Monday, February 14 2:45 PM SGT

Timor Leader: Brute Force Can't Block Freedom In Myanmar

BANGKOK (AP)--Myanmar's military should learn from the experience of the army in Indonesia that brute force won't stop the people's dreams for freedom coming true, East Timorese independence leader Jose Ramos-Horta said Monday.

He said it was time for serious dialogue to end the deadlock between the generals that rule Myanmar and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party convincingly won at the polls in 1990 but was barred from taking power.

"It's obvious that the trend of history is not on the side of those who deny dreams of freedom and dignity," said Ramos-Horta, a co-winner of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, in an interview with the Thai ITV television network.

"We can just learn from the Indonesian experience and the experience of the Indonesian military that no matter how strong you are, if your existence is founded on arrogance, brute force and intimidation, you will come crumbling down very hard one day," he said.

Indonesia was ruled for three decades by President Suharto until 1998 when, in the midst of Asia's economic crisis, major street protests for democratic rule proved his undoing.

Ramos-Horta, in Bangkok for a major U.N. trade and development conference, said the two political sides in Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, should meet half way, compromise and work together to rebuild the country.

Suu Kyi, who was kept under house arrest by the military regime for six years and still suffers tough restrictions on her movements and political activities, has repeatedly appealed for dialogue with the military, which refuses to talk with her.

Myanmar police arrest China corruption suspect

Police arrested Lai Changxing at a hotel where he was staying under an assumed name, the Sunday Morning Post quoted unidentified sources as saying.

Lai was the president of the private Yuan Hua Group, which is alleged to have smuggled billions of US dollars worth of goods through the port of Xiamen in southeastern China and paid bribes to nearly 200 Chinese officials, the Post said.

Lai, who is from mainland China, faces execution or life in prison if found guilty of corruption, it said.

Lai managed the Yuan Hua Group out of Hong Kong for six years. He disappeared in October and was found travelling in Myanmar with Hong Kong papers, the report said.

Malaysian Foreign Minister to Visit Burma Feb 15 17

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 Asia Pulse - Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar will leave for Myanmar Tuesday on a three-day official visit as part of his familiarisation tour of Asean countries.

He will be accompanied by Foreign Ministry secretary-general Abdul Kadir Mohamad and two senior ministry officials.

He had earlier visited Brunei, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand on a similar mission.

Syed Hamid will call on State Peace and Development Council chairman Senior Gen Than Shwe and the council's First Secretary Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, at the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday.

At the meeting with his Myanmar counterpart U Win Aung, the minister would use the opportunity to evaluate Kuala Lumpur-Yangon bilateral ties and co-operation besides exchanging views on latest developments in international and regional issues including in the 10-member Asean regional grouping.

UN's Annan Urges Myanmar To Undertake Democratic Reforms

BANGKOK (AP)--U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Sunday he wants to see signs of democratization in military-run Myanmar that will encourage resumption of foreign aid and help the country's poverty-stricken people.

Annan said he will soon appoint a new special envoy to Myanmar, also known as Burma, who will be expected to encourage the regime to engage "other political forces" in the country and move toward democracy.

Myanmar's military, which has ruled since 1962, has rejected repeated calls for dialogue from Nobel Peace Prize Winner Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party swept general elections held in 1990 but has been blocked from taking power.

Since 1988, donor nations have restricted most foreign aid to Myanmar, one of the world's poorest countries, to protest a bloody crackdown on a prodemocracy uprising in which thousands were gunned down by army and police. Donor countries want to see political changes before restarting assistance.

"I hope that sooner or later we will also hear what measures the government is going to take in political reform and the process of democratization so that we can move together and improve the lot of the people of Myanmar," Annan told a press conference in Bangkok.

On Saturday, during a meeting between the U.N. secretary general and leaders and ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Myanmar Foreign Minister Win Aung asked the U.N. to take a more active role in its development.

Annan, who is visiting Thailand for the opening of the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development, told the press conference that Win Aung had given only "one side of the story."

U.N. envoy Alvaro de Soto, who has recently been appointed as Annan's special representative to Cyprus, has visited Myanmar six times but made little headway in ending the impasse between the military regime and Suu Kyi.

His latest visit in October was followed by an offer from Japan, Myanmar's biggest aid donor, to give aid if the regime made a "visible sign of progress" by holding a dialogue with Suu Kyi. The regime gave no sign of relenting.

Despite opening up its economy over one decade ago, Myanmar is in bad economic shape. According to independent estimates, around 40% of the national budget goes on military spending, to the detriment of health and education.

According to UNICEF, one in three children in Myanmar under the age of five is malnourished and half of all children get no education.

Jailed Briton's family protest over Burma

The parents of a British pro-democracy activist, imprisoned in Burma, are joining human rights campaigners in a protest at alleged atrocities carried out in the country.

James Mawdsley, who is 27 on Monday, was arrested on 31 August last year for distributing anti-Government literature near Burma's border with Thailand. He was given a 17-year jail sentence.

Mr Mawdsley is protesting against what human rights campaigners describe as genocide being carried out against the country's Karen minority group.

At least 30,000 civilians have been murdered since 1993, according to the human rights group Jubilee Campaign. burmese countryside

James' parents David and Diana Mawdsley are joining the group in a symbolic protest outside the Burmese Embassy in London on their son's 27th birthday.

Mrs Mawdsley told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The demonstration today is something he would want us to do.

"Many people speak of genocide from the safety of our own established democracies but James has spoken of genocide from its very heartland." she said.

No appeal

Mr Mawdsley, a committed Catholic, is being held in a prison in Keng Tung, in what his family fear are increasingly harsh conditions.

James' mother said her son had not been allowed to receive letters or books since the start of the year.

The British Consul had also passed on news that Mr Mawdsley's exercise allowance had been reduced and regular visits from officials had been withdrawn, she said.

"It is our feeling in the family that they are doing their utmost to try to break him." she told Today.

Last month the family heard that Burmese officials had no intention of reducing Mr Mawdsley's 17-year sentence, saying they had no guarantee he would not reoffend.

The former Bristol University student has said he will not appeal against his conviction because he refuses to recognise the legitimacy of the regime and the sentence.
Mr Mawdsley had been arrested on two previous occasions in Burma.

The first arrest came in September 1997 after chaining himself to a fence in Burma's capital of Rangoon and shouting pro-democracy slogans.

He was immediately deported but returned less than a year later and was re-arrested and held for 99 days during which time, he says, he was tortured.

Last November 28-year-old Briton Rachel Goldwyn was freed from a seven-year sentence imposed by a Burmese court for singing pro-democracy songs.

She had signed a written undertaking never to engage in political activity in the country again.

'Deep respect'

Diana Mawdsley admitted some people in Britain would not understand why her son kept returning to Burma.

"It is easy to say he is foolish from a perspective of safety but having been to Burma myself and having spoken to the people who are suffering under that regime, their opinion is quite the contrary, they hold James in deep respect." she said.

A large gifted-wrapped bamboo cell will be placed outside the Burmese embassy at 1400GMT with a banner calling for an end to the killing.

Mark Rowland, campaign manager at Jubilee Campaign, said: "I think people in this country are aware that it is an undemocratic regime in Burma, but I don't think the general public is aware what is happening fits the legal definition of genocide.

"The publicity will hopefully serve as the platform for the Burmese authorities to address the issues."

UN to appoint new envoy to Myanmar

FEB 14 2000

UN to appoint new envoy to Myanmar

Annan wants Myanmar to reveal measures for advancing political reform and democratisation

BANGKOK -- United Nations chief Kofi Annan said yesterday that he was appointing a new envoy to Myanmar and urged the ruling military to show some
evidence that they are serious about reform.

He said his current representative, Mr Alvaro de Soto, who had "tried toengage the government of Myanmar for several years", would be reassigned to
a new post covering Cyprus and a new envoy would be named soon.

Mr de Soto became frustrated by the lack of progress towards democracy in Myanmar, diplomats said.

Mr Annan, who is attending the UN Conference on Trade and Development here, said Myanmar had been a topic of discussion during the meeting, but the
country needed to show some signs to the international community that it was taking serious steps towards political reform and democracy.

"I hope that sooner or later we will also hear what measures the government is taking or is going to take to open up and advance the process of
political reform and democratisation so that we can move ahead together and improve the lot of the people," he added.

He said he hoped the new envoy would be able to "nudge the government, to encourage them to open up, to engage other political forces in the country
... in order to create the type of confidence that will encourage the international community to come in and assist them". -- AFP, Reuters

Bangkok Post - Feb 14, 2000.

FORESTRY

Timber importers hopeful

Cheewin Sattha
Mae Hong Son

The four timber companies which have sought permission to import logs from Burma believe they will be able to do so after Agriculture Minister Pongpol Adireksarn visits that country in March.

Polpana, B & F Goodrich, FA Pharmaceutical and Thai-Korean Veterans' Welfare have waited for over two years to get the green light from the Forestry Department, which had set many conditions for them to meet before issuing them with an import permit.

The conditions include a requirement for the companies to use a bar code on logs and a site inspection in Burma with official approval from the Burmese government.

But the department has now cut the requirements to only one-an inspection of log piling sites in Burma.

Chartchai Kijcharoenwong, managing-director of Polpana Co, said he was glad Forestry Department chief Plodprasop Suraswadi agreed to keep only one condition. The four companies are also willing to comply with another requirement for them to put a sticker bearing the company's logo on all trucks used in the delivery and all logs to be imported. Mr Chartchai said Thai and Burmese governments were close to a deal on the site inspection.

Bangkok Post - Feb 14, 2000.

UN to move for new talks with junta

Special envoy to be assigned for Burma
Achara Ashayagachat

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is to assign a new special envoy to resume dialogue with Burmese leaders in a bid to open up domestic political reforms.

Mr Annan said yesterday he would name a replacement for Alvaro de Soto, who has been assigned UN representative to Cyprus.

The UN is keen for the Burmese government to move towards democratisation, he said at the end of his four-day stay in Bangkok.

Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung told delegates his country needed international financial to aid infrastructure development, social stability and the economic wellbeing of the country before democratisation could be achieved.

In response Mr Annan said: "To create a type of confidence, we would like to see what measures the [Burmese] government is going to take to open up political reforms and democratisation."Mr de Soto failed to start dialogue with the Burmese military junta when he was assigned last year to meet with State Peace and Development Council chairman General Than Shwe and Secretary One Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt.

Some Asean countries informally expressed views that the new UN chief's envoy should be a person from Asia, especially from Japan, since Japanese officials successfully intervened in the Cambodian political crisis over the last two years, official sources said.

"Burma seemed reluctant last year to open room for the UN role in its country, but now it is calling for international sympathy for national infrastructure development. "It would be useful to have such a person as Mrs (Yasushi) Akashi in the UNHCR to lead talks with Rangoon as Tokyo has more potential to give more carrots to draw Rangoon's attention to co-operate in political terms," said a Thai official.

On the Indonesian issue, the UN secretary-general said he would visit Jakarta within three days and hold talks with Indonesian leader Abdurrahman Wahid.

"Indonesia is facing major transitional issues and these affect the country's prosperity and stability and I'm following developments there very closely," he said.

Mr Annan added he would take the "wait and see" approach and let the Indonesian president resolve problems. "The UN will organise an election for the East Timorese, but I can't say the timetable now," Mr Annan added.

The UN secretary-general is to visit Singapore today before going on to Indonesia, East Timor, Australia, and New Zealand.

Burma Related News - Feb 14, 2000.