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Information Sheet No A-0643(I)



                         MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE
                                           YANGON

                                  Information Sheet
                    No A-0643(I)              10 Oct 1998

(1) 		(Continuation of yesterday)

		      Attitude of the Nationalities Peace Groups 

		Today, a  translation of  the declaration of the Burma Communist Party
(Rakhine State),  which had exchanged arms for peace, is stated as follows.
The declarations of other peace groups will also be made public. 

     Declaration on Attitude of Burma Communist Party (Rakhine State) in   
   	   connection with acts of National League for Democracy

Date: 7 October 1998

1.	It is found that the National League for Democracy distributed in September
1998 the declarations on unlawful convening  of a Hluttaw and formation of
unlawful people's representative committees, which might lead to
disintegration of Myanmar.

2.	With the aim for national reconciliation and believing that the armed
insurrection will not be beneficial to the State and people, the Burma
Communist Party ( Rakhine State) presented arms to the government and swapped
arms for peace on 4 June 1997.

3.	We declare that our organization protests against the declarations of the
National  League  for  Democracy, which may hamper peace and stability of
Myanmar.

								Sd U Saw Tun Oo
								   Leader

(2)		Minister for Foreign Affairs Arrives Back from 53rd Session of UN General
Assembly

		Myanmar delegation led by Minister for Foreign  Affairs arrived back Yangon
by air on 9 October from New York after attending the 53rd Session of the
United Nations General Assembly. On his way to New York to attend the 53rd
Session of United Nations General Assembly, Minister led the Myanmar
delegation to attend Eco Asia, the Environmental Ministerial Conference held
at Sendai, Japan on 19 and 20 September. Minister delivered a statement at the
Plenary meeting of the 53rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly on
30 September. On 23 September the Minister with Myanmar Ambassador and
responsible officials  attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting held at
the New York Palace Hotel. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers jointly hosted a
reception at the UN Headquarters on the evening of 24 September to honour the
President of the 53rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Minister
called on the President of the 53rd Session of the United Nations General
Assembly His Excellency Dr Didier Opertti Badan of Uruguay at the UN
Headquarters and he also met the High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms Mary
Robinson. He also met Mr Alvaro de Soto, Assistant Secretary General of the
Political Department of the United Nations to continue the on going
discussions between the Government of the Union of Myanmar and the United
Nations. While in New York, Minister met on 23 September HE Mr Nguyen Manh
Cam, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign minister of Vietnam, HE Mr Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi, Foreign Minister of Malaysia, HE Mr Somsavat Lengsavad, Deputy
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Lao; on 24 September, Right Honourable
Don McKinnon, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand; on 25
September, HE Mr Roberto Robaina Gonzalez, Foreign Minister of Cuba, HE Dr
Wolfgang Schussel, Chairman of EU Council, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign
Minister of Austria; on 30 September, HE Dr Kamal Kharrazi, Foreign Minister
of Slovakia; on 1 October, HE Mr Mohammad Saeed AL-Sahaf, Foreign Minister of
Iraq; and on 2 October HE Mr Mustafa Osman Ismaiel, Foreign Minister of Sudan
and exchanged views on international issues, bilateral relations and matters
of mutual interests. Minister attended a reception and briefed the Asia
Society on Myanmar on 28 September in New York where he explained with
historical facts, the current developments in the country, progress of
National Convention and the drafting of the constitution and unprecedented
achievement of peace and stability in the country due to the present
government's efforts. He also explained about the progress achieved in the
development of the border areas and national races, relations with
neighbouring countries; and Myanmar's participation in International fora.
Afterwards, he also answered questions from those attending the session.

(3)		ICRC Officials Meet Minister for Home Affairs 

		Minister for Home Affairs received Regional Representatives of International
Committee of the Red Cross Mr Toni Pfanner, Mr Rene Baeriswyl and Dr Johann
Aufderklamm at his office.

OFFICE CALLS IN YANGON ON 9 OCTOBER
(A)		Minister for Health received World Health Organization officials Dr T
Arnadottir and Dr JP Narain together with WHO Resident Representative Dr Claus
Wagner at his office. He also  received General Manager Mr Gil Yong Um of
Daewoo Corporation of the Republic of Korea at his office.
(B)		Secretary of Myanmar Investment Commission received General Manager  Mr
Michael Viallard of Total Myanmar Exploration and Production (Yangon Branch)
at the commission office. They discussed implementation of the Total.
(C)		Minister for Energy received Chairman for Asia and Australia Mr David
Baillie and party of Schlumberger Company at his office. 
(D)		Minister for  Communications, Posts and Telegraphs received Commercial
Manager Mr Reiner Lehrmann of Siemens Company of Germany at his office. 

Special Feature
		This office is presenting the letter from Mr Nicholas Greenwood to Mr Derek
Fatchett, Minister of State , Foreign & Commonwealth Office of the United
Kingdom for your information.

NICHOLAS GREENWOOD
36c Sisters Ave London SW11 5 SQ
Tel/Fax : 0171 223 8987
7th October 1998
Mr. Derek Fatchett
Minister of State 
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
Fax No: 0171 839 2417 (Total: 2 pages)
----------------------------------------------------
Dear Mr Fatchett,
Having now had the opportunity to study in greater detail your letter and
recommendations to ABTA, amongst others, of 7 September, I regret to inform
you that your remarks and assertions are even greater hog-wash and hypocrisy
than I had at first believed.
I put it to you quite frankly that the only reason you have singled out Burma
(Myanmar) is because trade between the UK/ EU and Burma is negligible, and
because, following criticism, the Labour Party is facing guilty as a result of
its complete failure to stick to its (i.e. Robin Cook's) avowed policy of
allying Foreign trade to human rights. For, if it were purely a question of
human rights violations, you would be recommending tour operators to boycott
China, Tibet, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, etc., etc. However since trade with
these countries is worth billions of pounds, you do nothing.
I have been one of the first western travellers for over 30 years to visit all
areas of Burma and so I can personally refute your claim that " visitors to
Burma are only allowed to travel to specially designated areas ". Moreover,
everyone I have ever spoken to, with the exception of Daw Aung Suu Kyi, whom I
met at her Rangoon (Yangon) home in December 1995, in my 21 visits, is
desperate for more tourists.
Your assertion that " most large hotels and internal airlines are owned
partially or wholly by the government " is as libellous as it is absurd. For
your information I am listing below the large hotels you refer to, along with
the companies which own them. If you seriously believe that these hotels
belong partially or wholly to the government then your knowledge of Burma in
general - and the hotel industries in particular - is frighteningly limited
for a Minister of State at the Foreign Office. 
Novotel - Accor Asia Pacific/ Novotel
Sedona - Sedona Hotels
Traders Hotels - Shangri-La Group
Strand Hotel - Amanresorts/Thailand
Kandawgyi Palace - Baiyoke Group, Thailand
New World Inya Lake - New World Hotels International 
Summit Parkview - Summit Parkview, Singapore 
Hotel Nikko - Nikko Hotels International
Central Floating Hotel - Central Group, Thailand 
Mandalay Swan - Belmont International Hotels, Singapore
I shall take it upon myself to personally inform the Chairmen of these large
global hotel chains about your comments and shall leave it up to them to
decide whether they wish to take legal action as a result of your libellous
and defamatory allegations.
Furthermore, I shall also contact the Chairman of Yangon Airways, one of the
country's two private airlines, which you assert to be " partially or wholly
owned by the government", U Kyaw Win, head of the Mayflower Group, since I am
sure he too will be incensed by your outrageous claims and consider legal
redress. 
In conclusion, your recommendations smack of nothing more than utter
hypocrisy, and, coupled with the number of inaccuracies and libellous claims,
cannot possibly be taken seriously by anyone involved in the tourism industry.

Yours sincerely


Nicholas Greenwood
TRAVEL WRITER & TOUR CONSULTANT (BURMA)
-------------------------------------------------------------
cc  ABTA, AITO    
     Chairmen of the hotel chains / airlines listed above