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BurmaNet News: July 8, 1995 [#196]



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The BurmaNet News: July 8, 1995
Issue #196

NOTED IN PASSING:

Contents:

BKK POST:BURMESE GROUP MARK UPRISING, CONDEMN JUNTA
BKK POST:CHINESE DEFENCE MINISTER VISIT TO BURMA
BKK POST:OFFICIALS TO PROBE 'MOEI VIOLATION'
ASIA WEEK:NUTTY QUESTIONS
THE NATION; BURMA OFFERS AN INTRIGUING TOURIST ALTERNATIVE - THE POLICE
     STATE
IRRAWADDY: BIG SOURCE: THE GOVERNMENT OF BURMA
IRRAWADDY: ARTICLE: RESHUFFLE STRANGTHENS SLORC'S GRIP
IRRAWADDY: INSIDE SOURCES: WILL 8888 REPEAT IN THE FUTURE?
IRRAWADDY: KYI PWAYAY: ADVENTUROUS TOURIST HARASSED BY POLICE
IRRAWADDY: BIG SOURCE: AUNG SAN SUU KYI IS FORGOTTEN?
BBC: HELL IN RANONG



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BURMESE GROUP MARK UPRISING, CONDEMN JUNTA
7 JULY 1995

Two Burmese activist groups yesterday marked the 33rd anniversary of
the crushing of a student uprising in Rangoon with calls for the
release of dissident Aung San Suu Kyi and for continued opposition to
the country's military junta.

The All Burma Students' Democratic Front and the 8888 Group made the
calls in statements sent to news agencies in Bangkok from their
headquarters in the Burmese border town of Manerplaw.

The noted that on July 7, 1962, Burmese soldiers crushed student
protests at Rangoon University against the military coup four months
earlier.

Hundreds of students were killed, and soldiers then blew up the student
union building, " a historic symbol since the period of the anti-
colonial movement."

The dissidents urged Burmese to "celebrate the spirit of July 7th" and
fight for the release of 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu
Kyi, who has been under house arrest in Rangoon for six years.

Also, they urged opposition to the "false ceasefires" the military
government has negotiated with ethnic rebel groups, and to the "sham"
national convention that is drafting a new Burmese constitution.

The 8888 Group takes its name from the August 8, 1988 start of student-
led, pro-democracy demonstrations in Burma that also were brutally
suppressed.

Meanwhile, in Canberra, Australia, more that 30 students today will
begin an indefinite hunger strike to demand the release of Aung San Suu
Kyi and all political prisoners kept in detention by the military
dictatorship.

The students, including Burmese and community groups, are to rally
outside the Burmese embassy. Speakers will include students recently
released from prison in Bangkok who will describe the situation in
Burma and the struggle for democracy.

A Burmese student from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
said, "We will continue the hunger strike until Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
is released and the Australia government changes their soft approach
to the junta.

"The policy of Gareth Evans' and his government is only acting to
strengthen the grip of the brutal dictatorship on the Burmese people,"
the student group said. (BP)



CHINESE DEFENCE MINISTER VISIT TO BURMA
7 JULY 1995
Chinese Defence Minister Chi Haotian has arrived in Burma on a goodwill
visit, a Chinese embassy official said in Rangoon yesterday.

Chi, leading a nine-member delegation, was expected to meet Burma's
armed forces commanders and leaders of its military government.

In a brief speech on arrival at Rangoon airport on Wednesday, Chi said
the purpose of his visit was "to promote understanding, friendship and
cooperation between the two countries, the two armed forces and the two
peoples".

China and Burma have forged close ties since the late 1980s. Last
December Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng visited Rangoon, three months
after Khin Nyunt visited Beijing. China is Burma's most important
trade partner and its main supplier of arms. (BP)





OFFICIALS TO PROBE 'MOEI VIOLATION'
7 JULY 1995

Interior Ministry officials will inspect the Moei River bordering
Thailand and Burma to probe the latter's allegation that Thai nationals
have encroached on the river, a ministry source said.

According to earlier reports, Burma last month told Thailand's Highways
Department to suspend the construction of the Thai-Burmese Friendship
Bridge linking Thailand's Mae Sot District with Burma's Myawaddy.

The Burmese authorities cited an alleged encroachment on the river near
the bridge on the Thai side for the suspension of construction,
it was reported.

To handle the case, an Interior Ministry working group was set up and
held its first meeting at the ministry yesterday to look into the
problem.

According to the source, the working group chaired by Interior
inspector-general Yont Sarathoonthat acknowledged a report that the
encroachment had taken place prior to 1992.

The working group will conduct a field survey on the alleged
encroachment in Tak Province on July 21, 1995, before reaching a
conclusion and submitting it to the Thai-Burmese Joint Border
Committee, the source said. (BP)

NUTTY QUESTIONS

Is There More Than Meets the Eye to Myanmar's Ban on Betel?

For farmers of areca palm trees in Myanmar, a joyless harvest lies
ahead. reason? The government has banned the sale of betel nuts, the
precious fruit of the trees, in much of Yangon, the national capital.

A victory for anti-vice crusader? After all, the betel nut has been
used for nearly two millennia as a mild stimulant, producing an uplift
not unlike the high from alcohol. Or  perhaps the prohibition was a
nod to better public hygiene. Chewers of betel nut, of course, spit
often, spreading all manner of germs including those that cause a
particularly nasty strain of tuberculosis.

Maybe the authorities wanted to help citizens improve their personal
appearance. The juice of the nut stains the user's mouth and gums, and
many longtime enthusiasts lose teeth.

No, the motive for the ban is more mundane. As preparations intensify
for "Visit Myanmar Year" in 1996, the country's ruling junta hopes to
rid Yangon of a defining eyesore. Explains an official: "Betel chewers
are tarnishing the beauty of the capital by spitting on roads,
overpasses and other places."

Well, maybe that's not an entirely bad thing. The proscription,at
least, demonstrates that the generals are not totally indifferent, as
their behaviour often suggests, to outsiders' perceptions.

In a way, they may resemble an adolescent boy who, having discovered
girls, begins quite suddenly to take an intense interest in his own
appearance. If this attitude takes root in Myanmar, there may even be
hope for positive change in other areas of endeavour such as economic
development, political rights and civil liberties.

Signs have sprung up in Yangon with a red circle around a silhouetted
figure spittinf betel. As slash across the ring drives  home the
message.

The ban naturally prompted an outcry from devotees. Hundreds of vendors
were suddenly out of business, their salad-bar-like  stands consigned
to dark alleys.

One man led a visitor through a labyrinth of narrow streets and dim
doorways to a hawker. "Here is the betel," he said, pointing to a bag
containing slices from the reddish-brown, acron-sized nuts. "It is
illegal and very precious."

For the moment at least, only selling it in certain central districts
of Yangon is illegal. Using betel apparently is still lawful. "I am
sorry that foreigners do not like to see the red stains in the
street," says a 34-year-old factory worker in the capital.

"But this is a habit I learned as a boy, just as my father did, and
his father." A foreign diplomat in Yangon shares the bewilderment of
many citizens over the ban: "It's crazy.

People have few enough pleasures in a country like this. You'd think
the generals would understand that it's in their best interests to
keep the people slightly anaesthetized."

In fact, betel usage is widespread throughout South Asia as well as
parts of Southeast Asia, China and Africa.

Though sophisticated Asian urbanites tend to frown on nut-chewing as
a messy, archaic practice, as much as tenth of the world's population
is thought to chew betel nuts.

Farmers in southern India grow them as a plantation crop. In addition
to the basic ingredients of the betel "chaw," which is usually placed
in the mouth like a wad of chewing tobacco, aficionados often add
spices such as cardamom or clove to improve the flavour.

A practice that began in ancient times and continues in some countries
today involves giving as gifts elaborate silver or lacquered betel
boxes.

In Myanmar, of course, betel nuts are an integral part of the culture.
One proverb uses as a symbol of good fortune a betel lover "being sent
to Toungoo," a town where betel-bearing palms are ubiquitous.

A large part of the upper-crust aversion to nut-chewing has to do with
the very concern Myanmar authorities are trying to address: the
ugliness of it all.

To the uninitiated, few non-violent sights are as disturbing as the
blood-red remains of a betel nut, which look for all the world like
the consequence of some life-and-death struggle.

But even if one ceases to associate blood with the stains, which are
found in public places from temples to hospitals, they are still
indisputably unsightly and unhygienic. The country would surely be
better off without such habits, despite their time-honoured status.

But Yangon's proscription simply to please tourists is more an affront
to national dignity than anything else.

In some way, Myanmar's ban recalls a similar prohibition in Singapore
against chewing gum. Indeed, the two countries have become quite
chummy of late.

But spotless Singapore has already put in three decades of efforts to
eradicate public spitting. Beside, Yangon's move against the betel nut
somehow seems more surprising in its self-consciousness than
Singapore's gum restriction, which may be a bit stringent but isn't
really out of character.

In the end, of course, the ban on betel is far more a matter of style
than substance. That in itself is not surprising. Myanmar's rulers,
for example, periodically enforce dress codes with particular attention
to stemming outside influences.

The real tragedy would be if they convinced themselves that such
cosmetic change would somehow mitigate the need for true reform. If
the generals really wanted to improve their image, they could do
something truly substantive:release Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi from her six
years of house arrest. (Asiaweek)




BURMA OFFERS AN INTRIGUING TOURIST ALTERNATIVE - THE POLICE STATE
7 July 1995

"Visit Myanmar Year" makes for an interesting study in contractions between
Rangoon's eagerness for tourism dollars and its traditional suspicion of
foreigners, AUNG ZAW WRITES.

On 9 January a curious crowd gathered at the Moe Hnyinn railway station in
Kachin state. They all stared at a bicycle. The bike tied up with chain.
"The bike was arrested," said one onlooker. Then they all looked at inside
the office of Moe Hnyinn railway station where a foreigner was sitting. He
is the owner of the bike. He was taken to the office of local law and order
restoration council while he was sitting at a tea shop.

Local police and immigration officials received instruction from senior
officials to interrogate and deport "the strange tourist" to Rangoon.
Because foreigners are not allowed to visit to Kachin land but only those
who have special permission. Mittamaya Rudolf, 40, from Austria arrived to
Rangoon on December 29 last year and had been travelling around the country
by bicycle..

The business magazine, Kyi-pwa-yay reported about Rudolf and his extensive
trip in its latest issue. The article was written by Pauk Kyaing. Pauk
Kyaing himself met Rudolf and talked to Rudolf on the train. Pauk Kyaing
later went to see Burmese officials to investigate the matter.

The article said that Rudolf bought his in Rangoon and then proceeded to
Pegu, Tha Se, Sagaing, In Le, Mandalay, Shwe Nyaung and Pin Ta Ya. But
Burmese officials said in Rudolf's passport they did not see any signature
or seal written by concerned officials from each provinces or towns he had
passed through.

In Burma, if tourists travel from one place to another, they are required
to inform officials who are stationed at province or town or villages.
Oddly, the officials said they did not even find an entry visa in his
passport. So, how did he come to Burma? Pauk Kyaing asked in his article.
"....By sea, by flight or on foot?" Rudolf also told officials that he
bought the bike in Bangkok.  In any case, the authorities suspected that
Rudolf had a hidden agenda. Although they were bewildered by Rudolf's
presence inKachin state, they eventually decided to send him back to
Rangoon.

Spokesman from the Austrian embassy in Bangkok said Rudolf did go to
Thailand before he went to Burma, although they never heard from him again.
"Did all doors open for Rudolf?" asked Pauk Kyaing. Pauk Kyaing also
mentioned that Rudolf has no train ticket while he was taking a train
coming to Kachin state.

Whatever the case, the article wrote by Pauk Kyaing was very suspicious
about Rudolf. At the end of the article the writer asked: If officials at
Moe Hnyinn did not notice about this, no one would know how and where would
Rudolf sneak out of Burma and from where?
The writer also recalled "ugly incident"  that took place in Burma 10 years
ago. He did not specify what is was,  But he was believed to be referring
to the bombing incident in Rangoon where four visiting South Korean
ministers were killed by a bomb planted by three North Korean commandos who
able to sneak into Burma.


Pauk Kyaing also asked: "Did Mr Rudolf come to Myanmar to see how the
Burmese people would react? Or was he planning something else? Pauk Kyaing
did not elaborate, but went on to ask:"What was he up to when he visited
these towns?"

The article itself was as strange as Rudolf presence. It described Rudolf
as either a spy or terrorist. But from the look of it,  Rudolf is neither.
While Rangoon hope to see more tourists next year, the article seems to be
totally opposed to Burma's " Visit Myanmar Year 1996."

Tourism minister Lt Gen Kyaw Ba, who was a former military commander, said
Burma expects 500,000 tourists in nest year. Tourist agents, however, said
this was "highly ambitious."

"Nobody knows what a half million means" said Insight  Myanmar Tourism
Managing Director Armin Schoch.  He added that the total number of inbound
seats available into the country didn't even amount to 500,000 annually.
Schoch also explained difficulties of travelling around the country,
particularly when it comes to  obtaining  permission or the necessary
documents from the  authorities.

A diplomat pointed out that Burma's hospital lack adequate medical
facilities.  "

"If there was emergency case up-country like in the Irrawaddy division or
Arakan State, no one would be able to do anything," he noted.

The transportation system is another thing. "If you go to Mandalay by
train, it will take 18 hours, although it should normally take only 12 to
13 hours. The trains are terribly late,"  he said. "If you want to visit
up-country, Don't fly as Burma has only cowboy pilots." he added.

Although Burma has been making extensive preparation for 1996.There are
still many areas where travel is restricted. At the same time, exiled
activists and Burma support groups campaigning against "Visit Myanmar Year
1996" by telling tourism not to visit Burma. They say tourism revenue will
only line the pocket of the Slorc generals and that this will only lead to
more repression.

Moreover, some groups in Thailand and the US are preparing to publish a map
showing alternative tourist destinations for sightseeing. Among the
highlights are the house where opposition leader AUNG San Suu Kyi is being
detained; Rangoon University where hundreds of students were shot and the
union building, which has been demolished; Rangoon general hospital where
nurses were killed during the upheaval, and Insein prison where hundreds
of
political prisoners, including students,  are incarcerated.
 "The are also many places to visit in Rangoon alone," said activist Win
Htun.

  The tourists should see  forced labour of men and forced relocation of
families in Mandalay, Kachin, Karen, Shan and Mon states,  he added. "We
cannot stop them (tourists) from going to Burma so we must tell them the
truth," he stressed.

An Australian tourism who visited Burma in December last year recalled what
he saw: " In the delta region, the situation is very bad. Slorc is planning
to construct a tourist resort near the town of Chaung Tha in Irrawaddy
division. Last month, troops moved in and took over large areas of land
that will be occupied by the resort. (TN)





********************************************************************

-------------------------GOVERNMENT OF BURMA------------------------
                         "THE USUAL SUSPECTS"
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Prime Minister and Defence         Senior Gen Than Shwe
Deputy Prime Minister              V Adm Maung Maung Khin
Deputy Prime Minister              Lt Gen Tin Tun
Prime Minister's Office            Brig Lum Maung, Col Pe Thein,
                                   U Than Shwe
Foreign                            U Ohn Gyaw (Civilian)
Home                               Lt Gen Mya Thin
Finance and Revenue                Brig Gen Win Tin
Trade                              Lt Gen Tun Kyi
Planning and Economic Planning     Brig David Abel
Industry - 1                       Lt Gen Sein Aung
Industry - 2                       Maj Gen Kyaw Than
Forestry                           Lt Gen Chit Shwe
Livestock and Fisheries            Brig Gen Maung Maung
Culture                            Lt Gen Aung Ye Kyaw
Religious Affairs                  Lt Gen Myo Nyunt
Hotel and Tourism                  Lt Gen Kyaw Ba
Border Areas Development           Lt Gen Maung Thint
Mines                              Lt Gen Kyaw Min
Labour                             Maj Gen Aye Thoung
Agriculture                        Lt Gen Myint Aung
Health                             V Adm Than Nyunt
Transport                          Lt Gen Thein Win
Social Welfare and resettlement    Maj Gen Soe Myint
Information                        Maj Gen Aye Kyaw
Education                          U Pang Aung
Rail Transport                     U Win Sein (ex-Col)
Energy                             U Khin Maing Thein (ex-Col)
Communication,Post and Telegraph   U Soe Tha (Civilian)
Construction                       Maj Gen Saw Tun
Co-operatives                      Than Aung (Civilian)
Immigration and Population         Lt Gen Maung Hla
Light Industry                     Maj Gen Kyaw Than
Office of the Chairman of Slorc    Lt Gen Min Thein
Deputy Minister (Foreign)          U Nyunt Swe (ex-Col)
Deputy Minister (Tourism)          Brig-Gen Tin Aye
Deputy Minister (Home)             Col Tin Hlaing
Deputy Minister (Trade)            Col Aung Thaung
Deputy Minister (Industry - 1)     U Than Nyunt
Deputy Minister (Industry - 2)     U Saw Tun
Deputy Minister (Forestry)         U Aung Phone
Deputy Minister (Livestock         U Aung Thein
and Fisheries)
Deputy Minister (Culture)          U Soe Nyunt
Deputy Minister (Religious)        U Aung Khin
Deputy Minister (Border Areas      U Kyaw Tint
Development)
Deputy Minister (Mines - 1)        Lt Col Hlaing Win
Deputy Minister (Mines - 2)        U Myint Thein
Deputy Minister (Agriculture)      U Tin Hlaing
Deputy Minister (Health)           Col Thant Zin
Deputy Minister (Transport)        U San Wai
Deputy Minister (Social Welfare    Brig Gen Maung Kyi
and Resettlement)
Deputy Minister (Information)      U Thein Sein
Deputy Minister (Education)        Col Kyi Maung, Dr


Than Nyunt
Deputy Minister (Energy)           U Tin Tun
Deputy Minister (Construction)     U Aung San
Deputy Minister (Labour)           Kyaw Aye (civilian)
Deputy Minister (Finance & Revenve) U Win Naing

IRRAWADDY: RESHUFFLE STRANGTHENS SLORC'S GRIP

Pro-democracy forces in Rangoon have long believed that a power
struggle among the top generals in the Burmese armed forces held one
of their best hopes for change.

However, a cabinet reshuffle on June 15 suggests that the ruling
junta is moving to rid itself of any cliques that might threaten its
grip on power.

 This is the first reshuffle since September 1992 when  at least six
powerful army commanders were appointed as cabinet ministers.
The latest members of the cabinet are six senior army commanders.
One of them is army operations commander Lt-Gen Maung Hla, who will
head the newly-formed Immigration and Population Ministry.
 This is seen as a promotion for Maung Hla, who led the military
operations against the ethnic Karen insurgents. Central region
commander Maj-Gen Kyaw Than has assumed the post of light industry
minister, while northeast commander Brig-Gen Aye Kyaw, has taken
over as information minister.

 It is believed that his predecessor, Lt-Gen Myo Thant was
transferred to the prime minister's office. Southern commander,
Maj-Gen Soe Myint is the new social welfare, relief and resettlement
minister while eastern commander Maj-Gen Saw Tun assumes the post of
construction minister.  Army quartermaster Lt-Gen Min Thein has been
appointed minister in the office of the Slorc chairman.
Others appointments not announced in public include the designation
of Col Khin Maung Than as Rangoon commander and Lt Gen Myo Nyunt as
religious minister.

Some ex-army officers believe that the reshuffle signals a subtle
transfer of power  since Slorc chairman Gen Than Shwe and other top
military officers are believed to be contemplating retirement.
Whatever the case, no one can deny that Slorc has gained more
confidence and is obviously preparing to stay in power for several
more years.
A former army officer, who is now based in Thailand, suggested that
the tatmadaw is even stronger than before.  They are cohesive unit.
"Tatmadaw is built on orders and command. Burmese soldiers obey
orders," said Khin Maung Nyunt.
Former army captain Khin Maung Nyunt, who joined the U Nu's
resistance group  in the 1970s stressed that Secretary One Lt Gen
Khin Nyunt is the one who calls the shots.
"This is similar to Ne Win's system. Ne Win always relied on the
intelligence service," he noted. "Khin Nyunt's duty is to report
what is happening to the country and to implement the senior
officers' decisions," he said.

Nevertheless, he hastened to add that Slorc s current system has one
slight difference from that of Ne Win. He suggested that current
regime may be practicing  "collective leadership system."

Obviously the top leaders do not want regional commanders to stay in
their respective areas of responsibility too long as they might be
able to build  a power base. This is totally different from Ne Win's
system, although Khin Maung Nyunt said regional commanders are more
powerful than ministers.

"Slorc leaders are wary of regional commanders. They don' t want
them to form their own spheres of influences as this could lead to
divisions," he said.

A correspondent contributed this article to the Irrawaddy.


WILL 8888 REPEAT IN THE FUTURE?

Rangoon's powerful commander Lt Gen Myo Nyunt said recently: foreign
broadcasting stations are carrying out instigations, and some party
members inside the country are engaged in publication activities,
holding secret meetings on the Shwedagon Pagoda platform, and using
social occasions to hold meetings. Then Myo Nyunt said: "We have
learned that these activities have a certain time frame."
A headline in the Myanmar Ahlin read: "Some party members hold
literature meetings in Mandalay_at Shwe-dagon Chedi there were
secret meetings aimed at a certain time frame."
Recently, hundreds of writers, poets and artists went to Mandalay to
celebrate the birthdays of Ludu Daw Amar and Yan Aung Maung Maung.
In fact, these birthday celebrations were regular gathering for
artists in Burma.

Ludu Daw Amar is a well-respected Burmese writer. Her son Nyi Pu
Lay, a famous writer was arrested a few years ago as he was actively
involved in the anti-Slorc movement. It is known that Ludu Daw Amar
is a supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi.

In fact, many writers and artists supported Aung San Suu Kyi in 1988
and 1989. They later became members of the National League for
Democracy. One of the members Maung Thaw Ka died in prison as a
result of torture.
Some observers and Burmese speculate that in July and August there
might be unrest in major cities in Burma.
Our reporter asked some Burmese opposition figures in Thailand what
were their plans if unrest erupted. "We cannot tell but we have a
plan to handle the situation."
One former NLD member recalled: "During the 1988 political uprising
there was very little support from ethnic insurgents groups." Aung
Saw Oo of NLD (LA) said: "We know revolution is inside Burma. We
cannot hit the button to make revolution from Thailand or
Washington." (Inside Sources)

ADVENTUROUS TOURIST HARASSED BY POLICE

Mittamaya Rudolf from Austria arrived in Rangoon on December 29.
Since then  he travelled throughout the country riding his bike.
The business journal, Kyi-pwa-yay reported about Rudolf in its
latest issue. The article was written by Pauk Kyaing.
On January 9 Rudolf was taken to Moe Nyinn local law and order
restoration council office for interrogation.
 His bicycle was also tied up with a chain and "arrested".
According to the article, Rudolf brought his bike in Rangoon then
proceeded to Pegu, Tha Se, Sagaing, In Le, Mandalay, Shwe Nyaung,
Pin Ta Ya, but according to Pauk Kyaing who went to see Burmese
officials in Moe Hyinn said officials, they did not see any
signature or seal written by towns and provinces.
In Burma, if a tourist travels from one place to another they are
required to inform officials who are stationed in the province or
town or village.
Moe Nyinn is part of Kachin state and of course Burmese authorities
do not allow tourists to visit there_in order to visit there they
must obtain a special permission from officials.
This is one of the reasons Rudolf was arrested. Moreover,
authorities suspected he was travelling alone by his bike.
The article itself was very suspicious on Rudolf. At the end of the
article the writer asked: If officials at Moe Nyinn did not notice
it, how and  where will Rudolf sneak out of Burma?
The writer also referred to an "ugly incident" that occurred in
Burma 10 years ago but he did not say what.
It is believed that he was reminding readers of the bombing incident
in Rangoon where visiting South Korean ministers were killed by
North Korean commandos who sneaked into Burma.
Pauk Kyaing also asked: Mr Rudolf came here in order to test the
nature of the Burmese people? Or was it a precursor of the "future
plan"? Pauk Kyaing did not specify what plan? Then he went on to
ask: "What kind of plan has he implemented or planted in places
where he travelled or visited?"
1996 is visit Myanmar year. But the above-mentioned article was full
of suspiciuous and scepticism about foreign tourists. Rangoon's
tourism minister Lt Gen Kyaw Ba said Burma is expecting 500,000
tourists to come in 1996. However, some tourist agencies said it is
"highly ambitious." (Kyi Pwa Yay Magazine)

AUNG SAN SUU KYI IS FORGOTTEN?

ON 19 June one of our reporters phoned Rangoon and talked to a
veteran journalist who is a known Slorc supporter. Our reporter
asked him what is happening in Rangoon and were there any ceremonies
to mark Suu Kyi's birthday.
The answer was: "Oh! no one noticed this I just came back from
downtown. I just know because of your call." His voice was shaking
and angry our reporter said. (Note: this journalist is known as one
of the anti-Suu Kyi fellows.) So our man gave up and hanged up the
phone.
He called another number and again he asked about Suu Kyi but the
phone was hanged up. It was from JiJi press also known for his
support of Slorc.
Finally, our reporter gave up trying to call Burmese reporters in
town as he realized he  wouldn't get any independent views or news.
He called up someone who opened a book shop in Rangoon.
When he asked same question. The answer was: "Of course we want to
do something to celebrate but how could we do that." Then he
sarcastically laughed in the phone. (BIG)

HELL IN RANONG

IT was life for Burmese in Thailand is not easy. Particularly for
the women who come to Thailand illegally.

Min Thura from Ranong sent the letter to the BBC World Service
(Burmese Section) recently: "Since 1988 there are many more Burmese
girls coming into Thailand and working at Ranong brothels. In 1993
some women went back to Burma as a result of the closure of
brothels.

Some remained in Ranong. However, as they have no ID cards they
often were harassed and arrested.
There are some families which were apprehended and if they have
pretty daughters, they were separated from their families and put in
another cell.

At night time they were raped in custody." (BBC World Service)
/END BURMANET NEWS/