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______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
        An on-line newspaper covering Burma 
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________

June 15, 2000

Issue # 1554


The BurmaNet News is viewable online at:

http:theburmanetnews.editthispage.com



NOTED IN PASSING:

"We wonder if it is a case of the right hand not knowing what the 
left is doing. Unesco should consult its colleagues in the ILO who 
have accused Burma of 'crimes against humanity' for its exploitation 
of 'the practice of forced labour"

Lara Marsh, Tourism Concern (See THE NATION: UNESCO BLASTED 
FOR 'AIDING' BURMESE JUNTA )



	
*Inside Burma

FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW: BURMESE LEADER WANTS TO QUIT

XINHUA: CHINESE FILM WEEK OPENS IN YANGON

MYANMAR TIMES AND BUSINESS REVIEW: A FEAST OF CLASSICAL MUSIC


*Regional

AFP : EU, MYANMAR TO HOLD "CRITICAL DIALOGUE" IN LISBON


*International

THE NATION: UNESCO BLASTED FOR 'AIDING' BURMESE JUNTA 

AFP: MYANMAR DEEPLY REGRETS ILO CENSURE OVER FORCED LABOUR

AFP: ILO GIVES MYANMAR FIVE MONTHS TO END FORCED LABOUR 

REUTERS: ILO BACKS MEASURES AGAINST MYANMAR FORCED LABOUR

AP: U.N. BODY APPROVES UNPRECEDENTED ACTION AGAINST MYANMAR

THIS IS LONDON: GLENDA TREADS THE BOARDS AGAIN


*Economy/Business

MYANMAR TIMES AND BUSINESS REVIEW: AIR OF INEVITABILITY GROWS ON 
JAPANESE INVESTMENT

			
*Opinion/Editorials

FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW: JUNTA, NOT SUU KYI, BARS PROGRESS


*Other

ALTSEAN-BURMA: THAI WOMEN SENATORS TO GREET BURMESE WRITERS ON WOMEN 
OF BURMA DAY  

CHIN FORUM: CHIN FORUM INFORMATION SERVICE ON THE WEB





__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
	

FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW: BURMESE LEADER WANTS TO QUIT

Issue of June 22, 2000

INTELLIGENCE



Burmese leader Gen. Than Shwe, who is 67, is said to be tired of 
being junta chief and head of state. So there may be more to the 
cancellation of his planned visit to Bangladesh in late May than the 
officially stated reason that his physician had recommended him not 
to travel. On May 11, Than Shwe wrote a letter to the junta, the 
State Peace and Development Council, intimating his intention to 
retire from his post as its chairman. The issue was discussed at an 
SPDC meeting on May 16, and the delegates urged him not to resign. 
Without Than Shwe as chairman, observers believe that the rivalry 
between army commander Gen. Maung Aye and intelligence chief Lt.-Gen. 
Khin Nyunt could turn into an open power struggle. Than Shwe's 
request to quit comes at a time when the SPDC is under pressure from 
the influential Buddhist clergy to initiate a dialogue with the 
country's main pro-democracy party, the National League for 
Democracy.  

____________________________________________________


XINHUA: CHINESE FILM WEEK OPENS IN YANGON


Story Filed: Wednesday, June 14, 2000 9:32 AM EST 

YANGON (June 14) XINHUA - A Chinese film week, sponsored by the 
Chinese embassy in Myanmar, opened at the National Theater here 
Wednesday evening in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 
establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Myanmar. 

Attending the inaugural ceremony were Chinese ambassador to Myanmar 
Liang Dong, Myanmar Foreign Minister U Win Aung, Culture Minister U 
Win Sein, Information Minister Major-General Kyi Aung, other 
government officials, foreign diplomats as well as over 1, 000 
Myanmar-Chinese and Chinese residents in the country and figures from 
different circles.
  
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Liang said that China and 
Myanmar both belong to the East and have many points in common in 
culture and value, adding that the Chinese culture and art received 
warm embrace from the Myanmar people for a long time and Chinese 
movies enjoyed great popularity among Myanmar paukphaws ( fraternal). 

He believes that the Chinese movie week will add more grace to the 
friendship between the two peoples and more luster to the new chapter 
of the Sino-Myanmar friendly relations. 

The film "The Opium War" first screened on Wednesday is cherished by 
Myanmar audience. 

The six-day Chinese film week will present seven movies 
including "The Opium War," "The Road Home," "Spicy Love Soup," " The 
Red River Valley, " "Sleepless at Night" and "Martial and Arts of 
Shaolin."  






____________________________________________________


MYANMAR TIMES AND BUSINESS REVIEW: A FEAST OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

June 12-18, 2000

IT was a concert where Thai violinist Nop Sotthibandhu, American 
pianists Bennett Lerner and Kit Young and a well-known Myanmar 
virtuoso Tayaw U Tin Yi gave a spirited performance before a crowd of 
250 members at Mr Guitar Caféé/Bar last week. 

Artist, philanthropist, doctor, musician and not the least, host, Nay 
Myo Say, could not have been happier to see Yangon''s music scene so 
enthusiastic about classical performance.

The concert began with a Handel Trio in G-Minor for a piano and two 
violins. 
The duet Nop Sotthibandhu and Kit Young later played two Thai 
songs ""Inaorumpun and Khamen Lai Kwai"" under the arrangement of 
Nop. 

The audience most appreciated the impromptu of Nop Sotthibandhu and 
Tin Yi in which one played without sheet music, and without prior 
rehearsal - and the other re-played it immediately by ear. Musical 
genius perhaps?

Nop Sotthibhandhu, a violinist and composer, is well-known in 
Thailand for his compositions and performances in jazz, classical and 
contemporary idioms. He has just released a CD ""Voyage to the Inner 
Space"" in contemporary style. 
Bennett Lerner, a pianist from the United States, is well-known in 
the country as a performer with the New York Philharmonic Orchestras 
and with many other orchestras in the USA, Europe and Asia. 

Kit Young, a pianist from Chiang Mai, is a piano faculty member of 
Payap University and has given highly acclaimed performances in 
Thailand, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar over the last eight years. 

Tin Yi, a well-known violinist from Myanmar, used to work with the 
state broadcasting station and Sandayar Hla Htut orchestra. He has 
now his own violinist troupe. He has already produced two albums on 
Myanmar songs. 
Yangon''s arts scene glitterati turned out en masse including well-
known pop singers Laybyu and Zaw Win Htut, and composers Myint Moe 
Aung and Shwe Gyaw Gyaw.





___________________________ REGIONAL ___________________________


AFP : EU, MYANMAR TO HOLD "CRITICAL DIALOGUE" IN LISBON 


   BANGKOK, June 15 (AFP) - The European Union and Myanmar, who have 
been at loggerheads for nearly four years, will hold a "critical 
dialogue" in Lisbon this month, EU officials said here Thursday.

   "The meeting will take place in Lisbon on June 26 and will involve 
senior EU and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 
officials," said Jose Tadau Soares, Portugal's ambassador to Thailand.

   "In Lisbon, the EU and Myanmar will have a critical dialogue which 
will deal with political and security issues ... (The meeting) will 
be frank and very honest, with no conditions on the dialogue."

   Under the terms of the talks, Myanmar and the EU would try to find 
common ground but the European body would still feel free to 
criticize Myanmar and uphold strict visa restrictions on its 
officials, he said.    The meeting is the latest in a series of 
tentative steps aimed at ending a silence that began in October 1996 
when the EU broke off ministerial-level contact.

   Under the sanctions adopted then as a protest against Myanmar's 
reported human rights abuses, the EU bans its member nations from 
giving visas to high-level officials of the Yangon military regime.

   The EU will make an exception on the visa ban for the Lisbon 
meeting, and expects senior members of Myanmar's foreign ministry to 
be in Portugal, Soares said.

   Soares said the EU and Myanmar have "a lot of common interests, 
including drugs and human rights," which could be brought up in 
Lisbon. Portugal currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the 
European Union.    Lisbon is expected to lay the groundwork for a 
landmark EU-ASEAN meeting to be held in Laos later this year.

   Ministerial meetings between the European Union and ASEAN have 
been suspended since 1997, when the Southeast Asian group accepted 
Myanmar as a member against the EU's strong objections.

   The EU has frequently criticized Myanmar for alleged human rights 
abuses including the use of forced labor, repression of ethnic 
minorities and iron control over media outlets.

   Myanmar's military regime recently promised its ASEAN partners 
that it would never become an obstacle to the bloc's relations with 
other regional groupings.

   ASEAN secretary-general Rodolfo Severino has said the prospects 
for an renewed EU-ASEAN dialogue were "improving".

   The two groups have expressed concern about the damage that the 
freezing of regular contact has done in terms of the development of 
their political and
economic relations.	

   ASEAN groups all ten countries in the region: Brunei, Cambodia, 
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, 
Thailand and Vietnam.

__________________ INTERNATIONAL __________________
		

THE NATION: UNESCO BLASTED FOR 'AIDING' BURMESE JUNTA 

 June 15, 2000

GROUPS working to improve human rights in Burma yesterday blasted 
Unesco for cooperating with the country's ruling junta in its drive 
to attract foreign tourists.  "It's outrageous for a UN agency to be 
assisting Burma's military regime in promoting tourism to the country 
at this time," said Yvette Mahon of Burma Campaign UK.  "They're 
obviously not listening to their colleagues in the ILO and other UN 
institutions who have condemned the regime for direct links between 
tourism and human rights abuses. By helping one of the world's most 
brutal dictatorships in this way they are helping ensure that these 
kind of abuses continue," she added.  

In an official statement released on Tuesday, the Burmese junta said 
it would host a seminar on "Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage and the 
Role of the tourism Industry in Burma" to be held from June 19 to 
23.  It said the seminar was organised "in cooperation with Unesco 
and co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Hotels 
and Tourism".  

When asked yesterday to comment on Unesco's involvement, the London-
based Burma Campaign UK and Tourism Concern criticised the Paris-
based agency for acting in opposition to other UN organisations. Last 
month, the two groups added a boycott of Lonely Planet publications 
to their campaign of opposing tourism in Burma.  

"We wonder if it is a case of the right hand not knowing what the 
left is doing. Unesco should consult its colleagues in the ILO who 
have accused Burma of 'crimes against humanity' for its exploitation 
of 'the practice of forced labour - nothing but a contemporary form 
of slavery - on the people of Burma'," said Lara Marsh at Tourism 
Concern.  Marsh said that for a number of years her organisation has 
tried to raise awareness of human rights abuses connected to the 
development of tourism in Burma. It has also urged tour operators, 
travellers and guidebook publishers to respect the wishes of Burma's 
pro-democracy leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, "not to travel, 
encourage or facilitate tourism to Burma while that country remains 
under brutal military rule." 

 The Burmese official statement said hotels, airlines and tour 
services will provide assistance in organising the seminar. It is not 
known if any of the leading hotel chains such Accor or Novotel that 
have operations in Burma or if tour operators and major international 
airlines are involved in the seminar.  Marsh said any organisation or 
individual that encourages tourism to Burma is guilty of disrespect 
for the human rights abuses that occur as a direct result of tourism 
development there, such as the use of forced labour to construct 
tourism-related infrastructure and people being forced out of their 
homes.  

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is currently debating 
sanctions against the Burmese junta for its use of forced labour. For 
the past 10 years, the UN General Assembly in New York and the UN 
Human Rights Commission in Geneva have passed an annual resolution 
condemning the military regime's human rights abuses.  Neither Unesco 
headquarters in Paris nor its regional office in Bangkok could be 
reached for comment yesterday.  

BY YINDEE LERTCHAROENCHOK 

____________________________________________________


AFP: MYANMAR DEEPLY REGRETS ILO CENSURE OVER FORCED LABOUR 

YANGON, June 15 (AFP) - Myanmar Thursday expressed deep regret over 
an International Labour Organisation (ILO) censure motion against the 
use of forced labour by the military. 

 In an unprecedented step, the ILO voted in a full plenary session 
Wednesday to call for diplomatic sanctions against the junta if 
conditions had not improved by November 30. 
 An ILO delegation visited Myanmar in May and warned the authorities 
about the practice. A spokesman for the military government said the 
authorities had worked hard since then to cooperate with the ILO's 
demands. 

 "It is regretful that Myanmar has been singled out for a censure and 
a punitive action as well by the ILO in connection with the problem 
which arose from the arbitrary judgement based on misinformation," he 
said. 

 "Tomorrow it may be another developing country since the ILO has 
clearly chosen the path of confrontation and coercion." 

 He said Myanmar had indicated it was "ready and willing to cooperate 
with the ILO" and claimed the organisation's May mission report 
proved it was ready to "carry forward the process of dialogue and 
cooperation." 

 "It is most regretful that the positive steps and responses taken by 
the Myanmar government have been completely ignored," he said. 

 The ILO's resolution was approved despite opposition from other 
Asian nations, led by Malaysia, which wanted to rule out any measures 
to put pressure on Yangon. 

 The final wording, with the delayed action, was seen as a 
compromise. 
 The countries which voted against it were China, Japan, India and 
Malaysia. 

 Myanmar Labour Minister General Ting Ngwe had promised to carry the 
necessary reforms in a letter written in May after the ILO 
delegation's visit. 

 But a European Union statement said the very general promises made 
in the letter were not encouraging. 

 Myanmar was condemned for widespread use of forced and compulsory 
labour by an ILO commission of inquiry in 1998 and the issue of what 
follow-up action to take has proven one of the hottest subjects at 
the ILO conference


____________________________________________________


AFP: ILO GIVES MYANMAR FIVE MONTHS TO END FORCED LABOUR 

GENEVA, June 14 (AFP) - The International Labour Organisation (ILO) 
gave Myanmar five months to put an end to forced labour, provoking a 
sharp reaction from the country's diplomats. 

 In an unprecedented step, the ILO voted in its full plenary session 
to call for diplomatic sanctions against Myanmar's military regime if 
conditions had not improved by November 30. 

 An ILO delegation visited Myanmar in May and warned the authorities 
about the use of forced labour by the military. 

 On Wednesday, the ILO voted by 257 to 41, with 31 abstentions, to 
issue the ultimatum. 

 Myanmar's ambassador Mya Than, denounced the decision.
 
 "This action is most unfair, most unreasonable, most injust," he 
said. 

 "This resolution is totally unacceptable to my delegation. For this 
reason, my delegation totally and categorically rejects the 
resolution," he added. 

 Myanmar had indicated its willingness to cooperate in good faith and 
he hoped that the opportunity for cooperation had not been completely 
closed. 

 The resolution was approved despite opposition from other Asian 
nations, led by Malaysia, which wanted to rule out any measures to 
put pressure on Yangon. The final wording, with the delayed action, 
was seen as a compromise. 

 The countries which voted against it were China, Japan, India and 
Malaysia. 
 Myanmar Labour Minister General Ting Ngwe had promised to carry the 
necessary reforms in a letter written in May, after the ILO 
delegation's visit. 

 But a European Union statement said the very general promises made 
in the letter were not encouraging. 

 Mynanmar was condemned for widespread use of forced and compulsory 
labour by an ILO commission of inquiry in 1998 and the issue of what 
follow-up action to take has proven one of the hottest subjects at 
the conference here


____________________________________________________



REUTERS: ILO BACKS MEASURES AGAINST MYANMAR FORCED LABOUR

GENEVA, June 14 (Reuters) - The International Labour Organisation 
voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to adopt measures designed to force 
Myanmar to stop using forced labour. 

 But the measures will not take effect until November 30 under a 
compromise between Western powers demanding immediate action and 
Asian allies that closed ranks around Myanmar. 

 Trade unions have estimated that more than 800,000 Burmese are 
conscripted with little or no pay as army porters or workers in 
construction and agriculture in slave-like conditions.
 
 An ILO statement said that under the measures adopted, the U.N. body 
may ask governments and employers to review their relations with 
Myanmar and appeal to international institutions such as the World 
Bank and International Monetary Fund to ensure they do not help 
Myanmar perpetuate the use of forced labour. 

 But the resolution does not mention economic sanctions and the ILO's 
governing body has no teeth to enforce such measures. 

 The full conference of the ILO, made up of all 174 member states, 
passed the resolution against Myanmar by a vote of 257 to 41 with 31 
abstentions. 

 The resolution called on Myanmar's ruling military junta to take 
concrete action to comply with the demands of a 1998 ILO commission 
of inquiry that found the country violated a 1930 treaty banning 
forced labour. 

 After more than a decade of debate on Myanmar, ILO member states 
last year barred it from the Geneva-based agency. 

 The measures will go into force unless the ILO governing body is 
satisfied that Myanmar comes up with ``a framework of legislative, 
executive and administrative measures that are sufficiently concrete 
and detailed,'' said the ILO. 

 The motion was adopted over objections by Malaysia, India, China and 
Japan. The United States and the European Union, led by Britain and 
Portugal, voted in favour so as to further isolate Myanmar and push 
it into compliance, 


____________________________________________________



AP: U.N. BODY APPROVES UNPRECEDENTED ACTION AGAINST MYANMAR 

GENEVA (AP) - A U.N. conference on Wednesday approved unprecedented 
measures against Myanmar over the widespread use of forced labor, but 
gave the country four months to prove its willingness to change. 

 International Labor Organization delegates agreed in a 257-41 vote, 
with 31 abstentions, to invoke a special article in ILO rules against 
Myanmar, also known as Burma - a move fiercely opposed by Asian 
nations. 

 Myanmar denounced the move as ``most unfair, most unreasonable and 
most unjust.'' The action was proposed Friday by an ILO committee, 
where it was opposed by Japan, China, Malaysia and India. They and 
other Asian nations spoke out against it Wednesday. 

 It was the first time the article had been used. In a compromise, 
the resolution put off action until the ILO governing body meets in 
November to review whether Myanmar is making serious efforts to stamp 
out forced labor. 

 The resolution recommends that ILO members - governments, workers 
and employers - ``review their links with Myanmar and take 
appropriate measures to ensure (Myanmar) cannot take advantage of 
such relations to perpetuate or extend the system of forced or 
compulsory labor.'' 

 It also refers the issue to a high-level U.N. committee and agrees 
it will be discussed in special sessions at every future ILO 
conference until Myanmar is shown to have stopped using forced labor. 
The ILO has no mechanism to expel a member. 

 The measure was hotly contested by Myanmar and its Asian neighbors. 
Myanmar Ambassador Than Mya insisted his country was the victim of an 
``arbitrary judgment based on misinformation.'' 

 ``Today is indeed a sad day for the ILO and a sad day for the 
developing countries that are members of the ILO,'' he told 
delegates. But he appeared to keep the door open for cooperation. 

 ``I should like to express our hope that the avenue of cooperation 
has not been completely closed,'' Than added. ``We have indicated our 
willingness to cooperate in good faith.'' 

 Malaysia called on the conference to deal with the issue ``through 
cooperation rather than resorting to drastic measures.''
 
 Western officials were unimpressed. 

 ``The record hardly shows the change of attitude some would 
suggest,'' said U.S. Deputy Labor Secretary Andrew Samet. ``There is 
no dialogue, only more denial.''
 
 The European Union said the ILO move was ``an appropriate response 
to an extreme situation,'' labeling it ``the minimum that one can and 
one should do.'' 

 Last year the ILO barred Myanmar from receiving assistance after a 
commission reported on the widespread use of forced labor for 
infrastructure projects in the country. Myanmar claimed that the work 
was offered freely for the development of the nation. 

 Looking to stem further action, the Myanmar labor minister this 
month wrote to the body with its strongest promise to wipe out forced 
labor. 

 ``Myanmar would take into consideration appropriate measures, 
including administrative, executive and legislative measures, to 
ensure the prevention of such occurrences in the future,'' said Maj. 
Gen. Tin Ngwe in his letter to ILO Director-General Juan Somavia. 

 A report on last month's ILO mission to Myanmar showed government 
officials were more open and cooperative than previously - although 
noncommittal about action to stop forced labor and generally still 
maintaining the problem didn't exist. 



____________________________________________________


THIS IS LONDON: GLENDA TREADS THE BOARDS AGAIN

13 June 2000



by Muureen Paton

The military dictatorship in Burma has succeeded where some of the 
world's most renowned theatre directors have failed: in getting 
Glenda Jackson, that sobersided Princess Anne of politics, back on 
stage again for one night of unbridled frivolity. A capacity turn-out 
seems guaranteed at the Royal Court this Sunday for the sheer 
curiosity value of seeing the Oscar-winning MP for Hampstead and 
Highgate treading the boards again for the first time in nearly 10 
years, alongside MEP Glenys Kinnock, Alan Rickman, Richard Wilson, 
Maureen Lipman, Jon Snow, David Hare, Kathy Lette, Prunella Scales 
and Timothy West. 

Half of Equity's upper echelons appear to be performing in a 
celebrity revue to honour the Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San 
Suu Kyi, the Nelson Mandela of our times, with a public birthday 
party.  

For the great, the good and all the usual liberal-minded suspects, 
it's a case of be there or be square. Bill Clinton, the Dalai Lama, 
Desmond Tutu and Tony Blair will all be despatching birthday 
greetings on video and in writing, while Aung San Suu Kyi herself 
will address the audience in a video smuggled out of her Rangoon 
home, where she remains virtually under house arrest. Rickman will be 
performing a Victoria Wood sketch, Richard Wilson will be doing Alan 
Bennett and Jackson will be playing a succession of grand 
Shakespearean queens in a Morecambe and Wise-style send-up of her 
time at the RSC, where the actress once persuaded the director Peter 
Brook to put a paper bag over his head during a rehearsal exercise 
and then led the cast in a mass escape to the pub.  

Not that Glenda plans a permanent return to acting just yet, though 
she could be forgiven for walking out on Westminster after the way 
the system has recently treated her. "The entertainment for the 
birthday party is a bit of fun: more interesting than people giving 
speeches," explains Jackson, meeting me at her Westminster office in 
what seems strangely naked mode for a parliamentarian: without a 
single spin doctor or even a secretary in sight. She even makes the 
(instant) coffee before putting her black-stockinged feet up on the 
table between us and lighting one of her 40-a-day Dunhills; unlike 
Bill Clinton, Glenda certainly does inhale. Anyone expecting her to 
make an acting comeback on Sunday, she says drily, will be 
disappointed. But she hasn't ruled the possibility out altogether in 
future. 

"I've been reselected by my constituency and I'll be fighting the 
next election, but if I'm not re-elected, I'll have to earn my living 
the only way I know how - acting. But I had three decades of being 
extremely lucky in acting, and I'm a 65-year-old who has been out of 
the business for 10 years." The unguarded mood and the absence of 
Praetorian Guard makes a noticeable change from the time I last met 
Jackson two years ago, when this Blairite loyalist was a junior 
transport minister and entertained high hopes of becoming the mayor 
of London. After the public-relations fiasco of Labour's mayoral 
campaign, however, she is now free to be her own woman. Never one to 
suffer fools gladly, she doesn't bother to disguise her irritation at 
how the campaign was conducted....




* Some (pounds) 75 tickets for the Aung San Suu Kyi birthday party at 
the Royal Court are still available. All proceeds go towards the 
Burma Campaign UK, which campaigns for a free and democratic Burma. 
Contact Clarissa Buchanan at Act IV on 020 7620 0558.



_______________ ECONOMY AND BUSINESS _______________
 


MYANMAR TIMES AND BUSINESS REVIEW: AIR OF INEVITABILITY GROWS ON 
JAPANESE INVESTMENT


June 12-18, 2000


THERE is air of inevitability on growing Japanese investment in 
Myanmar according to an executive of JETRO - the important semi-
government organisation whose role is to assist and encourage two-way 
economic exchange between the two countries

With reduced taxation and a lowering of the total amount of money 
required for initiating investments, Myanmar is becoming 
attractive,"" said Mr Yoshihiro Araki, Managing Director of JETRO 
Yangon

But Myanmar''s three years tax holiday is less attractive than those 
of her ASEAN counterparts, in which Mr Araki''s group sometimes gets 
up to 10 years of tax-free status.

According to JETRO Japanese investment is on a steep rise from its 
current US$200 million. A medical-equipment manufacturing plant on 
the outskirts of Yangon, expected to start production later this 
year, is a sure sign of Japanese intent.
And two Japanese textile entrepreneur groups, according to Mr Araki, 
visited Yangon and Bago late last year to collect data on investing 
in Myanmar. 
He encouraged the government to categorise the sectors which are to 
be given prime emphasis for wooing investment. 
""If we look back at the economic success stories of most of the 
Asian nations, they start with garment manufacturing, move on to 
electronic goods and to automobile and IT equipment."" 

""But in Myanmar''s case, the country needs foreign currency and this 
can be attained in the fastest way from the manufacturing sector,"" 
he said. 
JETRO (Japan External Trade Organisation) has not wasted time since 
it established a branch office in Yangon at the start of 1998. 

As a semi governmental organisation, affiliated to its International 
Trade and Industry Ministry, JETRO has a history stretching back four 
decades in Japan and oversea and now has 81 branches worldwide.

JETRO is now fervently advocating the sale of Myanmar-made natural 
and traditional goods to Japan and is facilitating for the 
introduction of those products to Japanese importers.

This year it is targeting the export promotion of wood products, 
agriculture, hand woven textile and handicrafts. ""Japanese importers 
want many things,"" said Mr Araki, ""but the Myanmar side cannot meet 
supply, so we here are searching for a coherent formula for the two 
sides."" 

He said traditional products like lacquerware and hand-woven textile 
fabrics in particular were extremely popular in Japan. 

In 1998 there were 10 exhibitions of Myanmar lacquerware in 10 
Japanese cities. This showcasing was hugely popular. More recently 
three exhibitions of Myanmar lacquerware were staged in Kanazawa city 
in central Japan, popular for its lacquerware manufacturers. The 
event, last year, saw Myanmar products sold at very good prices. 

He said Japanese lacquer was of superior quality but Myanmar products 
attracted Japanese customers for their natural designs and style. 

""With the lack of skilled workers Myanmar cannot meet the growing 
demand for its lacquerware in Japan."" Recently JETRO facilitated 
food manufacturers at the FOODEX''2000 exhibition in Tokyo. Ten 
Myanmar food manufacturing firms including three government 
enterprises participated at the exhibition - the largest of its kind 
in the Pacific Rim. 

""Myanmar pharmaceuticals, coffee, frozen fish, pulses and beans and 
many other food items were sought after,"" he said. 

Last year the organisation stepped up efforts in agriculture with a 
scheme to export frozen vegetable from Myanmar. ""From my experience 
of a similar project in Indonesia, I can say it can give the huge 
profit to the people involved,"" said Mr Araki who was posted in 
Indonesia before he was assigned to Yangon in early 1998.
He sees great potential to grow vegetables and has designated Pyin Oo 
Lwin (formerly Maymyo) area as a special region.

Seven parties have shown interest, but it has proved difficult to 
lure investors, as the cost for initiating this is about US$20m for 
phase one. However, the first stage of the Myanmar project is to 
finish in March next year, with the introducing of frozen green 
soybean at the FOODEX''2001.

JETRO''s activities during this year also include the launching 
of ""One Village One Product"" Movement in upper Myanmar, starting 7 
June. The objective of the initiative is to encourage the growth or 
production of premium quality products for export markets


_________________OPINION/EDITORIALS________________



FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW: JUNTA, NOT SUU KYI, BARS PROGRESS

Issue of June 22, 2000

THE 5TH COLUMN


By Brian Joseph

On May 27, 1990, the Burmese people voted overwhelming for democracy, 
awarding the National League for Democracy 392 of 485 parliamentary 
seats. The military-backed party won 10. Beaten soundly, the military 
junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council, ignored the 
results and arrested hundreds of elected NLD representatives. Dozens 
of others fled to Thailand. To this day, Slorc, renamed the State 
Peace and Development Council, remains in power and the NLD finds its 
legitimacy being challenged for no other reason than the passage of 
time. 

Rulers who deny the mandate of the people do not derive legitimacy by 
virtue of the passage of time. Imposing a "statute of limitations," 
as it were, on the NLD's duty to represent the people who elected the 
party would indicate otherwise. To put the winners aside in the name 
of expediency rewards the military for its ruthlessness and punishes 
the NLD for its steadfastness. 

Led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD has called on the international 
community to support the implementation of the United Nations 
resolutions on Burma, passed annually since 1992; it supports the use 
of sanctions to facilitate a tripartite dialogue between the military 
junta, the NLD and ethnic nationalities. Its message is clear. Yet 
some observers, including academics, advocacy groups and government 
officials, have begun to question if diplomatic pressure and support 
for the opposition will succeed. Implicit in this, and explicit in 
the regime's own determination to undermine the United States, the 
European Union and the UN's resolve on Burma, is that the 
international community should no longer look to Suu Kyi and the NLD 
as the legitimate leaders of Burma. In short, they are now asking, 
given the inability of the two parties to reach any compromise and 
the length of time that has passed since the elections, if it 
wouldn't be reasonable to begin to cease to dwell on the past. 
 
But this is exactly what the SPDC has hoped for. As long as the 
international community continues to look to the NLD as the 
legitimate winners of the 1990 elections, the SPDC will never gain 
the international legitimacy it so desperately wants. Visible 
international support for the NLD and the pro-democracy movement, 
which the NLD has requested, also bolsters the party's efforts to 
retain support at home. In addition to the more tangible results of 
international pressure, it provides critical moral support to the 
people of Burma. The SPDC has therefore gone to great lengths to 
convince the international community and the people of Burma that the 
NLD is no longer viable. They have even gone so far as to claim that 
the election was not a parliamentary election at all but an election 
to select some of the participants to a constitutional convention. 
The election is an albatross around the junta's neck. 

Another aspect of the SPDC's propaganda is to suggest that the NLD is 
setting up roadblocks to any serious dialogue. A handful of 
policymakers and Burma scholars now argue that the NLD is an 
impediment to change; that its core position is hardline and 
uncompromising. According to Robert Taylor, vice-chancellor of 
Buckingham University in Britain, "a number of people" feel that Suu 
Kyi's stand on principle "makes it very difficult to have a stand on 
politics." But as the NLD has stated repeatedly, its only 
precondition to dialogue is that there be no preconditions. They have 
been accused of being uncompromising for not accepting terms no one 
would. They have continued to state that they, for example, and not 
the SPDC, will choose who will represent the NLD in talks. This is 
neither hardline nor uncompromising.  

Efforts to promote democracy in Burma should be based on the 1990 
election. To assume that the NLD no longer speaks for the people of 
Burma is a false assumption. It is the NLD, and not the SPDC, that is 
the voice of the people. In no other authoritarian country is it so 
clear who speaks for the democratic opposition. To support a 
reduction in international pressure on the military junta goes 
against the express wishes of the NLD. It is neither right nor 
appropriate to work against their wishes in the name of democracy. 

For those who believe that support for the NLD and Suu Kyi is noble 
but naive, look around. We have stood with many great world leaders 
who fought long for justice--Nelson Mandela, Kim Dae Jung, Vaclav 
Havel. It is not time to turn our backs on Burma. There is no 
shortage of democrats in Burma. What's missing is democracy. 

The writer is the programme officer for Asia at the National 
Endowment for Democracy in Washington. He oversees its Burma project 

_____________________ OTHER  ______________________


ALTSEAN-BURMA: THAI WOMEN SENATORS TO GREET BURMESE WRITERS ON WOMEN 
OF BURMA DAY  

[altsean@xxxxxxxxxx]

Thursday, June 15, 2000 1:18 PM



June 15, 2000


WOMEN SENATORS TO GREET BURMESE WRITERS
FOR WOMEN OF BURMA DAY (JUNE 19)

Five Thai women Senators will be presented with books by Burmese 
women writers at a goodwill ceremony on Monday June 19. The event has 
been organised to mark Women of Burma Day on June 19th, which is also 
the birthday of Aung San Suu Kyi. 
The senators will be presented with copies of "Burma - More Women's 
Voices", a collection of short stories, poems and articles written by 
women from Burma. "Burma - More Women's Voices" was produced 
specially for Women of Burma Day 2000. The writers include Aung San 
Suu Kyi, women political prisoners in Burma, refugee women and women 
in exile.  
Three of the women who wrote articles for the book will present 
copies to the senators and other representatives of Thai women's NGOs 
at the ceremony: 
Place:
King Prajadhipok Institute
5th Floor, Building No. 3.  47/10 Moo 4, Tiwanon Road, Tarad Kwan,  
Muang Nonthaburi 11000. Tel 527 7815, 527 7823 
Time:
1230, Monday June 19, 2000.

Senators attending:
Mrs Mareerat Keaw-Kar (Sakon-nakorn)
Mrs Prateep Ung-Songtham (Bangkok)
Mrs Malinee Sukkavetvorakij (Nakornsawan)
Mrs Ternjai Dee-tech (Chiangrai)
Khunying Chodchoi Sophonpanich (Bangkok) TBC

For more information or maps to the location, please contact: Forum-
Asia, tel  66 2 276 9847 - 6.
Altsean-Burma, tel  662 275 1811.



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