Burma Related News - Oct 14, 2000.

"We have agreed on several action plans to restore confidence back to ASEAN and to put up a united front to counter negative media reporting," Brunei's Culture Minister Hussein Muhammad Yousuf told the closing session of a meeting in Hanoi seeking ways to brush up the regional bloc's image.

Asked by reporters if Asean 's image was not more in the hands of military-ruled Myanmar and its treatment of its pro-democracy opposition than ASEAN as a whole, he replied: "No comment".

The representatives of all 10 countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations remained silent when asked at a later news conference whether they were united in a policy not to send a team to mediate in Myanmar.

ASEAN Secretary-General Rodolfo Severino said the question should be addressed to foreign ministers.

ASEAN agreed in July in Bangkok to form a "troika" of three members to try to help resolve political and security disputes.

Last month, Thailand's The Nation newspaper quoted diplomats as saying UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had suggested the troika help in Myanmar, where the opposition leadership was being held under house arrest.

On Thursday, Severino told Reuters there was "no question of mediation", but Supatra Masdit, a minister in the Thai prime minister's office, said she was for mediation and this should be discussed at foreign ministry level.

Severino defended Asean 's long-stated policy of non-interference in internal affairs of member states, saying it was the basis of the whole UN charter and the international system. He said this policy was not at threat over Myanmar.

Asked if Malaysia supported mediation, its Information Minister Khalil Yaakob referred to a mission led by UN special envoy to Myanmar Razali Ismail, a former Malaysian diplomat.

"The fact that Malaysia agrees to the appointment of one of our foremost diplomats appointed by the UN shows we are contributing to any effort, to any improvement in the situation."

Razali ended a four-day visit to Myanmar on Thursday during which he met the head of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Aung Suu Kyi and military leaders.

The Nobel peace laureate has been restricted to her home with her telephone cut since September 21 after being blocked in her attempt to test travel restrictions.

Her party won Myanmar's last election in 1990 by a landslide but has never been allowed to govern.

On Friday Myanmar's military government said the NLD was not a legal party, prompting concerns it might be planning a decisive crackdown to silence its opponents. Landlords have also served the NLD with an eviction notice to vacate its headquarters in Yangon, sparking fears for its future.

Communist Vietnam, the current Asean chair, said this month "relevant" members had rejected the idea of mediation on the grounds it would be interference in Yangon's internal affairs.

Concerns have been raised the Myanmar issue could derail a long-delayed meeting of Asean-EU foreign ministers which Laos is due to host in December.

But Laotian Information Minister Sileua Bounkham said the meeting - the first since 1997, when the EU protested against Myanmar joining Asean - would not be affected.

"We have heard from all EU member countries that they are ready to come to attend this meeting," he told reporters.

In the Hanoi meeting, the ministers said they agreed to make full use of the Internet to enhance awareness of Asean but had deferred establishment of an Asean satellite television channel as the costs were beyond some members.-Reuters

Independent Online
Burma threatens "meddlesome diplomats"
October 14 2000 at 12:45PM
By Aung Hla Tun

Bangkok - Burma's military government warned United States and British diplomats on Saturday against meddling in its internal affairs and suggested they could be thrown out of the country if they did not behave.

In their second official broadside against Britain and the United States in two days, the ruling generals accused envoys from Washington and London of supporting Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her opposition National League from Democracy (NLD).

The Kyemon newspaper, regarded as an official mouthpiece of Yangon's military authorities, said the diplomats had visited the homes of NLD leaders no less than 30 times between September 2 and 13.

'The situation is really extremely bleak'
"Those under the guise of diplomats are distributing false information and news to the BBC, VOA (Voice of America) ... broadcasting stations, which are stooges of the colonialists and nests of Burmese exiles," said the paper.

"It is common practice to declare meddlesome diplomats and those who are engaged in espionage as 'persona non grata'," the newspaper said in a two-part commentary.

Kyemon and other Burmese newspapers usually reflect official views and concerns but threats published by them are often not followed by official action.

US and British diplomats were not available for comment.

The Burmese government has become increasingly frustrated by the activities of Suu Kyi and the NLD in recent months since the opposition party stepped up a campaign to highlight its demand for democracy and human rights in the impoverished country.

Suu Kyi, 55, has been under de facto house arrest in her home in Yangon since September 22 when she was prevented from travelling by train to Mandalay to meet party members.

Since then she has had her telephone cut and diplomatic access barred, local residents and diplomats say.

The only person allowed to see her has been UN special envoy Razali Ismail, who met her twice this week during a four-day visit to Burma aimed at easing political tensions.

Other NLD leaders have been detained or kept locked in their homes and the military has issued a series of pronouncements through its newspapers suggesting it may be planning a decisive crackdown to silence its opponents.

Landlords have also served the NLD with an eviction notice to vacate its offices in Yangon, sparking fears for the future of the party.

"The situation is really extremely bleak," one diplomat said this week.

"The NLD's leaders have been silenced, a lot of key people have been arrested, and they may lose their headquarters. There is really nothing to be positive about at the moment."

An official commentary carried in two official newspapers on Friday said the NLD, which won elections by a landslide in 1990 but has never been allowed to govern, was being controlled by US and British "colonialists".

"Diplomats of the international colonialist group are giving instructions on the affairs of the party and this is against the political parties' registration law," the newspapers said.

"The persons called diplomats from the US embassy and British embassy are attentively and earnestly arranging things for and giving instructions on political and organisational activities of the political party which is opposing and attacking the incumbent government of the state." - Reuters

The Star (Malaysia) - Oct 14, 2000.
Myanmar skipper jailed and fined

PENANG: A Myanmar captain was jailed a week and fined RM5,000 while a local shipping agent was fined RM10,000 yesterday for falsely declaring the amount of diesel in a specially-modified fishing boat.
Capt U Hla Tin and Freightman Agency Sdn Bhd, represented by its director Foo Moh Hock, admitted in a magistrate's court to jointly committing the offence on board the Thiri Aung in Penang waters on Sept 16.

Both had pleaded guilty to having made a declaration to state Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry supplies assistant controller Zamri Zakaria that the amount of diesel on board was 30,000 litres when the actual quantity was 41,680 litres.

Magistrate Christopher Kushi Kostka ordered the confiscation of RM20,840 which was proceeds of the sale of 41,680 litres of diesel and for the vessel to be returned to its owner.

Both U, who was later taken away to jail, and Freightman Agency paid the fine.

South China Morning Post
Saturday, October 14, 2000
Military warns Western diplomats
REUTERS in Bangkok

Burma's military government warned US and British diplomats on Saturday against meddling in its internal affairs and suggested they could be thrown out of the country if they did not behave.
In their second official broadside against Britain and the United States in two days, the ruling generals accused envoys from Washington and London of supporting Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and her opposition National League from Democracy (NLD).

The Burmese-language Kyemon newspaper, regarded as an official mouthpiece of Rangoon's military authorities, said the diplomats had visited the homes of NLD leaders no fewer than 30 times between September 2 and 13.

''Those under the guise of diplomats are distributing false information and news to the BBC, VOA (Voice of America)...broadcasting stations, which are stooges of the colonialists and nests of [Burma] exiles,'' said the paper.

''It is common practice to declare meddlesome diplomats and those who are engaged in espionage as 'persona non grata','' the newspaper said in a two-part commentary.

Kyemon and other Burmese newspapers usually reflect official views and concerns but threats published by them are often not followed by official action.

US and British diplomats were not available for comment.

The Burmese government has become increasingly frustrated by the activities of Ms Suu Kyi and the NLD in recent months since the opposition party stepped up a campaign to highlight its demand for democracy and human rights in the impoverished country.

Ms Suu Kyi, 55, has been under de facto house arrest in her home in Rangoon since September 22 when she was prevented from travelling by train to Mandalay to meet party members.

Since then she has had her telephone cut and diplomatic access barred, local residents and diplomats say.

The only person allowed to see her has been UN special envoy Razali Ismail, who met her twice this week during a four-day visit to Burma aimed at easing political tensions.

Landlords have also served the NLD with an eviction notice to vacate its offices in Rangoon, sparking fears for the future of the party.

''The situation is really extremely bleak,'' one diplomat said this week.

''The NLD's leaders have been silenced, a lot of key people have been arrested, and they may lose their headquarters. There is really nothing to be positive about at the moment.''

''Diplomats of the international colonialist group are giving instructions on the affairs of the party and this is against the political parties' registration law,'' the newspapers said.

''The persons called diplomats from the US embassy and British embassy are attentively and earnestly arranging things for and giving instructions on political and organisational activities of the political party which is opposing and attacking the incumbent government of the state.''