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BurmaNet News: December 22, 1994



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BurmaNet News: Thursday, December 22, 1994

Issue #85


QUOTE OF THE DAY:

For her own good and for the good of the country she had to 
be restrained in order to prevent her from promoting the 
cause of these unsavory political elements who found their 
way and got themselves into positions of influence around 
her to create disunity among the only unified establishment 
left in the country, the tatmadaw (military), 

				Ohn Gyaw, SLORC Foreign Minister explaining why
				Daw Aung San Suu Kyi must be held under house
				arrest.


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

1 NATION: SLORC TELLS REASON FOR SUU KYI'S DETENTION
2 NATION: DOCUMENT THAT KEEPS SUU KYI UNDER ARREST REVEALED BY SLORC
3 BKK POST: PLAN TO EVACUATE VILLAGERS OVER FIGHT IN BURMA
4 NATION: DOCUMENT THAT KEEPS SUU KYI UNDER ARREST REVEALED BY SLORC
5 BKK POST: BURMA BEGS HELP TO FIND MISSING TROOPS
6 BKK POST: STUDENTS REINFORCE DAWN GWIN
7 HEAVY CASUALTIES AS BURMA FORCES ATTACK KAREN REBEL STRONGHOLD
8 BKK POST: AMNESTY CLAIMS HUMAN RIGHTS NO BETTER IN BURMA
9 NATION: 	TOP AIDE OF DRUG WARLORD KHUN SA READY TO BE EXTRADITED TO
		U.S. TO FACE CHARGES
10 BURMANET: LO HSIENG HAN RUMOURED TO HAVE BEEN ASSASSINATED
11 BKK POST: 6 ARRESTED OVER ARMS TRAFFICKING 
12 NATION: BAY OPENS RANGOON BRANCH
13 UNATTRIBUTED: RANGOON MUST STOP RIGHTS ABUSES

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**************************************************************  
NATION: SLORC TELLS REASON FOR SUU KYI'S DETENTION 
December 21, 1994

Yozo Yokota, UN Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights 
on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma, in a letter dated Oct 5 to 
Burmese Foreign Minister U Ohn Gyaw, asked the Burmese military 
government for its response to a summary of allegations of human rights 
violations in Burma.

Yokota also asked U Ohn Gyaw to reply to questions concerning the fate 
of detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the ongoing National 
Convention. Below is U Ohn Gyaw's response to the queries concerning 
Aung San Suu Kyi, now in her sixth years of house arrest since being 
detained by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) on july 
20, 1989.

Please specify the reasons, including reference to specific legal 
authority, for keeping Daw Aung San suu Kyi under house arrest after 20 
July 1994, and please indicate precisely when the Government intends to 
release her.

The Myanmar (Burmese) authorities, in the statements made since action 
had to be taken against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, made known the reasons for 
restraining her:

(a) That she had been included by anti-government, opportunistic 
politicians and insurgent groups in their attempt to seize political 
power for their own end, at  a time when a political vacuum developed by 
the people's genuine desire to forsake the socialist economic system and 
their yearning for the return to a multi-party democratic system:

(b) For her own good and for the good of the country she had to be 
restrained in order to prevent her from promoting the cause of these 
unsavory political elements who found their way and got themselves into 
positions of influence around her to create disunity among the only 
unified establishment left in the country, the tatmadaw (military), 
which was endeavouring to stabilize the situation created by the 
political vacuum;

(c) Despite repeated caution on the part of the authorities, she made 
seditious speeches inciting the people to acts of violence and to cause 
division within the armed forces and division between the armed forces 
and the people.

The specific legal authority for restraining Aug San Suu Kyi is the 1975 
Law to Safeguard the State against the Dangers of Those Desiring to 
cause Subversive Acts. Under this law, if there are reasons to believe 
that any citizen has done or is about to do any act which infringes the 
sovereignty and security of the State or Public peace and tranquility, 
the Council of Ministers is empowered to pass an order, as may be 
necessary, restricting any fundamental right of such person.

Also, under section 10(b) and section 14 of this 1975 Law to Safeguard 
the State against the Dangers of \Those Desiring to Cause Subversive 
Acts, there is the legal basic for the restraint of Aug San Suu Kyi 
after 20 July 1994. Under this Law the Council of Ministers may pass an 
order as may be necessary restricting any fundamental right of a citizen 
if there are reasons to believe that he has committed, or committing, or 
is about to commit, any act which infringes the sovereignty and security 
of the State or public peace and tranquility. To exercise such power a 
Central Body, consisting of the Minister for Home Affairs as Chairman, 
and the Minister for Defence and the Ministers for Foreign Affair as 
members has been formed. The Central Body in passing restriction order 
for safeguarding the State against dangers has the following powers:

(a) Arresting and detaining a person for a period not exceeding 60 days 
at the time, up to a total of 180 days;

(b) Restraining a person up to one year.

If is becomes necessary to extend the period of detention or restraint, 
the Central Body may be authorized by the Council of Ministers to detain 
or restrain a person for a period not exceeding one year at a time, up 
to a total of five years.

In accordance with section 13 of the Law, the Central Body shall obtain 
the prior sanction of the Council of ministers if it is necessary to 
continue the restraint of the person against whom action is taken for a 
period than contained in section 10 (b). Hence, the Central Body can 
restrain a person for one year with its own mandate under section 10 (b) 
of the Law, and with the prior sanction with the Council of Ministers, 
can extend the period of restraint for five years in accordance with 
section 14 of the Law.

In view of the foregoing, there is the legal basis for restraining Aug 
San Suu kyi after 20 July 1994 of the 1975 Law to Safeguard the State 
against the Dangers of Those Desiring to Cause Subversive Acts.

Please describe in as much detail as possible the present status of Aug 
San Suu kyi's physical health. Regarding her physical wellbeing, other 
than being allowed to move outside her compound, she is free to live as 
she wishes with- in her property and enjoy all other privileges. She 
lives as she pleases, listens to the radio, watches television, reads, 
writes, exercises, signs and plays the piano and guitar. She always had 
one maid to help her.

#She has no social difficulties. She can meet freely with her im- 
mediate family, and since the beginning of her restraint, her hus- band, 
Mr Michael Aris, has visited her nine minutes, her elder son Alexander 
five times, and her younger son Kim eight times. She is allowed to write 
freely to her family and receive correspondence and parcels from them.

# She can meet freely with relative who came to meet and live within her 
compound. She can also invite revered monks to her house to offer alms 
to them.

# Apart from giving Congressman Bill Richardson the opportunity to meet 
with Aug San suu kyi two times when he last visited Myanmar, 
arrangements were made for her mother-in-law, Mrs Evelym Aris, on her 
arrival in Yangon on 28 October 1994, to send a week together with Aug 
San suu kyi.

# Aug San suu Kyi is in a good health.

Please detail the government's position with regard to maintaining 
dialogue with Aug San Suu kyi, indicating the time frame the Government 
intends to follow in this regard. The Chairman of the Slorc, Senior 
General Than Shwe, and first Secretary Kin Nyunt, met with Aug San suu 
kyi on 20 September 1994. Subsequently another meeting took place 
between Lieutenant General  Khin Nyunt and Daw Aug San Suu Kyi on 28 
October 1994. Brig General Than Oo, the Judge Advocate General, and Brig 
General Tin Aye, the Inspector General of the Defence Services, were 
also present at the meeting. Such meetings are expected to take place 
again. Meetings with Daw Aug San Suu Kyi are regarded as purely an 
internal affair of Myanmar. (TN) 


************************************************************** 
NATION: DOCUMENT THAT KEEPS SUU KYI UNDER ARREST REVEALED BY SLORC 
21 December, 1994

While international speculation is running high about the immi- nent 
release of Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese junta 
has for the first time described in detail the rele- vant law that can 
be enforced to prolong her house arrest for the next few years.

The lengthy one-and -a -half-page explanation of the 1975 Law to 
Safeguard the State against the Dangers of Those Desiring to Cause 
Subversive Acts-the main legal authority used to put Suu Kyi under house 
arrest since July 20, 1989- could kill any hope of her release, 
speculated for January 20 when her detention term is supposed to expire 
after its 60-day extension from July 1994.

The legal mechanism was described in response to a letter writ- ten by 
Yozo Yokota, a UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in 
Burma. Prior to his human rights mission to Burma in November, Yokota 
wrote a letter to Burmese Foreign Minister  U Ohn Gyaw requesting him to 
identify the "specific legal authority" for keeping Suu Kyi under house 
arrest after July 20 1994, and to indicate when the Burmese junta or the 
State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) intends to release her.

IN Ohn Gyaw's reply, a copy of which has been obtained by The Nation, it 
was explained that Suu Kyi has been put under house arrest "for her own 
good and for the good of the country" and "to prevent her from promoting 
the causes" of anti-government elements who "got themselves into a 
position to influence [being] around her [in order] to create disunity 
among the only unified establishment left in this country, the Tatmadaw 
[military] ". Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner and daughter of 
Burma's independence hero Aung San, was also accused of having been 
under the influence of "anti-government, opportunistic politicians and 
insurgent groups in their attempt to seize political power for their own 
ends" and of making "seditious speeches inciting the people to acts of 
violence and to cause division in the armed forces and division between 
the armed forces and the people".

The Burmese minister said there is legal basis for detaining Suu Kyi 
after July 20 1994 based on Section 10 (b) and section 14 of the 1975 
law.

To exercise the power, a "Central Body" composed of ministers for home 
affairs, defence and foreign affairs has been formed to pass "the 
restriction orders".

 The Central Body , according to Ohn Gyaw, has the power of "arresting 
and detaining a person for a period not exceeding 60 days at a time, up 
to a total of 180 days" and "restraining a person up to one year."

Moreover, the Central Body can obtain a sanction by the Council of 
Ministers "to continue the restraint of the person against whom action 
is taken for a period longer than contained in section 10 (b)".

In accordance with Section 14 of the law, the council of Ministers may 
also permit a detention permit for "a period not exceeding one year at a 
time up to  a total of five years". "In view of the aforementioned, 
there is legal basis for restraining Daw Aung San Suu Kyi after 20 July 
1994 based on section 10 (b) and section 14 of the 1975 Law to Safeguard 
the State against the Dangers of those Desiring to Cause Subversive 
Acts," said Ohn Gyaw.

The described law is seen by some Burma watchers and political analysts 
here as a self-made excuse for the Slorc to continue Suu Kyi's unlawful 
detention for an indefinite period, until and unless she poses no threat 
to the military's survival and omnipotence.

U Rewatta Dhamma, an exiled Burmese Buddhist monk who met both Suu Kyi 
and Slorc leaders during his recent trips to Burma and who worked out 
their bilateral dialogues, said recently in South Korea that both sides 
are working on conditions for Suu Kyi's freedom and that he was hopeful 
for her early release. In his response, Ohn Gyaw said the Suu Kyi-Slorc 
meetings in September and October, which are geared towards resolving 
the country's political crisis, "are expected to take place to again" 
and that the bilateral talks "are regarded as purely an internal affair 
of Myanmar [Burma]". The Slorc had previously ignored Suu Kyi's repeated 
calls for dialogues and otherwise belittled her. The Burmese minister 
also rejected several charges of human rights abuse, especially in the 
cases of forced labour and porterage, saying "forced porterage, the use 
of civilians as labourers in Myanmar has been practiced since the time 
of colonial rule, under laws promulgated by the British".

 He said civilian labourers used by the Burmese military are paid with 
"daily wages" and given travelling warrants or cash to cover the cost of 
transport. Moreover, they are provided with other recompense including 
accommodation, "medical coverage and social welfare benefits."

A civilian labourer receives "a daily wage of 20 kyats [Bt 0.80]" and 
rations of 28 ounces of rice, 1.75 ticals of cooking oil, 1,75 ticals of 
salt, five ticals of split peas, and five ticals of saltfish, he 
claimed.

Numerous porters and civilians who fled across the Thai-Burmese border 
have shared the same account of being forced to work on several 
construction projects for the Burmese military without any payment or 
compensation. They said they had to provide their own food and medicine 
as well as tools or equipment for construction.

Ohn Gyaw said it has always been part of the Burmese culture for the 
people "to donate labour for the building of pagodas, monasteries, roads 
and bridges." (TN)
************************************************************** 
BKK POST: PLAN TO EVACUATE VILLAGERS OVER FIGHT IN BURMA 
December 22, 1994

Preparations haven been made for the evacuation of some 1,600 border 
villagers after Burmese government troops shelled the Karen National 
Union's Kaw Moo Ra camp yesterday. The people of Mae Pa, Huay Kalok and 
Pak Huay Mae Pa villages, which are 2-3 kilometres from the border, Mae 
Sot district officer Kasem Vattanatham said.

A new site 10 kilometres from the border has been prepared and the 
villagers will be evacuated if fighting continues. They will be provided 
with food and drinking water there. The people of 15 other villagers 
have been warned not to cross the border into Burma. A 24-hour tight 
security has been imposed for the area around the villages.

The Third Army Region has sent a 105mm artillery piece to Wang Kaew 
village, across the border from Kaw Moo Ra camp. Warning shots will be 
fired if there is an intrusion into Thailand.

Border Patrol Police reported that some 1,000 Burmese government 
soldiers pounded Kaw Moo Ra camp with about 200 rounds of artillery 
shells.

Four Burmese government soldiers were killed.

Burmese government troops have recruited more porters from border 
villages to transport arms and ammunition to the fighting zone and they 
may resort to crossing the border into Thailand in order to attack the 
camp from behind, sources say. Thai border officials arrested four 
Burmese porters yesterday morning. They sent them back in the afternoon


************************************************************** 
BANKOK POST: BURMA BEGS HELP TO FIND MISSING TROOPS 
December 21, 1994

Government forces in Southeast Burma have requested Thai help in finding 
four of their men who went missing during an assault on a Karen guerilla 
camp near the Thai-Burmese frontier, Thai and Burmese army sources said 
yesterday.

Two Burmese officers were killed and 17 soldiers wounded on Monday 
during an assault on the Karen guerilla stronghold of Kaw Moo Ra, on the 
west bank of the Moei river, the sources said. The river forms the 
border with Thailand.

Burmese officers met their Thai counterparts in the Burmese border town 
of Myawaddi yesterday to request Thai help in locating the missing 
soldiers.

The Burmese apparently thought the four might have crossed the Moei into 
Thailand, he said.

A Karen guerilla officer on the border said his men defending Kaw Moo Ra 
had on Monday spotted a column of government soldiers advancing to 
within 300 metres of their stronghold during a government artillery 
barrage and attacked them with mortar bombs.

The 1,000 defenders of Kaw Moo Ra, including Karen guerillas and 
dissident Burmese students, were preparing for more government attacks, 
the Karen officer said.

Government forces launched the heaviest attacks in more than two years 
on Karen positions last week, apparently taking advantage of a mutiny by 
400 Buddhist fighters in the 5000- strong Christian-led  Karen guerilla 
army. Burmese forces captured one Karen camp and the headquarters of  
dissident student guerillas to the north of Karen's Manerplaw 
headquarters and made unsuccessful attacks on a key defensive position 
to the south. (BP)    


************************************************************** 
BKK POST: STUDENTS REINFORCE DAWN GWIN 
December 19, 1994

Student rebels said yesterday reinforcements were joining thedefence of 
their  jungle headquarters, under fire from Burmesegovernment troops 12 
kilometers away . Minn Aung Myint of the All Burma Students Democratic 
Frontsaid in a telephone  interview 300 students and 1,000 allies from 
the Karen ethnic minority had been  sent to fortify theheadquarters, 
defended for days by 700 students.

Although the Burmese government had declared a ceasefire  in1992 against 
armed  ethnic groups , the students believed thegovernment restored to 
the attack with  AK 47 rifles, grenadesand artillery to force them into 
negotiations to end the irinsurgency.

Minn Aung Myint said a number of Burmese soldiers had beenkilled or 
wounded but  he did not have exact figures. He saidnone of the students, 
dug in on a hillto p, have been woundedin the skirmishes.

Minn Aung Myint said it appeared the government side also wasbringing  
in more  troops yesterday.

The Democratic Front was formed by Burmese students who fledthe capital 
of Rang oon after the military junta crushed a prodemocracy uprising in 
1988, killing h undreds of protesters. Itsince has joined forces with 
other rebels who have been demanding greater autonomy from Burma's 
central government.

The Burmese government has persuaded about a dozen rebelsgroups to lay 
down the ir arms in recent years. It has stoppedup attacks this past 
year on those who have  refused to followsuit.

Meanwhile, the Burmese Buddhist monk who has been acting as amediator 
between the  government and detained opposition leaderAung San Suu Kyi 
arrived in Rangoon  yesterday, officialsources said.

He is hoping to meet again with Mrs Suu Kyi, who has beenunder house 
arrest since  1989.

U Rewata Dhamma knows Mrs Suu Kyi's family well and is widelyrespected 
among the  Burmese leadership.

He last visited Burma in August, when he met with Mrs Suu Kyiand senior 
junta  leaders Than Shwe and Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt.Since then, the leaders 
have met twice  with Mrs Suu Kyi, inSeptember and October.

It is widely believed the opposition leader will be freedearly next 
year. U Rew ata Dhamma remains one of the few peoplethe junta allows to 
meet with Mrs Suu  Kyi in her lakesidehome. (BP)


************************************************************** 
HEAVY CASUALTIES AS BURMA FORCES ATTACK KAREN REBEL STRONGHOLD 20 
December 1994 [This is either from the BKK Post or The Nation but was 
sent without attribution]

 BURMESE government forces are believed to have suffer heavy casualties 
yesterday after they attack they main base of ethnic minority Karen 
guerrillas in southeast Burma, a guerrilla source said.

Government troops fired more than 2000 mortor bomb at the Karen's Kaw 
Moo Ra base, located on the west bank of the Moei river, which form the 
border with Thailand, yesterday morning. Sporadic fighting continued 
into the afternoon.

Three Karen soldiers were wounded when Burmese infantry made an 
unsuccessful assault on the camp, 100km southeast of the guerrillas' 
Manerplaw headquarters, the Karen sources said. Burmese casualties were 
believed to be heavy, he said.

KNU, the most powerful guerrilla force fighting Rangoon for greater 
autonomy within a federal Burma, was this month rocked by a mutiny by 
about 400 Buddhist fighters in the 5,000-strong Christian-led force.

Guerrilla officials say the Slorc has taken advantage of the crisis to 
launch attack on several guerrilla positions in southeast Burma, 
including a key defensive position about 20km south of Manerplaw.

Last Wednesday, Burmese forces captured the headquarters of dissident 
Burmese student fighters, allied with the KNU, at Dagwin 40km north of 
Manarpalw.

The fighting was the heaviest since 1992, when the junta made an 
unsuccessful attempt to capture Manarplaw and then said it was 
suspending operations against the guerrillas in the interests of 
national reconciliation.

The junta has so far been unsuccessful in its attempts to win a 
ceasefire with the KNU, as it has done with 13 other guerrilla armies. 
KNU leader Gen Bo Mya said late last month he was willing to send a 
delegation to Rangoon for talks.




************************************************************** 
BKK POST: AMNESTY CLAIMS HUMAN RIGHTS NO BETTER IN BURMA 
December 21, 1994

Amnesty International, renewing its call for the immediate release of 
all prisoners of conscience in Burma, has said it sees no significant 
improvement in the human rights situation there. In a 24-page report 
received here yesterday, the London-based human rights monitor said 
there had been "no fundamental change in [Burma's] attitude towards 
respecting the basic human rights of its citizens".

It expressed concern that "certain well-publicised events", such as 
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's meetings with a US congressman and 
members of the ruling junta, "should not draw attention away from the 
ongoing human rights violations." It referred to serious health problems 
among detainees as well as incidents of ill treatment by authorities.

The report asked that all prisoners of conscience be immediately and 
unconditionally released, a full list of detainees be published and that 
proper medical attention be provided to all prisoners.

 It also called for commutation of death sentences, release of civilians 
forced by the military to work as unpaid labourers or porters and 
granting of full and free access to international human rights and 
humanitarian bodies.

"Whereas the Slorc took a number of tentative steps to indicate to the 
international community a willingness to address the human rights 
situation in Myanmar, it at the same time reinforced its repressive hold 
within the country," Amnesty International said.

The report acknowledged the officially reported release of more than 
2000 political prisoners since 1992, but stated that political detention 
"continues to be a major tool of repression used by the SLORC (State Law 
and Order restoration Council)." Hundreds of political prisoners 
arrested since the pro- democracy movement began in 1988, including 28 
members of the 1990 parliament-elect which was never seated, remained in 
detention, it recalled.

At least 60 students and perhaps as many as 200 were arrested at 
December 1991 demonstrations seeking the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. 
forty-six were known to have been given jail terms ranging between 6 and 
20 years.

"The Slorc continues to intimidate its citizens and discourage them from 
exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and 
assembly by arresting anyone involved in political opposition 
activities," the report said.

Regarding Aung San Suu Kyi, now in her sixth year of house arrest, the 
group said it was concerned her widely-publicised meetings with junta 
leaders "may be simply an attempt by the Slorc to gain international 
respectability."

Ethnic minorities continue to suffer from human rights violations, in 
the context of both the junta's operations against armed opposition 
groups and its work on large construction projects.

"Such human rights violations include extra-judicial killings, torture 
and ill-treatment, forced porter duty for the (army), forced unpaid 
labour on construction projects and forced relocation of villages," the 
report said.

It accused Rangoon's ongoing national convention to draft a new 
constitution of tailoring provisions to exclude the possibility of Aung 
San Suu Kyi becoming president. Delegates were not allowed to discuss 
provisions freely, it added. (BP)  

************************************************************** 
NATION:	TOP AIDE OF DRUG WARLORD KHUN SA READY TO BE EXTRADITED TO 
		U.S. TO FACE CHARGES 
December 21, 1994

One of Burmese opium warlord Khun Sa's 10 leading lieutenants arrested 
here last month has expressed his "willingness" to be extradited to the 
United States to face drug charges of trafficking in 1,000 kilogrammes 
of heroin into that country. However, the final decision on the group's 
US-requested extradition will rest on a ruling by the Thai court, which 
will open trial to consider the issue once it receives evidence from 
Washington on the trafficking charges.

The Us has 60 days beginning from the date of last month's arrest to 
collate and translate into Thai all relevant evidence and documents 
against the 10 suspects who are being held in Bangkok under a renewable 
court detention order.

In an interview on Monday, Pol Lt gen Somchai milindankura, commissioner 
of the Police Department's Narcotics Suppression bureau, said one of the 
10 suspected traffickers has expressed his "willingness" to be 
extradited.

Somchai did not reveal the suspect's identity, and said he did not know  
if the suspect's proposal to be extradited stemmed from a personal 
belife in his own innocence.

He said eight of the group were found to hold "genuine" Thai identity 
documents but the other two have no "legal" papers. Thai authorities, 
however, still must establish if the group are Thai nationals or 
investigate how they obtained official Thai documents. A senior US 
Embassy official in an interview last Friday said that the 10 suspects 
were "basically Chinese" and carried no "official Thai documents.

Somchai said that if the court rules against their extradition, the US 
can instead send more evidence and other related information here for 
the Thai court to prosecute the group. The US Embassy official has 
expressed doubts if the suspects could be prosecuted under the Thai 
conspiracy law as the case "is very complicated and sophisticated" and 
Thailand will need more time to deal with it".

The conspiracy law, which was introduced and enacted in only 1992, is 
very strong but judges, prosecutors and police still need to be trained 
to "grab financiers and mafia chiefs_ real bad people, instead of small 
fish" he said.

Thailand has in the past extradited foreign suspects and repatriated 
foreign convicts but never any Thai nationals. The US had previously 
asked Thailand to help capture drug suspects and traffickers but the 
arrest of Khun Sa's 10 top men is the largest group ever requested by 
Washington.

Under two bilateral agreements _ the 1992 Extradition Act and the 1993 
Ttreaty relating to extradition_the United States in early November had 
requested the Thai Government's help to arrest and extradite a group of 
20 drug suspects wanted on charges of trafficking 1,000 kilogrammes of 
heroin into the US, particularly New York City, over the past 20 years.

The 10 suspects arrested in separate raids on Nov 27 and 28 in Chiang 
Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son and Bangkok, have been identified as Na 
Tsai-kuei, wholesale heroin broker and refinery manager, Chao Fu-sheng, 
heroin sales representative and procurer of refining chemicals; Kuo 
Famou, finance officer, Liu Feng-te, Khun Sa's chief representative in 
Mae Hong Son; Liu's deputy Chang Te-tsai; Lo Te-ming, logistics manager 
and one of Khun Sa's most trusted men; Meechai Pathumanee, logistics 
officer; Kao Chang-Ping, drug sales representative; Ho Min-te, refinery 
manager; and Chalee Yangwirikul, Khun Sa's right hand man for many 
years.

A joint Thai-US task force comprising Thai police, military and anti-
drug agencies and agents from the  US Drug Enforcement Administration 
(DEA), State Department, Immigration and Customs is still hunting for 
the other 10 invididuals of Khun Sa's trafficking network wanted under 
indictment warrants issued by New York City's eastern district court.

The Us Embassy official said "Operation Tiger Trap," which involved 
intensive action to collect information and track down Khun Sa and his 
drug cartel over the past two years, has managed to cripple Khun Sa and 
his 20,000-strong Mong Tai Army. He likened the impact of the 10 arrests 
to a "standing eight-count" in boxing terminology.(TN)

************************************************************** 
BURMANET: LO HSIENG HAN RUMOURED TO HAVE BEEN ASSASSINATED 
December 22, 1994

BurmaNet has picked up a rumour that drug king pin Lo Hsieng Han was  
assassinated in Kengtung, Burma.  Lo Hsieng Han, an ethnic Chinese 
warlord and former  KKY leader returned to the legal fold and is now 
referred to in the state press as a  respected elder statesman  
although outside observers maintain that his former title of  notorious 
drug kingpin remains a more accurate description.


************************************************************** 
BKK POST: 6 ARRESTED OVER ARMS TRAFFICKING  
Mae Hong Son 
December 19, 1994

Six men were last night being held in custody after policeseized a small 
cache  of weapons from a pickup truck in MaeHong Son's Muang District 
yesterday. A police team, led by Pol LtCol Rangsit 
Bambudsupparok,stopped the truck at a c heckpoint on the Mae Hong 
SonPaihighway. They found one M16 assault rifle, one  M76 hand

Police said the truck driver, Thalee Kamyong said a Karen hadhired him 
to drive  from Ban Huey Dua to Ban Mai. (BP)   


************************************************************** 
NATION: BANK OPENS RANGOON BRANCH 
December 21, 1994

BANGKOK_ The Bangkok-based Bank of Ayudhya Public Co Ltd opened a branch 
in the Burmese capital on Monday, state-run Radio Rangoon said. Local 
businessmen and senior government officials attended the opening 
ceremony, which was presided over by the Burmese revenue and finance 
minister, Brigadier General Win Tin, the radio reported in a dispatch 
monitored here. (TN)        

************************************************************** 
UNATTRIBUTED: RANGOON MUST STOP RIGHTS ABUSES 
[This was sent to BurmaNet without attribution or date.  If a reader 
recognizes the source of this document, please contact BurmaNet.]

                    IN RANGOON

The mother of a political prisoner in Rangoon said recently:  I hope my 
son will be released soon, I want him to go back to school.  Her 20-
year-old son was arrested in 1991 during a protest against the military 
regime. 

Military intelligence officers came to take him at his home in the 
middle of the night. Then he disappeared for two months. By the time his 
mother had a chance to see her son he was already in the notorious 
Insein prison, serving  a 10 year sentence.

There was no defence lawyer, no hearings and only arbitrary detention 
and a rape of justice.

                     IN THE COUNTRYSIDE  When the train stopped at 
Nyaungglebin station, I was on the train selling rice to the passengers. 
I was arrested by the police because I didn't have a licence. [This is 
often used as an excuse to arrest people or extort money from them   the 
Slorc says you must buy a  licence  to do anything whatsoever.] I slept 
2 nights in the police lockup, then they sent me to the porter group at 
No. 60 Battalion in KyaukKyi. We started to work from there. My load 
weighed 15 or 20 viss [24 to 32 kg.]. We slept one night at Mu Thet, 
then one night at Neh Gya and then we went to Byat Kyaw. We ate very 
little food each day. There was no curry and no salt, just rice 
sometimes with some yellow beans. There was no fighting on the way. I 
was beaten with a rifle butt, and the others were also beaten up by the 
soldiers. When we got to In Gone, they sent me to collect firewood and I 
escaped.  This is one story happening in the countryside everyday. 

Recent UN Human Rights Rappor-teur, Professor Yozo Yokota published a 
new report on Burma shortly after he came back from Rangoon. He will 
complete his report in the near future to submit to UN Human Rights 
Commision. 

Rangoon leaders twisted the truth in Burma during Yokota's visit. The 
Junta's mouthpiece, The New Light of Myanmar reported:  Professor Yokota 
goes on Upper Myanmar tour, inaugurates new railroad section  in the 
picture Yokota and a Slorc minister and officials are seen cutting a 
ribbon. Was it odd? What was Yokota doing there? 

There is no doubt Yokota has not had an independent investigation on 
human rights in Burma. But Yokota made the point soon after he came back 
from Burma. In his new report which was submitted to UN General 
Assembly:  Cases of torture, arbitrary killings, rapes, disappearances 
and confiscation of private property seem to be taking place most 
frequently at the border areas by military soldiers in the course of 
military operations, forced relocations and development projects. 

 The victims of such human rights violations seem to cut through all the 
social, geographical and ethnic groupings, and the most vulnerable 
groups seem to be ethnic national populations, women, children, 
peasants, daily wage earners and other peaceful civilians who do not 
have enough money.  Not surprisingly Rangoon strongman Khin Nyunt denied 
all charges. He said,  Allegations of human rights violations in Burma 
are fabrications by rebels and dissidents, and are believed by those who 
are ignorant of the real situation in the country.  Then he continued,  
Roads, rails, bridges and irrigation dams have been built with the 
cooperation of the people, greatly benefitting the local people.    pard 
PRESSURE MUST W  ORK  We must not forget the fact that Burmese people 
have been suffering under Ne Win's so-called socialist regime for almost 
3 decades and worse still, their sufferings continue under Ne Win's 
adopted sons.   Will these power hungry Khaki-leaders suddenly change 
their minds and see the light? Have the leopards truyly changed their 
spots?  Most Burmese dissidents who have experienced bitterness under 
the military regime for years say,  ...more pressure must be applied.   
Recently, a well-known Burmese dissident spoke to us. When asked his 
opinion of the conciliatory approach to the junta he said,  There is no 
reason to appease the repressive regime but to keep strong pressure and 
aggressive international protests.                   

************************************************************** 
BEST BRAINS LOST TO SLORC'S BURMA 
December 20, 1994 [This is either  from the Bangkok Post or The Nation, 
but which is not clear]

STUDIES have shown that you need the support of at least two of the 
Three interest groups (military, professionals and general populace) to 
develop third world countries. Slorc has the support of only the Burmese 
army.

Burma needs trained economists to plan and implement its economic 
development policies. Indonesia had the "Berkeley Mafia", Chile had MIT 
economists and Maxico had Harvard economist. The reason Burma does not 
have trained economists is because arbitrary rule by the country.

Twenty years ago a Burmese economist with a Phd from MIT was kicked out 
of Burma because he was not "pure" Burmese. His MIT PhD got him job 
offers from Princeton and Columbia. Travelling as a stateless person he 
was unable to get to America in time to accept the Princeton offer. He 
is now a full professor at Columbia University. Recently he refused to 
meet with a Slorc delegation because he knew Burma had no future under a 
military dictatorship.

Burma has many other outstanding economists. One of them served as an 
economic adviser to President Nixon. He was the first Asian to serve on 
the very prestigious three member Council of Economic Advisers. There 
are many other outstanding Burmese in America. But none of them would 
volunteer their service until there is a political settlement in Burma.

The message we want to send to Slorc is sincere and very simple.. they 
should understand that educated, civilized people will not get involve 
in Burma's reconstruction so long as the country;'s elected leaders are 
held under detention without trial, and without any formal charges.

Even one of the Slorc's strongest supporters is sounding as bit 
disappointed with Slorc. In a recent Wall Street Journal article (Nov 
29), A. Cushman May, a director of Peregrine Capital Limited of Hong 
Kong, stated that "Slorc is trying hard, but its hard for them to grasp 
the concepts of reform." Burma is divided because Slorc is incapable of 
genuine political and economic reforms. Burma's future depends on an 
equitable political settlement between Slorc, Aung San Suu Kyi and the 
ethnic leaders. There is no other way to facilitate and expedite 
freedom, democracy and economic development in Burma

                                        Myint Thein 



************************************************************** 
NATION: BEWARE MYINT 
December 22, 1994

If they had not already from his other voluminous production of waste in 
The Nation letters column, Myint Thein, self-pro- claimed "senior 
Adviser to the Burmese Resistance," gives us a pretty good early 
estimate of what his idea of the "democrat- ic" alternative is to the 
Slorc in his Dec 14 letter "Business ban call". In a previous letter, Mr 
Thein had threatened to blacklist The Nation and other newspapers as 
"Slorc accompli- ces" if they dared print any material favourable to the 
Slorc. In the business ban letter, he gives us a further taste of what 
the "Burmese Resistance's" idea of the law is when he states that when 
he and his clique take over they will invali- date all contracts with 
the Slorc including those of Unocal and Total. This shows the low level 
of respect that Mr Thein has for the law and, I might add, suggests what 
a vindictive and arbitrary person he is, rather than someone who is 
truly fair-minded and democratic seeking to reconcile "his" country. I 
have been reading Mr Thien's absurd and self-serving letters for years, 
since the Thai newspaper letter columns are a free "printing press" for 
him to let out his periodic geysers of hot air. I have duly noted his 
obvious thirst for political power for himself and his Burmese 
Resistance cronies, which hardly differentiated them from the group 
presently in power which he is bent on attacking. If people like Mr 
Thein ever come to power in Burma, it will be an even sorrier day for 
the troubled country. Burma has never realized its potential greatness 
in modern times. What is required is truly law-abiding and democratical- 
ly-minded people committed to national reconciliation-not powermongers 
such as Mr Thein who talk about ripping up contracts with foreign 
investors and launching witch hunts against perceived enemies of himself 
and his faction. (TN)



*********************************************************
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
 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 EAST ECONOMIC REVIEW
 IRRAWADDY: NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY BURMA INFORMATION GROUP
 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-RUN NEWSPAPER, RANGOON)
 S.C.B.:SOC.CULTURE.BURMA NEWSGROUP 
 S.C.T.:SOC.CULTURE.THAI NEWSGROUP
 SEASIA-L: S.E.ASIA BITNET MAILING LIST
 SLORC: STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COMMITTEE
 USG: UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
 XNA: XINHUA NEWS AGENCY (PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA)
**************************************************************