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BurmaNet News: June 28, 1996
- Subject: BurmaNet News: June 28, 1996
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 04:16:00
-------------------------- BurmaNet -------------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: June 28, 1996
Issue #455
Noted in Passing:
"Human rights is just a word and democracy is a dream
but a large river begins with a small drop of rain."
(see: THE SECOND DAY OF "UNCLE
LEO'S ONLINE-MEMORIAL")
HEADLINES:
==========
NLD: NLD PAPER ON ECONOMICS
US REP BYRON RUSHING: REMARKS AT MASS BURMA BILL
AP: MASS. BANS TRADE WITH BURMA
THE NATION: BAD PRESS HITS HARD AT TOURISM IN BURMA
THE NATION: DENMARK SEEKS EUROPEAN UNION STAND
THE NATION: US WILL TALK TO BURMA IN BID TO DIFFUSE CRISIS
W.J.NICHOLS: "A LETTER TO MY FATHER"
NANDO TIMES: BURMA ALLOWS MEMORIAL FOR CONSUL
LETTER: "BIOGRAPHY OF MR. JAMES LEANDER NICHOLS"
THE INDEPENDENT: LEO NICHOLS (OBITUARY)
ANNOUNCEMENT:"UNCLE LEO'S ONLINE-MEMORIAL"
AP: WORK PERMIT FOR BURMESE IN THAILAND
US REP BYRON RUSHING: REMARKS AT MASS BURMA BILL
AP: MASS. BANS TRADE WITH BURMA
REUTERS: NEW ROHINGYA INFLUX AND UNHCR IN DILEMMA
BBC TV: "INSIDE BURMA" & "PORTRAIT OF COURAGE"
AP: DRUGS IN BURMA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NLD: NLD PAPER ON ECONOMICS
"NLD PAPER ON ECONOMICS"
ISSUED AT THE END OF THE NLD CONGRESS MAY 26 - 28, 1996
(BurmaNet Editor's Note: During the NLD Congress in May, the NLD
members who attended adopted policy papers on issues such as the economy,
human rights, and legal aid committees. They also passed resolutions
urging the SLORC to release all political prisoners, thanking UN
Representative Yozo Yokota for all he has done, and asking the SLORC
to allow the Parliament elected in 1990 to be convened. BurmaNet was
able to get a copy of the paper on economics which was translated into
English and is presented in full below.)
PREAMBLE
=========
At the time of the elections, The National League for Democracy issued a
manifesto on it's attitudes on the Social, Political and Economic problems
in the country in general. Our attitude on economic matters was also expressed
there. 11 points were stated as necessary on a short term basis.
A sector by sector, long-term plan, setting out work to be carried out in the
Economic Sector was also put forward.
It has been six years since the elections and the State Law and Order
Restoration Council has, declaring a Market Oriented System, accomplished
some changes within the country and, with a view to attracting foreign
investment, formed the Myanmar Investment Commission. They have
promulgated laws felt necessary for the introduction of foreign investment
and declared an "Open Door Policy". There has also been efforts to attract
foreign investment.
However, the amount of foreign investment or the lack of foreign investment
or the wait-and -see attitude of foreign investment is quite evident.
Therefore, as the National League for Democracy feels it is time for a new
analysis of the entire situation - Social, Political and Economic - we have
here drawn up a revised manifesto based on
(a) the draft of our attitude
(b) our attitudes declared in the elections manifesto regarding the short
and long term stances for the Economy and
(c) further proposals put forward by individual experts of the NLD
(A) INITIAL TASKS
============
1.1 Priority to be given to the reduction of prices and the stabilisation
of the currency and job security.
1.2 To effectively manage the State Budget and establish reasonable
Budgetary and Financial policies.
1.3 To reassess the rates of exchange between Myanmar and Foreign
currencies and make the necessary changes with the help of the
IMF and the IFC.
1.4 Import priority will be accorded extra energy, transport vehicles
and goods conducive to the reduction of consumer prices.
1.5 To strive to expand the variety of export items.
1.6 To reassess Investment Laws and make the necessary amendments
and annulments in the laws in order to attract foreign investment.
1.7 To reschedule External Debt while, at the same time, seek more
foreign aid for the rehabilitation of the country. To strive to obtain
loans and grants from the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund.
1.8 To reassess Laws Rules and Regulations which restrict and limit
business and make necessary amendments and annulments.
1.9 To review the present Structure of Taxation of Private Enterprise.
1.10 The various sectors of the Economy must be based on a fully Market
Oriented Economic System. Particular encouragement will be given
to expedite Private Enterprise.
1.11 To permit Export Subsidies at the present for the short term and to
continue to utilise a Multiple Exchange Rate for a short term if necessary.
(B) PHASE BY PHASE IMPLEMENTATION OF ECONOMIC OBJECTIVES
=====================================================
2.1 To Privatise or to return to their former owners, National Enterprises
in the Industrial, Construction, Energy, Mining, Services
Sectors, etc....
2.2 To incorporate in the State Constitution that Private Enterprises
shall not be Nationalised.
2.3 Permits to be granted for Private and Joint Venture enterprises to
develop and do business in Gems and Mining.
2.4 To liquidate and abolish all Nationalised enterprises except those
that will cause immediate retrenchment and create an unemployment
problem. To review and amend the Investment Organisational
Structure of such Enterprises that cannot be immediately liquidated
and strictly curb all unnecessary expenditures.
2.5 To give the people security by taking full responsibility for all
currencies officially circulated.
2.6 To make widespread use of modern techniques and technology
in the fields of Public Relations, Agro-based enterprises, Trade and
Commerce and Education for the development of the country.
(C) TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION
==============================
3.1 Emphasis shall be placed on expansion and renovation of the
Transport and Communications sector to expedite and facilitate
the flow of goods and commodities with a view to the reduction
of prices.
3.2 Emphasis shall be placed on priorities to expansion of communications
in regions where development has been slow.
(D) STANCE ON FARMLAND
====================
4.1 Land Lordism shall be prohibited. The peasantry shall have the right
to own or transfer farmland.
4.2 On one hand the peasantry shall have the security of the minimal
bench price of produce which renumerates him for his cost of living
and the cost of production in line with the market system.On the other
hremuneratesments must be made for a relation between domestic and
international prices.
4.3 Permission will be granted for freedom in cultivation, storing, milling
transportation and sales of produce.
4.4 The Agricultural Banking system will be expanded with a view to
making short and long term loans and provision of grants for the
maintenance of arable land.
4.5 Emphasis shall be given to the reclamation of fallow land.
4.6 Aid and encouragement will be provided for the easy access to
and cultivation of high-yield varieties.
4.7 The state shall do it's utmost to establish more Fertilizer Factories
for the sufficiency of the fertilizer.
Widespread education campaigns shall be carried out to promote
the systematic and effective use of fertilizers and pesticides in an
environmentally friendly manner.
4.8 Priority shall be given to modern agricultural machinery.
4.9 To promote production of Export oriented produce other than
only rice and Industry based crops.
4.10 To permit land grants to the private sector for development of the
agricultural sector and fallow and free land for the cultivation of
long-term crops.
4.11 Emphasis to be placed on gaining modern expertise. To increase
the number of persons with modern expertise.
4.12 To revise the law on Nationalisation of farmland, the law on crop
rotation and the law on the protection of the rights of the peasants.
4.13 To increase the area of farmland under irrigation. To expand small
and large-scale reservoirs and irrigation systems in all ways possible
and to seek foreign aid if necessary for this purpose.
4.14 To develop water resources for cultivation and human purposes. To
spread techniques and expertise. To expand different levels of expertise
from various sources to obtain energy in the rural areas.
(E) STANCE ON FORESTS AND FORESTRY PRODUCTS
========================================
5.1 The State shall administer Environmental Conservation, prevention
of deforestation and conservation of forests.
5.2 A systematic approach for domestic use of Forests and Forestry
products shall be carried out.
5.3 Systematic implementation of Timber Extraction of Teak and other
Hardwoods and Export to be carried out in consultation and analysis
with experts.
5.4 Control of soil erosion to prevent deforestation. Reforestation,
Systematic establishment of protected forests to be implemented
on a long-term basis.
5.5 Expansion and review of cultivation and distribution of timber for
domestic and industrial use.
5.6 Contact with various international organisations for modern
techniques and expertise for the upgrading of technology,
machinery and equipment necessary for the Forestry Sector.
5.7 To establish reasonable rules and regulations for the right of
local private users, Industries which who depend upon the
Forest Industry and Forestry workers to utilise Forestry products.
5.8 To carry out, according to the laws, the necessary requirements
for the export, domestic distribution and production of finished
products from timber that is produced by the Private developers
and privately owned saw-mills.
CONCLUSION
===========
>From the Soviet Union to Myanmar, it is quite clear that there can be
no progress when the government monopolises the economy.
Implementation of that system will curtail Social and Political reforms.
When the people have to kow-tow to the authorities in all matters, it
corrupts the authorities and lowers the dignity of the people. The National
League for Democracy will strive to alleviate, as much as possible, the burden
of taxes borne by the people. The aim is to establish a society which
government interference in the various aspects of individual life is kept to a
minimum.
A regular market mechanism is required for a Market Oriented System to
flourish and for that there must be a rule of law within the country. Genuine
competitiveness can only occur when there is a Rule of Law and an equitable
judicial system. When there is a lack of this, people do not have the protection
of the law; who are aggrieved and distrust the judicial system, tend to go
outside the law.
On the obverse side, experience internationally, notes that this produces the
Rule of Persons in which authorities give preferential treatment to relatives
and close associates, giving rise to Cronyism.
This is why the League believes that emphasis must be given to first establishing
a firm Legal-Judicial Structure in order to develop a Market Oriented System.
It will be noticed that people of all political hues use the phrase "Market Economy"
It is the aim of the National League for Democracy to promote a Market Economy
that provides all the basic freedoms of human society and which opens the field
for maximum development of skills and creativity for effective development.
(unofficial translation)
************************************************************
US REP BYRON RUSHING: REMARKS AT MASS BURMA BILL
June 25, 1996
Mr. Governor, Mr. Lieutenant Governor, colleagues, and all the supporters
of the restoration of democracy in Burma: Congratulations!
1. I first became interested in Burma in February, 1993 when I read a
statement signed by Bishop Desmond Tutu and other Nobel laureates urging
support for Aung San Suu Kyi. (Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1991.) At that time she had been nearly four years in detention.
2. Burma has been under military rule since 1962. In 1988 the
indigenous democracy forces in Burma came above ground. Although student
led demonstrations were brutally repressed and a leader of the National
Democratic League, Aung San Suu Kyi, was placed under house arrest for
"endangering the state" and the military regrouped, forming the so-called
State Law and Order Restoration Council, in the elections held in 1990 the
NDL won over 80% of the vote. The SLORC refused to honor the election
results.
3. SLORC has managed to survive through revenues generated by foreign
investments and by a market for export of the nation's natural resources.
Burton Levin, the former U.S. Ambassador to Burma, says that "foreign
investment in most countries acts as a catalyst to promote change, but the
Burmese regime is so single minded that whatever they might obtain from
foreign sources they pour straight into the army while the rest of the
country is collapsing."
4. Considering the deterioration of human living conditions in Burma,
where military generals have stolen an entire country's resources and is
stealing--enslaving--its population through force, the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts should not provide contracts to companies that do business
with this dictatorship government. The Commonwealth has a history of
assisting fledgling, democratic movements throughout the world. Burma
calls on our support now. We answer with this "selective purchase" bill.
We join the movement for the restoration of democracy in Burma and we agree
to lead the states of our nation in this movement.
5. Aung San Suu Kyi has been released --technically---however, as she
puts it. "apart from my release nothing else has changed." In fact, things
are again getting worse. The junta has committed well-known human rights
violations including the systematic murder, rape, and torture of civilians,
forced labor, drug trafficking and most recently the prohibition of a
national meeting by the NLD.
6. In apartheid South Africa international economic pressure was
effective in bringing democracy to all its citizens.
7. As Bishop Tutu says, "International pressure can change the
situation in Burma. Tough sanctions, not constructive engagement, finally
brought the release of Nelson Mandela and the dawn of a new era in my
country. This is the language that must be spoken with tyrants--for,
sadly, it is the only language they understand. The courageous, committed
witness of Burma's democratically elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi ... is
an inspiration. We must ensure that because she is out of sight, she is
not therefore out of mind."
Today we take one more step to assure all the people of Burma that
although they are out of sight of the United States, Burma is not therefore
out of mind of all of us who believe in democracy.
************************************************************
AP: MASS. BANS TRADE WITH BURMA
June 26, 1996
BOSTON (AP) - Massachusetts has become the first state to prohibit its
bureaucracy from buying goods or services from companies doing
business in Burma.
Gov. William Weld signed the ban into law Tuesday. The largely symbolic
act is designed to spotlight oppression in the Asian nation, which is run by
a military junta widely criticized for human rights violations.
"We are well aware that one law passed by one state will not end the
suffering and oppression for the people of Burma," Weld said. "But it is
my hope that other states and the Congress in Washington will follow our
example and make a stand for the cause of freedom and democracy around
the world."
************************************************************
THE NATION: BAD PRESS HITS HARD AT TOURISM IN BURMA
June 27, 1996 (slightly abridged)
Reuter
RANGOON - Burma's tourism minister said the bad press the country
had received in the international media had hurt the tourism
industry just before the launching of "Visit Myanmar Year".
"The negative images created by some media are still hindering
some tourists from visiting Myanmar despite her richness in all
sorts of tourist attractions," Hotels and Tourism Minister
Lieutenant - General Kyaw Ba said.
A crackdown last month by the ruling State Law and Order
Restoration Council (Slorc) against the pro-democracy opposition
has received widespread media coverage.
Dozens of government condemned the military government for
arresting more than 250 members of Aung San Suu Kyi's National
League for Democracy (NLD) ahead of a party meeting in late May.
The Burmese government said it detained the politicians only for
questioning to avoid unrest, and released most of them after
about 10 days.
But the opposition and Amnesty International say may remain in
prison.
Kyaw Ba, who is a member of the 20-member Slorc, made the
comments as he announced a Japanese company planned to invest
US$22 million (Bt550 million) in a hotel project near Burma's
ancient ruins of Pagan.
"We all need to cooperate and work together to eradicate the
negative image and tell the world that Myanmar is politically
safe, economically stable and socially sound," he said.
After the crackdown in May, the United States urged its citizens
to curtail non-essential travel to Burma due to the possibility of violence.
***************
THE NATION: DENMARK SEEKS EUROPEAN UNION STAND ON SLORC REGIME
June 27, 1996 (abridged)
AP
DENMARK has urged the European Union (EU) to take a stand on
Burma following the death in prison of a former honorary consul
who was a close friend of pro-democracy leader Aunt San Suu Kyi.
The death of James Leander Nichols of a reported stroke last
Saturday appears to be slowly brewing into a diplomatic incident
pitting Scandinavian countries against Burma's military regime.
Danish Foreign Minister Niels Helveg Petersen said in Copenhagen
that Denmark, a member of the 15-nation European Union, had
launched an initiative to discuss the EU's position toward Burma.
Danish diplomatic sources said a meeting would be held on July 2.
Helveg Petersen gave no details, but noted that his "government
is very critical toward the military regime in Burma".
"Again and again, we have demanded real progress toward
democratisation and dialogue with all representatives of
political opinion in the country," Helveg Petersen said.
Nordic ambassadors in Southeast Asia plan to attend a memorial
service for Nichols this weekend.
William Nichols, a university lecture in Australia, acknowledged
that his father suffered poor health but told Radio National in
Australia that the unusually quick burial raised questions about
the circumstances of his death.
Nichols said he telephoned the woman who had been looking after
his father to ask about the funeral and whether she had seen the
body, but she had only seen part of his head and face.
"He had a number of stitches on his head and his face, which
could have been quite normal with reference with an autopsy being
done, but just the fact that they were unwilling to relapse the
body to the family leaves much to be desired," Nichols said.
*************
THE NATION: US WILL TALK TO BURMA IN BID TO DIFFUSE CRISIS
Rangoon urged to set political prisoners free
June 27, 1996
Kyodo
WASHINGTON - The US will hold high-level talks with Burma next
month in a bid to defuse a growing confrontation between Burma's
ruling junta and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a senior
US official said.
He said the meeting, most likely to involve US Assistant
Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Winston
Lord and a Burmese deputy foreign minister, will be held in
Jakarta on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)
Regional Forum.
The official, who requested anonymity, did not rule out the talks
being held between the foreign ministers, who will also be in Jakarta.
The official revealed that after mass arrests of members of Suu
Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) in May, Washington
warned the junta tat "there would indeed be additional steps"
taken by the United States if the situation deteriorated further.
At the same time, Washington had direct contact with Suu Kyi to
urge "a certain degree of moderation to avoid the possibility of
direct confrontation and bloodshed", the official said.
He said two US envoys were also sent to Japan and the seven Asean
countries, which pursue a policy of constructive engagement with
Burma, to explain that the "chief goal" of US diplomatic efforts
is to prevent a worsening of the situation in Burma.
The envoys did not campaign for sanctions against Rangoon, but
asked the Asean governments to voice their concerns to the junta
over the crackdown in Burma, he added.
The official, who is an expert on Burmese affairs, indicated that
Washington has adopted a somewhat softer line toward the military
rulers, but he also pointed out that Washington has not abandoned
the idea of economic sanctions.
If more NLD members or Suu Kyi was arrested or expelled from the
country economic sanctions could come into play.
Reuter adds: The US responding to the death in jail of an
honorary consul in Rangoon, has called on Burma's military rulers
to free all those being held for exercising their political
rights. State Department spokesman Glyn Davies said that
Washington had no way of verifying the official Burmese account
of the death of Leo Nichols 65, who represented the interests of
Norway and three other European countries.
*******************************************************
W.J.NICHOLS:"A LETTER TO MY FATHER"
June 27,1996
by William J. Nichols
Dear Dad,
I now know the true extent of your love for Burma. In your own loud way you
tried to make a difference and was always ready to help the needy. You have
many fans and people around the world that loved you and respected you. Yes
it did annoy me that they always made excuses for you and put you on a
pedestal. Yes we had our differences of opinion and we had our disagreements
about your continued instance to remain in Burma. I told you that I would
rather that you came to Australia where I could care for you and protect
you. Your response was that we were in different orbits. You were not a
quitter and you seemed to thrive on stress and pressure. You were a proud
man and lived life to the fullest. Yes you thought you were invincible and
lived up to your name Leo the lion.
The first seventeen years of my life with you will be treasured. You were
the best Dad a boy could ever have. You have done me proud and I hope
you are proud of me. I love you and know you loved me. The
circumstances of our lives meant that we missed out seeing each other
grow up and develop. I wrote a song for you many years ago and these
are the words.
------------------------------------------------------------------
In a world oh so far away lost in this masquerade
Thinking of his last charade not realising this escapade
Actors come and they go spinning silently in space
Imaginings fill his mind as they leave the stage.
Actors come and they go doing what they do so well
He watches on oh so confused
Until a change of scene
Aware once more of the play knowing now is his turn
He plays his part oh so well
But lost in this masquerade
We all love you very much and you will be remembered always. Yes
you are my OLD MAN and your dreams for Burma will continue in
my heart. See you later Buddy and Rest in Peace.
Your Son & Heir,
William James Nichols."
*********************************************************
REUTERS: UNCLE LEO'S FAMILY SAID......
June 27, 1996
Mr Nichols' son, Mr Bill Nichols, a lecturer at WA's Curtin
University, said he had been told that his father died in Rangoon General
Hospital at 11am on 22 June after being transferred from the Insein
prison hospital an hour earlier.
Mr Nichols said that although he believed his father had been
jailed on fabricated charges, his association with Ms Suu Kyi was not
necessarily the reason for his persecution.
He said his father had also clashed with Burma's military junta,
the State Law and Order Restoration Council, over the council acquisition
of land that had been part of a dead relative's estate.
In Perth in Australia today, Mr Nichols' family joined the Swiss,
Norwegian and Danish Governments and Amnesty International in calling
for an independent inquiry into his death.
*************************************************************
NANDO TIMES: BURMA ALLOWS MEMORIAL FOR CONSUL
June 28, 1996
from: "moe k. t." <moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
RANGOON - Burma's military government approved on Thursday a request to
hold a memorial service for an honorary European consul who died last week
while imprisoned by the government.
Relatives of James Leander (Leo) Nichols, who died last Saturday, told
Reuters the government approved the request but the service would not be
held this weekend as planned.
"We have permission to hold the memorial service. But since the churches
are fully booked right now, we expect to hold it next Saturday," one of the
people organising the service said.
Earlier on Thursday, diplomats and opposition sources said the SLORC
appeared to be putting pressure on churches not to hold the memorial
service.
Official Burmese newspapers on Thursday for the first time carried a brief
obituary of Nichols, a 65-year-old honorary consul for Norway and
representative for Denmark, Finland and Switzerland. The obituary, titled
"Asleep in Jesus," said Nichols died on Saturday without detailing the
cause. It said he was buried at a Christian cemetery on Sunday. It was the
first mention of Nichols' death in the official media.
Senior diplomats from the four countries, who had protested when Nichols
was imprisoned in April and planned to travel to Rangoon for the service,
said they would still go next week.
****************************************************************
"BIOGRAPHY OF MR. JAMES LEANDER NICHOLS"
June 26, 1996
from: phd_ ni ni <nin@xxxxxx>
James Leander Nichols Born: 8/6/31 in Rangoon Burma
Died: 22/6/96 in Rangoon Burma
Better known as Uncle Leo he was the son of George Alexander Nichols, a
Greek descendent, who owned a stevedoring shipping company, Nichols & Sons
Ltd. in Rangoon. As the Nichols' were pro-British, when the Japanese invaded
Burma during the second World War the family had no choice but to walk out
of Burma leaving their wealth behind them. Uncle Leo's father died while on
the long treck to India.
Uncle Leo went to boarding school in the hills of Darjeeling, India.
After the war the family returned to Burma where Uncle Leo was the third
generation Nichols to be working with the third generation Scandinavian ship
owners. He worked with his Uncle Jimmy Gray, manager of the company and his
brother Alexander, now deceased.
Married to his current wife Felicity in 1951, Uncle Leo took a position with
United Liner Agencies as their General manager in Rangoon. Felicity and
Uncle Leo have five children, William, David, Celia and Lorna residing with
their mother in Australia and Aileen in the United States. When Ne Win came
to power in 1962 the company was nationalised and Uncle Leo had once again
lost security.
Soon after he was appointed as Honorary Consul General for Norway, Sweden,
Denmark, Finland and Switzerland. Uncle was forced to give up the position
in 1981 when a close colleague acting on behalf of the government of Burma
was accused of corruption. Uncle was taken in for questioning for three days
while his colleague was imprisoned for many years. Uncle gave up his post,
however he continued to work representing the governments in an unofficial
capacity.
During his life he spent much of his spare time working and donating to the
sick, frail, old and young. He dedicated the last decades of his life to
helping those people less fortunate and weaker than he. Working through the
Roman Catholic Churches in Burma, Uncle Leo supported thousands of orphans
and ensured that they had the best possible opportunity to make a life for
themselves. They all loved him dearly as did all people from all corners of
the globe who had the honour of meeting him in his diplomatic capacity.
While Uncle Leo was not frantically political he had a dream for his
country. Godfather of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, he was her faithful and devoted
friend. Through her he could see hope for his country and he lusted the
freedom her determination will one day bring the people of Burma.
Uncle Leo died at the hands of the military dictatorship of Burma. Arrested
in May 1996 for, according to the military," operating and illegal fax
machine", it is believed his three year sentence was in reality punishment
for loving and helping Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
After serving two and a half months of his three year prison term Uncle Leo
died on the 22nd. June 1996 at 11 A.M. at the Rangoon General Hospital. It
is believed that he was moved from the prison hospital to RGH just one hour
before his death. A military conducted autopsy, without independent
monitoring, found that Uncle Leo had died from a brain haemorrhage.
The Funeral, which was conducted by the military, was held at Saw Bwa Gyi
Christian Cemetery. While friends and family did attend it is understood
that the military warned them not to.
At 2.00 P.M. on the 23rd. of June 1996, Uncle Leo was laid to rest. He will
be remembered as one of the great fathers of Burma and a man who's passion
for his country and his people exceeded all else.
There will be a memorial service on the 30th. of June in Rangoon
provided permission is obtained from the authorities.
by Ni Ni
**********************************************************
THE INDEPENDANT: LEO NICHOLS (OBITUARY)
26 June 1996 (excerpt)
from: debra guzman <debra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
By Derek Brooke-Wavell
Some speculated...Leo Nicols was the NLD's secret banker, but...
he and the NLD...always denied this. Indeed, he could not have
become in NLD finances in any way without making the party
vulnerable under election law. But as a successful businessman
he was able to help Aung San Suu Kyi herself, by finding her a
gardener and handyman for her house, and lending her his car on
occasion.He was an elusive, slightly mysterious figure, of mixed
parentage, who unofficially continued to represent the
interests in Rangoon of Norway, Denmark, Finland and
Switzerland - though he relinquished the official title of
consul-general 15 years ago.
Nicols was born in 1931, the offpsring of a Greek shipping
family based in Rangoon - owners of the Stevedoring Shipping
Company. He spent the Japanese occupation of Burma in school
in India. After the Second World War, in which his father
died, he returned to work in the family business with his
uncle and brother. He married his wife, Felicity, in 1951,
and they had five children - all of them now living in
Australia and the United States.
In the 1950s, he held the position of General Manager of the
United Liner Agencies in Rangoon - but the company was
nationalized in 1962 after General Ne Win came to power. It
was shortly afterwards...he was appointed Honorary
Consul-General for the three Scandinavian countries. But he
was briefly arrested in 1980 and as a result gave up his
official representation, though he was released after a few days.
In recent years, Nichols devoted himself to making money and
distributing it to worthy causes. Even though his donations
never appeared on the government lists, he quietly donated
to Buddhist, Muslim and Christian charities. He...was a Catholic.
Nichol's arrest was the first of many, for more than 250 NLD
members were detained as they prepared to attend a party
conference at Aung San Suu Kyi's house at the end of May.
Most have now been released, but a number have disappeared -
including two of those who, like Nichols, were close to the
NLD leader on a personal basis. These were her cousin, U Aye
Win and the NLD spokesman U Win Htein.
Yet it was a measure of Leo Nichols's courage...he had
always known the risk he ran by continuing to associate with
the Burmese opposition leaders - the probability of arrest
sooner or later, and the high level of mortality in Burmese
prisons, of medical causes alone. Back in 1989 he had been
picked up once before, at the time of Aung San Suu Kyi's own
detention; on that occasion he had been released, but a
Muslim businessman...arrested at the same time...died for
lack of medical treatment.
"Uncle Leo", as he was known, was no soldier or politician,
but was not willing to be a party to the regime's efforts to
isolate Aung San Suu Kyi. In death, he becomes a hero of the
democracy movement.
**********************************************************
THE SECOND DAY OF "UNCLE LEO'S ONLINE-MEMORIAL"
June 26, 1996
from: phd_ ni ni <nin@xxxxxx>
Please join me to honour "Uncle Leo's memorial" online.
Uncle Leo refused to leave Burma and he chose the path that eventually led
to his death. Because he truely loved his country and its people. It was
more open towards the end of his life his dislike for tyranny and
injustice. ***He really believed that he would see a change for the better
in Burma and dispite his nearest and dearest people's warnings which he
ignored he chose to remain in Burma. He always considered it to be his
country. ***
It is interesting to find out that he was arrested and some time later
his house was searched. He had a portable phone and a spare fax machine
which he has had for many years. For this he was charged and sentenced.
Reliable sources maintain his incaraction was for political reasons as he
was close to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and his arrest was a form of
intimidation for her.
Here I quote the words of his dearest person, he said:
"Human rights is just a word and democracy is a dream but a large
river begins with a small drop of rain. This is a struggle of right
against wrong and as history has shown eventually right and goodness
always wins."
After reading above text, could you please stop reading it and
make a pause, 2 minutes, keep silence, pray for "Uncle Leo"
mentally whatever language you use, whatever religion you hold
or no religion you hold. Please send your name back to me
saying that "I pray for Uncle Leo".
We honour "Uncle Leo".
Thank you very much in advance.
With metta and solidarity,
Ni Ni
************************************************************
AP: WORK PERMIT FOR BURMESE IN THAILAND
June 27, 1996
The government has decided to allow illegal immigrants to work legally
in half of Thailand's provinces to control them better, officials said
Wednesday.
The proposal, put forward by the country's National Security
Council, was approved Tuesday by the Cabinet.
The ruling marks an attempt by Thailand, a wealthy industrial
magnet in Southeast Asia, to come to grips with a tide of migrants
from poorer countries in search of work. They are often blamed for
social and economic problems like crime and begging.
According to Labor Ministry statistics, more than 700,000
illegal foreign workers live in Thailand. More than 300,000 come
from Burma, impoverished by decades of isolated military rule.
``It does not mean we turn on a green light for them to
immigrate into our country,'' said one Labor Ministry official,
speaking on condition of anonymity. ``But this way, we can organize
and control those who have been lurking in our country better.''
Under the decision, illegal immigrants will be able to work
legally in 39 of Thailand's 76 provinces. Most are in border areas,
particularly next to Burma, and in central industrial regions.
Employers in the agricultural, industrial, fishery and mineral
sectors are all in need of low-priced labor.
``In term of human rights, the employers should pay them the
same amount of money as Thais workers, in which case they need not
hire these illegal foreign workers,'' the official said. ``But they
won't.''
Thailand has experienced skyrocketing industrialization over the
past decade based on a free-market system and low-cost labor.
Some demographers worry that growth could fall as Thai workers
come to expect higher wages. Cheaper foreign workers are seen as a
way to keep costs down and growth continuing.
***********************************************************
US REP BYRON RUSHING: REMARKS AT MASS BURMA BILL
June 25, 1996
Mr. Governor, Mr. Lieutenant Governor, colleagues, and all the supporters
of the restoration of democracy in Burma: Congratulations!
1. I first became interested in Burma in February, 1993 when I read a
statement signed by Bishop Desmond Tutu and other Nobel laureates urging
support for Aung San Suu Kyi. (Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1991.) At that time she had been nearly four years in detention.
2. Burma has been under military rule since 1962. In 1988 the
indigenous democracy forces in Burma came above ground. Although student
led demonstrations were brutally repressed and a leader of the National
Democratic League, Aung San Suu Kyi, was placed under house arrest for
"endangering the state" and the military regrouped, forming the so-called
State Law and Order Restoration Council, in the elections held in 1990 the
NDL won over 80% of the vote. The SLORC refused to honor the election
results.
3. SLORC has managed to survive through revenues generated by foreign
investments and by a market for export of the nation's natural resources.
Burton Levin, the former U.S. Ambassador to Burma, says that "foreign
investment in most countries acts as a catalyst to promote change, but the
Burmese regime is so single minded that whatever they might obtain from
foreign sources they pour straight into the army while the rest of the
country is collapsing."
4. Considering the deterioration of human living conditions in Burma,
where military generals have stolen an entire country's resources and is
stealing--enslaving--its population through force, the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts should not provide contracts to companies that do business
with this dictatorship government. The Commonwealth has a history of
assisting fledgling, democratic movements throughout the world. Burma
calls on our support now. We answer with this "selective purchase" bill.
We join the movement for the restoration of democracy in Burma and we agree
to lead the states of our nation in this movement.
5. Aung San Suu Kyi has been released --technically---however, as she
puts it. "apart from my release nothing else has changed." In fact, things
are again getting worse. The junta has committed well-known human rights
violations including the systematic murder, rape, and torture of civilians,
forced labor, drug trafficking and most recently the prohibition of a
national meeting by the NLD.
6. In apartheid South Africa international economic pressure was
effective in bringing democracy to all its citizens.
7. As Bishop Tutu says, "International pressure can change the
situation in Burma. Tough sanctions, not constructive engagement, finally
brought the release of Nelson Mandela and the dawn of a new era in my
country. This is the language that must be spoken with tyrants--for,
sadly, it is the only language they understand. The courageous, committed
witness of Burma's democratically elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi ... is
an inspiration. We must ensure that because she is out of sight, she is
not therefore out of mind."
Today we take one more step to assure all the people of Burma that
although they are out of sight of the United States, Burma is not therefore
out of mind of all of us who believe in democracy.
************************************************************
AP: MASS. BANS TRADE WITH BURMA
June 26, 1996
BOSTON (AP) - Massachusetts has become the first state to prohibit its
bureaucracy from buying goods or services from companies doing
business in Burma.
Gov. William Weld signed the ban into law Tuesday. The largely symbolic
act is designed to spotlight oppression in the Asian nation, which is run by
a military junta widely criticized for human rights violations.
"We are well aware that one law passed by one state will not end the
suffering and oppression for the people of Burma," Weld said. "But it is
my hope that other states and the Congress in Washington will follow our
example and make a stand for the cause of freedom and democracy around
the world."
************************************************************
REUTERS: NEW ROHINGYA INFLUX AND UNHCR IN DILEMMA
June 26, 1996
By Alistair Lyon of Reuters
Amid lush green fields in sight of surf pounding in from the Bay of
Bengal, Jafar Ahmed explained why life in Burma had become unbearable.
"Twenty days before we left our village of Inn Chaung, the military took
me for forced labour," he said. "They said it was for 10 days, but they kept
me for 16."
"They tax us and make us give donations, such as logs, to their requirements.
If we can't pay, they take us to a Nasaka (border force) camp and torture us."
Ahmed, a 40-year-old labourer, said he had once spent 24 hours with his legs
held in wooden stocks at a Nasaka camp.
The Rangoon military government has long denied reports of ill-treatment
of minority Muslims, or Rohingyas, in its impoverished northern province
of Rakhine.
Now Ahmed, his wife and three children are part of a group of
six families sheltering in a hut on a Bangladeshi peninsula
separated from their homeland by the broad Naf River.
They arrived in April after paying 500 kyat (about $A4.60) or
seven times a day labourer's wage) a head for passage, including
bribes to Nasaka border troops to look the other way.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that
5,500 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh since March, while other
relief agencies say there may be up to 10,000.
The influx is something of an embarassment for the UNHCR, trying
to meet its target of repatriating the last 50,000 of 250,000
Rohingyas who fled to Bangladesh in 1991 and 1992.
The UN agency, keen to anchor the 200,000 returnees to their
villages and head off any fresh exodus, fears that any move to help
the newcomers would spur others to follow.
"If we give food to this group, we'll attract 50,000 more the
next day," UNHCR representative Canh Nguyen-Tang told Reuters in
Dhaka. "We don't want to create a 'pull' factor."
Yet the hardships cited by Ahmed and other new arrivals appear
identical to those claimed by their fellow-Rohingyas who were
accepted as refugees after the original mass flight.
Bangladesh, at first unwilling to admit the existence of any
newcomers, now says they are illegal immigrants fleeing poverty,
not persecution, and must be deported.
UN officials said economic conditions for Rohingyas, mostly
uneducated farm workers, had worsened after a cyclone in November
cut rice output by up to 20 per cent. Rangoon helped push up prices
by demanding the same rice tax as before.
"This two-way traffic of influx and repatriation has created a
very odd situation," said Dick van der Tak, representative of the
medical relief agency Medecins sans Frontieres.
"We're afraid that if everyone classifies them as economic
migrants, we'll lose sight of the context - the reasons for their
poverty and the whole human rights situation in Burma."
The UNHCR, yet to define its policy on the newcomers, hopes that
its staff stationed in mainly Buddhist Burma's neglected Rakhine
province can intercede with its military rulers to ease the plight
of Rohingyas and encourage them to stay put.
"We have organised an information campaign asking people to
return to their villages of origin and contacted the authorities to
provide transport back home," Tang said.
He argued that compulsory labour, while an issue of great
concern to the UNHCR, did not count as persecution of Rohingyas
because it was prevalent throughout Burma.
At the same time, he said, Rohingyas are not recognised as full
citizens, but only as "residents" of Burma. And they do not have
freedom of movement, needing permission from the military
authorities if they want to leave their home villages.
The 50,000 remaining refugees live under UNHCR protection in
camps run by Bangladeshi officials. They may not work, or leave the
camps without permits, but are relatively secure.
The new arrivals must seek shelter where they can and are
vulnerable to summary deportation and abuse.
In April, an attempt by a river patrol of the paramilitary
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) to force a boatful of incoming Burmese back
across the river ended in disaster.
The boatman jumped overboard in the dark, the drifting boat
capsized after getting tangled in fishing nets and 15 people - five
women and 10 children - drowned.
Anjuma, a 12-year-old Rohingya girl who arrived in the second
week of May, said she had been gang-raped by three BDR soldiers who
had previously ordered her family and six others staying in a
village near Teknaf to return to Burma.
An examination by a doctor working for an international relief
agency appeared to confirm sexual assault.
Major Lal Mohammad at BDR headquarters in Teknaf said a military
investigation was under way. "If it is true that our soldiers were
involved, they will be punished," he added.
**********************************************************
BBC TV: "INSIDE BURMA" & "PORTRAIT OF COURAGE"
June 26, 1996
There are two programs about Burma will be showed on BBC World
(TV Channel 16) at FOXTEL cable TV in Australia.
Date Time Programs
---- ---- --------
17 July 5.05 AM Inside Burma
18 July 1.05 PM Inside Burma (Land of Fear)
18 July 1.05 AM Inside Burma
20 July 5.05 PM Inside Burma (Land of Fear)
21 July 10.05 PM Inside Burma (Land of Fear)
24 July 5.05 AM Portrait Of Courage (Aung San Suu Kyi)
25 July 1.05 AM Portrait Of Courage (Aung San Suu Kyi)
27 July 5.05 PM Portrait Of Courage (Aung San Suu Kyi)
28 July 10.05 PM Portrait Of Courage (Aung San Suu Kyi)
INSIDE BURMA (Land of Fear):
Award-winning expatriate Australian journalist John Pilger and offsider
David Munro secretly made this documentary in Burma,
where a military dictatorship rules, in defiance of popular elections,
the would-be prime minister under house arrest and her followers harassed.
The doco might help prevent a repetition of the events of 1988, when the
people rose up, only to be slaughtered. As many as 10,000 died.
PORTRAIT OF COURAGE (Aung San Suu Kyi):
Aung San Suu Kyi was elected leader of Burma in 1990, while held
house arrest in her Rangoon home.
A prisoner for six years, she won the Nobel Peace Prize and became a
symbol of the struggle for freedom all over the world. Although her house
arrest was lifted in July 1995 she is still denied freedom of movement.
Earlier this year John Pilger and David Munro smuggled their cameras into
her house. This is what they filmed.
*****************************************************************************
AP: DRUGS IN BURMA
June 26, 1996
Burmese Officials Say Amphetamines Seizures Rising
Burma's military regime declared Wednesday
that seizures of amphetamines have soared recently in the so-called
Golden Triangle, long the world's top opium-producing area.
``It is necessary that we take special measures to see that the
drop in production of opiates is not replaced by the entry of
amphetamines,'' Home Minister Lt. Gen. Mya Thin said.
Mya Thin, speaking at a ceremony for the U.N. International Day
Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, pledged Burma would
fight narcotics with or without outside help.
Burma long has been the world's chief opium source, producing 59
percent of the world's crop, according to U.S. authorities. Much
ends up on the streets of the United States and Europe, fueling a
new heroin epidemic.
Recent cease-fires with ethnic rebels and drug lords in the
rugged northeastern portion of the country that adjoins Thailand
and Laos _ the Golden Triangle _ have done little to stem the opium
flow, international drug experts say.
Burmese officials say opium production has dropped. But Mya Thin
indicated that traffickers may be shifting to amphetamines, as
evidenced by an alarming recent increase in seizures of such drugs
and chemicals to make them.
Top government generals, diplomats, U.N. agency representatives
and journalists attended the speech.
Mya Thin said Burma's efforts to eradicate opium had gone
unrecognized, especially by the United States, but said that the
country would press ahead.
``We openly declare we will continue to the best of our ability
to combat, as a national concern, the scourge that endangers all of
mankind,'' Mya Thin said.
Mya Thin said that to date, 30 million kyats (dlrs 5 million)
had been seized under 1993 legislation enabling the confiscation of
property linked to drug traffickers.
Washington has demanded that Burma extradite Khun Sa, a
notorious ethnic Shan rebel and opium trafficker who surrendered to
the government last year. Burma has given no indication it might do so.
*************************************************************