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BurmaNet News: November 12, 1996




----------------------------------BurmaNet---------------------------- 
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies" 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The BurmaNet News: November 12, 1996
Issue #567

Noted in Passing:

		Burma's problem is not lack of investment. Burma's 
		problem is lack of law... There is no rule of law in this  			country -
DASSK (see: BKK POST:  MOB ROAM 
		STREETS WITH SLORC APPROVAL)

HEADLINES:
==========
DASSK: LETTER TO BURMA # 48
BKK POST:  MOB ROAM STREETS WITH SLORC APPROVAL
REUTERS: BURMA SAYS WEEKEND ATTACKS, 'ACT OF SABOTAGE'
BKK POST: TOP ASEAN AIDE SIDESTEPS RANGOON'S AFFAIRS
BKK POST: SUU KYI: THERE ARE LIMITS TO PATIENCE
REUTERS: WEEKEND ATTACKS COULD MEAN CONFUSION 
BKK POST: EU THREATENS TO REVOKE TRADE PRIVILEGES SOON
REUTERS:  BRITAIN CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON SUU KYI IN BURMA
REUTERS: JAPAN REGRETS ATTACK ON SUU KYI MOTORCADE
REUTERS: U.S. SENATOR URGES BURMA TO TALK WITH SUU KYI
YONHAP: STH KOREAN GOVT  REGRETS SUU KYI ATTACK
STATEMENT: IPB CALLS FOR PROTESTS AGAINST ATTACK ON ASSK 
BKK POST: BURMA IS READY TO JOIN SAYS SINGH
AFP: BURMA JUNTA OPPONENT ACCEPTS AN INVITATION
BUSINESS TIMES MALAYSIA: SHANGRI-LA HOTELS
REUTERS: BURMA GAS PROJECT ON SCHEDULE - TOTAL
BKK POST: BURMESE SENT BACK OUT OF GOODWILL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------

DASSK: LETTER TO BURMA # 48
November 10, 1996 (Mainichi Daily News)

COURAGE OF ORDINARY PEOPLE GOES UNMATCHED:
"Tribute"

Letter from Burma (No. 48) by Aung San Suu Kyi

There is nothing to compare with the courage of ordinary people whose names
are unknown and whose sacrifices pass unnoticed.  The courage that dares
without recognition, without the protection of media attention, is a courage
that humbles and inspires and reaffirms our faith in humanity.  Such courage
I have seen week after week since my release from house arrest 15 months ago.
	
Our brave supporters who come to our weekend rallies are a shining symbol
of true commitment and strength.  There are those who have not missed a
single rally and who have become part of the family of our hearts.  There is
our lovely /Ahmay/ ("Mother"), who has her hair up in an old-fashioned top
knot just as my own mother did during the later years of her life.  Ahmay
usually wears an insouciant smile on her face and a small flower in her
hair.  She is accompanied by /Ahba/ ("Father"), gentle of mien and quiet of
manners, and by their bright-faced young grandson.  Ahmay is the center of a
group of democracy faithfuls who have looked the cameras of the military
intelligence squarely in the lens and again and again braved the threats of
the authorities to demonstrate their unwavering support for the cause of
democracy in Burma.
	
These unshakable stalwarts arrive early in the morning on Saturdays and
Sundays and stake out their places in front of my house.  They sit against
the fence on sheets of newspaper or plastic, seeking respite from the
glaring sun under the speckled shade of a tree.  During the height of the
monsoons, they construct a plastic awning under which they sit out the
heaviest deluges with unimpaired spirits and determination.  When U Kyi
Maung and U Tin U and I come out to speak at 4 o'clock, the are stationed
right in front of the gate with beaming smiles of welcome and affection.
They are the representative heart of the thousands who come to our rallies
because they believe in the importance of the basic democratic freedoms of
association, assembly and expression.  They listen intently to what we have
to say and respond with intelligence and humor.  Time and time again,
foreign visitors and correspondents have commented on the extraordinary
courtesy and good will that is evident among our audience.
	
Our rallies are political rallies so the main thrust of our speeches is
about politics.  We respond to letters from the people about the current
economic, social and political situation; we discuss the latest
international developments; we talk about the struggles for justice and
freedom and human rights that have taken place in different parts of the
world; we criticize policies and programs which are detrimental to harmony
and progress in the nation; we touch on historical matters.
	
One could say that each one of the three of us has a "specialty" of our
own.  U Tin U, as a one-time Chief of Defense Services and Minister of
Defense, as one who has spent two years as a monk and as one who has a
degree in law, talks most often about matters relating to the armed
services, to religion and to the law.  He is able to illustrate political
truths with stories from the teachings of the Buddha and to analyze actions
taken by the authorities against the NLD from the legal point of view.  He
has an arresting "voice of command" which at times makes the microphones
almost redundant.  There is a transparent honesty and sincerity about his
words that endear him to the audience.
	
U Kyi Maung concentrates on economics, history and education and has a
delightful sense of humor.  Across the road from my house is a compound from
which the security services survey my house.  During our rallies a video
camera team stations itself on the fence and records everything.  Around
this team there is usually a small group of members of the military
intelligence and other security personnel: they listen carefully to our
speeches and sometimes they laugh so heartily at U Kyi Maung's jokes (some
of which are directed against them) that I can see their teeth flashing in
their faces.  His occasional stories about a "grandson" with a very MI-like
personality are great favorites.
	
I am the one to respond to letters from the audience and discuss political
struggles that have taken place in Burma in the past and also in other parts
of the world.  I also talk often about the necessity to cultivate the habit
of questioning arbitrary orders and to stand firm and united in the face of
adversity.  One of my most frequent messages is the reminder that neither I
alone, or the National League for Democracy by itself, can achieve democracy
for Burma.  The people have to be involved in the process; democracy
involves as many responsibilities as rights.
	
The strength and will to maintain two rallies a week for more than a year
came from our staunch audience.  At those times when the authorities were at
their most threatening the crowds become larger as a demonstration of
solidarity.  Even when the authorities blocked off access to my house to
prevent the rallies from taking place, people still came as near as they
could to let us and the rest of the world know that they were determined to
continue the struggle for the right of free assembly.

(This article is one of a yearlong series of letters.  The Japanese
translation appears in the Mainichi Shimbun the same day, or the previous
day in some areas.)

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

BKK POST:  MOB ROAM STREETS WITH SLORC APPROVAL
November 11, 1996 (abridged)
Rangoon, Associated Press 

Mobs acting with apparent government approval roamed parts of the capital
Sunday, a day after one group attacked Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of
the pro-democratic opposition. 

Mrs Suu Kyi and witnesses said government security forces stood by and did
nothing during the attack which is believed to have been orchestrated by
Burma's military regime.

Suu Kyi accused a government mass organization, the United Solidarity
Development Association (USDA), of being behind the attack, calling it a
"fascist" organization.

"Burma's problem is not lack of investment. Burma's problem is lack of
law... There is no rule of law in this  country," she said after the violence.

Slorc had no immediate comment.

America has already condemned the attack and called for Slorc to take action.

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

REUTERS: BURMA SAYS WEEKEND ATTACKS 'ACT OF SABOTAGE'
November 11, 1996

RANGOON, Nov. 11 (Reuters) - A senior Burmese government
official said on Monday weekend attacks on democracy leader Aung
San Suu Kyi were acts of sabotage from which the government had
nothing to gain.
   
 'We have launched an inquiry into the incident. We don't
have an answer yet,' the government official told Reuters in an
interview. 'There are lots of accusations out there.'
    
On Saturday, Suu Kyi's motorcade was attacked twice by a
crowd of people pelting the vehicles with stones, diplomats and witnesses said.
    
Suu Kyi, who emerged uninjured from the attacks which
smashed her car windshield and windows of other vehicles in the
motorcades, blamed the military government for orchestrating the attack.
    
'The whole thing was carefully orchestrated by the
authorities. What kind of government is it that allows such
hooliganism?' Suu Kyi said after the attacks.
    
But the official suggested the government had nothing to gain from such an
attack.
    
'The question is, who gains because of this incident? If it
were set up by the government, why would we pick such an
inappropriate time when everything was running so smoothly?' he
said. 'Why would (the government) do it if everybody knows it
would have a negative impact?'
    
He said the attack came just as the secretary-general of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was leaving after
a week-long visit to assess Burma's readiness to join the seven-nation
regional group.
    
It was also on the eve of a visit by U.S. Senator John
McCain, who met on Sunday with senior officials in the ruling
State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) and Suu Kyi and
her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
    
'Everything was going so smoothly and then this thing happened,' the
official said.
    
He noted that the United States recently passed a bill
granting the president authority to impose economic sanctions on
Burma if Suu Kyi was harmed or if the SLORC was seen as
seriously increasing its suppression of the democracy movement.
    
'Who has been calling for sanctions?' he asked.
   
Suu Kyi has said she supports economic sanctions against
Burma, and has also urged business people not to invest in Burma
until the human rights and democracy situation improves.
    
'I would not say it's definitely the NLD side, but somebody
out there committed an act of sabotage,' the official said.

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

BKK POST: SUU KYI: THERE ARE LIMITS TO PATIENCE
November 11, 1996
Nussara Sawatsawang

People warned not to fall into SLORC's trap

AUNG San Suu Kyi has suggested that there are limits to the people's
patience in the face of repressive acts by the military government,
according to two members of the European Parliament.

Glenys Kinnock, who with Glyn Ford met Mrs. Suu Kyi for two hours on Friday,
quoted the Burmese opposition leader as saying: "How much longer can we
expect the Burmese people to remain patient, to remain tolerant, to remain
willing to react peacefully to what has been happening in their country?"

The Slorc has been putting pressure on the pro-democracy movement, detaining
U Kyi Maung, elderly vice-chairman of the NLD, after a students' demonstration.

On Saturday a mob of about 200 people attacked the motorcade carrying Mrs.
Suu Kyi and two other leaders of the movement, U Kyi Maung and U Tin Oo.
Windows were smashed and one of the cars dented.

The MEPs said it was their belief that this action had been planned by the
military junta.

"Nothing is unorganized here. The Slorc is trying to push Aung San Suu Kyi
back behind the gates of her house, so as to effectively put her under house
arrest again," said Mr. Ford.

Mrs. Suu Kyi was detained in her house for six years before being released
in July last year.

Tin Maung Win of the National Council of the Union of Burma, which describes
itself as the country's de facto parliament, warned the Burmese people not
to "fall into SLORC's trap."

The incident was aimed at getting people to stand up to the government so
that the Slorc had an excuse for whole sale repression and the re-arrest of
Mrs. Suu Kyi, he said.

The talks, recorded on video tape to be presented top the European
Parliament centered on Mrs. Suu Kyi's concern about the deteriorating
situation in Burma and the role of the international community in dealing
with the junta.

Mrs. Kinnock said Mrs. Suu Kyi was anxious about her country's present
circumstances.

It was not in the nature of the Burmese people to employ violence, Mrs.
Kinnock said, but what the government had been doing could cause the people
to fight back.

Mr. Ford reported that Aung San Suu Kyi was still optimistic about the
possibility of a long-term evolutionary  approach under the military regime,
despite the frustration of the Burmese people in the face of worsening
economic problems. (BP)

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

REUTERS: WEEKEND ATTACKS COULD MEAN CONFUSION 
November 11, 1996 (abridged)

    RANGOON, Nov. 11 (Reuters) - The weekend attacks on Burmese
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's motorcade may signal a
change or discord in the military government's efforts to
contain the democracy movement, diplomats said on Monday.
   
They said the attacks appeared to be at odds with statements
earlier this month by officials in the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC), who said they were trying to
improve relations with Suu Kyi and the democracy movement.
    
'What happened Saturday afternoon is a 180 degree switch
from what we saw earlier this month,' one diplomat said.

    A senior government official said on Monday the attacks were
acts of sabotage from which the government had nothing to gain.
    
But diplomats said there was no doubt the government was
involved to some extent in the incident.
    
'It's inconceivable that this could take place without the
knowledge of the government,' one diplomat said.
    
He said that on Saturday there were about 2,00 young men in
well-organized groups milling about near the Nobel peace
laureate's house, outside barricades erected by the military
government to prevent her from giving weekend speeches to
supporters.
   
Diplomats said the men were from townships near Rangoon and
were paid to come in and cause unrest.
    
'The main point is they were brought in by the government.
And some of these men were those who attacked the convoy
containing Suu Kyi,' one diplomat said.
    
Other diplomats said they were not sure if the attacks were
a sign of a change in tactics by the SLORC, or a signal there
was some disagreement in the government over how best to deal
with Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
    
'It seems like this could be a new tactic,' another diplomat
said. 'But it could also show there are conflicting signals
coming from the SLORC.'

    The SLORC has been fighting a poor image abroad.
    It has been repeatedly condemned by Western nations and
human rights groups for suppressing the democracy movement.
   
Since May it has arrested and released nearly 1,000 NLD
members or supporters in a crackdown against the movement.

    'Why would they want to put all this effort into improving
things then let this happen?' one diplomat asked.

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

BKK POST: TOP ASEAN AIDE SIDESTEPS RANGOON'S AFFAIRS
November 10, 1996
Rangoon, Reuters

Burma, target of international protests over human rights, is making strides
towards becoming a member of the regional bloc ASEAN on technical grounds,
according to its secretary-general Ajit Singh yesterday.

The director of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations sidestepped the
political issue over the military government's suppression of democracy and
recent crackdowns on Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy
movement.

Instead he reiterated ASEAN's traditional stance of non-interference in
other countries' internal affairs.

Singh, who spoke to reporters at the end of a week-long visit to assess the
leaders of the seven-nation group were going to meet at the end of the month.

It was "entirely up to them" if they wanted to discuss Burma's political
situation. He was asked if he had noticed any change among ASEAN leaders
towards Burma's readiness to join the regional group.

Burma has been granted observer status to ASEAN and was hoping to become a
full member. (BP)

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

BKK POST: EU THREATENS TO REVOKE TRADE PRIVILEGES SOON
November 11, 1996
NUSSARA SAWATSAWANG

Unless forced labor investigation allowed

MEMBERS of the European Parliament said the EU will revoke its privileges to
Burma within a "week" unless it is allowed to investigate forced labor
accusations against the military junta.

The withdraw of trade privileges offered under the Generalized System of
Preferences will seriously hurt the textile industry in Burma which relies
heavily on European countries for its exports.

Glenys Kinnock and Glyn Ford, British members of European Parliament, made
the remarks Saturday night at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand
after returning from Rangoon where they met pro-democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi.

They held talks with Mrs. Suu Kyi on Friday.

According to Mrs. Kinnock the European Commission agreed in September that
the evidence of use of forced labor provided by NGOs was "sufficient to
justify" the withdraw of GSP privileges to Burma but France, through its
foreign minister, vetoed the resolution during a meeting of EU foreign
ministers on Oct. 29 arguing that the commission "could not just listen to
one side of the argument.

France then proposed a fact-finding mission be sent to Burma and members of
the military regime be included in the team to look into the accusations.

France's posture, she said, was influenced by Total, a France oil company
with extensive interests in Burma.

The EU was a awaiting Burmese response but she said it is highly unlikely
that Rangoon would accept the proposal.

Mr. Ford affirmed Burma's trade privileges will go soon.

"I'm not aware of any deadline but just be clear that we're talking about
weeks, not years. We're talking about a few weeks to let Slorc explain what
is happening in Burma," he said.

Mrs. Kinnock said they will meet with EU commissioner Manuel Marlin tomorrow
in Brussels to tell him "of the urgency for quick action."

While in Burma, Mr. Ford said, they saw no direct evidence of forced labor
but the groups they met and the they people they talked to confirmed the
practice was widespread.

In Burma Mrs. Kinnock and Mr. Ford visited a charity hospital, observed a
village relocation project and spoke to religious groups and opposition
leaders but they were unable to get in tough with Slorc officials because
they were went through on tourist visas.

Mrs. Kinnock said the revocation of GSP status was an important first step
because it will have a direct bearing on Burma's textile industry.

The countries of the European Union, especially Britain, are major importers
of Burmese textile.

The EU will push for economic sanctions against Burma, said Mrs. Kinnock,
who delivered a keynote speech on Burma to the European Parliament in
Strasbourg recently.

Britain, France and Germany are opposed to EU economic sanctions in Burma
but Mrs. Kinnock and Mr. Ford asserted that public pressure could eventually
force them to toe the EU line.

Following their talks last Friday, Mrs. Kinnock quoted Mrs. Suu Kyi, the
1991-Nobel Peace Laureate, as saying that EU's axing of GSP privileges and
its push for economic sanctions against Burma will dent SLORC's confidence
and send a clear signal to ASEAN.

"She (Suu Kyi) is very clear that we (EU) should be very strong because the
ASEAN countries would respond accordingly," she said.

"Aung San Suu Kyi is very keen to see the EU and the United States put
pressure on ASEAN, using their leverage to make sure that Burma is not
admitted as full member of the organization," Mr. Ford added.

Last month the European Parliament called on the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations to reject Burma's request to speed up membership to grouping,
saying it could strain the relations between the EU and ASEAN.

Mrs. Kinnock said the relationship between ASEAN and EU should also take
into account human rights issues. (BP)

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

REUTERS:  BRITAIN CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON SUU KYI IN BURMA
November 11, 1996  (abridged)

      LONDON, Nov. 11 (Reuters) - Britain on Monday condemned an attack on
Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's motorcade and said the military
government had to take responsibility.

    The Nobel Peace prize laureate, who was unhurt when stones were thrown at
her motorcade on Saturday afternoon, has said the attack was government
orchestrated.

    The government has said it is investigating the incident.

    But a British foreign office spokesman said on Monday: ``We condemn the
attacks on Aung Sang Suu Kyi and other leaders of the National League for
Democracy in Rangoon on 9 November.

    ``The State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) must take
responsibility for this blatant and crude attempt to intimidate democratic
politicians. It is a deplorable step backwards.

    ``We call on the SLORC to guarantee the safety and freedom of all those
conducting democratic political activities. We again urge them to respond
constructively to calls for dialogue and to prevent further deterioration of
the situation in Burma.''

    Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party said on
Sunday it would not be provoked by Saturday's attack, the first of its kind
against her.

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

REUTERS: JAPAN REGRETS ATTACK ON SUU KYI MOTORCADE
November 11, 1996 (abridged)

    TOKYO, Nov. 11 (Reuters) - Japan voiced regret on Monday over
an attack on Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's
motorcade and said it would call on the military government to
show restraint in dealing with the Nobel laureate.
   
'There had been signs that communications channels between
the (Burmese) government and Suu Kyi were being restored,' top
government spokesman Seiroku Kajiyama told a news conference.
    
'Therefore, it is extremely regrettable that the incident
happened,' he said.
   
'We will continue to ask the Myanmar (Burma) government for
restraint,' Kajiyama said.
    
****************************************************************

REUTERS: U.S. SENATOR URGES BURMA TO TALK WITH SUU KYI
November 11, 1996

    RANGOON, Nov. 11 (Reuters) - A U.S. senator said on Monday
during a visit to Rangoon he had urged Burma's military
government to hold talks with Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu
Kyi and set a deadline for the writing of a new constitution.
   
John McCain, a Republican senator from Arizona, said he met
Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, head of military intelligence and
Secretary One of the ruling State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC), during a one-day visit to the country.
    
'In our meetings we...expressed the American people's belief
that dialogue between Burmese authorities, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and the NLD (National League for Democracy), was indispensable
to progress toward national reconciliation, and should begin
now,' McCain said in a statement upon leaving Rangoon.
    
He did not say what the response was from the government.
    
McCain's statement repeated comments made earlier by U.S.
Charge d'Affairs Kent Wiedemann, and said the United States was
deeply concerned about a weekend attack on Suu Kyi and had asked
for government assurance that the incident would not be
repeated.
    
McCain said he also urged the government to set a timetable
to complete drafting a new constitution, and to hold a 'free and
fair' national referendum.
   
A National Convention of hand-picked delegates has been
meeting intermittently since 1993, at the whim of the SLORC, to
draft guidelines for the constitution.
    
The government has said the convention will reconvene this
year, but did not give a date for when the charter would be
finished.
    
Suu Kyi angered the SLORC last year when she pulled the NLD
out of the convention, saying the process was not democratic and
did not represent the will of the people.
    
The United States has been a leader among Western nations in
its condemnation of the SLORC's suppression of democracy in
Burma and its refusal to hold talks with Suu Kyi.
    
Washington slapped a travel ban prohibiting senior SLORC
officials and their families from visiting the United States.
Burma immediately authorized a reciprocal ban.
    
A senior military official said McCain was allowed to travel
to Rangoon and meet top officials because the SLORC felt his
visit could be helpful to bilateral relations.
    
'We believe whoever comes in with an open mind can help us
work for a better relationship,' the official told Reuters.

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

YONHAP: STH KOREAN GOVT  REGRETS SUU KYI ATTACK
November 11, 1996

   Seoul, Nov. 11 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean government on
Monday expressed a regret over the incident in which a car Mme. Aung San Suu
Kyi was riding was attacked and one of those accompanying her in the car was
injured in Yangon, Myanmar last Saturday.

   In a comment over the incident, a foreign ministry official
said the government hopes there will be no recurrence of a similar
incident.
   
"We hope that democratization will undergo a steady progress in
Myanmar and that the Myanmar government will resolve problems in a
peaceful means through dialogue," the official said.

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

STATEMENT: IPB CALLS FOR PROTESTS AGAINST ATTACK ON ASSK 
November 11, 1996  (abridged)

In the wake of international media reports from Rangoon at the weekend, 
the International Peace Bureau calls on its fellow Nobel Peace Prize 
winners, its 160 member organizations and all democratic governments to 
protest in the strongest possible terms the latest outrages committed by 
the illegal SLORC regime against  Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. On 
Saturday 9 November Ms Suu Kyi and her colleagues were physically 
attacked by a 200-strong mob using stones and iron bars. A man wielding 
a knife attacked the car carrying Suu Kyi, though fortunately she 
herself was not injured.

This alarming incident comes just days before the APEC and ASEAN summits in
Manila and thus ensures that the issue of Burma - always an 
embarrassment for the governments of the region - will be high on the agenda.

IPB urges all friends of democracy to strengthen the trade and 
investment  boycott of the SLORC regime and to continue to insist that 
the SLORC must hand over power to the elected representatives of the Burmese
people.

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

BKK POST: BURMA IS READY TO JOIN SAYS SINGH
November 11, 1996
Rangoon, AP

THE secretary general of the ASEAN said Saturday that Burma appeared to be
well-advanced in making preparations to join the regional body.

Ajit Singh was speaking at a news conference marking the end of a eight-day
visit to assess the country's readiness to join ASEAN.

Burma was granted observer status in the organization this year, and has
applied to become a full member next year.

Normally, applicant countries serve at least two years as observer before
being admitted as full members. Cambodia and Laos are scheduled to be
admitted as full members next year after several years with observer status.

Burma's case is complicated because critics of its military government say
granting it early membership would amount to tactic approval of its
repression of the country's democratic opposition, led by Nobel Peace
laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Singh said his delegation was "pleasantly surprised that Myanmar is fairly
into ASEAN. Myanmar is almost ready and all agreements ASEAN has had,
Myanmar has no difficulty acceding to them."

Myanmar is the official name given Burma by the ruling junta, which took
power in 1988.

Singh said one of Burma's advantages over Cambodia and Laos is that it is a
member of the World Trade Organization, while the other two countries are not.

"There is no language problem, the state of the economy gives the impression
that Myanmar is better prepared and tariffs are low in Myanmar," he said.

Singh said Asean does not interfere in the internal affairs of other
countries and it is cardinal principle. (BP)

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

AFP: BURMA JUNTA OPPONENT ACCEPTS AN INVITATION
November 9-10, 1996

Geneva -- The Burmese opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, accepted an
invitation Friday by the World Council of Churches to a meeting in Rangoon
next week, despite a recent clampdown on her activities by the ruling junta.

A council spokesman said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had accepted the invitation to
attend the Nov. 15-16 roundtable, which will be attended by Burmese church
delegates.

He said the council had not asked the Burmese leadership for authorization
before inviting the opposition leader to their meeting.  But participants
said in a statement that they "hope that the restrictions imposed on her
freedom of movement will be lifted" or that they will be able to meet her at
her home.

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

BUSINESS TIMES MALAYSIA: SHANGRI-LA HOTELS
November 7, 1996

SHANGRI-LA Hotels (M) Bhd's wholly-owned subsidiary, Madarac Corp is
subscribing for 116 shares of 1,000 kyats each of Traders Square Co Ltd,
representing 22.22% of the issued and paid-up capital of Traders Square.
The subscription will have no material effect on the earnings per share and
net tangible assets of the company for the year ending December 31 1996.
Traders Square is a private limited company incorporated in Myanmar for the
purpose of owning and developing international class commercial complex in
Yangon, Myanmar. 

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

REUTERS: BURMA GAS PROJECT ON SCHEDULE - TOTAL
November 11, 1996
By Rajan Moses

    KANBAUK, Burma, Nov 11 (Reuter) - France's Total SA said on Monday that
its controversial $1 billion project to pump gas overland to Thailand from
its Burmese offshore Yadana field was on track and would meet the July, 1998
deadline.

    ``Everything is going on as scheduled and we have no doubt about meeting
the deadline. We believe we can complete all works by July 1998 when
production will commence,'' said Herve Madeo, general manager of Total
Myanmar Exploration and Production.

    He told a group of foreign correspondent visiting Total's facilities at
Kanbauk in southern Burma that so far about 60 percent of the total project
cost had already been utilized.

    The project to extract and pipe gas from the Yadana field in the Andaman
Sea off southern Burma has been dogged by controversy ever since it was
signed with Burma's national oil company Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise
(MOGE) in 1992.

    Total holds a 31.24 percent share in the project to produce gas for 30
years and pipe it through a 409 km off and onshore pipeline to Thailand.

    The other partners are UNOCAL Corp with 28.26 percent, the
Petroleum Authority of Thailand's exploration arm, the PTTEP, with 25.5
percent and MOGE with 15 percent.

    The Yadana gas field is estimated to contain over five trillion cubic
feet of gas. Total said the field was expected to produce 650 MMcf (million
cubic feet) of gas per day of which 525 Mmcf would be piped to Thailand and
another 125 MMcf for domestic Burmese use.

    Human rights groups have accused Total of collaborating with Burma's
ruling military-dominated State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) to
suppress freedom by signing the contract with MOGE.

    They have also accused the firm of damaging the environment and forests
in southern Burma, where the pipeline will run, and being involved in a
project and in area where the SLORC was forcing people to work or relocating
them against their will.

    Total has denied the accusations and said its involvement has been a
purely business proposition.

    On the Thai preparations to meet the pipeline at the Burmese border,
Madeo said ''At the last meeting they informed us that they are on
schedule.''

    Under an agreement, if Thailand does not take delivery for any reason it
still has to pay for the contracted gas.

    When the project comes on stream in mid-1988, revenues will amount to
about $400 million annually of which 50 percent would go to the Burmese
government.

    But Madeo said capital and other expenses will be have to be deducted
until 2001-2002.

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BKK POST: BURMESE SENT BACK OUT OF GOODWILL
November 9, 1996

Thai authorities have sent back three Burmese, two were soldiers, from Mae
Hong Son province in a "goodwill gesture," the Supreme Command said in a
press release yesterday.

The three, who illegally entered Thailand, were  returned to Burma on
Tuesday, which coincided with a visit to Rangoon by Gen Chestha Thanajaro.

The army chief was a special guest of his Burmese counterpart Gen Maung Aye.

The returnees were Captain Kyaw Soe, who was based in Loikaw town in Kayah
State opposite the northern province, his wife Nyunt Yee Hlaing, and Private
Aye Saw Maung, the statement said. (BP)

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