Wired News on July 11, 1995

[FreeBurma@xxxxxxx]

Attn: Burma Newsreaders
Re: Wired News on July 11, 1995
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Singapore Calls Suu Kyi's Release Positive Move

      SINGAPORE, July 11 (Reuter) - Singapore, one of the biggest investors
in Burma, welcomed on Tuesday Rangoon's release of opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi as a ``positive move.'' 

    ``Singapore views the release of Aung San Suu Kyi as a positive move by
the Myanmar (Burmese) leadership towards political change to return the
country to normalcy, a process which Singapore has quietly encouraged,'' a
Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said. 

    Burma's State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) has faced
international condemnation since it took power in a bloody crackdown on
pro-democracy protesters in 1988. Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest a
year later. 

    But the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which groups
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines and Indonesia, has
steered a more cautious line, preferring to gently cajole the impoverished
regime into relaxing political controls. 

    The Singapore statement also said: ``Singapore continues to believe that
ASEAN's policy of constructive engagement with Myanmar will help encourage
SLORC to continue to open its economy and society and progress like the other
countries of Southeast Asia.'' 

    Singapore, now Burma's fourth-largest foreign investor, is soon expected
to become the biggest with some $315 million spent on 25 projects, Burmese
officials say.
****************

Suu Kyi Release Should Help Burma Aid, Investment

      By Matthew Lewis 

    SINGAPORE, July 11 (Reuter) - Burma's release of opposition leader Aung
San Suu Kyi should help promote foreign aid and investment in its isolated
and impoverished economy, analysts and officials said on Tuesday. 

    But they said funds would not come in immediately. 

    ``Investors will take a somewhat cautious stance at first, but anything
that liberalises things is welcomed,'' said a Western diplomat based in
Singapore. 

    ``We have to see how lasting this change is, how genuine it is,''
Australian Trade Minister Bob McMullan told reporters in Canberra. He said
Australia was reviewing trade relations with Rangoon and the release of Suu
Kyi would be a factor. 

    In Tokyo, Foreign Minister Yohei Kono welcomed Monday's decision to
release the 50-year-old Suu Kyi after almost six years of house arrest. 

    ``Japan would like to offer its assistance to Burma as it takes steps to
rebuild the country with the understanding and cooperation of its people,''
Kono told reporters. ``We would like to discuss projects once they are ready
to do so.'' 

    Richard Neville, director of a Burma investment fund run by Kerry
Financial Services group in Hong Kong, said the news might be the trigger for
international financial institutions to resume lending to the country. 

    ``Over the next few weeks, if there is a change in policy from the
international financial organisations such as the World Bank, IMF
(International Monetary Fund), ADB (Asian Development Bank), and they resume
multilateral aid, whether it's grant or low-cost loans, especially for
infrastructure, that's going to be a huge boost for the economy,'' he said. 

    Rangoon has been ostracised by much of the international community since
the military junta put down a pro-democracy movement in 1988. Suu Kyi has
been under house arrest since 1989 for her outspoken attacks on the
supression of the uprising, in which thousands of people were killed or
imprisoned. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. 

    ``In the long-term you could say 'yes, it will have a positive impact,'''
said a Jakarta-based research analyst at a European brokerage of her release.
``I don't see the immediate short-term effect. Companies will invest based on
economic prospects, not so much on political.'' 

    ``It's a step on the road to Burma's international business
rehabilitation,'' said Walter Woon, a law professor and nominated member of
Singapore Parliament. ``But her release frankly does not change the economic
equation in Burma very much. If I were a businessman, I would not care two
hoots whether she's been released.'' 

    A Western diplomat in Singapore said Suu Kyi's statements in the near
term would be crucial. ``It depends whether she gives signals that the
correct response from others would be more engagement of the Myanmar
authorities,'' he said. 

    Total foreign investment in Burma was $2.752 billion as of March this
year, and was expected to increase to $4 billion by the end of 1995, Burma's
Minister of National Planning and Economic Development David Abel said last
month. 

    Most foreign investments in Burma are in oil and gas, hotels and tourism,
fisheries, mining and forestry. 

    Britain is the largest foreign investor, with $632 million invested in 10
projects, Abel said. But fourth-placed Singapore is soon expected to take
that spot with some $315 million spent on 25 projects, Burmese officials say.


    Thailand, despite border disagreements with Burma, has also been a
leading advocate of constructive engagement with Rangoon's military rulers. 

    Thai companies have invested $410 million in 26 projects in Burma, latest
Burmese official figures show. Most Thai investment is in fishing and timber
logging concessions. 

06:44 07-11-95
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Philippines President Welcomes Suu Kyi's Release

      MANILA, July 11 (Reuter) - Philippine President Fidel Ramos urged the
world community on Tuesday to foster better relations with Burma following
the release of Burmese dissident leader Aung San Suu Kyi. 

    Ramos said in a statement the Philippines welcomed Suu Kyi's release from
house arrest ``as an important step in the process of national
reconciliation.'' 

    Burma's military government stunned the world on Monday when it
unexpectedly released Suu Kyi, 50, after keeping her under house arrest for
nearly six years. No conditions were attached to her freedom. 

    Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was placed under house arrest on
July 20, 1989, for ``endangering the state'' with her outspoken attacks on
the military, which killed and imprisoned thousands while supressing
pro-democracy uprisings in 1988. 

    She was never charged or tried. 

    Ramos cited other steps on Tuesday which he said Burma had taken to
strengthen political stability, including settlements with small minorities. 

    ``We hope to see further stability and progress in Myanmar (Burma) which
would promote the development of a Southeast Asian community within ASEAN
(Association of Southeast Asian Nations),'' he said. 

    ``We urge the international community to constructively engage Myanmar in
all spheres.''
**********************

Bhutto Delighted at Suu Kyi's Release

      ISLAMABAD, July 11 (Reuter) - Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
on Tuesday welcomed the release of Burmese opposition leader Aung Sung Suu
Kyi, praising her ``steadfast commitment to her ideals and principles.'' 

    Bhutto, who herself suffered prison and self-exile under military rule,
said in a statement she hoped Suu Kyi's release on Monday would be ``a
harbinger of reconciliation and will help achieve the goal of peace and
prosperity for the friendly people Myanmar (Burma).'' 

    She said she was confident Suu Kyi would continue to devote her energies
to the cause of the Myanmar people and the realisation of their aspirations
and wished her ``all success in her future endeavours.''
*****************

Burma Army Said Seizing Goods in Thai Boycott

      MAE SOT, Thailand, July 11 (Reuter) - Burmese soldiers in the
southeastern border town of Myawadi have stepped up a drive to boycott Thai
products and are searching houses and confiscating goods smuggled from
Thailand, traders said on Tuesday. 

    Burmese traders who managed to slip across the frontier told reporters in
this Thai town opposite Myawadi that soldiers have been searching houses
since Monday and have confiscated a large quantity of various goods smuggled
from Thailand. 

    Posters began appearing in Myawadi and other Burmese towns last month
urging people not to buy Thai products. 

    No reason has been given for the boycott call but the posters urge people
to buy goods from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore instead. 

    Jirasakdi Paiboonthammaroj, chairman of local chamber of commerce in Mae
Sot, said Burmese authorities have stepped up efforts to enforce the boycott
because their campaign has not been effective. 

    ``For now they're just confiscating goods but traders say later anyone
found with Thai goods will be prosecuted,'' Jirasakdi told reporters on
Tuesday. 

    Thai officials played down the boycott call when it was first reported
last month saying it was a local-level problem which would be solved through
negotiations. 

    The Burmese boycott of Thai products followed months of strained
relations between the two countries which began at the beginning of the year
when Burmese forces launched an offensive against ethnic minority rebels
forcing thousands of refugees into Thailand. 

    Thailand later complained to Burma about violations of its territory by
Burmese troops while Burma accused Thailand of assisting the autonomy-seeking
guerrillas.

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

Suu Kyi Release May Help Burma Investment Funds

      By Carrie Lee 

    HONG KONG, July 11 (Reuter) - The release of dissident leader Aung San
Suu Kyi seems likely to give Burma's economy a shot in the arm, which should
have spin-off benefits for Burma funds, analysts said on Tuesday. 

    Richard Neville, director of the Myanmar Fund run by Kerry Financial
Services group, said the news might be the trigger for international
financial institutions to resume lending to the country. 

    Burma's economy would then be enhanced, improving the performance of
Burma funds, he said. 

    ``Over the next few weeks, if there is a change in policy from the
international financial organisations such as the World Bank, IMF
(International Monetary Fund), ADB (Asian Development Bank), and they resume
multilateral aid, whether it's grant or low-cost loans, especially for
infrastructure, that's going to be a huge boost for the economy,'' Neville
told Reuters. 

    Those organisations have made no loans to Burma since 1988, he said. 

    ``Every business (in Burma) will benefit just because all of a sudden
there will better infrastrucuture, telephones, ports, etc. That will improve
the attractiveness of Myanmar (Burma) to foreign investors,'' he added. 

    The Myanmar Fund was the first direct-investment fund focused exclusively
on Burma. There are now at least two other Burma funds run by other financial
institutions. 

    Neville said the country was plagued with infrastructural problems such
as a congested port and inadequate communication links, which could be put
right with financial assistance. 

    ``If they can access low-cost funding from abroad to improve telephone
capacity, roads, etc., the country's investment climate can only grow more
attractive,'' he said. 

    He said Suu Kyi's release would also improve the world's perception of
the country, benefiting its tourism and luring more investors. 

    The improvement in the economy would enhance the attractiveness of Burma
funds, he said. 

    But investment adviser Marc Faber said he did not expect the latest news
to have much impact on Burma funds. 

    ``The Burma funds, they are direct investment funds. They are not traded
like semi-conductor stocks, going up and down 10 percent a day. It's not
going to benefit them all that much,'' he said. 

    ``And although the economy may improve in Burma in the longer run and the
country may develop it doesn't mean that Burma funds will be successful. 

    ``That depends on individual managers' ability to make good direct
investments. These are two different things,'' he said. 

REUTER 
06:40 07-11-95
************************

Burmese Refugees Refuse to Leave Bangladesh

       COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh, July 11 (Reuter) - Burmese Moslem
refugees are refusing to return home in the wake of an alleged
spate of atrocities by Rangoon's military junta, Bangladeshi
officials said on Tuesday.

     They said reports reached the refugee camps that Burmese
authorities had recently been restricting the movements of the
Moslems, known as Rohingyas, and torturing them into forced
labour.

    Officials in Cox's Bazar, temporary home to the Rohingyas,
told Reuters that two Rohingyas were reported to have been
executed by firing squad in west Burma's Moslem-majority Arakan
state two weeks ago for refusing to work at a military project.

    The killings had increased tension along the
Bangladesh-Burma border and affected the repatriation of the
Rohingyas from Bangladesh, they said.

     Saad Al Attar, of the United Nations High Commission for
Refugees (UNHCR), said on Monday only four of 200 refugees in
one camp wanted to go back while the others refused.

     Officials said only 27 refugees had gone home this month
compared to 16,129 in May.

     More than 250,000 Rohingyas fled to southeastern Bangladesh
in early 1992 to escape alleged military persecution in Arakan.
Repatriation began in September that year following an agreement
between Dhaka and Rangoon.

    As of Tuesday, 53,348 Rohingyas were left in eight refugee
camps, repatriation officials said.

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

Britain Seeks Burmese Democracy Now Suu Kyi Free

      LONDON, July 11 (Reuter) - Britain on Tuesday applauded the release of
Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi from house detention and said it hoped
this marked the start of the return of democratic rule in Burma. 

    Burma's military rulers freed Suu Kyi on Monday after six years of house
arrest. 

    Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind said in a statement that Britain and
its European Union partners had long pressed for her release. 

    ``We hope that the decision to release Aung San Suu Kyi has begun an
irreversible process towards democracy and economic reform, accompanied by
respect for human rights, which will lead to a closer relationship between
our two countries,'' he said. 

    ``We are greatly encouraged by her unconditional return to freedom and
the atmosphere of conciliation in which her release has taken place,'' he
added, expressing the wish that other political prisoners would also now be
freed. 

Reut14:02 07-11-95
*************************

Norway Wants Envoy to Visit Burma's Suu Kyi

      OSLO, July 11 (Reuter) - Norway said on Tuesday it wanted to send an
envoy to Burma to visit dissident and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi,
who was released by the Rangoon government after six years under house
arrest. 

    ``I have asked Norway's ambassador to Singapore, which is side-accredited
to Yangon (Rangoon), to travel to Burma to have talks with Aung San Suu Kyi
and representatives of the authorities,'' Foreign Minister Bjoern Tore Godal
said. 

    ``I hope to see the Peace Prize winner in Norway when it is convenient
for her,'' he added in a statement. 

    Suu Kyi won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent struggle for
democracy and human rights in Burma and her courage in standing up to ``a
regime characterised by brutality.'' 

    Godal said he welcomed Suu Kyi's release from house arrest. 

    ``We urge the Burmese authorities to follow up with further concrete
democratic measures,'' Godal said.
**************

Burmese Swarm Suu Kyi's House for Glimpse of Hero

      By Deborah Charles 

    RANGOON, July 11 (Reuter) - Crowds swarmed the gates of Burmese dissident
Aung San Suu Kyi's house on Tuesday hoping to catch a glimpse of her and
underlining the opposition leader's still immense popularity. 

    Burma's military government stunned the world on Monday when it
unexpectedly released Suu Kyi, 50, after keeping under house arrest for
nearly six years. No conditions were attached to her freedom. 

    Although official media had still not reported Suu Kyi's release by late
Tuesday, people began hearing the news by word of mouth and quickly flocked
to her house. 

    The street was packed with parked cars and a steady stream of traffic
flowed past the house all day. 

    Mie Mie, a 30-year old woman wearing an ``Aung San Suu Kyi'' T-shirt,
said she had come to the house late on Monday night and returned early on
Tuesday in the hope of seeing her hero. 

    ``I am so happy, I just want to see her,'' she said. 

    Late in the afternoon, Suu Kyi climbed up from behind the gates of her
compound and spoke to the waiting crowd, reassuring them that she had not
struck any secret deals with the military in exchange for her freedom. 

    Some people carried flowers they hoped to give to the Nobel laureate,
while others clutched books. 

    But most just looked expectantly at the high walls that had imprisoned
Suu Kyi since July 20, 1989, and said they were happy she was freed. 

    ``Everybody is very happy to see this,'' said Thet, a 29-year old
student. ``We have a chance now for the future of the country.'' 

    Conspicously absent were any uniformed police or military officials to
control a crowd which grew larger and jostled with reporters and diplomats
allowed to enter Suu Kyi's house for a news conference. 

    Despite the large numbers, the crowd was peaceful and there was no sign
people might stage an anti-government demonstration. 

    Most people, who had been afraid to congregate over the past few years
for fear of arrest, were content to be able to stand and express joy at Suu
Kyi's release. 

    ``I think my country is better now,'' said Yamin Kyaing. ``Yesterday was
my birthday, it was a great birthday present.''

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

Socialist Laud Release of Burmese Dissident

      CAPE TOWN, July 10 (Reuter) - Delegates to the Socialist International
meeting in South Africa burst into applause on Monday when they heard that
Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi had been released from six years of house
arrest. 

    The deputy president of the organisation, Norwegian Prime Minister Gro
Harlem Brundtland, said no celebrations would be held until Suu Kyi had
affirmed that she had been released under acceptable conditions. 

    ``We are not certain what kinds of strings are attached,'' Brundtland
told delegates, many of whom were wearing badges calling for the release of
the Burmese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner. 

    She said the Socialist International had campaigned for Suu Kyi to be
released by July 11 and this ``now seems to have had results...but we want to
be perfectly clear about this.'' 

    Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest by Burmese military authorities for
``endangering the state.'' She was never charged or tried.

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

Suu Kyi's Release a Boost to ASEAN-Burma Ties

      By Jeremy Wagstaff 

    JAKARTA, July 11 (Reuter) - Burma's release of democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi was heralded on Tuesday as a vindication of ASEAN's constructive
engagement policy that brought a step nearer its dream of embracing the
region. 

    Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministers, academics and
diplomats agreed that by freeing her, Burma's ruling generals appeared to be
responding to ASEAN efforts to maintain a dialogue with one of Asia's pariah
governments. 

    ``I think certainly the release responded to the pervasive effort on the
part of the ASEAN organisation to pursue constructive engagement,'' said
acting Thai foreign minister Surin Pitsuwan. 

    Burma's State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) has faced
international condemnation since it took power in a bloody crackdown on
pro-democracy protesters in 1988 and placed Suu Kyi under house arrest a year
later. 

    But ASEAN, which groups Burma's neighbour Thailand with Malaysia,
Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines and Indonesia, has steered a more cautious
line, preferring to gently cajole the impoverished regime into relaxing
political controls. 

    Academics and diplomats say the surprise release of Suu Kyi boosted
ASEAN's position before this month's ASEAN-hosted talks with several western
nations in Brunei. 

    Despite rapidly warming ties between ASEAN members and Rangoon,
particularly Singapore and Indonesia, Burma has yet formally to seek
membership of the organisation. 

    Diplomats in Kuala Lumpur said Burma was not seeking more than guest
observer status for the time being, partly because it has neither the money
nor the diplomatic expertise to commit to the broad array of ASEAN meetings. 

    Another block has been its human rights record. 

    ``We know that Burma is keen to join the extended ASEAN family and ASEAN
is keen on constructive engagement, but in order to have Burma accepted
completely there is at least a minimum standard of observations of human
rights and this would be a good start for Burma,'' Indonesian academic Dewi
Fortuna Anwar said of Suu Kyi's release. 

    Behind the move, diplomats said, Rangoon was indicating how aware it was
of the importance of ASEAN's support. 

    By appearing to respond positively to ASEAN's encouragement, Burma's move
would defuse growing Western criticism of the group's unwillingness to put
the screws on Rangoon. 

    The timing is crucial. ASEAN foreign ministers are due to hold their
annual meeting this month in Brunei, which in part includes talks with
counterparts from the United States, China, Japan and the European Union. 

    ``(Her release) surely gives ASEAN a very good image and much-needed
momentum to deal with the dialogue partners, which have been very hard on
ASEAN in the past 12 months over Burma,'' one ASEAN diplomat said. 

    Diplomats said that despite private reservations about whether the SLORC
would make further concessions, ASEAN would welcome the release in Brunei,
possibly paving the way for Rangoon to formalise its application for
membership. 

    In turn, diplomats say ASEAN would be strengthened by absorbing Burma
into its sphere, a process which may take several years, in the same way it
has embraced its former Indochinese enemies Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. 

Reut10:35 07-11-9
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