--------------------------------------------------------------
Monday May 26, 6:51 PM
Myanmar Suu Kyi Supporters Told
To 'Run For Your Lives'
YANGON (AP)--Members of a pro-junta group forced
supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi to flee after threatening to run them over with
cars as they waited for the opposition leader along a road, her party said
Monday.
Someone also threw a brick that hit Suu Kyi's car but she was
unhurt, said U Lwin, the spokesman for her National League for Democracy party.
He said the incident occurred Sunday near Mandalay, Myanmar's second
biggest city, as Suu Kyi was returning from a political tour of the northern
Kachin state.
It was her seventh political trip to the countryside since
being released from house arrest last May. She returns to Yangon next week.
In the past, Suu Kyi has been routinely harassed, and her supporters
intimidated and bullied by members of the Union Solidarity Development
Association, a social organization of 19 million members avowedly loyal to the
junta.
A government spokesman could not immediately be reached for
comment. The government denies it harasses Suu Kyi and opposition members.
U Lwin said that as Suu Kyi was entering the Kyidauk Pauk village, USDA
members drew alongside her car in a dozen vehicles. They shouted at the crowds
through loudspeakers: "Run for your lives, or you will have to pick up your own
corpses!" said U Lwin.
As the cars came threateningly close to the
supporters, they were forced to flee, he said.
"This is a most serious
incident. These people are very rowdy. They bully the public and are extremely
unruly," he said.
U Lwin said some 100 people, many of them wielding
sticks, knives and catapults, also intimidated the supporters. One NLD member
sustained a head injury, apparently hit by something fired from a slingshot, he
said.
Such incidents have put a question mark on the junta's seriousness
about allowing political freedom to the NLD, despite embarking on reconciliation
talks with Suu Kyi in October 2000.
However, no junta leader has held
substantive talks on restoring democracy with Suu Kyi. Only lower-level
officials have met her for so-called confidence building talks.
Monday,
government spokesman Than Tun denied reports it would soon hold high-level talks
with Suu Kyi.
The Thai media reports were attributed to Thai Foreign
Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, who said he obtained the information from the
junta's No. 3 leader, Gen. Khin Nyunt, when the two met last week in the Myanmar
border town of Tachilek.
"It could be an exaggeration by the media. I
don't think the General (Khin Nyunt) himself might have said" that high-level
talks would take place in the next few weeks, Than Tun said.
The current
junta came to power in 1988 after crushing a pro-democracy movement. It called
elections in 1990 but refused to hand over power to Suu Kyi's National League
for Democracy party, which won by a landslide.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Monday May 26, 7:27 PM
Ten opposition members jailed in Myanmar, two for life
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ Courts in military-ruled Myanmar have
sentenced 10 pro-democracy activists to prison terms ranging from two years to
life for anti-government activities and comments, opposition officials said
Monday.
The 10, who were arrested in February, are all members of Nobel
Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, said the
NLD officials, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The military junta
does not usually announce the schedules or outcome of political trials and
government officials were not immediately available to confirm the sentences.
Three of the men were sentenced by a court in Monywa town on Thursday to
two years imprisonment for saying publicly that ``dictatorship does not exist in
democracy,'' said an NLD official.
The three were charged under a law
that prohibits making a statement ``likely to cause fear or alarm to the
public.'' The maximum punishment is two years. Monywa is 840 kilometers (520
miles) north of Yangon.
On Tuesday, a court in the capital Yangon
convicted seven NLD members under various laws for alleged anti-government
activities including trying to stir unrest, distribute anti-government leaflets
and carry out attacks.
Two of them were sentenced to life imprisonment,
one to 13 years and the others to five years each, said NLD officials.
``We will lodge an appeal against the harsh sentences to a higher
court,'' an NLD lawyer told The Associated Press. He spoke on condition of
anonymity.
The convictions come as reconciliation talks between Suu Kyi
and the junta to end the country's political deadlock appear to have stalled.
Since the start of the talks in October 2000, the government has released a few
hundreds political prisoners, but more than 1,000 remain in jails.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Monday May 26, 5:07 PM
Myanmar denies high-level talks with Suu Kyi to start soon
YANGON, Myanmar (AP) _ Myanmar's military government on Monday
denied reports it would soon hold high-level reconciliation talks with
opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to end the country's political stalemate.
The Thai media reports were attributed to Thai Foreign Minister
Surakiart Sathirathai, who said he obtained the information from the junta's No.
3 leader, Gen. Khin Nyunt, when the two met last week in the Myanmar border town
of Tachilek.
But Myanmar government spokesman Than Tun told reporters
Monday that while lower-level confidence-building dialogue was expected to take
place next week, direct talks between junta leaders and Suu Kyi aimed at
resolving their political dispute would not be held.
``It could be an
exaggeration by the media. I don't think the General (Khin Nyunt) himself might
have said'' that high-level talks would take place in the next few weeks, Than
Tun said.
Than Tun's comments indicated that the reconciliation process
between the junta and Suu Kyi that began in October 2000 is progressing at a
snail's pace.
The current junta came to power in 1988 after crushing a
pro-democracy movement. It called elections in 1990 but refused to hand over
power to Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, which won by a
landslide.
Western critics accuse the junta of deliberately stalling the
talks, and say the generals have no intention of giving up power.
Since
October 2000, Suu Kyi has met several times with low-level officials in what has
been described as ``confidence-building talks.'' But she has not met with a
senior leader for talks on restoring democracy.
Another round of
confidence-building talks scheduled for earlier this month was canceled after
Suu Kyi left on a monthlong political trip to the northern Kachin state, Than
Tun said.
``I presume the usual meeting could take place after Suu Kyi
returns from her trip'' next week, he said.
On her return, she is also
expected to meet with U.N. special envoy Razali Ismail, who helped start the
reconciliation talks. He is scheduled to arrive in Yangon on June 6.
Since the start of the talks, the junta has released hundreds of
political prisoners but more than 1,000 more languish in jails. Also, Suu Kyi
has been allowed to travel on political campaign trips to the countryside, but
she and her supporters have often been harassed and intimidated, according to
her party.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Myanmar makes achievements in absorbing foreign investment
Xinhuanet 2003-05-26 11:19:32
YANGON, May 26
(Xinhuanet) -- After taking over the
power of stateon Sept. 18, 1988, the Myanmar military government abandoned its
several-decade-long close-door policy, permitting foreign companies to make
investment in the country.
Over the past period of nearly 15 years as of
the end of 2002, Myanmar attracted a total contracted foreign investment of
7,464 million US dollars in 370 projects coming from 26 countries and regions.
Of them, the actual foreign investment utilized amounted to about 2,200
million dollars, accounting for only about 30 percent of the total contracted
foreign investment.
Of Myanmar's foreign investment brought in, member
countries ofthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) stood first with
the investment of 3,851 million dollars in 164 projects, taking up 51.59 percent
of the country's total.
Among the ASEAN countries, Singapore topped the
line-up of investors in Myanmar with 1,535 million in 70 projects, representing
20.5 percent of the country's total foreign investment, while Thailand stood
second with 1,289 million dollarsin 49 projects, making up 17.2 percent of the
total.
Foreign investment focused on projects of oil and gas,
manufacturing and hotels and tourism, taking up 32 percent, 21 percent and 14
percent of the total foreign investment respectively.
To attract more
foreign investments, the Myanmar government promulgated the Foreign Investment
Law and set up the Foreign Investment Commission.
Myanmar has a certain
superiority in terms of absorbing foreigninvestment with relatively rich natural
resources, including forestry, fishery, minerals, hydropower and tourism, and
with a big potential market.
Myanmar has a population of 52 million and
the monthly per capita income is just around 25 US dollars. With the utilization
of such cheap labor and low production cost, foreign investors could have
competitiveness with their products in the international markets.
Despite superiority possessed and achievements made in inducingforeign
investment, Myanmar still faces many challenges since Myanmar's political
situation has not been satisfying for a prolonged period.
The
Myanmar military government sponsored a general election on May 27, 1990, in
which the National League for Democracy (NLD) ledby its general secretary Aung
San Suu Kyi won a landslide victory.
The election has ended for 13
years, the military government and the NLD still have endless dispute over the
power transfer. The prolonged political dispute has generated a serious impact
on the inflow of foreign capital.
Although the government has initiated
peace pacts with 17 anti-government armed rebel groups since 1989, there are
still over 10 such groups. Frequent bomb attacks have brought about an absence
of sense of security to the people.
The United States and the European
Union nations imposed economic sanctions on Myanmar under the pretext of
democracy, human rights and refusal to transfer state power to the winning NLD,
preventing their companies to invest in Myanmar.
Meanwhile, Myanmar has
not yet enacted a law on the protection of foreign investment, resulting in that
foreign investors lack a sense of security and worry that their lawful rights
and interests would not be protected.
Beginning on March 1, 2002, in a
new policy with regard to wholly-owned foreign companies doing business in the
country, Myanmar barred them from being engaged in import and export business
and revoked their import and export licenses. This move has harmed the
enthusiasm of foreign investors.
Infrastructures of electric power,
communication and transport are weak. Up to now, Myanmar's installed generating
capacity totalled only 1,165 megawatts. The serious shortage of electricity has
brought about frequent power cut even in the capital of Yangon.The critical
lagging behind in terms of infrastructure has also affected the inflow of
foreign investment.
After the Asian financial crisis in 1997, Myanmar
has experienced a trend of sharp reduction of foreign investment. The country
brought in only 49.2 million dollars of foreign investmentin 2002, a 16.5
percent drop over 2001 and a 96 percent fall over 1997.
The present
status of Myanmar's foreign investment is still notas good as expected, but with
the gradual improvement of its investment environment, the prospects of
attracting foreign investment are still good.
--------------------------------------------------------------
No Sweat - Mon May 26
2003.
Burma: US union campaigns to stop Burmese
imports
Posted on Sunday, May 25 @ 19:38:29 BST by
mark
While competitors have pulled out in response to widespread
human rights violations, Fred?s Inc., continues to be a major U.S. importer of
clothing produced in Burma
WASHINGTON, May 19 - At a press conference
today, a new report was released detailing new sweatshop abuses and human rights
violations in Burma and their connection to a publicly traded corporation in the
United States.
Activists called on Fred?s, Inc., a rapidly expanding
general merchandise chain with hundreds of stores in fourteen states, to cease
importing and selling clothing made in Burma (also known as Myanmar), a country
with well-documented human rights abuses, including slave labor, widespread
conscription of children into the military, systematic rape and other egregious
mistreatment of workers and citizens.
?It is unforgivable to support a
regime that so brutally violates the human rights of millions of people.
Hundreds of companies have stopped doing business with Burma for that reason.
But some, like Fred?s, haven?t done the right thing yet,? said Congressman Tom
Lantos, (CA-12), Co-Chairman, Congressional Human Rights Caucus ?That?s why we
need legislation to ban all imports from Burma until the rights of its citizens
are respected.?
Several of Fred?s competitors, including Wal-Mart,
Costco and Family Dollar Stores, have already discontinued importing clothing
from Burma. The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) took a strong
stand on the issue just last month, when its 600 members pledged to discontinue
importing goods from Burma and called for a law banning them until the human
rights of its people are respected.
Fred?s doesn?t respect workers?
rights in the United States, either. In May 2002, workers at the company?s
distribution center, located in Memphis, TN, voted overwhelmingly to form a
union with the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees [UNITE]
in order to improve dangerous and unjust working conditions. Fred?s management
retaliated by illegally firing more than a dozen union supporters and unfairly
disciplining others. The ongoing campaign against discrimination at Fred?s has
attracted the attention and active support of national leaders, including Rev.
Jesse Jackson and Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (MS-2).
?Fred?s actions
and its attitude towards workers both in the United States and in Burma
demonstrates that this is a company that doesn?t care how it makes its money,?
said Edgar Romney, Secretary-Treasurer of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial
and Textile Employees [UNITE]. ?We?re here to send a message to Fred?s that
consumers care what?s behind the label. Fred?s should support freedom, not
terrorism.?
Activists called on Fred?s to take several steps of
immediate corrective action to remedy the situation, including refusing to
source goods from Burma while the oppressive military regime remains in power
and canceling current orders with apparel manufacturers in Burma. The country is
ruled by a military junta called the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)
that relies in part on revenue from the textile industry to fund its operations.
As noted by the U.S. Department of State?s Background Notes fact sheet
on Burma (available online at www.state.gov), ?Since May 1997, the U.S.
Government has prohibited new investment by U.S. persons or entities. However, a
number of U.S. companies exited the Burma market even prior to the imposition of
sanctions due to a worsening business climate and mounting criticism from human
rights groups, consumers, and some shareholders because of the Burmese
Government's serious human rights abuses and lack of progress toward democracy.?
Other speakers at the event included Aung San Myint, Information
Secretary, Federation of Trade Unions-Burma; Allie Robbins, student activist,
United Students Against Sweatshops [USAS]; and Regene Phillips, an illegally
fired Fred?s worker from Memphis,TN.
Fred?s is a rapidly growing
discount pharmacy and general merchandise chain with 470 stores and 220
pharmacies in fourteen states - Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois,
Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
UNITE is the largest union of garment,
apparel, textile, laundry and distribution workers in North America,
representing 250,000 members in the USA and Canada. More information about the
fight to end sweatshop production around the world can be found online at www.behindthelabel.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Neftegaz.RU
Unocal Pressured on Myanmar
Project
26.05.2003 08:31
Not only labour unions and
human right groups but American state pension funds have raised questions about
a Unocal natural gas venture in Myanmar.
There are concerns, that the
company could be held liable for forced labour and other right violations by the
regime in the country.
Currently, Unocal produces 700 MMcf/d of natural
gas in the Myanmar but is considering withdrawing.. Since 1997, companies are
forbidding to invest in the country by the US government.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Bangkok Post - Monday 26 May 2003
MASSACRE OF
BURMESE
Witnesses indict local officials
Extortion,
beatings and brutal death
Sanitsuda Ekachai Supamart Kasem - Mae
Sot
Eyewitness accounts suggest local administration officials
were involved in the murder of six Burmese migrant workers in Mae
Sot.
The victims' crime: challenging an extortion gang backed by men in
uniform, possibly including police and military officers.
Aye Min, 22, a
migrant worker at Mae Sot Ceramic Ltd in tambon Mae Pa, Tak province, was among
the six Burmese slain and their bodies burned.
Trembling with fear, an
eyewitness who asked not to be named said Aye Min led a group of migrant workers
looking for work in factories nearby on May 14.
While walking across the
fields about midday the group was stopped by three men in civilian clothes, one
armed with a rifle, who threatened to report them to the police unless they paid
them 3,000 baht.
Penniless, the group was detained at a house. They were
told it belonged to a village headman and that the three men who arrested them
were his aides, the witness said.
Aye Min was released in the early
afternoon to collect the payment, which they had bargained down to 2,500
baht.
One of the henchmen took Aye Min to his room in the workers'
barracks to collect the money.
Since the extortionist was not in
uniform, the Burmese migrant workers in the barracks thought he was a drug
addict pretending to be an official, the witness said.
They tried to
apprehend him. He ran for his life and they pursued him, but as they neared the
village headman's house they heard gunshots and quickly left.
Immediately
afterwards, the extortionists returned as a group to the factory to get the
migrant workers who had had the audacity to chase one of them. They caught six
people. One of them was Aye Min, who had not returned to the headman's
house.
The six, including Aye Min, were tied to a taxi stand outside the
village head's house. The kidnapped migrant workers inside could see the six
men, who were beaten over a period of two hours, the witness said. They were
still alive when a pick-up truck took them away.
The Burmese held inside
the house were moved to another place.
Back at the ceramics factory,
another eyewitness said a group of policemen in brown uniform and soldiers in
camouflage arrived at the workers' barracks about 6pm looking for more of the
migrants who had chased the first extortionist.
They rounded up 8-10
workers who were taken to the front gate of the factory. There they were made to
sit on the ground opposite Aye Min's group, who were handcuffed and covered with
blood.
The eyewitness said the officials asked both groups why they had
rioted. The workers explained that their relatives had been kidnapped by the
gang, but were still beaten up.
The migrants from the workers' barracks
were finally released and told to leave the area within 24 hours while Aye Min's
group of six men were taken away in a pick-up truck. Nine days later, their
burnt remains were found in a bamboo forest. Police said they were shot by five
assailants armed with .38 and .45 calibre pistols and their bodies thrown on a
pyre of burning tyres.
Sources said the killing of six Burmese men
exemplified the violence prevalent against migrant workers in Tak
province.
With the government's policy being to crack down on
unregistered migrant workers, local criminal gangs who often have close links to
officials feel free to extort money from migrant workers.
There had been
frequent murders of unregistered migrant workers in outlying areas of the
province, the sources said. Police paid no attention to these cases because the
victims were not Thais, which encouraged the extortionists to even greater
violence against migrants.
The terror does not spare the registered
workers. Teenage gangs have been roaming the streets of Mae Sot town at night,
beating up and even shooting Burmese workers whom they believe are enemies of
the country.
Pol Col Songkran Sangkakorn, superintendent of Mae Sot
police station, admitted ``two or three'' of the suspects were local
administration officials.
However, before they were arrested he would ask
Myawaddy officials to send Burmese witnesses to testify to police.
He
said the suspects were influential figures who a few years ago were also
involved in murder cases.
He confirmed that other witnesses in Thailand
have told authorities that a group of four to five men, some armed, had arrested
six or seven Burmese illegal workers near the Mae Sot Ceramic
factory.
They were handcuffed and photographed in front of the factory
and then taken away in a pickup truck.
He said there were more than 20
suspects involved in the murder of the six Burmese workers.
--------------------------------------------------------------