BurmaNet News: September 27

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"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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BurmaNet News: Tuesday, September 27, 1994
Issue #25

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Contents:

1: AFP: P. PENH RIGHTS GROUPS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER BURMA ABUSES
2: NATION: LETTER TO THE EDITOR; "CARROT AND STICK"
3: BKK POST: THE NIMBLE PORTERS OF AN ANCIENT BURMESE TRADITION

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AFP: P. PENH RIGHTS GROUPS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER BURMA ABUSES
September 27, 1994

PHNOM PENH - Cambodian humanitarian groups expressed concern yesterday over
human rights abuses in Burma and called on Cambodia's foreign minister to
raise the issue of detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi with
Burmese authorities.

"We wish to express our deep concern about the human rights situation in
Burma, "said a statement signed by 10 local human rights groups "one behalf
of the Cambodian people."

"In the 20 years prior to [the recent UN peacekeeping mission], we in
Cambodia have experienced abuses of human rights which are counted among the
worst in world history," the statement said.

In a letter published in the English language Cambodian Daily, the Cambodian
Action Committee for Human Rights called on Foreign Minister Prince Norodom
Sirivudh to raise the issue of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Burmese pro-democracy leader -- who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 --
has been under house arrest in Rangoon since 1989. "We understand the
suffering of the Burmese people. We, therefore, call on the Slorc to
immediately and unconditionally release Aung San Suu Kyi and the hundreds of
other political prisoners held in Burma today," the letter said.

The ruling military junta which seized power in 1988 after crushing a
national pro-democracy movement, call itself the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (Slorc). The letter was passed on to Prince Sirivdh, a
foreign ministry official told AFP. 

Prince Sirivudh, who is in New York for the current session of the UN General
Assembly, will meet a Burmese delegation to exchange letters of diplomatic
recognition, the official added. The collective statement from the human
rights groups said there were reports of the Burmese authorities "shooting,
torturing and conscripting villagers, burning down of villages and raping
women."


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NATION: LETTER TO THE EDITOR; "CARROT AND STICK"
September 27, 1994

LAST week a senior member of the Burmese Resistance had a private meeting at
the White House and then had dinner with the First Family. We received
assurance that the Clinton Administration will remain focused on Burma and
that Burma will be a foreign policy priority of the American government.

In March 1994 the American government held a Deputies Meeting is composed of
the Number Two officials at the State Department, Defence Department, Central
Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency etc. Recently President Clinton
ordered another Deputies Meeting on Burma to send a firm clear message to
Slorc.

The Burmese resistance is patterned after the very influential Cuban Lobby.
The leadership remains anonymous and is committed to restoring freedom and
democracy in Burma. Our campaign to force corporate withdrawal from Burma is
very effective and we now have the full and complete support from the US
congress and Clinton. 

We have always believed in negotiating from a position of strength. A proper
recipe of  "carrot and stick" from the US government will serve as a catalyst
to promote national reconciliation in Burma. We are confident that Suu Kyi
and General Than Shwe will adjust to hard realities and make the difficult
compromises and sacrifices to promote freedom, democracy and economic
development in Burma. 

                                                Myint Thein
                                                Senior adviser to the Burmese 
                                                Resistance  


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BKK POST: THE NIMBLE PORTERS OF AN ANCIENT BURMESE TRADITION
September 27, 1994

THAI  are no stranger to the performing art of traditional dance, with its
graceful movement, dazzling costumes, and heady musical rhythms, which
combine to talk the audience back to a simpler time, before traffic jams and
mobile phones become a part of everyday life. The same can be said for the
traditional dance of Thailand's neighbours to the west, which were brought to
the Siam Society last Friday night, courtesy of Burma Travel and Tours.

The programme consisted mainly of dramatic dance, which, through movement and
animated facial expressions, were able to tell a story without the used of
words.  While less traditional than pure classical dance, this style was
certainly more interesting for first time viewers.

In beginning with the Dance of the Nat Votaress, the dancers submitted an
appeal to the spiritual beings for the success of the show. The two dancers,
clad in the red and white costume of the Nat votaress, smiled so sweetly in
their undulating routine that even the most grumpy spirits would have quickly
agreed to allow their show to proceed unhindered.

This was followed by U Shwe Yoe, a folk dance which proves the old adage  "If
at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

The focus then shifted back to classical dance, with Sita Hunts the deer, a
well-known scene from the Ramayana. The curtain opened to travel the "deer",
a single dancer in a bright orange costume replete with gold trim, sporting
a crown of golden antlers.

It is always interesting to note the subtle differences in regional styles,
and this is especially true of traditional dance. Judging from the minutes
attention to from shown by the Myanmar Travel and Tours troupe, this art,
having already been carried through several centuries, will no doubt continue
to flourish for several more. 

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ABBREVIATIONS USED BY BURMANET:

 AP: ASSOCIATED PRESS
 AFP: AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
 AWSJ: ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL
 BBC: BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
 BI: BURMA ISSUES
 BIG: BURMA INFORMATION GROUP
 BKK POST: THE BANGKOK POST
 CPPSM: COMMITTEE FOR THE PUBLICITY OF THE PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE IN MONLAND
 DA:  DEPTHNEWS ASIA
 FEER: FAR EAST ECONOMIC REVIEW
 NATION: THE NATION (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)

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