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BurmaNet News: Feb. 20-21, 1996 #34
- Subject: BurmaNet News: Feb. 20-21, 1996 #34
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 04:13:00
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Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 04:13:41 -0800
Subject: BurmaNet News: Feb. 20-21, 1996 #347
------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: February 20-21, 1996
Issue #347
HEADLINES:
==========
BKK POST: BANHARN AGREES TO PAY BURMA MID-MARCH VISIT
BKK POST: 12 TOURISTS ORDERED OUT OF KACHIN STATE
BKK POST: DIFFERENT ROADS TO ?UNITY?
BKK POST: KIET PROMISES TO BACK BURMA?S ASEAN DRIVE
BKK POST: JOB BROKERS, 37 ILLEGAL BURMESE WORKERS HELD
BKK POST: NGOS TO RAISE RIGHTS, ARMS RACE ISSUES
BKK POST: INVESTORS MUST BALANCE MERITS AND PITFALLS
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BKK POST: BANHARN AGREES TO PAY BURMA MID-MARCH VISIT
February 20,1996
Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa has agreed in principle
to pick a date between March 18 and 22 to visit Rangoon as
proposed by the Burmese government, an informed government
source said yesterday.
While an exact date is yet to be finalised, the source
expected Mr Banharn to arrive in Rangoon on March 18 and
stay at least two days. Mr Banharn is due back in Bangkok to
welcome Polish Prime Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz who is
paying an official visit during March 20-21. Mr Banharn is
also scheduled to visit China during March 24-29, the source
added.
The visit to Rangoon is widely seen as an attempt by the
Thai government to restore bilateral relations to the same
level as during the prime ministership of Gen Prem
Tinsulanonda, who visited Burma in 1980.
Rangoon ordered closed two checkpoints at Myawaddy-Mae Sot
in Tak province and Tachilek-Mae Sai in Chiang Rai province
last March, after accusing Thailand of supporting ethnic
Shan and Karen rebels fighting the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (Slorc).
A third checkpoint at Kawthaung-Ranong was closed last
August following the killing of three Burmese crewmen on
board of a Thai fishing vessel. When in Rangoon Mr Banharn
is expected to witness the signing of a border trade
agreement between the two countries.
But it is still uncertain whether Rangoon will open the
three border checkpoints. The source said the Mr Banharn is
expected to decide on the date for his official visit after
the Asia-Europe Meeting on March 1-2. He is also expected to
take into account the results of the two-day talks between
the Thai-Burmese Regional Border Committee in Moulmein
ending today.
Following the killing of the three Burmese fishermen, the
Burmese government has reportedly demanded 2.5 billion baht
for losses of opportunity in conducting fishing business,
and 25 million baht more for each victim.
The court in Ranong province that sentenced two Thai
suspects to life imprisonment has commuted it to 25 years in
jail. Regarding the visit to China, Mr Banharn is scheduled
to visit China?s capital of Beijing, an old city Xi-An and
Shan Tou. Speculation is rife that Shan Tou is included in
the visit because it is the hometown of the premier?s
ancestors _ Ma Dexiang. (BP)
***************
BKK POST: 12 TOURISTS ORDERED OUT OF KACHIN STATE
February 20, 1996
AP
Twelve Italian tourists found out that Visit Myanmar Year
doesn?t mean the whole country. The army trucked them out of
a northern hilltribe village and sent them back to the
capital, Italian Embassy officials said yesterday.
?They were very angry about it,? a spokesman for the embassy
in Rangoon, who requested anonymity, told The Associated
Press by telephone. It was the second reported incident in a
month of troops harassing tourists in northern Burma. The
military government has renamed the country Myanmar.
Burma?s military government, which has been denied aid and
loans from international financial institutions because of
its brutal human rights record, has been busy promoting
Visit Myanmar Year 1996. It hopes an influex of tourists
will provide it with badly needed foreign currency.
In a letter to the embassy, they told of being awakened at 1
a.m. on January 3 in a Kachin village named Nam Khan by
soldiers who said they did not have permission to be there.
The travellers believed permission had been obtained by
their tour operator.
They said they were loaded on to an old, open-backed
military truck in temperatures of 0 C (34F) and driven to
the city of Putao. During the journey, the truck nearly fell
off a bridge, they said. In Putao, they were forced on to a
plane for Rangoon, the capital, they added.
The embassy spokesman said he thought the problem was lack
of communication between the central Burmese authorities and
those in Kachin state, which opened up for tourism only in
late 1995. Burma, he said, is not prepared for the wave of
tourists it wants to attract. He said he sent a protest
letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry
of Hotels and Tourism, but has yet to receive a reply.
Also in January, a group of British and American cyclists
who had planned to travel from the northern city of Mandalay
to the ancient capital of Pagan, and received approval from
the Myanmar Cycling Federation, was stopped at the beginning
of its journey by army troops and military intelligence and
forced back to Rangoon.
The cyclists claimed their bicycles were damaged and that
they were followed and harassed, and one said soldiers
robbed him of $1,500 in cash and gems. Burmese authorities
never responded to their questions about why they were
treated in such a manner, they said. (BP)
***************
BKK POST: DIFFERENT ROADS TO ?UNITY?
Union Day speeches highlight Burma?s deep political
divisions
February 20, 1996
Report: Nussara Sawatsawang and Nusara Thaitawat, Rangoon.
Burma?s celebrations marking the 49th anniversary of Union
Day vividly illustrated the clash in ideology and approach
between the ruling junta and pro-democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi.
Burmese Prime Minister Gen Than Shwe, who also chairs the
State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) and Mrs Suu
Kyi took the opportunity in separate gatherings to call for
unity among all ethnic groups.
The government?s were more solemn, with senior leaders
reviewing a line-up of members of ethnic groups.
About 3,000 supporters of Mrs Suu Kyi?s National League for
Democracy filled her lakeside compound to hear speeches by
her and ethnic leaders. Both events featured cultural
performances.
?The historic milestone that clearly indicated the Union
spirit, patriotic spirit and nationalism of the national
races in Myanmar in their struggles is the signing of the
Panglong Agreement,? said Gen Than Shwe in his official
message in the state-run New Light of Myanmar to commemorate
Union Day.
Gen Than Shwe urged ethnic groups to stand behind the
military to safeguard ?the already favourable conditions of
unity?. He was referring to the cease-fires with 15 ethnic
groups. He defined their rights as part of the Slorc-
sponsored national convention which is drafting Burma?s new
constitution, a process rejected by all democratic forces.
?The national convention in session has formulated
constitutional fundamental principles which will guarantee
to serve the political, economic and social rights of the
respective national races in building a new nation,? Gen
Than Shwe said.
Mrs Suu Kyi said in her speech and in writing that the first
and most important issue to be tackled was the Panglong
Agreement. She called for a national convention to be held,
rekindling the Panglong spirit. ?Unity is something that
cannot be gained through the use of force or by arbitrary
power,? she said.
She told Inside Indochina during an interview that: ?The
spirit of the agreement is still much alive within the NLD
and a lot of people in Burma. It is basically an acceptance
of the fact that we are all equal within the union and it is
on the basis of equality that we will seek unity.?
The agreement of February 12, 1947 draws its name from a
small market town north of Loilem in the Shan State, where
leaders of the Shans, Kachins, Chins and Burmese
nationalists represented by Gen Aung San, agreed to unite in
diversity to rebuild their devastated country following
British rule, Japanese occupation and World War II.
It is recognised as one of the most significant achievements
in nation-building in Burma, and has since been celebrated
as Union Day. Mrs Suu Kyi continues to stand by her position
that only a political settlement through talks will resolve
Burma?s political problems.
She said Burma?s returning to a federal system would not
automatically guarantee the rights of the ethnic groups to
secede but would clearly demarcate the powers of the central
and state governments.
?The world federal acquired a rather strange meaning in
Burma because a lot of people in Burma seem to think that
federal means the right to secede, which is not what the
word federal means,? she said.
Mrs Suu Kyi stressed enough autonomy was needed for ethnic
groups to maintain their culture and pride and, more
importantly, to keep their faith in the union. ?They should
see the union as an institution that protects them, helps
them, not as something which discriminates against them,?
she said.
Mrs Suu Kyi rejects the Slorc?s ceasefire agreements with
ethnic groups as only temporary. She also accuses the Slorc
of going back on its word not to deal with drug warlord Khun
Sa, who it seems to treat as an equal, judging from
television and newspaper coverage.
?A ceasefire, by its nature can be only temporary because it
just means you don?t fire for the time being. Unless there
is a political settlement, unless there is a social and
political climate that can convince people that it is no
longer necessary to bear arms to defend their lives, we
shall never have permanent peace in this country,? she said.
Since her release from six years of house arrest, Mrs Suu
Kyi and the Slorc are still to open talks. Some Rangoon-
based diplomats and Burma observers doubt the Slorc will
negotiate with her, even though it believes Mrs Suu Kyi, as
an academic and daughter of a national hero, has a lot to
contribute to Burma in the fields of education, culture and
society.
?The Slorc is like those who have ridden a tiger, they will
never think of getting off,? One Asian diplomat said. An
observer noted the Slorc had recently changed the word
?reconciliation? to ?reconsolidation? in its political
objectives published in the state-owned newspaper since Khun
Sa surrendered last month, meaning it believed in its
strength and did not care much about friendly relations with
other groups.
But Mrs Suu Kyi remains unmoved by the various analyses of
her future political role, which she insists will be decided
by the Burmese people. ?We firmly believe it cannot be long
before we get democracy. The chief reason is the desire of
the people of Burma for democracy is very strong. We think
we will get to democracy sooner rather than later,? she
said.
While maintaining her call for dialogue, she has kept
herself busy meeting supporters, diplomats and international
organisations, and through her now famous weekend speeches
from the gate of her house. Last week, her compound hosted
Union Day and Children?s Day celebrations to lend moral
support to her followers. She also hopes to travel more
around the country.
The NLD has recently started to hold meetings of its
representatives from all over the country. A party source
said that every fortnight a lecture would be given to
educate party members about democracy. The topics would
include Burma?s history, literature and laws such as
prisoners? rights.
?The NLD is strong. It was dormant for six years, so we are
having to wake it up a bit, but everybody was surprised at
how quickly we started operating again after my release from
house arrest. Operating under difficult circumstances, but
operating,? Mrs Suu Kyi said. (BP)
***************
BKK POST: KIET PROMISES TO BACK BURMA?S ASEAN DRIVE
February 20, 1996
Vietnamese Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet has pledged his
government?s support for Burma?s bid join the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations. Mr Kiet told visiting Burmese
Interior Minister Mya Thin that Vietnam always supported
Burma?s wish to strengthen ties with Asean, the English-
language Vietnam News reported.
Burma acceded to Asean?s Treaty of Amity and Coopertion and
applied for observer status at the annual meeting of Asean
foreign ministers in Brunei last July. Asean allowed Rangoon
to accede to its main treaty, but declined observer status.
Mr Mya Thin led a delegation of Burmese Interior Ministry
officials for his first working visit to Vietnam which ended
February 12. Burmese minister, who is a member of the ruling
State Law and Order Restoration Council, also was the first
Burmese minister to visit Vietnam this year.
Mr Kiet said more efforts should be made to boost ties
between the two countries, adding Vietnam was ready to share
experiences with Burma in agriculture.
Burmese Prime Minister and Slorc chairman Gen Than Shwe has
invited Vietnamese Communist Party chief Do Muoi and
President Le Duc Anh to visit Rangoon this year, according
to the Vietnamese press.
The two countries have gradually established closer
relations with an exchange of visits at various levels. The
visits were highlighted last March with the visit to Vietnam
by a 40-member delegation led by Gen Than Shwe and the visit
to Burma by Mr Kiet in May 1994. The two countries
established ties in 1975. (BP)
***************
BKK POST: JOB BROKERS, 37 ILLEGAL BURMESE WORKERS HELD
February 21, 1996
Two job brokers and 37 Burmese were charged with immigration
offences yesterday. Acting on a tip, police stopped Term
Chaisitha and his wife Malai, of Thong Pha Phum, in their
truck.
The couple led police to a hill behind the Mitaphand Hotel,
where the Burmese were waiting to be taken to factories in
Samut Songkhram Province. (BP)
***************
BKK POST: NGOS TO RAISE RIGHTS, ARMS RACE ISSUES
February 21, 1996
Human rights and democracy, the arms race and the sexual
exploitation of women and children will be among the topics
discussed by more than 100 non-government organisations from
Asia, Europe and Thailand in a parallel meeting to the
upcoming Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) later this month.
The organisers yesterday announced the meeting on the theme
of ?A People?s Agenda Towards a New Relationship Between
Asia
and Europe? to take place between Feb 27-29 at the Asia
Hotel.
Like the official summit meeting, it will focus on major
issues arising from bilateral relations between the two
continents but from the perspective of NGOs and people?s
organisations.
Dr Walden Bello of the University of the Philippines, one of
the organisers, said the NGO meeting will complement the
official focus on selected issues. ?NGOs will bring diverse
perspectives to the forum,? Mr Bello said.
Some of the issues of concern to NGOs are the regional arms
race, especially the role of European countries as arms
suppliers to Asian nations, the development model, and the
role of European countries in the sex trade.
One of the more controversial issues, human rights, will
feature in the NGO forum. While the official summit meeting
will have the issue in the agenda, Thai officials have made
clear that attempts will be made to avoid debate in detail
to
avoid conflicts that may arise.
But the NGO discussions will possibly have more substance,
involving issues such as Burma and East Timor, labour
immigration and prejudices faced by foreign labourers in
European countries, and the link between human rights and
trade.
Somchai Homla-or of Forum Asia said: ?We don?t agree with
the
attempt to exploit the human rights issue to gain trade
advantages as some western countries do. But human rights
and
trade cannot be separated _ for example, the exploitation of
child labour in export industries. Products made from child
labour should by boycotted.?
Mr Somchai, a prominent lawyer, is also concerned with the
western countries? attempt to impose their concept of
intellectual property rights on other nations by ignoring
indigenous knowledge which he said western firms have
exploited for their benefit.
Leading organiser Dr Gothom Arya of Chulalongkorn University
said he is more concerned with the exploitation of
disadvantaged groups such as women, children and labourers,
as well as the exploitation of natural resources and the
proliferation and dumping of toxic waste.
As a prominent human rights advocate, Dr Gothom said he will
continue to call for an arms embargo against the Burmese
Government. ?Human rights is a fundamental social issue,? he
said. ?Man?s dignity and freedom are noble ideals to be
upheld. We should not exclusively work for economic growth
while overlooking human growth.?
Even in Thailand, which has reached a certain level of
economic prosperity, human rights abuses are evident
everywhere, he said. ?Look at the conditions of our
labourers
and children or the exploitation of natural resources, even
the recent shutdown of Dr Chermsak?s television and radio
programmes,? he said.
On press reports that Thai officials have blacklisted
several foreign activists from participating in the meeting,
Dr Gothom said the organisers have received confirmation
from
the National Security Council that none of the foreign
speakers and participants is blacklisted.
He said the meeting aims to offer national leaders and the
common people alike alternative ideas and perspectives on
major issues to be discussed. He expected the meeting to
produce a document containing these ideas as a historic
record and a joint statement by all participants. (BP)
***************
BKK POST: INVESTORS MUST BALANCE MERITS AND PITFALLS
Indochinese countries and Burma offer business no clear best
bet
February 20, 1996
Report: Special Correspondent
>From the financial perspective, investment in Indochina
offers no clear winners, according to speakers at a recent
Economist Conferences session organised by Dataconsult Ltd
in
Bangkok.
For instance, although the financial markets in Vietnam are
the most sophisticated in relative terms, nearly all local
money is concentrated in the hands of the state sector.
By contrast in Burma finance is in a rudimentary stage, but
there are pockets of considerable wealth in private hands.
Then again, while for some countries a stock exchange may be
round the corner, for others it is only a faint possibility.
In Vietnam, large limited-recourse finance deals, such as
the
$190 million package arranged between the Exim bank of Japan
and the International Finance Corp for Morning Star Cement,
have become less exceptional.
?There are alternatives to coming in with your own bank plus
buckets of equity and collateral to get things moving,? said
Gene Davis of venture capital firm Finansa Thai.
Investors in Vietnam can conduct all the standard banking
transactions that make life easier, such as transferring
money, paying employees, issuing cheques, buying all selling
currency. By contrast in Burma very few regular bank
transactions are possible and the 20-fold discrepancy
between the official and black market exchange rates remains
a major barrier despite the expansion of the foreign
exchange
certificate scheme and opportunities to convert investments
to hard currencies.
Even international trade is still conducted mainly through
batter. ?Frankly, the best hope for Burma this year will be
the continued engagement of Japanese private capital,?
Michael Votikiotis of the Far Eastern Economic Review told
the conference. ?Although it is a slow process at least it
acts as an incentive to stabilise the fiscal regime.?
Self-funded private investors are already meeting the demand
for finance in the substantial power and oil and gas sectors
and, for every company which holds back for fear of public
approbation, another, particularly those from Singapore,
South Korea, Japan and Malaysia, is willing to do business
with the uniforms.
Trade has also benefited from this trend. Wealthy
corporations are distributing consumer goods and various
commodities into a rapidly expanding domestic market,
according to Mr Davis, while traditionally illicit exports,
such as forestry, fisheries and jewellery, are becoming more
regulated.
In wider terms, the greater role of the International
Monetary Fund is a positive trend, even if it has yet to
bear
fruit. In the meantime, private finance companies go some
way
toward bridging the gap, such as Daiwa Securities mandate to
advise the government on the establishment of a stock
exchange.
Surprisingly, Burma was tipped to get a bourse before
Vietnam, and this could act as a further incentive for
multinational investors to take the plunge. Burma has many
more private companies than Vietnam plus a more
sophisticated
legal frame-work on which to build the necessary
legislation.
Nevertheless, Vietnam is moving in the right direction with
the expected establishment of a Securities and Exchange
Commission this year, the first concrete step toward
creating
an organised securities exchange. Meanwhile, Laos has little
hope of beating Burma or Vietnam in establishing a stock
exchange.
?With a population of only four million mainly engaged in
farming, there simply isn?t the critical mass to support an
exchange,? said Mr Davis, noting the attractivitiveness of
many investments depends on being able to secure listing on
a
stock exchange as the company develops.
At least there are no such barriers to developing
electricity
generation in Laos. With the Electricity Generating
Authority
of Thailand willing to enter long-term power purchase
agreements and hold discussions on at least 15 different
power projects, finance is not a problem.
Because the EGAT will buy the power, the projects will earn
hard currency, making them viable for international
lenders.
The situation is similar for exploitation of natural
resources.
For those looking for joint ventures, Mr Davis told the
conference: ?In Vietnam there?s hardly anyone in the private
sector who has dime. You have to look hard to find a handful
of private entities with $5-10 million in hand if you want
to
make a deal, whereas in Burma and Cambodia there are scores
of private individuals with tens of millions of dollars at
their disposal.?
In Vietnam state enterprises bound up in bureaucracy are the
only way to go for investors looking for a joint venture
partner, whereas the field is more open in Burma or
Cambodia.
(BP)
****************
MINICHI DIALY NEWS: DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI?S LETTER # 13
"Visitors must make up their minds before too late an hour
if they intend to stay the night because their presence has
to be reported to the local Law and Order Restoration
Council (LORC) before nine o'clock in the evening." Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi
BURMA: WHERE EVEN HOSPITALITY IS REGULATED
-- VISITING RITES
Letter from Burma (No. 13) by Aung San Suu Kyi
The Burmese are reputed to be one of the most
hospitable people in the world. When I was a child I took
it for granted that formal invitations to lunch or tea or
dinner were issued only to foreigners. Burmese friends
simply dropped in and shared whatever you happened to be
eating. And there was always enough for visitors, however
unexpected. Often friends would suddenly appear in the
evening, hot green tea, plum candy, fried beans and /laphet/
(preserved tea leaves) would be brought out and there would
be an impromptu party. Sometimes the conversation flowed so
happily and the atmosphere was so congenial the guests would
decide to stay for the night.
That would be no problem at all: some smooth /thinbyu/ mats,
pillows and mosquito nets and any room with a fresh breeze
bowing through would be instantly transformed into a
pleasant guest dormitory. Night would descend on a
household replete with food and the sense of hospitality
well discharged. There is no tradition of inns or
hotels in Burma. Visitors from out of town stay with
friends or relatives for as long as it is necessary.
Considerate guests come laden with food and other gifts and
everybody enjoys the opportunity to exchange news of births,
deaths, marriages, mild scandals and success stories.
Sometimes guests stay on so long the hosts become a little
restive. But there are also guests so cherished their visit
is extended day after day at the behest of the hosts.
Having guests to stay is an informal and elastic process.
Hospitality is no longer so simple. Apart from the high
food prices that make most people hesitate to impose
themselves on friends, staying overnight in a house other
than your own involves more than friendship, good
conversation an a cool mat. Visitors must make up their
minds before too late an hour if they intend to stay the
night because their presence has to be reported to the local
Law and Order Restoration Council (LORC) before nine o'clock
in the evening. Failure to "report the guest list" could
result in a fine or a prison sentence for both the guest and
the host. Nobody may go away for the night from his own home
without informing the local LORC as well as the LORC of the
place where he will be staying. The authorities have the
right to check at any time during the night to see if there
are any unreported guests or if any of the members of the
family are missing. Households which shelter members of the
National League for Democracy or their supporters tend to be
subjected to frequent "guest checks" these days.
These periodic checks can be a mere formality conducted with
courtesy or they can be a form of harassment. There are no
lack of cases where the authorities have marched in the dead
of night and flung up mosquito nets to ascertain that the
sleeping population tallied with the names and numbers on
Form 10.
Form 10 is the list of all members of a family. In some
households which comprise more than one nuclear family there
may be more than one Form 10. Domestic employees who sleep
at their employers' homes also have to be registered on Form
10 or they have to be reported as guests.
A person may be registered on only one Form 10 so if it is
necessary for him to be entered as a member of another
family fro some reason, his name has to be removed from the
original family list.
During the days of the Burmese Socialist Programme Party,
Form 10 played a central role in the daily lives of the
people of Burma. It was in accordance with the household
members listed on the form that it was decided how much a
family was entitled to buy of such essentials as rice, oil,
salt, chilies, onions, soap and milk powder from the
government cooperatives.
Today the cooperatives no longer supply consumer necessities
so Form 10 has ceased to be important in the economic life
of the average family. However it still features large in
the family's social life because it decides who may or may
not spend the night in a house without reporting to the
authorities.
And what can happen if a family fails to let the local LORC
know they have an overnight guest? Both the guest and the
host are liable to minimum fine of 50 kyats, or to a prison
sentence ranging from two weeks to six months.
Since 1988 the cases of prison sentences meted out to
unreported guests have increased hugely. Some of the cases
are tragicomic. A young man caught spending the night as an
unreported guest was taken to court together with his host.
The court handed down a prison sentence of six months to the
guest and two weeks to the host. The host, a hospitable man
with a long experience of paying fines for his unexpected
and unreported guests, involuntarily clicked his tongue
against his teeth in astonished disgust.
The acting magistrate heard the loud click and promptly
changed the sentence on the host to one month's imprisonment
for contempt of court. The price of hospitality in Burma
can be very high.
* * *
(This article is one of a yearlong series of letters, the
Japanese translation of which appears in the Mainichi
Shimbun the same day, or the previous day in some areas.)
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