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BurmaNet News: February 15, 1995
- Subject: BurmaNet News: February 15, 1995
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 15 Feb 1995 07:39:00
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The BurmaNet News: Wednesday, February 15, 1995
Issue #108
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Contents:
**********************INSIDE BURMA****************************
1 NATION: UN ENVOYS VISIT RANGOON AS HOPES FOR REFORM DIM
2 VOA: UN OFFICIALS IN RANGOON FOR TALKS
*****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI***********************
3 NATION: KNU LEADER SEIZED IN THAILAND BY DEFECTORS
4 BKK POST: KNU OFFICIAL KIDNAPPED FROM TAK REFUGEE CAMP
**********************SHAN STATE******************************
5 BKK POST: THE CASINO THAT NEVER WAS
6 SSA(USA): CALL FOR UNITY AGAINST SLORC
****************************THAILAND***************************
6 NATION: SUTHIN BEMOANS FAILURE OF THAI POLICY ON RANGOON
*************************INTERNATIONAL*************************
7 BKK POST: COMMITTEE RAPS BURMA JUNTA
8 BKK POST: BURMA LARGEST HEROIN SUPPLIER TO US, SAYS N.Y.T.
9 BURMANET: BOOK LAUNCH FOR LINTNER'S "BURMA IN REVOLT"
10 BKK POST: LETTER TO THE EDITOR--"A DISTORTION OF THE FACTS"
11 BKK POST: EX-AUST PM BOB HAWKE DEFENDS VISIT TO BURMA
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**************THE BURMANET NEWS--FEBRUARY 15, 1995************
**************************************************************
**********************INSIDE BURMA****************************
NATION: UN ENVOYS VISIT RANGOON AS HOPES FOR REFORM DIM
10 February 1995
Aung Zaw on the international body's latest efforts to engage
Rangoon in dialogue
A team of Un envoys, fresh from four day visit to Rangoon,
headed yesterday for Geneva, where they will report their
findings to debate human rights Commission that is to debate
human rights condition in Burma later this month.
Meanwhile, Burmese opponents to the military junta, are
becoming disheartened by the international communities
inability to win concessions from hardline regime in Rangoon.
Alvaro de Soto, head of the UN political affairs department in
New York, and Fransesc Vendrell, director of UN political
affairs' Asia division, will be visiting Burma in the near
future. The two will be meeting with Rangoon military leaders
including Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw. Alvaro de Soto is
preparing a report on Burma for the UN Human Rights Commission in
Geneva.
The two will engage the Burma's military leaders in dialogue
regarding democratisation, improvements on human rights, and
national reconciliation.
The visit is coincides with the Burma's major offensive
against the Manerplaw where thousands of Karen soldiers and
Burmese democrats have been fighting for their cause. The Burmese
troops captured the Manerplaw last week. As a result thousands of
Karen and Burmans refugees fled to the Thai soil.
The informed sources reported: the upcoming visit by the two-
member delegation will influence the UN debate in Geneva and
its resolution on Burma. Since 1989 the UN General Assembly began
its annual debate on Burma.
Last year in December, the UN General Assembly expressed
concern over human rights situation in Burma including attacks
made by the Burmese army on a refugee camp at Halockhani where
6,000 Mon refugees were taking refuge.
In November professor Yozo Yokota, UN special human rights
investigator visited to Burma. He held several meetings with
military leaders. Soon after his visit the BBC World Service
in London and other human rights groups in Thailand received many
protest letters from inside Burma.
The Burmese people stated in their letters: "If we can talk to
him (Yokota) freely as we wanted, I think a lot of people will
go to see him. He will not have enough time to write." Another
letter said: "In the presence of Slorc officials and military
personnel what can we say?" It is hardly surprising Yokota did
not have a chance to investigate independently what is really
going in Burma under the State Law and Order Restoration
Council or Slorc.
Nevertheless, after his visit he made a strong report on
Burma.
His report said: "Particularly, the right to life, liberty and
security of person, freedoms of thought, opinion, expression,
peaceful assembly and association are widely ignored and
seriously violated, especially in connection with forced
labour including pottering, forced relocation, and political
activities related to political parties and the National
Convention."
"Cases of torture, arbitrary killings, rapes, and
disappearances and confiscation of private property seem to be
taking place most frequently at the border areas by military
soldiers in the course of military operations, forced relocations
and development projects."he noted.
Ohn Gyaw dismissed Yokota' report is just a ritual thing. But
a letter from ordinary Burmese sent to BBC World Service said:
"I don't think his (Yokota) report is enough."
In his most recent report which was published last week said,
Numerous allegations, often in considerable detail, have been
received from various alleging that members of the Burmese
military, intelligence and security services, and police,
continue to torture people in detention or otherwise subject
them to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment."
Yokota's report also call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi
"immediately and unconditionally." Yokota also stated that
during his visit he had been told that many people wanted to tell
him their stories, but were too afraid to come and see him.
Yokota was not alone -- another visitor to Rangoon in November
was Rafeeudin Ahmed, associate administrator for the UNDP. He
had met the Slorc's top leaders including Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt. He
discussed a variety of human rights topics, including the
release of Aung San Suu Kyi. It was the second stage of dialogue
between Slorc and UN. Ohn Gyaw promised to open a dialogue with
the UN while he was attending at Asean summit in Bangkok last
July.
Then he met high-ranking UN officials in New York during the UN
General Assembly in New York. However, it is believed that no
progress has been made between UN and Slorc. In Burma some people
even expressed pessimism and skepticism about the UN and Yokota's
visit. A letter stated that if every year it goes like this
nothing will happen. "We will remain under Slorc," the letter
said.
Recently, a reliable source in Karen state reported a Karen
activist died in prison last year while serving his life
imprisonment. Yan Gyi Aung, 26, was from Pa-an -Karen state -- he
went to KNU-controlled area soon after the Burmese military
crush the uprising in 1988. He then returned to Burma in 1989. He
was arrested and sentenced to death in 1990. But the
influential monks in Karen state appealed to military court
then he was received life imprisonment. He died from cholera and
received no medical treatment. To date, approximately 50
political prisoners including monks, artists, students and
politicians died in prisons as a result of torture and
maltreatment. May believe that the number could be much
higher. (TN)
**********************INSIDE BURMA****************************
VOA: UN OFFICIALS IN RANGOON FOR TALKS
February 7, 1995
INTRO: TWO SENIOR UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS ARE IN RANGOON FOR
THREE DAYS OF TALKS WITH LEADERS OF THE BUREMESE GOVERNMENT. AS
DAVID BUTLER REPORTS FROM BANGKOK, THE TALKS COME AS BURMESE
MILITARY FORCES INTENSIFY THEIR PUSH AGAINST THE LAST STRONGHOLD
OF KAREN REBEL NEAR THE BORDER BETWEEN BURMA AND THAILAND.
TEXT: A REPORT ON BURMA'S STATE TELEVISION MONITORED IN BANGKOK
SAID ASSISTANT UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL ALVARO DE SOTO
MET MONDAY WITH BURMESE FOREIGN MINISTER OHN GYAW.
MR. DE SOTO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE U-N'S TOP OFFICIAL FOR EAST
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC.
THE BROADCAST SAID THE U-N OFFICIALS AND OHN GYAW HAD CORDIAL
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MATTERS OF MUTUAL INTEREST. BUT IT GAVE NO
FURTHER DETAILS.
LAST JULY, OHN GYAW TOLD A MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF
SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IN BANGKOK THAT BURMA'S RULING MILITARY
COUNCIL HAD ACCEPTED A U-N INVITATION TO OPEN A DIALOGUE.
ANOTHER SENIOR U-N OFFICIAL TRAVELED TO RANGOON IN NOVEMBER TO
OPEN THE DIALOGUE. IN DECEMBER, THE U-N GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTED
A MOTION THAT NOTED HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN BURMA AND CALLED
ON THE RULING MILITARY COUNCIL TO RELEASE OPPOSITION LEADER AUNG
SAN SUU KYI, WHO HAS BEEN UNDER HOUSE ARREST SINCE 1989.
MEANWHILE, RE THE THAI-BURMESE BORDER TUESDAY SAID
BURMESE FORCES HAVE INTENSIFIED THEIR SHELLING OF THE LAST
STRONGHOLD OF KAREN ARMED ETHNIC REBELS ON THE BORDER.
THE REPORTS SAID THE BURMESE RAINED ARTILLERY SHELLS ON THE BASE
AT KAWMOORA, AT A LOOP IN THE MOEI RIVER 300 KILOMETERS EAST OF
RANGOON, BEGINNING LATE MONDAY AND CONTINUING TUESDAY.
THAI OFFICIALS SAY SOME SHELLS AND MORTARS FELL ON THAI
TERRITORY, FORCING ABOUT 70 THAI VILLAGERS ALONG THE BORDER TO
MOVE TO A SCHOOL DEEPER INSIDE THAILAND.
THEY JO THOUSAND KAREN REFUGEES WHO HAVE FLED TO
THAILAND IN THE CURRENT BURMESE OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE KARENS.
NEB/DB/JWH
07-Feb-95 8:05 AM EST (1305 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
*****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI***********************
NATION: KNU LEADER SEIZED IN THAILAND BY DEFECTORS
13 February 1995
A key Karen guerrilla leader was kidnapped on Thursday night by a
group of eight armed Karen Buddhist defectors who
illegally crossed the Moei River into a refugee camp in
Thailand's Tha song Yang district of Tak.
Leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU) in separate
interviews yesterday said they did not yet know the
whereabouts of Padoh Mahn Yin Sein, but believe he must have
taken to Myaingnyingu Temple in Burma where the KNU Buddhist
defectors have set up a headquarters.
Thai authorities in Bangkok and Mae Sot said yesterday they were
unable to take any action to prevent the kidnapping as they not
promptly alerted of the incident which accrued late in night.
A senior officer of Tak Force 34 in Mae sot said that his
office will soon send a verbal message to Burmese authorities in
Myawaddy to protest territorial transgression and the
kidnapping of Mahn Yin Sein, a KNU administrative governor of
Pa-an District, from the refugee camp at Baan Bae Kraw, about 60
km north of Mae Sot.
KNU leader said they believe the defectors, who formed a rival
group called the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Organisation (DKBO) in
late December, would try to coerce Mahn Yin Sein, the top
Buddhist in the KNU, to talk the leadership of the new group.
They said the 55-year-old hostage "is a very nice and gentle men
who commands wide respect from both KNU Buddhist members and
local villagers" and that the DKBO "will probably force him to
become their leader."
In December and January the defectors kidnapped three other
senior KNU Buddhist leaders including Mahn Yin Sein's deputy Ya
Yu who is the first vice governor of Pa-an and Ban Yuang, a
financial officer of the KNU's 7th Brigade, and forces them to
enter the monkhood. The three leaders had gone to Myaingnyingu
Temple in an attempt to resolve religious conflicts between KNU
Buddhist and Christian members but were taken hostage and have
not yet been released, according to a KNU officer.
The DKBO, currently led by U Thuzana, a Karen Buddhist monk who
follows a strict discipline and a vegetarian diet, has tried to
recruit KNU Buddhist members, forces and villagers, accusing the
Christian-led KNU leadership of discrimination against the
promotion of Buddhist members and the practice of Buddhist
religious activities.
The junta, known as the Slorc, has been supporting the DKBO'a
military wing, the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA), and
used them in the military offensive to capture the KNU
headquarters of Manerplaw.
A Karen witness of Thursday's kidnapping told The Nation
yesterday that a total of four person including Mahn Yin Sein
were kidnapped from the Pa-an governor's house in Baan Bae Kraw
by a group of eight DKBA forces armed with AK-47 rifles, an M-79
rocket launches and hand grenades. The kidnappers also captured
two Karen villagers familiar with the locality to guide them to
the governor's residence.
The other hostages captured at the residence are Sim Bo, the
governor's nephew, Sai Jed, a KNU judge, and Maung Aye, second
vice governor of Pa-an and son-in-law of Mahn Yin Sein.
Maung Aye was forced to drive the governor's Mazda pick-up, but
managed to escape his captors with only minor injuries after
driving the vehicle into a tree on the Mae Sot-Tha Song yang
highway. However, his father-in-law and the two other hostages
were later taken across the Moei River into the
Burmese army camp at Moe Pa Zu, opposite Tak's Mae Ramat
district and about 15 km south of Baan Bae Kraw.
A witness said the incident took place about 10 pm on Thursday
when the governor's family was watching TV and Mahn Yin Sein
himself was listening to the radio.
The kidnappers, according to the witness, told the governor that
the DKBO leader and the monk U Thuzana "had told them to come and
bring Mahn Yin Sein" back to Myaingnyingu Temple. "He (the
governor) knew two of the DKBA kidnappers very well as they uesd
to work for him," said the witness. The two
kidnappers were identified as Maung Soe and Maung Tu.
The witness said he believes the Burmese junta and the DKBA will
not harm the governor and will try use him to campaign for
support of the DKBO, especially in Pa-an district where the
majority of the Karen population is Buddhist. (TN)
*****************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI***********************
BKK POST: KNU OFFICIAL KIDNAPPED FROM TAK REFUGEE CAMP
February 15, 1995
A Karen National Union official was kidnapped from a refugee camp
on Friday by unidentified members of the Democratic Karen
Buddhist Organisation according to the border patrol police
source.
The camp is in Tha Song Yang district. The police believe the
members, about six, had crossed over the border along with Karen
refugees escaping fighting between the KNU and the Bur- mese
government army.
The six reportedly used a handgun to force the official,
Padomah, his close aide and a driver to take them to a border
pass in Mae Lamat district.
Before reaching the border pass, the driver abandoned the car and
fled into the wood. Padomah was accompanied by the DKBO members
to Mokkala Hill in a village on the Burmese side.
There, the group accidentally came across and kidnapped
another KNU official before handing him and the other two over to
the Burmese Army's Ninth Battalion.
Meanwhile, three students from the All Burma Students
Democratic Front (ABSDF) are missing after the long-tail boat
they were in capsised on the Salween River opposite Mae
Sariang district in Mae Hong Son on Thursday. (BP)
**********************SHAN STATE******************************
BKK POST: THE CASINO THAT NEVER WAS
9 February 1995
We now have it straight from the horse's mouth: Burma's answer to
Macau has closed its doors.
In fact, the infamous den of iniquity that had Thailand's
Interior Ministry expressing "serious concern" that "tourist will
want to come to Chiang Rai not for sightseeing, but to gamble at
Tachilek," never really existed at all.
Recently I ventured across the border at Mae Sai, which turn into
Tachilek as soon as you set foot on Burmese soil.
"Where's the gambling den?" I asked an immigration official. "I
don't want to gamble," I added hastily, "I just want to have a
look."
"Gambling den no have," was the prompt reply.
At this point a rather surly but somewhat more articulate
official who had been browsing over a back issue of the Bangkok
Post raised his head and informed me: "The gambling den does NOT
exist, has NAVER existed, and what's more, will NEVER exits."
He angrily brandished the newspaper in formed me that the whole
thing was a figment of some newspaper writer's imagination.
Felling that the time had come to change the subject, I asked how
much a tour of the area by samlor would cost.
"Just bargain with them" he said tersely. "It's roughly 100 to
150 baht. For that they'll show you everything you want -
temples, casinos, everything."
"But I thought you just said the casino didn't exist."
At this point his surly demeanour began to show signs of
deteriorating alarmingly. Anxious to avoid triggering an
international incident, I withdrew from the office and was
immediately besieged by eager samlor drivers clamouring to take
me to the gambling den. One in particular was a mine of
information.
"There's only one casino about half kilometer from the border,"
he confided in a hoarse stage whisper, "but it's run by Khun Sa
[the infamous warlord and drug dealer]. I can take you there but
we must be careful. Can only take photo from the samlor as we
drive past. So you'll have to be quick. Take photo and go."
I positioned myself inn the back of the samlor, clutching the
camera with breathless anticipation.
After a grand tour of various temples the driver suddenly
announced: "Quick. Here it comes. Get ready."
"Where?" I asked, mild panic starting to set in. "All I can see
is a white wall with red crosses painted on it. It looks more
like a hospital than a casino."
"That's it, that's it. Quick, take photo," he yelled as we
flashed past. I managed to capture a blurred image of a
sinister-looking red building through a break in the fence.
"Look, can we go back and have another go, and this time slow
down a bit. There's no way I can get a good shot from a
speeding, shaky samlor like this." I pleaded.
He grudgingly agreed and we cycle back toward the building. By
this time I was beginning to feel like Jonathan Harker
approaching Dracula's castle.
We slowed down sufficiently to obtain a couple of quick shots.
You could see vague movement inside the building - obviously
people including in all sorts of decadent activities. But it all
seemed fairly quiet otherwise.
"May be I could get out and try to get some better shots," I
suggested. But by this time his eyeballs were fairly rolling with
terror. He obviously expected us to beset upon at any moment by
Khun Sa's hit men; otherwise he was a god actor. Either way, his
fear was starting to become infectious so I decided to abide by
the old policy of discretion being the better part of valour and
we withdrew.
Back in the market area I watched another game for more down
market gamblers. It consisted of rolling three large dice down
small ramp onto a platform at the base - a rather complicated
Burmese version of porker dice. No one wanted to divulge the name
of
the game and I wasn't allowed to take photos, but the
entrepreneurs running the game were doing a roaring trade.
As I walked back to the border checkpoint a group of motorcycle
taxi boys were indulging in a spirited game of poker. So gambling
is alive and well in Burma regardless of the official denials.
One theory advanced by Thai businesspeople for the Burmese
government's reluctance to admit to allowing gambling on their
soil was that they wanted to present a more wholesome image of
their country to the world. Although one wonders why a country
that practises slavery and genocide would worry about a spot of
gambling tarnishing its image.
Apart from gambling, there are a lot of other good reasons for
visiting Mae Sai and crossing the border. There are all sorts of
quaint objects to buy at the market including huge bottles of
Chinese "champagne" at 80 baht apiece, and giant avocados at 20
baht a kilo. There are also skin and shrivelled portions of rare
and endangered animals.
Crossing the border involves having your passport photo copied
and presenting this plus five American dollars at the check-
point. Not everyone is aware of the Burmese preference for
American dollars and roll up clutching baht. But no problem:
friendly and helpful border official can change your baht for
dollars at a very favourable rate of exchange - favourable for
them, that is.
The photocopy of your passport is stamped and the original is
kept at the checkpoint and a receipt issued. On your return you
present the receipt and get your passport back. It all sounds a
bit dicey but seems too work like a charm.
Mae Sai is a pleasant enough town. One of the best value-for
money places to stay is also one of the most bizarre. The Mae Sai
Plaza Guest house (150 baht a night) cling to the side of a
mountain over looking the Mae Sai River and looks for all the
world
like some kind of Oriental Gothic castle.
One piece of advice, through: bring your towel. The one provided
by the guest house is about the size of a postage stamp and is so
threadbare one is flat out just drying one's hands.
>From Bangkok to Mae Sai by bus takes about 12 hours. Siam First
Tour Co offers a 40 seat bus at 420 baht a head, which is OK if
you enjoy travelling in a refrigerator. The farther north we got
the colder the air-conditioning got. No amount of fiddling with
the ducts had any effect and eventually most people resorted to
stuffing them with tissue paper. however during the night the
Arctic blizzard from the air-conditioning system blew all the
paper out and by the time we reached Mae Sai were about frozen
solid.
V.I.P. 999 Tours runs a 24-seat bus at 565 baht a head - with
adjustable air-conditioning. However, the seat on both buses are
not the conducive to a good night's sleep.
My personal choice, after experiencing both buses, would be to
take the night train to Chaing Mai and a bus from there to Mae
Sai. At least you'll get a good night's sleep.
Up at Wat Tumpachom, a large temple on the outskirts of town,
there once existed another way into Burma - one that would not
doubt be frowned on by the present regime.
According to Pun Kankaew, an old nun who's been looking after an
intricate system of caves and underground shrines for the last 15
years, the cave actually runs under the Mae Sai River, emerging
at Tum Papoon, 1,500 metres beyond the border.
About 15 years ago, she says, two couples disappeared while
exploring the cave. No trace of them has ever been found, al-
though many of the temple's resident monks have reported see- ing
the spirits of the missing four during meditation sessions.
A huge subterranean lake exists in the cave system, and the four
lost souls can sometimes be seen standing on the shore. Perhaps
they drowned in the lake while trying to reach Burma.
As a result of this tragic mishap, the cave was sealed and
remains so to this day.
So at least the Thai and Burmese authorities can rest assured
that people are not sneaking in UNDER the border, avoiding the $5
entry fee, and squandering their money in mythical Burmese
gambling dens. (BP)
**********************SHAN STATE******************************
SSA(USA): CALL FOR UNITY AGAINST SLORC
SHAN STATE ASSOCIATION (U.S.A.)
P. O. Box 1144
Washington Grove, MD 20880-1144
FAX: (301) 208-8012
February 6, 1995
PRESS RELEASE
For more than 40 years, the Burmese military has waged a ruthless
war against the people of Burma, Burmans and non-Burmans alike.
They have never bothered to resolve existing disputes peacefully,
politically and legally. Recent attacks upon and the capture of
Manerplaw have now proven once again that the Burmese military
government has no intention of seeking a political solution.
Manerplaw's significance has been as the seat of the Burmese
opposition, in particular the headquarters of the Karen National
Union, the main force that has protected, housed and fed the
Burmese students who had fled after the 1988 massacres.
Now encouraged by their successful campaign against the Karens,
they have renewed their long-suspended attacks against the Shans
on 2 February 1995, according to reports received by S.H.A.N.
(Shan Herald Agency for News).
While SLORC (the State Law and Order Restoration Council), as the
Burmese military describes itself, deserves full blame, these
developments should also serve as a costly lesson to all the
Burmese opposition movements: that the failure to unite among
themselves, especially between the Karens and the Shans (the two
with the largest military organizations) has led to these
unfortunate events. Had they been united, these events could have
been avoided. It is more likely that, had they been working
together, they could have put the Rangoon forces on the defensive
instead of the offensive.
However, the Shan Association does not think it too late for the
opposition movements to remedy the situation. They may soon be
the ones holding the dice, provided that they seriously start
worrying about their disunity instead of worrying about what
others say about their unity.
The Shan State Assocation (U.S.A.) sincerely hopes that the
democratic forces of Burma and Shanland shall take heed of our
well-intentioned words and take steps as soon as possible to
unite solidly against SLORC.
****************************THAILAND***************************
NATION: SUTHIN BEMOANS FAILURE OF THAI POLICY ON RANGOON
10 February 1995
THE Thai government should review its "constructive
engagement" policy on Burma if it wants to help end the
present fighting between Burmese troops and ethnic guerrillas
along the command border, House foreign Affairs committee
chairman Suthin Noppaket said yesterday.
Suthin, in an interview following an inspection trip along the
Thai-Burmese border in Mae Hong Son's Sub Moei district, said the
policy has been in use for years but has yielded no
"satisfactory results" for Thais, especially those living
along the border."
He said the Burmese government's aggressive use of force
against ethnic rebels runs counter to the "principle" of the
engagement policy, so the Thai government should do something to
persuade Rangoon to "have more regard for human lief."
"At the same time, I don't understand why the Thai government has
decided to buy natural gas from Burma. Our government
should make its counterpart honour the engagement policy and care
more about human life."
Suthin said the Thai government is only concerned about
"business profits".
"The Thai government should be brave enough to set up
democratic conditions that Burma has to follow if it really wants
to end the fighting along the border. Our government shouldn't
just worry about business profits. Once the Burmese government
gets money from us, it will continue spending it to kill ethnic
rebels, Fighting along the border will never
cause."
Suthin said the Thai government should follow the US example of
setting up democratic conditions for its global trading partners
to follow.
"Our government should also help solve Burma's internal
problems, not just concentrate on making profit from the war-
torn country," they said.
Suthin suggest that the government act as mediator between the
burmese government and the ethnic rebels.
"We didn't want to interfere with Burma's internal problems, but
we can help negotiate between the two sides and help solve the
fighting along our mutual border."(TN)
*************************INTERNATIONAL*************************
BKK POST: EX-AUST PM BOB HAWKE DEFENDS VISIT TO BURMA
10 February 1995
FORMER prime minister Bob Hawke, under fire of his business
dealing with Burma's military dictatorship, said yesterday that
the junta has "positive feature" despite its record of human
right abuse.
Foreign Minister Gareth Evens has criticized Hawke for
visiting Rangoon earlier this month to seek lucrative business
deal, bur failing to raise the issue of human rights. Even said
such as approach undermines others' attempts to include Burma to
respect human rights.
In letter to the Canberra Times and Sydney Morning Herald
published yesterday, Hawke said Burma does not warrant
sanctions by other countries because its offenses are not in the
same category as the South African apartheid system which is now
dismantled.
"It does mean that if we are to be listened to with any
respect we should be prepared to acknowledge the positive
feature, achievements and intentions of regimes we would
critise on other grounds," Hawke wrote in the Canberra paper. "In
Burma's case, he said, "there are such positive, but you would
not know it from reading your paper or listening to the critics
of my visit," he said.
Hawke letter did not cite any of positive aspects of the
Burmese government that he may have had in mind.
In this letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, Hawke asked,"Do we
cause commercial contacts with Indonesia because our
government and other in the community, disapprove of some od its
international policies?"
Earlier this week, Evans gave Burma six months to improve this
Human rights practices or risk new international sanction. ON the
eve of Hawke's visit, the Burmese military launched an all-out
assault on the Karen guerrillas, who have been fighting for
autonomy since 1948, from base near the Thai
border. (BP)
*************************INTERNATIONAL*************************
BKK POST: COMMITTEE RAPS BURMA JUNTA
February 13, 1995
The Asia-Pacific committee of the worldwide organisation of
social democrats, Socialist International, condemned the
Burmese junta yesterday for their anti-democratic actions and
also called for greater democratization in Asia.
The committee, which ended a two-day conference in the
Philippine capital, assailed the ruling State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC) of Burma for their refusal to
release Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and for
their continued totalitarian rule of that country.
In their resolution, the social democrats also assailed the
capture of the Karen and opposition base in Manerplaw and the
continued military of offensive against the Karen ethnic
guerrillas.
The resolution also called on Thailand to help give refuge to
those fleeing the fighting and called on the UN Secretary-
General to find a solution to the Burmese problem. (BP)
*************************INTERNATIONAL*************************
BKK POST: BURMA LARGEST HEROIN SUPPLIER TO US, SAYS N.Y.T.
13 February, 1995
American officials say Burmese drug traffickers have become the
largest suppliers of heroin sold in the United States, a
newspaper reported yesterday.
US narcotics officials said heroin production in Burma has
doubled since 1988 and now accounts for 60 to 70 per cent of the
American supply, according to The New York Time. Officials
estimate that more than 20 tons are sold annually in the Unit- ed
States.
The American government should step up anti-drug cooperation
efforts with Burma's government, the drug officials said.
"As the world's major producer of heroin, Burma is a very ma-
jor, major problem," said Lee P. Brown, director of the White
House Office of Drug Control Policy.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that each year
Burma harvests more than 2,400 tons of opium, the raw material
from which heroin is derived.
The recent increase in Burmese production has largely offset
drops in production in Mexico and Thailand, the paper said. (BP)
*************************INTERNATIONAL*************************
BURMANET: BOOK LAUNCH FOR LINTNER'S "BURMA IN REVOLT"
February 15, 1995
On Friday, February 17th at 7:00pm, the Foreign Correspondent's
Club of Thailand will host a book-launch for Bertil Lintner's new
book, "Burma In Revolt: Opium and Insurgency since 1948." The
auther (and former FCCT president) will be there and admission is
free. The FCCT is located on the top floor of the Dusit Thani
Hotel in downtown Bangkok.
>From the FCCT press packet:
Bertil's Lintner's most recent book, BURMA IN REVOLT: OPIUM
AND INSURGENCY SINCE 1948, was published in the United
States last December and in Thailand this month. This
important book deals with the complex nexus between the drug
problem, military rule, and Burma's civil war. Millions of
dollars have been wasted in a misguided effort to treat the
problem as a localized vice, rather than addressing
underlying historical, social and economic factors behind
the drug explosion. This book deals with those problems, and
Bertil will talk more about the Golden Triangle at this book
launch at the FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS CLUB OF THAILAND
(FCCT), TOP FLOOR, DUSIT THANI HOTEL.
*************************INTERNATIONAL*************************
BKK POST: LETTER TO THE EDITOR--"A DISTORTION OF THE FACTS"
13 February 1995
Sir: this is in reference to your article regarding the 25
Americans on tour as Merrill's Marauders of World War II fame
(Page 3, Feb 3).
Be it known that our group came from all over American for one
sole purpose - to commemorate the 50th anniversary of our
war's end against the Japanese in Burma. There was no
political aspect to our journey. We came to observe, of our own
free will, the political, social and economic well-being of the
wonderful people of Burma.
Your last paragraph of this news story is a blatant lie and a
complete distortion of the facts. The allegation that Kala Kyaw
Win was connected to our group is absolutely false.
He had nothing whatsoever to do with this travel programme. I
initiated every detail of the trip, from its inception to
conclusion and our return to the States.
Further, the inference of our being involved with, or having some
collusion with the Slorc is totally inaccurate and I
request that you set the record straight by printing a
retraction. (BP)
**************************************************************
NEWS SOURCES REGULARLY COVERED/ABBREVIATIONS USED BY BURMANET:
ABSDF: ALL BURMA STUDENT'S DEMOCRATIC FRONT
AP: ASSOCIATED PRESS
AFP: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
AW: ASIAWEEK
AWSJ: ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL
Bt.: THAI BAHT; 25 Bt.3 DUS$1 (APPROX),
BBC: BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION
BI: BURMA ISSUES
BKK POST: BANGKOK POST (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)
BRC-CM: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-CHIANG MAI
BRC-J: BURMESE RELIEF CENTER-JAPAN
CPPSM: C'TEE FOR PUBLICITY OF THE PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE IN MONLAND
FEER: FAR EAST ECONOMIC REVIEW
IRRAWADDY: NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY BURMA INFORMATION GROUP
KHRG: KAREN HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP
KNU: KAREN NATIONAL UNION
Kt. BURMESE KYAT; UP TO 150 KYAT-US$1 BLACK MARKET
106 KYAT US$1-SEMI-OFFICIAL
6 KYAT-US$1 OFFICIAL
MOA: MIRROR OF ARAKAN
NATION: THE NATION (DAILY NEWSPAPER, BANGKOK)
NCGUB: NATIONAL COALITION GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF BURMA
NLM: NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (DAILY STATE-RUN NEWSPAPER, RANGOON)
NMSP: NEW MON STATE PARTY
RTA.:REC.TRAVEL.ASIA NEWSGROUP
SCB.:SOC.CULTURE.BURMA NEWSGROUP
SCT.:SOC.CULTURE.THAI NEWSGROUP
SEASIA-L: S.E.ASIA BITNET MAILING LIST
SLORC: STATE LAW AND ORDER RESTORATION COUNCIL
USG: UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
XNA: XINHUA NEWS AGENCY
**************************************************************
Mail? ,cp
Now in capture mode; type 'c' to switch back, 'r' to re-read
whole message.
Mail: (i)ndex (u)nread (w)rite (c)apture (d)elete (s)ave (h)elp
(q)uit: r
and connections and a modem. Well I am killing time here
waiting for Paige to get up here and presumably dictate
something to me. She is down there doing the last of a
long line of Valentines for tomorrow. She made every single
one different. 2 Outstandings in Art this report card and
improvement on several others but I have to say it looks
like Art is the natural talent for this one. She is really
driving me crazy, I can't get her in here...
Dear Daddy,
I made a slipper. Our puppy is losing teeth. We took him
to the vet and she pulled out some of his teeth. Ummm. My
mommy has been a little bit mean to me. Ummm. She has spanked
me on the side. I made Valentines today and I'm gonna make
one for you. Ummm. Ummmm. I made some valentines that were
made out of cloth like little pillows. I went to a birthday
party at Meagan's house. My teacher's real nice.I wanted to
give her an apple but my mom didn't have any. I also made a
doll. I started a book report on Abraham Lincoln. I did it a
little bit for extra credit but I'm not finished. I have
a friend named Emily. When are you coming home? Emily came over
and we played school and my Mommy says she might take me and
Emily to Discovery Zone (DZ is what the kids call it). My Mommy
saysshe's never gonna have another baby and now i'm never gonna
have any brothers or sisters. I wonder if I'll ever go to my
cousin Brandon's house or he'll come here. Goodbye. I love
you very much. Love, xoxo paige
Message 33 (41 lines)
>From glen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Mon Jan 30 21:07:15 1995
Date: 30 Jan 1995 21:06:58 U
Subject: request to post BNNs
To: "stri