Recent Burma News from Japan

[brelief@xxxxxxx]

The New Observer, May 1997

Recent Burma News from Japan

On April 6 a package bomb exploded at the home of a top SLORC member,
killing his daughter but allegedly leaving him unharmed. SLORC blamed Japan
based dissidents for the blast, but in a statement issued in Tokyo the
following day, the Joint Action Committee, a coalition of four Burmese
pro-democracy groups, denied responsibility and speculated that the incident
reflected a power struggle within the military clique. In fact, some
activists here consider SLORC's accusations to be a compliment in disguise:
By urging Japanese police to investigate the pro-democracy groups, the junta
may be trying to curb growing support in Japan for Aung San Suu Kyi and the
Burmese democracy movement. 
Some possible causes for SLORC's concern: 

* The December launch of the People's Forum on Burma (Biruma Shimin Forum),
the first Burmese pro-democracy group with large Japanese participation. The
Forum marshalls the talents of academics, journalists, lawyers, political
activists and other Burma watchers and has two main aims: to promote Burmese
democracy issues with the Japanese public and Diet members and to provide
assistance ranging from Japanese lessons to legal aid to Burmese activists
in Japan. 

* On March 10-11, members of the Norway based International Network of
Political Leaders Promoting Democracy in Burma (PD Burma) held a meeting in
Tokyo to share their concerns and to map a strategy for future joint action.
Parliamentarians from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, India, Malaysia,
the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and the Philippines attended. PD Burma was
launched in Geneva in April 1996 and its membership includes three
councilors from the Japanese Diet. In Japan PD Burma is regularly
translating and distributing valuable information about Burma in Japanese.
(For more information about PD Burma, call Schu Sugawara at (03) 3485~819.) 

Some activists here were concerned that SLORC might use the explosion as an
excuse to disrupt "Thingyan", the Burmese water festival organized each year
by Burma Youth Volunteer Association. Fortunately, the festival, held on
April 13 in Nakano, proceeded without incident, and BYVA raised hundreds of
thousands of yen to support pro-democracy activities in Japan and along
Burma's borders. 

The New Observer
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