Information Sheet N0.A-0550(I/L)

[OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx]

                                       Information Sheet

                           N0.A-0550(I/L)               10th August 1998 

Statement Given At The Press Briefing On 10th August 1:00 Pm At Yangon By LTC.
Hla Min

 		This meeting today is called to give a clarification on the incident that
occurred yesterday, 9th of August, which involved (18) foreigners distributing
leaflets in Yangon, attempting to incite unrest and destabilizing the
prevailing peace and tranquility the country is enjoying. 

		On the morning of 9 August between 09:30 am to 11:00 am (6) groups of
foreigners distributed leaflets in:
		(1)	Downtown Yangon
		(2)	Bogyoke Aung San Market
		(3)	Kaba-Aye Pagoda Road
		(4)	Junction of Shwe Dagon Pagoda Road and Bogyoke Road
		(5) 	Theingyi Zay (Market) and Downtown Mosque
		(6)	Shwe Dagon Pagoda

		Their activities were reported to the Police  by the citizens and they were
taken to the Police Stations for questioning being detained for a time while
the investigation was continuing. Various leaflets and related materials aimed
at inciting public unrest were found in their hotel rooms.

		Among those foreigners being detained are (10) males and (8) females
totalling (18) comprising (3) Thais, (3) Malaysians, (3) Indonesians, (2)
Philippines, (6) U.S. and (1) Australian.

		This group arrived at Yangon together on 7th August by UB evening flight
from Bangkok on tourist visa and planned to leave on the evening of 9 August .
It is also learnt that a press conference will be held today in Bangkok where
the returned members of the group will be available for the interview.   This
whole trip was  arranged and financed by an anti-Myanmar government
organization called Alternative ASEAN Network of Burma, an umbrella body of
various groups supporting anti-Myanmar Government movements from neighbouring
Asian countries.

		The trip for the foreigners from the Philippines was arranged and financed
by an (NGO) called Initiative for International Dialogue.

		The trip for the Thai group was initiated and financed by International
Organization of Democracy for Burma and the Union for Civil Liberty (Thailand)
arranged the trip.

		The Malaysian Group met in Bangkok and the trip to Yangon was arranged by
the Union for Civil Liberty (Thailand).

		The trip for the Australian, Indonesian and American groups was arranged and
financed by Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma.

		The whole group came from Bangkok on a package tour on 7th August by UB 222
in the evening and were to depart from Yangon together on 9th August by UB
221.

		The Thai group was led by a Professor from Rantsit University by the name of
Jaran Ditapichai who also happens to be the Adviser to Parliament of Human
Rights and Vice-Chairman of Union for Civil Liberty.

		It is very unfortunate that these anti-Myanmar Government Organizations are
bent on creating unrest in Myanmar by sending foreigners to disrupt the
prevailing peace, tranquillity and stability the people of Myanmar are
enjoying and it is also not helpful to the people of Myanmar by attempting to
destroy the right of the children of Myanmar to pursue their education
peacefully and continuously by way of using students of various countries as
saboteurs and sacrificial lambs.

		In reality, the overwhelming majority of the people in Myanmar as natural as
are elsewhere in the third world countries are not obsessed with politics.
They do not see freedom solely in terms of the right to vote periodically and
demonstrate and express political views publicly.

		Moreover at this stage of Myanmar's development they care more for the basic
rights such as security and safety of their lives and properties, a decent job
which will help put enough food on the table for their families and also a
decent place for them to live which the government is in the process of trying
to fulfill its obligation to the nation.

		Rumours have been continuously disseminated to mislead governments into
believing that spontaneous social unrest in Myanmar is imminent and that the
whole country is on the verge to explode.

		This is actually a wishful thinking and may be miscalculation on the side of
those who wish to see Myanmar end up in flames although they keep using the
buzz-word democracy, human rights and peace.

		It is also very unfortunate to learn that NLD has sent the recorded messages
to the Alternative  ASEAN Organization calling for the people of Myanmar to
rise up to join then in a political cause again using democracy, human rights
and peace as a pretext.  This organization distributed the recorded messages
to some news media and broadcasting stations where this message was
highlighted continuously attempting to agitate the people of Myanmar.

		It is to the regret of the people of Myanmar that anti-Myanmar Government
Organizations  attempting to bring chaos and anarchism to the country to
realize their interests  will unnecessarily prolong the democracy process
which the country is systematically undergoing at present. It is our hope that
at one stage before long these organizations will come to accept the reality
and join hands together with Myanmar in keeping the country perpetually
peaceful, united and stable during its transformation to a functioning
multiparty democracy.

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