News from The Straits Times, South

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Subject: News from The Straits Times, South China's Morning Post, Far     Eastern Economic Re

July 1st, 1997.
The Straits Times
THAI JUDGE SACKED: A Thai senior judge was sacked yesterday for granting 
bail to a drug suspect who was wanted in the United States but fled to 
Myanmar after he was freed. 

Deputy Chief Justice Somchai Udomwong was sacked by a Justice Ministry 
committee for granting bail to Li Yun Chung in February. Li was facing 
extradition for his suspected role in a shipment of 486 kg of heroin to 
California in 1991, and fled to Myanmar after he was released on bail. 
-- AFP.

Far Eastern Economic Review
July 3rd, 1997.
BURMA
EU vs. Massachusetts
The EU has submitted a formal complaint to the World Trade Organization 
against the U.S. over a Massachusetts law which bars state-government 
contracts for U.S. or foreign companies doing business with Burma. The 
vice-president of the European Commission, Leon Brittan, wrote to U.S. 
Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky that the EU "had no other 
option to pursue this case, since the state of Massachusetts is not 
making any effort to change its law."


Hong Kong Standard
Singapore government leaders face pay cuts

SINGAPORE: Singapore's cabinet ministers and senior civil servants, 
among the highest paid in the world, will get smaller salaries from 
Tuesday in line with a drop in private sector paycheques. 

The monthly cuts will range from 2 per cent for top bureaucrats to 7 per 
cent for members of Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's cabinet. 

Mr Goh earns S$66,900 dollars (US$47,113) per month, and his predecessor 
and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew takes home S$81,800 (US$57,606). 

Mr Goh earns less because he exempted himself from salary increases 
passed at his urging in 1995 to draw private sector talent into the top 
levels of government. 

The monthly salaries of other cabinet members now range between S$36,700 
and S$59,000 (US$25,845 and 41,549), plus bonuses and car allowance. 

>From 1 July, the monthly salary of a relatively junior minister would be 
reduced to S$36,200 dollars (US$25,493) and a senior civil servant to 
S$12,900 (US$9,085). 

Announced several months ago, the cuts became necessary because 
Singapore applies free-market philosophy in calculating the salaries of 
government leaders, tying them to those of top level professionals in 
six fields: banking, manufacturing, accounting, engineering, law and 
multinational business. 

The pay cuts will affect about 375 officials, a government spokesman 
said. 

Singapore's leaders say high salaries are necessary to attract talented 
people to work for the government rather than for the private sector, 
and to prevent ministers and officials from becoming corrupt. 

International surveys have consistently rated this city-state of 3 
million people as a corruption-free haven in Asia. 

``We need dedicated and committed ministers, but we cannot require them 
in today's social climate to sacrifice like Mother Theresa,'' Senior 
Minister Lee said last year in a major speech aimed at placating 
Singaporeans frustrated at the rising cost of living. 

The average annual per capita income of Singapore is S$24,000. _ AP

South China Morning Post
Tuesday  July 1  1997

Cambodia 
Asean throws lifeline to future member 



AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE 
Updated at 6.45pm:
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Tuesday threw a 
lifeline to future member Cambodia, offering to help run its general 
elections next year to prevent it sliding back to civil war.

At an informal meeting in Hong Kong to address the organisation's growth 
pains, Asean foreign ministers also addressed matters related to the 
other two candidate members - military-ruled Burma and fellow economic 
backwater Laos, the ministers said.

Asean sent Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi on a fact-finding 
mission to the three nations last month, and on Tuesday current members 
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and 
Vietnam voiced apprehension over developments in Phnom Penh.

''We discussed his report extensively, including possible types of 
assistance which Cambodia might need to help them in their present 
difficulties,'' Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon said.

Mr Abdullah recalled Asean's key role in a 1991 United Nations-brokered 
accord which ended the Cambodian civil war, ''so naturally we are 
concerned and have told them so''.

However he insisted that Cambodia's internal situation did not 
jeopardise its Asean membership.

Rival followers of Cambodia's First Prime Minister Prince Norodom 
Ranariddh and Second Prime Minister Hun Sen engaged in a firefight last 
month that left two people dead in the capital.

A March 30 grenade blast in Phnom Penh left 20 people killed and 150 
injured at an anti-government demonstration, an attack blamed by the 
Washington Post, quoting a US Federal Bureau of Investigation report, on 
Hun Sen supporters.

''We know why it's happening - because elections (are) coming so most 
parties are most anxious to get influence and to do whatever they can to 
enhance the chances of their respective leaders, perhaps to gain as many 
seats as possible,'' Mr Abdullah said.

Ranariddh has said elections would be held in May 1998. Mr Abdullah said 
they would be the first which the country would be conducting by itself 
- the 1993 polls were organised by the United Nations.

''We in Asean have enough experience'' in elections, he said. ''If we 
can help by offering them some training, then that would be possible.''

He stressed that no help had so far been extended in this area, ''but 
our view is that we should be ready to extend co-operation.''

Asean members were already helping the candidate members on a bilateral 
basis, particularly in human resource development, Mr Abdullah said.

The foreign ministers also discussed international concerns on Burma's 
human rights record, and problems that would be faced by Laos, the 
officials said.

Asean members are committed to create a free trade area by 2003, but the 
three candidate members have been given until the end of 2007 to carry 
out corresponding import tariff cuts.

Mr Abdullah said he conveyed to Rangoon's junta ''some of our concerns 
about what's happening there and with particular reference to the 
constructive engagement policy that we have with Myanmar (Burma).''

Western nations have criticized Asean's decision to admit Burma, saying 
it would only embolden its military leaders who are accused of 
repressing its population. Asean insists drawing Rangoon into dialogue 
would help persuade it to reform its ways.

The Philippines' Mr Siazon said in a separate interview on Monday that 
Laos ''will have problems'' after gaining entry into the organisation.

''Economically, it's probably the least prepared, together with 
Cambodia,'' to accede to the other members' Asean Free Trade Area 
commitments, he said.



"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."


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