The BurmaNet News: December 6, 1999

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The BurmaNet News: December 6, 1999
Issue #1416

HEADLINES:
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
REUTERS: SEARCH FOR NEW MYANMAR NEGOTIATOR=20
THE NATION: BURMA URGED TO STEP UP REFORM=20
BKK POST: FIFTY MILLION PEOPLE=20
MIZZIMA: INDIA SUPREME COURT LAWYERS CALL RULE OF LAW=20
HET FINANCIEELE DAGBLAD: IHC CALAND COMPROMISED AGAIN=20
ANNOUNCEMENT: BURMA GROUP TUBINGEN NEEDS SIGNATORS =20
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REUTERS: SEARCH FOR NEW MYANMAR NEGOTIATOR=20
3 December, 1999 by David Brunnstrom=20

BANGKOK, Dec 3 (Reuters) - A search is on to find a replacement for a U.N.
special envoy to Myanmar who has been unable to bring about any democratic
change there despite four visits to the country, diplomats said on Friday.

A three-day mission to Yangon this week by Japan's former Prime Minister
Ryutaro Hashimoto was connected to finding the replacement for Peruvian
Alvaro de Soto, said one diplomat in the Myanmar capital who did not want
to be identified.

In late October, shortly after his last visit to Myanmar, De Soto was named
the U.N. special representative to Cyprus and promoted to under
secretary-general. But no announcement has been made about the future of
his Myanmar mission.

Diplomats said De Soto had clearly become frustrated by a lack of progress
in his efforts to encourage Myanmar to democratise, but the process he had
started would continue.

``I think he's had enough of that, but it's going to carry on,'' said a
Bangkok-based diplomat.

``He has another job,'' said the envoy in Yangon. ``It's likely there
should be somebody else coming in the next round. There have been direct
contacts to the Japanese and other countries in Asia to look for an
appropriate person.''

De Soto's mission to Myanmar as U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special
envoy ran into difficulties from the start.

After his first visit to Yangon in October last year the generals took
umbrage when media reports appeared saying the United Nations and the World
Bank were willing to offer Myanmar up to $1 billion if they were to enter a
dialogue with the pro-democracy opposition led by Nobel laureate Aung San
Suu Kyi.

MISSION NOT APPRECIATED

``The first De Soto mission was not appreciated by this government at
all,'' said the diplomat in Yangon. ``The fact it was quoted that $1
billion dollars would be given to the government was a face-losing approach
for them.

``They were really bothered and said 'nobody can buy us'.''=20

A measure of the failure of De Soto's mission came when Suu Kyi's
opposition announced last month the authorities had arrested the leaders of
two ethnic minority parties who took part in talks with him during his
October visit.

The Yangon-based diplomat said Hashimoto would have sounded out military
leaders in Yangon on finding a replacement.

``I'm sure,'' he said. ``If you had a difficult negotiation situation and
if one party is not happy about the negotiator and the negotiator is in a
difficult position, any change in the negotiator is a step forward.''

Japanese diplomats say the visit of Hashimoto, Japanese Prime Minister
Keizo Obuchi's foreign policy adviser, has been to discuss Japan's offer of
aid if there is democratic progress.

Japan suspended aid in 1988, when the military killed thousands to crush a
pro-democracy uprising. It resumed some humanitarian help when Suu Kyi was
freed from six-years house arrest in 1995.

A Japanese diplomat in Bangkok said full resumption of aid would require
visible progress towards democracy.

Myanmar has not commented on a World Bank report last month that said
Yangon needed major political and human rights reforms to achieve
prosperity on a par with neighbouring countries.

However, it has not shut the door, saying World Bank officials would be
invited for further consultations.

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

THE NATION: BURMA URGED TO STEP UP REFORM
5 December, 1999

KYODO

RANGOON -- Japan has recently stepped up its efforts at persuading Burma's
ruling junta to promptly start carrying out democratic reforms.

Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi made such a pitch on Nov. 28 when he
met Burmese leader Gen Than Shwe on the sidelines of a summit of Asian
leaders in Manila. Obuchi told his counterpart that reforms by Burma could
lead to greater economic cooperation from Japan.

Two days later, former prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto arrived in Rangoon
for a four-day visit as head of a private delegation to the country.

He asked Than Shwe to implement democratic reforms and initiate dialogue
with pro-democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

On the face of it, the responses from Burma's generals appeared positive.

Than Shwe, chairman of Burma's ruling State Peace and Development Council,
as the junta calls itself, reportedly told Obuchi in Manila that the
military government will form a democratic government in the future.

Brig Gen David Abel, Burma's national planning minister, also said it was
"our objective to have a democratic government".

Still, the junta's efforts are not exactly visible, due perhaps to
differences of culture or interpretation. On the other hand, Burmese
leaders apparently hope to instill understanding among the Japanese
government of Burma's intentions.

Foreign Minister Win Aung said the recent contacts with Japanese government
officials would help Japan "understand the real situation of our country".
Even so, Hashimoto, a top foreign policy adviser of Obuchi, emphasised that
Japan would not change its policy of maintaining relations with both the
military government and the pro-democracy movement.

Hashimoto reportedly visited Burma minus the advisory title due to concern
over reactions to the trip by some Western countries. He criticised the
stance of the United States and European countries of adamantly opposing
the junta for its lack of human rights and democracy.

Hashimoto said such attitudes serve only to "drive the Burmese leadership
into a corner and make it more and more obstinate. The ones who will suffer
the worst consequences are the citizens".

The former premier expressed hope that continued bilateral talks with the
country's leaders would eventually lead to changes in the military=
 government.

Hashimoto also said that during the trip, he discovered that Burma was
working hard on anti-drug measures. Yet the international community
continues to view the country in a bad light, he said, due to its inability
to explain itself to the world.

Hashimoto suggested that supporting the country in areas of general concern
such as humanitarian aid and anti-drug policies would help improve its
economy, and that democratic reforms could be accelerated along with a
stronger financial situation.

Burma and Japan currently enjoy a healthy relationship. Diplomatic sources
said Hashimoto was treated like an official state guest, although
misunderstandings and differences in perceptions would likely continue to
hinder communication between the two countries.

For example, Hashimoto offered advice and numerous proposals, such as on
the importance of Burma projecting a good image to the world and the need
to recruit foreign financial advisers.

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

THE BANGKOK POST: FIFTY MILLION PEOPLE
5 December, 1999

DPA

The population of Burma has reached almost 50 million people, a 7% hike
over 1997 figures, a senior military official said yesterday. "The
population of our country is approaching 50 million, and out of this, 75%,
or nearly 38 million live in the rural areas," Lieutenant-General Khin
Nyunt, First Secretary of Burma's military junta, told a conference in
Rangoon. Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt said the junta's policy was to focus on economic
development in the rural areas and it has built 43 new hospitals,
constructed 102 new irrigation dams, increasing the country's irrigated
area by 600,000 hectares and opened 351 new primary schools.

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

MIZZIMA NEWS GROUP: INDIA SUPREME COURT LAWYERS CALL FOR RESTORATION OF
RULE OF LAW IN BURMA
3 December, 1999=20

New Delhi, Dec. 3, 1999 : The Supreme Court Bar Association of India today
calls for the restoration of Rule of Law and Democracy in its neighboring
country, Burma. "Supreme Court Bar Association of India extends our
sympathy and support to our colleagues in Burma who are struggling for the
purpose of establishing democracy and rule of law in their country", said
the one-page resolution.

The resolution was adopted by nearly one hundred Supreme Court advocates
after members of exiled-Burma Lawyers' Council talked on the current legal
and judicial system in Burma at a meeting with Supreme Court advocates in
New Delhi. The meeting, which was held this afternoon at Supreme Court
Library No. 2, was organized by Supreme Court Bar Association.

Talking on legal system and military rule in Burma, Mr. Aung Htoo,
Secretary of Burma Lawyers' Council, said in the meeting that there is no
rule of law and fair trials in Burma. "Violations of human rights cannot be
enforced in court. There is no legal aid system. Bar council election
system was abolished and the members of the Bar Council are appointed by
the military junta", said Mr. Htoo.

Mr. K.K. Venugopal, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association said
that his organization would try to send a delegation to Burma to study the
legal and judicial system in Burma. "I hope the ruling government in Burma
will allow such visit", said Mr. Venugopal.

Supreme Court Bar Association of India, an apex lawyers' body, has more
than four thousands member advocates all over India.

Burma has been under the military dictatorship for more than three decades
and the present military junta, which came into power by a bloody coup in
1988, is named itself as State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). The
country is presently ruled without a Constitution and the government has
been drawing a new constitution since 1996 through a National Convention
whose delegates are chosen by the military junta.

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

HET FINANCIEELE DAGBLAD: IHC CALAND COMPROMISED AGAIN BECAUSE OF NEW BURMA
ORDER
1 December, 1999=20

[Translation and comments by Burma Centre Netherlands (BCN). Het
Financieele Dagblad, with a circulation of 50120, is a In the Dutch
financial newspaper.]

Amsterdam -  Shipbuilder and off-shore company IHC Caland has caused a
scandal again. The Partij van de Arbeid (Dutch Labour, largest party in
Parliament, leading the government. -BCN) raised questions in the
Parliament about the sale of a cutter suction dredger to Burma. Last year a
storm of protest was raised over the company's delivering of a storage
device for natural gas to Burma (Yetagun gas field -BCN).

According to President Sjef van Dooremaalen of shipbuilder and daughter
company IHC Holland, the order was carefully considered. "We have not found
any reasons not to sell", he says. Deliveries to Burma are allowed by law.
Trade links with the military regime are disputed because of the country's
bad human rights record. IHC Holland is selling to the Burmese Ministry of
Transport a cutter suction dredger worth about 4 million guilders (two
million dollars -BCN). The Burmese government will pay this price cash,
without any use of subsidies.

According to IHC, the cutter suction dredger will be used to remove several
sandbanks and improve interior shipping/navigation. The Burma Centre
Netherlands rejects this reasoning. "The ship will operate (in the delta
-BCN), one of the most militarized area's ." Pension fund ABP made it known
on Tuesday it will not react in public. The investor, that has about 3
percent of the IHC-shares, says remarks about the policy will always be
made directly to the company. Earlier (at the annual shareholder meeting
this year -BCN) ABP forced IHC to speed up its production of a code of
conduct. The share prize of IHC fell Tuesday by about 2 percent to 38.40
Euro's.

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

ANNOUNCEMENT: BURMA GROUP TUBINGEN NEEDS SIGNATORS=20
5 December, 1999 from heiko@xxxxxxxxxxxxx=20

The Burma Group T=FCbingen searches for signators for enregistering our
organisation. We need at least seven members for an official enregisterment
(e.V.). But we need in Germany more active members for the requirements of
the EC-Board. There are the Director, the Vice-Director and a Treasurer.
The Members of the EC-Board are necessary for making decisions. We want to
get at least 10 EC-Board-Members.

It would be good if the founding members would be located in South Germany,
Switzerland or France.

The enregisterment has the advantages of getting access to public funds and
to collect donations.

We want to enregister in January 2000.

For more information contact:

Heiko Schaefer
Beim Herbstenhof 42
72076 Tuebingen, Germany

Tel: ++49 7071 552 554
e-mail: heiko@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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