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BurmaNet News: June 1, 2001



______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
        An on-line newspaper covering Burma 
         June 1, 2001   Issue # 1815
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________


INSIDE BURMA _______
*AFP: UN envoy Razali begins mission to revive political dialogue 
*AP: Myanmar government accuses rebel group of killing traveler
*Shan Herald Agency for News:  Ceasefire groups ordered to remove their 
emblems

MONEY _______
*Xinhua: Myanmar's Rice Export Sharply Up in 1st Two Months
*Financial Express (India):  Line-of-credit to Myanmar to be available 
free on board
*Kyodo: Japanese business group to help Burma develop IT software 
industry
*Shan Herald Agency for News: Village rubber seals ordered to return

GUNS______
*Shan Herald Agency for News: Wa shelling of royal project site ordered 
by Burma Army, say source 

DRUGS______
*The New Light of Myanmar (SPDC): MMFB explains modern banking services 
in Lashio, Muse 

REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*Bangkok Post: Friendly signs from Rangoon, Newspaper article could 
hasten visit

EDITORIALS/OPINION/PROPAGANDA________
*Letter--BurmaNet ?has no rights  to say [they are] forgery?
*BurmaNet: A forgery by any other name...
*The New light of Myanmar (SPDC): Placing loving kindness in the fore

OTHER______
*Burma Study Abroad Website online


					
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________





AFP: UN envoy Razali begins mission to revive political dialogue 

June 1, 2001

YANGON, June 1 (AFP) - UN envoy to Myanmar Razali Ismail arrived here 
Friday on a mission to to breathe new life into talks between the junta 
and Aung San Suu Kyi, which have faltered in recent months. 

 The Malaysian diplomat's four-day visit, his first since January, comes 
after elements in the ruling junta baulked at the prospect of 
introducing democratic reforms during a critical decision-making stage 
in the talks. 

 Observers in Yangon hope that the UN special envoy's visit will bring 
fresh impetus to the national reconciliation process, which could end 
four decades of military rule in Myanmar. 

 There are also hopes that the generals in Yangon will take the 
opportunity to shed some light on the direction and intent of the talks, 
which have so far been held under conditions of strict secrecy. 

 "I do hope that his present visit will signal the start of a 
full-fledged dialogue or come out with something really positive at the 
very least," said one analyst in Yangon. 
 The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) is optimistic that 
even if Razali fails to nudge along the talks, his visit will be marked 
by the release of more of its jailed members, especially the sick and 
elderly. 

 "I'm sure he'll make such a request," one NLD member told AFP. "There 
are quite a number of very sick and old persons who have yet to complete 
their sentences but may not make it through ... we are very concerned 
about them." 

 As well as meetings with senior members of the regime, Razali is almost 
certain to be given permission to see democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 
who has been confined to her lakeside home since September. 

 But apart from a dinner Friday to be hosted by Deputy Foreign Minister 
Khin Maung Win, who greeted the envoy at the airport on his arrival, the 
rest of his schedule has been kept under wraps. 

 The green light for Razali's fourth trip to Myanmar came after months 
of delays that raised concerns about the future of political reforms in 
the military-run country. 
 But diplomats in Yangon said it was too soon to know whether the 
junta's decision to allow Razali into the country was an indication that 
the national reconciliation process was back on track. 

 "This is a good sign but we will have to see what kind of feedback he 
gets when he gets here," one said. 

 "Certainly, coming after the indications that his next visit would not 
be on the cards for several more months ... there must now be a little 
bit more flexibility." 

 Razali's visit ends just a day before the International Labor 
Organisation (ILO) convenes its annual meeting where it is expected to 
roundly condemn the Yangon junta's record on forced labour. 

 The ILO's governing body last November issued an unprecedented call for 
its members to review their ties with Myanmar -- a move aimed at 
tightening the sanctions load that has already helped cripple the 
economy. 

 Bitterly disappointed, the junta shot back by declaring it would "cease 
to cooperate" with the ILO, in an apparent declaration that a technical 
mission which had visited in October would not be allowed to return. 

 However, in a significant breakthrough, a team was allowed to travel to 
Yangon last month to negotiate an accord on the eradication of forced 
labour. 

 The renewed contact with the ILO is another sign that a political shift 
is under way in Myanmar, and that the junta is willing to take some 
modest steps towards improving its relationship with the international 
community. 






___________________________________________________




AP: Myanmar government accuses rebel group of killing traveler 

June 1, 2001

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ A government newspaper on Friday accused an 
ethnic rebel group of waylaying a car in eastern Myanmar and killing a 
50-year-old woman passenger. 

 The Myanma Ahlin newspaper said Karen National Union rebels armed with 
grenade launchers and small arms attacked the car on Wednesday near the 
eastern town of Myawaddy, killing the woman and injuring four others. 

 The rebel group, which is fighting a guerrilla war for autonomy for the 
ethnic Karen minority, denied the charges. 

 ``KNU fighter were not involved in the attack. The KNU never attacks 
civilian and reports in Myanmar newspapers always make the international 
community misunderstand the KNU,'' Manh Sha, a leader of the group, told 
The Associated Press in neighboring Thailand, where he is based. 

 The Myanma Ahlin newspaper said ``the KNU rebels who are trying to 
disrupt peace and stability in the country are committing terrorist 
activities by killing and robbing innocent citizens.'' 

 It said the car was traveling from the border town of Myawaddy to the 
nearby Kawkareik town. The army is in pursuit of the ``terrorists'' who 
fled after the attack, the newspaper said. 
 Myawaddy is about 250 kilometers (155 miles) east of Yangon. 

 The Karen National Union is the only major ethnic rebel group that has 
not yet reached peace agreement with the ruling military government.


___________________________________________________



Shan Herald Agency for News:  Ceasefire groups ordered to remove their 
emblems  

Thursday, May 31, 2001 8:29 PM


Groups that have ceasefire agreements with the junta were being ordered 
to  remove their signboards and emblems from public view since mid-May, 
said a  source from the Chinese border yesterday.

On 16 May, MI-23, the military intelligence detachment of Muse, opposite 
 Ruili (Mongmao in Shan) of Yunnan, called a meeting that was attended 
by  several ceasefire groups.

The officer (name not mentioned) was quoted as saying only signboards 
that  described the groups as pure business firms would be permitted.  
Accordingly, names and insignias of each group must be pulled out.  The 
source said it was the same everywhere in the Shan State. "In Taunggyi  
(the capital), owners of vehicles with the groups' names and stickers 
were  told to wipe them out."

So far, the order has yet to be carried out properly, he said. "Every 
group  is waiting for some other groups to make the first move. The UWSA 
(United  Wa State Army), considered the most stubborn, is being expected 
to take the  lead".



[BurmaNet adds? The regime?s order to its allies to remove their 
insignia does not seem to have reached Myawaddy.  A five ton truck 
bearing a United Wa State Army license plate was photographed by 
BurmaNet last week in Myawaddy and offices of the Democratic Karen 
Buddhist Army are also clearly marked in at least two places there.]






___________________________________________________



Shan Herald Agency for News: Village rubber seals ordered to return

May 31, 2001

The local military authorities in the north had, on 24 May, issued a  
directive ordering all village and tract level councils to return their  
rubber seals raising questions whether Rangoon is going to adopt another 
 new title for itself, reported S.H.A.N. source from the Chinese border. 


The deadline for the Muse district has been given as 31 May. 

Prior to the order, 22 retired armed servicemen in the Northeast 
Regional  Command with headquarters in Lashio had been sent to Rangoon 
for a  refresher training in administration, intelligence and combat. 
"These two  events maybe somehow connected", he guessed.

According to the present Burmese administrive system, there are quarter  
peace and development councils within the town limits and tract peace 
and  development councils and village peace and development councils 
outside the  town limits.

__________________________________________________





______________________MONEY________________________



Xinhua: Myanmar's Rice Export Sharply Up in 1st Two Months

YANGON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar exported a total of 71,400 tons of 
rice in the first two months of this year, earning foreign exchange of 
8.75 million U.S. dollars, the country's Central Statistical 
Organization said in its latest data. The export volume and foreign 
exchange earning during the two- month period were respectively up 549 
percent and 548 percent compared with the same period of 2000. Although 
Myanmar's rice export dropped from 111,700 tons in 1998 to 63,700 tons 
in 1999, it rose to 141,600 tons in 2000. To meet its food demand and to 
export more rice, Myanmar has since 1999 reclaimed 467,370 hectares of 
vacant, virgin, fallow and wetlands in the country for cultivation by 
private entrepreneurs. At the same time, it has also exempted the import 
customs duties levied on agricultural implements including pesticide, 
fertilizer, improved variety and machinery. Myanmar's cultivable land 
stretches 18.225 million hectares, of which 10.125 million have been put 
under crops, while 8.1 million remain to be utilized. The country's 
agriculture accounts for 37 percent of the gross domestic product and 25 
percent of the export value. 


___________________________________________________





___________________________________________________




Financial Express (India):  Line-of-credit to Myanmar to be available 
free on board

RBI  Our Bureau

Kolkata, May 29: THE Reserve Bank of India has notified that the 
$15-million line-of-credit to be extended to Myanmar under the 
Indo-Myanmar credit agreement, will be available on a free-on-board 
(FoB) basis. It will cover 100 per cent value of the eligible goods to 
be exported from India. 

According to a circular issued by RBI?s exchange control department, the 
Letters of Credit should clearly specify that 100 per cent of the value 
of goods is financed from credit. In the circular, the apex bank 
authorities have also clarified that the Myanmar government and the 
State Bank of India, New Delhi, should be informed in respect of each 
approved contract by the Union finance ministry. According to RBI, all 
disbursements under the line of credit should be made under Letters of 
Credit opened by banks in Myanmar only. All Letters of Credit shall be 
advised by the banks in Myanmar to SBI, New Delhi, for onward 
transmission to the exporters either directly through SBI or through any 
other bank, as specified by the exporter.It is learnt that the Letter of 
Credit is negotiable after SBI issues an advice that is operative.RBI 
has also stipulated that ordinarily no agency commission shall be 
payable in respect of exports financed under the Line of Credit. 
However, the apex bank authorities may consider on merit, requests for 
payment of commission up to a maximum of five per cent of the free on 
board value in respect of goods which require after sales service. ?In 
such cases, commission will have to be paid in Myanmar by deduction from 
the invoice value of the relevant shipment and the reimbursable amount 
will be 100 per cent of the free on board value minus the commission 
paid and the approval for should be obtained before the relevant 
shipment is effected.,? 




Kyodo: Japanese business group to help Burma develop IT software 
industry `



May 29, 2001, Tuesday

: Kyodo News Service, Tokyo, in English 1204 gmt 29 May 01


Yangon Rangoon , 29 May: The Japan Federation of Economic Organizations 
(Keidanren) agreed Tuesday 29 May to help Myanmar Burma establish an 
information technology (IT) software industry, a joint communique said. 

In a joint communique issued at the close of a two-day Myanmar-Japan 
joint economic conference, Japan's most powerful business organization 
expressed its readiness "to offer any possible assistance to cooperate 
and establish the software industry in Myanmar".

The communique said that both sides called for more cohesive economic 
and technical cooperation among the developed and developing countries 
of Asia to enable developing countries to benefit from globalization. 
It said the Myanmar side "reiterated the importance of IT development in 
the development process".

The communique noted that Keidanren urged the junta to improve 
investment conditions.

It said that the junta promised to take steps to build investor 
confidence "in every area of investment".

Foreign direct investment to Myanmar has fallen sharply since the Asian 
economic crisis started in 1997.

The communique said that the Japanese side agreed to a
Myanmar request that the number of Myanmar students trained in Japan be 
increased.

The conference was co-chaired by Iwao Toriumi, chairman of Keidanren's 
Myanmar-Japan joint economic committee and Brig-Gen David Abel, minister 
in the Office of the Chairman of the State Peace and Development 
Council.






_______________________GUNS________________________



Shan Herald Agency for News: Wa shelling of royal project site ordered 
by Burma Army, say source 

May 30, 2001



Wa shelling of royal project site ordered by Burma Army, say source A 
source from the border called S.H.A.N. this morning to confirm that the  
Wa shelling of the royal project site in northern Thailand on 22 May was 
 ordered by the Burmese army.

The source, who lives in Monghsat, said the order came from Lt.-Col. 
Myint  Aung, Commander, Light Infantry Battalion 333 of Monghsat to Ai 
Htoon,  Battalion 212 of the UWSA (United Wa State Army) to shell Doi 
Angkhang (the  royal project site).

Five mortar shells landed in the Doi Angkhang royal development project  
site in Fang District, 160 kilometers north of Chiangmai and 2 
kilometers  from the border. Across the border is Pakhee, the scene of 
fierce fighting  between Shans and the Burma Army from 22 April to 3 May 
and later, 3-10  May, between the Thai Army and the Burma Army-backed 
Wa.

He said, "It was the Burmese idea of celebrating the Shan Resistance Day 
 that falls the day before. Doi Angkhang was chosen because that was 
where  the fledgling Shan force of Noom Serk Harn formed by Sao Noi in 
1958  established his first base, said the Burmese".

The Shan State Army had marked the event on the previous day by inviting 
 Nga Caravan, the celebrated Thai singer, thereby causing a sensation in 
the  country. The SSA also irked many of its supporters by renaming it 
the Shan  State Army Day.

They argued that while it was true the Shan resistance army was born on  
that day, all had agreed to call it the Day of Resistance. "At least 
they  could have consulted all those concerned before changing the 
name", one  said. "What happens, I'm afraid doesn't bode well for the 
Shan State's  democratic process".

Another disappointed supporter also said, "The right course always moves 
 from a narrow base to a broad base. What we are doing is just the 
reverse". 




___________________________________________________






________________________DRUGS______________________



The New Light of Myanmar (SPDC): MMFB explains modern banking services 
in Lashio, Muse 


Friday, 1 June , 2001

[BurmaNet adds--The May Flower Bank is owned by the United Wa State 
Army, the largest drug trafficking organization in Burma]

 
Yangon, 31 May- Myanmar May Flower Bank Ltd held the briefing on modern  
banking services and dinner in Lashio on 22 May and Muse on 24 May. The  
ceremony was held at City Hall in Lashio on 22 May. Present on the 
occasion  were Command Staff Colonel Col Ye Tun Win, General Staff 
Officer (Grade-I)  Lt-Col Htay Naing of North-East Command, Secretary of 
Shan State (North)  Peace and Development Council Lt-Col Win Han, 
departmental officials,  Executive Director U Win Naing, Managing 
Director U Khin Maung and Division  Manager (Admin) U Aung Kyaw Soe of 
MMFB, entrepreneurs, MMFB (Lashio Branch)  U S Kyaw Naing and staff. 
Executive Director U Win Naing explained the  policy, the aims, the 
brief history, the capital, deposits, loans, investment  and progress of 
MMFB's banking services up to 31 March 2001. Managing  Director U Khin 
Maung briefed those present on banking services, bank  insurance, use of 
ATM, POS and MC credit cards. After the ceremony, Executive  Director U 
Win Naing hosted a dinner for entrepreneurs and presented  souvenirs to 
them. A similar ceremony was held in Muse on 24 May. Present on  the 
occasion were officials of MMFB, Chairman of Muse-Namkham Border Trade  
Merchants Association U Maung Yin and local people. Tactical Operations  
Commander Col Soe Yi and officials attended the dinner hosted by U Win 
Naing.  Then, Executive Director U Win Naing presented souvenirs to 
attendances. 





___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
				



Bangkok Post: Friendly signs from Rangoon, Newspaper article could 
hasten visit


June 1, 2001



Burma's New Light of Myanmar changed its tune yesterday, praising Their 
Majesties the King and Queen, whose historical trip to Burma in 1960 
helped strengthen bilateral ties.

The move is seen as a positive gesture for Bangkok and is expected to 
help bring about an early visit to Rangoon by Prime Minister Thaksin 
Shinawatra.

He wants to salvage the diplomatic ties threatened by a recent spate of 
border conflicts in the North.

The state-run daily, which criticised two late Thai monarchs for their 
handling
of Western colonisation in the mid-1800s, and angered the Foreign 
Ministry, was full of praise for Their Majesties in its edition 
yesterday. 
"This is the first positive sign from Burma that could help speed up Mr 
Thaksin's trip.

"The visit is likely to be made in early June if arrangements can be 
settled by the government's advance team," said a political source. 
Gen Vichit Yathip, chief of the defence minister's staff officers, told 
Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh of the development and a copy of 
the article was faxed to the prime minister.

Some advisers had opposed plans, mooted this week, to speed up Mr 
Thaksin's trip, unless there were positive signs from Rangoon. 
"The premier was urged to be cautious in moving up his visit to 
Rangoon," the source said.

Speaking before he was told of the newspaper article yesterday, Mr 
Thaksin was non-committal on whether he would speed up his visit. 
"I don't want to discuss it in detail, especially when it deals with 
national security," Mr Thaksin said. The government wanted good border 
co-operation and believed tensions would soon ease.

The prime minister said he would visit Rangoon after arrangements were 
worked out.

However, sources say the omens are good.

"Once a positive sign is transmitted directly from Burma, the premier 
will decide when he will make his move. Now we have this sign," a source 
said. 
In an article called "Placing loving kindness", Ma Tin Win said she 
wrote the two previous offending articles because she wanted to rebut 
"slanderous" accusations against the Burmese.

She recalled fond memories of a visit by Their Majesties to Burma in 
1960. 
She wrote: "The news photo of the King and Queen offering meals to the 
eminent monks of Myanmar enhanced the view that we were of the same 
Buddhist faith and aroused our loving kindness towards the country." Ma 
Tin Win said her admired book collection included Maha Janaka, a book 
written by the King to cherish perseverance.

She said she read the book with much devotion.

"It is obvious in the concluding parts of the book that the King has 
wished to clean all the filth in the social, education and cultural 
spheres of Siam with the teachings of Buddha."

"After reading the book, my respect for the King has been further 
enhanced."







___________EDITORIALS/OPINION/PROPAGANDA__________





BurmaNet: A forgery by any other name...

--Re. BurmaNet: Advisory to Burma media outlets re forged news releases, 
May 30, 2001



Dear Strider,

Do you think all of articles or statements from New Light of Myanmar's 
are all right?  May be some are forgery or real, but you are Burmanet 
editor, has no rights  to say their forgery. This is their job, their 
rights. People will  know, it is fogery or real.  Also these people 
(Arakanese) may be one  person or more, they can  made any kind of  
statement and articles,  this is not your job, if you think, it is 
forgery,  OK you can ignore it.  May be some Arakanese are support to 
the  (NUPA-ARNO) alliance or some are not.  This is Arakan national 
affair.  This is politic.

Can you ask question to DAB or NCUB, why don't accept to ARNO as a 
member,  when they applied to the alliance? They are also fighting 
against military dictatorship in Burma. 

You may know about these situations more than me, please don't screw 
among the Arakanese revolutionary. 

Best,

KMMAung 


________________________________________________



BurmaNet: A forgery by any other name...

June 1, 2001

BurmaNet replies to KMMAung---

Regarding your claim that BurmaNet has ?no rights? to say when something 
is a forgery you are simply mistaken.  When we receive an article or 
press release supposedly written by A but actually written by B, we have 
every right to cry fraud.  As to BurmaNet carrying articles from The New 
Light of Myanmar, you mistake inclusion for endorsement.  We do not 
claim that content of The New Light articles we carry is true except to 
the extent of who published it and when.  Note that the section they are 
carried in is Editorial/Opinion/PROPAGANDA. 

Knowing what the regime is saying is, or should be, important to anyone 
who wants to be well informed about the country.  Believing it is 
another matter...

The spoofed messages supposedly originating from NUPO, ARNO and the 
Arakan Army are a lie of a different sort from The New Light because 
they are the work of someone not a member of any of these groups.  I 
will confess limited knowledge of Arakanese and Rohingya politics (and 
probably know less about the situation than you).   
My lack of knowledge about the intricacies of Arakanese and Rohingya 
politics is exceeded only by my lack of desire to "screw among the 
Arakanese revolutionary"-- having as I do no opinions of NUPO,  ARNO or 
the advisability of their alliance.  But I have a very strong opinion 
about people who send news articles or press releases to BurmaNet 
pretending to be someone other than they are.  I much prefer The New 
Light over this sort of fraud because then at least I am sure of who 
wrote the lies I?m reading.

Strider



________________________________________________





The New light of Myanmar (SPDC): Placing loving kindness in the fore 

Thursday, 31 May, 2001 



After writing articles, there appeared responses. Experiences made me 
accept  the responses as it is nature and no one is to blame. However, I 
have the  duty to make clarification to rebut all the slanderous 
accusations, for, the  duty is not assigned to me by anyone, but by 
myself. 

Since childhood, we have never been taught to hate nor underestimate 
Siam  (Thailand). We have seen Siam from the optimistic point of view 
that Siam is  a nation like Myanmar where Theravada Buddhism flourishes; 
that it is  governed by the Monarch; and that it is a highly civilized 
nation.  
I will now explain why I, who have seen Siam from the optimistic point 
of  view, have been brought up as a person who hates that country. I was 
only a  school girl when the problem of the Nationalist Chinese arose in 
Myanmar. As  our teachers had explained to us about the events which 
were carried in the  dailies, we came to know whose support the 
Nationalist Chinese troops  survived on. It was obvious that the persons 
from afar were able to supply  arms to the Nationalist Chinese, who were 
intruding on Myanmar territory, as  there was a middleman to transport 
the supplies and permit the intruders to  pass through its territory. 

 Till now I feel much heart-rending to recount these past experiences.  
Myanmar had to face internal strife as well as Nationalist Chinese 
intrusion  in less than a decade after regaining her independence. While 
embracing her  fresh independence, she had to steel herself and arouse 
her pride to face and  overcome all the difficulties with her own 
strength. 

Later, there came the opportunity to hold a meeting between Siamese 
(Thai)  and Myanmar military officials on matters including cessation of 
providing  assistance to KMT by Siam and relations between the two 
nations. The meeting  was held in the Siamese territory. Most likely, it 
was held in Chiangmai. In  the news photographs carried by the dailies, 
the Siamese military officers  wore stern faces; but the innocent 
Myanmar officials were not able to sit  with hardheaded appearance as 
they were keeping the national cause in the  fore. So, how can I love 
Siam as I, then an adolescence who was able to feel  and understand like 
adults, have seen the news photographs and read the news  reports about 
the incident in the dailies. 

I would like to tell the youths who are about the age of my children. As 
you  were born after the nation had already passed through hardships, 
you will not  know about Siam. Since we were the middle or high school 
students at that  time we had firsthand experiences of the hardships 
caused by Siam making  political and military plots to harm Myanmar's 
independence which was  regained by sacrificing much blood and many 
lives. 

I could not love Siam, and even hated it as there were much 
disappointing  matters concerning Siam. I regained the status of a 
peacefully-nurtured youth  only after the problem of the Nationalist 
Chinese had been solved and the  political stability was restored in the 
nation. When I was able to pursue a  normal life of a youth, my mind had 
become free from all the enmity.  
After all the enmity was cleared from my mind, the only thing left in my 
mind  concerning Siam was the fond memories of His Majesty and Her 
Majesty of Siam  and the royal family. I still remember that the Siamese 
King and the Queen  visited Myanmar in 1960 while I was a university 
student staying at Marlar  Hall. The aim of their visit was to enhance 
friendship. The dailies featured  photographs of the King and the 
Queen." Handsome" , " beautiful" and "lovely'  were the adjectives in 
our words concerning the King and the Queen. The news  photo of the King 
and the Queen offering meals to the eminent monks of  Myanmar enhanced 
the view that we were of the same Buddhist faith and also  aroused our 
loving kindness towards the country. 

One morning while we were taking a stroll outside the compound of our 
hostel,  we saw the motorcade of the King and the Queen and the 
officials who  accompanied them to the airport to bid them farewell. We 
were round about 20  then. The gorgeous and courteous Queen had much 
power to attract young people  like us. We saw the smiling Queen on a 
car. She was wearing a pink dress. We  heartily waved to her with joy. 
She smiled and waved back at us.  
>From then on, I have viewed the dirty politics of Siam separately from 
the  King and the royal family. I give much respect to the King and the 
royal  family who are living in a most decorous way. If the Siamese want 
to say that  I am lying and using diplomatic language, it would amount 
to denying the fact  that the magnificent glory of the King and the 
Queen can win the heart of a  person who has no love for Siam. The 
Siamese should exercise restraint if  they do not wish to harm the 
brilliant glory of their Monarch and the Queen.  I fully trust that all 
the other Myanmars will also see eye-to-eye with me.  
It is sure that such a person will never write articles on the Siamese  
history with evil intention to damage the reputation of the ancient 
Siamese  monarchs. As there are connections between the historical 
events and the acts  of the persons involved in history, a presentation 
of history will also  include the acts of the persons. 

So, I will have to continue to write in accord with the historic duty.  
Everybody has the duty to leave behind what he has gathered in his life 
for  new generations. As a writer I have to present the important events 
in my  writings based on firm evidence and records. I have a great deal 
to tell the  Myanmar youths. 

All of you youths should know that the prosperity of the homeland is 
your  duty regardless of the place you are living in and the work you 
are engaging  in. Many lives were sacrificed to continue to keep this 
land in our hands. We  have read in history that many tragic events 
occurred due to the  disagreements among the royal brethren. You youths 
must always be ready for  action in times of emergency. You have the 
duty to be united whenever there  is a crisis. Who will love or value 
your homeland, Myanmar, if you don't? Do  not try to blame others. Be 
united. Your force is greatly required.  
I write this article not with my head but with my heart. 

 Maxim: 

There are many books in my room which I have read and kept with much 
value  and respect. One of the books is " Maha Janaka Jataka' compiled 
by the  present Siamese King himself. He wrote the book in Siamese as 
well as in  English. As soon as I entered a book shop during my visit to 
Siam, I searched  for the book at the bookshelves. When I didn't find 
the book, I made a  request to the liaison officer to ask for the book 
at the counter in Siamese  language, telling him that I wanted to buy 
it. The official replied that the  King had not written the book. He 
asked at the counter when I insisted that  it was sure that the King had 
compiled the book; and that I had heard about  the book in Myanmar. 
After asking at the counter, he with embarrassing face  told me that the 
book was available at the shop and that I had to buy it at  the counter. 
I bought five copies to give them as a present to my bookworm  friends. 

As it is about a Jataka, I read the book with much devotion. It is 
obvious in  the concluding parts of the book that the King has wished to 
clean all the  filth in the social, education and cultural spheres of 
Siam with the  teachings of Buddha. After reading the book, my respects 
for the King have  further enhanced. 

After paying obeisance to the Emerald Buddha Image, I bought books from 
a  shop located diagonally opposite to the pagoda compound. Among the 
books, the  Golden Jubilee of the King was so beautiful and large. In 
addition to this  book, I also bought many other books with many 
photographs of the King and  the royal family. Every time I read the 
books, I feel happy for buying them.  As soon as I got the book, I 
swiftly searched the photographs of the King and  the Queen's visit to 
Myanmar. As she was much younger during the visit she  looks fresh and 
cheerful in the photographs. And, they are the images of  friendship. 

Author : Dr Ma Tin Win ( Institute of Education) 






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Burma Study Abroad Website online

The Burma Study Abroad Website has been online since March of this year 
at http://www.ibiblio.org/BurmaEducation

This nonpolitical website contains information on how students from 
Burma can find educational opportunities in a number of countries.











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Burma News Summaries available by email or the web

There are three Burma news digest services available via either email or 
the web.

Burma News Update
Frequency: Biweekly
Availability: By fax or the web.
Viewable online at 
http://www.burmaproject.org/burmanewsupdate/index.html
Cost: Free
Published by: Open Society Institute, Burma Project

The Burma Courier 
Frequency: Weekly 
Availability: E-mail, fax or post.  To subscribe or unsubscribe by email 
celsus@xxxxxxxxxxx
Viewable on line at: http://www.egroups.com/group/BurmaCourier
Cost: Free
Note: News sources are cited at the beginning of an article. 
Interpretive comments and background
details are often added.

Burma Today
Frequency: Weekly
Availability: E-mail
Viewable online at http://www.worldviewrights.org/pdburma/today.html
To subscribe, write to pdburma@xxxxxxxxx
Cost: Free
Published by: PD Burma (The International Network of Political Leaders 
Promoting Democracy in Burma)




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