Articles on M. Dobbs-Higgenson

[strider@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Received: (from strider) by igc4.igc.apc.org (8.6.12/Revision: 1.16 ) id PAA03973; Tue, 12 Dec 1995 15:41:04 -0800
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 1995 15:41:04 -0800


Forwarded from:

Michael Beer
mbeer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


The following excerpts from 4 articles provide a background on Michael
Dobbs-Higgenson about whom there was a question recently on the burmanet.
He is a greedy apologist for the SLORC regime.  He currently serves as a
consultant for the Indosuez Bank (an early entrant into Burma). If a
substantial link can be made to him and Phoenix Pictures, a boycott maybe
in order. 

  Michael Beer
****************************

                 Copyright 1995 Times Business Publications   

                                 Business Times

                            November 29, 1995

SECTION: Focus: Personal Finance & Investment; Pg. 4

HEADLINE: Keep 30% of money in cash: expert



    THE small investor should have something like 30 per cent of his money in

cash in today's fast-moving, speculative financial environment, says Michael

Dobbs-Higginson, former chairman of Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific.
 .....................

   Mr Dobbs-Higginson does not speak from a narrow perspective, for he
has seen

more of the world -and from more angles -than most other people. 



   The businessman, author and former Buddhist lay monk spent his youth studying

in Dublin, Germany and London.



   He later took up an offer to live in a Tibetan monastery, went on to build an

office block in Tokyo, became an investment banker with Credit Suisse, advised

the Liberian government on how to manage its money and eventually joined Merrill

Lynch. After leaving Merrill in 1990, he wrote the book, Asia Pacific: Its Role

in the New World Disorder.



   The world is a rapidly changing place. And the pace and degree of change will

accelerate between now and the turn of the century, he says.



   Asians have the strength to deal with such difficult circumstances, Mr

Dobbs-Higginson believes. As he points out: Asia has strong Confucian ethics,

most Asians are prepared for a tough life and they understand the importance of

flexibility.


               Proprietary to the United Press International 1995


                      September 25, 1995, Monday, BC cycle

HEADLINE: Suu Kyi speeches draw big crowds


DATELINE: RANGOON, Sept. 25


BODY:

   Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's calls for a quick transition to

democratic rule appear to be striking an increasingly responsive chord among

Rangoon residents, analysts said Monday.  Audiences at her informal weekend

speeches outside her home have increased from an average of about 700 to about

3,000 in the past few weeks. .....................Suu Kyi described two articles published

recently in the government-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper as ''biased,

acrimonious reading matter.'' One of the articles made a subtle comparison

between Suu Kyi, who is the daughter of Burmese independence hero Aung San, and

Maung Ba Than, who posed as a Burmese prince in order to help British

colonialists take control of the country in 1885.  The other article, written by

M.S. DOBBS HIGGINSON, described as a former chairman of the Asia-Pacific

division of the U.S.-based Merrill Lynch Company, ran in five installments in

the New Light of Myanmar.  The article praised the military junta that seized

control of Burma in a coup in 1992 for ''gradually bringing about order and

economic progress with comparatively little of the wholesale repressive, brutal

and corrupt practices of other regimes elsewhere in the world.''


                Copyright 1994 South China Morning Post Ltd.    

                            South China Morning Post



                                October 9, 1994



SECTION: MON; Pg. 1



LENGTH: 987 words



HEADLINE: US movie fund aims to give Asian money a starring role



BYLINE: By KAVITA DASWANI



BODY:

    ASIAN investors are being courted to put their money into Hollywood

blockbusters through a fund launched last week.



    The US$ 75 million (HK$ 579 million) Phoenix Pictures Investors, based in

the British Virgin Islands, is a private placement fund which will contribute

money to start a major film production company in Los Angeles.



    A likely rival to established names such as Orion, TriStar, Disney and

Colombia, the fund - part of the new Phoenix Pictures - has already attracted

significant interest from institutional and corporate investors in the region.  



    According to Niles Helmboldt, chairman of the fund's management committee,

the initial response has been favourable; the company was quietly introduced to

potential investors in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore last week by former

Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific chairman, Michael Dobbs-Higginson.



    About 50 high-net-worth individuals from Hong Kong gathered in the China

Club last week to hear Mr Dobbs-Higginson's sales pitch.



    Asia is regarded as the fastest-growing part of the world in importance to

the film industry - and the opportunity for investors in this region to benefit

from the lucrative US movie business is attractive.



    The minimum purchase of US$ 500,000, equal to one share, helps fund the

making of between 35 and 40 feature films over a five-year period.



    The two main Hollywood chiefs behind Phoenix Pictures are Mike Medavoy,

former production head at Orion Pictures and chairman at TriStar, and Peter

Hoffman, previously president and chief executive officer of Carolco Pictures.



    The movies for which Mr Medavoy has been responsible have won 47 Oscars and

have been nominated for more than 100.



    Investors will also own shares to a ''rights owning corporation'', which

will own copyright and distribution rights - guaranteeing continuing returns.



    Nomura Securities is co-lead manager of the fund, and the financial house's

Zurich brand will act as custodian bank

Pheonix just incorporated last week.



                CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE, CORPORATE RECORD.



NAME:  PHOENIX PICTURES INC.



TYPE OF CORPORATION:  STATEMENT AND DESIGNATION BY FOREIGN CORPORATION



CORPORATE STATUS:  ACTIVE



DATE OF INCORPORATION/QUALIFICATION:  11/21/1995



MAILING ADDRESS:  GIPSON HOFFMAN

                  1901 AVENUE OF THE STARS STE. 1100

                  LOS ANGELES, CA 90067



STATE OF INCORPORATION:  DE



REGISTERED AGENT:  LAWRENCE BERNSTEIN



REGISTERED OFFICE:  10125 W. WASHINGTON BLVD

                    PENTHOUSE

                    LOS ANGELES, CA 90232



TAX-BASIS:  STOCK



CORPORATE NUMBER:  1899182



TO ORDER OR FILE CORP DOCUMENTS OR FOR REGISTERED AGENT SERV. CALL 800-634-9738






Michael Beer
mbeer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx