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BurmaNet News: August 27, 2001
______________ THE BURMANET NEWS ______________
An on-line newspaper covering Burma
August 27, 2001 Issue # 1873
______________ www.burmanet.org _______________
INSIDE BURMA _______
*AFP: Myanmar lifts restrictions on two senior NLD leaders
*AP: Suu Kyi pledges to strive for democracy
*Reuters: Suu Kyi party hopeful over Myanmar talks
*AFP: Aung San Suu Kyi property suit delayed again
*Arakan News Agency: Fake public demonstrations held in support of
Burmese junta
MONEY _______
*Myanmar Times: Earth Industrial (Myanmar)-- Ray of Hope for the Future
of Electronic Industry
GUNS______
*Stratfor: Moscow Courting Myanmar With MiG-29s
DRUGS______
*New York Times: On Trial: Fighting Drugs vs. Fighting Dictators
REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL _______
*AFP: Japan welcomes lifting of restrictions on Myanmar opposition
leaders
EDITORIALS/OPINION/PROPAGANDA________
*Myanmar Times: ILO's Stand on Myanmar Garment Industries
__________________ INSIDE BURMA ____________________
AFP: Myanmar lifts restrictions on two senior NLD leaders
YANGON, Aug 27 (AFP) - Myanmar's ruling junta has lifted restrictions on
the president and vice president of the opposition National League for
Democracy (NLD), U Aung Shwe and U Tin Oo, who were under virtual house
arrest, an official source said Monday.
Like Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the two men had been
restricted to their residence since September.
The restrictions were eased late Sunday, official and NLD sources said.
The move appears to be a goodwill gesture by the authorities, coming a
day ahead of a visit to the Myanmar capital by the United Nations envoy
Razali Ismail.
Razali on Monday will be making his fifth visit to the country in an
effort to speed up reconciliation talks between the military junta and
the opposition which started last October.
The envoy will meet in Yangon with the military regime's number one,
General Than Shwe, and his number two, Khin Nyunt.
He will also see Aung San Suu Kyi, at her residence, where she has been
under virtual house arrest.
The junta said the stream of releases this year, including dozens of
opposition MPs, was a sign that the talks are making headway.
The contacts, the first since 1994, are aimed at paving the way for an
official national reconciliation dialogue that some observers say could
lead to democratic reforms after four decades of absolute military rule.
International rights group Amnesty International estimates that some
1,800 political prisoners remain behind bars in Myanmar.
___________________________________________________
AP: Suu Kyi pledges to strive for democracy
August 27, 2001
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ Detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has
pledged to strive for democracy in Myanmar as she works hard for the
success of her reconciliation talks with the military junta, her party
said Monday.
The National League for Democracy said in a statement that Suu Kyi has
urged party members ``to work unitedly (with senior members) in the
interest of the people of Myanmar.''
The Nobel Peace laureate's reported comments, the first in almost a
year, were made as United Nations special envoy Razali Ismail arrived
Monday on his fifth visit to help broker reconciliation in Myanmar, also
known as Burma.
Razali, a Malaysian, was instrumental in getting the talks started
secretly in October, the most significant breakthrough in 11 years of
political deadlock between the military and the democratic forces led by
Suu Kyi.
The NLD statement said Suu Kyi expressed ``extreme satisfaction'' with
the release Sunday from de facto house arrest of party chairman Aung
Shwe and vice chairman Tin Oo.
Aung Shwe and Suu Kyi ``will unitedly strive for realization of
democracy in the country,'' the one-page statement said.
Soon after their release, Aung Shwe and Tin Oo met with Suu Kyi on
Sunday at her lakeside residence where she has been kept confined since
September even as she has been holding talks with the junta.
Tin Oo said Suu Kyi is ``working hard for the success of the talks.''
The negotiations are apparently to the satisfaction of the NLD as the
junta has accepted one of its key conditions to release political
prisoners.
Since January, the government has freed nearly 160 political prisoners
from jails and released 32 elected representatives detained at
government guest houses. Besides Aung Shwe and Tin Oo, six other central
committee members were released on Dec. 1.
Now, Suu Kyi is the only top NLD leader still in detention. Suu Kyi and
the others were put under de facto house arrest after she defied an
informal travel ban by trying to go to the northern city of Mandalay on
Sept. 22.
``Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is overwhelmed with satisfaction to see the
resumption of leadership of the party activities,'' the statement said.
Daw is an honorific.
A government official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Razali's
success so far in bringing the two sides together was due to his
``flexibility and understanding.'' He will give advice to both sides and
lend them his ears, the official told The Associated Press.
Razali was due to meet with Foreign Minister Win Aung later Monday. On
previous visits he also met with third-ranking junta leader, Lt. Gen.
Khin Nyunt, and Suu Kyi. He is scheduled to depart Thursday.
The current group of generals came to power in 1988 after a bloody
crackdown against a democracy uprising. They called general elections in
1990 but ignored the results, which had given a resounding victory to
the NLD.
The subsequent suppression of the NLD and its political activities have
attracted widespread Western criticism of the military junta, also
widely condemned for its human rights record.
___________________________________________________
Reuters: Suu Kyi party hopeful over Myanmar talks
(Updates with foreign minister meeting, NLD statement; paragraphs
8,17-18)
By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Myanmar's opposition National League for
Democracy (NLD) expressed optimism on Monday over talks with the ruling
military as U.N. special envoy Razali Ismail began a four-day visit to
mediate the dialogue.
The U.N. envoy's arrival came on the heels of the release from de facto
house arrest of two top NLD leaders -- Chairman Aung Shwe, 83, and
Vice-Chairman Tin Oo, 75 -- who late on Sunday met party leader Aung San
Suu Kyi for the first time since a renewed crackdown by the military in
September last year.
``I am more optimistic about the talks (with the military). I feel we
are gaining more understanding,'' Tin Oo told Reuters.
``The release of political prisoners is rather slow. Aung San Suu Kyi
also feels like this and we are all looking forward to seeing Mr
Razali.''
Other party members also said they were optimistic about a fresh round
of shuttle negotiations with the ruling military.
``We are very happy about the release (of Tin Oo and Aung Shwe). It
sure will improve our optimism about the success of the talks,'' said an
NLD official recently freed from detention by the ruling State Peace and
Development Council (SPDC).
``There are some more political prisoners, including our leader Aung
San Suu Kyi, who should be released,'' he said.
Razali, who last visited in June, arrived on a flight from Singapore.
He met Foreign Minister Win Aung soon after, but made no public comment.
A U.N. official said Razali would stay four days.
``Mr Razali will visit Yangon from today until August 30 to help
facilitate the talks between the government and Aung San Suu Kyi for
democratisation and reconciliation in Myanmar,'' he said.
``During his visit Mr Razali is expected to meet with Senior General
Than Shwe, prime minister and chairman of the SPDC, and other government
figures,'' he said.
``He is also expected to meet with senior members of the NLD.''
NO DETAILS
NLD Secretary U Lwin, a member of the party's Central Executive
Committee, told Reuters the U.N. diplomat was expected to meet Suu Kyi,
as well as Aung Shwe, Tin Oo and himself.
``We are looking forward to meeting him (Razali), but we have no
details of the meeting yet,'' he said.
U Lwin said he had accompanied Tin Oo and Aung Shwe to the meeting with
Aung San Suu Kyi at her lakeside residence in central Yangon late on
Sunday.
``They talked about the running of the party,'' he said.
The NLD's executive committee issued a statement later on Monday
confirming the four-hour party meeting and reaffirming its unity and
commitment to the struggle for democracy.
``U Aung Shwe and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will continue to make efforts
unitedly for the emergence of democracy,'' it said.
Suu Kyi and Aung Shwe have been confined to their Yangon homes since
September, when the government cracked down on the NLD following
attempts by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate to travel outside the
capital.
Tin Oo was detained by the government after the crackdown and put under
de facto house arrest.
Western diplomats in Yangon said the lifting of restrictions on Tin Oo
and Aung Shwe appeared intended as a goodwill gesture from the
government ahead of Razali's visit.
The military has been holding secretive talks since October with Suu
Kyi. The start of dialogue was welcomed by foreign countries, many of
which regard Myanmar as a pariah state.
But no clear signs of progress have emerged from the talks, and there
has been speculation that they have hit an impasse.
Despite some concessions by the military, a government official told
Reuters on Sunday that restrictions on Suu Kyi's freedom of movement
would remain.
``The situation of Aung San Suu Kyi will remain the same for the time
being,'' the official said.
The SPDC has so far released more than 150 NLD members and allowed the
party to re-open some of its offices. But human rights group Amnesty
International says there are still more than 1,500 political prisoners
in Myanmar.
The NLD won the country's last general election in 1990 by a landslide
but has never been allowed to govern. Razali has played a key role in
brokering talks between the government and Suu Kyi.
His visit beginning on Monday will be his fifth since he took on the
role of mediator last year.
At the conclusion of his last visit he expressed ``cautious optimism''
over the talks between the military, which has run the country since
grabbing power in a 1962 coup, and the pro-democracy opposition.
(With additional reporting by Dan Eaton in Bangkok)
___________________________________________________
AFP: Aung San Suu Kyi property suit delayed again
YANGON, Aug 27 (AFP) - A Yangon court Monday again postponed a property
suit brought against democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi by her brother
Aung San Oo, who is fighting for partial control of her lakeside
residence.
Proceedings in the case brought by US businessman Aung San Oo, who is
seeking to administer half of the house that belonged to their late
mother, have been pushed back to September 3.
Judge Soe Thein read out amendments early Monday in the drawn-out case,
which has already been delayed several times, but did not set a date for
a formal hearing.
Aung San Oo has made two bids to evict his sister from her lakeside
villa, where she has been confined by the country's ruling generals
since September.
His first attempt for half ownership was dismissed on a technicality in
January.
Lawyers on both sides revised their original arguments, which will now
be presented to the court on September 3.
Defence lawyers earlier asked the court to reject amendments issued by
the plaintiff's side, saying they would change the whole substance of
the case.
"Whereas the plaintiff side has put up a case for administration of
property, it in fact continues to demand partition and half-ownership of
the property," they said in June.
Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyers originally argued that Aung San Oo had no
right to apply for his sister to be evicted because, as a foreigner
living in the United States, he had no right to own property in Myanmar.
If he wins the case, Aung San Oo is expected to turn his share of the
house over to the government, a result which would put his sister in an
extremely precarious position.
The legal action is believed to be driven by Aung San Oo's wife and to
be motivated more by a family rift than political concerns.
Meanwhile, attention was centered on the arrival of United Nations
envoy Razali Ismail Monday to mediate landmark talks he helped launch
between the junta and the democratic opposition late last year.
In an apparent goodwill gesture, the military regime lifted
restrictions late Sunday on senior members of the opposition National
League for Democracy (NLD), Aung Shwe and Tin Oo, who had been under
virtual house arrest since September.
___________________________________________________
Arakan News Agency: Fake public demonstrations held in support of
Burmese junta
Maungdaw, August 17:
Several fake public demonstrations are being held, ordered by
authorities, in the month of July and August, in Buthidaung and
Maungdaw townships of western Arakan State of Burma supporting the
junta. On August 15, 2001 a group of Maundaw Township Peace and
Development Council members headed by its Chairman U Thein Maung
attended four public meetings held at Ywa Thit village primary school,
with about 75 participants, Myint Hlut Arabic school with about 100
participants, Shikdarpara village mosque compound with about 50
participants, and Thayet Taw village Peace and Development Council
office with about 25 participants respectively, all located in Myin Hlut
village tract south of Maungdaw township. Earlier in the month of July
several such meeting were held in Buthidaung township.
The junta officials made speeches telling that although voluntary labour
contribution (a term used for forced labour) was allowed under 1907 Town
Act and 1908 Village Act the government is no more exacting such labour
from the people in the changing situation as per instruction of the
Ministry of Home affairs, order No. 1/99 released on May 14, 1999 and
October 27, 2000. They added that such labour can only be taken if it is
useful for the people and the State and provided that permission is
given by the Ma Wa Ta (Township PDC) and Kha Wa Ta (District PDC). At
the end of the speeches the participants raise slogans in loud voice
stating that the SPDC does not oppress people, the SPDC does not engage
people in portering and unpaid forced labour and the SPDC is ruling the
country very peacefully. Muslims wearing caps were lined up in the front
rows of the meetings and the whole proceeding was video-taped.
These fake demonstrations are being carried out just before the visit of
a high level ILO delegation to Burma to assess the latest forced labour
situation. Contrary to the claim of junta, however, forced labour is
still rampant in north Arakan.
Abdur Rashid
Chief Reporter
ANA
______________________MONEY________________________
Myanmar Times: Earth Industrial (Myanmar)-- Ray of Hope for the Future
of Electronic Industry
August 27, 2001
In the manufacturing sector of Myanmar, Earth Industrial (Myanmar) Ltd.
is the only (100) percent locally-owned electronics producer. Other
industrial concerns are mainly concentrated on manufacturing consumer
products, garments and production of foodstuffs. There are very few
involved in the electronics sector and fewer still which is wholly
capitalized and managed by local Myanmar entrepreneurs.
Photo: Women workers at the facility
"Earth Industrial (Myanmar) has established three facilities in this
South Dagon Industrial Zone(1), namely the transformer factory, power
supply factory and thermal cutoff factory. The transformer factory was
opened in December 1997. Our latest addition, the power supply factory
was completed as recently as September 2000," explained the company
director U Nyein Chan Soe Win while conducting a tour around the
(96076) square meter facility at Plot No.23.
Two shifts of over 1000 workers are churning out miniature transformers
at the transformer factory. Meanwhile, over 100 workers are toiling in
single shifts, producing Printed Circuit Boards(PCB) and adaptors at
power supply facility.
Photo: Electronic components being manufactured at the factory using
modern equipment
Practising subcontracting system by accepting production orders from
the Malaysian electronics goods manufacturer, Tamura Electronics
Co.,Ltd. "Our plants need to operate according to the international
standards and norms. We tried very hard to obtain ISO 2002," noted U
Myint Swe. He continued on by saying, "As the result of cooperative
efforts between the management and workers, we received ISO 2002 on
December, 2002." He proudly pointed at the wall where the certificate
hung in its glass frame.
Other certificates and papers are observed too, besides the ISO, such
as JQA(Japan Quality Assurance), UL (Underwriter's Laboratory), CSA
(Canadian Safety Association) and TUV. "ISO is given for Quality
Assurance while others are for safety purposes. For safety reasons,
audit groups from respective countries and associations came here to
check on production factors and materials' usage. The production
methods and the materials utilized must be in conformity with the
criteria and safety standards by these associations," explained Quality
Control Manager U Kyaw Min.
Quality Assurance Tests at the facility
Their suppliers had accepted up to 3 percent rejection rate when the
factory was first run. Then the management tried to reduce the waste
and rejection rates further down the line. The 3 percent rate is
reduced to 2 percentage points now and they are aiming for 0.7 percent,
noted to U Kyaw Min.
"We all follow the ISO and other reference standards," he confidently
explains. He went on to say that Tamura (Malaysia) has brought in other
manufacturers in Malaysia to Myanmar. "They thoroughly reviewed our
production processes and as they are satisfied with our capabilities,
we received production orders too.
Photo: Sample of components manufactured by Earth Industrial Co.
The auditors are satisfied as we test our products for quality
assurance by using latest computer systems," noted U Nyein Chan Soe
Win, while showing the author around the workers engaged in quality
control. While the "Earth Induatries" is presently engaged in
sub-contracting for others, their ultimate aim is for ODM or Own Design
and Manufacturing.
U Nyein Chan continued, "We received some technology from them while
doing the sub-contracting work. But gradually, we are moving towards
the country's largest OEM of Original Equipment Manufacturer where we
can find our own material and markets. Eventually, we will carry out
our own design works(ODM).
Photo: Coil production for electrical components
The electronics industries are gradually being relocated from NIEs to
developing states. The most notable aspect is the emergence of
electronic manufacturing facilities in China and Vietnam within the
past few years.
There are vast opportunities for small manufacturers to set up shop in
Myanmar. The Earth Industrial(Myanmar) has become the pioneer for the
establishment of full-fledged electronics industry in the future and we
have ample reason to believe that Myanmar will become an ideal country
for investments by the electronics manufacturers.
_______________________GUNS________________________
Stratfor: Moscow Courting Myanmar With MiG-29s
Stratfor Global Intelligence Update
August 22, 2001
Summary
Russia is helping Myanmar upgrade its decaying air force, recently
selling Yangon a dozen MiG-29s and signing a defense cooperation
agreement. But Moscow's interest in Myanmar goes beyond finding another
market for its arms industry. Myanmar, which has long kept Russia at
arms length, occupies a strategic position between South and East Asia
and is the focus of regional competition between China and India.
Analysis
The Russian government recently sold a dozen MiG-29 fighters to help
update Myanmar's declining air force, made up primarily of Chinese
variants of the MiG-21 and MiG-19.
Moscow has been working since 1997 to tighten ties with Myanmar.
Although the Russian government has aggressively marketed its military
weaponry in South and Southeast Asia over the past few years, its deals
with Myanmar serve a deeper goal: gaining greater access to a
strategically located nation that India and China are already courting.
Myanmar's location has placed it squarely in the middle of the testy
relationship between Beijing and New Delhi. China maintains military
ties with Yangon because of the value of Myanmar's 1,930-kilometer
coastline bordering the Andaman Sea. Access to this shoreline would
give China's sea lines of communication more protection while
diminishing the security of India's shipping routes. India also has
attempted to increase ties with Myanmar to counter China's influence.
Russia hopes to take advantage of China and India's rivalry to finally
establish a presence in Myanmar. Russia has close but uneasy ties with
New Delhi and Beijing -- it supplies arms to both -- and an
intelligence base in Myanmar would allow Moscow to more accurately
monitor actions and relations between the two regional powers.
Russia also wants to expand its presence in Southeast Asia, which it
views as a new potentially lucrative arms market. Even during the
height of the Cold War, Russia was unable to place military advisers in
Myanmar, with the only long-term foreign military presence in the
country belonging to China.
As Chinese involvement grew during the 1990s, Moscow placed greater
importance on broadening ties with Yangon, in large part to monitor
Beijing's activities in Southeast Asia.
Russia's interest in Myanmar has been tied to its intelligence service.
In 1997 Moscow began breaking new ground in Yangon with the visit of
Col. Gen. Valentin Sobolev, then deputy director of the Russian secret
services (FSB), according to the Russian daily Vremya Novostei. Early
talks between the two sides focused on joint anti-drug efforts but by
2000 evolved to cover military cooperation and nuclear energy.
Economically isolated since the 1988 military takeover, Yangon has
relied on China and India for assistance and support. With Beijing and
New Delhi both harboring ulterior motives and competing in Myanmar,
Yangon fears being in the same position as Pakistan, caught in the
middle of these Asian giants. Russia offers a potential alternative for
Yangon in balancing the Indians and Chinese.
In addition to signing a defense cooperation agreement, Russia is now
selling Myanmar the 12 MiG-29 fighters at the bargain price of just
$130 million to $150 million for the entire batch, according to
regional reports. Russia's cheap prices, though, will likely come with
some strings attached.
The MiG-29 marks a significant technological leap over Myanmar's current
Chinese-built F-7s and A-5s, reverse-engineered variants of the MiG-21
and MiG-19 respectively. To effectively integrate the new aircraft into
its air force, Myanmar will need substantial flight and maintenance
training.
Yangon, which sought the new jets in response to Thailand's earlier
purchase of a squadron of used F-16s from the United States, has
already dispatched a group of 300 military personnel to Moscow for
training both on the MiG-29 and in rocket technology, according to
Asiaweek.
Training on the aircraft will not end in Moscow. When Yangon bought
foreign weapon systems in the past, it also briefly hosted foreign
trainers inside Myanmar. Russia will undoubtedly be asked to provide
its own in-country training and maintenance professionals for visits
that will be anything but brief.
According to military analysts cited by the Far Eastern Economic Review,
it will take years before the Myanmar pilots are ready to handle the
MiG-29s, and this creates the prospect of a long-term Russian presence
in the country.
The arms sales, training and offers of assistance in nuclear energy for
power-starved Myanmar will give Moscow a foothold in the country. But
Russia may find itself drawn into the competition for influence in
Myanmar as it expands its involvement in the country, risking relations
with China and India.
________________________DRUGS______________________
New York Times: On Trial: Fighting Drugs vs. Fighting Dictators
August 27, 2001
By JAMES RISEN
ASHINGTON, Aug. 26 ? When the competing foreign policy objectives of
federal agencies collide overseas, internal struggles often roil the
cramped confines of an American embassy. But rarely do those testy
little fights take on the bitterness, suspicion and prolonged legal
wrangling that have marked the case of Richard Horn, a former agent of
the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Mr. Horn, the drug agency's attaché in Myanmar during the early 1990's,
says his home was illegally wiretapped in 1993, probably by the Central
Intelligence Agency. A 54- year-old career D.E.A. agent who retired in
December, Mr. Horn has sued both the C.I.A. station chief for Myanmar
and the State Department's chief of mission at the embassy when he was
there, seeking monetary damages for violations of his civil rights.
The government is defending both officials and has sought to dismiss his
lawsuit, which the federal court, in the District of Columbia, has
placed under seal. The suit has been stuck in court for seven years.
The facts are hotly disputed, and Mr. Horn's opponents say the
wiretapping never happened. "There is absolutely nothing to it," said
Franklin Huddle, Jr., who was the embassy chief of mission at the time.
Even so, the government has invoked a provision of the national security
law known as the state-secrets privilege to prevent the disclosure of
classified information in a civil lawsuit. A federal judge has approved
the use of such privilege, and asked Mr. Horn's attorneys to explain how
they can proceed without access to classified material.
Because the case is under seal, officials at the agencies involved say
they are limited in what they can say about it. A drug agency spokesman
declined comment. A State Department spokesman said, "It has always been
our steadfast position that there is no merit" to the case. A
spokeswoman for Central Intelligence said, "It's not the mission or part
of its operations for the C.I.A. to surveil other U.S. officials or U.S.
citizens at home or abroad."
The government's tactics have frustrated Mr. Horn and his lawyers.
"The extraordinary efforts they have taken to conceal the records and
prevent discovery make their claims that no unlawful actions were taken
against Mr. Horn very, very suspicious," said Janine Brookner, a former
C.I.A. officer who represents Mr. Horn.
By the time Mr. Horn arrived in Myanmar in 1992, the United States had
already become harshly critical of the government's record on democracy
and human rights. Under pressure from Congress, American officials kept
their distance.
But Myanmar, formerly Burma, was a leading producer of heroin, and the
D.E.A. wanted to stem the flow of drugs. Mr. Horn says he felt that the
only way he could do his job was to try to gain the cooperation of the
government and tribal leaders involved in the drug trade.
But State Department officials felt that Mr. Horn, in his eagerness to
do his job, was flouting policy guidelines. "You had foreign policy
obligations running up against law enforcement obligations," said a
former Clinton administration official who was involved in antidrug
policy then. "You had human rights running up against counternarcotics."
In an August 1993 cable to the State Department, Mr. Huddle recommended
a "nonpunitive" recall of Mr. Horn, though he sympathized with the
difficulties Mr. Horn faced. "Rick is a hard-charging cop who just wants
to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible," Mr. Huddle
wrote.
Mr. Horn's complaint centers on an incident in August 1993, just as he
was forced to leave Myanmar.
Late one night, Mr. Horn was talking to another drug agent, David B.
Sikorra, about how Mr. Horn was being pushed out of the country. The
next day, part of their conversation was quoted in a cable Mr. Huddle
sent to Washington, which read: "Horn shows increasing signs of evident
strain. Late last night, for example, he telephoned his junior agent to
say that `I am bringing the whole D.E.A. operation down here. You will
be leaving with me. . . . We'll all leave together.' "
Mr. Horn says the quotation is evidence that his phone was bugged.
Mr. Huddle denies that Mr. Horn was ever wiretapped. "The reality is
that I heard about it from his own people, not by wiretapping him," Mr.
Huddle said.
The former Clinton antidrug official said that as the United States has
expanded its law enforcement presence overseas, there have been a number
of problem cases pitting American law enforcement officials against
diplomats.
Even as Mr. Horn's lawsuit sits idling in federal court here, the United
States has finally concluded that it can deal in a limited way with
Myanmar in fighting drugs.
"In the last two or three years, there has been a shift in thinking,"
said Derek Mitchell, an Asia specialist at the Pentagon during the
Clinton administration. "They have been willing to work with us to some
degree, and there is a feeling that we can do some antinarcotics work
with them."
__________________________________________________
___________________ REGIONAL/INTERNATIONAL___________________
AFP: Japan welcomes lifting of restrictions on Myanmar opposition
leaders
TOKYO, Aug 27 (AFP) - Japan on Monday welcomed the easing of
restrictions on two opposition leaders in Myanmar, hoping for greater
trust between the military regime and the opposition National League for
Democracy (NLD).
"We welcome the move as helpful for further progress in confidence
building between the Myanmar government and (NLD leader) Aung San Suu
Kyi," Vice Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshiji Nogami said.
The military regime lifted restrictions late Sunday on Aung Shwe and
Tin Oo, who had been under virtual house arrest since September, leaving
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi as the sole NLD leader confined to her
house by the ruling junta.
Japan is the biggest creditor nation and aid donor to Myanmar. It
suspended all but a small amount of humanitarian aid in the aftermath of
the 1988 military takeover, but the flow of funds resumed in 1994.
Nogami also told a news conference that Japan hoped for further
progress in dialogue between the Myanmar government and Aung San Suu
Kyi, and democratisation of the country."
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________EDITORIALS/OPINION/PROPAGANDA__________
Myanmar Times: ILO's Stand on Myanmar Garment Industries
August 27, 2001
Garment manufacturing has become one of the principal industries since
Myanmar practised the market economy more than a decade ago. There are
about 400 garment factories employing over 300,000 people at present.
Many foreign enterprises are involved in CMP business and the output of
manufactured goods amounted to over US$ 400 million at which the
industries earn only US$ 40 million. It is known that only two percent
of the revenues went into government coffers while US$39.3 comprise
workers' wages. Therefore, the development of garment industry has
benefitted the lives of local citizens.
On 14th July, 2001 a press conference was held at the meeting room of
the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry
head office located at Merchant Street. Chairman of the UMFCCI, U Win
Myint, explained about the present status of private garment industry
in Myanmar.
American Senators and Congressmen have submitted a resolution banning
the import of finished garment and textile products from Myanmar
alleging that the government is forcibly using slave labour employing
underaged workers at manufacturing facilities. Therefore, the alleged
proposal no. (S-926) was an unfair one and over 15,500 workers have
signed a petition condemning the proposal. The signed letters were sent
to the United Nations' offices, the United States Embassy, the
International Labour Organization and the US Senate.
The petition states that the American Senators and Congressmen have
submitted Proposal No. S- 926 without first examining the true picture
of the private garment industries in Myanmar. They have tried to use
the proposal as a political weapon against the Myanmar government. The
Senators have pressured the government by banning finished products
manufactured by private garment industries in the pretext of promoting
democracy and human rights in Myanmar. But the pressure tacties will
only result in the regression of democratization process and human
rights situation, the statement added. The resolution will only result
in hardship for over 300,000 workers and one million dependents, the
statement warned.
Photo: Workers seen here at a garment mill are neither underaged nor
forced to work
http://www.myanmar.com/Business_Tank/p2as.jpg
In the same time as Senators and Congressmen are submitting proposals
against the Myanmar peoples, a program funded by AusAid, an agency of
the Australian government, has conducted human rights law training
programs and workshops in Yangon and Mandalay during July. The courses
were conducted by lecturers from Monash University of Melbourne. The
workshops included analysis of ILO's convention on forced labour.
Australia's former human rights commissioner and a key player in the
program has noted that the Myanmar government has fully supported the
courses.
Male Workers on the assembly line
The training courses on human rights law was conducted since early 2000
and has entered into second-year term. Workshops and Courses were
attended by government officials and non- government participants. The
level of discussions were very high. Ms. Joseph, who conducted the
courses on human rights, has stated that ILO has thoroughly
investigated the reports on alleged labour rights violations before
handing down any decision.
Therefore, the people of Myanmar are awaiting the ILO's verdict on the
rights of over 300,000 workers' engaged in private garment industries
as it (the ILO) stands for global human and workers' rights, said the
statement, while at the same time condemning the one-sided negative
views of the US Senate.
U Soe Than (Age-40)
The BIG Editorial Group has recently interviewed U Soe Than, owner of
the Shwe Yi Zabe Garment Manufacturing , located at Plot No. 25, Shwe
Pyi Thar Industrial Zone (3). Here are some of the excerpts from the
interview:
BIG: What are the effects of U.S Senate's proposals to impose sanctions
on Myanmar?
U Soe Than: Well, the orders are down. Taiwanese companies are
especially worried about the sanctions proposals as they are the main
exporters to the U.S. We are dependent upon the orders too and we are
anxious about the effects.
Drawing and marking designs on fabrics
before cutting machines are used
Q: If the resolution is passed by US authorities, how are you going to
run the business?
A: Working on FOB basis will be difficult because most of the materials
have to be imported. If the CMP business is not doing well, then I'll
have to change my profession.
Q: What do you mean by changing your profession?
A: A lot of investments are made to set up this factory. Therefore, I
will have to convert it to manufacture goods using locally available
raw materials. I am sad to say that some workers will have to be
retrenched.
Q: How many workers are employed in your factory?
A: There are about 300 employees plus 150 machines. They work from 8
am. to 4 p.m in the evening and overtime pay is provided.
Q: As the garment industry employers have submitted a petition to the
UN, do you expect any response from them ?
A: For us, we want the situation to return to normal. We expect the
Americans to continue to accept our products. But a US Embassy official
was quoted as saying that they are in the interests of 50 million
people rather than 300,000 workers. I regret hearing the remarks from
such a person.
Q: Do you plan to explore other markets if the US government has
imposed sanctions on garment and apparel products.?
A: The United State has the biggest market for such products. If we
compare the European markets with the US, they are quite small and we
will have to
compete very hard with other countries. The Japanese market prefers
high quality apparel. Therefore, the Japanese have formed joint
ventures in other countries for their own imports. Chances for us are
slim.
Packing high-quality shirts
Q: What are your views on the future of international garment industry?
A: According to news in the marketplace, the quota system will be
abolished by 2004. I think we will have to compete hard with China and
Vietnam.
Q: Would you like to comment further on the present situation?
A: I would like to propose, as a representative of the garment
industry, for the government to take necessary measures so that our
mills and factories can continue to run normally.
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