Information Sheet No.A-0594(I) (r)

[kyaw_k_htut@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Hello Ko Okkar,

Col. Hla Min is the bluntest liar I have ever seen in my life.  He 
answered "No..the picture are from the second world war." to the 
question by a BBC correspondent who asked if it is true that forced 
labor in Burma exists, showing Hla Min the photo/documentary video clips 
on this matter.

How are the students in Hlaing Campus doing right now?  What is your 
version about the problems?
Has the SPDC sealed the campus and cut the electricity, food, water and 
any other basic human needs required by the students?  If it is so, do 
you think it is a humanly act and response to the civilized action 
staged by the students, your own blood?

It would be greatful if you could come up with specific reports 
containing Demands submitted by these students.  And your assessment of 
the situation.  What do you think would be the best way to defuse the 
prevailing tension?  
I think you should respond to my queries.

Kyaw Kyaw Htut
Indiana

----Original Message Follows----
Date: 06 Sep 1998 02:48:33
Reply-To: Conference "reg.burma" <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Information Sheet No.A-0594(I)
To: Recipients of burmanet-l <burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx>

                    MYANMAR IMFORMATION COMMITTEE
                                          YANGON

                                     Information Sheet

                   
                No.A-0594(I)         6th September 1998

(1)		Myanmar has Seen Emergence of Prominent Women in History Worthy of 
Honour
Women in Myanmar today Enjoy Equal Rights, Adhere to High 	 Moral Values 
and
Good Conduct

		A ceremony to give away prizes to winners of 1998 Myanmar Women's Day
Commemorative Essay Competitions organized by the National Working 
Committee
for Women's Affairs was held in the National Theatre on Myomakyaung 
Street on
5 September afternoon, and Secretary-1 of the State Peace and 
Development
Council addressed the ceremony and presented prizes to winners. In his
address, Secretary-1 said Myanmar Women's  Day could be designated in 
honour
of the entire Myanmar women imbued with virtues such as preserving their 
own
traditional culture, mores and lineage, and it amounts to putting up a
historic milestone worthy of dignity of the entire Myanmar women. As for
Myanmar women, they have been  enjoying status equal to men beginning 
the dawn
of Myanmar civilisation, and moreover, they could preserve their own 
cultural
characteristics according to Myanma tradition without letting Myanmar 
culture
be eclipsed by other culture which does not proffer women status equal 
to men
though there have been relations with other nations. The good reputation 
of
Myanmar women is well-known, and it is evident that they are enjoying 
status
equal to men as a birthright.  Disparaging and preposterous accusations 
such
as that there is inequality of rights for women in Myanmar, that the 
health
and education standard of Myanmar women is low and their moral is 
corrupted,
and that because of Myanmar women, AIDS is prevalent in Myanmar. These
accusations brought the dignity of Myanmar women on the verge of being
tainted. In fact, Myanmar women while preserving their cherishable 
traditional
culture through out their life and enjoying status equal to men, always 
uphold
the fine tradition of observing moral codes of conduct which are 
respectably
observed in Myanmar society. In the tenure of the State Peace and 
Development
Council, Myanmar women can enjoy their rights fully, and the Government 
is
creating opportunities which can contribute to the development of women. 
As a
result, many outstanding women have emerged and it can be seen that with 
the
collective strength of the entire Myanmar women, women's social and 
economic
organizations have emerged and Myanmar women, taking the lead, are
contributing to the effort for the development of the nation.

		As a token of participating in international women's activities under 
the
aegis of the United States, Myanmar women delegation attended the fourth 
World
Conference on Women held in Beijing, The People's Republic of China. 
Myanmar
ratified the Beijing Declaration and Plan of Action adopted at the 
fourth
World Conference on Women. In accord with the future tasks of the 
Beijing
Declaration , the government formed the National Working Committee for 
Women's
Affairs on 3 July 1996 to be able to oustandingly strive for the 
development
of Myanmar women and to systematically mobilize Myanmar women 
associations.
Out of 12 future tasks of the Beijing Declaration, the National Working
committee for Women's Affairs is implementing six tasks concerning 
education,
health, economy, culture, protection of women from violence and 
rehabilitation
and development of life of young women. The National Working Committee 
for
Women's Affairs, the First National level women's organization working 
for
allround development of women and preservation and safeguarding of 
culture and
traditions and national character is regarded as the one representing 
entire
mass of women and 3 July, the founding day of the Committee, was 
designated
Myanmar Women's Day.

(2)		25th Convocation of IM-2

		The 25th convocation of Institute of Medicine -2 was held in the 
Convocation
Hall of Yangon University on 5 September morning. Rector Dr Tha Hla Shwe 
spoke
and conferred degrees on nine postgraduates and 19 graduates.      
						
				 Special Feature

		This Office is Presenting an Interview Conducted by Peter Mares of 
Radio
Australia (Asia-Pacific) with Lt-Col Hla Min of Office of Strategic 
Studies
 
Ruling authorities spokesman on Suu Kyi, rejects international call for 
UN
role 

Text of report by Radio Australia on 27th August

[Presenter Peter Mares] Burma's military regime rejects claims of  human
rights abuse and remains defiant in the face of growing international
pressure-US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright telephoned the foreign
ministers of Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines and Thailand last weekend 
to
discuss developments in Burma and earlier this month Australian Foreign
Minister Alexander Downer suggested that UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
should travel personally to Rangoon to mediate between Burma's military 
rulers
and the opposition NLD the National League for Democracy. But the 
Burmese
regime today rejected that suggestion outright.
 
		In a rare interview, a military official told "Asia-Pacific" [ this 
feature]
that Burma, or Myanmar as it is officially known can solve its own 
problems.
Lt-Col Hla Min also defended the government's refusal to allow Nobel 
Prize
winner Aung San Suu Kyi to travel outside the capital, saying the 
restriction
is for her own safety.
 
	[Hla Min] Due to the threats of violence, travel by prominent persons 
to some
part of the country is inadvisable at this time.  And the KNU, the Karen
National Union, an armed insurgent separatist force, has threatened in 
recent
weeks to use guerrilla violence to achieve its aim. And a government 
analysis
[ as heard ] believed that those threats may include attacks on Ms Suu 
Kyi,
aimed at creating political instability in Myanmar.

	[Mares] But she just wants to leave the capital to meet with her 
supporters,
outside Rangoon.

	(A)	Yes, So you see the government of Myanmar has the responsibility of
protecting all of its citizens from acts of political violence from 
terrorist
organizations and the government will take all necessary action to 
protect Ms
Suu Kyi from these threats, while also  safeguarding her human rights,
including the right to freedom of movement, as much as possible.

	[Q]	But her right of freedom of movement is restricted, because she 
can't
leave the capital.
 
	[A]	Well, it is as I have earlier mentioned. It is due to these 
threats. This
is not a permanent sort of thing. If the situation improves, then of 
course
she will be, it will be much more easy for her to move around.

	[Q]	Why does the government refuse to meet with and negotiate with an 
NLD
delegation which includes Aung San Suu Kyi?

	[A]	The government  is always willing to have talks and discussions 
with not
only the NLD party, but the other existing nine political parties as 
well. Of
course the  government would like to talk to the most responsible person 
of
each party, which are the officially appointed chairmen or presidents. 
In the
case of NLD the government has always expressed its willingness to meet 
with
the chairman of NLD, U Aung Shwe, and the officially recognized Central
Executive Committee members, which is the top NLD officials. The 
government
find it extremely difficult to officially recognize party officials, 
those who
were officially expelled from respective parties by their own party 
leaders.
 
	[Q]	But Aung San Suu Kyi  has been reinstated by the National League 
for
Democracy . She was expelled only under duress from the government.

	[A]	No, no, no. Because , you see, there are many other parties also 
that had
a similar experience, some of them, of course because of their shady
backgrounds and they were sort of expelled from their parties. But what 
if all
the parties started to reinstate all these people who have been 
expelled?

	[Q]	But surely that's a matter for the party to decide, who is 
reinstated and
who isn't?

	[A]	But you see, they have reinstated, yes. We did not say that they 
cannot
reinstate. But that is not officially, that is for the internal 
political
activities [On] that we have nothing to say.  But when it comes to 
dealing
with the government officially the government can only deal with the
officially recognized senior party members.

	[Q]	Backed by some other nations, Australia has called for United 
Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan to mediate between the government and the
opposition, led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Would your government accept such a
mediating role by the UN secretary-General?

	[A]	The government of Myanmar faithfully abides by the UN charter on 
non-
interference in other countries' internal affairs and do expect all 
other UN
member countries to act the same and would rather resolve such issues 
without
external intervention.  Myanmar also believes it is in the process of 
building
conciliation and understanding with NLD and hopes the NLD also 
reciprocate in
the same manner, instead of inviting outsiders to resolve a family 
issue.

	[Q]	So you wouldn't accept a visit, a mediating role for the UN 
secretary-
general?

	[A]	I think at this stage it is not necessary.

	[Q]	But your partners in ASEAN, regional countries in ASEAN, the United
States, Australia, all around the world [ countries ] are concerned 
about the
political situation in Myanmar, in Burma, and the failure to move 
forward.

	[A]	Well, yes, we appreciate very much for their concern, but actually, 
you
see, we have our own ways and means to solve our internal issues. And on 
that,
we are following these ways and means, we are opening the doors for
discussions and we are quite confident that we will reach understanding. 
So we
would like to solve our internal issues on our own.

	[Q]	But as long as you refuse to speak to the internationally and 
nationally
recognized opposition figurehead, Aung San Suu Kyi , you are not really
opening the door to dialogue, are you?

	[A]	We have not ruled anything out. As I have earlier mentioned, the
confidence-building measures have just started. That is one of the main
reasons why would like to have it continued.

	[Q]	So you are saying the government may consider also including Aung 
San Suu
Kyi in a dialogue?

	[A]	We have not ruled anything out, so everything is possible. That is 
why we
want to continue  with this confidence building process.

	[Mares]	Burmese military spokesman  Lt-Col Hla Min , who is Deputy 
Director
of International Affairs in the Office of Strategic Studies in Burma's 
Defence
Ministry.

Source; Radio Australia, Melbourne, in English 1005 GMT 27 Aug 98.

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