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The BurmaNet News, April 8, 1997
- Subject: The BurmaNet News, April 8, 1997
- From: strider@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 04:07:00
------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
----------------------------------------------------------
The BurmaNet News: April 8, 1997
Issue #688
Noted in Passing:
"Political resistance has become so very much a part of our everyday
existence that on summer nights while I lie awake waiting, for the cool
breeze to come up from the lake, I sometimes wonder what it would be like
for members of the NLD once there is no longer a need to exercise the spirit
of resistance with a grinding perseverance." - Aung San Suu Kyi
(see MAINICHI DAILY NEWS: LETTER FROM BURMA-1997 (3) )
HEADLINES:
==========
MAINICHI DAILY NEWS: LETTER FROM BURMA-1997 (3)
AFP:KAREN REBELS CLAIM SLORC TORCHED 30 VILLAGES
AFP: SENIOR JUNTA OFFICIAL'S DAUGHTER KILLED IN BLAST
ABSDF: PRESS RELEASE ON THE RECENT BOMB BLAST
AFP: COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBERS SURRENDER IN BURMA
WASHINGTON TIMES: NO SANCTIONS FOR BURMA
REUTER: BURMA APPROVES $2.81 BLN FOREIGN INVESTMENT
THE NIKKEI WEEKLY: UNCERTAIN FUTURE IN MYANMAR
DOW JONES BUSINESS NEWS: HYUNDAI TO SHIP UREA
THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR: NEWS BRIEFS
*****************************************************
MAINICHI DAILY NEWS: LETTER FROM BURMA-1997 (3)
April 7, 1997
By Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Summer in Burma is the months of March and April, when the temperature
creeps up steadily, sapping strength and snapping tempers. The air is
redolent with the scent of jasmines and mango trees begin to put forth tiny
green fruit, hard and sour, best eaten with a dip of salty fish sauce and
hot powdered chillies. Summer is also the time when we start preparing for
our New Year which takes place in mid-April and those who believe in
astrology, which is to say the majority of the Burmese people, study
predictions for the coming 12 months. Last year, I wrote of the way in which
the authorities took steps to prevent the National League for Democracy
(NLD) from carrying out Buddhist ceremonies in
accordance with our New Year traditions. The result was that a ceremony for
paying respect to elders planned by members of our party had to take place
in the middle of the street near a cross-roads. Writing of this episode I
concluded that "it seemed an omen that the NLD would not lack public
attention during the coming year." Looking back, this remark seems
remarkably prophetic, a prediction that would do any astrologer credit. Over
the past year we have received an inordinate amount of attention from the
authorities as well as from the media and the public.
Hardly a day goes by without an article or two in the state-controled
newspapers vilifying me or other leaders of the NLD or the supposed
activities of the party. Every time there is a sign of public unrest or
opposition to the military government, or a controversial incident, or an
undesirable situation of any kind, it is promptly attributed by the
authorities to the NLD. Rising prices, student demonstrations, a bomb going
off in the inner sanctum of a sacred relic, communal conflict, even an
attack on NLD leaders by hooligans obviously operating in collaboration with
official security forces, the authorities do no hesitate to point an
insinuating finger at our party. The government either has an extremely high
regard for our abilities or has ceased to be concerned with the truth in its
obsessive desire to attack the democratic opposition.
Summer in Burma is not a gentle season of balmy breezes and soft
sunshine. It is a harsh season when the heat beats down on a drained and
desiccated land. It is also a season for riots and revolutions, perhaps
because people's tolerance wears thin when the temperature starts to soar.
And this makes it the season for focusing on the NLD.
The most significant events this summer so far have taken place in
Mandalay, Burma is a land of rumor. A country where there is no freedom of
expression becomes a land of rumor, a society where the merest wisp of what
appears to be news of national importance is grasped with desperation by a
people starved of information. Sometimes there is little substance to the
whispered stories and the tea shop talk that spread around town as quickly
as one acquaintance can catch the eye and capture the ear of another. But
sometimes there is solid fact behind what at first appears to be just a
piece of frothy gossip.
The first intimation that something was amiss in the last bastion of the
Burmese monarchy came when rumors of strange happenings at the Mahamyatmuni
Shrine began to trickle down to Rangoon. It was said that the breast of the
sacred image had been riven in two. While people were still debating on such
a possibility and the implications of so distressing an omen, word came out
that the monks of Mandalay were making an enquiry into a large crack -- some
said a gaping hole -- that had appeared in the thick gold with which
devotees had encrusted the image over the centuries. Fast on the heels of
the news about the enquiry we heard that monks in Mandalay had ransacked
mosques because a Buddhist girl was assaulted by a Muslim man.
Traditionally, Buddhist and Muslims in Mandalay have maintained
harmonious relations and this sudden eruption of hostilities was a surprise
to many. But it was no surprise when we heard there had been attempts by the
authorities to place the communal tensions at the door of the NLD. According
to an official Information Sheet, "it is very much regretful to learn that
some elements who are bent on creating unrest in the country exploited the
situation and managed to agitate some of the Buddhist religious communities
in Mandalay to attack Muslim communities and some mosques. On the surface,
it seems like a religious clash but it is actually very much politically
motivated." I quite agree that the communal conflicts were probably
orchestrated by those with political motives of some kind but I can say with
absolute confidence and a clean conscience that the NLD has nothing to do
with dirty politics of that ilk.
Although generally referred to as "the opposition," the NLD is the party
that has received the mandate of the people of Burma through free and fair
elections, and we have a status to uphold as well as a responsibility to
resist injustice and tyranny and all moves aimed at obstructing a strong
united democratic movement.
Summer is a season when the spirit of resistance seems to revive in the
full glare of the sun. Resistance ... a term evocative of grit and
determination, risk and sacrifice. Every society which has felt the rough
yoke of injustice will understand the need to cultivate that part of human
nature that refuses to accept meekly whatever oppressors and fate might
decide to dole out.
27 March 1945 was the day when Burma rose up in resistance against
fascist military rule. This year once again we celebrated the spirit of
justified resistance by recalling the events of more than half a century ago
when the people of our country decided unitedly that it was time to put an
end of a cruel, unjust system. Among the members of the NLD today, there are
veterans of the independence movement, people who entered politics as young
students demonstrating against colonial rule and who went on to fight for
freedom enter on the civilian front or as soldiers in the Burma
Independence Army, the Burma Defense Army of the Patriotic Burmese Forces,
precursors of the present day armed forces of Burma. That there men, no
longer young but still firm of purpose, are with us today in the struggle to
gain for our people the full rights due to citizens of an independent nation
is a matter of great pride for our party and a source of inspiration for our
people. But it is also a matter of shame for our country that there is still
a need for the generation that fought for independence to continue to labor
for the nation of their dreams. At this time of their lives they should have
the right to look back on their achievements with calm satisfaction as they
watch their grandchildren grow to adulthood in an ordered, prosperous society.
Political resistance has become so very much a part of our everyday
existence that on summer nights while I lie awake waiting, for the cool
breeze to come up from the lake, I sometimes wonder what it would be like
for members of the NLD once there is no longer a need to exercise the spirit
of resistance with a grinding perseverance. Will they be completely taken up
with the task of reconciliation and reconstruction? or will they suddenly
feel the vacuum of a lack of dangerous challenge and acquire a burning
desire to conquer unscaled mountain peaks and plumb unexplored ocean depths
to mop up their excess energy? After so many years of constant peril, it
would be a pleasure to see our people indulging in such relatively safe
activities.
(This series of "Letter from Burma" appears in the Mainichi Daily News
on the first Monday of each month. The Japanese translation of the column
appears in the Mainichi Shimbun on the same day.)
*******************************************
AFP:KAREN REBELS CLAIM SLORC TORCHED 30 VILLAGES
April 7, 1997
BANGKOK, April 7 (AFP) - Burmese government forces targetting
Karen National Union (KNU) guerrillas have torched 30 villages in a
"cruel" drive that is terrorising ethnic Karens and other people, a
senior KNU official said Monday.
KNU joint first general secretary Mahn Sha said junta troops were
burning settlements and rice supplies as they tried to flush out
rebel guerrillas in eastern Burma.
"They've burned about 30 villages. It's not just operations against
the KNU, but against Karen people and all people inside Burma,"
he told AFP by telephone from the Thai border.
He said the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), as the junta is
known, was undertaking a "very cruel" campaign through northern Papun
district, in the KNU's Fifth Brigade area, where the villages are located.
In a press release received here, the KNU named villages burned down and
detailed dozens of rice barns and thousands of baskets of paddy destroyed
since mid-February.
Papun is one of several isolated regions in central and eastern Burma where
the KNU, the only major ethnic insurgency yet to reach a ceasefire with the
SLORC, maintains guerrilla resistance but holds no fixed territory.
Another rebel source said the junta had deployed an extra nine battalions in
Papun, bringing the total in the region to 15 battalions.
Mahn Sha said that junta forces were still conducting operations
throughout all KNU areas, amid continuing clashes with KNU guerrillas.
The KNU has lost territorial control of the enclaves it formerly held
in its Sixth and Fourth Brigade areas, since thousands of SLORC
troops began a sweep along Burma's mountainous eastern frontier
with Thailand nearly two months ago.
An estimated 20,000 Karens have fled to Thailand during the
offensive, bringing to more than 90,000 the number of Karens
now sheltering in Thai camps after fleeing military rule in Burma.
***************************************
AFP: SENIOR JUNTA OFFICIAL'S DAUGHTER KILLED IN BLAST
April 7, 1997
RANGOON, April 7 (AFP) - A parcel bomb exploded at the home of
Lieutenant General Tin Oo, a top general in Burma's ruling junta,
killing his eldest daughter, diplomats and officials said Monday.
The bomb went off Sunday night in the bedroom of the general's
wife, Khin Than Nwe, who was absent at the time, a source close
to the family told AFP, adding that Tin Oo had been present in the
house but was not injured.
The daughter, Cho Le Oo, 33, was speaking on the telephone in the room and
took the full force of the blast, the source added.
Tin Oo is second secretary of the junta, officially known as the
State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), as well as army
chief of staff and head of the bureau of special operations.
An information sheet from military intelligence confirmed the "terrorist
bomb explosion" and the death of Tin Oo's daughter. It did not say who the
government believed was responsible for the attack, saying only that an
initial investigation revealed the explosive was a parcel bomb.
The US Embassy said it had received confirmation from "competent
authorities" that a parcel bomb was responsible for the blast.
People living in the vicinity reported a large explosion at around
8:30 p.m. (1400 GMT Sunday). Security was immediately reinforced around the
compound.
The family source said Cho Le Oo had received a telephone call
asking if she had found some mail from Japan, where several
members of her family were visiting, among a stack of unopened
letters and parcels in her mother's room.
Finding a package with Japanese stamps on it, she opened it and
set off the explosive device, the source said.
Cho Le Oo was married to an army major and had one son and
one daughter, the source said. Her funeral is due to be held on
Tuesday.
The bombing came amid stricter security in the capital ahead of
celebrations in the run-up to Burmese New Year on April 17,
following nationwide unrest marked by a score of attacks against
mosques and other Moslem property.
Diplomatic sources in Rangoon said that there were a large number of
soldiers around Tin Oo's compound but that the situation in the rest of the
capital appeared to be normal given the current security alert.
There was no official indication of who might be responsible for
the explosion, but some sources said suspicion had fallen on
ethnic guerrillas of the Karen National Union (KNU).
Tin Oo toured captured KNU bases in southern Burma last week in
the region of Minthamee, near the border with Thailand.
The KNU has said it would consider terrorist action against strategic
military targets in Burmese towns following a massive SLORC offensive
through its enclaves close to the Thai border which began in February.
However, Mahn Sha, KNU joint first general secretary, denied that
the rebel group was responsible for the attack.
Reached by AFP's Bangkok bureau at the Thai border, Mahn Sha said he
believed the blast was the result of internal differences within the SLORC.
Other analysts speculated that the attack could have been launched
by Moslem extremists, seeking retribution for a spate of anti-Moslem attacks
by Buddhist monks across the country last month.
The use of a sophisticated device such as a parcel bomb was beyond the
experience of ethnic opposition groups, one Rangoon-based analyst said.
"It is inconsistent with any terrorist practice in Burma's political
history," the analyst said. "The most intriguing speculation would be Moslem
extremists."
While the government blamed last month's unrest on agitators, many analysts
believe the SLORC had a hand in fuelling the violence, which was ostensibly
sparked by an alleged attempted rape of a Buddhist girl by a Moslem man.
************************************
ABSDF: PRESS RELEASE ON THE RECENT BOMB BLAST
April 7, 1997
ABSDF has received information that a bomb exploded in the Rangoon
residence of General Tin Oo, Secretary No. 2 of the State Law and Order
Restoration Council, on the night of April 6th, 1997.
We the ABSDF would like to state that we had no involvement whatsoever in
this incident. We do not believe that terrorist acts of this nature will
bring about a lasting solution to Burma's political problems. We believe
that dialogue between the Slorc, democratic forces led by Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi and ethnic representatives is the most effective means to solve the
country's political problems by peaceful means.
Since members of the Slorc first entered cease-fire negotiations with
Burma's armed ethnic opposition groups in 1989, an internal division began
to form within the ruling junta. Two powerful factions have emerged; a
military group led by General Maung Aye, Chief Commander of the Army, of
which General Tin Oo is a member, and a military intelligence group led by
General Khin Nyunt.
Although both factions seek to perpetuate military rule within Burma
indefinitely, they disagree on the most effective means to do this.
According to reliable sources in Rangoon, the two main points of
contention relate to Asean membership, and the negotiation of cease-fire
agreements with the ethnic minority opposition groups. General Maung Aye's
group is against Burma joining Asean, and would prefer to force the ethnic
opposition to surrender unconditionally.
We the ABSDF believe that, due to the level of security which surrounds
General Tin Oo, yesterday's bomb blast could only have been carried out by
someone within the Slorc. We therefore consider this incident to be a
clear indication of an escalating power struggle within the ruling Burmese
junta.
Once again, we urge all members of the Slorc to realise that dialogue with
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and ethnic representatives presents the most humane and
practical solution to Burma's political crisis.
Central Committee
ABSDF
**********************************
AFP: COMMUNIST PARTY MEMBERS SURRENDER IN BURMA
April 7, 1997
BANGKOK, April 7 (AFP) - Nearly 300 former members of the
Communist Party Burma (BCP) active in the country's western
Rakhine State have surrendered to ruling Burmese military
authorities, official Burmese radio reported Monday.
A total of 289 BCP members, including family members, led by Saw Tun Oo,
Chairman of the BCP's Rakhine region gave up earlier to immigration
headquarters in the western Burmese border town of Maungdaw with a number of
assorted arms and ammunition, Radio Rangoon said in a dispatch monitored here.
At the welcoming ceremony, held in Mongdaw township Monday
morning, Saw Tun Oo said his group had decided to end their
guerrilla operations in exchange for Rangoon's pledge of
development assistance, according to the radio.
The ceremony was presided over by Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, powerful
secretary general of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC),
and Major General Aung Htwe, commander of the Rakhine region army, it said.
BCP and ethnic-based armed groups have been fighting against central
governments in Rangoon since Burma gained independence from Britain in 1948.
******************************************
WASHINGTON TIMES: NO SANCTIONS FOR BURMA, EVEN AS RIGHTS WOES WORSEN
April 5, 1997
Warren P. Strobel and Tiffany Danitz
HEADLINE: No sanctions for Burma, even as rights woes worsen;
Clinton decides on policy with deadlines for change
President Clinton has decided not to impose economic sanctions on
Burma's military regime for now, despite Rangoon's worsening human rights
record and failure to control drug trafficking, U.S. officials said yesterday.
Instead, Mr. Clinton is embracing a middle-of-the-road policy that
would combine new steps against the regime, known as the State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC), with a deadline for changing its behavior or
face U.S. sanctions, the officials said.
The president's decision - which officials cautioned is not yet final -
comes after a long internal administration debate between those who believe
the United States must get tough with Burma and those who argue that
sanctions would be futile without broader international backing.
"I wouldn't look for them [sanctions] real soon," said an administration
official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
"A continuation of the upward slope of pressure against the Burmese
regime is what he's called for," the official said. "The president has
given them a two-minute warning."
Another official said Mr. Clinton is expected to make a final decision
soon and has been prodded into action by recent SLORC actions against
Burmese monks in the city of Mandalay and a military offensive against the
Karen ethnic people along Burma's borders.
Mr. Clinton's expected action will disappoint a bipartisan coalition of
lawmakers and pro-democracy activists, whose criticism is supported by the
State Department's most recent human rights report on the generals who
seized power in 1988 and annulled elections two years later.
In a letter to Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright last month, Sen.
Mitch McConnell warned against further half-steps.
"On four occasions, including your own visit, tough American ultimatums
were issued only to be tested by SLORC. Our ultimatums were immediately
followed by arrests, torture and deaths of democracy supporters. I do not
want to risk more lives with empty threats," the Kentucky Republican wrote.
A Republican operative who specializes on Burma said this course would
be another example of appeasing dictators and terrorists. "Clinton caved on
Cuba sanctions, lifted sanctions to allow oil companies to cut deals with
terrorist states and now Burma's democracy movement has been victimized by
Clinton's policy," the operative said.
The United States repeatedly has warned the regime about its behavior -
which includes a crackdown on dissidents, torture, mistreatment of ethnic
minorities and reports of forced labor - but has taken only minor steps
against the regime, such as barring visas for the generals last year.
Congress last year passed a watered-down version of legislation
sponsored by Mr. McConnell that would give the president the discretion to
ban U.S. investment in Burma if the SLORC "physically harmed, rearrested
for political acts or exiled [pro-democracy leader] Aung San Suu Kyi or has
committed large scale repression or violence against the democratic opposition."
Administration officials have argued for weeks over whether the
conditions in the legislation have been met.
"It's on the cusp of a clear case. But it's not a clear case that sanctions
need to be imposed at this point," the U.S. official said.
Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom remains constricted. The regime continues to
monitor and harass dissidents, and in February, the Burmese military
attacked camps of the Karen, an ethnic minority strung along the Thai border.
"After 2,000 arrests, this vicious attack on ethnic civilian communities,
Aung San Suu Kyi's virtual house arrest, threats against her life, the torture
and murder of her supporters, what precisely is the threshold for the
conditions of the bill being met and the President imposing sanctions?" Mr.
McConnell asked in his letter.
Many officials acknowledge that, if SLORC is given a deadline of, say,
60 days, it is unlikely to change its behavior.
***************************************
REUTER: BURMA APPROVES $2.81 BLN IN FOREIGN INVESTMENT
April 4, 1997
BANGKOK, April 4 (Reuter) - Burma said on Friday it approved $2.81 billion
in foreign investment projects during the fiscal year ended March 31, 1997,
against $668.2 million a year ago and $1.35 billion during 1994/95.
The Burmese Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development said
proposed direct foreign investment from late 1988 to end-March this year
totalled $6.05 billion in 247 projects. Of this total, $2.13 billion or 34
projects were in the petroleum and natural gas sector and $1.12 billion or
82 projects in manufacturing.
Unocal Corp <UCL.N>, Total <TOTF.PA>, Texaco Inc <TX.N> and Atlantic
Richfield Co <ARC.N> are major foreign oil companies currently developing
joint venture offshore gas fields in Burma.
Other industries attracting major foreign investment in the period from 1988
until end-March were real estate, accounting for $874.9 million in 14
projects and hotels and tourism, $762.6 million in 39 projects.
A national planning ministry official estimated that about 60 percent of
planned foreign investment projects were implemented.
****************************************
THE NIKKEI WEEKLY: UNCERTAIN FUTURE IN MYANMAR
March 31, 1997
Potential. That is the word one hears most often from Japanese executives
who describe the business climate in Myanmar.
"They have great potential, including many natural resources and cheap
labor," says Satoru Takahashi, the Bank of Tokyo-`Mitsubishi's chief
representative in Rangoon.
But the down side for investors, apart from political tensions linked to the
ruling military junta, is an old problem: weak infrastructure.
Executives say that poor port conditions and high transportation costs
prevent companies from Investing in production facilities in Myanmar.
"New factories will rely on imported parts," said banker Takahashi.
"Reliable supplies will be essential."
A joint effort involving investors from Singapore and Hong Kong is building
a new container port across the river from Rangoon which may be in operation
by the end of 1997, but traders still face such obstacles as poor roads,
antiquated train lines and unreliable water networks.
Japanese direct investment in Myanmar from 1991 to 1995 was only $71.5
million, compared to about $250 million for U.S. firms during the same
period. But last year every major Japanese city bank established a
representative office in Rangoon, obviously betting on the country's potential.
Another chief obstacle, cling to industry sources, is that Myanmar hasn't
enacted financial reforms to ease currency convertibility and to make hard
currency available to repay offshore borrowings.
Among existing investment plans, one of the most ambitious, drafted by
Mitsui & Co., envisions a scheme to use supplies of natural gas from the
Gulf of Martaban to produce fertilizer and electrical power.
In other deals, Sumitomo Corp. signed a 10-million deal to improve Myanmar's
telecommunications system, while state owned Myanmar Heavy Industries and
Mazda Motor Corp. have agreed to produce Mazda brand commercial vehicles.
Mitsui is also building an industrial estate near the Rangoon airport, but
analysts say that unless large scale infrastructure projects are realized,
Myanmar's potential may not be realized.
Hydropower is the country's most abundant resource. About 37,000 MW in
potential hydropower resources have been identified, but the actual
electricity base in Myanmar is tiny compared to neighboring Thailand and
southern provinces in China.
This weakness also presents opportunities for power developers. The country
hopes to attract foreign investments in power plants aiming to sell
electricity to Thailand.
**********************************************************
DOW JONES BUSINESS NEWS: HYUNDAI TO SHIP UREA FERTILIZER TO BURMA
April 3, 1997
SEOUL -- South Korea's Hyundai Corp. (Q.HYN), the trading arm of leading
conglomerate Hyundai Group, said Thursday it agreed on a
two-year contract with Burma government officials to ship urea fertilizer.
Under the agreement, Hyundai will supply to Burma 100,000 tons of urea
fertilizer manufactured by Namhae Chemical Co., South Korea's largest
fertilizer maker, each year starting in 1998.
In addition, Hyundai signed a memorandum of understanding with the Burma
officials to set up fertilizer packaging and blending plants in Burma.
Details on the projects have yet to decided, a Hyundai official added.
Earlier, Hyundai agreed to ship 80,000 tons of fertilizer to Burma this year.
Stocks of Hyundai Corp. ended unchanged at 13,700 won on a volume of 184,470
shares.
*************************************
THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR: NEWS BRIEFS
April 2, 1997
PRIME MINISTER OF LPDR MR KHAMTAY SIPHANDONE AND MADAME THONGVANH SIPHANDONE
AND DELEGATION CONCLUDE VISIT
YANGON, 1 April - Prime Minister of Lao People's Democratic Republic Mr
Khamtay Siphandone and Madame Thongvanh Siphandone and delegation, who were
in Myanmar at the invitation of Chairman of the State Law and Order
Restoration Council and Prime Minister Senior General Than Shwe and Daw
Kyaing Kyaing, left here yesterday morning and arrived at Tachilek Airport
in eastern Shan State at 10.15 am yesterday.
__________________________________
MERLION INTER-TRADE CO CHAIRMAN CALLS ON MINISTER FOR HOTELS AND TOURISM
YANGON, 1 April-Chairman of Merlion Inter-trade Co Ltd Mr Drake Poh and
party called on Member of the State Law and Order Restoration
council Minister for Hotels and Tourism Lt-Gen Kyaw Ba at his office
at noon today. They discussed construction of a world-class hotel and resort
on Palu Jitan and Palu Nyai islands Kawthoung District with the investment
of $ 40 million.
__________________________________________
KMB OFFICIALS CALL ON MIC SECRETARY
YANGON, 1 April-Director Mr Joned Yasin of Kulim Malaysia Berhad Co Ltd
and party called on Secretary of Myanmar Investment Commission
Minister at the Office of Deputy Prime Minister Brig-Gen Maung Maung
at the office of MIC this morning. They discussed establishment of rubber
plantations and production of rubber products.
_____________________________________
MYANMAR DELEGATION ARRIVES BACK FROM INDONESIA, VIETNAM
YANGON, 1 April - Myanmar delegation led by Minister for Commerce
Lt-Gen Tun Kyi arrived-back here after visiting Indonesia and Vietnam at the
invitation of Mr Tungki Ariwibowo, Minister of Industry and Trade of the
Republic of Indonesia and Mr Le Van Triet, Minister of
Trade of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
**********************************
THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (3 April, 1997 )
MINISTER FOR H & T RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF TAWAN E SAN CO LTD
YANGON, 2 April - Member of the State Law and Order Restoration
Council Minister for Hotels and Tourism Lt-Gen Kyaw Ba received
President Mr Serewong-Somying of Tawan E San Co Ltd, Thailand, at his
office at 2 pm today. They discussed construction of state-level hotel and
resort in Tachilek Township.
____________________________________
PRC GOODWILL DELEGATION ARRIVES
YANGON, 2 April - At the invitation of Chairman of Yangon City
Development Committee Mayor U Ko Lay, a goodwill delegation led by
Chairman of Kunming Municipal Committee Mr Zhang Chaohui of the People's
Political Consultant Conference of the People's Republic of China,
arrived here by air this afternoon.
**************************************
THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (4 April, 1997)
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES PRESIDENT OF DAIMEX INC
YANGON, 3 April Member of the State Law and Order Restoration Council
Deputy Prime Minister Chairman of Myanmar Investment Commission Vice-Admiral
Maung Maung Khin received President of Daimex Inc Mr S Takenaga and party of
Japan at his office this afternoon.
They discussed investment matters.
___________________________________
SECRETARY-2, MINISTERS MEET TATMADAWMEN, REGIONAL AUTHORITIES, DEPARTMENTAL
OFFICIALS IN DAWEI
YANGON, 3 April - Secretary-2 of the State Law and Order Restoration
Council Chief of Bureau of Special Operations Chief of Staff (Army) Lt-Gen
Tin Oo met the Tatmadawmen and families, regional authorities and
departmental officials and personnel in Dawei today.
They next flew to Hteehta camp of KNU No 7 battalion where they were
welcomed by Commander of No 55 LID Brig-Gen Than Tun and military
officers.
The LID Commander explained to them the situation of capturing the
camp and mopping up operations in the area.
The Secretary-2 and party flew back to Dawei.
At Heinda Yeiktha in Dawei, they inspected the arms and ammunition
and other equipment seized from Minthamee camp of KNU No 4 brigade,
Kamawthawt camp and Hteehta camp.
This morning, Lt-Gen Tin Oo inspected the site designated for
extended construction works.
Later, he met the Tatmadawmen and families of the regional battalions
and units of Dawei Station at the regional battalion hall.
He spoke of the need for the Tatmadaw to execute its three main
duties-national defence, training and perpetual service of the people with
committed resolve so as to be able to implement the 12 political, economic
and social objectives upholding Our Three Main National Causes.
Only where there is peace and tranquillity in border areas will
regional development tasks be carried out effectively, he said, urging the
Tatmadawmen to pay serious attention to welfare and consolidation of the
units and battalions.
They explained to them the tasks being carried out by the respective
ministries and programmes for regional development.
The Secretary-2 later spoke of the national economic progress and
political situation and called for cooperation of the public for peace,
security and development in the region.
The Secretary-2 and party left for Dawei at 10 am.
_________________________________
MINISTERS, COMMANDER INSPECT MANDALAY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PROJECT
YANGON, 3 April Minister for Transport Lt-Gen Thein Win, accompanied by
Director-General of Department of Civil Aviation U Tin Aye, inspected
extension of apron at BaganNyaungU Airport this morning.
At the Mandalay International Airport Project Office, the ministers and
party heard reports on laying of second layer of the runway presented by
Project Manager U Boon Kyi and officials and construction of the airport
terminal by Mr Hank Edarnura of Italian Thai Co.
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MINISTER FOR HOTELS AND TOURISM RECEIVES JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHERS OF ASAHI
KOSOKU PRINTING CO
YANGON, 3 April Minister for Hotels and Tourism Lt-Gen Kyaw Ba
received Photographer Mr Masayuki Hiraoka of Asahi Kosoku Printing Co
Ltd of Japan and party at his office this morning. Mr Hiraoka spoke of his
trip to take photos of tourist attractions in Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan for
tourism publications of Seichi Travels Co of Japan and expressed gratitude
for Myanmar people's hospitality during his trip.
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MLFDB, GLOBAL COMMERCIAL BANK OF CAMBODIA SIGN MOU TO SET UP JV BANK
YANGON, 3 April Chairman of Chinfon Group Dr Shi H Huang and party of
Cambodia called on Minister for Commerce Lt-Gen Tun Kyi at Sedona Hotel on
Kaba Aye Pagoda Road this evening. They discussed joint establishment of a
bank by Myanma Livestock and Fisheries Development Bank Ltd and Global
Commercial Bank of Cambodia on profit-sharing basis, bilateral trade and
investment. Then, a memorandum of understanding on establishment of a
joint-venture bank was signed by MLFDB Ye Tun and Chairman of GCB of
Cambodia Mr Albert Chen.
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THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR ( 5 April 1997)
MERCANTILE MARINE CADET COURSE CD/24 CONCLUDES
YANGON, 4 April - A ceremony to mark the conclusion of Mercantile
Marine Cadet Course CD/24 and opening of Course CD/ 25 was held at the
Institute of Marine Technology of the Ministry of Transport this morning,
attended by Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council
Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt. In his address- Minister for Transport Lt-Gen Thein Win
said opening of a new course at the conclusion of the previous one is a
significant aspect and it shows the ministry's seriousness for
continuous training and recruitment.
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K 500M WINPHANON DAM IN MON STATE WILL IRRIGATE 13,500 ACRES, PRODUCE MORE
YANGON, 4 April Secretary-2 of the State Law and Order Restoration
Council Lt-Gen Tin Oo inspected development in Kayin State yesterday and
attended a ceremony to launch implementation of Winphanon Dam
Construction Project in Mudon Township in Mon State today. They were
welcomed there by Chairman of Mon State Law and Order Restoration Council
Commander of South-East Command Maj-Gen Ket Sein, Secretary of Kayin
State Law and Order Restoration Council Lt-Col Kyaw Yin and officials
concerned. Commander Maj-Gen Ket Sein briefed the Secretary-2 on measures
for development of Kya-in-Seikkyi Township. The Secretary-2 and party left
for Azin Village in the township. Commander of No 44 Light Infantry Division
Brig-Gen Ohn Myint briefed the Secretary-2 on Azin Village and its environs,
local residents and requirements for regional development.
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VICE-PRESIDENT OF FNCCI CALLS ON MINISTER FOR COMMERCE
YANGON, 4 April-vice-president Mr Pradeep Kumar Shrestha of
Federation of Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Industry and party
called on Minister for Commerce Lt-Gen Tun Kyi at his office this
afternoon. They were accompanied by Ambassador of Nepal Mr Satchit Shumshere
J B Rana. The minister and the guests discussed trade and promotion of
tourism industry between the two countries.
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THE NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR (6, Sunday April, 1997)
SECRETARY-2 MEETS LAHU AND LISHAW NATIONALS
YANGON, 5 April-Secretary-2 of the State Law and Order Restoration
Council Lt-Gen Tin Oo met Lahu and Lishaw nationals of southern Shan
State, currently here on an excursion tour, at Yannyeinaye Hall of No 1
Combat Organizing Training School in Mayangon Township this morning.
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MINISTER FOR COOPERATIVES RECEIVES PROFESSOR OF PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
YANGON, S April -Minister for Cooperatives U Than Aung received
Professor of Ship Engineering Research Institute, Wuhan Transportation
University, Mr Gao Xiao Hong and party of PRC at his office this morning.
They discussed mutual cooperation in the cooperative sector. Head of Office
U Hla Kyu, Chairman of Yangon Cartel of Cooperative Syndicates Daw Wa Wa
Tun and officials were also present.
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English : http://www.myanmar.com/nlm/
German: http://www.myanmar.com/nlm/gnlm/
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