AFP : More 5 stories of foreign act

[hlaing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

ASEAN must protest against Myanmar for detaining activists: Opposition
Mon 10 Aug 98 - 08:49 GMT 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 (AFP) - Malaysian opposition leader Lim Kit Siang
Monday urged Malaysia and the ASEAN governments to lodge a strong protest
with Myanmar for detaining 18 foreign activists, including three
Malaysians.
"Malaysia and ASEAN government should lodge the strongest protest" with the
junta "at the arrest of 18 members of the multi-national peace-making team
to promote democracy and human rights in Burma and to demand their
immediate unconditional release," Lim said in a statement.
The multi-national peace-making team were in Myanamr to commemorate the
10th anniversary of the August 8, 1988 pro-democracy uprising which was
brutally crushed by the military. 
"I am seeking an appointment with Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi and the
Burmese (Myanmar) Ambassador to Malaysia U Saw Tun, on the arrest of three
Malaysians among the 18 taken in by the Burmese authorities," Lim said.
The activists were rounded up Sunday and accused of inciting unrest in the
country amid escalating political tensions by handing out pamphlets
promoting human rights and democracy.
Elizabeth Wong, coordinator of Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) or Voice of
the Malaysian People told AFP two of the three Malaysians detained in
Myanmar were SUARAM members.
They are Jonson Chong, 27, a SUARAM coordinator and J.L. Ong, a 25-year-old
graduate student. The third is C.H. See, a businessman and a member of the
Malaysian-based Burmese Solidarity Group, she said.
"We do not know where they are. We are concerned about them. We have
contacted our foreign ministry here but we have not heard anything," Wong
said.
Wong also said the 18 activists should be released immediately and
unconditionally.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand
and Vietnam. 
The detainees included six US nationals, three Thais, three Malaysians,
three Indonesians, two Filipinos and one Australian, the junta has said.
Ten were male, eight female.

Diplomats expected the junta to deport the foreign activists.
----------------------------------------
Detained foreign activists broke three Myanmar laws: junta
Mon 10 Aug 98 - 09:02 GMT 

YANGON, Aug 10 (AFP) - Myanmar's junta Monday said 18 foreign activitists
detained for handing out leaflets promoting democracy and human rights had
broken three local laws but that it had not yet decided whether to charge
or deport them.
They had breached the emergency provisions act of 1950, the 1962 printing
and publications act and a law prohibiting "statements conducive to public
mischief," a junta spokesman told a press conference.
The activists -- six US nationals, three Thais, three Malaysians, one
Australian, two Filipinos and three Indonesians -- were understood to be
under detention at Yangon's police headquarters and a police station near
the capital's airport.
"We have not considered what legal action to take against them but they
have breached three laws of our country," the junta spokesman added,
speaking beside a display of photographs of those arrested, their passports
and "anti-government" documents seized from them.
The foreigners were detained Sunday and their embassies said they were
unable to establish where they were held or what would happen to them.
But diplomats said they were confident they would be well treated.
Most foreign diplomats involved in the case believed the activists would
soon be deported to Bangkok.
--------------------------------------
Philippine, other envoys prevented from seeing detainees: source
Mon 10 Aug 98 - 10:36 GMT 

MANILA, Aug 10 (AFP) - Envoys in Myanmar including the Philipine ambassador
have been barred from seeing their nationals detained in Yangon for
allegedly breaching local laws, a diplomatic source said here Monday.
Sonia Brady, the Philippine ambassador to Myanmar, said in a report to
Manila that she has been barred from seeing two Filipinos among those
arrested over the weekend, said the source, who asked not to be named.
The source quoted Brady's report as saying the envoys of other countries
whose nationals were among those detained have also been prohibited from
visiting them.
Myanmar authorities "cannot give details at the moment" on whether and when
"the embassies can see their respective nationals," the source said,
quoting Brady's report to the foreign department here.
Six US nationals, three Thais, three Malaysians, one Australian, two
Filipinos and three Indonesians were understood to be under detention at
Yangon's police headquarters and at a police station near the capital's
airport.
They were accused of illegally distributing leaflets promoting democracy
and human rights.
A spokesman for the ruling junta said in Yangon Monday that the activists
had violated three local laws and that the authorities have not yet made a
decision on whether to try or deport them.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon said he had sought the
assistance of Myanmar's ambassador to Manila, San Thein, for the release of
the Filipinos.
"Brady remains in close touch with Myanmar authorities to ensure the safety
of the two and to negotiate for their release," Siazon said in a statement,
adding the envoy met General Khin Nyunt, secretary of the junta.
Brady said in her report that the foreigners were arrested for handing out
pro-democracy pamphlets in the Myanmar capital. The same leaflets were also
found during a search on their hotel rooms, the report said.
The ambassador said she was told by Myanmar officials the activists were
brought to the police station for questioning, but would not say where.
Merci Ferrer, head of the local chapter of the Free Burma Coalition, said
in Manila on Monday that the two Filipinos were arrested at Yangon's
international airport while waiting for a flight to Bangkok.
The Filipinos entered Mynmar last August 7 as tourists. The trip was
organized by a non-government group based in Thailand.
----------------------------------------

Thailand urges Myanmar to "resolve" detention of 18 foreigners
Mon 10 Aug 98 - 11:42 GMT 

BANGKOK, Aug 10 (AFP) - Thailand on Monday urged Myanmar quickly to deal
with the case of 18 foreigners detained in Yangon for attempting to incite
unrest by handing out pro-democracy messages.
Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Kobsak Chutikul said Bangkok was concerned
about the detention Sunday of three Thais, who were among a larger group of
foreign activists trying to promote human rights and democracy in the
military state.
"We are concerned because they were given visas to travel to Myanmar, so
apparently they are not people who the Myanmar authorities thought had a
history of any activities against the government there," Kobsak told a
press conference.
Six US nationals, an Australian, two Filipinos, three Malaysians and three
Indonesians were also arrested for allegedly breaching laws relating to
national security.
"So many nationalities were involved, including many from ASEAN countries,"
Kobsak noted, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN).
"Again we are concerned that this will make a bad image for Myanmar and
lead to more international criticism. We urge Myanmar authorities to do
whatever they can to solve the situation."
Kobsak appealed to Yangon to respond to international concern about the
activists and to be more open and to respond to inquiries.
"We are striving for the same goals of human rights and democracy that the
government in Yangon itself has said is its ultimate goal."
A junta official said Monday the 18 detainees were being questioned but had
not yet been charged. He said they were being held in the Yangon Police
Guest House and the capital's police headquarters.
Thai and foreign human rights groups, including Amnesty International, on
Monday condemned the junta and demanded the detainees be released
immediately.
----------------------------------
Anti-junta foreign activists to face criminal charges in Myanmar
Mon 10 Aug 98 - 12:16 GMT 

YANGON, Aug 10 (AFP) - Eighteen foreign activists who were detained in
Myanmar for allegedly attempting to incite unrest will be tried on criminal
charges, the country's junta said Monday.
"After further investigation...it was premeditated," the junta said in a
statement.
"Action will be taken against them according to the law. They will be
charged and tried."
The detainees were six US nationals, three Thais, three Malaysians, three
Indonesians, two Filipinos and one Australian, the junta said. Ten were
male and eight female.