senior General Than Shwe and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at No. 1
Defence Services Guest House. --MNA
#2: Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council
Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Than
Shwe and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after the meeting. --MNA]

YANGON, 20 Sept -- The Chairman of State Law and Order
Restoration Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence
Services Senior General Than Shwe met Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
this morning at the No. 1 Defence Services Guest House.

It was learnt that it was a cordial meeting at which Lt-Gen
Khin Nyunt, Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order
Restoration Council was also present.

************************************************************** 
S.C.B.: OF RHETORICS AND REALITIES
Nov  8, 1994

Posted by an140413@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


Mingalar-bar Khmyar...

This morning BBC Burmese program ran a commentary by Larry Jegen(?)
on the latest development in Burma. Some interesting points:

- many (foreign policy) analysts now agree that the isolation
policy of western countries (esp. the US) proved to be not only
ineffective in dealing with SLORC but helped force it closer in
ties to China, and 
- under pressure from their own business community, who senses vast
economic potential in Burma, these western governments have started
to review and (in many cases) quietly moved away from their
previous policies and some have already resumed dealing with SLORC.

At last, money matters, and who cares about democracy and human
rights in this world...

Just a thought. Any comments?

Kyan-mar  Gya barzay...


************************************************************** 
BURMANET: EMIGRATION POLICY FOR BURMESE STUDENTS CHANGED
November 13, 1994

Thailand's policy on Burmese students seeking to resettle in third
countries underwent a revision this summer and the new policy is
being implemented.  One of the most important changes is that there
is a "first-come-first-served" policy of processing resettlement
petitions.  In the past, students would fill out the applications
and when it was approved, move to the "Safe-area" at Ban Maneloi. 
The students were thus able to minimize their time in the camp,
with some departing within two weeks of their arrival.  This
apparantly caused some resentment by students who entered the camp
before their application was approved because they would see other
students who entered the camp after them leave before.

The new policy redresses this because it mandates that resettlement
requests be processed in order of arrival at the camp, first in-
first out.  However, the new policy is also a serious cause of
concern to some students.  Here is a letter that the Canadian
Embassy in Bangkok sent to one of the students:

*********
Canadian Embassy      (Canadian Seal)    Ambassade du Canada
                                         Date : 02 November

Employment and                           Emploi et
Immigration Canada                       Immigration Canada


Dear Applicant,

        This refers to your application for immigration to Canada.

        The government of Thailand has now advised us that only
Burmese refugees who have already reported to the Burmese Student
Centre at Ban Maneeloy (Ratchburi) may apply for Immigration as
refugees. This means that we will be unable to begin dealing with
safe area camp authorities.

        Please advise me whether you intend now to proceed to the
camp or not. If you do go, your name will be sent to us by the Thai
authorities and this will enable us to deal with your application.
If you do not go, we will have no choice but to close your file.

        Please understand that this is not a decision taken by the
Canada Embassy but by the Thai authorities. You should also
understand that reporting to thes not guarantee your acceptance to
Canada. It only gives you the opportunity to be interviewed.
Whether or not your application is approved,  depends.



                                             Yours Sincerely,

                                             Counsellor
                                             Immigration

Immigration Section, 
PO Box 2090, 
Bangkok 10501 Thailand. 
Tel: 2384452

*********

The student in question is worried.  As he puts it:

     As you can see, the embassy does not say if the students
     will be accepted.  What should they do for their future?
     Thailand is at present the best friend SLORC has.  Also
     in the past, (in 1989), the Thai government arrested many
     students and "sold" them to the Burmese government for
     5,000 Bt each. Therefore how can we now trust the Thai
     government.


BurmaNet will publish more information about the new policy as it
becomes available.

************************************************************** 
BURMANET: CAMPAIGN INFORMATION PACKS AVAILABLE
November 12, 1994

A subscriber has asked that the following notice be distributed:

     University groups interested in doing Burma campaigns can
     now get information on how to organize actions on campus,
     push for selective contracting on campus, and receive a
     listing of Burma activist groups in the US and abroad. 
     If your group has been doing work on Burma such as media
     on campus, we would also be interested in incorporating
     your materials into this information pack.  For a "CP
     Pack" write to or call:

     CPP
     25 West St.
     Boston, MA.  02111

     617-426-3040 Ask for John Hill or Kevin Messinah

     Please order a CP Pack-it's a great way of setting up a
     university network to campaign against human rights abuses in
     Burma.

If you would like to order the CP Pack by e-mail or contact this
group, send a note to strider@xxxxxxxxxxxx

************************************************************** 
NATION: JAPAN TO RESUME AID TO BURMA
Saturday, November 5, 1994
Tokyo, AFP

The Japanese government plans to resume official development
assistance to Burma which has been virtually frozen since the
1988 coup in Rangoon, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported
yesterday.

The leading business daily said the aid is aimed at helping
to promote democracy in Burma.

Japan is likely to provide grants of Y1 billion to Y2 billion
(US$10 million to US$20 million) in the current fiscal year
for medical facilities and other humanitarian work, the daily
said.

But it will not resume a full-scale yen loan to Burma because
the country's leading pro-democracy campaigner, Nobel Peace
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, remains under house arrest, it
said.

The Japanese foreign ministry said Japan was considering ways
of cooperating with Burma, but declined to confirm or deny
the report.

The ministry added tht Japan gave credit to the recent
contracts between the Burmese junta and Suu Kyi.

************************************************************** 
BKK POST: JAPAN SAID TO RESUME BURMA AID
Saturday, November 5, 1994
Tokyo, AFP/REUTERS

The Japanese government plans to resume official development
assistance to Burma virtually frozen since the 1988 coup, the
Nihon Keizai Shimban reported yesterday.

It said the aid is aimed at helping promote democracy in the
country.

Japan is expected to provide grants of one billion to two
bllon yen (US$10million-$20 million) for reconstructio of 
medical facilities in Rangoon, replacement of medical
equipment and other humanitarian endeavours, the daily said.

However, Japan will not resume full-scale yen loans to Burma
as its pro-democracy opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has
yet to be released by the ruling junta, the daily said.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi officials said yesterday that nearly
95,000 Burmese Muslim refugees have returned home, leaving
more than 156,000 still crammed in 16 Bangladesh camps.

They said 5,000 refugees known as Rohingyas, had been leaving
every week since last month after a tripartite agreement
among Dhaka, Rangoon and the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees.

The Rohingyas fled to southeastern Bangladesh in early 1992
to escape alleged military persecution in west Burma's
Muslim-majority state of Arakan.

************************************************************** 
JAPAN TIMES: POLITICIANS' GROUP SEEKS RELEASE OF SUU KYI
Thursday, November 3, 1994

An interparty league of politicians calling for the release
of prodemocracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi by the ruling
military junta in Myanmar held its inaugural meeting on
Wednesday.

The league, made up of 81 parliamentary members from the
House of Representatives and House Councilors, chose Takashi
Kosugi, a Lower House member of the ruling coalition's
Liberal Democratic Party, to act as chairman, members said.

Lower House member Yukio Hatoyama of New Party Sakigake, also
a coalition bloc member, was chosen to be managing director,
they said.

On Oct. 17, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono urged Myanmarese
Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw to resolve the issue of releasing
Suu Kyi and to transfer power from the military junta to a
civilian government.

The junta seized control of the Southeast Asian country after
suppressing prodemocracy demonstrations in 1988.

It placed Suu Kyi under house arrest in 1989 for allegedly
endangering public security.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a land-slide
victory in the 1990 general election, but the junta refused
to accept the results.

Suu Kyi has met with top officials of the junta twice, first
on Sept. 20 and again on Oct. 28, for the first time during
her five-year house arrest.

Suu Kyi, 49, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

A senior Foreign Minister source said Japan will expand
medical, sanitary and other fields of humanitarian assistance
to Myanmar during this fiscal year, which ends in March,
because the military junta has begun dialogue with Suu Kyi.

Tokyo will pump money into medical facilities and water
supply systems in Myanmar, the source said.

Japan stopped large-scale development aid to Myanmar when the
junta took power in 1988, but has paid Yen 24 million in
humanitarian assistance in four instances, including for
relief from hunger and malaria.

************************************************************** 
BKK POST: TRAIN TRIP FROM HELL
Saturday, November 5, 1994

SIR: WE have just returned from Burma. It was our third trip,
going previously in '87 and '88. Improvements are everywhere
it seems. Accommodations in the capital are very nice and
reasonable now. Our trip was enjoyable, except when we took
the train to Mandalay. This was without a doubtain
Trip from Hell.

Going up was OK; like riding a horse at times, but we laughed
and joked about it. It "loped" because of the deteriorated
tracks. Coming back was a different story.

We happened to get the one "upper class" car that was broken.
Our end of the car felt like the undercarriage, wheel and
spring assembly, was completely unbolted from the car. All
night long we were sleepless and literally being thrown out
of our seats. Some landed in the isle on their feet. There
were several points at which theca lft the ground an went
into the air, coming crashing down with a bone crunching slap
onto the wheels again. We were in fear of our lives, thinking
we may actually be tossed out the windows, or that the car
would leave the tracks and turn over any second. I had to
actually hold onto my seat underneath with all my strength in
order to stay in it. People were bruised severely, and back
injuries were a real concern.

I finally forced myself to my feet and took one of our party
forward to another car because she has back trouble and had
just spent three months in bed. There I discovered that the
other cars weren't jumping around at all, just the gentle
rocking and "horse" motion.

Next I attempted, in vain, to get the attendants to come back
and see what was happening. At the next stop, I begged them
to go to the front and inform the engineer that the train was
broken and in danger of derailing . They wouldn't go,
apparently fearing for their jobs. We had to endure further
five hours of terror, completely out of with the
engineer. Upon arrival at Rangoon Station, we made a formal
complaint to the station manager, urging him to not let that
car return that day to Mandalay. He quietly wrote it down in
his book, assuring us that he would report it to his head
office. We left feeling certain the car would continue in
service, terrorising and beating its prisoners.

The same week werea there, a new airlines began flights to
Mandalay with new French-Italian aircraft and captain.

Going again, so anonymous

************************************************************** 
THE AUSTRALIAN: BURMA GRABS TIGER'S TAIL OF DEMOCRACY
September 29,  1994
by Philip Smyth

"Why would a military junta with one of the world's worst
records on human rights agree to talk to a Nobel peace
laureate? Aung San Suu Kyi meeting with Burma's generals has
excited great interest"

It came as a complete surprise when Burma's military junta
announced that key officials -- Chairman Senior General Than
Shwe and intelligence chief Major General Khin Nyunt -- had
held a cordial meeting this month with Aung San Suu Kyi, the
democracy leader who has been under house arrest.

Although officials of the junta -- which calls itself the
State Law and Order Restoration Council -- had canvassed the
possibility of such a meeting, this news had been greeted
with scepticism, as the junta had never practiced what it
preached, or followed through with its promises.

Scepticism about SLORC's apparently softened stance only
deepened when it was learned that the junta had secretly
detained five dissidents -- including activists of Suu Kyi's
party -- at the end of July. They each face 20 year's
imprisonment. A meeting with Burma's best-known dissident was
also being canvassed at a time when the National Convention
-- organised and controlled by the SLORC, and dismissed by
Suu Kyi as "an absolute farce" -- reconvened after a five-
month recess. At this reconvened convention the junta stated
its wish that 25 per cent of the parliamentary positions in
the Upper and Lower Houses be appointed by the military.
Against such an uncompromising background, why would the
junta apparently change its attitude and meet Suu Kyi?

No outside observer can give a precise answer to this
question, as the junta has always hidden its true intentions.
One can only speculate about the reasons for such a meeting
after carefully pondering the political developments and
incidents leading up to it.

There have been numerous unconfirmed reports that the Chinese
are secretly building stations for naval intelligence and
surveillance in Burma' maritime territory in order to gain a
foothold in the Indian Ocean. The SLORC has strenuously
denied that it has given China this access. Yet there are
also reports of a recent visit to Burma by the commander of
China's Chendu military region, General Li Jiulong. That
visit was followed by a reported incident in which the Indian
navy seized in its waters three cargo vessels flying the
Burmese flag with a total of 55 Chinese crew. Indian military
planners have had strong suspicions that China is building up
a naval presence in Burmese waters.

In this context, it may be that the Burmese junta is noly yielding
to Chinese pressure. In its international isolation, the junta has
become increasingly reliant upon Chinese support, notably for
weapons. Moreover, recent reports suggest that China and India may
have quietly resolved the naval issue, averting a collision between
these two Asian superpowers, and that India is co-operating with
China to pressure the SLORC into seeking a peaceful solution
in Burma.

It is in the interests of both countries to try tothe
return of peace and stability to Burma. An unstable Burma
only adds to the troubles in India's Assam region, which
borders on Burma and suffers from an influx of drugs and the
AIDS virus. Similarly, China's Yunnan province also pays a
price for its liberal cross-border arrangements with Burma.
It suffers the ravages of corruption, widespread drug abuse
and an alarming increase in AIDS infection.

The view that Burma is now feeling Chinese pressure is lent
weight by the fact that when the intelligence chief, Khin
Nyunt, visited the People's Republic early this month, the
United Nations secretary-general, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, was
also in China. It was only after Khin Nyunt returned that a
meeting was hastily arranged with Suu Kyi. One strong
possibility is that Boutros-Ghali may have sought China's
influence in resolving Burma's crisis. As for China, it would
certainly not want the Burma issue to be raised in the
Security Council, where it might be forced to use its veto
power, and risk being viewed by the rest of the world as a
bullyboy of the East. There are also rumours circulating in
Rangoon that the SLORC fears an invasion by the United
States, as happened in Iraq and was threatened in Haiti.

It is interesting to speculate how Burma's reclusive
dictator, General Ne Win, might view the first meeting
between Suu Kyi and the SLORC, which he is still believed to
control from behind the scenes. After he seized power in 1962
he said, "It was like having caught hold of the tiger's tail
we could not let go. We had to go ahead to the attack."
Whether or not it has done so willingly, the SLORC has now
caught hold of the tiger's tail of democracy, and time will
only tell whether it will be permitted to go easily.

If the SLORC is being pressured, there are many formidable
obstacles it has to overcome to reach a political settlement.
How will it accept Suu Kyi? As a private individual, a Nobel
peace laureate, or as the general-secretary of the National
League for Democracy, which overwhelmingly won the 1990
elections? How will it respond to her demand that it release
NLD party chairman U Tin Oo, U Kyi Maung and other political
prisoner to enable them to join in such political
discussions? Will they continue with their sham National
Convention?

Of course, the SLORC may not be united in its aims. Reports
from Rangoon suggest that some SLORC members and regional
commanders were unhappy about the meeting with Suu Kyi. It
seems highly unlikely that any further meeting would take
place before junta members and commanders reach a consensus
on this issue and on their future.

What of the first meeting's international implications? No
doubt the SLORC's foreign minister, Ohn Gyaw, will be
relieved. When he attends the forthcoming session of the UN
General Assembly, he will be able to claim that the junta is
responding to international concerns. And the Association of
South-East Asian Nations will no doubt hail the Suu Kyi
meeting as a successful outcome of its "constructive
engagement policy", a policy which may now gain acceptance in
some Western countries, including Australia, seeking to
abandon their old policy of isolating the regime. They may
view the meeting as a green light to pursue their trade
objectives.

As for the people of Burma, their aspirations for democracy
have been greatly strengthened. In their rush to buy the
local papers for an account of the meeting, there was a near
riot. The English version of the papers, with a large picture
of a smiling Suu Kyi on its front page, fetched over twice
the official newsstand rate.

--Philip Smyth is secretary of the Overseas Burma Liberation
Front and a council member of the International Commission of
Jurists (Austr section).

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

NEWS SOURCES REGULARLY COVERED/ABBREVIATIONS USED BY BURMANET:

 AP: ASSOCIATED PRESS
 AFP: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
 AW: ASIAWEEK
 AWSJ: ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL
 Bt.: THAI BAHT; 25 Bt.=US$1 (APPROX), 
 BBC: BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
 BI: BURMA ISSUES
 BIG: BURMA INFORMATION GROUP
 BKK POST: BANGKOK POST (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)
 BRC-CM: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-CHIANG MAI
 BRC-J: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-JAPAN
 CPPSM: C'TEE FOR PUBLICITY OF THE PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE IN MONLAND 
 FEER: FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW
 JIR: JANE'S INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
 KHRG: KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP
 Kt. BURMESE KYAT; 150 KYAT=US$1 BLACK MARKET
                   100 KYAT=US$1 SEMI-OFFICIAL
                   6 KYAT=US$1 OFFICIAL
 MOA: MIRROR OF ARAKAN
 NATION: THE NATION (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)
 NLM: NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (DAILY STATE-OWNED NEWSPAPER, RANGOON)
 S.C.B.:SOC.CULTURE.BURMA NEWSGROUP 
 S.C.T.:SOC.CULTURE.THAI NEWSGROUP
 SEASIA-L: S.E.ASIA BITNET MAILING LIST
 USG: UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
 XNA: XINHUA NEWS AGENCY 
**************************************************************