The BurmaNet News - 11 March, 1998

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------------------------------ BurmaNet -----------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies
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The BurmaNet News, 11 March, 1998
Issue #954

Noted in passing:

"It has been through the use of the Internet that we have achieved so 
much in such a short time -- something we never could have imagined."
- ABSDF Foreign Secretary, Aung Naing Oo
(see REUTERS: MYANMAR FREEDOM FIGHTERS SWAP GUNS FOR MODEMS)

HEADLINES:
==========
BREAKING NEWS: BURMESE ARMY SHELL HWAY KALOK REFUGEE CAMP

REUTERS: MALAYSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MET SUU KYI IN
REUTERS: MAHATHIR SAYS MALAYSIANS CUTTING MYANMAR
VOA: BURMA-MALAYSIA
NEW STRAITS TIMES: DR M HOLDS TALKS ON REGIONAL ISSUES
REUTERS: THAI ACTIVISTS URGE CLINTON TO DISCUSS
REUTERS: SUU KYI PARTY MEMBER DIES IN MYANMAR JAIL 
ABSDF MEDIA RELEASE: NLD LEADER DIES IN DETENTION,
HERALD: KAREN REFUGEES FLEE TO AVOID FORCED
MEDIA RELEASE: JUNTA'S "HONORARY DEGREE" FARCE

Features:
REUTERS: MYANMAR FREEDOM FIGHTERS SWAP GUNS FOR MODEMS
VOA: JAPAN-BURMA REFUGEES

Announcements:
DECLARATION: JOINT ACTION COMMITTEE FOR DISSIDENT
NEW REPORT: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BREAKING NEWS: BURMESE ARMY SHELL HWAY KALOK REFUGEE CAMP
11 March, 1998
                                   
Maesot, Tak Province

The Democratic Buddhist Karen Army (DKBA) shelled and attacked Hway
Kalok refugee camp in Thailand at about 2:00 am on March 11, 1998,
reducing the whole refugee camp to ashes and reportedly killing one
refugee, wounding 20 others and kidnapped an unknown number of
refugees before retreating back into Burma.

According to initial reports from Maesot, near the Thai-Burma
border, the members of the DKBA heavily shelled the refugee camp
from Wangkha camp on the Burma side before they entered the camp.

As soon as they entered the camp the DKBA soldiers began to fire at
random and at everything they saw in the camp. Afterwards, the DKBA
burned down all the houses.   

Amid the chaos from the shooting and the fires, the refugees were
so afraid that they tried to run into the jungle. However, to their
surprise and horror, the DKBA soldiers were already there waiting
for the refugees. They kidnapped a number of refugees and at the
same time looted the camp.

Although this is not the first time the camp was attacked this is
worst incident that has happened to a refugee camp, according to
reports from Maesot.

The wounded are being treated in Maesot hospital while relief
organizations based in the area have sent medical supplies and
medics to take care of the refugees who escaped the attack.  

The DKBA is an armed organization founded and supported by the
State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) to force Karen refugees
to return home. 

More reports will follow.

All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF)  

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

REUTERS: MALAYSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MET SUU KYI IN MYANMAR 
10 March, 1998

YANGON -- Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi met 
with Myanmar's (Burma's) opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on
Tuesday, an opposition source said. 

Suu Kyi and other top leaders of the National League for Democracy 
(NLD) met Badawi for about two hours, the NLD source said. 

Earlier in the day, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad looked 
angry and refused to answer when asked by a reporter if he had met 
Suu Kyi during his two-day visit to Yangon. 

Badawi is the second foreign minister from an ASEAN country to meet 
with Suu Kyi. Philippines Foreign Minister Domingo Sizon met the 1991 
Nobel Peace laureate in October during a visit to Yangon. 

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) officially accepted
Myanmar into its grouping last year, despite protests from many Western
nations that acceptance of Myanmar would be tantamount to approval of its
poor human rights record. 

ASEAN nations follow a policy of non-interference in the internal 
affairs of other nations and said acceptance was better than isolation. 

No ASEAN leader has been known to have met with Suu Kyi since she was
released from six years of house arrest in 1995. 

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

REUTERS: MAHATHIR SAYS MALAYSIANS CUTTING MYANMAR INVESTMENT
10 March, 1998
 
YANGON -- Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday 
his country would have to cut back on its investment in Myanmar 
(Burma), but praised Myanmar's efforts to open up its economy. 

"Because of the currency crisis, the cost of investment in our own 
country has gone up, so we have to minimise our investment in Myanamr," 
Mahathir told reporters at the end of a two-day visit to Yangon. 
"But as soon as we recover we would like to (resume investment)."

Malaysia is the fourth largest investor in Myanmar in terms of 
approved projects. Latest figures show the government has approved 
a total investment of $587.17 million in 25 projects since 1988 
when Myanmar opened its economy. 

Mahathir, who first visited Myanmar in 1988 a few months before the 
military seized power, said he saw a lot of change in the country 
over the past decade and praised the government for its progress. 

The Malaysian leader said he would urge investors to carry out their 
plans in Myanmar, but he was hoping to focus more on improved trade 
between the two nations rather than direct investment. 

"The most important subject (discussed with Myanmar leaders) was 
economic cooperation," he said. "We want to balance the trade between 
the two countries, which is currently very much in Malaysia's favour 
at the moment."

Myanmar exported to Malaysia goods worth 305.94 million kyat ($50.99 
million at the official exchange rate of six kyat to dollar) in the 
1996/97 (April to March) fiscal year, and imported goods worth 847.46 
million kyat, official figures show. 

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

VOA: BURMA-MALAYSIA
9 March, 1998 [abridged]
by David Butler

INTRO: Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad arrived in Burma 
today (Monday) for a two-day official visit.  As David Butler 
reports from our Southeast Asia bureau in Bangkok, the two sides 
are expected to sign two bilateral agreements and discuss regional 
developments.

TEXT: Prime minister Mahathir was met at Rangoon's international 
airport by his Burmese counterpart General Than Shwe, who is also
Chairman of Burma's ruling military council.

Other ranking generals in the council were also on hand to greet 
Dr. Mahathir and a 46-member delegation that includes foreign 
Minister Abdullah Badawi.  The delegation was given a 19-gun 
salute and greeted by hundreds of flag-waving school children.

During the visit, the two sides are scheduled to sign a visa 
exemption agreement and an agreement to avoid double taxation.  
Malyasian officials say prime minister Mahathir's visit is 
intended to strengthen solidarity in the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations -- ASEAN -- which Burma joined last july.

In the discussions leading to Burma's admission to the regional 
group, Dr. Mahathir was among the strongest voices in favor of 
including Burma, despite objections from Western countries such 
as the United States and other, what are termed, ASEAN dialogue 
partners.  These nations objected to Burma's inclusion because of
the ruling military council's  human rights record.

Malaysian foreign minister Badawi -- who was serving as ASEAN president
when Burma was admitted -- urged the ruling military council to open a 
dialogue with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The generals ignored Mr. Badawi's advice.

Officials in the Malaysian delegation say investment, trade and 
the region's current economic uncertainty will also be on the 
agenda for the talks.

Malaysia is among the largest investors in Burma, with stakes in 
25 projects totaling 587 million dollars.  Two-way trade last 
year amounted to 275 million dollars, with Malaysia enjoying a 
surplus.  (signed)

Source: Voice of America

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

NEW STRAITS TIMES: DR M HOLDS TALKS ON REGIONAL ISSUES WITH MYANMAR LEADER
10 March, 1998 [abridged]

YANGON, Mon - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad held talks 
today with Myanmar leader Senior General Than Shwe on regional issues 
including the use of Asean currencies for intra-Asean trade.

According to a Bernama report, Dr Mahathir, who advocated the 
"Asean currency for trade" plan as a means of mitigating the impact 
of the rising US dollar on the region's economies, raised the matter 
during discussions between the Malaysian and Myanmar delegations 
at Parliament House. 

The Prime Minister, who arrived here earlier in the day for a two-day
official visit to Myanmar, has already visited several other Asean 
capitals to garner support for the plan.

Officials said the delegations also discussed barter trade and the 
Myanmar illegal immigrant problem.

Dr Mahathir also witnessed the signing of the avoidance of double
taxation agreement and a memorandum of understanding on abolition 
of visa for diplomatic and official passport holders.

The two documents were signed by Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk 
Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Myanmar counterpart Ohn Gyaw.

The Prime Minister also planted a tree at the People's Park to mark the
visit, aimed at improving bilateral relations and regional solidarity.

Dr Mahathir last visited Myanmar in 1988 as a guest of then Prime 
Minister Maung Maung Kha. 

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

REUTERS: THAI ACTIVISTS URGE CLINTON TO DISCUSS MYANMAR 
10 March, 1998
 
BANGKOK -- A group of activists staged a protest outside the U.S. Embassy 
on Tuesday and delivered a letter urging President Bill Clinton to discuss 
human rights in Myanmar (Burma) with the Thai premier during his visit to
Washington. 

A group of about 20 people, led by the Thai Action Committee for Democracy
in Burma, staged a play outside the embassy with a man dressed as a member 
of an ethnic minority group from Myanmar. His legs were chained and he was
beaten by a man dressed as a Myanmar soldier. 

The group, which later delivered its letter to a U.S. political officer,
said it was trying to draw attention to the human rights abuses in 
Myanmar and urged the U.S. president to show concern over the 
situation. 

"The Prime Minister of Thailand (Chuan Leekpai) will (soon) visit 
the U.S. government," the letter said.  "This will be a good opportunity 
for Your Excellency to express strong concern on human rights violations 
in Burma." 

It urged Clinton, who has already approved economic sanctions on Myanmar 
which prevent new investment, to pressure U.S. businesses to withdraw 
their investments from Myanmar. 

It also urged him to state Washington's position to Chuan regarding a
controversial gas pipeline between Myanmar and Thailand that is 
currently being built. 

Rights activists say the Myanmar military regime used forced labour 
and committed human rights abuses to build the pipeline.

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

REUTERS: SUU KYI PARTY MEMBER DIES IN MYANMAR JAIL 
9 March, 1998 [abridged]

BANGKOK - A member of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for 
Democracy (NLD) died in a Myanmar (Burma) prison after being tortured, 
an exiled students group said on Monday. 

Thein Tin died at Yangon General Hospital on February 18, the All Burma
Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF) said in a statement from Bangkok. Thein 
Tin was a member of the NLD's Yangon Township Organising Committee. 

"The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) claims U Thein Tin died of 
blood cancer," the statement said. "However, sources said U Thein Tin was 
tortured and his health was deteriorating when he was finally admitted to
hospital."

"He was already dying when he was taken to hospital according to the
sources, and the SPDC had long refused his requests for proper medical
care," the statement said. 

A Myanmar government spokesman confirmed Thein Tin had died but denied the
accusations that he had been poorly treated. 

He said Thein Tin had even been given a pardon three days before his death
and released from his prison sentence because he had liver cancer. 

"Medically, Thein Tin has been suffering from liver cirrhosis since 1982
and while he was serving his sentence on the 3rd of December 1997 the 
prison medical authorities transferred him to the Yangon hospital," he said. 

He said Thein Tin's family was allowed to pay him regular visits while he
was in hospital. 

Top NLD officials were not available for comment. 

The ABSDF said Thein Tin was detained in Insein Prison since 1996 and was 
charged under section 10 (a) of the State Protection Act which is designed 
to "protect the country from the dangers of those who wish to harm the state."

Several NLD members -- including some of Suu Kyi's top aides -- have died 
in jail over the past few years, with opposition members citing torture and
poor treatment for their deaths. 

Suu Kyi says about 1,000 NLD members or supporters are still being held as
political prisoners in Myanmar jails. 


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

ABSDF MEDIA RELEASE: NLD LEADER DIES IN DETENTION, WHILE OTHER 
MEMBERS GET HARSH PRISON TERMS
9 March, 1998 [abridged]
                              
U Thein Tin, a prominent member of the Rangoon Township
Organizing Committee of the National League for Democracy (NLD),
died at Rangoon General Hospital on the evening of February 18,
1998, following physical and mental torture in Insein Prison,
according to sources in Rangoon.

He was detained in Insein Special Prison since March 1996 along
with well-known leaders and literary figures such as U Moe Thu, U
Kyaw Min and U Soe Thein. U Thein Tin was charged under Section
10(a) of the State Protection Act, which is designed 'to protect
the country from the dangers of those who wish to harm the
state'.

U Thein Tin, a writer by profession, was a former student leader
during 1962-63. He came to prominence during Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi's house arrest for his unwavering commitment and management
skills. U Thein Tin was well respected by both the leadership of
the NLD and the youth wing of the party.

In another development, the SPDC in Irrewaddy Division recently
sentenced three NLD members to jail terms of four-and-half years
each with hard labor for political defiance activities. According
to a local source, Tin Aung, Wa Tote (a.k.a. Khin Maung Oo) and
Aye Win from Bassein Township NLD Organizing Committee, were
detained on February 13, 1998, for flying a peacock flag on the
school flagpole of one of the township high schools.

According to the source, the three flew the peacock flag, which
is the symbol of democracy and defiance, on the flagpole of
Bassein No.1 High School on the morning of Union Day (February
12). They were subsequently arrested and sentenced under four
different charges.      

The source says the three chose this method of defiance to
protest against military repression, human rights violations and
the restrictions placed on NLD members in Irrewaddy Division. The
military has been targeting NLD members in Irrewaddy Division
because of their strong support for the restoration of democracy
and human rights in Burma.  

All Burma Students' Democratic Front (ABSDF)

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

HERALD: KAREN REFUGEES FLEE TO AVOID FORCED RELOCATION 
9 March, 1998
by Craig Skehan, Herald Correspondent in Bangkok

Thousands of Karen refugees from Burma have fled from three camps in
north-western Thailand to avoid efforts to move them outside the Salween
National Park, according to officials and aid workers.

The 10,000 Karen at the centre of the dispute are among 116,000 members 
of Burmese ethnic minorities in Thai camps scattered along the poorly
delineated border.

The involvement of some Karen refugees in the illegal logging of highly
valuable teak trees in the national park is partly behind the Thai
Government's decision to move the camp inmates.

But Karen leaders say that only a small minority of the refugees were
involved in the logging and that a crackdown on official corruption would 
be the best way to protect the forests.

Of 8,000 people at three camps in the same area of the park, only 1,300 
have been moved to a resettlement site. Instead, an estimated 2,000 Karen
refugees have disappeared into the dense forest, hoping to join the Mae Hta
camp on the Salween River.

Aid workers say another 1,000 Karen have moved to a small existing camp
just inside the national park boundary.

Some camp leaders and students who fled brutal repression in Burma in 1988, 
say the new site is vulnerable to cross-border attacks by Burmese soldiers 
and members of an opposing Karen Buddhist splinter group.

Thai authorities say the dangers are being exaggerated because the Karen
National Union (KNU) army wants to maintain the existing isolated refugee
camps as de facto support bases.

The authorities claim the camps act as a channel for funds, supplies and
information to advance the rebel campaign for a separate Karen state which
has been going on since 1948.

The Thai military has recently intensified surveillance, and on Friday six
heavily armed Karen fighters were arrested on the Thai side of the Salween
River.

The existing camps in the national park have a village atmosphere, and
proximity to the border allows residents to sneak back to Burma to check on
their property or visit friends and relatives.

Some aid workers feel that the refugees are becoming pawns, squeezed between 
KNU political tactics on the one hand and Thailand's attempts to manage 
relations with the Burmese military junta on the other.

Improved access at the resettlement site will make it easier for foreign aid
workers, many from Germany, France, Britain and Australia, to provide
medical and educational facilities.

"Those arriving are saying they would have come earlier if they had known
what it was like," said Mr Paul Taylor, from the Burmese Border Consortium, 
a non-government group which has played a leading role in providing 
humanitarian assistance to Karen refugees.

But he is concerned about a Thai Government order which has insisted aid
groups cut food and other assistance to families who are trying to escape
relocation.

Humanitarian organisations are attempting to dampen unrealistic expectations 
that the Government will abandon its relocation program and Thai patience is 
being encouraged.

However, those with a long involvement in the Burmese refugee saga are
worried that a lack of co-operation will eventually see the military using
force to either relocate Karen refugees out of the National Park or
repatriate them back to Burma.

Thirty three long-neck Karen villagers have been reunited with their
families in a refugee camp in north-west Thailand after spending three years
in a "human zoo" tourist attraction.

Thai authorities, severely embarrassed by articles in European newspapers
which criticised the exploitative style of the tourist operation, moved
quickly to shut the show "village" and return the Karen to their families.

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

MEDIA RELEASE: JUNTA'S "HONORARY DEGREE" FARCE EXPOSED
10 March, 1998

Burmese "Honorary Degree" has Dishonorable Pedigree
Will the real Washington University please stand up?

St. Louis, March 10 -- The report from Burma's capital Rangoon on 
February 21 seemed commonplace enough: a leading local businessman 
was awarded an honorary degree from Washington University under the 
auspices of the American Education Foundation.

Yet in the Southeast Asian country ruled by a repressive army junta with
links to the world's biggest heroin traffickers, little is what is seems.
"Washington University" is not the respected St. Louis institution an
unsuspecting reader might assume. The "American Education Foundation"
exists only in Singapore. And the Burmese "honoree", Khin Shwe, is more
than just a good friend of the country's ruling generals.  He is also
paying a Washington, D.C. public relations firm over $20,000 each month 
to burnish the image of one of the world's worst dictatorships.

The fake degree scheme appears to be one part of much larger public
relations campaign launched by the generals who are widely recognized as
one of the most repressive regimes on the planet.  United States investment
sanctions are increasing pressure on the military regime to respect human
rights and accept a transition to democracy. The junta is fighting back by
stepping up internal repression while seeking to present a better face to
the rest of the world.

To do so, the military junta of Burma (renamed "Myanmar" by the generals)
has recently been spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on public
relations services, according to a recently-published Washington Post
investigation.  (See "Burma's Image Problem Is a Moneymaker for U.S.
Lobbyists" Feb. 24, 1998, Washington Post, p. A19).

According to the Post, a close friend of the junta named Khin Shwe has
signed a contract with Bain and Associates for $21,000 per month for public
relations services.  Bain in turn appears to report directly to
representatives of the junta.

The same week the Post story broke, the Burmese junta reported that its
ally Khin Shwe had been conferred an "Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in
Business Administration" by "Washington University" of the United States.

Khin Shwe is Managing Director of the Zay Ka Bar company, which is heavily
involved in Burma's construction industry.  According to the U.S. State
Department, this industry is awash in laundered drug money.

The Burmese democratic opposition was shocked at this report, since the
junta has closed universities in Burma for more than a year and killed or
arrested many students.  Many in Burma found it inconceivable that cronies
of the military dictatorship would receive recognition from a legitimate
academic institution outside Burma.

According to reports in the tightly-controlled Burmese media, the degree
was awarded under the auspices of the "American Education Foundation," and
presented by "Professor of Washington University Dr. Carey Rosenthal," and
"Chairman of the Honorary Research Committee of Washington University Dr.
John Lim."

As is the case with much of the junta's public relations efforts, however,
the truth is an entirely different story:

* "Washington University of the United States of America"
(http://www.wash.edu) is actually an unaccredited degree-mill, incorporated
in Hawaii, but operating from a post office box in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. 
It offers "Ph.D.s" for sale at prices ranging from $3,600 to $6,000. The 
real Washington University in St. Louis has recently taken legal action 
under federal and state trademark laws to prevent the misuse of its 
registered name.  In a statement issued March 9, Washington University 
in St. Louis describes the junta's claims of an honorary degree as "false" 
and "misleading."

* The American Education Foundation is actually based in Singapore.

* "Chairman of the Honorary Research Committee of Washington University" is
Singapore businessman John Lim.  The source of the "Dr." before his name is
unknown.

* "Prof. Carey Rosenthal of Washington University" is actually a Chemistry
Professor from Drexell University of Philadelphia.  His trip to Burma was
paid for by Khin Shwe himself.

"This "honorary degree" comes from an institution that isn't accredited to
grant degrees," says Tom Lansner, Professor of International Affairs at
Columbia University.  "Apparently, the whole charade was paid for by the
recipient.  The top military commanders attended the ceremony, and then
boasted about the honor in state newspapers, and in an "information sheet"
on the Internet."

According to Bain and Associates, the Internet "information sheets" are
distributed by the junta's Office of Strategic Services, under the command
of Lt. Col. Hla Min.

"This farce of a degree shows that we can not accept the junta's claims
about anything," says Dr. Sein Win, Prime Minister of Burma's democratic
government in-exile.

The same "information sheet" contained claims of drug seizures, notes Dr.
Win. "These drug seizures are staged events, just like the fake Ph.D.," he
says.  "And yet, the PR companies are trying to use this 'information' to
win counter-narcotics assistance from the U.S., as a way to begin to break
down the U.S. sanctions movement."

Burma is one of only four countries subject to sanctions by the United
States for lack of counter-narcotics efforts.  Burma supplies 60% of the
heroin on US streets and, according to Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright, the junta "profits" from this trade.

Previous "Information Sheets" have contained demonstrably false claims
about activities of Burma's opposition party, the National League for
Democracy, which is headed by Aung San Suu Kyi.  Mrs. Suu Kyi, winner of 
the 1991 Nobel Peace prize, has been imprisoned by the generals in her 
own house for nearly nine years.

Why would the generals in Burma go to such lengths for a fake honorary
doctorate?

Perhaps they are jealous of the degrees awarded to Mrs. Suu Kyi. Mrs. Suu
Kyi has not only earned a B.A. in philosophy, politics and economics from
Oxford University, but also holds honorary doctorates from Oxford, American
University in Washington, D.C., Thammasat University, Thailand, the
University 
of Toronto, Queen's University, Ontario, and the Free University of Brussels.

Contacts:
- Seattle Burma Roundtable: Larry Dohrs (206) 784-5742 dohrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Philadelphia Burma Roundtable: Dan Orzech (610) 650-7755 orzech@xxxxxxxx
- Washington University: Judy Jasper, Associate Vice Chancellor and
Executive Director of Public Affairs (314) 935-5408

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

REUTERS: MYANMAR FREEDOM FIGHTERS SWAP GUNS FOR MODEMS 
9 March, 1998
by Deborah Charles 

BANGKOK - Freedom fighters in Myanmar (Burma) used to get their 
message across with guns and jungle warfare. 

But things have changed with the coming of the global village. Nowadays, 
the most successful dissidents arm themselves with modems and have 
shifted their field of operation from the jungle to the Internet. 

Taking a cue from the successful use of the net by pressure groups
worldwide, Myanmar's army of "cyberactivists" has been growing 
strongly in the past few years, urging the world to help undermine the 
unelected military junta which seized power in 1988. 

Activists claim it has had great success, evidenced by mounting
international pressure on the Myanmar regime since the mid 1990s. 

INTERNET REACH BRINGS RESULTS 

The Free Burma Coalition, which spearheads a movement to stop foreign
investment in Myanmar and undermine the military junta, has become one of 
the world's largest Internet-based political groups. 

Co-founded three years ago by Zarni, a Burmese who went to study in the
United States, the Coalition has members in 28 countries and a large
presence on university campuses worldwide. 

Its growing influence has coincided with some key measures taken against
the Myanmar government in recent years, including economic sanctions passed
by the U.S. and Canada. 

Selective purchasing laws, which prevent authorities from buying from
companies that do business with Myanmar, have been approved by 17 U.S.
cities, one county and the state of Massachusetts. 

"All of these laws have been enacted in the past three years," said Simon
Billenness, a leading activist based in Massachusetts. 

"The selective purchasing laws on Burma have been enacted at a much faster 
rate than similar laws for any other specific country."

COMPUTERS GREAT LEAP FOR ACTIVISTS 

"I remember we began to use the Internet in 1994 and it was a dramatic
improvement in communications for us," said Aung Naing Oo, foreign
secretary of the All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF). 

The ABSDF was founded by students fleeing the military's brutal suppression 
of pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988. 

"In the jungle, we started out in 1988 with typewriters. Then computers
were introduced to us a year later which was a huge leap forward for us,"
said Aung Naing Oo. 

Activists say the Internet is the main factor behind increased global
awareness of Myanmar. 

"It has been through the use of the Internet that we have achieved so much
in such a short time -- something we never could have imagined," said 
Aung Naing Oo. 

Larry Dohrs, a trade specialist and activist for the Free Burma movement
based in the U.S. state of Washington, agreed. 

"Though we are highly dispersed...we now can communicate and act as a real
community," he told Reuters in an email interview -- the way in which all 
news for this article was gathered. 

"Thus our dispersion is changed from a disadvantage to an advantage
overnight, since we have local actors almost everywhere, and a network of
international supporters."

WEB-SITE INVALUABLE FOR BURMA-WATCHERS 

In addition to allowing activists to communicate amongst themselves, the
Internet has become an easy and cheap way to spread information through
list-servers, or subscriber lists. 

News on the country is relatively sparse as Myanmar has strict laws
prohibiting foreign journalists from living in the country and the local
media is tightly controlled. 

So the activists created an entity called BurmaNet News, funded by a branch 
of the Soros Foundation called The Open Society Institute. 

The BurmaNet News editor compiles news published about Myanmar and adds
other information gathered by activists and organisations inside and
outside the 
country and sends it all out to subscribers. 

"BurmaNet has expanded from roughly 450 subscribers in mid-1995 to over
1,000 subscribers now," said a former BurmaNet editor. "Many more people 
read it in newsgroups, printed out on paper or on the Web." 

EVEN MYANMAR REGIME USES BURMANET 

"Almost everyone who works actively on Burma, including the military junta, 
is reading BurmaNet," the former editor said. 

One of the newer additions to BurmaNet over the past year is the active
participation of the Myanmar government which has also created its own
subscriber list and sends out daily propaganda sheets and summaries of its
newspapers. 

Most activists welcome the contribution -- somewhat ironic given the fact
that using the Internet is technically illegal in Myanmar without permission
to own and use a modem. 

"I think it is great," said the BurmaNet editor. "One subscriber recently
asked us to stop posting messages from the military junta but I explained to
him that it is important to listen to what they have to say."

"And I think that a dialogue of sorts is emerging on the net. What is so
exciting about BurmaNet is that such a variety of people are reading it --
diplomats, the military junta, activists, academics, journalists and
students."

Billenness said the government's contributions helped people to better
understand the nature of the military regime. 

"It's important to understand the mindset of the SPDC (State Peace and
Development Council)," he said. "Careful reading of the SPDC's propaganda 
helps us understand how the SPDC thinks and what impression they seek to
cultivate. That helps us counter their publicity and their moves." 

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

VOA: JAPAN-BURMA REFUGEES
9 March, 1998
by Thomas Caldwell

LEAD: The recent outcry by Burmese in Japan about the Japanese 
Government's plans to resume aid to Burma's military government, 
has drawn attention to the plight of  Japan's thousands of Burmese 
residents.  Thomas Caldwell reports from Tokyo, many are facing 
an uncertain future

TEXT: 
Burmese restaurants can be found near most of Tokyo's major train
stations. At night, they fill up with Burmese nationals who make 
their home in the Japanese capital.

Many of these restaurants double as community centers.  A visitor
can find assorted pamphlets and brochures published by several 
pro-democracy organizations set out on a table in a corner.  Most
are free for the taking.  A picture of Nobel laureate Aung San 
Suu Kyi can usually be found hanging on a wall. 

Burmese residents in Japan come to these mostly family-run 
establishments not only to eat, but to share information and 
discuss news from back home.  Many consider themselves exiles and
refugees, but the nation they are currently calling home does not.

Many of the Burmese nationals ended up in Japan after fleeing the
military government in their home country.  For a large number of
them, life here has become a form of limbo.  While they note that
the living conditions in Japan are far better than at the  refugee 
camps along the Thai-Burmese border, they say the Japanese government's 
attitude towards the thousands of Burmese here effectively prevents 
them  from getting on with their lives.

A Burmese who calls himself Maung Nyan works as a cook in a 
Tokyo restaurant.  He does not want to give his real name. He lives
in Japan illegally and still has family back in Burma.  He says he 
believes he would be punished for his speaking out. 

Maung Nyan's visa and passport expired long ago. He cannot travel, 
and the lack of formal permission to stay in Japan makes it impossible 
for him to continue his education at a local university or get a better
job.

//a few seconds of burmese act, fade out with text//

Maung Nyan says he has grown to dislike the people of Japan. He 
complains that ever since he arrived in the country he has done 
whatever work was required of him, but is still treated with contempt.

Accurate statistics on Burmese living in Japan are not available,
mostly because so many are living here illegally. Most informed 
estimates put the number at between eight and 10 thousand.  For 
the most part they are not recognized as refugees fleeing a 
dictatorial regime. They are not deported en masse either, but 
are pretty much ignored, so long as they don't get into trouble 
with the law. They can be found in all sorts of occupations; from
washing dishes to selling computers, and are usually paid nominal
wages.

Burmese living here say they are required to pay a percentage of 
their salary to their embassy, something many refuse to do. If 
they do not pay, their passports are not renewed. If not granted 
refugee status by the time their passports expire, travel documents 
become almost impossible to obtain.

Phone Myin Tun says he was a former bodyguard of Aung San Suu Kyi
and was part of the student movement in 1988, for which he served
five years in prison. He now works for a produce wholesaler in 
Tokyo, but is still quite active in the pro-democracy movement.

Phone Myin Tun says he does not understand why so many Japanese 
think the Burmese living in their midst would remain here if they
had a choice.

  //a few seconds of burmese act, fade out with text//

"If the Japanese people believe that, they are wrong," he says, 
"I would go back home right away if Aung San Suu Kyi said it was 
safe. The Japanese government here does not care about us. They 
do not give any status to the refugees, nor do they care about 
the pro-democracy movement."

Rarely does the Japanese government formally recognize someone as
a refugee.  According to the Ministry of Justice, in 1997 a total
of 242 people applied for refugee status. Out of that number,  
only one person was deemed a refugee. In 1996 it was a similar 
story; only one person was granted refugee status out of 147 
applications. Burmese refugees say it is ironic the numbers are 
so low, given the fact that the United Nations High Commissioner 
for refugees is from Japan.

When asked why so few people are being granted refugee status, 
the Justice Ministry says the government adheres to all 
international agreements pertaining to refugees and examines all 
requests for refugee status with sincerety. As a matter of 
policy, the Ministry does not comment on refugee statistics by 
country.

Many of the Burmese in Japan were still university students a 
decade ago. Among them are people who had ambitious plans but 
now find themselves doing the work most Japanese consider beneath 
them.  Without formal refugee status, or a change in the political
situation in Burma that allows them to return, most will remain 
here, in limbo, indefinitely. (signed) 

Source: Voice of America

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ANNOUNCEMENTS:

DECLARATION: JOINT ACTION COMMITTEE FOR DISSIDENT BURMESE STUDENTS
1 March, 1998

Background on the formation of the Joint Action Committee for 
Dissident Burmese Students

In the year 1988, the country-wide pro-democracy movement in Burma 
broke out. After the coup d'etat of the military regime, the SLORC, 
thousands of student activists left for Thai-Burma Border and started 
the student movement there again with the name of All Burma Students'
Democratic Front.  

For various reasons, many students of the 8-8-88 Generation have been
arriving at Bangkok, seeking the protection and assistance of UNHCR.  
Some students recognized by UNHCR as the political refugees were allowed 
to enter the Burmese Students' Center (Safe Area). They are legally 
permitted to stay in Thailand by the Thai Ministry of Interior. On the 
other hand, many other students, that is, the persons of concern, 
recognized border cases and those who are under consideration of UNHCR, 
remained illegal in Thailand, especially Bangkok.  

Now the Thai Government is cracking down the illegal immigrants and
deporting them back to the respective countries. The problem was that the
political refugees in Thailand were sandwiched among the illegal workers.
Some of them were arrested, detained and deported back to Burma. Those 
who are deported back to Burma will surely be persecuted by the military 
regime.  

For the safety sake of those dissident Burmese students, the protection and
assistance are absolutely necessary. To implement those purposes, the
student representatives formerly working in the various student regiments
and those from the student groups based in Bangkok unanimously decided to 
form the "Joint Action Committee for Dissident Burmese Students". 

Objective:
To give protection and necessary assistance to the dissident Burmese
students now residing temporarily in Thailand

The Joint Action Committee was formed with 36 members representing the 
ABSDF, ONSOB, ABBESU, NLD, and PDF.
 
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NEW REPORT: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT? THE SITUATION IN CHIN STATE AND
SAGAING DIVISION

Images Asia, the Karen Human Rights Group and the Open Society Institute 
have jointly released a human rights report with information from Chin 
State and Sagaing Division entitled: All Quiet on the Western Front?:
The Situation in Chin State and Sagaing Division

If you would like a copy, please forward $10 to Images Asia with a request 
for the report:

PO Box 2
Prasingha Post Office
Muang, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
e-mail: images@xxxxxxxxxxxx

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