BurmaNet News September 28, 1996

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"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
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The BurmaNet News: September 28, 1996
Issue #525

HEADLINES:
==========
REUTER: BURMA DETAINS 109 ACTIVISTS, THWARTS MEETING
REUTER: BURMA ACCUSES U.S. OF HELPING DESTABILISE COUNTRY
REUTER: BURMA OFFICIAL SAYS GOVT DETAINS MANY NLD MEMBERS
BURMANET: UPDATE FROM INSIDE
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: PRESS RELEASE CONDEMNING  ARRESTS
NCGUB: STATEMENT ON ARRESTS
ABSDF: STATEMENT ON THE SLORC'S LATEST CRACKDOWN ON THE NLD
TV MYANMAR: ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO CREATE CONFUSION AND 
SLORC INTERVIEW: THE NLD - U.S. JOINT EXERCISE
FEER: GAS PAINS 
TV MYANMAR NEWS: OTHER NEWS ON SEPTEMBER 27, 1996
KNU: REPORT FROM TOUNGOO DISTRICT
INDEPENDENT REPORT: TAKOMA PARK SELECTIVE PURCHASING
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REUTER: BURMA DETAINS 109 ACTIVISTS, THWARTS MEETING
September 27, 1996
By Deborah Charles

RANGOON, Sept 27 (Reuter) - Burmese police detained 109 activists and
blocked all roads leading to democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house on
Friday to stop a congress of her party from taking place, a senior
government official said.

The Nobel Peace laureate had not been rearrested, he said.

"Altogether 109 persons have been called in for questioning and brought to
local guest houses," the official told Reuters.

"How soon they are released will depend on the situation of the other side.
If everything is normal and quiet they could be released right away. If it
is not right, it may be a few days."

The official said the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
had decided to prevent Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) from
holding the meeting because it did not have government permission for the
gathering.  "The reason for preventing the meeting from taking place is
because they invited more than 200 representatives, and a congress of this
size needs prior consent of the authorities and they failed to do this," the
official said in an interview.  

He said the NLD was joining forces with foreign governments like the United 
States to hold the congress in an effort to undermine Burma's peace and
stability.  
He said the NLD and United States had timed the meeting to coincide with 
discussions of a sanctions bill against Burma in the U.S. Congress, and the 
opening of the United Nations General Assembly. 

The NLD said on Thursday it was holding the meeting to celebrate its eighth 
anniversary.  The party, born amid unprecedented protests against military rule 
in 1988, won a landslide victory in 1990 general elections which was never 
recognised by SLORC.  Suu Kyi, daughter of Burma's revered independence 
leader, Aung San, was under house arrest at the time. 

The party congress was to have been the first time Suu Kyi would meet
the elected representatives of the NLD as a group.  In May, the goverment
detained more than 260 party delegates due to attend a similar NLD congress.
The SLORC released most of them after about 10 days, but several dozen were
charged and given long prison terms.  

The government also blocked University Avenue, the road Suu Kyi's house is on, 
to prevent anyone from going to her house.  "For three days, September 27, 28 
and 29, nobody is allowed to go to...Suu Kyi's residence," said security police 
Captain Aung Aung, who was manning a checkpoint on the road.  "She can go 
and come as she pleases, we don't restrict her. We only need to stop people
from 
going to her house," he said.  

Suu Kyi, who was released from six years of house arrest in July 1995, could
not 
be reached for comment.

Police set up roadblocks and checkpoints and stopped vehicles from
travelling on several blocks of University Avenue.  Heavily-armed security
police and military intelligence officers stopped a Reuters correspondent on
the street about 400 metres (yards) from Suu Kyi's lakeside home, saying no
one was allowed to go near her house.  A sign with a red "x" through a
camera stood near another checkpoint, and one foreign cameraperson said the
government had confiscated film shot near Suu Kyi's house.  Several hundred
officers had manned the streets since early on Friday morning, witnesses
said.  Although the blockage of University Avenue, one of Rangoon's main
streets, caused major traffic snarls the rest of the city was calm and there
was no sign of military presence.   

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

REUTER: BURMA ACCUSES U.S. OF HELPING DESTABILISE COUNTRY
September 27, 1996  (slightly abridged)
By Deborah Charles

RANGOON, Sept 27 (Reuter) - Burma accused the United States on Friday of
helping democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi plan a party meeting that was
aimed at undermining the peace and stability of the country.

"The United States Embassy coordinated with the NLD for more than one month
to organise this meeting so it coincided with discussions of the Cohen
ammendment in Congress," a senior Burmese official told Reuters.

A U.S. government official dismissed the accusation as "ridiculous," and
said the United States had no control over the actions of Suu Kyi or her party.
Suu Kyi, who was released from six years of house arrest in July 1995, had
called a party congress for Friday through Sunday to celebrate the NLD's
eighth anniversary. The group was formed in August 1988 following months of
unprecedented protests against military rule that left thousands dead or
imprisoned.

The U.S. Congress, due to adjourn on Friday, has yet to vote on the 1997
Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, which includes the Cohen amendment
on Burma.

The amendment urges Burma's military government to improve its human rights
record and says the United States will not offer Burma assistance except for
humanitarian or anti-narcotics aid. It is supported by the Clinton
administration and welcomed by Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi.

The measure also allows the president to prohibit U.S. investment in Burma
if Suu Kyi is rearrested or exiled, or if there is large-scale repression of
the opposition.

U.S. officials expect the bill to be approved by both the House and the
Senate and to be signed into law by Clinton.

Burmese officials said U.S. charge d'affairs Marilyn Meyers had met
government officials earlier in the week to urge them not to prevent the NLD
from holding the meeting.

A U.S. Embassy spokesman confirmed that Meyers had met officials from the
Foreign Ministry, but did not say what they discussed.

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

REUTER: BURMA OFFICIAL SAYS GOVT DETAINS MANY NLD MEMBERS
September 27, 1996

RANGOON, Sept 27 (Reuter) - Many politicians from the National League for
Democracy (NLD) party were detained by Burma's military government on Friday
to prevent a party congress from taking place, a senior government official
told Reuters.

The official said the government would bring NLD activists who planned to
attend the congress in for questioning, but said they were only being detained 
and not arrested. He said they would be released after the situation calms
down.  

The official said the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC)
decided to prevent the meeting from taking place because the NLD never
obtained permission for the gathering, and because the party was trying to
create unrest with the meeting.

"For this reason the delegates who are coming to attend have been prevented
from doing so. They were called in for questioning in local guest houses.
After that they will be sent home," said the official, adding that Suu Kyi
remained in her house and was not detained.

In May the goverment detained more than 260 party delegates due to attend a
similar NLD congress. The SLORC released most of them after about 10 days,
but several dozen were charged and sentenced to long prison terms.  

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

BURMANET: UPDATE FROM INSIDE
September 27, 1996

In addition to blocking off Aung San Suu Kyi's compound, the army and police 
have sealed off the NLD's headquarters in Rangoon, which is located on Shwe 
Gone Dain Road.

This happened after NLD members and activists, who had been denied access to 
Aung San Suu Kyi's compound, started to move there as an alternate site for the 
NLD Congress.  About 150 NLD people got into the NLD office before the troops 
arrived. These 150 will stay there as long as they can.

As in May, the SLORC is saying that NLD people are not being arrested but are 
being "brought in for questioning".  

Aung San Suu Kyi's phone remains cut off, and it is next to impossible to
get news 
out of her compound.

Also, 
FROM VOA: (September 27, 1996, Gary Thomas in Bangkok)

Speaking by telephone from Rangoon, a ranking Burmese military source 
said 109 NLD activists had been, in his words, "picked up for questioning."  
He denied that they have been arrested and said they would soon be released.

He says none of the NLD executive committee members, including 
Aung San Suu Kyi, would be detained.

The military government official, who asked  not  to be named, 
says the NLD meeting was designed to, in his words, "put the 
government into a corner."

FROM BBC BROADCASTS: 
(7am and 11am (GMT) BBC World Service News on 27/9/96)
 
* Some high-ranking figures from the NLD have been allowed
into the compound. 

* On Friday afternoon, U Tin Oo addressed civilians in the
street, asking them to go home. There was talk of asking them
to go to the Sule Pagoda. 

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

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: PRESS RELEASE CONDEMNING  ARRESTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   September 27, 1996

For Further Information:
Zunetta Liddell, London       (44) 171 713 1995
Sidney Jones, New York        (212) 972 8400 ex. 290
Mike Jendrzejczyk, Washington (202) 371 6592 ex. 113


Human Rights Watch/Asia condemns new wave of arrests in Burma, 
calls on ASEAN  and World Bank donors to intervene 

Human Rights Watch/Asia calls on ASEAN governments to
intervene to stop a new wave of arrests in Burma that has
effectively placed opposition leader Daw Aung Suu Kyi under
house arrest and over 109 elected Members of Parliament and
members of her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD),
in detention. The arrests began Thursday evening, September 26. 

"Burma was granted observer status in ASEAN earlier this year
and is lobbying hard for full membership.  If ASEAN countries
do not protest against these new arrests and use their influence to 
secure the release of those detained, they will effectively be letting 
Burma set the human rights standard for the region," said Sidney Jones, 
executive director of Human Rights Watch/Asia.

At 10:30 p.m. local time Thursday night, Daw Aung Suu Kyi's
house was surrounded by between 100 and 150 soldiers. At least
some of them entered the Nobel laureate's compound, and her
maid was taken away. Aung San Suu Kyi remains effectively
under house arrest and all roads leading to her house have
been barricaded by troops. The government has issued a
statement ordering her not to leave her house for three days.

The arrests came on the eve of a new party congress of the
NLD, to be held in Rangoon to mark the eighth anniversary of
the founding of the NLD. The last attempt at such a congress last 
May led to the detention of thirty-three party activists and 235 Members 
of Parliament elected in 1990 - an election that the NLD won overwhelmingly
and whose results the Burmese government failed to honor.  Most
of the detainees were later released, but twelve were given lengthy prison 
sentences and since May, a further sixty-seven people, including nine students 
arrested last weekend, have been detained.  

Human Rights Watch recommends that:

- ASEAN countries call in the Burmese ambassadors in their countries to make 
a formal expression of concern and urge the release of those detained.  

- The ASEAN Secretariat immediately issue a public statement
urging the government to immediately release those detained.

- ASEAN member states use their influence with the Burmese
government to ensure that the U.N. Secretary General's
representative and the U.N. Special Rapporteur to Burma be
granted immediate access to the country.

- At the World Bank annual meeting, which convenes on October 1,
donor governments and the World Bank should both privately and
publicly indicate to the Burmese Finance Minister who will be
attending the meeting that these arrests and continuing
political instability make it impossible for the World Bank to
resume any loans, suspended since 1988. In addition they should
urge the Burmese government to release all those detained.

- The United States, Japan, the European Union, Canada and
Australia assist the ASEAN countries in pressing for the U.N.
representatives to be allowed access. If access continues to be
denied, these governments put in polace increased multilateral
sanctions until such time as there are verifiable improvements
in the human rights situation in Burma. As these arrests continue, 
the Clinton. Administration should prepare to impose additional
economic sanctions as contained in legislation now pending in Congress.

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

NCGUB: STATEMENT ON ARRESTS
September 7, 1996

NATIONAL COALITION GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF BURMA P.O Box 44,
Nonthaburiburi P.O, Nonthaburi - 11000. Tel/Fax: +66-2-527 5049 E'mail : 
<saeliw@xxxxxxxxxxx>

On the 8th anniversary of the formation of the National League for
Democracy NLD, the party planned to hold a conference from the 27th to the
29th of September at Daw Aung San Suu Kyi the General Secretary's
residence. It has been told the NLD representatives from all states and
divisions, leaders, elected people's representatives, those who are active
in the democracy movement and representatives from other political parties
had been also invited.  It is an accepted custom that all organizations
celebrate their anniversary. At the very least, that the NLD, which is a
legal political party has the right to celebrate it's eighth anniversary. 
Whether by international law or even at the worst, by regulations of the
commissions formed by the unlawful SLORC regime, a legal organization has
the right to celebrate it's anniversary. The blockages against people
going to Daw Aung San Suu Klyi's house , the threats and the harassment in
order to obstruct the anniversary celebrations that the NLD is trying to
conduct in a legal way and to make it unsuccessful, is an ugly outrages
act, outside the boundary of any law. What it shows is that there is no rule
of law and no democratic right in Burma under SLORC.  We harshly
condemn the unlawful SLORC for it's present harassment of the NLD, the
continuous oppression of the people and controlling the country through
unlawful acts.  We call upon the Government of the United States to decide
upon effective sanctions and act swiftly, the ASEAN countries to not only
refrain from cooperating with this brutal SLORC regime but also to take
action together with the intentional community in protesting against them.

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

ABSDF: STATEMENT ON THE SLORC'S LATEST CRACKDOWN ON THE NLD
September 27, 1996

1. As a further indication of their uncompromising attitude
towards the Burmese democratic movement, the State Law and Order
Restoration council (SLORC) has again cracked down on the main
opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD). In the
early hour of Friday morning, security forces blocked University
Avenue, confined Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to her house and barred her
supporters from entering the compound. Government forces also
detained the NLD representatives travelling from provincial towns
to participate in a meeting scheduled to be held on September
28th in commemoration of the 8th Anniversary of the formation of
the National League for Democracy.

2. The military regime used a similar tactics on May 27 earlier
this year to bar elected NLD representatives and members from
attending another NLD Conference. At that time, more than 260
representatives, NLD members and others political activists were
detained. Although some were later released, the most prominent
of those detained were sentenced to long terms in prison.

3. The ABSDF is greatly concerned about the safety of Daw Aung
San Suu Kyi herself, and of other political detainess in this
latest crackdown by the SLORC.

4. The ABSDF condemns the SLORC in the strongest possible terms
for this outrageous violation of the right of an opposition party
to hold meeting.

5. The ABSDF demands that the SLORC ceases this violent
repression, and attempts to solve political problems through the
political means by entering dialogue with the NLD which is after
all a legal political party.

6. The ABSDF would like to call upon all the people of Burma to
fully support Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD and participate
more actively in the struggle for democracy and human rights in
our country.

7. At the same time, the ABSDF would like to request that the
ASEAN ' Constructive Engagement' policy towards the SLORC be
reviewed and that Burma be stripped of its observer's status
within the regional forum, as this policy is abetting SLORC's
freedom to oppress its own people and thereby acting as a
deterrent to democratization in Burma.

Central Committee
All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF)

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

TV MYANMAR: ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO CREATE CONFUSION AND 
UNREST BY THE NLD  (translation of a TV Myanmar Broadcast on September 27)
September 27, 1996

(originally posted in soc.culture.burma)

The NLD had planned to hold an  All Burma Congress of the National
League for Democracy  on the 27th of September. They have sent out
invitations to various embassies and reporters on the 26th of September
and expected about (600) people to attend this function. It is clearly
stated by the law that a prior permission has to be obtained from the
authorities concerned if a congregation of this size is going to be held.

The date the conference is to be held on the 27th of September to
the 29th of September and these days are chosen to coincide with the  U.N
General Assembly and also the day when the U.S Congress enacts the Bill on
Myanmar. It is learnt that the NLD intends to make statements and demands
after reading reports on political, economic, youth and legal affairs. In
order to 
avoid unnecessary turmoil and instability in the country, the authorities
concerned on the 27th of September prevented this event from taking place.

It is also learnt from the following activities that this event was created by 
the NLD after several meetings with the CDA of U.S Embassy in Yangon.

On the 24th of September the U.S CDA Ms. Myers called on the
Director General of the Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and during the talks she briefed the Foreign Ministry official on
the contents of the bill regarding Myanmar which is soon to be passed in
the U.S Congress. 

She also mentioned that a political rally was to be held at Daw Su Kyi s
compound 
on the 28th and 29th of September and she urged the Government of Myanmar 
not to restrict or hinder the NLD conference in anyway. She also went on to say
that the U.S. Government was watching very closely and does not want
unhappy incidents from occurring in Myanmar. Ms. Meyers stated that they
shall be pleased if a dialogue between the Myanmar Government and Daw Su
Kyi took place.

Ms. Meyers has on the 6th and 29th of August came over to Daw Su
Kyi s house and on the 12th of August Daw Su Kyi went over to Ms. Meyers
house for discussion. Similarly, Mr. Mark Taylor, a U.S Embassy staff came
to Daw Su Kyi s house for discussion on the 3rd, 17th, 18th, 19th, 22nd,
23rd, of  August and 15th, 21st, 22nd, 26th of September... 

On the 24th of September Ms. Meyers held a dinner meeting with Daw
Su Kyi, U Tin Oo, Daw Su Su Lwin (a staff from the UNICEF) and (7) other
NLD members.

It is quite obvious that the NLD has coordinated this movement in
collaboration with some foreign countries to create unnecessary confusion
and unrest in the country. They have also planned in a way that this
incident will coincide with the meeting that is taking place at the U.N
General Assembly and the day the U.S Congress approves the enactment of
the Bill on Myanmar. In order to prevent peace and tranquility from being
disrupted in the country the authorities concerned had no choice but to
take necessary preventive measures by preventing the NLD conference from
taking place.

The authorities concerned has called in the NLD party members who
are involved in this movement for questioning and it is also learnt that
no arrest has been made. 

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

SLORC INTERVIEW: THE NLD - U.S. JOINT EXERCISE
September 27, 1996  

(BurmaNet Editor's Note: SLORC propaganda is getting more sophisticated.  
This was posted to soc.culture.burma, original source New Light of Myanmar?)

Not surprisingly, we have again witnessed the Myanmar authorities
preventing the NLD from holding a political congregation in Yangon. Such
an act committed by the Myanmar Government is deemed as undemocratic and
repressive against the opposition party by western standards. Accordingly,
the United States has enacted an act which threatens Myanmar with various
sanctions if the Government of Myanmar has physically harm, rearrest for 
political acts, or exiles Daw Aung San Su Kyi or has committed large-scale
repression of or against the Democratic opposition.

In spite of the U.S. pressure and threats it is very interesting
to observe the stance the Myanmar Government has taken and it would be of
much interest to Myanmar watchers to learn more about the activities going
on inside Myanmar.

With this in mind I managed to meet with U San Win, who is a
Myanmar government official and I was quite amazed to learn about the
other side of the story from him which does not get much or any
international media coverage at all. Well, for the benefit of my fellow
readers I would like to print the conversation I had with a Myanmar
Government Official on the current political situation in Yangon.

Mr. J. Miles: 	
Is the Government of Myanmar considered to be democratic and 
what role is the regime playing today?

U San Win:	
The Government of Myanmar is not a democratic government and the government 
itself has never mentioned that it is so.In fact, the authorities have
repeatedly said 
that they are merely a transitional government or a caretaker. The role the
State 
Law and Order Restoration Council is playing seems to be quite obvious if one 
looks at it with an objective perception. The present Myanmar Government or 
S.L.O.R.C. is trying to oversee the smooth transition from the previous One
Party 
Socialist System with Socialist Economy to the Multi Party Democratic System
with 
Market Oriented Economy.

Mr. J. Miles: 	
Why was there an election in 1990 and why was the N.L.D. that won a land slide 
victory not given the power to run the government?

U San Win:	
A good question, but unfortunately the answer to it was never given any serious 
attention by the media or may be they just refuse to accept  it for various
reasons. 
Well, let me explain some background history of the country briefly before 
coming  to the 1990 elections.  (background info cut)

At present the country theoretically has no constitution and the current
Military 
Government is under the obligation to create a new constitution that will be 
compatible to the political and economic system which the newly elected 
government shall be implementing or practising. In order to do this, in 
1990 the Military Government held a general election where the winning 
party was to take the role in drafting the new constitution. Unfortunately, 
after the election the winning party went back on its words and instead of 
taking the steps as all the contesting parties had initially agreed upon. It 
demanded the transfer of the state power and all the unnecessary 
complications arose as a result of it. 
		
Logically, speaking, for any government to run a country there should be a 
constitution or something similar to it. It cannot be understood how the NLD 
will run the country without any constitution in a country with (135) different 
nationalities and subnationalities. Myanmar is quite unique in a sense that it 
has not only a wide range of different ethnic groups but the geographical 
location is also very important and delicate. In the drafting of this new 
constitution the NLD was given the highest number of seats in the National 
Convention and the process has been in progress for over (3) years already. 

The Convention has made a lot of progress during these years and it is 
now working on the important chapter called  Power Sharing   Once this 
main topic has been agreed upon it is assumed that the rest of the chapters 
can be covered quite quickly. So, to sum it up the Military Government is 
playing not only the role of a transitional government but also is putting the 
country on the track to democracy in a systematic step by step manner.

Mr. J. Miles:	
Is the situation in Myanmar peaceful and what is your concept on 
U.S Anti-Narcotics Activities?

U San Win:	
The situation in Myanmar is very much peaceful and stable by itself. 
Especially, with all the successful peace negotiations it had achieved 
with almost all of the former insurgent groups and more interestingly, 
after the unconditional surrender of the drug warlord Khun Sa, the 
Myanmar Government can now tell the world that the method the Military 
Government had implemented was the best and it actually worked. 
The best way to prove its success is that the world media have now claimed 
that Columbia has taken over the heroin market of South East Asia. 

Statistically speaking, a kilo of heroin at Myanmar-Thai border use to 
be 100,000 baht ( 4000USD) during April of this year while in September 
of the same year a kilo of heroin has rose up to 700,000 baht (28000USD) . 
This is a clear, undeniable indication proving that supply and production 
has lessen extensively in the Golden Triangle Area. The United States 
unfortunately has to spend billions of dollars each year in its efforts to 
eradicate this drug problem but not much success has been achieved yet. 

While it has not made any progress in this cause seems not so difficult to 
guess. The US policy on anti-narcotic matters are based too much on 
theories and superficial solutions. Secondly, the anti-narcotic policy which 
is of high national importance is overshadowed by the interest of a 
few politicians who place their interest above the nation's. Of course, this is 
not to say that the US is not doing anything to get rid of the drugs. In fact 
the US is spending billions of dollars each year but what I want to stress is 
that the US policy is like giving a cough medication to a person who 
had suffered from a gun shot. The US does not have a policy which is 
pragmatic and realistic instead they are wasting their tax payers money.

Mr. J. Miles:	
There has been reports coming out on the recent arrest of the NLD elected 
representatives and other members on the celebration of their foundation day.

U San Win:	
Yes, some of the NLD elected representatives were called in for questioning 
and it has been learnt that they are now being placed temporarily in various 
local guest houses before they can be sent back home. Actually, the founding 
day of the NLD is on the 30th of September but to coincide with the U.N 
General Assembly and also to coincide with the date the U.S president gives 
approval for the enactment of the Cohen Amendment Bill the NLD has held 
its Foundation Day on the 27th of September. 

Under the pretext of the celebration of the NLD Founding Day, the NLD had 
planned to hold meetings and mass rallies without obtaining prior permission 
from the concerning authorities. In Myanmar, there are several political
parties 
and all such activities has to be properly and orderly executed.  The Myanmar 
Government on its part cannot give in to this attempt by NLD to destabilize the 
current peaceful situation in the country. This is a kind of challenge to the 
government and also a threat to the peace and stability done with a full 
knowledge that if the government prevents their activities they will be backed 
and supported by the U.S Government. But if their challenge went uncountered 
they will keep pushing until the government is pushed into a corner. 

Is Daw Su Kyi doing this because she lacks confidence on the NLD and has come 
to realize that when the election comes the NLD has a slim chance of winning 
because of the many blunders they have done which the voters have already
noticed. 
Some quarters also say that since she is not eligible to contest in the coming 
elections as in the previous one, her main aim is to create chaos and problems 
so that if another unfortunate chaotic incident like the one Myanmar
encountered 
during 1988 arises again. 

She probably believes that she is in a better position to exploit the
incident and 
who knows, her dream to become a political leader of Myanmar may come true. 
The Myanmar Government is like any other government, it has the obligation to 
make certain that the national interest of its people are protected and that no 
foreign countries can create conditions that are harmful to the people of
Myanmar, 
directly or indirectly through local politicians or organizations.

Mr. J. Miles:
What sort of message do you want to convey to the western world especially the 
United States?

U San Win:
I would like very much for the west to look at things in a realistic way.
They have 
been exploiting the word Democracy and Human Rights and have been using it as
a pretext to create a government of their choice in Myanmar. 
		
If they really wish to deal with countries that are supposed to be
Democratic, and 
values the so called Western Human Rights then is it right for them to have 
relationship with, to mention a few, Pakistan, China, Vietnam, North Korea, 
Nigeria, Latin America countries with military governments, Kuwait & Saudi 
Arabia. The United States has even supported and cooperated with former 
enemies who still profess communism while Myanmar who have discarded its 
Socialist System for a Multi-Party Democratic System has been relentlessly
bashed. 
More importantly, Myanmar as a third world country has further promoted the 
basic human rights of her country which is (a) Security (b) Food and (c)
Shelter. 

Without fulfilling this basic requirements and to jump over to much advance 
human rights is like making a toddler run before she even learn how to walk 
properly. We do not believe in jumping over the required steps at this very
early 
stage when the majority of the rights of the people of Myanmar must be given 
priority. Please do understand that the west especially the U.S is not a
role model 
for us. There are things which we would like to have in our country but
there are 
many which we do not want to have. We even do not believe that the people in
the 
U.S are enjoying its basic human rights properly. We, in fact feel sorry for
the 
Americans who are living there under these harsh conditions. For example, 
do the people in the U.S enjoy peace and security.  If the answer is yes,
are they 
safe to go out on the streets after dark and do the U.S government guarantee
the 
security of her own people in the United States of America. In Myanmar, the 
security of its people are guaranteed. Even in big cities, people are safe
to go out 
at anytime of the day and to anyplace they like. 

Now, let us move on to another very important rights which is food. The U.S is 
very rich and developed compare to Myanmar but there are a lot of people 
starving in U.S which leads to more crime. In Myanmar nobody starves and 
crime rate is negligible. 

Finally lets talk about another basic human requirement called Shelter. We 
understand that there are many homeless people in the U.S.  People even freeze 
to death because they have no place to live during the winter season.  In 
Myanmar, everybody has a place to live and the government has implemented 
various housing projects for her people of various classes. So, please do
not accuse 
us of breaching human rights just for not allowing freedom of speech or freedom 
to exercise some political rights. These advanced human rights shall be
practised 
when Myanmar comes into that stage but not before. In conclusion, I would like 
to say that interfering in Myanmar's internal affairs will not bring
democracy to 
Myanmar but it will only hinder the systematic democratic process that has 
been successfully taking place. Well, is it practical democracy you want to
promote 
in Myanmar or just to install a candidate with democracy as a pretext.

Mr. J. Miles	Thank you very much for this frank discussion.

(Mr. J. Miles is a former free Lance reporter and he is now doing business
in Hong Kong, Singapore and Yangon.)

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FEER: GAS PAINS 
Rumours of shortage ignite Burma's petrol prices
October 3, 1996

By Gordon Fairclough and Bertil Linter in Bangkok

Better safe than sorry, figures Aung Myint. The Rangoon businessman waited
for hours in line to buy petrol. He fills the tank of his Toyota pickup and
as many cans as he can fit in the back.

"We don't know what's going on . People say the government has no money to
import petrol," Aung Myint says by telephone." So I'm buying as much as I
can, now, as long as there's petrol to buy."

He's not the only one. Across the Burmese capital, thousands of car owners
are queuing at petrol pumps amid rumours that the country's oil reserves are
running low. Petrol prices doubled in the course of a week in mid-September.

Why the panic? Burma's one-year oil-supply agreement with Japanese trading
company Mitsui expired in July. The country received its last shipment of
crude at the end of June. The government admits it still owes Mitsui money.
Diplomats estimate the debt at $30 million. The company declines to comment
on the arrangement.

But things may not be as bad as they seem. Mitsui is still supplying diesel,
under a supply contract that expires at the end of September. Mitsubishi
imports some petrol. And the government says it is negotiating with other
companies for a new crude-oil contract. "Stocks are getting low," admits
Thein Lwin, director of the Ministry of Energy's planning department. But,
he insists, the problem is a "temporary phenomenon."

Indeed, authorities at Rangoon's port have been told to prepare for delivery
of a tanker-load of crude oil in coming weeks. The oil was apparently
purchased on the spot market as a stop-gap measure while a new long-term
agreement is reached.

Even so, people are prepared to believe the worst. The military government's
economic activities are far from transparent. Markets have little accurate
information, and people distrust the state-controlled press. This makes it
difficult for authorities to defuse rumours, and prices continue to climb. On
September 24, petrol was selling for up to 110 kyat (69 US cents) per litre
in Rangoon, compared with around 50 kyat earlier in the month. In other
parts of the country, it was even more expensive. In Mandalay, to the north,
the price was 120 kyat per litre; in Irrawaddy District, 160.

The panic buying comes on top of other problems caused by Burma's weak
petroleum-distribution network. Poor road and water transport networks raise
the cost of moving furl. This is especially true in northern Shan state,
where petrol imports come from China. Petrol has been selling for 160 kyat a
litre there.

The price rises pose some serious dangers to the economy. Higher fuel bills
will quickly translate into higher transport fees and costlier food, which
must be trucked to Rangoon and other cities from the countryside. It is
especially troublesome with the rice harvest approaching. Unless prices ease
soon, Burmese can expect rising costs for harvesting, milling and shipping
rice, the staple of their diet and a major export product.

Aware of the risks, the government has tried to calm the market. "Fuel
prices have been rising as there were rumours of a shortage of fuel and
diesel supply," Lt-Gen Tin Oo, a high-ranking member of the junta, said in a
recent speech. "Those who wanted to take advantage of the political and
economic conditions are trying to manipulate prices."

Local observers warn that such comments, however, may only add to the panic.
When rice prices started surging several years ago, government officials
made similar statements. That prompted people to stop selling rice because
they feared being arrested as profiteers. That only meant less rice in the
market and even higher prices.

The Energy Ministry's Thein Lwin says the government is now talking with
several firms from Japan and elsewhere to conclude a new crude-oil supply
contract. He says a deal may be struck within weeks. In the meantime, the
country has been relying more on its own domestic crude production, Thein
Lwin says. Burma produces about 1,700 barrels of crude a day, he says.

The government is also discussing a payment plan with Mitsui, Thein Lwin
says. The terms are not likely to be very tough. Mitsui is involved in
several projects in Burma, including an industrial estate under construction
on the outskirts of Rangoon and a combination natural-gas pipeline.
Construction of this "three-in-one" project, now undergoing a feasibility
study, is expected to cost $600 million to $800 million.

"We have a very strong interest in this country, and we'd like to support
the government as much as possible," says Mike Nagai, general manager of
Mitsui's Rangoon office.

To get by, Burma may need a little help from its few friends. Rice exports,
an important source of foreign-exchange earnings, fell 60% in the fiscal
year ended on March 31. The country still cannot get loans from the World
bank, International Monetary Fund or Asian Development Bank.

The United States and other Western countries have opposed such assistance
since Burma' military massacred anti-government demonstrators in 1988 and
then refused to accept the results of 1990 election won by Aung San Suu
Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy. (FEER)

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

TV MYANMAR NEWS: OTHER NEWS ON SEPTEMBER 27, 1996

1) Than Shwe visit PyarDarLin Caves in Rat Sauk township in Shan State and
pagodas in Mandalay, then returned to Rangoon.

2) Swimming Pool construction in Moulmein University checked by Kat Sein,
Commander.

3) Win Sein,minister of Railways checked construction of the Butalin-YeOo-KhinOo
railway which is 51 miles long.  The Butalin-YeOo old railroad already exists 
(34 miles) and the YeOo-KhinOo section still has to be constructed.  A bridge 
over the Mu River has to be built.

4) The  South-Korea Ambassador met SLORC Ministers.

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

KNU: REPORT FROM TOUNGOO DISTRICT
September 26,1996

On July 13,1996, Burmese soldiers of Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 234 
arrested two villagers from Hleh Zee village, forced them to carry military
supplies for them and later killed them brutally on August 23,1996.Brutal
killing, forced relocation and forced labor are common acts of the Burmese
troops in the rural areas as a military tactic to counter the resistance forces.

The commanding officer of Light Infantry Battalion 232 ordered the locals to
move to a designated concentration camp. When a new battalion of LIB 540
moved in to replace the LIB 232,they ordered the villagers to move back to
their old villages again.

Looting and randomly shooting are other atrocities besides killing,forced
relocation and forced labor.This LIB 540 entered Shwe Bo village, looted
everything they could find in the village; food,clothes and lilvestocks. They
also took away 7000 kyats (Burmese currency) and 3 gold rings from the
village pastor. 

On September13,1996,  Soe Myint, the commander of LIB 504,  column 2 arrested
25 villagers who were panning gold near Htee Nga Peh Loh village. Five days
later this same commander Soe Myint randomly shot and wounded a villager who
was also panning gold in the same area.

One September 8,1996, the commanding officer of Tactical Operational Command
2 ,Chit Khaing and his second in command Nyunt Swe seized every private car
in Kler La and Kaw Thay Der villages and used them to carry sand and pebbles to
rebuild the Kler La-Kaw Thay Der road.  Starting from September 8 until
now, the villagers in the area have to work on the road reconstruction and
can't do their own work.

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INDEPENDENT REPORT: TAKOMA PARK SELECTIVE PURCHASING
September 23, 1996
Philip_Robertson@xxxxxxxx

Takoma Park, Maryland Prepares to Become Seventh American City to Pass
Selective Purchasing Ordinance Against Corporations Doing Business in Burma

For more information, please contact
Free Burma Campaign of Takoma Park: 
Phil Robertson (301) 270-1009
 philip_robertson@xxxxxxxx
Stacey Heath (301) 585-9463

The city of Takoma Park, Maryland -- located on the edge of Washington, D.C.,
the capital of the United States -- is posed to become the seventh American
city to refuse to have projects paid for its tax dollars go to companies
operating in Burma.   Councilman Bruce Williams introduced the measure at the
request of the Free Burma Campaign of Takoma Park (FBCTP). 

Members and supporters of the FBCTP testified at a public hearing at the
Takoma Park City Council about SLORC's record of human rights abuses, forced
labor, involvement in narcotics trafficking and continued refusal to hand
over power to the democratic forces, led by Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD
Parliamentarians elected in 1990.  Numerous trade union activists, students,
environmentalists and Burmese exiles supported the proposed selective
purchasing ordinance which responds to Aung San Suu Kyi's call for
international economic pressure against SLORC and the multinational
corporations profiting from the continued repression of the Burmese people. 
Among those testifying was U Bo Hla Tint, the Minister of Finance of the
National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB) and elected MP
from the 1990 election.  

Mayor Gus Sharp and all the Council members spoke in favor of the proposed
ordinance after the public testimony period was finished.   Mayor Sharp
summed up by calling the testimony "some of the most compelling ever heard by
this Council" and recommended to the FBCTP that "you should show the
videotape of this hearing across the country" to encourage other
municipalities to take similar action to pressure corporations to reconsider
their position in Burma. 

The Council is scheduled to consider and pass the final version of the
selective purchasing legislation in October.

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