The BurmaNet News: September 20, 19

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Subject: The BurmaNet News: September 20, 1999

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The BurmaNet News: September 20, 1999
Issue #1361

Noted in Passing: "That government has just crashed down on her ... What
must it be like for people who live there?" - Charmain Goldwyn (see AFP:
FAMILY, FRIENDS DENOUNCE JAILING OF BRITON IN MYANMAR) 

HEADLINES:
==========
REUTERS: DISSIDENTS UPBEAT ON TAKEOVER ANNIVERSARY 
AFP: FAMILY, FRIENDS DENOUNCE JAILING OF BRITON 
BKK POST: CLOSURE OF SAN TON DU BEGINS TO BITE 
BKK POST: IS ASEAN AN ENTITY WORTH KEEPING 
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REUTERS: MYANMAR DISSIDENTS UPBEAT ON TAKEOVER ANNIVERSARY 
18 September, 1999

BANGKOK, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Dissident exiles said on the 11th anniversary
of Myanmar's military takeover on Saturday they were confident of achieving
democracy soon and called for continued international support for their cause.

Leaders of the National Council of the Union of Burma, an umbrella group of
dissidents based on the Thai-Myanmar border, told a Bangkok news conference
that even though a mass uprising they called for last week hand not
materialised they had succeeded in putting ruling generals on the defensive.

They said the scattered protests that had occurred on and leading up to the
numerically significant four nines day -- September 9, 1999 -- had been
``only a beginning.''

``People need change and the international community believes Burma needs
change, that is why this a good time and a good year to push forwards,''
said Moe Thee Zun, vice [chairman] of the All Burma Students' Democratic
Front (ABSDF).said.

``We have full confidence that we will achieve our goal in the very near
future,'' he said. ``We would like to appeal to the international community
 ... that this is the time to support us.''

Inside Myanmar the capital Yangon was quiet on Saturday and official media
made no mention of the military takeover on September 18, 1988, when troops
killed several thousand people to crush a nationwide pro-democracy uprising.

But state-run newspapers carried articles denouncing government opponents
as ``cohorts of neocolonialists'' bent on destroying the nation by
campaigning for economic sanctions.

``There are a handful of forces hindering the path we are following,'' the
report quoted Khin Marlar Maung, a representative of the pro-government
Union Solidarity Development Association (UWSA), as saying.

``They are destroying our nation by preventing all assistance, even social
and educational assistance.''

The newspapers quoted the head of the ruling military council, General Than
Shwe, as saying that 11.8 million people had joined the UWSA since its
founding in 1993 and would join hands with the armed forces in defending
the nation.

Moe Thee Zun said the security clampdown the generals imposed to thwart the
uprising showed they were not in a strong position. ``They are not on the
offensive, they are on the defensive right now.''

He conceded that the pro-democracy movement was hampered by communications
problems given tight military control, not least through the continued
closure of schools and universities, which were the hotbeds of
anti-government dissent in the past.

However, he added: ``Now we are building better and better communications
they cannot shut the mouths of all the people.''

Myanmar's military has been widely criticised for rights abuses since
crushing the 1988 uprising and ignoring the result of the country's last
election two years later when the opposition National League for Democracy
won by a landslide.

An NCUB statement said that of the 392 NLD members who won seats in the
election, 109 were in prison or detention, two had died in prison and more
than 100 had been forced to resign or into exile. It said 132 remained active.

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AFP: FAMILY, FRIENDS DENOUNCE JAILING OF BRITON IN MYANMAR
16 September, 1999 

LONDON, Sept 16 (AFP) - The mother of a British activist jailed by Myanmar
authorities on Thursday denounced the sentence as unjust, as supporters
insisted it would not put off other opponents of the military regime.
Rachel Goldwyn, 28, was sentenced to seven years' "rigorous imprisonment"
after chaining herself to a lamppost in downtown Yangon last week and
singing a pro-democracy song.

"We are absolutely devastated. We really didn't expect it. We expected a
suspended sentence," Goldwyn's mother Charmain said from their London home.

"It is terrible trying to ring the family up. Everybody cries when I tell
them and then I cry again.

"I don't know why they have been so severe on her. She cares passionately
for human rights and democracy and she did this one thing -- singing a song.

"That government has just crashed down on her ... What must it be like for
people who live there?"

The verdict came two weeks after another British activist, James Mawdsley,
was jailed for 17 years.

Mawdsley's father David, who lives in London, said he had been "absolutely
shocked" by Goldwyn's sentence, which was "totally out of proportion."

He added: "By doing this, they are trying to frighten off young people who
know the truth. They are not frightening James or Rachel, or the rest of
the world.

"But something has to be done about this lot. They've been terrorising 40
million people since 1962."

Myanmar's military government is accused of appalling human rights abuses
by many foreign states and is the target of a well organised, vocal
campaign by exiled dissidents and foreign activists.

Mawdsley said he had heard on Wednesday that his son was well and was not
being tortured, as earlier feared.

Stephen Jakobi, of the pressure group Fair Trials Abroad, expressed "deep
concern" at Goldwyn's sentence.

Jakobi, who knows the Goldwyn family personally, said he was worried about
certain aspects of the trial.

"How could the defence have adequately prepared a case with only 24 hours
notice? I am also concerned about the independence of the tribunal."

Goldwyn pleaded not guilty to sedition and will appeal the verdict handed
down by a court in Yangon's notorious Insein prison, lawyers said.

Reacting calmly to the verdict, she told the court she had not intended to
threaten national security, but had expected to be arrested.

Roger Bunn, a friend of Goldwyn's through the Burma Out! campaign, said:
"This is a statement to the world from the Burmese junta that they have no
humanitarian concerns at all," he said. 

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THE BANGKOK POST: CLOSURE OF SAN TON DU BEGINS TO BITE 
17 September, 1999 by Subin Khuenkaew

Traders are turning to the Kok river to get around the closure of the San
Ton Du crossing and resume trade with the United Wa State Army.

Demand for food has surged in Mong Yawn, headquarters of the southern
command of the UWSA, the biggest drug trafficking group in the Golden
Triangle, since last month's closure.

The UWSA has stocked construction materials and fuel for its ambitious
infrastructure projects at Mong Yawn, 30km from San Ton Du, but perishables
have become harder to find.

Prices have doubled and even tripled over the past month. Three eggs, for
example, cost 12 baht and a packet of instant noodles, eight baht. On the
Thai side, an egg costs 1-4 baht and instant noodles, 3-5 baht.

Border sources have noticed increased traffic on the Kok river, which flows
across the border and has many tributaries that reach UWSA territory.

Long-tail boats leave almost daily from Tha Ton, Mae Ai district, and head
against the current to the border where they are inspected by government
forces manning riverside outposts.

The checks ensure the boats are carrying consumer goods, not strategic
goods, such as construction materials, fuel, weapons and chemicals that
could be used for Wa drug operations.

Once across the border, the loads are transferred to Wa boats which head
further up the Kok and into the Yawn tributary to their destination.

The sources said it was too early to assess the quantity of goods being
diverted via the Kok but the volume was small scale and mainly in food. A
Burmese businessman who exported goods worth millions of baht through San
Ton Du said the closure was creating difficulties. Cement shipments
exported via Kiew Pha Wok in Chiang Dao district, 40km from San Ton Du,
were taking more than a month to reach Mong Yawn by land.

While a road network linking border towns in eastern Shan State is almost
complete, red tape, corruption among Burmese officials and insurgent
activity were proving major obstacles, he said.

The Mae Sai-Tachilek crossing is open but is 130km from San Ton Du.

The government is resisting pressure to open San Ton Du and the San Maked
crossing in Mae Fah Luang district, which provides access to a town being
developed by Wei Hsueh-kang, a commander of the UWSA, who is wanted by Thai
and US authorities on drug-trafficking charges.

The town, known officially as Ban Hong, is 3km from the border and has a
road link to Mong Yawn.

One billion baht, much of it drug profits, has gone into development at
Mong Yawn, which has attracted Thai businessmen and workers.

Goods worth more than 70 million baht worth have been traded via San Ton Du
since it was opened a year ago by the National Security Council, and 6,000
Thais have found jobs in Mong Yawn.

The southern command stretches from Mongsat to Mong Yawn, and areas under
Wa influence or control stretch from opposite Tha Ton to Mae Sai, Chiang Rai. 

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THE BANGKOK POST: IS ASEAN AN ENTITY WORTH KEEPING 
20 September, 1999 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

At first we believed that the militias were solely to blame for the East
Timor tragedy. Then we found out that they were the puppets of the
Indonesian military. And finally we heard with a shock that the military
was a puppet for some big generals in the government.

At the same time, we were deeply dissatisfied with the unnecessary
reservations of a fellow Asean member which contributed to the slow action
in saving the East Timorese.

We Asean members did nothing. We said nothing. We waited until the
international community urged us to do something. Our inaction perpetuated
the tragedy many more days. So serious consideration is needed: Is Asean
necessary?

It is well known Asean was founded to support political and economic
cooperation between countries of the region. But, politically, the main
objective faded as China became less threatening and quasi-capitalist.
Economically, it achieved little while occasionally visitors to meetings -
namely bigshots from the member nations - wore the costumes of the host
country and danced with local beauties.

Moreover, the subsequent participation of dictatorial Burma and communist
Vietnam greatly eroded its credibility in the eyes of the international
community. 

Finally, the East Timor tragedy has highlighted its inefficiency and
inaction. Asean did nothing in contrast with other UN member nations.

The Asian value of non-interference in and excessive modesty before other
member nations was the cause of the delayed action in East Timor.

Given its negative role in this tragedy, the necessity of continuing with
Asean must be most seriously questioned.

Somchai Mahakij

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