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WIRE:05/02/2000 12:04:00 ET
Japan minister defends visit to Myanmar YANGON, May 2 (Reuters) - Japan's Minister for International Trade
and Industry defended his attendance at a regional conference in
military-ruled Myanmar on Tuesday, saying Tokyo's policy towards the
generals had not changed.
Takashi Fukaya, the first Japanese cabinet minister to visit Myanmar since the military killed thousands to crush a democracy uprising in 1988, told reporters he had been invited to a meeting of ministers of the Association of Southeast Nations and Japan, South Korea and China. "I don't see any reason why I could not accept that
invitation."
On Sunday, Tin Oo, vice-chairman of Myanmar's beleaguered opposition
National League for Democracy, told Reuters countries like Japan should
realise that attending such events in Yangon gave psychological support to
the military and led to increased oppression of dissidents.
The NLD, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, won Myanmar's last
election 10 years ago but was never allowed to govern.
It says the military is holding 2,000 political prisoners, most from
the party, including dozens arrested in recent weeks.
"I'd like to explain to you the basic Japanese stance to this
country, that remains unchanged," Fukaya said. "That is, we would like to
continue to watch the developments in Myanmar with respect to the
improvement of democracy and human rights protection.
"And at the moment we would like to give case-by-case consideration
to projects of basic human needs which can help improve the lives of the
people in this country."
Japan cut large-scale aid to Myanmar after the 1988 killings, but
while it continues to hold back on full-scale economic assistance, it has
taken a more conciliatory line towards Myanmar than the United States and
the European Union, which impose sanctions.
Last year, it indicated a softening of its line by offering help if
Yangon took structural reform of its economy seriously.
It said it would be easier to help if Myanmar was more democratic,
but analysts say its biggest concern appears to be loss of business and
political influence to China.
During a bilateral meeting on Monday night with intelligence chief
Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt, considered the most powerful figure in the
military government, Fukaya unveiled a package of "technical
assistance."
He told Myanmar Japan was willing, for instance, to conduct
feasibility studies on solar and wind-generated electricity for poor rural
areas and Japanese experts would recommend ways to promote small and
medium enterprises.
He also offered information technology assistance to improve
Myanmar's banking system, a Japanese official said.
WIRE:05/02/2000 12:30:00 ET
Myanmar refugees say US cable supports abuse claim WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Attorneys for refugees from Myanmar say a
State Department cable supports their claim that U.S. oil firm Unocal Corp
must be held accountable for human rights abuses while it was building a
natural gas pipeline in Myanmar, the Washington Post reported
Tuesday.
The 15 plaintiffs, representing thousands who fled to the Myanmar-Thailand border in the early 1990s, charge that California-based Unocal and French oil giant Total SA were complicit in abuses by forces in Myanmar, which is ruled by the military and used to be called Burma. The Post said a federal judge in Los Angeles would hear arguments May
22 on whether the suits -- the first such effort to hold a U.S.
corporation liable for human rights abuses abroad -- can proceed to
trial.
The Washington Post said the abuses allegedly included the forced
relocation of entire villages, the use of slave labor and deaths,
beatings, rapes and property seizures.
Unocal has consistently denied these charges, and a company spokesman
Tuesday reiterated that they were baseless.
Attorneys for the refugees told the Post that State Department cables
obtained under the Freedom of Information Act contradicted Unocal's
denials. The article cited a 1995 cable of an interview with a former
Unocal official, Joel Robinson.
"On the general issue of the close working relationship between
Total/Unocal and the Burmese military, Robinson had no apologies to make,"
the Post quoted the cable as saying.
"He stated forthrightly that the companies have hired the Burmese to
provide security for the project and pay for this through the Myanmar Oil
and Gas Enterprise," the state oil company.
The Post said Robinson was quoted as saying that three truckloads of
soldiers typically accompanied project officials as they did survey work
and military officers were informed of the next day's activities to enable
soldiers to secure the area and guard the work perimeter.
"I would call this cable the 'smoking gun,' because it refutes
everything they (the defendants) said about the relationship between
Unocal/Total and the military," the Post quoted Terry Collingsworth, a
lawyer for the refugees, as saying.
He said the "contractual relationship" between the Myanmar military
and the companies was supported by other documents that remained sealed by
the court.
Unocal spokesman Barry Lane told Reuters in a telephone interview
from California that Robinson's comments as portrayed in the cable were
"totally inaccurate."
"There is absolutely nothing to this. At no time was the military
contracted to do any work on the project," Lane said. "This is a matter in
litigation and so I really can't get into the specific details," he
added.
"Everyone gets all excited about a bunch of plaintiffs' lawyers who
are now grandstanding with some headlines. This is not new, these are not
new allegations," Lane said.
Lane denied any villagers were relocated or that any forced labor was
used to build the gas pipeline.
He said the real issue was that human rights groups wanted Unocal to
disinvest from Burma. And because they had been unsuccessful, "they have
paraded these personal allegations against Unocal."
"It's nothing more than an attempt to embarrass the company and force
it to disinvest," Lane said.
The $1.2 billion pipeline crosses a region traditionally inhabited by
ethnic minorities including the Karen, who have been fighting for
self-rule. Construction began in 1992 and ended in 1998.
In 1997, the Clinton administration barred new U.S. private
investment in Myanmar, prompting many U.S. firms to pull out. In addition,
four states and about 30 municipalities have declared some form of boycott
against Myanmar to punish the military junta that seized power there in
1988 and suppressed a democracy movement.
A State Department official said it would be inappropriate to comment
on the cable as the case was under litigation.
WIRE:05/03/2000 07:41:00 ET
UPDATE 1-Myanmar more optimistic about new U.N. envoy YANGON, May 3 (Reuters) - The foreign minister of military-ruled Myanmar said on Wednesday he expected a newly designated U.N. special envoy to Myanmar, a Malaysian, would understand the country better than his predecessor. "Mr Razali is from the same region, Asia, and so he has an opportunity to understand more about the region, the problems and the mentality of the people," Win Aung told a news conference when asked about Razali's planned visit. He said Peruvian Alvaro de Soto, whom Razali succeeded as U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy, was not as familiar with the
Asian region and did not understand Asian ways.
"We can hope to have a better understanding and communication between
us," he said. "We can see eye to eye with each other and also discuss (in
a) more friendly (way)," he said.
He said discussions had begun to fix a mutually convenient date for a
visit by Razali.
Earlier this week Win Aung said Razali had suggested early May, but
this was not convenient for the government so the trip could be delayed
until next month.
Razali, Malaysia's former representative at the United Nations, was
appointed to his new post in early April with a mandate to promote human
rights and the restoration of democracy in a country that has been under
military rule since 1988.
He has said he will meet representatives of both the military and its
opposition during his visit.
Last week, Tin Oo, vice-chairman of the main opposition, the National
League for Democracy, said it looked forward to the visit, bit it was
important Razali remained independent.
"We believe he is a true international servant," Tin Oo told Reuters.
He has to serve internationally, not his own country -- even if he is an
adviser to the prime minister of Malaysia. We believe he will carry out
his duty as a very good and able trustworthy diplomat."
The opposition has complained of stepped up harassment in recent
weeks, with the arrest of more than 40 members, many of them members of
its youth wing.
A commentary in Tuesday's Myanmar-language "Kyemon" newspaper accused
NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi of treason for her contacts with rebel groups
and called for action.
Signed by "an advocate," it said the punishment for high treason was
the death sentence or life imprisonment.
The writer also complained that Western embassies were helping Suu
Kyi smuggle video tapes "which cause damage to the country" out of
Myanmar. It said those who helped shoot and wrap these tapes were equally
responsible with her, it said.
The writer has written several commentaries before in the same theme,
calling for legal actions against NLD and Suu Kyi.
WIRE:05/03/2000 05:27:00 ET
Myanmar regrets Cook's tour of refugee camps YANGON, May 3 (Reuters) - Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung said on
Wednesday Myanmar regretted British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook's recent
visit to Karen refugee camps in Thailand and his criticisms of Yangon's
military government.
Cook visited the camps on Thailand's western jungle border last month and called for change in Myanmar's "backward-looking, oppressive regime." Asked to comment on Cook's criticisms, Myanmar Foreign Minister Win
Aung told a news conference:
"I think that this sort of treatment to us and our country is very
regrettable coming from a very high responsible person of Great
Britain."
He said Cook had visited the camps at the invitation of the Thailand,
and made one-sided remarks on the situation. He said it was not clear if
the people Cook had met were ordinary civilians or guerrillas.
"Karens are our brothers and sisters and the problem is our problem,"
he said. "They are not aliens nor foreigners. We need to solve any
outstanding problems between us. That is what we are trying to."
He said Western nations had interfered in the past to obstruct peace
talks with the Karen National Union guerrillas, who have battled for more
than 50 years for greaters autonomy.
"In the past, we had nearly reached agreement with the Karens. But
the same Western nations urged them not to go back to our country," Win
Aung said. "This is not in accord with the international relations
norms."
Britain was influential in a decision by the 15-nation European Union
earlier this month to ban the export to Myanmar of equipment that might be
used for internal repression or terrorism. The EU also bars government
leaders like Win Aung from its borders.
Wednesday, May 3 3:33 PM SGT
Myanmar lambasts West, denies human rights abusesYANGON, May 3 (AFP) -Myanmar launched a detailed attack on the West Wednesday, accusing Britain and the United States of blatant hypocrisy while issuing a bare-faced denial that it is guilty of gross human rights violations. In a combative news conference, Foreign Minister Win Aung passed recent world news stories, including the Elian Gonzalez case, through the prism of Myanmar policy, to show what he said were the double standards at work in Western capitals. "Human rights violations mean cruelty to the people, killing grounds, killing fields, people are slaughtered like animals," he said. "We don't have mass disappearances, mass graves." said Win Aung, giving foreign journalists a rare first-hand view of the ideology behind Myanmar policy. Western governments and watchdog groups charge Myanmar's military rulers with a string of offences, including the use of forced labour and of persecuting political opponents and ethnic minorities. Win Aung painted a picture of a Western world scarred by political unrest, referring to the May Day riots by anti-globalisation protestors in London and Germany. And he said the case of the shipwrecked Cuban exile boy Elian Gonzalez, who was seized by federal agents in Miami, revealed Western hypocrisy on Myanmar. "If that happened in our country we would be accused of violating human rights," he said, adding that the raid was important to restoring the rule of law. Using the same principle, Myanmar's government was within its rights in enforcing the rule of law here, he said. The government severely restricts the movements of Aung San Suu Kyi and the freedom of her opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) and hundreds of activists have been imprisoned over the last decade. "What we have done is not violating human rights but protecting the rule of law," he said. Win Aung, a former ambassador to London, also took aim at another familiar foe, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, who engaged in an explosive war of words with the junta during a visit to Thailand last month. Cook's visit to a Karen refugee camp on the Thai/Myanmar border, in which he promised to work for the isolation of the regime in Yangon, came in for particular criticism. "I wonder if I went to Northern Ireland and met with some Republicans over there and say something about the necessity for the British government to bring peace ... that's a question, would they be happy if I did that?" Win Aung said. During his visit, Cook accused Myanmar of brutally persecuting its ethnic minorities and said he was deeply moved "that any government should have behaved so brutally as to drive out such friendly, gentle people." More than 100,000 displaced people from Myanmar live in camps in Thailand after fleeing fighting between the junta and Karen rebels or political persecution. Myanmar faces a strict regime of international sanctions and investment restrictions but hoped to deflect most of the consequences by joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 1997. On Monday and Tuesday it hosted its biggest-ever diplomatic meeting, as trade ministers from ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea held talks. Bangkok Post - May 3, 2000. Inbrief
Tak-A currency dealer was abducted in Myawaddy,
Burma, yesterday by Democratic Karen Buddhist Army renegades. Pichai Vijitthai, 20, was abducted while delivering kyat to two guerrillas in
exchange for 250,000 baht and was held opposite tambon Tha Sai Laud. Security forces were negotiating with the guerrillas who demanded a
100,000-baht ransom within three days. Graduate boostA proposal for graduates
who studied under contract with or received a scholarship from the Public Health
Ministry to be taken on as officials was approved by the cabinet yesterday. The proposal was made by the State Manpower Reform Committee after a protest
by nursing graduates. The PM's Office and Civil Service Commission were told to change regulations
to accommodate the graduates. The Japan Times: May 2,
2000 Fukaya unveils Myanmar aid package
Fukaya unveiled the package in a meeting with Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the State Peace and Development Council, the country's military government. The International Trade and Industry Minister is the first Japanese Cabinet minister to travel to Myanmar since the junta, formerly called the State Law and Order Restoration Council, took power in 1988. The package is part of the $500 million "Obuchi Plan" announced in Manila in November by then Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to boost human-resource development in East Asia and promote exchanges between Japan and other countries in the region. Fukaya's announcement shows Japan is taking a softer diplomatic approach toward Myanmar than the United States and the European Union. Japan is hoping that through the aid it can encourage the military government to enter a dialogue with the international community; the U.S. and the EU are taking hardline stances over the country's poor human rights record and the junta's suppression of democracy. Japan may resume loans to Myanmar if the country takes steps to embrace democracy, Japanese officials said. Fukaya urged Myanmar to accelerate its transition to a market economy and improve its investment environment in order to receive increased Japanese investment. Fukaya is in Yangon to attend an economic ministers' meeting today between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China, Japan and South Korea. The trip will also take Fukaya to Singapore and India. At today's meeting, the ASEAN countries plus China, Japan and South Korea will discuss a variety of economic issues, including trade and investment facilitation. In Yangon, Fukaya is also expected to hold a meeting with junta leader Gen. Than Shwe. Obuchi met with prime minister and SPDC chairman Than Shwe in November in Manila on the sidelines of an informal summit between ASEAN delegates and those from China, Japan and South Korea. It was the first time that leaders of the two countries had met since Myanmar's military government took power in 1988. While calling for more efforts toward democracy, Obuchi told Than Shwe that Japan was ready to provide technical help for Myanmar's economic reform efforts. |