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BurmaNet News: April 9, 1995 [#143] (r)



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/* ---------- "BurmaNet News: April 9, 1995 [#143]" ---------- */

**************************BurmaNet***************************
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
*************************************************************
The BurmaNet News: Sunday, 9 April 1995
Issue #143

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

Contents:
**********************BURMA ON THE WEB************************
*********************CONTACT REQUESTS*************************
***********************INSIDE BURMA***************************
BKK POST: BURMESE JUNTA SLAMS  FOREIGNERS
VOA: BURMA'S ASPIRING JOURNALISTS
VOA: WOOING THE TOURIST

***************KAREN STATE/KAWTHOOLEI**************************
KHRG: WHITHER DKBA?: SLORC'S NORTHEN KAREN OFFENSIVE, 2 of 4

***********************THAILAND*******************************
BKK POST: THAI MAN KILLED BY RANGOON TROOPS
NATION: TOP SLORC OFFICIAL EXPRESSES SCEPTICISM ABOUT THAILAND'S
        GOOD NEIGHBOURLINESS

********************INTERNATIONAL*****************************
BUSINESS ETHICS magazine: BURMA SHAVED
NEW YORK TIMES: CAUSES--BAILING OUT OF BURMA
VOA: BURMA--THE POLICY CHALLENGE (PT I and II)

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**************************************************************
*************THE BURMANET NEWS--APRIL 8, 1995*****************
**************************************************************

**********************BURMA ON THE WEB************************
Information about Burma is available via the WorldWideWeb at:

BurmaNet News webpage:
         http://taygate.au.ac.th/~web/michael/bnn/bnn.htm
BurmaWeb  http://www.uio.no/~tormodl
FreeBurma website http://199.172.178.200/freebrma/freebrma.htm.
[including back issues of the BurmaNet News as .txt files]

*********************CONTACT REQUESTS*************************
This is a new section of the BurmaNet News that you can use in
trying to contact someone whose address you do not have.  If you
are looking for someone, send a note to burmanet@xxxxxxxxxxx with
your name and return address.  Your contact request, but not your
name, will be posted with the next issue of the BurmaNet news. 
If the person you are looking for responds, he or she will be
given your name and contact information.  Whether to respond is
of course, up to them.  Send contact requests to:           
burmanet@xxxxxxxxxxx

******
1 Looking for Cham Toik, does he have an email address? Reply to
 burmanet@xxxxxxxxxxx [contact #001]
******
2 Looking for volunteers to help put out the BurmaNet News, reply
  to burmanet@xxxxxxxxxxx
*****

********************INSIDE BURMA*******************************
BKK POST: BURMESE JUNTA SLAMS  FOREIGNERS
3 April 1995

A senior member of t he country's  ruling junta has accused
foreigners  of  encouragng  drug   warlord Khun Sa and  other
rebels and of  using human rights as  a pretext to
meddle in Burma's affairs.

Lt   Gen  Khin Nyunt, secretary of the State  Law  and  Order
Restoration Council (Slorc), made  the accusations in  a speech on
Saturday at  an  ideological training course for 
teachers at Phaung gyi, near Rangoon.

"To  hide his drug trafficking operations, Khun Sa, an ethnic
Chinese, put up a political front and sought international support,
claiming himself a liberation fighter seeking independence for the
Shan State National Congress in December 1993," Khin Nyunt said.

Khin Nyunt also accused another ethnic rebel leader, Gen Bo Mya of
the Karen National Union, of secretly trafficking in heroin since
1991. (BP)

***********************INSIDE BURMA***************************
VOA: BURMA'S ASPIRING JOURNALISTS
DATE=4/6/95
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-20123
TITLE=BURMA'S ASPIRING JOURNALISTS
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
DATELINE=RANGOON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IS NON-EXISTENT IN MILITARY-RULED 
BURMA.  DURING A PERIOD OF CIVILIAN PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT IN 
THE 1950'S, THE WERE MORE THAN 30 INDEPENDENT DAILY NEWSPAPERS.  
BUT A MILITARY REGIME THAT SEIZED POWER IN 1962 NATIONALIZED THE 
PRESS AS BURMA SLID INTO ISOLATION.  ALTHOUGH STRICT CENSORSHIP 
IS THE RULE AND A GOVERNMENT SECURITY APPARATUS SUPPRESSES 
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION V-O-A'S DAN ROBINSON REPORTS THAT A VETERAN
BURMESE JOURNALIST IS TEACHING JOURNALISTIC PRINCIPLES TO YOUNG 
PEOPLE.  HE SAYS HE HOPES ONE DAY THEY MAY HAVE THE CHANCE TO 
PARTICIPATE IN A FREE AND INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TEXT:  IT STRIKES VISITING JOURNALISTS AS ODD THAT A CLASS IN THE
PRINCIPLES OF JOURNALISM COULD EVEN BE HELD IN DOWNTOWN RANGOON.

AT 74, U SEIN WIN IS STILL GOING STRONG.  THREE TIMES IN PRISON, 
BY HIS COUNT, AT THE HANDS OF THREE GOVERNMENTS DATING BACK 
SEVERAL DECADES, HE STARTED HIS JOURNALISTIC CAREER AT THE AGE OF
24.  TODAY, HE IS RANGOON CORRESPONDENT FOR JAPAN'S KYODO NEWS 
AGENCY:

               // SEIN WIN TEACHING IN BURMESE //

THIS IS THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS CLUB OF RANGOON -- STILL 
CLEARLY IDENTIFIED AS SUCH OUTSIDE.  LOCATED ON A NOISY MAIN 
STREET, THE DIN OF TRAFFIC AND FOOD VENDORS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO
HEAR OR SPEAK.

U SEIN WIN -- ONE OF A SMALL GROUP OF SURVIVING VETERAN BURMESE 
JOURNALISTS -- SITS AT THE HEAD OF A LONG WOODEN TABLE AROUND 
WHICH ARE SEATED 16 YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN.  TO HIS RIGHT, AN OLD 
TYPEWRITER COVERED BY A TATTERED SHEET OF NEWSPAPER.  BEHIND, A 
MARKER BOARD, CONTAINING THE BASICS -- WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, 
HOW AND WHY:

                         // SEIN WIN //

         NO  POLITICS, BUT EVERY SATURDAY THERE IS FREE 
         DISCUSSION AND THEY ASK MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT JOURNALISM 
         AS WELL AS POLITICS AND WHAT IS GOING ON.  JUST BEFORE 
         YOU CAME I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO THEM ABOUT THE PRESS
         CONFERENCE WE HAD WHICH WAS NEVER PUBLISHED,  NOT  
         PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT MEDIA.  THEY SHOULD KNOW, 
         ACTUALLY, WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THAT PRESS CONFERENCE 
         (BECAUSE IT) WAS PRETTY IMPORTANT.

                          // END ACT //

WHAT IS CALLED A SHORT-TERM TRAINING CLASS IS CLEARLY TAKING 
PLACE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOVERNMENT.  U SEIN WIN SAYS HE 
IS TRAINING A NEW GENERATION IN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF JOURNALISM.  
SOMEDAY, HE SAYS -- PERHAPS WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS -- THE 
MILITARY WILL FORMALLY TRANSFER POWER AND ALLOW INDEPENDENT 
NEWSPAPERS TO OPERATE:

                       // SEIN WIN ACT //

         UNFORTUNATELY THERE HAS BEEN A BIG GAP, MORE THAN 35 
         YEARS.  THESE PEOPLE WERE BROUGHT UP DURING THE 
         CONTROLLED PRESS AND THEY NEVER KNEW WHAT A FREE PRESS 
         WAS, FREE AND PRIVATE MEDIA WAS.  I'M JUST GIVING THEM A
         VERY VAGUE IDEA OF WHAT THE PRIVATE MEDIA AND WHAT THE 
         FREE PRESS AND I CAN'T EXPECT REAL GREAT, IMPROVEMENT IN
         THEIR STANDARD IN ONE MONTH'S TIME.

                          // END ACT //

ONE STUDENT, AN ATTRACTIVE, WELL-DRESSED YOUNG WOMAN, WORKS FOR A
FOREIGN COMPANY IN RANGOON.  WE WANT TO LEARN HOW TO WRITE 
STRAIGHT TO THE POINT, SHE SAYS, SO WE CAN BECOME REPORTERS.  OF 
COURSE, WE CAN'T DO THAT RIGHT NOW, SHE SAYS, AND ADDS THIS OTHER
OBJECTIVE:

                         // WOMAN ACT //

         I WOULD LIKE TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT DEMOCRACY IS
         AND KEEP HUMAN DIGNITY.  AT THIS MOMENT WE CAN'T DO 
         ANYTHING, LATER FOR THE FUTURE WE CAN.  I THINK AT THIS 
         MOMENT I LIKE TO TRAIN MYSELF.  LATER WE CAN BE 
         QUALIFIED ENOUGH TO BE A JOURNALIST

                          // END ACT //

BUT SINCE THE MILITARY HAS ALREADY GUARANTEED ITSELF A PERMANENT 
ROLE IN BURMA'S POLITICAL FUTURE, JOURNALISM COULD BE A RISKY 
CAREER.  U SEIN WIN IS OLD ENOUGH TO JOKE ABOUT HIS THREE 
EXPERIENCES IN JAIL:

                       // SEIN WIN ACT //

         ONLY THREE TIMES (IN JAIL).  BUT  NOT  NECESSARILY THE 
         LAST.

                          // END ACT //

HE SAYS HE TEACHES ABOUT A FREE, BUT RESPONSIBLE PRESS, ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF ACCURACY OVER SPEED.  HE SAYS ANYONE SEEKING A 
CAREER IN JOURNALISM MUST ACCEPT THE RISKS:

                       // SEIN WIN ACT //

         FIRST TIME WAS UNDER THE CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT.  YOU KNOW 
         IT IS VERY INTERESTING BUT THAT IS A PROFESSIONAL HAZARD
         I MUST BE PREPARED FOR, AND THESE PEOPLE MUST BE 
         PREPARED IF THEY REALLY JOIN THEM (THE JOURNALISTIC 
         PROFESSION).

                          // END ACT //

MOST OBSERVERS IN RANGOON SAY CHANCES FOR A RETURN TO A FREE 
PRESS, OR EVEN TO THE KIND OF INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM SEEN IN 
NEIGHBORING THAILAND, ARE SLIM TO NON-EXISTENT.

// OPT //  THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALLOWED NEW PUBLICATIONS LINKED TO 
OPEN DOOR ECONOMIC POLICIES AND EFFORTS TO ATTRACT FOREIGN 
TOURISTS.  BUT HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AND WESTERN GOVERNMENTS SAY 
BURMA REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST HEAVILY CENSORED AND REPRESSED 
COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.  ANYONE VOICING OPPOSITION POLITICAL 
VIEWS FACES ARREST.  IN OFFICIAL MEDIA, SELF-CENSORSHIP REMAINS 
THE RULE.

// OPT // A RECENT REPORT BY THE LONDON-BASED CENTER AGAINST 
CENSORSHIP SAID THAT THE REAL TEST OF THE COMMITMENT TO CHANGE 
WOULD BE THE MILITARY'S WILLINGNESS TO RESTORE THE RIGHT TO 
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.  IN THE WORDS OF THE REPORT:  WITHOUT IT, 
THERE CAN BE  NO  SERIOUS PROSPECT OF BURMA EMERGING FROM LONG 
YEARS OF DEADLOCK AND REPRESSION AND PROGRESSING TOWARDS 
DEMOCRACY.   // END OPT //  (SIGNED)

NEB/DR/CF

06-Apr-95 8:39 AM EDT (1239 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America

VOA: WOOING THE TOURIST
DATE=4/5/95
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-20101
TITLE=BURMA:  WOOING THE TOURIST
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
DATELINE=RANGOON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  ONE OF THE WORLD'S NEWEST AND MOST EXOTIC TOURIST  
DESTINATIONS IS BURMA (MYANMAR).  THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT IN 
RANGOON DECLARED 1996 "VISIT MYANMAR YEAR" AND HOPES TO ATTRACT
500-THOUSAND TOURISTS.  AS V-O-A'S DAN ROBINSON REPORTS, BURMA'S
MILITARY RULERS ARE BETTING THAT MOST FOREIGNERS WILL FOCUS  NOT 
ON CONTINUING POLITICAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROBLEMS, BUT ON THE 
MANY ATTRACTIONS THE COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER:   

TEXT:  THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT BURMA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE 
SOUTHEAST ASIA'S NEXT MAJOR TOURIST DESTINATION.  GIVEN THE RIGHT
COMBINATION OF FACTORS, TOURIST INDUSTRY EXPERTS SAY IT COULD 
EVEN EXCEED THAILAND'S DRAWING CAPACITY.  

// OPT // THERE ARE AMAZING THINGS TO BE SEEN -- IN RANGOON, THE 
GIANT GOLDEN SHWEDAGON PAGODA; THE RELIGIOUS CENTER AND LAST 
ROYAL CAPITAL OF MANDALAY; MORE THAN TWO-THOUSAND TEMPLES 
STRETCHING ACROSS THE PLAIN IN PAGAN; BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS IN THE 
NORTH; UNSPOILED BEACHES IN THE SOUTH. // END OPT //  

FROM EUROPE, JAPAN, TAIWAN, AUSTRALIA, THE UNITED STATES -- 
TOURISTS ARE ARRIVING IN GREATER NUMBERS, BY AIR AND ON CRUISE 
SHIPS.  GOVERNMENT STATISTICS SHOW SEVEN-THOUSAND ARRIVALS IN 
1991, 61-THOUSAND LAST YEAR AND PREDICT 91-THOUSAND IN 1995.  

// OPT // IN RANGOON, A NEW SINGAPOREAN-MANAGED HOTEL -- COMPLETE
WITH INTERNATIONAL DIRECT DIAL PHONES -- CATERS TO FOREIGN 
BUSINESSMEN.  DOWNTOWN, A SHANGRI-LA HOTEL IS RISING.  THE 
HISTORIC STRAND HOTEL, RENOVATED AT A COST OF MILLIONS, CATERS TO
FIVE-STAR  TRAVELERS ABLE TO PAY 200 DOLLARS A NIGHT. // END OPT 
//  

OF COURSE, THERE ARE PROBLEMS.  BURMA IS EXPENSIVE, WITH AN 
UNNATURAL EXCHANGE RATE THAT KEEPS PRICES HIGH DESPITE THE USE OF
SPECIAL FOREIGN EXCHANGE COUPONS.   

INFRASTRUCTURE -- ELECTRICITY, COMMUNICATIONS, GOOD ROADS, CLEAN 
WATER, RELIABLE AIR AND GROUND TRANSPORTATION -- IS STILL POOR IN
MANY AREAS.  AS ONE FOREIGN BUSINESSMAN INVOLVED IN ASSESSING 
HOTEL VENTURES TOLD ME -- THE PLACE IS JUST  NOT  "USER FRIENDLY"
(ACCOMMODATING).  

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SAY FREE MARKET COMPETITION SHOULD HELP 
BRING PRICES DOWN, AND EXPAND THE RANGE OF FACILITIES AVAILABLE 
TO FOREIGNERS.  BUT WHILE IT SEEKS A SHARP INCREASE IN ARRIVALS, 
THE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED  NOT  ONLY ABOUT THE KIND OF VISITORS
BUT THE IMPACT THEY COULD HAVE.  HTAY AUNG IS HEAD OF THE 
DIRECTORATE OF  HOTELS AND TOURISM:  

                         // HTAY AUNG //

         SOCIAL IMPACT, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, PHYSICAL IMPACTS, 
         AND CULTURAL IMPACT ALSO.  OUR PEOPLE ARE VERY 
         RELIGIOUS, SO WE DON'T WANT TO COPY THE WESTERN 
         CIVILIZATION, WESTERN STYLES, WESTERN CULTURE.  BECAUSE 
         EAST IS EAST AND WEST IS WEST. VERY DIFFERENT. 

                          // END ACT //

BURMESE OFFICIALS RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL OF SO-CALLED FOREIGN  
INDEPENDENT TRAVELERS -- BACKPACKERS IN A WORD.  BUT THE 
GOVERNMENT SEEMS TO PREFER WHAT IT CALLS QUALITY TRAVELERS, AND 
PACKAGE TOUR GROUPS, ESPECIALLY IN CERTAIN AREAS SUBJECT TO 
RESTRICTION FOR SECURITY REASONS.  

THERE IS ANOTHER PROBLEM OF COURSE.  IT IS UNDERSCORED BY THE 
IMAGE OF A BURMESE SOLDIER, HOLDING A LARGE AUTOMATIC RIFLE, 
GUARDING THE ENTRANCE TO THE TOURISM OFFICE IN RANGOON.  BURMA'S 
REPUTATION IS STILL THAT OF A POLICE STATE, A LAND OF  REPRESSION
IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT POLITICS, AND 
ESPECIALLY AGAINST MILITARY RULE.  HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS SAY 
ORDINARY CITIZENS RISK INTERROGATION OR ARREST FOR TALKING TO 
FOREIGNERS, ESPECIALLY JOURNALISTS.  

HTAY AUNG SAYS THE WESTERN PRESS HAS DISTORTED BURMA'S IMAGE, A 
VIEW SHARED BY HIS COLLEAGUE AND CO-OFFICIAL IN THE MINISTRY OF 
TOURISM, NAW ANGELENE.  BOTH TELL VISITING REPORTERS TOURISTS 
SHOULD  NOT  BE TURNED OFF BY THE SIGHT OF GUN-CARRYING SOLDIERS.
BURMA, THEY SAY, IS A PEACEFUL COUNTRY:  

                       // HTAY AUNG ACT //

         (HTAY AUNG) IT  CANNOT  GIVE ANY TROUBLE TO TOURISTS.  
         THEY ARE  NOT  IN THE TOURIST AREA, THEY ARE IN THE 
         BUILDINGS, THEY ARE IN THE SECURE  PLACE. 
         (NAW ANGELENE) WE ARE QUITE USED TO IT.  EVERYWHERE IN 
         ASIA WE ARE QUITE USED TO IT.  ONLY IN AMERICA IN 
         EUROPE, THIS IS AN UNUSUAL THING FOR YOU.  SO IT IS 
         QUITE STRANGE WHEN YOU SEE THESE SOLDIERS OUT ON THE 
         WAY, BUT ONCE YOU COME HERE YOU BEGIN TO FEEL RELAXED.  

                          // END ACT //

BURMESE OFFICIALS SAY THEY HOPE TOURISM, WHICH BROUGHT IN AN  
ESTIMATED 31-MILLION DOLLARS LAST YEAR, WILL BECOME THE NUMBER 
ONE FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNER BEFORE TOO LONG.  NEW AIRPORTS ARE 
BEING BUILT, EXISTING ONES EXPANDED, BEACH RESORTS ARE UNDER 
CONSTRUCTION.  

BUT DESPITE UNDENIABLY FRIENDLY PEOPLE AND WONDERFUL SIGHTS, 
THERE REMAINS AN OBVIOUS DILEMMA.  HOW TO MAKE VISITORS FORGET 
ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND POLITICAL ISSUES THAT HAVE KEPT BURMA 
IN THE WORLD SPOTLIGHT SINCE 1988.    

AS ONE HAPPY, BUT AWARE TOURIST ON HER FIRST VISIT TOLD ME IN A 
HOTEL LOBBY -- THEY SEEM TO BE SAYING COME SEE US, BUT FORGET 
ABOUT THE  PAST, AND DEFINITELY DON'T CRITICIZE OUR METHODS. 
(SIGNED)

NEB/DR/CF

05-Apr-95 9:02 AM EDT (1302 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America