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Burma Net News: June 4, 1996. #432
- Subject: Burma Net News: June 4, 1996. #432
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 03 Jun 1996 22:55:00
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Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 22:52:58 -0700 (PDT)
------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
----------------------------------------------------------
The BurmaNet News: June2-3, 1996
Issue #432
HEADLINES:
==========
DAW SUU'S LETTER : EVERY STURDY STRUCTURE HAS A SOUND ROOF
BKK POST: ADVOCATES MUST BE COOL-HEADED
BKK POST: TOURISM BOYCOTT UNWELCOME
THE NATION: UN SEEKS AID BURMESE
GENERAL FIRES SALVO AT REVITALISED DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
THE NATION: REFUSE TO ATTEND GOVT RALLIES, SUU KYI URGES
THE NATION: SLORC CALLS FOR NLD ACTIVISTS TO BE CRUSHED
BKK POST: SERIOUS RIVER EROSION BLAMED ON BURMA
AP : BURMA GOVT LAUNCHES FRESH ATTACKS ON OPPOSITION'S SUU KYI
HONG KONG STANDARD: NCUB CALLS FOR CAMPAIGN OF DEFIANCE
HONG KONG STANDARD: BURMA'S JUNTA AS ELUSIVE AND
UNPREDICTABLE AS EVER
AP : CHANGE UP TO BURMA'S GENERALS
AFP : SUU KYI IN CALL FOR OPENING UP TO THE WORLD
------------------------------------------------------------
EVERY STURDY STRUCTURE HAS A SOUND ROOF
Daw Suu's Letter from Burma #28
Mainichi Daily News, Monday, June 3, 1996
"Repairing the roof"
Letter from Burma (No. 28) by Aung San Suu Kyi
There is a Burmese saying to the effect that if the roof is not sound the
whole house becomes vulnerable to leaks. That is to say, if soundness is
lacking at the top there are bound to be problems all along the line until
the very bottom
It has certainly been my personal experience over a number of monsoon
seasons that a leaking roof renders other improvements to a house futile.
During the six months of rain, every spare basin, bucket, saucepan and
plastic container in my house has to be commandeered to catch the rivulets
that flow in merrily. When there is an especially heavy downpour the
containers have to emptied frequently and the myriad small leaks that appear
quite suddenly (and disappear just as suddenly) at unexpected places have to
be mopped up.
Keeping the inside of the house dry becomes a constant juggle with a
variety of vessels and rags. I tried to stop the incessant drips with
intricate arrangements of plastic sheets, waterproof tape, putty and other
gummy substances. But all these maneuvers succeeded merely in stemming the
torrent temporarily and over the years paint, plaster and woodwork in the
path of the worst leaks steadily deteriorated.
So making the roof rainproof was at the top of the priority list of
essential repairs that we decided has to be undertaken during this dry
season. Only when the roof was sound would it become worthwhile to put new
paint on walls that have been neglected for several decades and, in general,
to make the house cleaner and brighter.
There were some who had the, in my view, horrifying idea of replacing the
original tile roof with a corrugated iron one but I held out firmly for
rescuing the old tiles and supplementing those that had been damaged beyond
redemption with other ones. As soon as the tiles were brought down from the
roof the advocates of corrugated iron were totally won over. Each tile was
solid and beautifully crafted and baked into it were the name of the company
that had produced it, the date (1936, presumably the year the house was
built) and a number.
The tiles fit so well into each other that in one part of the roof where
the supporting woodwork had rotted away a sheet of tiles as firmly linked
together as the best Lego model had managed to keep in place. And once they
had been washed clean the tiles glowed a soft red and looked as good as new.
I must confess some of us waxed quite lyrical over the beauty and durability
of the tiles.
Of course, there were a number that were broken or too badly chipped to be
reused so we had to buy replacements from shops that specialized in selling
parts of old buildings that had been pulled down. The tiles that we managed
to get were slightly different from our original ones, but were equally well
crafted and almost as solid and on each of them was the date: 1865. We
viewed them with awe and could not help remarking that we human beings,
often so proud of our powers and achievements, are not even as durable as a
simple brick tile.
For all the metaphors about human clay, in substance we are probably closer
to wood. Many of the wooden supports in the roof had not been able to
withstand the onslaught of the seasons, despite the fact that only teak had
been used. Considering present day prices there was no question of putting
in new teak supports. Even old teak was prohibitively expensive so we
decided on old /pyinkadoe/ (iron wood), which came, like the 19th century
tiles, from buildings that had been pulled down in recent years. The
builders thought that with proper maintenance the supports fashioned from
old wood should be good for another 60 years.
Repairing the roof involves reorganizing the whole house. I had to keep
moving around from room to room as the builders kept removing the tiles.
The very day after the first lot of tiles had been removed it rained. Not
only buckets and basins and pots and pans were brought into operation on
this occasion, there were even a few glass tumblers catching solitary drips.
The most abiding impression of the episode was the camaraderie and laughter
with which everybody rallied around, viewing the somewhat unseasonable rain
not so much as a setback but as a comic interlude. Into each life some rain
must fall and how good when its fall contributes to a better atmosphere.
For me there was a special bonus: I had moved, together with some bulky
furniture, into the hottest room in the house but thanks to the rain it was
pleasantly cool most of the time I had to camp there.
While the repairs on the house were going on life was doubly hectic as I
had to cope not only with my routine political work but also with packing
and unpacking, tidying and rearranging furniture. It occurred to me more
than once how important was the contribution of the wives of my male
colleagues. By looking after all household matters and supplying endless
encouragement to their menfolk these indomitable women, to whom the
international media pays scant attention, play an essential role in or
endeavors to repair the roof or our nation.
************************************** * *
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.
********************************
ADVOCATES MUST BE COOL-HEADED
3.6.96/Bangkok Post
ABOUT 90 have been arrested (in Burma), and there are fears for
the freedom of the National League for Democracy's leaders,
including (Aung San) Suu Kyi. The situation is disconcerting.
Arresting people just because they intend to join a peaceful
assembly must be regarded as being counter to the development or
democracy. Such forcible action cannot be condoned.
The cause for concern is that Suu Kyi and other leaders of the
democracy movement are seen to have changed their approach,
adopting a desperate effort to mobilise the masses to press for a
breakthrough. This pent-up discontent could erupt and very
suddenly get out of control. The tragedy of 1988 proves that.
And because of that, we urge the democracy advocates to be
cool-headed.
Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo
*****************************************************************
TOURISM BOYCOTT UNWELCOME
3.6.96/Bangkok Post
STARVED of economic support... Burma is trying to creep back in
from the cold.
Vital to its attempts at rehabilitation is its promotion of
tourism. The State Law and Order Restoration Council which
brutally seized power in 19886 massacring hundreds of
pro-democracy demonstrators, is now putting forth its most
inveighing face in an attempt to lure foreign cash into its
coffers...
But, in anger and frustration at the military junta's
indifference to democratic opinion, the United States government
is currently contemplating a call for a world boycott of tourism
to Burma.
To enforce a formal ban on Burmese tourism of the kind
contemplated in America would, on principle, be an unwelcome,
restriction on personal freedom. But a boycott based on consumer
choice would be an effective tactic in isolating the generals who
have shown such contempt for human rights.
The Times, London
*****************************************************************
UN SEEKS TO AID BURMESE
3.6.96/The Nation
Associate Press
DEMKA- The UN High Commnissioner for Refugees has ask the Dhaka
government for access to thousands of Burmese Muslims who have
fled to Bangladesh since March, UNHCR representative Canh
Nguyen-Tang said yesterday.
"The UN R is trying to get access to these people officially,"he
said, adding that the agency had also asked the government "at
the highest level to launch a formal investigation into the case
of a young Burmese Muslim girl who said she had been gang -raped
by three Bangladesh soldiers last month.
Nguyen-Tang said the UNHCR wanted W official permission to
contact and inter- F view about 5,500 Burmese Muslims, or
Rohingyas, believed to have crossed the border from Burma's
remote northern province of Rakhine in the past three months.
Other relief agencies put the number at upto 10,000.
*****************************************************************
GENERAL FIRES SALVO AT REVITALISED DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
3.6.96/Bangkok Post
Rangoon, Reuters
ONE of Burma's most powerful generals has denounced democracy
activists as stooges of imperialists and called on Burmese people
to crush their destructionist efforts, official media said
yesterday.
Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, head of military intelligence and
Secretary One of the ruling State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC) said Burmese would not tolerate people who were
trying to upset the nation's stability.
"Nationals cannot tolerate egoism of neocolonialists and their
stooges who attempt to use peaceful life of the people as a
stepping stone," state-run newspapers reported Lt Gen Khin Nyunt
as saying.
Over the past week there have been dozens of pro-government mass
rallies across the country where hundreds of thousands of people
shout slogans and listen to speeches denouncing the democracy
movement and foreign interference.
But many Burmese say the rallies are not spontaneous
demonstrations of support by the people because they are
forced by the military to attend or pay a fine.
Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has dismissed the rallies as
farcical and said the people really want an end to military
dictatorship.
The rallies and a recent wave of verbal and written attacks by
the SLORC came after a controversial three-day meeting of senior
members of Mrs Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD)
party which ended last Tuesday.
The NLD defied intimidation by the SLORC and sweeping arrests of
more than 250 democracy activists to hold the meeting.
NLD sources yesterday said about half of the 261 NLD members who
had been arrested by the SLORC had been released, and the party
expected most of the remainder to be set free soon.
But Mrs Suu Kyi said on Saturday there were still some NLD
members who had been charged and were likely to be sentenced to
long terms in Insein Prison.
*****************
THE NATION: REFUSE TO ATTEND GOVT RALLIES, SUU KYI URGES
June 3, 1996
DEBORAH CHARLES, Reuter
RANGOON - Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi told
supporters yesterday they should refuse to go to government-
staged rallies which denounce the democracy movement.
Suu Kyi told a crowd of about 5,000 people gathered outside her
home the rallies staged by the government over the past few weeks
were not a real sign of support for the ruling military, and will
likely hurt the government more than help it.
"A mass rally should be one attended, by people who want to, be
there , not those who are forced to go," she told the cheering
crowd standing in the rain outside her front gates.
"If people are forced to support unwillingly they will be more
and more dissatisfied."
"Far from benefiting the government, it will actually hurt them
more," she said in her regular Sunday speech to supporters.
Suu Kyi suggested that people called to attend the rallies should
say: "We don't want to go."
Over the past week, the government has staged dozens of rallies
across the country where hundreds of thousands of people shout
slogans and listen to speeches denouncing the democracy movement
and foreign interference.
But many Burmese say the rallies are not spontaneous
demonstrations of support by the people, because they are forced
by the military to attend or pay a fine. Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, head
of military intelligence and Secretary One of the ruling State
Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc), said Burmese people
will not tolerate the "stooges' who are trying to upset the
nation's stability.
"Nationals cannot tolerate the egoism of neocolonialists and
their stooges who attempt to use the peaceful life of the people
as a stepping stone," state-run in newspapers reported Khin Nyunt
saying in a speeches on Saturday.
"The people who do not wish to face a nightmare like 1988, are
holding mass rallies to support nation building of the State Law
and Order Restoration Council and to denounce subversives."
NLD sources said yesterday police had released about half the 261
NLD members arrested before the meeting, and the party expected
most of the others to be sit free soon.
But Suu Kyi said some others had been charged and were being held
in Insein Prison.
The Slorc has not said anything about charging any of the people
it detained nearly two weeks ago. It said on Saturday it had
released NLD members that it had detained for questioning ahead
of the meeting in an effort to stop unrest or "anarchy ". (TN)
*******************
THE NATION: SLORC CALLS FOR NLD ACTIVISTS TO BE CRUSHED
June 3, 1996
Agencies,
RANGOON - One of Burma's top generals denounced democracy
activists as power-hungry stooges of imperialists and called on
Burmese people to crush their destructionist efforts, the
official media said yesterday.
Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, head of military intelligence and Secretary
One of the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council
(Slorc), said the Burmese would not tolerate people trying to
upset the nation's stability.
"Nationals cannot tolerate egoism of neo-colonialists and their
stooges who attempt to use the peaceful life of the people as a
stepping stone," state-run newspapers reported Khin Nyunt saying
in a speech on Saturday.
"The people who do not wish to face the nightmare as in 1988 are
holding mass rallies to support nation-building endeavours of the
State Law and Order Restoration Council and to denounce
subversives," he said, calling on people to crush internal and
external destructionists as "common enemies".
Slorc took power in 1988 after crushing pro-democracy uprisings
that left thousands dead or imprisoned.
An editorial in official newspapers yesterday echoed the message
in Khin Nyunt's Speech. "The agents saboteur, the lapdogs of neo-
colonialists who respond to foreigners' beck and call are harming
stability, discrediting what the government had accomplished..
and people and the government", it said.
Over the past week there have been dozens of pro-government mass
rallies across the country where hundreds of thousands of people
shout slogans and listen to speeches denouncing the democracy
movement and foreign interference in the country. But many
Burmese say the rallies are not spontaneous demonstrations of
support by the people, because they are forced by the military to
attend or pay a fine.
Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has dismissed the rallies as
farcical and said the people really want democracy and an end to
military dictatorship.
The state-run New Light of Myanmr newspaper editorialised that
"The voice of the masses at the rallies are the true reaction of
patriots who have stood the test of time."
It accused Suu Kyi and her supporters of blocking trade and
investment and said that anyone thinking the armed forces would
surrender power "must be an idiot".
Video of the rallies, featured prominently on state television
news, has shown Crowd cheering on command. The rallies have been
organised by the Union Solidarity and Development Association, a
government front group that civil servants are pressured to join.
Rally slogans such as those urging people "to oppose stooges of
foreign countries, to oppose foreign interference and to crush
all internal and external destructive elements as the common
enemy", have been printed in highlighted boxes in the press.
The rallies and a recent wave of verbal and written attacks by
Slorc come after a controversial three-day meeting of senior
members of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD), which
defied intimidation by Slorc and sweeping arrests of more than
250 democracy activists to hold the meeting, which Slorc said
would cause anarchy. After the gathering, the first such meeting
held since the party won a landslide victory in a 1990 election,
the NLD vowed to step up its efforts to reach democracy and said
the meeting would only be the first in a series to plan strategy.
NLD sources said yesterday about half of the 262 NLD members who
had been arrested by Slorc had been released, and the party
expected most of the remainder to be set free soon. On Saturday,
however, Suu Kyi said that despite the release of about 100 of
her supporters, more than 20 others had been sent to the
capital's notorious Insein prison and were expected to face long
prison terms.
"It will be a sign that there is no justice and no rule of law in
this country," she said while giving her customary weekend
speech at the gate of her Rangoon home. "We look upon the
international community to stand by us in asking for justice and
democracy in Burma."
According to the few visitors allowed access and information
smuggled out by prisoners, conditions at Insein prison are so
harsh and overcrowded that they pose a threat to prisoners'
health.
"We want the rest of our people released, we want all of our
people released," said Sun Kyi adding that some detains had been
forced to sign documents that they would no longer work for her
party. "Any undertakings signed under duress will not be
considered valid by us," she said. "We continue to look upon
them as our members and we shall continue to work together with
them." (TN)
**********************************************
BURMA GOVT LAUNCHES FRESH ATTACKS ON OPPOSITION'S SUU KYI
AP-Dow Jones News Service
June 3, 1996
RANGOON -- Burma's military government launched fresh attacks Sunday
on pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi after she urged the world to
keep pressure on the regime to free imprisoned opposition activists,
reports The Associated Press.
As Suu Kyi prepared to speak to thousands of supporters expected to gather
outside her home for a customary weekend rally, state-run newspapers
called the pro-democracy movement 'lapdogs of neo colonialists.'
The New Light of Myanmar newspaper accused Suu Kyi and her supporters
of blocking trade and investment and said that anyone thinking the armed
forces would surrender power 'must be an idiot.'
Suu Kyi, the 1991 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, called for the army to
retreat from politics at a party congress last week, her biggest challenge
to the junta since her release from six years of house arrest last July.
In a speech Saturday to some 6,000 supporters - more than twice the
number who normally gather outside her home for weekend rallies - Suu
Kyi reported that authorities had freed more than 100 of the 262
opposition activists rounded up to prevent the congress.
But she said that more than 20 others had been sent to the capital's
notorious Insein prison and were expected to face long prison terms on
charges of violating national security rules.
'It will be a sign that there is no justice and no rule of law in this country,'
Suu Kyi said. 'We look upon the international community to stand by us in
asking for justice and democracy in Burma.'
The regime carried out the arrests to halt a congress of Suu Kyi's National
League for Democracy on the anniversary of the 1990 elections
overwhelmingly won by the opposition. The junta, known as the State Law
and Order Restoration Council, or SLORC, never allowed the Parliament to
convene.
**********************************
NCUB CALLS FOR CAMPAIGN OF DEFIANCE
6/4 Hong Kong Standard:
(photo)
NLD supporters cheer Aung San Suu Kyi from behind barbed wire outside her home each week.
Picture: AP
BANGKOK: Burma's jungle-based opposition has called for a campaign of defiance against the
military government in Rangoon, saying the administration was pushing the country into
danger with its refusal to negotiate.
The National Council of the Union of Burma (NCUB) said in a statement on Monday the
government's recent verbal attacks on Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for
Democracy (NLD) party showed the generals had no intention of opening a dialogue to resolve
Burma's political problems.
Burma's ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) has attacked Ms Suu Kyi,
branding her a tool of imperialists and a traitor, and her party in the state-controlled media
since the NLD meeting at her home last week.
The Slorc's actions ``show it has no willingness to resolve the basic political problems of the
country through negotiation and dialogue,'' said the NCUB, an umbrella group of pro-democracy
exiles and ethnic minorities.
``It shows the Slorc is dementedly trying to consolidate the military dictatorship and is
pushing the country senselessly towards a very dangerous state,'' the opposition alliance said.
They called on ``patriots'' in the Burmese army and civil service to adopt a ``struggle of
defiance to totally refuse to do as the Slorc commands''.
The NCUB is based in remote territory in southeast Burma under the control of Karen guerillas,
the last major ethnic force yet to sign a truce with Slorc. _ Reuter
******************************************
BURMA'S JUNTA AS ELUSIVE AND UNPREDICTABLE AS EVER
6/4 Hong Kong Standard
RANGOON: No matter how hard Burmese opposition leader and
Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi pushes for democracy,
whatever changes come to Burma _ peaceful, violent, or none_
will depend on her nemesis, the Slorc.
With an acronym worthy of a James Bond foe, the 21 generals comprising
the State Law and Order Restoration Council run one of world's most feared
and mysterious regimes.
They exercise absolute control inside Burma and show utter disdain for
outside criticism. Neither the carrot of potential foreign investment nor
the stick of threatened sanctions show much sign of making them budge.
What do they want? Where will their confrontation with Ms Suu Kyi take
Burma after the round-up of 262 people _ to prevent an opposition congress
_ this past week drew international attention to the regime?
``Perhaps you can tell us,'' Ms Suu Kyi remarked to journalists.
The junta isn't saying either, although it started releasing some detainees
last week. State-run newspapers reveal two main policy goals: to attract foreign
investors to develop Burma's economy, and to permit nothing else foreign
_ like democracy _ to slip in.
The odd office tower or hotel pops up in Rangoon, courtesy of foreigners
seeking profits from one of Asia's most backward economies, but the
people keep their heads down, always fearful of the secret police.
Ms Suu Kyi kept the heat on last week by pledging to hold more opposition
congresses. It was an implicit dare for the generals to crack down again and
reap fresh attention for the struggle she resumed after her release from six
years of house arrest last July.
The generals let her know the dialogue she wants will have to wait. State-run
media called her a puppet of Western powers.
They haven't yet arrested Ms Suu Kyi _ a move that would cross a line for many
investors and governments. But diplomats privately express worries that
the regime may feel backed into a corner, and fret about how the generals will
react if Ms Suu Kyi mounts another congress.
The generals could let it proceed and lose face at home _ perhaps their
biggest fear. They could arrest more supporters of Ms Suu Kyi but they
will eventually run out and be stuck face-to-face with Ms Suu Kyi herself.
Or they could launch a harsher crackdown. No one in Burma has forgotten
1988, when troops killed hundreds of democracy demonstrators in Rangoon.
But street massacres would create an international backlash. The US Senate
is already considering a near-total trade embargo.
Analysts say just a few industrial nations adopting sanctions would be
a blow to the Burmese government, which they believe is deeply in debt
from using trade revenues to build up the army from 185,000 soldiers in
1988 to a planned 500,000.
Those who know the generals describe them as ruthless and corrupt but
also pragmatic, disciplined and charming. They almost never give interviews
but appear nightly on television signing new contracts or visiting religious shrines.
Diplomats scan the press for any hint of change and pump junior officers
for information about the ruling clique.
Analysts speculate about who might be a ``closet visionary'' _ a Slorc version
of South Africa's last apartheid president, FW de Klerk, who could bring
himself to negotiate with Ms Suu Kyi, the Burmese Nelson Mandela.
No such general seems to be on the horizon, but Ms Suu Kyi does not rule
out one emerging.``People must remember that de Klerk was once a hard-liner,
too,'' she says.
An effective visionary would have to be one of the four generals who wield
true power:
General Than Shwe is the undisputed leader, as prime minister and Slorc
chairman. Reputedly practical, religious and tough, he began freeing more than
2,000 political prisoners after coming to power in 1992 and allowed Ms Suu Kyi
family visits. He called on her twice himself. But he took four years to free her.
Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, the junta's first secretary and secret police
chief, is regarded as the most intelligent of the four and has a reputation as
a workaholic who does not smoke, drink or womanise. Chroniclers of the
1988 uprising allege he emptied jails to create anarchy and justify the generals'
seizure of power.
Lieutenant-General Maung Aye, like General Than Shwe, saw combat against
communist and ethnic insurgents. As junta vice-chairman, he is first in line
to succeed Gen Than Shwe. The only top Slorc member who graduated from
Burma's elite military training school, he is popular with the troops.
Lieutenant-General Tin Oo, like Gen Maung Aye, has at times threatened to
``annihilate'' Ms Suu Kyi. The military chief of staff, he has more combat
experience than Generals Than Shwe and Maung Aye and has their respect.
_ AP
*******************************************
CHANGE UP TO BURMA'S GENERALS
6/2 AP
By ROBERT HORN Associated Press Writer
RANGOON, Burma (AP) - No matter how hard Nobel peace laureate
Aung San Suu Kyi pushes for democracy, whatever changes come to
Burma - peaceful, violent, or none - will depend on her nemesis, the
SLORC.
With an acronym worthy of a James Bond foe, the 21 generals
comprising the State Law and Order Restoration Council run one of
world's most feared and mysterious regimes.
They exercise absolute control inside Burma and show utter
disdain for outside criticism. Neither the carrot of potential
foreign investment nor the stick of threatened sanctions show much
sign of making them budge.
What do they want? Where will their confrontation with Suu Kyi
take Burma after the roundup of 262 people to prevent an opposition
congress this past week drew international attention to the regime?
"Perhaps you can tell us," Suu Kyi remarked to journalists.
The junta doesn't say, though it started releasing some detainees
last week. State-run newspapers reveal two main policy goals: to woo
foreign investors develop Burma's economy, and to permit nothing
else foreign - like democracy - to slip in.
The odd office tower or hotel pops up in Rangoon courtesy of
foreigners seeking profit in one of Asia's most backward economies,
but the people keep their heads down, always fearful of the secret
police.
Suu Kyi kept the heat on last week by pledging to hold more
opposition congresses. It was an implicit dare for the generals to
crack down again and reap fresh attention for the struggle she
resumed after her release from six years of house arrest last July.
The generals let her know the dialogue she wants will have to
wait. State-run media called her a puppet of Western powers.
They haven't yet arrested Suu Kyi - a move that would cross a
line for many investors and governments. But diplomats privately
express worries that the regime may feel backed into a corner and
fret about how the generals will react if Suu Kyi mounts another
congress.
The junta could let it proceed and lose face at home - perhaps
the generals' biggest fear. They could arrest more Suu Kyi
supporters, but they eventually will run out and be stuck face-to-
face with Suu Kyi herself.
Or, they could launch a harsher crackdown. No one in Burma has
forgotten 1988, when troops killed hundreds of democracy
demonstrators in Rangoon.
Street massacres would create an international backlash. The U.S.
Senate already is considering a near total trade embargo.
Analysts say just a few industrial nations adopting sanctions
would be a blow to the government, which they believe is deeply in
debt from using trade revenues to build up the army from 185,000
soldiers in 1988 to a planned 500,000.
Those who know the generals describe them as ruthless and
corrupt, but also pragmatic, disciplined and charming. They almost
never give interviews, but appear nightly on television signing new
contracts or visiting religious shrines.
Diplomats scan the press for any hint of change and pump junior
officers for information about the ruling clique.
Analysts speculate about who might be a "closet visionary" - a
SLORC version of South Africa's last apartheid president, F.W. de
Klerk, who could bring himself to negotiate with Suu Kyi, the
Burmese Nelson Mandela.
No such general seems on the horizon, but Suu Kyi does not rule
out one emerging. "People must remember that de Klerk was once a
hardliner, too," she says.
An effective visionary would have to be one of the four generals
who wield true power:
-Gen. Than Shwe, is the undisputed leader as prime minister and
SLORC chairman. Reputedly practical, religious and tough, he began
freeing more than 2,000 political prisoners after coming to power in
1992 and allowed Suu Kyi family visits. He called on her twice
himself. But he took four years to free her.
-Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, the junta's first secretary and secret
police chief, is regarded as the most intelligent of the four and
has a reputation as a workaholic who does not smoke, drink or
womanize. Chroniclers of the 1988 uprising allege Khin Nyunt emptied
jails to create anarchy and justify the generals' seizure of power.
-Lt. Gen. Maung Aye, like Than Shwe, saw combat against communist
and ethnic insurgents. As junta vice chairman, Maung Aye is first in
line to succeed Than Shwe. The only top SLORC member who graduated
from Burma's elite military training school, he is popular with the
troops.
-Lt. Gen Tin Oo, like Maung Aye, has at times threatened to
"annihilate" Suu Kyi. The military chief of staff, he has more
combat experience than Than Shwe and Maung Aye and has their
respect.
Copyright 1996 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
********************************************
SUU KYI IN CALL FOR OPENING UP TO THE WORLD
AFP
RANGOON: Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi says Burma needs to open up to the
outside world, but that any opening should be political as well as economic.
``Everyone must accept the fact that no nation can stay isolated internationally,''
she told more than 4,000 people who braved heavy rain on Sunday to gather outside
her lakeside home for one of her twice weekly addresses.
Ms Suu Kyi said Burma's long policy of keeping out foreign influences was no longer
valid, and accused the government of courting foreign investors while trying to keep
political interference out.
``They have been opening up the country for foreign investors, but when foreign
governments show interest in the political situation, they are accused of
interference,'' she said.
The official media has stepped up its attacks on unnamed foreign governments in the
past week, accusing them of pulling the strings of Ms Suu Kyi and the opposition in a
bid to destabilise the country.
The junta's powerful intelligence chief, Khin Nyunt, was quoted in the New Light of
Myanmar as saying that ``stooges'' under the influence of foreign masters were
``undermining peace, stability and progress''.
The junta's attacks on the opposition followed a congress last week by Ms Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy (NLD), during which plans to write a new constitution
and economic policy were announced.
A total of 262 NLD activists were detained in a sweep ahead of the congress in a bid
by the authorities to sink the meeting.
NLD officials said that at least 119 activists had been released already, but have
expressed concern that leading party officials may be kept in order to hit them with
heavy prison sentences.
Ms Suu Kyi said that some of the remaining activists had been taken to Rangoon's
notorious Insein prison, where human rights groups say political prisoners are kept
in dismal conditions.
The official press has reported in the past week on a stream of pro-government
mass rallies across the country bringing together as many as 70,000 people at a
time to denounce ``destructionists''.
Many participants say they are required to attend the meetings, which analysts say
have been staged by the junta in a bid to show that the military enjoys broad support
across the country.
``They are trying to mislead people abroad with these rallies,'' Ms Suu Kyi told her
supporters on Sunday.
The opposition leader said people should try to refuse to attend the pro-government
rallies, but added that she understood the pressure being exerted on them by the
military. _ AFP
********************************************
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