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The BurmaNet News, October 24, 1997



------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------          
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"          
----------------------------------------------------------          
      
The BurmaNet News: October 24, 1997             
Issue #852

HEADLINES:             
==========      
REUTERS: SUU KYI ON 1ST POLITICAL TRIP SINCE RELEASE
REUTERS: PHILIPPINE FOREIGN MINISTER MET BURMA'S SUU KYI
IMAGES ASIA: TRANSCRIPT OF SUU KYI'S PRESS BRIEFING
SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET No. A-0179(I)
ALTSEAN MEDIA RELEASE: LUNCH WITH SUU KYI IS NOT ENOUGH
THE NATION: CRITICS UP IN ARMS OVER YADANA PIPELINE PLAN
BKK POST: BURMA INVITED TO BANGKOK JEWELLERY FAIRS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------   

REUTERS: BURMA'S SUU KYI ON 1ST POLITICAL TRIP SINCE RELEASE
October 23, 1997

RANGOON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi this
week travelled on her first political trip outside the capital since being
released from house arrest two years ago, opposition sources said on
Thursday. 

A division-level official of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD)
party said the 1991 Nobel Peace laureate went to a town on the outskirts of
Rangoon on Tuesday to organise the youth NLD wing and speak to supporters. 

``Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, accompanied by NLD Chairman U Tin Oo, central
executive committee member...U Soe Myint and some elected NLD
representatives, went to Thakata Township...on Tuesday morning,'' a
divisional level NLD official told Reuters. 

He said Suu Kyi's trip went off without any interference from authorities.
The NLD won a landslide victory in a 1990 election but the military
government refused to recognise the results. 

Suu Kyi, who was officially released from six years of house arrest in July
1995, has been under tight surveillance since last December. Her visitors
are limited, her telephone is cut and her movements restricted. 

She made several aborted attempts, including a widely publicised train trip
to Mandalay, to leave Rangoon on political business after being released
from house arrest. The trip to Mandalay was abandoned after the train broke
down. 

She was advised by officials not to travel outside her lakeside home --
which has become the party's headquarters over the past two years -- for
party work. 

The government has severely limited activities by the NLD, stopping several
large party congresses, by arresting thousands of NLD officials over the
past few years. 

Suu Kyi says the government has also prevented local party offices across
the country from doing their work by pressuring NLD officials and
threatening them with arrest. 

Authorities put up barricades blocking access to Suu Kyi's house and the
road leading to it in late 1996. This put an end to popular weekend
gatherings outside Suu Kyi's home which drew up to 10,000 people who
gathered to hear Suu Kyi and other top NLD officials speak. 

Local analysts said Suu Kyi's visit to Thakata could be a sign of improved
relations between the ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council
(SLORC) and the NLD. 

``We can say there is still hope for understanding to grow between the NLD
and the SLORC,'' one analyst said. ``Maybe this is a sign of relaxation of
the SLORC's control over the NLD.'' 

He noted that the SLORC allowed the NLD to hold a large party gathering at
Suu Kyi's house in late September to mark the party's ninth anniversary.
The meeting the previous year had been stymied by the government. 

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

REUTERS: PHILIPPINE FOREIGN MINISTER MET BURMA'S SUU KYI
[slightly abridged]
October 23, 1997

MANILA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon said
on Thursday he had met with Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in
her Rangoon home last week but declined to give details of their talks.

``I had a good lunch with the good lady,'' Siazon told the Senate finance
committee during a public hearing on the government budget. He did not
elaborate.

Siazon is this year's chairman of the Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN) standing committee and is believed to be the most senior
ASEAN official to meet Suu Kyi since the group admitted Burma as a member in
July.

Siazon accompanied President Fidel Ramos on the Philippine leader's visit to
Rangoon last week.

Siazon told reporters that Rangoon's ruling State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC) and Suu Kyi's main opposition National League for Democracy
(NLD) needed to talk to solve the country's problems.

``They have to talk. They have to restart (the talks) even at the lower
level. It's better that they are talking so that in the end they can find a
Burmese solution to their own problems.''

``Of course, in the beginning you ask for the moon,'' he added.

[excerpts from related article]
-------------------------------------------
BKK POST: SIAZON MET WITH SUU KYI IN RANGOON 
October 23, 1997

AP --Mr Siazon, who travelled to Burma with Philippine President Fidel Ramos
and a delegation of government and business officials last week, met Ms Suu
Kyi for lunch at her lakeside home, shortly after President Ramos had left
for Laos.

Mr Siazon was accompanied by Senator Alberto Romulo.

Mr Ramos had requested permission from Burma's military government to see Ms
Suu Kyi during his visit, but when the Burmese did not respond, he dropped
the matter.

But Southeast Asian diplomats in Rangoon confirmed that the meeting had
taken place and said that, although it was termed a "social visit", they
viewed it as a positive development.

No details of the meeting were divulged and attempts to reach Ms Suu Kyi
yesterday were unsuccessful.

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

IMAGES ASIA: TRANSCRIPT OF DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S PRESS BRIEFING - 9TH NLD
CONGRESS
September 27, 1997

[BurmaNet Editor's Note - The English translation of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's
speech in Burmese appeared in the BurmaNet News on October 15, 1997.  The
speech below was delivered in English, as was the Question and Answer Session.]

The press haven't been able to come but still we will consider this a press
briefing, and also a briefing for the diplomatic representatives.   We
started our congress yesterday to mark the 9th anniversary of the founding
of the NLD, and we continued until today, for two days.  We started with the
political report of the central executive committee of the party and than
there were various other reports the youth wing, and the women's wing. There
was an economic policy report, or you could call it an outline of an
economic package if you like, and there were discussions on this paper by
our various members here, and there were of course suggestions.  Many
speeches were made.  Some of the speeches were, well were quite impressive.
I think many strong feeling were expressed and I have had to, shall we say,
reprimand our members because they have not met like this for seven years.
I think they were rather moved by emotion and gave voice to all the
resentments they had been harbouring for may years, and I pointed out to
them that the policy of the NLD is that we will not go in for vindictiveness
or revenge and we will not bear grudges.

Our aim is to create a united, a truly united Burma in which every one can
be secure because human rights and democratic rights are guaranteed.  And we
do not believe in a policy based on resentment or hatred of the other side
as it were.  But I think I can say very firmly that the majority, the great
majority of the members of the NLD are not interested in revenge.  Yes they
gave voice today, some of them gave voice to their resentments because they
have suffered a lot.  It's only natural that they should feel resentful, but
what is important is that these feelings of resentment or anger if you like,
should not be translated into action.  This is the duty of the central
executive committee of the NLD and we are fully prepared to discharge our
duty.  We will never let our party be guided by thoughts of vengeance. There
may be individuals who feel such emotions but our party will not be guided
by these emotions. We will be guided by only one thing, the general good of
our country. 

And when I say our country, I mean all of those who live in Burma, all
citizens of Burma. We will not make distinctions between the members of the
NLD and people who are not members.   What we want to do is work for the
good of all the citizens of our country.  And when I say 'all our citizens'
that includes SLORC as well.  What we want is a nation where the members of
SLORC today, and the members of the NLD and the rest of our people can all
be secure because their basic rights are guaranteed and they know that there
is rule of law in this country, and that they will never be treated
unjustly, and that the government will truly care for their welfare.
Because that is what a democratic government is about.  When we say the
democracy is government of the people, for the people, and by the people, it
simply means a government which must work for the welfare of the people.
Because it is obliged to do so, if it did not do so it will be removed in
the next elections, democracy is the way of keeping peoples personal
emotions  in check.  

You can not build a healthy democracy by letting yourself be persuaded by
personal emotions.  You have to be guided by what is really the true welfare
of the nation at large and I think the great majority of the members of the
NLD understand this very clearly.  What ever they may have expressed or
however strongly they may have expressed their feelings of frustration, or
their feelings that they have been dealt with unjustly, I can assure you
that the NLD will never treat people unjustly.  And we will never be guided
by resentment or emotion in dealing with any body whether it is our own
members or those who regard us as the opposition.   

The fact that we have been able to hold this meeting at all, in this way, is
due in fact to the cooperation of the authorities to a large degree, I wish
I could say 100% co-operation, I would like to be able to say that it was
one hundred percent, but it was not quite a hundred percent, but still it
was co-operation.  We would appreciate that very much if they co-operate
more, we appreciate that even more.  We are ready to give out, to dole out
lots and lots of appreciation at the right moment, and I hope this the sign
of things to come.  We regard it as a positive sign of the authorities that
they have been far more cooperative for this congress then they have  been
with the last ones that we attempted to have.  

This started in May 1996.  When we attempted to hold a party congress in May
1996, they put  practically all our elected MPs under detention, I think
only about a dozen were able to break loose from the wide spread arrests.
And the second time we attempted it was the 27th of September 1996 then they
simply shut off the road altogether and would not allow anybody to come in.
We were not able to go ahead with the congress.  In May 1996, we were able
to go ahead with the congress but without our elected representatives.  We
had to change our program at the last moment and have a general party
meeting made up of various township and division committees.  We attempted
another meeting in May of this year and once again of course we were shut
off.  We were not allowed to have this meeting.  But this time September
1997, we have been able to hold our congress, not absolutely as we would
have wished, but almost absolutely, and I think it is a great pity that
there were these little hitches.  

Because I do not think the authorities would have lost anything by letting
us go ahead with our plans completely, with out any kinds of obstacles.  And
we certainly would have been able to tell the world that the authorities
co-operated with us all the way.  Well, it wasn't all the way this time, but
let's hope for the future, and I think that since we do appreciate, we truly
appreciate that they have co-operated to this extent I hope they enjoyed the
process of co-operation as much as we did.  It's always so much better to be
friends rather than enemies, and I don't think it can be enjoyable to think
that one is surrounded by enemies, or one has to always has to be taking
precautions against enemies.  

We should not be enemies, we all belong to the same country, we all want to
be happy in this country.  I do not see any reason why we should not be able
to help each other.  We cannot forget the past because there are valuable
lessons to be drawn from the past, but that does not mean that we cannot
forgive.  We should not forget, in politics one should not forget.  Because
if we forget we will commit the same mistakes again and again, but we must
be able to forgive because we all belong together and it is in this spirit
that I would like to say that this congress has been a great success.  

It has been a great success, first of all because it has proved the
adamantine quality of our members. Again and again they have suffered
because they have tried to attend these congresses.  Again and again they
have risked imprisonment to come and show that they're keeping faith with
the people of Burma.  It is not keeping faith with our country but keeping
faith with our people.  Because our party is the party that has received the
mandate of the people in 1990.  The Burmese people voted for NLD because
they believe the NLD would truly care for their welfare.  And I think it is
a great triumph that we have been able to demonstrate to the country and to
the world that we are keeping faith with the people, that we take our
responsibility very seriously.  And we will continue to work for democracy
as we have promised our people.  

Secondly, this congress has been a success because we have been able to have
very frank valuable discussions.  As I have said earlier some things were
said that were very hard on some people and I think emotions spilled over a
bit.  But still within a democratic free world such displays of emotion need
not lead to harm at all if it is done with in a constructive frame work and
it will not be carried beyond that frame work.  

Thirdly, I think we can say this congress has been a success because it
showed that cooperation between the authorities and the NLD can not lead to
any harm it can only lead to good.   Our people are very happy to be able to
hold this congress.  And I think the country and the international observers
will take due notice of the fact that the authorities have tried to be
cooperative and that they will give credit where credit is due.  So we are
very happy with the way this congress has gone that does not mean that we
are not going to keep on trying for better conditions because we have to try
for better conditions.  One of the resolutions of the congress was for the
immediate release of all political prisoners that is very important because
many of the people in prison are suffer from ill health the earlier we
achieve their freedom the better for them and for us and for the country.
Among these prisoners of conscience are people who can contribute greatly to
the rehabilitation of Burma to contribute to a nation where all our people
feel secure and happy.  On the whole, I think the NLD  has every reason to
be proud of our congress, the 9th anniversary of the founding of the NLD.
And now I'm ready to answer questions.

[Note: The following questions were fielded from approximately 15 diplomats
who were able to attend the Congress, and also NLD members.  The diplomats
included representatives of the German, US, Australian, British, Japanese,
and Thai embassies, and several representatives of United Nations bodies.
Diplomats were forced to spend twenty minutes negotiating with authorities
before they were allowed to attend.  SLORC had pre-written letters for the
diplomats, requesting that they not attend.  SLORC authorities stipulated
that diplomats attending the meeting could not fly the flags of their
countries on their cars. Several representatives of the press and invited
guests were physically prevented by SLORC authorities from attending the
meeting. --Images Asia]

Q.	Do you think this cooperation... by the authorities indicates a change of
heart on the part of the authorities towards the NLD?
A.	I hope so, as I said earlier in my speech to our congress there are only
two kinds of people. I don't believe in good people and bad people, I only
believe in those who are capable of learning and those who are not capable
of learning and I hope very much that the authorities are the ones, the kind
of people who are capable of learning, and that they have learned that
cooperation is so much better than repression.

Q.	So you believe this time...?
A.	I hope this is the beginning of complete cooperation.  I've always said
I'm a cautious optimist.  Are there any more questions?

Q.	A long string of articles in the newspapers it said that Uncle U Aung
Shwe will be .[unclear].. and that he doesn't hold any of the power and you
are the one who is controlling .[unclear].. and I want your reaction on that?
A.	Well, that's not quite true.  I'm the general dogs body!  I was saying to
my youngest son who is visiting me at the moment and the other night when I
was you know typing away at one of my papers, I said "Look at me, I'm the
typist as well"  and he said to me "You are the called the General
Secretary, aren't you, you have to do all the general work!"  so that's very
good.  It is absolutely not true.  We work together collectively with the
central executive committee and of course our chairman, as the chairman is
the leader of the central executive committee has all the authority that a
chairman normally would have.

Q.	About the first meeting between SLORC and Uncle Aung Shwe for the first
time, why did Uncle Aung Shwe go to the meeting alone?
A.	At that time we did not quite understand what it was about.  And as we
always believe in keeping open door to negotiations.  He thought that it
would be a good idea to go, but unfortunately the words of Secretary One at
that meeting led us to believe that......well..... "leading us to believe"
is quite a soft way of putting it, it was quite clear from what he said that
he was indicating that at least I, and perhaps U Tin Oo and U Kyi Maung as
well would have to be left out of the negotiating process with the NLD. That
of course is against the policy of the party.  We decided already that in
the future we would be very strict in sticking to the NLD mandate according
to which the chairman and I must jointly handle all party matters of importance.

Q.	At the second meeting that didn't take place, are there arguments that
the NLD should at least go along for the second meeting, what is your
argument about that?
A.	Well, we were prepared to go along, but it was Uncle Aung Shwe who was
not prepared to go along.  We did say that central executive members U Soe
Myint and U Lwin Tin should go.  It was SLORC who did not accept that.

Q.	.....At the end of your speech this afternoon you said you were confident
the NLD and SLORC will be able to go along together for the country for the
future.  What gave you that confidence?
A.	Because it is the will of the people and I think in the long run no group
no organization no government can withstand the will  of the people and it
is the will of the people that there should be cooperation with SLORC and
NLD in order to achieve the kind of situation we want for our country.

Q.	Apart from the difficulties that some of us had to come to you [the
Congress] was there any other lack of cooperation [from the authorities]?  
A.	Yesterday some of our party members were sent back, were not allowed in.
And also today some of our guests and veteran statesmen were turned away on
the pretext that they didn't have their national registration cards with
them.  I think that was quite unnecessary.

Q.	We wondered whether they were also delegates who were not allowed to
participate because they were prevented from coming?
A.	Yes, I believe a lot of people in the Irrawaddy division were prevented
from coming.  As I understand it, some have even been detained.  And I don't
think (checking with party members in Burmese...), ... yes, just the
Irrawaddy division.  Apparently they relaxed the restrictions yesterday,
when it was too late for them to make it!  (laughing)
Oh, some who were not able to come yesterday have been able to come today,
so we appreciate that very much indeed.  We're ready with the appreciation,
they only have to do something to deserve it.   

Yesterday something funny - well a bit humorous happened.  When I say it's
a bit humorous the NLD has learned to cultivate a sense of humor, it's the
only way we can survive.  Three groups were taken away yesterday, three
groups of people who were trying to get in, and one was taken to somewhere
near Dagon Myo Thit, and another to a place beyond Dagon Myo Thit, but one
group was taken to Yeh Weh cemetery (laughing).  I really don't know why to
Yeh Weh cemetery (laughter), but my opinion is that if they really don't
like to see our people hanging around the streets, put them into the cars
and bring them to this compound and I'll take care of them.

Oh, apparently a correspondent from New Zealand was taken away in one of
those groups.  But they were all released, they were released in the
cemetery, so to speak, and had to walk back.  
[Approximately 90 NLD members and guests were taken away by trucks on the
first day of the Congress - Images Asia]

Q.	Any information on the flooding situation in the countryside?
A.  	Well we of course have heard  of bad floods especially in the Pegu
division, and the rain, there has been quite a lot of rain the last week,
and we are worried in case this has exacerbated the situation.  We think it
is important to recognize the extent of the seriousness of the situation
with the floods, because the floods won't end with the floods, there will be
epidemics to follow and there should be precautions taken, preparations
should be made to deal with the aftermath of the floods.

Q.  	About the floods, ...has the NLD...?
A.  	Well, we do what we can for those who are within reach, but obviously
we are not in a position to do anything on a national scale.  We would like
to do something, but frankly I would not like to do anything that would
jeopardize the chances of the victims getting relief.  If the NLD initiated
any plan to give relief to the flood victims, it might lead the authorities
to take action against such relief programs and the ones that suffer will be
the victims.  We don't want to do anything just for the sake of kudos.  What
we do we want to do it only if we think it will effectively help the victims.  

A.	Are there any more questions?  Well, you see a lot of what a meant by not
100% cooperation is the dearth of correspondents.

Q.	What could the next concrete manifestation of government goodwill or
enhanced cooperation be?
A.	Well, of course the most concrete one would be genuine dialogue, but
there are others things they could do such as removing the restrictions on
placed on the NLD and releasing our political prisoners.  I think this would
create a very good atmosphere, and it would create an atmosphere of
confidence.  We do need to build up mutual confidence.

Q.	Do you have any indication that the barricades in front of your residence
will come down?
A.	Not yet, but I'm wondering if they aren't getting tired of standing
there.  It's so unnecessary really.  

Q.	Do you think anything...
Well, I don't think anything, I don't know when they will remove it and you
know what their intentions are, but I think the barricades are quite
unnecessary.

Q.  	Maybe for your security?
A.	For my security?  Well, I don't think they keep correspondents out for my
security.  Because they're very, very keen on keeping out correspondents.  

Q.	They are the government so they must take security...
A.	Perhaps they know more about you than I do, if they're trying to keep you
out.

Q.	One resolution concerns ... the release of political prisoners.  How many
political prisoners do you think are still in jail?
A.	We still think that it is probably around the thousand mark.  It's more
or less been constant around the thousand mark, because some come out, some
go in....

Any more questions?  If there are no more questions, I would like to thank
you very much for coming to our Congress, in spite of all the difficulties,
and well, in spite of papers that didn't exist, in spite of everything, and
I hope there will be more opportunities for you in the future to observe the
activities of our party, so that you can know for yourselves what it is we
are working for and how we are going about to achieve our goals.  Thank you
very much.

(Applause)

For further information regarding this speech please contact Images Asia.
+ - - -  I - M - A - G - E - S - - A - S - I - A  - - - +
|							|
|  As of November 1, 1997 you can reach Images Asia at  |
|     our new email account:  <images@xxxxxxxxxxxx>	|
|  Please use this account for your future Images Asia  |
|		correspondence.  Thank you!		|
|							|
+ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +

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

SLORC: INFORMATION SHEET No. A-0179(I)
[excerpts]
October 23, 1997

PASSED AWAY DUE TO ACUTE CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE AND MALIGNANT HYPERTENSION

                U Kyaw Din age (58) of NLD Wakema Township who is serving
(2) years prison sentence since July 24th 1997 for violation of the "Burma
Criminal Act section 505 (B) of 1861 May" passed away on 20 October 5:30 pm
at Wakema Township Hospital of Acute Pulmonary Oedema due to Acute  Chronic
Renal failure and malignant hypertension.

                According to his medical record and the test taken at the
prison hospital U Kyaw Din was found to have hypertension and since his
arrival at the prison he was given close medical treatment there and his
hypertension was well controlled with treatment. However because of severe
chronic renal failure,
his lungs congestion developed and renal functions progressively poor and
became severe Acute Pulmonary Oedema. In spite of all the necessary medical
treatment U Kyaw Din passed away on 20 October, 1997.

RESPONSE TO AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ACCUSATION

                This unsubstantiated accusation by A.I. is nothing
surprising. During this time of the year (in the end of October) the
anti-Myanmar Government elements routinely through the A.I. fabricate such
stories. Actually, it has been
deliberately created to influence the U.N. Secretary General's report to the
3rd. Committee on Human Rights Situation in Myanmar. Based on the report by
the UNSG the 3rd. Committee will discuss the resolution on the Human Rights
Situation in Myanmar.

                These anti-Myanmar government elements have playing this
game very annoyingly but if somebody takes the time to really look into
their strategy
one can realize their true nature.

DELEGATION LED BY DEPUTY MINISTER FOR PBANRDA LEAVES FOR MALAYSIA

                A delegation led by Deputy Minister for Progress of Border
Areas and National Races and Development Affairs U Kyaw Tin left Yangon for
Malaysia by air on 22 October to attend Inaugural Meeting of ASEAN Ministers
on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication. The meeting will be held in
Malaysia from 22 to 24 October.

FOUR MEMBERS OF KNU ARMED GROUP EXCHANGE ARMS FOR PEACE

                1 member of KNU No. 7 Battalion and 3 members of KNU No. 2
Battalion exchanged their arms for peace at the units of local authorities
on 9 and 11 of October respectively.

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

ALTSEAN MEDIA RELEASE: LUNCH WITH SUU KYI IS NOT ENOUGH
October 23, 1997

Bangkok, Thurs:  A network of Asean-based supporters for human rights and
democracy in Burma today renewed their call to Asean to take a clearer role
in facilitating a peaceful resolution to the country's woes.

The Alternative Asean Network on Burma (Altsean-Burma) was responding to
news reports that Philippines Foreign Minister Domingo Siazon met with
Burmese democracy leader Ms Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon last week.

"We are cautiously optimistic that the Mr Siazon has finally done what
should have been done two years ago.  All Asean member states should have
immediately engaged with Ms Suu Kyi and the NLD upon her release from house
arrest," emphasised Altsean-Burma Co-ordinator Ms Debbie Stothard.

"However, it is outrageous that President Ramos, as the Philippines' head of
state, had to bear the insult of being spurned in his request to meet Ms Suu
Kyi.

"It is high time that Asean member states got their act together to support
the peoples of Burma in their movement for peace, human rights and
democracy.  Having lunch with Ms Suu Kyi is not enough.

"The Slorc has clearly used Asean membership as a shield for continuing
human rights abuses.  It has also used on its orchestrated national
convention to draft a new constitution as a tactic to delay and prevent the
formation of a democratic, civilian government.

"If Asean does not engage in concrete and meaningful measures now, it will
have to resort to drastic damage control later," predicted Ms Stothard.

Since, joining the regional grouping on July 23, the Slorc continued to
perpetrate human rights violations and launched a military offensive against
Karenni state.  Opium, heroin and amphetamine production continue unchecked.
Universities remain closed since December, however the military junta
reopened schools in August.

A L T S E A N - B U R M A
ALTERNATIVE ASEAN NETWORK ON BURMA
*tel: [662] 275 1811/693 4515 *fax: [662] 693 4515 *e-mail: altsean@xxxxxxxxxx

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

THE NATION: CRITICS UP IN ARMS OVER YADANA PIPELINE PLAN
October 23, 1997

OPPONENTS of the Yadana gas pipeline burst out in protest yesterday in
response to a Cabinet resolution allowing construction in a national park.

An environmental group from Kanchanaburi province submitted a petition to
Her Majesty the Queen seeking intervention to make the Petroleum Authority
of Thailand (PIT) halt construction of the project.

Meanwhile, the Student Environment Club from 16 Institutes held a protest in
front of Government House calling on the government to review its approval
of the project, claiming it has not considered all the problems associated
with it.

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a request from the Industry Ministry
allowing the PIT to construct the pipeline through Sai Yok National Park in
Kanchanaburi.

According to the petition signed by Phinan Chotirosseranee, leader of the
Kanchanaburi environmental group, the construction route will pass through
fertile forest and an Al watershed area.

"The project will impact Kanchanaburi villagers and the project owner, PTT,
has definitely ignored us. The pipeline construction will destroy the forest
which means the destruction of vast biological resources in the area," the
petition stated.

"The project is causing more and more conflicts and could result in
violence. We, your people, would like to beg you to ask for a halt to the
project's construction and for a review, including consideration of
alternatives like changing the route of the pipeline," it states.

The colourful protest in front of the Government House comprised protesters
wearing various types of animal masks including monkeys and tigers. The
protesters carried a sign saying "We, the animal council, want to protest
the unacceptable Cabinet approval".

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

BKK POST: BURMA INVITED TO BANGKOK JEWELLERY FAIRS
October 23, 1997
Woranuj Maneerungsee

Exhibitors from Burma have been invited to participate in gems and jewellery
fairs in Bangkok, according to Rachane Potjanasunton, deputy
director-general of the Export Promotion Department.

Mr Rachane said Thailand could collaborate with Burma to promote the gems
and jewellery industries of both countries. Burma is a major source of
precious stones, and gems and jewellery are among the country's top 10
export products. 

On Monday a Burmese trade mission led by Brig-Gen Maung Maung, secretary of
Myanmar Investment, visited Bangkok.

Mr Rachane said the two sides also talked about cooperation in the wooden
furniture industry, since Burma has the raw materials and Thailand has the
production skills and facilities.

As a new member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Burma is
working to open its market for other Asean members under the Asean Free
Trade Area (Afta) agreement, Mr Rachane said.

As a result, he said, there are god opportunities for Thai businesses to
trade and invest in Burma. "Burma is an interesting market for businessmen,
and a large market with nearly 50 million population."

Sriwat Suwarn, the Thai minister counsellor (commercial) in Burma, said the
Burmese government is working to offer more incentives to attract foreign
investors.

He said that investment in agribusiness had the strongest potential, citing
canned vegetables, fruit and seafood, followed by wooden furniture and
construction material.

Trade between the two countries was worth 11 billion baht in 1996. Thailand
had a trade surplus of 4.7 billion products, chemicals, dairy products,
motorcycles and parts, pharmaceutical products, plastic pellets and apparel
to Burma. Imports consist mainly of wood and logs.

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