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The BurmaNet News: September 8, 199 (r)



Re: THE NATION: OPPOSITION MISLEADING GIRLS, SAYS BURMA JUNTA
    7 September, 1998

Comments:
=========
He accused the opposition of misleading girls in Burma. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>"The traitors acting under the pretext of women's affairs for their 
>party's self-interest are beginning to commit foolish acts," Khin 
>Nyunt said.
>
>"Though they say they are working for human rights and women's 
>affairs, they are in fact misleading young girls with anti->government 
spirit and disobedient character and persuading them to >think highly of 
the West, thereby weakening their determination to >safeguard the 
race."....
>
-------------------------------------------------------------------

But, then....

-------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Khin Nyunt urged the "entire mass of Myanmar women to oppose the axe
>handles who are trying to tarnish the dignity of Myanmar women among 
>the world's nations", the newspaper report said.
>
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Who was the one trying to mislead the entire mass of Myanmar 
women?.Another confused MIS leader said it all.


(This speech was made at the prize giving ceremony for essays to 
commemorate the other "Burmese Women's Day ", which the SPDC inaugurated 
on July 3 in competition with the one inaugurated by the NLD.) 

United we stand,

Minn Kyaw Minn
==============



Re: AFP: MYANMAR AUTHORITIES ARREST 110 NLD MEMBERS, OPPOSITION 
    OFFICIALS SAY
    7 September, 1998


Comments:
=========

In unison, the people of Burma, the NLD and the students should have a 
final say, now. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>YANGON, Sept 7 (AFP) - Myanmar's military authorities have arrested 
>110 members of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for 
>Democracy party, opposition officials said Monday.
>
>The party said in a statement that some 50 of those arrested in 
>various parts of the country since Sunday were members of parliament 
>elected in 1990 polls which the opposition won by a landslide.....
>.....
>
>A spokesman for the military government confirmed it had arrested NLD
>members in what the authorities describe as "preventative detention" 
>but declined to give numbers.
>
>He said they were detained for questioning over the NLD's vow to >call 
a "People's Parliament" this month.]....
>.......
>

--------------------------------------------------------------------

" Preventive Detension"? If the SPDC has confirmed acting this way now, 
we should take the news very seriously. The regime appeared to have 
decided to go back to its old strong-arm tatics. No point to have a 
false hope alone as the other side has decided to go back to its old 
acts. 

The signal should be very clear for the entire nation especially the NLD 
party and the students. In unison, the people of Burma, the NLD and the 
students should have a final say, now. 


United we stand,

Minn Kyaw Minn
==============


 


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>------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
> "Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>The BurmaNet News: September 8, 1998
>Issue #1091
>
>Noted in Passing: "It's a confirmation that the economy has reached a 
ver=
>y
>serious position." -- A Rangoon Diplomat
>
>"The country is quite self-sufficient in terms of feeding its people, 
so =
>in
>terms of survival, I don't think shutting off by the World Bank will 
have
>any meaningful result." -- Bernard Pe Win, CEO of Myanmar Investments
>Holdings=20
>
>(see REUTERS: WORLD BANK ACTION PRESSURES MYANMAR GENERALS)
>
>HEADLINES:
>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>AFP: MYANMAR AUTHORITIES ARREST 110 NLD MEMBERS
>SCMP: BURMA STUDENT PROTESTS STRIKE AT HEART OF JUNTA=20
>REUTERS: WORLD BANK ACTION PRESSURES GENERALS=20
>THE NATION: OPPOSITION MISLEADING GIRLS, SAYS BURMA JUNTA=20
>BKK POST: MEETING TO BOOST TRADE WITH BURMA=20
>ANNOUNCEMENT: UK ANNUAL KAREN CONFERENCE=20
>****************************************************************
>
>AFP: MYANMAR AUTHORITIES ARREST 110 NLD MEMBERS, OPPOSITION OFFICIALS 
SAY=
>=20
>7 September, 1998=20
>
>YANGON, Sept 7 (AFP) - Myanmar's military authorities have arrested 110
>members of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy
>party, opposition officials said Monday.
>
>The party said in a statement that some 50 of those arrested in various
>parts of the country since Sunday were members of parliament elected in
>1990 polls which the opposition won by a landslide.
>
>The military refused to hand over power and has repeatedly rejected 
deman=
>ds
>by the NLD-led opposition that the 1990 parliament be convened.
>
>Junta officials were not immediately available for comment. But 
observers
>in Yangon said the arrests appeared to be a pre-emptive strike 
following
>the NLD's announcement that it intends to convene parliament 
unilaterally
>by the end of this month.
>
>Political tensions have been rising since the NLD set an August 21 
deadli=
>ne
>for the junta to convene parliament. After the deadline passed the
>opposition vowed to convene parliament alone.
>
>[From BBC -- According to residents in the capital, Rangoon, they are 
bei=
>ng
>held together at the State Guest House.
>
>A spokesman for the military government confirmed it had arrested NLD
>members in what the authorities describe as "preventative detention" 
but
>declined to give numbers.
>
>He said they were detained for questioning over the NLD's vow to call a
>"People's Parliament" this month.]
>
>Meanwhile students have been holding a sit-in protest at a university
>campus in Yangon.
>
>Students at the Hlaing campus -- numbering between several hundred and
>several thousand according to different estimates -- shouted
>anti-government slogans during a peaceful protest Thursday night, 
witness=
>es
>said earlier.
>
>Authorities responded by formally closing the campus, which largely 
serve=
>s
>as a preparatory school for other tertiary institutions.
>
>Most of the protestors were from outside Yangon and were staying in
>dormitories on the campus. Police locked the gates to the campus with 
som=
>e
>1,000 students remaining inside.
>
>Some 3,000 students protested at Hlaing on Wednesday last week while 
abou=
>t
>800 more gathered at the nearby Yangon Institute of Technology. Both
>protests ended peacefully.
>
>[Editor's Note: Some students -- about 100 -- continued to protest 
until
>Monday, 7 September, the date set for exams to begin.  Others have
>continued to participate in more subtle acts of defiance, such as
>distributing flyers and leaflets.  One of the main demands was to 
postpon=
>e
>the exams because of the short formal preparation time. (See SCMP 
article
>to follow.)  About 10% of students boycotted the exams.]
>
>The demonstrations were the biggest since unrest in 1996 when 
universitie=
>s
>were closed.=20
>
>****************************************************************
>
>SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: BURMA STUDENT PROTESTS STRIKE AT HEART OF 
JUNTA
>7 September, 1998 by William Barnes=20
>
>The Burmese military must have suspected there would be trouble when it
>invited students at the country's most prestigious universities to come 
t=
>o
>Rangoon for crash courses.
>
>There was. Hundreds of students last week staged the biggest protests
>against the junta in nearly two years.
>
>Witnesses said the protests were targeted at the regime's education
>failures - for to criticise Burma's disastrous education policies is to
>strike at the heart of the military's sense of priorities.
>
>The demonstrators at the Rangoon Institute of Technology and, last 
month,
>the University of Rangoon, were carrying on a tradition of opposition 
tha=
>t
>stretches back to the colonial era.
>
>The British failed to provide a proper education for the people - most
>Burmese learned to read and write at temple schools and private
>institutions. But the few high schools and universities did succeed in
>creating a highly articulate elite.
>
>Aung San Suu Kyi's father, the independence hero Aung San, started his
>political career as a student leader. But the post-independence army, 
lea=
>d
>by General Ne Win, never could stomach the idea that any organisation 
was
>beyond its control.
>
>After General Ne Win overthrew the last civilian government in 1962, he
>quickly turned his attention to dissent in the colleges.
>
>On July 7 that year students at Rangoon University demonstrated against 
n=
>ew
>campus regulations. The response was ugly: massed army riflemen poured
>gunfire into unarmed students.
>
>In a final, deeply symbolic act of repression, the troops dynamited the
>student union building, the traditional home of student opposition 
since
>colonial days.
>
>Over the past decade, the junta has kept most colleges closed most of 
the
>time.
>
>"When the time comes to rebuild an economy that has been shattered by 
the
>military's incompetence, greed and control, it will be extraordinarily
>difficult," said one veteran foreign resident in Rangoon. "Most Burmese
>never get beyond primary school."
>
>Since student demonstrations turned into huge nationwide protests in 
1988=
>,
>the junta has been more afraid of opposition from the colleges than of
>wrecking the education system.
>
>The students protesting last week complained about plans to move much 
of
>their campus outside the city.
>
>They were also bitterly critical of the "crash courses" that, in a 
matter
>of days, are supposed to equip students with the ability to sit final
>exams. "These so-called refresher courses really reveal the 
authorities'
>contempt for education," a foreign education expert said.
>
>Teachers are made to attend special government courses for what one
>participant described as "brainwashing".
>
>When colleges are open, there are attempts to squeeze four-year 
bachelor =
>of
>arts or science courses into four months.
>
>The military consumes about half the national budget, compared with the
>five per cent spent on education.=20
>
>****************************************************************
>
>REUTERS: WORLD BANK ACTION PRESSURES MYANMAR GENERALS=20
>7 September, 1998 by David Brunnstrom=20
>
>BANGKOK, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling generals will find it even
>more difficult to raise badly needed foreign funds after the World Bank
>announced last week that it was cutting financial ties with the 
country,
>analysts said on Monday.
>
>The bank, one of the world's lenders of last resort, said on Friday it
>would not consider giving Yangon any more money because it had 
defaulted =
>on
>repayments of past loans.
>
>Diplomats and economists said the announcement was in a sense symbolic
>since Myanmar has received no new assistance from international lending
>institutions since its military rulers crushed a pro-democracy uprising 
i=
>n
>1988.
>
>But they said it was a loud alarm bell for foreign investors as it 
showed
>Myanmar to be a considerable investment risk.
>
>``Burma (Myanmar) had always kept up servicing its debt to the World 
Bank=
>,
>but recently it stopped doing so,'' said a diplomat in Yangon. ``It's a
>confirmation that the economy has reached a very serious position.
>
>``It doesn't send a good signal to any investors thinking of putting in
>money here. If it's not even able to come up with the small amount of 
mon=
>ey
>necessary to keep servicing its debt, that's a pretty worrying sign.''
>
>Diplomats and economists say that despite rosy government figures, the
>economy has stagnated in the past two years due to mismanagement,
>corruption, infrastructure inadequacies and Asia's financial crisis.
>
>The government faces a host of problems, including soaring inflation, a
>plummeting currency and foreign reserves recently estimated as low as 
two
>weeks of exports -- perhaps $100 million or less.
>
>In a rare and severe step, the World Bank said it placed loans and 
credit=
>s
>to the Myanmar government in ``nonaccrual'' status, meaning it would 
have
>to clear arrears estimated at $14 million before even being considered 
fo=
>r
>new loans.
>
>``There were a number of reasons, based on more political grounds, why 
th=
>e
>bank couldn't have made loans,'' the diplomat said. ``But this is an
>economic reason why it couldn't extend loans even if it wanted to.''
>
>The bank did not make clear when Myanmar went into default, but a 
country
>goes into non-accrual status if payment on any loan or credit is 
overdue =
>by
>more than six months.
>
>``The effect will be that whatever is left of the government's
>international creditworthiness will get much worse,'' said an economist 
i=
>n
>Yangon. ``Even some of its Asian investors will be rather nervous about 
i=
>t.''
>
>Myanmar has borrowed more than $700 million from the World Bank since 
195=
>6.
>Other countries with protracted arrears include Iraq, Liberia and 
Syria.
>
>A leading Myanmar businessman criticised the bank's decision.
>
>``Cut-offs by multilateral institutions can only be negative,'' said
>Bernard Pe Win, the chief executive officer of Myanmar Investments
>Holdings, which has interests in hotels, tourism and real estate.
>
>``I think they should be finding ways to engage the government,'' he 
told
>Reuters.
>
>The announcement came as the government has been facing mounting 
pressure
>from the opposition National League for Democracy to recognise the 
result=
>s
>of a general election the party won by a landslide eight years ago.
>
>The NLD has put itself on collision course with the government by 
vowing =
>to
>call a parliament this month.
>
>Pe Win said that if the bank's aim was to promote democracy, its move 
wou=
>ld
>have little effect.
>
>``The country is quite self-sufficient in terms of feeding its people, 
so
>in terms of survival, I don't think shutting off by the World Bank will
>have any meaningful result,'' he said.
>
>``But one thing's sure, that if there's no foreign investment and if
>foreign investment dwindles to nothing and foreign businesses are put 
und=
>er
>pressure to the point some leave, the end result will be less democracy
>than there is now,'' he said.
>
>Pe Win said the economy was not in good shape but conditions were not 
as
>grim as many news foreign news reports suggested, as there was a
>substantial invisible economy. He said a repeat of the political unrest
>seen 10 years ago was unlikely.
>
>``I don't think we see imminent signs of disturbances like in 1988. 
There
>is some talk and no doubt there is some tension, but it doesn't look 
like
>it to me.''
>
>The Myanmar government spokesman in a brief response to a Reuters query
>said that Myanmar had not made any request for loans from the World 
Bank.
>
>``Even if Myanmar repays her old debts, is the World Bank in a position 
t=
>o
>resume loans? If not, why bother to put Myanmar in nonaccrual status,'' 
h=
>e
>said in a statement.
>
>****************************************************************
>
>THE NATION: OPPOSITION MISLEADING GIRLS, SAYS BURMA JUNTA
>7 September, 1998=20
>
>RANGOON - Burma's powerful head of military intelligence has accused
>"traitors" in the opposition of trying to mislead young girls into 
opposi=
>ng
>the government and favouring the Western world, state newspapers 
reported
>yesterday.
>
>"Colonialists' cohorts" were "deliberately snaking accusations to 
tarnish
>the dignity of Myanmar women", the New Light of Myanmar quoted Lt-Gen 
Khi=
>n
>Nyunt as saying in speech on Saturday.
>
>Khin Nyunt is officially No 3 in the military government but is 
considere=
>d
>its most powerful figure. He was speaking at a prize-giving ceremony 
for
>essays to commemorate Burmese Women's Day, which was inaugurated on 
July =
>3.
>
>His speech was directed against opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's
>National League for Democracy (NLD), which has vowed to call a 
"People's
>Parliament" this month.
>
>"The traitors acting under the pretext of women's affairs for their 
party=
>'s
>self-interest are beginning to commit foolish acts," Khin Nyunt said.
>
>"Though they say they are working for human rights and women's affairs,
>they are in fact misleading young girls with anti-government spirit and
>disobedient character and persuading them to think highly of the West,
>thereby weakening their determination to safeguard the race."
>
>Since the NLD announced its plan to convene a Parliament, Khin Nyunt 
has
>hardened the tone of his anti-opposition - rhetoric, accusing the party 
o=
>f
>being in league with Western powers bent on recolonising the country.
>
>In past attacks on the opposition in the state press, the government 
has
>tried to fan traditional xenophobia by attacking Suu Kyi for marrying 
an
>Englishman.
>
>Khin Nyunt urged the "entire mass of Myanmar women to oppose the axe
>handles who are trying to tarnish the dignity of Myanmar women among 
the
>world's nations", the newspaper report said.
>
>The government has warned the NLD could be outlawed if it tries to 
conven=
>e
>Parliament.
>
>[ ... ]
>
>****************************************************************
>
>THE BANGKOK POST: MEETING TO BOOST TRADE WITH BURMA=20
>7 September, 1998 by Supamart Kasem
>
>A two-day official meeting on trade and investment between Thailand and
>Burma will be kicked off in Bangkok tomorrow.
>
>The meeting, aimed at boosting trade and investment and solving 
problems
>hindering trade activities, will be held at Royal Princess Hotel, said 
a
>source at the Commerce Ministry.
>
>Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachai Panitchapakdi will
>lead representatives from the government and private sectors to meet
>Burma's delegation led by Trade and Commerce Minister Maj Gen Kyaw 
Than.
>
>During the past five years, the trade volume of the two countries stood 
a=
>t
>$441.54 million with Thailand mostly enjoying a trade surplus. Burma 
had =
>a
>trade surplus only in 1993 during which Thailand's export volume was 
$151
>million against its import volume of $154.8 million, said the source.
>
>During the past six months, the trade volume of the two countries was 
$20=
>4
>million - a 31.8 percent drop on last year's trade.
>
>Problems on border closure by local Burmese authorities without 
notifying
>Thai officials in advance, a ban on some imported goods by the two
>countries, inconvenient transportation routes and high charges of 
import
>fees by Burmese customs officials would be high on agenda, said the 
sourc=
>e.
>
>In another development, the Tak Chamber of Commerce has urged Myawaddy
>authorities to temporarily open the Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge at 
the
>Burmese side on September 9 to facilitate the transport of goods and 
peop=
>le
>between the two countries.
>
>Paniti Tungphati sent the letter to Myawaddy's 44th military unit 
command=
>er
>Col Ne Win, calling for the opening of the border.
>
>Burma and Thailand initially agreed to open the bridge on September 9.
>However, local Burmese authorities recently notified Thailand that they
>wanted to postpone the opening of the bridge until September 17, citing
>unreadiness as the reason.=20
>
>****************************************************************
>
>ANNOUNCEMENT: UK ANNUAL KAREN CONFERENCE=20
>8 September, 1998 from rapps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>Karen Relief and Development Fund (UK) and Karen Action Group (UK)
>
>UK  ANNUAL  KAREN  CONFERENCE
>
>Saturday, 12th September, 1998 - 10am to 5 pm (coffee at 9.30am) at St 
Jo=
>hn
>the Baptist Parish Church, Main Street, Grove, Near Wantage, 
Oxfordshire,=
> UK.
>
>Programme includes:
>-  Talk from the leader of a NGO working in the refugee camps (he is a
>Burmese Karen now living and working in Thailand)
>-  Report on the work of KAG including their last visit to the refugee
>camps in February, 1998
>-  The Internet and how to get information (about Burma) from it.=20
>-  Report on the work of KRDF and their latest visit.
>-  The future work of the two groups.
>-  Approaching MP's, MEP's, companies, etc. about our concerns for the
>Burmese people
>-  The programme will end with a short time for prayer.
>
>The cost is =A35.00 which covers the cost of lunch, and other 
refreshment=
>s.
>
>For more information email  -  rapps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>Both KRDF and KAG are Christian based groups set up with the intention 
of
>providing aid and support to the Karen people (whatever their faith).  
We
>are also concerned with all the people of Burma.
>
>Everybody who has a concern for the Karen people, or would like to know
>more, is welcome to come along to the conference (regardless of your
>beliefs).=20
>
>****************************************************************
>
>
>


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