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BURMA POLICY CONFERENCE IN WASHINGT



Subject: BURMA POLICY CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ON MAY 14

Dear Burma Democracy Activists, 

This is to let you know about a: 

PUBLIC CONFERENCE ON U.S. POLICY TOWARDS BURMA

Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is
holding a conference which is open to the public on May 14, 1996 in
Washington, D.C.  The line-up, which will include many top-level U.S.
policy-makers including Senator McConnell, is listed below.  The conference
will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Kenney Auditorium of SAIS,
which is located at 1740 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.  The
entrance fee is $10 (payable at the door, includes breakfast and lunch) but
you must make reservations before the conference beforehand.  To make
reservations, fax the following information to (202) 663-5782  attention:
Lois Weiss.  They are requesting reservations on or before May 10, so act fast. 

Your name
Your organization
Your telephone number
Your fax number

Do not send this information to me at this e-mail address!  If you need
additional information, call SAIS at (202) 663-5600 and ask to be connected
to the Southeast Asian Studies Department.   It's important that many of us
who feel strongly that additional pressure and sanctions are the way to
persuade SLORC attend, in order to make sure that our view is represented
and carries the argument.  This will also be an excellent chance to find out
who the oil companies and other special interests who want to engage in
Burma have lined up to be their front men in their effort to try and finesse
their reprehensible support (throught their dollars and their actions) for
SLORC.   So please plan to attend!    

Here's the line-up:  

"Burma/Myanmar Today and American Policy"  

A conference to discuss the merits of 'constructive engagement' with Burma's
SLORC vs. isolation (and possible imposition of sanctions) as a means of
advancing U.S. interests in Asia. 

8:30 - 9:15   Registration & Continental Breakfast  

9:15   Welcome and Introduction

9:30 - 12:00  First Panel: "Burma Today"

Current political and economic situation in Burma, with special attention to
human rights, the status of minorities, and international narcotics
trafficking.  Status of foreign direct investment; attitude of international
financial institutions; and policies of ASEAN, Japan, China and European
countries. 

Chair:  Lorne Craner, President, International Republican Institute

Participants of Panel: 

Mike Jendrzejczyk, Washington Director, Human Rights Watch/Asia
Douglas Paal, Asian Pacific Policy Center (invited)
Douglas Rasmussen, Division Chief for Asia, Bureau of International
Narcotics    Matters, Department of State
David Steinberg, The Asia Foundation
Harn Yawnghwe, Editor, Burma Alert

12:00 - 1:30  Keynote Speaker:  Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), introduced
by                                   SAIS Dean Paul Wolfowitz 

1:30 - 4:00  Second Panel:  "US Policy: Engagement or Isolation -- What Works?"

Chair:  Ken Wollack, President, National Democratic Institute

Participants:  

Sein Win, Prime Minister, National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma
Ernest Bower, Executive Director, US-ASEAN Council for Business
Robert Hathaway, Professional Staff Member, House International Relations
Committee
Aryeh Neier, President, Open Society Institute/Burma Project
Tom Vallely, Director, Harvard Institute of International Development,
Indochina                        Project
Eric Schwartz, National Security Staff (invited)