Burma Related News - Sep 1, 2000.

Friday September 1 1:09 AM ET
Albright to Myanmar: Let Aung San Suu Kyi Travel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Madeleine Albright expressed outrage at Myanmar's treatment of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is in week two of a grueling roadside protest.

``I am appalled at the actions of the Burmese regime in denying Aung San Suu Kyi the freedom to travel within her own country,'' Albright said in a statement.

``Her work gives voice to the long-suffering people of Burma whose hopes for a democratic society have been crushed by an oppressive regime,'' she said Thursday of the 55-year-old Nobel laureate.

Myanmar's government accuses the democracy activist of trying to stir up trouble by seeking to leave the capital to visit party members.

Police halted her on Aug. 24 as she tried to leave Yangon for the first time since a similar roadside confrontation in 1998 that lasted 13 days until deteriorating health and dehydration forced her to return home in an ambulance.

This time Suu Kyi appears to have planned in advance for a possible roadblock and has taken ample food and water with her and has access to fresh supplies from local people and her supporters.

Analysts say her protest could last much longer.

Albright called on Myanmar to stop violating her human rights and ``immediately allow her to travel to her intended destination.''

Albright told Myanmar's military rulers that the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD), which won elections by a landslide in 1990 but has never been allowed to govern, could not be silenced.

``Despite the physical and psychological hardships imposed on her, Aung San Suu Kyi has persevered and remains determined to exercise her fundamental human rights and continue her travel,'' Albright said.

``Her voice will not be silenced.''

Myanmar was called Burma until a military coup in 1988.

Friday, September 1 2:48 PM SGT
Protestors try to storm Myanmar embassy in Australia

CANBERRA, Sept 1 (AFP) - Riot police clashed Friday with 50 pro-democracy protestors waving portraits of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as they attempted to storm Myanmar's embassy in Canberra.

Two men were arrested as they tried to penetrate a blockade and scale the embassy gates as other protestors fought with police from the specialist Tactical Response Group.

Demonstrators smashed a sign outside the compound and burnt Myanmar's national flag before being forced back, police said.

The clash turned into a tense two-hour stand-off as the protesters took up positions on the road outside the embassy and demanded that Yangon cease its harassment of Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar's National League for Democracy (NLD).

Suu Kyi has been stranded by the roadside outside Yangon for a week by a ruling military regime determined to quarantine her activities.

Her attempt to leave the capital on August 24 to attend an NLD meeting in a village was halted by officials and police blocking the road and enforcing the junta's ban on Suu Kyi's freedom of movement.

Protest organiser, Maung Maung Than, said they were demanding that Myanmar's ruling military regime allow Suu Kyi to proceed.

"We want to express our strong opposition to the current military suppression against our leader," he said.

There were no injuries, and the two men arrested were released a short time later.

Independent
Burma wages dirty tricks war against Suu Kyi

By Peter Popham, in Delhi
1 September 2000

As the standoff between Burma's democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and the military junta entered its second week yesterday, the country's rulers tried to seize the propaganda initiative by turning to e-mail and its official website.

The Nobel peace laureate and head of the National League for Democracy (NLD) was pounced on on 24 August when she and a dozen colleagues tried to travel south of the capital, Rangoon, to meet party members. Their two cars were shunted into a lane and prevented from going further. Ms Suu Kyi refused to return to Rangoon. Tonight she will spend a ninth night in her car.

It is a rerun of events of two years ago, when Ms Suu Kyi tried to leave the capital and each time was stopped. Then, she remained in her car for 13 days before returning home on her doctor's advice.

The difference this time is that the junta has from the outset tried to control the way the confrontation has been seen abroad. In a country where the media are under rigid control, the only forum of effective protest is abroad.

Reporters have been prevented from visiting Ms Suu Kyi or contacting her in any way. The government has posted on its website photographs purporting to show the democracy activists living a life of ease during their vacation on the banks of the Yangon River.

The photos show people the junta claim to be Ms Suu Kyi's companions shopping, bringing supplies to the cars and bathing in the river. They are intended to rebut claims by NLD supporters in Rangoon that their leader and her companions are running short of food and water. Two years ago Ms Suu Kyi said she was forced to break her protest and return to Rangoon because the authorities starved her of supplies.

The government is banking on a picture being worth a thousand words, whatever its provenance. But there is no way of knowing whether the pictures are of what they claim to be. In the absence of independent corroboration, the only valid comment is: interesting if true. If not true – if the photos were staged, or taken in a different context – then Ms Suu Kyi and her companions could be in dire straits and no one might be any the wiser.

The outside world has continued mildly to chastise the junta for its treatment of Ms Suu Kyi. The United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, said in a statement that he was "increasingly concerned" about her welfare. The United States, the European Union and Canada have said they deplore the restrictions on her movement.

Burma will, as usual, curtly shrug off such impertinences. Slightly more worrying is the reaction of Thailand, its neighbour and partner in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), which said the stand-off may damage Asean's image and even scupper a meeting between Asean and EU foreign ministers planned for December.

Burma's state-run newspapers continued to ignore the confrontation, which has brought the country more international attention than at any time since the same thing happened two years ago.

As faxes and internet connections are fiercely restricted, and penalties for possessing them illegally run to many years in jail, it is probable that most Burmese believe Ms Suu Kyi has been spending the past week quietly at home.

India Abroad
Thursday August 31, 3:33 PM
India, Myanmar to strengthen cooperation for security along border

New Delhi, Aug 31 - India and Myanmar have agreed to strengthen cooperation for the maintenance of security along their common border and to control drug trafficking, official sources said today.

A meeting of senior officials of the home ministries of both countries, which concluded in Yangon today, reviewed the implementation of programmes to curb drug trafficking from Myanmar to northeastern Indian states, a senior home ministry official said. The meeting was also attended by Indian officials from the External Affairs Ministry and the Narcotics Control Bureau, the official told IANS.

The Indian team at the meeting, which began on August 28, was headed by Home Secretary Kamal Pande while the Myanmarese delegation was led by Brigadier general Thura Myint Maung, the deputy minister of home.

Myanmar, Laos and Thailand form the "golden triangle" that is considered responsible for producing the bulk of the world's illegal narcotics supplies. Large quantities of drugs are smuggled into India from Myanmar, which has an extensive border with the northeastern states of Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

Since the two countries set in place a mechanism for national-level meetings between home ministry officials under a 1994 agreement, they have devoted considerable attention to tackling the problem of drug trafficking. The problem has assumed a serious dimension due to the close links between insurgent groups in the northeastern Indian states and the Myanmarese drug mafia.

The Yangon meeting also discussed other cross-border issues, including the training camps run in Myanmar by insurgent groups like the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) as well as the movement of people across the border and trade, the official said.

Pande also called on Colonel Tin Hlaing, Minister of Home Affairs in Myanmar's ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), U Saw Tun, Minister for Immigration and Population, and Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, designated secretary-1 in the SPDC.

The two sides also reviewed work on the Rs. 1 billion highway connecting Tamu in Manipur with Kalewa on the Chindwin river in Myanmar. The highway, which is being built by India's Border Roads Organisation (BRO), will be completed by the end of this year. It will significantly improve cross-border transport and communication between the two countries, the official said. Kalewa is an important point on the route from the Indo-Myanmar border to Mandalay, the neighbouring country's second largest city after capital Yangon.

New Delhi has increased its efforts to woo Myanmar's military junta in view of China's growing influence in the country. China has stepped up military cooperation with Myanmar in recent years, particularly with the country's navy. A recent improvement in ties between the armies of India and Myanmar has led to increased sharing of intelligence on the activities of northeastern Indian insurgent groups operating from Myanmarese bases, the home ministry official said.

Friday, September 1 8:59 PM SGT
India, Myanmar agree to combat cross-border drug trafficking

NEW DELHI, Sept 1 (AFP) - India and Myanmar agreed to combat cross-border drug trafficking and boost two-way trade during three days of talks in Yangon, officials said Friday.

The Indian mission, led by Secretary of Home Affairs Kamal Pande, met leading Myanmar officials, including junta Secretary General, Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, foreign ministry spokesman Raminder Jassal said.

"The two sides reviewed the progress achieved in the implementation of measures for ensuring security along the India-Myanmar border and pledged to further strengthen their bilateral cooperation in this regard," he said.

"They also welcomed the completion, by the end of the year, of the Tamu-Kalewa highway project, which will significantly improve cross-border transport, and communication between the two countries.

"The two delegation also pledged to strengthen their cooperation in the supression of drug trafficking across their common border, even while promoting cross-border trade and other mutually beneficial economic activities," Jassal said.

The conference, which ended Thursday, was the seventh national level meeting between the neighbours since the two countries signed a border control pact in 1994.

Thursday, August 31 11:36 PM SGT
High-level Indian mission ends Myanmar visit

BANGKOK, Aug 31 (AFP) - A high-level Indian delegation left Yangon Thursday after three days of talks with Myanmar leaders, state television said.

The mission, led by Secretary of Home Affairs Kamal Pande, met with leading Myanmar officials, including Secretary General Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, it said.

Anti-drug measures and border security were two issues discussed during the visit, the report said.

It was the seventh meeting between the neighbours since the two countries signed a border control pact in 1994.

Thursday August 31 3:29 PM ET
Myanmar Accusses Suu Kyi of Plot

By AYE AYE WIN, Associated Press Writer

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's roadside standoff with Myanmar authorities was ``a well-orchestrated plan'' to coincide with the coming U.N. summit and attract world attention, the country's military government charged Thursday.

Suu Kyi, 55, the winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her pro-democracy campaign in Myanmar, was stopped along with 14 members of her party on Aug. 24 as they attempted to travel outside the capital, Yangon, to carry out political organizing. They have been stranded in the Yangon suburb of Dala for a week, camping out in their two vehicles and refusing to return to the capital until Suu Kyi accomplishes her work in Dala.

It was Suu Kyi's first attempt to travel outside the city since two years ago, when the government blocked four such tries.

The Myanmar government, in a statement issued Thursday, accused Suu Kyi of staging the standoff in advance of next week's U.N. Millennium Summit, expected to draw hundreds of world leaders to New York. It charged that she was disrupting what it called a transition toward democracy.

``This action is seen as a deliberate move to engage in the act of confrontation with the Government and to attract world attention from the real 'flashpoints' elsewhere in the world,'' the statement said.

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on Thursday blasted the government of Myanmar, also known as Burma, for its treatment of Suu Kyi.

``I am appalled at the actions of the Burmese regime in denying Suu Kyi the freedom to travel in her own country,'' Albright said in a statement. ``Freedom of movement and freedom of speech are fundamental, internationally recognized human rights.''

Suu Kyi is the daughter of the country's late independence leader, Gen. Aung San. She has led Myanmar's opposition movement since 1988, when the military smashed mass pro-democracy demonstrations and asserted its authoritarian rule. She was held under house arrest from 1989 to 1995.

The military held a general election in 1990 but refused to allow parliament to convene after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a landslide victory. Since then, her party members have been arrested repeatedly and have suffered harassment from the government.

The military junta, already sanctioned by many Western nations for its poor human rights record, has drawn strong criticism from around the world for stopping Suu Kyi.

The government claims she has less support inside the country than outside.

``The people of Myanmar with their usual low level of interest in party politics have been indifferent to the so-called 'War of Endurance' orchestrated by the NLD,'' the government said Thursday.

True public sentiment is difficult to gauge because of widespread fear of government retaliation for speaking out publicly on political matters. But universities, which the government fears are potential hotbeds of unrest, have been quiet.

A history student told The Associated Press on Wednesday that a wildly popular but illegal lottery is of more interest to students than the Dala standoff. And a Dala resident who comes to Yangon every day to sell beans said most people in Dala are poor and more concerned with eking out a living than with the standoff.

A trishaw driver in Dala said Thursday - with apparent irony - that the town's residents hope Suu Kyi stays there because since her arrival, they have had electricity every day. A nationwide shortage of electricity has cut daily power to the suburbs, but it's been turned on in Dala, apparently for security reasons.

A visitor to the standoff scene Thursday morning described it as quiet, with security personnel deployed discreetly.

Barbed wire barricades had been removed from where they were earlier placed on the main road. Most of the security forces at the scene were in plainclothes, including one who could be seen taking down the license plate numbers of passing cars.

The last time Suu Kyi tried to travel outside Yangon, in August 1998, she stayed in her vehicle for 13 days before returning home for health reasons.

Friday September 1 7:10 AM ET
San Suu Kyi Said Seeking Attention

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is trying to attract international attention by provoking authorities into arresting her, a senior Myanmar official charged Friday.

Foreign Minister Win Aung said the Nobel Peace laureate's roadside standoff with authorities, which entered its ninth day Friday, was aimed at forcing the military regime into ``severe action.''

The democracy activist and members of her National League for Democracy party were stopped by police on Aug. 24 in the Yangon suburb of Dala on their way to conduct political activities in the countryside.

The group, including two senior members of the party and 12 members of its youth wing, was blocked from traveling further and ordered to return to Yangon. They have camped out in their two vehicles and refuse to move.

``What she would like to see is the government to arrest her, thinking that her arrest could create anarchy in the country, and eventually expecting foreign intervention,'' Win Aung said Friday.

The government, which has said it stopped Suu Kyi her for her own safety, had earlier asked her ``to carry out her party activities in a more secure environment in Yangon.''

``The government is not taking harsh moves against Aung San Suu Kyi,'' Win Aung said. ``We are handling the situation in a humane manner with magnanimity. We hope that she abandons her action and listens to the government's request.''

Win Aung called Suu Kyi's action ``a careful, insincere, premeditated move ... to attract international attention and to coincide with the upcoming (U.N.) Millennium Summit and to tarnish the image of the government.''

The NLD has said Suu Kyi will not return to Yangon until she ``reaches her destination and accomplishes party organizational duties.''

Suu Kyi has led Myanmar's opposition movement since 1988, when the military crushed pro-democracy demonstrations and asserted its authoritarian rule. The government held a general election in 1990, but refused to allow parliament to convene after the NLD won a landslide victory.

Suu Kyi won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her nonviolent political activities, but was held under house arrest from 1989 to 1995.

She has called for foreign sanctions against Myanmar's government and a tourist boycott to pressure the military regime into improving human rights conditions and restoring democracy.

The military junta, already sanctioned by many Western nations for its poor human rights record, has drawn strong criticism and statements of concern from around the world for its action against Suu Kyi.

U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard has said Secretary-General Kofi Annan is concerned about the well-being of Suu Kyi and the people accompanying her, and U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on Thursday criticized the government of Myanmar, also known as Burma, for its treatment of Suu Kyi.

``I am appalled at the actions of the Burmese regime in denying Suu Kyi the freedom to travel in her own country,'' Albright said. ``Freedom of movement and freedom of speech are fundamental, internationally recognized human rights.''

The current standoff was triggered when Suu Kyi made her first attempt to travel outside the capital since two years ago, when the government blocked four such attempts.

On the last occasion, in August 1998, she stayed in her vehicle for 13 days before returning home for health reasons.

Friday September 1 11:06 AM ET
Myanmar Says Suu Kyi Is Provoking

By AYE AYE WIN, Associated Press Writer

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is trying to attract international attention by provoking authorities into arresting her, a senior Myanmar official charged Friday.

Foreign Minister Win Aung said the Nobel Peace laureate's roadside standoff with authorities, which entered its ninth day Friday, was aimed at forcing the military regime into ``severe action.''

Suu Kyi and members of her National League for Democracy party were stopped by police on Aug. 24 in the Yangon suburb of Dala. They were on their way to conduct political activities in the countryside.

``What she would like to see is the government to arrest her, thinking that her arrest could create anarchy in the country, and eventually expecting foreign intervention,'' Win Aung said Friday.

The government, which has said it stopped Suu Kyi her for her own safety, had earlier asked her ``to carry out her party activities in a more secure environment in Yangon.''

The NLD has said Suu Kyi will not return to Yangon until she ``reaches her destination and accomplishes party organizational duties.''

Suu Kyi won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her nonviolent political activities, but was held under house arrest from 1989 to 1995.

She has called for foreign sanctions against Myanmar's government and a tourist boycott to pressure the military regime into improving human rights conditions and restoring democracy.

In Geneva on Friday, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson said she was ``very concerned'' about Suu Kyi's situation.

``The denial of the freedom of movement and _expression_ is the negation of some of the most fundamental human rights,'' she said in a prepared statement. ``I call on the Government of Myanmar to take the necessary steps to resolve the situation in line with international human rights standards.''

The current standoff was triggered when Suu Kyi made her first attempt to travel outside the capital since two years ago, when the government blocked four such attempts.

On the last occasion, in August 1998, she stayed in her vehicle for 13 days before returning home for health reasons.

Friday, September 1 5:15 PM SGT
Australia Protestors,Police Clash Outside Myanmar Embassy

CANBERRA (AP)--Demonstrators clashed with police as they tried to storm the Myanmar Embassy Friday during a protest in support of the military-ruled country's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
About 50 student protesters wrestled with an equal number of police as they tried to penetrate an official blockade and scale the gate of the embassy in the Australian capital of Canberra.

Demonstrators smashed an official sign on the embassy gate before police forced the group back. They also burned a Myanmar flag, shouted pro-democracy slogans and waved Suu Kyi's portrait during the protest.

Two men were arrested during the protest but released without being charged, police said.

Protest organizer Maung Maung Than said the group wanted Suu Kyi to be allowed freedom of movement in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

"We want to express our strong opposition to the current military suppression against our leader," Maung Than said.

Suu Kyi, 55, the winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her pro-democracy campaign in Myanmar, was stopped along with 14 members of her party Aug. 24 as they attempted to travel outside the capital, Yangon, on a political organizing trip.

They have been stranded in the Yangon suburb of Dala for a week, camping out in their two vehicles and refusing to return to the capital until Suu Kyi accomplishes her work in Dala.

Friday, September 1 3:40 AM SGT
US Albright Urges Myanmar Military To Let Suu Kyi Travel

WASHINGTON (AP)--U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright urged Myanmar's military government Thursday to immediately allow opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to travel outside the capital on a political organizing trip.
"I am appalled at the actions of the Burmese regime in denying Suu Kyi the freedom to travel in her own country," Albright said in a statement. "Freedom of movement and freedom of speech are fundamental, internationally recognized human rights."

Suu Kyi, 55, the winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for her pro-democracy campaign in Myanmar, also known as Burma, was stopped along with 14 members of her party on Aug. 24 as they attempted to travel outside the capital, Yangon, to carry out political organizing.

They have been stranded in the Yangon suburb of Dala for a week, camping out in their two vehicles and refusing to return to the capital until Suu Kyi accomplishes her work in Dala.

Even though Suu Kyi has been stranded in deplorable conditions, Albright said, "her voice will not be silenced."

She said the U.S. has joined U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and other nations to promote a productive dialogue between the military government and Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.

"The United States calls on the government of Burma to stop its violation of Suu Kyi's human rights and immediately allow her to travel to her intended destination," Albright said.

People's Daily
Friday, September 01, 2000, updated at 11:35(GMT+8)
Business - Chinese Company to Build Pulp Factory in Myanmar

A Chinese company has reached a contract with the Myanmar government to build a pulp factory in the country, official newspaper The New Light of Myanmar reported Friday.

The contract for building the pulp factory in Myanmar's Thaboung township, southwestern Ayeyawaddy division, was signed here on Thursday between the China Metallurgical Construction (Group) Corporation and the Myanmar Paper and Chemical Industries of the Ministry of Industry No.1.

The factory will cost 90 million U.S. dollars and will produce 200 tons of pulp per day, the report said.

In the wake of enhanced economic cooperation between China and Myanmar, Chinese companies have initiated a number of contracted projects in Myanmar with some in the form of wholly Chinese investment or joint venture. So far, more than 10 Chinese enterprises have already been set up in the country.

CORRESPONDENT REPORT - 9/1/2000
BURMA-SUU KYI
By GARY THOMAS
Voice of America

BANGKOK--In Burma, the roadside standoff between the military government and the country's leading democracy advocate is now in its eighth day. International pressure has been mounting for Burma's generals to let Aung San Suu Kyi travel freely. However, as VOA Southeast Asia Correspondent Gary Thomas reports, the government shows no sign of lifting its blockade - and Aung San Suu Kyi is adamantly refusing to turn back.

The roadside battle of wills between pro- democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's military rulers has settled into the equivalent of psychological trench warfare, with little ground being given on either side.

The government refuses to let Aung San Suu Kyi travel to meet workers of her party, the National League for Democracy.

Last Thursday, Aung San Suu Kyi and her entourage attempted to leave Rangoon to meet with members of her party's youth wing. But they were stopped in Dala, a suburb of the capital. Aung San Suu Kyi refused to return to Rangoon.

This is the first time Aung San Suu Kyi has attempted to travel outside Rangoon in two years. The last time, she stayed on the road for 13 days until deteriorating health forced her to return home.

As on the previous trips, the government says she was stopped this time for her own safety because of alleged activity of armed insurgent groups nearby. That explanation has met with widespread derision outside Burma, especially in the West. Rangoon-based diplomats say there is no such activity anywhere near the area.

Western governments immediately voiced concern for Aung San Suu Kyi. U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said she is appalled at the government's treatment of the Nobel laureate. European nations, Canada, and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan expressed similar sentiments. Thailand has voiced fears that a European-Southeast Asian summit could be derailed because of the confrontation.

But the international outcry at the government's treatment of Burma's most prominent voice for democracy has had no effect on the stalemate. A propaganda offensive is being waged by both sides.

The N-L-D says Aung San Suu Kyi is in a mosquito- infested area with supplies running low. It says the government is responsible if any harm comes to her.

The Burmese government is trying to depict Aung San Suu Kyi's stand as a stunt to gain world attention. The government says Aung San Suu Kyi is "resting," as it terms it, in what it labels "the charming village of Dala" and that she is being provided with food and drink. It has e-mailed photographs to journalists showing tarpaulins and umbrellas erected around two vehicles to shield them from the sun.

Standoff orchestrated with foreign powers: Myanmar junta

YANGON, Sept. 1 (Kyodo) -- Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) orchestrated the current standoff in Dala with some foreign powers to coincide with next week's U.N. summit to attract world attention, a Myanmar junta official said Friday.
Foreign Minister Win Aung made the comment at an informal meeting with reporters, mainly repeating the junta's official press release late Thursday.

''Aung San Suu Kyi wanted to disturb peace and tranquillity in the country, expecting people to come out on the streets and create anarchy, '' Win Aung said. ''It was a premeditated plan orchestrated with some foreign powers.''

He did not, however, say which other countries were involved in the alleged plan.

When asked why Myanmar's pro-democracy leader would have orchestrated such a standoff, Win Aung said, ''Aung San Suu Kyi expected foreign intervention in the country if it fell into chaos and anarchy as in (East) Timor.''

''Myanmar is not East Timor or Indonesia. We will never accept any foreign intervention,'' the junta minister went on. ''She is provoking her own arrest and imprisonment.''

Referring to a reported statement by Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan that the situation in Myanmar might affect the image of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Win Aung said, ''Such a statement, if true, could harm relations among the member countries of ASEAN, whose cardinal principle is not to interfere in others' internal affairs.''

Suu Kyi and a group of NLD members were stopped by police at Dala on the outskirts of Yangon on Aug. 24 while on their way to meet other NLD members at Kungyan-gon, 50 kilometers south of the capital.

The authorities have since then prevented the pro-democracy leader and her group from continuing and have been trying to get them to return to Yangon.

Suu Kyi and the group have refused and continue to remain where they were stopped, living in a makeshift tent stretched between their two vehicles.

Australian publisher of Myanmar newspaper defends coverage

BANGKOK, Thailand, Aug 31, 2000 (AP) -- An Australian expatriate who is the only foreign publisher in Myanmar defended himself Thursday against allegations that his newspaper is soft on that country's military regime.

Ross Dunkley, publisher of the weekly English-language Myanmar Times, said the government is gradually learning the advantages of freedom of the press.

Speaking at a seminar, Dunkley conceded that in Myanmar's current political situation which pits a stubborn pro-democracy opposition against an intransigent authoritarian junta - "we cannot publish opposition or dissident opinion."

However, he denied that his newspaper was merely a sophisticated propaganda tool of the military government.

"I am not a crusader for the Myanmar (government), but I am a crusader for my newspaper," he said.

Dunkley said he believed the government is slowly learning about the advantages of press freedom and would be more open in the future in communicating with the press.

With the exception of several dozen small, uncontroversial crime and entertainment magazines, Myanmar's press is government-controlled. The daily newspapers are similar to the old Soviet-style model, publishing the official doings of the country's top brass along with full texts of their speeches.

Their only lively features are opinion columns and cartoons which as often as not are scurrilous attacks on the pro-democracy movement.

Dunkley admitted that there were many restrictions of press freedom in Myanmar, especially censorship, but said his non-native status and good relationship with the military has given him more opportunity than the local press.

He said 98 percent of his newspaper's material went untouched by the government's censorship unit.

"My philosophy ... is to show there is another face to Myanmar," said Dunkley, citing non-political issues such as the government's attempt to suppress drugs, the opening of many small businesses and attempts to improve the education system.

He criticized the British Broadcasting Corporation's Myanmar-language radio service for being biased in favor of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, claiming it treated her as "Suu Kyi the Great."

The BBC sponsored the seminar, held in Bangkok, on the topic of "the role of the media in promoting civil society."

Dunkley said the Myanmar Times, which began publishing in March, has a circulation of 10,000. He admitted that its two dollar price is too expensive for most local residents.

By BUSABA SIVASOMBOON Associated Press Writer

Signs of economic recovery surface in Myanmar

Statistics are scarce, but Yangon watchers cite rather unusual signs like brisk cement sales and a thriving nightlife as evidence of an upturn
By JAMES EAST - STRAITS TIMES THAILAND BUREAU

BANGKOK -- The best two economic indicators of a potential upturn in Myanmar's international trade are the nightly goings-on in hotel bars and cement bag sales.

When business is brisk the prostitutes are out in force and cement sales rise.

Despite official denials that Myanmar has a sex industry, the word on the street is that bars of certain hotels are starting to hum.

In a country where official statistics are hard to come by and even harder to confirm, such evidence may be the best that Myanmar watchers can hope for.

After three years of recession, declining trade figures and economic sanctions imposed by the West, Myanmar now may be looking at a brighter economic future.

But such signs of increased international interest will not be welcomed by Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the opposition National League for Democracy who is currently in a roadside stand-off with the government just outside Yangon.

She has consistently called for sanctions and for tourists to stay away, a line backed by the US which has banned new investments in the country.

But trade figures released by Singapore's Trade Development Board are among the first to indicate a recovery, of sorts.

They show a 7 per cent growth in bilateral trade in January to July this year, over the same period last year. Trade is now worth S$551 million.

But getting to grips with Myanmar's investment and trade figures is difficult, a fact acknowledged by the country's former deputy planning and economy minister Zaw Tun, who was sacked following a July speech in which he attacked the military government for covering up the terrible state of the nation's economy.

Singapore businessmen say they have noticed what appears to be a growth in interest.

""There are more trading companies but not more investment,'' said one, who asked not to be named.

Infrastructure projects were still not on Singaporean firms' radar screens.

Of the 100 or so trading firms, most were involved in the seafood and agricultural export trade.

International business advisers based in Yangon say Myanmar is potentially a good place to invest, but half the battle was in overcoming ""misinformation'' about the country.

They blame previous pull-outs by companies on the Asian meltdown rather than on domestic political reasons.

One adviser said: ""The past 18 months have seen a significant slowdown in new investments in Myanmar. While new investments again seem to be starting now, it is too early to tell whether there is a shift in the companies investing in Myanmar.''

However, she said Chinese companies were using soft loans tied to construction projects, property development and light manufacturing to establish a growing presence.

Cement sales are also up.

The government has just teamed up with a Chinese company to build a plant near Mandalay with a production capacity of 400 tonnes per day. Exports from Thailand are also rising.

Next year, thanks to a new commercial navigation agreement, Chinese ships will be able to ply the Mekong river, boosting Myanmar's trade prospects.

And plans to hook Thailand with a north-south highway running from China via Myanmar is almost certain to accelerate as Asian economies recover.

Asean countries have not been deterred from trading with Myanmar, but strict financial policies of the military government -- including continued control of foreign exchange dealing -- led to Toyota Motor and seasoning manufacturer Ajinomoto pulling out this year after the government banned imports of vital raw materials and automobiles.

""The main complaint of foreign investors in Myanmar is the non-convertible kyat,'' said the business adviser.

Others blame a lack of financial management experience among the military generals.

Despite this, Myanmar remains desperate to attract foreign businesses.

In an interview with the Yangon-based Myanmar Times, Foreign Minister WinAung said: ""Our foreign policy is very clear, we want to create friendship with every country including with those big powers in the West who are now criticising us.''

But given the criticism in the West of Myanmar's human rights record, those governments appear unlikely to change their stance any time soon -- a move which gives firms from China and neighbouring countries greater trade and commercial opportunities.

South China Morning Post
Friday, September 1, 2000

BURMA - Spilling children's blood to make a point sours protest
WILLIAM BARNES and AGENCIES in Bangkok and Rangoon

A demonstration at a refugee camp in Thailand in which Burmese children slashed themselves in protest at Rangoon's blockade of Aung San Suu Kyi drew criticism yesterday as the opposition leader's stand-off with the ruling generals entered its second week.
The gruesome demonstration, held on Wednesday at the Maneeloy camp in Ratchburi, southwest of Bangkok, was meant to highlight refugees' support for the Nobel peace laureate, who is protesting against the junta's refusal to let her travel beyond the Burmese capital.

Instead the protest drew criticism for including six children, aged five to seven, and a man suffering from Aids, who slashed themselves with knives and then wrote "Free Suu Kyi" with their blood.

"They forced the children to do it," said Ratchburi Deputy Governor Preecha Luengchan.

An international aid worker at Maneeloy saw the protest leaders chase a seven-year-old boy to make sure he participated in the protest. "It was pretty despicable," said the aid worker.

Thai authorities rounded up four of the protest leaders and detained them on charges of breaking camp regulations. The Aids sufferer was also detained.

The camp was set up near the Burmese border a decade ago to house Burmese political dissidents, many of them former students. Former residents of the camp were reportedly involved in the armed seizure of Burma's embassy in Bangkok in October 1999 and the storming of Ratchburi Hospital in January this year.

Ms Aung San Suu Kyi has been camping out in her car, backed up by 12 supporters in a pick-up truck parked behind the white Toyota on a muddy track in Dala, a suburb of Rangoon, after soldiers stopped her travelling to a nearby town to discuss rebuilding the National League for Democracy's (NLD's) youth wing.

The ruling State Peace and Development Council said she was stopped to ensure she was safe from tribal insurgents - a claim ridiculed by Western diplomats and the NLD. Ethnic armies opposed to Rangoon's rule operate only in border provinces.

The NLD reiterated yesterday that the pro-democracy leader would not back down from her confrontation with the generals - the first since several similar stand-offs when she tried to travel to provincial party offices in 1998.

This time her party has umbrellas and a tarpaulin for shelter from monsoon rains, supplies of food and access to fresh water - indicating, though the NLD called her conditions "deplorable", that her protest could be a long one.

That will increasingly embarrass Burma's fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), diplomats said.

Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said the incident threatened to cast a shadow over a long-delayed meeting of Asean and European Union member countries, scheduled to be held in Laos in December.

A Western diplomat in Bangkok said that at the moment none of the Europeans was thinking of calling off the Laos meeting, but that if the scene in Rangoon sours, attitudes could change rapidly.

"We've already decided that we can't sacrifice Asean for the sake of our dislike of Burma. But there is only so far we can go - if the situation changes for the worse many [European] countries would feel extremely awkward sitting around a table with Burma," this diplomat said.

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Washington File

STATEMENT BY THE VICE PRESIDENT

31 August 2000
Text: Gore Statement on Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi August 31, 2000
(Condemns travel restrictions on Burmese democracy leader) (280)

Vice President Al Gore condemned the government of Burma for denying National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi the freedom to travel within her own country.

"Each day that the Burmese authorities restrain Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's isolation from the international community deepens. The government of Burma should permit Aung San Suu Kyi's travel and end this violation of her basic human rights immediately," Gore said.

Following is the text of Gore's statement:

(begin text)

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President

August 31, 2000

STATEMENT BY THE VICE PRESIDENT

I strongly condemn the government of Burma for denying Aung San Suu Kyi the freedom to travel within her own country. Freedom of movement is a fundamental human right. Denying Aung San Suu Kyi this right is an offense to free people everywhere.

The Burmese government's claim that Aung San Suu Kyi's safety is endangered should she travel to join other National League for Democracy leaders in a nearby township is inaccurate. It is a clear attempt by Burmese authorities to deflect attention from their harassment of Aung San Suu Kyi and the democratic opposition.

Each day that the Burmese authorities restrain Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's isolation from the international community deepens. The government of Burma should permit Aung San Suu Kyi's travel and end this violation of her basic human rights immediately.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

31 August 2000
Text: Albright Statement on Aung San Suu Kyi August 31, 2000
(U.S. condemns Burma's violation of human rights) (460)

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright condemned the Burmese government for violating the human rights of National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a statement issued August 31.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been stranded on a roadside south of Rangoon in deplorable conditions for the past week. Military police will not allow her to travel to a nearby township and confer with local National League for Democracy supporters.

Albright noted that "Freedom of movement and freedom of speech are fundamental, internationally-recognized human rights."

Following is the text of Albright's statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman

For Immediate Release August 31, 2000
2000/937

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT

U.S. CONDEMNS VIOLATION OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI'S HUMAN RIGHTS

I am appalled at the actions of the Burmese regime in denying Aung San Suu Kyi the freedom to travel within her own country. Aung San Suu Kyi has been a tireless champion for democracy in Burma. Her work gives voice to the long-suffering people of Burma whose hopes for a democratic society have been crushed by a repressive regime. Freedom of movement and freedom of speech are fundamental, internationally-recognized human rights. The Burmese Government's
restraints on Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma's democratically elected majority party, violate basic principles of international human rights instruments and are an affront to people throughout the world.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been stranded on a roadside south of Rangoon in deplorable conditions for the past week. The military police will not allow her to travel to a nearby township and confer with local National League for Democracy supporters. Despite the physical and psychological hardships imposed on her, Aung San Suu Kyi has persevered and remains determined to exercise her fundamental human rights and continue her travel. Her voice will not be silenced.

Burma is a country desperately in need of democracy, respect for fundamental human rights and national reconciliation. Aung San Suu Kyi and members of the National League for Democracy have made tremendous personal sacrifices in pursuing this cause and in their efforts to realize productive dialogue with the military regime. The United States has joined with the United Nations Secretary General and others in the international community to promote these goals. The United
States calls on the Government of Burma to stop its violation of Aung San Suu Kyi's human rights and immediately allow her to travel to her intended destination.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)