Burma News Update No. 100 (r)

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Open Society Institute
The Burma Project

Burma News Update No. 100
05 January 2000



Suu Kyi Appeals To Japan

In a special millennium message sent from Rangoon, National League
for Democracy leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, asked increased support
from Asian nations for the Burmese democratic movement. In the
message, which was distributed by non-governmental organizations
outside Burma. Daw Suu Kyi especially appealed to Japan, saying, "As
the richest Asian country and as a democracy Japan has a duty to
promote human rights and democracy in other parts of Asia. We hope
the year 2000 will see a blossoming of Japanese interest in human rights
and democracy." Meanwhile, Burmese junta chief Senior General Than
Shwe called on Burmese "to firmly join hands with one another in defending
the nation and citizens, building a peaceful, tranquil and stable nation in the
new millennium," in an official millennium address, reports from Rangoon said.

Bangkok, "Agence France Presse,"  31 December;
Rangoon, "Xinhua," 01 January 



Junta Jails Journalists

Burma leads the world in jailing journalists, according to a year-end
report issued by the Paris-based media watchdog group Reporters
Without Borders. Thirteen Burmese journalists are incarcerated, the
report said, listing Syria, China and Ethiopia as the other world leaders
in imprisoning journalists. "[On 12 December, the group announced the
award of its annual press freedom prize to jailed Burmese journalist and
writer San San Nweh. In 1994, she was convicted by a military court of
"spreading information damaging for the state," after providing UN investigators
information on human rights abuses. Three years were added to her initial
sentence for providing what the junta said was "distorted information" to
international media.]"

Paris, "Agence France Presse," 28 December



World Bank Report Grim

A draft World Bank report on Burma's economic and social indicators
reveals a dire and deteriorating situation in which about 13 million of the
country's 48 million people live below subsistence level. Ten percent of Burmese
children are "severely malnourished," while 20 percent more suffer "moderate
wasting," the report says, noting that Burma's rate of health and education
spending are among the world's lowest.  Burma's army junta continues to
depress agricultural growth by forcing farmers to sell rice to the regime at
low prices, and by favoring military business ventures that drain credit and
customers from the private sector.

Bangkok, "South China Morning Post," 29 December



Burma Sanctions "Effective"

Nobel prize winning economist Amartya Sen argues that economic
sanctions can be "quite effective" against Burma's military regime
because the country is "dependent on the world market and indeed
world goodwill." Sen remarked that he opposed sanctions purely as
"punishment" and believes they should only be used against countries
where they can encourage positive change.

Bangkok, "Reuters," 17 December 



Some Universities Re-open

Three years after all Burma's universities were closed to stem student
protests against military rule, the country's army junta has permitted
engineering, medical and technical students to resume their studies.
Traditional campuses remain shuttered, however, as the regime has
moved classes to new sites away from urban centers. Burma's universities
have been open for a total of only 30 months since August 1988, when
students were strongly represented in nationwide mass protests against
the country's dictatorship. The country's current junta took power after
bloodily suppressing the popular uprising.

Rangoon, "Associated Press," 29 December



Leading Monk Urges Talks

One of Burma's most revered Buddhist monks has urged the heads of both
the country's army junta and democratic opposition to work together to rebuild
Burma. The monk, Ashin Kundalabiwuntha, is chief abbot at Mahaghandharon
Monastery in Mandalay, one of the country's most important religious institutions.
In 25 November letters to junta leader Senior General Than Shwe and National
League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Abbot Kundalabiwuntha
appealed to the leaders to end quarrels and start a "clean slate." The abbot also
wrote a similar letter to former dictator Ne Win, who is officially retired, but
thought
by some to still wield considerable power behind the scenes in Burma.

Rangoon, "Deutsche Presse-Agentur," 21 December


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