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BurmaNet News September 16, 1995




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The BurmaNet News: September 16, 1995
Issue#229


Noted in Passing:
Actually we could have more visitors, had some of the
foreign media spread the real  political situation of the
country. - Kyaw Ba, the Burmese Minister for Hotels and 
Tourism on tourist arrivals in Burma.  (quoted in S'POREANS
TO BUILD 2ND HOTEL IN BURMA)


Headlines:
NATION: THAI POLICE SEIZE ARMS SAID TO BE FOR KAREN REBELS
BKK POST: SECURITY TIGHTENED FOLLOWING DKBA RAID
NATION: SLORC, KNU TALKS MAY BE PUT OFF
BKK POST: S'POREANS TO BUILD 2ND HOTEL IN BURMA
BKK POST: BURMESE TROOPS KILLED IN CLASH WITH KARENNIS
BKK POST: BURMESE PUBLIC RELATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
	OFFICIALS DUE FOR VISIT
BKK POST: BURMA THREATENS STRAYING THAI FISHING VESSELS.
NATION: CASTROL ASIA'S BOOM SHOWS NO SIGNS OF SLOWING
NATION: LETTER - NUMBERED DAYS
NATION - LETTER: HOW TO USE TANKS
SHAN<H.NG.P  SPM: AUNG SAN SUU KYI SAYS SHE ACCEPTS PANGLONG
UPI/AFP: SLORC TO PARTICIPATE IN EUROPE-ASIA BUSINESS FORUM


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[Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage]
*******************

NATION: THAI POLICE SEIZE ARMS SAID TO BE FOR KAREN REBELS.
September 16, 1995                            Reuter

MAE SOT-Police have arrested a man and confiscated a large amount
of ammunition he said was intended for Karen rebels in Burma,
police said yesterday.

     Police on the Burma border at Umphang district in Tak
province stopped a truck at a checkpoint late on Thursday and
uncovered 6,938 M-16 rifle rounds, 324 M-79 shells and 30 81mm
mortar bombs.
	The driver told police he intended to deliver the ammunition
to members of the Karen National Union (KNU) based opposite
Umphang on the Burmese side of the frontier.  A senior KNU official 
denied the accusations made by the suspect, who is in police custody.

     "We have enough arms and ammunition to defend ourselves, we
have no need to buy any more weapons and have nothing to do with
the Thai police's arms seizure," a senior Karen official said.

     Police earlier this month confiscated large amount of
weapons in Tak province which they said belonged to the KNU.

     The KNU was formed in 1949 to fight for autonomy for the
minority Karen. It and the Shan State Restoration Council, we
political wing of the opium warlord Khun Sa, are the two major
ethnic minority rebel groups still fighting Rangoon.
Sixteen other rebel factions have reached peace agreements with
Burma's military government since 1989.

 Troops of the border task force in Tak have been cleared to open
fire on unidentified groups of armed people without first
asking questions, following a raid across the border from Burma
on  Tuesday.

 A letter of protest had also been sent to Burmese officials in
neighbouring Myawaddy and local residents have been warned of
possible future armed clashes in the area, task force commander
Col Suwit Maenmuen said yesterday.

     Villagers has also been asked to provide the military with
any information they have about unidentified armed forces moving
through the area, he said.

     The "shoot-first" instruction was prompted by the armed
robbery of Thai residents in Tha Song Yang district on Tuesday
by members of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), a rebel
faction which broke away from the Karen National Union, and
previous intrusions by Burmese government forces, Suwit  said.
***********************

BKK POST: SECURITY TIGHTENED FOLLOWING DKBA RAID
September 16, 1995    Tak

SECURITY has been tightened here after Tuesday's incursion by 25
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army troops.  The DKBA men stole a shot-gun
and cash and valuables worth more than 30,000 baht from villagers in Ban Mae 
U-Su, Tha Song Yang district.

Military Task Force 34 and Border Patrol police are running more
frequent patrols in the area to prevent a recurrence.  
The people here have been banned from plying their boats in the
Moei River between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.     

According to the Deputy Commander of Task Force 34, Col Suvit
Manmuen, the Burmese authorities in Myawaddy have denied any
involvement in the incident.  

Myawaddy is across the border from Mae Sot district. A man was
arrested in Mae Sot yesterday on charges of possessing war
weapons with intent to sell.

Acting on a tip-off, a 10-man Border Patrol Police team
manning a check-point at Kilometre 25 of the Umphang-Mae
Sot Road stopped and searched a pick-up truck.  They found nearly 
7,000 rounds of M16 assault rifle ammunition,
more than 300 M79 grenades and 30 81-mm mortar hells.

The driver, Visuth Pradit 40, allegedly confessed picked up the
weapons in Mae Sot and intended to sell them to the rebel Karen
National Union forces inside Burma opposite Tak's Umphang
district.

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

NATION: SLORC, KNU TALKS MAY BE PUT OFF
September 16, 1995


PROPOSED peace talks between the Burmese government and Karen
National Union (KNU) this month may be aborted or postponed
indefinitely due to internal bickering on both sides, Border
Police in Tak province said yesterday.

     According to the source, the stumbling block within the
Burmese government, or State Law and Order Restoration Council,
was opposition to the talks by some Slorc members who believed
the KNU no longer had the political leverage or military
capability to negotiate.

     The source said the KNU was itself reconsidering its
position vis-a-vis Slorc, given a number of internal problems
stemming mainly from the unsettled issue of power sharing between
the conservative wing, led by Gen Bo Mya, and young leaders who
back Gen Shwe Chai.

     The source ,said KNU leaders also feared that holding peace
talks with Slorc would jeopardize their relationship with
the Karenni National Progressive Party which recently announced
it was severing ties with Slorc.

     The KNU was also embarking on a reunification process the
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) to boost its bargaining
power with Slorc, the source said.  The DKBA comprises Karen Buddhist 
rebels who defected from the Christian dominated KNU to Slorc.

     "The KNU has to weigh its options before talking Slorc," said
the source.

     A KNU senior official said the power  struggle between the
conservative faction and the "young turks" had been partially
settled.  However, Gen Bo Mya still faces difficulties in
administering the group both politically and militarily, because
he had to avoid criticism or opposition from the liberal wing.

     "This condition has worn him down and sapped his confidence
in leading the group,"said the official.

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

BKK POST: S'POREANS TO BUILD 2ND HOTEL IN BURMA
September 16, 1995              Singapore, AFP

STRAITS Steamship Ltd [SSL], the property arm of Singapore's
Keppel Group, said it would build a second hotel in Burma under a
contract signed yesterday.

     The 300-room Sedona Hotel Mandalay will cost US$33.5 million
to build and will be located in Mandalay, Burma's cultural centre
and northern commercial hub. It is expected  to start operations
by the end 1996.

     In a statement released here, SSL said its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Wiseland Investment (Myanmar) Ltd, concluded a Build,
Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract with Burma's Directorate of
Hotels and Tourism in Rangoon.

     SSL is-building an $80 million ,450-room hotel in the
Burmese capital and is negotiating the development of an
office-cum-commercial complex there.

     Lim Chee Onn, deputy chairman of SSL, said in a speech at
the Rangoon signing ceremony yesterday that the hotels would aid
Burmese plans to boost tourism infrastructure in Rangoon and
Mandalay.

     "This will further encourage and support tourism development
 ... as well meet the needs of the increasing numbers of
(businessmen visiting Burma)," the SSL statement quoted him as
saying.

     Burma, which has designated 1996 as "Visit Myanmar" year to
promote tourism, has been trying to develop its tourism
infrastructure. Mynamar is the new name given to Burma by its
ruling junta.

     Kyaw Ba, the Burmese Minister for Hotels and Tourism, said
efforts were under way to construct new international airports,
rail lines and high-ways. New hotels are required, to meet a
growing number of tourists, he said.

     The number of tourist arrivals in Burma has grown from
26,000 in 1992-93 to nearly 100,000 in 1994-95.

     "Actually we could have more visitors, had some of the
foreign media spread the real  political situation of the
country," Kyaw Ba said in a speech distributed here by SSL.,
"Because of misinformation that exaggerates the insurgency,
many foreigners still hold to the impression that Myanmar is
politically unstable and therefore it is not a safe place  to
travel," he said.  But the minister expressed confidence that once 
Burma's image improves, Burmese tourism will " reach its booming 
height and.... millions of tourists will surely flock into our country." 

Singapore has been among the largest investors in Burma.

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

BKK POST: BURMESE TROOPS KILLED IN CLASH WITH KARENNIS
September 16, 1995                       Mae Hong Son

TWO Burmese soldiers were killed in a skirmish with Karenni
National Progressive Party troops on Thursday.
The incident took place across the border from Ban Na Hua
Laem in Tambon Mae Ngao, Khun Yuam district.

     The fighting started when 20 soldiers from Government
Battalion 261 spotted 30 KNPP men on patrol, official Thai
sources said.  About 20 minutes later the two Burmese soldiers 
were dead.   No report was available about rebel casualties.

     On the same day Government and KNPP troops nearby exchanged
fire for about 30 minutes. There were no reports of casualties.
The two incidents prompted Thailand to warn both sides not
to intrude onto its soil.

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

BKK POST: BURMESE PUBLIC RELATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT 
OFFICIALS DUE FOR VISIT               September 16, 1995

A BURMESE delegation of public relations and rural development.
officials arrives here on Sunday as guests of the Foreign
Ministry.  They will remain in Thailand until September 27.
  It is the first Burmese delegation to pay an official visit
to Thailand since problems arose in relations earlier this year.

     The invitation is part of the ministry's programme to
"rebuild Thailand's image in the foreign press" for fiscal year
1995, according to a ministerial statement.

     The delegation will be led by Tun Ngwe, deputy director-
general of the Department of Myanmar Missions Abroad of that
country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

     Other officials are from the - Ministry of Progress of
Border Areas, National Races and Development Affairs, the
Ministry of Home Affairs, and the news and periodicals department
of the Ministry of Information.

     The delegation will visit the Office of Accelerated Rural
Development in Nakorn Ratchasima, projects of the Supreme
Command's National Security Command, the Public Relations
Department, and Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre of
the office of the Royal Development Projects Board in Chiang Mai.

     The statement said the ministry hopes the Burmese delegates
can learn from Thailand's rural development projects and make
suitable adjustments for their own country.

****************************************************************
BKK POST: BURMA THREATENS STRAYING THAI FISHING VESSELS.
September 16, 1995   (slightly abridged)

 THAI-BURMESE  relations already strained following the murder
of Burmese crewmen by Thai fishermen, is dipping another notch as
Burma threatened to shoot any Thai trawler straying into its
territorial waters.

 The Burmese government made the announcement on  August 25 as it
has found 31 Thai fishing vessels regularly intruding into
Burmese waters despite closing its border with Thailand last
month, said Sumalee Yuktanon, director of the Fishery
Department's Foreign Fisheries Affairs Division.

     'We are afraid the situation will worsen because Thai
fishermen have the tendency to intrude into country's waters in
spite of threats," she said.

     The Burmese government ordered its border sealed on
August 10, four days after the brutal killing of five Burmese
hands on a Thai trawler.

     The NCC Asian Fishery Co has promised to compensate the
victims' families for their loss. It had reportedly offered to
pay US$5,000 to each family but the amount has yet to be agreed
to by the Burmese authorities.

     Thai fishermen have been warned to be aware of the current
tense situation along the Thai-Burmese border and to stay out of
Burmese waters, Ms Sumalee said.  She is not certain, however, 
that the warning will be heeded.

     But she warned that the Fishery Department will be powerless
to intervene if Thai fishing vessels are caught violating Burma's
territorial rights.

     "We've done our best by publicising the Burmese threat
through all media, and if Thai fishermen still go against it, we
won't be able to help."

     Due to bilateral agreement on territorial waters, Burma has
the right to issue any regulation to protect its own resources
and sovereignty.

     Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, accompanied by
Deputy Agriculture Minister Monthon Kraiwatnusorn, recently
called on Burmese leaders in Rangoon to try to smooth over the
strained relations but it appears the trip was in vain.
Meanwhile, the Navy has ordered all patrol ships stationed
along the border to be on alert in case shooting occurs.

     The Navy will try to prevent Thai trawlers from straying
into Burmese waters, said a Naval Secretariat source.
 Patrol vessels and helicopters have been ordered to keep
close watch round the clock.

     "Protecting our people within our own territory is the best
we can do," said the source.  "We wouldn't be able to help if 
Thai fishermen violate international waters agreements by intruding 
into neighbouring waters."

     The Fishery Department, nevertheless, is still hopeful the
strained relations will improve soon.

     The department has proposed new fishing control regulations
to an interagency ad hoc committee set up to solve the
Thai-Burmese conflict.

     The committee is chaired by the Defence Minister. It will
meet on Monday to find solutions. The Fishery Department is
hoping its proposal will be approved.

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

NATION: CASTROL ASIA'S BOOM SHOWS NO SIGNS OF SLOWING
September 16, 1995

Burmah Castrol Plc continues to build on last year's spectacular
          profit growth, KENNETH YWIN reports from the firm's 
                    headquartersin Swindon, England.

The two gigantic white Burmese Chinthes guarding the front of 
Burmah Castrol's headquarters here truly signify the dynamic
growth that the world's largest lubricant specialists are
enjoying from their Asia-Pacific operations.

     Castrol Asia has continued to successfully capitalize on the
region's rapid growth, with profit up 33 per cent in 1994.

     "Our interim results showed continuing profit growth during
the first half of this year, with earnings per share up 16 per-
cent. This good performance is based on continued growth from our
two principal businesses- Castrol made further progress,
especially in Asia and Europe, while Chemicals achieved another
strong profit increase, significantly improving its return on
sales. We expect them to maintain their momentum," Brian Hardy,
director of finance, said.

     Total sales turnover for 1994 was (British Pound)f 2.9
billion (Bt113.1 billion) and for the first half of this year was
(British pound) f1.5 billion (Bt58.5 billion), prompting Hardy to
predict over (British Pound) f3 billion (Bt117 billion) for 1995.

     The company's enlarged Asia-Pacific division will be moved
to Hong Kong early next year to facilitate and enhance its
tremendous growth in the region.

     Castrol's Asia-Pacific offices contributed 25 per cent of
1994 sales while Europe had 46 per cent and the Americas 29 per
cent. Lubricants sold the major share of 61 per cent, chemicals
26 per cent and fuels 13 per cent.

     Asia, Castrol executives agreed, could be bigger in the next
10 years than even the Americas because of the tremendous
potential of China.  With continuous research and development 
and working with leading scientists, Castrol sells over 5,000 products 
in 13 countries in the Asia-Pacific region alone.

****************************************************************
NATION: LETTER - NUMBERED DAYS
September 16, 1995

Slorc does not want to listen to reason. But like all generals,
they covet power. The Burmese resistance has, therefore, adopted
the "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" approach. We recently
gave the "green light" to our friends in the US Congress to
proceed with the Free Burma Act which will ban American trade and
investment in Burma.

     Roger Beach, Unocal's chairman, testified at the Senate
hearings on Burma chaired by Sen Mitch McConnell last July 24. Mr
Beach fully understands that the Free Burma Act will force the
termination of the planned $1 billion natural gas pipeline to
Thailand.

     Foreign investment in Burma is comparable to that of
Cambodia and very small compared to the $13.1 billion in licensed
investments in Vietnam. Burma's population is four times larger
than Cambodia. Despite Slorc's hype, foreign investors are not
comfortable with the political risk in Burma.

     The Burmese resistance seeks a negotiated political
settlement in Burma that is fair to all parties. If Slorc refuses
to negotiate, we will find another way to restore freedom and
democracy in Burma.

     Do not be surprised if one faction of the Burmese army does
its patriotic duty one day and helps restore democracy in Burma.

Myint Thein
Texas

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

NATION - LETTER: HOW TO USE TANKS
Septeber 16, 1995

Six hundred years later, the Burmese military is back at our
border and no more cooperative or peaceful than before. The
Burmese military is belligerent and the Thai military and
government continue to accept being slapped in the face just to
make money. The recent buddy-buddy approach between the generals
did not seem to appease the aggressors or open any business.
Maybe there is a deeper motive to the Army's request to purchase
101 M60 A3 battle tanks from Uncle Sam? Maybe the tanks will be
necessary to keep hostile troops from Thai soil who are obviously
not afraid of the Thai military and police.

Sombadt Charoensuk
Bangkok

*************************************************************
Typed by the Research Department of the ABSDF(MTZ)   16/9/95
*************************************************************

SHAN<H.NG.P  SPM: AUNG SAN SUU KYI SAYS SHE ACCEPTS PANGLONG
(editor's note: this is an independent report from S.H.A.N.)

Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's most popular politician ,had agreed to adhere to the
Agreement of Panglong.

According to reliable quarters, Ms Suu Kyi had invited leaders of the Shan
Nationalities League for Democracy on 16 August to her house and said that she
accepted the terms of historic treaty which was signed by her late father
General Aung San at the nationalities conferance held by the Shans in Panglong,
a small southern Shan town.According to the treaty, Aung San promised full
autonomy both in political and financial affairs, humanrights and democracy.They
were never realized after his assasination.  In 1952, Burmese forces under General
Ne Win occupied the Shan State and since then talks of the terms of the treaty
became tantamount to treason.  It led to uprisings all over Shan State and rapidly
spread to all other non-Burman ethnic nationals.

Aung San Suu Kyi's speech to the SNLD (Shan Nationalities League for 
Democracy) leaders was obviously designed to ease the tensions and pave 
the way for a new union.  Many Burmans and non-Burmans alike welcomed it 
as a sign of change from the long standing SLORC stand on the non-Burman 
issue.  Some however doubt whether she could convince the generals to give 
up their hold on the states which are still seething with resentment despite 
ceasefire agreements with the armed ethnic groups.

She also told her visitors that the 1947 Constitution which contains the
controversial right of secession for the states must be amended  ` in order to
meet today`s needs '. While many refrain from contradicting the lady who has
been worldwidely regarded as Burma`s only future, one Shan in Germany did not
hesitate to note dryly : Even Ethiopia considered as the backwater of  Africa,
has ratified its constitution recognizing the right of the states to secede from
the union. Trying to deprive the right, in my opinion, would only serve to be
counter productive. In today`s world, there is only one way to prevent
disintegration of existing so-called nations. And that is to share and share
alike the rights in existence including the right of self determination.
**************

SLORC TO PARTICIPATE IN EUROPE-ASIA BUSINESS FORUM
September 15, 1995   UPI/AFP
 
According to UPI and AFP wires of 15 Sept, 450 European and Asian
business leaders, 100 experts and officials, and 50 prominent
government figures will meet for 3 days from 20 Sept in Singapore
at the fourth annual Europe-East Asia Economic Summit.
 
The conference, "in hopes of improving business ties between the
two economically powerful regions", will focus on "financial
issues, intellectual property rights, environmental concerns,
human resources, stability and security and the role of the
private sector in helping to develop national infrastructure".
 
David Abel, Burma's Minister of National Planning and Economic
Development and other Burmese officials will address a special
closed-door seminar on Burma. 
 
The conference is organised by the Geneva-based World Economic
Forum, whose Director, Colette Mathur, said Burma's attendance at
the conference was particularly exciting to participants from the
business world. "Every year we choose a country that is not fully
open - last year it was Vietnam", she said.
 
Mekong area development will also be discussed.
 
Apart from David Abel, who will no doubt encourage the European
business community to benefit from Burma's particularly cheap and
disciplined labour force, participants will include Australian
Foreign Minister Gareth Evans, Norwegian Premier Gro Harlem
Brundtland, Sir Leon Brittan and Manuel Marin (European
Commission Vice-Presidents), Jeffrey Garten, a U.S. Commerce
Undersecretary, Singapore Premier Goh Chok Tong, President
Suharto of Indonesia and South Korean Premier Lee Hong Koo. The
conference will be opened by Singapore elder statesman Lee Kuan
Yew. Its Chair will be Tommy Koh, Singapore's ambassador-at-
large.
 
Singapore is probably not the best place to arrange adequate
welcoming committees or street theatre for this notable event.
However, people like Sir Leon Brittan, Gro Brundtland and Gareth
Evans, as well as the World Economic Forum and the various
European governments attending, would no doubt be gratified to
receive faxes and phone calls with ideas concerning business with
Burma. If a list of participants at the closed-door seminar on
Burma were posted on the net, these people, businesses or
governments could subsequently be approached with similar ideas.
If the fax numbers of the conference or the hotels the various
delegations were staying at were posted on the net, useful
suggestions could be sent during the conference by our jolly
burmaneteers. 
 
There will be a 25-nation inaugural Europe-East Asia summit of
government leaders in Bangkok next March.