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RSF/Burma, Voa/HydroElectric Burma,
- Subject: RSF/Burma, Voa/HydroElectric Burma,
- From: cd@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 03 May 1996 12:08:00
Subject: Re: RSF/Burma, Voa/HydroElectric Burma, Voa/Nichols
>From Paris, UVI.net,
Metta, Dawn Star
Headline: Burma / Protest RSF : International Day of the Free Press
Headline: BURMA/ARREST: VOA Report arrest of Suu Kyi?s Friend
Headline: HYDROPOWER PROJECT ATTRACTS INVESTORS TO BURMA
Headline: Burma / Protest RSF : International Day of the Free Press
Keywords: REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERES
Date: 3 May 1996
Source: RSF2@xxxxxxxxxxx (REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERES),cd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Paris - (UVI.net) Burma, China and Vietnam are countries of South East Asia,
cited in the 1995 Annual Report of RSF, Reporteurs Sans Frontières, marking
the 7th International Day of the Free Press for the defense of journalists
around the world. 51 journalists were killed, as oppposed to 103 journalists
killed in 1994.
RSF, in their 1995 annual report, published today, cites some 149 countries
worldwide marking incidents of various forms forms of pressure, murder,
torture and abuse of journalists. China is particularly criticized for
having arrested and condemned dozens of journalists for having violated
Chinese " state secret " laws. Elsewhere, since January 1st, ten journalists
have been killed, (seven in Algeria) and 106 remain in prison.
___________________________________________________________________________
His Excellency General Than Shwe
President State Law and Order Restoration Council
c/o Ministry of Defence
Signal Pagoda Road
Rangoon
Burma
___________________________________________________________________________
Paris, 16 April 1996
Your Excellency,
Reporters Sans Frontières, a worldwide independent organisation working to
defend press freedom, wishes to strongly protest against the additional
prison sentence imposed on two journalists.
According to our information, on 28 March 1996 Win Tin, former Hanthawati
newspaper editor and Myo Myint Nyein, What's Happening magazine editor were
given additional sentences of five and seven years respectively. They were
found guilty of passing information to Professor Yozo Yokota, the United
Nations Special Rapporteur for human rights in Burma about ill-treatment and
poor prison conditions. The trial took place in camera in Insein Prison, were
they are both serving sentences. They had no legal counsel during the
proceedings, which is contrary to international fair trial standards.
Those sentenced may have been charged solely for exercising their rights to
contact the outside world as provided for in Articles 37 and 39 of the UN
Standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners. 19 other prisoners
were also sentenced on the same grounds and in the same conditions.
In a former protest, Reporters Sans Frontières called on you to immediately
stop the ill-treatment of Myo Myint Nyein and Win Tin and to provide them
with proper medical care and access to their families. Our organisation also
called for the immediate and unconditional release of Myo Myint Nyei and
Win Tin, who had not committed a crime punishable by such a prison term.
We reiterate these requests, and point out that reprisals against those who
provide information to representatives of United Nations human rights bodies
are contrary to UN Commission on Human Rights resolution 1994/70.
We thank you for your attention and would welcome your comments.
Sincerely,
Robert Ménard
General Secretary
C.C :
Burmese Embassy, Paris - French Embassy, Rangoon - AFP - AP - Reuter -
Amnesty International - Article 19 - Canadian Committee to Protect
Journalists - International Committee of the Red Cross - United Nations
Commission on Human Rights - Committee to Protect Journalists - International
Federation
of Human Rights - International Federation of Newspaper Publishers -
International Federation of Journalists - Fund for Free Expression - Index
on Censorship - International PEN - International Press Institute -
International Organisation of Journalists - UNESCO - World Press Freedom
Committee.
REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERES
Sécrétariat international
5, rue Geoffroy Marie 75009 Paris - France
Tel: (33) 1 44 83 84 84 - Fax: (33) 1 45 23 11 51 - Email
rsf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<hr>
Headline: BURMA/ARREST: VOA Report arrest of Suu Kyi?s Friend
Keywords:
Date: april 30 1996
Source:DAN ROBINSON, VOA
BANGKOK - BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT RECENTLY ARRESTED A MAN IT
SAYS PROVIDED FINANCIAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE TO DEMOCRACY FIGURE
AUNG SAN SUU KYI. THE ARREST OF JAMES NICHOLS, A 65-YEAR-OLD
BURMESE CITIZEN OF BRITISH BACKGROUND, HAS PROMPTED CONCERN IN
SEVERAL EUROPEAN CAPITALS.
BEGINNING IN THE 1970'S AND UNTIL RECENTLY, JAMES NICHOLS
ACTED AS A FORMALLY-RECOGNIZED, AND LATER DE-FACTO REPRESENTATIVE
IN BURMA FOR A NUMBER OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
FINLAND, DENMARK, AND SWITZERLAND USED HIM AS THEIR MAIN CONTACT
PERSON IN RANGOON -- AUTHORIZED IN SOME CASES TO ISSUE VISAS.
NORWAY APPOINTED HIM AN HONORARY CONSUL-GENERAL -- A POSITION HE
HELD UNTIL THE EARLY 1980'S WHEN HIS STATUS WAS REVOKED FOR WHAT
RANGOON SAYS WAS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
IN MID-APRIL, THE BURMESE MILITARY GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED MR.
NICHOLS HAD BEEN ARRESTED FOR POSSESSING ILLEGAL TELEPHONES AND
FAXES AND SAID ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST HIM UNDER BURMESE
LAW.
MR. NICHOLS IS ALSO WIDELY-KNOWN TO HAVE CLOSE TIES WITH BURMESE
DEMOCRACY LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI, AND IS REPORTED TO HAVE HAD
GOOD CONNECTIONS WITH MEMBERS OF BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT.
SINCE HER RELEASE FROM HOUSE ARREST LAST YEAR, AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S
RELATIONS WITH THE MILITARY HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY TENSE, WITH
THE RULING JUNTA RESTRICTING HER ACTIVITIES, AND ARRESTING
MEMBERS OF HER NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY (N-L-D).
BURMESE DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS SAY MR. NICHOLS NEVER TRIED TO HIDE
HIS TIES TO AUNG SAN SUU KYI, AND HAD LOANED HER A CAR. THEY SAY
HE HAD NO FORMAL CONNECTIONS WITH THE N-L-D.
BUT, IN ITS LATEST COMMENT BURMA'S MILITARY ALLEGES MR. NICHOLS
PROVIDED -- WHAT IT CALLS -- GENERAL EXPENSES FOR AUNG SAN SUU
KYI. AN OFFICIAL COMMENTARY ALSO ALLEGED HE HAD CONTACTS WITH
OVERSEAS OPPONENTS OF BURMA'S MILITARY GOVERNMENT.
DIPLOMATS FROM DENMARK, NORWAY, FINLAND, AND SWITZERLAND FLEW TO
RANGOON RECENTLY TO CONVEY THEIR GOVERNMENT'S CONCERN ABOUT MR.
NICHOLS.
THE GROUP INCLUDED NORWAY'S CHARGE D'AFFAIRES IN
SINGAPORE, A FINNISH DIPLOMAT, AND THE SWISS AND DANISH
AMBASSADORS IN BANGKOK WHO ARE ACCREDITED TO BURMA
THEY WERE REFUSED PERMISSION TO SEE MR. NICHOLS, AND A REQUEST TO
MEET BURMA'S FOREIGN MINISTER WAS ALSO TURNED DOWN. DIPLOMATIC
SOURCES SAY THEY ASKED FOR MR. NICHOLS TO BE RELEASED, FOR THE
TIME BEING, ON GROUNDS OF POOR HEALTH.
SCANDINAVIAN DIPLOMATS SAY THEIR RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENTS ARE STILL
EVALUATING INFORMATION OBTAINED DURING THAT VISIT. THEY DO NOT
RULE OUT A POSSIBLE FUTURE JOINT PROTEST TO BURMA'S MILITARY
GOVERNMENT.
THE DIPLOMATIC SOURCES ALL DECLINED TO SPECULATE ON ANY
ACTIVITIES MR. NICHOLS MIGHT HAVE CARRIED OUT ON BEHALF OF
DEMOCRACY ADVOCATES IN BURMA. THE SOURCES SAY FOR NOW, HE SHOULD
BE RELEASED ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS.
AUNG SAN SUU KYI HAS SO FAR NOT MADE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT THE
ARREST OF MR. NICHOLS