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The BurmaNet News: August 25, 1999



------------------------ BurmaNet ------------------------
"Appropriate Information Technologies, Practical Strategies"
----------------------------------------------------------

The BurmaNet News: August 25, 1999
Issue #1344

Noted in Passing: "We will never disown any of our allies who have fought
for democracy." - Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (see AFP: AUNG SAN SUU KYI SLAMS
MILITARY CRACKDOWN)

HEADLINES:
==========
AFP: ASSK SLAMS MILITARY CRACKDOWN AHEAD OF SEPT 9 
AFP: ASSK BLASTS FOREIGN TOURISTS IN MYANMAR 
SHAN: KHUN SA'S SON ORDERING GUNS TO OUTFIT AN ARMY 
IHT: A START TO HELP BURMESE ON ROAD TO HUMAN RIGHTS 
BKK POST: WORLD WORKERS PROTEST AGAINST RANGOON 
NATION: RELOCATION OF 8,000 KAREN REFUGEES BEGINS 
REUTERS: THAI GOVERNMENT ALLOWS PTT TO PAY FOR GAS 
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AFP: AUNG SAN SUU KYI SLAMS MILITARY CRACKDOWN AHEAD OF SEPTEMBER 9 
25 August, 1999 

YANGON, Aug 24 (AFP) - Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has given
support to dissidents campaigning for a mass uprising next month, and
warned the ruling military junta is using the so-called 'four nines
movement' as a pretext to tighten its grip. 

"I think they are using it as an excuse for cracking down," she said in an
interview with AFP late Monday.

"The authorities should not try to find victims for what will arise out of
their shortcomings," she added.

The junta has lashed out at dissidents for waging a campaign of
"disinformation" to create civil unrest on September 9 -- or 9/9/99.

Aung San Suu Kyi said her National League for Democracy (NLD) had not
masterminded the 'four nines campaign, but said she would not abandon
dissidents calling for a general uprising on September 9.

"This is not a campaign that we started but our policy has always been very
clear on such things -- we will never disown any of our allies who have
fought for democracy," she said.

The Nobel Peace laureate would not say whether she expected the mass
uprising to go ahead, but warned the people's desire for democracy could
not be suppressed forever.

"What we are sure of is that the people are generally discontent and it
would not surprise me if there is discontent in some form or other, but
when it will come out we cannot predict," she said.

"If there is a general uprising it will be because of the discontent of the
people, because of the hardships that our people are having to face."

The military junta has confirmed it has arrested 37 people in connection
with the 'four nines' movement, but said there was no support for a mass
uprising and the planned unrest was destined to fail.

August 8 this year marked the 11th anniversary of an uprising in which
hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators were gunned down by the army and a
junta took power from strongman General Ne Win.

That anniversary passed peacefully, but dissident groups have said
Myanmar's people have an "appointment" with September 9 to repeat the
events of 1988 and end the military's 37-year domination of politics.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been locked in a bitter political struggle with
Myanmar's military rulers since she led the NLD to an overwhelming victory
in 1990 elections.

The junta ignored the results and embarked on a campaign of intimidation
and arrest of NLD members and supporters.

*****************************************************
 
AFP: AUNG SAN SUU KYI BLASTS FOREIGN TOURISTS IN MYANMAR
24 August, 1999 

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has blasted foreign tourists to
the military state for doing nothing to help its political or long-term
economic situation. 

The 1991 Nobel laureate told AFP in an exclusive interview late Monday that
foreign visitors did not help to open the country which has been under
harsh military rule for decades. 

"Tourists don't bring new ideas. Most of the tourists who come (here) come
to enjoy themselves," the National League for Democracy (NLD) leader said. 

"There are some tourists who take the trouble to talk to various people to
find out what the situation in the country is like, but the great majority
of tourists, especially the ones who come to a place like Burma, knowing
Burma is a dictatorship, come here because they want to see something new." 

A strong advocate of economic sanctions against the regime here, Aung San
Suu Kyi also dismissed the potential benefits from tourism to the crippled
local economy. 

"I think any sound economist will tell you that to try to build a country's
economy on tourism is a very bad idea," she said. 

"It's a soft option and it has no long-term benefit. 

"And if you want to look at it from a social point of view, tourism brings
in as much ill as good." 

She also deplored the number of French tourists arriving in Myanmar,
formerly known as Burma. 

French made up the bulk of European arrivals here in 1998-99, with 14,064
compared to 17,000 the previous season, official figures show. 

"We have too many French tourists," Aung San Suu Kyi said. 

The United States and Britain officially discourage citizens from visiting
Myanmar, but arrivals from these countries rose over the same period. 

American arrivals rose from 9,300 in 1997-98 to 11,009 in 1998-99, while
British arrivals grew from 7,981 to 9,577. 

Western tourists are still small in number compared with Asian,
particularly Japan, Thailand, Taiwan and Singapore. 

The junta has set a target of 500,000 tourist arrivals for the new season,
although only 150,000 arrived last year. 

The junta has made tourism one of its priorities as the economy crumbles
amid alleged corruption, mismanagement, the repercussions of the Asian
crisis and international sanctions, particularly those imposed by the
United States. 

The junta is widely accused of gross human rights abuses and has ignored
the results of a 1990 election won in a landslide by the NLD under Aung San
Suu Kyi 

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

SHAN HERALD AGENCY FOR NEWS (SHAN): KHUN SA'S SON ORDERING GUNS TO OUTFIT
AND ARMY
24 August, 1999 

Reports from the border say druglord Khun Sa's son is ordering arms and
ammunition from his Thai contacts for some undisclosed purposes. 

Zarmhurng a.k.a Chang Wei-kang, Khun Sa's second son, who has been living
in Tachilek, opposite Maesai District, Chiangmai Province of Thailand,
since his father's surrender in 1996, was reported to have got in touch
with his close Thai friends in early August and asked for their assistance
in the purchase of a thousand small arms and ammunition. He said there was
no need to worry about payment. He was ready to pay at current prices on
delivery. No reason was given for his strange approach. 

Observers said there were only three reasons for "this outlandish behavior". 

One, they said, was to assist the ex-MTA militia units that were battling
with the junta troops in the north against the Shan States Army's
expeditionary force from the south. There are two "Anti-Insurgency" units
active there: Bo Mon's 400-strong Wanparng militia and Ma Kuo-wen's
300-strong Mongha-Mongheng militia. Both are reported to be close intimates
of Khun Sa. 

Another reason might be that Zarmhurng had been given the green light by
the junta to set up a militia unit against Yawdserk's Shan States Army,
that is reported to be active in the area, as well as to check the growing
influence of the two local ceasefire groups there, namely, the United Wa
State Army and Sai Lin a.k.a Lin Mingxien's Eastern Shan State Army. 

The last speculation was that Zarmhurng was desperate to protect his
business interests from harassment by Yawdserk's troops. He was reported to
be in close contact with Wei Hsueh-kang, Khun Sa's successor as the drug
king, the fact that explained his sudden prosperity. He was until recently
said to be near bankruptcy. "Wei's visit of Khun Sa in April and the
resulting reconciliation completely changed his status", said one source. 

Shan States Army sources also confirmed Zarmhurng's efforts to contact them
in order to "request" their exemption of his activities but they had not
given any response.

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

INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: A START TO HELP BURMESE ON ROAD TO HUMAN RIGHTS 
23 August, 1999 by Alexander Downer

The question of Burma has vexed the international community for the entire
11 years since the current military-backed government assumed power in
Rangoon. Australia believes that now is the time to engage the regime in a
serious dialogue on the protection and promotion of human rights in Burma.

Such a dialogue is one way of improving the lot of ordinary Burmese. It is
also a means of drawing the regime into a discussion on issues that have
caused great concern outside Burma. To do nothing is to fail to confront
the problem.

Simply shouting from the sidelines has apparently achieved nothing. It is
one thing to criticize the Burmese government -- and we have done a great
deal of that -- but we are also looking at other initiatives to help
alleviate the plight of the people in Burma.

That is why two months ago, I suggested to the then Burmese foreign
minister, U Ohn Gyaw, that Rangoon consider setting up an independent
national human rights institution, as Indonesia did some years ago under
the regime of President Suharto. I believed that such an approach would
provide a way through which Burma could work to guarantee human rights
within its own jurisdiction.

I pursued my proposal with the present foreign minister, U Win Aung, when I
met him in Singapore late last month at the annual post-ministerial
conference of the Association of South East Asian Nations. It was in this
context that Australia's human rights comissioner, Chris Sidoti, visited
Burma this month to discuss with officials there the possible role of an
independent human rights institution.

Prior to Mr. Sidoti's visit, two middle-ranking Burmese officials visited
Australia in mid-July for an introduction to the Australian approach to
national human rights institutions, and for broad discussions on human rights.

Australia's experience has been that work toward the establishment of
national human rights organizations by governments seeking to respond to
the concerns of the international community can make a positive impact over
the longer term.

The fact that the Burmese government can see the point of such a body,
although it has yet to make up its mind about how it would work, is a good
step forward.

I have no illusions. This is a first step in what will be an incremental
process. But we want to do what we can to encourage an improvement in human
rights in Burma.

Ultimately, setting up a national human rights institution will need a firm
commitment from the Burmese themselves.  I am well aware that the
development of a genuinely independent body, if indeed that is possible,
would take a considerable length of time. It would also have to be
established according to internationally accepted standards.

To be blunt, if the Burmese were to construct a bricks and mortar
institution next week, it would not be credible. Our immediate objective is
to engage the key figures in a process of dialogue to better promote and
protect human rights.

I know that there are those who do not accept that it is possible to talk
to the regime about human rights issues. The opposition National League for
Democracy led by Nobel Peace laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has said that
our proposal is ''misguided.'' But human rights are a matter of
international concern, and as their protection is the responsibility of the
national government, we have to deal with the government. We have kept the
league informed about developments concerning the proposal, and will
continue to do so.

The Australian government's policy on Burma remains focused on the key
goals of advancing the cause of democracy and promoting greater respect for
human rights. I have consistently called on the Burmese government to enter
into substantive discussions as soon as possible with the league and ethnic
minorities, leading to genuine political reform.

We owe it to the Burmese people to find creative ways to encourage reform
and reconciliation in their country.

(Alexander Downer is the Australian Foreign Minister.)

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

THE BANGKOK POST: WORLD WORKERS PROTEST AGAINST RANGOON 
24 August, 1999 

Demand release of 2 jailed unionists

International transport workers set up a bamboo cage outside the Burmese
embassy in Bangkok yesterday in a symbolic protest to demand the release of
two jailed union official in Rangoon.

About 30 protesters demanded the immediate release of Khin Kyaw and Myo
Aung Thant, executives of the Federation of Trade Unions in Burma.

Ulrich Juergens, leading a delegation to Thailand from the International
Transport Workers Federation, said there was "reason to believe" the two
men had been tortured since they were jailed two years ago.

Myo Aung Thant, who represents a seafarers' union, is serving life in
prison, while Khin Kyaw, from an underground petrochemical workers union,
has been detained without sentencing. 

"Trade union membership is not a privilege, but a basic human right. By
denying this right and other basic human rights to its people, the Burmese
generals prove they are no better than gangsters," Mr Juergens said.

A Fijipino unionist sat inside the cage set up on a truck and briefly
parked outside the embassy. About 10 Thai workers joined the protest.

The ITF delegation is on its latest stop on a round-the-world tour in its
own ocean-going vessel. They are campaigning for labour rights,
particularly for workers on ships travelling under flags of convenience
that evade national labour laws.

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

THE NATION: RELOCATION OF 8,000 KAREN REFUGEES BEGINS 
24 August, 1999 

TAK - The Army and international aid workers started the relocation
yesterday of 8,000 ethnic Karen refugees from a camp near the border town
of Mae Sot to a new site that is supposed to be less vulnerable to
cross-border attacks.

About 300 Karen from 80 households from the Huay Kalok refugee camp were
put on Army trucks yesterday and moved to Tak province's Oumpium village.

The new site is about 12 kilometers from the Thai-Burmese border. Oumpium
village will also be a new home to other Burmese refugees who will be moved
from two other camps, Maw Ker and Nhunpho, in the coming months, said Col
Chayudh Boonbarn, a local commander who supervised yesterday's operation.
About 90,000 [sic] Burmese refugees will live in Oumpium once the move is
complete, he said.

According to Chayudh, it will take about 40 days to relocate the 8,000
refugees from the Huay Kalok camp. He did not provide a time-frame for
moving the two other camps.

About 200 refugees had declined to go along with the move and instead
returned to Burma, he added.

The relocation came about 18 months after a pro-Rangoon breakaway Karen
faction torched the Huay Kalok camp. It was the second time that the
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, allegedly with the help of Burmese
soldiers, burnt down the camp.

Thailand came under international criticism because of its failure to
provide adequate protection to the refugees, who were staying just walking
distance from Burma.

There are over 100,000 Burmese refugees, mostly ethnic Karen, who have
escaped fighting and mass relocation in Burma and fled to Thailand where
they have been sheltered in border camps.

Many are loyal to the Karen National Union (KNU), the largest major ethnic
army that has not signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese military
government. The KNU has been fighting the Burmese government for the past
five decades since the country gained independence from Britain.

Efforts to locate a new home for the refugees were delayed because of the
difficult in finding a site that is acceptable to all the government
agencies involved.

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

REUTERS: THAI GOVERNMENT ALLOWS PTT TO PAY FOR YADANA GAS 
24 August, 1999

BANGKOK, Aug 24 (Reuters) - State-owned Petroleum Authority of Thailand
(PTT) received approval from the government on Tuesday to make a payment of
$50.5 million to Yadana gas producers. 

The payment covers the first tranche of a take-or-pay agreement it has with
a Total -led consortium which produces natural gas at the gas project in
Myanmar. 

The amount is a discount from $62 million originally charged to PTT,
Thailand's gas monopoly. 

PTT did not pay the first bill, which has been due since March, on the
grounds that the energy content in the gas from Yadana was lower than
agreed in the 30-year contract. 

The Yadana field is operated by a consortium led by Total and includes PTT
Exploration and Production and U.S.-based Unocal .

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