The BurmaNet News: May 27, 1999

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The BurmaNet News: May 27, 1999
Issue #1280

HEADLINES:
==========
NCGUB: 9 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF ELECTION VICTORY 
NLD-LA, ALD-E, CNLP-E, DPNS, ZNC: 1990 ELECTION 
ILO: FORCED LABOUR IN MYANMAR STILL WIDESPREAD 
SCMP: ARMY LOOKS TO SPACE 
REUTERS: EU-ASEAN - COOPERATION PROGRAMME 
BKK POST: WE'VE BEEN SOILED BY ENGAGEMENT 
BKK POST: TAK FACTORIES WANT TO HIRE BURMESE 
XINHUA: WORKSHOP ON ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION 
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NATIONAL COALITION GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF BURMA: NINE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF
DEMOCRAT'S ELECTION VICTORY IN BURMA
25 May, 1999 

150 Members of Parliament Still Under Arrest 


Today marks nine years after Burma's 1990 national election in which the
National League for Democracy (NLD) won 82% of the seats in parliament.
Just as
a serious crackdown on Members of Parliament-elect ensued the election,
widespread arrests of MPs-elect have been perpetrated in the last eight
months.

The ruling generals in Burma are again committing a mass arrest of elected
representatives and organizers of the National League for Democracy.  Over 150
members of parliament are currently under arrest in government "guest houses"
where many are intimidated, tortured, and encouraged to resign from the NLD.

"The arrests illustrate the insecurity of the generals, and exhibit their fear
of the support the NLD maintains among the people" stated NCGUB Prime Minister
Dr. Sein Win.  "The government's recent release of anti-Muslim propaganda
is an
attempt to stir up ethnic unrest, and emphasizes this fear even more."

The NCGUB calls upon the United Nations to take action to eradicate forced
labor in Burma.  The International Labor Organization released a report
yesterday in which it documented "the continued widespread use of forced labor
by the authorities, particularly the military."

The NCGUB also strongly urges the junta to release all political prisoners,
particularly the members of parliament-elect, and urges governments around the
world to grant formal recognition to the Committee Representing the People's
Parliament, a body endowed with the right to speak for the NLD while the MPs
are under detention.

"We have struggled for nine years," commented Dr. Sein Win, "we will continue
until Burma is free."

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NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY, ARAKAN LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY, CHIN NATIONAL
LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY, DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR A NEW SOCIETY, ZOMI NATIONAL
CONGRESS: ELECTION ANNIVERSARY STATEMENT
27 May, 1999 from: sayagyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Multi-party Democracy General Election of 1990 was the result of a
tremendous sacrifice of numerous monks, students and the peoples of Burma and
it was not only a significant footstep towards democracy but also legally
authoritative. It is the verdict bravely given by of the people and is neither
deniable nor ignored.

We, representing National League for Democracy, Arakan League for Democracy,
Chin National League for Democracy, Democratic Party for a New Society and
Zomi
National Congress, which contested in the 1990 election, by seeking
cooperation
with other pro-democracy forces celebrate this day in New Delhi today with
political significance. To establish a democracy, all the peoples are
responsible. Taking example of inside political parties, we will expand our
unity and cooperation.

To fulfill the results of the free and fair election, the ruling military
regime, which held the election, is solely responsible. Principally, to
accomplish the obligation, it is to convene the Parliament of duly elected
Hluttaw Representatives.

The election winner, the NLD has been striving for convening the Parliament
from the very beginning. One of the obvious efforts made by NLD, together with
four ethnic parties, was formation of the "Committee Representing People's
Parliament" (CRPP). Consequently 150 elected MPs were detained, 1,000 party
members were arrested and more than 10,000 were forced to resign from the
party.

On this 9th anniversary of the 1990 election, we:

-By reiterating our full support to the CRPP, call upon the power holders of
Burma to be courageous enough to come to a dialogue,

-Appeal to the international community to make more effort to effectively
implement the UNGA resolutions, UNCHR resolutions and ILO resolutions,

-Earnestly request the neighboring countries, India, People's Republic of
China
and Thailand to review their policy on Burma and adopt a more sensible policy,
and

-Call for help, especially to the people of Burma, to stand by the CRPP
leadership and to actively and bravely do something every day to achieve
democracy by every citizen.


National League for Democracy (Liberated Area)
Arakan League for Democracy (Exile)
Chin National League for Democracy (Exile)
Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS)
Zomi National Congress (ZNC)

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INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE: FORCED LABOUR IN MYANMAR STILL WIDESPREAD
25 May, 1999 

[BurmaNet Editor's Note: The report of the Director-General to the members of
the Governing Body on Measures taken by the Government of Myanmar following
the
recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry established to examine its
observance of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29). IS AVAILABLE ON THE
ILO WEBSITE AT:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/20gb/docs/gb274/dg-myanm.htm]

GENEVA (ILO News) - In spite of the Government's formal statements to the
contrary, forced labour remains widespread in Myanmar, says Juan Somavia,
Director-General of the International Labour Office (ILO) in a report[1]
dispatched to members of the ILO Governing Body on 21 May and made public
today.

The report "regarding measures which the Government of Myanmar has taken to
comply" with its obligations under international law, states that none of the
recommendations made last year by an ILO Commission of Inquiry "have yet been
followed".

Although barred by the authorities from entering Myanmar, the Commission of
Inquiry, appointed under the Constitution of the 174 member-State ILO,
interviewed more than 250 eye-witnesses in neighbouring countries and
collected
more than 6000 pages of documents. In a report [2] issued in August 1998, it
concluded that "the obligation to suppress the use of forced or compulsory
labour is violated in Myanmar in national law as well as in actual practice in
a widespread and systematic manner, with total disregard for the human
dignity,
safety and health and basic needs of the people".

Pointing to the Government's "flagrant and persistent failure to comply" with
the ILO's Forced Labour Convention (No. 29) to which Myanmar (then Burma)
adhered in 1955, the Commission called on the country to: a) bring its
laws, in
particular its Village and Towns Acts, into line with the Forced Labour
Convention, as repeatedly promised by the Government over the past 30
years; b)
ensure that, in actual practice, no more forced labour be imposed by the
authorities, in particular the military; and c) enforce strictly the penalties
which may be imposed for the exaction of forced or compulsory labour in
conformity with Article 25 of the Convention.

Nearly one year later, little has changed, according to the ILO. An Order was
issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 14 May 1999 directing local
authorities "not to exercise the powers conferred on them" under the Village
and Towns Acts but, underlines the latest report, "by 18 May 1999, neither had
the Village Act nor the Town Act been amended, as requested in the
recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry, nor had any draft law
proposed or
under consideration for that purpose been brought to the attention of the
ILO".

Furthermore, notes the report, "all information on actual practice ...)"
provided by member States, workers' and employers' organizations and other
reliable sources, points to "the continued widespread use of forced labour by
the authorities, in particular the military". Thousands of villagers continue
to perform forced labour as porters, messengers or as labourers on roads,
railways, bridges and farms. Among the evidence cited are hundreds of written,
official orders emanating from the army or civil administration. "As pointed
out by the ICFTU (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions)," says the
report, "all these orders are quasi-identical in shape, style and contents to
the hundreds of forced labour orders which the Commission of Inquiry had
examined and found to be authentic".

Forced labour has both direct and indirect social and economic
consequences. As
quoted in the report, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR)
has "received information that, in order to reduce disruptions in adults'
income-earning activities, families have resorted to sending children to
perform labour in place of adult members of the families".

Finally, says the report, "no action seems to have been taken (...) to punish
those exacting forced labour". None of the evidence submitted by the
Government
of the Union of Myanmar suggests that alleged instances of forced labour had
led to "thorough investigations, prosecutions and adequate punishment of those
found guilty" as stipulated under the terms of the Forced Labour Convention
(No. 29).

Notes:

[1] Report of the Director-General to the members of the Governing Body on
Measures taken by the Government of Myanmar following the recommendations of
the Commission of Inquiry established to examine its observance of the Forced
Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29). International Labour Office, Geneva, 21 May
1999.

[2] Forced Labour in Myanmar (Burma). Report of the Commission of Inquiry
appointed under Article 26 of the Constitution of the International Labour
Organization to examine the observance by Myanmar of the Forced Labour
Convention, 1930 (No. 29). Geneva, 2 July 1998.

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SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: ARMY LOOKS TO SPACE FOR BETTER GROUND CONTROL
26 May, 1999 by William Barnes

The ruling military regime is seeking tenders for a satellite communication
network for the armed forces.

A hand-phone for every unit would be a huge stride in bringing the military
under more effective central command.

But it may create problems for any satellite company that takes on the job.
Burma's only existing satellite network is a limited one provided by Hong
Kong-based Asia Satellite Communications.

This is ostensibly for civilian use but is geared up to provide long-distance
telephone services in strategic border areas.

Jane's Defence Weekly pointed out that the Asiasat satellite was made in the
United States, which has applied sanctions on new investment in Burma and a
comprehensive ban on arms sales.

Jane's said it was "unclear" what effect US sanctions might have on any
attempt
to lease transponder space for blatantly military use.

The proposed network involves the construction of a system linked to a
satellite transponder.

Initially there would be a hub station in Rangoon and 10-15 remote stations
that would eventually increase to 200.

"This is a very flexible type of system that can be set up very quickly," a
telecommunication expert said in Bangkok.

"It could give them the sort of tight communications network they've never had
before."

The Burmese army has been forced to concede a fair degree of autonomy to
regional military commanders because of inadequate communications.

So operations against refugees have sometimes appeared awkwardly timed for
Burmese diplomacy.

Drug trafficking and smuggling also appear to thrive best in areas where local
commanders enjoy a high degree of autonomy.

The creation of a full-scale satellite network would cap more than a decade of
military effort in improving not only communications but the means to tap into
the message systems of rebel and rival groups.

By the mid-1990s, Rangoon had equipped itself with a "cyber war" centre,
mostly
with computer technology supplied by Singapore.

This has the ability to tap all phone, fax and e-mail communication in and out
of the country.

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REUTERS: EU-ASEAN CONFERENCE ENDORSES COOPERATION PROGRAMME
26 May, 1999 

BANGKOK, May 26 (Reuters) - The European Union and Association of South East
Asian Nations have endorsed a broad programme for future cooperation delayed
two years by a dispute over Myanmar's human rights record, officials said on
Wednesday.

The "New Dynamic in EU-ASEAN Relations" would be formally approved by a
plenary
session of the blocs' Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) in the afternoon, EU
and ASEAN officials said.

The wide-ranging programme covers trade, economic and industrial
cooperation as
well as initiatives on drugs and the environment. Trade clauses include
cooperation over intellectual property rights and bloc-to-bloc tariffs.

The plan should have been adopted two years ago, but this week's JCC
meeting in
Bangkok was twice postponed because of military-ruled Myanmar's entry into
ASEAN in 1997 and the grouping's requirement that all its members attend.

The EU has imposed sanctions on Myanmar because of its poor human rights
record
and this week's meeting only came about after a compromise was reached
allowing
Yangon to attend but not speak.

EU sanctions, which bar senior Myanmar officials from entering Europe, forced
cancellation of a meeting of foreign ministers of the two blocs earlier this
year.

The lack of contact between the two trading blocs has led to many cooperation
and aid projects being put on hold.

The sanctions were imposed because of Myanmar's human rights record, including
its treatment of its pro-democracy opposition led by Nobel laureate Aung San
Suu Kyi. Her party won a 1990 election by a landslide, but the military
ignored
the result and detained many of its members.

On Tuesday, the U.N.'s International Labour Organisation said forced labour in
Myanmar remained widespread despite the Yangon government's vehement denials.

The Geneva-based agency said thousands of villagers continued to perform
forced
labour as porters, messengers or as workers on roads, railways, bridges and
farms.

It said recommendations made in August 1998 by an ILO commission of inquiry
had
not been followed.

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BANGKOK POST: WE'VE BEEN SOILED BY ENGAGEMENT
25 May, 1999 by Somchai MacGillivary

Postbag

In championing Burma's membership of Asean, Thailand led us to believe that
somehow a process of drawing Burma into closer alliance with more democratic
nations would produce positive results in terms of greater freedoms within
Burma. So where are we now? All reports from inside Burma, from refugees
fleeing Burma, and from informed NGO workers and human rights activists
indicate that the situation inside Burma is worse than it has been at any time
since the 1988 crackdown. A recent videotape message from Aung San Suu Kyi
confirms this.

Now we read that an important labour conference has to be postponed, or
cancelled, because someone may say something derogatory about the labour
situation in Burma, causing a loss of face to the dictatorship there.

A stroll through the market in any large city in Burma will quickly confirm
why
Thailand sees Burma as an important trading partner, so of course
self-interest
plays a role in protecting what precious little is left of Burma's reputation.
But at what expense? Can Thailand really expect to play a major role in world
trade when it cannot maintain an above-board relationship with its neighbour?
Does the Thai government really believe that by hiding its head in the sand
and
preventing others from speaking freely that anyone actually will believe that
the abominable human rights violations, including forced labour, are any less?
Has so called constructive engagement enabled such a bleak situation in Burma
that Thai authorities are even afraid to let free people speak of it? And now
it seems the relationship between our freely elected government and the
squalid
gang of thugs in Burma is so important as to jeopardise our relationship with
the European Union. Is there no shame in having friends so disgusting that
free
countries will not even sit at the same table as us? In the end evil never
triumphs. This will be proved true of the dictatorship presently oppressing
the
people of Burma. When freedom and democracy come to Burma, I hope the new
leaders never forget the role of Thailand in supporting the present regime.

As a child, my mother told me: "You will be judged by the company you keep."
Does the Thai government really think it can be bedfellows with someone as
filthy as the Burmese dictatorship and not get soiled? In the case of Burma,
the most constructive engagement would be disengagement.

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BANGKOK POST: TAK FACTORIES WANT TO HIRE BURMESE
26 May, 1999 by Supamart Kasem

TAK

The provincial industrial council is seeking government permission for
continued employment of Burmese workers in Tak.

The council's move follows last week's arrest of more than 6,000 illegal
Burmese workers from six garment factories located in the province's border
districts of Mae Sot, Mae Ramat, Tha Song Yang and Phop Phra.

Authorities have been rounding up alien workers for repatriation since the
government reprieve for their employment expired on August 4 this year.

Chairman Suchart Visuwan said yesterday that members of the council would meet
the interior minister, the labour minister and the House economic affairs
committee chairman tomorrow to ask the government to relax its ban on the
employment of alien workers.

Mr Suchart said the arrests of Burmese workers had affected the economy of
this
northern province since the factories raided last week were making products
for
export.

"Tak has more than 100 factories. And 70 percent of these plants are garment
factories which exported products worth more than 6.7 billion baht last year.
If all these factories have to be closed down due to labour shortages, it will
damage the province's economy and deter investments in the border areas of
Tak," said the industrial council chairman.

According to Mr Suchart, about 20 Taiwanese businessmen who planned to invest
at least two billion baht in garment factories in Mae Sot had already
cancelled
an inspection trip scheduled for last Saturday.

Amnart Nanthaharn, the council secretarygeneral, said the council would seek
permission to employ Burmese in four border districts of Tak on condition at
least 20 percent of the workforce of any workplace be Thais.

Meanwhile Pol Col Bancha Pluengprasit, chief of the province's immigration
police, said police would continue to round up illegal alien workers.

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XINHUA: MYANMAR HOLDS WORKSHOP ON ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
25 May, 1999

YANGON (May 25) XINHUA - A national workshop is being held here to discuss and
review the first draft of a national framework for environmental protection
law
and an environmental impact assessment law for Myanmar, participated by
various
ministries.

The second two-day workshop, which began Monday, was organized by the National
Commission for Environmental Affairs (NCEA) of Myanmar in cooperation with the
United Nations Environment Program and the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany.

Lal Kurukulasuriya, chief of the Regional Environmental Law Program, said in
his opening speech that the process of drafting the National Environmental Law
in Myanmar can be regarded as a model and will be replicated in other ASEAN
countries.

He added that because of the success of the process in Myanmar, Cambodia has
requested similar assistance to draft an environmental legislation.

Myanmar held the first national workshop on environmental legislation in
October last year.

The NCEA, since its inception in February 1990, has made efforts to enhance
environmental management in the country, promoting public attention to
environmental matters through public environmental awareness programs.

Myanmar adopted a national environmental policy in late 1994 with the aim of
achieving harmony and balance between the environment and development through
the integration of environmental consideration into the development process to
enhance the quality of life of all its citizens.

In 1997, the NCEA formulated and published Myanmar Agenda 21 which is a
plan of
action for sustainable development in the country.

Presently, Myanmar has altogether 57 environmentally related laws. However,
most of these sectoral laws are incidental environmental laws and are not
specifically intended for environmental protection.
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