AFP -
Myanmar junta says it has 'complete trust' in
Aung San Suu Kyi
AFP - British American Tobacco
meeting hijacked by Myanmar protestors
Reuters - Myanmar Junta Hints
at Talks with Opposition
Reuters - Malaysia's Scomi
Group launches 17 mln rgt IPO
AP - Myanmar junta denies it
harassed Suu Kyi during provincial tour
Asia Pulse - Firms From Some Nations May be Excluded From Indian Oil
Deals
International Herald Tribune -
Burma's opposition needs fresh support
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Tuesday April 15, 2:56
PM
Myanmar
junta says it has 'complete trust' in Aung San Suu
Kyi
YANGON (AFP) - (AFP) -
Myanmar's junta
said it "has complete trust" in pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's pursuit
of development in the military-run state, and is encouraging her to travel
throughout the country.
The junta statement came as it
sought to downplay reports that the Nobel peace laureate had been harassed by
aggressive pro-Yangon elements during her recent political trip to the western
Chin state.
"While she might have
encountered noisy conditions and over-zealous cameramen in some of the towns she
visited, this was in no way a deliberate effort by the government to interfere
with her travels or activities, as members of her party have so alleged," the
junta told AFP in a faxed statement.
"The government has complete
trust in Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's commitment to ensuring the smooth and stable
development of
Myanmar," it
said.
The junta also said it has
been encouraging Aung San Suu Kyi, who heads the National League for Democracy
(NLD), to travel widely within Myanmar "so that she may talk with people and
familiarize herself with the reality of conditions throughout the
country."
Complaints had been expressed
by senior officials in the NLD that local authorities have gone out of their way
to warn people not to attempt to see Aung San Suu Kyi on her trips up
country.
Thousands of supporters and
well-wishers nonetheless greeted the charismatic leader on her 11-day trip to
Chin state, her party has said.
Myanmar's
ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) released Aung San Suu Kyi from
house arrest last May, raising hopes that UN-brokered national reconciliation
talks that began in October 2000 could progress to direct dialogue between the
generals and "the lady," as she is widely known.
But the talks have ground to a
halt, according to several diplomats, analysts and the NLD itself, with several
sources pointing to continued refusal by the country's senior leadership to sit
down with Aung San Suu Kyi.
The junta, meanwhile, said in
its statement that "the government actively welcomes meaningful and constructive
suggestions from all citizens in the country in all areas of national
development, particularly in education, health care and economic
development."
Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD won a
landslide victory in 1990 elections but has never been permitted to
rule.
On Monday European Union
foreign ministers agreed to extend and beef up sanctions against the country for
another year, stressing they could "find no credible reason to account for the
failure of political will on behalf of the Burma/Myanmar authorities to agree to
a definitive timetable for the return of democracy."
--------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday
April 15, 11:10 PM
British American Tobacco meeting hijacked by
Myanmar protestors
LONDON, April 15 (AFP) - Protesters picketed the annual general
meeting of British American Tobacco on Tuesday and handed out leaflets to
shareholders criticising the cigarette giant for investing in Myanmar.
Members of the Burma Campaign UK -- Myanmar was formerly known as
Burma -- handed a letter to shareholders entering the meeting outlining the
pressure group's opposition to BAT's cigarette factory in Myanmar, a joint
venture with the country's military dictatorship.
Among around 50
demonstrators, including Myanmar exiles dressed in military uniforms, picketed
the AGM, Burma Campaign UK said.
"The campaign owns some shares,
so we were able to ask a lot of questions about the investment in Burma, which
they seemed very uncomfortable about," said Burma Campaign UK spokesman Mark
Farmaner.
The campaign charges that BAT is acting immorally by
going into business with Myanmar's junta, which has ruled the country for more
than four decades and is condemned by rights groups as one of the world's most
repressive regimes.
Burma Campaign UK has directed particular
criticism at BAT's deputy chairman Kenneth Clarke, who is a former British
government minister and remains a Conservative member of parliament.
Clarke himself appears to have some misgivings about the venture,
according to a letter he wrote to a member of the public which was passed on to
Burma Campaign UK.
In it, Clarke said he had concerns about
"collaborating with an extremely unpleasant regime which is totally contrary to
our notions of civil liberties and democracy", according to a copy released by
the pressure group.
A spokesman for BAT, which produces brands
including Rothmans, Dunhill, Pall Mall and Lucky Strike, said the firm
understood and respected concerns about human rights.
"However, we
do not believe that the best way forward is for businesses to withdraw from
countries whose governments' human rights records have been criticised," he
said.
Hopes were raised about an improvement to political and
human rights in Myanmar after opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was released
from lengthy house arrest almost a year ago.
But subsequent talks
between the junta and Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) have
produced few tangible results.
NLD won a landslide victory in
Myanmar's 1990 general election, but the generals ignored the result and
arrested the charismatic opposition leader.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Myanmar Junta Hints at Talks with
Opposition
Tue Apr 15, 3:27 AM ET
By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government hinted on
Tuesday it was willing to start political talks with pro-democracy leader Aung
San Suu Kyi in its most conciliatory statement since her release from house
arrest last May. "The government has complete trust in Aung San Suu Kyi's
commitment to ensuring the smooth and stable development of Myanmar," the junta
said in a statement faxed to Reuters.
"It is only by working
together and discussing problems in a constructive way, that the people of
Myanmar can build a strong, united and developed nation."
The
statement, issued to deny allegations security personnel had harrassed Suu Kyi
during her travels outside Yangon, said the junta welcomed constructive dialogue
particularly on education, health and economic development.
Suu
Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which wants a role in
distributing foreign aid as a first step in working with the junta toward
democracy, welcomed the statement.
"It is very encouraging. I
really hope it expresses the genuine, sincere goodwill of the government," NLD
spokesman U Lwin told Reuters.
"I think they should demonstrate
this spirit by immediately implementing a meaningful political dialogue, which
the United Nations has been trying to encourage and is also desired by the
entire people."
U.N.-brokered confidence-building talks between the
NLD and the junta led to Suu Kyi's release from house arrest last year and
raised hopes for talks on democratic transition.
But the NLD, which
swept to a landslide election victory in 1990 but was never allowed to rule, has
since been increasingly frustrated by the junta's failure to respond to calls
for talks.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday
April 15, 4:36 PM
Malaysia's Scomi Group launches 17 mln rgt
IPO
KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Reuters) - Malaysian oil and gas company Scomi
Group Bhd launched a 17 million ringgit ($4.5 million) initial public offering
on Tuesday to raise working capital for its core drilling fluids and engineering
businesses.
Controlled by Kamaluddin Abdullah, a son of Malaysia's
Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Scomi is selling 12.3 million new
shares at 1.38 ringgit apiece.
Kamaluddin, who does not hold any
management position, is described as a promoter in Scomi's IPO documents,
controlling a 53 percent stake held via key subsidiary Kota Minerals &
Chemicals Sdn Bhd.
"This is a small firm in an industry dominated
by big firms. But doors may open more easily for Scomi because of its
shareholders, and this would give it the edge when marketing deals," said an
analyst at a foreign brokerage.
Scomi expects to post a net profit
of 18 million ringgit this year on a 28 percent rise in sales to 204 million
ringgit. It forecast earnings per share of 18 cents in 2003, and 20 cents in
2004.
Analysts said Scomi shares, due to debut on the Kuala Lumpur
Stock Exchange's second board on May 13, looked cheap versus the broader market,
which is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 12 times.
"The
stock will trade around seven times its 2004 earnings and 7.6 times 2003
earnings," said C.K. Ngu, research head at TA Securities.
Scomi
Chairman Asmat Kamaludin said Kota, the only significant Malaysian company in
its field, contributed 68 percent to group revenue last year.
The
firm plans to expand its oil and gas operations into North Africa and other
Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Myanmar junta denies it harassed Suu Kyi during provincial
tour
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ Myanmar's military government on Tuesday
denied charges that it harassed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi during her
recent tour of the country's northwest.
A spokesman for Suu Kyi's
National League for Democracy, U Lwin, said Sunday that a civilian organization
affiliated with the junta warned people against greeting Suu Kyi during her
April 3-11 tour of Chin state.
U Lwin also said Suu Kyi's public
speeches were disrupted by loud music and Buddhist sermons on loudspeakers. One
person was caught filming her, and her supporters said they suspected him to be
a state intelligence agent. Plainclothes policemen routinely follow Suu Kyi to
photograph and film her supporters.
The alleged harassment added
to concern that the junta is trying to prevent Suu Kyi from expanding her
political activities, despite releasing her from house arrest last May.
On Tuesday, the government denied the charges, and claimed that
Suu Kyi could travel freely.
``The government was surprised to
hear'' such reports, the junta's statement said, adding that Suu Kyi may have
``encountered noisy conditions and overzealous cameramen in some of the towns
she visited.''
But ``this was in no way a deliberate effort by the
government to interfere with her travels or activities, as members of her party
have so alleged,'' the statement said.
The junta came to power in
1988 after crushing pro-democracy protests. It called elections in 1990 but
refused to give up power when the NLD won overwhelmingly.
It
started reconciliation talks with Suu Kyi in October 2000 to break the political
deadlock, but no tangible progress has been reported except for the release of
Suu Kyi and a few hundred political prisoners.
The visit to Chin
state was Suu Kyi's sixth political tour of the Myanmar countryside since her
release. She opened six party offices during the trip.
On her last
party organizational trip in December to the northwestern Rakhine State, she
faced unprecedented interference from local authorities, who placed trucks,
boulders and barbed wire across streets to stop her vehicle. At other places,
people were warned not to attend her rallies.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday
April 15, 5:25 PM
Firms From Some Nations May be Excluded From Indian Oil
Deals
NEW DELHI, April 15
Asia Pulse - The Federal Ministry of
Defence is believed to have suggested that companies from China, Pakistan,
Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and the entire Arab world be kept out
of bidding for certain oil and gas blocks due to security
concerns.
The suggestion to prohibit
companies from certain countries to operate in the Andaman offshore area came
during the inter-ministerial consultations to finalise oil and gas blocks to be
offered under the fourth round of New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) later
this month, sources said.
Besides, it wanted Indian
firms to lead the consortiums, bidding for blocks in Andaman offshore, as
majority shareholder.
Petroleum Ministry, sources
said, was, however, opposed to the blanket ban and cited public sector ONGC
Videsh Ltd taking 25 per cent stake in a producing oil field in
Sudan where the
partners were Chinese and Malaysian national oil companies.
Petronas of Malaysia and CNPC
of China had waived off their first right of refusal to make way for OVL in the
Greater Nile Oil Project.
On Indian firms leading
consortiums bidding for blocks in Andaman offshore area, the Petroleum Ministry
stated that a foreign firm may not be willing to give majority share to Indians
since deepwater involved large amount of risk capital and specialised
technologies, sources said.
Indian government is likely to
offer some 25 oil and gas blocks, including a couple of them, in the Andaman
offshore area, under NELP-IV.
--------------------------------------------------------------
International Herald Tribune
Burma's opposition needs fresh support
Mike Jendrzejczyk IHT Tuesday, April 15,
2003
Up against the
military
WASHINGTON The United Nations special rapporteur on human
rights, Paulo Pinheiro, was forced to cut short a mission to Burma last month
when a bugging device was discovered in a room where he was interviewing
political prisoners. The aborted UN mission is a symptom of deeper problems.
Frustration is growing as Rangoon's ruling generals appear increasingly
distrustful and unwilling to continue a dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, leader
of the democratic opposition.
.
On Wednesday, the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights in Geneva is expected to adopt a resolution
condemning Burma for repression. The commission will call for steps to improve
human rights and cooperation with the UN secretary general's special envoy,
Razali Ismail, in his efforts to facilitate dialogue between Burma's military
and the opposition.
.
The commission's action will send a useful signal,
but it won't be enough.
.
As Pinheiro said in Geneva, "It is more than
urgent that the current deadlock be overcome and that the human rights
situation" in Burma improves. Japan and the United States, working in concert,
could help break the impasse by increasing both diplomatic and economic
pressure.
.
Since Aung San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest in May,
there has been only limited progress. According to the ruling State Peace and
Development Council in Burma, more than 500 political prisoners were released in
the past three years, but only 63 since January. Others have been arrested and
the United Nations estimates that from 1,200 to 1,300 political prisoners remain
locked up.
.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has been allowed
to establish a presence in conflict areas of Burma and this is a welcome step.
Reports of systematic rapes by the Burmese army in Shan state have triggered
calls for an independent investigation by the UN, and at least in principle, the
government in Rangoon has agreed. But tight restrictions on basic freedoms
remain throughout Burma, abuses against ethnic minorities continue, poverty is
acute and the economy is in bad shape and getting worse. The United States and
Japan have emphasized different approaches toward Burma. Washington has pushed
for sanctions, while Tokyo has focused on engagement. Japan has also signaled
its interest in trying to jump-start the process leading to a democratic
transition. This year, Tokyo hosted a UN conference on Burma, attended by
representatives of member states of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Nations,
as well as the United States, European governments and other
countries.
.
The Bush administration is considering imposing tougher
economic measures. At a recent congressional hearing, a State Department
official warned that in the absence of progress, "we will be forced to consider,
in conjunction with the international community, additional sanctions." A bill
cutting off all exports to the United States from Burma will be introduced soon
in Congress, and could easily pass.
.
In this climate of increasing
disappointment, Japan should play a more proactive role. The foreign ministry
should consider appointing a senior diplomat to follow up the Tokyo conference
by visiting the ASEAN capitals to urge them to intervene with Burma, which is a
member of ASEAN.
.
In seeking to influence Burma, ASEAN countries should
focus on specific steps that Pinheiro has recommended: agreement for a return
visit to Rangoon by Razali, release of political prisoners, and the lifting of
restrictions on free _expression_, assembly and association that would allow space
for legitimate, peaceful political activities.
.
Japan is a major donor
and investor in Southeast Asia, so its voice carries weight. It is in ASEAN's
interest to promote change in Rangoon, if for no other reason than to offset
China's influence.
.
The United Nations agencies working in Burma are
preparing an assessment of humanitarian conditions and a framework for urgently
needed assistance. Once it is made public, Japan should offer to provide
additional aid to meet the needs of Burma's people, provided through the UN and
nongovernment organizations. But Tokyo shouldn't give any new aid to Burma until
there is substantial progress by the government to improve human rights and
engage in political dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of the
democratic opposition. A clear statement on aid policy for Burma should be
delivered by Japan.
.
It would also be useful for Japan to begin
discouraging private companies from considering investing there. Many Japanese
companies are already reluctant to get involved in Burma's corrupt economy or to
invest unless Japanese government aid is forthcoming. A decision by Japan to
discourage investment would buttress the impact of U.S. sanctions and send a
strong, united signal.
.
Burma's economic and social problems can only be
effectively addressed if the government is willing to allow real change. Tokyo
and Washington should work together to make a better future possible for Burma's
people.
.
The writer is the Washington director for Asia at Human Rights
Watch.
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