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VOA-BURMA-MEDIA -GARY THOMAS BANGKO



DATE=8/18/98
BURMA-MEDIA -GARY THOMAS BANGKOK
  

INTRO:  BURMA HAS DEPORTED AN ITALIAN JOURNALIST FOR ENTERING THE
COUNTRY ON A TOURIST VISA.  JOURNALISTS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET 
INTO BURMA TO COVER EVENTS, INCLUDING THE STANDOFF BETWEEN AUNG 
SAN SUU KYI AND THE GOVERNMENT, NOW IN ITS SEVENTH DAY.  BUT AS 
CORRESPONDENT GARY THOMAS REPORTS FROM OUR SOUTHEAST ASIA BUREAU 
IN BANGKOK, BURMA IS REFUSING TO HAND OUT VISAS TO FOREIGN 
JOURNALISTS.

TEXT:  MAURIZIO GIOULIANO MANAGED TO SNEAK INTO BURMA ONCE, BUT 
NOT A SECOND TIME.

ACCORDING TO A GOVERNMENT STATEMENT (TUESDAY), MR. GIOULIANO, 
IDENTIFIED AS A REPORTER FOR THE NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS IN
BELGIUM, GOT INTO BURMA ON A TOURIST VISA ON AUGUST SIXTH.  

THE GOVERNMENT SAYS HE CONTACTED AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S NATIONAL 
LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY AND, AS THE STATEMENT PUT IT -- ILLEGALLY 
GATHERED NEWS.  HE WAS CAUGHT AS HE WAS LEAVING AUGUST 12TH, BUT 
WAS ALLOWED TO DEPART AND ORDERED NOT TO RETURN.

THE GOVERNMENT SAYS MR. GIOULIANO TRIED ENTERING BURMA AGAIN 
MONDAY WITH A DIFFERENT PASSPORT AND A NEW TOURIST VISA.  HE WAS 
CAUGHT AND TURNED BACK.

MR. GIOULIANO'S SITUATION UNDERSCORES THE DILEMMA FOR FOREIGN 
JOURNALISTS WHO COVER BURMA.  WITH THE SITUATION HEATING UP IN 
BURMA, MANY WESTERN JOURNALISTS WANT TO GET IN.

AUNG SAN SUU KYI IS IN A ROADSIDE STANDOFF WITH AUTHORITIES OVER 
THEIR REFUSAL TO LET HER TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE CAPITAL TO MEET WITH 
LOCAL OFFICIALS OF HER PARTY.  THE PARTY HAS ALSO SET A DEADLINE 
OF AUGUST 21ST FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO CONVENE THE PARLIAMENT 
ELECTED IN 1990, BUT NEVER ALLOWED TO TAKE OFFICE.  IT HAS NOT 
SAID WHAT IT WILL DO IF THE DEMAND IS NOT MET.

A LEGAL JOURNALIST'S VISA IS ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE FOR MOST FOREIGN 
CORRESPONDENTS TO GET, UNLESS ONE IS OVERTLY PRO-GOVERNMENT.  SO 
THE CHOICE FOR JOURNALISTS IS SIMPLE: APPLY FOR A LEGAL 
JOURNALIST'S VISA AND GET IGNORED OR TURNED DOWN, OR LIKE MR. 
GIOULIANO, APPLY FOR A TOURIST VISA AND HOPE YOU WILL NOT GET 
CAUGHT.

BURMESE AUTHORITIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SUSPICIOUS OF FOREIGNERS, 
AND FOREIGN JOURNALISTS MOST OF ALL.  THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY 
COMPLAINED ABOUT FOREIGN NEWS COVERAGE OF BURMA, SAYING IT HAS 
OVERLY CONCENTRATED ON AUNG SAN SUU KYI, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE 
DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT.

A SAMPLE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE SURFACED AGAIN (TUESDAY) IN
STATE-RUN NEWSPAPERS.  ARTICLES ACCUSED FOREIGN BROADCASTERS -- 
AND SINGLED OUT V-O-A, THE BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AND 
RADIO FREE ASIA -- OF ADVOCATING THE DEMANDS OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI.
THEY ALSO ACCUSED DIPLOMATS AND FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS OF 
SPREADING WHAT THEY CALLED -- INVENTED AND EXAGGERATED NEWS, AND 
A PACK OF LIES.

MEANWHILE, A BURMESE EXILE GROUP SAYS TWO MEMBERS OF THE 
"NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY" WERE SENTENCED TO SEVEN-YEARS IN 
PRISON EACH FOR DISTRIBUTING LEAFLETS.  THE "ALL BURMA STUDENTS' 
DEMOCRATIC FRONT" SAYS KYI TOE AND AUNG THAN NYUNT WERE SENTENCED
FOR DISTRIBUTING N-L-D LEAFLETS IN CHAUK TOWNSHIP.  THE CLAIM 
COULD NOT BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED.

LAST WEEK, 18 FOREIGN ACTIVISTS WHO WERE DETAINED FOR 
DISTRIBUTING PRO-DEMOCRACY LEAFLETS IN RANGOON WERE DEPORTED.   
(SIGNED)

NEB/GPT/RAE

18-Aug-98 7:55 AM EDT (1155 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
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