The BurmaNet News February 8, 1997

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"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: February 8, 1997
Issue #632

HEADLINES:
==========
THE NATION: KAREN ATTACKS SPARK MASS REFUGE EXODUS
LOS ANGELES TIMES: SEN. FEINSTEIN OPPOSES MYANMAR BAN 
NATION: UNOCAL PROMOTES US INVESTMENT IN BURMA
BANGKOK BUSINESS DAY: THAILAND- CABINET APPROVES LOAN
NATION: PRACHUAB ADDS TO SUU KYI'S WOES
SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET No .A-0018
THE NATION: THAI-BURMA JEWELLERY FIRM HONOURED
NATION: TOURIST CANCEL TRIPS ON NEWS OF REFUGEE ATTACKS
THE NATION: IN BALMY BURMA, THE PLOT SICKENS
NATION: LETTER-SLORC'S AGGRESSIVE POSTURING 
BKK POST: DREAM OF GATEWAY TO BURMA 
RANGOON TV MYANMAR NETWORK: FOREIGN MINISTER IN KENYA
BKK POST: MONITORING THE 'ILL-INTENTIONED' PROVES A HURDLE
BKK POST: LASTING PEACE NEEDED BADLY
FBC:URGENT ACTION- PRESSURE CLINTON FOR BURMA SANCTIONS 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

THE NATION: KAREN ATTACKS SPARK MASS REFUGE EXODUS
February 7, 1997

MORE than 4,000 refugees in Mae Hong Son province yesterday began to move
out of Ban Kong Kha camp for fear they will be attacked by Karen guerrillas
as their comrades were in Tak province, local authorities said. 

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), which joined Burmese troops in
raids on three refugee camps in Tak last week, has threatened to renew its
offensive before Feb 17. 

A border security source said that the DKBA has positioned 107-mm artillery
pieces, 81-mm mortars and rocket launchers opposite Ban Kong Kha camp. 

The camp is three kilometres from the Salween River, which could be used as
a main route to attack the camps. On Wednesday, more than 10 long-tailed
boats believed to be carrying DKBA spies were seen roaming the river. 

The source said that the pro-Rangoon guerrillas have been trying to sneak
into the camp and had sent spies disguised as civilians into the compound
under the pretence that they were purchasing goods. 

Meanwhile, Armed Forces commander-in-chief Gen Chettha Thanajaro yesterday
insisted that the Army's proposal to relocate the refugee camps deeper into
Thailand is proof of Thailand's sincerity in solving the tense border
situation. 

''It shows our sincerity and intention to help save their lives," he said.
''They will be better protected and accessed by aid agencies, and we'll have
a better image." 

However, the Army chief said a condition should be set which would allow
only civilians into the new camps. 

He said that others may hold differing views concerning the relocation of
the camps. The National Security Council has long been against establishing
permanent refugee camps along the Thai-Burmese border, he said, for fear of
a situation arising similar to that of the Cambodian refugees who lived in
Thailand for many years during the reign of the much-feared Khmer Rouge. 

He also reiterated Thailand's position that neither active members of the
DKBA nor the Karen National Union will be able to stay in Thailand
permanently. (TN) 

**************************

LOS ANGELES TIMES: SEN. FEINSTEIN OPPOSES MYANMAR BAN 
February 6, 1997
By Evelyn Iritani, Times Staff Writer

Unocal Corp.'s campaign to keep the Clinton administration from imposing
tougher economic sanctions on the heavy-handed military regime running
Myanmar has a powerful supporter in Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the coauthor of a
Myanmar sanctions law signed last year.  Feinstein, in a rare public
statement on the issue, said Tuesday that reports of escalating violence and
an alleged death threat against Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi are not
enough to trigger a ban on new U.S. investment, the toughest penalty
included in the measure she coauthored last year with then-Sen. William
Cohen (R-Maine). 

 "Right now, this is my personal judgment, I would say, 'No,' " said
Feinstein, who said she had consulted with Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright and Defense Secretary Cohen before reaching that position. 

The senior California senator did warn Myanmar's aging generals, who wrested
control of the country formerly known as Burma in 1988, that harming Suu Kyi
would "surely precipitate these sanctions." Suu Kyi's opposition party won
an election in 1989 but was not allowed to take power. 

But she also acknowledged that she is not a fan of economic sanctions,
except in rare instances such as South Africa under apartheid, because "the
only ones that are hurt are the people who need help." 

Feinstein said she would would prefer to work with Myanmar's Asian neighbors
to have them exert "peer pressure" on the generals. 

Feinstein's comments pleased Unocal, which last week signed a
production-sharing contract with state-owned Myanma Oil & Gas Enterprise to
expand its operation in the controversial country. Unocal and its French
partner paid the Myanmar government a $7-million signing bonus. 

Unocal executives deny they rushed into this deal to avoid being caught by a
U.S. sanction, pointing out that they were in talks for months.  John
Rafuse, a Unocal executive based in Washington, said Wednesday that
Myanmar's struggling economy and its move toward democracy would benefit
from more, not less, U.S. investment. 

Feinstein's assessment provoked anger from Myanmar critics, who argue that
tougher sanctions are long overdue. But they pointed out that it will be
President Clinton who will determine if Myanmar's rulers have "physically
harmed, rearrested for political acts or exiled" Aung San Suu Kyi or
committed "large-scale repression" or violence against the democratic
opposition. 

"I'm sure he will be consulting many people on and off" Capitol Hill,
said Mike Jendrzejczyk, director of the Washington office of Human Rights
Watch/Asia. 
A Clinton administration official said Wednesday that the issue was being
reviewed "very seriously" to determine the "legal obligation and
requirements the law imposes as well as what the law permits us." 

On Monday, Suu Kyi told reporters in Rangoon that there was "large-scale
repression" going on. She also said a top Myanmar official had recently
urged members of a pro-government group to kill her. Last fall, her car was
attacked. 
                              
Since last fall, Suu Kyi, who has urged the U.S. to impose the ban, has
reportedly been confined to her lakeside compound, which is surrounded by
government troops. 

An international campaign to isolate Myanmar is exacting a toll on the
impoverished country. A number of U.S. firms have already pulled out of
Myanmar in the face of consumer boycotts, shareholder resolutions, selective
purchasing laws that prohibit city and state governments from doing business
with companies operating in Myanmar. 

*****************************************************************

NATION: UNOCAL PROMOTES US INVESTMENT IN BURMA
February 7, 1997

Reuter-Unocal Corp, condemned by human rights groups for investing in Burma,
said on Wednesday the best way to promote democracy in the country was for
firms like fast food giant McDonalds to join it there.

Unocal, the largest US investor in Burma, said last week it was expanding
its petroleum business there at a time when many US companies have pulled
out because of human rights abuses by the ruling military govnerment.

In an interview in Washington, officials of the El Segundo, California-based
company, described their involvement in the poor Asian state as a boon to
the people that would pay dividends long after the military dictatorship was
gone.

They cited contributions to malaria research, vaccinations for children,
construction of roads, bridges, schools, hospitals and other public works
projects in conjunction with partners.

"We feel that the kinds of things we're doing are so good that ... the right
way to go about this is to have more and more American companies in there
following this model," said John Rafuse, manager and director of the firm's
Washington office.

Citing the failure of long-standing US sanctions to dislodge governments in
Cuba, Libya and Iraq, he said fostering Western ideas through trade and
investment was far more likely to bear fruit.

"Somebody said the thing that would have taken [Cuban President Fidel]
Castro out 25 years ago" was putting "a McDonalds in Havana", Rafuse said.

The symbolism of such a US presence would have changed investors' attitudes
"and more and more companies would have come in and it would have been just
different," he said. He added that he thought the analogy applied well to Burma.

Unocal disclosed that the Burmese state-owned Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise
would get a US$7 million (Bt175 million) signing bonus as part of a new
production-sharing contract Unocal and Total SA of France signed for
exploration in the Andaman Sea.

Such signing bonuses were not unlike those paid to the US Department of
Interior," a standard practice worldwide," said David Garcia, a company
spokesman.

The new contract expanded a relationship in which Unocal and Total are
partners with state-owned firms in Burma and Thailand in a $1.2 billion
project that includes building a 650-kilometre pipeline from the Yadana
offshore gas field to supply gas to Thailand.

Unocal's share of the signing bonus was $3.3 million, with the rest to be
paid by Total within 30 days of the signing of the contact, Garcia said.

Rafuse voiced hope the Clinton Administration would steer clear of possible
new unilateral sanctions against the ruling State Law and Order Restoration
Council (Slorc), which took seized power in 1988 after crushing a
pro-democracy uprising, John Shattuck, the Assistant Secretary of State for
Human Rights, said last week that new US sanctions, including ones that
could bar new investment, were being given "very, very active
consideration". (TN)

************************************

BANGKOK BUSINESS DAY: THAILAND- CABINET APPROVES LOAN TO BURMA FOR ROAD
CONSTRUCTION  
February 5, 1997
Matthana Menkhae 

The Cabinet has approved a proposal for the Finance Ministry to loan 300
million baht to the Myanmar Government for the construction of the 164 km
Tachilek-Keng Tung road, which connects Myanmar with Thailand at the border
of Chiang Rai province.  Following approval of the loan yesterday, Prime
Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said that Thailand was committed to providing
this financial assistance to Myanmar as had been agreed upon five years ago
by the two nations.  Chavalit admitted that he was somewhat worried about
providing loans to Myanmar for road construction, since internal problems
had already forced some countries, including the United States, to review
their policies concerning the country. But, he said, he wanted the people of
Myanmar to gain a better economy and the chance to generate higher incomes
with the help of the road. He added that it would be impossible for Thailand to
cancel such an agreement. Thailand and Myanmar signed the initial agreement
on the loan on December 4 last year. 
According to Deputy Finance Minister Thawatwong Na Chiangmai, the official
loan contract would be signed on February 17. 
The Finance Ministry will issue the loan through a fund specially set up for
the purpose, without going through the Export-Import Bank of Thailand. 
The Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank will act as guarantor for the loan. 
Thawatwong said the 300 million baht loan would be given to Myanmar in three
issues: 150 million baht in the first year; 100 million baht in the second
year; and 50 million baht in the third year. 
The loan maturity is 20 years and the interest rate is 1.5 percent a year,
with payment made twice a year. 
However, there would be a grace period during the first 10 years of the
20-year repayment period, he said. 
Thawatwong said the conditions attached to the loan agreement demanded the
road be built by Thai construction contractors only and that 50 percent of
the materials must come from Thailand. 

*****************************************

NATION: PRACHUAB ADDS TO SUU KYI'S WOES
February 7, 1997

West called on to urge compromise with Slorc

(Reuter )Foreign Minister Prachuab Chaiyasan said yesterday that Western
nations should ask Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to tone down
her stance to help reach a compromise with Rangoon's military leaders.

"We would like to urge the West to talk to the opposition to tone down their
position ... to cooperate with Slorc," Prachuab said, referring to Burma's
ruling military body, the State Law and Order Restoration Council.

The United States and many European Union nations have urged Slorc to hold
talks with Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which
won a 1990 election by a landslide but was never allowed to take power.

The Slorc says the only forum for dialogue is through the national
convention process.

Suu Kyi angered Slorc in 1995 when she pulled the NLD out of the
constitutional talks, saying the government-backed convention did not
represent the will of the people and was not democratic.

Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace laureate, has also vowed to step up efforts to
bring democracy to Burma, and has said she and her party will be more
aggressive in its opposition to the military regime this year.

Prachuab said Western nations, which have condemned Slorc for human rights
abuses and its refusal to recognise the NLD as the elected govnerment, have
repeatedly urged members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(Asean) to persuade Burma's generals to begin a dialogue with Suu Kyi and
the NLD.

"The West always mentions Asean should talk with Slorc, and the West have to
do their work also," Prachuab said.

"If the West is so concerned about what is happening in Myanmar [Burma], we
don't want them to just talk and blame the others. They have to ... perform
their responsibilities also."

He also said Thailand stands behind the Asean policy of "constructive
engagement" and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

But he said Burma, which hopes to join the regional grouping soon, should
try and settle the constitution and its problems with the opposition led by
Suu Kyi.

He said the recent unrest in Burma, which resulted in the arrest of dozens
of activists and the restriction of Suu Kyi's movements, should not affect
Burma's entry into Asean.

Prachuab said the exact timing of when Burma, Cambodia and Laos will become
full members of Asean depends on their state of technical readiness - not
their political situation. Asean also includes Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam. (TN)

********************************* 

SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET No .A-0018
February 7, 1997

On the 6th of February 1997 a South Korean citizen by the name of Dr. Kim
Sang Woo arrive at Yangon International Airport. The authorities concerned
refused his entry into the country and he was deported on the same flight
out of the country.  Dr. Kim Sang Woo is a member of the Forum of Democratic
leaders in the Asia Pacific Region and has visited Myanmar during June of 
1996.  During his first visit Dr. Kim Sang Woo blatantly interfered in the
internal affairs of Myanmar and also collaborated against the country with
the anti-government elements residing abroad.

In November 1996, Dr. Kim Sang Woo submitted a proposal at Forum of
Democratic leaders in the Pacific Region Conference in Manila to dissuade the 
Asean member countries from having constructive engagement with Myanmar.

Source : Myanmar Authority Concerned.

****************************************************	

THE NATION: THAI-BURMA JEWELLERY FIRM HONOURED
February 7, 1997

(AFP)A Burmese-Thai jewellery production company, Myanmar Ves, has won two
international trade awards which the junta hailed yesterday as the dawn of
world recognition for Burmese producers.

Jewellery manufacturers and producers are now winning world renown, the
Minister of Mines Lt Gen Kyaw Min said as he handed over to company
representatives the awards granted by the Madrid-based jewellery Trade
Leaders Club.

Myanmar Ves, a US$5 million joint venture established in 1992 between the
state-run Myanmar Gems Enterprise and the Ves Group of Thailand, won last
year's "Golden Award for Quality" and the "International Award for the Best
Trade Name".

Burma is one of only 22 countries among the over 120 nations represented in
the Trade Leaders Club to have won both the quality and trade name awards in
the same year, Kyaw Min said.

The Burmese partner has invested the equivalent of $2.6 million in gold and
gems, while the Thais have supplied cash, machines and expertise for the
joint venture.

Production began in mid-1993 with 70 Burmese employees and 12 Thai experts
in lapidary work, but now there are 300 Burmese and only six Thais due to
the transfer of skills, Kyaw Min said. (TN)

**********************************

NATION: TOURIST CANCEL TRIPS ON NEWS OF REFUGEE ATTACKS
February 7, 1997
Yindee Lertcharoenchok

The widely-publicised attacks on Karen refugees last week by armed foreign
intruders in this northern Tak province have negatively affected tourism,
with many tourists cancelling trips during the Chinese New Year, tourism
industry insiders said yesterday.

Mae Sot hotel officials and local entrepreneurs said the daily media reports
of the raids by the Rangoon-backed Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA)
has scared off prospective tourists, who annually come here in large numbers
for a Chinese New Year festival  that can last anywhere from a few days to a
week. They complained that the media coverage of attacks on camps along the
Thai-Burmese border was often very frightening.

They cited a front-page report by a Thai-language newspaper headlined
"Curfew imposed in Mae Sot", saying such coverage fostered a
misunderstanding of the situation.

"With sensational headlines like this, people will think the whole district
is under siege and not safe to visit," said the young owner of an
eco-tourism company. "In fact, the curfew has only been imposed on villages
close to the Thai-Burmese border."

The owner of Mae Sot Conservation Tours, who is also the secretary of Tak's
Tourism Enterprises Club, said that many hotel, restaurant and tour bookings
for the Chinese New Year had been cancelled in the wake of the DKBA raids.

A reservation manager at the Porn Thep Hotel, one of the few existing
lodging establishments in this border area, said that she believes the
number of guests will certainly decline in the next few days as a result of
the aggression.

Although there have been no cancellations to date at the hotel, she said the
number of new bookings has dropped from previous Chinese New Year holidays.
She added that tourism was not the only industry affected, but the other
local businesses had also been badly hurt.

An official at the Mae Sot Hill Hotel, the largest here, said her hotel had
not been affected by the violence because the one cancellation by a travel
group had fortunately been replaced with a new booking by a govnerment
agency planning to hold a seminar.

She said the hotels is already fully booked for the holiday season, but
added that many guests had asked about the raids before making reservations.

"I had to describe the real situation to them over the phone and reassure
them that everything is all right here," she said.

An owner of a local restaurant said tourism has been hurt by the media's
misinterpretation of the curfew.

She said a campaign in December by Tak's Tourism Enterprises Club, which
brought about 100 provincial and Bangkok-based reporters to various tourist
spots, has caused the number of tourists to the border area to increase
dramatically.

"But the media reports on the attacks, and particularly on the curfew in Mae
Sot, have undermined the whole campaign. I think we will have to start from
scratch again to draw tourists," she said. (TN)

*************************

THE NATION: IN BALMY BURMA, THE PLOT SICKENS
February 7, 1997

Followers of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi are convinced some members
of the junta are determined to see her dead, Aung Zaw writes.

Has Aung San Suu Kyi been watching too much of Alfred Hitchcock's movies?
Her supporters do not think so. But this week the opposition leader alleged
that Win Sein, Burma's minister for rail and transportation had encouraged
pro-government people to kill her. The junta's official commented Suu Kyi
has been watching too much of Hitchcock's movies.

It wasn't nonessential. Lim Kit Siang a leader of Malaysia's Democratic
Action Party said: "The claim by Suu Kyi should not be taken lightly."

Activists and Internet-users flocked around the computers and sent out
"urgent messages." One goes like this: 'Help! "Please take an action! Daw
Suu is in danger! I have sent more than 100 e-mail to people who I know and
who care about her. Please do something about it!" "It is a kind of
hysterical," said another.

Suu Kyi won't need to watch Hitchcock's movies because she knows she herself
is a main character in thrilling movies he said. "She knows she could be
killed anytime. She must be afraid of."

Whatever the case, if Suu Kyi's allegation is true it will a grim. Though it
didn't surprise a lot of people in Burma. For them it is one of their daily
stories. "What can we do about it?" asked one in Rangoon over the phone.
"Like her slain father, Gen Aung San, she can be a martyr", he said. "But I
don't think they will touch her", he added.   

The story told by Suu Kyi was in late of 1996 minister Win Sein went up to
Indaw township in upcountry where he met members of the Union Solidarity
Development Association [USDA] and reportedly told the crowd to weed out Suu
Kyi.

It was reported that the minister asked the crowd that if they did not grasp
what he meant. "I'm telling you to kill [her]," he said probably with anger.

Suu Kyi was lucky though. There were pro-opposition people attending the
meeting. That was how Suu Kyi learned Win Sein's murder threat eventually.
Aung Shwe, chairman of the National League for Democracy in Rangoon sent a
protest letter to Senior Gen Than Shwe shortly after the party leaders learned.

Tin Aung, chairman of the NLD [Liberated Area] said: "Since December [1996]
we have received some reports that they have a plan to murder her". He
continued: "In December Gen Maung Aye and Lt Gen Myint Aung threatened to
punish her. We have heard that the two have sent letters to their own people
saying if she did not stop her political activities in three months they
have to punish her or do something." 

Lt Gen Myint Aung is a Minister for agriculture and irrigation and Gen Maung
Aye is a vice-chairman of the Slorc considered to be professional soldiers
and hard-liners.

Again, on Jan 6, 1997 Tin Aung met a pro-democracy supporter who came to the
border area informed the ongoing stalemate between the Slorc and NLD. "We
have a meeting with this man Tin Aung said.  "This person confirmed that
there are strong evidences that some Slorc members have been planning to
kill off Daw Aung San Suu Kyi."

Nothing to surprise. Lt Gen Tin Oo, secretary two of the Slorc, repeatedly
said to annihilate "destructive elements" referring to Suu Kyi and the NLD.
After all, they have said that several times and the only thing is that the
generals have't taken any dramatic action yet.

Recently senior Gen Than Shwe chairman of the Slorc and patron of the USDA
has urged leaders of the Slorc-backed organisation to crush the "destructive
elements" inside and outside the country.

No one knows how they going crush the "destructionists" outside the country
but apparently Win Sein-like people have been finding their own way to
annihilate Suu Kyi.

"If I need to be protected from anyone, it's from a minister like that, it's
from members of the government,' she said at her recent press meeting.

Win Sein is a member of secretariat of the USDA and since the formation in
September 1993 he has been energetically involved in USDA activities. Though
Win Sein is now a civilian he served in the army and close to top senior
Slorc members says a source.

In fact, on Nov 9 Suu Kyi's motorcade was attacked by a mob. Analysts said
the attack was organised by the army and the members of the USDA. Suu Kyi
was not injured but later blamed the Slorc for orchestrating the attacks and
lack of law.

Since the attack, Suu Kyi is not allowed to go out without the junta's
permission. Moreover, the mouthpiece of government newspapers said: "Suu Kyi
will get into trouble if she thinks that every group she sees is her
supporters,"

There is no doubt that the opposition leader has been a big thorn in the
side of Slorc. "We know that they hated her and they wanted her to shut up",
one said. To the Slorc leaders she remains a symbol of illegitimacy and a
danger to their absolute power.
"As long as she is there they could not enjoy, she is a troublemaker for
Slorc", said a Burmese woman now in Thailand. She recalled a story. A few
years back, a family member of the army officer said to her father: "Why
don't you shoot her [Suu Kyi]." 
Sure thing they would if they could .

In spite of the recent grim development, Tin Aung of the NLD [LA] said: "We
are hopeful that some Slorc members are willing to negotiate with the NLD."
Political problems can be solved through political means not through
violence he urged the Slorc leaders.

Perhaps Suu Kyi may find some middle-road/moderate military leaders who are
willing to sit down with her. Says one political analyst close to the
opposition leader: "The regime is unpredictable but we see Lt Gen Khin Nyunt
has a different vision. He wants to be friend with Suu Kyi." 

Slorc's powerful military intelligence chief Lt Gen Khin Nyunt met Suu Kyi
twice in 1995 during her house arrest. Analysts suggested the general
himself may be in difficulty as there is a tension between the army and
military intelligence service.

"He is clever - he won't involved nor encouraged 'thugs' to attack Suu Kyi,"
the analyst suggested. So if Win Sein and hard-line group have in mind to
hammer out the blueprint will Khin Nyunt protect Suu Kyi? the analyst did
not offer any answer but shook his head.  Well, that could be more hair
raising show than Hitckcock's movies. (TN)

**************************************

NATION: LETTER-SLORC'S AGGRESSIVE POSTURING CALLS FOR A STAND BY ASEAN
February 6, 1997
Lim Kit Siang 

PARLIAMENTARY OPPOSITION LEADER 

DEMOCRATIC ACTION PARTY,KUALA LUMPUR 

The Asean governments should give clear warning to the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (Slorc) of the gravest regional and international
consequences should any harm come to Nobel Peace Prize laureate and
pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. 

The claim by Suu Kyi recently that a Burmese government minister had
encouraged junta supporters to murder her could not be taken lightly. 

In view of the repressive regime ruling Burma which has repeatedly shown
utter contempt for international opinion. 

The military regime must be told in no uncertain terms that if anything
untoward happens to Suu Kyi, Slorc will have to bear the full consequences
of any such dastardly action. 

Asean governments should let Slorc know that if there is any deterioration
of the human rights situation, it is not just Burma's application for Asean
membership which would be dismissed but Slorc's observer status in Asean
would also be withdrawn.(TN) 

*********************************

BKK POST: DREAM OF GATEWAY TO BURMA DEPENDENT ON IMPROVEMENTS TO ROAD
February 7, 1997
Saritdet Marukatat and Nussara Sawatsawang

Local traders believe 10km upgrade to dirt track would give all-year round
access

Despite being located on different sides of the country, traders in both
Ratchaburi and Uttaradit dream that their provinces will be opened up to
their neighbours by road improvements.

A road in Ratchaburi's Tago pass in Suan Phung district connects with
Burma's southern coastal areas as does one from Uttaradit's Pludu checkpoint
in Ban Khok district to Paklai town in Laos' Sayaboury.

But both need improvements to allow them to be used all year.

The small dirt road in Ratchaburi only served trucks which carried Burmese
logs into Thailand until 1993 when Rangoon terminated concessions on logs
for export across the border.

"Only about 10km needs to be developed on the Thai side," said Suphat
Phiriyapanyaporn, president of the Ratchaburi Chamber of Commerce. The road
could then open to Burma at the pass.

The province has recently opened a market there on Wednesdays, he added.

However, he admits the gateway-to-Burma plan could be hindered by poor
security in the vicinity as armed Karen insurgents occupy the Burmese area
opposite Suan Phung.

But Ratchaburi traders are encouraged by a plan by the Burmese government to
develop southern areas, including Tavoy. The region, termed Tenasserim
Division, has 1.16 million consumers and sea access to South Asia.

Plans to build ice-making factories, cold storage facilities and crushers
for construction have been Burmese government priorities since 1994.

A railway between Ye and Tavoy, which has been internationally condemned due
to the use of forced labour to build it, could strengthen the government's
control in the south. It will link with Rangoon once complete.

Villagers in Suan Phung believe the real reason for the plan is to bring in
more than 10,000 logs illegally felled in Burma rather than to boost trade,
as provincial traders claim.

Local businessmen, who are thought to be closely linked with the New
Aspiration Party-led attempt, are confident that one of several existing
checkpoints will be reopened by the end of this year, said the villagers.

Uttaradit traders are also optimistic about seeing a paved road linking
Sayaboury with the Pludu checkpoint due to government plans to build a canal
running parallel with the dirt road. It will channel water from the Mekong
River in the Laotian province to the Nan River.

The Pludu checkpoint is 27km from Paklai, a major town in Sayaboury. The
road from Thailand to the Lao town is presently unpaved and in very poor
condition, suitable only for pickups and four-wheel drive cars.

Army engineers will pave the road from the district to the border this year,
said border authorities.

The province has run a weekly market there since November 1995 and traders
are pushing for a permanent checkpoint there to promote trade.

Laotians buy consumer goods and construction materials from Thailand and
sell agricultural products and Chinese products to Thai merchants at the
checkpoint. Total trade last year was 4.6 million baht in Laos' favour.

"Thailand will gain more trade if the permanent checkpoint is opened with no
trade controls," said Decha Phengkham, Ban Khok's deputy chief.

Weera Ratanasirikulchai, president of the Uttaradit Chamber of Commerce,
said, "We expect the permanent checkpoint within two years but to push for
an international border there is going too far."

Authorities in Sayaboury welcome the attempt and agreed in a meeting with
their Uttaradit counterparts last December to exchange visits and boost ties.

The Lao government is already improving a main road in the province to the
Thai border in Loei in the south and a link north with Luang Prabang, a
major tourist attraction in the landlocked country.(BP)

*********************************************

RANGOON TV MYANMAR NETWORK: FOREIGN MINISTER OHN GYAW LEAVES FOR UNEP
MEETING IN KENYA  
February 3, 1997 (translated frm Burmese)

U Ohn Gyaw, foreign minister and chairman of Myanmar [Burma] Environmental
Protection Commission, left Yangon [Rangoon] by air this morning to attend
the 19th ministerial meeting of the Administrative
Council of the United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP]
in Nairobi, Kenya. 
The minister was seen off at the airport by Vice Admiral Maung Maung, deputy
prime minister and chairman of the Myanmar Investment Commission; U Than
Shwe, minister of the Prime Minister Office; U Nyunt Swe, deputy foreign
minister; and responsible officials from the Foreign Ministry and the
Environmental Protection Commission.  U Kyaw Tint Swe, consul general of the
Myanmar Embassy in Japan; U Pe Than U, joint secretary of the Environmental
Protection Commission Office; and Daw Yin Yin Lay, deputy
director of the commission, have been attending the Nairobi meeting since 27
January. 

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BKK POST: MONITORING THE 'ILL-INTENTIONED' PROVES A HURDLE TO TOTAL UNION
February 7, 1997 
Anuraj Manibhandu, Bhanravee Tansubhapol and  Achara Asayagachat, Bangkok, Hanoi

Being one as members of Asean is one thing, but allowing the citizens of
fellow members access to come and go at will is something else - at least
for now.

Asean might become a grouping of 10 Southeast Asian nations later this year,
but Asean people will have to wait longer yet before they can enjoy the
freedom to travel or work in other member countries.

A working group on new members in mid-January kicked off debate on what
should be done on visa matters when Burma, Cambodia and Laos become full
members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The debate, raised during an Asean Standing Committee meeting in Lombok,
Indonesia, was not conclusive, but participants agreed that the Asean
secretariat would come up with guidelines on what should be done before
Asean secretary-general Ajit Singh calls a meeting of immigration and
consular officials from the seven existing and three prospective member
states later this year.

Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand balked at a proposal for Asean to forge a
collective visa agreement largely for security reasons, according to a Thai
foreign ministry source. The source said the three countries argued that
having such an agreement would make it difficult for respective immigration
authorities to reject entry by "ill-intentioned" individuals.

Burma is trying promote its Visit Myanmar Year, which officially began in
October last year. But Burma continues to resist reciprocating Thailand's
provision, offered since 1986, of visa-free entry for 30 days for Burmese
nationals.

A Burmese official emphasised that Burma had security concerns and did not
fear loss of income from visa fees.

The varying shades of willingness by existing and prospective member states
to open up their borders to ease travel by ordinary people or officials
indicate differences in commitment to community building.

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BKK POST: LASTING PEACE NEEDED BADLY
February 7, 1997
Editorial from Matichon 

Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) soldiers made another incursion into
Thai territory last week to attack Karen National Union (KNU) refugees. It
was not the first time the DKBA had violated Thailand's sovereignty.

Thailand is caught in the middle of a conflict between the two Karen
factions. We do not want KNU refugees fleeing into our country, but we risk
being condemned by foreign countries if we force them back across the
border. Their lives could be in danger.

The problem is whether we can discuss the problem with Burma. Rangoon stands
to gain from a DKBA attack on KNU refugees because the latter are opposed to
Burmese military rulers. The DKBA is now siding with Burma.

The border problem must be solved once and for all. We cannot place our
troops on full alert at the border day and night. We must try to arrange a
peaceful negotiation between the KNU, DKBA and Rangoon leaders. Such a
meeting can be arranged through a neutral party like China, which has some
influence among Burmese leaders.

A permanent solution must be found to end intermittent border incursions
that have caused damage and injuries on Thai soil. The government must learn
from its past negotiations with Burma and Cambodia. We will lose our
bargaining power if we allow the two countries to use their natural
resources as the bargaining chip.

To prevent border incursions in the future, the Thai army must be ready to
take retaliatory action. We cannot let foreign troops violate our country's
sovereignty with impunity. The government, meanwhile, must try to find a
permanent solution to the problem. (BP)

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FBC:URGENT ACTION- PRESSURE CLINTON FOR BURMA SANCTIONS 
February 7, 1997

Let us show politicians that we support Aung San Suu Kyi's call to sanctions.

Please call, write, fax, email, or go visit (if you can) the following
pressure points urging  them to place sanctions on Burma:

1) President William Clinton
  The White House
  1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC 20500
  tel. (202)-456-1414
   White House comment line:202-456-1111; fax:202-456-2461;
e-mail: president@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

2) Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
      2201 C Street Washington, DC 20520
     State Department: (202)647-4000, fax: 202-647-6434; usdosweb@xxxxxxx

3) Secretary of Defense William Cohen
    Room 3E880, Pentagon, 20301-1000
    Department of Defense: (703)-695-5261, fax: (703)-697-9080

4) Senator Diane Feinstein
   331 Hart Senate Office Building
   Washington, D.C. 20510
   Tel: 202-224-3841; Fax: 202-228-3954

5) your senators and representatives
    Contact your Senators and Representative, urge them to communicate
   the same request to the President.
Congressional switchboard: 202-224-3121
Congressional e-mail addresses can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1007/

 Whatever you send to those individuals, please send copies to your city
(news) desk to generate local editorials and op-ed pieces, which will in
turn generate more grassroots pressure on your congressional delegates.

zarni

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