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BurmaNet News December 29, 1995
- Subject: BurmaNet News December 29, 1995
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 29 Dec 1995 07:56:00
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The BurmaNet News: December 29, 1995
Issue #311
HEADLINES:
==========
DAW SUU: LETTER FROM BURMA #5
KNU REPORT: DKBA AND DIALOGUE WITH THE SLORC
INDEPENDENT REPORT: DBSO JUBILEE AND REFUGEES SEMINAR
BKK POST: RANGOON GEARED FOR DRY SEASON OFFENSIVE
ABSDF(DNA): BURMA UPDATE
BURMANET: AD FOR BURMA AND STRIDER'S COMMENT
BKK POST: BURMESE CHARGED WITH FAKING PASSPORTS, VISAS
XINHUA:YADANA GAS FIELD PROJECT UNDERWAY IN MYANMAR
XINHUA: MYANMAR ATTRACTS FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN TOURISM
PATA MEKONG TOURISM FORUM PATTAYA, THAILAND
BURMANET: BRIEF BUSINESS REPORTS
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DAW SUU: LETTER FROM BURMA #5
December 27, 1995
Mainichi Daily News, Monday, December 25, 1995
Letter from Burma (No. 5)
By Aung San Suu Kyi
THE PEACOCK AND THE DRAGON
The 10th day of the waning moon of Tazaungdine marks National Day in
Burma. It is the anniversary of the boycott against the 1920 Rangoon
University Act which was seen by the Burmese as a move to restrict higher
education to a privileged few. This boycott, which was initiated by
university students, gained widespread support and could be said to have
been the first step in the movement for an independent Burma. National Day
is thus a symbol of the intimate and indissoluble link between political and
intellectual freedom and of the vital role that students have played in the
the politics of Burma.
This year the 75th anniversary of National Day fell on Nov. 16. A
committee headed by elder politicians and prominent men of letters was
formed to plan the commemoration ceremony. It was decided that the
celebrations should be on a modest scale in keeping with our financial
resources and the economic situation of the country. The program was very
simple; some speeches, the presentation of prizes to those who had taken
part in the essay competitions organized by the National League for
Democracy, and the playing of songs dating back to the days of the
independence struggle. There was also a small exhibition of photographs,
old books and magazines.
An unseasonable rain had been falling for several days before the
16th but on the morning of National Day itself the weather turned out to be
fine and dry. Many of the guests came clad in /pinni/, a hand-woven cotton
cloth that ranges in color from a flaxen beige through varying shades of
apricot and orange to burnt umber. During the independence struggle pinni
had acquired the same significance in Burma as /khaddi/ in India, a symbol
of patriotism and a practical sign of support for native goods.
Since 1988 it has also become the symbol of the movement for
democracy. A pinni jacket worn with a white collarless shirt and a Kachin
sarong (a tartan pattern in purple, black and green) is the unofficial
uniform for *democracy men.* The dress for *democracy women* is a /pinni
aingyi/ (Burmese style blouse) with a traditional hand-woven sarong. During
my campaign trip to the state of Kachin in 1989 I once drove through an area
considered unsafe because it was within a zone where insurgents were known
to be active. For mile upon mile men clad in pinni jackets on which gleamed
the brave red badge of the National League for Democracy stood on *guard
duty* along the route, entirely unarmed. It was a proud and joyous sight.
The sight on the 75th anniversary of National Day too was a proud
and joyous one. The guests were not all clad in pinni but there was about
them a brightness that was pleasing to both the eye and the heart. The
younger people were full of quiet enthusiasm and the older ones seemed
rejuvenated. A well-known student politician of the 1930s who had become
notorious in his mature years for the shapeless shirt, shabby denim
trousers, scuffed shoes (gum boots during the monsoons) and battered hat in
which he would tramp around town was suddenly transformed into a dapper
gentleman in full Burmese national costume. All who knew him were stunned
by the sudden picture of elegance he represented and our photographer
hastened to record such an extraordinary vision.
The large bamboo and thatch pavilion that had been put up to receive
the thousand guests was decorated with white banners on which were printed
the green figure of a dancing peacock. As a backdrop to the stage too there
was a large dancing peacock, delicately executed on a white disc. This is
the symbol of the students who had first awoken the political consciousness
of the people of Burma. This is a symbol of a national movement that had
culminated triumphantly with the independence of the country.
The orchestra had arrived a little late as there had been an attempt
to try to *persuade* the musicians not to perform at our celebration. But
their spirits had not been dampened. They stayed on after the end of the
official ceremony to play and sing nationalist songs from the old days. The
most popular of these was Nagani. *Red Dragon* Nagani was the name of a
book club founded by a group of young politicians in 1937 with the
intentions of making works on politics, economics, history and literature
accessible to the people of Burma. The name of the club became closely
identified with patriotism and a song was written about the prosperity that
would come to the country through the power of the Red Dragon.
Nagani was sung by a young man with a strong, beautiful voice and we
all joined in the chorus while some of the guests went up on the stage and
performed Burmese dances. But beneath the light-hearted merriment ran a
current of serious intent. Our national movement remains unfinished. We
have still to achieve the prosperity promised by the dragon. The time is
not yet for the triumphant dance of the peacock.
*****************************************************
KNU REPORT: DKBA AND DIALOGUE WITH THE SLORC
December 29, 1995
INTRUSION BY THE DKBA
About 30 DKBA soldiers intruded into Thailand at about 1 p.m. on 28 December,
1995. They came upon a Thai village called U Thu Klo, and robbed a villager
named Saw Paw Thay there. It was learned that Saw Paw Thay was injured
and his eight year old daughter Su Da was killed in the incident. A Thai
school teacher named Nantana was also injured. The intruders stole a gold
neclace from Nantana and 5000 baht from a Thai school teacher named
Sicha.
NEWS REGARDING THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE SLORC
AND THE KNU
According to the KNU Press Release No. 1 dated 13 December 1995, a
preliminary delegation of KNU representatives, consisting of seven men
and led by P'doh Klee Say, was sent to engage in a dialogue with the SLORC.
On 8 December 1995, the delegates met with the SLORC's delegation headed
by Col. Kyaw Win at Moulmein, and preliminary arrangements for bilateral
talks between the KNU and the SLORC were made. The KNU's delegates
have now returned to KNU headquarters and reported on their trip on 28
December 1995.
It has been agreed by both sides that delegates shall be sent again in the near
future to follow up on the previous talks.
**********************************************************
INDEPENDENT REPORT: DBSO JUBILEE AND REFUGEES SEMINAR
December 27, 1995 By Carol Schlenker
On December 24, Democratic Burmese Students Organization (DBSO) hosted a
day-long festival in Tokyo to mark the 75th Anniversary of Rangoon
University. The morning was filled with speeches by RASU graduates
(including Zaw Zaw from DBSO on *Students and Politics,* Dr. Tun Aye of
Burmese Association in Japan on *Rangoon University and U Ne Win,* NHK
Radio's U Shwe Ba (Hisao Tanabe) on *The University I Attended,* poet Maung
Pan Hmwe on *Poems from the University Environment,* and Dr. Myat Than, a
former RASU English professor, on *Teaching at the University.*) The
afternoon featured a variety of entertainment, from traditional Burmese
music and dance by Mingala Doe to ear-splitting heavy metal by several local
rock bands. As a special treat, Democratic Voice of Burma's Mun Awng sang a
few of his own popular songs and also led, by popular request, the finale of
*Kaba Maje Bu.* There was also a performance of *university anyint*
(*anyint* is unrehearsed comedy performed by two or more people). The
several hundred guests who attended also enjoyed the displays, which
included the history of the university and the Student Union, poems,
cartoons, posters and artwork. Too bad the biryani rice spoiled, but the
sarwin makin was delicious. Good job, DBSO!
TOKYO HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYERS ORGANIZE SEMINAR ON
BURMESE REFUGEE ISSUES
On December 26, a seminar on the Burmese refugees was held at the Tokyo Bar
Association. The seminar featured three panelists, Aung Naing, Maung Maung
Than and Mun Awng, who spoke about their experiences as refugees or workers
in the UK, Australia and Norway, respectively. The meeting, organized by
Messrs. Azusawa and Watanabe (two lawyers who have been very active in
helping Burmese asylum seekers) and attended by other Japanese lawyers,
Burmese activists and a major Tokyo TV station, revealed that major
differences exist between the treatment of refugees in Japan compared to
these other countries. For example:
-- Japan regularly refuses refugee status to applicants who apply more than
60 days after their arrival in Japan, regardless of the dangers they face if
deported. In none of the other countries is such a time limitation, if it
exists at all, enforced in such a narrow and discriminatory way.
-- Japan provides no assistance (housing, medical, employment, educational
or legal) to people who are being considered for refugee status. The other
countries do.
-- Japan has no non-governmental organizations that help asylum seekers to
obtain refuge in Japan, only individual lawyers like Messrs. Azusawa and
Watanabe. In the other countries, there are several NGOs and
quasi-governmental organizations to help asylum seekers.
****************************************************
BKK POST: RANGOON GEARED FOR DRY SEASON OFFENSIVE
December 28, 1995
Rangoon is poised to launch a dry season offensive against
remnants of the Karen National Union, it was revealed
yesterday. Burmese government troops will be aided by
soldiers of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, a source in
Mae Hong Son said.
They will attack across the border from Mae Hong Son province
and opposite Mae Sot and Tha Song Yang districts in Tak
province. The move is prompted by KNU leader Gen Bo Mya's
unwillingness to respond to a reconciliation proposal put
forward by the State Law and Order Restoration Council, the source said.
The Slorc is worried that the natural gas pipeline project
from Burma to Thailand at Thong Pha Phum in Kanchanaburi
could be hampered by the presence of Karen rebels who have
taken sanctuary there. The Karen rebels have refused a profit-sharing
deal for the project offered by the Burmese government.
********************************************
ABSDF(DNA): BURMA UPDATE
December 27, 1995 From caroline@xxxxxxxxxx
The Situation in Insein Jail
The situation in Insein jail has been deteriorating day after day. U Win
Tin, the central executive committee member of the NLD, Monywa Tin Shwe,
a lawyer and central committee member of the NLD, Myo Myint Nyein,
Dr Myint Naing, and Saw Nine Nine were put in military dog cells.
The prisoners in Insein Jail wrote a letter uncovered the real situation
in it; was undersigned and sent it to Yozo Yokota, special rapporteur of
the United Nations. The SLORC received a copy of that letter from
Yozo Yokota. As a conquesence, tight security and investigations were
undertaken by the jail authorities. No water and food were given for 45
days and no contacts with relatives and families were allowed. The
prisoners had to sleep on concrete floor without mats and blankets. As a
result of this desperate circumstances, Saw Nine Nine and Monywa Tin Shwe,
of the NLD were seriously ill and U Win Tin was suffering from pain at his neck.
It was known that old 23 political prisoners including Bohmu Aung, former
chairman of the parliament before 1960 when U Nu was a Prime Minister,
and Dr Maung Maung Kyaw, a former student leader and famous lawyer sent
a letter demanding the Slorc to enter the political dialogue with Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi. U Sein Hla Aung ( Mandalay) who delivered the video tape recorded
the speeches of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been given punishment.
Mass meetings in front of Daw Aung San Suu Kyis House
About 5000-6000 people comprising intellectuals, monks, nuns and
foreigners attend the every weekend gathering in front of the Daw Aung
San Suu Kyis house. Everyone who holds barbed wire barricade
laying in front of Daw Aung San Suu Kyis house while she is speaking to
the people are subject to be given minimum two years sentences.
ABSDF News Agency ( Dawn Gwin )
Dated December 27, 1997
*********************************************************
BURMANET: AD FOR BURMA AND STRIDER'S COMMENT
December 28, 1995
From Strider:
Normally, BurmaNet doesn't carry commercial advertisements but this
one, which was posted to soc.culture.burma is worth endorsing, at least
in a general way.
If you use a callback service while in Burma, you will save a great deal
of money (rates are something like $20/minute to the US). That money
will come out of the pocket of the soldiers who run the government.
Callbacks: You call a number in the US and then hangup. The
computer on the US end traces the call and calls you back. If you have
the access code (which is yours for a fee), you get an American dial
tone and can call anywhere at American rates + the profit of the
callback service. Callbacks take advantage of the difference in US
rates and those of extortionate telephone companies in places like
Burma and Thailand.
------------------------------------------------------------------
AD: SALESPEOPLE SOUGHT IN BURMA
December 27, 1995 posted on soc.culture.burma
Four Corners Communications, an Arizona-based international callback
firm, is seeking to employ the services of experienced and qualified
marketers and marketing firms in countries outside the U.S.
We believe that we offer among the most marketable services in the world,
and invite all those who are interested to visit our homepage at
http://www.indirect.com/www/fourcomm and then write to our president,
Ryan E. Speakman, at mailto:fourcomm@xxxxxxxxxxxx .
Please, serious inquiries only.
***************************************************
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* WWW Site: http://www.indirect.com/www/fourcomm *
***************************************************
****************************************************************
BKK POST: BURMESE CHARGED WITH FAKING PASSPORTS, VISAS
December 28, 1995
A Burmese national, Mr Wae-asae Kahong, was arrested on
Tuesday allegedly in possession of forgery equipment and a
quanity of counterfeit passports containing fake visa stamps.
Eight Bangladeshi men, who were at Mr Wae-asae's house in
Korat allegedly to pick up fake passports when the raid took
place, were also arrested. Wae-asae was charged with forging
passports for use by illegal immigrants.
*******************************************************
XINHUA:YADANA GAS FIELD PROJECT UNDERWAY IN MYANMAR
December 27, 1995 from carol@xxxxxxx
Myanmar is carrying out a development project of the Yadana gas field at
Mottama offshore with three foreign oil companies, the local press said
today. According to the New Light of Myanmar, the project is undertaken by
the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise of the Energy Ministry in partnership
with the Total Myanmar France, the Unocal of the U.S. and the PTT of
Thailand. Contracts to sell the gas to Thailand were signed earlier this
year. Villages in the Kanbauk area in Yebuy town the inland area where the
gas pipeline will pass are also participating in the project. The Myanmar
Livestock Breeding and Fisheries Cooperative Syndicate is engaged in prawn
breeding, pig breeding, dairy products and animal feed processing of the
development project, said the report. The foreign companies contributed
about 12 million kyats (2 million US dollars) to the project, while the
cooperative syndicate provides pedigree stocks, feed stuff and technical
assistance, the report added.
*********************************************************
XINHUA: MYANMAR ATTRACTS FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN TOURISM
December 26, 1995
Myanmar is striving for development of its hotels and tourism industry by
attracting more foreign investments as part of its endeavors to promote its
national economy. Out of the foreign investments totaling to over 3 billion US
dollars, the hotels and tourism industry is the second largest sector after
energy with 1.036 billion dollars in 30 hotel projects by the end of November,
most of which are invested by Singapore, according to the latest official
statistics. There are a total of 159 hotels and motels in the country with
3,937 rooms available at present and the government is targeted at 5,000 rooms
in order to meet the designated "visit myanmar year 96" in which 500,000
visitors from abroad are expected. There were 95,600 tourist arrivals in
Myanmar for the 1994-95 fiscal year ending in March with foreign exchange
earnings of 32.65 million kyats (5.44 million dollars), according to the latest
official figures. The figures also showed that over 61,452 tourists visited
myanmar in the first eight months of the 1995-96 fiscal year beginning from
April. In order to improve air transportation, Myanmar Airways International
opened new air routes to Dhaka and Kunming this year in addition to Bangkok,
Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. International airlines which fly to
Yangon include Air China, Silk Air of Singapore, Thai Airways and Biman of
Bangladesh. They will be joined by Indian Airline ltd and Lao Aviation co. at
the end of this year. Moreover, airlines from Thailand have been allowed to
operate chartered flights directly from Chiang Mai to Bagan and Mandalay, and
from Chiang Rai to Kyaing Tong and Heho respectively since September 1993.
Myanmar is member of the World Tourism Organization and the Pacific Asia Travel
Association.
******************************************************
PATA MEKONG TOURISM FORUM PATTAYA, THAILAND
December 24, 1995
(from Pacific Asia Travel Association, URL: http://www.dnai.com/patanet/ )
April 15-16 PATA Mekong Tourism Forum Pattaya, Thailand
The first-ever Mekong Tourism Forum will be held April 15-16,
1996, at the Royal Cliff Grand Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand, just prior to
the 1996 PATA Travel Mart. Organised by PATA in collaboration with
the Economic and Social Commission for the Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Forum will focus on the emerging
tourism sub-region along the Mekong River, incorporating the countries of
Cambodia, People's Republic of China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Participants will learn about the Mekong region and its development plans through
country presentations and panel discussions. The Forum will also explore investment
potential and regional marketing, allowing participants to network and conduct
business with high-level officials from NTOs, travel industry suppliers, international
organisations and investment firms. For more information or to register, contact the
PATA Asia Division at 65-223-7854/5. Fax: 65-225-6842.
E-mail: patadrea@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
*******************************************************
BURMANET: BRIEF BUSINESS REPORTS
December 29, 1995
information supplied by M. Beer and abridged by BurmaNet
CHIYODA TO OFFER PLAN TO DEVELOP MYANMAR'S 2ND CITY
Chiyoda Corp. will propose a development plan for the city of Mandalay,
Myanmar's second-largest city, a company official said Tuesday.
Under the plan, the plant engineering company will propose about 60 projects
with priority orders as well as infrastructure improvement projects in a
150-page report submitted to city authorities, the official said. The proposal
includes construction of oil pipelines from the Bay of Bengal to
the central Myanmar city and improvement in the network of roads between
Mandalay and the neighboring Yunnan Province of China. In September,
Chiyoda voluntarily sent three experts to Mandalay for a preparatory study.
Since then, Chiyoda has submitted to the city authorities several interim
reports on how to develop Mandalay according to the authorities' requests.
Chiyoda hopes to receive orders from the city government for the pipeline and
other related projects proposed in the plan.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASIAN CLEARING UNION TRANSACTIONS TO BE IN US DLRS
All transactions among member countries of the Asian Clearing Union (ACU)
will be accounted for in U.S. dollars under a new procedure from January 1 next
year, Sri Lanka's Central Bank said in a statement on Tuesday.
The new system will be adopted because of problems faced by exporters and
importers under the existing procedure where transactions are done in the
national currencies of the ACU member countries, it said.
The new system also takes into account the liberalised trade and payments
policies adopted by ACU members namely Iran, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Burma, Sri Lanka and Nepal, it said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KAWTHOUNG NEW AIRPORT RUNWAY OPENED AT KAWTHOUNG
A new airport runway of Kawthoung, a border town in the south, has been put
into operation. 85-seat Fokker f-28 aircraft can now land there, and Bangkok
Airways and Air Mandalay will be able to bring more tourists. Extension of
the runway began in December 1992 and was completed this month at a cost
of 433.84 million kyats (72.3 million US dollars at the official exchange rate).
----------------------------------------------------------
BURMANET SUBJECT-MATTER RESOURCE LIST
BurmaNet regularly receives enquiries on a number of different
topics related to Burma. If you have questions on any of the
following subjects, please direct email to the following volunteer
coordinators, who will either answer your question or try to put you
in contact with someone who can:
Arakan/Rohingya/Burma volunteer needed
Bangladesh Border
Campus activism: zni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Boycott campaigns: [Pepsi] wcsbeau@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Buddhism: Buddhist Relief Mission: brelief@xxxxxxx
Chin history/culture: plilian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fonts: tom@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
History of Burma: zni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kachin history/culture: 74750.1267@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Karen history/culture: Karen Historical Society: 102113.2571@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mon history/culture: [volunteer needed]
Naga history/culture: Wungram Shishak: z954001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Burma-India border [volunteer needed]
Pali literature: "Palmleaf": c/o burmanet@xxxxxxxxxxx
Shan history/culture: [volunteer needed]
Shareholder activism: simon_billenness@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Total/Pipeline Dawn Star: cd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tourism campaigns: bagp@xxxxxxxxxx "Attn. S.Sutcliffe"
World Wide Web: FreeBurma@xxxxxxxxx
Volunteering: christin@xxxxxxxxxx
[Feel free to suggest more areas of coverage]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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